Still no news. We have bids in on our two top apartment choices and we are hoping that one of them will come through. It seems quite likely though that the first one is now off the market (after they cancelled our lease signing appointment) and for the second one to come through we need the agent to sell us hard to the owner as we are offering less than what she wanted (... but we are already offering a lot!!). We hope to have more news on Monday morning. In the meantime, we are trying to relax, but it is very frustrating to still have no final home - and as a result no firm plans to get out of our unsuitable current temporary home.
On Friday morning I had my first encounter with French bureaucracy in all of its splendor. There appears to be no higher cause or greater joy for a French bureaucrat than to find ever more creative ways to say 'non'. Visits are a chess game of move and countermove - Did you bring a certified translation of your US drivers license? And a photocopy? Ah - but did you bring a second photocopy, Madame? What about copies of your payslips for the full calendar year 2006? And a document proving your entry into France? (I'm here sitting in front of you, aren't I??) But - aha - you haven't been here for 6 months, and you must know that you need to do that first. Everyone knows this. It is clear in the requirements (brandishes piece of paper on which there is no mention of a 6 month stay requirement.) So - 1 hour later - I now have a 1-inch thick paper file buried somewhere in the prefecture de police - and still no driving license. (Good thing I kept my Swiss one when I left Geneva!)
To get a driving license I am going to have to rely on the real way French business gets done - a network of contacts. P&G helpfully pay for relocation support which includes a person that takes you to all these required bureaucratic steps. She clearly has developed a great network at the prefecture - and it was impressive to see it in action. We were the first people allowed into the prefecture - waved past the 2-block long queue of people waiting in line by one of the gendarmes the relocation 'fixer' has befriended. We got to the drivers license bureau and despite grumblings from the bureaucrat manning the gates (no appointment? But we are currently issuing appointments only for October! This isn't a supermarket, you know!), repeated mentions of the 'fixer''s friend in the department got us in as the first appointment of the day. Unfortunately however, this friend is on vacation for over a month... so our luck stopped there. Now we just wait until the friend gets back... at which point the 'fixer' expects this '6 month rule' - that she had never heard of before - to magically vanish. Vive la France.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Life in Paris...........It is a challenge
Where to begin.
The good things that happened today are that we took Samuel to the jardin de luxembourg for some time on the grass and some sun which we hope will get him back on a normal schedule. While walking to the jardin we passed an Italian gelato shop. Of course, we had to stop and taste their wares. Excellent.
The rest of the day has not been so good. The good news about the rest of the day(in hindsight) is that we were unable to sign the lease for the long term temporary property which we were hoping to live in until December. Approximately 2PM we received a phone call from our consultant telling us that the owner of our number 1 choice was having second thoughts and was considering moving into the apartment herself and therefore the lease signing scheduled for 6 was cancelled. We were speechless. Our first question, after we recovered our senses, was whether we still had the option of bidding on our 2nd or 3rd choices. We had left our second choice unresolved as were unsure of the actual rent and charges. During our 1st visit we were told a certain high amount with charges included. Our 2nd visit were we told the same high amount but charges (utilities) were not included. The agent for the owner told our agent that she would present us to the owner with the original price as that it what we were first told. In some respects our 2nd choice is better than the 1st in that it is much closer to a metro station and if you walk out the front door and turn right you head into a residential district with wide, tree lined sidewalks(that in 2 long blocks take you directly to the entrance of teh bois bologne where the zoo is located, if we get this place Samuel and I may be living there), if you turn left you are on the main street(avenue Charles de Gaulle) with brasseries, boulangeries and cafes. Our 2nd choice does not have the views and the exquisite architecture of our 1st choice. Again, for those of you who wish to google map, the address is 6 Avenue de madrid, 92200, Neuily-sur-Seine.
At this point we are waiting to hear from either. We told our agent to continue to pursue our 1st choice but to also put in a bid on our 2nd choice and that we would accept whichever bid was accepted first. As I stated before I will never understand the Paris apartment market. Very, very frustrating.
