Mumsnet Little Italy 4

[Rosa]

Ciao - Everybody Welcome.

we are off to inlaws in an hour... looking forward to an overdose of SKY tv...

first time since getting pregnant without a nap, hurrahhhh. do plan to go to bed as soon as ds is in bed. due date is sept. h9ow are you feeling rosa? i cannot believe i still have the effing nausea, in fact it seems worse in the evening, boring, boring. dp is really bored with all the moaning, and feels lonely cause he watches telly all by himself, sob. i wonder if pippi's baby is out.;.

I thought Pippi due April 24th ...Am I wrong ?
Roas feeling sh*t to be honest but hey ho thats teh way it goes!! Weather forecast rubbish for Pasqua..Ma buona Pasqua Tutti.

Buona Pasqua Rosa. The weather is rubbish isn't it? We're supposed to be going to an agriturismo so DD can finally breathe fresh air but it'll probably rain.

I'm sorry you're feeling like shit, has the nausea kicked in big time or are you "just" feeling a bit wobbly? I take it no Easter eggs for you then?[cruel emoticon]

I thought Pippi's baby was due beginning of April. I seem to recall her being worried because she was going to be an aries baby. Is she still in Italy or has she already gone back to fil's?

freezing here, we are expecting snow and sleet tomorrow. i assume pippi is at fil's a;ready. Off to sleep...

Nausea and general crappiness but thats part and parcel of it all . None of this with dd thats what is pissing me off more. we were going to Agriturismo as well MOnday but I honestly dont think I can face it ..It has animals as well said dh should go with dd but he says he can't cope !
I was so lookinmg forward to it . Menu was yummy sorry cannot describe just now !!!!
Does anybody have pippis mobile no can we not text her ???

yes, good idea about pippi's mobile, I think I have it on my English phone, but the phone is scarico and in Milan (we are at dh's parents). hhell, have you got her number?

Yes, freezing wind here in Piedmont too, but we kept the dc outdoors, at least for today. It is supposed to be raining tomorrow.

Oh no Rosa !

dont have it on my mob - only seem to have franca's. will check her emails to see if it crops up.

horrid weather in Rome as well, cold, drizzly and English. Oh well its a bank holiday weekend, should be used to that being a Brit.
How exciting that Pippi may have baby by now.
Apartment all seems to be going pear shaped. Took our 1000s of documents, financial records etc to the agent today and we are up against another couple. The landlady wants to study all of our records and make a decision on that basis. Got a bad feeling. She made dp feel crap because his wage is average, even though he has contratto indeterminabile-doesnt count for much. Said depended more on my earnings as I earn more but then said that as I am freelance that will count against us!!! Che vogliono di piu! Basically they seem to want to permanent contracts totalling about 4000 euros a month so better sign off and start retraining as a surgeon or something . Wouldnt mind, is a lovely apartment but its not THAT sppecial.

Oh no Gio, that's so bad. I really hate these money grabbing landlords. Why did she say yes to you if there was already another couple waiting? Silly cow. She can try holding out for someone who earns 4000 euros but they're unlikey to go for 75mq unless in a very exclusive area (is it in a very exclusive area?). Do you think there really is another couple or might this be a ploy to get more money out of you?

If you're freelance, do you pay your taxes here or in the UK? If in the UK can you not make up figures? Nohing wrong with being a libera professionista, most doctors and lawyers are just that. Is she a snobby cow?

