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December 9, 2002
We're heeeerrrrre!
Well, that vacation was amazingly short. I am here in Italy (Sicily to be exact) and LOVING it. GREEN, GREEN rolling hills and cute, itty bitty towns with itty bitty cars. I am currently driving a Lanzia Dodo. Yep, they actually named a car that. It is like one of those circus clown cars - tiny on the outside but somehow huge enough to allow me to stand up (hunched over) in the back seat to buckle the boys in. The streets are really nice one way streets that they drive both ways on LOL. I felt like a sixteen year old the first time I got behind the wheel. Now, you can't tell me from an Italian driver. They pass on the left, even if you are stopped to turn LEFT AHHHHHHH!
The flight over took about 14 hours and was actually a civilian contracted flight so we got movies, hot towels and toys for the kids. But. Sleeping. As soon as the baby went to sleep, I would throw him in his carseat and close my eyes and then Jake would kick the guy next to him angrily in his sleep and so on and so forth. He was quite the belligerent sleeper. Eli, on the otherhand, slept like only a gumby doll could. I actually had to put Jake in the baby's car seat so he could finally get at least 3 hours of solid sleep which cracked the flight attendants up.
I had more help than I knew what to do with. One thing about being in the military is the sense of family and "can do" spirit in times of need. The community here is so small that a man walked up to me in the military airport in Virginia and said "Are you the new nurse that Mary is sponsoring?"!!! When we got to Sicily, my sponsor was there to help us get to the hotel which turned out to be a four bedroom apartment that she stocked with groceries for us.
Before we even landed, we could see Mt. Etna erupting. Words fail to describe how cool this looks. Being the science geeks that we all are, we oohed and ahhed on the van ride to the hotel. The Italian driver (who happens to be the manager of the hotel) asked us what we were looking at. He then said "we don't think it is so cool" Eeep. Open mouth, insert foot. I am on the island all of one hour and I have already made a social faus pas.
I have a ton of pictures to post from my vacation and also some of Sicily and Mt. Etna but I will have to wait until I get my computer so I can get the program that I make the photo galleries with.
I have fairly limited internet access but I will try to update several times a week. You all must simply start leaving COMMENTS. I know grandma is having a hard time because of Netscape so bear with me, I will be fixing that soon.
Posted by DebC at December 9, 2002 12:29 AM
Comments
I've been waiting for what seems like forever for you to write.But I know you were getting settled in.Someone in Randy's family asked me the day after you and the boys left how our visit was,when I went to tell them that it was GREAT I started to cry(I felt so stupid)But I realized that I missed ya'll already!!Send those pictures as soon as possible,OK. I know we would have ooohhhed and awwwed at MT.Etna, too.It sounds beautiful over there .Can't wait to see the pictures.I will be sending your Christmas stuff soon( hopefully this weekend).Is there no way you could get a regular address over there so you can get your things sooner.It makes me fell bad that you won't get it before Christmas. Oh well I'm so glad to hear that ya'll made it over there safely.Tell the boys we all said "Hey" and give them a big hug for me.Byee
Posted by: Kim at December 9, 2002 11:57 AM
By the way, what is the time/date difference from here to there?
Posted by: Kim at December 9, 2002 12:00 PM
Deb,
Glad you survived the flight over there!! You gotta post pics of the itty bitty car :^). We had our annual training last week in Lincoln City and believe it or not I was awarded the Officer Programs Recruiter of the Year award. We are also ranked #3 in the nation for OPO!! See, you leave and things finally start looking up....J/K!!
Take Care!!
Posted by: Keith at December 9, 2002 9:36 PM