well, i've been having a bit of bad luck lately. my brother mailed me a package almost a month ago. it has yet to arrive. the american post office claims the italian post office has it. the italian post office claims they've never seen it, as its not in their system. so my brother has started a trace on it, and it could take up to 60 days to figure it out. my mom also just sent me a package - hopefully better luck with that one.

the bad luck doesnt end there though.

tonight my mom tried calling me - i wasnt sure if it was her, as i missed the call, but it was a "nessun numero" so i figured it was from america. so i checked my computer, and sure enough she was online saying she had something urgent to tell me. fearing for the worst, i was a bit worried - i wasnt sure if something had happened to someone or what. anyways, it turned out to be a problem with the bank.

so i called the bank. apparently they have reason to believe that someone has gotten ahold of my card number (even though i assured them that all transactions that have happened and are showing up online, are mine.) they however said there was nothing they could do, their security system has closed my card. normally this wouldnt be a problem. a new card would be mailed to me, I'd have it within a week, and in the mean time i could just go to the bank in person to get money. unfortunately there is no US bank in Italy.

So now I'm in italy, less than 10euros cash, and no way to access money. good thing I went shopping for food the other day.

luckily, the bank automatically sends you a new card every year. my mom got this card about a month ago, but I told her not to bother sending it to me, as i didnt want to take the chance of someone taking it, and i had my other card here which was valid for another year. now though, i wish i had had her mail it to me. she's now running to the post office with the card, and sending it to me fast as possible. but with me being here, it'll most likely be monday before i get it. in addition, I'll probably have to sign for it, which means I have to skip my class on monday and wait for the mail man to come - so he'd better have it when he comes!

to add to injury, but a bit funny at the same time... as i was talking to the guy on the phone at the bank, he kept making lots of small talk, what im doing here, how life is trying to say stupid things in bad italian, like buona fortuna and such. then, at the end, he had the nerve to say "well, when you come back to portland maybe we'll meet sometime, I live in portland too" - !!! there was no way i was going to continue down that path. so I just laughed, said maybe, and bye.

somehow though has much as its been a bad week (treking around milano to several post offices waiting in long lines searching for a package that seems to have 'dissapeared' - then having my card cancelled) im actually in a good mood. I woke up this morning with energy (been exhausted lately, my iron had gotten really low so I've been swallowing pills twice a day for the last couple weeks, thinking its finally starting to take effect), got 42/46 on my color exam at school today, hung out with a friend afterwards, and tonight after this whole bank incident, had a good laugh with my roommate over her flash project that I helped her with. In addition, she has a friend who wants to pay me to do her next flash project for her! I know its wrong to do others homework, but it seems to be pretty common here... and $$ is always good, especially these days :D

so although i feel like i should be in a bad mood right now, i've got a smile on my face that i really cant get rid of. not that im complaining though.