Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.... and a TAG

Rome has the best fountains in the world, don't you think?  It's been really rainy here lately, and so I find myself entirely enamored with water.  As of late, it's the only thing I want to photograph.  But, I do have pictures to share of water that isn't QUITE so pretty.

That is the Tiber river, and because of all the rain, it's completely and totally disgusting.  It looks like clay when it moves downstream!  It was almost unbearable to look at; it was so sad to see it that way.  It's never really a beautiful river; usually it's a harsh green with litter floating along with the current, but it's still a shame that it looks that way.

I'm going to tag Annie, Valentine, and Will to take pictures of water and post them on their blogs!  Have fun, guys.  And if I didn't tag you, feel free to play along anyway!  I'd love to see your pictures.

In which I love on my readers

Well, hello there, my dear readers.  I apologize for my poor posting as of late; it's been a little busy around here. I usually blog in the evenings, so the fact that we've been doing things every night until late made that rather difficult, to say the least.  But, friends, today I am a very, very happy girl.  Very happy indeed.

You see, I'm getting married.

Yes, in fact you are all invited to my wedding on January 2nd at.... oh I'm kidding.  Just wanted to make sure you were paying attention.  I'm not getting married.  I just like to keep y'all on the edge of your seats.

Moving on...

I'm incredibly happy because we have put up our Christmas decorations, my friend is staying with me for a few days while my parents are out of town for another field study, the weather is beautifully rainy, I see my breath when I go outside, and I'm sitting here with my fingers wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee.

Life is good, my friends.  It's just a little stressful what with me making wedding plans, and all.

...Just making sure you're still with me.  No wedding.

I'm loving my time in Rome right now.  I have the freedom to go out into the city and see the sights and show people around by myself, and I have the constant inspiration for poetry and books and pictures and everything.  We'll be here until a couple of months into 2011, so time is starting to slide through our fingers, but all is not lost, because we'll be moving to Brussels, Belgium.  That's going to be, dare I say, even more amazing!

I can't wait for all these adventures to unfold and keep unfolding, and I'm so happy I get to take y'all with me in my back pocket.  And by back pocket I mean my tremendous hot pink and black laptop case.

Basically, I just want to tell you all that I really appreciate you guys, and every time I get a new follower, I feel all warm and cozy inside.

Thanks for sticking with me, folks.  I'm going to keep on writing till my fingers fall off.

OH!  AND!  I'm registered for wedding gifts at Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Targ....

Never mind.

'Ello, old chaps

Well, y'all, I had a lovely Thanksgiving.  Non-traditional, yes.  Bad?  No.  It was an utter delight.

Mummy and Daddy and I went out to an Argentinian (Argentish?  Argentineian??) restaurant with the members of Daddy's committee at work.  The food wasn't amazing, but the company was delightful.  Sheerly delightful.  I think it was a good idea, because I imagine it would have been a little bit lonely at the dinner table with just us while Will is in another country.

Friday, we went out to dinner with the British and Scottish members of the NATO defense college, and they are truly wonderful.  People from the UK have the best senses of humor ever.  I was rolling all night.

But do you know what made me happiest about Friday and Thursday?  I got to practice my British accent, and the actual British people said it was very good.  One young lady from Scotland said I sound like Hermione from Harry Potter, which, y'all, made my day.  My WHOLE day.  I've decided I'm going to speak like a Brit for the rest of my existence, thank you.

Today, we decorated for Christmas.  It was a glorious day, folks.  I got up at 10 or somewhere thereabouts, and I noticed there were dirty pans in the kitchen.  I was terribly depressed, because that means I missed out on my dad's yummy breakfast.  But, fear not!  I went over to hug him good morning and asked if he would wake me up next time he was making breakfast, and he stopped me.  "No, I left these dishes out so I could make your breakfast later.  I wanted to let you sleep."

Best Dad ever?  Yes.  As I noshed on my food, I read on my Kindle.  I put down the Kindle after a while and we set up the small tree and our few Christmas decorations.  I then read my Kindle some more.  Then I cleaned my room, since my friend is flying in tomorrow.  Then I read my Kindle some more.  Then I realized it was 3 o'clock and I was still in my pajamas.

If you're still in your pajamas at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, odds are there is no point in putting on any semblance of regular clothing.  So I resigned myself to my fate, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and read my Kindle.  In my pajamas.

So later, I was video chatting with my best friend forever and she wouldn't put her video up because she was still in her pajamas.  And I looked at myself, having put up my video already, and said, "Well, golly.  You've got nothing on me.  I've had my pajamas on since I went to bed last night.  It is now nine at night. I win."

