Thursday, January 31, 2008
A Birthday Tribute
I would post a picture if I had one ....
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
WHAT DID YOU SAY??
So I am totally deaf in my right ear since Saturday morning- this really sucks and tomorrow I am going to the doctor again to see if this is normal after 4 days of antibiotics. I mean I love the fact that we have "social medicine" here in Italy (ha ha ha-- as if it were really free), but they so suck at treating every day normal illnesses. I mean if you have a horrible illness or something chronic then there is no HMO saying you aren't allowed treatment etc- you just get in line with everyone else- but if you have something like an ear ache (which Madison had for 1 year solid until we had tubes put in - in the US) then they basically wait until you are deaf to do anything and then at that point they say "well you are deaf in one ear but you will live" - THANKS A LOT! I love living in Italy when I am driving through the countryside and the beauty really takes my breath away- the parks are basically safe places (even at night) my child's public school (that he will attend next year as day care is not yet available to all) does not require a metal detector etc. but the salaries stink, job market is super closed (if you are over 30 forget about finding a job and if you are a woman between the ages of 18-40 the first question on your interview is "do you plan on having children?" to which of course you answer "no, absolutely not- in fact I am sterile". but of course they don't believe you and don't want to pay for the eventual maternity leave (which if you have a job is great- 5 months paid leave and up to 2 years off where they must maintain your position) and so you don't really get the job. What else... can you tell I am surly these days... and NO - I am not having my period!
p.s. just looked at an ear health website and thank god I don't have ear maggots!
Bitch Blog
Ok- so I have not been posting lately. Mostly because I can only do it at work (which I am not supposed to do) because it is MISSION IMPOSSIBLE for me to work on the computer when I am at home because Madison wants to sit on my lap and hit all the keys and begs for me to go on the Anniejuneleoquincy site a.k.a Little Einstein site and play. Also I was struck with an inner ear infection on Saturday morning at 7.30am - the pain was so intense that I went to the ENT Emergency clinic at the hospital becuase A) I thought my ear drum was going to burst and B) the pain was so intense I thought I was going to pass out..
So that is the reason why I haven't been blogging. Now to my current topic I have to bitch
Bitch #1
I have been having some "challenges" (as my father would call them) at work. I have a colleague who is extremely anal about the way she works - which is fine- but lately she has been "controlling" my work. "Why did you do this?" " Why did you do that?" " Why are you here early?" "Have you sent this or that?" Basically I want to yell "why don't you mind your own FREAKING business and let me get on with mine" But being the civilized person that I am - I have so far refrained. This morning I asked her simply to modify the way in which she sends me FYI messages as they are a bit cryptic for me and the response was "why are you so irritated this morning" ------YIKES...
Bitch #2
This bitch goes out to a person that will remain unnamed- However put in a general way, I really hate when someone bombards with demands- do this, do that, get on it right away- I do it with the quickness of a cowboy drawing for his life and then when I say ok- "i've done it- now what?" and they respond- oh well, I don't want to work on that now - it's late, I'm resting, I've got over things to do....etc etc. If you are not serious about something DO NOT BREAK MY BALLS ABOUT IT.
At this point I have made some decisions about my life and for now I am going it alone....
--
Friday, January 18, 2008
Scary Dreams
So I am just finishing up a week of work slaving at the computer renting luxury villas to people who are apparently made of money and the low USD is not affecting, I am having a cup of tea that smells like cumin (armpits) and am about to head home... what I am thinking tonight is Tylenol PM and earplugs!!!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
New QUIZ
Where did you first encounter FWM? I feel like we knew each other as soon as we were born.
Who is your favorite Brady? I actually really liked Jan, because she was the whiny middle child like me.
What is your favorite Mexican dish? Fa-geetas
Who were the members of the Steak Club? - don't know but I remember the Shelby's Angels (by the way Shelby is blind now from Diabetes- I find this truly sad as he is a wonderful fellow)
What brand of underwear do you like? I am not brand particular- I try to get cute stuff that doesn't cut off my circulation and leave nasty red lines
What is your favorite BR bar? Hmmmm it's been 13 years since I lived in Baton Rouge so I am not very hip - but at it's time it was The Library or The Bayou (I was a Chime Streeter)
Of all the cars that you have owned, which is your favorite? I really like my Bora (a.k.a. Jetta) that I drive now.
Would you consider getting a bowl cut? I will leave that to my 3 year old who looks like a cute little preppy kid with his (in my mother's opinion). I avoid short haircuts as they enhance my tendency to a little plump
Do you prefer your sausage in patty or link form? I have to say that don't have a preference. I mean I like the patty equally to the link. But I like the sound of cracking the skin on a link (is that weird?)
