Just Life...

June 23, 2008
Just Life…
Today we finally found the Holy Grail- at least it is in Rachel’s mind (cross yourself a few times and say thank you to the Big Guy above)…a fan!! In almost 30 centigrade (+80’s and humidity) heat I could hardly say no to the long march to find a store that sells them. E buona fortuna, succeso! And well worth the passeggiota to get it.
Now we are home watching "Everybody Loves Chris" on TV, dubbed in Italian. Rachel is simultaneously making a pesto pasta and we both, of course, are drinking our vino rosso. Last night we watched a French movie that we remembered seeing a long time ago, also dubbed. Now if they wouldn’t talk so fast, maybe we could learn something.
Speaking of speaking fast…no one here slows down even when they know you can’t speak the language. They just expect us to catch on. We just nod and pretend to understand. I can’t say enough about how much my Pimsleur CDs have helped me, though. We’d both be very lost if I didn’t know even the little Italian I learned on my commute to Western each day this winter.
Hey, now there’s a general doing the weather on TV. He’s in a uniform of some kind so he must be a general, non ѐ vero? A second career for General Schwarzkopf, perhaps?! Or Petreaus should we ever get out of Iraq?
Time to mangia. (eat) Later…
BTW, did you know the cribbage score is now 8-6 (Rachel) And the Hollywood score is 7-3, my favor!
BTW, I am not so sure that folks care about our score my little competitive bird…Kim down plays the importance of the fan. While I could have managed and "survived" having a fan makes my quality of life much better, especially given the fact that I have about 10-15 hot flashes a day. A hot flash in 86+ degree weather is dangerous for those around me and I’ve only been thinking of Kim’s well-being.
I must add that Kim has been amazing when it comes to getting us places. I am really both: directionally challenged and almost stupid when it comes to picking up the Italian language. If it were not so pathetic, it would almost be humorous to know how many times I have failed at saying the number "10". I even have little crib sheets taped to the table and walls and still, I am pathetic. While I can pick up acupuncture points/concepts in a flash, learning new words is an amazing challenge. I am left with contemplating my brain and how one’s brain works (or doesn’t work). I won’t go into all of that for now, but suffice it to say, the language section of my brain is lacking.
Directions: Almost the same deal. I have to very consciously think, "do I turn left or right when I leave the complex to go…"? Kim has an automatic, intuitive honing in device that is surely imbedded in her brain. We have made a good team in that I usually ask others for directions and have them mark it on our map or write down the street name. Kim then takes over with following the map and figuring out directions because this little city is one big maze upon maze.
So, the good news regarding all of this is that I can relax and rely on her for directional and language skill needs and she can take comfort in that I’ll figure out lunch & dinner and give her the best acupuncture treatment to be had in Alessandria.
PS: We just learned that we won’t get our phone/internet until Monday, June 30th….so ‘til then, it’s to the internet café we go.