I thought the worst of the storms was over in the Philippines but apparently I was wrong. Typhoon Parma completely destroyed the Pangasinan region, where the wife is staying with her family. I spoke to her on the phone yesterday and she described the devastation to me, it sounds really bad. The good news is that her family's house where they're staying somehow escaped the flooding and everyone is safe and sound. The bad news is that the farm and all of her family's crops - basically, their entire livelihood - have been lost to the flooding. The bridge that leads the highway was also destroyed but she says it should be fixed by the time they are supposed to come home at the end of the month. I was worried about Luca and told her that if it was really bad she might want to think about coming home early but she says the worst is over and the waters are already starting to go down. Plus, the house is fine so there's not really much danger for them at this point I guess. It's probably good that she's there right now as she can help them buy things that they really need to recover. We're going to do what we can to help them get back on their feet but I'm sure it won't be easy to recover from something like this. She sounded pretty upbeat about everything on the phone though so I'm not too worried about her and Luca.
In a way, it's kind of ironic; the last time they had a flood this bad was almost 20 years ago. In that flood they also lost everything and were so desperate that the wife, as the oldest girl in the family, had to go to Hong Kong and take a job as a domestic helper to help support the family. About 10 years after that, we met. And now she's back home visiting her family with our youngest kid and it happens all over again. At least this time she's in a much better position to help them...
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Friday, October 09, 2009
The X Man and Daniele
One of the best things about coming back to Italy is that the X Man has started school and has plenty of friends his own age. We live in a duplex and the people who live in the other side have a grandson living with them named Daniele. Daniele is 4 years old, one year younger than the X Man and they've become best friends. Almost every day Daniele goes outside in the driveway which is separated from our front yard by a little wire fence, and starts his familiar chant: "Xavier...Xavier...Xavier..." and he will not stop until the X Man goes out to the terrazza and visits with him. It's actually kind of cute. Daniele asks everyday if Xavier can come to his house and he usually does. He probably spends more time next door than at home and often eats dinner over there. The neighbors absolutely love him and love having him over as he's a good influence on Daniele.
But things are not always rosy between the X Man and Daniele.
Daniele, although being a year younger, is bigger than the X Man. He's also a brute who doesn't always play well with others. When the X Man is with him, he becomes a lot more unruly than normal and suddenly has trouble listening to the wife and I. I've had to drop the hammer on him a few times and he seems to have learned his lesson. But overall, I'm happy that he has Daniele to hang out and play with, it's good for him to have a best friend. Yesterday, Daniele's grandmother picked up the X Man after school and he played with Daniele in their driveway. When I got home after work and walked up on the terrazza, the X Man was clinging to the fence and in a soft, weepy voice said "Daddy, I want to come home". I saw that he was crying so I asked what happened but he didn't want to say, he just kept saying he wanted to come home. So I went over and he met me at the end of the driveway and took my hand. I picked him up and told Daniele to tell his grandmother that I was taking him home but she was sitting on their steps and jumped up when she heard me and came over. Whatever had happened, she didn't see it and had no idea anything was wrong until she saw the the X Man was crying. When she asked him what happened, he told her that Daniele had hit him. Well she flipped out and started chasing Daniele around screaming at him, it was actually kind of comical. She apologized to me and I took the X Man home and he was fine. According to him, he wanted to "pick a flower for mommy because I miss her" and Daniele wouldn't let him and an argument ensued which resulted in Daniele hitting him several times.
I'm sure it's all been forgotten and Daniele will be outside today calling for him like every other day. But it looks like I'm going have to teach the X Man to defend himself...
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Quick Update
Nothing much new to report. Got a few emails from the wife; her and Luca are doing fine. They haven't gotten hit too hard by the numerous tropical storms that are wreaking havoc on the Philippines fortunately but they've been having rain constantly which makes it impossible to do much except sit around the house. Because of this, she reports that she's pretty bored and ready to come home already. Luca seems to be doing fine except that he caught a little cold and has a runny nose. They all went to her mom's church on Sunday, when they walked in the congregation was singing some praise and worship songs and Luca is such a music nut that he promptly ran to the front and started dancing which made everybody just go crazy. He's become as popular as the X Man was when she took him there. It's great that her family is able to spend time with their grandkids.
On the homefront, everything is good albeit uneventful. I have to take a day off here and there to watch the X Man when Giampietro and Agnese go out of town which I always enjoy. It's a bit difficult but between them, myself and our next door neighbor Giorgia, we are able to make it work with his school. I was kind of worried that he didn't like being shuffled around between all of us but yesterday I told him "See, there are so many people that love you and want to spend time with you that we have to take turns!" and he got a big smile on his face. It was a great fatherhood moment for me. They don't happen to me very often but they do happen. Overall I think he likes staying with Giampi and Agnese most of the time. They are like grandparents to him and spoil him rotten which he loves. We're very lucky to have them in our lives.
That's pretty much it. I'll post another update next week or so.
On the homefront, everything is good albeit uneventful. I have to take a day off here and there to watch the X Man when Giampietro and Agnese go out of town which I always enjoy. It's a bit difficult but between them, myself and our next door neighbor Giorgia, we are able to make it work with his school. I was kind of worried that he didn't like being shuffled around between all of us but yesterday I told him "See, there are so many people that love you and want to spend time with you that we have to take turns!" and he got a big smile on his face. It was a great fatherhood moment for me. They don't happen to me very often but they do happen. Overall I think he likes staying with Giampi and Agnese most of the time. They are like grandparents to him and spoil him rotten which he loves. We're very lucky to have them in our lives.
That's pretty much it. I'll post another update next week or so.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Daddy and the X Man in Venice
Took the X Man to Venice today for a little while. Didn't take many photos but here they are:
Click me!
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Wife and Kid Are Fine
For those who haven't been following, there is/was another huge typhoon that hit the Philippines this weekend called tropical storm Parma (How ironic). It was supposed to be even worse than the one that hit last weekend causing massive flooding and damage and almost 300 deaths.
Anyway, got an email from the wife this morning and she said they are fine, apparently the new storm all but passed right by them. All they got was some rain. For anyone who is curious, her family lives in the San Fabian area in the Pangasinan province, near Lingayen Gulf.
Anyway, got an email from the wife this morning and she said they are fine, apparently the new storm all but passed right by them. All they got was some rain. For anyone who is curious, her family lives in the San Fabian area in the Pangasinan province, near Lingayen Gulf.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Joke of the Day
Q. Did you hear about about the man who got a viagra stuck in his throat?
A. He got a stiff neck.
Thank you, I'll be here all week...don't forget to tip your waitress and try the veal...
A. He got a stiff neck.
Thank you, I'll be here all week...don't forget to tip your waitress and try the veal...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Bonding With the X Man.
With the wife and Luca gone, it's just me and the X Man here. Unfortunately my work schedule makes it impossible for me to bring him to school in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon so he's staying with Giampi and Agnese during the week and I see him after work. I have him all to myself on the weekends though and I am really enjoying the time alone with him. He really is such a great kid, well behaved and very polite. Giampi tells me that the people around town are so impressed by him and his good manners, always saying please and thank you and such. He's also very affectionate and often says "I love you daddy" right out of the blue. Just melts my heart. He constantly cracks me up with the things he says too, you never know what he's going to come up with next. For instance, we had this exchange on the way back from the airport last weekend:
X: Daddy, do you like the day or the night?
Me: Umm...I like the night because I can sleep.
X: I like the day because I can learn stuff and go to school and have a lot of adventures.
Anyway, I was hoping to take a few trips on the weekends while the wife is away but I think I'm just going to hang out with the X Man instead...
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wife and Kid Arrived Safely
There were a few nervous moments for me after reading about and seeing video of the flooding in Manila this weekend but I got an email from the wife this morning saying the flooding had gotten better by the time they arrived yesterday. Her aunt picked them up and they should be at her family's place in Pangasinan by now so I guess there's not much to worry about anymore unless another tropical storm hits. Apparently the flooding was some of the worst ever there with over 100 people dead, over 2,000 missing and hundreds of thousands without homes or electricity.
On the homefront things are fine. Had a great day with the X Man yesterday, just a couple of guys hanging out. He left for Giampi and Agnese's house last night and will staying with them during the week as my work schedule will not allow me to bring him to school or pick him up. Since Giampi and Agnese will be bringing him to school in the morning and picking him up in the afternoon, they said it's easier if he just sleeps there each night. I'll probably go over after work to see him and maybe have dinner. They are very excited about it too, they really adore him as if he is their own grandchild and especially now that he is fluent in Italian. The X Man is thrilled too, he absolutely loves staying with Giampi and Agnese. For my part, I'm completely ecstatic to have the entire house to myself. I cherish the peace and quiet. Don't have to close the door when I go to the bathroom, I can walk around naked...it's faaaaaaaaaaaaaaantastic....
On the homefront things are fine. Had a great day with the X Man yesterday, just a couple of guys hanging out. He left for Giampi and Agnese's house last night and will staying with them during the week as my work schedule will not allow me to bring him to school or pick him up. Since Giampi and Agnese will be bringing him to school in the morning and picking him up in the afternoon, they said it's easier if he just sleeps there each night. I'll probably go over after work to see him and maybe have dinner. They are very excited about it too, they really adore him as if he is their own grandchild and especially now that he is fluent in Italian. The X Man is thrilled too, he absolutely loves staying with Giampi and Agnese. For my part, I'm completely ecstatic to have the entire house to myself. I cherish the peace and quiet. Don't have to close the door when I go to the bathroom, I can walk around naked...it's faaaaaaaaaaaaaaantastic....
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Wife and Baby are Away...
The wife and Luca left out of Milan last night headed for Manila with a layover in Abu Dhabi. Her family decided to hold a huge family reunion so her and Luca will be there about 5 weeks, returning on October 31st. Unfortunately the timing could not have been worse as Manila is currently suffering from some of the worst flooding in its history due to tropical storm Ketsana that dumped the equivalent of an entire month of rain on the area in 6 hours. I've been very worried as the situation in Manila is extremely dangerous right now - estimates say that 80% of the city is underwater - but the last thing I read was the the airports in Manila and northern Philippines have been reopened so hopefully the situation is improving. As I write this, their flight from Abu Dhabi is waiting to take off so there's still several hours until they arrive in Manila. I've got status updates on the flight being sent to me as they occur so I'll be tracking closely.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
My Favorite Pizza
I've had dozens of different kinds of pizza during my time in Italy. When I first arrived in 2000, the first pizza that I was addicted to was "spinaci e ricotta" (spinach and ricotta cheese). Eventually I started experimenting with different toppings and combinations. For a while I was partial to "proscuitto e funghi" (Italian ham and mushrooms) and then after that I discovered just plain old pizza con olivi (pizza with olives).
Then a few years ago while we were living in Germany and visiting Giampietro and Agnese, we took them out for dinner. They suggested going to a nearby restaurant called La Fenice, (Italian for "The Phoenix"). Normally when we go out to eat with them I've noticed that they usually each order a different pizza, eat half, then switch. However on this night they both ordered the same pizza. It looked liked nothing more than just cheese and cherry tomatoes so I paid it no mind but at one point Giampi told me about the pizza - it was called "Estate del Sud", which means "summer in the south". The south of Italy, particularly in the Naples area, is known for great pizza and great food in general featuring delicious produce and ingredients. So on the Estate del Sud pizza was just tomato sauce, mozzarella di buffala (mozzarella cheese made with the milk of a water buffalo which is only made in the south) and some kind of special cherry tomatos that are only grown in Sicily and only in the summer months so the only time you can get this pizza is when the tomatoes are in season in Sicily. The finishing touch is a bit of basilico (basil).
Anyway, Giampi had me try a bite and I can't even describe my reaction. I'd never tasted anything like it, the flavor was just indescribable. I've since ordered pizza with mozzarella di buffala and cherry tomatoes at other places but the taste doesn't even come close. I've not found any other pizza like the Estate del Sud at La Fenice. It is far and away the best pizza I've ever had in my life. Unfortunately summer is over now so we have to wait til next summer to enjoy it again.
