Matt is interviewing Jess sitting on the couch next to me.
Matt: What do you want to accomplish in 2012?
Jess: Get clothes from Makenna.
Matt: What? You can do that anytime.
Jess: No. I want the ones from Christmas. Those shirts.
She is now 8!! How did that happen? We already sang to her last night. She was the only one not fading and wanting to go to bed. She happily made it till midnight for a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" and the opening of one present before being tucked in for the night. We had had a grand plan for the eveing that just didn't quite work.
We were hoping to have pizza at L3 Troy's favorite place. We had tried a couple weeks ago at 6pm only to learn that they aren't open so early! Come back in an hour or hour and a half. Last night we were dressed in old jeans and lots of layers because we were hoping to go up on Mt. Etna to watch fireworks in the towns below. We pulled up to the pizza place and miraculously found a parking space (that should have been a clue). It was a little after 8pm, that was good, but it was dark and locked. So was the pizzeria a couple doors down. We started a quest to find food.
I'll tell about one memorable attempt. We saw a Ristorante sign and pulled into a NARROW drive. We had to pull in the mirrors so they didn't scrape the rock walls centimeters away on both sides. We paid 3 Euros for parking and were directed to a spot where we were about to be blocked. After the attendant left, Matt moved the car so we could leave without having a bunch of other cars move to let us out. The parking guy saw us and looked a little confused, but not bothered. We walked towards the building and noticed a few adults dressed to the nines. Hmmm. "Is this place too nice?" The girls' hair showed signs of wrestling in the back seat, mussed up pony tails. And we had beat up tennis shoes rather than spiked heels and pointy toe shoes. "Do you need reservations?" I popped in to investigate because I hold the honor of speaking the most Italian--more than 50 words! The waiter in the tux told me, Yes, they had room for 5, but no pizza tonight. Tonight was a special celebration. It was a set menu for six thousand. He spoke a mix of English and a lot more Italian. But those were the numbers said in English. We think and hope he meant "hundred" not "thousand", but either way that was not the spot for us. We just wanted some pizza. We thanked them and left. The parking guy gave us our 3 Euros back and then maybe wished he hadn't as we bumped one of his metal barricades on the way out. Good grief.
Sometime well after 9 we happened to pass by a pizzeria with lights on. They were happy to have us. We were the only customers just then. They spoke no English, but were so kind. The prices were great and the pizza superb. At ten the extended family started showing up for what was obviously a new year's party. We tried to hurry up, tipped generously for which they insisted giving us a liter of coke in thanks. Matt got Italian "kissed" good-bye. We have friends for life, if we could ever find our way back there again.
Everyone was happier with tummies full, but the back seat unanimously voted to go home rather than head up the mountain. After the drive home, we simply took turns showering and by the time we were all ready for bed, it was midnight. Family prayer, happy birthday, don't let the bed bugs bite. (Unfortunately that last bit didn't work. Matt and Makenna are most susceptible to the rotten mosquitos!)
Matt: What do you want to accomplish in 2012?
Jess: Get clothes from Makenna.
Matt: What? You can do that anytime.
Jess: No. I want the ones from Christmas. Those shirts.
She is now 8!! How did that happen? We already sang to her last night. She was the only one not fading and wanting to go to bed. She happily made it till midnight for a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" and the opening of one present before being tucked in for the night. We had had a grand plan for the eveing that just didn't quite work.
We were hoping to have pizza at L3 Troy's favorite place. We had tried a couple weeks ago at 6pm only to learn that they aren't open so early! Come back in an hour or hour and a half. Last night we were dressed in old jeans and lots of layers because we were hoping to go up on Mt. Etna to watch fireworks in the towns below. We pulled up to the pizza place and miraculously found a parking space (that should have been a clue). It was a little after 8pm, that was good, but it was dark and locked. So was the pizzeria a couple doors down. We started a quest to find food.
I'll tell about one memorable attempt. We saw a Ristorante sign and pulled into a NARROW drive. We had to pull in the mirrors so they didn't scrape the rock walls centimeters away on both sides. We paid 3 Euros for parking and were directed to a spot where we were about to be blocked. After the attendant left, Matt moved the car so we could leave without having a bunch of other cars move to let us out. The parking guy saw us and looked a little confused, but not bothered. We walked towards the building and noticed a few adults dressed to the nines. Hmmm. "Is this place too nice?" The girls' hair showed signs of wrestling in the back seat, mussed up pony tails. And we had beat up tennis shoes rather than spiked heels and pointy toe shoes. "Do you need reservations?" I popped in to investigate because I hold the honor of speaking the most Italian--more than 50 words! The waiter in the tux told me, Yes, they had room for 5, but no pizza tonight. Tonight was a special celebration. It was a set menu for six thousand. He spoke a mix of English and a lot more Italian. But those were the numbers said in English. We think and hope he meant "hundred" not "thousand", but either way that was not the spot for us. We just wanted some pizza. We thanked them and left. The parking guy gave us our 3 Euros back and then maybe wished he hadn't as we bumped one of his metal barricades on the way out. Good grief.
Sometime well after 9 we happened to pass by a pizzeria with lights on. They were happy to have us. We were the only customers just then. They spoke no English, but were so kind. The prices were great and the pizza superb. At ten the extended family started showing up for what was obviously a new year's party. We tried to hurry up, tipped generously for which they insisted giving us a liter of coke in thanks. Matt got Italian "kissed" good-bye. We have friends for life, if we could ever find our way back there again.
Everyone was happier with tummies full, but the back seat unanimously voted to go home rather than head up the mountain. After the drive home, we simply took turns showering and by the time we were all ready for bed, it was midnight. Family prayer, happy birthday, don't let the bed bugs bite. (Unfortunately that last bit didn't work. Matt and Makenna are most susceptible to the rotten mosquitos!)
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