a wonderful day :-)

Today I had to sort out what I thought was a major problem. I have been running around for a few days, turning over every piece of paper in the house, looking for a missing piece of paper. In fact, I am not even sure I ever had it, but am ready to believe that I did. I do lose things. But there was no logic to it not being with the other papers that I would have had to present at the time I should have been given that piece of paper. They are intact.

So, after a thorough investigation of the legal status of things, I find that things that should have been done at the time that I bought my car were not done. The onus is on me to chase them up, although I had not been given the information I needed to do so.

I had already paid the 39 Euro fine I received for not having the papers with me in the car. I tried every avenue I could think of to get a copy of the papers, but these are well buried in local archives and it is summer holiday time. Even my friendly lawyer abandoned me, telling me there was nothing I could do but wait until September after the holidays even though the fine was going to be horrendous if I didn't deliver the papers to the carabinieri within 30 days.

So, armed with every bit of information and calling up every bit of vocabulary I had, I went off to the carabinieri to "fare la denuncia" about my lost papers and hope that the documentation I had was enough to prevent the huge fine promised if I didn't front up with the correct documents within those fast vanishing 30 days.

I now am quite confident pressing the bell at the caribinieri, knowing that they are watching me on the CCTV and will open the gate and then the door for me. I've been there a few times now.

Today a smiling officer greeted me at the door and invited me to enter the office and sit down. I was glad to do so because I could put my sun hat on the spare chair, and it was more pleasant than standing at the counter. I explained the dilemma and the bigger ommission of paperwork. He cheerfully said, "Don't worry, we will resolve everything".

There are lots of anti-carabinieri jokes, but today the caribinieri are my best friends. I left with the right stamp on the documents, advice on how to chase up the paperwork that hadn't been done, and a cheerful "Ciao" and handshake from the still relaxed and smiling officer. Bless him.

I then went to the market to buy veges, and as the market was almost finished was given a very ripe melon - "eat it today" - and quarter of a huge watermelon as well.

Home again... and in the mail box was the birthday present posted to me 3 weeks ago, and which I had given up as lost.

What a wonderful day!



Mmmmm... it was this morning that I wrote the comment about choosing our attitudes at the beginning of the day! Let's see what I can do with tomorrow!

Today I am grateful for people who make me feel good about life.