The arrivals section of the Roma airport is crowded, dirty, extensive, and confusing. The passport line was hidden, the customs area was vacant, and I finally found a bathroom, leaving Hubby to guard our belongings and breathe into a paper sack. We had planned for this first-day nonsense and arranged a shuttle from the airport…
Adventure is Out There
Bongiorno, Tribe! I hope you are as excited to hear about our Italian adventures as I am to tell them. It’s certainly been a strange, jet lagged last couple of days attempting to remember who I am and what I do. I have no idea where I’m going next. But this trip reminded me that…
It’s Time for a Give-Away!
This September is overflowing with happy things and I’m about to pass it on to you! It was not enough that I spent my big bad birthday lounging in a spa oasis, sipping lemon water and covered in red mud. Nor was it adequate that kid number five finally got his driving permit and can…
Planning a Roman Holiday
So I’ve been doing some homework on Italy. Rome, to be exact. It’s the first stop on our itinerary for next months big “We managed to stay married for HOW long?” anniversary trip to actual Europe. Because after thirty years of dues, you should get to cash out. In euros. We’re sampling the country’s smorgasbord,…
Dear Facebook
Dear Facebook, Our relationship began with the simple idea that I could keep in touch (“KIT” is written all over my high school senior yearbook, right next to the phrase “Stay as sweet as you are”) with people that – wait for it – I have trouble keeping in touch with. My mother, for…
I Can Make Your Hands Clap
I spent today questioning all of my life choices. Was I a good mom when the kids were little? Did I teach them the things that really matter? Could I have gotten a day job sooner and provided them with cars in high school instead of flip phones? I stopped long enough to go get…
July. Again.
Good morning everyone. I’m doing a daring thing right now: blogging without an editor. Not even second-guessing. July is crazy. That’s my excuse. July rivals December in the ability to bring me this close to the edge, so here we go. Things you can depend upon in July: Ants. Have we said enough about them yet?…
Packing for Italy and the Inevitable
On a recent weekend trip to Las Vegas, I was talked into taking a cheap flight instead of road-tripping it by a girlfriend whose status is now in question. I was assured that the price of the ticket more than compensated for gas, traffic, parking hassles, and speeding tickets. That a leisurely stroll through the…
5K On the Bay
There’s a brand new piece of bling in my jewelry box and my earrings are trying to make friends, but the string of pearls won’t even make eye contact. All silky ribbon and gilt-edged beauty, this little sparkler was coveted from afar, hard won, and brands me forever as a LEGEND. “Just try it,” said…
Paint By Number
Good morning everyone, and welcome to Jolie’s first and last ever painting class. Grab your apron and let’s get started! Choose your seat wisely. It’s probably not a grand plan to sit next to a sister-in-law who can paint like Michelangelo. You want to focus on the lady to your right, who is wearing more…
Chasing My Tail
Last week, I sat with five total strangers in a dark classroom, taking a free adult education class on “Succeeding in Today’s Job Hunt”. Gathering what was left of my dignity, I followed along as we clicked through our personalized “Career Exploration” quiz. I tried to keep an open mind because occasionally these quizzes tell…
Rip van Forty Winks
Y’all need to sit down and buckle up, because the last two weeks feel just like Rip van Winkle waking up in Lilliput. Or was that Buck Rogers? This isn’t happening. Maybe I’ve been living under a rock – aka working a full time day job – but crawling out from under it hurts my…