Is this what my life has become?  Is my entire existence merely a contest of who can wear their pajamas the longest whilst using a British accent for twenty-four hours whilst also consuming mass quantities of mediocre Argentinian (Argentan?  Argentineananean?) cuisine?

I think I should go to bed.

Give Thanks!

Things for which I'm thankful this Thanksgiving:

My lovely parents, and the fact that after all these (almost 21!!) years, they still love each other deeply.

My brother.  Even though he's far away, he's happy, and he's the best brother I could ever dream of having.

My best friend.  Of course!  She's an utter delight.

My little apartment.  It keeps us warm (for the most part) and dry.

The grace of God.  I am continually amazed by everything he's given me.

My first cold Thanksgiving that I remember.  It makes the season feel more real!  (And today, it's *this* close to snow!!)

Hot tea.  I'm so enjoying this to ward off any chills.

EVERYTHING!!!

If I were...

I picked up this meme from Kaylee at thisiskaylee.

If I were a gemstone, I’d be a ruby. (only because it's my birthstone)

If I were a scent, I’d be vanilla.

If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be HEELS.

If I were the weather, I would be a breezy day with a 48% chance of rain during hurricane season.

If I were a facial expression, I'd be a raised left eyebrow.

If I were a car, I'd like to say I'd be a Rolls Royce but we all know that's not true.

If I were a time of day, I’d be night.  I'm a night owl.

If were a month, I’d be December.

If I were a place, I'd be an old theater.

If I were a liquid, I’d be coffee.  I'm practically made of the stuff.

If I were a taste, I’d be a blackberry.  I only say that because that sounds really good right now.

If I were a sea animal, I’d be a seahorse.

If I were a food, I’d be a noodle. (Probably a wet one....) :P

If I were a color, I'd be PURPLE.

If I were a musical instrument, I would be a set of drums.

If I were a flower, I’d be a pansy.  And I only say that because I'm a pansy.

If I were a song, I’d be "Sweet Caroline."  Exchange that "sweet" for "weird" and then that's an accurate statement.

If I were a planet, I'd be earth, because it's got people in it and I like people.

If I were an object, I would be a pillow.  I like sleep.

If I were a fruit, I'd be a kiwi.  I don't know why.  I just like kiwis.

If I were a sound, I’d just be plain ol' noisy.

If I were a day of the week, I’d be Friday. 

Cloud Nine

Carlotta at pastor's girl's ponderings has a new photo link-up called "Cloud Nine."  We're supposed to share a picture of what makes me happy.  Mine is more of a bittersweet happy, because it makes me sad that I'm not there anymore....

This is a picture of Kailua beach.  Hawaii is my favorite place, my cloud nine, and my forever home.  I miss it so much. And to all of you reading from Hawaii, just know that if you'd like to buy me a plane ticket to visit you, I'd be tickled pink. ;)

You may call me the "Play-Doh Wizard"

This cold, wintry afternoon, I walked two blocks down my street to babysit two little children while their mom was at a parent-teacher meeting for their oldest son, who was at school.

We'll call these two young'uns Boy and Girl.  Because this is the internet.  Nothing is safe on the internet.

After lunch, Girl was very tired.  She was rubbing her eyes with her chubby fists and whimpering.  I tucked her in for a nap, and she was out immediately.  So, basically, I spent the afternoon with Boy.  We first played Connect 4, but that got old for him very fast.  I got out the play-doh, and he told me to make a "pwincess Girl."  How sweet is that?  He wanted me to depict his sister as a princess!  After working with some blue play-doh, a plastic knife, and a baby spoon, I came up with this:

Girl actually has a neck, I promise.  And she's actually a LOT cuter than that.  A lot.

A little blue pwincess.

Next, Boy asked me to make some fyowers or sumteen yike a snyake oy a baw.

Translation:  Make some flowers or something like a snake or a ball.

Well, I chose to make flowers.  Because that's the kind of gal I am.

I weawy yike fyowers.  Especially ones in McDonalds colors.

Boy wanted a play-doh of Boy.  So I obliged.

Boy doesn't actually wear a bow-tie.  He also doesn't actually have candy-canes for feet; that was my "creative license."

Boy and I played with play-doh till Boy and Girl's mom came home, and then I walked home.  When I got in the elevator, which has a huge, obnoxious mirror in it, I saw my nose and cheeks were completely red from the cold.

