Trip to the Cinque Terre

Tribute to Sisters - I love you !

A Birthday Tribute

Band on the run... today I am writing in memory.. in memory of what you ask? In memory. Today is January 31st 2008- today is also the birthday of my first love- Richard Cooper Crosby. I have not seen him in 14 years since we broke up a little after my 19th birthday. He subsequently married, had a child and now I believe is divorced. It just seems that every year when Jan. 31st rolls around I can't forget that it is his birthday. Band on the Run--was our song by default. Not because be both loved WINGS (although I am sure that everyone secretly does) but because strangely every time we got into my car (because even though he was year older he didn't have a driver's license and I did) the silvery Caprice Classic inherited from Gaggi & Poppi this song was on the radio. Not like once or twice, but like every time we got in the car for an entire summer. It was strange and remains permeated in my mind. Anyway, he was my first great love. I was sure we would marry and have oodles of kids, but alas this did not happen..for many reasons but mostly because I was 15 and he was 16 when we met and over the years people change. We were different in so many ways, but I am sure that the love that we had for each other at that time in our lives was real. As real as it gets anyway. I am now much older, married and have my own child and I live in another country so needless to say my life has changed a lot since 1994 when we broke up, but here's to you Richard... Happy Birthday where ever you are!

I would post a picture if I had one ....

WHAT DID YOU SAY??

So I am totally deaf in my right ear since Saturday morning- this really sucks and tomorrow I am going to the doctor again to see if this is normal after 4 days of antibiotics. I mean I love the fact that we have "social medicine" here in Italy (ha ha ha-- as if it were really free), but they so suck at treating every day normal illnesses. I mean if you have a horrible illness or something chronic then there is no HMO saying you aren't allowed treatment etc- you just get in line with everyone else- but if you have something like an ear ache (which Madison had for 1 year solid until we had tubes put in - in the US) then they basically wait until you are deaf to do anything and then at that point they say "well you are deaf in one ear but you will live" - THANKS A LOT! I love living in Italy when I am driving through the countryside and the beauty really takes my breath away- the parks are basically safe places (even at night) my child's public school (that he will attend next year as day care is not yet available to all) does not require a metal detector etc. but the salaries stink, job market is super closed (if you are over 30 forget about finding a job and if you are a woman between the ages of 18-40 the first question on your interview is "do you plan on having children?" to which of course you answer "no, absolutely not- in fact I am sterile". but of course they don't believe you and don't want to pay for the eventual maternity leave (which if you have a job is great- 5 months paid leave and up to 2 years off where they must maintain your position) and so you don't really get the job. What else... can you tell I am surly these days... and NO - I am not having my period!

p.s. just looked at an ear health website and thank god I don't have ear maggots!

Bitch Blog

Ok- so I have not been posting lately. Mostly because I can only do it at work (which I am not supposed to do) because it is MISSION IMPOSSIBLE for me to work on the computer when I am at home because Madison wants to sit on my lap and hit all the keys and begs for me to go on the Anniejuneleoquincy site a.k.a Little Einstein site and play. Also I was struck with an inner ear infection on Saturday morning at 7.30am - the pain was so intense that I went to the ENT Emergency clinic at the hospital becuase A) I thought my ear drum was going to burst and B) the pain was so intense I thought I was going to pass out..
So that is the reason why I haven't been blogging. Now to my current topic I have to bitch
Bitch #1
I have been having some "challenges" (as my father would call them) at work. I have a colleague who is extremely anal about the way she works - which is fine- but lately she has been "controlling" my work. "Why did you do this?" " Why did you do that?" " Why are you here early?" "Have you sent this or that?" Basically I want to yell "why don't you mind your own FREAKING business and let me get on with mine" But being the civilized person that I am - I have so far refrained. This morning I asked her simply to modify the way in which she sends me FYI messages as they are a bit cryptic for me and the response was "why are you so irritated this morning" ------YIKES...

Bitch #2
This bitch goes out to a person that will remain unnamed- However put in a general way, I really hate when someone bombards with demands- do this, do that, get on it right away- I do it with the quickness of a cowboy drawing for his life and then when I say ok- "i've done it- now what?" and they respond- oh well, I don't want to work on that now - it's late, I'm resting, I've got over things to do....etc etc. If you are not serious about something DO NOT BREAK MY BALLS ABOUT IT.
At this point I have made some decisions about my life and for now I am going it alone....

