Volunteering and Mac 'n Cheese

I've been volunteering with the American Red Cross for the last six months. At first I just jumped in to help with special events as they came up, like the April children's Bicycle Rodeo. I helped set up tents and then I manned one of the obstacle course stations. We had the oh-so-tricky weaving obstacle. Lest you think that's something just anyone could do, let me assure you, it took brains and skill to set the orange cones precisely the right distance apart from each other. And that distance depended on not only the age, but the skill level of the participating kid.

Lately I've been working with the Publicity Chair to get the Red Cross message out to the community. Mostly that means I am the liaison to the Armed Forces Network radio station, but sometimes I do the in-briefs for newly arrived personnel. I've recorded a few commercials about classes the Red Cross provides to local servicemembers and their families, and one about the importance of volunteering. My favorite part of this gig though, is my weekly live radio spot. It's nothing big, but it's a lot of fun. Every other Tuesday at 0900 I go in and get to be part of the morning show. So far I've worked with three different djs and I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of it. The first two djs I worked with were just subbing, and all three of them have different styles. The regular lady and I do a longer conversational interview, whereas the first two djs had me do several shorter spots where I mostly did the talking. My goal is to get through an entire interview without being stumped by a question! So far I've talked about CPR, Wilderness and Remote First Aid, and Baby-sitting classes along with Emergency Preparedness month, the Red Cross Club at the high school, and the Veterans History Project. It's a good way for me to stay plugged into what's going on. And also to hear the sound of my own voice...

I had a short meeting today at the Red Cross office to talk things going on this month. Both myself and the Publicity Chair will be traveling, so we are making a plan to have others cover the radio spots for us. I wrote up a few blurbs, talking points, and questions for her. I think she's going to take the first spot, and we'll ask one of the teens from the Red Cross Club to take the second spot. Anyway, while we were there, a few of us started talking about dinner plans and of course the recent Halloween chili cook-off. Someone mentioned macaroni and cheese, and I got that idea stuck in my head. So after the meeting, I went to the commissary and got some cheese and shells and came home and made mac 'n cheese for dinner! It came out delicious.

While the shells (half of a one-pound box)
were boiling to al dente, I melted about four tablespoons of butter, into which I whisked 3T of flour and 1T of ground mustard. Oh and 3 cloves of garlic, too. Because garlic makes everything taste better. Then I added about 3 cups of milk, some paprika, some cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Then I tempered an egg and added it, along with about 8oz of grated extra sharp cheddar and another 4-6 oz of pepper jack. (I'm not sure exactly how much. About half of a 1lb block of the cheddar and a little more than half of an 8oz block of pepper jack. But I saved a little bit from the sauce to put directly on top.) I strained the shells and threw them in a casserole dish with my sauce, and stirred it up. I topped with the rest of the grated cheese and somewhere between a half a cup and a cup of panko bread crumbs. Then I popped it in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes. Did I say how delicious it was? I would definitely do this again!

Haunted Islands of the Venetian Lagoon

We recently took advantage of another of the Army's ODR trips and got to visit a couple more of the islands in Venice. The excursion was advertised as a Haunted Islands tour in honor of Halloween, and we visited Poveglia, Malamocco, and Lazzaretto Vecchio, which I'm pretty sure translates to "old hospital." All in all, it was about an eleven-hour day, nearly half of which was spent on the water.

Cristina's bragosso

The day started on post at 0800, and we left in a 20-passenger van. I think there were 16 of of us, including our tour guide Lisa and the van driver Todd. Unfortunately for us, the Venice Marathon was also being held that day, and we encountered significant traffic on our way into the city. What would normally be an hour drive was doubled, and even after we stopped to get the ZTL parking permit, we had to double back on the route and added even more time. There was some confusion on parking and our departure point, so that added another delay. Finally we loaded our bragossos - traditional fishing boats - and were on our way. We opted to ride with Paolo in a boat that rode lower in the water but had benches with seat backs. The other boat, skippered by Cristina, had higher seating for better views, but the benches were backless. Both of us have on- and off-again back pains, and Tony recently sustained another back injury, so that's the main reason we went with Paolo. It was nice being a little lower though, because it meant we were out of the wind on a very cold day. I brought a hat, gloves, and scarf, and was very glad to have all of those accessories as the day wore on.

