Mood Swing Tuesday



Every morning I roll over and see this. It's the view of Fiesole from my terrace which is connected to my bedroom. It's the next best thing to rolling over and seeing George, which sadly is not an option 

I love my view. It's only the 2nd apartment ( first was also here in Florence) of 12 I've had since college that actually has " A VIEW" . Oh I've had views before, of parking lots, and other buildings, dumpsters and diners, but this, this is the way to start any day. Puts you in a good mood straight away, even when it's raining.

Here's the thing about living in Italy, for me at least, that view induced good mood can swing right in the opposite direction to the " why is that" bad mood. There are MANY days I find myself frustrated and saying WHY IS THAT??? Yesterday was one of those days.

Started like any day, my view, my coffee, even the heavy handed eyebrow waxing that left me looking like a tomato from the eyes up could not dull the spring in my step yesterday. However, The UNO store could.

The UNO store is your go to place for all things Apple in the Florence city center. There are other electronic type places Alberti is another ( but they didn't have what I needed), Media World is great out at the Gigli center(1/2 hour by bus, pass), but in town for Apple stuff, it's UNO.What I needed was a new charger for my I Pad.

In March when I was in Hong Kong I did a really bad idiot check of my room and left my charger there. I bought a new one here

at  underground non government sanctioned computer haven ,The Golden Computer Center in Sham Shui Po while this guy



was fixing the fan on my laptop. I used that charger for months not realizing it was charging like 1% an hour. Turns out he sold me an IPOD charger, not an IPAD charger.

On Friday I walked over to the Uno Shop on Via Dei Pucci, 10 minute walk. When I got there it was 1:30 , CHIUSO ( closed) . Siesta. Now one would think that an Apple store, and the only one in town would be open all day, but this is Italy. I read the hours on the door

                                 lunedi- sabato: 10:30 - 13:00, 14:30- can't remember

                                 domenica- closed

Ok ,so open for 3 hours in the morning and a few in the afternoon , monday through saturday, sunday closed. I could have returned that afternoon but got sidetracked by some paperwork I had to finish. I figured I'd just swing by Saturday afternoon and I did at 15:00 ( 3pm) CHIUSO! What? WHY IS THAT???? Then I noticed why, summer hours, funny. As if that shop wasn't closed enough NOW they are closed after 1pm on Saturdays in the summer. Thing is, that sign was not there the day before.

I thought ,ok ,no biggy, that's when I headed down to that war zone that was the saldi. So Sunday they will be closed but Monday, I'll go on Monday. Then I thought, wait, Monday is July fourth, they'll be closed, then I thought, but this is Italy so they'll be open. I swing by one more time on my way home on Saturday and double check the hours.

Monday, view, coffee, walk to Uno store, get there at 11:00 am CHIUSO!! WHY IS THAT!!! I press my face to the glass door and there is a guy in there, sitting in the dark at the register. I knock to get his attention and he shoos me away, I got the hand shoo. I step back bewildered when I notice a NEW sign CHIUSO OGGI- 4 Juglio- INVENTARIO. Closed for Inventory? They sell like 3 things in there .Ok, I'll go back the next day, yesterday, Tuesday.

View, coffee, stop by the rental agency to pay my rent, eyebrow wax, wander around for a bit and find myself in front of the Uno store at 2:00. I'm early, that's ok, I was chatting on the phone with my friend Arlene anyway, I'll just wait. I'm in a fine mood, beautiful day! 2:15 rolls around, and there is the guy, oh, finally I think, and he's going to open early. YAY! NO ,he is not opening early.

2:20,  guy number 2 shows up and I think, oh now he's going to open , the other guy arrived, he'll open now. NO. For 10 minutes they sat in a dark store, not saying a word to one another while I glared at them through the glass door. It's 2:27!!!!! They see me, I'm waiting!!!! I've been trying to get in that freakin store for FOUR DAYS!!!! Open the fucking door!! That is what is going through my mind, view induced good mood- GONE!!!

All this while I am still on a call with Arlene and I am asking her why?WHY IS THAT? she's like it's Italy. I say, " OK it;s 2:30, here we go, but still NO, they don't open the door. Lights don't even go on. It's 2:30!!!! I'm yelling in the phone while she is laughing at me when she says, "No, it's 2:27, remember last week when you were visiting we had this discussion about your watch being 3 minutes fast" #^%*&^*()((5^%&%*!!!!!!! My reaction.

I marched right across the street, ordered 2 scoops of gelato, because no matter how bad your mood may turn, gelato, always turns it back happy.