Well if I could figure out how to download photos from my stupid phone I'd put some here but that will just have to wait til Grace is back from London.  Mind you she has shown me how to do this before but the girl has the patience of a gnat and doesn't give me two seconds to get my head around it before snatching the phone out of my hand and saying "Fer Chrissakes woman!".  Who raised this kid?!

She is in London doing  two review classes to prepare for the IB final exams that will determine whether she gets into the UK school of her choice or not.  That looks to be the decision.  London.  It's a very big city but it's closer to Mummy so I'm good!  I plan on spending a lot of time there.  Only a hop-skip and a jump away!

Sooooo.  This past Friday I took a train to Rome to meet up with two dear friends from home.  D was in Rome for business and N met us there for a college reunion of sorts.  As usual the weather was perfect and all the recent terror threats in Europe have kept the number of tourists down so the city was even maneuverable.  That's rare.  We had a great dinner in the Old Jewish Ghetto section and visited the Villa Torlonia where Mussolini and his family lived during his years in power.  Very cool.  Then D flew home and N came back up here with me for a couple of days.  We ate and drank too much and had a lovely time.  She was really hoping to catch an episode of Insane Upstairs Neighbors but the only time they acted up we were out of the apartment.  GP telephoned and tried to let her hear over the phone but you really need the full stereo effect.  She was mightily disappointed.  Otherwise all went well.  There is nothing like old friends who have known you through all your past lives.  I miss them already!

This week I'm off work and catching up on spring cleaning, paperwork and other crap I shove aside all year 'cause I'd rather watch Poldark (Aiden Turner.  Need I say more?) or James Corden (he can sing, he can act, he's funny AND he's an adorable chubby Brit!).  Grace is back Saturday.  I'll get some photos up then!  xxoo me

So the GOOD news is that Grace has heard from all seven schools she applied to and was accepted by all (1 wait list)!  Considering the schools, that's quite an achievement.  The BAD news is that they were not all forthcoming with funds and they are all (US schools) really pricey.  So will spend this next week making a few calls and trying to figure out our options but it looks like London maybe the way to go.  She has her choice of some exceptional "unis" there and though far from cheap, they are a lot more reasonable than the likes of BU and Northeastern.  Oh the stress!!!!  I have to say I love London and it is a very short flight from here so I wouldn't mind her going there.

Warm and sunny and my little garden is calling me to do some spring cleaning.  We are finally planting Giuseppe, our Christmas tree for the past 3 years.  He's been living in a pot and has become most unhappy.  xxoo me

P.S.  I can always tell when I hit the 6 months in Italy milestone.  I REALLY start losing my patients with driving in a pinball machine.  I'm tired of being cut off and of being behind people who don't use their blinkers and in front of people who drive right on my ass and I'm tired of the people who pass in impossibly tight spaces and practically push you off the road.  I'm tired of having to be an extremely defensive driver.

I'm glad that this 6 month point coincides with spring cause otherwise I'd go bonkers.  At least now the days are longer, the early flowers are up, I'm putting away wool and getting out lighter clothes.  It's wine bottling time so that means shopping!  We'll head out in a couple weeks to stock-up on white and rose'. Oh goodie!  Easter break is in 2 weeks and I'm very excited!  I'm taking the train to Rome for a couple days to meet up with OLD buddies D and N.  They'll appreciate that OLD.  Then N is coming back up here for a few days before heading back to The States.  Yeah!!  The train to Rome is only 4 hours since they built a high speed rail.  Why can't the US get it's act together and give us high speed trains?  Geesh ANY frigging speed trains!  GP has been traveling a lot for work.  They are short day or 2 day trips around Europe.  He takes the train.  No airports to deal with, departs from and arrives in city centers.  They are clean, fast and cheap.  I would go by train rather than plane any day.  And NO Italian divers!  Sorry.  A little rant there.  Anywho...

Goodnight!  xxoo me

I haven't written much lately and I haven't written anything about work in ages.  Probably because it is such a thorn in my side.  It's very questionable as to if I will still be there next year.  The headmaster, (also known as "The Sloth" because of his massive front teeth and creepy slow movements), has no appreciation for literature or for that matter literacy, and has decided to break the library up and scatter the books to the wind making it a logistic nightmare.  Mind you this is the same guy who donated books to the library and not one did I want on our shelves.  The book with the greatest literary value was probably the biography of Liz Taylor.  Not lyin'.  He's also a huge game player and likes to pit teachers against each other, promising a position to one and giving it to someone else.  I'm thinking of making a voodoo doll.  Does anyone know what I'd need?  I'd hate to have to get close enough to him to pull a hair off his sweater or something.

Unfortunately I'm rather limited as to what I can do for work here.  I have one tutoring job now but I don't enjoy it.  Seeing someone once a week for an hour achieves very little and I need to see progress.  Translators are a dime a dozen now and there is no way on God's green earth that I would teach in the Italian school system.  Actually I couldn't if I wanted to as I don't have the right licensing.  Fine by me.  That leaves prostitution.  I'd be competing with the Nigerians and the Eastern Europeans but surely there is a niche for old North American hookers?  I could throw in an English lesson!  Hey, I might be on to something here....

I'm off to drown my sorrows.  xxoo me

I have been asked to be "living art piece".  When you stop laughing I will explain.  One of the art teachers at school is involved in some way with GAM, Torino's modern art museum.  The exhibition at the moment is based on Andy Warhol's "15 minutes of fame" expression.  An "artist" named Giulio Poalini, (he's a well known Italian artist but does the type of modern art that he calls  poor art and I call crap like empty picture frames and a pile of toilet paper on the floor) has built a little arena in the museum's courtyard and invited people to come and "perform" for 15 minutes every day at noon.  Stefano, the art teacher, has asked me to do a read aloud to our Kindergartners as part of this exhibition.  He has a son in Kinder who loves to come to the library for story time and Stefano thinks people would like to watch us??  I'm dubious but I'll do it.  Everyone needs their 15 minutes!  My only worry is that working with Kindergartners is already like herding cats.  Add a bus ride, a new place, in public, surrounded by lots of people and it spells freaking CRAZY!  There is no way they'll calm down enough for me to read to them but we'll see.  If nothing else it will be good for a laugh and a half day away from school!  Wish me luck.  xxoo me