Il mio viaggio in Italia, an MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

The churches in Rome were sort of a sensory overload. Positively dripping with opulence; it made me feel vaguely uncomfortable, the reality of the Vatican’s wealth (as a sometime Catholic myself). By the time I got to Rome I was also kind of musuem-ed out (last leg of a two-month trip). The Sistine Chapel did not fail to impress me though. I went there with a (cute English!) guy I met at the hostel and we just stood there for almost an hour, nearly spraining our necks as we stared - there were just so many details to pick out and talk about. I definitely want to go back someday.

Oh, yeah, Capt. Cheekbones (friend from grad school) is getting married next summer, and he’s currently in London, so maybe I’ll do a little more traveling while I’m there.

22

Sometime again, LiLi, we’ll be missing you!

Sorry you’re all 'zhausted, Haze! Please to be telling us about the cataclysmic breakup as soon as you have it all sorted in your head, 'kay? Us old wimmens need our quota of gossip or we get wrinklier and you don’t want THAT on your conscience, do you?

**Pugs, ** most excellent pix there–now I have travel envy something fierce! Unfortunately, unless the economy improves and our rights to move about freely without being harassed are restored I don’t see European travel being in my future again, sigh. I’ve been to England, France and Germany and really want to check out the Mediterranean countries but not if it means being strip and cavity searched just to get on a goddamned airplane. Hmmm, perhaps if I drove to Canada and departed from there…

Take some pics if you can, Rigs! My SIL’s dad lives in a building that’s within walking distance of Grant Park and the kids were trying hard to get tickets to the big show but it was, unfortunately, an epic fail. So instead we’ll all be gathering at my son’s house for his birthday/election day celebration. Here’s hoping he gets the present he’s wishing for!

Of course, I’ve been tapped to bring his favorite turkey hash and his cake–since daughter and Grandboy don’t like cake much I’m making an apple cake, in which the cake part is just a thin matrix to hold together the apples and raisins. Probably with cream cheese frosting on top. Nom!

Feel better, FCM & taxi!

Bobbio, I’ve had my Cavalier for about four years and I’ve never sat in the back and I’ve only sat in the bitch seat once! I think I’ve only sat bitch in my van four or five times (diagnostic runs with the mechanic driving) in ten years–isn’t that funny?

More job hunting today, gag. Himself’s interview Saturday was a complete waste of time. Is there a more humiliating, anger producing activity than job hunting? It’s horrible… :frowning:

23

The Sistine Chapel bothered the heck out of me because it was so noisy in there. I wanted to yell at everyone else to shut up so I could just lie on the ground and absorb it.

St. Peter’s bugged my modernist sensibilities just a bit. Everything was so decorated. I wanted to scrub some of the ceilings just to let the place breathe.

I’m Jewish and my husband is an atheist brought up Presbyterian so we just let Roman churches wash over us. I tried very hard to let go of anything other than awe and respect for the place’s history. At one point I darted into what looked like a nondescript church just to go to the bathroom. I get out and then realize I’m in the church of St. Ignatius Loyola and it is amazing.

I want to go back there again too.

24

Heh, you mean they didn’t have the museum guards telling everyone “Silencio” every two seconds?? Honestly, the guards made more noise than the people but it was dreadfully crowded.

25

It being far too early for me to think properly I will just say that I am looking forward to looking to puggy’s photos and catching up with you all. New names, hello to you all, and to all of the familiars, I have missed you!

Later, at a more decent hour, I’ll return.

26

Just stopping in to say w00t!!!

I have some work, and it looks like a fun design job. Maybe a week or two! Yay! I was bored. :wink:
ETA: Hi, Kai!!!

27

I’m very jealous of your Italy trip, Pugs! I’ve always wanted to go. I’ll peruse the pics more later from home.

I’ve mostly gotten over being sick, but now I have an earache. I guess the sinus congestion pushed up into my ears. So, I managed not to go to the Dr. for the cold, but it looks like I might end up there because of the ear. Ugh.

