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Pietta? Never heard of them... need to look into it. However I did buy the Uberti today. But cant seem to find a shop that sells a cleaning kit, wads, or even a carrying case...

Killing paper targets... Blackpowder typically comes in .36 or 44... I have been partial to 44 all my life. This is essentially to pass time until I can get a proper 454 desert eagle... Why you might ask? Why not?

If so where did you buy your supplies? I am particularly interested in getting a cleaning kit for a 44 caliber handgun, and a carry case. Am planning to buy an Uberti 1858 replica... however the gun shops around here seem to be at a loss of where and how I can get my hands on a cleaning kit and or carry case.. Have tried Teclosirs.. no joy...The uberti site is notany help  either   Thanks in advance

I get more than two rejections a day. And most of the jobs I am applying for I could do in my sleep... Try applying for jobs with a foreign name... will put a whole new perspective on france.

Its going to be diffcult. I looked into this a little. What I learnt is that if I am on a contract other than one from a French company, then I need private insurance for the Wife, unless I am paying tax exclusively in france. Then again I dont know too much. So please take everything with a bag of salt.

Yup coping.. hanging it in. Doing reasonably with the ciggies...  1 puff in the last five days. Not the ciggarette.. just the puff. Alcohol is not too good. I keep getting told at work they cant find work for me in France.. so I keep telling them I am willing to travel :) Hopefully will ship out in the next week or so. Have a book coming out in Jan.Feb.. trying to finish up a couple for May/June so am fairly busy. Also am taking time to go shooting at harmless paper targets... and the Tir club wants me to join their compition team. For which I have neither the paitence nor the ability truthfully. I am an accurate two handed shooter. But cant keep steady with a one hand shot. Alcohol does wonderful things to you combined with hypertension.... :)  

Dotty,   I know the forum is full of very nice people. And I do appreciate it greatly. I do take it one day at a time, and am working on getting my life on a saner footing. As far as things getting worse... well when you hit the bottom... it does drop out. Conversely if I werent so damn depressed I would comitt sucide... (macabre humor... or the lame attempt at it). I jsut keep finidng I have way too much to do... and never enough time.  

OK... well didnt drink too much while the outlaws were here... didnt have the time or inclination. I actually have no family on my side... Have been to a doc who wants to go do the nissen fundoplication... which given my luck will go horribly wrong. But I dont think I can continue to ignore the facts and put off the surgery indefinetly. Work continues to suck big time... but then it wouldnt be called work otherwise. Am still drinking more than I should... but the smoking is improving. Have actually crossed the three day barrier. And I do appreciate all the support help, and even the nay sayers. For me that is often more conversation I have in a week with people not related to work.  

Well the last few days have been fairly decent. Have maanged to stick to a couple of beers and a roughly one Vodka (sometimes two) a night. Smoking is still a problem... have been sneaking in the odd ciggarette. Sleeping is a problem... am down to about 3 hrs... but I ahve more energy... so it doesnt matter. I do want to go on a bender.... probably tomorrow night. If I am lucky, the outlaws are visitng...

I paid 37 Euros a Cubic Meter, cut to 30 cms, Delivered and stacked... Seems like a lot more than what you paid...

Albert free lancing is definetely an activity I am looking into, until the EU passport arrives it is diffcult to do so.  The market in the UK is booming, and I have had to repeatedly tun down offers of daily rates that would pay me what I make in a month, in a week. I do have a long list of specialist skills including VLDB's (TB plus on SQL and Oracle), BizTalk, High Volume Transactional Systems, SoA, All aspects of BI on the MS Platform (DB, SSIS, AS, Proclarity, Biz#), Informatica, Cognos, general design, project management, and geographically distributed delivery management skills. Have done projects for Mortgage Co's, Telecom, Utilities, Aviation, Insurance and Retail Banking amongst other things. And yes I do know I am getting seriously short changed by my company. I am in the process of pulling my life back together, and do realise it is not going to be easy. But what do I have to loose by trying? Nothing at all.

[quote user="beryl"] Do you mind me asking what if any connection you have with France? second home or just holidays? May be if its the latter you could do an activity style holiday in France, cooking or painting and make new aquaintances that way also. You job and long hours are probably driving you to drink and you may have an addictive personality, we just need to get you addicted to something good for you! [:)]   [/quote] The wife is French, which is why I am here, since she didnt like living in India... and I now am in a country I am not particularly fond of. And I dont even like cheese other than cheddar... Life is very strange and surreal at times.

