We hope everybody survived the ringing in of the New Year.
Judy, we are so glad you came out of your ordeal the way you did. You are so right about an angel. I think maybe you have a couple of them watching over both of you.
We had major rain today, again, starting around 5 am and going steady till 2:45 or there abouts. I was watching the Doppler for Shannon and seeing that her skies were relatively clear. We had 1.21 inches of rain, Santa Cruz mountains got something like 4.85". Of course the mountains always get lots of water. A real problem, as Shannon mentioned land/mud slides. Of course, down South had those horrible fires while we were in Italy. I hope you don't get the same kind of percipitation as we did. And they say there will be more on Mon/Tues. Well, this is winter after all,and Mother Nature is in control. And on our drive to LaLa land last week the hills were still a bit brown. So we do need the rain. Slowly though.
Rob and I spent a quiet evening last night bringing in the New Year and a quiet day today enjoying the rain. And miracles of miracles we didn't lose our power today. I went through print-outs of ST info and sort of put everything in order to file.
FYI- Two nights ago on 'Hist. International' they did a show on Ostia Antica. We came in on the last three minutes. I hope to see it listed again, so we can record it. We loved that site, this year. It was one of our highlights.
And we think that we may agree with Bill T. in regards to living in Italy. After reading some of the current posts here,.. rate increases by the 50% YIKES! And as Rebecca has written...taxes on everything even TV and radio. Another YIKES! for that. Oh, but the air is so sweet .....and so are the people.
Anyway, off to jammie land after this first full twenty four hours of 2004.
Cincin to all and Happiest of the New Year.
Wendy and Rob
Posts: 3081 | Location: Monterey Peninsula, California, USA | Registered: 07 September 2003
Diva - you can go back and read page 7 of this thread for the complete details. The executive summary is that thieves tried to break into our apartment as told in this post. And since I was somehow able to scare them away, Joanna proclaimed me a New Yorker in this post. (I'm pretty sure she has the authority to do this, though I have not yet checked with any government offices)
After your ordeal, you, too, have become a New Yorker. Congratulations. We will have to plan an NYC GTG soon
I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your concern with what I've been writing in my blog. I've made a couple decisions, and started the proverbial balls rolling in a couple directions. What will happen when they stop, I don't know -- it's going to be a really scary ride, because I've never done this sort of thing before.
Anyway ... things that happen outside can tend to put things into perspective. I found out that just a week or so ago, thieves broke into a friend's house, stole her new car and some other things, left the doors open, her two show dalmations were let out, and one got killed by a car. The remaining Dal is very sick. This person had stayed at the TLA, and I had known her from my time of working on the rez in Arizona -- actually I had worked for her father.
Life is far too short to let someone's perception of me get in the way of my happiness. I do, however, feel extremely bad about letting all this junk that's been happening get in the way of my keeping my word to certain people, and making promises that I wasn't able to keep. (Pheeny -- I apologize to you, and if you still want my help, I'll be happy to try it again soon.)
Thanks again for all your good thoughts. I'll try to get my blog into a happier state!
Maria www.wanderingsicilian.com When you know even for a moment that it's your time, then you can walk with the power of a thousand generations
Posts: 1193 | Location: Was Italy, now is London, and shortly will be Virginia! | Registered: 10 November 2001
Our daughther and sil are going back to Boston today after two weeks here. Our other daughter and sil wanted to celebrated the first night our new grandson slept 6 hours straight. So last night we all decided to go to a "mindless" movie. We selected "Stuck on You", thinking that since it was the Farley brothers, we were going to see a "Dumb and Dumber" type film. I was sitting between my husband, Dan and my theatrical technical director sil, Bryan. Dan thinks it is a sport to try not to laugh in a movie. It is like some kind of challenge he is throwing at the folks on the screen. "Yeah, sure, just see if you even get a smile out of me!" Bryan just likes to critique everything from the writing to the continuity to the technical direction. (Especially the technical direction since that is the area of his formal education.) At any rate, the six of us really didn't have any serious expectations of this movie. And maybe that is why we enjoyed it so much. It actually had a story line. (Sappy as it was). It was full of great site gags and puns. Cher delivered a dead-on interpretation of her tabloid personna (bad acting and all). Meryl Streep seemed a bit uncomfortable playing herself. But I'll give her the "good sport" award. The inside jokes from the geriatric theatrical agent were a hoot! But I guess you'd have to be at least 50 to get most of them. The physical comedy work from Matt and Greg was well done. Especially the burger flipping scene and the bar fight scene. Oh, yeah, Dan laughed so hard in a few places that he had a tear or two rolling down his cheek. And Bryan says he wants a copy of the DVD as soon as it comes out. High praise from him. As a final note. I plan to go out and get the sound track today. Music was great!
