Well the car saga continues.  After two weeks the dealership has finally called to say that we can pick up the car we bought.  It takes two weeks evidently to switch ownership from the dealership to us.  Now that we have the certificate of ownership we can present that to the insurance agency and get the car insured.  Liability auto insurance in Italy is obligatory.  It also costs a lot.  To insure our car for damages done to other vehicles and persons in case of accident, (and being responsible for said accident), is equivalent to around $1,000 annually.  That covers no damage done to our car if we are responsible.  For full coverage we'd have to pay about $3,000 a year.  Obviously this is a high risk endeavor.  I drove into the city today to go to the market and saw about 100 violations.  I know my violations when I see them now that I've been studying for my stupid driving test for months.  It's usually the guys in the big flashy cars that are the worst.  On my list of people I hate are Alfa Romeo, BMW, and Mercedes drivers. 

Grace just got back from her school trip to Poland.  They visited various Holocaust related sites.  She said it was very grey, cold and moving.  I guess many of the kids cried their way through the visit to Auschwitz.  On a lighter note, one of her classmates taught her how to play blackjack.  I told her she can go to Vegas and win her college tuition.  xxoo me