sweet smells

Sweet smells of ripe strawberries and lilacs - the sun has finally come out for the first time in May! Let's hope it stays that way...

Things are good around here, been busy and gearing up for a busy weekend to come.

skies

Dramatic evening skies out of the kitchen window.

ahhhh!

Hayfever, allergies, whatever you want to call them. Blech. The bane of my spring every year since I was in college. I never had any allergies as a kid, seasonal or otherwise. But once you live in the Willamette Valley you will get allergies - that's what the locals say anyway.

It's only gotten worse and worse as I got older. The over the counter stuff stopped working and each year I started taking stronger and stronger prescription allergy meds.

Last spring I went to my doctor and asked for something super strong, I was really suffering. She gave me the prescription but recommended to get treatment. I had never heard of allergy treatment but got an appointment with an allergologue in November last year. He did the usual allergy tests and indeed my only allergy was pollen. He recommended doing a désensibilisation treatment over the winter.

I had two options, the more traditional shot where you go in once a week to get one, or the newer treatment (that Miss Ksam did and told me about) which is an oral treatment. I opted for number two of course.

The treatment consisted of taking an eye dropper and putting X amount of allergy drops under my tongue every morning and holding it there for two minutes. That's it. No pain, no inconvenience - easy as pie.

Now allergy season is starting up and instead of being all stuffed up, runny eyes and so congested that I can't sleep... I'm as happy as can be!! Allergy free (so far, my worst allergies used to be a bit later in the spring...) After a follow up with the doctor he said that I may have some allergies this year but it should be considerably less than normal. I'll continue to take the treatment but twice a week instead of every day until December when I have another follow up.

So far I'm loving this option!!! (plus with the health care and my mutuelle I didn't pay a dime..!) I should have done it years ago!

across the pond

I've been at my job for almost 9 months now. In the office about 75% of the people working there are English, 24% French and me. Little old American me.

In the beginning it was interesting and fun to compare these differences between American and British language and humor. I've always had English friends and we've always had a blast, I've never felt any tension between Brits and Americans other than the brother/sister relationship of good natured teasing. But now I'm really starting to get fed up with references to me being American. I was hired because I speak English (and French), my own English, what I grew up speaking. I was not hired for my British culture or language and I refuse to change the way I speak. I know when in Rome but guess what, I'm not in Rome, I'm in France.

I admit, I have changed one word, yes, I have given in and write cheque instead of check. When on the phone with English customers I am clear, articulate and I know what I'm talking about - they understand me. With my colleagues I say pants, gas and I pronouce the "h" in herb.

I've recently had rude customers on the phone when after I admitted that I misunderstood what they were asking (not due to language differences, simply because there was a misunderstanding) say, "oh, that's OK, you're American." No joke, he was dead serious.

Why they have to nitpick everything I say because it is strange, weird sounding or different is beyond me. It's not like they have never heard an American accent. They all have English satallite TV at home, rather I should say they have American satallite TV because all the shows really are American anyway. They obviously understand American English and I am getting beyond annoyed with people teasing me (even if it is meant as good natured and not mean) for everything that comes out of my mouth. (I'm not even going to go into the comments they say about the French...)

In the 7 years I've lived in France I have not had as many rude comments for being American (even during the Bush years and "freedom fries", sorry "freedom chips") as I have had in the last 9 months at work.

Grow up people you obviously must be bored at work if the only thing you can think about to talk about all day is my accent.

Sorry, rant over but this has been getting under my skin for the last few weeks.

flowers

The days are longer, the sun is out and the flowers are everywhere! Spent sometime in the yard taking pictures of forget me nots, primroses and wild plum trees.

I would love some vacation right now but I'm so glad I'm not waiting on an airplane somewhere!

life of angels

This morning I dropped my car off at the local garage to get the oil changed. I remember the day I first learned that word, vidange. The local swimming pool was closed for "vidange" and when the lady told me that I understood "vie d'ange" or life o f angels. How romantic for word that means to empty or oil change...

I had asked Mystery Guest to kindly call the garage last week and book an appointment in for me. I thought bad enough a woman calling a garage but a foreign woman? Hello rip off! So he booked in an appointment for me at 9:00am today and confirmed over the phone with the guy that it will cost me 70-80 euros. I dropped off my baby this morning and cause the garage is kind of in the middle of nowhere I got a loaner car:Now I've heard bad things about loaner cars but this is my first time getting one. Oh my GOD is this thing crappy! Some old Ford with the most ancient gear shift I can imagine, windshield wipers that wouldn't turn off and absolutly no power. There are a couple of big-ish hills between the garage and home and I could barely get up them at 70km an hour... poor cars stuck behind me, I felt so bad for them being stuck behind this piece of junk!

Anyway made it home in 1 piece but decided to park it infront of the neighbor's house, didn't even want to try to bring it up the driveway! I have to go back at 11am to pick up my car and I know I will appreciate having Dora back! Let's hope the dude sticks to his price as well...

