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tenniswitch

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Everything posted by tenniswitch

  1. We've just received a refund for the redevance audiovisuelle from the Tresor Public, and I want to deposit it into our account when I get to France.  The check is made out to my husband, although they've cut off the last two letters of his middle name, and we've just realized that, having never before received a check in France, we don't know how or where to endorse it. In the US it is necessary to endorse checks on the back of the left end (end opposite the one where one signs the face of the check), but on this check that area is covered by two paragraphs of information about the time the check is valid. So, does the DH sign the check with his name as (incompletely) written on the face?  Or with his name and middle initial as it is in our account records?  Or both? Do we put our account number on the check, too? Where should all this go? I did google this, but only came up with translations of terms, so I will be very grateful for help from the experts.  
  2. [quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]It might be because it's in Europe Quillan. My orange works in the UK too, but no idea about the US.[/quote] Maybe my French cell phone just isn't tri-band. CdL, have you asked anyone at Orange if it will work in the US?  It would be expensive (roaming with a vengeance), but if you're only going to use it once or twice while you're in the airport... Sorry, must have posted this while you were posting your update.  Sounds good.  Hope you have a good trip.  
  3. [quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]Yes, it is unlocked. I unlocked it soon after getting it. I'm planning on getting a US payg card when I get there, but it would be nice to be able to text the person waiting for me at the airport as i get through the many stages to getting out.[/quote] I agree that it would be convenient, but I don't see how you would connect to a carrier w/your Orange SIM.  Maybe I'm missing something.  All I would see on my Orange mobile would be a "No Service" message.
  4. I'm no expert but I would not expect your Orange SIM card to work at all, anywhere in the US. Oh, and by the way, is your phone unlocked?
  5. [quote user="Tony F Dordogne"]Ummmmmmmmm. why not just visit them?  Online research isn't the bees knees, it's just a convenient short cut and can never show every map and every piece of paper, there's just too much of it all.[/quote] I shall try to do so when next I'm in France.  From 4000+ miles away, access to old cadastral maps would be very convenient.
  6. [quote user="Tony F Dordogne"]Sid, I've used records going back to the mid 17th century with very detailed records of building, their construction, property lists, land purchases etc. '1850' is either a guess or somebody being smart.[/quote] Thanks for posting that.  Unfortunately the archives for our commune are not yet on line, but maybe someday.
  7. [quote user="Russethouse"] Many thanks for your suggestions, can I come back in a few days ? The body is willing but my minds not: We admiited my mother to hospital today and I'm exhausted ( For the record the Paramedic attended within 10 minutes and the ambulance within 10 mins of his request. She was attended to promptly and found a bed on a medical ward which was appropriate and has a room of her own. Comprehensive historys were taken, twice.  All on the NHS ) [/quote] Sorry to hear about your mom.  Try to get some rest. Best of luck, Tw
  8. We average about 100€ for the months I'm in France (usually mid-April to mid-July, mid-September to mid-November).  No pool, but electric cooker and electric radiateurs as well as woodstoves for heat.  And I use the washer, dryer and dishwasher a lot. Your bill sounds quite reasonable to me, but, of course, it depends on the size of your house, what you're running, and the weather.
  9. [quote user="Russethouse"]LOL - Just followed all that advice too - it didn't work [8-)][/quote] Now I'm even more sorry- somehow I had mentally processed "links" as "attachments". To try to atone, I've taken another look at Mr. Tb's Outlook Express settings as he doesn't have trouble with links (and I use Outlook), and I notice that under Tools/Options, on the Security tab, where it says "Select the Internet Explorer security zone to use", he has selected "Restricted site zone (more secure).  BTW, what OS, IE version & OE version are you using?  And have you checked your antivirus program settings?
  10. Ab, keep in mind that all hard drives can fail (and CDs can deteriorate over time), so I would advise you to back up anything that you treasure (such as your photos) to at least 2 media (external hard drive and CDs, for example, or to 2 external hard drives) before you delete the files from your computer. Are you using Windows?  If so, I'll be happy to give you more detailed instructions for backing up your photo files (I don't know anything about Macs, but lots of folks here do).
  11. I have a US laptop (Zone 1) which will play Zone 2 videos.  When I insert one, it gives me a "can't play this" message, but then plays them anyway. I haven't gotten the "after 5" message yet, but in fact that would be okay as the laptop now lives in France.
  12. Well, that's not entirely accurate (the slowdown, not the Mac fan comment).  Maybe she, like my DH, bought a computer with the absolute minimal HD memory and RAM for her OS and then installed a bunch of memory hogging audio and photo-hogging software on it. There is a reason why we have his and hers computers. OTOH, if it's gotten slow fairly recently, you're right, Sweets may have something malfunctioning or a nasty little infestation.
