​Weathering the Storm with the WP#193

Times flies is a very common phrase in the English language and one I feel is moving quicker. Not sure why these days, versus other days.  It usually relates to having fun, but really, it is about life. I find the days between posts becoming closer and closer, even though the time is the same. It is as if the time is flying, and it was just yesterday I wrote last week’s blog, but it was a week ago. I am not sure why, but as I become more a part of the fabric of my new city and have the time to work on trips for clients, and at least 4 days a week, I am on the metro or the bus to either the school or the private lessons teaching English, and other functions, cooking, cleaning, shopping and arranging with Rosa, the new condo, I am finding less and less time in the day, so yes, I guess time is flying, but there are more things filling the space.

We basically finished up the bedroom and we are generally well rested in our new bed and furnishing there and still waiting for one major piece, the new windows to be replaced, but the bedroom, Is just that, a bedroom and not the storage area of Rosa’s nonno’s stuff of a century ago. Actually, we have kept the grand amoire and the nightstands and one dresser with the mirror, since they have lots of space and we have no closets in this place, so they are very useful in this regard. My sister-in-law Manuella likes the mix of ancient and new. We love the comfort of our bedroom, and Rosa said, she has always slept on a sofa her whole life, so this is very much an upgrade, to a matrimoniale bed, hotel quality. We also have a headboard, with knickknacks and books to start to make it more personal. Yes, it is our home. The bathroom, well, the bathroom, while functional, and everything now tested for a week, including the hot water heater, is good, we have now finally ordered, the mirror – medicine chest, actually a new sink and under counter cabinet and a separate box shelf for more storage. We are about creating space, as that is something of a luxury, so we have to create where we can. ​

In terms of other rooms, well the kitchen, the place we spend more time, as it is our office and meeting time, will be adding more cabinets above the ones we have, but we are fully functional and getting ready for Thanksgiving. Oh, had I mentioned that. We have to order a turkey at the store, not pick out a whole frozen or fresh one at the market, as they do not do that here, so today, we will go, to assure we have one for next week for all off our guests, the sisters, momma and some of Rosa’s friends. Seats, well it will be or could be bring your own and we may have to buy paper plates, as we have only a set of 6 and we may need more. In any case, this will be an experience of sharing a Thanksgiving, next week with my family here in Roma and, well, I am sure that I can have Rosa be my sous chef, and she will add her touch. The turkey is my realm, and I will have to make do with what we have. ​

The other rooms, or should I say, the living/room dining room is still a work in progress, and we are excited to let you know that we have added some other life here in our space, no, no kids and no pets, yet, but a couple of hardy plants to green up the place. I truly love having plants in the house and one is a snake plant, and the other, a yucca, which is actually one of my favorite plants, very hardy and can stand a great deal. I had one for over 25 years back in the states and was still rugged and going and it was adopted by a good friend of mine, thanks Jake, and hopefully still alive and kicking. So, now we have the Italian cousin living here and with a few herb plants, and some green onions and avocados growing from root or seed, we will have lots of green here. About the other living things, well that is not part of the conversation now. We have too many things going on between our combined professions, getting the house in order and having time just for us. ​

We definitely have a mix of American and Italian here and when Rosa cooks, we eat at 9:00 pm, and when I cook, we eat around 7:00 pm. It is not like I want the senior special, that is not it, but eating later for me and then going to bed right after that, I do not sleep as well, as I have not had a chance to digest the food. In any case, it depends on our schedule. I teach at the school, generally in the afternoons, so get home late. Actually, more like Rosa’s schedule, but sometimes, it is simply here at the house working and I am excited to get the desk from momma, since I just bought a nice desk chair, so I will have an office area. We also bought some new chairs for the kitchen. Little by little, and sometimes my patience wanes, we are getting things done on the home front and it does feel like home now, but the outside world doesn't want to make it easier, but Rosa and I are willing to fight to get this done. That is one of many reasons I love her. ​

The bureaucracy, ever so slow and even this morning, we were told that we had what we needed to move forward, but it was a different place to go, a place we had been before, but this time, we need to go over the piss ant’s heads to someone who can actually take action. We have had one police officer, one immigration lawyer and one bureaucrat state that we do not have to go through all the hoops, since we are legally married. Friday, we will try again. We celebrated on the 19th of this month, our 9th month of marriage and while the craziness still exists and time flies, we are together in this world and will come out together. I leave for Venice for a conference on Sunday and then back the day before Thanksgiving, so the next offering will be from there, maybe on the train back to Rome. We will see how inspired I am, but I know for sure how thankful I am for what I have and that is the most important thing. Maybe, on Friday, we will inch a few more steps towards getting my residency here as I have now been here for over 4 ½ months. ​

Lastly, yes, like America, Italy has a Black Friday, and I had to explain what it was to Rosa, what it is to be in the red and what it is to be in the black, but I also told her about the Thanksgiving connection, so time keeps moving forward and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, so I better get back to work, since we have so much to do and money to spend for the upkeep of this home together with Rosa. And we are going to catch a movie tonight at one of the local theaters, Gladiator II, so let’s here how the Roman Empire prevails. Maybe it will be like Titanic, and we know the ending. In any case, it will be in English with Italian subtitles and Denzel Washington is in it, so that is good. Besides, I always like to get Rosa’s reaction, since this is her history, and the Roman Empire eventually collapsed, when we watch a movie that has some historical significance and right here at home.

It is not that much better in the 21st century here as they prepare for the Jubilee, but hey, that is still 6 weeks ago, plenty of time to get things done, not, time continues to fly and maybe, just maybe, my vehicle and other stuff will be on a boat a month from now across the ocean to me. Another bureaucratic mess, for sure, but we will weather that, as well as all others. Hopefully, I won’t have to cancel any other business trips out of the country in 2025, as I have already cancelled the first one that was to be at the end of January. Thank you for your support for our crazy little world and reading these offerings each week. I hope they will get more exciting in the future, but life is life and that is definitely worth living here in Rome with Rosa.