UGGHHHH.....
Still not sure...
Keep thinking...
Yep, that's right. It is a lovely squat toilet.
Gotta love public restrooms in Italy!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Some things are just, well, different here.
Can you guess what this is?
UGGHHHH.....
Still not sure...
Keep thinking...
Yep, that's right. It is a lovely squat toilet.
Gotta love public restrooms in Italy!
UGGHHHH.....
Still not sure...
Keep thinking...
Yep, that's right. It is a lovely squat toilet.
Gotta love public restrooms in Italy!
A Restaurant By Any Other Name...
In Italy, good food is everywhere (so I hear.) As of yet, I am still trying to decode the names of establishments that serve food. The types of businesses that serve food are many and confuse the heck out of me. After a month, I am starting to sort out what each name means. Some places are actually just food vendors, like butchers others are restaurants or more casual "grab and go" type places.
Ristorantes are the nicest places to eat. Usually people dress up and plan on having a nice meal for a celebration at a place like this. They are also the easiest to identify, because of the obvious similarity between restaurant and ristorante.
Trattoria, Ostaria, Pizzeria, Paninoteca, Enoteca, and Pasticceria are all other versions of food places.
Ristorantes are the nicest places to eat. Usually people dress up and plan on having a nice meal for a celebration at a place like this. They are also the easiest to identify, because of the obvious similarity between restaurant and ristorante.
Trattoria, Ostaria, Pizzeria, Paninoteca, Enoteca, and Pasticceria are all other versions of food places.
- An authentic Trattoria serves local food specialties, but the term is sometimes used in larger areas to sound more "folksy." Usually you can view the menu outside these places and will be able to know if they serve something you are interested in eating without going inside.
- An Osteria is a more casual place, more like an American "bar and grill." Often an Osteria is a family run establishment that serves local wine and food. An Italian told me, it is "where the truck drivers eat" so that means it serves good food and is affordable.
- The Pizzeria is just what it sounds like. It is a place that prepares authentic Italian pizzas, usually over a wood fired grill.
- A Paninoteca sells bread. Sometimes it also sells sandwiches to take with you.
- An Enoteca is a wine bar, which can serve appetizer-type foods, such as cheese and salami.
- A Pasticceria is one of my personal favorites. These businesses sell pastries, cakes and sweets. Occasionally they will sell some pizzas or other foods you can take with you.
Of course, I have forgotten to mention a familiar term to Americans, the "bar." A bar in Italy is primarily a coffee shop, but it serves pastries or sandwiches. However, there is usually wine and types of liquor available as well.
Who knew it would be so complicated to figure out where to grab something to eat? I have left out a good deal of other types of shops, because I am still learning what some of these shops are!
Thanks to Cristiana, the teacher and guide to my "Benvenuti" class for helping me learn this stuff!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Odd things you will see in my Italian home
Getting used to being in a different country has many different sides to it. Even simple every day things are not the same. I thought I would share some of the things I found odd in my house.
First, in the bathroom...
There is the rectangular toilet with no tank...
The bidet....
The water heater, which incidentally, does not work as it should, so it's name is a bit misleading. It should say "really lukewarm or totally scalding" water device.
Throughout the house, you will see these fixtures.
Light switches...
Electrical sockets (Plug-ins)....
You'll see this in the kitchen. It isn't part of the house, but it made me look twice when I first saw it.
The incredible edible egg....
Complete with it's own identification code on the shell.
I am starting to get used to everything in the house now. Well, except for the white slip covers on the kitchen chairs. The reason for that ought to be self-explanatory for those with kids!
First, in the bathroom...
There is the rectangular toilet with no tank...
The bidet....
The water heater, which incidentally, does not work as it should, so it's name is a bit misleading. It should say "really lukewarm or totally scalding" water device.
Throughout the house, you will see these fixtures.
Light switches...
Electrical sockets (Plug-ins)....
You'll see this in the kitchen. It isn't part of the house, but it made me look twice when I first saw it.
The incredible edible egg....
Complete with it's own identification code on the shell.
I am starting to get used to everything in the house now. Well, except for the white slip covers on the kitchen chairs. The reason for that ought to be self-explanatory for those with kids!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The trip, part 2
So far, not so good on our trip to Italy. However, the trip from that point seemed to go a bit better. The annoyances were typical travel issues, no unbearable surprises.
