Help! We're being Poisoned!

For the past two months Milano has been more than 3x the level of pollution that the European Union has set as the high-risk mark for health.  It really does effect people! Working in the health sector I’ve seen more respiratory and skin problems as well as complaints of headaches and general unwellness.  In order to detox ourselves a bit we decided to escape the city last weekend and hike above it all! We chose the Brembana Valley where they have a bunch of wonderful mountains called the Orbie.

Faithful EtaBeta took us most of the way up the mountain and where she stopped we took a chair lift. From the chairlift we hiked through the often untrodden snow towards the peaks! Oh, it was beautiful and clean :) The sunshine was like kisses on our faces! But we found we couldn’t handle all that fresh air… we found ourselves quickly huffing and puffing and coughing away as we made our way through the snow. Ok, ok, we realize it was because we’re out of shape ;)

Once at the top we plunked down in the snow and read together, took pics, enjoyed the view and, of course, made snow angels! 

On our way down the mountain we took a quick stroll through the little mountain village. So adorable! We were envious of the quite and calm life we saw around us. We livened things up with a bit of a snow fight ;) 

So, for one afternoon we might have been huffing and puffing around, but our headaches vanished! Until we went through 2 hours of traffic to get back into Milano…. 

This is a demonstration of one of Z and my favorite "utterly informative" traffic signs. We've been sitting in traffic for hours, finally we come upon this notice: "Patches of Traffic for the next bit of distance". Oh? Great! We wouldn't have noticed otherwise :) Sometimes you just have to laugh outloud in the middle of it all - I did! 

We Have a Lot to Celebrate!

Zeno had a big exam to take just a few weeks ago. He’d wanted to study for it over Christmas, but then, we don’t get to be with his parents so much and between one thing and the next he never had a chance. Upon returning to Milano after New Year’s Day he pulled out his texts rarin’ to jump in, and was taken out with an unbelievable flu that laid us both low for a good two weeks… with less than a week left before the exam Z requested time off of work and literally slept, breathed and ate his text books. The day of the exam came and he went prepared for the dreaded oral “interrogation” exam only to find that they’d changed the schedule and he had to complete a written essay exam! Oh, our hearts were heavy… the oral exam had been scheduled for the following Tuesday, but unless he passed the written exam he wouldn’t even be given a shot at the oral.
On Tuesday Z showed up fully expecting a, “Nice try, but we’re sorry to tell you…” Instead, much to our shock and delight, he was ushered in to take the oral exam and came out with top marks!!!!
We’d been praying, others had been praying, there is no explanation except that no matter what a man might do to plan (or ruin) his way, the Lord takes us to precisely the place that He has prepared for us.


Nickel Amore! You literally poured out blood, tears, and sweat in preparation for this exam and CONGRATULATIONS your faithfulness has been rewarded. I am super proud of you!!!!

The mind of man plans his way,But the LORD directs his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

Babysitting 1 + 13

I had the chance to hang out with my little friend Charlotte the other evening :) We were crazy busy! I hadn't realize it when Charlotte's Mommy called me over, but no wonder Charlotte needed help for the evening - she was babysitting 13 kids of various shapes, sizes and ethnic backgrounds!!! 

Charlotte and her babies

We had a great time :D 

Watch out! The traffic light is turned off...

I wish I could have taken a picture...


Driving in to work this morning and I came to an intersection at which there seemed to be some confusion. I noted a parked police car but no policemen and then an exclamation point sign together with a yellow rectangular sign: "Attenzione! Semaforo Spento" = "Watch out! The Traffic Light is out"


Indeed it was! It was a largish intersection and we were left to fend for ourselves... Ok, you can't say they didn't warn us, but I would have at least expected a traffic cop. 


You've got to love Italian indications. Here are a few choice specimens

Here we have the "be careful" sign = "Attenzione!" or as I like to say, "Be Excited!"

This one reminds you not to get struck by lightening - very thoughtful warnings

This is placed in an area prone to flooding. The danger sign says it all...

This one is ESSENTIAL for most Italian ladies

Directional indications. They are so helpful! 

One of my favorites - beware of your car exploding!

Telling you how you can take a L turn :)

Remember, don't fall, it could hurt you

Yes, these are actually permanent signs in Italy. "There will be traffic! We're aware of it. It looks like this... So STOP HONKING YOUR HORN!"

And the best reminder to travelers - "Don't crash into each other! It could be hazardous to your health"

There's another sign we pass on the way to work, "Attenzione! NucleoRadiomobile"

For the longest time I thought it was warning of a particularly dangerous vehicle that had to transit that area having to do with some kind of RadioNuclear waste or something... Actually, come to think of it. I learned it has nothing to do with nuclear anything, but I can't remember right now what it is for... I'll have to ask Z :) 

Gettin' Old!

There was a time when I could abuse my body and not suffer a bit from it... no more.  Remember that 14km I ran when I was barely convalescent from the flu? Well, it seems I pulled an intercostal muscle - one of the low ones on the side that wraps around to the back. It was a bit tender, nothing more, until...


I decided to go running again this past Sunday. Instead of 14 I thought to tame it down and just do 7 - enough to warm up all my muscles and help that little pinched intercostal get back in its place. 


No such luck. 