-- 

Scary Dreams

I was reading about my friend Natalie's dream the other day and last night I had a doozy. So anyway I will not even go into the fact that I have not had more than 4 hours continuous sleep this week due to varying factors.....Madison waking up and wanting to know I am there, him need for some reason this week to have the light on, the lovely little kicks that he gives me in my sleep and of course last night---the big "Maddy Moo is going to sleep in the his own big bed" which led to a 1am waking up crying searching for Mamma-three peas in a pod- or 3 people, a cat and a partridge in a pear tree in my bed..so between Alessandro snoring like a Crazy Train and little feet up my back, kitty making biscuits on my tummy--needless to say it was a restless night before the NIGHTMARE occurred. Ok, so there we are all three (oops) 4 if you include the cat in the bed with Maddy in the middle. I have this horrible nightmare that I woke up to find a crazy, scary, bedraggled and toothless (imagine Ethan Hawkes description of that guy in DPS) homeless man standing over our bed with not 1 BUT 2 knives calmly but crazily telling me that he must kill us..now for some reason I am the only one who is awakened by this man who is literally holding death over our heads...I am sure you could reason that this represents my feelings of how Alessandro is not involved in things I think are important and Madison's ignorance due to age and innocence for all things evil...in any event--without waking anyone up I am able by using my calm voice to talk this crazy beggar man with a white beard (O Capt'n My Capt'n) to hand over first the small knife (which I quickly toss under the bed in a Law & Order type swiftness) and just as I am about to take possession of the larger sword/knife I realize that I am holding the sharp blade in my hand and just at the moment when Capt'n Jack is about to give it up he changes him mind and slashes my hand open exposing me (in my dream) to all sorts of imagined infections and diseases that I could have potentially picked up from the unclean blade....then I wake up. So the disease thing is not new as this is all part of my phobias/OC disorder which seems to rear its ugly head (despite my meds- which I forget to take frequently- that could be why) when I am under a lot of stress. Might I also mention that I have had unbearable pain in my neck and shoulders this week... I bought that damn Roll-On essential oils Anti-Stress thing and am using often--I have finished my Rescue Remedy-what is going on Marvin Gaye?
So I am just finishing up a week of work slaving at the computer renting luxury villas to people who are apparently made of money and the low USD is not affecting, I am having a cup of tea that smells like cumin (armpits) and am about to head home... what I am thinking tonight is Tylenol PM and earplugs!!!

New QUIZ

Who was your favorite teacher? Miss Nelson- fo so, 5th grade at EHS with Khaki

Where did you first encounter FWM? I feel like we knew each other as soon as we were born.

Who is your favorite Brady? I actually really liked Jan, because she was the whiny middle child like me.

What is your favorite Mexican dish? Fa-geetas

Who were the members of the Steak Club? - don't know but I remember the Shelby's Angels (by the way Shelby is blind now from Diabetes- I find this truly sad as he is a wonderful fellow)

What brand of underwear do you like? I am not brand particular- I try to get cute stuff that doesn't cut off my circulation and leave nasty red lines

What is your favorite BR bar? Hmmmm it's been 13 years since I lived in Baton Rouge so I am not very hip - but at it's time it was The Library or The Bayou (I was a Chime Streeter)

Of all the cars that you have owned, which is your favorite? I really like my Bora (a.k.a. Jetta) that I drive now.

Would you consider getting a bowl cut? I will leave that to my 3 year old who looks like a cute little preppy kid with his (in my mother's opinion). I avoid short haircuts as they enhance my tendency to a little plump

Do you prefer your sausage in patty or link form? I have to say that don't have a preference. I mean I like the patty equally to the link. But I like the sound of cracking the skin on a link (is that weird?)