I love this weather.  And on Friday, I'm putting up those Christmas decorations faster than you can say "Deck the halls, y'all."

Prepare yourselves. Caroline is annoyed.

Before I begin this post, I just want to say that on my blog, most things are pretty sunshine-y and happy.  And this is not inaccurate, because I have a great life.  But I want to keep it real, you guys.  Sometimes I can get a little bit frustrated, just like anyone else, and I don't think I should only post about moments where I'm entirely happy, because that's not the entirety of my life.  So, get ready.

-----
I love snow.  And before you get all excited, no, it's not snowing here, but yesterday I had a conversation about snow.  And I came out of it very, very, very... frustrated.

Every time I tell anyone that I love cold weather and winter clothes and snow, they laugh at me.  They say things like "Give it a few months in Brussels and you'll be hating it.  TRUST ME."

But I don't "TRUST THEM."  I mean, give me some credit!  I grew up in Hawaii, the land where it never snows and it rarely gets below 60 degrees.  I was seven when we moved there and about to turn sixteen when we left, so that's pretty much all I know in regards to the weather.  I have seen snow a few times in other places, and I love getting bundled up in scarves and hats to go outside, because I've never had the ability to do that very often before.

To that, they always say "Eh, it's novel now.  But give it a few months...."

It's like they don't want me to like snow.  It's as if liking snow and cold weather would be an affront to their knowledge and persona, somehow.

I find this all terribly, horribly frustrating.

What I would like is this response:  "Oh, that's great.  You'll have fun!  I personally prefer warm weather, but if you like the cold, you'll definitely enjoy living in Brussels!"

The same goes for rainy weather.  I prefer rainy weather over sunny weather, and when I tell people that, they laugh and say, "Just wait till you go to Brussels, where it rains all the time!  You'll hate it soooo much!"

This really gets my goat.  It's so entirely the opposite of what we should do as Christians. Basically, when people tell me these things, it's as if they're wanting me to be unhappy.  They are not building me up.

How is that even remotely ok?  No matter how much I argue with them (and I sometimes argue too much, I will admit) they just seem to crave for me to be unhappy.   They are basically arguing for my sadness.

I'm not really sure how to handle this.  The appropriate response is probably to just say, "Well, I disagree, but I see how you would feel that way!  I've just gotten tired of wearing shorts and t-shirts at Christmas time."  A nonchalant response like that is probably the best way to go.  But inside, I want to scream about how just because they lived for three years in Alaska and hated it doesn't mean that I would hate it too.

"I can't STAND pistachio ice cream.  Put that cone down right now, you'll hate it!!"

See?  It's just about as silly as that.

And, I apologize for dragging you into my brain for a few minutes.

This is an SOS to the multilingual world

I'm rarely at a loss for words.  Not a day goes by where I don't have something completely irrelevant to say.

Until I moved to Italy.

I find myself stricken and at a complete crossroads on a daily basis.

"Do I just stand here and look dumb?  Or do I try really hard to say something in Italian, get it wrong, and look dumb?  Or do I speak English to them and look dumb?  I look so dumb!!!!!"

This is basically the thought process that courses through my synapses, which slowly putter out and disintegrate into minuscule pieces that fall out of my left ear.  I usually end up with a weak... "Uh, non ho capito.  I do not understand."  And they either roll their eyes and fire off rapid Italian at me, which is totally efficient, or they smile and say "Ok, ok."

No matter how they react, though, I always feel SO ridiculous.  Why am I not learning this faster?

And that's not even the problem.  I know Italian pretty well, but when it's just fired at me, I lose my mind and can't remember anything.  I can sit in the car saying "Quando arrivo a casa, non faccio NIENTE!"* and smile really big and it's great and everything's perfect.   But if someone asked me two minutes later, "Quando si arriva alla casa, che cosa fate?"** My right eye would twitch, my tongue would dry up, and I would say more "uh's" in a 30 second time span than you could ever believe possible.

Why is this?  What is so wrong with me that I can't speak a word of this language to actual Italians?

Someone help me.  I'm losing it.
-----

*  This means:  "When I arrive at the house, I'm not going to do ANYTHING!"
** This means:  "When you arrive at the house, what will you do?"

"Inshide the fish, Jonah prayed for three daysh."

This is... perhaps... the cutest telling of the story of Jonah that I have ever heard.  This little girl is a gem, and a better public speaker than I'll ever be. I want to put her in my pocket and listen to her talk all day long.  I bet her parents hope that the way she says the letter "s" never changes.  It would be so sad, wouldn't it?  It's adorable!



