The Club's Café May be Haunted

More members today, but less together. A semi-group with Jeff and Kay Thompson and Linda Thalman.

By Sophie Marceau, Wearing a Big Band-Aid

Paris:- Friday, 19. May 2000:- Since last week's monsoon Paris has had an unseasonable heat wave. Parisians were going around gasping and tearing off their clothes - or if they had the sense to wear flimsily correct attire they were really wearing next to no clothes at all.

But alas, it is club day again, so Paris skies do their best to give us all a reminder of last week's spectacular monsoon. This has been prefaced by bitter winds from the northwest, so the club's café is chock-full of sensible civilians - each and every one of them consuming onion soup - except for their kids and pets who are wailing for frites.

The first 'real' Charter member to arrive is last week's Kay Thompson. She has brought her husband Jeff, who survived the software mountain-climbing course somewhere near Toulon and he immediately becomes a 'real' Chartered member in his own right.

One of the club's 'virtual' members has sent the Thompsons a 'Howdy' from Texas - I think - writing, "If you remember, at the next club meeting please tell Kay Thompson that a 'virtual' member not only knows Sweetwater, Oklahoma, but he grew up in the nearby metropolis of Sayre and used to date a girl from Sweetwater."

When I pass this on this glad news, Kay says it is Stillwater, Oklahoma - not Sweetwater - adding, "I think Sweetwater is in Texas somewhere."

I don't have to admit this mistake is my fault but I don't see how I can get out of it when I see that Kay has written 'Stillwater' perfectly correctly in the Charter members' booklet. I guess this leaves Sayre, Oklahoma out on a limb, unless it is in Texas.

And I thought New York was complicated! Anyhow, this is good enough to make 'Flub of the Week,' but it's a bit annoying how quickly everybody 'firsts' and 'seconds' the motion.

The server-lady Linda Thompson drags Bill Dunlap over from where they've been plotting behind some of La Corona's ferns. Both are already signed-up Charter members, so I don't lend either of them the club's official Bic pen.

Kay decides she needs something to eat, something like a croque provençal, which we've - she has, in fact - had as 'Food of the Week' before - or at least that is what it is going to be this week - possibly again.

Susan and Doug Fuss show up, also both Charter members; and then a guy is coming over with a hat I've seen before. Yes! It was 11 months ago on the Champs-Elysées when I was competing in the 'art contest' - so it must be Don Smith from Seattle, Washington.

To sign the Charter members' booklet he wants to borrow the club's only 'euro' pen, but makes do with the Bic after I find it under the croque provençal. All Don writes in the booklet is his name and VisitParis.com. Kay knows all about this.

Meanwhile Linda has decided to have a Gin and Tonic cocktail - on such a miserable day - without the gin. While I am putting down this unusual cocktail as 'Drink of the Week,' the club's waiter, Patrick, is telling us about yesterday's movie business in the café .

"Michel Serrault," he says. Everybody says, 'Who?' "And Sophie Marceau," and everybody goes 'Ah!' "In Belfegore." and I go, 'What? How's it spelled?'

Patrick writes it down in the club's 'report' booklet and I still don't get it; but nearly everybody else does. Apparently this was the name of an egyptian lady mummy who lived across the street in the Louvre, who got tired of it and haunts the place and has her café breaks in La Corona.