  13. Clair, I want to thank you for posting that letter.  We, too, received the first Td'H bill for our residence secondaire this year and have not yet gotten television (it's on the list for 2010).  I used your letter to contest our assessment for the taxe redevance audiovisuelle (couldn't send it certified as we were mailing from the US), and today I received a notice that we have been granted an exemption and we'll be sent a refund check. I was really surprised that it was so simple and (relatively) fast- I've known people who fought for months over this- and lost. You are virtually super (I suspect actually super also). [:)]
  14. [quote user="banyuls diver"]I know you can use symbols or special software to write a document in French in WORD on a qwerty keyboard. Anyone know how to write an e-mail in French using gravs,acutes etc.?[/quote] I use Office 2007 and Outlook & use the following (it's easier than it sounds, and is, in fact, fact the easiest way I've used): 1. Press CTRL and one of the punctuation keys ` ' , ~ : ^ that most closely resembles the accent needed.  2. Release the two keys pressed in Step 1. 3. Press the letter to be modified and the accented character will appear.  Some keys such as ^ require a shift key also.
  15. Okay, it's fixed. I sent an email to CA via their website and they gave me instructions for obtaining access. I'm impressed with the speed of their response.
  16. This morning when I tried to log into my CA account online (the access for which I pay 1,5€/month in order to keep on top of things for our residence secondaire), I saw the following: "Bonjour et bienvenue dans votre espace sécurisé, Pour sécuriser la gestion de vos comptes en ligne, des opérations nécessiteront prochainement l'envoi d'un code que vous recevrez sur votre téléphone portable.Aussi, nous vous invitons à procéder à la vérification de ce n°. Nous vous remercions pour la confiance que vous nous accordez." Are they kidding? I'm in the US until spring & they're going to send a code to my portable? The French one that doesn't work here or the US one? And what happens to people who don't have portables? Or has someone just hacked their website?
  17. FWIW, I have cancelled Wanadoo internet service via the English-speaking help line (it was effective in about 10 minutes- good thing I didn't need to check email one last time). I've never cancelled telephone service, but would try the same help line first.
  18. Will have to be write, I'm afraid, as I'm across the pond. Thanks.
  19. Thank, Clair, for your prompt and lucid response. We have only residence secondaire in France and are not liable for French impots, so have never filed a tax return. I do have a (probably stupid) question about writing for a review. On the back of our TdH form, there are 2 different addresses (pour obtenir des reponses plus detaillees)for Centre des finances publique: 1. (sur le montant de votre impot) in our nearby market town; 2. (sur le paiment de votre impot) for the office where we normally pay our property taxes, water and sewage. Is one of those the address we should use?
  20. Just received our first Td'H bill including the Redevance Audiovisuelle charge. What is "un dispositif assimile" in that context? We haven't bought tv equipment yet, although we did have the house wired for connection to an (as yet unpurchased) antenna and/or satellite. Does this make us liable for the RA charge for 2009? If not, how do we go about contesting it? Do we use the process for reclaiming Td"H outlined on page 2 of the Avis d'Imposition?
  21. Personally, I like matte on walls and satine (eggshell) on wood doors, moldings, etc., especially in old houses. I've used this scheme satisfactorily in 2 houses (French paint in one, English F&B in other). But, as I said, this is my personal preference.
  22. I haven't gotten a really good look at him/them, but the tail is definitely not as bushy as a squirrel, which I think lets out the loir (loire?).  It may be slightly bushier than a rat's- just not sure. On the other hand, the DH and I got a glimpse of the underside of one this evening as it crossed the dining room window on its way down, and our impression was that that was quite light- possibly white- which sounds more lerot than rat. From our point of view, it doesn't make a huge difference as it doesn't seem to be getting into this house at all (we are going to be filling in any chinks we can find, however, just to ensure that he doesn't decide to winter over inside).  But, however irrationally, if I know it's a lerot, I'll be much more inclined to concentrate on keeping it outside.  If a rat, I might be tempted to set a few traps. 
  23. Recently, toward dusk, I've seen one (or more) small rodents climb down a west-facing wall from the roof to the grape vines which are a meter or so  below the windows of the rez de chausee (the garden is at cave level).  From there it seems to climb up behind the (open) volets, where it stays a while before heading up toward the roof.  It's been too dark to see it clearly- can just tell that it's bigger than a mouse and has a longer tail. I'd been noticing for a while that something was leaving grape skins on the balcon and the nearest windowsill.  Now I've discovered some rodent droppings (definitely larger than souris size) on the windowsill and stuck to the crepi behind a couple of the volets. Fortunately, there are no signs that it's gotten into the house yet.  I suspect that it (they) may live in the grenier of the house that backs up to that area of ours. Based on the entirely inadequate amount of information I've given, does this sound more like a rat or a lerot?  
  24. [quote user="Department71"]We are going over at the end of September for about 6 weeks and will have the phone reconnected for the time we are there, do you pay a pro-rata rate for the time in use, or are you charged the full 2 months by FT Cheers Steve [/quote] They will charge you for 2 months and then rebate a pro-rated portion (minus the "suspension" fee) after you suspend the service.
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