Done with the Drama!

"Oh really? So you never wait until the last minute on a deadline or phone bill because secretly you kind of love the drama of not knowing whether or not you're going to make it?"

Yep. That line from one of the best movies (ever) has been on repeat on my brain for the better part of the last month, but today I am thrilled to announce that the last major check mark has been placed on the official "moving to Italy" list. Seriously, there has been a smile on my face since 4pm local time when the contract was signed, rent paid, and keys in my possession. Yes. KEYS. I still don't know how to work the alarm system, but have been assured that an English speaking electrician will give me the tutorial.

Things really did fall into place- from appliances to electricity and my contract kicks in on Friday. If you've been keeping tabs on my days here Friday is my 91st day in country and therefore my first day off of the TLA entitlements. It's been a stressful and very trying at times event but all part of this life changing experience I ventured out on nearly 90 days ago.

So yes, I still need to figure out when all my stuff is going to arrive but after chatting with my coworker/sounding board for all things Italy she too thought that I should wait until after France. I'll try to figure that all out tomorrow....I'm still way too happy that I have these keys in my possession!

Keys for Italy home & home home

Oh Yeah, This IS Italy.

Well, like I said last week- things can come together or fall apart within a second. No, things didn't really far apart today but we came to a halting stop in terms of my contract. 

Yeah. My contract remains an unsigned document. GRRRRRRRRR

Story time? You betcha. 

My morning was spent running errands, wrapping up some of the loose ends financially in terms of this lease. Of course since the bank didn't open until 8 I got to chat with several of you and send off lots of emails (sorry in boxes) so it was a busy but great start to this Monday. I eventually made it to work, powered through a few major reports and wrapped up so other contracts (well, I think that's what I did...I have to wait for confirmation from my supervisor). After the perfect length of work day (approx 5 hours) I was off again to my favorite office- housing. 

I got there in plenty of time and still found the mother of the owner, one of her daughters, and her son-in-law in the waiting room. As we sat there in the full waiting room, we watched the Today Show. If you missed out on it this morning, there was a segment about how women are getting tattoos later in life. And when I say "later in life" I mean late 60s. I don't know what the 3 of them were saying but their body language and tone said it all. I had to giggle because I'm sure the same expression of disgust,  shock, and confusion was on my face. Oh how I love that body language is universal. 

When it's finally our time to head back I begin to think- does  she have power of attorney? I dismissed it because between the 3 of them, one of them surely had it. The 3 of them start chatting away in Italian with the contracting guy and within a minute I have an idea of what's going on- they either need Enzo or the property owner there. When the contracting guy says he'll translate in a minute, he confirmed my fear when I asked if there was an issue with the power of attorney. They continue to go back and forth and finally Enzo gets called up. Apparently he had told Teressa (the mother of the owner) that she would need to get one- her story from "he didn't tell me" changed to "I forgot" once they spoke. The daughter and son-in-law were frustrated with her but there was nothing they could do other than call the son who owns the place and have him issue a new POA. 

So we started to explore our options and the supervisor came in. Turns out the supervisor is the guy that keeps sending me the emails about how many days I have left in TLA and we've sent many a emails in the past week or so. I had to watch myself because when he walked in I almost started humming the Godfather theme. When he started to talk, he even had the raspy/whisper voice. It was almost too much BUT my contract was still on the line so I had to remain focused.

Long story short (since I'm getting frustrated reliving this) the new POA should be sitting in the housing office but since they are already doing a ton of over time this week, I have to wait until Wednesday for round two. She said I can start moving things in, which is nice but since I can't get the electricity switched over until I have a completed contract it gets a little screwy- I am in Italy after all. 

Needless to say after all this running around in what really was too hot of a day to be comfortable I was tired. My afternoon became a nap time since my head felt like it was going to explode- the air quality around is killing me. I finally woke up and decided that I'd still head over to see the Darius Rucker (aka Hootie) concert here on base- I mean why wouldn't you go to a concert if your head is already pounding? 

After hanging out on the lawn for a while, I realized that CSO's wife and 4 girls were in front of me and before too long CSO arrived. They invited me to hang out with them and we proceeded to listen to the concert and watch their youngest dance. I think she really needs to get up to Music on the Half Shell. By the end of the show she was rolling around on the lawn in a blanket and we were laughing way too much. It was a fabulous way to end my evening and also hear some great music.

So little progress was made today but again, this is why you hope for the best and prepare for the worst! I'm just ready to have keys and move in and end this suitcase living I've been dealing with ever since I turned 28. Seriously.

T minus 6 nights

It never ceases to amaze me just how a little time can often allow things to come together (or fall apart). Now before you all start talking about how long it’s taken me to find a place (I know, really, I know) I’ve got to say I think I deserve a gold star for how fast all of this is moving now.

For those of you not continually being flooded with my Facebook updates, I received fabulous news yesterday- not only was the paint on the walls but overtime was approved to schedule my contract appointment Monday. The lady (I keep missing her name) was super efficient, friendly and she kept calling my cell phone until I picked up (I had to figure out where it was when I finally heard it ringing). When she asked if Monday would work I told her any day before the 25th at any time would work- I just needed to sign that contract! She then told me the Italian expression that basically translates into “blank sheet.” With a few more “ciao bellas” our conversation was done and I was jumping for joy as I scribbled the appointment on my calendar.

No, I’m not in the clear yet. I still need to sign the contract, get utilities switched to my name, figure out which sized appliances I need, contact the warehouse for said appliances, contact the HHG folks to set up delivery, find some volunteers to help me maintain some control of said delivery, get a key, and the major task of unpacking. No I don’t get admin leave for unpacking BUT I really think I can pound it out in a weekend.

Problem is I decided to go to kick off September in France. Well, it’s not really a problem. I’m really excited to visit a new country with a few coworkers for an extended holiday weekend, but I think it means some of my other adventures will need to be put on hold until I’m unpacked. I think that’s totally worth being “grounded” in a beautiful Italian coastal town- don’t you?

Unpacked! Normally I’d think it would be a daunting task but it’s going to be like Christmas and my birthday combined and I’m going to love 99% of what’s unpacked. My long lost treasures, familiar things, and reminders of home will once again be where they belong- with me. And I can’t even begin to tell you how often lately I’ve wanted to open my closet and see a Cal Poly sweatshirt.

~UPDATED AUGUST SCHEDULE~

9Aug:     Pre-Contract Signed; prayers answered- inspection in the same week!