Here's a couple pics of the Estate del Sud (click to enlarge):
Then a few years ago while we were living in Germany and visiting Giampietro and Agnese, we took them out for dinner. They suggested going to a nearby restaurant called La Fenice, (Italian for "The Phoenix"). Normally when we go out to eat with them I've noticed that they usually each order a different pizza, eat half, then switch. However on this night they both ordered the same pizza. It looked liked nothing more than just cheese and cherry tomatoes so I paid it no mind but at one point Giampi told me about the pizza - it was called "Estate del Sud", which means "summer in the south". The south of Italy, particularly in the Naples area, is known for great pizza and great food in general featuring delicious produce and ingredients. So on the Estate del Sud pizza was just tomato sauce, mozzarella di buffala (mozzarella cheese made with the milk of a water buffalo which is only made in the south) and some kind of special cherry tomatos that are only grown in Sicily and only in the summer months so the only time you can get this pizza is when the tomatoes are in season in Sicily. The finishing touch is a bit of basilico (basil).
Anyway, Giampi had me try a bite and I can't even describe my reaction. I'd never tasted anything like it, the flavor was just indescribable. I've since ordered pizza with mozzarella di buffala and cherry tomatoes at other places but the taste doesn't even come close. I've not found any other pizza like the Estate del Sud at La Fenice. It is far and away the best pizza I've ever had in my life. Unfortunately summer is over now so we have to wait til next summer to enjoy it again.
Here's a couple pics of the Estate del Sud (click to enlarge):
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Autumn is upon us.
You may have heard me say it many times before but autumn is far and away my favorite time of the year. For most people spring is the time of year that represents renewal but for me it's the fall. For me, the fall is when everything is coming back to life. For the first 22 years of my life it meant that the school year was starting up again. It means that the football, soccer, basketball and hockey seasons are starting up again. This was always the best time of year for me growing up because I was such a soccer nut - nothing made me happier than playing soccer and so the fall was the best time of the year for me. The fall meant Saturday mornings at Brickyard Field in Litchfield. Later on it meant soccer practices after school and bus rides to places like Milford, Derry and Merrimack for games.
I guess I don't really know exactly what it is that makes autumn my favorite time of year. There's just something comforting in it, something that brings back all the fondest memories of years gone by. Growing up in New England, fall was always magical if for no other reason than because of the leaves changing. My brother has traveled all over the world and seen more places than anyone I know and he says that New England during peak foliage season, when the leaves are at their most colorful, is still the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. I'm inclined to agree. I was fortunate to attend college at a small, private school tucked away in the mountains in southwest New Hampshire called Franklin Pierce College (Now called Franklin Pierce University). It sits at the base of Mt. Monadnock, the second most climbed mountain in the world after Mt Fuji, and is right in the heart of leaf-peeper territory. "Leaf-peeper" is the term that refers to the droves of tourists that flock to the area in the fall to admire and photograph the vibrant foliage colors, many of whom come from as far away as Europe and Asia.
It's not that often that I find myself missing home. But seeing pictures of the foliage definitely brings back some very fond memories.
By the way, here's a great one-stop website for New England foliage:
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
I'm growing a beard.
I'm a lefty. And my surgery a couple weeks ago was on my left shoulder. One result of the surgery is that I'm not able to lift my left arm much higher than my shoulder which makes simple things like brushing my teeth, combing my hair and shaving nigh impossible. So here it is a couple weeks after my surgery and I haven't even attempted to shave so I've got a pretty good beard started. Although I've done the goatee thing a few times since getting out of the Army, I've never attempted to grow a full beard so since I had a good two week start I figured I'd keep going and see how it looks. It's coming in pretty nicely so far and although I had planned on shaving it off in a week or two, I have received a few compliments on it and I kind of like the way it looks. I guess you could say it's growing on me - literally and figuratively. So I'm keeping it for now. When it starts getting unmanageable in another week or two I might end up shaving it off but until then I'm kind of digging it. Here's a few pics...
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Update, Part 2
Shoulder is coming along slowly but surely. I'm getting quite a bit of my old range of motion back although I've still got a ways to go until I'm back to normal. I had my follow up appointment with the orthopedist yesterday and he told me that, looking a tthe post-surgery reort, the doctor ended up doing a lot of other stuff than what was originally planned so once he got in there he must have seen something that didn't show up on the MRI. But I'm out of the sling for good now, all the bandages are off and I'm able to do a little more each day with my left arm/hand. It is still very sore when i move it though and I still pop a couple percocet when I'm at home, assuming I'm not driving anywhere. I start physical therapy this coming Monday so hopefully I'll be back to normal soon and I'll be able to start back up with my kettlebells before the end of the year...
Friday, September 11, 2009
Update
Well, it's been over a week now, my shoulder is getting better, the bandages are off but I still don't have very good range of motion. I am going to attempt to drive to the base for the grocery shopping in a couple days. If that goes well then I will be going back to work on Monday as scheduled. While I'm not looking forward to going back to hell work, I am going absolutely crazy sitting at home with nothing to do. I ran out of movies/tv shows after about 4 days so mostly I sit on the couch watching stuff on Youtube or wasting time on Facebook. This is not how I prefer using my vacation time I can assure you.
Anyway, nothing else to say except I'm glad that September is here and the cooler weather. With it come soccer and football season so I am a happy boy...
Anyway, nothing else to say except I'm glad that September is here and the cooler weather. With it come soccer and football season so I am a happy boy...
Monday, September 07, 2009
My wife is leaving me.
Well, for a month anyway. Her family is having a huge family reunion back in the Philippines in October so she is headed back for a little over a month to spend time with her friends and family. She is taking Luca with her as her family hasn't seen him yet but the X Man will be staying here with me since he will be in school and 5 weeks is too much time to miss.
They'll be leaving out of Milan (much cheaper than Venice) September 26th and returning October 31st and the wife is very excited to see family members she hasn't seen in many years. As for me, I doubt I'll be doing much while they're gone as the X Man will still be here but I'm hoping to do a trip or two if possible. The hardest thing will of course be working around the kid's school hours. My work schedule will make it difficult if not damned near impossible to bring him to school in the morning and pick him up afterward but fortunately Giampietro and Agnese will be around to help. Not only that but our neighbor Giorgia is a teacher at his school and will be helping out as well. It'll be difficult but it should work out somehow. I'm also considering hiring a part time maid to help out with the housework. Unless there's someone out there who wants to come stay with us for a month...anyone?
They'll be leaving out of Milan (much cheaper than Venice) September 26th and returning October 31st and the wife is very excited to see family members she hasn't seen in many years. As for me, I doubt I'll be doing much while they're gone as the X Man will still be here but I'm hoping to do a trip or two if possible. The hardest thing will of course be working around the kid's school hours. My work schedule will make it difficult if not damned near impossible to bring him to school in the morning and pick him up afterward but fortunately Giampietro and Agnese will be around to help. Not only that but our neighbor Giorgia is a teacher at his school and will be helping out as well. It'll be difficult but it should work out somehow. I'm also considering hiring a part time maid to help out with the housework. Unless there's someone out there who wants to come stay with us for a month...anyone?
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Surgery report
This will be short as it's hard to type with only one hand...
Surgery yesterday went fine. It was obviously not a pleasant experience but thank God it's done and I can look forward to a healthy shoulder again once it heals.
The surgery itself went good but it was not without incident. When I woke up I wasn't feeling any pain except my throat which hurt like hell. The nurse explained that I had stopped breathing in the middle of the operation for some reason and they to shove some kind of tube down my throat to get me breathing again. Other than it was routine but then in recovery my blood pressure shot up and I ended up staying an extra couple hours until it came down to acceptable levels.
Right now I'm home with some kind of strange, futuristic, uncomfortable sling on, I can't shower for the next 4 or 5 days (sponge bath!) and I've got a bunch of percocet to deal with the pain although it hasn't been too bad yet. I'm off of work until the end of next week and I'm bored already...
Surgery yesterday went fine. It was obviously not a pleasant experience but thank God it's done and I can look forward to a healthy shoulder again once it heals.
The surgery itself went good but it was not without incident. When I woke up I wasn't feeling any pain except my throat which hurt like hell. The nurse explained that I had stopped breathing in the middle of the operation for some reason and they to shove some kind of tube down my throat to get me breathing again. Other than it was routine but then in recovery my blood pressure shot up and I ended up staying an extra couple hours until it came down to acceptable levels.
Right now I'm home with some kind of strange, futuristic, uncomfortable sling on, I can't shower for the next 4 or 5 days (sponge bath!) and I've got a bunch of percocet to deal with the pain although it hasn't been too bad yet. I'm off of work until the end of next week and I'm bored already...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Two more days...
Only a couple more days until my shoulder surgery and it feels like forever. My shoulder has been really hurting the past couple days so I'm actually really looking forward to going under the knife and getting this damned thing fixed once and for all. It's almost as if my shoulder knows it's getting operated on and is trying to make my last two days as miserable as possible. My coworker is taking me up to Aviano tomorrow and we'll stay overnight there since I have to be at the hospital by 0630 on Wednesday. I'll be home probably Wednesday night and then I'll be taking a week or two off from work to recuperate. I won't be able to lift my arm past my shoulder for a few days or so and I won't be able to drive for at least a week so I'll be confined to home and it's going to be extremely boring as I haven't set up my satellite dish and only get a few Italian channels and of course I can't drive anywhere. Times like this I wish I lived back on the Hauptstrasse in Heidelberg. Caldogno is a nice town but there's not a whole lot to do there. Also, the X Man doesn't start school until the 14th so the house will be anything but peaceful and quiet. I'm going to go to the library today or tomorrow and pick up a few books I guess. I'm also planning on chopping all my hair off since I won't be able to brush it for the next couple weeks...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Bees are trying to kill me. And my family.
A few months ago the wife was walking around town with the kids. Suddenly a bee appeared out of nowhere and flew close to the X Man. He is terrified of bees and when he saw it he flipped out and ran out into the street to get away from it. Fortunately no cars were driving by at that moment or he would have been run over for sure. It's pretty scary to think what could have happened if a car actually had been driving by at that moment. I shudder to think about it.
Yesterday I was driving back to the base and I was on a little small road that is barely big enough for two cars and has drainage ditches on either side of it. As I'm driving, some kind of big bug flies in through my window and almost hits me in the head. I look down at my leg and there it is, a huge freaking bee sitting there looking ominous. Well I hate bees almost as much as the X Man - especially after getting stung at work a couple weeks ago - so I temporarily lost control of my faculties as I saw this ugly thing sitting on my thigh. When you're behind the wheel, there's nowhere to run so I instinctively slapped it with my open hand as you would a mosquito. Fortunately that killed it but as I looked up I quickly realized that I was in the other lane with a car headed right for me. Thankfully I looked up in time and swerved back over to my lane. Had the timing been different, I could have easily either hit another car head on or ended up in the drainage ditch on the side of the road. It's funny because over the years of driving down that road, I've often seen cars overturned in one of those ditches. I'd say I've seen it about 5 or 6 times. I've always laughed to myself and figured it was the Italians driving too fast and crazy that they went off the road but now I'm starting to realize that it was probably the bees. They are apparently as cunning as they are frightening and ugly. They tried to take out the X Man a few months ago and failed. They tried to take me out yesterday and failed. From now I roll my window up whenever I'm on that stretch of road - they may be smart but they will not outsmart me. I'm on to them now.
Beware the bees.
Friday, August 21, 2009
My Top 5 of Italy
Yesterday a friend mentioned that her and her daughter might take a vacation in Italy and asked me what the 5 things I would recommend are. Immediately I thought this might make a good blog post so here goes...
5. Bologna. People are always surprised when I tell them this but I really think Bologna is one of the best kept secrets in Italy. I've often said that Bologna features the best food in all of Italy and since food is a major reason why a lot of people come to italy, it's surprising to me that Bologna isn't more popular. One of the best tasting dishes I've ever eaten in my life was a plate of freshly made tortellini cooked in a balsamic vinegar sauce at a little ristorante
next to Il Due Torri (Two Towers) called Tinellos. Bologna is the capital of the Emilia Romagna region which is Italy's culinary heartland. In Emilia-Romagna you find balsamic vinegar from Modena (Pavarotti's hometown) as well as the city of Parma, famous of course for Parmesan cheese and Parma ham. For gelato lovers, Bologna is generally known as having the best gelato in all of Italy as well. But it isn't just the food that attracts me to "Bologna la Grassa" (Bologna the fat). There is quite a bit of history there as well. There is a big Duomo worth seeing as well as the famous Two Towers, all of which have an interesting and quirky history behind them. Bologna is also home to the oldest university and the university population drives a surprisingly enjoyable nightlife scene. Bologna is truly a hidden gem.
