I was tagged on Facebook by an old friend  whom I’ve known since grammer school.  The meme involved answering 100 questions about me…my favorite subject.  I figured since I actually did this one I would share it with all of you.  After all, I know you’re all dying to know. 

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
Just one? I have so many! How about a beautiful 6 inch scar under my left breast from a heart surgery in 1991.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
Paint.

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP?
I deny, deny, deny all of the above, although, others will say otherwise.

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
Everything but country.

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
2:57 pm. My mother always said I was just in time to watch General Hospital.

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
Sunshine on my face.

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
Working with Hospice.

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)?
My artwork.

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU?
5′ 4″

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
Yes, very easily, then I go into a full blown panic attack. It’s ugly…very, very ugly.

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
No.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
My sister.

13. WHAT’S YOUR WORST FEAR?
I don’t know…but that’s scary.

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Blonde hair, blue eyes…I should have moved to Sweden not Italy.

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF BEING PROPOSED TO AT?
I really don’t see me ever being proposed to.

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK?
Decaf coffee…the furthest thing from an energy drink. I love my coffee for the taste, not the kick.

17. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?
OK, ham, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms.

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A Birthday Cake Carvelanche…no candy, extra cake mix, and not over mixed.

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME?
Black.

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH?
I barely eat real fish let alone goldfish.

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Life.

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
Does Lenny Kravitz count?

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
No.

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?
Ann Taylor…I like the classics.

25. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FEMALE/MALE CELEBRITY?
I really don’t know…

26. DO YOU HAVE A PET RIGHT NOW?
Yes.

27. WHAT KIND IS IT?
Two dogs and two cats. I am also getting a puppy in about a week and my cat is pregnant, again!

28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
I would like to say no…but I guess anything is possible.

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED.
49

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
Blondes…didn’t we go over this?

32. FAVORITE QUOTE?
It’s never to late to be what you might have been. Don’t remember who said it.

33. FAVORITE PLACE?
Staniel Cay, Exumas.

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA?
Yes.

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
Where do I begin…

36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS?
Yes.

37. FIRST JOB?
Souvenir shop on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
Yes…and I’m sorry.

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOUL MATE?
I think we all have people in our lives that are soul mates, usually more than one.

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT?
Baking pies to bring to the local nursing home for Carnivale.

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
More times than could ever imagine.

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
My infectious laugh.

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
No.

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
I want to travel to a place I’ve never been and celebrate another year of life.

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT AND THEIR NAMES?
I don’t want to have kids.

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I was named after my father.

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Cheaters.

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LIKED ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
Honestly? I was able to be out of my house for all those hours, 5 days a week and smoke lots of weed.

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
Whatever smells the best.

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes.

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Ham.

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
I smoke…again!

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
Sometimes…and I can admit that.

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Hell yes…I love a challenge.

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
I think that it’s a great deal for men and for any women who can really separate sex and emotion…but how many of those women do you know?

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
Yes.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
I don’t…that’s what the happy pills are for.

59. WHAT’S YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?
To always be a good person.

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
I loved my Barbie Camper.

61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?
I’ve never counted.

62. WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?
Barney wasn’t around when I was a little kid.

63. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Do bears shit in the woods.

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
Mac and cheese.

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
I’ve stopped looking.

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
La GioFra, G, Jo, L’Americana, or America.

67. FAVORITE SUPER POWER?
Flying, without a doubt.

68. FAVORITE TV SHOW?
Boston Legal was great but LOST is my favorite.

69. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES?
I don’t…

70. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Nocciola

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
Although I am short on some organs, I do still have all of my fingers and toes.

72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM?
I have a laptop…you never know where it might be.

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?
Sleep…it’s 1:30 am and those damn pies just got out of the oven.

74. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU ARE OLDER?
In a 5 star Assisted Living Facility.

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
I am not tagging anyone on this…they don’t ever respond.

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
The TV.

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
Water.

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
I Skyped Elisa, my longtime friend from Ventnor…she’s in Alaska, I’m in Italy, and we spoke for over an hour. It was a great virtual get together.

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX?
I’m an ass and thighs girl.

80. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Travel, visit friends, blog, work on my house…

81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE?
I have no clue how to answer that question. Hate is hate, there are no favorites.