I'd say the outing should have been called a Venetian Lagoon Excursion or Tour instead of a Haunted Islands tour, to properly manage expectations, but we still had a fun and interesting day. We did a drive-by of several islands and got some brief history lessons. We saw monasteries and convents, hotels, armories, and retaining walls. We got a great view of some fishing nets in the water catching gambretti (shrimp) and small fish, as well as nets drying on land. We also saw some traditional Venetian rowing boats - they're not all called gondolas! - and a sailboat with two very proprietary dogs on board. 

Poveglia Bell Tower

Our first real stop was at Poveglia, which is abandoned and condemned. We started on one side of the island and got a nice view of the bell tower, which is one of the few remaining structures on that part of the island, as the church burned down some time ago. Then we ventured to the more exposed, ocean side of the island, and drifted by a canal entrance while our boat captains provided us with snacks and spritzes. We could see several other boats nearby, some drifting and some anchored, and a few people (apparently) illegally sneaking onto the island. And down the canal, we could see a film crew! It turns out they were filming for an organization called Poveglia Per Tutti, which means Poveglia for Everyone, and their mission is to keep Poveglia from becoming privately owned. When they learned we were American, we got quite the lecture from them. You see, the island had been used as a quarantine stop for plague victims, and it has the rumor of being haunted. The organization claims this haunting rumor is a vicious lie spawned by the American television show Ghost Adventures, unsupported by scientific evidence and completely lacking in credibility. Duly chastened, we took a drive through the canal for a closer look at some of the other buildings, and then proceeded to the next stop.

Poveglia Buildings, Bell Tower, and Canal

We disembarked on Malamocco, which is a fishing town/island. It's pretty tiny, and our lunch options were fairly limited. We took a short stroll through the waterfront and town center areas, and settled on a little trattoria/pizzeria for lunch. Despite an extensive pizza menu, they only had three types available, none of which suited my fancy, so I got an assortment of little appetizers which mostly consisted of fried stuff. I had some sort of beer battered fried cheese, which was delicious and would have been even better piping hot, but since it was the size of a Pop Tart I couldn't finish it. I also got grilled polenta with prosciutto on it, which was too salty for my taste and reminded me of Play-Doh. (Yes, I've tasted Play-Doh. No, I'm not proud of it.) My favorite was the battered meatball, which I'm guessing was veal. Tony got an angus burger and beer; the burger was okay and he went back and got another beer to go because it was so good. It wasn't an Italian beer, but German or Belgian. His rule of thumb: if it has a monk or a gnome on it, it's going to be good. 

Enjoying the sun on Malamocco

Lazzaretto Vecchio buildings

Vines on a chimney

After lunch, we got back in the boats and headed to our second-to-last stop, Lazzaretto Vecchio. I think we all agreed this was the highlight of the trip. It was an old hospital consisting of several different buildings, basically, that have also been used as a hotel, but is now empty. An archaeological club is in the process of renovating and restoring some of the buildings, and it was neat to see the progress and compare the buildings. Before we stepped foot on the island though, our guides made sure the "haunted dogs" were out of the way. There are two black lab mixes that live on the island, to discourage unwanted guests, and Lisa is quite afraid of them. Cristina cares for the dogs and drops off food for them every day, and they seemed far more likely to lick us to death than do any damage, but still, they were separated from us for the duration of our exploration. The buildings, like most of Venice, were brick, and there were lots of vines and thorny things growing. Parts of the property reminded me of The Secret Garden, and we even climbed to one spot right over a boundary wall on top of the water for an excellent view. We learned that several thousand bodies have been discovered on the island, and researchers assume there are more, as at one point during the plague people were dying at a rate of 500 per day. There were individual and mass graves, but we didn't see any of that. Still, it was kind of eerie walking around knowing how many people walked before us, and never left the island.