Sound Sleeping

So for the last 2 nites I have been sleeping extremely deeply, having intense realistic dreams and when I am awakened by the sound of my baby angel (hee hee) saying "sveglia mamma" (trans. WAKE THE HELL UP AND PAY ATTENTION TO ME) I have been dazed and confused- misreading the clock and thinking it is like 1:30am instead of 7:30am which in any case is early- far too early considering I have to be at work for 10:30am. But it seems that I need this extra time as it took me literally from the time my feet hit the ground at 7:42 until 10am to walk out the door - dressed and ready accompanied by my 3 year old who was already dressed and ready. It seems unfathomable to me that it takes 2.5 hours for 2 people to get showered and dressed. But alas one of those people is a little 3- year old how is going through a period of his life that I like to call Pig Won't (if you are familiar with Richard Scarry you will know what I am talking about). Madison let's get dressed- no dress. Madison let's put your shoes on- no cappe (trans. shoes) " juice juice" -ok, here's your juice. NO! YUCKY (throws cup across the room). Maddy please don't do that...he looks at me with a sly look and does it anyway. What is this insanity? Terrible twos are over? HELP you other moms... what do I do?

Q & A from the Aquarium

1. Do you still have tonsils? yes

2. Would you bungee jump? maybe

3. If you could do anything in the world for a living what would it be? I would rate commercials

4. How many tattoos do you have? 1

5. Your favorite fictional animal? tigger

6. One person that never fails to make you laugh? KPE now Creech and my Brit friend Abbi

7. Do you consider yourself well organized? NO WAY JOSE

8. Any addictions? let me count the addictions...coffee for one

9. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? internet

10. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? neither really although I spent New Year's Eve at the Circus-what is a carnival really?

11. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? a playboy model.
12. Best movie you've seen this year? ummmmm Napolean Dynamite? or wast that last year

13. Favorite alcoholic drink? Apple Martini

14. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? kiss Madison &/or pee

15. Siblings? 2 and 1/2

16. (make up your own question here) Why are pretzels twisty?

17. Have you ever gone to therapy? yes many times

18. If you could have one super power what would it be? being invisible

19. Do you own any furniture from Ikea? yes and love it all

20. Have you ever gone camping? yes

21. Gas prices! First thought? Americans need to have smaller cars like in Europe

22. Your favorite cartoon character? Leo from Little Einsteins

23. What was your first car? Caprice Classic! Got love the Healey cars

24. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual? no and yes...it was meant for people who died at age 35-- I am almost 33 and have been married 10 years...

25. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons? Cosby all the way

26. Do you go to church? to do volunteer work but not to mass

27. What famous person would you like to have dinner with? Ozzy Osborne

28. What errand/chore do you despise? I hate running errands period

29. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? no alarm- 3 year old alarm clock

30. Last time you puked from drinking? hmm about 2 months ago sadly. I seem to always throw up when I drink- strange that.

31. What is your heritage? UMMMMM Scottish McInnish, Irish Healey, German - Burkhart

32. Favourite flower? peach roses

33. Disney or Warner Bros? neither- PIXAR

34. What is your best childhood memory? i have tons..Milkawanna (ask me or N- too long to write)

35. Your favorite potato chip? salt and vinegar chips (those ones you can only get in the NE)

36. What is your favorite candy? I like Tootsie pops

37. Do you burn or tan? burnish tan

38. Astrological sign? pisces

39. Do you own a gun? no, but my husband does

40. What do you think of hot dogs? i really like them but cringe when I think about what's really in them. They are the perfect drunk food though

8:32 PM

The Case for Not Voting in November

Dispatches from one nauseating presidential primary

By Chris Faraone, Mark Grueter and Dan McCarthy

While you were sleeping like a dead baby at 4am last Friday morning, three of us crammed into a rental car and hurtled up I-93. We brought laptops, long johns, stimulants and skepticism -- all the necessary tools for documenting New Hampshire's notorious first-in-the-nation presidential primary and the carnival that surrounds it. Initially, we came for the same reason that we cover local politics: because by delivering anti-partisan commentary with some stank on it, we believe that even intellectually retarded hipsters and college kids who wonder why a Middle Eastern city named itself after a drinking game might be interested in the policies and people who govern them. But after four days of chowing bullshit and baloney, we decided that you're all better off not voting. If you're a status quo robot who wants press release-inspired rub about flip-flops, hollow promises and poll results, then please consult your daily newspaper. For the rest of you lazy fucks who need new excuses for not exercising your democratic duty, this is the only article that you need to read all year.