Oh, and for the fun of it, the MMP has taken over the mafia game. The game is themed around the Dope, so it was decided to use one of the longest running threads as inspiration for marking the passage of time in the game. Oh, and it isn’t supposed to have much to do with what the discussion ends up being, just like the MMP gets off topic, no matter how interesting the OP is.

28

Hi all! It’s Monday again already???

Puggy, your trip looks (and reads) like it was amazing! I have only been to a few places in Italy - Bergamo, Lido de Jesolo and Venice. Italy is on our family’s list of places to visit, along with most of Europe, since hubby has never been anywhere in Europe.

FCM, I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better.

LiLi, I totally understand your situation - I have been around the MMP less and less lately, and it’s just because I have too much to do IRL and feel guilty just popping in, sounding off and leaving, without at least responding to everyone else!

Hi kai!!! How’s your weather? How was your trip?

VBob, I have had “driving from the back seat” dreams before, and I was driving a car that I sold for scrap about 12 years back! Strangely enough, I was also naked and on my way to work (at a job in an entirely different country from the one in which I actually owned the car)!

Latest snippet from the MIL “oh no, she di’nt” file - MIL thought HRH would like a treat the other day, so gave HRH a Chupa Chup lollipop! WTF? Who (apart from LiLi’s SIL, that is) gives an 18-month old a freakin’ lollipop??? Sigh … I just took it for HRH and promptly threw it in the drawer for me for later!

And in other, OP-related-type (kinda, sorta) news, it’s only 5 1/2 weeks now until our holiday!!! w00t!!! Counting down to our first real holiday in 2.5 years!!! Okay, enough exclamation marks for now. Suffice to say, now that everything has been paid (airfares, hotels, resort apartment, airport-hotel transfers), it is starting to seem real, as if we will SOON actually be going on holiday (and flying in the pointy end, too)! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Dinner tonight was a very nice Creamy Pesto Chicken and Pasta. Nom nom nom - I swear I ate enough for 2 people! And there are leftovers!

29

Well, so much for the chicken soup cure. I just had a bowl, and I feel kinda ick. Not pukey ick, just ick. Maybe I should nap…

Have I mentioned that I hate being sick? I’m so jealous of you people living normal lives, eating normal foods, not feeling ick… * <sigh>*

Welcome to my pity party…

30

Jeepers FCM, hope you’re feeling better soon, because being sick sucks.

Beyond those kinds words, I got nuthin’ today.

31

I hit very few tourist areas in Italy - though this was made bearable by having a somewhat thorough immersion in Sicily for two years.

32

I’m sorry for killing the thread. :frowning:

I showered and tried to nap - no luck. So I ran the vacuum to suck up Bernie’s leavin’s (how is that dog *not *bald???) and I’m having a glass of ice water. SIL has left for work, and my sweetie should be home in an hour or so.

I keep hearing rumbling noises outside, but there was no thunder forecast, so they must be blowing things up at one of the bases. That’s always fun when I’m at work - the windows literally rattle. The sound of freedom and all that.

Guess I’ll see what’s on TV…

Gee, guess I didn’t kill it after all.

33

Good morning everyone; just a quick drive by on my lunch period here.

First of all, Li-Li, I’ll miss you. Do come back when you can.

**Haze, **I look forward to you posting more regularly here. I’ve missed you.

FCM, I hope your tummy starts cooperating with you soonest.

**Puggy, **I didn’t get to see all of your pics yet, but I plan to when I get home. It sounds like you had a wonderful time.

Finally, what is it about Mumpers invading our dreams? I had the very strangest dream this morning, where for some odd reason, I was staying at **Rigsy’s **place, along with my daughter. It was just **rigs **and her daughter there. Anyway, I guess to show appreciation for the fact that rigs was letting my daughter and I stay at her place, I was trying cook dinner for her, but I couldn’t find any of the ingredients I needed. I kept having to ask **rigs **where the ingredients were and I remember feeling flustered and embarrassed.