12 Aug: Inspection of unit; passed but paint still needed on walls

17 Aug: Work should be done but housing office still closed

18 Aug: Confirmed completion of paining; contract signing scheduled

22 Aug: Contract signing; deposit & first month to be paid (eek!)

TBD:       Utility switch over

26 Aug: Move Out of Navy Lodge (so long room 327); Move In to …

Another Step Closer to Move In Day, Another Day Closer to Eviction from TLA

Sometimes I let Fridays pass with very low expectations. Friday after all marks the end of my work week. It means that there are 2 days free of work to pass by watching cheesy movies, sleeping in, or even escaping from town and return at the last minute possible to still be at my desk come Monday morning.

Well, not this Friday. This Friday had huge expectations on account that it was house was inspection day.

First things first- it passed! But this is Italy so things are never that easy. I’ve been thinking lately about how I need to create an Italy factor when trying to get anything done around here. Let’s take a look at the latest example why:

I called the housing office yesterday afternoon to ask if they had a better idea than "Friday" for the inspection time. I was told to expect a call between 0800-0900 in the morning. I politely reminded her to call my office number, repeating that my cell phone would not be with me so I could not answer.  Well, I got a call this morning. A call on my work line at 0930 saying my appointment was at 1000 and that they'd been trying to get a hold of me via cell phone. Ugh. At any rate, here's your geography lesson of the area for the day. Study it because a quiz is up next...

 

Could someone please tell me how long it would take me to drive mid morning from work (located in Naples) to MdP? Assume that I am going the speed limits since I’m still super paranoid that one day I’m going to get a stack of tickets in my mail. Also keep in mind 90% of Italians are at the beaches this time of year and I have to drive through at least one beach town.

Map from coworker.

Yeah, it was a quick sprint out of my office after having all my coworkers ask with great concern if I’ve ever driven there on my own before. Legit concern since I never had from this route. With a quick map in hand and rough idea I was moving as fast as my feet could go while in wedges across cobble stone.

It ended up taking me about 50 minutes (once getting to my car and out the gate)- partially due to traffic, partially due to having to wait for busses and large vehicles to cross the road the base shares with the airport, partially due to the fact that once getting there I had a horrible time finding somewhere to park. I then realized that I could just park in the spot that will belong to me.

Ravi received his first scar from Italy…I still need to assess so don’t ask anymore questions
but I figure it was bound to happen (and most likely will again) so we’re going to move
on. (Seriously though, I didn’t see anything but I sure heard something...so I'm sure something is there.)

While walking up the stairs to the front door I got really nervous- what happens if I hate this place?

I’m already committed!

Although I didn’t see what I was expecting to see the view was fabulous. In the past two weeks they’ve been hard at work- updating the alarm system, re-doing 2 bathrooms, fixing a squeaky step, painting and the place looks great. Granted the down stairs portion was still covered in tarps with home repair supplies all over and 3 guys working diligently- but I loved the house even more today. It still seems way to big for just me so please start making your plans to come visit- I need to be able to justify this 3 bedroom, 3.5bath, place.

I think I’m even changing my opinion on some of the furniture that comes with the house- I’m going to need it since going from a 2 bedroom shared place to a 3 bedroom place by my self requires more stuff. Granted, one room is going to be the Italian Kitty’s room so that will all need to be furnished but I think this other stuff is going to work out just fine (at least in the beginning).

Here’s my soon to be home photo mash. Granted it still looks more like a construction site or the set of a HGTV show, but I assure you it’s only going to look better when I’m done with it. And seriously, one of the highlights is the view and you can now see where I get to spend my evenings on the rooftop patio surrounded by my cilantro garden with a glass of wine (or cup of coffee) in hand and a kitty telling me all about all the napping in sunshine s/he did that day.

Top Left- Bottom Right: Kitchen, sun room, downstairs 1/2 bath, office/guest room, viewx2, storage, kitchen, living room, upstairs bathroom w/laundry, amazing view.

One question still remains and that is “when do I get the keys?” The contract signing appointment has not yet been made on account that they won’t let us until all the painting is completed. I’ve been told the workers will be there on Tuesday (and Wednesday if need be) so I plan on checking in on Tuesday to see if the appointment has been made before Enzo goes on holiday in Spain. I’m hoping that we can still snag one of the appointments on either the 25th or 26th and I can move in the same day. Utilities are already turned on so that helps, but there will still be some time to figure out switch over and also get some of the appliances swapped out.

Then I get to figure out when my stuff shoes show up. Ha. I love how my brain automatically thought “shoes” when talking about my shipment of stuff so that’s what was typed. Seriously though, those black flats of mine need to be trashed and I would apart from the fact that means I’ll be in heels all the time for work now. I’m not sure if I’m ready to tower over everyone here at this new job…plus that means walking in with flip flops which make just as much noise as heels half the time. See what type of important decisions I have to make when getting ready in the mornings? Some days I’d love to throw on a uniform and call it a day.

So yay for Friday! And yes, this was only the first shift… Tonight was the big night for VBS and CSO was there in addition to a few other folks I work with who have kids enrolled in the program. You’ll just have to stay tuned to hear how the week turned out on that one because it's late, I'm exhausted, and I have more fun things planned for tomorrow.

It's All Connected

It never ceases to amaze me how various aspects of my life will all of a sudden crash into each other when they seem like they are the most opposite things ever. Well, today was another "in your face Katie" kind of day. 

Today was thankfully a slow start morning- my pre-contract appointment was at 8 so that was my first official place to be. Are you confused about all these apartment viewings, going in to make an appointment, pre-contract appointments, inspections, contracting signing? Don't worry. I always just tell them what the last step I completed was and they tell me what's next. But seriously, it's complicated. I have to share the following from an email from my dad because although it's super ridiculous, it pretty much sums it all up:

OK, so I confess I am a bit confused.  You said you signed your "pre-contract" today.  But I don't remember you reporting signing the "preliminary-pre-contract".  And before you sign "The Contract" don't you have to sign the "post-pre-contract" and then The Contract then the post-post contract?

(Yes dad- I did laugh over that one.)

So at any rate Enzo convinced the inspector from the housing office to inspect my house on Friday since he'll already be in MdP. Yay Enzo! I actually think he was worried about his vacation which starts on the 18th (and the housing office is closed M-W next week for Italian holidays). I don't care- we got what we wanted! Well, pushing our luck he asked if we could also schedule the contract signing for the 25th or 26th. My vote of course is the 25th since I check out the morning of the 26th. That was a no go...even when we asked the supervisor of Enza, the contracting person we were meeting with. Oh well. Enzo assured both her and I that this place will pass Friday's inspection.