We are currently on hold as we are in a temp apartment that has an inadequate kitchen but we cannot make any firm plans to move into another temp location as we do not know how long we will need the temp location. Our 1st choice is not available until December, our 2nd choice 15 August and our 3rd choice 15 September.
-Dave
The good things that happened today are that we took Samuel to the jardin de luxembourg for some time on the grass and some sun which we hope will get him back on a normal schedule. While walking to the jardin we passed an Italian gelato shop. Of course, we had to stop and taste their wares. Excellent.
The rest of the day has not been so good. The good news about the rest of the day(in hindsight) is that we were unable to sign the lease for the long term temporary property which we were hoping to live in until December. Approximately 2PM we received a phone call from our consultant telling us that the owner of our number 1 choice was having second thoughts and was considering moving into the apartment herself and therefore the lease signing scheduled for 6 was cancelled. We were speechless. Our first question, after we recovered our senses, was whether we still had the option of bidding on our 2nd or 3rd choices. We had left our second choice unresolved as were unsure of the actual rent and charges. During our 1st visit we were told a certain high amount with charges included. Our 2nd visit were we told the same high amount but charges (utilities) were not included. The agent for the owner told our agent that she would present us to the owner with the original price as that it what we were first told. In some respects our 2nd choice is better than the 1st in that it is much closer to a metro station and if you walk out the front door and turn right you head into a residential district with wide, tree lined sidewalks(that in 2 long blocks take you directly to the entrance of teh bois bologne where the zoo is located, if we get this place Samuel and I may be living there), if you turn left you are on the main street(avenue Charles de Gaulle) with brasseries, boulangeries and cafes. Our 2nd choice does not have the views and the exquisite architecture of our 1st choice. Again, for those of you who wish to google map, the address is 6 Avenue de madrid, 92200, Neuily-sur-Seine.
At this point we are waiting to hear from either. We told our agent to continue to pursue our 1st choice but to also put in a bid on our 2nd choice and that we would accept whichever bid was accepted first. As I stated before I will never understand the Paris apartment market. Very, very frustrating.
We are currently on hold as we are in a temp apartment that has an inadequate kitchen but we cannot make any firm plans to move into another temp location as we do not know how long we will need the temp location. Our 1st choice is not available until December, our 2nd choice 15 August and our 3rd choice 15 September.
-Dave
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Apartment decision...................
We just heard. We have our number 1 choice. Huzzahs all around.
I, being the cynically optimistic american, do have some concerns. My apologies to any germans reading this. When we visited the apartment we met the current tenant a very, very imposing german woman. She spent most of our visit chastising both her estate agent and ours for various missteps and mistakes. This made for a very uncomfortable visit. So we did not do our normal due diligence. The architecture of the apartment is exquisite, or that is how Julia remembers it. High ceilings with nice inlays. A very nice green marble bathroom. Of course, the wraparound balcony, which only scares me a great deal with Samuel, he may be attached to a tether even when he is in the apartment.
It is on the 6th floor and is the tallest building so we do have unobstructed views of the tower Eiffel and the surrounding areas. Being on the 6th floor we should have plenty of sunlight in the winter and good breezes to cool us in the summer. It is in Neuilly which will give Julia a very short commute(depending on traffic, of course). The address is 2 rue Pauline Borghese, 92200, Neuilly-sur-Seine or those of you inclined to utilize google maps.
The current tenant did mention a problem with the servants quarters which are on the floor above us but she was not specific. And we and the agents were afraid to ask. She also mentined that the cuisine, cabinets and curtains were available to the new renters but we would have to negotiate with her and she was very clear that she expected to receive her original investment of 18,000 euros. Julia will be handling those negotiations. I will be watching Samuel.
We sign the lease at 6PM on Friday. We hope to be able to return to take pictures and measure for placement of our stuff in the near future.
We are now engaged in finding temporary accommodation from August 1 to December 6. We will still be welcoming visitors in our temp area as we are looking for 3-4 bedrooms. We have found a place that is near where we will be living, which will allow us to get to know the neighborhood and establishments.