They've turned the word "change" into a cliché. Our candidates reveal total contempt for us by endlessly repeating the same meaningless slogans every cycle; the contenders all declare support for "change" (we tracked how many times this word was abused until we ran out of ink) and other vague notions such as "hope." All of this rhetoric should be denounced, but instead we are expected to decide whose crap smells best. Barack Obama busts the same junk that John Kerry did in '04: "change," "unity" and all that mindless tripe. But our new guy has alleged "rock star" appeal, so we're compelled to soullessly embrace nonsense because he has a solid chance of winning. In desperate hope for victory, sheeple are swallowing candidates' vapid focus group advice, and such pathetic subjugations should be opposed on all fronts.

Fred Thompson is no savior. He's the Wesley Clark of this race -- a comparison he earned by galloping in on a Trojan horse stuffed with half-cocked ideals and unwarranted egomaniacal one-liners. We all support the Law and Order franchise, but unless Ice-T is running that's no reason to elect someone president. If you're a sucker for celebrity appeal, and you really feel the need to pull a lever on November 4, then John McCain is a much better pick. In addition to that whole prisoner of war thing he has going, McCain also looks like Dan Aykroyd's character in Nothing But Trouble. We suspect that Dennis Kucinich would consider appointing super hunk Viggo Mortensen to a considerable cabinet post, but despite the Ohio congressman's being one of the few candidates in either party who is genuinely interested in engineering social equality, he's been written off as delusional.

Mitt Romney's tan is artificial. And so is everything he says. Sure, he'll stack his administration with cute blond nitwits like he did on Beacon Hill, but that's only a perk for the security guards who monitor the White House bathroom surveillance cameras. After covering Mitt in Massachusetts for three years, we were looking forward to ignoring him the way he did the Commonwealth for his entire term. So imagine our frustration when he decided to crisscross America advertising the irresponsible unfunded health care mandate that come tax season will leave us not only still vulnerable, but a few hundred bucks broker. You can fool some of the people most of the time, and those are the chumps who Romney has had success preying on. Judging by the Patagonia-and-khaki decked turds at his New Hampshire rallies, it's mostly clueless yuppies and other assorted selfish jerkoffs who gravitate to Mitt's optimistic economic babble, family junk and racist anti-immigration fluff. Prove that you're not one of them by staying home on Election Day.

Our electoral process creates a hysterical intolerance of dissent. We went to the Puritan Backroom Restaurant on Saturday to watch the debates with Mike Huckabee supporters, and while we expected virgin punch and a dangerous tribe of Christians, it turned out to be an enlightening Republican debate bash at which we could trade opinions with the bunch. And then Ron Paul was asked about the War on Terror. As the Hucksters booed Paul's criticisms of American foreign policy, we stood up and cheered, only to be reminded that we were across enemy lines. Even those who disagree with Ron Paul should appreciate his contrarian stabs, but Republicans prefer an echo chamber, like Sunday night's Fox News debate that Ron Paul was excluded from.

America is not a real democracy. Money has completely corrupted our politics, which is why we have the lowest voter turnout of any industrialized country. It's not that most Americans are indifferent to political issues; it's that we don't even necessarily get to choose whether or not we participate in what can best be described as transparent fraud. For starters, it's pointlessly difficult and tedious to register and vote. Unlike those in peculiar civilized European countries, our election days are not holidays, so many people simply can't vote because they have to work. Voting isn't supposed to be for everybody; they just make it look that way. Here in New Hampshire, campaign events are staged for the cameras. Hillary Clinton holds a "rally" in the small cafeteria of a Hampton high school (rather than in, say, the gymnasium) so that it will look jam-packed on the 10 o'clock news. Her handlers, paid to manufacture frenzied momentum, opened the auditorium for the citizens that otherwise would have been denied entrance, piping Clinton's speech in over speakers. The phony democratic politics that prevail every campaign cycle.

