I'm full of the joys of christmas at the moment.
My washing machine in the house broke down yesterday. Full of washing and water, wouldn't drain or spin, so that was fun getting it all out. Rang the 'after sales enquiry' line. Note that there is no direct translation for 'helpline' in french. Told them about the breakdown and that another washing machine that we have (for the gites) is also leaking water. Both machines bought this year. They took my details but could give me no idea what so ever on when they would get back to me about it, let alone come and fix it. Hence reason why the french have not been able to translate 'helpline' as they are unable to deal with the 'help' part.
The gas tank for the house is at 15% and we are using approx 1% per day during winter, mostly on heating, but you wouldn't know it. A refill costs about €1000,00. Today is 7 December so that'll be empty just in time for Christmas.
There are holes in the bottom of my winter shoes (only pair). It keeps on raining and my feet keep getting wet. I've had them about four years so can't complain I suppose, but can't afford new ones either so I'm going to try a bit of cardboard in the bottom like people did in the old days.
I have no more wine left in the fridge. Or anywhere else for that matter.
Danyl went out in X-factor last night. Not that I necessarily wanted him to win, but he should have been in the final.
There's no chocolate left in the house.
Right front indicator lens has fallen off car. It's having it's MOT next week (not even thinking about that one) and the garage has said it won't pass without one. Have to have a whole new indicator, apparently cannot just buy a lens.
Must have spent a good €40,00 or so in christmas postage so far. So much for spedning less by buying less presents this year (mostly kids only). I'm going to copy my sister-in-law next year and send everyone e-cards. Don't say you weren't forwarned. I could have bought myself a pair of shoes with that money. Well, part of a pair of shoes anyway, this is France. I also hope that you appreciate my warmest seasonal greetings that I'm posting to you this year - think of me in my wet socks as you open your card in your warm, centrally heated home.
Looked in the mirror this morning and saw a line of something on my face, which I thought was make-up (I do put it on occasionally). Tried to rub it away, but it wouldn't go. Closer inspection revealed yet another new wrinkle.
I could easily go on and on. But I think I should probably stop or else I'll lose the few readers I've got.
07 December 2009
06 December 2009
Well, we made it to the Christmas market, the sun actually came out for a while, so off we went. It was in a tiny little village and was all in all quite pleasant, nice stuff on the stalls, although quite pricey, so didn't buy anything except a cake each for the girls and coffee for my parents.
There was a large church in the middle of it all, and Isabella is often asking me to take her into a church (possibly because there's so many of them over here, must want to know what it's all about). Well religion is not for us, but I had been thinking it was probably about time she started to learn about the origins of Christmas (they don't learn about it at school as state schools are secular), so I said we'd go in and have a look at the nativity display they were advertising. As we were waiting in the queue I gave her a brief overview of what the display would be about. We got near to the display and were herded into a group to hear a little talk, I thought 'oh good, he's going to tell us about the display' - ie about the nativity and I instructed Isabella to listen. Well he did tell us all about the display. He droned on for a good ten minutes, in french, in his best Nigel Mansell voice (very monotone) all about how he made the display, starting from when he started it in October. Snooze fest. Finally we were free to have a closer look, and there it was, very pretty, very well done, three wise men, farm animals, even water running off the roof of the stable, and in the centre Mary and Joseph looking longingly into the crib. However, I must say we were a bit disappointed by the lack of the baby Jesus. I was always taught that he was the star of the show (with the exception of the star of course), but perhaps things have changed since then.
Funnily enough, I was cutting up an apple for the girls earlier today when I found that the stalk had somehow grown inwards and was completely inside the apple, to which Adrian responded that it was the face of Jesus in the apple (eh?). Now he's saying it was prophecy and talking of which, don't I know that the stalk always brings the baby. In his dreams.
There was a large church in the middle of it all, and Isabella is often asking me to take her into a church (possibly because there's so many of them over here, must want to know what it's all about). Well religion is not for us, but I had been thinking it was probably about time she started to learn about the origins of Christmas (they don't learn about it at school as state schools are secular), so I said we'd go in and have a look at the nativity display they were advertising. As we were waiting in the queue I gave her a brief overview of what the display would be about. We got near to the display and were herded into a group to hear a little talk, I thought 'oh good, he's going to tell us about the display' - ie about the nativity and I instructed Isabella to listen. Well he did tell us all about the display. He droned on for a good ten minutes, in french, in his best Nigel Mansell voice (very monotone) all about how he made the display, starting from when he started it in October. Snooze fest. Finally we were free to have a closer look, and there it was, very pretty, very well done, three wise men, farm animals, even water running off the roof of the stable, and in the centre Mary and Joseph looking longingly into the crib. However, I must say we were a bit disappointed by the lack of the baby Jesus. I was always taught that he was the star of the show (with the exception of the star of course), but perhaps things have changed since then.