I, being the cynically optimistic american, do have some concerns. My apologies to any germans reading this. When we visited the apartment we met the current tenant a very, very imposing german woman. She spent most of our visit chastising both her estate agent and ours for various missteps and mistakes. This made for a very uncomfortable visit. So we did not do our normal due diligence. The architecture of the apartment is exquisite, or that is how Julia remembers it. High ceilings with nice inlays. A very nice green marble bathroom. Of course, the wraparound balcony, which only scares me a great deal with Samuel, he may be attached to a tether even when he is in the apartment.
It is on the 6th floor and is the tallest building so we do have unobstructed views of the tower Eiffel and the surrounding areas. Being on the 6th floor we should have plenty of sunlight in the winter and good breezes to cool us in the summer. It is in Neuilly which will give Julia a very short commute(depending on traffic, of course). The address is 2 rue Pauline Borghese, 92200, Neuilly-sur-Seine or those of you inclined to utilize google maps.
The current tenant did mention a problem with the servants quarters which are on the floor above us but she was not specific. And we and the agents were afraid to ask. She also mentined that the cuisine, cabinets and curtains were available to the new renters but we would have to negotiate with her and she was very clear that she expected to receive her original investment of 18,000 euros. Julia will be handling those negotiations. I will be watching Samuel.
We sign the lease at 6PM on Friday. We hope to be able to return to take pictures and measure for placement of our stuff in the near future.
We are now engaged in finding temporary accommodation from August 1 to December 6. We will still be welcoming visitors in our temp area as we are looking for 3-4 bedrooms. We have found a place that is near where we will be living, which will allow us to get to know the neighborhood and establishments.
The cat, the window, the police, the super-detective husband... and why cheap French wine is a very very good thing
Today we really learned to appreciate French wine. Not only have we had a roller-coaster day of apartment negotiation, but in the midst of all this we had a major panic attack as we realized Preacher had gone missing. Since our temporary apartment is barely large enough to fit us all in (let alone "swing a cat" :-)), it didn't take long to turn the whole place upside down... and realize that she really was missing. All we could see was two large, open windows moving in the wind... and a long drop down from the 4th floor. Had Paris already made her suicidal? Had Molson, who was sitting so very contentedly by the window, been so frustrated by the move and the small space that he had a psychotic cat-break and pushed her out?!
In the event that she could have landed on the restaurant awning below us and bounced onto the street, I spent some time asking the people running the stores around us in the street whether they had seen her - so I am now probably known as the Crazy Cat Lady of Montparnasse. I called the police, the SPA, the company that own our temporary building... all to no avail (other than to help me remember vocabulary I hope I never need again). After much frantic searching, despair, concern, and visions of Preacher doing a swan-dive off the window-ledge, my wonderful husband realized he needed to think like Preacher to find her (yes, also a scary thought)... and when he opened a cupboard door and saw the long, tall, narrow cardboard box in which the playpen came which had been hidden at the back of the closet, he actually reached down inside.... and felt the little fur-ball hidden at the bottom.
BAAAAAD CAT.
Wonderful, wonderful husband.
Much alcohol needed - and since consumed.
So... now to update you on our apartment search. As of Wednesday evening, it seems we may actually have a shot at getting our #1 choice (Rue Pauline Borghese in Neuilly) - we hope to hear back tomorrow. We are also negotiating price on our #2 choice (the one we revisited today) - which we hope to bid on if we don't get the #1 choice tomorrow. Failing this, we will likely put in a bid on our #3 choice on Friday morning - and hope it is still available. If we are lucky enough to get #1 we then have to figure out where we will live and where our stuff will stay until December... a whole 'nother can of worms...
All of these places are great options. All are ~200msq (HUGE for Paris), classical old buildings with tall ceilings, and in good condition. #1 is on the top floor with a wrap-around balcony with amazing views of Paris; #2 is within a few hundred yards of the Bois de Boulogne, metro, shops, etc.; and #3 is within a few hundred yards of the Arc de Triomphe, metro, shops, etc. We are very fortunate indeed in our choices. Hopefully we will get one of these, and then we can post pictures so you can all start making bookings at Hotel Charter!
