Yardwork Challenge

I'm trying to put my edging in and come across this. It is really hard to dig with a hand spade through brick. Gonna have to figure out another way...

Trip Planning 2

Well, since it is two days after my last post and if you can do the math, you should be able to figure out that we are now down to 30 days before leaving for Europe and I'm not really much further along in my plans than I was before. Okay, that isn't quite true since the last post we have:

• Scheduled a tour for the Vatican Gardens.
• Scheduled a day trip to see Lacock (where parts of Harry Potter was filmed), Bath, and Stonehenge as the sun is setting.
• Have narrowed down a day trip to see Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, just need to click the 'purchase' button.
• I purchased a bunch of shoes from Zappos.com yesterday as I continue to try and find the perfect shoes to walk in.

I have also been spending some time with my Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary that I recieved as a birthday present. This I find to be very entertaining, although I'm not certain how much good it will actually do me. Here are some tidbits that I have come across while flipping through the book:

In the "Help for Women" Section:

• Leave me alone = Mi lasci in pace.
• I want to be alone = Voglio stare sola
• I'm not interested = Non sono interessata
• I'm married = Sono sposata
• I'm a lesbian = Sono lesbica
• I have a contagious disease = Ho una malattia contagiosa

So I guess the only ways to get rid of an Italian man is to be married, gay, or diseased...

Of course, I then flip to the "Ah, Amore" Section and come across these gems:

• I'm not married = Non sono sposata
• I'm adventurous = Sono avventuroso
• I'm lonely tonight = Sono sola stasera
• I'm rich and single = Sono ricca e single
• I have no diseases = Non ho malattie
• I have many diseases = Ho molte malattie
• Let's have a wild and crazy night! = Passiamo una notte di fuoco!
• You are my most beautiful souvenir = Sei il mio piu bel ricordo
• How's my breath = Com'e il mio alito?
• Darling, will you marry me? = Cara, mi vuoi sposare?

Hmmm, maybe these are the ones I should be focusing on.

Trip Planning 1

I am now on the official countdown for my trip. I have 32 days before I head out and there is so much that I still don't know and haven't figured out and REALLY need to work on getting my list together so that I can actually follow through, but keep getting distracted by things like starting a new book or watching stupid television (e.g., Impractical Jokers - thanks, Sara).

One thing that I did do this morning was come across the following tip when trying to cross the streets in Rome:

Crossing the road. There are apocryphal tales of visitors to the city coming and leaving having only seen everything on one side of Piazza Venezia, such is the daunting prospect of crossing the vast mass of traffic. Follow these simple rules and you won't be one of them.
1/ Stand on the kerb, looking in the correct direction of oncoming traffic. When there is a decent break (i.e. enough for whoever's coming to brake),
2/ Make sure they have seen you,
3/ Step out decisively and, maintaining a constant and regular pace, walk across. As if by magic the cars and scooters will weave around you.
DON'T stop midway, go backwards, or run across screaming, that confuses everybody, and don't wait in ever-growing frustration for everyone to stop, it's never going to happen.

First, love how the spell things. Second, I love the fact that magic will be part of my life while in Rome....I'll be sure to let you know if it actually works or if I'm hit by a scooter... (Although I fear that I will actually be that crazy tourist who runs screaming across the street.)

To give you an idea of where I currently stand with my plans:

• Lodging plans made
• Plane tickets purchased
• One tour set up
• Luggage identified
• 1/6th of the wardrobe determined
• How to speak Italian book listened to
• Camera purchased and some picture taking practice done
• Guide books skimmed through

So much yet to think about...maybe I'll just take a nap.

He Knows It is Home

For awhile now, I've known that Devil Dog has known which house is his because when we are walking and we pass the house, he always makes a bee line for the door, even if I'm not quite ready to be done with our walks. However, I was assured this weekend that he knows to stay in the yard as well.

On Saturday, since the weather was nice, I put him out in the backyard with a bowl of water and left him there for a couple of hours while I went up to my studio and worked on a quilt. I would periodically hear him barking down there, but he does that some times just to get my attention or if a truck drives by or if my neighbor is out front. I completely ignored his barking knowing that he wasn't in pain and that he had water and I don't want him to get used to me jumping at his every bark and call (ha ha, get it...).

Once I got to a good stopping spot on the quilt that I was working on, I went back downstairs and let El Diablo back into the house. He was "patiently" sitting by the back door looking forelorn at me for leaving him all by himself for two whole hours. I wiped off his feet, which I always do with baby wipes when he comes in, and then gave him a scoop of food.

Now, here is the scary part.... As I walked through the living room, an odd site caught my eye out the window. I realized that the gate to the yard was wide open and probably had been for the entire time that sweet Leo was out in the yard. The lawn guys had been there on Friday and didn't latch the gate tightly and I think with a strong breeze, at some point, it blew open. And yet, that sweet dog, as far as I know, stayed in the yard and did not go wandering around the neighborhood. I did get a chip put into him when I got him so that if he gets lost he will get scanned and the vet or pound will call me, but I don't keep his collar and tags on him when I let him out into the yard....perhaps I should.