82. FAVORITE SEASONS OF THE YEAR?
Spring, Summer, and Fall.

83. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY?
Ferrero Roche Garden Collection.

84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
I have lots of great friends, and lot’s of best friends.

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
Dark brown.

86. EYE COLOR?
Brown…contain your excitement please.

87. SHOE SIZE?
37

88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
Taco Bell

89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
I don’t really have just one…sorry.

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
Not into the sushi.

91. WATCH TV TODAY?
Grande Fratello.

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
Christmas.

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
No…Not musically talented.

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT?
Democrat.

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
I love kissing…and I love hugging…can’t I have it all?

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
Whatever I’m feeling at the moment.

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
350 liters of GPL.

98. WOULD YOU EVER BE A HOUSEWIFE?
Not in this lifetime.

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
Running With Scissors.

100. DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE:
Non existent.

Slowly they are gaining back their dignity.

Thanks Wizard!

I was determined to get to my house today.  I just needed to be in my space for some me time.  I knew that my car would never had made it, so I asked my dad to take me.  He has a 4×4 Fiat Panda, they are not the most attractive looking cars, but they kick ass in these weather conditions.  Just take a look at the roads.  Not many people are braving the conditions…we were the only two fools in sight.

Once we arrived I couldn’t believe the snow that had settled all around my little piece of paradise.  Here’s a shot of the driveway leading to the main road.  Believe it or not, I had just had the snow plow here earlier this morning…a lot of good that did!  I’ll be sure to track him down and beg him for another visit.

I haven’t been able to stay here since Wednesday night because my car just doesn’t *do* the snow. 

The lions have been stripped of their dignity and are now in desperate need of a visit to the Wizard of Oz.

So while I wait for the snow to end, and then melt away, I’m trapped…and not dealing with it very well.

I opened up my Facebook account before moving to Italy in July 2007 but I never spent much time keeping up with it until now.  It seems as though something happened over the past year and a half and the secret is out, now everyone and their mother is using Facebook to stay in touch.  Of course I didn’t know this until I logged on over the holidays to find ’friend requests’ from people I hadn’t seen since elementary school.  I have since found fellow bloggers, ex co-workers, and former classmates.  Although I’m happy to have reconnected with everyone I have to admit that my high school classmates make me the happiest, especially since my chances of ever attending a high school reunion were slim to none.  That’s what happens when you drop out of school. 

I would have been the Atlantic City High School Class of 1986 but I was not exactly a model student.  I started out at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, NJ.  I completed freshman year successfully, well maybe not successfully but I did pass.  Sophomore year was another story.  I could have probably gotten by had it not been for that damn snow.  It was shortly after the Christmas break when the snow fell unexpectedly and while most schools were calling a ’snow day’, mine was calling a ‘late day’.  So being that my friends and I were already up we figured it would be a fine time to have a party.  Why not, we thought, we had five hours to kill before the bus would come, what else could we have possibly done?  We decided the festivities would take place at my friend DeeDee’s house.  We knew no one would be there, plus her parents had the most well stocked bar.  Out came the schnapps and the brandy, with beer chasers of course.  It was a blast, really, until hours later when we arrived at school and got busted. 

I don’t really recall how the whole scene went down but I do vividly remember sitting in the Dean of Disciplines office.  Her name was Mrs. Higsbee, and I despised her.  As she lectured me for what seemed to be hours I started to feel a little queasy.  That’s when I decided to act as if was truly sorry for what I had done by giving her a great big hug…and puking all over her.  She was fit to be tied, and I, feeling completely satisfied having left my mark both literally and figuratively, was ready for a nap.  I slept it off in the nurses office and woke up to find that I was scheduled to appear in front of the Discipline Committee with at least one parent in tow, but not until after my three day suspension.  The day came for my big hearing and I stood before the board with Mrs. Higsbee charging the way.  Final verdict:  six 3 hour Saturday detentions.  I served my time proudly and when Easter break came I transferred to Atlantic City High School.

