Snow day....

minus the snow!

So, I fully appreciate the day off from school, but there was no more snow today! It was nice to not wake up to an alarm this morning! Nick still had to go to work, so I talked to him before he left and then tried to stay warm in my bed!  I got up and did some packing stuff for Reggio, and then I decided to go out for a walk.  It was sunny and nice outside!  I walked around for about 2 hours.  I walked down a street that gives me a better view of the mountains because they are all covered in snow.  I stopped in a few stores looking for boots and such...found nothing, but I did see this cute kid:

Then I decided that I wanted to walk towards the historical center to see the snow.  Most of it was melting, and water was dripping off of every building, and sometimes it felt like it was raining.  I got a decent view of the historical center, but the snow was almost gone!  So, I tried, but did not see too much of the snow!  I got a few pictures, and it was pretty, but not as much as snow as I'd hoped for!  It was a nice 2 hour walk though.

Snow on the mountains!!!

You can KIND OF see the snow....

 

Soooo much water in the rivers...finally!

In the historical center...how have I never noticed it??

Tree made out of different types of bottles

 

 The corso had a lot of people on it, and it was nice outside! 
It was nice to just be out and about!  I took my time walking back, and it was getting close to lunch time, and I was hungry.  So, I went to my fruit and veggie place to get some tomatoes and then to one of the bakeries to get some wheat bread.  

Nick called me on his break while I was out walking, and he made this snow art for me because it was snowing in Gubbio!

 
I came home and prepared my lunch, talked to Nick some, and then I talked to my momma!  Afterwards I worked on blogs, lesson planning, and such...but not too much today!  I did get a lot of stuff together for Reggio, so that was good!  I talked to Nick until he had to leave for a Carnivale thing with some of the teachers he works with. 

Today I looked at the email Tiffany sent again, and they let you make a postcard out of your chosen picture.  So, they are sending it to my house, but they also give you an electronic copy, so here it is:

When he left, I went out to walk around a bit, go to the bank, and see if anything was going on for Carnivale.  I enjoyed the lights they have put up for Carnivale...the pics do not do the colors justics, but I'll try!

I was headed to the bank to get money for Lila and Ernesto, who were supposed to call me tonight with a price for the gas.  I also needed a bit of money for Reggio.  On my way to the bank, I got sidetracked into Zara. But FIRST I went into the store where I bought my coat and saw these shirts:

Shock...and confusion do not even describe it!!  First...why?? Second...where is Alabama?!?!?!?

I have been searching for some warmer (dressier) tops to take to Reggio.  My nice confrencey (yes, I made this word up) type clothing is not that warm!  In Alabama we just dress relatively warm, get in a car (with heat), and go to a building (also with heat).  So, I have been on the hunt.  I can't really buy pants here in Italy because they are all too short, so I will just have to do with the pants I have.

Zara- I spent WAYY too much time in there trying on shirts, but I did eventually find two I liked.  One was a thin sweater that you layer, so I think it will work really well as a nice top that can also be layered and will not feel too bulky!  I also bought a shirt that will go really well with my khaki pants, but can also be casual.  They can both be dressy or casual..and they are warmer...and I got them both for the original price of the sweater.  I like when this happens, and I like that I should be warmer.  So, after a ridiculous amount of time, I made the decision and went to pay.  Oh, in the dressing room, I saw this girl that kept waving at me, but I swear I've never seen her in a million years!  I suppose she must be a student at Fermi, but I have no idea!  She definitely is not one of my students.

After Zara I went to the bank, and then headed back to my apartment.  By this time it was getting late, and I was getting hungry!  It was just after 7 when I started cutting up veggies for dinner.  As I was putting them in the hot oil, Lila called and said that they were coming in about 10 minutes.  So, I kept cooking my veggies, and they arrived just as they were finishing.  From here, the night was a bit downhill. 

