The Good, The Bad and The Ugly- The Bad

The Bad

Ah, but not all is fresh and rosy in the land of well-priced cheese.  This week I met my new nemesis, that which has come to be known as The Hobbit Hill.  Do not let the cute name fool you, for it is a fearsome thing to behold.  If it were a person that made money, I'm sure many a chiropractor bill would be laid at it's smelly feet (because it would totally be the kind of person that never showers and then stands super close to you on the metro).
        Let me explain.  As the lovely proprietor of the B&B no longer had space for us, AH and I have had to relocate to a hotel on Ecole Polytechnique's campus.  Which would not be nearly as terrible if not for the Hobbit Hill.  You see, LOA is on a plateau.  AH had even mentioned to me that he has to walk up "a little flight of steps" to get to work (although he has admitted to feeling a bit more sore since he started working).  So Thursday, when I came in to do some banking at AH's work, I was imagining a quick jaunt up some stairs, certainly nothing more serious that Orsay.  But no.  If the hills of Orsay are January Jones, then the hill to LOA is Christina Hendricks.  The ascent begins by lulling you into a false sense of security, a gentle slope up along side some little shops.  Then you turn into an alley and are suddenly climbing uphill at a 45 degree angle, praying that it never ices over as there's nothing to hold on to.  And when you think you can go no further, the stairs begin.  Uneven, decrepit stairs.  Seriously, this crap is straight out of Lord of the Rings.  This looks like something Frodo should be battling Orcs on, not something people should climb just to get to work.  Someone call Peter Jackson and tell him about this, collect yourself a nice finders fee.  And when you go to see the next Tolkein installment, look for a blonde, gasping American laying in some undignified position right behind the fighting elves.  And then please call my husband to come and get me.
        I know, I kvetch, but it is important to know about the Hobbit Hill to understand The Ugly....