4. Florence. I sort of have a love-hate relationship with Florence. One on hand, there is no shortage of things to see there. It is, after all, the cradle of the Renaissance. However it's so famous and beloved that everytime I go
it's so unbelievably crowded that it's difficult to enjoy as much as I normally would. For me the highlight is the area around world famous Duomo, perhaps the most famous in the world. One tip I give people is to wake up early, around 6 or 7 and go walk around before the tourists arrive. Then, just as it opens, climb to the top of the Campanile (bell tower) that stands next to the Duomo for some of the most spectacular views of bella Firenze. Florence is the undisputed king of Tuscany so the side streets are littered with enotecas where you can sample some of the best vino in the world. Not to mention that some of the most famous and beautiful works of art reside in Florence, most in the Uffizi Gallery. The Ponte Vecchio is famous but these days is nothing more than one big outdoor jewelry shop. Despite the crowds, Florence is a wonderful city with no shortage of man-made wonders to marvel at.
3. Cinque Terra. Some friends took me to Cinque Terra for the first time way back in 2000 and I was instantly smitten. You won't find glorious churches and expensive works of art here; this is nature at it's finest. Cinque Terra basically consists of 5 little small fishing villages on the Ligurian coast that have evolved into a popular tourist destination over the years. The entire area has been turned into a national park and is a popular hiking destination as well.
What makes them special is the way they are positioned on the water with the mountains so close to them that they seem to be pushing them into the sea. Each of the 5 villages has its own charm and personality but my favorite is Vernazza. We usually go there every 4th of July to relax and enjoy life as it should be. In some ways, Cinque Terra is Italian living at its best. The pace of life is slow and sometimes the most enjoyable thing is to just sit in the pizza with a glass of vino and watch the children play in the water. The seafood is plentiful and delicious and the scenery is some of the most beautiful and dramatic in all of Italy. I'm a big hiker so that's one reason I love Cinque Terra so much. The hikes are the most enjoyable I've ever done. I can't say enough about the place, it's just magnificent.
2. Rome. I really go back and forth with Rome on whether it's my favorite or my second favorite. For most people it would probably be number one but this is my list so I'm putting it as #2, although in reality it's probably more like 1A. Rome just might be the most famous city in the world and for good reason. So much of the world's history was influenced by Rome in some way. I'm a huge history buff and Ancient Rome has always fascinated me so whenever I go to Rome - and I've been there I think 6 or 7 times now - I find new things to discover and explore. Rome is so big
you'd need a month to really see everything. You could spend an entire week exploring the Vatican. One of my favorite things about Rome is that you can get blown away just walking around. The list of historical places in Rome reads like a history book: The Colosseum, The Pantheon, Circus Maximus, The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain, The Forum, Piazza Navona, The Campidoglio, etc. Rome is huge and this is perhaps one of its few turn offs. The Metro goes around the edges but if you want to explore the city center, you either take a bus and risk getting pickpocketed or you walk. For me, I love exploring big cities, there's such an energy and excitement to them and Rome is right at the top of the list. You can choose to visit all the famous monuments along with the crowds, you can sit in one of the many piazzas and sip vino as you watch the struggling artists work, you can take an evening passagiata down Corso Palladio with all the lovers, young and old alike, or you can cross the Tiber and relax in Trastevere, Rome's Bohemian area. The city is packed full of bars and pubs too and I once spent an entire weekend visiting as many different pubs as I could. Rome is mysterious and seductive. She is historic and wondrous. And I always miss her tremendously if I go too long without seeing her.
1. Venice. I'm sure that many people would disagree with me on this and I can certainly understand why. There is no middle ground on Venice, most people go and either love it or hate it but believe me, you cannot form an accurate opinion of Venice from just one visit. I'm fortunate to live a mere 30 minute drive from Venice and have been going continuously since I first came here almost 10 years ago. Venice has its turn offs, the crowds being probably the biggest. I would say that Florence and Venice are the two most crowded places I've been to in Italy. In the summertime, the heat in Venice can be oppresive, the humidity brings out the mosquitoes and the combination of the two can make the canals give off a less-than-appealing odor. Despite all this, I have always enjoyed Venice immensely. I've been there no less than 50 times and I can honestly say that I have never not enjoyed myself. Every time I go, it's like seeing it for the first time. I never tire of walking
around along the canals, over the endless bridges, taking in the eroding splendor of what was once the most powerful empire in the world. Venice is expensive but savvy tourists can get by cheaply. There are also parts of Venice where tourists seldom venture. It's joy to discover these areas. Perhaps I enjoy Venice more than the average person because I've learned my way around it by now and yet despite my familiarity with Venice, she always manages to show something different every time I go. Venice has so much to offer for those who are willing to accept. If you want to see the real Venice, the best time is very early in the morning and late at night. During these times, all the tour groups and tourists are back at their hotels in Mestre, the industrial wasteland across the lagoon on the mainland where the cheap hotels are. I like to walk around Venice around 6 or 7 in the morning. The city is almost completely empty except for some locals getting ready for the day. It's like you have the entire city to yourself. Several years ago a friend and I did an impromptu pub crawl in Venice and it was so enjoyable that it has become a regular tradition. Pub crawls in Venice are different than in any other city as the enjoyment is as much in seeing the city at night as it is in enjoying the drinks and cameraderie. I don't do much when I go to Venice these days. I mostly just like to wander aimlessly through the streets and back alleys, pop into the Devil's Forest or the Fiddler's Elbow for a pint (or 3), grab a panini and just take it all in. Being in Venice gives me a sense of comfort. Venice is unique, there is no other place like it in the world.
5. Bologna. People are always surprised when I tell them this but I really think Bologna is one of the best kept secrets in Italy. I've often said that Bologna features the best food in all of Italy and since food is a major reason why a lot of people come to italy, it's surprising to me that Bologna isn't more popular. One of the best tasting dishes I've ever eaten in my life was a plate of freshly made tortellini cooked in a balsamic vinegar sauce at a little ristorante
next to Il Due Torri (Two Towers) called Tinellos. Bologna is the capital of the Emilia Romagna region which is Italy's culinary heartland. In Emilia-Romagna you find balsamic vinegar from Modena (Pavarotti's hometown) as well as the city of Parma, famous of course for Parmesan cheese and Parma ham. For gelato lovers, Bologna is generally known as having the best gelato in all of Italy as well. But it isn't just the food that attracts me to "Bologna la Grassa" (Bologna the fat). There is quite a bit of history there as well. There is a big Duomo worth seeing as well as the famous Two Towers, all of which have an interesting and quirky history behind them. Bologna is also home to the oldest university and the university population drives a surprisingly enjoyable nightlife scene. Bologna is truly a hidden gem.4. Florence. I sort of have a love-hate relationship with Florence. One on hand, there is no shortage of things to see there. It is, after all, the cradle of the Renaissance. However it's so famous and beloved that everytime I go
it's so unbelievably crowded that it's difficult to enjoy as much as I normally would. For me the highlight is the area around world famous Duomo, perhaps the most famous in the world. One tip I give people is to wake up early, around 6 or 7 and go walk around before the tourists arrive. Then, just as it opens, climb to the top of the Campanile (bell tower) that stands next to the Duomo for some of the most spectacular views of bella Firenze. Florence is the undisputed king of Tuscany so the side streets are littered with enotecas where you can sample some of the best vino in the world. Not to mention that some of the most famous and beautiful works of art reside in Florence, most in the Uffizi Gallery. The Ponte Vecchio is famous but these days is nothing more than one big outdoor jewelry shop. Despite the crowds, Florence is a wonderful city with no shortage of man-made wonders to marvel at.
3. Cinque Terra. Some friends took me to Cinque Terra for the first time way back in 2000 and I was instantly smitten. You won't find glorious churches and expensive works of art here; this is nature at it's finest. Cinque Terra basically consists of 5 little small fishing villages on the Ligurian coast that have evolved into a popular tourist destination over the years. The entire area has been turned into a national park and is a popular hiking destination as well.
What makes them special is the way they are positioned on the water with the mountains so close to them that they seem to be pushing them into the sea. Each of the 5 villages has its own charm and personality but my favorite is Vernazza. We usually go there every 4th of July to relax and enjoy life as it should be. In some ways, Cinque Terra is Italian living at its best. The pace of life is slow and sometimes the most enjoyable thing is to just sit in the pizza with a glass of vino and watch the children play in the water. The seafood is plentiful and delicious and the scenery is some of the most beautiful and dramatic in all of Italy. I'm a big hiker so that's one reason I love Cinque Terra so much. The hikes are the most enjoyable I've ever done. I can't say enough about the place, it's just magnificent.
2. Rome. I really go back and forth with Rome on whether it's my favorite or my second favorite. For most people it would probably be number one but this is my list so I'm putting it as #2, although in reality it's probably more like 1A. Rome just might be the most famous city in the world and for good reason. So much of the world's history was influenced by Rome in some way. I'm a huge history buff and Ancient Rome has always fascinated me so whenever I go to Rome - and I've been there I think 6 or 7 times now - I find new things to discover and explore. Rome is so big
you'd need a month to really see everything. You could spend an entire week exploring the Vatican. One of my favorite things about Rome is that you can get blown away just walking around. The list of historical places in Rome reads like a history book: The Colosseum, The Pantheon, Circus Maximus, The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain, The Forum, Piazza Navona, The Campidoglio, etc. Rome is huge and this is perhaps one of its few turn offs. The Metro goes around the edges but if you want to explore the city center, you either take a bus and risk getting pickpocketed or you walk. For me, I love exploring big cities, there's such an energy and excitement to them and Rome is right at the top of the list. You can choose to visit all the famous monuments along with the crowds, you can sit in one of the many piazzas and sip vino as you watch the struggling artists work, you can take an evening passagiata down Corso Palladio with all the lovers, young and old alike, or you can cross the Tiber and relax in Trastevere, Rome's Bohemian area. The city is packed full of bars and pubs too and I once spent an entire weekend visiting as many different pubs as I could. Rome is mysterious and seductive. She is historic and wondrous. And I always miss her tremendously if I go too long without seeing her. 1. Venice. I'm sure that many people would disagree with me on this and I can certainly understand why. There is no middle ground on Venice, most people go and either love it or hate it but believe me, you cannot form an accurate opinion of Venice from just one visit. I'm fortunate to live a mere 30 minute drive from Venice and have been going continuously since I first came here almost 10 years ago. Venice has its turn offs, the crowds being probably the biggest. I would say that Florence and Venice are the two most crowded places I've been to in Italy. In the summertime, the heat in Venice can be oppresive, the humidity brings out the mosquitoes and the combination of the two can make the canals give off a less-than-appealing odor. Despite all this, I have always enjoyed Venice immensely. I've been there no less than 50 times and I can honestly say that I have never not enjoyed myself. Every time I go, it's like seeing it for the first time. I never tire of walking
around along the canals, over the endless bridges, taking in the eroding splendor of what was once the most powerful empire in the world. Venice is expensive but savvy tourists can get by cheaply. There are also parts of Venice where tourists seldom venture. It's joy to discover these areas. Perhaps I enjoy Venice more than the average person because I've learned my way around it by now and yet despite my familiarity with Venice, she always manages to show something different every time I go. Venice has so much to offer for those who are willing to accept. If you want to see the real Venice, the best time is very early in the morning and late at night. During these times, all the tour groups and tourists are back at their hotels in Mestre, the industrial wasteland across the lagoon on the mainland where the cheap hotels are. I like to walk around Venice around 6 or 7 in the morning. The city is almost completely empty except for some locals getting ready for the day. It's like you have the entire city to yourself. Several years ago a friend and I did an impromptu pub crawl in Venice and it was so enjoyable that it has become a regular tradition. Pub crawls in Venice are different than in any other city as the enjoyment is as much in seeing the city at night as it is in enjoying the drinks and cameraderie. I don't do much when I go to Venice these days. I mostly just like to wander aimlessly through the streets and back alleys, pop into the Devil's Forest or the Fiddler's Elbow for a pint (or 3), grab a panini and just take it all in. Being in Venice gives me a sense of comfort. Venice is unique, there is no other place like it in the world.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
A Painful High School Memory
Not all of my high school memories are happy. In fact, my entire freshman year was miserable. I grew up in a small town called Litchfield. Litchfield was so small at the time that it did not have a high school. You went through grades 1-8 at Griffin Memorial School (GMS) and then, depending on which part of town you lived in, you attended high school either in Manchester or Hudson. Myself, I ended up at Alvirne High School in Hudson. It was a real crappy deal for us Litchfield kids - you had the same classmates for 8 straight years and then half your class ends up going to a different high school and the ones that go to the same one as you, you usually end up losing touch with. For me it was terrible. I was cock of the walk at GMS, I had tons of friends and was pretty popular, like a big fish in a small pond. Then I end up going to this huge high school where I hardly knew anybody. It was very difficult for me as every single friend I had at GMS ended up in different classes than me at Alvirne so I literally knew nobody. And even worse, the kids from Hudson in my class had all gone through 8 years together and pretty much all knew each other and, as 14 year olds will do, weren't especially welcoming to kids they didn't know.
