The trauma of Versailles

I now have a French Windows XP OS. My start button says "demarrer" instead of "start". This makes using the computer twice as hard. Everyday, we have been out using the metro. Luckily, we have a Navigo pass which gives us access to unlimited rides during the week. Paris this week has been hit by a heat wave. This afternoon, the temperature has risen to 32 degrees celsius. We have dined with friends and family everyday, and it's certainly nice to catch up, but since most people work in an air-conditioned office during the day, they still look great in the evening. We, on the other hand, have been trekking around Paris in the heat and dust, and arrive slightly disheveled. Kids who used to be shorter than I, are now much taller, and have even joined the work force. Strangely, the only parent that seems to have aged accordingly, is me. I wonder what secret potions these French parents take.
Today, I stay at my in-laws' place to catch up on emails, laundry, and a little tidying up. The kids take the metro to meet up with their friends from last night, my husband and father-in-law take off as well for meetings, and the apartment is quite calm. The sun dries up the laundry in no time. I sit here, wondering about Versailles, and how many housekeepers, gardeners, and cooks it required in its heydays. Even now, who cleans up at the end of the day when all the visitors have gone home? Who manages the staff? After my visit there, I am definitely more in favor of small houses.