Funnily enough, I was cutting up an apple for the girls earlier today when I found that the stalk had somehow grown inwards and was completely inside the apple, to which Adrian responded that it was the face of Jesus in the apple (eh?). Now he's saying it was prophecy and talking of which, don't I know that the stalk always brings the baby. In his dreams.
Why does it always rain on me? Will it ever stop? It's just relentless. Supposed to be going to a Christmas market today, but if it doesn't all let up soon, that won't be happening.
Decorated the house yesterday. There are no decorations on the lower half of the tree as the cat thinks they are toys and ends up pulling the tree over. Mind you, at one point I had to extract her from the branches half way up. The tree is in the kitchen this year, where the cat gets to spend the night, so no doubt we'll be picking it up off the floor every morning (the tree, not the cat).
X-factor - Olly to go this week, IMHO. Cheryl - sack the designer - last week she looked liked a half unwrapped Ferrero Rocher. Last night she looked as though someone had ripped half her dress off just before going on stage, too late to do anything about it, she clearly decided to appear like that and pretend it's fashion. Plus far too many dresses that have clearly been made out of old lampshades. And no, I'm not jealous just because I currently spend my days in thermals and old clothes covered in paint stains.
Decorated the house yesterday. There are no decorations on the lower half of the tree as the cat thinks they are toys and ends up pulling the tree over. Mind you, at one point I had to extract her from the branches half way up. The tree is in the kitchen this year, where the cat gets to spend the night, so no doubt we'll be picking it up off the floor every morning (the tree, not the cat).
X-factor - Olly to go this week, IMHO. Cheryl - sack the designer - last week she looked liked a half unwrapped Ferrero Rocher. Last night she looked as though someone had ripped half her dress off just before going on stage, too late to do anything about it, she clearly decided to appear like that and pretend it's fashion. Plus far too many dresses that have clearly been made out of old lampshades. And no, I'm not jealous just because I currently spend my days in thermals and old clothes covered in paint stains.
02 December 2009
Christmas!!!
Am all excited because 'Norad tracks santa' is back on line! http://www.noradsanta.org/
A comment from Adrian
Jedward's new look - 'Reservoir Puppies'.
How many times can you reinvent crap? They should be taken to the vets and put down quietly (you wouldn't want them to be able to let out a substandard vocal). (He's on a roll now, I'm switching off).
How many times can you reinvent crap? They should be taken to the vets and put down quietly (you wouldn't want them to be able to let out a substandard vocal). (He's on a roll now, I'm switching off).
29 November 2009
I think I'm going to have to give up facebook from now until at least the new year. Not that I do much on it myself, but it's good to be nosey and see what other folk are getting up to from time to time. Unfortunately, these days, all I seem to get when I log on is stuff about people going to the mall and shopping, for themselves, for christmas, anything really and it's getting me down a bit now. I'm not normally a jealous person, but bombarded with other people's shopping sprees is turning me near insane with envy.
Actually, we're planning on a trip to our nearest shopping 'mall' on Wednesday (an hour's drive away). Although I use the term 'mall' in the broadest sense, it's not exactly cribbs causeway. Really just a few shops with a roof over the space between them. At one end there's Ikea and at the other a large supermarket. In between there's several restaurants and lots of small expensive clothes shops that I wouldn't fit into anyway (the clothes, not the shops). There's also a small garden centre with a section selling gravestones for dead pets. There's a very large old-fashioned carousel which is in the middle of it all and therefore impossible to avoid (In the middle of the mall, not the dead pet section). Naturally the girls love it and we don't get any peace until they've been on it at €2,50 per ride each. It also happens to be next to Mcdonalds, which is not a cheap eat out in this country (two happy meals, two 'best of' menus and three deserts, not much change from €30,00. We don't go there when we go to the mall). It's always a great day out!
