ok... counting down

Just about 15 hours until the first leg of the trip to Italy. I'm packing at 10:50 p.m. Thursday night (knowing that mom has been fully packed for two weeks and frozen her underwear and socks so she'll be fully prepared like she is for a holiday meal). ahem...

looks like Steve and Ellen have dodged a bullet out in Southern California. The fires blew past their place and while they were worried about a predicted shift in wind direction today, it looks like they're ok so far.

Howard is on his way home from San Francisco - on a red eye. Then he'll take a nap tomorrow morning before taking me to the airport.

I'm pretty excited. We'll see how this all goes. I have a global cell phone with me and I'm having my regular cell forwarded directly to this global phone (which I've rented for the week). So you can call me super siblings if you miss your mommy.

Oh my goodness. Did I just SAY that? ;) ... Ciao!

Four days and counting...

Well... while I'm sifting through things to pack (particularly shoes), we're saying a prayer here for Howard's brother Steven and his wife Ellen. They have a beautiful home in Fallbrook, California, and Howard (who is out there on business this week) emailed some photos of wildfires basically encroaching on their house. These are scary, scary pics. Fallbrook has been evacuated but as of today, Steve and Ellen were home and playing it by ear. They live on a mountainside and while the fire is closing in, they were not yet required to evacuate - I think they're trying to just figure out what to do. It's amazing how much has burned out there. They have a beautiful ranch with a citrus orchard and these great gardens. And it's in pretty imminent danger.

Five Days ... and counting

My most sincerest apologies for not posting anything on the blog for quite some time. It's been a bit hectic here. Meghan applied to NYU early decision, which meant we had to get everything done and in before this week because - well, after Friday, I'll be IN ITALY!!!!!! Meantime, we've been dealing with the usual extra-curriculars for both girls, work hell, painting one side of the house, fielding phone calls from the wayward traveler - Howard, not me. He just got back from a trip to Monaco for heaven's sake and now he's in San Francisco.

And... well, I am astounded that neither sib #1 or sib #3 have discussed the Ellen situation. Good lord above, the woman adopts a dog from a shelter, gives it up to the family of a beauty parlor worker and then gets all hot under the collar when the shelter takes the dog back. She took her personal beef with the dog rescue people onto the air and now the rescue people are getting death threats... Now this is a scruffy little dog, mind you (not at all like Leona's Trouble). I can't post the pic because it's got a Baltimore Sun photo copyright, but head to this link to see for yourself: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.to.pets20oct20,0,1429241.story

WHAT is this world coming to when these celebrities' doggie problems take top billing in the news?

Then again, Marie Osmond did just collapse during her samba on Dancing with the Stars, and that did make headlines this evening...

I have been taking an Audiobooks course in Italian, by the way, so that I can speak up whenever mom tries to order something toxic for dinner or pay too much for some bizarre souvenir when we're IN ITALY!!!!

Seriously, despite the fact that I'm in pretty serious denial about how it will be to spend 10 days with the matriarch... I AM pretty excited about going on this trip! Ciao!