bloggus interruptus

it's hard to blog from here

and here

and here

back real soon!

che brutta figura!

Yeah, so today is a holiday in Italy.  Actually, I think it's a holiday in most of the world except the US.  Labor Day -- actually, International Workers' Day.

This morning by 8am I had 3, count 'em three, guys working on my house.  All the neighbors with land up the hill passed by and congratulated the workers for working on Labor Day.  Che brutta figura I made today.

For the record, I didn't ask them to work today.  When I thanked them for their work, and apologized that they were working on Labor Day the response was, "Signora, with this crisis everyone works when they can." 

There you have it.  Happy Labor Day 2013, everyone.

the Rain Muses

I swear, if it rains one more day I will start knitting my house a cozy, like this

     

except for my house not for a phone both or a bus or a, um, really big tea pot.  Those folks must have had a rainy season, too.

Anyway....

While it rains, my collection of wash cloths is growing exponentially (thanks to my enabler friend Christine who brought me that cotton yarn back from the States) ,

and my collection of patchworks has doubled (from one to two)

and I've almost finished another baby sweater and another full-length coat.
Don't even get me started on the collection of hats.

It really must stop raining soon.  There's shit that I need to get done, and knitting and sewing ain't it. But when I see grey out the window and hear the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof -- my couch, my needles and a good Murdoch Mystery marathon are the three sirens singing their song which will most certainly lure me to crafterly ruin.

Excuse me now, it's started again  ...  I hear the wind blowing the sweet drops against the window....suddenly I feel the need to cast on a plate of bacon and eggs.

It should also stop raining now because this

is a photo of days 2 and 3 of Patio Project 2013.  That mud pool there right next to the house is really getting old.  Hopefully this won't be the photo of days 4, 5, and 6 of Patio Project 2013....however, I have a feeling it might be.

Finish this analogy...

Rain, couch, knitting, and murder mysteries are to Lynn as....
Rain,  mud, mud and mud are to ______________

Fantastic.

As one of my favorite authors said...

"Let the wild rumpus start."

Augusto and Franco came by this morning around 8am.  They left around 6pm.  They had jack-hammers.

They did this...

That's the view out of my front door.  Demolition.  See where all that dirt and rubble is?  That used to be cement.  Not nice cement, but it was cement.  Now, it's dirt and rubble.  And kind of a big step down out of the house.

Remember that wedding that's coming in September?  Just to have "la bella figura" we are redoing the entire front garden:  new reinforced cement floor, tile covering, new steps here there and everywhere, outdoor electrical plugs....the works!  Nothing is too good for my cousins Bumpy and  Doug.

Just kidding.

We've needed to redo our outside living room for a long time, um, like since we bought the place and now seems like a good time.  Nothing like having your whole family decent on your house to make you want to build them a dance floor.

Here's a nice photo of Augusto contemplating the meaning of life and how he's going to cover the frickin ugly (but useful!) tubes jetting out from the front of our house.

It might be a little dirty in my house for a while.

So I took my car to the mechanic the other day for its once-every-two-years check up. Is there a word for that?  It's not biannual, I checked....

Anyway...

I arrived at the mechanic's to pick up the car and said, "well?  Is it ok?  Did she pass inspection?"

"Well, yes and no. Yes, it passed but when I was driving it on the autostrada to check everything I noticed that the acmisod;if adifnas don't work."

"Which means?"  I  asked because I don't know what the xoidf anksdf ;aiods are.

"Well, that means that we need to replace the ndcoi a;ilsdfiao dnfs."

"um, yeah, I figured that when you said that the xmico;vi adsiofs weren't working. But I still don't understand."

"Well, it's not a problem to pass the inspection.  You passed.  It just means that the car isn't so safe to drive."

"oh.  Just that.  So we should fix those xvmncioaefkladjs pretty soon then?"

"Yeah, come back in a couple weeks.  I'll have time then."

"And until then?"

"Oh, don't worry.  If the cops stop you, you are safe, the car passed inspection."

"And my safety?"

"Just drive slowly."

So I was driving slowly yesterday when the cops stopped me.  They didn't ask to see my car inspection but they did want to see my driver's license and my documentation.  Feeling quite cool and calm I produced what they wanted....or so I thought.

"Have you been here longer than a year?"

"Um, well, as you can see by my totally up to date documentation, yeah, I have."

"So can I see your Italian driver's license?"

"hmmm, I need an Italian driver's license?"

"yes, ma'am."

So it is that my car doesn't really work but passes inspection, I driving works just fine I but don't pass.  Go figure.

I've got gas.

Well, of course, I've always had gas...everyone who knows me knows this.  But now I've got big gas, as in A LOT of gas.  I don't have it in the bathroom yet, only outside, but I know that gas will be passing inside very soon.  Check it out:

Little gas

Big gas

Yep, lots of big ass gas.

Whilst this poor thing has provided us with hot water, more or less, for the past 9 years, it's time for it to go.

It's kind of been a problem since it was installed.  First, it's electric.  We had asked for a gas water heater but the guys doing the work installed this one day when we weren't around...who can say why.  I have my theories but I'd rather not talk badly about my adopted countrymen.  Electric hot water means limited hot water and some seriously high electric bills (electricity is expensive in Italy...one does NOT leave a light on in a room when leaving it, ever).  And see how that flap thing is hanging down from the bottom?  yeah,  that's been that way since the second week in was in our house.  At one point my brother-in-law tried taping it up.  No go...David and I have long ago tried fixing it.  After a while you stop noticing that it is falling apart, well, until your dad comes to visit and points it out...every time.

Not only will we (soon) have that big gas heating our water in the bathroom we will also have it heating the water on the stove.  Yep, one system...amazing.  We can finally get rid of the portable (which isn't all that portable) gas tank in the kitchen.  Not only is it not aesthetically so pleasing, it's probably not so safe.

happy easter