I wish we had fragrant smelling laundry detergent.

I miss fabric softener. Or at least the fact that back home my clothes always smell good after they've been laundered. Because the washing machines automatically dispense detergent, I have no say on this. Today I decided to do something about this. I used my Woolite-like soap normally reserved for washing clothes in my sink and poured a capful into my load (even though they told us not to add more soap. I'm a rebel). For the first time here, my clothes smelled lovely after being in the laundry. Yeah!

Despite being shut down for a little while by the mayor of Paderno, Guiseppe Verde (a restaurant in Crespano) is up and running again. A big group of us went there Wednesday night. I don't think the restaurant normally has a dance floor, but the Americans outnumbered the Italians and a dance floor formed. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have wine (what establishment in Italy doesn't serve wine, really?) Three guys were sporting bright yellow jumpsuits they were compelled to buy in Prague. They looked like a mix between an Indy Racecar driver/mechanic and an astronaut. You know you've been in Italy too long when you actually start to recognize the Italian techno song and it doesn't make you want to pull your hair out in horror anymore.

At our town hall meeting last night (which is just an opportunity for students to complain that we only have one washer working, the cafeteria ladies won't give Americans the good yogurt and the trash cans are made for people who don't produce any waste) our program coordinators reminded us we only have three weeks of school left. That seems like an incredibly short amount of time left in the semester...and looking at my planner, all my projects, papers and test are clumped around the same time. That's annoying.

In other news, I leave Friday to begin the official draining of my bank account. I think I just may have chosen the three most expensive cities to visit during the travel break. I arrive in London Friday night, go to Dublin on Monday and Paris on Thursday. In London I have tickets to see "We Will Rock You" (a musical with songs from Queen) and "Lion King" (a classic). I'll be there over Easter and may attempt to attend Easter service at Westminster Abbey. How cool would that be?

I hear that my most favoritest show ever, The West Wing (starring the ever so wonderful Martin Sheen and a stellar supporting cast) will be around for another year (even though his term as president will be over). This is fabulous news because I have been deprived of my West Wing reruns on Bravo (airing at least 3 times a day). Don't worry, I did not watch all three. Some were duplicates.