The flight we were booked on was supposed to leave Wichita at 1:00 PM and actually did not leave until 1:40 PM. This left us only about 30 minutes to catch our connecting flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam. We met favorable winds and ended up landing 10 minutes sooner. My poor son Patrick, age 7, was a trooper. He was very tired and stressed out, but pulled the carry-on bag through the Atlanta airport at a breakneck speed. At the same time, I pushed the stroller. We went down escalators with both a stroller and the pull carry-on and finally found the train, which was good.
We got to the ticket counter after most boarding calls had been made. The staff was relatively helpful in that they changed our seats so we all sat together. It must have been my comment that I would be happy to let my 16 month old sit in another section that got them to accommodate us!
Don't even get me started about the overseas flight. Jackson, the 16 month old, decided that he hated flying and cried the better part of the 8 hours. He did sleep for 2 short 1 hour stretches. A well-meaning gentleman would get him to be quiet every now and again. However, he did not know when to stop. He'd continue talking to Jack and teasing him, which started the bawling all over again.
Comatose was a good description of how I felt in Amsterdam. Navigating an airport that is rather large with only a few signs in English was an interesting experience. We did have plenty of time to find our gate. We ran into a family from Canada that were talking about the time and realized they were from the same time zone as us. I'm not sure why that felt comforting, probably the combination of English and the shared jet lag.
Looking back, I wish I would have been awake enough to take some pictures of the airport. There were quite a few interesting characters there. The one that stands out in my mind was a "gentleman" who was probably in his fifties. However, from the back, I thought he was a teenage girl because he was dressed in leggings, a mini skirt and high heels. His blonde hair was most likely a wig, but man he gave me a start when he turned around and had some facial hair.
The flight from Amsterdam to Venice was pretty uneventful, except for the fact that the stewardess or flight attendant yelled at me for changing Jackson's diaper on a seat. Never mind there were no changing tables in the plane's lavatory. I guess I was supposed to set him on the 12 inches of floor space that was available and do some contortions to change the diaper. The male flight attendant spoke great English and babied me and the boys. I think he recognized that I was very near a total breakdown and wanted to avoid it at all cost.
We saw some beautiful mountains as we flew over the Alps. When we landed in Venice, we got views of the famous canals. We were so happy to arrive. After landing, it was very obvious that while we had arrived, our bags had gotten lost somewhere in the transition of the four flights and however many airports that had been scheduled for us.
I waited in the lost luggage line for a very long time. Finally, I left the line found Gary. After handing the children over to him, I went back to the lost luggage line only to find I was now behind 3 people who had arrived in the two minutes it took for me to find Gary.
After getting in the car, it was less than five minutes and I was out cold. No memories of the drive to Vicenza or Camisano for me. I woke up and we were one block from my new house. All I wanted was clean clothes and a shower.
The flight we were booked on was supposed to leave Wichita at 1:00 PM and actually did not leave until 1:40 PM. This left us only about 30 minutes to catch our connecting flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam. We met favorable winds and ended up landing 10 minutes sooner. My poor son Patrick, age 7, was a trooper. He was very tired and stressed out, but pulled the carry-on bag through the Atlanta airport at a breakneck speed. At the same time, I pushed the stroller. We went down escalators with both a stroller and the pull carry-on and finally found the train, which was good.
We got to the ticket counter after most boarding calls had been made. The staff was relatively helpful in that they changed our seats so we all sat together. It must have been my comment that I would be happy to let my 16 month old sit in another section that got them to accommodate us!
Don't even get me started about the overseas flight. Jackson, the 16 month old, decided that he hated flying and cried the better part of the 8 hours. He did sleep for 2 short 1 hour stretches. A well-meaning gentleman would get him to be quiet every now and again. However, he did not know when to stop. He'd continue talking to Jack and teasing him, which started the bawling all over again.
Comatose was a good description of how I felt in Amsterdam. Navigating an airport that is rather large with only a few signs in English was an interesting experience. We did have plenty of time to find our gate. We ran into a family from Canada that were talking about the time and realized they were from the same time zone as us. I'm not sure why that felt comforting, probably the combination of English and the shared jet lag.
Looking back, I wish I would have been awake enough to take some pictures of the airport. There were quite a few interesting characters there. The one that stands out in my mind was a "gentleman" who was probably in his fifties. However, from the back, I thought he was a teenage girl because he was dressed in leggings, a mini skirt and high heels. His blonde hair was most likely a wig, but man he gave me a start when he turned around and had some facial hair.
The flight from Amsterdam to Venice was pretty uneventful, except for the fact that the stewardess or flight attendant yelled at me for changing Jackson's diaper on a seat. Never mind there were no changing tables in the plane's lavatory. I guess I was supposed to set him on the 12 inches of floor space that was available and do some contortions to change the diaper. The male flight attendant spoke great English and babied me and the boys. I think he recognized that I was very near a total breakdown and wanted to avoid it at all cost.