Sound Sleeping
So for the last 2 nites I have been sleeping extremely deeply, having intense realistic dreams and when I am awakened by the sound of my baby angel (hee hee) saying "sveglia mamma" (trans. WAKE THE HELL UP AND PAY ATTENTION TO ME) I have been dazed and confused- misreading the clock and thinking it is like 1:30am instead of 7:30am which in any case is early- far too early considering I have to be at work for 10:30am. But it seems that I need this extra time as it took me literally from the time my feet hit the ground at 7:42 until 10am to walk out the door - dressed and ready accompanied by my 3 year old who was already dressed and ready. It seems unfathomable to me that it takes 2.5 hours for 2 people to get showered and dressed. But alas one of those people is a little 3- year old how is going through a period of his life that I like to call Pig Won't (if you are familiar with Richard Scarry you will know what I am talking about). Madison let's get dressed- no dress. Madison let's put your shoes on- no cappe (trans. shoes) " juice juice" -ok, here's your juice. NO! YUCKY (throws cup across the room). Maddy please don't do that...he looks at me with a sly look and does it anyway. What is this insanity? Terrible twos are over? HELP you other moms... what do I do?
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Q & A from the Aquarium
2. Would you bungee jump? maybe
3. If you could do anything in the world for a living what would it be? I would rate commercials
4. How many tattoos do you have? 1
5. Your favorite fictional animal? tigger
6. One person that never fails to make you laugh? KPE now Creech and my Brit friend Abbi
7. Do you consider yourself well organized? NO WAY JOSE
8. Any addictions? let me count the addictions...coffee for one
9. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? internet
10. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? neither really although I spent New Year's Eve at the Circus-what is a carnival really?
11. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? a playboy model.
12. Best movie you've seen this year? ummmmm Napolean Dynamite? or wast that last year
13. Favorite alcoholic drink? Apple Martini
14. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? kiss Madison &/or pee
15. Siblings? 2 and 1/2
16. (make up your own question here) Why are pretzels twisty?
17. Have you ever gone to therapy? yes many times
18. If you could have one super power what would it be? being invisible
19. Do you own any furniture from Ikea? yes and love it all
20. Have you ever gone camping? yes
21. Gas prices! First thought? Americans need to have smaller cars like in Europe
22. Your favorite cartoon character? Leo from Little Einsteins
23. What was your first car? Caprice Classic! Got love the Healey cars
24. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual? no and yes...it was meant for people who died at age 35-- I am almost 33 and have been married 10 years...
25. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons? Cosby all the way
26. Do you go to church? to do volunteer work but not to mass
27. What famous person would you like to have dinner with? Ozzy Osborne
28. What errand/chore do you despise? I hate running errands period
29. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? no alarm- 3 year old alarm clock
30. Last time you puked from drinking? hmm about 2 months ago sadly. I seem to always throw up when I drink- strange that.
31. What is your heritage? UMMMMM Scottish McInnish, Irish Healey, German - Burkhart
32. Favourite flower? peach roses
33. Disney or Warner Bros? neither- PIXAR
34. What is your best childhood memory? i have tons..Milkawanna (ask me or N- too long to write)
35. Your favorite potato chip? salt and vinegar chips (those ones you can only get in the NE)
36. What is your favorite candy? I like Tootsie pops
37. Do you burn or tan? burnish tan
38. Astrological sign? pisces
39. Do you own a gun? no, but my husband does
40. What do you think of hot dogs? i really like them but cringe when I think about what's really in them. They are the perfect drunk food though
8:32 PM
The Case for Not Voting in November
The Case for Not Voting in November
Dispatches from one nauseating presidential primary
By Chris Faraone, Mark Grueter and Dan McCarthy
While you were sleeping like a dead baby at 4am last Friday morning, three of us crammed into a rental car and hurtled up I-93. We brought laptops, long johns, stimulants and skepticism -- all the necessary tools for documenting New Hampshire's notorious first-in-the-nation presidential primary and the carnival that surrounds it. Initially, we came for the same reason that we cover local politics: because by delivering anti-partisan commentary with some stank on it, we believe that even intellectually retarded hipsters and college kids who wonder why a Middle Eastern city named itself after a drinking game might be interested in the policies and people who govern them. But after four days of chowing bullshit and baloney, we decided that you're all better off not voting. If you're a status quo robot who wants press release-inspired rub about flip-flops, hollow promises and poll results, then please consult your daily newspaper. For the rest of you lazy fucks who need new excuses for not exercising your democratic duty, this is the only article that you need to read all year.
