Some Things

Inspired by Aidan's list, I've made one of my own.

Things I've chucked out
Today I finally bit the bullet on a number of plastic boxes of leftovers I had lurking in my fridge. Four in total - two contained unrecognisable organic material, one so bad it was of multi-coloured fur and could be used to inoculate a small town with penicillin.

Something I sent for cleaning
My duvet. My cat is a wee bit ill with crystals in his pee so has been trying to go everywhere, including on my bed. It could be worse, I had to throw out a duvet once after he'd had problems in the other hole and I came back from holiday to a scene of monumental disgustingness.

Something I almost bought
A khaki green parasol from Carrouf. Last year I almost bought a brick red one from another shop. I would have actually finalised the purchase on this one if it had been the one I wanted. Carrouf had them on display but the when I got to the till with the one I found on the rack it turned out to be bigger and more expensive, so I had to say that I didn't want it in its huge box. The guy on the till suggested I swap it for another one, but as I didn't know where the others were there was no point me going off on a wild goose chase. Not without a mutiny from the ranks behind me, anyway.

Something I noticed
My memory form mattress is busily remembering the shape of my cat as he sits on it minus the duvet...

Something I've been writing
Slim the Ogre grammar game apps for Edmodo, the teachers' Facebook. They sell too; I made the stunningly cool sum of $7 last Friday after 10 were snapped up by American teachers when it went live. Hanging on to the day job for the moment...

Something I did that was fun
I actually met and spent the weekend with my 2 buddies from Home Page Pays, with our other halves. We had a great time in a beautiful old farmhouse, the sort I will probably be able to buy two of thanks to my fast-selling apps... lovingly restored over almost a quarter of a century, and set in stunning countryside. We ate well, drank well and had a good old natter. It was the first time I'd been in a farmhouse of that sort, funnily enough. Most of my friends live in bog-standard modern houses that have no particular appeal except being finished.

Something I'm waiting for
A pluri-lingual birth certificate for my son. Montpellier mairie offers this service, you just have to ask for it on the contact form. This saved me from having to pay a translator to translate his French birth certificate officially. My intention was to support local business and have it done by a woman down the road, but when I rang her she wasn't in so I left a message. She never got back to me so I emailed the mairie and they did it in 48hours for free and I even got a mail to tell me it was on its way. As for the woman, tant pis pour elle.

So much for this week's excitement...

A Cunning Plan

I absolutely loathe the four months leading up to the end of the year. Not because I don't like Autumn, the cooling of the days (normally, when you don't have an incineratingly hot Indian Summer), the change of vegetables, different clothes, or the transition from a refreshing rosé to hearty red. No, it's because it costs an absolute friggin' fortune and is one long struggle from beginning to end.

First, one is recovering from being on holiday, then comes La Rentrée, with clothes, shoes, school materials, out-of-school activities, equipment for said activities and an increase in the rent. Happy September! Added to the fun is my eldest son's birthday (and mine...). Then comes October with yet more clothes and shoes seeing as my youngest gets through his at roughly a pair per month, surprise bills, visit from Pierrette, and buying train tickets to go back to the UK at Christmas. Ouch!

November arrives with the bill for the school canteen and another bill for the rubbish disposal tax that we renters have to pay off the owner's taxe Foncière. Plus coats. One can no longer put off buying winter coats for the boys (and more shoes) especially as we had torrential rain yesterday and 4°C morning temperatures a few days ago.

And then it's effing Christmas! WAAAAAH! By which time I'm on my financial knees and picking the scabby bits off by way of evening entertainment. It's not like I don't have a decent job, either, or a modest but reasonable income, but there's too much all at once and it's just a nightmare trying to keep one's nose above the financial Plimsoll line.

But, I hear you cry, what about your writing?! Indeed, good question. My writing is on-going and should, one day, result in something coming in, but when... In other words, I'm doing my best, we are all doing our best, and will be rewarded sometime, hopefully before we get to heaven.

So that's two baskets into which I put my income eggs, but one can never have too many baskets (at my level, anyway...) so I was delighted to learn about a new project that's going to be launched soon. A friend contacted me about it a few weeks ago, and I decided it would be a cunning plan to diversify my eggs a wee bit more. While I hummed and haaahed, I investigated the info that she sent me and finally took the plunge yesterday.

It's all based on an internet home page that pays you, and anyone you send it to, and anyone they send it to, and anyone they send it to, and so on. Resulting in a delightful cascade of tinkling cash that works its way back to you from everyone in your network who uses chooses to change their home page from Google, for example, which pays you nothing, to this new one, which pays you something. What's not to like?

All you do is surf, study, research, muck about as usual, and the revenue from a little advertising box in the bottom right hand corner is rotating away discreetly but continually. It's like a choice between going to the library and borrowing a book for nothing, and going to the library, borrowing a book and getting paid a little bit at the same time. Count me in, my dodgy-looking bank account needs all the friggin help it can get!

There are millions upon millions of people using the internet every day, and they can all tap into this nifty new home page, resulting in millions of dosh. The dosh is in dollars too, which, at this scary moment in the Euro's history, makes it even more attractive.

Zuckerberg rakes in the millions of advertising revenue he gets every day, and shares it with no one (the selfish bugger!). This new home page rakes in all the advertising revenue too, and then shares the joy with everyone who uses the magic home page. If you'd like to join our happy band, you don't have to sing a song, sign a contract or even take your clothes off. You just contact me and I'll send you more info by email.

It's FREE, guys, FREE, and there's no catch! Believe me, if there was, you wouldn't see me for dust. Just let me know if you'd like to know more in the comments below or email me directly to dslfr at hotmail dot com.