Chrissie

Aaaaaaah.[:D]   Of course. Thanks for saving my sanity. Chrissie (81)  

Not sure which of the "tax" threads to put this in, but here goes: Under the new rules there seems to be no box where you enter the actual amount of the tax you have paid at source on a UK public sector pension.  So how do they know how much to credit you with?  Am I missing a box somewhere?  (Makes me sound like someone who's a sandwich short of a picnic - starting to feel this may be true!) Chrissie (81)

In the southern Tarn we have the Pension de Riguaud, near Mazamet www.domainederigaud.com Nice and clean, large runs, and kind, responsible people.   I gather they do cats as well, but it is communal boarding for them, something I would have been really against but friends say it has worked well for their cat. Chrissie (81)

Can't help you, but he looks a real sweetie - how old is he? Chrissie (81)

Prepared our forms, went down to local tax office and asked if any changes had happened since last year that affected foreigners with foreign income, and specified we were British (as if the accent wasn't clue enough).  Answer "No, none.  Do it as last year."  Asked again to be sure, and got THE LOOK ("God, these foreigners are thick!") and same response, but louder.  So that's what I'll be doing! Chrissie (81)  

What boggles me most is citrons verts coming under "Exotiques"![:D] Never trust a man do shop for fruit and veg - did anyone see The Apprentice recently with the guys saying vaguely "Is this an orange?...."  "Oooh, I don't know!"  Classic. Chrissie (81)    

One of my pet hates is arriving at the weighing machine and finding someone working their way through about 10 different bags of fruit and veg.[:@]  Why can't everyone just do a few at a time, and then there would be only a few numbers for them to remember as well.  Mind you, in our Leclerc, you now have to choose between "Fruit, Veg or Exotics" and then find the category of fruit, say, "Pommes" and then pick the actual type, eg "Granny Smiths", making the whole process three times as long.  I'm amazed how many people haven't yet realised (after 6 months) that the categories are in alphabetical order.........I find myself having to resist ripping the bag from their hand and doing the weighing for them.  How sad is that!! Yes, I know, we're in the south of France and we all have hours and hours to spare, so shouldn't get frazzled................yeah, right.............[:)] Chrissie (81)

If you go to the France Telecom "Pages Blanches", also get-at-able from the "Pages Jaunes" bit, there is a "Who does this number belong to?" option, which will tell you the name and address of the subscriber in most cases (not if they have blocked it for privacy or if it is an extension in a large organisation.) Worth a try. Chrissie (81)

You need to take the ordonnance to a "podalogue" - podiatrist.  It is worth finding a really good one, so ask around if you can.  Ours has all sorts of electronic gadgets that measure the pressure on various parts of the foot when walking, standing etc.  I had dreadful tendon problems last year and the insoles certainly made a HUGE difference, although it does limit the sort of shoes I can wear (presumably not a problem for a young lad!)  You will need to pay up front (mine was around 75 euros I think) and then claim back by putting the form AND the original ordonnance into your Caisse Maladie who should then pass to your mutualiste as usual. Hope this helps Chrissie (81)

Looks like those instructions you get that have been translated directly from Japanese or whatever!! Chrissie (81)

Not all "doggies" act as a charm against invasive rabbits!  Our two will willingly bark and chase after rabbits while out on walks, but seem to consider the ones in our garden as "our" rabbits and so not fair game......[:(] Chrissie (81)  

Went down to our tax office this morning and was told 1.16171................[:(] Chrissie (81)

Rather than getting a dog straight off, have you thought of looking after a friend's dog while they go away for a couple of weeks?  Or longer, if poss.This would give you both an idea of what it is like 24/7.  When I was a child and then a teenager, I begged constantly for a dog, and could never understand why my two (working) parents continually refused.  Now I am retired and and there are always dogs (and/or cats) in my home, but we have to plan meticulously for every day out or weekend away, organising someone to come in and let the dogs out, or booking them into the local kennel at vast expense.  I'm sure you have thought about this, but it is very different to experience it first hand, especially in the first few weeks when the dog is introduced to the home, and again on cold, wet mornings when the last thing you feel like doing is going for that walk! Another thought might be to volunteer to walk dogs at your local refuge.  These places are usually thrilled to have help from responsible people, and you would get to know the different types of dog in there.  (I would agree that a lab can be high maintenance!)  And helping to clean out the runs would also be an introduction to the less jolly side of dog ownership. Whatever you decide, good luck. Chrissie (81)