Some Litchfield kids were able to adapt and make new friends...and I might have too were it not for my sister. My sister Tracy was a senior during my freshman year. We were 4 years apart and had never really gotten along that well growing up. She wanted nothing to do with her little nerdy freshman brother; for example, she drove to school every day in her little Chevy Chevette but would not give me a ride so I had to take the bus. I never understood why she didn't seem to like me in those days but I didn't let it bother me, I was too busy trying to fit in in my new surroundings. Now, back then there was said to be a tradition wherein seniors would embarrass freshman by making them do things like sing or clean their table at lunch. Nobody ever knew anybody who had ever actually done it or had it done to them, it was just something meant to scare incoming freshamn, as I was told. Well, my sister decided that it needed to be done to me. She was friends with pretty rough and tumble guys in high school so she got two of them who looked like cavemen to do her bidding one lunch period during the first week of school. Somehow I had gotten word that she was planning on doing it at the start of the lunch period. The cafeteria was completely packed and everyone seemed to be looking over at me and whispering. My stomach was completely in knots and I was so nervous and scared that I thought I might pass out. And then it happened. The two cavemen appeared at my table and informed me that, at my sister's request, I was to go clean their table. I looked around for a teacher and tried to stall but nothing doing. I was trapped. In front of everybody, I got up, walked over to their table, picked up the trash and put it in the trashcan. I tried to keep a smile on my face as I did it, so as to not let them know that it bothered me but in reality I had never, ever felt so embarrassed and small. Any chance I had to ever be popular and be one of the "cool kids" - things everybody wanted in high school - were killed by those five minutes.
We got home that night and I was almost in tears at the embarrassment my sister put me through and the subsequent teasing and abuse I was subjected to by kids in my class. I told my mother what had happened and to my astonishment, she took my sister's side, said it was funny and that I was making a big deal out of nothing. To me, it felt like my life was over. I don't think I've ever as much hate and anger for my mother and sister as I did in that moment. I was so distraught and upset that I actually spent the rest of the night in my room making a list of ways to get even with my sister. Stuff like putting cat shit in her food or cutting off her hair while she was sleeping but in the end I did nothing. The rest of the year I continued to get teased by other kids about the episode and I pretty much just went into a shell and kept to myself. My entire freshman year was probably one of the most miserable times in my life.
Eventually the year ended and by the time sophomore year came around I started to come out of my shell a little bit. I joined the soccer team, made a few friends and even had two girlfriends by the end of the school year (of course, they were both freshmen and weren't aware of my embarrassing episode the year before!). Every now and then someone would recognize me and say something like "hey, aren't you the kid who had to clean your sister's table last year?" but for the most part it was forgotten.
I don't think my sister ever realized what a horrible thing she truly did to me or how much anger I felt towards her for a long time after that. I made a lot of friends and memories at Alvirne but I also spent 4 years convinced that she had completely ruined my high school years before they even began. You have to remember that I was a 14 year old kid, in a new school with no friends, hoping just to fit in. Of course I got over it and my sister and I are pretty close these days. I laugh about it now because I've got a lot more good memories from high school than bad ones. But that definitely is one of the bad ones...
Some Litchfield kids were able to adapt and make new friends...and I might have too were it not for my sister. My sister Tracy was a senior during my freshman year. We were 4 years apart and had never really gotten along that well growing up. She wanted nothing to do with her little nerdy freshman brother; for example, she drove to school every day in her little Chevy Chevette but would not give me a ride so I had to take the bus. I never understood why she didn't seem to like me in those days but I didn't let it bother me, I was too busy trying to fit in in my new surroundings. Now, back then there was said to be a tradition wherein seniors would embarrass freshman by making them do things like sing or clean their table at lunch. Nobody ever knew anybody who had ever actually done it or had it done to them, it was just something meant to scare incoming freshamn, as I was told. Well, my sister decided that it needed to be done to me. She was friends with pretty rough and tumble guys in high school so she got two of them who looked like cavemen to do her bidding one lunch period during the first week of school. Somehow I had gotten word that she was planning on doing it at the start of the lunch period. The cafeteria was completely packed and everyone seemed to be looking over at me and whispering. My stomach was completely in knots and I was so nervous and scared that I thought I might pass out. And then it happened. The two cavemen appeared at my table and informed me that, at my sister's request, I was to go clean their table. I looked around for a teacher and tried to stall but nothing doing. I was trapped. In front of everybody, I got up, walked over to their table, picked up the trash and put it in the trashcan. I tried to keep a smile on my face as I did it, so as to not let them know that it bothered me but in reality I had never, ever felt so embarrassed and small. Any chance I had to ever be popular and be one of the "cool kids" - things everybody wanted in high school - were killed by those five minutes.
We got home that night and I was almost in tears at the embarrassment my sister put me through and the subsequent teasing and abuse I was subjected to by kids in my class. I told my mother what had happened and to my astonishment, she took my sister's side, said it was funny and that I was making a big deal out of nothing. To me, it felt like my life was over. I don't think I've ever as much hate and anger for my mother and sister as I did in that moment. I was so distraught and upset that I actually spent the rest of the night in my room making a list of ways to get even with my sister. Stuff like putting cat shit in her food or cutting off her hair while she was sleeping but in the end I did nothing. The rest of the year I continued to get teased by other kids about the episode and I pretty much just went into a shell and kept to myself. My entire freshman year was probably one of the most miserable times in my life.
Eventually the year ended and by the time sophomore year came around I started to come out of my shell a little bit. I joined the soccer team, made a few friends and even had two girlfriends by the end of the school year (of course, they were both freshmen and weren't aware of my embarrassing episode the year before!). Every now and then someone would recognize me and say something like "hey, aren't you the kid who had to clean your sister's table last year?" but for the most part it was forgotten.
I don't think my sister ever realized what a horrible thing she truly did to me or how much anger I felt towards her for a long time after that. I made a lot of friends and memories at Alvirne but I also spent 4 years convinced that she had completely ruined my high school years before they even began. You have to remember that I was a 14 year old kid, in a new school with no friends, hoping just to fit in. Of course I got over it and my sister and I are pretty close these days. I laugh about it now because I've got a lot more good memories from high school than bad ones. But that definitely is one of the bad ones...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
More from 1989: The Time Mike Sold me Down the River.
So senior year I'm working at the video store. Often my friends would call and tell me to grab a movie and come over after work. One Sunday, my best friend Mike calls me up and says his parents will be at church for the whole night and suggests that I bring a porno over. The video store had the movies categorized and color coded - anything with a yellow dot on it meant "Adult" so before I left for the night I quickly grabbed the first yellow stickered movie I could and my friend Troy and I headed over to Mike's. Mike decides to hook up dual VCRs and tapes the entire movie while we watch it. I open the case and the name of the movie is "Blonde Heat: The Case of the Maltese Dildo" (By this time, I was fully aware of what a dildo was, I can assure you). We watched the entire movie (with pillows on our laps of course...), we go home and the next day I slipped the movie back in it's place with nobody noticing.
Back in those days I spent more time at Mike's house than at my own as I was practically part of the family. I even called his parents mom and dad. So one morning several months later I was sitting at their kitchen table having coffee and Mike's mother asks me if I've seen any good movies lately. Seemed like a strange question from her but I said no without looking up from the sports page. She continues with the movie theme saying stuff like "Hmm...well, we've seen some good movies lately" and "In fact we saw a really good movie the other night...". It didn't take long for me to realize what she was talking about even though it had been several months since that night so I looked at Mike and he nodded. I then received a lecture from Mike's mom about how serial killer Ted Bundy, after he was caught, talked about how he was addicted to porn as a youngster and how it had warped his mind, yada yada yada. But as I'm listening to her, I couldn't help wondering how she knew that I was there? The only way they could have known is if Mike told her and surely my best friend wouldn't do that, would he?
Well here's what had happened. After taping the movie, Mike had hidden the tape up in the ceiling of his room, which was in the basement, and forgotten all about it. Several months later there was a big storm which knocked out the cable to his sister's room. His sister's room happened to be right above his so when his father went to fix it, he had to go in through Mike's ceiling and of course in doing so he finds this video. This seemed strange to him so he went to the VCR and popped it in and after seeing it called his wife down and Mike was nailed. They confronted Mike about it and apparently the conversation went like this:
Mike's Mom: Where did you get this trash? Did RIK get this for you?!
Mike: YES!
And there you have it. No attempt whatsoever to protect me, just gave me right up. I asked him about it afterwards and he said he was sorry but he had panicked and didn't know what to say. We still laugh about it to this day of course and to be honest I even found it funny back then when it first happened. But I've never let Mike forget about the time in 1989 when my best friend sold me down the river...
Back in those days I spent more time at Mike's house than at my own as I was practically part of the family. I even called his parents mom and dad. So one morning several months later I was sitting at their kitchen table having coffee and Mike's mother asks me if I've seen any good movies lately. Seemed like a strange question from her but I said no without looking up from the sports page. She continues with the movie theme saying stuff like "Hmm...well, we've seen some good movies lately" and "In fact we saw a really good movie the other night...". It didn't take long for me to realize what she was talking about even though it had been several months since that night so I looked at Mike and he nodded. I then received a lecture from Mike's mom about how serial killer Ted Bundy, after he was caught, talked about how he was addicted to porn as a youngster and how it had warped his mind, yada yada yada. But as I'm listening to her, I couldn't help wondering how she knew that I was there? The only way they could have known is if Mike told her and surely my best friend wouldn't do that, would he?
Well here's what had happened. After taping the movie, Mike had hidden the tape up in the ceiling of his room, which was in the basement, and forgotten all about it. Several months later there was a big storm which knocked out the cable to his sister's room. His sister's room happened to be right above his so when his father went to fix it, he had to go in through Mike's ceiling and of course in doing so he finds this video. This seemed strange to him so he went to the VCR and popped it in and after seeing it called his wife down and Mike was nailed. They confronted Mike about it and apparently the conversation went like this:
Mike's Mom: Where did you get this trash? Did RIK get this for you?!
Mike: YES!
And there you have it. No attempt whatsoever to protect me, just gave me right up. I asked him about it afterwards and he said he was sorry but he had panicked and didn't know what to say. We still laugh about it to this day of course and to be honest I even found it funny back then when it first happened. But I've never let Mike forget about the time in 1989 when my best friend sold me down the river...
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
High School Memories, take 1
I had a music appreciation class my senior year where we studied all the classic composers. It was in that class that I developed an obsession with Mozart and his music. I liked most of the others but there was something about Mozart's music that just appealed to me on a different level from anyone else. Mrs. Friborg showed us the film "Amadeus" in that class. I had never seen it but was instantly hooked and ended up watching it about 100 times and memorizing all the lines. It remains to this day one of my all time top 5 movies. Years later I had a chance to spend a weekend in Salzburg, Austria (Mozart's birthplace) and it was unbelievable. The entire city is a shrine to him. There was a girl in my class named Robyn Oster, she had trouble with osme of the composer's names for some reason and the one that is sticks in my mind is Bach; for some reason, she could not say his name correctly. She pronounced it "Bark". Both Robyn and I were addicts of the soap opera One Life to Live which came on every afternoon at 2pm. We were stuck in class until 2:19pm so we had to miss the first half hour so for some reason we developed a strange tradition - every day when the clock hit 2pm, we would look at each other and hit our desks three times to symbolize the last three notes of the OLTL theme song ("cause we only have one lift to live...bum bum bum!"). God, the things you remember. Robyn is now a professional singer in Las Vegas.
