Why????

The older I get, the more capable I become of controlling my anger. Except, and this is a big Except, when I'm driving along the streets of Perugia.

Why? WHY? Do you have to nearly kill me on principle? I'm *sorry* I didn't merge fast enough onto the highway! I'm *sorry* you sped up at the last minute so I couldn't turn left but I did anyway and so you had time to simultaneously give me the finger and honk your horn but apparently didn't have quite enough reaction time to ACTUALLY SLOW DOWN to avoid hitting me! Good thing I slammed on my freakin breaks.

Why? Are you really late for dinner? Is your wife going to kill you? Do you really have to get to work as soon as possible so you can manage to finish paying off your 5 trillion Euro gas-guzzling Mercedes? Or are you just an a**hole?

Well, then a**hole, I just have one final question for you - although I think I already know the answer: Why is my time/car/lane/life worth less than yours?

Rant completed (till I drive to work tomorrow).

Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing all the mothers I know - and especially my own! - a very happy Mother's Day! May you always all know how much you are appreciated and loved!

Kites and Labor

Spent May 1st, or Italian Labor Day, at the Castiglion del Lago Kite Festival as per tradition with Clare, Marcello, Chiara and Mary. Had a really nice time, despite a terrible onslaught of allergies (wow, like clockwork...May 1st, POOF: Jodi turns red, itchy, blotchy and cranky...TADA!!).

The Gang:



It was my first experience flying a kite - except for when my father accidentally flew ours from the top of our car driving across the Golden Gate bridge during a family trip back the early 80's...(you didn't think I forgot, did you dad?)

You can see I'm new at this from my intense facial expression...



Luckily the kite was categorized as "Easy to Fly"!

Andrea had a nice go at it too:



A fun time was had by all!

Springtime contemplation

Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.
- Henry David Thoreau

Adorable (there, I said it)

Andrea just minutes before he he shaved it all off. *Sigh.* I was kind of digging the no-worries-if-out-after-midnight benefit of him having the scary Osama beard - especially when it would rain and he'd have to put his hood up. Scary!

Crazy day

Years ago in college, I had a nightmare. While I can't remember all the details, the one thing that always stuck in my mind was the date "April 12th." In this nightmare, something awful took place on that date. So, me being me and all (read: I'm paranoid), every April 12th since then has had me a bit on edge. The phone ringing gives me the chills, Andrea leaving the house this morning made my hair lift on end.

Yeah, I know, I'm a freakin ray of sunshine with this little tidbit of highly (TMI) information, but I am telling you all because I now believe that the more people I tell, the more likely it is that I will get this weeeeird detail out of my life.

So, there ya have it: I'm crazy as a sloth in a marathon. Enjoy the rest of your day, please don't get hit by a bus.

UPDATE: It is now April 13th and I - and all the people I know, as far as I can tell - have made it once again through April 12th. Go figure.

Few and far between

I've been awful at updating my blog(s), just so busy with the 'new' job and trying to keep up, fairly unsuccessfully, with my own life. Just as soon as I have anything of importance to share, you'll be the first ones to know. In the meantime, I'll get back to my pointless, incessant barking now....

Buon weekend!