They've turned the word "change" into a cliché. Our candidates reveal total contempt for us by endlessly repeating the same meaningless slogans every cycle; the contenders all declare support for "change" (we tracked how many times this word was abused until we ran out of ink) and other vague notions such as "hope." All of this rhetoric should be denounced, but instead we are expected to decide whose crap smells best. Barack Obama busts the same junk that John Kerry did in '04: "change," "unity" and all that mindless tripe. But our new guy has alleged "rock star" appeal, so we're compelled to soullessly embrace nonsense because he has a solid chance of winning. In desperate hope for victory, sheeple are swallowing candidates' vapid focus group advice, and such pathetic subjugations should be opposed on all fronts.
Fred Thompson is no savior. He's the Wesley Clark of this race -- a comparison he earned by galloping in on a Trojan horse stuffed with half-cocked ideals and unwarranted egomaniacal one-liners. We all support the Law and Order franchise, but unless Ice-T is running that's no reason to elect someone president. If you're a sucker for celebrity appeal, and you really feel the need to pull a lever on November 4, then John McCain is a much better pick. In addition to that whole prisoner of war thing he has going, McCain also looks like Dan Aykroyd's character in Nothing But Trouble. We suspect that Dennis Kucinich would consider appointing super hunk Viggo Mortensen to a considerable cabinet post, but despite the Ohio congressman's being one of the few candidates in either party who is genuinely interested in engineering social equality, he's been written off as delusional.
Mitt Romney's tan is artificial. And so is everything he says. Sure, he'll stack his administration with cute blond nitwits like he did on Beacon Hill, but that's only a perk for the security guards who monitor the White House bathroom surveillance cameras. After covering Mitt in Massachusetts for three years, we were looking forward to ignoring him the way he did the Commonwealth for his entire term. So imagine our frustration when he decided to crisscross America advertising the irresponsible unfunded health care mandate that come tax season will leave us not only still vulnerable, but a few hundred bucks broker. You can fool some of the people most of the time, and those are the chumps who Romney has had success preying on. Judging by the Patagonia-and-khaki decked turds at his New Hampshire rallies, it's mostly clueless yuppies and other assorted selfish jerkoffs who gravitate to Mitt's optimistic economic babble, family junk and racist anti-immigration fluff. Prove that you're not one of them by staying home on Election Day.
Our electoral process creates a hysterical intolerance of dissent. We went to the Puritan Backroom Restaurant on Saturday to watch the debates with Mike Huckabee supporters, and while we expected virgin punch and a dangerous tribe of Christians, it turned out to be an enlightening Republican debate bash at which we could trade opinions with the bunch. And then Ron Paul was asked about the War on Terror. As the Hucksters booed Paul's criticisms of American foreign policy, we stood up and cheered, only to be reminded that we were across enemy lines. Even those who disagree with Ron Paul should appreciate his contrarian stabs, but Republicans prefer an echo chamber, like Sunday night's Fox News debate that Ron Paul was excluded from.
America is not a real democracy. Money has completely corrupted our politics, which is why we have the lowest voter turnout of any industrialized country. It's not that most Americans are indifferent to political issues; it's that we don't even necessarily get to choose whether or not we participate in what can best be described as transparent fraud. For starters, it's pointlessly difficult and tedious to register and vote. Unlike those in peculiar civilized European countries, our election days are not holidays, so many people simply can't vote because they have to work. Voting isn't supposed to be for everybody; they just make it look that way. Here in New Hampshire, campaign events are staged for the cameras. Hillary Clinton holds a "rally" in the small cafeteria of a Hampton high school (rather than in, say, the gymnasium) so that it will look jam-packed on the 10 o'clock news. Her handlers, paid to manufacture frenzied momentum, opened the auditorium for the citizens that otherwise would have been denied entrance, piping Clinton's speech in over speakers. The phony democratic politics that prevail every campaign cycle.
Chuckabee. Judge Reinhold's endorsement of Bill Richardson runs a distant second to the Chuck Norris-Mike Huckabee tag team. Their union put a choke-hold on every crowd they faced, and we sat at several star-dipped rallies watching voters suck Huck's puck just because it came with Chuck. It's eerie when a presidential frontrunner gains noticeable steam by billing himself as the undercard on a B actor's ticket, but we expected nothing more from a party whose greatest hero was a Tinseltown side note. If Huck goes the distance, Chuck will be VP. And while that might make for one fuck of a Chuck-Huck T-shirt, you're better off using the 10 minutes that it would take you to vote at your local precinct to cast your third ballot in the upcoming American Idol contest.
