Thursday, July 29, 2004

Big Stuff

Today has been a big day for Antonello and me. At noon precisely, we went over to the bank to meet with the owners of the house we are buying. They were there, and we sat down with them and a lawyer to go through the final steps to close the house and buy it. I had spent the previous half hour running around my very small cave apartment, cursing, and looking for a lost passport. I found it, blow-dried my hair, put my permit to stay, some tax information, our marriage certificate, my birth certificate, and a bunch of other paperwork that I ended up not needing into a folder, and I tried to remember, amidst all of the confusion of my tiny apartment and the hallway light that hasn't worked for days that SOON we will own a house. Soon I will have space. And windows. Don't forget windows.

So, at this meeting we listened to the lawyer read a long, really really formal document in really really fast Italian (he was speeding through it since no one understood a thing he was saying anyway) about the house, the home loan, and all of the legalities that still aren't fully comprehendible to me, and then we signed a bunch of paperwork. I still don't know what happened--it all changed hands so quickly, but soon enough the now previous owners of the house were asking if we wanted to buy the kitchen sink and explaining that there was still just a bit of cleaning to do, and Antonello explained that we still had furniture shopping to do anyway. Is that it? Do we have a house?

We left, went back to Antonello's mom's and ate lunch. Everything is slowly sinking in, but I feel like we still don't know exactly when we'll be moving in or anything. But isn't it exciting? A house. Antonello and I just bought a house. Let the dinner parties begin.

-Jackie

Buon Compleanno!

Today is my cousin Piper's fifth birthday. I wish I could be in America to see her today, but instead Antonello and I are sending a big Happy Birthday wish from across the ocean. Hope it arrives in time (luckily this is the internet and not the Italian Postal Service, which has been failing me a lot lately!).

Happy Birthday, Piper! Buon Compleanno! Tanti Auguri (best wishes)!

-Jackie

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

No Comment

Corrie--it was great to be home and see you as well! I think with our Italia mentalities, we take each day as an excursion, an adventure. It was so great to see you. Italy is never the same without you, and I miss you already! Have a wonderful wonderful time on vacation.

I came back to Italy to find that the comments on the Allora Aspetta blog were no longer in working order. First off, I am probably the last person to have even noticed this. Sorry everyone. I don't know what to do. One idea is to relocate the blog--put it on another server that has messaging built in. I also think that Blogger offers commenting, but you have to be a member. I don't like things like that.

Anyway? Any ideas? Suggestions? Just comment about them here...oh wait. Allora, Aspetta...

-Jackie