Deborah Horn
In a previous life I was an Umbrian sunflower farmer. I'd like to do a past life regression and stay there. ----------------------------------- www.petsburg.com
Posts: 5107 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: 04 September 2001
Maria, don't give us forced happiness. We can take the reality. Life is tough - some days I do not understand how we all keep on with it. You did something adventurous, something you always wanted to do. If it doesn't work out for the long term, that does not mean you should not have done it or it was the wrong thing to do. Like with the stock market, look at your life portfolio as it is today - what is it worth right now, what should you do next, what do you want now. The Maria now is different from the Maria a year ago from last summer who was living in Pheonix and giving up everything for a life in Italy. Don't make future decisions based on some plan you made 1 1/2 years ago.
As the wonderful, wonderful John Lennon said "How can I move forward when I don't know what way I am facing?" which I intepret to mean you have to figure out where you are right now and what you want right now, turn in the correct direction and move from there.
(Big talk from someone who can't decide if she wants to live in Santa Fe (which she loves) or California (which she loves, but really can't afford) or the east coast (which she loves) or England (which perhaps she loves, but perhaps it is too crowded). I figure the answer to "where the heck should I live for my next decade" will come clear sometime.)
quote:Originally posted by Diva: OK I've been away too long.. what is the New Yorker reference??
We've got guts/balls or whatever you want to call it. And if you are not smart enough and fast, you better go back to where you came from. Otherwise, you will be wasting your time/life.
"Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza..."
"I sing to life, to its beauty, to each of its wounds and each of its caresses..."
Posts: 1831 | Location: New York, New York | Registered: 21 December 2002
quote:Originally posted by Shannon: I have something I have to get off my chest. What? Well, it is over-exposure.... Appearing in, like, every commercial? What about selling yourself to the point where you don’t look like a pill-poppin’ fence hoppin’ loser like in the toids (that’s short for tabloids), but instead you just look like a greedy bastard?... My two votes for the most horrible, over exposed bleeps are: Catherine Zeta-Jones. Why, Catherine Zeta, why? Why do you feel you must degrade yourself so, appearing in almost every single commercial?... etc. etc. ...And this is not about commercials, but why are Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear (two fine actors) in that stupid movie about dunce Siamese twins? What is the world coming to.
Sorry Shannon, but I don't understand why this is so important to you. Let them make all the commercials they want, make all the money they want, all the bad movies they want... who cares? Unless all these people take something away from me or mess up with my family, who cares how they live their own lives? We are supposed to be busy trying to improve ours, don't you think? Or your post is a product of the holiday blues? You know that there is no offense intended, don't you? Happy New Year!
"Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza..."
"I sing to life, to its beauty, to each of its wounds and each of its caresses..."
Posts: 1831 | Location: New York, New York | Registered: 21 December 2002
Marion - That sounded like one heck of a wedding that you went to. I picked up on that part of your message because I'm totally immersed in weddings, wedding planning, wedding etiquette and MIL status, etc. I only hope that we survive the roadblocks that the MOB is putting up at every turn.
Shannon - I hope your message was only a result of New Year's headache. Although I do have to agree with you about Matt Damon's new movie - yuck!!
Posts: 265 | Location: Massachusetts | Registered: 09 June 2002
Sorry kids, just being silly, trying to keep my mind off very serious matters. Trying not to think, I guess. But the problem is I cannot stop.