Off I go- happy that I not only signed the pre-contract but also got the inspection scheduled this week. Okay, getting to sleep in and having a chat session with home probably played into that a bit too but the housing situation is what's been keeping me up at night so it was nice to have progress (no matter how little) after 2 weeks.

Fast forward to me sitting in the chapel waiting for my amazing Green Team chatting with one of my assistants and one of the other volunteers. They too are currently going though this process and decided to rain on my parade by saying that houses never pass the first inspection. Well big boo. I'm still keeping my optimism though...I feel like the inspection of Friday was already a huge win so I'll just see how everything else plays out. And besides, I didn't have time to worry about it...kids starting pouring into the chapel and I quickly realized that without their name tags I have no idea who they are!

We made panda face drums & kazoos. (And couldn't wait for parents to sign their kids out.)

We played red light green light where I dominated. Although we played by doing the crab walk, the whole concept of "green, yellow, and red" are beginning to fade here in Italy...so I may have still moved forward when red was called? The kids did the same though and I still won but it was pretty close.

At dinner my team was so polite and quiet compared to the screaming blue team that passed us in the stair well. Seriously. My team was asked to perform the theme song for the kitchen crew but since that seems to be the "I need to use the bathroom" stopping point the performance was cancelled this evening. Maybe after our meal of chicken nuggets tomorrow they will be ready. Tonight's kid friendly dinner had my plate looking rather brown/tan/yellow - apple slices, grilled cheese, graham crackers, oranges.Where's the green stuff?

And then there was story time. We learned about King Ahab and Jezebel and as soon as marriage was mentioned, my up then pretty quiet room erupted in "ewwwwws" and a ton of laughter. I guess the ATP kicked in and my little troopers started acting like 5-7 year olds again.

Off to singing time we sang How Great Thou Art about 10 times with hand motions. My little curly haired 4 year old (who we later thought went missing but I guess just wanted to sit with the red team?) had a great time spreading her arms out for the "thy pow'r throughout, the universe displayed" portion. I had to turn my head to hide my reaction when one of the teen leaders asked the kids what "How Great Thou Art" meant followed by a "that's really really old English."

Closing was challenging yet again. After 3 hours of being together and it's late for some of them (yes, and me) kids start getting a little out of control. One of my instigators won't be there the rest of the week so hopefully it will be bit easier...maybe? I just wanted to sing and dance to the songs stuck in my head 24/7 at this point but even my ridiculous dance moves (I swear that's what we're going for, I just have a natural knack for it) can't get the kids back into it once they've lost focus.

At any rate, today's theme was God Listens to Me! (See? It's all connected.) I firmly believe this and although I often find we're not on the same time table, He hasn't let me down. I often tease that this job offer was nothing short of Divine Intervention...seriously if that other offer came through I'd be writing you from Mississippi right now. Ick. Don't throw this back in my face later on, but I'm pretty sure I'll take Naples on its worst day any time over Stennis.

"Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely." -Psalm 139:4

Update Time

August is the Italian national month for vacationing. Despite the lack of posts lately I am choosing to post today to state the obvious: I’m not Italian, nor am I employed by Italians. (I told you- stating the obvious!) So while the beaches are filled with people and towns empty compared to normal- I am working away.  And working away I am. We teased on Monday that it was definitely a Monday: urgent documents, errors found (mine- the worst kind), phones ringing, & taking multi-tasking to a level it’s never been. It was the kind of day I went home and next thing I know I was waking up. Oops- got to love the unexpected nap.  

Over all, things are still great. Sure the minor hiccups here and there continue to occur, but for the most part they’ve been easy to resolve or I quickly forget about them. Unfortunately this latest hiccup does not fall in that same category. This hiccup is already beginning to look like it may be the kind that you can’t get rid and is so disruptive it’s almost painful. What is it? Oh a little thing called housing.

For those of you who haven’t heard- I put a hold on the “split-level” place in Monte di Procida last week. After dealing with the housing office  from hell over the phone I finally made an appearance. Roberto recognized me and gave me an are you kidding look when I told him it took me 2 months to find a place. (Hey- I was gone 2 of those weeks!) In true Italian fashion, we spent more time talking about non housing items than the 2 minutes it took to call Enzo to see when he was dropping off the paperwork for the place. You see, they need the paperwork in check before they can make an appointment. This appointment is for the housing office, the owner and you to enter into pre-contract agreement. My appointment is scheduled for the 9^th.

Not too bad right? Appointments although annoying are at least are a mark of progress.

Well here’s how my August calendar is looking:

9 Aug: Pre-contract Meeting

TBD: Inspection of unit (I’m hoping it too happens next week)

TBD: Any modifications/changes made (praying that it doesn’t require any)

TBD: Contract signing

TBD: +3-5 days for utility activation

TBD: Move in

26 Aug: “Eviction Day” from the Navy Lodge (AKA 90 day mark of being in Italy)

(Why do I feel like this information could be turned into a problem for Operations Management?)

And although I’m trying ever so hard to be optimistic about getting in this place before the deadline I’m being realistic and preparing for the worse. Seriously- as I told someone the other night- it’s dealing with the US Government and Italians. As if that’s not already a slow process, add the fact that it’s their vacation month so most offices (housing included) are all running on a skeleton staff.

So yeah, trying not to get my hopes too high and telling myself that this house was worth the two month search so a few nights transition won’t be too bad…as long as it’s only a few nights. It’s times like this when I wish I had Tracy’s spare bedroom (complete with meowing cat at 0500), Andie’s chair with Lady taking way more than her fair share, or even my parents’ spare room to once again host the Traveling Katie Show.

Again, trying not to let it get to me too much, but I think it’s the root cause of my “offness” this week. Luckily I have a few avenues to explore but it’s hard to ask people for help when I don’t even know the basic information. Worse case my stuff will be moved in and I’ll be “camping” while I wait for my other stuff to move from storage to mia casa dolce casa.

In summary:

• I’m getting tired of this transition phase lifestyle...I’m tapping out at 90 days.
• I’m learning first hand about Italian time...it’s a slow process filled with lots of caffé breaks.
• I love Italy and don’t want to go home any time soon...but I would love it a whole lot more if I too could take the month of August off.

The Hunt for Housing Round V

Oh wow. It really is round five. I was thinking to myself what’s a reasonable number to list even if it feels like trip number DLII and somehow V turned out to be the number. Go figure.