I am so very thankful that I married such an amazing man. Life has been just a tad stressful - but through it all he has been a rock of strength and always open minded to this new life we are embarking on. (Even when he has to hear French people's opinions on American politics.) The number of reasons I love him grows by the day.
- Julia
In the event that she could have landed on the restaurant awning below us and bounced onto the street, I spent some time asking the people running the stores around us in the street whether they had seen her - so I am now probably known as the Crazy Cat Lady of Montparnasse. I called the police, the SPA, the company that own our temporary building... all to no avail (other than to help me remember vocabulary I hope I never need again). After much frantic searching, despair, concern, and visions of Preacher doing a swan-dive off the window-ledge, my wonderful husband realized he needed to think like Preacher to find her (yes, also a scary thought)... and when he opened a cupboard door and saw the long, tall, narrow cardboard box in which the playpen came which had been hidden at the back of the closet, he actually reached down inside.... and felt the little fur-ball hidden at the bottom.
BAAAAAD CAT.
Wonderful, wonderful husband.
Much alcohol needed - and since consumed.
So... now to update you on our apartment search. As of Wednesday evening, it seems we may actually have a shot at getting our #1 choice (Rue Pauline Borghese in Neuilly) - we hope to hear back tomorrow. We are also negotiating price on our #2 choice (the one we revisited today) - which we hope to bid on if we don't get the #1 choice tomorrow. Failing this, we will likely put in a bid on our #3 choice on Friday morning - and hope it is still available. If we are lucky enough to get #1 we then have to figure out where we will live and where our stuff will stay until December... a whole 'nother can of worms...
All of these places are great options. All are ~200msq (HUGE for Paris), classical old buildings with tall ceilings, and in good condition. #1 is on the top floor with a wrap-around balcony with amazing views of Paris; #2 is within a few hundred yards of the Bois de Boulogne, metro, shops, etc.; and #3 is within a few hundred yards of the Arc de Triomphe, metro, shops, etc. We are very fortunate indeed in our choices. Hopefully we will get one of these, and then we can post pictures so you can all start making bookings at Hotel Charter!
I am so very thankful that I married such an amazing man. Life has been just a tad stressful - but through it all he has been a rock of strength and always open minded to this new life we are embarking on. (Even when he has to hear French people's opinions on American politics.) The number of reasons I love him grows by the day.
- Julia
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Apartment hunting trip
Samuel is not cooperating. He is not falling asleep until 2:30-3:30 in the morning. Makes for a very long night when we have an early morning appointment like today. He was a champ in the car during all our stops as he mostly slept or charmed all the women driving by.
We have a dilemma. We found 2, actually 3, very nice apartments today. The 3rd one is actually our favorite but it is not available until December and with our current predicament with temp accommodations we do not want to spend another 4 months in temporary. So if we do not get either of our first choices we will put in a bid on our third choice.
It is currently 1830 hours in Paris and I am hoping that while writing this blog it will help clarify in mind the pros and cons of each of our top choices. To the P & G people reading this, Yes, Julia is doing a spreadsheet of pros and cons.
The first place is located in Neuilly, in the Bagatelle area. It is near a metro stop and very close to the bois bologne(Paris's equivalent to NY central park, only bigger). It is also closer to the pool than our other choice. It is located on the 4th floor of a classic building. Difficult to get a real feel for the interior as it was being worked on. The floor is especially difficult as it was covered in the remnants of pulled up carpet. The estate agent showing the place promised that it would be replaced by a very nice parquet floor.
As they say in the navy, belay my last.
My how times have changed. It is a very good thing that Julia and I communicate as well as we do.
We have decided to try for the best apartment that we saw on Tuesday, even though it is not available until December. If we are lucky enough to get it you will see when you visit why we decided to wait. I will only tease you now but it has a wraparound balcony and a wonderful view of le tour Eiffel. Enough said.
