things I never knew I'd miss

Sundays are always the day you feel the most home sick. I read my friend Kayli's blog a couple weeks ago about how she missed Sunday dinners with her family, and it just hit a little too close to home. Today I really wish I could be eating mom's roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, rhode's rolls, and corn. Yum. There would be kids absolutely everywhere--fighting, yelling, laughing--and tons of plates to dish up. Of course, singing time with everyone afterward--with mom on the organ, one of the girls playing the piano and everyone else singing favorite hymns and children's songs--while the kids either sing, fight, dance, or run downstairs to watch a show. After the singing there would be dessert--brownies and ice cream, or if we're really lucky--homemade cinnamon rolls with maple icing. Wow. It's things like that I know I'll always miss. But there are a lot of things that I never thought I would (or could) miss.

1. Milk. Real milk. (alright, I knew I'd miss this--after 6 weeks in Ukraine without it I almost cried when the stewardess on my flight home in the U.S. said I could have milk for my drink on the flight--pathetic, yes!) I think I'd like to get a cow when I get home.

2. Concrete sidewalks. Who would miss that? My feet. In the ongoing battle between Europe and my feet--Europe wins. Every time! I used to think cobblestone was so quaint--not so much anymore. I hate it. I'll post a picture of those blasted sidewalks so you can see.

3. My car--or just any car I could drive. I knew we'd be using public transportation and that I wouldn't drive for a whole year--but I didn't realize that it would make me feel like I was 15 again--trapped, unable to drive. Only able to go as far as my large two feet would carry me (which is not far on these sidewalks). The worst part is the public transportation. Not only do all the buses/trains wreak of who knows what, but anytime you touch anything it feels so filthy--slimy and sticky. Eww. I swear I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on me at all times. I'm tempted to bring a bottle of Febreeze and spray down everything and everyone--but I haven't had the nerve, yet!

4. Hospitals. We live across the street from a hospital--a hospital that was built during the 1st world war. It is exactly what you would expect a WWI hospital to look like too. Exactly. Whenever I see it I'm looking for uniformed soldiers to be coming or going--with missing limbs or bandages around their heads, and nurses in white dresses, aprons, and stockings, with Red Cross symbols on their hats pushing these said soldiers around in wheel chairs. (Carlos thinks I'm a little too dramatic). Dramatic or not, I made him promise never to take me there--even if I'm dying. I'd be too afraid I'd never make it out. Fortunately, we're not planning on needing any hospitals while we're here (who plans for a hospital visit??) but I refuse to go, so hopefully we won't need any medical care.

5. Ready-made food. No one would ever believe it but I actually cook now--from scratch! No Italian seasoning mix, no ranch dressing, no Ghiradelli brownie mix, no Prego spaghetti sauce, no store bought tortillas (Hello???). All of which were my staples in cooking just a few short months ago. It's a totally different universe over here. Yes, I miss my Wal-Mart--my ability to find anything and everything I could ever need in one location. On the bright side--I'm actually learning how to make real food. Carlos told me "I like 'this Alyse' much better." I think he appreciates real food--and an actual homemaker. It's amazing how clean your house can be and what you can cook without that little thing called "a full-time job" getting in the way.

6. The smell of 409. This may be the most random--but no less missed. We found an "all-purpose cleaner" and of course bought the cheapest one. It's florescent pink and smells absolutely terrible. As far as I can tell, it doesn't really clean anything, and the smell after you "clean" is not the "clean smell" I'm used to. Our dish soap isn't much better. I may just have to give in and buy a new (and hopefully better) all-purpose cleaner before I use up this whole bottle--I'm not sure how much more "clean" I can take.