Wendy, despite all kinds of reports for rain, we have had none down here since Christmas day when we had a doosy of a storm. It has been clear and very chilly, but no clouds or rain. Today there is suppose to be rain, but the sky is blue. I know you are getting slammed up there.
I want to go out and play with my new Bocce Ball set I got for Christmas, or watch all of Angels in America which Chris generously taped for me, or maybe go to a movie. Has anyone seen "House of Sand and Fog?"
quote: Hey, watch what you say! And that's either Joisey or New Jersey
Mamma mia, you people from Joisey are touchy! Just kidding. I knew that would set someone off but I just couldn't resist. I thought it would be Kim but maybe the time in Florida has mellowed her. Diva's response "I'm from California" had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.
I actually dated a guy from Joisey for 5 years. He was from Maplewood. Once we went up to visit his parents. We were cruising down the turnpike (highway), headed for the shore (beach) and The Boss (Springsteen) came on the radio. Do you think that makes me a New Jerseyan?
quote:Originally posted by WebFabbrica: I actually dated a guy from Joisey for 5 years. He was from Maplewood. Once we went up to visit his parents. We were cruising down the turnpike (highway), headed for the shore (beach) and The Boss (Springsteen) came on the radio. Do you think that makes me a New Jerseyan?
Steph
I don't know, Steph. Just realized I've lived 33 years, more than half my life in "Joisey", and in the same house! But I've only been "down the shore" a few times, bcz I grew up in NY, home of the great LI beaches. And even from here (not too far north of Maplewood) my husband and I once figured out that it was no further to Jones Beach than to the nearest decent NJ beach (if that's not an oxymoron).
OK, Kim and other NJ'ans. Want to defend the shore?
From leafy but land-locked Montclair Marian
Posts: 7050 | Location: Montclair, NJ, USA | Registered: 16 March 2003
quote:Originally posted by WebFabbrica: I knew that would set someone off but I just couldn't resist. I thought it would be Kim but maybe the time in Florida has mellowed her.
Not so much Marian beat me to it.
quote:I actually dated a guy from Joisey for 5 years. He was from Maplewood. Once we went up to visit his parents. We were cruising down the turnpike (highway), headed for the shore (beach) and The Boss (Springsteen) came on the radio. Do you think that makes me a New Jerseyan?
Almost - did you stop at a diner in the middle of the night?
quote:Originally posted by Marian: OK, Kim and other NJ'ans. Want to defend the shore?
Hmmm...well...hard to defend b/c you really have to go south to find decent beaches although since we gave Senator Bradley a syringe (sp) we found on our beach many years ago during one of his shore walks (it later ended up as a prop used during a senate debate ), the beaches have been pretty darn clean.
The real problem with the Joisey shore is - too far north and you have too many New Yorkas, to far south and you have too many people who live "outside Philly"
Although nothing compares to the "joisey shore feel."
Besides - isn't Jones beach all rocky and who wants to face the Belt Parkway in the summer - yikes!.
First of all, as an ex- and possibly future Philadelphian, you "go down the shore", right? Secondly, I always heard that you're a real New Jerseyan if you keep your windows rolled down on the Jersey Turnpike (rude, rude!). Is there any truth to this? Meanwhile, I will gird the loins for all of the well-traveled anti-Philadelphia jokes
Posts: 2054 | Location: Suburban Philadelphia | Registered: 08 July 2002
Actually, I'm a second generation San Franciscan who grew up down the peninsula (really feeling for the people suffering storms and slides just now - stay safe!), but I've lived in NYC for going on four decades (three burglaries, two muggings, innumerable run ins with 'crazies', and I've survived and/or caught all of them) so I guess I qualify. Lots of run on sentences here.
Want to second Pauline's advice and counsel not to give us sugar coated blogging, MariaV. We are all with you!
Topic Closed
You know that there is no offense intended, don't you? Happy New Year! 
Meanwhile, I will gird the loins for all of the well-traveled anti-Philadelphia jokes 
, I would order a tuna melt.