I was a big soccer player growing up and at the risk of sounding immodest, I was really good. I played for the JV team my sophomore year but since I was from a different town the coach did not know me and stuck me at left wing all year which is a very unnatural position for me. I ended up only scoring one goal since the coach would only allow me to cross the ball and never shoot. not only that but I kind of felt like an outsider since I was from a different town than everyone else on the team. It really left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't bother playing junior year. But I missed it so bad and had made friends with a few other guys who played by then so I had planned to play senior year no matter what. But fate had other plans. Going into senior year I had a job as a video store clerk but I had planned on quitting when soccer season started. Unfortunately I had a car that I had to pay for, then senior pictures (which were over 200 bucks), then prom tickets, not to mention college less than a year away and all of a sudden I realized that I couldn't quit my job. I lived in a one parent home and my mother worked to make ends meet so I didn't have the luxury of just asking my parents for the money for stuff I needed. In the end I made the heartbreaking decision to forego playing my senior year in order to be able to pay for the stuff I needed. It was tough and the coach made it even tougher. his name was Mr. Taft, he was a gym teacher and he also went to my church. He watched me play in phys ed class quite a bit and lobbied hard to get me to come play for him, told me he really needed me, etc. And as luck would have it, my school went to the state championship that year and lost a devastating 1-0 decision to arch rival Nashua High. Not playing that year has always been one of the biggest regrets of my life. It's 20 years later and it still bothers me. I missed so much that year. Ever since then I've always told myself that if my kids get involved in sports I will not only encourage them but I'll do whatever I can to ensure that they don't have to miss out on playing because of something stupid like I did. You can never get those memories back. And besides, I had a shitty time at my prom anyway...
I was a big soccer player growing up and at the risk of sounding immodest, I was really good. I played for the JV team my sophomore year but since I was from a different town the coach did not know me and stuck me at left wing all year which is a very unnatural position for me. I ended up only scoring one goal since the coach would only allow me to cross the ball and never shoot. not only that but I kind of felt like an outsider since I was from a different town than everyone else on the team. It really left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't bother playing junior year. But I missed it so bad and had made friends with a few other guys who played by then so I had planned to play senior year no matter what. But fate had other plans. Going into senior year I had a job as a video store clerk but I had planned on quitting when soccer season started. Unfortunately I had a car that I had to pay for, then senior pictures (which were over 200 bucks), then prom tickets, not to mention college less than a year away and all of a sudden I realized that I couldn't quit my job. I lived in a one parent home and my mother worked to make ends meet so I didn't have the luxury of just asking my parents for the money for stuff I needed. In the end I made the heartbreaking decision to forego playing my senior year in order to be able to pay for the stuff I needed. It was tough and the coach made it even tougher. his name was Mr. Taft, he was a gym teacher and he also went to my church. He watched me play in phys ed class quite a bit and lobbied hard to get me to come play for him, told me he really needed me, etc. And as luck would have it, my school went to the state championship that year and lost a devastating 1-0 decision to arch rival Nashua High. Not playing that year has always been one of the biggest regrets of my life. It's 20 years later and it still bothers me. I missed so much that year. Ever since then I've always told myself that if my kids get involved in sports I will not only encourage them but I'll do whatever I can to ensure that they don't have to miss out on playing because of something stupid like I did. You can never get those memories back. And besides, I had a shitty time at my prom anyway...
Monday, August 17, 2009
1989
This past weekend was my 20 year high school reunion. For the mathematically challenged among you, that means I graduated high school in 1989. 1989 was quite a year in my life. It brought many changes, some new beginnings and some endings. It was one of the more enjoyable years of high school for me as I was a senior and enjoyed quite a bit of freedom.
My two best friends in high school that year were Randy Pouliot and Dan "Bubba" Francouer. Study hall that year was the best ever as all three of us were in there and the teacher/monitor was Ms. Dickson who was a history teacher that liked to treat seniors like they were adults rather than students. It was Bubba who gave me the nickname by which I would be known for the next 5 years or so. Since I was learning French, the guys used to call me Richard, but with a French accent so it sounded like "Ree-shard". I watched the Superbowl at my sister's house that year. Randy, Bubba and a bunch of others were watching elsewhere and drinking beers. Suddenly Bubba realized that I wasn't there and asked "Hey, where's Ree-shard?!". As he did so, sportscaster Ahmad Rashad came on the screen which led to some "Ahmad Ree-shard" jokes and by the end of the Superbowl (49ers over the Bengals) I became known as Ahmad. The name stuck so well that during the following 4 years in college, not a single person knew my real name was Rik. I was Ahmad Thibodeau and to this day, my college friends still call me Ahmad, the name I acquired in 1989.
I had been accepted to Franklin Pierce College (since renamed Franklin Pierce University) by the time 1989 had started but I had no idea how I was going to pay for it. So on a whim I enlisted in the US Army Reserves in the summer of 1989, a move that would have a bigger impact on my life than any other I've ever made. The years I would spend in the reserves were mostly uneventful. But years later, tired of a dead end job and a dead end life, I would enlist active duty and come to Europe to start a new life. My preference was to join the Air Force as it would have been a better quality of life and better job training but because I had been in the Army Reserves, I was not allowed to join the Air Force. I had to join the Army or nothing. The Army it was. In the end it turned out very well for me as I have lived in Europe for over 11 years now, have seen the world and have started a family. But oh how different it might have been if I had not made that fateful decision to join the Army Reserves to get money for college way back in 1989.
There was a poignant moment in the summer of 1989 that I have never forgotten. I played in a church softball league with a bunch of friends from my church. One Friday in the summer of 1989 my best friend Mike Buczynski picked me up in his little gray Toyota Tercel and we headed to the ball field. One of the most popular songs that summer was "The End of the Innocence" by Don Henley and it came on as we pulled into the parking lot. Mike said to me "Have you heard this song?" and I said yes, I really liked it. Then he said "you know, if you think about it, it really is the perfect song for us right now. We just finished high school and we're about to go to college. We'll be on our own for the first time and suddenly we have to grow up. So it really is the end of the innocence for us.". It may sound corny to you but it really hit me when he said that. We had reached the end of an era. High school was fun, we had no responsibilities, no worries. And now things were about to change and we were all about to go our separate ways. I guess it might have been different if I were going to University of New Hampshire with Mike, Jen, Steve and most of my other Nashua friends but that was the one school I applied to that didn't accept me. Within two months I would be starting college and military service (such as it was). Looking back, I don't think I was prepared for either. It truly was the end of the innocence for me; the summer of 1989.
I have a feeling there will be more high school posts forthcoming...
My two best friends in high school that year were Randy Pouliot and Dan "Bubba" Francouer. Study hall that year was the best ever as all three of us were in there and the teacher/monitor was Ms. Dickson who was a history teacher that liked to treat seniors like they were adults rather than students. It was Bubba who gave me the nickname by which I would be known for the next 5 years or so. Since I was learning French, the guys used to call me Richard, but with a French accent so it sounded like "Ree-shard". I watched the Superbowl at my sister's house that year. Randy, Bubba and a bunch of others were watching elsewhere and drinking beers. Suddenly Bubba realized that I wasn't there and asked "Hey, where's Ree-shard?!". As he did so, sportscaster Ahmad Rashad came on the screen which led to some "Ahmad Ree-shard" jokes and by the end of the Superbowl (49ers over the Bengals) I became known as Ahmad. The name stuck so well that during the following 4 years in college, not a single person knew my real name was Rik. I was Ahmad Thibodeau and to this day, my college friends still call me Ahmad, the name I acquired in 1989.
I had been accepted to Franklin Pierce College (since renamed Franklin Pierce University) by the time 1989 had started but I had no idea how I was going to pay for it. So on a whim I enlisted in the US Army Reserves in the summer of 1989, a move that would have a bigger impact on my life than any other I've ever made. The years I would spend in the reserves were mostly uneventful. But years later, tired of a dead end job and a dead end life, I would enlist active duty and come to Europe to start a new life. My preference was to join the Air Force as it would have been a better quality of life and better job training but because I had been in the Army Reserves, I was not allowed to join the Air Force. I had to join the Army or nothing. The Army it was. In the end it turned out very well for me as I have lived in Europe for over 11 years now, have seen the world and have started a family. But oh how different it might have been if I had not made that fateful decision to join the Army Reserves to get money for college way back in 1989.
There was a poignant moment in the summer of 1989 that I have never forgotten. I played in a church softball league with a bunch of friends from my church. One Friday in the summer of 1989 my best friend Mike Buczynski picked me up in his little gray Toyota Tercel and we headed to the ball field. One of the most popular songs that summer was "The End of the Innocence" by Don Henley and it came on as we pulled into the parking lot. Mike said to me "Have you heard this song?" and I said yes, I really liked it. Then he said "you know, if you think about it, it really is the perfect song for us right now. We just finished high school and we're about to go to college. We'll be on our own for the first time and suddenly we have to grow up. So it really is the end of the innocence for us.". It may sound corny to you but it really hit me when he said that. We had reached the end of an era. High school was fun, we had no responsibilities, no worries. And now things were about to change and we were all about to go our separate ways. I guess it might have been different if I were going to University of New Hampshire with Mike, Jen, Steve and most of my other Nashua friends but that was the one school I applied to that didn't accept me. Within two months I would be starting college and military service (such as it was). Looking back, I don't think I was prepared for either. It truly was the end of the innocence for me; the summer of 1989.
I have a feeling there will be more high school posts forthcoming...
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
My Top 5 Underrated Rock Songs
1. Stone in love (Journey)
2. American Girl (Tom Petty)
3. Flirting With Disaster (Molly Hatchet)
4. Little Guitars (Van Halen)
5. Train, Train (Blackfoot)
2. American Girl (Tom Petty)
3. Flirting With Disaster (Molly Hatchet)
4. Little Guitars (Van Halen)
5. Train, Train (Blackfoot)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Life was so much easier...20 years ago.
This Saturday is my 20 year high school reunion. 20 years. Amazing how fast they fly by. The peculiar thing is that, at 38, I still feel relatively young. Certainly not like someone who graduated from high school 20 years ago. I've accomplished quite a bit in those 20 years although nothing that I expected. It was actually 20 years ago this month that I enlisted in the Army Reserves to help pay for college. I then went through 4 years of college and got a Bachelor's Degree. I entered the work force and spent 5 years in sales and advertising only to realize that it was not for me. I even spent a year living on the beach.
I survived 8 weeks of basic training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey and another 12 weeks of training at Ft Gordon, Georgia. While definitely not enjoyable I count them among the experiences that helped shape me into a man.
I spent 2 weeks in Honduras with my Reserve unit helping build a school and a medical facility for poor villagers. I'll never forget it, they had no school or medical clinic in the entire village before we got there...but they had a bar.
9 years after graduating from high school I felt like I was going nowhere so I started over, joined the Army and came to Europe to see if I could find what I was looking for and ended up getting it in spades.
Looking back, I think my fascination with Europe was born in high school. My family are all French Canadians and I hated the fact that when I got together with my older relatives, they would be speaking French and I couldn't even though I was only one generation removed from them. I took French class in high school and it opened up new horizons for me. For one thing I was lucky enough to have a teacher, Mr. Cote, who was funny and got me really interested in learning the language of my people. Of course the French that was taught in school was from France not Canada so a lot of the lessons incorporated everyday life in the motherland, which I found fascinating. In fact, years later when I finally did come to Europe, I was in Germany and my favorite trips back then were always to France because I was experiencing first hand the type of life that I had studied years before in Mr. Cote's class (And Mmes. Ravenelle and Mulhern too of course). I guess I'll always be thankful to Mr. Cote for planting that seed so many years ago.