I am looking at finding another job. However I dont speak French, and given that I keep getting shunted off to go work in Belgium or the Netherlands or Denmark... hasnt been making learning French easier. When I do go work in these places, my commute time drops to negligeable levels, but then I am typically in office 12+ hours a day, and normally dont even get time for lunch. Also lets not forget that I am required to keep my tech certifications up to date, which literally translates into one exam a month, amongst other things like learning new things, and writing. Yes I know workers have rights, and this is the 21st century, but I am not about to complain about this. Though ironically I did not get a raise this year, because I work too much. Catch-22. I am looking for a job, something saner but until I get one... this is what I have to do. As for work killing me... lets see so far: Acid reflux has prgressed into Barrets Esophagus, with Stage II ulcers that are fairly active. A massive haitial hernia this year, for which I should be undergoing surgery soon. Probably on a Thursday.. so that I can be back at work on Monday. And then next year not get a raise again.... and of course the old bogey... Blood Pressure which earlier this year was averaging 180/130 on medication, and is now down to a a saner 140/90. So yes Work will kill me ... and maybe I will make history with my last words. Who knows.. This again is what I consider background noise, since it is not in my direct sphere of influence since I cant really do anything about it without jeopardising other things. So am looking for another job that probably pays me a more realistic salary and gives me the weekends off. Yes I am truly grateful for the support I have recieved in this thread, some of my lack of confidence in my fellow man has been eroded. Which is always a good thing... (Yes I am very very cynical. Am working on that as well.)

Work/Life balance is something I am not too sure about. Life outside of work aint too good either... marital issues. Which essentially just adds to background noise... Cutting back the hours isnt really possible, since that is what keeps the money flowing. Yes money is not everything, but being unhappy with money in the bank  is easier than being poor and unhappy. Well today is day one of the patch... and have switched to a smaller glass... :)  

How much sleep a night: Well typically 4-5 hrs Weekends Off: Only if I am lucky. I have had six weekends off this year. And I am attacking smoking first. I do need to keep breathing. Also the alcohol cut back bit will really kick in as I approach the surgery. (Need to have a Haitial Hernia taken care off). Actually when you think about it... I dont even have too many virtual friends... maybe I should regress to real imgainary friends... I dont know.

Well I have small kitchen garden about 150 sq m and a 50 sqm green house nourishing a wide variety of weeds and misc junk.... Same story with flower beds et al.... Digging up the weeds by hand is difficult to say the least. So what is the alternative?  

All good advise. I do have unusually long days, typically begining at 5AM and I dont get back home until about 9 PM. (Long commute et al). I dont have any non-virtual friends so they cant really ahve an impact on my drinking, but yes using smaller glasses is definetely an idea I am implimenting. I do have a dog, (A great dane) and I do try an go for a walk with her when I can, though in the eveinings it isnt always practical. Right now sticking to trying not to smoke, and not wake up with a hangover at the same time. :)  

That is what I want, a simple boiler, and a water heater than can either run on mazout when the boiler is running, or electricity in summer. However the wife will not even contact another chauffage place to look for an alternative. So much so, that she is now buying fuel at the most expensive place, since she is convinced that the quality is better. She wants a new starcase to the attic/unused space and now wants me to shell out 15K for it. Before buying the house she was convinced that it would be 2-3 K. I really have had it with this house.... I must have a money tree growing somewhere that I do not know anything about.

Well got the boiler maker and details: Chaudiere fonte fuel 30 kw cheminee a basse trmperature Geodi BI avec production d;eay chaude par ballon 130 L et regulation sur vanne melangeuse 4 voie IDEAL Standard.... does anyone know if this is the one where the water heat can be run on electricity in summer? Or will I be shelling out for oil in summer as well? Is it any good? I also do not want a Ferrari of a boiler when a volvo would suffice... :)

I do think I have a dependency on alcohol, and do drink 7 nights a week. And quite a bit at that, 2-4 whiskies a night. I do want to cut back, since I am realising that the only thing in life that I do want to do increasingly is drink.... Ideas?

I am gearing up to quit again... somehow my life just seems to take a down turn each time I do quit. But I do want to quit smoking since quite frankly I am getting sick of the ash, and nicotine cravings and in general it isnt becoming any easier to smoke... Also need to cut back on alcohol.

Ok got a quote: for E7600 The boiler is 4300,(30KW) which IMHO seems high no make specified. Labor is 1400 and misc nick nacks are 2K... (Expansion unit, misc pipes, thermostats et al) And it is a single fuel boiler, with no means of switching to electricity, given which I think the costs are high.

Guess I need to make a trip to mr.B and find a plombiere...

Actually it would be of great interest to a large number of us, as to how you overcame the XP passowrd as well. If you are hesitant to post it publicly I would love a PM on this.   Thanks.

If the SO is French, then you require the following:   1. Your birth certificate in original. This will be kept by the Marie in the town you get married in. 2. A blood test, this is compulsory 3. The Marie will put up a notice for 30 days, and you will need to publish it in a newspaper. There after all you need is a date with the Marie to sign the register and youre done. This is from personal experience. My advice would be to run in the opposite direction.