You don't have to be sexist and/or racist to reject Clinton and Obama. Bill Clinton impressed us so much with his speech at Bow High School that we fancied his wife was a committed public servant. Only after escaping his aura did we remember that she's a megalomaniacal carpetbagger who's determined to buy this election like she did her New York Senate seat. Hillary's declining popularity in New Hampshire might be due to the aggressive presence of armed guards and police dogs at her campaign events, but those of you outside the Granite State only need to resent her shameless yap. As for Obama -- the candidate of tolerance -- we thought you should know that his staffers don't allow people to bring homemade signs to his events. Sorry if you registered to vote for the first time because you were inspired by his rainbow coalition of supporters with multicolored placards tagged with hopeful messages; every one was painted by an intern.
Manchester matters. This place is ground zero for the primaries, which is both an unfortunate reality and an easy metaphor for the entire flawed electoral system. The mills that didn't collapse from neglect were favorites for squatters and addicts before the recent overhaul. The gilded theaters were bulldozed and replaced with parking lots and dive bars. To its credit, Manchester is a historically relevant working-class mill town that was once a cultural and industrial epicenter, but as a stage on which candidates' performances mean everything, this city's role as a political epicenter is a punchline to a depressing joke. Every four years this silly circus stops here, and the clowns never consider how using this so-called "Queen City" as a litmus test is just another exercise in meaningless tradition.
On the ride home, we didn't listen to Tom Finneran hack it up on WRKO. By unanimous decision, the crew also vetoed NPR icon Tom Ashbrook's cynical half-stepping. Besides not caring who won, the car was already littered with Bud Light cans, expired Newports and Burger King Italian Chicken wrappers, and even with the nipple-jerking New England breeze ripping through the windows, the thought of smelling any radio blowhard's breath was sickening. We had endured pollsters, talking heads and barstool strategists making irrelevant predictions all week, so instead of torturing ourselves we bumped some Tupac and rubbed our own crystal ball. Here's what we saw: one candidate or another wins in November, and thousands of American soldiers will still be sacrificing life, wife and limb to stick band-aids around the Middle East. You or someone who you know and love will still be poor, uninsured and about to be foreclosed on. Gas prices will be high, morale will be low and no one will take responsibility. Especially us, because no matter which ticket prevails, we will not have voted for it.
BORED!
Ugly Clinton???
ok, so I just got back from my lunch break where I was supposed to hop out to pick up my daily contact lenses, juice and diapers....and instead, I broke down and ordered a pair of glasses (which I never wear) as I was convinced by the "not so ugly" sales boy Claudio that if I continued to wear only contact lenses all my eye muscles would turn to mush and I would be blind by 40! So to the tune of €350 - translations $500 I have ordered a new pair of glasses that I desperately hope will not make me look like Ugly Betty. It's bad enough that there is such a thing as "adult acne" damn the man, and now I have to wear glasses- what's next "adult braces?"
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
checking in
Monday, January 7, 2008
watcha readin?
17.20 Monday afternoon
Well, it is completely pitch black dark outside at 5.20pm for those of you on a 12 hour clock. I am at work and have been typing my little heart out since 10.30. I am going on South Beach from today until my 10 year wedding anniversary- which is on February 14th 2008. I mean really, my child is now fully three so I can't use "I had a baby" as an excuse anymore. However, I have that "getting off of pasta" headache now. I have tried to do this diet like 4 times and I always gives up after about 4 days...Courage (spoken with a French accent- ku-rahj).
Friday, January 4, 2008
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Welcome to 2008! I have a feeling that this is going to be a fantastic year and that great things are going to happen. I am not sure why I have this feeling but I do despite the fact that my horoscope claims that this year will be my most demanding one ever.....I find that hard to believe and therefore I don't. I had a wonderful Christmas here in Italy, despite my intial trepidation and fear that it would be sad and loney without my American family once again. However, we managed to have a wonderful holiday season right here in Italy. Instead of walking in a Healey wonderland on Donray Drive- my friends gathered in Via Baroni for the third annual Healey-Magherini winter wonderland party. There was good food to be eaten, drinks to be drunk and good times to be had. All in all I have to say-SUCCESS. Christmas eve was spent in town doing last minute shopping, Christmas day at the Nonni's(grandparents) house, the 26th Santo Stefano (holiday in Italy) was spent with the Zii (aunt and uncles)...a few days of holiday rest...then the 31st was spent with hubby and toddler at the CIRCUS...only in Italy do they give you a split of Champagne at the circus (obviously for you to toast the New Year at midnight) but I thought it was a nice touch. Of course, we had ours open way before midnight. And let me just add this for all those mothers who give looks to parents of rowdy children - if my child can not act rowdy at the circus when can he be rowdy....stay at home if you want a calm evening!!!!
Sorry, but I have had the most uncontrollable urge to slap some of those mothers... I didn't ask for an "active" child, but i have one and I love him and I refuse to tell him No 24-7... there is a time and place I agree- but a healthy tiger growl at the circus when he sees the tigers at the cirucs I think is totally appropriate.