Tuesday evening as we were having discussion after discussion, writing out floor plans and reviewing video shot during the day we finally asked ourselves "which place that we saw today would we want to live if we could move in immediately." The question was answered absolutely the apartment at 2 rue Pauline Borghese(now you can google map it and see the wonderful location). So we started asking ourselves what do we need to do to make it happen. Julia, love her more every day, had the idea to do a search for apartment rentals in Paris that will accommodate cats. The agency that P & G has us working with does not seem to be the type that will go the extra effort for their clients so we had to do this search ourselves. As we found there are numerous rental apartments in Paris that accept cats. They are even less expensive than where we are currently staying. Above and beyond cost we can let a 4 bedroom apartment for less than we are spending for this small 2 bedroom with an tiny, tiny alcove of a kitchen.
As of Wednesday morning we have placed a bid for the Neuilly apartment. However, to cover our bases we revisited what has become our second choice to verify its size and acceptability. It has only 3 bedrooms but they are quite large even by American standards. Strangely this apartment is listing for more than the Pauline Borghese apartment. I don't think we will ever understand how the Paris apartment business operates. In the end we only have to endure it long enough to find the place we want.
The risk we are taking is that while awaiting an answer on Pauline Borghese we may lose either or both of the other 2 apartments that we also liked. we have asked our agents to push for an answer as quick as possible but since the apartment is not available until December the owner does not have to make a decision based on our timetable.
As of 1515 Paris time we are anxiously awaiting word. If we do not hear near close of business on Thursday we may withdraw our first bid and place a bid on our second choice so that we do not lost it to someone else, but even if we put in a bid there is absolutely no guarantee that we will get the apartment. As we learned during our first trip.
We are drinking heavily, just one bottle of wine during dinner actually. So we ask that you send us good thoughts, cross your fingers, and hope that are plans work out.
Will keep you posted as we learn more.
-Dave
We have a dilemma. We found 2, actually 3, very nice apartments today. The 3rd one is actually our favorite but it is not available until December and with our current predicament with temp accommodations we do not want to spend another 4 months in temporary. So if we do not get either of our first choices we will put in a bid on our third choice.
It is currently 1830 hours in Paris and I am hoping that while writing this blog it will help clarify in mind the pros and cons of each of our top choices. To the P & G people reading this, Yes, Julia is doing a spreadsheet of pros and cons.
The first place is located in Neuilly, in the Bagatelle area. It is near a metro stop and very close to the bois bologne(Paris's equivalent to NY central park, only bigger). It is also closer to the pool than our other choice. It is located on the 4th floor of a classic building. Difficult to get a real feel for the interior as it was being worked on. The floor is especially difficult as it was covered in the remnants of pulled up carpet. The estate agent showing the place promised that it would be replaced by a very nice parquet floor.
As they say in the navy, belay my last.
My how times have changed. It is a very good thing that Julia and I communicate as well as we do.
We have decided to try for the best apartment that we saw on Tuesday, even though it is not available until December. If we are lucky enough to get it you will see when you visit why we decided to wait. I will only tease you now but it has a wraparound balcony and a wonderful view of le tour Eiffel. Enough said.
Tuesday evening as we were having discussion after discussion, writing out floor plans and reviewing video shot during the day we finally asked ourselves "which place that we saw today would we want to live if we could move in immediately." The question was answered absolutely the apartment at 2 rue Pauline Borghese(now you can google map it and see the wonderful location). So we started asking ourselves what do we need to do to make it happen. Julia, love her more every day, had the idea to do a search for apartment rentals in Paris that will accommodate cats. The agency that P & G has us working with does not seem to be the type that will go the extra effort for their clients so we had to do this search ourselves. As we found there are numerous rental apartments in Paris that accept cats. They are even less expensive than where we are currently staying. Above and beyond cost we can let a 4 bedroom apartment for less than we are spending for this small 2 bedroom with an tiny, tiny alcove of a kitchen.
