Just not enough time in the day, weekend, week...

In case anyone's interested... I'm fine.

I'm just working like crazy trying to keep up... Trying to work as much professionally as possible as I definitely need the money... Also trying to keep up with the administration... have sent a lot of time at the French tax office recently as they try and suck out every last drop from me wherever possible. I've worked out a payment plan with them but it's a lot per month and for quite some time to come now... ;-(

Since our anniversary:

I spent an entire morning at the American embassy with the girls getting their American passports renewed. Jessica's was easy as she's over 14 now and can sign most papers herself. Jessica's was the urgent one as she'll need it next Saturday. Alexandra's was more difficult as Desney has to sign an approval, which she did, and that approval has to be notarised! I went through every other aspect of the procedures (childrens' interviews "Have you committed any expatriating act since your passport expired?", ..., all of the forms and the payment (US$ 80 per passport)). I just have to get the form notarised, send it to them and they'll send us Alexandra's passport.

I spent a looong day back in Normandy trying to get my client's home/office up and running before this week. The Internet had been cut off, the satellite dish had been blocked by a hedge which had overgrown, the WiFi access wasn't working, the printer wouldn't connect properly, there was traffic on the road all over, no one to have lunch with, a mad house! I left there quite late, around 20:30 and then the 3 hour drive home. I'll be back soon as it ain't over yet!

The next morning was my meeting with the French tax office at Asnières. Frustrating, depressing, amazingly incomprehensible how one office does not talk to the other office on the same floor or in the building next door, and quite expensive...

Friday night however was a wonderful trip down memory lane. I hope I'll have time to write more about this later. We had a couple of friends over from the OECD who I literally haven't seen for over 10 years if not 15. Neither of them have changed!!! It was a lot of fun!

The next morning was the Annual General Meeting of the parents' associations at Jessica's school. I was elected President again... 5 years in a row...

But now I go in to overdrive...

Tonight's the Fête de la Musique

Tomorrow morning I'm back in Normandy for two days... everything has to work perfectly by Friday afternoon... time for the magician to pull some rabbits out of the hats...

Back here for late Friday night and then Saturday is Alexandra's end-of-the-year school party. I've (sillily [sic]) volunteered to help set up in the morning as well as running a stand during the day...

Sunday I have to get Jessica to the airport as she's going to the States for the first time in her life, and she's going on her own, and she's going for five weeks!!!

Then I have to get back in time to see Alexandra's end-of-the-year dance class performance.

Monday morning I think I'll probably be heading back to Normandy to finish off anything that needed changing since Friday... although I'm really hoping I don't have to.

Tuesday morning it's off to London for a 4-day trip with lots of new installations and training to do...

Friday night I get back late...

Saturday morning I sleep as much as possible and then Saturday night it's off to a friend's place for dinner...

Sunday I pass out...