The bloom is off the rose...

Ok. So we've been here for a few days and my experiences are so far no different than any college student arriving in a new town a few weeks before classes start, except I can't understand a word anyone is saying, and I'm in a parallel universe where the writing on everything is in Klingon. So, we've got to get a few essentials to get by until we can get some furniture, and kitchen stuff, and some bedroom furniture, etc.. So all things considered, not so bad. Three more days until the shipping container arrives so we continue to camp out in an empty house.

I was asked yesterday how I was dealing with the jet lag and I responded by saying it doesn't affect me. However, I've noticed I tend to lose focus for  bit around suppertime every day (See picture)... And the bottle on the table has nothing to do with it, really.

We spent a few days looking at cars and, not surprisingly, the french have found a way to take the fun, what little there is, out of that. We decided we liked a couple of cars at the local Peugot dealership, took them for a test drive, and then settled into some good old-fashioned haggling. I asked the salesman if he could cut us a deal since we were likely to take two cars off his hands and, after scratching his ears, and tapping at his calculator, he said he might be able to pay for the registration fee for one of the cars (about a $50 cost). I countered with a "Really?! That's the best you can do?" and he responded that he might be able to sell us a trailer hitch bike rack at the employee discount, maybe. Clearly, I'm not in Kansas anymore. I got the distinct impression he wasn't really interested in getting rid of any cars. He then went on to say we had better act fast because these cars could both be gone by Monday. At least that part sounded familiar. My plan is to go back Monday and offer him a few thousand euro below list and walk away if he doesn't take it. I expect I'll be riding my bike a lot in the  next few weeks.

Yesterday morning, around 7 a.m., we were awakened (awoken?) to the soothing sounds of the street cleaning equipment going past our house at least twice. I was told they come by every week and Ann suggested the locals could take a lesson from the city of Calgary, who undertake the same task only once a year. They both can't be doing it right and I expect that neither of them are. As a point of interest, the street looked pretty much the same after the clean as before. At least in Calgary most of the gravel seems to disappear.

Today was a quieter day involving a leisurely drive into Bordeaux to check out the Ikea (which is just like the one in Calgary, only bigger) and meeting a friend of ours  for coffee (three glasses of wine really) who has taken up with a French pastry chef and was passing through town.

Ann has to go to work on Monday so the umbilical cord will be officially cut while I face the reality of housekeeping without an interpreter. I already have a honey-do list which will involve a trip to the bakery, grocery store, and post office, all of which are within walking distance. I'm starting to feel less embarrassed about getting the French wrong, so I think I can mange it

Tomorrow is Sunday and I expect we will party down like the locals, who are overwhelmingly Catholic, by mostly doing nothing.