As of Wednesday morning we have placed a bid for the Neuilly apartment. However, to cover our bases we revisited what has become our second choice to verify its size and acceptability. It has only 3 bedrooms but they are quite large even by American standards. Strangely this apartment is listing for more than the Pauline Borghese apartment. I don't think we will ever understand how the Paris apartment business operates. In the end we only have to endure it long enough to find the place we want.
The risk we are taking is that while awaiting an answer on Pauline Borghese we may lose either or both of the other 2 apartments that we also liked. we have asked our agents to push for an answer as quick as possible but since the apartment is not available until December the owner does not have to make a decision based on our timetable.
As of 1515 Paris time we are anxiously awaiting word. If we do not hear near close of business on Thursday we may withdraw our first bid and place a bid on our second choice so that we do not lost it to someone else, but even if we put in a bid there is absolutely no guarantee that we will get the apartment. As we learned during our first trip.
We are drinking heavily, just one bottle of wine during dinner actually. So we ask that you send us good thoughts, cross your fingers, and hope that are plans work out.
Will keep you posted as we learn more.
-Dave
Gastronomical pleasures and nightmares
Ah, to be in France - the land where, as far as I can tell, there are four major food groups: wine, bread, cheese and chocolate. It is great to be in a country where you can walk half a block to a bakery and buy a baguette still warm from the oven throughout the day. We've gotten to know the local boulangerie well (Samuel is a total charmer - all the women remember him and ask about him). We are also lucky enough to be close to a big supermarket, where we've happily been discovering good bottles of wine and cheeses all for very affordable prices. But beyond these... I'm learning that when shopping, it might be best to just avert your eyes at the check-out counter and blindly hand over the plastic... A simple can of tuna is $3.50!!!
Our temporary apartment has a most bizarre cooking contraption - a combination microwave / grill which is apparently supposed to be able to simulate conventional oven cooking by combining these functions. Yeahhhh. Right. Tell that to the frisbee-shaped piece of shoe leather we tried to eat for dinner last night. We've reached the conclusion that you have to be a nuclear physicist to figure out how to operate this thing. (OK - or just smarter than us. That isn't nearly as difficult :-))
Hopefully we'll move into a new place soon - either our permanent home (if we can find one today!) or a different temporary place (with a REAL oven!). Fingers crossed for our househunting trip today.
- Julia
Our temporary apartment has a most bizarre cooking contraption - a combination microwave / grill which is apparently supposed to be able to simulate conventional oven cooking by combining these functions. Yeahhhh. Right. Tell that to the frisbee-shaped piece of shoe leather we tried to eat for dinner last night. We've reached the conclusion that you have to be a nuclear physicist to figure out how to operate this thing. (OK - or just smarter than us. That isn't nearly as difficult :-))
Hopefully we'll move into a new place soon - either our permanent home (if we can find one today!) or a different temporary place (with a REAL oven!). Fingers crossed for our househunting trip today.
- Julia
Monday, July 21, 2008
Slingbox(or I love technology)
For those of you that travel, this is a must read.
There is a new invention called a slingbox. What it does is that it allows someone to watch their home television from a remote location. That is right we are in Paris and we are able to watch US television shows live on our computer.
Merci beaucoup(see I told you all I was bilingual) to my sister, Beth and brother-in-law, Bob, who have allowed us to install the slingbox in their home in Denver Colorado. For those of you that do not know I am a loyal and dedicated supporter of the Denver Broncos(American football). This season I will be able to watch every one of their games on our computer. This is something I was not actually able to do in Cincinnati. Samuel will be able to grow up with dual citizenship and dual sporting allegiances(Chelsea and Denver Broncos).
The slingbox will also allow us to watch the olympics with the US feed. In 2004 we were also in Paris for the olympics and all that was broadcast was the Epee competition. I will also be able to follow the US men's national teams quest to qualify for South Africa in 2010.
I used to say I love this country. I must amend that statement to I love this world!!!