By Sunday evening I was writhing on the floor - laughing with tears in my eyes because it hurt so bad it would make me collapse to the floor! But it happend so spontaneously and uncontrollably that I found it funny even though it HURT! Worst of it was that laughing made it hurt even worse! And that made me laugh more... 
Wonderful Zeno, he massaged my muscles and got me heat packs. Now I'm back to just a "tender" situation, no writhing and suddenly collapsing :) 


Note to self: from here on out it's best to train. Those shocks to the system aren't so easily recovered from.

So many goings on!

The flu is finally and truly behind us. Even though we're still coughing a little bit I must say we're over it because we both ran 14k on Sunday. That's right! I was pretty amazed too :) 


There was an organized fun run in Bergamo, about 45 mins away from us, and it began that we were going to lightly jog 7k with some friends - all of whom happen to be Marines. Well, when we got to the part of the run where you can decide if you want to run 7k or 14k Zeno looked at me so pleading, 
"What do you think? You can run it nice and calmly!"
The sun was shining, I was feeling happy to be running, my wonderful Z was expressing that he wanted nothing more in that moment but for me to follow him... how could I resist?! And then at km #8 I was thinking, 
"What did I let him talk me into?!" But in the end, I was so glad I did it! What a sense of satisfaction :) Until I woke up with every muscle in my body aching together with my head. Yet, even that is simply a motivation to keep running, only more often and not in such a shocking manner. 


That was Sunday, today is Tuesday, and I kicked down our back door! That's right - karate chop!!!! Though it took me quite a few more than just one clean kick. I had to bash it a good dozen times before the lock busted loose. 
You see, we've been wanting to change our back door for months now. It doesn't close properly, the lock has been finicky (not opening easily with the key), but we were saving up because it's a big project. Well, today the key just would not open the door. I stood there 40 minutes turning and turning, budging. coaxing, pleading... until blisters started showing up on my hands from turning the key so much. 
I called Z and gave him the low down,
"Can I just bash it in by kicking it?" I asked
"Go for it!" 
So, after trying one last time the "civilized way" I took my foot to the door and bashed it right in! 
Now we're using the front door with our "castle" key - that is, the long key that makes one feel like they live in a castle :) 


Also today, Z bought all the fixings for a Salmon dinner and presented me with a KINDLE!!! Yay! Happy Birthday to me!!!! Thank you so, SO, SO MUCH Amore mio :D What a grand surprise!!! Now I have a US bookstore that I can carry all around with me :) And I can read all the English books I'll ever need. I can't wait to get started.
Hmmmmm.... What shall my first book on the Kindle be? Any suggestions? 

Officially Legally Driving Italian Adult!

That's right :) 
I'm officially all grown up here in Italy. I passed my driving exam with flying colors and have been zooming around ever since! Yahoo! It's amazing what a tremendous sense of freedom being legal gives you. 
Now, if I could only get the talking bit down... 

House Keeping... or NOT!

So, today we, or I should say, Zeno found an earthworm in our toilet!!!!???? What in the world? The situation unfolded like this:

I was painting a hutch down in the kitchen and I ran upstairs to use the bathroom quick and I find Zeno on his hands and knees surrounded with every kind of cleaning product - the more toxic the better - and scrubbing away. 

"Thanks so much Amore!" I say to which he sweetly inquires,

"Hey, have you been putting any kind of plants in the toilet?"

me - "???huh??? No.... why?"

"Well, I found a big old earthworm swimming around in this one!" 

So GROOOOSSSSSEEEE! 

That's it, who knows where it came from. But seriously, THANK YOU AMORE! I wouldn't have been able to tackle that one... 

Yet another sign that my Z really loves me :) 

Typical Day Off

So, today I didn't have to go to work... or, that's how the expression goes. So instead of working I:
went to grocery shopping, picked up some things from the Farmacia, dropped off 12 of Z's shirts to be ironed (it takes them and hours while it takes me days, so it's totally worth it!), dropped off our camera to have the sensor cleaned, went to the farm to "milk" our cow :), picked up a birthday gift for our little friend Emma's 1st birthday, took the car to get washed, filled up the car with GPL (more economic and environmentally friendly fuel), upon returning home made a bee-line for the bathroom!, fixed a late lunch, called home, did up the dishes from the night before, watered the window boxes which were looking like the dry Sahara, made some lemonade... drank it ALL, responded to a few e-mails that had been waiting, found my bed and fell onto it for a 30 minute nap, did my Italian driver's ed homework, walked off to driver's ed class and came home to find Z waiting for me :)
Now we've finished dinner and are going to sleep - Ahhhhh, sweet rest. Tomorrow should be more relaxing, I have to go to work :)

Italian Driving School

One of the things I've been up to over these past few busy weeks has been Italian driving school. Yes, because I'm an expatriate, after a year of residence I need an Italian (or European) driver's license in order to make my way along the Italian roads.
It's been pretty intense actually! I don't remember learning anything about braking systems and the differences between diesel/petrol/methane engines... I remember more about legal blood alcohol levels than the tecno part of how the car actually runs. Interesting to note that they don't mention anything about blood alcohol levels in Italian driver's ed...So, I'm well on my way! I have an area on line where I can take practice tests and I plan to take one driven practice run with my instructor before sitting for the written and practical exams. I probably won't take the exams until Sept/Oct simply because the school and DMV close down for the summer months - just like the rest of Italy.

With my Italian driving license I'll feel so much more officially Italian!!!! Though Zeno says I shouldn't tell the US since they might immediately take my US license away...