Shopping for a camera

Trying to deal with little things before I depart such as buying a new camera. At the moment I have my choice narrowed down to two cameras. The Canon Powershot A650IS or A720IS. I think that the 650 might take better pictures in the long run, but I think that the 720 is more accesible for me - i can buy it locally instead of online (no wait on delivery) and it weighs less.

I'm thinking i should post my photos on shutterfly and not flickr cause it's like high school there. I always feel like the nerdy kid who noone likes - of course that's because i am not "socializing" in the halls by posting on others' pics or actively trying to get people to comment.

Stuff picked up by movers, but contract not yet signed

Yeah, probably should be worried but I am not. Local movers moved to their warehouse in albuquerque. My wonderful friend T met them at my storage area - even though they were late and some of the staff were unprofessional. I have a sneaking suspicion that the company doing this "leg" of the voyage has never been involved in an international move.

This week I am going through the remaining "to dos" to figure out what I still need to accomplish. The big task tomorrow is mailing the livret de famille to hubby so that he can register my son in school.

Also need to do grocery shopping. I have been having an american foods love fest over the past few weeks and I really need to s l o o o o o w down with the eating, especially processed foods and soda. I know that it doesn't do me right and yet i continue to indulge. I must get off this train, so the plan is to buy food and cook like I plan to in France even though i am not at my own house in my own kitchen, because, let's face it I won't be in my own "house".

Visa in Hand!

Got the visa yesterday. so weird how you just hand them stuff and they tell you to come back in an hour and a half and zippity doo dah! Visa. However, there was some confusion concerning my son and his need for a visa or french passport. I asked the visa section and they said he doesn't need a visa but he needs a french passport because he has dual citizenship - he is french he MUST travel on a french passport. Um, ok. So the "non-visa" section of the consulate is closed to the public in the afternoon, but the nice lady at the reception desk looked into it for me. She said that to get a french passport they'd need my son's french birth certificate. I said, uh, I don't have a french birth certificate - and she said well you should have received one when you got the livret de famille. Ummmm, well, let me look thru my stuff (two 7 tabbed-folders and an envelope) and she said that she would ask someone in the passport section.

So, I tried to reach hubby using semaphore and smoke signals - well, actually calling my dad and having him use skype to reach my husband to ask him if he had the french birthcertificate - and if i could call him on his cell phone. Yes, the man who detests cell phones got a cell phone - it's the way to go in europe, especially if you want a deal on internet and other services. anyhoo...he did have the certificate - he took it to register cedric in school. Someone from the passport section came out and said that he doesn't need a passport or a visa - if i have any trouble, just show the livret de famille to indicate that he is the child of a french citizen and doesn't need one.

When I picked up my visa, they asked me if i got the passport and i told them that I was told by the general consul that he didn't need a passport. They said "BUT HE MUST HAVE A FRENCH PASSPORT TO TRAVEL." I said, i don't know, that is what they told me. Mind you that these two departments are on the same floor, just a short walk away from eachother and they gave me the complete opposite answer.

They said hold on, we will check, but we just had this situation and he must have a passport. They continued passing out visas to the others who were waiting. THis whole time they absolutely refused to turn on their microphones. The lady i originally spoke to thought that my confused face was due to the fact that i couldn't speak french. I seemed to be the only person who had a hard time hearing. Everyone else could hear their names and all i could hear was "Mmmuhmumum" I wonder if I'm going deaf?

In the end they checked and got the same answer that I did and the lady called me over and she now decided that she could speak french to me and proceeded to tell me the same thing that the other lady said in english with the addition of - BE SURE TO GET A FRENCH PASSPORT FOR HIM AS SOON AS YOU GET TO FRANCE.

Oui, madame.

:-)

nothing happening

so i've got this visa appointment on the 23rd and I really should be putting together my "dossier" but it's soooooo hot and humid and i have a hard time concentrating on stuff like that when my son is around. yeah, blame it on a 3 year old. nice.

is it me or does it seem like the movers require more paperwork than the visa? especially since i am the spouse of a frenchie.

Post with ice cream

English version of other post...

Howdy!

I'm here - As if I haven't just disappeared for what, a month and a half?!

Here's what's been going on...

1. I sent my son to Ohio with my friend Angel who helped me move (June 9th)
2. I left my house (June 12th)
3. I stayed with my friend Taura and family; not an apartment (THANKS Taura!)
4. I quit my job suddenly - I had promised my boss that I would stay until July 3rd, but I just couldn't do it. I was depressed and had stuff i needed to do. (June 27th)
5. I prepared my storage unit for the cargo shipment and I met movers who gave me quotes.
6. My husband found a job (and an apartment) in Nice; not Paris
7. I left Albuquerque and reunited with my son (July 3rd)

Now we're in Illinois with my dad and stepmom. Lots of things coming up...French consulate appointment in Chicago on July 23rd. According to their website, I can get the visa on the spot (as long as i have all of the documents).Our cargo shipment is going to arrive in about 10 weeks and like la framericaine, it's hard for me to sell things, but at least my husband knows how to sell.

We leave August 20th - i need to find a counter for my blog.

Post a la mode

***AVIS: Francais sans accent et sans dictionnaire. English post above or below depending on what happens****

Cou cou-
Je suis la. Comme si je n'ai pas disparu...un moi et demi?!
Qu'est que c'est passe?

1. J'ai envoye mon fils a Ohio avec mon amie Angel qui m'a aide avec demenager. (9 juin)
2. Je suis parti ma maison. (12 juin)
3. Je restais avec mon amie Taura et famille; pas un appartement. (Merci Taura)
4. J'ai quitte mon boulot soudainment - je m'ai promis a mon chef que je resterais a 3 juillet, mais ce n'etais pas possible au cause d'etre deprime. (27 juin)
5. J'ai prepare mon "storage unit" pour le voyage et j'ai recontre "les demenageurs."
6. Mon mari a trouve un boulot (et appartement) a Nice; pas Paris.
7. Je suis parti de Albuquerque et j'ai rencontre mon fils. (3 juillet)

Maintenant, nous sommes a Illinois avec mon pere et belle mere. Beaucoup de choses vient de passe... Rendez-vous au consulate (a Chicago) le 23 juillet et d'apres leur site, c'est possible d'obtenir le visa immediatement.

Notre cargo arriverais a 10 semaines et comme la framericaine, pour moi c'est difficile a vendre - mais, (au moins) mon mari savior comment vendre.

Nous partons le 20 aout - il faut que je trouve 'a countdown'.