December Daily {:16:} Searching for Stamps and Center Antics

Before I can tell you about my morning, I have to back up a bit.  Obviously, as a foreigner in France, I have to have a visa to be here.  I have what's called a long-stay visitor visa that is good for one year, and I renew it every year.  (At some point I'm allowed to apply for a 10-year visa.  Surely that point is coming soon, as I've been here for six...) 

Throughout the years in France, I've written many times about my trip to the not-nice-place prefecture.  (For the post with the prison photo, click HERE.  For the post about the deaf man who tried to cut in line in front of me at the prefecture, click HERE.)  This year, (just like last year), I mailed in my paperwork (in August) to renew my visa two months before it expired (in October).  Unlike last year, my new visa was not ready when my old one expired, so they sent me a temporary card.  

Well, I needed to get a new passport.  Normally, one needs their passport to pick up the new visa, but, if my passport is mailed off to be renewed, what's one to do?  Hence why I went to the prefecture last month.  They assured me I could get my new temporary card without my passport.  I asked when my actual visa would be ready and received a noncommittal "five weeks."  I figured, with the noncommittal "five weeks" landing right at Christmas season, I probably wouldn't see my new visa until the New Year.  I suppose I'd be traveling with the temporary visa, which is never fun.  (Click HERE for that story.)

So...I received a letter in the mail on Saturday letting me know my new visa is ready to be picked up. Great.  Two days before I leave for vacation, when I already have enough to do, and the prefecture is only open in the morning... So guess what I did first thing this morning?  You got it.

But you can't just go to the prefecture to pick up your new visa.  Oh that life would be that simple.  First, you have to push through the parade group of protesters just to get to the metro.

Then, you have to go to several tobacco stores (called 'tabacs') to buy fiscal stamps.  I went to two that didn't carry them anymore.  Then I went by the Artist's old place in hopes that the tabac next door that had closed would have miraculously reopened and I wouldn't have to go out of my way.  No such luck.  But!  The Casino supermarket started growing fur!  Looky!  I reckon it's supposed to look pretty (it's "grass").

So I went way out of my way to the one tabac I know that does carry fiscal stamps.  Tobacco stores in France sell tobacco (logical), lottery tickets (not quite as logical, but okay), and...governmental fiscal stamps (not logical).  Note that one cannot buy governmental fiscal stamps at the (government-run) post office that also is a bank (also not logical).  Never try to use American logic in France.  You'll fail every.single.time.  This is a tabac:

This is the dog guarding the tobacco:

When I stepped closer to him, he put one foot down to let me know I was not to come any closer.  He may be a French dog, but he was wearing an American flag scarf.  I can't make this stuff up.  Oh, and I think he was blind.

I then paid 106euros for three little stamps.  Seriously, those might be the most expensive non-collector-item stamps you've ever seen in your life.  Once I had those very expensive little piece of papers in hand, I headed off to the prefecture (another place that one cannot buy the government required fiscal stamps).

I waited in the first line, just to get a number.  At least this line wasn't outside at 4am like it used to be in Paris.  And at least there wasn't a crazy woman screaming curses at everyone like the last time I went.

I got my number, headed upstairs and waited in the heat.  One thing you can count on at the prefecture: it'll be hot.  In the summertime, it's hot because there's no AC.  In the winter, it's hot because they jack up the heat.  French people do NOT like to be cold.

I wondered about my new visa.  Because I applied for it with my old passport, which was scheduled to expire in April, would they only give me a visa valid until that date?  Would my new passport having a different number than the old one be a problem?  I brought both with me just in case.  Turns out they didn't care.  And my new visa, instead of expiring in October (one year from when my last one expired), is valid until November!  Somehow I gained a month!

Glad to be done with that bit of bureaucracy for almost a year, I continued on with my day.  After coming to my party last night, S decided to join both of my classes at the Center!  Today was her first day in quilting.

Two other friends popped in to the quilt class.  They wanted to make it look like they were hard at work making a quilt, so they picked up already finished pieces.

 ...and needles... and thread... but didn't sew a stitch!  Quite the antics, these two!

Here's a few more real photos...

While we women were inside warm and cozy and hamming it up in the quilt corner, the Director was outside washing the windows.  When I went to leave, Dee told me to stand in front of the ladder for a photo.  As I did, I heard a clang and thought something was falling on my head.  The Director laughed--I'm still not sure I got that joke.  But anyway, he asked us to pass up the pail of water.  S (pictured with the pail), was too short, so I lifted it up.  I was sure that pail of water was going to end up on my head!

But alas, he grabbed it, and Dee got her photo of us smiling all happy.  Never a dull moment there at the Center!

Tonight, I prepped for my baking class tomorrow, like normal, filled out a work form, did some email, and voila!  Not quite a manic Monday.  :)  Since I'm legit and legal again after today, and the French word for Monday is lundi, how bout I call it Legal Lundi?