More earthquakes.  Poor central Italy.  The politicians are saying, "We will rebuild it all!", but all disaster funds have already been spent on the refugees.  It's so sad to see these beautiful little villages, centuries old, completely destroyed.  GO and I visited the area last year.  It was lovely.  The residents of the villages affected are being bused to the coastal resort towns and put up in hotels.  Between these poor folks and the refugees there will be no place left for guests! 

And speaking of disasters, what is this I hear about Trump gaining over Hillary in Florida!  Jeb get out there and DO SOMETHING!  Today is Halloween.  I suppose it's a good day to have the pants frightened off me.

xxoo me

Yesterday morning I had a real Italian experience.  When I went to my car to go to work, a van had blocked me in.  There were various trucks and vans around as they are renovating something across the street.  Of course this guy had no qualms about parking right behind me, cause this is each man for himself country.   GianPiero was just heading out to work too so he stopped.  He was in his ballbreaker mood so ripe for an argument.  I had to honk my horn for about 10 minutes before the guy came out.  But before he did some neighbors popped out, yelling back and forth at each other about whose van it might be.  Others opened their windows and joined in.  A painter in his work overalls came running down a driveway, afraid that it was his truck (he was also blocking someone) and GianPiero jumped all over him.  The guy said it wasn't his van. GP said he wasn't accusing him, which of course he was.  Finally the guilty driver showed up and there was much yelling and waving of hands and rude gestures....just another morning in the hood.

Today I'm preparing for my baby to come home for the week!  I pick her up tomorrow at the airport.  I just spent the morning at the supermarket buying all of her favorite things and stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies as I don't know how much she's getting over there.  London is one of those cities where you can find anything if you look but the average supermarket is a sad scene with only a few pale, plastic wrapped cucumbers and apples.  For good fresh produce you should go to a market or one of the high-end supermarkets, both of which cost a flipping arm and a leg.

I have all of next week off too and I'm thrilled.  Still don't feel settled in here.  We have a lot to do including spending a day at the MIL's place cleaning.  Some years ago she finally agreed to get a cleaning lady to come in once a week.  She is in her late sixties but MIL refers to her a young.  It's all relative I guess.  Anyway this poor woman just had a stroke so MIL is temporarily without help.  (She says she'll be back after a week as she's so young she'll recover quickly.  Hmm.)  I volunteered Grace and I to go over and clean for her.  There are a couple problems with this plan.  One is that Grace doesn't know.  The other is that MIL is such a fanatical clean freak.  (She cleans before the cleaning lady comes and them follows her around pointing things out that she missed.  She probably caused the stroke.)  I'm worried that she'll harass me.  I, by the way, am a lousy housekeeper as I don't give a crap about dust.  As long as my bathrooms and kitchen are relatively clean and my sheets get changed weekly, I'm good to go.  MIL will have me on my hands and knees with a toothbrush.  Well you know what they say about Good Intentions...

I'm off to make Grace's bed.  Yippee!!  xxoo me

Well here I am.  Presently parked on the MIL's couch trying to keep my eyes open.  Got in late Sunday as our flight out of London was delayed by 5 hours!  But it was worth it to have the chance to see Grace for a couple hours.  She already seems more grown up!  This week has been a blur of work and unpacking.  I can't wait to have a day to sleep in and putz around the apartment.

While we were gone, our neighbors to the right have also put in bars.  And a fancy magnetic lock cover for their front door.  (Unfortunately every time she tries to open the door it sets off an alarm so we're jumping out of our socks a few times a day.) There is a type of key used by our eastern European thieves called a Bulgarian key.  It can open most of the complicated locks over here so people are taking all sorts of evasive action.
 We also have a hotel full of newly arrived Eritrean refugees.  In the industrial area not far from us there WAS a Holiday Inn Express that had already lost a lot of business due to the Nigerian prostitutes who hung around nearby, keeping warm with fires in big metal bins.  They look sort of like a bizarre turn on the photos of bums on street corners from the depression era.  Only these gals are very black and mostly naked.  Anyhow, this Holiday Inn has now been occupied by Eritrean refugees.  The owners of the various businesses in the area are not particularly happy.  I find it all so sad until I have to wrestle my shopping cart back from some guy trying to get the half euro coin in the return slot

Work has been hectic.  Missing a month does that....  But having fun setting up my library and reading with the kids who remain equal parts adorable and annoying.  Being with all these little critters all day long makes it easier to come home to an empty apartment...sniff, sniff.

As GP says, MIL is beginning to "skip a beat".  She is, after all, 84.  She keeps speaking to me in Piemontese, the local dialect that even after 30 years I haven't learned.  She'll start out fine then switch on me so I'm getting about half of the conversation.  I predict the day will come when I never understand a word the poor woman is saying to me! 

More later, me