The funny thing is, when I was in Germany and wanted to transfer to another place in Europe, my dream at the time was to go to Belgium. I loved the whole "Benelux" area and was convinced that after a tour in Belgium I would be fluent in French for sure. At the time I was probably about halfway there anyway. I put Italy second on the list as a fallback and what a fallback it turned out to be. I've spent the past 9 years of my life immersed in all things Italian and have developed a love affair with this endearing country that has never subsided or abated. It's funny to look back and realize how it all could have turned out different if I had been approved to go to Belgium instead of Italy 10 years ago.
I've been fortunate to be able to see a bit of Asia as well. In the 20 years since I graduated, in all the places that I have seen, Hong Kong still remains my favorite place in the world. I've been there three times and it breaks my heart that I am not able to go there every year to get at least a taste of it. I could never explain what draws me to the place, it's just something I feel when I'm there. Hong Kong has given me a wonderful wife and 2 beautiful kids. So yeah, I guess you could say it's had quite an impact on my life.
It's funny, a week or so ago out of nowhere, the song "Twenty Years Ago" by Kenny Rogers just popped into my head. I downloaded it on iTunes and have listened to it a thousand times since then. Something about it just really takes me back to twenty years ago and all the high school memories, good and bad, come back to me. I picture in my mind sitting at my 20 year high school reunion watching a slide show of all of us from back then with the song playing in the background. Unfortunately I won't be there. I've got a wife and two kids now and a job that takes up way too much of my time, not to mention that I'm an entire continent away. I wish it was as easy as jumping into my crappy old Chevy Cavalier station wagon that I used to drive in high school and driving down to see everyone but I guess it's like Kenny says; life was so much easier...20 years ago.
I survived 8 weeks of basic training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey and another 12 weeks of training at Ft Gordon, Georgia. While definitely not enjoyable I count them among the experiences that helped shape me into a man.
I spent 2 weeks in Honduras with my Reserve unit helping build a school and a medical facility for poor villagers. I'll never forget it, they had no school or medical clinic in the entire village before we got there...but they had a bar.
9 years after graduating from high school I felt like I was going nowhere so I started over, joined the Army and came to Europe to see if I could find what I was looking for and ended up getting it in spades.
Looking back, I think my fascination with Europe was born in high school. My family are all French Canadians and I hated the fact that when I got together with my older relatives, they would be speaking French and I couldn't even though I was only one generation removed from them. I took French class in high school and it opened up new horizons for me. For one thing I was lucky enough to have a teacher, Mr. Cote, who was funny and got me really interested in learning the language of my people. Of course the French that was taught in school was from France not Canada so a lot of the lessons incorporated everyday life in the motherland, which I found fascinating. In fact, years later when I finally did come to Europe, I was in Germany and my favorite trips back then were always to France because I was experiencing first hand the type of life that I had studied years before in Mr. Cote's class (And Mmes. Ravenelle and Mulhern too of course). I guess I'll always be thankful to Mr. Cote for planting that seed so many years ago.
The funny thing is, when I was in Germany and wanted to transfer to another place in Europe, my dream at the time was to go to Belgium. I loved the whole "Benelux" area and was convinced that after a tour in Belgium I would be fluent in French for sure. At the time I was probably about halfway there anyway. I put Italy second on the list as a fallback and what a fallback it turned out to be. I've spent the past 9 years of my life immersed in all things Italian and have developed a love affair with this endearing country that has never subsided or abated. It's funny to look back and realize how it all could have turned out different if I had been approved to go to Belgium instead of Italy 10 years ago.
I've been fortunate to be able to see a bit of Asia as well. In the 20 years since I graduated, in all the places that I have seen, Hong Kong still remains my favorite place in the world. I've been there three times and it breaks my heart that I am not able to go there every year to get at least a taste of it. I could never explain what draws me to the place, it's just something I feel when I'm there. Hong Kong has given me a wonderful wife and 2 beautiful kids. So yeah, I guess you could say it's had quite an impact on my life.
It's funny, a week or so ago out of nowhere, the song "Twenty Years Ago" by Kenny Rogers just popped into my head. I downloaded it on iTunes and have listened to it a thousand times since then. Something about it just really takes me back to twenty years ago and all the high school memories, good and bad, come back to me. I picture in my mind sitting at my 20 year high school reunion watching a slide show of all of us from back then with the song playing in the background. Unfortunately I won't be there. I've got a wife and two kids now and a job that takes up way too much of my time, not to mention that I'm an entire continent away. I wish it was as easy as jumping into my crappy old Chevy Cavalier station wagon that I used to drive in high school and driving down to see everyone but I guess it's like Kenny says; life was so much easier...20 years ago.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
The 5 Sports Teams I Hate the Most
1. New York Yankees
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. New York Jets
4. Montreal Canadiens
5. USC Trojans
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. New York Jets
4. Montreal Canadiens
5. USC Trojans
My 5 Favorite TV Show Theme Songs
1. The Love Boat
2. Cheers
3. Dallas
4. Welcome Back Kotter
5. The Jeffersons
2. Cheers
3. Dallas
4. Welcome Back Kotter
5. The Jeffersons
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
5 Embarrassing TV Shows I Used to Watch Regularly
1. Beverly Hills 90210
2. 7th Heaven
3. Saved by the Bell
4. Blossom
5. Boy Meets World
2. 7th Heaven
3. Saved by the Bell
4. Blossom
5. Boy Meets World
5 Colleges I Applied to in High School
1. Franklin Pierce College
2. Plymouth State College
3. Castleton State College
4. University of New Hampshire
5. Southern Vermont College
2. Plymouth State College
3. Castleton State College
4. University of New Hampshire
5. Southern Vermont College
5 Girls I Had a Crush on in High School
1. Gwen Storey
2. Stacey Lee
3. Melissa Chasse
4. Kim Lorrey
5. Peggy Campbell
2. Stacey Lee
3. Melissa Chasse
4. Kim Lorrey
5. Peggy Campbell
Top 5 Classic Films (pre-1960)
1. Casablanca
2. Singin in the Rain
3. From Here to Eternity
4. It's a Wonderful Life
5. Stagecoach
2. Singin in the Rain
3. From Here to Eternity
4. It's a Wonderful Life
5. Stagecoach
5 80's Movies I Can Watch Over and Over
1. Vision Quest
2. Top Gun
3. The Last American Virgin
4. The Breakfast Club
5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
2. Top Gun
3. The Last American Virgin
4. The Breakfast Club
5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Monday, August 03, 2009
I'M TIRED OF THESE @#!$% SNAKES IN MY @#!$% FISHING SPOT!
You may recall my terrifying encounter with a snake while fishing up in Valstagna a couple months ago. I'm still a bit traumatized and every time I head up to the river I step cautiously and am constantly scanning the area for any sign of the vile demonic serpents. Thankfully I have encountered none since that fateful day back in June.
Yesterday was a beautiful day so I decided to hit the river once again. The X Man always asks to go with me and watch me fish but the only way is if the wife goes to watch him while I'm in the river and she is afraid that he will spend the whole time whining about the bugs or being too hot. However I talked her into coming with me yesterday and we decided to go to one of my favorite spots, Valstagna. The area is a popular tourist destination and is especially crowded on Sundays. Sure enough there were people everywhere so I wasn't worried about snakes as I figured all the people would keep them far away.
Now, you may remember that the reason I almost stepped on the satanic creature in the first place was because I was looking for a way through the brush and overgrowth to the really good spot just around the bend from my spot in Valstagna. Right now the river is so low due to the heat that it was obvious that I could actually walk to the spot around the bend in the water with my waders on. I entered the river and started wading slowly upstream however the river was still a bit deep where I was so it was obvious that I would have to wade probably about 3 or 4 feet from the shoreline. This did not worry me as I figured as long as I'm in the water I have nothing to worry about. I continued to head closer to the shoreline as I made my way upriver and suddenly stopped as I got about 8 feet away. About a foot from the shore there was what appeared to be a stick poking out of the water. Normally this wouldn't have even phased me but since my horrifying episode with the offending viper a couple months earlier, anything long and thin - such as a stick - makes me do a double take. So I looked at the stick for a second and wouldn't you know it...it was a snake. THERE WAS A FREAKING SNAKE IN THE FREAKING WATER. What I thought was a stick was actually it's head and as I watched, you could see his little forked tongue going in and out of his mouth as if he was aware of my presence. Thankfully I was not close enough to make him actually start swimming or I would have flipped out and fallen in as I was about up to my waist at that moment. I slowly started backing away and moved about 100 yards back downstream, into the middle of the damned river where I felt safe.
I honestly think this little bastard is stalking me.
Yesterday was a beautiful day so I decided to hit the river once again. The X Man always asks to go with me and watch me fish but the only way is if the wife goes to watch him while I'm in the river and she is afraid that he will spend the whole time whining about the bugs or being too hot. However I talked her into coming with me yesterday and we decided to go to one of my favorite spots, Valstagna. The area is a popular tourist destination and is especially crowded on Sundays. Sure enough there were people everywhere so I wasn't worried about snakes as I figured all the people would keep them far away.
Now, you may remember that the reason I almost stepped on the satanic creature in the first place was because I was looking for a way through the brush and overgrowth to the really good spot just around the bend from my spot in Valstagna. Right now the river is so low due to the heat that it was obvious that I could actually walk to the spot around the bend in the water with my waders on. I entered the river and started wading slowly upstream however the river was still a bit deep where I was so it was obvious that I would have to wade probably about 3 or 4 feet from the shoreline. This did not worry me as I figured as long as I'm in the water I have nothing to worry about. I continued to head closer to the shoreline as I made my way upriver and suddenly stopped as I got about 8 feet away. About a foot from the shore there was what appeared to be a stick poking out of the water. Normally this wouldn't have even phased me but since my horrifying episode with the offending viper a couple months earlier, anything long and thin - such as a stick - makes me do a double take. So I looked at the stick for a second and wouldn't you know it...it was a snake. THERE WAS A FREAKING SNAKE IN THE FREAKING WATER. What I thought was a stick was actually it's head and as I watched, you could see his little forked tongue going in and out of his mouth as if he was aware of my presence. Thankfully I was not close enough to make him actually start swimming or I would have flipped out and fallen in as I was about up to my waist at that moment. I slowly started backing away and moved about 100 yards back downstream, into the middle of the damned river where I felt safe.
I honestly think this little bastard is stalking me.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Surgery Update...and another Top 5 list.
Had an appointment with the surgeon this morning and my surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2nd up at Aviano AFB. They're going to knock me out and then he's going to go in and basically cut a centimeter off my clavicle. Or my collarbone, I forgot which one. I'll be in a sling for a couple days followed by two months of physical therapy. I'm not looking forward to it but at this point i just want this damned thing fixed. I don't enjoy hospitals.
Speaking of hospitals...
The 5 Things I Have Been in the Hospital For:
1. Being born
2. Tonsils removed
3. Adenoids removed
4. Hit in the ribs with a Matt Briggs fastball in little league
5. Hit in the eye with a softball in a church league softball game
Speaking of hospitals...
The 5 Things I Have Been in the Hospital For:
1. Being born
2. Tonsils removed
3. Adenoids removed
4. Hit in the ribs with a Matt Briggs fastball in little league
5. Hit in the eye with a softball in a church league softball game
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The 5 Best Foods I've Eaten in Italy
1. Penne w/ white pesto (Il Castello in Vernazza, Cinque Terra)
2. Tortellini al balsamico (Tinello’s in Bologna)
3. Pizza w/ Olives (Napoli)
4. Scaloppini al curry (Ristorante da Fernando in Rettorgole, Vicenza)
5. Risotto frutti di mare (Ristorante al Company, Vicenza)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The 5 People I would like to spend an evening drinking with
1. Geno
2. Steve-O
3. Steve Lentz
4. Fergusi
5. Ramsey Farrell
2. Steve-O
3. Steve Lentz
4. Fergusi
5. Ramsey Farrell
5 Things That Might Surprise You to Know About Me
1. I don't own an iPOD.
2. I have never in my life been to a strip club. Seriously. I've never even had any interest in going either, I don't see the point in throwing away all kinds of money to see a girl dance naked when I can see the same thing in a magazine for 5 bucks or on late night Italian tv for free.