Partially restored interior on Lazzaretto Vecchio

Shipbuilding company in Venice

We got back in the boats and started heading back, to the van we thought, but we got one last surprise stop on Venice proper. This, because Lisa assured us we had been good all day. Bonus time! We got a view of some very old shipyards and a WWI era submarine, as well as one of the oldest ship construction companies in Venice. It's still in business today, and still crafts wooden boats. We also rode under some bridges, and passed a leaning tower. We pulled up to two churches, which I'd taken photos of before, and learned they are from the 1400s and 1500s. At this point my phone battery died, which didn't really surprise me since I'd been using it all day after my camera battery died, and I had to delete a bunch of pictures more than once to keep taking pictures, due to stupid iCloud updates. I think I only took one more picture, which was of a very nice sunset. But anyway, in the plaza was a little market, very typical of Italy. We didn't do a lot of exploring though, just headed right toward one of the tourist-trap cafes and ordered cappuccino and hot chocolate. Nine euros! Highway robbery! Finally, we headed back to the van and rode back to base. I'd encourage others to do this trip, if for nothing else but a great boat ride and guided tour.

Leaning Tower of Venice!

Drill Down

Back at my good old alma mater CGA, cadets participated in a few different military-specific events and carried out some activities designed to hone our military precision. Or poise. Or something. Point being, the Coast Guard Academy is indeed a military service academy and we cadets were expected to behave accordingly. We had room and wing inspections once a month, marched to classes, attended formations, and conducted military parades pretty much every Friday. When you're a freshman, or fourth class (4/c) cadet, you also participate in Drill Down.

You know the drill teams who spin their rifles and stuff? Well, we did something like that. Every Friday morning we marched in formation with our companies and our weapons ("Sir, my piece is a U.S. rifle, M1, gas-operated, clip-fed, air-cooled, semi-automatic shoulder weapon!") and every Friday afternoon we showed off those skills to visitors on the parade field. Drill down was something a little more special and intense though. Each company sends two cadets to the competition. My memory is a little vague, because it has been fourteen years since I was a 4/c, but you dress up in a parade uniform and get inspected, along with fifteen of your peers.  Then a more senior cadet goes down the line and takes the rifle from each freshman, and spins it and opens and closes the bolt and throws indoctrination questions at the freshman. The 4/c, while at the position of attention, has to sound off while answering those questions, which could be anything from the chain of command to the movies playing at the local theater, while paying attention to the rifle. When the senior offers the rifle back, it must be right-side up and with the bolt the way it was when the 4/c handed it over. (I forget if that is open or closed). If the 4/c accepts the rifle back in anything but the perfect condition, they are docked points. They are given points for uniform and military appearance, and their ability to answer all the questions correctly. In the next round you practice all the various rifle and facing movements. After the third round, there are only a few cadets left, and the points are tallied. Winners are announced and they get special privleges as well as bragging rights for their company. (Here's a recent post someone else wrote about her experience: http://www.uscga.edu/blog.aspx?id=5791)

 I think I only participated in drill down once or twice, but I really enjoyed it. It was stressful, but definitely one of those traditions that I look back on fondly. I was really good with the indoctrination, but only average at the rifle skills. I made it past the first round of competition, but I never placed. Here are a few pictures of Baby Cadet Cherry, circa 2000 or 2001.

*I edited these stupid things to make them right-side-up, and after I uploaded them the first time they were still sideways. So then I went into my Picasa album and edited them there, and uploaded them again. They're still a little wonky, but I give up. You can go look at them on my Facebook page if you're super curious.*

Oktoberfest 2014

We took a little field trip to Munich at the end of September to participate in Oktoberfest. Tony really wanted to go, and I'm always up for a new experience, so we jumped on one of the Army ODR (Outdoor Recreation) bus tours. Since the bus left at 0300 and was scheduled to return at 0200 the next day, we waffled on whether it was the best way to go. Ultimately, we decided it was worth it for several reasons. We didn't have to worry about drinking and driving, or finding lodging in an area where hotel prices were jacked sky-high. We also didn't have to worry about paying tolls or dealing with big city traffic, or one of us being tired after a long day and getting behind the wheel. And we figured we could always go check it out and do it on our own next year if it went well. I tell you what: best decision ever!

Proof of me having a beer, and enjoying it!

