Sensory Overload

I came to the rink with Kevin this morning so I could get the laundry done (we don't have a washing machine/dryer at the apartment). The team just got a new Latvian player in the other day and he is here because he has to figure out his hockey transfers. In the process of calling the different hockey federations, he has had to speak Czech, Latvian, and Russian. Then, I have the head coach and the GM here throwing some German and Italian into the mix. Of course, I only speak English so luckily they are translating some bits and pieces for me. Thanks guys for making me feel included, but my head still feels like it might explode!

And in regards to the laundry, I am so nervous that I'm going to leave a pair of my underwear or a bra in the washer or dryer. All I need is for the guys to be talking about Frau Reiter's (Mrs. Reiter's) underwear.

On another note, I got offered the secretary job here at the rink. All I need to do is learn German and Italian. No problem...I just hope the job is still open in about 10 years!

Meet Mandy!

Mandy is the apartment/hotel dog. I'm not exactly sure who owns her, or even if anyone does. She just wanders from one building to another taking naps in the bike shop, outside our door, in front of our car, and in the hotel lobby. We see her on a daily basis and always greet her with some prosciutto or salami. Kevin says he is pretty sure he is going to come home one day and Mandy is going to be laying on our couch. I'm thinking it's a good possibility.

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. ~Andy Rooney

This sums up my time here in Italy

Back in the States, I always order a vanilla latte with skim milk, but here in Italy, I'm getting daring. So far, every place we've been, I've ordered something different and have only been disappointed once (with a lukewarm espresso). I'm working my way down the menu and I've got pictures to prove it. I'll blog about my coffee tour at a later date, but for now, I'll leave you with this.

My Goals for this Hockey Season

Kevin has been at the rink for the past five hours and I haven't moved from my computer except for one bathroom break and a quick trip to the snack drawer (I needed a few pieces of biscotti). As I was getting crumbs everywhere, it dawned on me that if I keep this up, I am going to weigh 500 lbs. And that's only if I don't die of boredom first. When Kevin isn't at the rink, things are great and we are out and about exploring new places. It's the other 30 hours or so a week I need to plan for.

In the past when we were overseas, I had school to keep me busy, but as much as I'd like to take some classes, I really don't need any more student loans. Working is obviously out of the question considering I do not speak the language...at all. I thought I had gotten lucky when I interviewed for a nannying job and was offered it, but that all changed when the guy wanted to pay me $100 (American) for 6 days/40 hours of work. That wouldn't even cover my travel expenses for the week. No thank you, Fabio!

So I've decided to set some goals for myself in order to keep busy.

#1 Workout: At one time, I loved working out. I was at the gym 5 days a week, took classes, and really enjoyed myself. The last two years have been horrible though and I can count on one hand how many times I've been to the gym. My goal for the next 6 months is to go to the gym at least 3 times a week. Obviously, it would be great to go more than that, but I'm trying to be realistic. Really, I have no excuse since the gym is directly below our apartment. And when I say directly below, I mean it. I hear the music blasting and the treadmills going as we speak. I wondering if looking like this in the next six months is achievable?

#2 Learn German: Yes, we are in Italy, but they speak German here. Most of the people in the town speak both languages, but I need to stick to learning just one. We have both Rosetta Stone and Drive & Learn. I've also started doing a language course on bbc.co.uk/languages, which is my favorite program. I know I'm not going to become fluent in the next 6 months, but I'd like to be able to at least get by in the town. Right now, I just stare at them when they ask me something and then I speak English. Thank goodness most of the people know what I am saying or are at least patient and let me just point at what I want.

#3 Drive a Manual (Stick Shift): I started the learning process 2 years ago when we were in Sheffield, but then we switched teams and ended up with an automatic so I quit learning. Now, I'm kicking myself for not sticking with it. I had a lesson yesterday in a parking lot and I made it home from the town center, but really all I had to do was drive straight for two minutes and then turn into our apartment building. If I knew how to drive, I could go places when Kevin was at the rink or at games. The only place I would probably go would be to the town center, but at least I could have my coffee and people watch.

Willkommen! Benvenuti!

Let me introduce you to our apartment! Nothing says home sweet home like twin beds pushed together and floral couches. But in all seriousness, our place is lovely. We have a two bedroom, one bath place located on hotel property. We have tons of storage space and a large kitchen, which is rare in Europe.