American Cemetery

chickens!

spring

Spring is starting to spring... it's still cold out but I woke up this morning to the birds chirping and a bright sunny day stretched out ahead. I took this picture last week, we had had tons of rain, the tail end of Xynthia that cut power and ripped off roofs across France. We just got buckets of rain dumped on, no other storm damage. The rains did overflow the rivers and streams and this is not a lake in the picture but farmland flooded by the little river that flows nearby. We have had the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets recently, I catch both ends during my morning and evening commute and along with some fabulous audiobooks they keep me entertained on my 100km drive. I always wish I could pull over and capture these beautiful scenes but I'm always in such a hurry to get to work or to get home again!

Home is going great, we are all moved in and getting things done bit by bit. I painted over the loft last weekend and we'll see what we work on tomorrow. Today I'm going to relax, enjoy the sunshine and head over to the coast to check out the farmer's market. After being cooped up in an office all week all I want is to stretch my legs and take deep breaths of fresh air. Today is the day for that!

In my hot little hands...

All in all it cost me a grand total of 430 euros (9 hours of driving and 2 driving exams). Better than the 1,000+ euros it costs new drivers but more than I wanted to spend... oh well at least it is all taken care of now! Coolest thing is that I can show this as ID instead of my carte de sejour lol.

talented friends

One of my friends from college graduated with a double major - French/Art Studio. After graduation she decided to try to make it as a painter in Portland. She has done amazing things and after everyone told her she never would she is making it. Making beautiful art.

Check out this video about her work, or her website.

This picture is of two mini portraits of my good friend Claire and her husband as a wedding gift.

*tap* *tap* anyone there?

I know, I'm a bad blogger, poor orphaned blog was getting lonely! But things have been insane around here. We're working on the house all the time and last weekend we moved all of our crap from V-town out to the house. It was a big game of tetris, not helped by the fact that the tile guy hadn't finished all of the grouting or the tiles along the walls. So we had to find spots to put all of our stuff, and we've got tons!

But that's done, we haven't moved in yet because again we are waiting on other people. The electrician and plumber show up when they feel like it but at least it is all tiled now. So this week we're staying with the in-laws but hopefully (fingers crossed!) it should be liveable by Monday at the latest when the electricity company comes by to hook us up to our permanent contract.

In other big news I retook my driving test again and passed! Avec un "petit oui" as the lady said. She wasn't impressed with my driving but apparently saw no major problems so she gave it to me, thank god. I was so sick of paying for more and more lessons and tried not to let the stress get to me. She did that oh-so-French thing of huffing and puffing with a big Gaelic sigh, "ohhhhhh bahhhh voyons, il faut regarder derriere vous quand meme... siiiiiighhhhhh". Whatever, I just told myself, like water off a duck's back, like water off a duck's back... it became my mantra.

So that deal's sealed, hopefully my big pink drivers license will come in the mail soon!

Work is busy and staying with the in-laws has added an extra part to the commute, it's a nice drive during the day but with these short days I'm leaving at night and coming back at night so I can't enjoy the view. That should be changing soon! I'm still enjoying my job but wondering a bit what will happen when my contract ends the end of February - those 6 months sure went by fast!

I'm starting to get my application in order for my citizenship request... once we're in the house I'll take a look to see exactly what I need and what documents need to be requested from the States and then find a certified translator.

So like I said, busy busy!! I'm looking forward to a bit of calm when we move in... and taking a long hot soak in this:

Snow!!! 5-7cm!

Happy New Year!!!

As we are about to ring in 2010 (if I manage to stay awake...!) I thought I'd post a quickie for my ever dwindling readers - not that I blame you!
Between no Internet at home* and of course no blogging at work, a list a mile long of things to blog about but no time it's been a busy end to 2009!
I'm looking forward to 2010 & all it brings, the new house, new adventures and experiences.... I'm sure it will be great!
So have a safe and happy new year and see you all next year!!!

* we were planning on moving the last week of December but there were of couse delays so luckily our landlord is letting us stay until the end of January! But of course for once the Internet gods moved our line on time! So no Internet at home, thank god for the iPhone!!! More house pictures to come, it's looking SO great!

Sent from my iPhone

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes from MilkJam & Mystery Guest!

Christmas party

Tonight is the office Christmas party and since I don't know what to expect; I've never been to an office Christmas party (and because 90% of me colleagues are British), all I can picture is the drunk karaoke scene from Bridget Jones' Diary... You all know the one right?
Sometime I feel like I live in that movie... Maybe I should rename my blog!

Milk Jam's Diary

Does that have a good ring to it?

Sent from my iPhone

MIA but I'll be baaaack :-)

Happy thanksgiving!

No luck :-(

Just took my drivers test, the guy was so mean. He totally stressed me out, it took me 4 tries to parallel park (normally i get it in 1 try!!!) and then he made a snide comment and another one when I didn't understand what he was saying in French. But the kicker was I had to turn right at a stop sign onto a busy road - looked to me left, nothing, then to the right and finally another check to the left: nada. So I went, then as I was shifting up a big jeep passed me and I failed then and there because I didn't pay attention!?!?! I never saw the guy!!
So at a yield sign I was yelled at for not not pulling out quickly enough and then failed for a car I never fricking saw.
Might not get my license for another 6 weeks now :-(

Big boo.

Sent from my iPhone

Enjoying a hazelnut caramel holiday latte in Paris