It's normally a five- to six-hour drive to Munich from our part of Italy. I don't know that for certain, since I've never done it, but Tony has and he concurred with Ye Olde Google Maps. The buses obviously go slower, especially through the mountains, and we also knew there was a scheduled pit stop just over the Austrian border, so the plan was to arrive sometime around 1100. When we rolled up to the meeting point, Tony noticed one of the bus drivers was one with whom he was familiar. And guess what: that guy drives like a demon! Even with our pit stop, and a slightly delayed departure, we still got to Munich by nine a.m.! So we were on site at Oktoberfest and drinking beer by 0930.

Beer Tent

Now, if you know me, you know I'm not a huge beer fan. I have a short list of beers I will drink when the social situation calls for it, and an even shorter list of beers I actually like. But I wanted to go to check it out anyway, and one cannot do Oktoberfest without drinking beer! I had a couple radlers, but you should know that at Oktoberfest, you can only order beer by the liter. Whoa nelly. Even when you ask for one liter and two mugs, you are usually declined, though we were able to successfully cadge a waiter once. The first radler I had was with a light beer, and the second was with a dark beer, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn I liked the dark radler a lot! Normally I tend to skew toward wheat beers and summer ales and the like. Anyway, when we first arrived, we took a quick stroll down the main midway, and then ducked into one of the tents. When I say tents, you should know these are full-scale structures with floors and roofs and which seat thousands of people at a time. They are monstrous! Even at 0900, the tents were already pretty full, and pretty rowdy. People were singing and cheering and dancing on the tables, but it was kind of wholesome. We snagged a table at the next tent and settled in for a while. I ate the BEST PRETZEL of my life, too. Cheesy and chewy but somehow also fluffy. Mmm, yummy. I would drive all the way back there if I could be assured of another pretzel like that.

If I go back, I will ride this ride!

I was surprised how family-friendly the entire shebang was. There were several roller coasters and ferris wheels, and swings and rides and all those fun fair games with the milk cans and basketball goals and goldfish bowls. I was very glad we arrived early in the day, when it was bright and clean and less crowded. We decided to catch a cab to downtown Munich for lunch, and went to the original Haufbrau house! I ordered meatloaf, which was basically spam, and I was terribly disappointed with it. But that's where I had the dark radler that I loved so much, so it was worth it. There was live music, and lively cheering, and we even learned some of the songs. The seating is communal, with really long tables stretched down the middle of the room. Well, I should say that's what the seating was like on the third floor, where we wound up. The first floor had more traditional smaller tables and I have no idea what the second floor looked like, just that there was live music on EACH floor. Our neighbors were kind enough to teach us the words to some of the songs, and they also told us the middle weekend of Oktoberfest has morphed into the traditional weekend for Italians to pilgrimage to Germany for the festivities.

After lunch, we caught another cab back to the main grounds, and wandered around for a while more. We thought about going on some of the rides, but the prices were high at the first roller coaster, and then someone had to pee, and then the lines were long, and then we decided to meet up with another group of Army folks. By that time of day, the tents were all closed to newcomers, and you could only go in if someone else came out. And that is not really the way of the tents! The general idea is to go park yourself and sit there all day and drink, if drinking is what you want to do. Luckily, our buddy came to talk to the bouncer to let us in. The bouncer wouldn't do it, of course, because the tent was already at capacity. BUT, our buddy got his waiter to go talk to the bouncer and assure him that there was room at their table for us, and we got to bypass the line and go in! I felt like such a rock star. So we parked there for a while and just had fun drinking and people-watching. More singing and cheering and table-dancing. I thought only tourists would be wearing lederhosen and dirndls, but I was very wrong about that. Many, many, many locals were wearing them, and of course lots of tourists were, too. One of the families we sat next to at our second tent was from Munich, and all four of them were dressed up, even the baby. The parents said they came mainly for the kids, because it was a fun event for them and something they should grow up remembering. I was really impressed, and Tony was even tempted to buy a set for himself. I think if we had more time there, we would have done some shopping for things like that.

Love this man, this kiss, this pic, and the photobomb!

