Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I am settled in now and although my sleeping is not fully on track I am into the daily routine here in So City. Noni and Gramps are amazing. They have such a solid routine in the mornings, although things get started much later. Noni is still up first and does her prayers while she has her coffee. The first morning I was here we were  still talking at 9.30 when Uncle mike arrived with Lucca and it was after 10 before she got into the bathroom and she missed saying her prayers that day.

 I have to try not disturb the natural order of bathroom use in the morning, which is noni then gramps. Gramps stays in bed until noni is finished and this morning it is 9.15 and she is just finishing. Noni does a bit of handwashing while she is in there and hangs this out along the side if the house each day.

They both make their own beds each day  and put away their own clothes away. They get along pretty well although there are usually a few tense moments each day.  Noni says she gets the “pain in the ass” look if she tries to talk to gramps at the wrong time, like when he is reading the paper, watching the news or worst of all still sleeping. She says sometimes she wants to go in and just see if he is still alive but he get mad if you do that. But non says he “does have good hygiene”, although it takes him “1 hour” to do his preparing for the day routine in the morning, he comes out “ready to go”, everything done, showered, shaved, etc.

Gramps has a big bowl of oatmeal in the morning and Noni has been having left overs since I have been here. They both read the papers each day, although Gramps is more thorough.  Noni’s kitchen looks the same and she is still cooking daily, but big dinners are a bit harder. However, she did cook chicken and rice on my second night here. I cooked my zucchini and chick pea pasta that I have been making and Noni was questioning me at every step. But the pasta was a hit. What’s happening for dinner is planned day by day as it is not really clear where everyone will be and who might be there until the afternoon.

Here is a small story with an Australian connection from Bobby Penna from across the road. A few years ago he sold his Cadillac to a guy in Australia. Bobby was amazed that he wanted to buy it because it was going to cost an additional $4000 to get it over there, but the guy was sure he wanted it. Bobby said although he could barely understand him on the phone, they did the deal and the car went over. Unfortunately the guy lived in the area in Vic where the bush fires went through a few years ago and the Caddy went up in flames not long after it had made the long journey.

Sara, the Taco truck is alive and well. Last time I came it was in a moving around phase. It was not allowed to park in the same location every day as there was too much garbage being produced, so they had to use a random location approach. This time they have reinvented themselves as a catering business. We saw the truck pulled up in a driveway near the Martinellis in front of an open garage where there was obviously a small party going on. The truck has been redecorated and you will see it in one of the photos. What a great idea.

More tommorrow