Today I am 38

It’s all good! I’ve never really been bothered by age (so far). I look at where my life is now compared to ten years ago and I wouldn’t go back for anything! I have learned so much about myself in the last ten years and good, bad, or ugly I got to where I am today.

Do you remember where you were when you were at, say, twenty-five? I do. I don’t long for those days at all. How stupid was I? I went out EVERY night and I partied EVERY night and I had no idea who I was. I made very bad decisions and didn’t care who I hurt (including me). I wanted to be liked and loved and didn’t care what I had to do to make that happen.

Thank God we get older! The decisions I made in the past have led me to the life I lead today. Thank you, Wendy! Do you remember the life you dreamed about when you were young and naive? I thought Prince Charming would surly gallop into my life, in my mid-twenties, and sweep me away to a life of perfection! Hah!

Then I turned 30, and 31, and 32, and 33 and realized life is not like the movies. I never thought I would meet someone and get married. Ever. I am not (too) ashamed to say that I picked MOH (My Other Half) up in a bar. I did, and four months later we were married. Best thing that ever happened to me (and him)!

Life now is flying by at an amazing rate of speed, but I am enjoying the ride – little wrinkles and sags and all. For me, being able to share this experience with the person who completely loves me, no matter how difficult I am, with the person who makes me want to be a better person, with the person who loves me on my best and worst days, with the person who is truly the other half of me . . . well . . . I am the luckiest lady around.

I am so thankful that I get to experience my life. Happy Birthday to me!

Good Deed - Unpunished? Maybe.

So you know those neighbors that complained about our barking dogs? The ones who have four barkers of their own? I totally just rescued one of their dogs. You’re welcome.

They have this little mini pinscher that somehow broke out of their yard tonight. They, of course, are not home. They have a wrought iron fence like ours but have plastic up around it so, I assume, their little dog can’t get out. Well it did. MOH (My Other Half) and I were in the kitchen and our four were going crazy outside. Not really a cause for concern – it happens. MOH went out to shut them up and comes running in and says that there’s a puppy in our yard.

I experienced several emotions in a matter of seconds. First: dread. What were we going to do with it? I certainly can’t toss it out on the street! Second: fear. I was sure Max would kill it. Third: excitement. Ooh a puppy! Another little pup to add to our tribe!

We ran out in the yard and there it was. Sweet! Then we realized it was the neighbor’s dog. Max was sniffing it, but Caesar was going nuts. He’s my spoiled little one and I believe he decided he would not share any of Mommy’s affections with a new little dog. The pup ran back out of our yard (through the bars) and tried to get back in his own yard, but the plastic was blocking him.

MOH and I put ours in and went outside to find the rogue mini pin. He was in the alley shivering. He wanted nothing to do with MOH so I told him to stand back and let me try. I got all Dog Whisperer and got down on his level and talked to him. He shakily approached me and I snatched him up. I cooed to him and he shook the whole time. I dropped him back over his fence (it’s not that high) and he seemed happy. We can’t figure out how he got out.

I’ll have to visit the neighbors tomorrow to tell them, through a combination of my Italian and sign language, that their little one can get out. Do you think they’ll say, “Thank you?” I’m not sure. I feel that somehow this will be our fault – we’re so popular here in our Italian parco. I would have just died if our dogs had hurt it (you’ll remember the rat incident – it was about the same size).

Super Bowl Commercials? I Wish!

I’ll be honest. The only reason I really ever watched the Super Bowl was because there was usually a party involved, and some pretty cool commercials. However, AFN does not run commercials of any kind, except, well, military ones. We’re not allowed to see product commercials (we can’t get half the stuff here anyway). I guess that makes sense. Sort of.

I understand that it’s a legal thing (they tell us that every year around this time). But really? Can’t we have a once-a-year exception to that rule? I know it’s a little whiney, it’s not like we’re in a combat zone here in Italy, although I think driving in Naples is pretty darn close sometimes, but that’s another story. For the men and women serving in combat, however, don’t you think someone could figure out how to make it work?

