little pink houses

Well, we've gone and done it. As soon as we arrived, I knew we'd be moving house. Because who can resist the siren call of a recently renovated half-timbered house? Even if it's pink?

I am not a big fan of pink. I can't wear it (it clashes with my pink skin and reddish hair) and if I could wear it, even to be ironic, I wouldn't. Pink makes me think of frothy, giggly air-headed girls I went to high school with that I despised for making the rest of us look like idiots. (Obviously, friends made more recently are exempt from this.) And can I just say Pepto-Bismol? K, thanks.

I would never volunteer to paint my half-timbered (rented, so I don't really have a choice anyway) house pink, but it works surprisingly well, and I'm looking forward to the spring, when I can have loads of pink and violet flowers tumbling outside of windows in the French tradition.

Oh, and the inside is just as good, really. There's huge kitchen and dining area with loads of storage space. There's a little living room, separated by the kitchen with some timber support beams which will make a very cozy place for watching tv. Upstairs, there's a nice sized bedroom (which will only contain a bed and our clothes! I am beside myself with joy!), and a second bedroom which will make a perfect office/guest room. The bathroom is upstairs, and is big enough to put the washing machine in. There's even a cellar which can be accessed from the kitchen. We only need a throw rug to cover it up; the current family had it covered and you'd never know it was there.

The only bad part, as far as I can see, is the staircase, which is very steep and consists of planks of wood, instead of a solid staircase. I have a habit of falling down stairs (and breaking bones in the process) so it makes me a wee bit nervous. Also, as of right now, there isn't a phone jack in the "office," which we need for ADSL, and Steph made it perfectly clear that the landlord would have to install a second line up there or all bets are off. And finally, I will gain the new title of "Road Warrior," which means that I will be driving to Troyes three times a week for French classes and choir rehearsals (around a half-hour drive each way).

Well, there you have it. The landlord is sending over the paperwork, and if all goes well, we should be moving the first week of November. And best of all, it looks as though Dad will have a guest room, instead of a guest couch, when he arrives at the end of December. So... anyone got any cardboard boxes we can use?