our apartment, France on strike and snails for dinner - What do they all have in common?

Our apartment search is going very slow and the situation in France and the strike is a getting a little sticky for my taste. However Kenji and Keo are having a great time picking snails out of their shells and eating them at dinnertime. How are you?
Our apartment securing is not going anywhere at this moment. With the country shut down, nothing is working, no one is working and....there is NO GAS. I have half a tank left and still lot's of driving to do. Yikes! What am I to do? I drive up to gas stations expecting this ridiculous joke to be finished, waiting for someone to pop out behind the gas pump and say "Just Kidding Gisa! Ha! Here you go, here's your gas, now get on your way, Oh wait! -here, don't forget your Kroger sticker!! Chop Chop.
- This situation is just not amusing anymore. The first few days were kind of funny, but um.. now? not funny, little scary. This is not funny anymore..where the hec am I? 
Striking in France:
In France it is quite common to strike, in fact, the right is guaranteed in the French constitution, with the public sector having the highest frequency. The last major, long-lasting national strike took place in 1996, in a response to the 'Plan Juppé;' it lasted for over a month. Every year in France has one public sector strike, usually lasting one day.

In this country striking is just part of the process. There is little bargaining or between management and workers before things get to the decision stage. I find this very strange. At that point, management acts and the workers respond. The concept of collective bargaining does not exist in France. It is not uncommon at the national or local level for teachers, doctors, and transport workers to strike - be it long term or just for a day or so. SNCF (National French train company) strikes seem to be the ones that are the most disrupting, people wait hours for a train that was suppose to be there hours ago! And France depends greatly on its rail system. This disruption is affecting the whole country! And what is causing all this disruption? - A raise in retirement age from 60 to 62 years old and from 65 -67 for full pension access. You can read more about it here.

Apartment Search: For Rent: "A Louer"

So how has this affected our apartment search and hospital visiting? Well, I am very careful on gas and JM is on internet now from the hospital looking for what gas stations are open or have gas so I can go directly there.I really can not handle any more driving up to gas stations, waiting 30 mintues in line only to find people waving their hands  yelling "no more gas, no more gas" Seriously, I feel like I should go stock up on milk or something.
Regrading our apartment search: We have narrowed our choices to two apartments 
and luckily even though their computer systems are down they can still receive faxes. So today I faxed all the paperwork (again) and will call tomorrow morning. Then once they say YES or Oui! to us we can get our cute little key and move in! exciting!!! I was hoping to have all this done before JM gets out of hospital. We will see...it's Wednesday again already.

I have to say though, I'm kinda glad we are not going to be living in Paris for these reasons. Fontainebleu is only 40 minutes away (Blacksburg-Roanoke) and it is just the cutest most peaceful little town you can imagine. All the life of a city and the charm in security of a village. No worries of strikes there!

Could one of these windows above be ours?

 Could this be our cute rooftop view?

 

My bedroom view???

 

Our Bathroom? Look at that tub! 

Kitchen?

Errrr.. snails for dinner?  

Mr. Crayfish, would you mind going apartment searching for me please? Oh I knew you wouldn't mind! Thank you!!! And if that mean lady at the agency gives you some of her broken computer nonsense again will you pinch her for me in the you know what? Oh you will? Thank you!

"dear blacksburg" it's been a month of shared apartment living with family, it's been interesting...Last night I was brushing my teeth in peace when a second later I found myself in the corner of the bathroom toothbrush in mouth with my sister-in-law and her husband - joining right in without a bother..you gotta love it, oh the closeness...

What really seemed to get me though was, when they closed the door, and the space which is already small, got even smaller. I don't know if was me not having access to the closed door...or just being in a confined space with three people, all brushing our teeth and smiling at each other that made me feel funny...I will leave the pajama ( or sans pajama details out for now...

-Anyhow -for today, we are thankful for a warm place to sleep and food in our belly. 

The boys? They are adjusting slowly and a not always with a smile on their face. I didn't realize how savage my children were until lately. Were they this rambunctious in Blacksburg ..(I can hear everyone nodding their head).. or do we all have major cabin fever? Above captures a rare moment when they are quiet and peaceful, tending to their own interests, in the hallway of our current apartment where they can have some space to call their own. Can't you just see the glowing halos above their heads?! Oh this precious moment between two little brothers.

JM's Hospital stay:

JM is in the middle of his first full week of overnight exams. He went in on Sunday and will be out this weekend. Up until now he has had full day exams or 2-3 day exams but no over night stays. This is the first of many to come...The process has started, the initial exams are pretty much over, this is what we have been eagerly and patiently waiting for -and now here they are - knocking at our door..and we don't want to answer :(

The exam this week is for his heart. Monday was a tough day for him, the tests they ran were not pleasant and he was out of it when I spoke to him that evening. Tuesday we were able to visit him. Today he had more exams and tomorrow we will visit again. Next week he will have two one day appointments with Dr. Lozeron and Dr. Samual.

How does he feel JM? He sounds great, he is sad not to be with us this week though, he misses us..He looked fine, he was goofy as always and making jokes. 

Luckily we've been distracted here at home with family and a prospective apartment that is so close to belonging to us that I can smell it! I feel like a cat trying to chase a mouse. How can their computers be down for 3 days already? And every time I call to see if their computers are up and running she says "oh no Madam, I thought I already told you that yesterday!"

I will end this long post with a picture taken before JM went in on Sunday,

Good night and hugs and kisses to all..