things you've done..

You are supposed to copy and paste this list into your own blog and bold the items that you have done.. this is being passed around but I think its a facinating conversation starter.. I have added a couple both that I have and have not done.. please do the same on yours

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (not sure this ones allowed.. been to the top)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (not sure what this means)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied ( have? cause if had you would still have)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason (have given, never gotten)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (working on it)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby ( my wife had the baby)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Crossed the Equator
100. Seen the Southern Cross
101. Been Whitewater rafting
102. Held someones hand right while they died.
103. Seen a ghost
104. Had your heart broken
105. Seen the Rolling Stones

OK I DID IT... if you do it, put a comment here so I can go read your

Non importo dove lei va, li lei e. No Matter Where you go... there you are.

Like my Dickie Bird always said, no matter where you go, there you are. Well to a certain degree he was right, but this has been a fabulous experience and I am very sorry that it drawing to a close. Yesterday was 3 year anniversary of my wife's passing and it was just a little bit easier than I imagined.. I think being here may have been just what I needed.





I have been staying at this house for the past few months, my friends Sam and Audra have owned it for nearly ten years. They offered to let Joanne and I use it on many occasions but unfortunately we never got around to taking them up on it before she passed. They decided to sell recently and called me to let me know that I had one last chance to use it and I decide YES.. great choice... Its located in a small town of about 10,000 named Roselle not far from Grossetto in Tuscany. I have been spending my time mingling with the locals, I have made some good friends here. My Italian has become very good for an American or so my new friends tell me.

Its only about 15K to the Sea and prox 60K to Rome and I have had Sam and Audra's car so I have been all over the place, even made a trip to Sicily last week with some of my new friends.

Going to try and put some posts together when I get back....

I think I have some good adventures to share.. including a few dates with one of the locals, Rosanna Dicenso.... I taught her some English and she improved my Italian, lots of fun... she happened to be a widow so we had that in common, she is only 40 years old, which is a little young for me, but hey whats a boy to do.

was telling Smarty pants about getting my backpack boosted outside a small trattoria... really blows.. I ran inside for like 30 seconds to tell the waiter something and came back to an empty table.. the big problem was it had my camera in it.. I posted a sign offering a reward for the memory card but to date no luck... should have been saving pics to my computer but never got around to it...now I wish it would have been stolen on the first day here instead of with a week left to go in the trip... .. oh well live and learn.. . I have some photos on my phone but not that many and they are kind of fuzzy see above.. but hey my own damn fault...

WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE

So I have been doing the Holiday Shuffle since Christmas Eve. I swore things would be different this year, no remorse, none of that remanicing crapola....and I almost made it too....then Christmas Eve came....and down down down down...tried to fight it off by spending tons of money on food and my kids presents but all to no avail...sheesh.......oh well that is how the cookie crumbles and maybe next year will be better.....even though I am doing well and enjoy dating and women in general I guess bottom line is I still miss my wife a lot. Happy Birthday Sweetheart.

I am going to Pittsburgh tomorrow, finalize the purchase of that cheap ass house. It is very nice and has some nice land. It will be a great place to write. Will also be going to the Steeler Game on Sunday...HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO...maybe this trip will fully pull my head out of my ass.

The book is going well and is taking up tons of time and is another reason I have not been online and keeping up....

That silly Charmaine told me to just post some recipies or something so here is something...thanks Charmaine the phone call did me more good than you know...

OK Jimbo here we go LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT....the back is finally feeling 100% too so up early and running tomorrow...

Oh I did go on a date and promise to write about it....the only thing I can compare it to on an even keel is the Hindenburgh.....kaboom...