Rigs was very nice, but I kept feeling stupid. It seemed like whenever I opened her fridge, the required ingredients would disappear, but when she opened the fridge, the required ingredients would be “right there”.

Anyway, I don’t remember how it ended because the stoopit alarm clock woke me up.

Anyway, back to work. Hugs, smooches and gropes to all.

34

Still hurting and still waiting for Doc to get back in so I can holler at him.

We talked to our wedding DJ last night to go over what kinds of music we want. Some classic waltzes mixed in with late 70’s - early-mid 80’s rock and pop. “Play that funky Blue Danube, white boy!”

My main input on it was “No Hokey Pokey and no Chicken Dance!” - a condition he was happy to oblige. :cool:

There’s a penguin on the telly!

35

But it’s not a real wedding without the Chicken Dance. That’s a law or something, isn’t it???

:eek:

36

This last week has been kind of chaotic, to say the least. The latest and greatest is that I have TMJ that came on quite suddenly. So I’ve been running around between the dentist and the doctors. The good news is that my bones are fine, it’s just the muscles and ligaments that are inflamed. The bad news is that I can’t chew, so I’ll continue to be on liquids and soft foods for at least the next month. It’s stress-related, of course. I’m on prescription strength ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer as of today, with physical therapy to start in a couple of weeks, so hopefully I’ll start to see some improvement, or at least some pain relief, soon.

The good news is that I have hired a professional organizer to come in and help me get rid of stuff. I’ve made real progress in actually getting rid of things. I cleared a ton of clothes out of my closet this weekend. I can actually see what I have! Next, I need to work on getting rid of some shoes.

pugs, I’ll check out the pictures when I get home, I’m sure they’re gorgeous. And I’m envious. I’ll go to Italy someday.

37

Hi all.

I’m not graduating in December.

Dyed my hair this afternoon.

Went to Rome in 1996. Want to go back one day. Tip for the traveler: don’t try to see all of Rome in a day. Very exhausting.

Off to mope some more.

38

Puggy the OP is the jakiest! If I ever get the nerve to fly overseas Italy is one place I wanna see. Lovin’ the pics!

MOOOOOOM hope you’re feelin’ better.

Bye LiLi! We’ll miss you but sometimes it’s good to unconnect. If sump’n big happens, however, we expect you to report in, young lady!

Lookin’ forward to the Hallowe’en pics Haze. Sorry about the breakup but sometimes we must move on.

[color=blue]Shadow sorry about the TMJ. Ive been told by those who have it it gets better. Yeah, that’s real comfortin’ ain’t it! :smiley:

So, we had a biiiiiig test today. Fifty questions over everything in training thus far. I scored a 96. I could have taken it again and probably I would have gotten the two questions I missed right the second time. However, taking it again erases the first score and ya know, I just do believe I’ll be able to live with that 96. I predict no losin’ of sleep or feelin’s of remorse later on. :smiley:

I need dindin. Somehow some tomato soup and a grilled cheese sammich sounds right.

Yays, boos, hugs, trouts, etc. Apply as needed.

39

How did you dream about my dastardly mindblowing fridge? I had it made special by dwarvish acolytes in a remote section of the arctic. It’s designed to drive visitors mad!.. <evil laugh> You’ll dream of it again and again, I assure you. And you shall never find the eggs, no matter how much you scream. Hhahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.

40

I usually avoid election talk in public at all costs, but for some reason I’ve been stating general opinions at work today. (Not candidate, but things like “I think the ballot initiative is a good idea because blah, blah, blah…”) And then realizing that it makes me very uncomfortable to state my opinion with others around who disagree 'cause I don’t like debating. I really need to remember to just keep my mouth shut. Oh well. We’re pretty respectful here. But I’d rather just avoid the topic in the first place!