We saw some beautiful mountains as we flew over the Alps. When we landed in Venice, we got views of the famous canals. We were so happy to arrive. After landing, it was very obvious that while we had arrived, our bags had gotten lost somewhere in the transition of the four flights and however many airports that had been scheduled for us.
I waited in the lost luggage line for a very long time. Finally, I left the line found Gary. After handing the children over to him, I went back to the lost luggage line only to find I was now behind 3 people who had arrived in the two minutes it took for me to find Gary.
After getting in the car, it was less than five minutes and I was out cold. No memories of the drive to Vicenza or Camisano for me. I woke up and we were one block from my new house. All I wanted was clean clothes and a shower.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Getting to Italy, Part 1
As I mentioned before, out travel to Italy was not fun to put it mildly. I must add a caveat that I caused part of the drama by not getting truly packed for my trip until the last minute. I still was throwing stuff into suitcases at 5 PM on Tuesday. We flew out on Wednesday morning. Then, I decided we had to stay in Wichita rather than get up early to drive before my flight. I was already slightly wound up on the trip south to Wichita (my sister who was driving might have stronger words than this, of course.) I did not sleep much that night, partly due to my nerves and partly due to my toddler son who felt it was not okay to sleep in a strange place...
After eating a fairly relaxed breakfast at the hotel and running the dog and children to get some energy out, we went to Mid-Continent Airport at our appointed two hours before flight time. After arriving at the Continental Counter, I found out the the flight we were booked for (Wichita-Chicago-Frankfurt-Venice) was not going to work, because there was not a proper compartment for the dog to ride in on the initial hop to Chicago.
Problem number one.
The airline would find us another airline that would take the dog for us. However, because I had my positive attitude and a dear sister who supported that attitude, I remained calm. They would find us another flight and we would get to Italy at the same time as we were initially scheduled. After some talk of flying through Paris, the flight changed again. The airline changed to Delta Airlines. Flying from Wichita-Atlanta-Madrid-Venice. After a major effort of checking the dog and some very over weight baggage; we headed to security to get to the gate.
But wait... my name was being called over the speaker to return to the ticket counter.
Any number of things crossed my mind, perhaps I'd left my credit card at the ticket counter or I had not completed some paperwork for the dog. Well, that thought was partially right. Because we were no longer flying through Chicago, but flying through Atlanta, the dog would not be accompanying us on our flight to Italy. There was a heat moratorium on animals shipped as baggage or cargo. So, our dear canine companion Shadow was not making the trip with us.
Needless to say, I did not take this well. I had held myself together this far, but I had been kept waiting at the ticket counter for ten minutes, only to have a piece of paper shoved in my face saying I could not take the dog. The lady working the ticket counter was nice enough, the supervisor was annoyed that he had to speak to me or waste his time dealing with a customer. His attitude clearly showed through.
Oh...the trip just got better from here.
Because they had called me back to the ticket counter, I missed my flight. My sister, niece and the dog got in the car and left. So, it was me, the boys, a stroller, a heavy carry-on bag and no flight to get to Italy. It was somewhere at this point that the tears came. People who know me understand that I am a bit of a crybaby and tend to cry at things too much. Up to this point, they would have been proud of me. I lost it then and probably was quite a sight bawling my way back to the ticket counter. I was pretty ready to stay in Kansas at that point in time.
After eating a fairly relaxed breakfast at the hotel and running the dog and children to get some energy out, we went to Mid-Continent Airport at our appointed two hours before flight time. After arriving at the Continental Counter, I found out the the flight we were booked for (Wichita-Chicago-Frankfurt-Venice) was not going to work, because there was not a proper compartment for the dog to ride in on the initial hop to Chicago.
Problem number one.
The airline would find us another airline that would take the dog for us. However, because I had my positive attitude and a dear sister who supported that attitude, I remained calm. They would find us another flight and we would get to Italy at the same time as we were initially scheduled. After some talk of flying through Paris, the flight changed again. The airline changed to Delta Airlines. Flying from Wichita-Atlanta-Madrid-Venice. After a major effort of checking the dog and some very over weight baggage; we headed to security to get to the gate.
But wait... my name was being called over the speaker to return to the ticket counter.
