This is going to sound mad, but we have been waiting for a gas tank for a year and a half!  (Let me explain)  Our home does not run on "city gas," so we have a giant metal tank sitting in our front yard.  The tank supplies gas to our stove, water heater, and the radiators.  When the gas levels run low, we call a gas company and they send a friendly, Italian-speaking man to our house in his mobile gas truck for a refill.

When we first moved in, we did so with the understanding that the tank out front was not through the correct gas company.  The US Navy has a contract with the largest gas company in Italy (AGIP) and with that company only.  Military members are allowed to purchase subsidised gas coupons on base that can only be used at AGIP petrol stations and with AGIP's residential gas services.  Our tank clearly reads "Novogas" on the side, but for the sake of moving in right away (and not waiting another month) we decided to sign the housing contracts and worry about the tank switch later.  Later turned into MUCH later upon being advised that AGIP had some sort of problem/strike/shortage concerning gas tanks.  So, we have been waiting and calling about our situation ever since.  That was MAR 2009.

So since then, we have been paying for gas on our own...which is not cheap.  We learned very quickly that you really can go through 200 liters of gas in a week if you use the radiators to heat the house.  Call it lack of adequate sealing or too much square footage; either way, our set-up does not allow.  Hello, forced gas conservation.  Also, hello to looking like a sweater marshmallow in your own home.

As the cold weather approached, we have been working to get our tank switched out...again.  We've talked to the Base Housing Office, we've e-mailed the Skipper, we've called AGIP.  Finally, Stephen found someone who would not only listen to our problem, but who has stepped in to help us.  PTL!

Today, an AGIP rep was scheduled to come out to assess the tank and make a decision about the switch.  They did not give us a sense of <em>what time</em> they might arrive, so we got a taste of home in feeling like we were waiting for the proverbial cable guy.  At noon, Jennifer was starting to think the AGIP guy would not show and called Stephen.  Stephen was just about to grab lunch before his 1300 meeting and vowed to call his gas contact when he returned.  Of course, that turned out to be the <em>exact</em> time that the AGIP men showed up.  In their pinstripe suits and Italian leather shoes, they traipsed through our grass and assessed the possibilities.  They knocked on the tank, dug in the dirt nearby with their heels, and generally circled the tank bantering in Italian.  (Jennifer just sort of stood there wondering what to do next.)  Finally, they asked where the "proprietario" (landlord) was, which is frustrating since he was <span style="text-decoration:underline;">supposed</span> to be there for the event.  !!!  They left Jennifer their business card and said to have the landlord call them so that they could finish the assessment (or at least we hope that is what they said -- it was all in very quick Napoletano-Italian).  *sigh*  Welcome to Italia...now take a seat, it's going to be a while.

Have I mentioned that we are almost out of gas and the rains just started??