Wednesdays are always late mornings because a lot of people go out for the live music at the bar on Tuesday nights.  So, in honor of my slow start, here is a little update.

I finally got my residence card yesterday, with a minimum of fuss.  Unless you count leaving work in the middle of the day to try to track down the Amazon package I was missing and then walking several miles to the Comisaria de Policia to pick up my residence card as being fussy.  I don't, since the payoff was getting the stuff from Amazon (I have tongs!  A whisk!  Measuring cups/spoons!  A Brita pitcher!) and my residence card.  However, when I tried to get my phone I ran into some problems because the company with the best rates requires that you have a utility bill in your name (a bit of a trick when you live in an apartment building and rent there).  Anyhow, we think we figured out what I need to do - and I'm going back on Thursday.  I had a big plan to get an iPhone, but the company that sells them has TERRIBLE rates compared to a company that sells a perfectly good Android phone (a minimum plan of over 3X as much for limited internet service and a small number of text and phone calls).  So, I'm getting an android phone so that I can still have wifi on my phone and internet when I don't have wifi - then I have a great per minute/per text rate, and I can text internationally for the same rate. Overall, it looks like my bill will be less than 20€ a month for essentially unlimited internet and a good number of minutes and texts.  After the phone situation, I sprinted back to my apartment, ate dinner very quickly (eating the leftovers I didn't have for lunch since I had a sandwich instead) and then running back downtown to meet my friends for a quick coffee before going to the live music night.  Overall, I didn't really sit down yesterday at all.  I slept pretty well though, since I completely exhausted myself during the day.  :)

Today, we have Spanish 'til 6 and then I have to run to meet my new language exchange partner (a friend of my Basque teacher in Chicago), so it will be more of a run around day.  Then tomorrow, I'm going to try to change my bank account from a foreigner's account to a regular account in the morning.  We have a visiting speaker at work until 6:15 or so, and then I have to run to meet my friend to get a cell phone before the shops close.  But!  Oncer I get my phone, my life will be easier in terms of making plans with people.  Plus, if I get the bank account settled too I'll be done with all of my crazy bureaucracy for a few months, at least!