3. I have a weird attraction to airports and train stations. I love being in them and seeing all the people from different places going to who-knows-where. I guess it just appeals to the travel fiend in me. Every once in a great while I go to the Vicenza train station and have a panini or pizza for lunch just as an excuse to go to the train station. And I jump at the chance to give people rides to the airport or pick them up. The Venice airport is one of my favorite places.
4. I can make my pecs dance. After all those hours in the gym, this is what I am left with.
5. I have no interest in doing the one thing I might be best at. For years people have been telling me that I should have been a travel writer. And you know, I probably would have been a good one. But I've always thought that if it were a job and something I had to actually work at, I wouldn't enjoy it anymore. The idea has always intrigued me though. After all, I love to travel and I love to write.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
It's Ferie time again.
For those who don't know, August is not a fun time to be in Italy. August in Italy means "Ferie". Ferie is what the Italians call it when they take their yearly vacation, which almost the entire country does at the same time - in August. August is also the hottest month in Italy and the stifling heat makes it hard to do anything so the entire country takes vacation and goes either to the sea or to the mountains. For an american, it's like nothing we've ever seen before, you walk around some cities and towns and every single bar, store, restaurant and shop is closed. The typical thing for them to do is put a sign on the window telling the exact dates that they will be closed for ferie. For those of us whose routine remains the same, August can be a very frustrating month as nothing is open. Imagine a world where everything closes at the same time. At least that's how it used to be when I first got here back in 2000. Back then I can remember driving over half hour through 4 or 5 different towns just looking for an open pizzeria.
Lately however, I've noticed that more businesses are opting to close for only two weeks in August rather than the traditional full month. Some places in fact are even staying open entirely. These places usually announce this with a huge sign saying something like "SEMPRE APERTO IN AGOSTO!" - still open in August.
Most other western European countries do their vacations in August as well so it's also not a good time to drive on the autostradas as they are crammed full of Germans and Dutch travelers towing their big clumsy camper trailers around the peninsula. When we were in Germany we didn't even attempt to come visit during August as it would mean sitting in traffic jams for hours. I've often wondered why the northern Europeans do it year after year.
As for me, I'll be working as usual. but we're considering taking a weeks vacation to go to Cinque Terra around the first week of September...after all the Germans and Dutch have left of course.
Lately however, I've noticed that more businesses are opting to close for only two weeks in August rather than the traditional full month. Some places in fact are even staying open entirely. These places usually announce this with a huge sign saying something like "SEMPRE APERTO IN AGOSTO!" - still open in August.
Most other western European countries do their vacations in August as well so it's also not a good time to drive on the autostradas as they are crammed full of Germans and Dutch travelers towing their big clumsy camper trailers around the peninsula. When we were in Germany we didn't even attempt to come visit during August as it would mean sitting in traffic jams for hours. I've often wondered why the northern Europeans do it year after year.
As for me, I'll be working as usual. but we're considering taking a weeks vacation to go to Cinque Terra around the first week of September...after all the Germans and Dutch have left of course.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Random Memory: Memorial Day, 2004.
In May of 2004, I got selected to participate in a Memorial Day ceremony at the American Cemetary in Florence, Italy. I knew I was getting out of the Army at the end of the year so I was happy and proud to do it as one of my last big things before rejoining the ranks of the civilian world.
The plan was to leave on Sunday and stay overnight at Camp Darby, which is a small logistical base about an hour away from Florence. We were a big group and there is no lodging on Camp Darby so we had to bring our sleeping bags and sleep in the gym on base Sunday night. The bus arrived sometime in the afternoon and we got our orders from the NCOIC who was in charge if the detail, SFC Stugartt. SFC Stugartt was a no-nonsense kind of guy and told us in no uncertain terms that we were there for the ceremony only, that we had to leave early the next morning, and that nobody was allowed to go off post because that would invariably lead to someone getting drunk and stupid and then getting in trouble. Camp Darby is so small that on the weekends pretty much everything is closed so the only options for dinner were the shoppette or a little snack bar that had burgers and pizzas and such. I grabbed the only thing I could find at the shoppette for dinner - a bag of beef jerky - and stashed it in my sleeping bag before heading out to find something to do. There was a Memorial Day softball tournament going on so I grabbed a bottle of beer at the snack bar and sat on the lawn to watch. Eventually another guy I worked with, SSG Luman joined me as did the legal NCO, SSG Denny. The three of us just chatted for a couple hours until eventually it was evening and I said "Well, nothing else to do around here so might as well hit it." I ate the rest of my beef jerky and went to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night I woke up and had to go to the bathroom so I got out of my sleeping bag and stumbled to the bathroom in the men's lockeroom. As I was standing at the urinal, my stomach started feeling really nauseous for some reason. It got worse as I finished my business so I took a few sips from the water fountain. And that's all I remember.
Next thing I knew I woke up again feeling very strange and feeling something cold on my cheek. As my eyes focused, I realized that I was lying face down on the tile floor in the lockeroom. No sooner did I realize this when I felt something warm and wet on my cheek so I tried to sit up and suddenly I saw copious amounts of blood all over the floor. I touched my face and my hand became covered with blood. I struggled to get up and walked over to the mirror and saw that my entire face was covered with blood which was oozing from my left eye. Everything was feeling so surreal, I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. Was I attacked? That was my initial thought but eventually I deduced that I had passed out after drinking from the water fountain. I tried in vain to stop the bleeding with paper towels but the gash was just way too deep. It would require medical attention for sure. I went back to my sleeping bag and called SFC Stugartt on my cell phone. It was somewhere around 2 or 3 am so he was sound asleep. I told him I had just passed out in the bathroom and swore to him that I wasn't drunk. He called the medic we had brought with us and she dressed the wound and put some kind of butterfly stitch or something on it that stopped the bleeding and said that I'd probably have to go to the hospital in Pisa the next morning to get stitches. I went back to bed wondering what the hell had just happened to me.
A few hours later we got up, put on our Class A uniforms and boarded the bus. Since the bleeding had stopped, they decided I would not go to the hospital but because of the amount of blood I had lost SFC Stugartt informed me that I would not participate in the ceremony that morning. The temperature was headed into the 90's and he felt that the combination of my wound and the extreme heat would be dangerous. I was devastated as I really wanted to do it but I understood. At least I was able to see the American Cemetary and get some pictures before the ceremony anyway.
When we got back home I went to see the doctor on base to get checked out. I told him what happened and he knew exactly what it was. When your sleeping, your body temperature is warm. When you get up in the middle of the night, your body heat suddenly drops considerably and the blood rushes to the head and voom, down you go. He said it is very common and that there is even a medical term for it (which I can't remember). He also said it happens most frequently to men when they go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and they often end up with injuries similar to mine as they are usually at the urinal or toilet when it happens and they end up hitting their head when they go down.
I still have scar from the incident. Thank God it's never happened again...
If you look really close, you can see the bandage over my left eye.
The plan was to leave on Sunday and stay overnight at Camp Darby, which is a small logistical base about an hour away from Florence. We were a big group and there is no lodging on Camp Darby so we had to bring our sleeping bags and sleep in the gym on base Sunday night. The bus arrived sometime in the afternoon and we got our orders from the NCOIC who was in charge if the detail, SFC Stugartt. SFC Stugartt was a no-nonsense kind of guy and told us in no uncertain terms that we were there for the ceremony only, that we had to leave early the next morning, and that nobody was allowed to go off post because that would invariably lead to someone getting drunk and stupid and then getting in trouble. Camp Darby is so small that on the weekends pretty much everything is closed so the only options for dinner were the shoppette or a little snack bar that had burgers and pizzas and such. I grabbed the only thing I could find at the shoppette for dinner - a bag of beef jerky - and stashed it in my sleeping bag before heading out to find something to do. There was a Memorial Day softball tournament going on so I grabbed a bottle of beer at the snack bar and sat on the lawn to watch. Eventually another guy I worked with, SSG Luman joined me as did the legal NCO, SSG Denny. The three of us just chatted for a couple hours until eventually it was evening and I said "Well, nothing else to do around here so might as well hit it." I ate the rest of my beef jerky and went to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night I woke up and had to go to the bathroom so I got out of my sleeping bag and stumbled to the bathroom in the men's lockeroom. As I was standing at the urinal, my stomach started feeling really nauseous for some reason. It got worse as I finished my business so I took a few sips from the water fountain. And that's all I remember.
Next thing I knew I woke up again feeling very strange and feeling something cold on my cheek. As my eyes focused, I realized that I was lying face down on the tile floor in the lockeroom. No sooner did I realize this when I felt something warm and wet on my cheek so I tried to sit up and suddenly I saw copious amounts of blood all over the floor. I touched my face and my hand became covered with blood. I struggled to get up and walked over to the mirror and saw that my entire face was covered with blood which was oozing from my left eye. Everything was feeling so surreal, I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. Was I attacked? That was my initial thought but eventually I deduced that I had passed out after drinking from the water fountain. I tried in vain to stop the bleeding with paper towels but the gash was just way too deep. It would require medical attention for sure. I went back to my sleeping bag and called SFC Stugartt on my cell phone. It was somewhere around 2 or 3 am so he was sound asleep. I told him I had just passed out in the bathroom and swore to him that I wasn't drunk. He called the medic we had brought with us and she dressed the wound and put some kind of butterfly stitch or something on it that stopped the bleeding and said that I'd probably have to go to the hospital in Pisa the next morning to get stitches. I went back to bed wondering what the hell had just happened to me.
A few hours later we got up, put on our Class A uniforms and boarded the bus. Since the bleeding had stopped, they decided I would not go to the hospital but because of the amount of blood I had lost SFC Stugartt informed me that I would not participate in the ceremony that morning. The temperature was headed into the 90's and he felt that the combination of my wound and the extreme heat would be dangerous. I was devastated as I really wanted to do it but I understood. At least I was able to see the American Cemetary and get some pictures before the ceremony anyway.
When we got back home I went to see the doctor on base to get checked out. I told him what happened and he knew exactly what it was. When your sleeping, your body temperature is warm. When you get up in the middle of the night, your body heat suddenly drops considerably and the blood rushes to the head and voom, down you go. He said it is very common and that there is even a medical term for it (which I can't remember). He also said it happens most frequently to men when they go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and they often end up with injuries similar to mine as they are usually at the urinal or toilet when it happens and they end up hitting their head when they go down.
I still have scar from the incident. Thank God it's never happened again...
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Soundtrack of my Life: Against the Wind
"Against the Wind" has always been my favorite Bob Seger song. The second and third verses pretty much sum up the last 11 years of my life:
And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded bv strangers I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home
And I guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searchin
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind
Well those drifters days are past me now
Ive got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out
And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded bv strangers I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home
And I guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searchin
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind
Well those drifters days are past me now
Ive got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
You know what they say about those that can't do...
Something most people don't know about me is that when I was younger one of the things I often thought about doing when I grew up was being a teacher. My favorite subject throughout my school years was always history (aka "social studies") and for many years I had it in the back of my mind that my destiny was to be a history teacher. It helped quite a bit that I had some unbelievably great history teachers in high school. Mr. Laperriere, Ms. Lavoie, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Dickson...every single one I had was fantastic and social studies was always the one class I looked forward to going to. I also used to read various history books on my own time which was a rarity for me. Alas, when I got to college history was more of a hobby than an prospective vocation for me as I found that studying history on that level was so much work that it became less enjoyable to me, ergo I never seriously considered majoring in it.
Years later when I had enlisted active duty Army, one of the reasons I did so was to get money for my Masters Degree, so I could go back to school to study - and make a career out of - something I was interested in. The Army has a program called "Troops to Teachers" which I thought was outstanding. Basically you get your degree and then they help you find a job as a teacher when you get out. I was really interested in it but with all the traveling I was doing I never found the time to start on my Masters Degree then I came to Italy and the rest, as they say, is history (pardon the pun).
Lately I've been thinking about my youthful dream of being a teacher and I gotta say, it still does appeal to me. I see young kids today who can't read or write on an academic level commensurate with their age and experience and it makes me cringe sometimes. The two subjects I was always interested in and was pretty good at were history and English. I could not do math and science to save my life but history and English just came naturally to me.