The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Is not that just so touching?  And I love the way she's dressed.  I used to dress just like that, right down to the glasses.  You can tell that's a church in the south just by looking at her!  So cute.

Sho, sho, sho cute.

Steps for a pleasant rainy day

Step 1:  Insert 1 cup of milk into one itty bitty pot.

Step 2:  Get some of this.

Step 3:  Put four tablespoons of that goodness into your pot.

Don't be shy.  Really, just drop em' right on in there.  Doesn't that just look so poetic?  It's.... an island of perfection in a sea of milk.  See, our rainy day is getting pleasanter already!

Step 4:  Turn on the heat to medium-low, and stir.  Don't fret when it starts to look really, well, ugly.

It's all just a part of the process.

Step 5: Stir until the pot steams and it loses all those lumps.  Pour into your favorite giant mug, but make sure there's lots of room because we're not finished yet.

That's what I'M talkin' about.

Step 6:  Make some espresso.  I've got a cute little espresso pot, but it'll be fine if you just make some extra strong coffee.  Whatever floats your boat.

Step 49:  Pour your espresso into your favorite giant mug.

Blurry photo of you pouring espresso into your favorite giant mug optional.

Step 332:  Don't drown in your favorite giant mug.

Step 947:  Do the dishes.  It'll make your mama happy.

And if you want to have a really pleasant day, go see this movie.  I'm still excited about it, and I saw it last night.

One more note: If you want to enter a really fun giveaway, click here!

Have a pleasant day!!

This is just embarrassing. And I can't stop watching.

Pick my tomato, Carlotta! Get it? Pick? No...? Ok.

Today, I'm entering Carlotta's, at Pastor's Girl's Ponderings, photo contest!  Her challenge was to take a picture of food, and I've snapped and edited a shot of tomatoes in a blue willow bowl.  This is my entry!

I thought this tomato had spectacular character.  I mean, look at that battle scar and the gnarled stem.  He's lived a rough life, that one.

If you want to enter the photo contest too, click the blog button above.

Would I make a great salesman or WHAT?

Is your hair boring?  Does it lack vitality, energy, body, and movement?  Well then this is the product for you!  You can go from this:

To THIS!*

To find out how, go on over to my reviews page!

*Weird, awkward facial expressions and poor lighting not included.  This treatment is most suited to ladies with the Southern penchant for big hair.    

P.S. I'd like to give a big welcome to my two new followers. Hi guys, thanks for climbing aboard the crazy train with me. :)

In which I struggle not to say "The Google." It's a bad habit. You can call me Memaw.

Howdy.

Just a bit of business before I go back to my studying....

1. Yesterday's post with all the pictures?  Turns out that was my one hundredth post.  Time flies!  I'm not famous, though, so I don't have any contest-items to give away, unfortunately.  So please, internet companies of the world, email me.  I'd love to give away your products.
2. Oh Google, how you... completely weird me out.  I get the strangest Google searches leading to my blog. There's "stuff people put on waffles" (Gee, I don't know, syrup?), "I know she's sweet but please don't bite your sister" (No joke.  Four people have found my blog using this one.  I mean... what in the world?), and lots of "pasta waffles blog."  The fact that someone just happened to be looking for a pasta waffles blog is just beyond me.
3. Speaking of Google, I get a lot of Google image searches heading to my blog as well.  Which frustrates me because I KNOW people are stealing my pictures, even though I have a polite little sign over on my sidebar.  Oh, people I do not know, please don't take my pictures.
4. I'm currently working on (and by that I mean sort of thinking about) a girl-oriented hair/makeup review series on my reviews blog, and I'll let you know over here on this blog when I get that rolling.  I've already started formulating some thoughts on some products.  (And by that I mean I've tried them out numerous times and might sort of maybe have a relative opinion. Possibly.)
5. I am a little bit sad because I don't think we're doing Thanksgiving this year.  It's hard to get that kind of food here (we'd have to drive two hours) and it would just be Mom, Dad, and I.  Of course, we can still be thankful, but I'm a little down about the fact that we don't have all of our usual fall decorations up.  I'm feeling a little "displaced" today, being so far from what's familiar without our usual decor and tradition and coming up on the holiday season.  Pray for me on this one, please.
6. I can't really be too upset about Thanksgiving, though, because I don't have any online classes the whole week. :)

Have a nice day, everyone!

A rainy day in Italy....