Chuckabee. Judge Reinhold's endorsement of Bill Richardson runs a distant second to the Chuck Norris-Mike Huckabee tag team. Their union put a choke-hold on every crowd they faced, and we sat at several star-dipped rallies watching voters suck Huck's puck just because it came with Chuck. It's eerie when a presidential frontrunner gains noticeable steam by billing himself as the undercard on a B actor's ticket, but we expected nothing more from a party whose greatest hero was a Tinseltown side note. If Huck goes the distance, Chuck will be VP. And while that might make for one fuck of a Chuck-Huck T-shirt, you're better off using the 10 minutes that it would take you to vote at your local precinct to cast your third ballot in the upcoming American Idol contest.

You don't have to be sexist and/or racist to reject Clinton and Obama. Bill Clinton impressed us so much with his speech at Bow High School that we fancied his wife was a committed public servant. Only after escaping his aura did we remember that she's a megalomaniacal carpetbagger who's determined to buy this election like she did her New York Senate seat. Hillary's declining popularity in New Hampshire might be due to the aggressive presence of armed guards and police dogs at her campaign events, but those of you outside the Granite State only need to resent her shameless yap. As for Obama -- the candidate of tolerance -- we thought you should know that his staffers don't allow people to bring homemade signs to his events. Sorry if you registered to vote for the first time because you were inspired by his rainbow coalition of supporters with multicolored placards tagged with hopeful messages; every one was painted by an intern.

Manchester matters. This place is ground zero for the primaries, which is both an unfortunate reality and an easy metaphor for the entire flawed electoral system. The mills that didn't collapse from neglect were favorites for squatters and addicts before the recent overhaul. The gilded theaters were bulldozed and replaced with parking lots and dive bars. To its credit, Manchester is a historically relevant working-class mill town that was once a cultural and industrial epicenter, but as a stage on which candidates' performances mean everything, this city's role as a political epicenter is a punchline to a depressing joke. Every four years this silly circus stops here, and the clowns never consider how using this so-called "Queen City" as a litmus test is just another exercise in meaningless tradition.

On the ride home, we didn't listen to Tom Finneran hack it up on WRKO. By unanimous decision, the crew also vetoed NPR icon Tom Ashbrook's cynical half-stepping. Besides not caring who won, the car was already littered with Bud Light cans, expired Newports and Burger King Italian Chicken wrappers, and even with the nipple-jerking New England breeze ripping through the windows, the thought of smelling any radio blowhard's breath was sickening. We had endured pollsters, talking heads and barstool strategists making irrelevant predictions all week, so instead of torturing ourselves we bumped some Tupac and rubbed our own crystal ball. Here's what we saw: one candidate or another wins in November, and thousands of American soldiers will still be sacrificing life, wife and limb to stick band-aids around the Middle East. You or someone who you know and love will still be poor, uninsured and about to be foreclosed on. Gas prices will be high, morale will be low and no one will take responsibility. Especially us, because no matter which ticket prevails, we will not have voted for it.

BORED!

My mother always told me(the myriad of times that I told her I was bored) that intelligent people are never bored. I think that this is wholely untrue as I consider myself quite the intellect and am ALWAYS bored. I mean things hold my attention for about 5 seconds then I am over it. I mean Madison (my three year old) are on about the same attention span- which works out great when we are together, but the majority of my day is spent in an office -where- when there is lots to do I am content and when there is nothing to do I get super super antzy! Like really ants in my pants can't sit still. I mean I can lay in bed and read for hours, I can watch movies (ones that I like) for entire weekends straight, but if I don't have something occupying my head I get agitated. I mean the problem is really that I am smart, but I am lazy. I have creative ideas, but am too lazy to put them into act. I prefer to be force fed entertainment as opposed to looking for interesting things to do. Am I a product of my 1980's culture? Maybe so...

