Finally something exciting is happening in this blog!! A very famous French blogger, Cecile, asked if I would answer a few questions for her blog. I don't know if you all realize it, but I'm a pretty big deal in France- the tabloids just ran photos of me topless on a beach with Carla Bruni (I was topless, Carla was not -despite my pleading). It makes me so angry that they don't respect our privacy. Anyway her line of questioning will be based on the "Chinese Portrait", I've never heard of this form of questioning but it's common in France- An example of such a question would be "If Paris was a color, what color would it be?" I agreed to answer her questions (my answers will, undoubtedly, suck) on the condition that she answer 20 questions for me. She has foolishly agreed. My questions will have no format- just French things I have wondered about.

I've been putting together some questions but since everyone who reads this blog loves Paris - except for that anonymous chick that noone likes- this is a great opportunity to ask those nagging questions you have. What do you want to know from a real, live Parisienne? Politics, dating, art, living in the big city, fashion, making out on the first date, boxers vs briefs- anything you need to know now is your chance. Even if you are an expat who has been living in Paris for years certainly there is something you'd like to ask.

I'm calling all of you out- Self-Taught Artist, LDP, Demetrius, Karyn, Lil Bro, Michelle, Big Bros, Chef Brocket, Dyna, New Reader Mindy, Jersey hoodlums, Polly Vous Francais, Jay, La Belette Rouge,Kate, Panic in New York, Our Family in Paris, Barcelona Kevin, Catalan Laura, Aralena, Solvakia, Taryn, Melissa, San Francisco, all those people that read the blog but never comment- we want questions from you. A chance to ask a real live french woman whatever you want. I'll compile the questions and forward them to her. Answers will be published soon.

You can leave the questions in the comment section or, if you are shy, email me mgmullaney@mac.com

I once wrote about being addicted to following the site traffic. I’ve gotten much better about it I don’t much care about the numbers any more (over 11,500 hits to date), but I love discovering where you all are from. I recognize the same geographic faces. Beirut, Jerusalem, Oakland, Huntington Station, Juarez, Sydney, Vallejo, Dublin, Tacoma, Dubai and now Eugene. I assume that if you are reading this you have a similar take on life otherwise why would you bother? We are all cut from a similar cloth. I would like, at some point, to borrow money from each and every one of you, except maybe the guy from Jersey as I suspect I’d have to pay him back.

There is one location that fascinates me. I’ve googled it; I’ve studied in on a map; I’ve even bounced the idea of trying to visit there. That place is called Martin / Zilina, Slovakia. It’s actually two cities in northern Slovakia I don’t know why it fascinates me- the reader comes by upon occasion and I love the fact that my very small life is being read about in Martin/ Zilina Slovakia. Somewhere in Slovakia someone knows that my mother’s favorite recipe is Lime Jell-O or that my sister conned a neighbor kid out of his Mountain Dewback in the 70’s. I love that Martin /Zilina Slovakia reads your comments, as peculiar as they sometimes are.

Anyway, somewhere along the line we lost Martin /Zilina Slovakia. I was hoping it was the inane comments from you all that drove Martin / Zilina Slovakia away but I soon realize that it was probably me. Where ever I go there I am. It may have been something I said or didn’t say. So this is a note to Martin/ Zilina Slovakia.


Dear Martin/ Zilina Slovakia,

Please, give me another chance- I can make it right. Maybe I didn’t listen to your needs and your wants. Do you feel that I took you for granted? Did it just get old and routine? In my minds eye I can see you at your computer; it’s early in the morning, you’re holding a cup of coffee, your hair is tosseled from having just woken up, laughing and smiling at some new hot shot blogger with his fancy words, his cohesive thoughts and his spot on grammar. I'm certain he is a younger, funnier blogger with an exciting font and not just the stock blogger spot background. He probably even spell checks- the bastard!

He seduced you with his profile.
Favorite Book: Time Traveler’s Wife
Favorite Movies: Anything by Ingmar Bergman
Turn Ons: Long walks on the beach
Turn Offs: Mean people and pollution.

These things are lies Martin/ Zilina Slovakia- Lies I tell you! That isn’t real- he doesn’t presume to know you like I presume know you. He is a flash in the pan a blogger that will one day just disappear. No goodbyes, no thank you just a blog that slowly disappears and is replaced by a porn site. I’m not saying that your picture will turn up on that site Martin/ Zilina Slovakia I’m just saying that I don’t trust him, not one bit. If I tell you that noone will see those pictures but me and you then you can trust that- well, you can’t take it to the bank but you know what I mean. Just reconsider, that’s all I ask. We’ve come to far to throw it all away.

Much Love,
Misplaced in the Midwest

I've been kicking around some new ideas for the blog- first thing -I need to update my favorite blogs. I have several that I've been perusing lately that need to be added and a few that I don't connect to anymore and should be deleted. I also need to implement some of the suggestions that Self Taught Artist suggested and the final thing I need to do is decide if I want to change the name or format of the blog for Paris.

So much to think about.

Ok the results are in. Actually they were in a long time ago but I, like you, completely forgot about the 4000th visitor to this sad little corner in the midwest.
And the 4000th visitor to Misplaced in the Midwest is …(drum roll) (envelope opening) (I'm so nervous)…
Someone from Gifu, Japan looking for Bukkake Girls!!!!!!
Congratulations you win some lotion and paper towels.

I am one visitor away from 4000. How very exciting. Who will be the 4000th visitor?
I think it will be some pervert who googled "teenage & making out."

I think we all start blogging for very similar reason. We have something we need to express and our work-a-day roles do not allow for that expression. I began blogging specifically to practise writing- 5 days a week I need to post something. It can be good or bad, and I think you can attest there have been some badly thought out posts, but post I must. I figure its good exercise and something might spark my imagination for a story. The Bones writing did that as did the current video store posts. The video store posts were not at all well received but I liked them, in fact, I giggled like a school girl as I they were written.


There is a danger in blogging and it is possible to lose sight of the pure objectives. Once I added site meter I began viewing how many people were reading my blog. That then became more important then practicing my writing. Always tracking the numbers- that , of course leads to blog roll comparison. I'm shocked at how quickly I can become a resentful, petty person. I'll add someone to my blog roll- that's the list of the blogs I read as shown on the right hand side of the page but if they don't reciprocate I think, "What's up with that shit? Where's the blog love?" Again, the pure objectives get lost and need to be re-found. I think that when the reason for writing gets muddles the writing itself gets muddles and lost.

I am too easily distracted. The number of hits on my site does not matter, adding someone to your blog roll specially to have them add you to yours is just plain creepy and that's not the kind of person I want to be. The blogs I list, I list because I enjoy them, that's all.

Now go out there and tell your friends to visit my little site so I can get those numbers up.