So, they sat me down, and IN ITALIAN Ernesto started explaining the bills.  I followed all of it...and so that was good.  Then he got to the gas bill.  He said that we have been using WAY too much gas.  Then he started breaking it down, and bottom line is that from October 6th until February 5th, my SHARE of the gas is 550 euros.  I thought I was going to be sick.  The total for my bills I owed was 606 euros.  I was so anxious for them to leave so that I could cry, and I thought I was going to throw up.  The whole time I was just praying for peace...I'd been praying before they got here.  I know it is just money, and I cannot worship both money and God.  It isn't that.  It just made me sick.  Then he looked at the thing and told me that since Friday I had used too much.  I said, "but I have not been using the heat except at night!" They said, "all night??" I said, "well, while I sleep.  So maybe 7 or 8 hours!"  They were both SHOCKED.  They said, "that's too much.  You can't use the heat that much in a day!"  I looked at them like they were from outer space.  They told me that they use their heat for maybe an hour in the morning, an hour at night, and if it is really cold they use it at lunch time when they are home.  EXCUSE ME WHAT?!?!?!? You use your heat for maybe 3 hours a day????  These radiators do not produce heat that quickly and the apartment certainly does NOT maintain it.  The tile/marble floors and very little furniture, etc. do NOT maintain ANY heat.  So at this point I was freaking out on the inside and having a hard time keeping it together. They asked me how it worked in the U.S., and I explained that I always have heat.  The heat stays on and it cuts on and off depending on the temperature, but you always have it.  I know that not every American has this, but in the south radiators are outdated and not that common.  So, how was I supposed to know that you could not use the heat?? I have central heating at home...always have...this right here is ABSURD.  So, I told them that had I known, I would not have used so much heat.  I told them that I was cold, but it doesn't matter...the bottom line is...NO HEAT FOR ME...well, very little of it.

Needless to say, the moment I heard them get on the elevator, I lost it.  I started praying and telling God that I KNOW He is in control, and I know that nothing has come to me that has not passed through His hands.  I know these things to be true, and I KNOW that this is no different.  The money makes me sick, but the idea of being cold makes me sicker.  I am already in pain from being so cold (my fingers and feet hurt sooooooooooooo much, and my knees hurt more in the winter too...so this cold is not cool!).

Then I called my momma and melted down on her.   When I hung up with her I went to cry some more because I was already cold...and now I was feeling sick and could not stand the thought of eating my dinner.  However, I did eat some of my vegetables.  Not too long after I ate, Nick called and I talked to him for a while.  Naturally, I was crying.

A great part of my day:

I talked to April for a few minutes on skype before I was supposed to talk to Maria.  At this point I was having some peace about the money part of the situation, but still very unhappy about having to be cold. 

The next hour and 45 minutes was one of the BEST parts of my day!! I LOVE talking to Maria.  It is something missing from my life these days!  She is so kind, sweet, knowledgeable, comforting, wonderful, amazing, loving, and I miss her!  She is excited to meet Nick...I told him that he must FIRST have my momma and daddy's approval, then Erin/April/Meagan/Brooke/Maria/Malissa/Kelly, the girls, and Tony, and then others.  Now of course he has MY approval...and my momma loved him...so now I cannot wait for everyone else to meet him.  I told him that there are a lot of people "watching" him...and he has people "watching me"...but I think my army is bigger! ;)  Anyway, I had so much fun talking to Maria.   We talked about the Italian schools and so much!  She was excited to know that I REALLY wanted her to meet Nick and that she WILL meet him when he comes to Alabama.  I told her my plan is just to try and get everyone together at once and be like, "okay guys...here's Nick.  And go!"  haha...no really!  Nick and I joke about the scene from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" where the family meets Ian and they all scream, "Iaaan!!!!" and push Tulah out of the way!  I miss my Maria.  So, she had to go write a midterm, and it was nearing midnight here, so we hung up!  With "I love yous" and "talk to you soon"s...we hung up! 

I talked to my momma briefly and then to Nick until we fell asleep on skype!

So, overall...the day was...umm..okay!

There were amazing parts though, and that is God's mercy...even when there are bad things, there is always good too!