There is a new invention called a slingbox. What it does is that it allows someone to watch their home television from a remote location. That is right we are in Paris and we are able to watch US television shows live on our computer.
Merci beaucoup(see I told you all I was bilingual) to my sister, Beth and brother-in-law, Bob, who have allowed us to install the slingbox in their home in Denver Colorado. For those of you that do not know I am a loyal and dedicated supporter of the Denver Broncos(American football). This season I will be able to watch every one of their games on our computer. This is something I was not actually able to do in Cincinnati. Samuel will be able to grow up with dual citizenship and dual sporting allegiances(Chelsea and Denver Broncos).
The slingbox will also allow us to watch the olympics with the US feed. In 2004 we were also in Paris for the olympics and all that was broadcast was the Epee competition. I will also be able to follow the US men's national teams quest to qualify for South Africa in 2010.
I used to say I love this country. I must amend that statement to I love this world!!!
Samuel's pediatrician visit
Samuel was awake and alert for his first pediatrician visit in Paris. He should have been as he did not fall asleep until 2:30 AM and slept until 9 AM. I on the other hand am exhausted. Julia and I are alternating nights so that at least one of us gets a good nights sleep.
After a less then usual terrifying Paris taxi ride we arrived at the American Hospital. We are seeing Dr. John Lovejoy, former head of ER pediatrics at NY Presbyterian(which is where we had our IVF procedure). Very good bedside manner with us and with Samuel. Samuel's vitals are as follows: weight 5.85 KG, 59.9 CM. Apologies to all the Americans reading this but if I have to learn the metric system, so do you. No other health issues. He is a happy well adjusted little boy, in spite of his parents.
We did learn something about french culture. When we take Samuel back in 1 month for his 4 month shots we have to stop y the pharmacie and pick up the needles and vaccines ourselves. Dr. Lovejoy has said that they have tried to change this requirement so that the doctors office can supply the vaccines but every time they do the pharmacists go out on strike. Welcome to Paris!!
Preacher is a bad cat as she has taken to sleeping in Samuel's portable playpen. Bad, bad chat!
Tomorrow is a big day as we are off to apartment hunt. We spent some time on the computer Sunday evening researching apartments and found a few and forwarded them to our re-location agent who hopefully will be able to make appointments for Tuesday. We found 3 that read like very good opportunities on the web but you never know until you see the property for yourself. Wish us luck.
Will post results of our trip tomorrow.
After a less then usual terrifying Paris taxi ride we arrived at the American Hospital. We are seeing Dr. John Lovejoy, former head of ER pediatrics at NY Presbyterian(which is where we had our IVF procedure). Very good bedside manner with us and with Samuel. Samuel's vitals are as follows: weight 5.85 KG, 59.9 CM. Apologies to all the Americans reading this but if I have to learn the metric system, so do you. No other health issues. He is a happy well adjusted little boy, in spite of his parents.
We did learn something about french culture. When we take Samuel back in 1 month for his 4 month shots we have to stop y the pharmacie and pick up the needles and vaccines ourselves. Dr. Lovejoy has said that they have tried to change this requirement so that the doctors office can supply the vaccines but every time they do the pharmacists go out on strike. Welcome to Paris!!
Preacher is a bad cat as she has taken to sleeping in Samuel's portable playpen. Bad, bad chat!
Tomorrow is a big day as we are off to apartment hunt. We spent some time on the computer Sunday evening researching apartments and found a few and forwarded them to our re-location agent who hopefully will be able to make appointments for Tuesday. We found 3 that read like very good opportunities on the web but you never know until you see the property for yourself. Wish us luck.
Will post results of our trip tomorrow.
Almost forgotten anniversary
How hectic was our move? Well, i will tell you a story. It was so hectic that I am not even sure that I am remembering the details of the story correctly.
I believe we were having dinner with Beth & Bob at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse when Beth casually mentioned anniversaries. Julia and I looked at each other as if to say, When is ours? Neither of us could immediately remember. After a few seconds it occurred to us that it is August 5t and we will be in Paris, living in temp accomodations, with a newborn and 2 cats. We both agreed that we would celebrate with a nice dinner and a walk along the Seine.
