the most current entry past either present or future...it depends on when you are archives pick an entry, any entry who's who in doyle town katie's profile 101 things how katie sees it notes, silly, notes! dear katie... our illustrious sponsor


Monday, Mar. 13, 2006 - 7:26 p.m.

As promised, here are the pictures of my soon-to-be home away from home. :)

As you can see, this is my kitchen. Yes, it is small. I do not care. It works.

This is my living room and bedroom. The astute observer will note that this was taken from the kitchen, as you can see the kitchen counter sticking out from the right there. Yes, it is small. See above note. :)

I'm not putting the image of the bathroom, because you people don't need to see my bathroom. Actually, nosy Katie Doyle googlers don't need to see my bathroom. The rest of you need only know that it's a) green, and b) small. (But if you insist on knowing just how small, go look.) I am actually a little nervous about the size of the bathroom, but Marie-Pierre assures me it is big enough to turn around in and does not in any way warrant squeezing, so I am fine with her judgement. The flat is on the 4th floor (walk-up), which I actually wanted, and the windows (you can see the one in the kitchen, and the other is just on the bedroom side of the counter, there) look out onto a courtyard.

Now the next hurdle is to obtain insurance on the apartment, because apparently, in Europe, the person who occupies the living space pays for the physical insurance in case things break. I find this odd and unseemly, but I am not European. Jonny-C's brother lives in Italy and pays the insurance on his apartment too, so I guess that's just the way it is. Still, I am concerned about the added expense, because this place is costing me E700 a month, which is $840, which is a lot of money for 135 square feet. I'm thrilled to have it, but still. It will officially be the single most expensive place I have ever lived in my entire life. That's more than $4/square foot. A lot more. I don't know how much more, because frankly, having that number in my head will probably really freak me out. I already prefer to think of it in its much less intimidating European form of 700/month, rather than the 840 American, which tends to send me into fits of hyperventilation if I spend more than a few seconds on it at a time.

So Wednesday, I am going downtown to obtain a copy of my police clearance papers, which tell the French government I am not a criminal, which you have to have if you apply for a long-stay visa. You can stay up to 90 days and be a bank robber for all they care. Stay for 91, however, and a pesky little thing like that gets in the way. Go figure. If I were really a criminal, do they think I'd go thru the hassle of applying for a long-stay visa?

I'm just saying.

That's all I have on France, at the moment. I actually may take my oatmeal mask product to a store in Topanga Canyon on Wednesday, instead of trekking downtown. It would be handy to get my product into a store with a wholesale agreement, and this place carries some independent skin care stuff. I'm pretty proud of this mask, frankly. It's a nice, soothing oatmeal mask with fun stuff like calendula, chamomile and lavender, as well as skin-smoothing and anti-aging stuff* like soy lecithin, vitamin A-acetate (which is natural, even though the acetate part makes it sound not) and vitamin D3. It's my own recipe, and I used to use it myself and decided to try selling it, and it's doing pretty well, but it would be great to get it into a store, so that's what I'm gonna try for before I go...all part of that effort to save $7K, you know. I also have to start looking for a job, because this one is almost dead. 10 interviews left to go, maybe 6 days worth of work, split between me and another person. Then nothing until like mid-May. That doesn't work for me, so I gotta line something up pdq.

*I hasten to add I am not the FDA. While I may personally believe everything I read and buy into the anti-aging, skin-softening propaganda of these particular ingredients, it is my solemn duty to inform you that not only am I not qualified to evaluate these statements, the FDA hasn't bothered to either, so they may or may not be true. But it does leave your skin damned soft and firm and really pulls those toxins outta there. You know; in my own, personal experience.

As for Bush's domestic spying, I will say this to those assholes in Washington who think the law needs to be changed to accommodate Bush's crime and make it legal: A) the FISC (aka FISA court) rubberstamps (aka approves) roughly 99.99% (more than that, actually) of all requests that come to it. And B) to make life even easier for the feds, the FISC will accept and approve requests retroactively - that means AFTER the tap has already been placed, you can go to FISC, and go, "oh, by the way, I bugged Joe Blow's apartment on Tuesday, because I think he's talking to terrorists," and the FISC will shrug and say okay as it slams its big rubberstamp of YES down on top of your warrant request. You have to actually really be doing something wrong for the FISC to tell you no.

Like breaking the law.

So the only reason not to go to FISC and tell it what you did, is because you know you did it illegally. You know you didn't have the right to do it. You know you are behaving in an immoral, unethical manner that may very well not be in the best interests of the American public.

Approximately 99.9975%

To put that in perspective for you, out of 10 million requests - roughly the number of people living in Los Angeles County - 3,000 requests would be denied. In the entire county of Los Angeles, 70% of which lives in Los Angeles itself, 3,000 people would escape having their conversations recorded and their lives scrutinized. Only 3,000. Actually, closer to 2,500. Probably wouldn't be me. Might not be you.

Something to think about.

Peace out,
Katie

copyright 2002 - 2005 Katie Doyle; all rights reserved
Don't even think it, punk.






*HUGS* TOTAL! give katiedoyle more *HUGS*
Get hugs of your own

Yesterday's News - Next Stop

In which Katie shares sad news - Wednesday, Apr. 01, 2015
In which Katie returns after a very long absence - Monday, Jun. 25, 2012
In which Katie pokes her head in and brushes some of the cobwebs away - Thursday, May. 06, 2010
In which Katie asks you to write your congressman again. - Monday, Jun. 02, 2008
In which Katie asks you to please click the link and send the message to protect the rights of artists - Wednesday, May. 21, 2008

 

 

You're lookin at it. Archives Dear Katie... Our illustrious sponsor

Join the Katie Doyle Fan Club!
Get email when Katie updates this site.
(Secret Decoder Ring not included.)

your email:


(list name: newkatie)
Powered by
NotifyList.com


I feel/am...

The ONE campaign

[ Registered ]

Katie's Pals

L'ours Pete
Em's Blog
Jonny-C
CuppaJoe
New Kid on the Blog
That33Girlie
Metame
Reader 1209
Connie's Blog
OnlyMayDay
Owen's Blog

Other Stuff Katie Digs

All & Sundry
Pamie dot com


Official Favorite Diary of Katiedoyle.diaryland.com

Cavort, cavort, my kingdom for a cavort
Proud Supporter of
International Cavorting Day
Since 2002

Dragonfly Design - Natural & Crystal Jewelry and Adornments
jewelry


check out other d'land reads. get your own license to drive...er, write. recommend me to your friends! katie's profile notes, silly, notes!

-

1