Any number of things crossed my mind, perhaps I'd left my credit card at the ticket counter or I had not completed some paperwork for the dog. Well, that thought was partially right. Because we were no longer flying through Chicago, but flying through Atlanta, the dog would not be accompanying us on our flight to Italy. There was a heat moratorium on animals shipped as baggage or cargo. So, our dear canine companion Shadow was not making the trip with us.
Needless to say, I did not take this well. I had held myself together this far, but I had been kept waiting at the ticket counter for ten minutes, only to have a piece of paper shoved in my face saying I could not take the dog. The lady working the ticket counter was nice enough, the supervisor was annoyed that he had to speak to me or waste his time dealing with a customer. His attitude clearly showed through.
Oh...the trip just got better from here.
Because they had called me back to the ticket counter, I missed my flight. My sister, niece and the dog got in the car and left. So, it was me, the boys, a stroller, a heavy carry-on bag and no flight to get to Italy. It was somewhere at this point that the tears came. People who know me understand that I am a bit of a crybaby and tend to cry at things too much. Up to this point, they would have been proud of me. I lost it then and probably was quite a sight bawling my way back to the ticket counter. I was pretty ready to stay in Kansas at that point in time.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Here in Italy
Wow, it has been over two weeks since we arrived in Italy. Things are starting to smooth out. However, we had a horrible start to our big adventure. Italy has a much slower pace of life and I am working on adjusting to it. Our house is great and we are comfortable, even though our things have not yet arrived. Getting the internet on Friday was the best thing that happened to me. My Vonage phone is working, so I can talk to family. I can play on Facebook and research the area.
I promise to have several new posts in the next couple days to catch everyone up on our travels and experiences to date!
I promise to have several new posts in the next couple days to catch everyone up on our travels and experiences to date!
Monday, July 12, 2010
It's only change...right?
I am facing facts that this trip to Italy is real, not some crazy dream I am having. Right now, my life feels more like one of those crazy dreams where you feel more tired after you wake from it. Only, I am not asleep.
My house is in shambles. I have not completely packed for the flight, which leaves day after tomorrow. I have stacks of stuff that needs to fit in suitcases, which are already looking quite full. I have stuff that probably should be hand-carried packed in boxes to be mailed to Italy. I have stuff that just hasn't got packed up and stashed in my storage unit, a.k.a. my downstairs bedroom. I have four cats that keep jumping in boxes, sleeping on piles of stuff and generally being pests. This fact, of course, puts me in tears because I will be making the trip without them. Not to mention, my two darling sons who feel the stress and are generally acting difficult.
The joys of moving across the world are too numerous to mention right now. Reading this, you would think I do not want to move to Italy. I really do, it is just a huge change for me. How many people could pack up and move across the world with only six months notice and not experience some stress?
My house is in shambles. I have not completely packed for the flight, which leaves day after tomorrow. I have stacks of stuff that needs to fit in suitcases, which are already looking quite full. I have stuff that probably should be hand-carried packed in boxes to be mailed to Italy. I have stuff that just hasn't got packed up and stashed in my storage unit, a.k.a. my downstairs bedroom. I have four cats that keep jumping in boxes, sleeping on piles of stuff and generally being pests. This fact, of course, puts me in tears because I will be making the trip without them. Not to mention, my two darling sons who feel the stress and are generally acting difficult.
The joys of moving across the world are too numerous to mention right now. Reading this, you would think I do not want to move to Italy. I really do, it is just a huge change for me. How many people could pack up and move across the world with only six months notice and not experience some stress?
Time Line
Well, I have to apologize to everyone, which is mostly myself, for not keeping up with this blog. I want to journal every detail, but life keeps getting in the way. I am going to train myself to blog regularly, I really am...
Here is our timeline:
February 26...Notice that we were being sent to Italy
March...Filled out applications for passports, both tourist and official
April...Received boys tourist passports, quickly! Eventually received our official passports...
May...Waited and waited, no visas came. Gary's unaccompanied baggage left Kansas
June...Gary left for Italy. Visas finally arrived. Experienced an incident which reminds us of the ineptness of the USPS. Gary started looking at houses, after only a few trips found one
July...Gary took possession of the house. We fly out on July 14.
To be continued....
Here is our timeline:
February 26...Notice that we were being sent to Italy
March...Filled out applications for passports, both tourist and official
April...Received boys tourist passports, quickly! Eventually received our official passports...
May...Waited and waited, no visas came. Gary's unaccompanied baggage left Kansas
June...Gary left for Italy. Visas finally arrived. Experienced an incident which reminds us of the ineptness of the USPS. Gary started looking at houses, after only a few trips found one
July...Gary took possession of the house. We fly out on July 14.