I’m beginning to feel like this is shoe shopping- I know what I want, I know what I want to pay, I’m looking for it in all the places I should be able to find it…yet I’m not finding what I want. Sure there are lots of other pairs that are fun, way more practical and those that could work, but my heart is set on what I have pictured in my head or have seen in other locations. Shoot, I even have a “personal shopper” looking at all the options with me to make sure I’m not going off into the deep end…although he is not so much the voice of reason when his goal is to get me settled into a place.  

Do I sound defeated? Not yet, but for those who haven’t dealt with this before, try to understand where I’m coming from. My stuff was taken away from me on 2 May, so for past 2.5 months I’ve been living out of 2 suitcases and one of them was basically filled with gym clothes (priorities). I have just enough work clothes to get me through the 2 week rotation, assuming I can convince myself to iron. Actually, that’s always an entertaining exchange that goes something like:

Fashionista Katie: I’m sick of wearing the same few tops because you refuse to iron. It’s bad enough I’m still wearing these old black flats that need to be thrown out.

Domestic Katie: Look, you know I don’t iron…that’s why we always look at tags before buying clothes.

Fashionista Katie: Don’t remind me. Is it really my fault that these things spent forever rolled up in a suitcase? And you don’t seem to pull them from the dryer early enough to let them dry wrinkle free…

Domestic Katie: I miss our laundry service…do you think they would relocate here if we asked? Please remind me to add “must do all ironing” to my husband criteria list.

Well, that’s how the last round went. Now the fact that my house hold goods (aka everything I own) and my car are here, just adds to the pressure of the peak PCS season and the fact that I’m somewhere in my last 30 days inTLA.

I can’t even begin to convey how happy I will be to unpack, decorate, plant a garden, look for a kitty, and start hosting people. Funny thing though- you can’t do any of that until you pick a place. So for that reason, I picked up the phone to make an appointment with Enzo this week. Little did I know it was going to be today. Oh well, no time like the present! Slightly jet lagged, starving, and just a little limping, I met him on hour #12 of my day. (A deadly combination right? I was totally civil- honest!)

Today’s tour took us back to Monte Di Procida via Cuma and through 4 places. Since I wasn't planning on going house hunting after working my camera was not with me so it's time to use your imagination!

The first place was in Cuma, right before the Arco (as in ancient Roman building, not gas station). We went off roading on a one lane dirt lane. All I've got to say it's the most exciting terrain Ravi will have ever seen should I move into this place. If you continue past the Roman Amphitheater you come across a 4 or 5 unit place. Here we saw apartment #1. I'm going to call it the If I lived here I'd be sleeping on the terrace every night option. As you walked into the entry way, there were 7 doors all leading to different places- living room, kitchen, bathrooms x2, and bedrooms x3. But seriously the rooms were just a great size but they all had doors out to the terrace that over looked Ischia, Procida, and yes,  you could see Mt Vesuvius! The walls are already painted great colors- greens, yellows, and light oranges. Both bathrooms were recently redone. There is a parking garage, but apparently most tenants use them for storage. Seriously? Storage? I don't even have enough stuff to outfit a 2 bedroom place, let alone a 3 bedroom place. 

Yes. I did love this one. It sort of snapped my mood, especially when I saw 2 kitties longing to be adopted in the parking area. So why didn't I stop the tour there by saying "I'll take it?" A German Officer lived next door and an American couple lived upstairs. 

What's my mantra? 

If I'm living in Italy, I want to feel like I'm living in Italy!!! 

It still is my back up plan but between being outside the town and being surrounded by other non-Italians its over all score falls significantly below the place we saw next (even though I could be moved in pretty fast and I'm more comfortable with that rent rate). 

Stop #2 was on 2 street across from Chiesa di S. Antonio and basically in the square. A Canadian had moved out the day before and as we headed up a ton of stairs ("good exercise" as Enzo put it) it was clear the movers still hadn't picked everything up. Between the stacks of boxes, some furniture, and materials for the re-vamping of 2 of the 3 bathrooms it was a little intimating. After checking out the bedrooms in the lower portion of the house (separate entrance even for my guests!) we ventured upstairs to the 1/2 floor where it was a window enclosed "office." You know me and my planning...it's going to be a breakfast nook if I move in.  To avoid coffee spillage coming down the stairs I'll probably just put the coffee maker there. The rest of the way up the stairs led to the kitchen, living room, and the bathroom/laundry room. But wait. That's not even the best part. The best part was the roof top terrace over looking all of Monte di Procida and the islands (Capri too). Although parts of it were enclosed, it was glass so you still had at least a 270degree view of other rooftops, buildings, and the water. 

The house definitely has character and quirks which threw me off at first but seriously I could make it work. I wish I could see it again when all the things that need to move out are out- just to make sure it's not the jet lag talking...

What about the other tenants? Well, it's just the owner, an older lady who has 4 daughters (3 in America and a son (also in America). Apparently tenants in the past have all been Canadian single guys...watch out Canada...I'm about to take this one over. She didn't speak English but again, rumor has it past renters have called her mama since she looks out for them and also cooks for them? Shoot, I'll cook for her if she teaches me how to! Sounds great right?

Wait for it.

And here it is...the red flag.

We teased my sister about her landlords in Texas last year. After helping her move in and meeting them, we quickly dubbed them "Frank and Marie Barone"- you know, from Everyone Loves Raymond? "Marie" was always stopping by to check on them and kept an eye on who was driving down the lane. My concern is that this well meaning lady may be the same way and I'm stick with her for 3-5 years? She doesn't speak English so that may be in my favor (both to limited contact and me learning Italian).

I don't know. Input please! You know me and my mantra. 

Places 3 and 4 aren't worth writing about because it's going to come down to one of the two places above....or the amazing kitchen I saw a few weeks back. 

The last bit of information worth repeating today was when I was telling Enzo that I'll call him tomorrow so if he could have rent numbers for me as well as confirmation that a kitty is okay. (An Italian kitty, we had already established that in place #1.) He asked me why do I want a cat when there are so many single Italian guys that I could "adopt and feed." I told him he had a great point, but at the end of the day boyfriends talk back and a kitty doesn't.

Stay-cation: Day 1

I guess I've been fortunately enough to always live in a place that others consider a vacation spot. Granted, that was one of the things that drove me nuts in Monterey with the influx of traffic (mainly due to confused drivers), impossible weekend parking, and ridiculous "peak season" prices. Of course as a local you knew how to avoid most of the crazy weekends but still, I can't help but think of one of my favorite Savage Chicken cartoons.