At 38 years old I doubt I'll ever become a teacher but I guess you never know what the future holds, right? After all, you know what they say - "Those that can't do, teach"...and let's face it, there's a hell of a lot that I can't do!
Years later when I had enlisted active duty Army, one of the reasons I did so was to get money for my Masters Degree, so I could go back to school to study - and make a career out of - something I was interested in. The Army has a program called "Troops to Teachers" which I thought was outstanding. Basically you get your degree and then they help you find a job as a teacher when you get out. I was really interested in it but with all the traveling I was doing I never found the time to start on my Masters Degree then I came to Italy and the rest, as they say, is history (pardon the pun).
Lately I've been thinking about my youthful dream of being a teacher and I gotta say, it still does appeal to me. I see young kids today who can't read or write on an academic level commensurate with their age and experience and it makes me cringe sometimes. The two subjects I was always interested in and was pretty good at were history and English. I could not do math and science to save my life but history and English just came naturally to me.
At 38 years old I doubt I'll ever become a teacher but I guess you never know what the future holds, right? After all, you know what they say - "Those that can't do, teach"...and let's face it, there's a hell of a lot that I can't do!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Those Were The Days
Boy, the way Glen Miller played
Songs that made the Hit Parade
Guys like us, we had it made
Those were the days!
Didn't need no welfare state
Everybody pulled his weight
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great
Those were the days!
And you knew where you were then
Girls were girls and men were men
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
People seemed to be content
Fifty dollars paid the rent
Freaks were in a circus tent
Those were the days!
Take a little Sunday spin
go to watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin (five dollar bill)
Hair was short and skirts were long
Kate Smith really sold a song
I don't know just what went wrong
Those Were the Days!"
Songs that made the Hit Parade
Guys like us, we had it made
Those were the days!
Didn't need no welfare state
Everybody pulled his weight
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great
Those were the days!
And you knew where you were then
Girls were girls and men were men
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
People seemed to be content
Fifty dollars paid the rent
Freaks were in a circus tent
Those were the days!
Take a little Sunday spin
go to watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin (five dollar bill)
Hair was short and skirts were long
Kate Smith really sold a song
I don't know just what went wrong
Those Were the Days!"
Thursday, July 16, 2009
SURGERY!
Well our extraordinary run of bad luck since coming back to Italy continues; it looks like I'll be going under the knife in a couple weeks or so. As you know, I have been having problems with my shoulder for a little over 5 months now. I've seen the orthopedist on base three times and after x-rays and two steroid injections, nothing worked and he had no idea what it was so this past week I had an MRI. This morning I received the following email from him:
...the MRI results point to a problem with the AC joint; degeneration. Ligaments, tendons and labrum are intact. My question is are you getting better after the steroid injection at the AC joint? Do you constant pain that you are considering surgery? The Aviano orthopedic surgeon will be here in late July and I have slots available. Call me
Since I am still in constant pain (or at least severe discomfort), it looks like surgery will be the way to go. I'll know more after I call him later this morning and get more details. I really don't want surgery but we've exhausted every other option.
This web article seems to be spot on in describing exactly what is wrong with my shoulder:
Osteoarthritis of the Acromioclavicular Joint
I wonder if I will ever be able to use my kettlebells again. Sigh.
...the MRI results point to a problem with the AC joint; degeneration. Ligaments, tendons and labrum are intact. My question is are you getting better after the steroid injection at the AC joint? Do you constant pain that you are considering surgery? The Aviano orthopedic surgeon will be here in late July and I have slots available. Call me
Since I am still in constant pain (or at least severe discomfort), it looks like surgery will be the way to go. I'll know more after I call him later this morning and get more details. I really don't want surgery but we've exhausted every other option.
This web article seems to be spot on in describing exactly what is wrong with my shoulder:
Osteoarthritis of the Acromioclavicular Joint
I wonder if I will ever be able to use my kettlebells again. Sigh.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Back from Germany.
Had a great weekend up in Germany. I was able to go up a day early and spend a few days with Steve-O before my appointment in Karlsruhe. I had never seen Karlsruhe before and I was pretty impressed with it. There's not really any touristy things to see except the Scloss (palace) but it's got a lot of energy. Steve-O is very lucky to live where he does.
The MRI at Landstuhl went fine but I won't get the results for "48-72 hours" so hopefully I'll know within the next couple days what the hell is wrong with me. I am anxious to start my kettlebell workouts again. I bought a nice treadmill a couple weeks ago and I've been running up to 30 minutes on it but the kettlebells are what really do it for me.
The drive back was great. No matter how many times I drive through the Alps they never disappoint me. My only disappointment is that I wish someone else could drive so I could spend the entire trip marveling at them instead of having to watch the road. I had considered staying in Innsbruck on my way home as I love that city, it's so much fun but opted instead for our usual halfway point of Heiterwang. It's a tiny little town in Austria that has nothing to do but sit out on the balcony and admire the mountains, which I did while reading a book and enjoying a crisp Austrian pils (or three...). Austria really is a fantastic country, one of my favorites. And then you go through the Brenner Pass and the drive through the very northern part of Italy is just as beautiful, maybe even more so. Growing up in New Hampshire, the White Mountains were a huge part of my life; living in Italy and Germany, the Alps have become just as big.
So now it's back to the grind. We had to cancel our usual 4th of July pilgrimage to Cinque Terra because of my MRI thing so we weren't able to enjoy a nice vacation this year. I may try to take a few days leave in August or September so we can go somewhere. I really need a vacation. I hate my job.
The MRI at Landstuhl went fine but I won't get the results for "48-72 hours" so hopefully I'll know within the next couple days what the hell is wrong with me. I am anxious to start my kettlebell workouts again. I bought a nice treadmill a couple weeks ago and I've been running up to 30 minutes on it but the kettlebells are what really do it for me.
The drive back was great. No matter how many times I drive through the Alps they never disappoint me. My only disappointment is that I wish someone else could drive so I could spend the entire trip marveling at them instead of having to watch the road. I had considered staying in Innsbruck on my way home as I love that city, it's so much fun but opted instead for our usual halfway point of Heiterwang. It's a tiny little town in Austria that has nothing to do but sit out on the balcony and admire the mountains, which I did while reading a book and enjoying a crisp Austrian pils (or three...). Austria really is a fantastic country, one of my favorites. And then you go through the Brenner Pass and the drive through the very northern part of Italy is just as beautiful, maybe even more so. Growing up in New Hampshire, the White Mountains were a huge part of my life; living in Italy and Germany, the Alps have become just as big.
So now it's back to the grind. We had to cancel our usual 4th of July pilgrimage to Cinque Terra because of my MRI thing so we weren't able to enjoy a nice vacation this year. I may try to take a few days leave in August or September so we can go somewhere. I really need a vacation. I hate my job.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Be back in a bit...
Headed up to Germany for a few days, be back either Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, sit back and relax...
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Did I ever tell you about the time...
...that I called my mom a dildo?
A little background first; we grew up about 200 yards from an X-rated outdoor drive in theater. Growing up, we would often find dirty magazines and stuff like that on the side of the road and of course, being little perverts, we would pick them up and keep them in our tree forts. I was really too young to understand most of the stuff in there but I recall reading one and seeing an ad for something called a dildo. There was no picture so I had no clue what it was, I only knew it must be something dirty if it was in a dirty magazine.
So one Sunday afternoon after church we decided to all play Monopoly as a family, my mother, my sister, my brother and I. I think I was 10 or 11 at the time. A while into the game I was close to being out of money as I rolled the dice. I ended up landing on one of my mom's properties, which just happened to have a hotel on it. I could not afford the rent so I was out of the game. I got so mad I wanted to call my mother a name but swearing was not allowed in Judy's house so I blurted out the only other thing that popped into my mind and yelled "You...DILDO!"
Oops.
The room got very silent very quick and the ashen look on my mother's face made me realize right away that the word dildo was...well...probably not a good thing to call your mother. After a few tense seconds, my brother and sister started laughing and my brother exclaimed "Ricky, do you know what you just said?!". I of course did not so I pleaded ignorance. Thank God my mother accepted this and let me off with a stern warning to never...EVER...let her hear that word again.
Looking back, it was quite a funny moment...but still not as funny as the time I called her a motherf****r...
A little background first; we grew up about 200 yards from an X-rated outdoor drive in theater. Growing up, we would often find dirty magazines and stuff like that on the side of the road and of course, being little perverts, we would pick them up and keep them in our tree forts. I was really too young to understand most of the stuff in there but I recall reading one and seeing an ad for something called a dildo. There was no picture so I had no clue what it was, I only knew it must be something dirty if it was in a dirty magazine.
So one Sunday afternoon after church we decided to all play Monopoly as a family, my mother, my sister, my brother and I. I think I was 10 or 11 at the time. A while into the game I was close to being out of money as I rolled the dice. I ended up landing on one of my mom's properties, which just happened to have a hotel on it. I could not afford the rent so I was out of the game. I got so mad I wanted to call my mother a name but swearing was not allowed in Judy's house so I blurted out the only other thing that popped into my mind and yelled "You...DILDO!"
Oops.
The room got very silent very quick and the ashen look on my mother's face made me realize right away that the word dildo was...well...probably not a good thing to call your mother. After a few tense seconds, my brother and sister started laughing and my brother exclaimed "Ricky, do you know what you just said?!". I of course did not so I pleaded ignorance. Thank God my mother accepted this and let me off with a stern warning to never...EVER...let her hear that word again.
Looking back, it was quite a funny moment...but still not as funny as the time I called her a motherf****r...
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The Soundtrack of my Life: Rocky Mountain High
There are several songs that occupy special places in my mind for various reasons. Some remind me of friends or girlfriends past, some instantly whisk me off to a certain time in my life every time I hear them, some bring back memories of a particular moment or happening. There are some however that just sort of, for lack of a better term, "sum things up". One such song is "Rocky Mountain High" by the late John Denver.
I've heard the song since I was a kid but it never held any kind of meaning for me until I left for Europe back in 1998. The lyrics of the song are about a young man coming to the Rocky Mountains and being reborn by the beauty of what he encounters. I've always loved the song and used to listen to it often and then one day the meaning changed for me when I pondered the opening verse:
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Coming home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
you might say he found the key to every door
It occurred to me that I was also in my 27th year when I came to Europe and, as I arrived in May, the summer of my 27th year was when it all changed for me. Although it's hard to explain, the second line - "coming home to a place he'd never been before" - also had personal meaning to me. My family are all French Canadians, I'd studied and tutored French in high school and college and had always wanted to see the land of my ancestors. The first time I went to France, it was a feeling of coming home even though I'd never been there.
What eventually dawned on me (I'm a little slow...) is that if you replace the Rocky Mountains with Europe, the song could almost describe my situation exactly. Like the man in the song, I had come to a different place in my 27th year and without even realizing it, was practically reborn into a new life, leaving my old one behind.
"Rocky Mountain High"...part of the soundtrack of my life.
I've heard the song since I was a kid but it never held any kind of meaning for me until I left for Europe back in 1998. The lyrics of the song are about a young man coming to the Rocky Mountains and being reborn by the beauty of what he encounters. I've always loved the song and used to listen to it often and then one day the meaning changed for me when I pondered the opening verse:
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Coming home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
you might say he found the key to every door
It occurred to me that I was also in my 27th year when I came to Europe and, as I arrived in May, the summer of my 27th year was when it all changed for me. Although it's hard to explain, the second line - "coming home to a place he'd never been before" - also had personal meaning to me. My family are all French Canadians, I'd studied and tutored French in high school and college and had always wanted to see the land of my ancestors. The first time I went to France, it was a feeling of coming home even though I'd never been there.
What eventually dawned on me (I'm a little slow...) is that if you replace the Rocky Mountains with Europe, the song could almost describe my situation exactly. Like the man in the song, I had come to a different place in my 27th year and without even realizing it, was practically reborn into a new life, leaving my old one behind.
"Rocky Mountain High"...part of the soundtrack of my life.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Amazing.
My favorite clip from a show over here called "Ti lascio una cansone" (which translates roughly as "Leaving you a song"). The premise of the show is that young people give their interpretations of Italy's most beloved songs from generations gone by. It's kind of a way to ensure that the greatest songs in Italy's history are not forgotten by the younger generation.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
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