To be continued....
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Movers!
Today the movers are here. For anyone who has not had the annoyance joy of dealing with professional movers, you are lucky. Movers are a double-edged sword. The good side is that you have someone else to pack up and move your stuff. The not-so-good side is that someone else is packing and moving your stuff.
No one really appreciates your stuff like you can. Seeing someone disassemble your possession, wrap it up in wrinkled paper and use it as a jigsaw piece as it is stuffed in a cardboard box with all your other possessions is a bit unnerving to say the least. Had I known they were going to disassemble some of the "prefab" furniture I have collected over the years, I truly would not have brought it along. I am pretty sure some of it will not be resurrected and will likely spend the remainder of eternity in some Italian landfill! Unless...recycling it is an option. After all, recycling is mandatory in Italy!
Six weeks from now, I will be reunited with my stuff. For now, I will dream of my comfy pillows while I toss and turn on the cheap ones I purchased for guests years ago!
Moving is all to real now!
No one really appreciates your stuff like you can. Seeing someone disassemble your possession, wrap it up in wrinkled paper and use it as a jigsaw piece as it is stuffed in a cardboard box with all your other possessions is a bit unnerving to say the least. Had I known they were going to disassemble some of the "prefab" furniture I have collected over the years, I truly would not have brought it along. I am pretty sure some of it will not be resurrected and will likely spend the remainder of eternity in some Italian landfill! Unless...recycling it is an option. After all, recycling is mandatory in Italy!
Six weeks from now, I will be reunited with my stuff. For now, I will dream of my comfy pillows while I toss and turn on the cheap ones I purchased for guests years ago!
Moving is all to real now!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
And We're Off!
Last night, we spent the night near the airport. (The boys stayed with Uncle Ron and Aunt Deb. (Thanks guys!) The dog stayed with cousin Rindy. (Thanks girl!) The cats likely did not notice we were gone because they had plenty of food.) It was a relaxing evening. We just went out to eat for a quiet dinner, with no boys whining. Then we crashed. I had good intentions of using the pool and the hot tub, but it just did not happen. The last week has been hectic and stressful. We have packed, tossed, unpacked and started all over again. We were just tired.
When Gary checked his bags, the bags were a bit heavy. 28 pounds over the weight limit, to be exact. While I won't put the exact amount it cost the government, let it suffice to say that Gary will likely be gently reminded that he should use his unaccompanied baggage for a few more items! I was sad to see him walking toward the gate. I know it won't be long until we are back together, but it is still hard.
Today at 11:01 AM, Gary left for Italy.
While we are excited for everything, it is so hard to leave the familiar for the unknown. Italy is becoming more of a reality every day. I can hardly wait to hear from my husband to see how his travels were. He will arrive in Venice at 8:50 AM. That should be about 2 AM in Kansas if I am calculating correctly.
Things will start moving more quickly from here on out. Hopefully, I will update this blog more often when I have more news!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Gone in Four Days
Hubby climbs on a plane for Italy in four days.
I am much more worried about it than he is. He has not packed yet and thinks he will just throw a few things together. I am closing in on panic mode! I know it will work out, but during this transition nothing is going smoothly.
Today we refinanced our car, because the company that
Shipping the dog is another pain. We have all the health stuff complete that we can have done. However, I just discovered that we may not be able to ship her if the weather is too hot. I am hoping to find a flight early or late enough that the temperature is cool enough for the airlines to let her go in with the baggage. If she were only a bit smaller, I'd just take her carry-on!
Now, I found out we have company coming for a day this weekend. Not a big deal, because I did know about it. I just forgot about it with all the other excitement.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Bye-Bye Baggage!
Gary's unaccompanied baggage left today.
Gary leaves in 12 days! He still has not received his Schengen Visa. AGRHHHH!
This weekend is my big get rid of it or give it away yard sale.
Time is ticking by too fast! I am sure this could be the most unorganized move of all time.
The finance company that holds the lien on the Honda has not given us our permission letter so the Honda has not been shipped. I may have to ship it instead of Gary. I'm not thrilled about going to Saint Louis by myself to ship it.
We did sell my motorcycle, so I don't have to worry about that. We do need to sell our Chrysler Sebring and possibly our pick up. How can I even worry about details when I can not even get the big things accomplished?
In the years we have been settled here, I forgot about the joys of being a military wife. Only now, I am not really a military wife, I just share the same headaches!
Now, off I go to tag and price more garbage garage sale treasures!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
So...What's New?
