Well, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. This was my first one since 2002 and also our first “family” thanksgiving. We jumped in with both feet, too! (Ok, Jack keeps saying we had Canadian thanksgiving last year. But it was at his mom’s and –hello – she made pork roast and boxed stuffing. That is NOT thanksgiving!)
I volunteered to host it at my house and have all the fixings. So, I made turkey, dressing, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, duck rice, cranberry sauce, and creamed cucumbers. Along with the usual sides of olives, pickles, nuts, etc. Friends brought the green bean casserole, rolls, devilled eggs, and assorted breads.
The fun part was, it was for 11 adults and 8 kids, all of whom except one were under the age of 5. There were 19 people in our house for thanksgiving and towards the end it was a madhouse. (Kids on apple juice.) Last time I had thanksgiving there were only 2 kids in the house, and we got the cops called on us because the bi-atch living below me had just broke up with her boyfriend and was being all maudlin. So, she called the cops on us for being noisy. (When they got there they were like, “ummm, yea, you guys aren’t being noisy.” – But still, who gets the cops called on them on Thanksgiving?) The only way I was even able to get the meal on the table was one of those people was the babysitter I had come in that day to watch Sammi while I got the meal ready. That worked out really well!
It was a really fun day and the meal was delicious. I though everyone was really brave to come out and eat since they had never had my cooking before. I had a 25 lb turkey and enough food for about 40 people, so everyone got to take leftovers home, too. Because it isn’t really thanksgiving without leftovers the next day!
I’m just thankful that even though we have only been here for 4 months that we already have enough friends to invite over. We really like it here. We are having a great time and we seem to have a lot of fun with these people.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Baby Parking
In my wallet I have a receipt for “baby parking.” Oh, what a wonderful receipt to have. For the past couple of months I have been telling Jack that I needed a break, and I just needed someone to watch Sammi for a couple of hours. He kept saying, “well, someday, when she’s older and we find a babysitter….” Finally, I remembered that he is a guy and didn’t know that I meant HIM. So, a couple weeks ago I went into my “I need someone to watch Sammi for a few hours” spiel and then said, “And YOU could be someone!” He was like, “ yea, yea – I could be.” He planned a whole day for them that Sunday. He took her to a rugby game and had her out for 5 hours.
It was great. Of course, I worried the whole time and knew she would come home with a broke arm or something. But I was free – for the first time in nearly 8 months. I could go to the bathroom alone, I could run, or clean, or nap, or anything. I basically spent the whole time laying on the couch reading – but it was awesome. I know I am lucky to be home with her. Some mothers would give anything to have been able to stay home that long with their kids. And I am thankful, but it was time for a few hours.
After that, I found out that the ladies golf club is starting to play each Monday morning and that inspired me to look into the daycares out here so I could put Sammi there for a few hours on Mondays. The place right down the road from me – a 5 minute walk – will watch her every Monday from 9 til 2 or 3 for only $25 euros. Last Monday was the first time.
I played golf and worried the whole time, but it was so awesome. I got back to pick her up and she hadn’t even cried. She loved it, too. She really like being around other kids. So, tomorrow I am going to shoe alley with some friends. For the first time ever I am looking forward to Mondays!
It was great. Of course, I worried the whole time and knew she would come home with a broke arm or something. But I was free – for the first time in nearly 8 months. I could go to the bathroom alone, I could run, or clean, or nap, or anything. I basically spent the whole time laying on the couch reading – but it was awesome. I know I am lucky to be home with her. Some mothers would give anything to have been able to stay home that long with their kids. And I am thankful, but it was time for a few hours.
After that, I found out that the ladies golf club is starting to play each Monday morning and that inspired me to look into the daycares out here so I could put Sammi there for a few hours on Mondays. The place right down the road from me – a 5 minute walk – will watch her every Monday from 9 til 2 or 3 for only $25 euros. Last Monday was the first time.
I played golf and worried the whole time, but it was so awesome. I got back to pick her up and she hadn’t even cried. She loved it, too. She really like being around other kids. So, tomorrow I am going to shoe alley with some friends. For the first time ever I am looking forward to Mondays!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Floating Cars
Well, yesterday (actually, last Wed the 1st – that holiday. It just takes me forever to finish writing and post anything) we learned that if you are at a bar drinking, and it is raining, you may as well stay at the bar until the rain has stopped because there ain’t no gettin' home!
Golf didn’t go so well. Jack only got to play 7 holes before they got rained out – and I didn’t get to play any or hit any balls. We were having lunch at the golf course and it was just pouring down rain and lightening, too. On the way over to meet the guys I noticed that the road-kill chicken place was already open, since it was a holiday. So, we decided we would leave, get road-kill, then all have supper and watch movies at our place.
(On a side note: Lil’ G was having the kids plate of fish and chips (only no chips) and she liked the fish so well that at one point she abandoned using her fingers and just put her face right down on the plate to gobble it up. It was crazy how much she liked it! I guess the fingers were taking too long! It was the first time she had fish, but I just bought her some fish sticks to keep her happy.)
We finished our beers and then dashed out to our cars with our umbrellas and headed home. We couldn’t go the usual way, as the tunnel was flooded. But the first detour would still take us by the chicken place. We didn’t make it there because the water was too deep, so we had to turn around. I can’t even describe to you what this water was like. You could feel the waves underneath the car, and it was coming in through the bottom of the doors. (Our car is still wet inside. ) All the water from the top of the mountain was gushing down the streets because there is NO DRAINAGE to support these rains. It was like a deep, fast moving, mountain stream coming at us. (NOTE: It turns out that if we would have kept going forward, our cars would have been sunk because the road caved in and it is now closed. It is a big, gaping HOLE! This whole area is volcanic, so there are probably caverns and cisterns all over the place, not to mention all the old ruins just barely covered up. Good thing we stopped when we did!)