The Super Bowl starts here at 0030 here (midnight-thirty for you civilians). I’m not saying up (especially with no allure of commercials), but MOH (My Other Half) is. He’s taking leave so he doesn’t have to worry about work on Monday. This year AFN has decided to make it up to us by having people send in their own commercials to be aired. Sigh. Ok. That should be . . . interesting.

We always get up the next day and just watch the commercials online. It’s just not the same. It may be a petty grievance, but it’s a grievance all the same.

You're Watching AFN

Ok. So here in Italy, being part of the military, we get AFN (American Forces Network). When we come here we get an AFN decoder (like a cable box). We get about 12 channels. We get some current TV, a little behind when it’s aired in the US, but OK. We don’t have a lot to choose from.

We are subject to a lot of propaganda rah rah military commercials (still OK with that). However, they are running a new batch of completely moronic bits that tell us, “You’re watching AFN.” Really? I’d understand if we had more than one network option, but EVERY channel is AFN. Do you need to keep telling me what I’m watching?

You have little kids playing instruments telling me, faces painted on hands (seriously) telling me, men running through fields telling me, and people eating other people’s birthday cakes (again, seriously) telling me. Guess what? I’m watching AFN. It’s all I get. What else can I watch?

Hey everyone I’M WATCHING AFN!

Morons.

I'll tell you about our Superbowl "commercials" tomorrow.

To Sleep

Just a little bit of me:

Dark of night breeds restless thoughts
Where quite masks the storm within,
Cruel silence seeps from every pore
As the fight for sleep is waged again.

When balance falters doubts are stirred
By icy fingers laced with truth,
And smoldering embers of peace long lost
Greedily devour fleeting youth.

No vice can quiet the unsettled mind
That spins its riddles no man can solve,
Fueled by the light of a bitter moon
Perversely delighted as sanity dissolves.

Echoes unleashed from a haunted tomb
Cannot be silenced without facing the ghosts,
Resurrected nightly to tease and taunt
The blood rimmed eyes that won’t stay closed.

Heavy is the burden of the restless mind
And long are the hours that Luna rules,
Drunk with defeat I fall to my knees
And bow to insomnia, my dreaded muse.

Me

MOH is a Rock Star!

That’s right! While we’ve been trying to come up with a good translation for our house issues so we can call the landlady and get the appropriate people here on the first try, MOH (My Other Half) came home early and fixed the heater!!! Rejoice! There is heat and hot water! I shed some tears of happiness. He did some more research and experimenting and all is well. Happy dance, happy dance, happy dance! I truly cannot tell you how excited I am about not wearing three layers of clothes to bed tonight and taking my little pseudo-showers. Sigh . . .

There’s still the leak issue in the bathroom, but that is a very small problem right now – at least until the floor caves in or something!

Not only is MOH a phenomenal cook, he can fix shit too. I am one lucky lucky lady!!!

Skipper

Ah, my sweet little girl! Sadly, we are in the process of finding her a new home. A few months after we got Maxwell, she started fighting with Dolce. I mean fighting fighting – to the point of blood. I’ve tried everything and can’t get it to stop.

I’ve googled it and researched the whole alpha dog thing. Nothing I try makes any difference. It’ only when people are around so I think it’s definitely an attention thing. When we are around them it is constant growling (I mean CONSTANT) and posing with an occasional all-out fight erupting. This has been going on for months! I’ve had a couple of near adoptions, but something always falls through at the end.

She has zero problems with the two boys; it’s only Dolce and I know they both are miserable. When she’s by herself she is the sweetest, most loving dog and it breaks my heart that we are at this point. She deserves better and Dolce deserves better. I won’t give her up until we find a great home for her, and I have the stipulation that if, for any reason, her adopters are not happy then I will take her back and try again.

She’s currently listed under “Adoptable Dogs” on the Naples Friends of Animals website (link at right). Think good thoughts for us and hope that we can find her a good family soon!