Well this weekend I had a stay-cation in Monte Di Procida. Again, the generosity of the community here is amazing! On Friday I met up with someone copied on emails started back in April. No- I'm not hanging out with strangers, well, strangers to me but the degree of separation is no more than 3. Someone I worked with put me in touch with someone who had recently left Italy. Laurie then started to email me with info and put me in touch with others- including the fabulous Cynthia who I met for lunch on Friday. By the end of the lunch she had offered to show me around MdP, let me crash at her place, and then go hiking this morning out at Carney Park. Um yes please! 

Monte Di Procida is for sure where I'm going to live- but I still need to figure out which place to claim. On my tour we entered the town a new way because it's going to be crucial to know all the routes should traffic be ridiculous. (Think Del Monte Ave. on a gorgeous holiday weekend, with all that construction they were doing, and it only being two lanes...with no traffic lights.) No, I'm not crazy because once you make it through one of the various towns and make your way up the hill this is one of the views awaiting you.

As we drove around the town during risposare, the afternoon break, most of the stores were closed up, but few people still walking around the main piazza. As we drove down towards the water, that's where we found more people. The parking lots were full, scooters lined up along the pier, and many boats were out for the day. For those of you who make it out in the summer months we'll be taking a ferry out to Procida or Ischia for the day. Still not 100% sure what's out there other than beaches, food, and stores but I think it would be fun to see the different view and I've never been one to turn down being on the water. Okay, I'll do more recon prior to your visit! The town is super cute, lots of little shops selling one type of item- produce, bread, meat, etc. No Safeway for one stop shopping may take a little while to get used to, but maybe this way I'll learn to enjoy grocery shopping a little more?

After the tour we went back to her place and I think I fell in love with the idea of having a veranda which unfortunately apt #1 from the last search doesn't have. The view from her apartment was fabulous although it was more over the hill side than of the water, but you still saw plenty of sparking blue. (The night view was amazing too!) We chatted about Italy and other destinations while sipping on bubbly and taking in the view on the perfect late June day.

Once we realized it was turning to dinner hours (American dinner hours, not Italian), we walked a block away to her favorite restaurant. I'd been told about this place and Meriella before even stepping foot out of Monterey and let me tell you, it lived up to everything I'd been told. Both Meriella and her husband, Pepe were so friendly and since we were the only table in the place until 8pm they kept stopping by and talking. The food? Fabulous!

There is no menu at this restaurant because what's she serving is whatever was at the market. Translation? She won't commit to a menu because if it's not fresh it won't be served here. After picking our table, Meriella came over and asked what would we like. She gave us options of "sea food" or "land food." Land food, I found interesting also included veggies. So I'm a seafood, plant land food person. Chickens are also land food since they are found on land...even on rare occasion that they fly.

As you can see, we had quite the antipasti collection: bruschetta (broos-ke-ta), grilled veggies, stuffed cuttlefish, sardines, belt fish, stuffed zucchini blossoms (YUM), octopus, calamari on a stick, shrimp. We did the sea food route and it was fabulous. I think when I ate the calamari the words "it tastes like home" escaped my mouth.  Fish that I normally wouldn't try (sardines) were yummy soaked in vinegar and then drizzled with olive oil then dusted with dried chili pepper. Cuttlefish are surprisingly sweet and just may become part of my diet now that I'm over the fact that they are one of my favorite displays at the aquarium...please don't tell me they are on the watch list!

After all those amazing tastes of fish paired perfectly with basil, tomato, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mint, garlic, mint, pine nuts, or chili pepper we decided we had room for primi piatti, although the idea of skipping to secondi piatti which is typically a protein like sea bass was rather tempting. Again, after Meriella listed our options the fresh seafood sounded amazing so we ordered pasta alle vongole (pasta with claims) and a fabulous fat, chewy noodle that name escapes me today but the translation in English mean "splat" because of the sound it makes when you put it in water to cook it. Maybe it wasn't "splat" but pick one of those onomatopoeias, translate it into Italian and then you'll have the name of the pasta. I believe it's one of the local shapes of this region. At any rate it was fabulous topped with tomato sauce, eggplant, and cheese.

That's where we ended this meal. After Meriella learned I was moving to the area she told me to stop by for un caffe or another meal. I have a feeling this will be a regular place for me, at least when people are in town. She also offers cooking lessons! Yep. I should just ask for a part time job of sous chef on the weekends.

A quick walk around the corner and we were back at Cynthia's place. Granted, if I live in the kitchen apartment my walk would be about 5 minutes more...okay, maybe 10 after all that food and up hill, but that just means I could have had another stuffed baby cuttlefish!

End of this stay-cation's first day. How great is it to live within an hour of amazing locations?

A Day Has 24 Hours, So I'll Use 20.

Yesterday was hands down my longest day yet- 20ish hours? It was all planned though, so I knew I'd be leaving work to house hunt, then going to a wine class which put me home rather late. So what did I do? In one of my genius moments I decided to go wake up at 0400 for a run. (Yeah, it is sad when the gym opening at 0500 doesn't work with my schedule.) At any rate, it was quiet- very quiet here at the hotel. I'm pretty sure the desk clerk was in shock when he saw someone walking out of the elevator (mainly because I hope it wasn't the "I just rolled out of bed and threw my neon green top on" look I was sporting).

As I ran around the base I couldn't help but think even more about how this place resembles a prison. I was running and then it would hit a fence so I turned. Don't believe me? There are also cameras, guards, MPs, and perhaps the creepiest yellow lights ever complete the prison setting. The 2 things that made me laugh and keep running were a friendly orange tabby cat who forced me to multi-task while stretching and the speed/radar detector that clocked me at 10mph. Nope- I don't run that fast!

Heading back into the lobby I was thrilled to not see the desk clerk, but on the way up to my floor the elevator stopped to pick up a middle aged shirtless man who felt the need to talk to me. Just when I thought the doors would release me to dash to my room, the doors opened and there was the desk clerk. The poor guy! Very few should see me post workout (those of you who have seen me totally know what I'm talking about). Don't believe me? Just keep reading...

Downed coffee, checked FB, got ready for work and headed back down to catch the shuttle- looking human. How human? Same guy was at the desk and as soon as he saw me, "a new girl" came out of his mouth. Glad to know my transformation is significant.

Work days are once again turning into full 8 hours, but now that I have access to many of the systems it's keeping me busy and the hours are (mostly) passing by. My DTS knowledge is becoming known which I was hoping to keep a secret but you know me- always helping out when I can. It's actually letting me socialize with the other office more so it's win-win. The other system is tricky, but for those of you who know KFS....FMS is better. Well, I think so. Talk to me after my week long training next month!