Ugly Clinton???

ok, so I just got back from my lunch break where I was supposed to hop out to pick up my daily contact lenses, juice and diapers....and instead, I broke down and ordered a pair of glasses (which I never wear) as I was convinced by the "not so ugly" sales boy Claudio that if I continued to wear only contact lenses all my eye muscles would turn to mush and I would be blind by 40! So to the tune of €350 - translations $500 I have ordered a new pair of glasses that I desperately hope will not make me look like Ugly Betty. It's bad enough that there is such a thing as "adult acne" damn the man, and now I have to wear glasses- what's next "adult braces?"

checking in

so I am trying to blog more frequently as I am interested in what others are doing and there is the off chance that someone I know might be interested in what I am doing. At the moment I am at work- feigning work - as I have really none to do. My left buttock cheek is hurting from my sedentary lifestyle, but this morning I finally (after joining in July 2007) when to the pool to swim. It was a "prova" [Italian for ....for ...for..shit. can't think] a trial run sortof. I wanted to do my Power Yoga this morning and seeing as we bought a new DVD/VHS combo the other day and Madison slept at his grandparents as he is Scarlet with Fever I was again "a singlish adult"..however and there is always a however, this NEW DVD player does not play Region 1 (a.k.a. American DVDs. effer) so we are going to have to be rednecks and put the OLD DVD player on top of the NEW DVD player so I can see all my movies (50% of which are American). Goddammit!!!! So needless to say Power Yoga was American - I couldn't watch it and so I did a trial run at the pool- to see how long it takes to get there, swim a bit, shower, dry hair and get to work. It seems as if ..if I leave my house at 8.30 I can get there, swim about 45mins and be dressed and at work for 10.30. So I have made a deal with Alessandro- we are going to try for me to go to the pool on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning and he will take Madison to school and on Tuesday and Thursday night he will go to JUDO for 8pm...sounds like a deal to me. By the way, I am digressing but I just now finally saw the new version of HAIRSPRAY thanks to Carden Gene who sent it to me for Xmas. Love ya girl.... John Travolta is so good! My favorite line is "this sooooo Afrotastic" I wish I could say that a lot, but I don't think it is PC-but it's like saying Afrodisiac.... I like it... no offense intended.

watcha readin?

At the moment I am 2/3rds the way through Elizabeth Gilbert's - Eat, Pray, Love: A women's search for happiness...and I like it. I loved it at first, then didn't like it and now like it again. Next I am going to read- Watching the English...should be a good laugh

17.20 Monday afternoon

Well, it is completely pitch black dark outside at 5.20pm for those of you on a 12 hour clock. I am at work and have been typing my little heart out since 10.30. I am going on South Beach from today until my 10 year wedding anniversary- which is on February 14th 2008. I mean really, my child is now fully three so I can't use "I had a baby" as an excuse anymore. However, I have that "getting off of pasta" headache now. I have tried to do this diet like 4 times and I always gives up after about 4 days...Courage (spoken with a French accent- ku-rahj).

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Welcome to 2008! I have a feeling that this is going to be a fantastic year and that great things are going to happen. I am not sure why I have this feeling but I do despite the fact that my horoscope claims that this year will be my most demanding one ever.....I find that hard to believe and therefore I don't. I had a wonderful Christmas here in Italy, despite my intial trepidation and fear that it would be sad and loney without my American family once again. However, we managed to have a wonderful holiday season right here in Italy. Instead of walking in a Healey wonderland on Donray Drive- my friends gathered in Via Baroni for the third annual Healey-Magherini winter wonderland party. There was good food to be eaten, drinks to be drunk and good times to be had. All in all I have to say-SUCCESS. Christmas eve was spent in town doing last minute shopping, Christmas day at the Nonni's(grandparents) house, the 26th Santo Stefano (holiday in Italy) was spent with the Zii (aunt and uncles)...a few days of holiday rest...then the 31st was spent with hubby and toddler at the CIRCUS...only in Italy do they give you a split of Champagne at the circus (obviously for you to toast the New Year at midnight) but I thought it was a nice touch. Of course, we had ours open way before midnight. And let me just add this for all those mothers who give looks to parents of rowdy children - if my child can not act rowdy at the circus when can he be rowdy....stay at home if you want a calm evening!!!!
Sorry, but I have had the most uncontrollable urge to slap some of those mothers... I didn't ask for an "active" child, but i have one and I love him and I refuse to tell him No 24-7... there is a time and place I agree- but a healthy tiger growl at the circus when he sees the tigers at the cirucs I think is totally appropriate.