Home Improvement

Thoughts & Stuff I Like When We Redid Our House

Calais Rope

Hints & tips for moving to France

1. Make sure the removal van can park outside your house on the day of the move.

2. Clear attics, cellars, sheds, garages, gardens and out-buildings well ahead of the day.

3. Only pack items you absolutely adore or absolutely have to keep. Sell the rest or give it away.

4. Removal companies won’t touch flammable items such as tins of paint, creosote, matches, gas bottles, fireworks, etc. Do not bin flammables or explosives.

5. Take them to the local dump for correct disposal.

6. If you insist on taking them, have white goods disconnected from the mains, drained, cleaned and dried the day before you move. Once the fridge has been turned off, do not close the fridge door completely. For removal, wedge a cloth in the door and tie it shut with a rope. (Otherwise black mould will begin to grow in your fridge within a few days of being unplugged.)

7. Take curtains down and have them cleaned a fortnight before you move. Better still, sell them to the new occupier of the house so you can buy new ones in France.

8. Dismantle furniture a day or so before you move. Put screws, bolts etc into separate, labelled bags to make re-assembly easier.

9. On the day itself, be on hand to make sure the correct items are put into the van, and/or left behind.

10. If possible, get someone else to look after your children and pets. Can they go to Granny’s and join you in France the day after you’re installed and unpacked? If this isn't an option, can their babysitter come over and keep them out of the way while the van is loaded?

11. If cats have to be present during the move, ask your vet about light sedation to make the day less stressful for them. Lock cats in the night before or they’ll disappear the minute the removal men arrive. Travel them in specialist cat carriers. Keep dogs tied up or carefully shut into pet crates to prevent accidents while the removals van is being loaded.

12. At the other end, keep cats locked in for at least 24 hours. Do not let them out until they have eaten properly in your new house and given themselves a proper licking. Do not let your dog off the lead for the first day or so. (Just in case the neighbours own a hound called Baskerville.)

13. For dogs arriving in the south of France between May and September fit them with a collar against leish maniose as soon as possible after you arrive. (Ask at the chemist.)

14. During the journey, make sure that you keep an overnight bag in your car along with essentials such as Teddy, dog food, torch, biccies, aspirin, secret stash of euros, thermos of coffee, travel-sickness pills, pillows and sleeping bags - because you never know.

15. Story tapes are great for making a long car journey pass quickly. Our favourite is Black Beauty.

16. When booking the ferry try for a long night crossing so that you get some sleep before attacking the long drive.

17. Make two or three long leads - 5 metres of flexible cable with a female UK plug socket one end (or even a UK plug board) and a French three-pin plug the other - so that you can plug things in (ie the kettle) the second you arrive.

This is better than the travel adapters you buy, which burn out very quickly.

18. Don’t attempting Calais to Toulouse in one day. Drive slowly, rest often, sleep over as many nights as you need to - an accident won’t save time.

19. Don’t drive in fog, snow or heavy rain. Pull off the road, relax and only resume your journey when the weather has improved. There are cheap hotels all over France. Even on motorways. Look for ‘Formule 1’ which is perhaps the cheapest. Their site http://www.hotelformule1.com has location maps.

20. Avoid driving on or around 14 July or 15 Aug. The roads are packed and dangerous on both days.

About the Author

This article was brought to you by France Property Shop, listing hundreds of properties for sale in France and The France Show - the UK’s largest exhibition f all things France.

Blister! Really Painful ?

I have a rope hanging on my tree in the back yard and I like to climb it and do flip and stuff on it. I have been doing flips for almost 2 hours (with break) but then I noticed I had three painful blisters on my hands. There is one on my palm which is extremely painful (especially when I touch it) and the two others are not as bad. Is there anyway I can disinfect it without is sending pain waves through my hand. It isn't bleeding or anything just a broken calais.