Have you a photo? Chrissie (81)

We, too, play the shutter game - opening everything wide early in the morning, and closing windows and almost closing shutters as soon as the sun gets to each wall.  The house stays beautifully cool.  At night, providing the temperature isn't too warm, we open the windows wide and just have the mossie screens closed.  Not sure how people cope if they live in areas where they would be frightened of being burgled though....... Chrissie (81)

Hello Mcdwg, and welcome to the Forum! There are always people asking the general questions you have asked, so you should browse around the site and read as much as you can. Main points I would make: You do not state your age, but the older you are, the harder it would be to get work here. Do you speak good French?  If you don't, you will find it hard to get anything other than really basic jobs.  And you could find settling in to life here very isolating.  Try renting here for a year and see how you fit in to the lifestyle, and how much things cost. (And what the weather patterns are like in your chosen area - may sound flippant, but weather is extremely variable here!) As a non-EU family, you need to look extremely carefully at the tax and social contributions side of your finances here, and the cost of your medical care.  There is a site called something like "Americans in Toulouse" which may help you - someone here will have the site link, I am sure.  (There are a lot of Americans in Toulouse because of the Aerospace business etc.)  You will also be at the mercy of a fluctuating exchange rate on your US income. Are you likely to want to return to the States to visit family etc?  You would be further from home than most of us, and popping back to see elderly or ill relatives might not be an option. Oh dear, this all sounds rather negative, and you may have fully considered all these things in advance.  France is a lovely country and many of us foreigners are very happy here!  I hope you find the answers to your questions. Good luck Chrissie (81)

Quick interim solution, though not very elegant: Cut a black rubbish bag into long strips and tape ends across the top of the glass.  They will hang there and flutter about.  See this a lot round here and was puzzled till someone explained it.  Have to say I wouldn't want to have that all the time! Chrissie (81)

I used to use one that lasted 24 hours, but didn't know you could get one that would work for a week.  And wouldn't it get dirty?  Occasionally my 24-hour one would have a problem, such as the catch on the feeder tray sticking and not opening, or the battery not working for long enough, and then I would feel terribly guilty.  Sorry not to have anything positive to give you.  Will be interested to see what suggestions others can come up with. Chrissie (81) 

So glad you fobbed off those people.  Let's hope the SPA can rehome the poor guinea pig.  And fingers crossed for the dog - what AWFUL people they must be.  Why isn't there a register of people who do this sort of thing so they cannot repeat it ad nauseam?  I suppose there are the same sort of people in the UK and elsewhere, but it makes my blood boil.  I hope you are going to tell them to sue you for the cost of the cage.......  Chrissie (81)

Lisa I know nothing about guinea pigs, but I would suggest you do all you can to prevent that poor little thing from going back to those original owners.  They obviously do not give a hoot about it, leaving it alone and unfed and unwatered, without even mentioning it to you.  Why not leave the cage empty, with the door ajar and say "What guinea pig?"............. Chrissie (81)

Gardener, have a loook at my post of April 2010 (sorry can't figure out how to give you the link, but search under "Outlook Express exterminated" and you should get to it.  We lost our entire Outlook Express contents but there were various places where they were cached on the computer and I recovered most of our old messages.  Maybe yours is in a similar place. Chrissie (81)

Chop up raw potato into small chunks - smaller than you would need to go through the neck of the decanter as it will swell up.  Cover with tepid water.  Swirl around for a while and keep doing so for a day or so.  Empty out - this is where you will see if you have chopped it small enough..... Chrissie (81)

Brilliant - I do hope they find him.  If he is a young dog they will put a bit of effort into it. Chrissie (81)

Jake Thackray's "Last Will and Testament" - sums up my views exactly and would leave everyone with a huge smile on their faces! Chrissie (81)

I think you may be right about the two-way switches as we have three of those in areas covered by that board.  I have put the cover back on now and left another message with electrician. thanks anyway Chrissie (81)