I pay in the uk. I think there is another couple, did think about offering a bit more to get the edge but not sure if that is what they want and don't want to do that and shoot myself in the foot if it was nothing to do with that. I said to dp immediately afterwards we'd been naive and would end up being penalised due to the fact we'd been completely honest and that we should have added a bit more money somewhere to give us the edge. We earn the amount they requested originally, I just get the feeling they want the security of the contratto indeterminabile but on a wage I think it is unrealistic to expect here in Rome unless you are freelance! Also think she may be a bit of a snobby cow and is holding out for a fur coat wearing couple who play the game better than we did. It is a pretty exclusive area, it's a a mare because FIL lives in the area, isn't in good health and insists we live nearby to look after him which is all very well and good but it makes finding an apartment we can afford a challenge! We could ignore FIL but I know then all it would mean is we would never see dp because he'd spend all his time at his Dad's or travelling too and from his Dad's.
Would you go back to the landlord and offer a bit more? ALternatively I do have another freelance job, it doesn't pay much, just 400 euros a month and I see it purely as my childminder money so didnt bother including it, maybe I should have or I should go back and mention to them? Any advice from those of you more experienced in this much appreciated. DP may be Roman but he is new to this as well so doesnt know more than
me.

just mentioned idea to dp re going back to them, he doesnt reckon will make any difference (but that could be cos is a lazy git and cant be bothered!)

Gio what a complete and utter pain . I cannot believe what you are going through heavens if you dont pay the rent she can ask you to leave no ??? Or is it this resident thing once you are in then she cannot evict you until the contract is up say 4 years? Well I hope it all goes for the best for you.
Sun has come out here and so am hoping it will stay for a nice weekend.

I know! I have also said we can also get a reference from current landlady saying never been late with rent, good tenants etc but they said won't be neccessary. Which makes me think she has already made her mind up.
you with sun. Ancora la pioggia qua. dp is out with the boys today and so am considering going to a centro commerciale with ds this pm to spend some of the money I probably wont need to spend on agency fees . Normally hate those places but dp will never forgive me if I expose ds to the pericolo of drizzle so better stay undercover

Dh gone to a fantastic fish restaurant with boys and some girlfriends. It is a great fun place and no kidding the owner is a size50 ( UK). NO point us going simply as it is a we bring you eat place and you can be at the table for 2 - 3 hrs its a busy weekend so probably full , no garden or running space so not fair on dd and me . But we have a party this afternoon not sure how to get about avoiding eating the cake. Too much cream gives dd tummy ache and I am off anything sweet at all ( and dh bought a Lindt egg x domani)
Gio go and buy yourself and ds something nice and then if the nasty landlady doesn't give you the flat we can all send nasty vibes to Rome !

Poor gio, do you think there will be otehr similar sort of flats in the area that you will be able to go for? I am sure there are other out there you can fall in love with, not too good to become emotionally attached to a place, we learnt when we were trying to buy a flat many years ago, the sale fell through, i almost killed dh, then found this and decided that it was better than this.

I am also still off cake, which is odd. Have found out that i have a 1 in 3500 chance to have a down syndrome child, we have given up on having a cvs, dp doesnt want to fork out, and 1 in 3500 seems incredibly good, what do you think?

A bit of snow is coming down in LOndon..

Also don]t have pippi's number, franca would you have on yiour email?

Poor gio, do you think there will be otehr similar sort of flats in the area that you will be able to go for? I am sure there are other out there you can fall in love with, not too good to become emotionally attached to a place, we learnt when we were trying to buy a flat many years ago, the sale fell through, i almost killed dh, then found this and decided that it was better than this.

I am also still off cake, which is odd. Have found out that i have a 1 in 3500 chance to have a down syndrome child, we have given up on having a cvs, dp doesnt want to fork out, and 1 in 3500 seems incredibly good, what do you think?

A bit of snow is coming down in LOndon..

Also don]t have pippi's number, franca would you have on yiour email?

So will you have an amnio ? Sorry no good with statistics and things.
Its cold here though snow in London wow !

no, think will give diagnostic test a miss, as the statistic seems good, boh!

1 in 3500 is really good Hot, I was told that from 35-43 the odds are 1 in 350 (don't know how old you are but anyway it shows 1 in 3500 is v good
You're right re emotional attachment to house, that's it from now on - am going to be detached until contracts signed, until that time it is only 4 walls, from the point of signing I will run down to Zara Home and go mad
Centro commerciale was vile -could have been back in the Arndale . Couldn't face it when I was there so ended up just getting ds some shoes after he chucked 1 shoe on the street yesterday without me realising!