November is Italy's wettest month.  The skies are deep gray, the roads are like swimming pools, and the air is frigid.

Galoshes keep my toes nice, warm, and dry.  Tromping around in puddles is one of the great pleasures in life.

Pictures taken from a car window reveal clouds like thick blankets covering the top of the mountain, and I can smell the rain.

The car hits a bump in the road, and the book in my lap slips, reminding me of my studies.  I turn the camera off and turn my eyes to the words about the Reformation, and yet, slowly, my eyes begin to creep back to the window....

It's hard to study on a rainy day.

Thankful Thursday part three

Happy Thankful Thursday, everyone!

Today I'm thankful for....

1.  A great Italian teacher!  I've been progressing as steadily as I can, and dear Monia makes it so much easier.

2.  Rainy weather.  Some may not like it, but I'm enjoying it immensely.  I think November in Rome is my favorite. :)

3.  Johann Gutenberg.  This probably sounds like a crazy one to have on the list... but I've been reading about him for history this week, and his invention of the printing press was so vital to the world and the Reformation.  Truly unbelievable.

4.  My best friend.  She makes me laugh when I'm trying not to cry, and she understands me.  I can go off in a British accent out of nowhere and she doesn't even ask.  That takes a very special person.

5.  Warm pasta with olive oil and sea salt.... nice on a cold, rainy afternoon.

6.  My wellies.  Not only are they the cutest galoshes I could have ever found, but they keep my cold toes warm when Rome begins to feel more like Venice.... streets of water!

7.  Inside jokes.  To quote Michael Scott from The Office... "I love inside jokes.  I would love to be a part of one someday."  :)

8.  Zyrtec.  Man, am I ever thankful for Zyrtec.  I ran out and had to go without it for three days, and I was so itchy every second of the day and my skin looked terrible.  After just one night of being back on it, I feel amazing.  And plus, I no longer look like I was attacked by Wolverine.

9.  My school.  By that I mean my online school where I've taken classes for three years.  There's something about this group of people that just makes me so happy.  I can't wait to meet y'all in June!

10.  My mom and dad, for working so hard to give me the best education I can get.  Though some days it's hard and sometimes I may seem frustrated with school, I'm still thankful that you care enough about me to give me what I need.

What are you thankful for today?

25 Secrets

I've been tagged by my buddy Valentina for this meme.  I have to tell you 25 "secrets."  But she said they don't necessarily have to be secrets, but I can just have some things people may not know about me.  I think I've done this kind of thing before, but I'll give it another go.  I never pass up a tag!!

1.  I like hanging out with babies almost more than I like hanging out with grown people.  They like to cuddle, I like to cuddle, and they don't do mean things.  It's really a win-win-win situation we got here.

2.  I love shopping, but I dislike trying on clothes immensely.  I would like to spend that time ogling and actually purchasing.  Wouldn't it be nice if everything just instantly always fit?

3.  Everybody tells me my hair looks pretty when it's straight, and people rarely compliment it when it's curly.  I understand this I guess, but I feel better when my hair is curly.  I just love the way it moves.  So, sorry everyone for offending you.

4.  My hair is suddenly stick. straight.  It used to be really wavy and textured.  I think it's because I have a long curl shaft, and when I lopped it off, it cut off the waved part nearer the bottom.  I am, suffice it to say, growing my hair out again.

5.  I spend too much time on makeup some days, but I don't do it to look like a super model.  Because, let's face it, that's never going to happen.  I just do it because I have fun mixing colors and looks.  Makeup to me is like drawing to other, most likely more sophisticated, people.

6.  The term "self esteem" is sort of one of my pet peeves.  Even some Christians promote it.  I get the jist, but basically, you're saying that you need to esteem yourself.  How is that what God wants us to do?  Aren't we supposed to die to self and live to be defined by Him?

7.  On the other hand, I don't think people shouldn't care at all what they look like.  It's a courtesy to others, and we're supposed to take care of our bodies because they are temples.  But self-esteem isn't quite the right term, in my mind.

8.  Recently, I've become very careful as to whom I become attached.  Especially when it comes to, *ahem*, males.  I'm only sixteen, so I'm not planning on dating any time soon, but I still will a crush here and there.  