I did have a lovely little story to tell you right now, in fact I was half-way through writing it when my dear husband came in a censored it, so I can't. I'm just letting you know because I'm bitterly disappointed and now I shall have to go and eat chocolate in front of him (he's on a diet. Actually he's doing very well, wish I had his discipline).
What shall I talk about then? The weather maybe? It's really shit at the moment, just keeps raining. It even got quite stormy last night and one of our trees fell down, so that'll be a bit of firewood to go the with other bits we collected. Anyway, x-factor is on now, so I'm off to shout at the tv for an hour.
Actually, we're planning on a trip to our nearest shopping 'mall' on Wednesday (an hour's drive away). Although I use the term 'mall' in the broadest sense, it's not exactly cribbs causeway. Really just a few shops with a roof over the space between them. At one end there's Ikea and at the other a large supermarket. In between there's several restaurants and lots of small expensive clothes shops that I wouldn't fit into anyway (the clothes, not the shops). There's also a small garden centre with a section selling gravestones for dead pets. There's a very large old-fashioned carousel which is in the middle of it all and therefore impossible to avoid (In the middle of the mall, not the dead pet section). Naturally the girls love it and we don't get any peace until they've been on it at €2,50 per ride each. It also happens to be next to Mcdonalds, which is not a cheap eat out in this country (two happy meals, two 'best of' menus and three deserts, not much change from €30,00. We don't go there when we go to the mall). It's always a great day out!
I did have a lovely little story to tell you right now, in fact I was half-way through writing it when my dear husband came in a censored it, so I can't. I'm just letting you know because I'm bitterly disappointed and now I shall have to go and eat chocolate in front of him (he's on a diet. Actually he's doing very well, wish I had his discipline).
What shall I talk about then? The weather maybe? It's really shit at the moment, just keeps raining. It even got quite stormy last night and one of our trees fell down, so that'll be a bit of firewood to go the with other bits we collected. Anyway, x-factor is on now, so I'm off to shout at the tv for an hour.
23 November 2009
still painting
I think I mentioned a couple of days ago in my rant about french paint, that some of it has a tendancy to be like milk. Well, you'd think that we'd have learnt by now, but no, we have not. I started painting some woodwork. Oh yes, we had bought a very expensive tin of milk (€37,00 for 2.5L). How we did that, I have no idea. It was water-based satin, and we know that we should get oil-based. Luckily, we had a bit of oil-based left in another tin, so I carried on with that. The milk will have to be used for future touch-ups/freshen-ups. I can't believe that someone thought that it would be a good idea to manufacture and sell such rubbish. But then again, I can't believe that we managed to buy it again. On the subject of painting, the blue that came out considerably darker than expected, will be changed. We've bought another tin of (hopefully) lighter blue, although we haven't opened it yet to check. Fingers crossed it's ok, we can't afford to buy any more.
We're not going to change the kitchen in the gite yet either, we're going to hold off until New Year and see how the money situation is. It's a bit scary spending several week's worth of food when you might have no money left within six weeks. It really does need changing, it would make a great improvement in the gite, but then again, I also need to feed my family. I think the kids might want some christmas pressies as well.
We're off down to Nantes tomorrow, Isabella is having lunch at school and Georgia's on a school trip, so doesn't need picking up until 1.30pm, which mum has said she will do. It's a bit of a trip for us (an hour's drive away!) being semi-hermit like these days (I know what you're saying 'what do you mean, 'these days!?'). Anyway, it was my dear hubby's birthday today and he's not getting any younger so I agreed that he (and I) could go and look at motorbike shops in Nantes. He's really looking forward to it.
We're not going to change the kitchen in the gite yet either, we're going to hold off until New Year and see how the money situation is. It's a bit scary spending several week's worth of food when you might have no money left within six weeks. It really does need changing, it would make a great improvement in the gite, but then again, I also need to feed my family. I think the kids might want some christmas pressies as well.
We're off down to Nantes tomorrow, Isabella is having lunch at school and Georgia's on a school trip, so doesn't need picking up until 1.30pm, which mum has said she will do. It's a bit of a trip for us (an hour's drive away!) being semi-hermit like these days (I know what you're saying 'what do you mean, 'these days!?'). Anyway, it was my dear hubby's birthday today and he's not getting any younger so I agreed that he (and I) could go and look at motorbike shops in Nantes. He's really looking forward to it.
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