Since We Last Met . . .

House guest for 5 days

• Visit to Nyons wine cooperative, art gallery & olive museum
• Drive to surrounding countryside
• Day in Avignon for shopping, sightseeing & vet visit
  

Nala's eyes are no longer producing tears on their own, she's mostly blind in her left eye, can't see much from the right, but -- taratara -- she doesn't need surgery! Since the ectropion is mild and she doesn't produce tears anyway, it wouldn't help.

• Visit to notaire to discuss the parts of the contract we don't understand

As the French view it, we were married under a contract of separation of goods in the U.K. For purposes of property ownership in France, we are now married under a contract of communal property -- this cost 500€ and only applies to real property in France.

• Had the electricity turned on
• Scheduled the changeover in phone service

This required an entire morning on the telephone plus three follow-up calls. Not to mention the meeting at the house to greet the electrician.

• Been to the mairie (town hall) to arrange appointment to turn on water and
  
• to get the forms (forms, forms, forms) for planning permission for the rehab
• Been to the doctor in Montélimar for Nick's shoulder -- tendinitis
  

Things are now so bad around here, we're having to coordinate our doctor appointments to cut down on the trips to Montélimar. See further schedule.

• Helped one friend, Polo, to return borrowed wood stove to other friends, Michael & Ann. As part of this outing:
• Viewed house with insurance agent
• Toured M&A's house (Polo hadn't seen it)
• Toured M&A's house under construction (Michael doing it all himself)

Decided M&A's dilapidated shower would be O.K., but won't fit through bathroom door. Will hang curtain to disguise mouldy wall and make do with current arrangement.

• Went to theatre-in-your-home production in neighbouring hamlet and did not sleep through difficult Giono piece.
  
• Went to Nyons to hire a van for next Wednesday.
  
• Sorted furniture and goods in friend's garage and separated what we're taking from what we're leaving for awhile.
  
• Packed a fair bit (Nick).
• Finished a translation job (me).
• Shopped, cooked, walked the dogs (both).

Coming up:

Saturday:

• Packing.
• Going to Montélimar for horsy show with this guy, who turns out not to be the same guy Raw-Lite was raving about a couple of years ago.

Sunday:

• Packing.

Monday:

• Meeting village worker to turn on water
• Signing contract - this would be a hooray, but is now just a sigh of relief
• Montélimar for CT Scan for me & sonagram for Nick -- coordinated, see?
• Shopping for last minute stuff
• Packing
• Visit neighbours to discuss their solar hot-water installation
  

Tuesday: Crew of friends (bless them) helping to:

• Clean and paint 2 rooms and bathroom
• Check water heater and plumbing (Michael, bless him, too)
  
• Strip enough weeds and overgrowth to clear patio for dogs
• Maybe clear some of the junk of the ages from garage
• Pick up truck in Nyons

Wednesday:

• More friends (bless them, again) arriving to help us move
• Return to Rémuzat to pick up menagerie
• Return truck to Nyons
  
• Sleeping in new house!

Thursday:

• Phone guy arrives morning to connect phone

Internet could take up to 10 days, so if there is nothing but silence here, you will know why.

• Clean flat

Friday:

• Hand over key to flat
• Go to Montélimar for appointments with oncologist (Margot) and whatever-he-is for Nick's injection in shoulder.

Nick will now not be able to do much for 2 days. Rest at last!

• Of course, there will still be all those unopened cartons.