Okay, let's turn our attention to more exciting things like house hunting! I met the unofficial mayor of Monte Di Procida (monte di proshida when I'm trying to remember how to say it or MdP when I'm lazy)- Enzo! If you think of your stereotypical, middle age, Italian man, you have Enzo. He's definitely connected and had no issue telling me how he is really good friends with the actor shot kills Tony Soprano at the end of the series. He's even offered to have me meet this guy next time he's in town so I can get a picture with him. We also drove by the house they used as the Soprano's house, but since I didn't watch the show it's hard to really know! It's so hard to censor my remarks and sarcasm when I'm caught off guard with conversations like this.

At any rate, he's lived up to all referrals by various people and he showed me three beautiful apartments on our tour. He too lives in this town (in a building his great-grandfather built) and was actually born there. I was learning all about the history of this adorable town. Best part? They have trash pick up 6 days a week (paper, glass, plastic, metal, trash, etc. each have a special day) and they are repaving the roads. Yeah, totally worth the drive and I haven't even mentioned the beach or views!

Okay, on with our tour. As soon as we headed up the hill, we took another hill up an itty bitty alley way. I had no idea if we were on our way to the house or just taking a back road. Turns out we were headed to the end of this alley to see the house with a beautiful kitchen. Here's the mini tour:

 

Pros: Better kitchen than I've ever had in the states, walk in closet, built in closet, fabulous view, landlords live upstairs (bonus- they speak English)

Cons: Small living space (not sure if my couch will work), "3rd room" is really the loft about kitchen/living room (totally do-able for my craft room/office)

Notes: This was originally part of their house so when they did all the upgrades it was for them. Translation, it's a lot nicer than some of the other things I've seen. The guest room is the room with the stairs with storage with the intention of the bed going in that loft area. The hall way is ridiculously large so I may just play bocce ball there. 

Va bene! Let's go see the next place. (Queue Portuguese music that Enzo will start dancing to while driving...)

Pros: Located 3 minutes away from a bus stop, garage parking, huge living room and open kitchen, large patio, mini vineyard outside master bed room, 3 real rooms, vanity in one bathroom

Cons: View obstructed by vegetation, Americans live next door, freaking huge hallway- room for a bowling alley, nothing too exciting architecturally

Notes: Garage parking and gated driveway, cute kitty, landlords on site, location was fabulous, 2 extra rooms were decent, no great view, no common storage, large laundry area

Va bene! One more for today's tour...

Pros: Stunning view, excellent location, it's all new, walk in master closet, large living space, lots of windows in kitchen, patio, beautiful tiles

Cons: Tiny "guest rooms", laundry in hallway, closets for one room also in hallway, very modern looking, stone wall in living room, theme-y overboard bathrooms

Notes: This apartment was in an old wine storage building, a block up from Stappo, all new (if the lack of finished kitchen doesn't indicate that), the view was amazing but that's a whole lot of glass that the sun was shinning through in the middle of the afternoon (west exposure)

So there you have it. You've seen all of my housing options (more or less)- what's your vote? Seriously, I've never picked my own place before and I'm scared I'm rushing into this because of my TDY next month but I really do need to start the paperwork. Okay, maybe I'm just scared of saying yes to one of these and then realize there's something better out there...feedback please!

There are two that I keep thinking about how my furniture would work and how I would make it all work. I definitely am sold on MdP because I've been told by people making the drive for years it's not too bad and totally worth it. I've already met some of the town (driving in Enzo is immediate star status) plus this place Stappo is their local wine place/hangout. Still not sure, but now that I've added them on Facebook and know several of their wine class folks I'm sure it's going to be a stop when guests are in town. 

Oh, I've also been educated on Enzo's favorite Italian jazz singer and unfortunately I can't recall it at all...I'm sure if I work with Enzo to secure a house I'll be listening to more of his jazz collection and Enzo's singing. Benissimo!

Here, There, Everywhere...Everywhere but Seeing Houses

It's a requirement (or so I've been told) that you have at least 2 appointments with the housing office. Today was appointment #2 and I can say the next time I return it will be to start processing my contract. I think they mean well, but the office operates is true Italian Fashion. 

My appointment was at 0830, I showed up at 0825. After checking in I sat in the waiting area for close to 30 minutes while I saw the guy I thought I had an appointment walk back and forth. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was making calls to see places or something but...

Finally I'm called back and I meet Ciro. I tell him what I'm looking for (yay for repeating nonstop so I can really decide what I want) I notice that the list I prepared of places to see has a bunch of "rented" notes next to them. Yep- they need to update their system. So I tell him that I saw the one place in MdP yesterday but would like to see some other options. He makes a phone call and off we go...it's a good 40 minute drive.

As we're about 10 minutes out from our destination, winding up the road and hit standstill traffic. After waiting a few minutes thinking it was road construction, cars kept turning around. You know you're in Italy when traffic is stopped in one direction and as cars are turning around they stop traffic in the opposite direction as well because they are telling what they know about the hold up. Turns out the road was shut down because of an accident. Luckily there was a "back road" way and we got there- eventually.

When we got there the person we were supposed to meet was also stuck in the traffic/running behind. We stopped at a coffee shop while we waited. Eventually he got a hold of the person, who was already headed up the hill...so we made our way up. We finally met him and followed up to a place that looked very familiar. Turns out it was the one place that saw out there yesterday. A realtor met us out there had two Germans with him (one already lived in the area and the second was looking for a place). We were there for a while, mind you this was well past 11 at this point.

We finally headed down the hill or maybe it was the other side? At any rate not quite the ocean view but up a one way alley (and I mean alley) we were in a 4 story place with 3 apartments and rooftop terrace. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, large living space. The kitchen was in the middle of a remodel but I'm pretty sure the few view pics speak for themselves.

It really was a beautiful home and probably the closest yet. It turns out the relator I met was the other person who multiple folks recommended- Enzo! He has one apartment in the area that he things will be a good fit and it turns out that in the near future he will have another 3 bedroom available in the same complex that a coworker lives in. (Only Americans live there though...so I'm not sure.) 

Finally we headed back. I got back to work at 1230. 4 hours, about the same amount of time I was out yesterday and I only saw one new place. It feels like I'm getting a tad closer, but it's still a slow process. 

Today's summary:

• I'm beginning to recognize roads and have a general idea of some of the layouts now.
• Above item was confirmed when I realized my housing guy wasn't going the correct way and we made several loops at different parts of the day. 
• I finally met Enzo and he's the guy to know when trying to live where I'm trying to live. 
• I hate filling out access requests for work. Luckily my coworker did a ton of them for me but I still have all the training to do.

