One thing I did not have the foresight to see before we got here was how to clean the dang dog. She's so so SO furry, so it has to be done either outside or at the groomer and since we live in an apartment, the first option is out of the picture. I didn't think it would be hard to find a groomer but here I am, tearing my hair out, because I can't find any within walking distance and dogs aren't allowed on the trams.
          I finally found one that was only a 10 minute walk away. Luckily, they had a "contact by email" option so I could write French instead of trying to speak it. I spent close to an hour writing an email to them only to get an immediate automatic response back that the "mailbox had been blocked due to inactivity" which surely means they are no longer in business. Do you know how often it rains in Besançon? Seriously, my dog reeks. I would dip her in the river but she would probably catch 5 parasites and grow an extra ear or something. I don't know the state of cleanliness of the water, but I've never seen any one or thing else besides ducks and fish in there so I think I'll keep her on land.
          Speaking of water the plumber and landlord came (at 7:30 in the morning) today to check it out. If you recall, the initial plumber wouldn't say what was wrong with it except that we needed a new hot water heater. This one is saying it's an electrical problem; the switch telling the hot water heater to turn on is faulty. So now we need an electrician to come out. The landlord is happy since the electric work will be much cheaper than a new heater. Hopefully it will happen soon because we don't have enough hot water for me to shave more than an eighth of my legs a day. My legs look like a wheat field in various stages of growth and harvest. It's hot, I want to wear skirts and capris!

          After 4 months of not having enough hot water for both of us to take a shower and wash dishes in the same day, we will hopefully have some resolution. Due to a combination of Jeremy being a stubborn do-it-yourselfer even when it is past the point where he knows how to do it himself, poor French skills, and how long it takes the French to do things, we didn't get a plumber sent to us until 3 weeks ago.
          He told us we would need a new water heater and we haven't heard anything since. Last week we contacted our agents asking what was up to no response. Then Monday of this week we finally get a response that the landlord is coming over with his plumber at 7:30 am on Wednesday. Gee thanks for the notice. I'm also concerned because if the landlord is anything like our last one from the US, nothing ever gets fixed properly. I couldn't tell if the maintenance men at our old apartment complex were the most incompetent lot ever, or if they were told to do the bare minimum on purpose. The fact that he wants a second opinion from another plumber makes me nervous, on the one hand I understand a new water heater is expensive, but on the other hand if that's what we need, anything else would just be putting a band-aid on a broken bone.
          I'm also concerned about our pets. You see, our landlord doesn't know we have any. When we informed our moving agency we had a dog and a cat, they told us not to mention it during apartment visits because in France while landlords can say 'no pets allowed', if you get one anyway they aren't allowed to do anything. I know other people in the building have pets, but this isn't like America where the whole building or complex is owned by the same person. Each apartment has a different landlord and therefore different rules.
          Speaking of plumbing problems, I've been having some of my own. Without going into too much detail let's just say I've been having some painful, concerning problems for the past month. A stool sample and ultrasound came back normal, so today I went back to my doctor. She said I need to go to a specialist, as she is concerned about it being ulcerative colitis. She wrote a letter for me to give to the gastroenterologist and said she would call to make an appointment for me, as a doctor is more likely to get a closer appointment than if a patient were to call. She really is a caring doctor, we really lucked out!
          Well, she just called back and informed me she called all around the city and everyone is booked for at least 2 months. She is concerned that that is way too long to wait, and wants me to go to the hospital tomorrow and hand them the letter she wrote for the gastroenterologist and hopefully the GI doctor at the hospital will take care of me. I'm very nervous, this is all happening so quickly! Jeremy will take off tomorrow and he is also thinking of asking a friend to come with us so nothing gets lost in translation. It will be very embarrassing for me to tell a friend all the intimate details, but I understand it is for the best. I am fasting tonight just in case! I have a very busy day ahead of me tomorrow!