Paris at Night ~ Tom Landry in the Louvre

Took pictures of Paris after dark outside Elodie & Thetje's window. At last light, caught their neighbor, Shep, across the courtyard. Viewed the Eiffel Tower straight up through the tangle of steel.

On the Oise River strolled a medieval fair where Alison conjured up a memory of slaying dragons.

Then a most disturbing thing. Found evidence of the Anti-Christ in France. In a painting at the Louvre there was the familiar fedora and profile of Tom Landry prowling the Cowboys sideline. Next day at Versailles the Texas Lone Star peppered a rug's pattern. This could not be a coincidence. I hung onto the fact the Giants defeated Dallas twice last year and I prayed to Allie Sherman.

The Louvre at Sunset

We brought our music down Carl Schurz Park in a shopping cart full of albums. We plugged the stereo into the base of the light pole. In the dark, we played full-court basketball in the Hockey Field fighting over conversions sunk unseen with Bud big boys parked at the base of each basket's post for quenching our thirst, but we never played boules (bocce) in the Louvre courtyard at sunset with open bottles of wine. I nearly fell off my bike viewing the concept last night. Another magnificent reason to be alive.

On my way home, thinking about wine, cheese and catching some rays.

Lost In the Louvre

I believe in reincarnation. I believe we've lived previous lives and further believe we looked exactly the same. After twelve hours of Paris museums for the second straight day, I was punchy and starting to lose it in the Louvre. I decided to go off on my own in one of the Roman galleries, where there were two hundred busts of significant Romans and find a few earlier lives lived by reincarnated famous and semi-famous people. I found three without breaking a sweat.
.
Mutt Mantle.
.
I'll bet, you don't know Mutt Mantle? And if you do, I'll bet you don't know what he looked like? I do.
.
Mutt was Mickey Mantle's father, and that meant Mutt was as important to me as my father. Mickey was God, Mutt was God's father, Whitey Ford was the Holy Ghost. I challenge you to find a photo of Mutt Mantle and not agree with me, that this bust is the Mick's Dad in an earlier life.


John Lennon with a broken nose after a fight with a Mod
Gene Hackman as Lex Luther