Looking for Home Sweet Home

Finding a place to live is a big deal. In the past, my parents have made that call or I've had a roommate (or several) to help make the decision. Also in the past I've been fairly familiar with the area and spoken the same language. Think about what happens if any of these factors are eliminated- crazy right? Well, they've all been eliminated from my current search!

The only thing I've got going for me is a housing allowance which is much higher than I was ever willing to spend in the past! Come to think of it I don't even know what the prices of the places I saw today, but basically the locals know our rates and somehow that's what rent turns out to be. (Yeah, the system is broken so I'm doing my best to keep my pay rate a secret!)

Today I ventured around the area with Daniel and Antonio- two realtors that were recommended by coworkers. Somehow after a 5 minute call with Daniel yesterday to set up the appointment he pretty much nailed just what I was looking for- ocean view, 2-3 bedrooms, located around markets and transportation. I spent all afternoon with these two and saw several options. They were both extremely honest about areas and even gave me information about other things that I'm dealing with in regards to being new.

Our first stop was in Posillipo. I was told that the view I'd see was "the view that all Americans think about when they think Italy." He was right. As I looked out the 1st floor windows (2 floors up, the ground level is 0) I looked out to the bay. The sparkling blue was speckled with boats and other apartments and off to the left Mt. Vesuvius  stood tall. The apartment was one of the sides of the square with a pizzeria, caffe bar, market, and gelato was found across the way. There were two apartments available, both 2 bedroom.

The first one was the corner apartment, with balconies in each room, one looking out to the water and the other 3 towards the plazza, but you could still see water on a few. The layout of the place was odd though. Lots of storage, but again with only 2 bedrooms that means when you visit you'd be sleeping in my office and I already have grand plans for my spare room!

The second one had 4 huge windows facing the water. Three rooms (dinning room, living room, and 2nd bedroom) were all conntected but doors could be closed off and kept closed with strategically placed furniture. The kitchen was itty bitty and the one bathroom was at an angle.

After viewing both places we headed down to the plaza for coffee. It was pretty sweet to know I could just run downstairs for un caffee or better yet pizza. (Not good for the waist line but can you really go on a diet when you're living in Italy?)

I think we then headed to Bagnoli. Again, I really need to take better notes. This was a brand new apartment and gorgeous, if I didn't have all my furniture headed out here. The kitchen was more than just a closet and the view was once again fabulous. Best part? Along the water there is a paved path so I could run without the fear of being mowed down by scooters or cars. Again, only 2 bedroom and really too small- although I fell in love with the tile.

Next stop was over in Pozzuoli, but in the outskirts. Yep. I have been here before. They actually wanted to show me the diagonal house (and I met someone who lives on the same property this evening) but since I'd already been there we skipped out. They did show me a property that will be done within a few months with 20 apartments. The historic building has been restored on the outside (to include 15th and 17th century art on the ceilings of the courtyard) but all the apartments are so technologically advanced I don't think I'd even know how to use half of the stuff! Again, not quite the place for me but I did like the view. I think I need just a tad of city mixed in with my ocean view!

 

Next up was another part of Pozzuoli- Arco Felic. This was a 3 story townhouse with a rent that is too much for me to stomach so it's not going to happen but it was an open floor plan. There was a garage, finished "basement", 3 bed rooms, a decent kitchen, and a back yard. There were also balconies on the 1st and 2nd floors. Check out that blue tile in the one bathroom! Something just screams Katie- right? Okay, so maybe it was the fact that there were at least 3 cats within the gate (one on the front porch) that made me like this one so much. It was walking distance to the nearby lake, train station, and stores (so I can turn my guests free when I need to work and also so I don't have to worry about driving on the weekends). 

After a driving tour through the areas that both of my guides lived, we finally found our way into Monte di Procida and we didn't even go through the "Bumpy Tunnel." -> Side story: At one point in the day I was being told how many Americans have their own names for places. I think it probably came up when I slaughtered how to say Procida  and confessed I'd been calling it MdP. You know, it's what we do- well I blame the acronyms that we use with the government, but seriously- "The Tang" is much easier than Tangensiale. "Capo" way easier than Capodichino. But apparently it's been taken too far and there is now "touch down Jesus." Yeah. How hilarious is that?

So as we made it up the hill the feel of the neighborhood definitely changed. Things seemed to slow down and things looked a tad older. At one point this area had the higher per capita income since many of the people went to the states to open restaurants and others were in the shipping business. The town was very charming- complete with town square. There were narrow roads as I'd been warned but I saw a RAV4 or two driving around so it's possible...assuming another car isnt' headed the opposite direction on the same "street." 

The apartment I saw was one of 3 and the landlords lived on the 2nd floor. Again it was a huge/open floor space and I really liked it. Of all the places I saw today this for sure was my favorite but again, the layout just didn't seem ideal to accomodate what I have being sent over and it was 2 bedrooms. For all you guests I'm pretty sure if I call this place home the guest room would be the one with the view...since it's not much of a view at night when I'm sleeping! The kitchen/living space was large and again, I loved the tile. 

I think the other reason I loved this place so much was the huge patio (in addition to the 2 balconies) that I could use as a rooftop garden and extended living space, especially on these warm summer nights. Another perk? The landlord could teach me Italian! The fact that Daniel told me that it's a tight knit community up there also was nice. They'll apparently keep an eye on me until they know I'm living there and not just a tourist but then I'll be one of them. That really is one of my requirements while I'm out here. 

Conclusions of the day:

• House hunting is exhausting!
• I think I have an idea of what I want...but then I see something else. I realize it's going to be a bunch of tradeoffs (less space = better view) but until I know the utility of each requirement it's hard to make that call. Yes, I just may make a model out of this!
• I'm trusting that people are telling me the truth that "when I see it, I'll know it's for me." 
• I may be putting too much into this house hunt. I used to laugh that when I finally lived by myself I'd consider myself an adult. Well, here I am 28 and it's finally going to happen. Gotta make sure I get this right!
• Living in Monterey (and even SLO) makes me want to be by the water...even if I did get a good laugh with my response of "I'm too white to be in the sun too long" when asked if I liked to sunbathe at the beach. 

Well there you have it. I spent over 4 hours making this tour and it actually paid off so I'm not that sad I missed Zumba. Tomorrow I go out with the housing office again, but a different agent so maybe I'll see more than 2 places. Hopefully there won't be any repeats of today and I can see a few more options within these areas. Hey- I'm doing this for all of you! :) Actually I figure if it's a place I'd want to stay it's probably perfetto for my guests.

I woke up and found myself in Italy...

