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Well, i bought a tv! I bought a tube tv for $199 at Future Shop, plus a 4 year extended warantee so if it dies in that time frame, they will replace it and most likely with an lcd since they probably won't be making tube tv's much longer. It's a Toshiba with a flat screen and it's still sitting in the box balanced on a grocery cart in the hallway. My cousin is going to come over tomorrow and help me put it up, because it's heavy and awkward for me to do on my own plus get the old one out of the stand. I opted for a 20 inch screen so that it would fit in my stand which only measures 27 inches across. A 27 inch screen tv is wider than that by a few inches when you take the frame and speakers into consideration. Mom was going to let me have the big tv in her bedroom but then i'd have to buy a stand for it anyway because it wouldn't fit in mine and i have a lot of components (digital tuner, vcr, dvd) This is better overall, and i would hope it would last me the 4 years of the extended waranty at least :) By that time i'll probably be ready to go hdtv flat screen.

We spent a lot of money today, between Mom and me. She splurged out on new makeup and a few more things for her bedroom plus books in chapters. I had a chapters card so my shopping didn't cost me anything there and then we both got some groceries as well. Next week i should be getting the digital camera, fingers crossed.

On the travel front, i have narrowed the hotel choices down to two. I did have a final decision made but then i found another one. Hotel Welcome, on the left bank or Hotel Victoria Chatelet on the right bank but *right* across from Ile de la Cite and behind the Louvre. Excellent location there too. Both have decent reviews on Tripadvisor and both are very central.

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let me know if you have any difficulty booking, my French services are available, for free of course

location-wise, I'd definitely choose the Hotel Victoria Chatelet. You might not be able to tell from the address, but you're in the 1st Arrondissement, which is basically the geographical centre of Paris, and all modes of transport are right there 5 minutes walk away, and all the major attractions (with the exception of the Arc de Triomphe and the la Tour Eiffe) are within a short walking distance.

Paris metro system is very extensive and convenient, and inexpensive when compared to going around by taxi.

I've found this link with has a lot of great information. http://www.paristoolkit.com/briefing/paris_metro.htm

Let me know if you need any help.

Ooh that seems an easier site to navigate than the official transport site. thanks! xo

Thank you sweetie! They emailed back and said they would do it by email or fax but i think i'll call them. I don't want to send my Visa number by email so we'll see how we go with them on the phone. I won't be booking for a few months yet. Your offer is appreciated, my high school barely remembered french may not be up to it if they don't speak English as well as they write it!

you shouldn't have any problem with English speaking people at the hotels in the big tourist areas. Even if you're sending a fax or email, if you send me what you want to say in English, I'll translate it for you in French.

when are you going to Paris? did you tell us you were going? I dont remember reading about it????????

Oh god i've been wittering on about that for weeks (here.) We're going in November for Gramie's birthday!

oh hush I knew that already.... cough

Of course I am going to recommend The Welcome Hotel~! Fantastic area, very arty and close to Metro also. 10 minutes walk from Notre Dame and 5 min from St. Sulpice in the other direction. We had a Carte Orange but the Mobilis would be fine for you. Chatelet is a huge metro station with many lines and long corridors.

Well as it's early days, we'll have lots of time to decide. Both areas have lots to recommend it and both are in the same price range. I appreciate your help so much! It's a huge relief just to get it narrowed down to two because i was getting overwhelmed. We could have ended up on a park bench under the Arch de Triomphe at this rate if i didn't get a short list made!