The shutdown, Paris, Provence and a perv

Had a lovely dinner with my friend, Barb, last night. First of all, the prix fix at 312 really is a good deal! I had a pear salad, grilled salad entree, sorbet dessert and a cran/vodka for $60 (including tax/tip). Yummy and affordable!

Her husband works for the IRS and is furloughed. The GOP is turning a pair of fiscal conservatives who lean Republican into Democrats because of this Tea Party nonsense. I wonder how many households of federal employees are going to vote Democratic after this shutdown. I feel bad for Barb's dogsitter. As long as her husband is home, they're not paying anyone else to run the pups. So I also wonder how many small businesses the capitalism-loving GOP is damaging with their tactics.

She also filled me in on her recent trip -- 2 1/2 weeks in France. Fine dining and museum-hopping in Paris, hiking through the countryside in Provence. I was happy to hear her so happy.

I was a little unhappy to hear about the contractor who is working on their second home in Hilton Head. He has texted her that he loves talking to her because her "voice is a turn on." She ignored that and then he messaged her with, "Did I go too far?" I recommended to her that her husband take over the contact from now on. She says it doesn't bother her and she can handle it. But if it didn't bother her, she wouldn't have mentioned it to me.