Blisters, calluses, and corns can be uncomfortable, but they're also pretty common and easy to prevent. All three happen because of friction - which means that two surfaces rub against each other. In the case of these skin problems, one of the surfaces is your tender skin!
What's a Blister?

A blister is an area of raised skin with a watery liquid inside. Blisters form on hands and feet from rubbing and pressure, but they form a lot more quickly than calluses. You can get blisters on your feet the same day you wear uncomfortable or poor-fitting shoes. You can get blisters on your hands if you forget to wear protective gloves when you're using a hammer, a shovel, or even when you're riding your bike.

Areas on your body that form blisters and continue to be rubbed every day (like your feet because of the same pair of uncomfortable shoes you always wear to school) may go on to form calluses.
What's a Callus?

A callus is an area of thick skin. Calluses form at points where there is a lot of repeated pressure for a long period of time - such as the hours spent raking leaves. The skin hardens from the pressure over time and eventually thickens, forming a hard tough grayish or yellowish surface that may feel bumpy.

Calluses can be a form of protection for the hands. Gymnasts who perform on uneven parallel bars and other apparatus often get calluses on their hands, which take a lot of abuse. Guitar players also get calluses - on their fingers - from manipulating the strings. Once formed, calluses may make it easier for the person to swing around the bars or play the guitar.

Calluses on the feet, however, can be painful because you have to step on them all the time. They usually form on the ball of the foot. (The ball is the roundish part on the bottom of your foot, just behind your big toe.) Some calluses also form on the outside of the big or little toe or the heel. Tight shoes and high heels often cause calluses because they put a lot of pressure on your feet at points that aren't used to all of that stress.
What's a Corn?

Like calluses, corns are also areas of hard, thick skin. They're usually made up of a soft yellow ring of skin around a hard, gray center. They often form on the tops of the toes or in between toes. Like calluses, corns come from pressure or repeated rubbing of the toes. Corns usually develop after wearing shoes that are tight around the toe area.
How to Prevent Blisters, Calluses, and Corns

The best way to deal with blisters, calluses, and corns is to avoid getting them altogether. So how do you do that?

To avoid getting blisters and calluses on your hands, wear the right kind of gloves or protective gear. For instance, you might use work gloves during yard work or palm protectors called "grips" for gymnastics.

To keep your feet callus free, choose your shoes wisely. Try to shop for shoes in the afternoon - that's when your feet are their largest. Why? Because they get a little swollen from you walking on them all day! And be sure to try on both shoes and walk around a little bit before buying them. Even if they look really cool, don't get them if they don't feel right. Often, a different size or width can make a big difference.

And even if you love a certain pair of shoes in your closet, don't wear them all the time. Mix it up by wearing a variety of shoes. That way, your feet will get a break and won't always be rubbed in the same places.
Caring for Blisters, Calluses, and Corns

If any skin problem gets red, inflamed, or looks infected, your mom or dad will want to check with your doctor. But more often blisters, calluses, and corns can be cared for at home.

* Blisters usually just need time to heal on their own. Keep a blister clean and dry and cover it with a bandage until it goes away. While it heals, try to avoid putting pressure on the area or rubbing it.
* You can help a callus go away faster by soaking it in warm, soapy water for 10 minutes, then rubbing it with a pumice (say: puh-mus) stone. The stone has a rough surface and can be used to rub off the dead skin. Be sure to ask your parent for help using one. Shoe pads that go inside your shoes also can help relieve the pressure, so foot calluses can heal. Pumice stones and foot pads are sold in pharmacies.
* Corns take a little bit longer to go away. To help them heal, you can buy special doughnut-shaped pads that let the corn fit right into the hole in the middle to relieve pain and pressure. There are also pads that contain salicylic (say: sah-luh-sih-lik) acid, which takes off the dead skin to help get rid of the corn. If the corn sticks around for a while and keeps hurting, you may need to see a podiatrist (say: puh-dye-uh-trist), which is the fancy name for a foot doctor.

Calais 2010 - Junior Rope 01 - Anna TRUBNIKOVA