I'm running in circles getting ready for our move. No matter how many good intentions I have, I don't seem to be able to document all the work it is taking us to get out of Kansas. Our house looks like a tornado struck the inside and all the important paperwork is stacked in a filing box on the kitchen table. So far, we have official passports, tourist passports and transportation paperwork. We are still waiting on our Schengen Visas, but hope they arrive soon. Gary leaves Kansas in 21 days!
Things we have not done are starting to become overwhelming. Our paperwork on the car we will ship is not back from the "lien-holder" and we can't do anything on it until we get the paperwork. We have one motorcycle, one car and one pick-up that I want sold before we leave. I have ten rooms of furniture to downsize, purge and move into our "storage" area. I still need to organize one yard sale that happens to be 15 days away and there is no end in sight to the to-do list.
The good news I can share is the college class I teach is over tomorrow. Grades are due by the end of the week! I will now be able to focus on the move exclusively. Well...as exclusively as a mom with two boys, four cats and a dog can focus.
Friends of Gary threw us a nice going away party last weekend. I rarely go out, but it was nice. They made cute little signs in Italian and a cake with an Italian and U.S. flag. We stayed out later than usual and caught up with everyone. It will be hard to leave!
Things we have not done are starting to become overwhelming. Our paperwork on the car we will ship is not back from the "lien-holder" and we can't do anything on it until we get the paperwork. We have one motorcycle, one car and one pick-up that I want sold before we leave. I have ten rooms of furniture to downsize, purge and move into our "storage" area. I still need to organize one yard sale that happens to be 15 days away and there is no end in sight to the to-do list.
The good news I can share is the college class I teach is over tomorrow. Grades are due by the end of the week! I will now be able to focus on the move exclusively. Well...as exclusively as a mom with two boys, four cats and a dog can focus.
Friends of Gary threw us a nice going away party last weekend. I rarely go out, but it was nice. They made cute little signs in Italian and a cake with an Italian and U.S. flag. We stayed out later than usual and caught up with everyone. It will be hard to leave!
Friday, April 23, 2010
We have Maroon Passports!
Check off another item on the to-do list! This week, our official passports came. They are maroon instead of green and show that we are travelling on official government business. Now, these passports have to be used to apply for a Schengen Visa. . If we don't have this Visa, they can deport us! YIKES.
The maroon passports are now on their way to a consulate in Chicago with our Visa applications. It should take about 2 weeks for them to be approved and returned to us. We will be ready to get on the plane and go once they are in hand!
Well, sort of ready...
The maroon passports are now on their way to a consulate in Chicago with our Visa applications. It should take about 2 weeks for them to be approved and returned to us. We will be ready to get on the plane and go once they are in hand!
Well, sort of ready...
Thursday, April 15, 2010
An Update...Finally!
Things have been progressing slowly on the moving front. Not much news to report. I toy with posting my to-do-lists, just to keep me honest. I am not quite ready to be that accountable! I have been plowing through closets and getting rid of things. I have made numerous trips to the local charity places, but obviously not nearly enough. My house still looks like this...
and this...
and this...
So, May 22 is the big yard sale day at my house. We will have more stuff than I can imagine. If you are in the market for some goodjunk quality used merchandise just let us know! We have everything from a George Foreman grill to a changing table to about 4000 toys of miscellaneous varieties!
The best news we have had is that the boys got their tourist passports this week. So that means all of us have our tourist passports! Now we have to wait for the 4 official passports and 4 schengen visas (which allow us to stay in Italy for more than 90 days.)
Gary leaves in about 6 weeks, it still just isn't real that I am going to be living in Italy this summer!
and this...
and this...
So, May 22 is the big yard sale day at my house. We will have more stuff than I can imagine. If you are in the market for some good
The best news we have had is that the boys got their tourist passports this week. So that means all of us have our tourist passports! Now we have to wait for the 4 official passports and 4 schengen visas (which allow us to stay in Italy for more than 90 days.)
Gary leaves in about 6 weeks, it still just isn't real that I am going to be living in Italy this summer!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Some Background Information
Some of you know a bit more about what my husband does for a living than others. I thought I would share some information about his job and why we are moving to Italy.
My husband is not in the military (any more), but was in the Army for 20 years. He retired and worked another job for a few years, but ended up going back to work for the Army as a civilian. He is not a contractor, he works as an equipment specialist for the federal government.
The official title is Logistics Assistance Representative. He works on armaments, which just means he gets to play with big guns. Great things for overgrown boys! Hubby has been deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and also traveled to countries in Central and South America a few times. Anywhere weapons need to be inspected or repaired, he may travel.