We tried two more detours trying to make it up the mountain, driving slowly so as not to get our distributor cap wet. Finally, Sam’s car died. He was driving fast and he backed up really fast at one point and just sucked in a bunch of water. Then, a big pickup drove past him and a wave of water went over his hood. It washed off his front plate and it was sitting there on the hood of his car. That wave was all his car could take. So, we stopped and Jack walked back to get him and show him where we were. I have to get the pictures they took with their phones on here to show you. Two guys, walking with umbrellas in water up to their mid-thighs, with GOLF BAGS! (Abandon the car, save the clubs.) All the Italians thought they were crazy – where did they come from anyway? Why do they have golf bags?
They finally made it back up to where I was sitting and we then made it home. That turned a 20-minute drive into a 2-hour adventure – and a very expensive one for Sammy. His car is still in the shop!
Golf didn’t go so well. Jack only got to play 7 holes before they got rained out – and I didn’t get to play any or hit any balls. We were having lunch at the golf course and it was just pouring down rain and lightening, too. On the way over to meet the guys I noticed that the road-kill chicken place was already open, since it was a holiday. So, we decided we would leave, get road-kill, then all have supper and watch movies at our place.
(On a side note: Lil’ G was having the kids plate of fish and chips (only no chips) and she liked the fish so well that at one point she abandoned using her fingers and just put her face right down on the plate to gobble it up. It was crazy how much she liked it! I guess the fingers were taking too long! It was the first time she had fish, but I just bought her some fish sticks to keep her happy.)
We finished our beers and then dashed out to our cars with our umbrellas and headed home. We couldn’t go the usual way, as the tunnel was flooded. But the first detour would still take us by the chicken place. We didn’t make it there because the water was too deep, so we had to turn around. I can’t even describe to you what this water was like. You could feel the waves underneath the car, and it was coming in through the bottom of the doors. (Our car is still wet inside. ) All the water from the top of the mountain was gushing down the streets because there is NO DRAINAGE to support these rains. It was like a deep, fast moving, mountain stream coming at us. (NOTE: It turns out that if we would have kept going forward, our cars would have been sunk because the road caved in and it is now closed. It is a big, gaping HOLE! This whole area is volcanic, so there are probably caverns and cisterns all over the place, not to mention all the old ruins just barely covered up. Good thing we stopped when we did!)
We tried two more detours trying to make it up the mountain, driving slowly so as not to get our distributor cap wet. Finally, Sam’s car died. He was driving fast and he backed up really fast at one point and just sucked in a bunch of water. Then, a big pickup drove past him and a wave of water went over his hood. It washed off his front plate and it was sitting there on the hood of his car. That wave was all his car could take. So, we stopped and Jack walked back to get him and show him where we were. I have to get the pictures they took with their phones on here to show you. Two guys, walking with umbrellas in water up to their mid-thighs, with GOLF BAGS! (Abandon the car, save the clubs.) All the Italians thought they were crazy – where did they come from anyway? Why do they have golf bags?
They finally made it back up to where I was sitting and we then made it home. That turned a 20-minute drive into a 2-hour adventure – and a very expensive one for Sammy. His car is still in the shop!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Happy Hallow Day!
Today is a holiday in Italy. It makes sense, as Halloween is really all hallows eve. How awesome would that have been as a kid? To never have it be a school day after Halloween? You could stay out all night trick-or-treating!!
Jack had language class last night and didn’t get home until 9, so I tried to go out trick-or-drinking. No one within walking distance was home, though, so my plan was foiled! I did get to see all the little Italian kids in their costumes out trick-or-treating. I didn’t know they really did that or I would have had some candy on hand.
So, I guess all the locals are going to church or something today. We are all going to play golf. Since everything local is closed we have to hang out at the American recreation park. That means I am going to have a cheeseburger and fries for lunch. Mmmmm. You have to get the fries.
Last time I was there with a group of moms we all tried to get a salad instead of fries. (Local nationals work there and it went something like this:)
“Can I get a salad instead of fries?”
“No, it comes with fries.”
“And I can’t just substitute a salad?”
“No, it comes with fries.”
“Well, ok. I’ll take a salad that I will pay for. But please don’t put any fries on my plate. No fries, ok?”
“No, it comes with fries.”
That means we all ate fries – cuz once they are in front of you, who can resist the call of the fry? No one, no American anyway!
Jack had language class last night and didn’t get home until 9, so I tried to go out trick-or-drinking. No one within walking distance was home, though, so my plan was foiled! I did get to see all the little Italian kids in their costumes out trick-or-treating. I didn’t know they really did that or I would have had some candy on hand.
So, I guess all the locals are going to church or something today. We are all going to play golf. Since everything local is closed we have to hang out at the American recreation park. That means I am going to have a cheeseburger and fries for lunch. Mmmmm. You have to get the fries.
Last time I was there with a group of moms we all tried to get a salad instead of fries. (Local nationals work there and it went something like this:)
“Can I get a salad instead of fries?”
“No, it comes with fries.”
“And I can’t just substitute a salad?”
“No, it comes with fries.”
“Well, ok. I’ll take a salad that I will pay for. But please don’t put any fries on my plate. No fries, ok?”
“No, it comes with fries.”
That means we all ate fries – cuz once they are in front of you, who can resist the call of the fry? No one, no American anyway!
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