Ashley Gets Lost

Cong is looking into the future, friends, and it is bright! Our things we shipped from America are supposed to get here this coming week. They recently arrived in Athens and will be loaded up on a boat and come directly to our house. It’s only taken five months! We did not expect it to be so long.

This is our pile of shit as of the beginning of April. It expanded a bit, but it wasn’t a crazy amount of stuff. If we would have brought more larger items, like furniture or a car, it would have no doubt gotten here sooner. It sat at the port in New York for quite a while. Our theory is that they had to wait for enough other smaller loads to actually fill a shipping container.

I’m so excited to have more than a couple pairs of shoes to wear and my fall wardrobe. I’ve been wearing two pairs on repeat. I did bring a couple others, but what were well broken in in Colorado seem to need a redo here. I don’t know if it’s the humidity or what, but life’s too short for blisters. It’s still warm enough here for summer clothes for sure, although the evenings are getting chilly and I actually had to put on lounge pants the other morning instead of swanning about in a nightgown.

I am also very much looking forward to seeing my treasures. Art and rocks and bones and rhinestones and thigh high stockings. And our record collection! And of course my sewing supplies. And my quilts! I can’t wait to have a quilt or two draped over the couch or my bed.

On Thursday I stayed the night with Olya to cut down on Friday driving time. We had important business to take care of in Heraklion, where we went out for Mexican food which was good but not great. Olya described it as something she would make at home. It was no where near spicy enough. I heard there’s a really good Mexican restaurant there, but I don’t think it was this one. The others were closed until the evening, so I’ll have to try again another time! Have you ever seen a burrito served like this?! So weird, but it definitely made sharing easier.

Other highlights include us trying to find parking and somehow ending up driving on the world’s tiniest streets. Like barely any clearance between the walls and the mirrors at some points. I do not know who filled the magic well of strength and mental fortitude I drew from that afternoon as I was serene and calm as a cucumber. In the past I might have freaked out a bit. Apparently the island is starting to rub off on me. I’m rushing less and breathing more.

I literally drove a whole ass car through this?! And then we stumbled upon a “Robotic Parking Garage” and went for it. We had to drive in onto a platform, fold in the mirrors, and get out. Then the robots squeezed in on the tires and took the car away?! It was wild!

Then we drove back to my little slice of paradise so I could show her how a village celebrates the weekend. We do it with live music and wine and pizza and flirting. I just realized that it’s really not that much different than going out to the bar in the small town I’m from in South Dakota. At this point I know so many people and have fun every time I go. My Greece goal of having a bar I can walk to where people know who I am has already been achieved.

Big news! Gabi is back and came down, so I got to introduce two of my favorite ladies. I’m so excited that my beach buddy is home and looking forward to whatever fall shenanigans we can get up to around here in the future. I missed her so much while she was in America for a whole month!

BMO was very pleased to spend a Saturday morning with a different pretty lady (you know, not me) on our porch.

Speaking of dogs, the neighbors found a dog that they though was injured and took him to the vet. He’s been staying with the upstairs neighbors for a couple days while they give him medication and keep him safe as he seems to have no road smarts. He’s been coming to visit BMO so he can lick his nether region and pee on my porch plants.

After canvassing the neighborhood, it seems like he was probably dumped here. He’s just the cutest little fella, and I’m happy to hear that they found someone to foster him and find him a good home.

I had great luck with my first pizza dough experiment and then bad luck the next two times. I decided to do what my stepmom Kris would do, which is use the recipe on the packet. Imagine my delight and surprise when I saw that the words for instant yeast in Greek seem to translate into “dry sorcery”!?! Using the dry sorcery recipe resulted in great success! If I can repeat it next time, we’re in pizza dough business!

BMO and I had a lovely Sunday morning on the patio listening to church services from afar. They blast it out through a loud speaker so everyone can get some religion even if you can’t make it to church. Or that’s what I decided is going on.

Anyway, I have had quite the adventurous weekend, and I’m looking forward to going on a mini adventure with Joshua today. Perhaps to the beach down the hill if it feels warm enough. It’s supposed to rain this afternoon, and I’d love to go hit up ma nature for some of her majesties before the storm rolls in.