In England, we always had full or queen size beds, but I guess the norm here is to push two twin beds together to make a queen. It really isn't a big deal until I get into bed and hit my knee off the wooden part in the middle, but I'll learn my lesson eventually. The part that makes it really interesting is that we actually have two twin comforters too.

I love our bathroom! We have both a stand up shower and a large bathtub. And I guess the bidet is an added bonus...if you're into that type of thing.

You can definitely tell our apartment is owned by a hotel by the pattern on the couches.

Our kitchen/dining/work area are all rolled into one. We have a large refrigerator, a dishwasher, a table to eat on, and a table to work on. Perfect!

We also have an outdoor living space. It is a little chilly out there now, but I'm sure it will get put to use in the spring.

Our apartment is right off of the hotel property. Since it is the off-season, the hotel is dead. The owners have actually been on holiday in Spain for the last two weeks, but will be back soon in order to get ready for the Christmas Market and ski season.

Eat, Sleep, and Be Merry!

I've been in Italy for a little over 48 hours now and most of those hours have been spent either eating or sleeping. I am horrible when it comes to jet lag; it takes me weeks to recover from a long flight. And it doesn't help that I never sleep on planes because I am too busy watching movies. I'm pretty sure the large German man sitting next to me was less than impressed with me laughing out loud and crying. But I paid for the seat so I can do what I want, right?

I definitely feel less guilt over the sleeping part than the eating part. A 6 hour nap is perfectly acceptable when you miss a night's sleep. As for the 11 hours of sleep that same night (5 hours later), I can do that any given night so it isn't that impressive. I thought I was all caught up until Kevin left for the rink again yesterday and it was lights out for me. Unfortunately, I paid for it because I didn't get to bed until 5:00am and as I'm typing this, my eyes are barely open. I WILL stay awake though; I need to get on some type of schedule.

On to the food, it was pasta the first night and pizza the second. The pasta was just a little something I threw together at the house. Usually, I refuse to eat pasta sauce out of a jar or a can, but in Italy, I decided to make an exception. It was actually really good. The pizza was great, but then again, I think most pizza is great. Kevin and I shared so I got to try two different kinds. We had one with prosciutto, mushrooms, olives, and artichokes and the other one had salami and hot peppers on it. A-MA-ZING! I've also been introduced to krapfens. They are delicious, but I'm going to have to limit my intake so I don't come home 30 pounds heavier. Let me give you an idea of what my waistline is up against...

Decisions, decisions

After my mental break down on Tuesday, I found a flight and planned on flying out on Monday. All we were waiting for was the okay from the GM of Kevin's team (who books the flight), but in the meantime the Immigration Officer who Kevin has been working with for my nulla osta (entry clearance) informed Kevin that my paperwork would go through within the next two weeks. So, now I have to decide whether I want to wait for the paperwork or fly on Monday.

If I knew, for sure, my paperwork would go through within two weeks, I would just wait. But as I've learned throughout this process, 'two weeks' rarely means 'two weeks.' Then, you have to factor in weekends and holidays. If my paperwork isn't processed before Christmas, everything will be pushed back until mid-January.

On one hand, I just want to get out of here. I miss my husband (who I haven't seen in over 2 months). I miss my shoes (Kevin took those with him). I miss having my own space. Then on the other hand, it would be nice to be home for Thanksgiving (the first time in 6 years). Plus, I would be able to see "Breaking Dawn: Part 1" (yes, I am a Twi-hard). So what to do, what to do?

Don't cry over spilled milk (or cereal)

I woke up this dreary Tuesday morning, poured myself a bowl of cereal, and then spilled it all over the floor. Usually, something like this wouldn't bother me too much; I'd clean in up and start all over again. But considering my current 'situation', a bowl of spilled cereal sent me over the edge.

When I speak about my 'situation', I am referring to the fact that I've been in visa limbo for 71 days now. My paperwork is sitting in Rome waiting to be approved, but no one can give me an idea of when it will be reviewed. I've been told not to pester or try to hassle them because then they'll just take longer (like that is even possible). And on top of that, it seems like Italy has at least one holiday a week. How can anything get done if the office is hardly ever open?

So, as I was cleaning up the mess I had made, I came to the conclusion that living in my parents' spare bedroom, out of a suitcase, was no longer an option. I repacked my bag for the last time and have been looking for flights all day. If my paperwork goes through before I leave, then perfect. If not, maybe I can fly home once it does get approved and get my visa. But one thing is for certain...I am not going to sit here for another 71 days.