Each year he (we) fill out a sheet that lists places to which we would not mind being transfered. We have always listed Italy and Germany on the overseas list. I honestly did not think that we would ever be sent anywhere in Europe, due to the downsizing of forces there. It was a real surprise that we would get to go to Italy, but it was a good surprise!
My husband is not in the military (any more), but was in the Army for 20 years. He retired and worked another job for a few years, but ended up going back to work for the Army as a civilian. He is not a contractor, he works as an equipment specialist for the federal government.
The official title is Logistics Assistance Representative. He works on armaments, which just means he gets to play with big guns. Great things for overgrown boys! Hubby has been deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and also traveled to countries in Central and South America a few times. Anywhere weapons need to be inspected or repaired, he may travel.
Each year he (we) fill out a sheet that lists places to which we would not mind being transfered. We have always listed Italy and Germany on the overseas list. I honestly did not think that we would ever be sent anywhere in Europe, due to the downsizing of forces there. It was a real surprise that we would get to go to Italy, but it was a good surprise!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Passport Applications, Check
The whole process of getting to Italy is full of bureaucracy! We must have no-fee passports and visas, just to get to Italy. Now, if we want to travel in Europe, we need a tourist passport as well. That is a whole different issue, though.
After filling out four passport applications, my eyes were crossing. I had to refer back to records for social security numbers, birth dates and facts on my parents and Gary's parents that I never thought I would ever need! The applications are not difficult, just annoying.
Then, take two small children to get passport photos. If I would have went to post to get the pictures done for free, but they only do the pictures for three hours every other Friday morning. Not good for my schedule, considering I teach a class each Friday morning. So, we got to experience the joys of Walgreens' Photo Department for passport photos. They actually did a fairly decent job and got it over quickly, so no complaints. However, we had to order an extra set, because we will need pictures for the Visa. About $60 dollars later, we had everyone's pictures in hand. Luckily, the federal government will reimburse us for that cost!
If I had been thinking, I would have ordered a third set, because we have to have pictures for the boys' tourist passports. The cost for these passports will be on us. However, if we want to travel Europe while we are there, the passports are a must. So, back to the paperwork and back to Walgreen's for more pictures!
After we completed the paperwork, got photos taken and made sure we had the appropriate documents; we went to the passport office on Fort Riley. It is necessary for the children under the age to be present to complete the passport application, as well as both parents. We turned our applications in and the staff typed our information into the system. When it came time to present all the documentation, everything was present...almost. Somehow, one of the boys birth certificates had disappeared from the packet. I must have looked as though I was going to have a meltdown, because the lady working at the desk suggested we get everything signed and just bring the birth certificate later. So, Gary had the privilege of making a return voyage to the passport office.
Meanwhile, the "No-Fee" Passports are in process and hopefully will be back in about 6-weeks. As soon as those passports come back, we go in and sign them. The passport office on Post will turn around and send them it to get our Schengen Visa that will allow us to stay in Italy for longer than 90 days.
So, once again, we are in a hurry up and wait mode.
After filling out four passport applications, my eyes were crossing. I had to refer back to records for social security numbers, birth dates and facts on my parents and Gary's parents that I never thought I would ever need! The applications are not difficult, just annoying.
Then, take two small children to get passport photos. If I would have went to post to get the pictures done for free, but they only do the pictures for three hours every other Friday morning. Not good for my schedule, considering I teach a class each Friday morning. So, we got to experience the joys of Walgreens' Photo Department for passport photos. They actually did a fairly decent job and got it over quickly, so no complaints. However, we had to order an extra set, because we will need pictures for the Visa. About $60 dollars later, we had everyone's pictures in hand. Luckily, the federal government will reimburse us for that cost!
If I had been thinking, I would have ordered a third set, because we have to have pictures for the boys' tourist passports. The cost for these passports will be on us. However, if we want to travel Europe while we are there, the passports are a must. So, back to the paperwork and back to Walgreen's for more pictures!
After we completed the paperwork, got photos taken and made sure we had the appropriate documents; we went to the passport office on Fort Riley. It is necessary for the children under the age to be present to complete the passport application, as well as both parents. We turned our applications in and the staff typed our information into the system. When it came time to present all the documentation, everything was present...almost. Somehow, one of the boys birth certificates had disappeared from the packet. I must have looked as though I was going to have a meltdown, because the lady working at the desk suggested we get everything signed and just bring the birth certificate later. So, Gary had the privilege of making a return voyage to the passport office.
