Au Cochonnet Marin

A few decades ago, it was very fashionable for women to wear perfume. No woman on the go would leave her house without a touch of the magic elixir, and the scent of various fragrances permeated the air.

The smell of these fragrances used to be as familiar as the aroma of freshly cut grass, but no more. The politically correct vigilantes saw to it. According to them, chemical fragrances could trigger all kinds of debilitating ailments in some people and should be banned… at least in public buildings.

And so it went. Scent-free policies were established and implemented in the workplace and the smell of perfume almost completely disappeared. Personally, I don’t mind being subjected to it… but up to a point.

You need to remember that above all, perfume is a weapon. A subtle one, but still a weapon. It has been used for ages by women to soften their target’s defenses…  but not to kill them. Like any weapon, it should be handled carefully and judiciously. You don’t use a machinegun to kill a rabbit, and you don’t douse yourself with perfume to be noticed.

“If I can smell you before I see you, you definitely have too much of something on.”

Subtlety is always the key. But some people don’t understand self-restraint… especially in America where bigger always seems to be better.

This brings us to our recent encounter with a couple a middle-aged woman. We knew that they were in our table’s vicinity way before we saw them. The scent was overwhelming…. I don’t know if it was meant to cover some unpleasant body odor, but it was very potent. Enough to subdue anybody in a radius of 5 meters. After a full year of pandemic, you would think that people know the meaning of social distancing… but these two women obviously didn’t or didn’t care.

“User discretion doesn’t cut it for some people. Having a perfume spray measurement guide should do just fine. Something like a mechanical lock that jams the spray from working after 3 to 4 puffs.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love the aroma of a good perfume, but it has to be used sparingly. A touch of it works like a small wink. It is alluring when it is done discreetly, but it is disturbing when done in excess.

Most of us are too poor to buy cheap stuff. If you invest in some perfume, splurge and purchase a proven brand. A fragrance identifies you; buy a cheap one, and you will be seen as cheap; get a nice one and you be remembered as classy.

Alain

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Some things might have slowed down a bit during the pandemic, but everything did not come to a complete standstill. And interestingly enough, it seems that the interest in pétanque (especially among women) has increased significantly since the covert invasion of Covid-19.

In the pétanque sphere, even though we have not had any tournaments for a while, the beat still goes on. Games are played everywhere, and attendance has not wavered. Some people, I have been told, are so addicted to the game that they keep playing (with the help of flashlights) even after the sun has had the impertinence to disappear.

I have been playing fairly regularly, even though a stubborn backache has prevented me lately from any energetic participation. But fortunately, I have a second passion to fall back on, and my “lumbago” has not stopped me from (figuratively speaking) shooting targets of opportunity.

When I am not playing, I am likely to roam the field with “Sneaky Pete” my very versatile little Canon camera, and catch players in the act of being themselves.  They are never more natural than when totally absorbed by the game.

When taking pictures, I also look for flair and unusual situations or expressions. Form, even though it is not indicative of superior performance, is esthetically more pleasing to watch than some unstylish execution. But in general, a fluid delivery is generally more effective (and attractive) than a clumsy one.

Since one picture is thought to be worth a thousand words, I will stop talking and offer instead a little collection of pictures recently taken in the San Rafael pétanque field. If you don’t like your form, it probably means that you need to improve your game and generally speaking throw your boule higher in the air. Boules are like geese; they like to fly high and fast.

Since Easter is around the corner, I cannot leave you without making a corny joke about it. So here goes:

Q: What did the Easter Bunny say to the carrot?
A: It’s been nice gnawing you!

Happy Easter and Passover everybody!

Alain

PS: to watch the photo album, click on “My photos

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After months of forced abstinence, I finally sat down (maskless) at my favorite watering hole for a cup of java. It is not by any means a repudiation of the facemask; I am not that irresponsible (stupid). But after getting my second shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, and sitting in an open-air area, I felt reasonably safe from catching or transmitting the virus to anybody.

Like Zorro, I still don’t go anywhere without a mask; it is a common courtesy. I just shudder, looking at throngs of thoughtless (unvaccinated) juveniles partying maskless throughout the night. The virus is an equal opportunity  supplier and won’t spare you regardless of your age or your skin color.

The pandemic, no matter what some moonstruck officials are saying, is not something that stops instantly at the flick of a switch. The virus is resilient and crafty; ignore it, and like SMERSH operatives it will inject you surreptitiously with a nerve agent. You will never know what hit you and will end up like Alexei Navalny in some hospital bed fighting for your life.

According to The Charlotte Observer, religious Americans believe that God will protect them. I am a little more skeptical. God is tired and a little overwhelmed by the pandemic and its consequences. He is besieged every day by thousands of various requests and his computer network is outdated. Do everybody a favor and give the man a break! Don’t call him… he will call you up to him… if you don’t wear a mask.

Religious Americans also blame a variety of reasons for the pandemic.

“Human sinfulness accounted for 11% of respondents, followed by immigrants at 9%, climate change at 7%, people of non-Christian faiths at 3%, non-religious people at 2% and Christians at 2%.”

I was never very keen on religion. I am too crass for this kind of thing. Like good old Uncle Karl Max, I believe that religion is an opiate that dulls the senses and temporarily soothes troubled individuals. When everything looks bleak and hopeless people will grab at anything for comfort.

In life, you seldom appreciate your blessings until deprived of them. Drinking a cup of coffee at a sidewalk café is a simple pleasure, but after months of forced austerity, it feels like nirvana.

“Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” — Voltaire

Alain