Man...back 36 hours from our 19 days away from Amsterdam and it's like it all was a dream! Now the nightmare of a global economic free fall with the US leading the way down, darkness until 8am, and earlier each afternoon as winter inches closer, getting caught in the chilly rain on a gray, overcast day, dodging a micro burst of wind followed by golf-ball sized hail that had the Dutch gape-mouthed, a ticket for parking in the same damn place we've been using for the last 8 months requiring a visit to the Parking Bureau where I fill out a form explaining the mistake they made, and the usual rigmarole of grocery shopping has made Italy as foggy as the inside of Sarah Palin's skull. Have I regaled you yet with the tale of the checkout procedure here? It's quite similar to the US procedure with 1 major exception. As the item is passed over the scanner, it slides down to the bottom of the platform. You bring your own bags to the store which I really like, but you have to bag your stuff quickly, always cut short to pay the cashier, and when that's over if you're lucky only half of your goodies remain to be collected. But, time and the cashier waits for no one, and the next persons stuff comes zipping down the platform, and as you're trying to protect your remaining items, the cashier slides a dividing board over to keep your stuff from mingling with the new stuff. But the next person and their icky purchases are dangerously close to you and yours, and time is running out! You have to toss your stuff in the bags "by any means necessary" and get to one of the round tables they have set up in the walkway so you can place your bag or bags down and start rearranging everything correctly for the walk or bike ride home. If you have glass bottles, frozen items, bread, it all becomes speed packing and you hope your bread doesn't get assaulted by the other food. I usually lose a few slices in the middle of the loaf. If you're buying eggs - - well - - you just think you're a bad ass, don't you? It doesn't seem like a very efficient system...needing 2 places to bag your groceries, but that's Dutch-style. And woe is you if all the tables are taken, you squeeze in with others, or you drop something. Unlike in the states where I hit Sam's once every 2 weeks or so, I prefer almost a "drive by" approach here where I get in and get out as soon as possible with no dilly-dallying and keep the items down to as few as possible. "We're out of peanut butter? - - yeah...next time...tomorrow maybe....gotta go!" Bim-Bam-Boom on gone!
I've got plenty of pictures to go through to add to the blog with stories to go along with them. Just trying to decide whether to include details or just "nutshell it". You know...went to Italy, it was gorgeous, the end! I'll get to that soon. If you have a preference, let me know. But don't cry to me if you don't "vote", and you wanted "short and sweet" but I'm requested to give up the funny (hopefully) stories and do so. That's how a goofy, Russia-watching soccer Mom becomes Vice President!
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