Meanwhile, the "No-Fee" Passports are in process and hopefully will be back in about 6-weeks. As soon as those passports come back, we go in and sign them. The passport office on Post will turn around and send them it to get our Schengen Visa that will allow us to stay in Italy for longer than 90 days.
So, once again, we are in a hurry up and wait mode.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Where is Vicenza, Italy?
For all our friends and family that are unfamiliar with Europe and Italy, I am posting some basic information about our destination.
Vicenza, Italy is located in the northwest part of Italy. It is approximately 40 miles from Venice, Italy. Venice is the city in Italy that is built on the edge of the sea and has canals for roads. We will fly in to Marco Polo Airport in Venice when we arrive in Italy.
The city of Vicenza is slightly smaller than Topeka, Kansas. It is home to Caserma Ederle, which is the Army Post where Gary will be working. I am sure there are many things about the city that we will not learn until we get there and our settled.
Vicenza is well known for it's architecture and has a number of villas that were designed by an architect named Palladio. It has many places to see the scenic unique buildings of Palladian design. The city is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Vicenza, Italy is located in the northwest part of Italy. It is approximately 40 miles from Venice, Italy. Venice is the city in Italy that is built on the edge of the sea and has canals for roads. We will fly in to Marco Polo Airport in Venice when we arrive in Italy.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Oh, what to do...
The logistics of moving to another country is a bit more difficult than moving to a different state or town. Right now, we have so much on our platter. Two big decisions need to be made before we go.
We have to decide what we are going to do with our furbabies. Taking cats and dogs overseas could be a major pain in the neck. In Italy, there is no quarantine period. All that is needed is to have a clean bill of health, up-to-date immunizations and a micro-chip. The government pays for two animals to go with us. It is not recommended that you bring pets, however. I love my cats and dog. I don't want to give them away. Who wants three ten year old cats who have really never left the house except to go to the vet? How about the 17 year old cat with health issues and an extremely bad attitude? The cute dog that still looks and looks like a puppy is probably in danger of being given away. Oh my, I hate the thought.
The next thing we have to decide is what to do to with our house. We are not going to sell it, we have decided that much. However, we need to decide whether to lease the house, find someone to live in it or leave it empty. Since the insurance company won't insure it empty, I guess we have two options.
All these decisions...
Anyone want to live in my house and adopt five spoiled critters?
We have to decide what we are going to do with our furbabies. Taking cats and dogs overseas could be a major pain in the neck. In Italy, there is no quarantine period. All that is needed is to have a clean bill of health, up-to-date immunizations and a micro-chip. The government pays for two animals to go with us. It is not recommended that you bring pets, however. I love my cats and dog. I don't want to give them away. Who wants three ten year old cats who have really never left the house except to go to the vet? How about the 17 year old cat with health issues and an extremely bad attitude? The cute dog that still looks and looks like a puppy is probably in danger of being given away. Oh my, I hate the thought.
The next thing we have to decide is what to do to with our house. We are not going to sell it, we have decided that much. However, we need to decide whether to lease the house, find someone to live in it or leave it empty. Since the insurance company won't insure it empty, I guess we have two options.
All these decisions...
Anyone want to live in my house and adopt five spoiled critters?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Big News!
I was rushing around on a Friday morning trying to get my oldest son ready for school.
The phone rang and I unenthusiastically picked it up. Gary, my husband, said, "Get ready to pack."
I did not comprehend what he was saying, which must have been obvious, because then he added, "We're going to Vicenza."
After several minutes of me expressing my disbelief, my husband finally convinced me that it was indeed the truth. Our family would be moving to Italy in June 2010.
Less than four months to prepare...
Excitement and panic intertwined in my stomach. I know next to nothing about Italy, don't speak Italian and have lived in rural Kansas most of my life. I can't even focus on life in Italy yet, there are too many details of the move with which I (we) must deal to even get out of Kansas!
Stay tuned for more information!
The phone rang and I unenthusiastically picked it up. Gary, my husband, said, "Get ready to pack."
I did not comprehend what he was saying, which must have been obvious, because then he added, "We're going to Vicenza."
After several minutes of me expressing my disbelief, my husband finally convinced me that it was indeed the truth. Our family would be moving to Italy in June 2010.
Less than four months to prepare...
Excitement and panic intertwined in my stomach. I know next to nothing about Italy, don't speak Italian and have lived in rural Kansas most of my life. I can't even focus on life in Italy yet, there are too many details of the move with which I (we) must deal to even get out of Kansas!
Stay tuned for more information!
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