By four o'clock, we were pretty tired of drinking and walking around, and found a spot on the hill to do some more people watching. We sat on some steps at the foot of a ginormous statue, and just chatted and visited for a while. Our departure meeting wasn't until 7pm! I imagine if we'd arrived at eleven the way we were planning to, the timeline would have been just fine. But it was a long day. I really don't know how people stay there all hours of the day and night. And by that late in the afternoon, there were lots of drunk people, too. We saw several people being wheeled around on gurneys, and lots of people drunkenly weaving and being supported by their friends. I also think if we'd stayed much longer, the place would have lost a lot of the family-friendly vibe. It was nice to watch the sun go down and all the midway lights come on, though. My biggest complaint about the day was actually leaving. There was some mix-up with the buses, and we ended up walking to two different locations to meet them, and then waiting about an hour. Otherwise, all went well. We made it back to the base right before two, very satisfied with the whole outing. I mostly feel like now I've done it, I don't need to do it again, but if Tony wanted to go next year I wouldn't really mind. Good times were had by all.

The bromance continues...

The boys enjoying a brewski before it got too crazy.

NaBloPoMo! First time as a writer, not a reader!

I can't believe it's the first of November already. Time is just flying by! That means I've been in Italy for almost seven months, married for just over that long, and out of active duty for just over a year. So many changes! This time last year we were probably recovering hangovers from too much gluehwein the night before, handing out candy in the neighborhood in Washington, and now we're little homebodies. Well, that's mostly because the car broke down this week, which is a WHOLE OTHER blog post, or two. We did make it to Del Din last night for their Trunk or Treat event, and it was a lot of fun. If we hadn't already been committed, we probably would have backed out of that because of the car troubles, but I'm really glad we ended up going.

Neither of us dressed up for Halloween yesterday, but I did put on a green shirt, gloves, and a scarf that Tony's grandma made. I also wore the fun dinosaur beanie that Aaron crocheted after recovering from breaking his arm. I hope I never break my arm, but if I ever do, I will learn how to crochet cool hats after the cast comes off. Side note: there are now 3d casts that look like cool fishnets or spiderwebs, and you can scratch your skin and bathe with them on! I was really glad for the extra warmth after the sun went, down, because it got pretty chilly.

We left around 3:30 and arrived just before 4. Most of the trunk or treat cars were already there setting up, and we walked around and got a preview. There are some REALLY creative people out there. We dropped off our chili for the competition, and then helped set-up the company's snack area. Once the sun went down and 5 o'clock came, we manned the table so the CO and his wife could go trick or treat with their little one. This ended up being awesome, because we were positioned right in front of a mini haunted house, and the guys/zombies in there did a fantastic job making noises and scaring people (not too much) all night! They kept it up really well, and we got the fun task of showing people where the entrance was. We did one more lap of the cars, and then went into a few more haunted house areas, bypassing at least one more. I tell you, everyone went all out, and I can't wait to do it again next year.

I have no idea how we did in the chili cook-off; the lady in charge said she'd notify the soldier if/when we won, so we're still standing by on those results. However, when we went back to collect our crock pot, it was completely empty! Neither of the crocks next to us were empty, so I'm taking that as a good sign. I made a traditional chili, but I also added some chipotle peppers and about a cup of a smoked wheat beer that we had around the house. It came out nice, but I was afraid to spice it up too much, which would have been my preference. I tasted one other chili, called "Helluva Lot of Jalapeno," and had I not missed the voting deadline, I probably would have voted for that one.

Anyway, that was our first Italian Halloween. I'm sad that we missed the other party, but it would have just been too much stress trying to deal with the transportation situation. I understand we missed some really great gondolier and Dodgeball costumes. Next year we will have to bring our A game!

My favorite! Cowabunga, dudes! The soldiers went all out on this display.

The uvula makes this one. It's the little things, people.

Sneak peak at one of the haunted houses.

The haunted area behind us was full of zombies!

Wedding Reception

In the last wedding-related post, I stopped right after we were introduced to the guests as Mr. and Mrs. (pause) (laughter) (pronunciation lesson) Blacharski (more laughter, cheers). Then we stood around on the dance floor taking pictures and hugging people. We kept trying to break away with the photographer, but everyone kept coming up to congratulate us and asking for pictures, so it took a while. We moseyed outside for official photos, and spent a bunch of time wrangling people into various configurations for pictures. It was lovely, and frustrating, and we completely missed hors d'oeuvres. Thankfully we didn't miss out on all of cocktail hour, because some kind person, I think Ryan, brought me a drink. Our photographer (Kim, from Coastal Moments Photography, who was FANTASTIC) cut everyone else loose so Tony and I could get some couples pictures out by the water, and she got some really fantastic shots. He was starting to get grumpy, and I admit I probably wasn't far behind, but then I would just look at him or my ring or all the people we love chatting with each other, and I was happy again! I think one of my favorite pictures from the entire day (besides the old-lady photo bomb) was a butt-squeeze. Hee hee.