Are we romantic or what?
I believe we were having dinner with Beth & Bob at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse when Beth casually mentioned anniversaries. Julia and I looked at each other as if to say, When is ours? Neither of us could immediately remember. After a few seconds it occurred to us that it is August 5t and we will be in Paris, living in temp accomodations, with a newborn and 2 cats. We both agreed that we would celebrate with a nice dinner and a walk along the Seine.
Are we romantic or what?
Leaving Cincinnati, Part Un
Since we did not have an apartment in Paris before we were leaving Cincinnati we decided to have a yard sale. First advice, never have a yard sale on the hottest most humid day of the year. Also be aware that people will show up at leat 1 hour before your advertised start time. We posted an 8 AM start and our first customer appeared at 6:45. All of the good items that we had advertised were sold before 8 AM. One woman literally bought our black futon as my brother-in-law was carrying it out the door. It took Bob 15 minutes to help this woman load her car. She bought so much of our junk that I thought her tires would go flat from the extra weight in the vehicle.
I need to take time here to thank a few people who helped out for the yard sale. First of all, my brother-in-law Bob. Thanks for the muscle. Definitely would not have managed the 2 tv's down the stairs without you. My sister, Beth, who babysat her nephew for two days.
To my friends, Brent, JOni and Joni's mom pete for the loan of tables. Also for the use of their vehicle on Sunday so we could drop off leftover items at goodwill.
Also thanks to Julia for allowing me to show her a true american spectacle, a yard sale.
I need to take time here to thank a few people who helped out for the yard sale. First of all, my brother-in-law Bob. Thanks for the muscle. Definitely would not have managed the 2 tv's down the stairs without you. My sister, Beth, who babysat her nephew for two days.
To my friends, Brent, JOni and Joni's mom pete for the loan of tables. Also for the use of their vehicle on Sunday so we could drop off leftover items at goodwill.
Also thanks to Julia for allowing me to show her a true american spectacle, a yard sale.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Moving to Paris, France
The move to France went surprisingly well. Molson(our cat with cancer) had a stinker of an explosive pooh as we hit the security checkpoint at CVG. It was rather difficult to clean the cat and his carrier while placing all our luggage and the stroller for the X-ray machine. Needless to say we made no new friends in the security line.
Samuel and Molson were wonderful on the flight. Molson meowed only during take-off and landing, other than that no one knew he was on the flight. Samuel fussed a little during the meal service but either slept or quietly laid in our laps for the remainder of the flight.
We are currently residing in temporary accommodation in the 14th arrondisement. The accomodations do not live up to the billing. The cuisine (kitchen) is just an alcove barely large enough to turn around in. We may move to another temp site on 1 August, depending on the results of our househunting trip on the 22nd. If we find a suitable apartment that is available on 1 August we may move in and have P & G provide us with rental furniture until our shipment arrives.
Molson and Preacher have adjusted well to the move. They each have their own bedroom in the temp apartment adn are very happy and content.
Samuel now thinks day is night and night is day so we are not getting much sleep as we try to change his schedule back to normal.
Samuel and Molson were wonderful on the flight. Molson meowed only during take-off and landing, other than that no one knew he was on the flight. Samuel fussed a little during the meal service but either slept or quietly laid in our laps for the remainder of the flight.
We are currently residing in temporary accommodation in the 14th arrondisement. The accomodations do not live up to the billing. The cuisine (kitchen) is just an alcove barely large enough to turn around in. We may move to another temp site on 1 August, depending on the results of our househunting trip on the 22nd. If we find a suitable apartment that is available on 1 August we may move in and have P & G provide us with rental furniture until our shipment arrives.
Molson and Preacher have adjusted well to the move. They each have their own bedroom in the temp apartment adn are very happy and content.
Samuel now thinks day is night and night is day so we are not getting much sleep as we try to change his schedule back to normal.
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