Thursday 11/10 630pm Sora, Italy
So, it has definitely been more than a week since I last wrote about anything, but it really takes a week to collect enough information to have anything to write about our here. I leave on Sunday, two days ahead of schedule, but that is mostly due to the fact that it is starting to get cold and it will be nice to stay in an actual bed without working for 6 nights, and then heading to the last workaway. My hostel room is only 15 euros a night, so for less than 100 euros, I get to stay a week in Rome, which I thought was a pretty good deal. I have a lot planned, but not enough to take up 6 days, so I'm looking forward to also wandering around without a plan for a day or two and seeing what happens. It will also give me a day or two in case it rains in Rome and I have to cancel my plans for the day. On Novermber 17th, I'm meeting the Traveling Aggies group for dinner. I emailed the Association about 3 weeks ago asking if there was any way I could meet up with the group that would be there at the same time as me. Tehy were so nice and made it happen is easily, so it should be a fun night talking with people from Texas.
I've been talking to the lady from the next farm and she seems really nice. I'm hesitant about completely getting excited because last time in Romania it was horrible, but she seems genuinely excited about me meeting the horses and getting to work with me. I told her when we started that I didn't have too much experience with horses but that I loved animals and I think that was enough for her to get excited (and that fact that I'm from Texas). Today, I talked to her and already she told me to book whatever train I want into Cortona and it won't be a problem picking me up at any time, something that didn't happen at both the farm and in Romania. It less stressful for me to know I don't have to worry about finding a bus or taxi to the house when I get there.
I also watched Under The Tuscan Sun the other day, and from the pictures I've seen on her website and the monuments in the movie, I'm excited to go where the movie was actually filled. Maybe I can spend a day walking around town trying to find all the stuff in the movie and looking for the villa they filled her home at.
Life at the Moglie is so boring and so much the same. It has been almost two weeks since the time change and it pretty much gets dark at 5pm, so Gavin and I have been going to sleep at like 830pm every night. It's annoying to know that we are asleep before the house even finishes dinner and it's even more annoying to wake up still feeling tired because you really didn't even sleep that well because you are in a tent on the ground. It has rained a few times, but after a super thunderstorm, I now trust my tent completely to be water proof, so I have been sleeping through the rain. The cold is the worst part, but I just keeping thinking that I only have 3 nights left, and then I will be warm in my bed in Rome and warm in my bed in Cortona. To entertain ourselves otherwise, we pretty much make up scary things that are happening... or I make up scary things that are happening or say "what was that!?!" every time I hear a noise. Gavin has learned to put up with it and usually jsut responds "It's a squirrel", although he once told me it was a zombie and I got more scared, so he stopped. We also found giant bones in the olive grove a few fields over, so we are trying to figure out from what animal it came from... but we will only go near them in the daylight and when it is sunny outside, so we pretty much haven't been near them since then.
Since I last wrote, we have gone for pizza twice, once with Linda and Mariella on Halloween and once with Anna and her two volunteers and Mariella. The first time was Linda's first night having been out in over a year (when Vera was born) and I think she was so excited to not have the baby or Antonello with her. I found out she is only 25... two years older than me! Yikes! We ate some pizza and then went to the pub (she couldn't drink). Before going in, I told them I was going as an American for Halloween.... and from all the looks I got from everyone in the pub, I think they figured out my costume. I'm not sure how everyone knows I'm not Italian, but they sure do and it's ridiculous. The second time out with Anna was a lot more fun because there were 6 of us and we are all pretty much the same age and none of us have children, so we talked most of the night. Gavin and I have been saying "That's what she said" after almost everything, and the other 4 have started to pick up on it, so it was funny hearing what other people who don't speak english as their first language would say it after. Anna was probably the best though, and since she is so shy and usually doesn't say much, I nearly died every time she did say it.
We've been picking olives nonstop for two weeks now and it is literally the same thing everyday. The only fun thing that has been happening at the house is our response to Maria now hating me. I'm not sure when it when from me being loved to me being hated, but it pretty much happened overnight and we are just consumed with figuring out what it is about me now that she dislikes. What we've come up with is that it is 50% that Gavin and I are at the Moglie together and he is not at the house with her (she has a sort of obvious crush on Gavin), 40% that Felicita follows me everywhere, and 10% that I sing and dance in the kitchen. It really isn't my fault or her fault that Gavin and Felicita like me better and that I'm a better singer and dancer, so I'm not holding it against her. I just continue being super nice, and since that pisses her off more, I realized there is nothing I can do about it and I only have 3 more days. Still, I'd rather have this Maria than the other Maria.
Last, but not least, for all who were worried, don't be. I've been keeping up with NCIS and as of twenty minutes ago, I am still up-to-date on all the current episodes. Let me just say to everyone who hasn't been watching, WHATCHA DOIN?! If I can be up-to-date, then certainly, you need to be. No excuse. Plus, this season is brilliant and it might be my favorite season.
