Stream of Consciousness Blogging

Okay, here goes...

Is "body wash" really such a good thing? Over here in France it's called "douche". Yep, sorry guys. The bottle I have at least makes the word appear quite small. The brand name is "AXE" in large letters, and it's dark blue. Quite masculine. Still: how do you tell the difference between the shampoo bottle and the body wash bottle? One's blue and one's green. And really: what's all the difference anyway? I'm sure the body wash will get your hair just as clean - okay, so my hair smells like underarm deodorant, so what's your point? At least my body hair has full body...it is after all "body" hair...

Here's another feature we hope becomes a regular addition: "Phil's Phun with Phrench - making phun of phrench words" (you can plug them in to google translator if you want to see the real meaning...)
"Moutarde" - a slow cow, as in "daaaaaaahhhh, Mou, Fred!"

So it's been about 5-1/2 weeks since I've applied for a French card. They said the French government typically takes six weeks. I need that baby to get plates for this car I want to buy. So I says to myself I says, "Self, maybe I'll swing by the CERN User's Office and see how it's coming." No card, but the lady says call the CERN Card Services Office and ask. "Well, it usually doesn't come that fast, it's only been two weeks."..."Say whahhht? I applied on the 10th of October." "Yes, but we didn't send the application out until the 29th."
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AAAGGGHHH!!!!

Long story short: some lady has connections, will try to get my case expedited. I have my hopes and my doubts...

But then, U.S. cell phone companies make French bureaucracy look downright efficient, competent, friendly and willing to help - and that's saying something! Suddenly these sheisters think they can surreptitiously extend their customer's contracts and then charge them exorbitant contract termination fees when they want to cancel. I found out Sprint thought I was under contract when I wanted to cancel mine. Apparently our roommate Vlad had the same thing happen with Verizon.

So I faxed proof of change of address - twice. Moving out of network (say, France) is at least still recognized as sufficient reason to waive the fee. Yesterday I called and found my account has indeed been terminated. So I asked - twice - what does the final bill come to? "You have a $165 credit on your account." So apparently even though they never charged me the $200 fee, they want to give most of it back? It can't be that good...I can only wait for the final bill to actually arrive before I know the end of this story.

Biking home from the Ferney Farmer's Market earlier today: Got there too late, already striking the tents, packing up their vans and trucks and trailers and driving off. So I guess I'll just head back. But what's that animal squeaking noise I hear - hey look, there's something you don't see every day: a huge white goose trotting up the middle of the road. He looks to be in some distress. My guess is he's from that farm that he's headed away from. Can't figure out which way is home. And car after car is having to suddenly break to avoid hitting it. (Sigh) Got nothing better to do, guess I'll try to corral it with my bike. Hmm, not so easy as it sounds! Oh, good someone is stopping, an elderly French man asking me something in French. "Goosez vous?" No, it's not my goose! Yes, I think it's from that farm over there.

He pulled over his SUV and the two of us managed to shepherd the thing back to where the fence was, where he could see his mates, and then the man picked him up and tossed him back over, got in his SUV and left. Yes, they do drive SUV's over here too. Not as much though. The USCMS secretary did post on the CERN market, however, that she was selling her Ford F150 pickup...best selling vehicle in the world, I'm told by our roommate...

Had a little budget scare. We found a major error in our seven year plan spreadsheet. As a result, at first it looked like we were severely restricted in the monthly expenses that we could afford, severely curtailed in the kinds of apartments we could even think about renting. As a result, even though we heard back from the owners of the Segny house that the other interested parties had not gotten back to them, I sent an e-mail saying that we would have to let the house go to others. But then after some more readjusting we found out that the situation wasn't as bad as we thought; still even with the COLA we receive we would not be able to pay the same rent we paid in Minneapolis as a remainder. Not without tapping our savings down to dangerously low levels...it shall have to be less.

But then we found the aforementioned CERN market. We thought we had found it before, but this new one requires a CERN username/password, as you will see if you try to click on the first link above. I entered my info, and "voila" (to quote the rat in "Chicken Run", "da'z Frynche"!), a whole new treasure trove of ads! That's where we saw the ad for the Ford F150...and a whole slew of other ads. There must be about 60 ads of all kinds posted just for the 16th of November! Tons of people selling apartments, selling houses, as well as renting. So what Heather (a lady Kathy met at her women's bible study) said was true: apparently this is a buyer's market out here. There are apparently many properties that are standing empty around the area waiting for someone to come and rent/buy. She says we can negotiate with landlords for a lower rent and more favorable terms in general. We've already given it a try today.

So now we've seen places near

• Pougny Gare (one too few bedrooms, not enough windows, bit of a drive),

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• Two in St. Genis (pronounced "Sahn JuhNIE" - 1: saw a couple days ago. Cheap, but a bit small, great views, close to main CERN offices in Meyrin, 2: Saw this Sunday after church. Three bedrooms, views east and south, fourth floor - counting from zero - decent price. When we arrived the current tenant was smoking just outside the door of the apartment next to some other door that looked to be completely trashed. Inside we were told that the ratty old furniture came with the apartment. We would lose the advantage of the extra bedroom just trying to get it out of the way! The place was way too depressing.),
  
  
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• Versonnex (grab the above map with your mousy little hand and drag to see it just off the top right corner. Went Saturday morning. The previous tenants are a wonderfully friendly couple, they showed us the place: looks great, just a stone's throw from Point 5. Now if we can just get them to knock off 140euro/mo...),
  
  

• Gex (drag the above map to see where D894c and D1005 converge further north. The guy was too creepy, the place was too furnished),
  
  

• Our fourth place to view right here in Ferney (right above some shops in the center of town, across from the post office. We'd see the farmer's market every Saturday right outside our front balcony. Big enough, affordable, in the running, except we'd prefer not to live in the center of town).

...and the ads just keep rolling in...

No Thanksgiving holiday here in Europe - but it doesn't stop us expatriated Americans from celebrating anyway. Several people I know are making themselves scarce for a few days, and the same couple that invited us previously to their place is having a Thanksgiving dinner in the evening, and have invited us again, which is plum decent of them. We're also coming up to our 5th Anniversary on Friday (thanks all for your well wishes) but so far have been unsuccessful finding a babysitter for this weekend.

And we've finalized our trip to PA in January, all paid for with frequent flyer miles! Here's the itinerary:
Monday, January 7
Flight: 2888
Depart: Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, January 7, 7:15 PM
Arrive: Harrisburg Intl, January 7, 10:50 PM
Class: Economy
Seats: 9C
Harrisburg Intl to Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
Monday, January 14
Flight: 2889
Depart: Harrisburg Intl, January 14, 7:40 AM
Arrive: Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, January 14, 9:41 AM
Class: Economy
Seats: 9C

I'll post some pictures from our weekly trip to the grocery store in the next blog entry - that's right, you get two in one week! Now how much would you pay? :)

-PKBD