Day at home

Wednesday being our day off from the Institute, we stayed close to home. In the morning I walked down to the bank on the corner to try to open an account so we could get a Bancomat (ATM) card. No luck -- they require a permesso di soggiorno, which we won't have for months to come. So there are certain automated payment locations, including many gas stations, where we still can't buy anything. Bummer. While out, I also bought a few small things at the Chinese store for our Thanksgiving meal: aprons, trivets, and a potato peeler.

With heat being on during the day (mostly when we are not here ;), the laundry is drying much faster than before, which is nice. However, the lack of a dryer has another unfortunate impact for me: my wrinkle-free white dress shirts are chock full of wrinkles after hanging to dry. So I am getting pretty good at ironing, usually doing two or three at a time. 

In the afternoon I ran out to fill up the car and wash/vacuum it (only 1.50 euros at the do-it-yourself place).  Here is the reading from the gas pump:  17.85 liters at 1.57 euros per liter, which is over 7 dollars per gallon.

On the way home I went to Lidl to buy a small list of food items for Friday. We did a taste test on three different kinds of Lidl rolls for the meal and decided which one we liked most, which also happens to be the cheapest: 12 cents each, in the center of the photo. They're called little milk mouthfuls (bocconcini di latte):

I made some calls to the US to talk about rolling over my 401(k) account into an IRA, since Exar, my former employer, got bought this year and is closing its account next month. It fortunately appears to be a fairly simple transaction, with just a bit of paperwork.

Other than that, I was here all day. My cough still hangs on a bit, but overall I am feeling pretty good, including exercising in the morning. I worked on my talk for Sunday, translating quite a bit of it from a talk I gave a few years ago, with some Italian twists added. Tomorrow I'll work on the two lessons I'm teaching this weekend. It feels like we have been serving here forever, in a good way. We love what we are doing.

Dee writes: On Tuesday night, Alessio (the pizza maker) was laughing with Oscar about the way that Americans ask for the recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. He said it's not a recipe; it's a way to use up the leftover meatballs from the meat course the night before :)

A majority of the GANS are recent converts of less than two years, and the only member in their family. The Institute is a great blessing in their lives, allowing them to learn about the gospel, give service and socialize with other members. They're opening up to us more and more. It's difficult to get a job in Italy, and many of them are a bit stalled due to financial difficulties that are out of their control. We pray for them a lot.

A few things I love in Italy:

• The massive buildings
• The quattro fontane statues we pass on our drive each day
• Amazingly tasty produce
• Dish drainer over the sink