We FINALLY went back inside for food, and honestly I don't remember a single thing about it, except I thought it was great. I'm pretty sure I was the first one in line - after all, someone has to break the ice, right? I sat with Mom and my grandparents and Reed came over for a visit, and I went and mingled at a few different tables after I was finished. I wish I had more time to visit with everyone, but I at least managed to get a few minutes with each person or small group. And of course everyone was really good about coming to say hello to us, too.

Tony and I said a toast, mostly thanking people for coming to share in our wedding day. It was so special to us to have everyone there. After all the hassle and troubles and traveling during crazy rain, I hope it was worth it to everyone else too, but I will forever treasure those memories. I'm especially happy our three grandparents were able to make it. Tony managed to find a round trip ticket from South Bend directly to St. Petersburg, so his grampa didn't have to navigate big airports or worry about changing gates. And my granny and grampa made the 5+ hour road trip with Uncle Spike, though Granny says she's too old to do that again. Aaron said a toast next, talking how important it was to find someone who has your back and is always on your team (shoutout to Lis!), and that he was happy we found that in each other. It was really sweet, and here I am admitting it publicly. I must be getting maudlin in my old age. (Remember how pretty I used to be?)

We opened up the dancing to Etta James' "At Last." I didn't want to dance, and we picked that song as sort of a timeless classic, and I'm glad I did after all. I am not exaggerating how badly I did NOT want to be up there, just us, but...again, I'm glad I did. It felt like forever though! Tony gave me a little spin and I remember looking out at everyone and saying something like, "What, no applause?" and people laughed and clapped. It was easier after that, and Tony even gave me a little dip at the end! Next up was "Celebration" (or "Celebrate;" one of those; you know I'm terrible at songs and musicians) by request of my mom, and all the ladies got up and danced to that one. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the dancing, but I do know that Tony's grampa got out there a few times! He specifically requested polka music, and we passed that request along to the djs. He got his wish, sort of. Knowing nothing about polka music, we just asked them to use their discretion in finding something. And they did...the chicken dance. Cluck cluck! And Grampa knew all the moves and everything! It made us both really happy to see him get out there.

Here's the link to a blog post our djs wrote about our wedding: http://bboyproductions.com/wedding-entertainment-with-dj-charles-the-blacharski-wedding-at-eglin/

I missed the "Mahna mahna" song, as I was changing out of my dress by then, but the last few songs of the evening were really fun. We specifically requested another Muppets song, from the Muppets Movie that was in the theater while we were dating (not Muppets Most Wanted, the one before that). It was "Life's a Happy Song" and I asked for it because, well, it's the muppets and it makes me happy, but also because one of my favorite Tony quotes comes from our movie date to watch that movie. (FYI, "Oh my God, I'm dating Fozzie Bear.") I was smiling for the whole thing, and pretty much everybody got out and danced with us, and it was the perfect ending to the reception!

One of the venue assistants asked if she could keep our centerpieces for her son's upcoming wedding, and I said sure thing. I think my mom kept all of the glassware, and I kept a few of the paper pinwheels and whatnot, but the lady took most of the rest of it. I'm happy to know it was going to a good home and gets to see another happy day! I didn't do a whole lot in terms of break-down, just grabbed gifts and cards and whatnot, as everyone else was super accommodating about helping out. Since we did our "rehearsal dinner" at the hotel at Hurlburt, we went to the "after party" at the other hotel. This is where some of the extended family and high school friends were staying. We started out visiting with his aunt and uncle in their room, then ventured out by the pool for a while. Since I was FREEZING out there, we then moved to the lobby. I'm sure the receptionist was very skeptical about having a dozen or more people lounging in the lobby with wine and cheese and music and silly stories, but we were pretty good. Not too loud and rowdy, just right. One of our guests missed the wedding because he wasn't feeling well, but we were happy to see him at the after party. Sometime after midnight, we went outside to light off some fireworks! And by we, I mean other people, because I went out and watched but of course, true to form, spent a few minutes freaking out about getting in trouble. Some of the guys, who shall remain nameless, went to the Taco Bell parking lot next door and found an open space with no tree branches overhead. The fireworks were great! Everybody should have fireworks at their wedding!