I had a fresh start and life was pretty good.  I didn’t have to wear those horrible uniforms or sit through another Human Sexuality class taught by a priest…what more could a girl ask for?  Well the answer to that question became clear a soon as I started back at school.  Atlantic City High School was situated two blocks from the ocean and one block from the bay.  It was a water lovers dream.  I think I attended classes for a couple of weeks but I’m not really sure, the water was distracting me.  I ended up spending my days at the ocean or the bay with those who shared my passion for partying.  For some reason I managed to remain a registered student without ever showing up for classes.  That lasted for over a year until showed up in the Principal’s office one day looking to guarantee a place in the graduating class of 1986.  What I actually did was blow any chance I may have had to graduate and dropped out. 

In 1985 I moved to Florida and ended up getting my GED.  Another memorable day.  It was me and 13 other people, all men donning orange jumpsuits and shackles…the Class of 1986. 

As I was stepping into the shower this morning I had a flashback of my first real travel experiences in Italy.  I was travelling  with my friend Lisa and one of the places we visited was Florence.  Since we were not the hostel types, we decided to stay at a pensione.  The actual place itself wasn’t very memorable…except for the elevator which was extremely tiny.  This flashback started a chain of thoughts that pretty much ruined what I had planned to make my first mindless activity of the day, a simple shower.  

Now I’ve stepped into this shower every day for almost two years, today however I noticed that it really wasn’t a simple task.  Why?  Well to put it simply, it’s tiny.  The whole thing is just wrong!  It’s a tiny bathroom with a tiny sink, a tiny toilet, and a tiny shower shoved into a tiny corner.  In order to get into the shower I have to squeeze past the toilet, something I find completely gross.  Then, once I make it into the shower it only gets worse.  There is just no room to do much of anything.  I am forced to keep my shampoo, conditioner, and body washes on the floor because I can’t spare any of the wall space with shelves.  It’s so bad that I can’t even bend down to get to the shower essentials…I have to squat to reach them, otherwise I’d hit my head against the wall.  On the bright side, even if I ever did hit my head to the point of unconsciousness I wouldn’t actually fall to the floor because the size of the shower just doesn’t allow for that.  Why that’s a good thing I don’t really know, but I guess it would prevent me from breaking a hip or something. 

As if that weren’t bad enough, getting out of the shower has proven an even more difficult task.  Since I seem to have this thing with toilets (yes, even my own) I have to really take care to not to touch it on my way out of the shower.  Not that I think anything would actually happy to me, but the idea of it is a bit nasty.  After all, a toilet, no matter how sanitized, is still a toilet.   Furthermore, it is connected to the sewerage system, and, in my opinion, that can’t be good.  So, I have had to learn to step out of my tiny shower, at just the right angle so that I can shimmy past the toilet and onto a clean tiny towel, which, by the way, is strategically placed on my tiny floor.  Sometimes I lose my balance and end up grabbing the toilet which leads me right back into the shower.  This might all lead you to think that I am a germaphobe or that I’m just plain nuts.  Though non of that really matters to me because the real problem is that everything is so damn tiny. 

Now when I think back to that tiny elevator in the Florentine pensione I realize it really wasn’t that small after all.  It was definitely larger than my current shower.  In fact, it may have been bigger than my entire bathroom.  I guess I really need to get on with renovating and expanding my home because tiny and me just don’t get along. 

One of the things I really enjoy about life in Italy is that I never really know what I’ll be doing from one moment to the next.  Now some who know me might say I’m a planner and an organizer, and to a degree this is true.  But those who know me really well will tell you that as much as I love the planning and the organizing, I get way too anxious when having to think things out in advance.  What can I say…I’m just a complicated girl.  

Anyway, although I have been back in Italy for a week, I haven’t been able to get back into the groove of life in the village.  My friends here have been giving me flack for not going out, or saying I’ll meet up with them and then just not showing.  Well last night was going to be no different…or so I thought.  You see, I was visiting a friend until about 10 pm.  I decided afterwords that I would stop by my parents house for a minute and then just head home.  At about 10:30, as I was driving past the pub (yes, we actually have a pub), a friend of mine jumped out into the street and screamed ”GIOVANNA” !  Well I certainly couldn’t act as if I didn’t see her, although the thought did cross my mind, so I stopped to say hello to her and a few other friends who had come outside.  They invited me in for a drink and, not wanting to be rude, I parked the car and joined them.