When my alarm went off at 0500 I was going to scream, but when I realized I had less than an hour to be out the door to wait for the shuttle I didn't have that choice. After another rough night (thanks for all the facebook comments by the way) a quick chug of coffee propelled me out the door.

In the cool yet semi muggy morning, as the sun was just making its daily appearance I realized that I was actually awake. On the bus ride to base we passed strawberry fields which instantly transported me back to Davis Road and if that wasn't a happy enough moment for me we then passed the sign that made my entire day. On the side of a building I kid you not, it said "O.G Follow Me" with a picture of a horse next to it. {Side note time just so I can catch everyone up to speed. I'm called SB for Sea Biscuit by 2 of my friends- OG and GWB. There is more of a story behind it but basically at one point of my life when we were running together I'd go sprinting off like I was at the Kentucky Derby...some how post ACL surgery this name still stuck. Anyway, you're now caught up.} So the significance of seeing OG with a horse was probably just something that OG, GWB and I can relate to but trust me...it made my day.

Work was anything but....however I'm happy to report that my badge worked all but one time when trying to get to my office. And I was the first one there! It's always fabulous to be the first one there when you rely on everyone else to tell you what to do and you have no computer access, but you know, there are always DTS manuals to skim and coffee to consume. After a command picture & meeting with HR the sky basically opened and dumped all the possible water it could and even threw some lightning and thunder in for theatrics. I of course reported this back to my dungeon...er office since they were clueless about the weather change.

The highlight of "work" today was meeting with the big boss...who really isn't a boss but as a Navy Captain we're there to support him and he's a nice guy so it won't be that tough to do. At any rate, as we swapped stories and the inevitable "are you married?" question was asked I told him no. What was cool about this guy though was he actually told me about 2 other single girls around my age in the same group that I should link up with and one slightly older Italian speaking lady also in our group. I may be getting some friends before too long...assuming they aren't always TDY. And the best part??? I don't have to use 3948320947320 codes to go see them since we're in the same office space!

Okay, that's the boring stuff of the day, so if you made it this far- congrats! Now let me tell you about the Italy I actually saw today:

Today kicked off my housing search. I met up with Roberto, your stereotypical Italian male probably in his late 30s that works for the housing office. He's lived in the Naples area his entire life (with his parents for most of it until he was married) and he is looking to buy a house eventually in one of the communities before too long. We drove off to Pozzuoli to look at 2 places- one apartment and one single unit. First off, the views at both places were amazing from the hill, well volcano they were on. Seriously, check out that link and that view of the ocean and islands could be from my living room/front yard. The city has a Roman amphitheater used for concerts in the summer that was pretty amazing looking even now. The trash in the streets (freshly moved by all the rain rushing down the hills) didn't really sell the location...but I was assured that with the newly elected mayor of Naples change should happen soon.

It's not until you're actually here and looking at these places do you believe what you've been told about places: no closets, lots of doors, heaters in every room, more bathrooms than bedrooms. So some of these things are strange, but I'm telling you the tiles and colors are so beautiful! The first apartment I looked at was all blue and white in the living room and kitchen. The rooms (3) we a tad on the small side, even for the little furniture I have, but I was almost willing to over look that with the view! The second place, was also a 3 bedroom place on a vineyard property with 3 other houses and the landlords. Super safe...like 3 if not 4 gates to get to it, protected in the back corner on this hill and far enough away from the sulfur smell...but it had been built at an angle so the hall way almost made me sick when walking through it. Also, the master bedroom was more of a triangle than a square....just odd if you ask me!

After only feeling like I was going to die 3 times on the road....we made it back. After a fabulous workout in the gym (sporting my hot pink top in a sea of black) I was an ATP burning machine and ready for my first legit meal out with my coworkers and some of their kids at 7pm. When we got there we were the only ones there! Dinner really does start late and that's crazy since our meal seriously lasted 3 hours.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of dinning in Italy, let me share with you just how it worked:

We showed up, were seated and bottles of wine and water were delivered to us with basket of bread. Yum-o...No carb left behind right? While we were still working through introductions the table was filled with plates and trays signaling the kick off of our epic meal with glazed carrots, sliced zuchinni with garlic, proscuitto, eggplant parmesan, something fried with tomatoes and potatoes in it, something starch and fried, beans, mushrooms...and that's just what I remember! Apparently since we were Americans they brought all these dishes out at once, but typically they only bring one out at a time. That could easily add 2 hours to the meal. My plate looked like it either came from a potluck or belonged to a judge from a tasting competition. I think I liked just about everything...but the eggplant parmesan was the clear winner of this course. What can I say, I love my veggies!

Once we did a fair amount of damage to those plates, in over an hours time span I was pretty full. It's amazing how eating slow really does fill you up & when you have to taste everything that's a lot of food- did you not just read the list? ...but we were just getting started!

Plates were cleared and I think that's when the pasta showed up. The first one was a shell filled with yummy goodness (I think it was a cheesy/meaty mixture) smothered in red sauce...squisito! The other pasta was linguine al funghi  (mushrooms and cream) but yeah, not so much a fan....next course please!

Um, I think at this point a green salad was brought out.
Yep. Salad.
Next! Er, I mean prossimo...well I think that still works in this case but maybe something is lost in translation....

Dishes cleared and more wine delivered.

My coworkers' sons got excited for this next round- it was time for steak, pork, sausage, and cubed/fried potatoes. By this time I was crying out for my bed, but my coworker's little girl (age 6) was so entertaining. She goes to an Italian school and I asked her if she'd be my language coach. In between giggles and bites of pasta she was my entertainment so I stayed awake. Also, since it was well after 9 at this time, a few other tables were filling up around us. I totally understand why everything shuts down in the afternoon for naps now!

After another clearing of the table a tray of chocolate cones and a bottle of limoncello to finish the meal...or so we thought. After our toast good bye to the interim director and the welcome to both me and the new director another plate was placed in front of us. It looked like gelato, but turned out to be a cream puff like pastry with filling and covered in a berry frosting (that was the prettiest blu ever).

Seriously at this point, around 10pm after a long day and not so much sleep the night before, I was contemplating what my reaction would be if another course appeared. Seriously. What would you do!?!? I mean we had 10339843 items prior so why not have more than one dessert? Actually that would sum up just about all the recent dinner parties I attended before leaving California :)

My prayers were answer though and the meal was over. Talk about an experience! I'm still not completely sold on Italian food, however I think I'll be able to find some dishes I like for the time being and then branch out.

Woohoo, you made it to the end of the post. Thanks for waiting the extra day... I tried to get through it yesterday but the food coma was too severe!