I think we hung out until 2 or 3am; not sure exactly. We finally went back to our room and...slept. Yeah, that's what we did. Until, I dunno, 9 or 10, when we started touching base with people for brunch/lunch plans. We wound up having lunch with a group at a Mexican restaurant, and I don't remember much except there were a ton of salsa options and I thought it was very tasty! Oh, and they had a couple of Abita beers. It always brings a smile to my face to see Abita outside of Louisiana. After lunch, those who hadn't hit the road for home already took off. It was bittersweet, especially saying good-bye to my mom, because I didn't (still don't) know when I'll see her again.

Tony went back to the hotel room for a nap, and I headed out to meet a couple of friends and their friends. I think at an outdoor bar or restaurant, but I just sat and enjoyed the weather and the visit. I did that for an hour or two and then went back to wake Tony up. We met one more friend for dinner that night, and that pretty much concluded our wedding weekend! Many thanks to everyone who helped make it so wonderful.

Uff da, the craziness and hectivity abound

Yes, hectivity is a real word. I made it up just now.

I have been a very busy bee, and it has been a roller coaster-ish couple of weeks. I had some friends come to visit, and we had a delightful time! We did wine-tasting at Villa Sceriman and Enomas, watched a historical regatta in Venice, found the castle in Bassano del Grappa along with the distillery museum, and explored the castle and ruins in Sirmione. We were blessed with terrific weather, and they came back from venturing on their own in Florence and Rome with some good tales and excellent advice. Can't wait for the next round of visitors! Now...who's it going to be, hmm?

Entry to Sceriman

In Venice, near sunset

"Pink ladies" in the Venice Regata Storica

Let's see, I got kidnapped for my birthday and celebrated with sushi, a walk around a street fair, and some really dang good gelato. (My delightful friends also presented me with a fruit tart in Venice to celebrate - there was a candle and they sang to me! Going down in the history books as a really wonderful birthday. I like 32 so far!) Then I tasted more wine and  harvested and stomped grapes at Le Pignole, which might be one of my new favorite places ever. I'm sensing a trend here, with all the vino...Which reminds me, if you like wine and drink a fair amount of it and like trying new ones, you may be interested in the app Vivino. I use it to help me remember what I've tasted, bought, liked, and disliked, and also to get recommendations. You can take pictures of wine bottles and the app will match it with something in its database, and if it's not in the database real live people will research and add it. You can rate wines and compare other people's ratings and pricing information, and it's pretty dang helpful.

First birthday picture!

At the Vicenza fair

Kids running around at Le Pignole

A real, genuine, authentic grape stomp!

I also dog-sat for a friend (the same lovely friend who kidnapped me) for four days, and had a very fun time cuddling and playing fetch. However, I think my favorite gelato place (conveniently located 1/8 of a mile from home) is probably the ONLY gelato joint in the entirety of Italy which does NOT allow dogs. Whoopsie.

I watched the bi-annual Live Chess tournament in Marostica, and had some delicious pumpkin risotto for dinner beforehand. I think there were a total of 12 of us who went as a group, and it was a really fun event despite the rain delay. If anyone is planning a visit in September 2016, I will take you to it!  There were flag twirlers and sword fighters and dancers and horses; the costumes and pageantry were great! Hopefully by 2016 I will understand more Italian and be able to translate a bit of the story. All I got were "La bella regina bianca," a few other chess piece names, and some disjointed words. But I had fun laughing smarmily when everyone else did.

Live chess match in Marostica

Then I battled a mid-term exam for roughly 30 hours, then I got sick, then I got better,  I recorded a bunch of radio commercials for the Local Red Cross, I'm going to a picture framing and matting class tomorrow, and Tony comes home soon! Next weekend: Oktoberfest in Munich!

Verily, life is good.