I'm back in the saddle - sitting here in front of the computer, still a little jet lagged after my return from Paris, France on 2:00 a.m. Thursday morning. Paris time, that's 8:00 a.m. So, aside from being excited to see my kids and overly exhausted from an eight hour delay in Boston and Washington airports, (don't ask!), sleep just wouldn't come.

Voila!! I just pretended it was morning, and that I was wide awake! I checked my children, sat in my office and caught up on a weeks' worth of mail, E-mail and voice mail that couldn't be woken up.

O.K. - now it's 7:00 a.m. and time for Ransom car pool! Nothing like a rude awakening back into my Pinecrest life reality. Not that it's so bad or difficult - but there is nothing like a week away in gay Paris to let the stress melt away and feel, well, like a person without a care in the world.

I stayed with my sister, her two kids and husband in a fantastic apartment which overlooked the Eiffel Tower. Fantastique! In honor of the year 2000, the tower's sparkling lights go off every hour. They looked like enormous fireflies darting and dancing around on this huge steel structure, lighting up the sky.

During my week of shopping, eating and adsorbing the Parisian lifestyle, I couldn't help but compare the life there to that in my Pinecrest digs.

Firstly, you're talking about city life versus suburbia.

I mean, my sister's washing machine and dryer could fit about one hours' worth of clothing at one time. That is, the amount of clothes that my kids wear in one hour. It's cooler, so maybe people don't sweat as much and don't need as many changes of clothes? ( I don't think so.)

The choices for food in Paris are amazing. At the markets, people stand in line to weigh, measure, feel and examine the food they may purchase. With 95% of Parisian women in the work force, no wonder they have a high Prozac consumption. If you have to perform this food buying routine, work and then cook, who wouldn't want to commit hari cari by days' end? I can hardly handle going to Publix.

Many Parisians go food shopping on a daily basis. As a result, their meals are fresher and taste better. In fact, people take real pleasure in consuming and savoring their food; businessmen, school children and the like often come home for a home-cooked lunch and make eating out into a lengthy dining experience. Reservations don't really matter - your slot is when someone is done with their meal.

Let's talk bread. French people are into their bread. They feel it, discuss it, analyze the outer crust. Yes, breads can really differ. But please hand me over the frozen-in-France-and-baked-in -Miami baguette at Joanna's and I will be perfectly happy. Who has time for more?

"Quick" food places exist, but god forbid you're seen walking in or out of one. Mais non!

Services and products in France are very compartmentalized. Want something electrical? Go to an electrical store. Need sweets or chocolate? There are stores that only sell candy. Want fresh breads? Got to a boulangerie. A pastry or sweet dessert? Visit a patisserie. Have a craving for Vietnamese, Thai or Sushi? Multiple stores with all these delicacies exist. The food selection is incredibly vast. And the flavors? Mouth-watering!

Choices for food shopping and eating around here definitely pale in comparison. We are fortunate to have Joanna's or Gardener's Market for gourmet and specialty items. Even the new Publix offers an improved shopping experience. The only place I saw Jewish-deli type food was in the Marais, in the old Jewish section of Paris. I am sure it exists closer to my sister's apartment, but I didn't see it. It's not like Pinecrest, where you can run out to Roasters -n- Toasters or Lots of Lox.

I don't really think that the Parisian lifestyle is very healthy. There is a lot of city-related stress - traffic, pollution, etc. People smoke like chimneys and live in smaller spaces. And while the French like their leisure, they don't live as luxuriously. Their parks are exquisite, with flowers and perfect manicuring, yet we have many more golf courses and tennis courts.

I was in France ten years ago, and I truly saw a new and improved attitude change toward Americans and tourists in general. During this trip, people actually offered to help me find my way, in English. Before, I was fortunate to be sent in the right direction. Or even be responded to.

Parisians seem to possess a unique sense of refinement, style and self confidence, in their clothing, their "look" and sense of self-assuredness. But as an American living in Paris, it's been a bit difficult for my sister to meet people or find a group to help her feel comfortable and welcome. Here, in our community, I sense that we make a real effort to reach to newcomers, to help a person or family feel included, welcome. I know my friends and I make that attempt, as do our churches and temples.

Paris is great for a week, a month, or perhaps a year. But there's something unique about our small (but growing) Pinecrest village that makes me feel content and right at home, even though I'd visit Paris anytime.

Have a story idea for Inside Pinecrest? Call me, 305/665-6783 or E-mail/ Kaskcom@AOL.com. Thanks and Au Revois!