In Which November Gets Rather Short Shrift, But It Is Better Than Nothing

10.11 Wifi guys were supposed to come today, but only if it wasn’t raining. It is. Day 3 with no wifi, argh. On the plus side, I’ve finished almost 2 months’ worth of blog! I’m interested to see very clearly how much we depend on the web for entertainment – usually Elise and I never watch tv, but the last couple days we’ve been positively American in our consumption! Now off to clean the kitchen so I can make torta fritta for supper tonight. Ornella said she’d come over and help me do it – especially important since I’ll be doing it without a pasta machine. Forced to use a rolling pin, ack! Do I even HAVE a rolling pin?

Wifi guys have come and gone, and wifi R us. But the phone is still out.

In the end, a rolling pin (which I do NOT in fact have) was not necessary – Ornella brought over her pasta machine and said I could keep it. She’ll fetch it if she needs it. We made about 1.2 kilos of torta fritta pasta, then froze 3/4s. I was going to cook it in my rosemary-steeped olive oil, but she said canola oil was better. (I still plan to try the rosemary oil at some point.)

11.11 Girls are fans of torta fritta. Had to defrost a packet already to make more. We made a bunch of empty ones, then filled some with chicken bits or with prosciutto. VERY yum.

12.11 Star Trek Original Series every weeknight at 7. Girls are determined to watch. I am a success as a parent.

15.11 Today was the last citizenship class. I don’t have to take the exam, which is fine, but because I’m not applying for a long-term permesso I’m not allowed to take the Italian language exam. Have to call questura for place to take a class so I can take test. I want that cert, dammit.

16.11 new season of Big Bang Theory starts tonight. We sing the theme song together and leap in the air on HEY! #familymoments

17.11 Aurora had a playdate with Mati today while I took Elise to the Salsomaggiore Terme, the actual baths. What a disappointment. The entrance fee (36E if just for the day, 19E if you buy a ticket book of 7) only gets you into the spring-fed baths, which, as it turns out, are plenty mineral-y but are not hot. Barely even warm. Then there’s nowhere to shower when you’re done! The Italians apparently like the feel of the mineral mix on the skin afterwards. We felt all sticky. Came home and showered instantly. There’s much more to the spa, but it goes from wildly expensive to insanely so pretty quickly. We were going to buy a ticket book but decided it was definitely not worth it. So we paid our 72E (ouch!) and chalked it up to experience.

Stopped by the grocery store on the way home and got sausages and speck to try. Speck seems to be very similar to pastrami. For dinner I got pizza from the Vecchia Caserma. Saw rabbits, wild boar, and what may have been a badger on the drive down. Raccoon-y looking, working on something in its little hands. Pizza seems to have made me sick as a dog. Up much of night. Bleh. I love tonno-cipolle-rucola pizza. I shall be permanently sad if tummy refuses to like it anymore.

18.11 Tried some of the new sausages – I liked them (fairly ordinary breakfast sausages as far as I can tell) but the girls predictably did not. Pancakes for breakfast – I thought I had put too much vanilla in them, but apparently too much vanilla is a big winner with the girls. I am directed to put too much vanilla in from now on. Aurora not feeling good and slept most of the day, but seemed a little better by bedtime. Hoping she will go to school tomorrow – I have a lot to do before Ron gets here.

19.11 Cleaning up. Ron arrives today for two weeks. Phone guy supposed to come late this afternoon.

20.11 After travelling for the better part of 24 hours yesterday, Ron was exhausted and slept most of the day. Elise made her specialty chicken purses for dinner.

21.11 Elise home with another vomiting episode. Not happy about this. Raffaele and Michele came by to check on phone and auto-light at top of stairs. It's apparently a simple repair for the sensor, but they have to get a part. They said they'd call when Telecom guy can come by, and hope to be back by Friday with part for sensor. Ron and I walked up to Angela’s, in hopes of getting one of her turkeys for Thanksgiving, but no go --  she says she doesn't them. She did however finally give me the recipe for “ceesecake” and for her torta di mela. This makes 4 new kinds of pasta that I have recipes for. Of course, the Italians call everything pasta, where we would say pasta, batter, or dough, depending on consistency. Here, just pasta.

22. 11 Thanksgiving. Both girls home sick, Ro with croup again. Went to see Eleanora’s pediatrician in Salso, who was very nice and said since she didn't really take much time with us there was no need to pay her. She gave saline lavage to Ro, and a mineral/electrolyte pak to El to reduce the nausea. Elise has declared it a great success and notices a distinct difference in the nausea. Stuff looks radioactive, but as long as it works. Ron cooked us a tiny Thanksgiving dinner of chicken and stuffing, eggplant casserole, and bietole.

23.11 Both still home sick. Ro clearly has croup again, though not as bad as in the past. Elise is not much better but is at least eating. Telecom guy showed up unannounced. Fortunately we were here. Phone now works, yay! Still planning to have dinner party tomorrow for 12. Must clean up downstairs if a gerzillion people are going to be here L Ron had to work for a while today so I did three pages on imperfect and future verbs. Progress. Got the nicest note from Cindy Stephens about Thanksgiving parties of yore. Managed not to burst into tears over it.

24.11 Spent the day cooking for our festa Americana. Ron made fried chicken (I am bitter that his is better than mine), chili, and bête noire, his signature flourless chocolate torte. I made green bean casserole, because it’s Thanksgiving and it’s like a law, and banana pudding, and set the table and put out antipasti. Stefania, Federica and GianLuca, Francesco, Alessandra and Maurizio, and the kids all came. Everyone was a big fan of the food, and next to nothing was left. We had a lovely evening, and as soon as I can find some more ancho powder to make more chili I will do it again. Everyone stayed till about midnight, and spoke enough English among them all that Ron wasn’t excluded. It was a really nice evening.