9. On that note, I think it is completely wonderful to be attracted to someone at an age like sixteen.  I don't necessarily believe that you should be out dating, but a harmless crush is, well, harmless.  And right now, I'm so happy that the person (why yes, there is one, thankyouverymuch) is someone I don't feel bad about liking.  He's a good Christian boy.  I have a feeling it won't work out for various reasons that are beyond my control, but again, I'm only sixteen, so it doesn't matter!  It's just fun to get all giggly and bubbly-tummied over someone who you think is a total dreamboat. ;)

10.  Oh, here's a secret for you!  I'm a little nervous that some of my readers will read those last few "secrets" and think poorly of me.  But I'm going to leave them there.  Why?  I don't know.  I knew a meme about secrets was going to get uncomfortable....

11.  I can't not talk.  So what do I do when I'm by myself at home?  I talk.  To myself.  "Oh, haha, I can't believe you just did that."  "Oh dear, oh dear, I have so much laundry to fold."  "Mmm... this sandwich is delightful!"

12.  It's very rare that I talk to myself in my normal mode of speech.  Usually I speak in Italian (what little I know), put on a British accent, put on a really heavy Southern accent, or anything else I'm feeling like that day.  Weird, I know.

13.  I blog-stalk people.  If someone I even just vaguely know has a blog, I'm all over it like white on rice.  And I will check that thing every day until you put new posts up.  I'm a voracious blog-reader.

14.  I'm a terrible photographer, but I really enjoy editing pictures.  I use Picnik and paint.net, usually in conjunction with each other.  That header up there?  I put the three of my own pictures together on Paint.net, uploaded it to Picnik, and used lobo-ish, cross process, boost, and some other things that I don't remember to give it a vintage feel, and then I added the text.

15.  I also like to make blog buttons.  All but two of those on my side bar were made by me.  (By the way, if you want a blog button, contact me and I'll be happy to make one for you!  My email for the blog is pastaandwaffles@gmail.com)

16.  14 and 15?  That's the extent of my technology knowledge.  You're welcome.  I just get confused....

17.  I have issues with listening, but none whatsoever with talking.  Strange, no?

18.  I often feel like if I put up too many blog posts in a day, people will get annoyed.  Yet for some reason, this is my third post of the day.  Will wonders never cease?  (And yes, I DID do school today.)

19.  I love having friends.  I wish everybody in my online classes would send me copious amounts of emails.  (Please?  I love you guys.  All of you.  Every. Single. One. Of. You.)

20.  I think this girl is gorgeous, and she's the best female photographer I've ever met.  (Well, met online.  I've never met her in real life.  Love you, Annie!)

21.  I think this girl is incredibly stylish, and she has amazing hair, is as flippin' cute as can be, and was my first great online friend!  Plus, her writing cracks me up, and her photos (that she edits on Picnik!!) are amazing.

22.  I think this girl is so strong and brilliant.  She's lovely on the outside, lovely on the inside, and we agree on everything.  Except she doesn't like leggings.  But that's a story for another day....

23.  I prefer being called Carolina over Caroline.  It rolls off the tongue quite nicely.  But, no matter which form, I love hearing people with accents say my name.  It makes me so happy.  Every time.  I would tell these people that, but then they would think I was weird.

24.  I assume you're beginning to get that impression about me yourself, no?  How's this one for you, then, if you're not already convinced: I only drink milk if it has ice in it.

25.  Yup, weird right?  And last but not least.... When I'm embarrassed or flustered, my face, neck, and skin near my clavicles turn beet red.  And I don't even like to wear turtle necks!  It makes awkward situations even more so.

Have I scared you away yet?  I hope not!  I'm just gonna go crawl in a corner!  And pretend you didn't read any of that!

No seriously.  Let's keep all this between us, ok?

I could sure use a good Sanduwich.

GUYS!  I found my camera cord!  I can finally share some photos with you!  Now, these were taken a few months ago, but honestly, I don't think the ruins have changed a lot since I left them. I'm only posting a few, but these were my favorites.  Note: my photography skills are no good.

This is inside the Colosseum.  It's "cut" in half so you can see the underground where they kept gladiators, slaves, and animals.

The lighting was too bright, but these are the "bleachers" of the Colosseum.

Taken from the inside of the Colosseum looking down onto the ground.  There were at least three carts that said Sanduwiches on them.  Which is not surprising, really, because that's kind of how Italians say it.

Inside the Colosseum were several artifacts from it's heyday, and this mosaic was very cool to me. 

The Colosseum at night.  It's so beautiful when it's lit up!  Though I must say that the cars look oddly out of place.  And here, you can only see about half of the Colosseum.  We were up on a hill across the street from it.

That's all for now, folks!  Expect more pictures from me now that I can actually put them on my computer!