After about an hour or so my friend Giovanni decided that it would be the perfect time (midnight) to taste the sausage he had made this season.  Why not?  It was officially a new day.  So off we went, six in all, to taste the sausage.  After making way to the top of the city, through narrow streets and creepy stairways, we walked up to the door.  As Giovanni was opening the door all I could think was, well, nothing really…I just wasn’t in the moment.  Not to worry though…things were about to change because once the door opened  I walked into what I like to refer to as a little piece of heaven and a whole lot of hog.

Now it may look strange to those of you non-Italians, and maybe some of you Italians, but this is real Italy.  Of course it didn’t end there because tasting sausage is an art.  There was fresh Italian bread which we dipped in freshly made olive oil.  To top the bread off were the winter tomatoes that we lovingly squeezed on top of the bread, with a sprinkling of salt.  Now I’m sorry to tell you that the battery on the camera died but I did capture these two additional photos.

Gianpaolo checking out the goods.

Luigi helping Luiga out with a taste testing. 

Oh…did I forget to mention the pasta with sausage?  My bad. 

It was a great time, and I’m glad I decided against running over my friend to avoid socialization.  Well my drive home did finally concluded at 3:45 am and I concluded that I’m much better at just going with the flow…besides, I don’t handle anxiety very well.

That make it all worthwhile.

Now I know that I’ve asked for you all to tag for memes, and many of you kindly responded appropriately, and I, rudely, never followed through with doing any of them.  Well, today I got hit by the karma train.  You see, I have been spending a lot of time on Facebook lately, and I never imagined that a meme would come my way.  I actually thought Facebook was a meme free zone…well it’s not!!!  Imagine my surprise today when I got tagged to do a meme.  I wasn’t overjoyed but I did follow through, so I am going to share it all with you.   Now I won’t tag anyone but I have left the rules just in case the spirit moves you.  Oh, and if the spirit does move you please let me know via a comment or a link.

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 16 people to be tagged. Be sure to tag the person who tagged you (as your 16th or an extra). If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. I can hang a spoon on my nose.
2. My nose is real.
3. I hate beans…except for string beans.
4. I used to want to be a mom.
5. I like visiting the cemetery.
6. I had to use spellcheck for the word cemetery.
7. I never saw the movies E.T. or Bambi.
8. I think #8 should count as two answers…and now it does.
9. I think 9 1/2 Weeks was one of the sexiest movies ever made.
10. I think the movie Hannibal was a love story. Let’s face it, Hannibal could have easily eaten Clarice. Instead, he let her go free…now that’s love.
11. I know that #’s 9 & 10 are twisted ideas and I am OK with that.
12. I want a cow…black and white.
13. I also want a pig…a little one.
14. I hosted an American Thanksgiving in Italy for 40 people and couldn’t explain what the significance of Thanksgiving is (sad…I know).
15. I don’t think that Italy should be a thinner country than America. These people are carbaholics…where is the fairness in that?
16. I blog, or at least I try to, and I’ve actually asked to be tagged for inspirational purposes. Now I will never make such a request again.

It sure does feel good to say those words.  Who would have thought that after moving away from all I’ve known for so long would have actually been the right decision?  I certianly didn’t imagine that I would have lasted this long.  Fortunately, I am still living here in Italy after 18 months, and I am loving every minute of it.  I think that fact that I have been able to make two trips back to the USA since first moving has made the transition easier.  My first trip back to Florida was in April and it was a really great visit.  This trip was great as well, in a bittersweet kind of way.  On this trip I realized that Italy is my home…not only legally and physically, but most importantly in my heart.

So this is my home…Montefalcone Nel Sannio, Molise, Italia.

OK…so I’m heading back to Italy after 6 weeks in Florida and I’m a bit worried about baggage costs.  You see, I arrived with one huge suitcase which was only half full, and I’m leaving with two huge suitcases that are filled to capacity.  I’m thinking that I may have to offer a bribe to the curbside valet, which, fortunately, they do have at Palm Beach International.  Now I’ll be the first to admit that there is no shame in my game, however, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that they charge what they do for excess baggage.  Even more ridiculous is the fact that they will allow you to remove items from your checked luggage but then let you carry it on the plane with you.  Now I may not the sharpest tool in the shed but how does that make any sense?  You’re still boarding the plane with the same amount of weight…DUH!  Anyway, wish me luck.