Food, Florence, fun

I am picking up a signal from somwhere so I'm back online for the moment. Still at G's apartment. I walked past my place earlier this morning on the way to the market. The windows and shutters were open and I could hear the men sanding or buffing the floors. The kitchen is supposed to go in on Thursday, Friday is a holiday-nothing is going on, so we are looking at the weekend. Fingers crossed.

I think I have been out with friends more the in last seven days, than the last seven months. On avg. dinner time was around 11:00 p.m. I still wake up 5:30/6:00. G. more like 9:00 or 10 if he's not shooting. By the time he's out the door to go to his "bar" for a espresso and the paper, I've written five or more pages.

I had to stay in one night last week because G. 's friend (who he just happened to bump into on the street that afternoon) called at 9:30 p.m. to give him the address for a dinner party. He returned home at 1:00 a.m. (on a "school night"). He said I should have come, the food was excellent and the villa was very nice. See when he received said call I was already in my pajamas. I am living out of a suitcase. I woud even know where to look for something fun to wear to a dinner like that.

I've had some good film meetings and getting alot of work done during the day. At night, mindful of my budget, I say yes to an aperitvo but then around 9:30 someone in the group always says "okay so where should we go for dinner?". I know once I move and can cook again I will not be eating lunch and dinner out so often. Phew.

Big thanks to Sara for organizing the Expat get together in Florence. I took the slower, cheaper, local train to Florence. It was a nice, pretty ride. I now know where the train stop for Cortona is.

The weather was great (original forecast called for rain). It was so much fun to reconnect with friends and meet some of my fellow expats. Everyone was very friendly and had great advice about making the move. The expats came from all over Italy.

Yesterday I went to a barbeque. Some of the people I had met earlier in the week. Yesterday was perfect out. Sunny and in the high 70s with a breeze. On the way back, a car almost clipped the scooter. G. was like, whaever, I was afraid. I don't do drugs but after that scooter ride (it was a long one. We were north of the Olympic Village) I wanted some valium or something to calm my nerves. ha.

One of the guests at the barbeque said May and June are the best months in Rome. Not too hot and there are so many things to do. Several people forwarded the following New York Times article from Sunday's travel section about Rome at night.

There was a moment yesterday as I was walking down Via Giulia that I realized I have been here three weeks and still haven't unpacked, I am burning through my money quicker than expected due to the dollar's weakness, I don't have a job and I can't really communicate, yet I am so freaking happy I could cry. Maybe there are drugs in the pizza.