'Was Ist Plop?'

Today's entire club group wouldn't sit still.

'Plop Ist Kein Flop!'

Paris:- Thursday, 26. October 2000:- Just so nobody can say the weekly club 'report' failed to mention the weather, I will mention it. This morning started out unpromising and then turned agreeable, almost; and got used to this and continued with it.

In non-technical terms, the above translates into average temperatures for a Thursday with 26. October as the date in Paris; with some wind, and with modest sunshine, some average clouds and no rain.

After taking photos of two posters on the way to the club this afternoon, all I have to worry about is the camera signalling a weakening set of batteries. This has happened on club days before, so it is not surprising; it is almost even routine.

But it keeps me from taking any photos of the outdoor bazar that is surrounding Samaritaine for some unknown reason. It's just as well because no photos of this would be any good because of the huge contrast.

Continuing with economy, I do not do take the café La Corona's traditional weekly photo; partly because a perfectly good one ran with last week's club 'report' as you no doubt remember well.

The server-lady, Linda Thalman, is the first member to arrive and she is followed by Adrian 'I love to eat' Leeds. Instead of discussing vital club affairs they choose to talk about falling asleep on local commuter trains, and what happens to you if the train guys park it on a siding for the night.

There is a glitter in the air and I finally track it down to Adrian 'I love to eat' Leeds' ten fingernails. The last time I looked they were green, so when I ask about this she tells me she has '50 or 60' colors available, and does her own repaints at will.

Obviously things have changed in the world since the Wall came down in '89. Red is no longer the preferred fingernail color of choice.

Today's first new member is Sigrid, who sometimes lives in Paris, but comes from Flensburg - which is the last place in Germany before Denmark starts. For obvious reasons, Flensburg becomes the club's 'City of the Week' even though I have never been there.

In case you doubt the eligibility of Flensburg, there are no less than four important reasons for this city to get the club's coveted award. The first is 'Arumum,' which is a local, very high-test rum, which features Flensburg's incomparable water.

The second is Flensburg's beer. It's brewery was too poor to switch to bottle caps, so it kept the ancient flip-tops and when everybody in Hamburg got tired of their two varieties of beer - made with Elbe water - they switched to Flensburg's flip-tops, which are not only easy to open but they are easy to close again in case you need to take a rest from drinking beer.

Sigrid corrects my 'flip-top' theory by saying, "It is 'Plop.'"

Flensburg's other claim to fame is the fact that it is where all German drivers' black points are stored. Nobody, not even Flensburgers, know why. Finally, Flensburg is also the home of Germany's Beate Uhse SA, the huge mail-order porn company that is now quoted on the Frankfurt stock exchange. Is Flensburg a winner or not?

Brand-new member Marilyn Burke is from Cliffside Park in New Jersey. Since I couldn't find Eva Lee's Tranquility in New Jersey last week while writing the 'report,' Marilyn says Cliffside Park is easy to find. "It is directly across from 125th Street in Manhattan."

When I try to find out if the two ladies from Jersey are rooting for the Mets to win the World Series, Marilyn says, "I've never been to Brooklyn in my life," but adds, 'yeah,' she'll be a Mets fan for the meeting's duration.

Thea and Dan Robertson wheel in from Crockett, California. Dan sent me an email to say they were coming; but I didn't answer it until last night so he doesn't know it isn't necessary to send me emails to say members are coming to meetings.

For some reason, Patrick, the club's 'Waiter of the Week' has let two civilians take up one of the club's tables. This means that today's entire membership is squeezed into the remaining area of three tables, to where the soft drink umbrellas are usually stored in the corner.

This causes a big upset when I have to get up and take the 'report's' semi-official photos; with bottles and glasses sliding all over the place and genera pandemonium - which makes the club seem kind of exciting for a change.