Yes Hot, 1:3500 is really good, and you're right to stop worrying about the cvs at this point, also because you'll keep coming up against a brick wall and you just need to relax now.

Gio, I wouldn't go back to silly woman to offer more, not least because of the pride factor (which has never got me very far, admittedly). I would perhaps ring up to find out if there is any news as at least they are aware you are actually interested.
If you don't get this, I'd say next time include the extra 400 euros, it looks better and no one knows your outgoings anyway. If you don't get this it might be a blessing in disguise and something better and cheaper will turn up instead. At least, it's happened to me like that a few times so stay positive.

Rosa, if you don't want to eat invent maybe a mal di pancia because you unwittingly exposed it to the cold and damp Venetian air when hanging out your washing or something. I'm sure people will understand and sympathise.

Lovely day here, lots of sunshine despite rain and flash floods being forecast. I'm hoping that since they've got it so clamourously wrong the last few weekends they'll be wrong for Monday too, so DD can at least have a tiny ride on a horse or something.

Auguri! What's with this weather? No picnic for pasquetta for us tomorrow! Anyone know how long it's meant to be lasting for? My parents are out next week and desperate for some sun, they will be gutted if it continues like this. They are here for 10 days, surely it can't last that long??? We are going to Sorrento for a week on Friday and (as ong as doesn't rain) I can't wait!!
Brange before I read your post I called agent, not to offer more money (I agree with you re pride thing), just to mention re 400 euros. I was told that wouldn't make any difference , our combined earnings were fine, the problem was that dp's permanent job paid him a wage that was "veramente basso". I was SO . She was so dismissive of him. I felt like pointing out that by crappy ridiculous Roman wages standards it isn't veramente basso per niente! I know some poor sods here who graduated 8 years ago who can only get call centre jobs paying ?550 a month !!! How dare she dismiss him like that - snotty cow, it's not his fault the decades long crisi di bloody governo means wages here still relate to the lire!!! So decided don't really want to pay nasty woman 1600 euro fee for being smug and looking down on us so don't want the apartment anyway!
Sorry rant over and will stop boring you all about my accomodation woes
Rosa did you manage to avoid the cake?

I did actually thanks- scraped the cream off the top and dd ate it !
Its a bit grey here rained last night but doen't look that good actually.
Gio I am so at the landlady and think you are incredibly good not to have told her to shove her politics, commenti and most of all the tubo di scarico up her romano sedere. I am disgusted it is not her business to say things like that . You have proved that you earn enough for the rent SO effin what if your dp earns a bit less than Veltroni. I sincerely hope that something much better and slghtly cheaper comes up soon and most of all with un stuffy landladies.
Well we are trying to go to this agriturismo today have found that dd wellies size 22 she now size 24 so could be interesting. I don't fell like it but hey ho said we will go...
Hope none of you are off trying to picnic !

Oh dimenticata..... I have not tried it yet but if you go onto www.bbc.co.uk there is on there somewhere where you can put in the program you have missed and watch it on the computer. Apparently it is only for the last week but you can find everything ....When I get a sec will try it !

Rosa: I'm impressed by your dd's shoe size! 24 at 2 is pretty impressive , is she taller than the average as well? Bless!!!!!! she must be so cute.

Gio: ditch the bloody agency. We didn't have to produce anything to rent our flat, just pay 3 months in advance. No agency fee as it was from a privato. I'm sure you'll find a much better flat from a much more HONEST landlord. I'm on your behalf.... I love ZARA home!! Thank goodness it is really fuori mano in Milan and I never have the occasion of going, otherwise I'd spend millions.

Hothell 1:3.500 is great. I had 1:2.700 with dd (didn't do the nuchal fold thingy with ds).

We are still at inlaws. Piedmont has been an isola felice, no rain, and today the sun is shining. (a bit cold though, it snowed everywhere in the Alps).
Tomorrow I'm going to serravalle outlet with sil, I will raid the petit bateau shop . I get too overexcited for silly things, don't I ? I need a life