Vacationitis

I'm having a hard time focusing on anything even though I have a list as long as my arm of things to finish before I go on vacation next week. All I can think about is the sea, feta cheese, fresh seafood, reading all day, sitting on the deck, all-you-can-eat buffets, journaling. 

It's taking all my self-control not to start packing yet.  I've allowed myself to get guide books from the library, go shopping for a new sweater for my trip, fill up all my travel sized bottles, start a packing list.

A week to collect my thoughts, after the hectic move at work and before my husband comes home from Afghanistan turning my all the single ladies existence upside down, is desperately needed.  The fact that this week happens to be on a cruise of the Greek islands is fine by me.

Company Kindness

On Monday I ordered over $75 dollars worth of sports bras from my favorite sports bra store, title nine.  Yesterday I got an email about the $5 shipping.  So I was a little upset about having a missed discount opportunity since I ordered promptly after I got the sale announcement.  

Quick digression: It's a great sale.  The bras are really much cheaper than normal and are excellent quality.  All my running bras are from title nine.  And since I'm not a girl with a "runners build" as my husband says (aka I have been asked by two different women if they could take a picture of my chest to show their plastic surgens what they want their implants to look like) a good bra is a must have.  I have 3 bras from title nine.  When they say no bounce, they MEAN no bounce.  End digression.

So I wrote the folks there asking if I could take advantage of the discount after the fact.  No harm in asking, right?

I got back the kindest response:

Normally we don't give refunds on shipping since it was a day after the sale, but since you ordered so much and was for the bra sale, I can adjust the shipping for you as a one-time courtesy. :)

Cheers,

Jackie

title nine / customer service

1-800-342-4448  9a -5p M-F PST

So nice!  

If you are in the market for a new sports bra, or any of their beautiful apparel, you should really check them out. 

Hello, Fall

According to the American calendar (and maybe the Italian one for all I know) today is officially the first day of fall.  Even though the mornings are starting to become crispy cool, it was 80F on my way to work at noon.

I wore sandals.

Come on, Fall.  I need more legitimate crispiness for new boot buying.

I don't, however, need another great reason for art journaling.  I'm taking Janel's I heart fall art journal class and loving it.  So far though I've only been able to play catch up on the weekends.  So hopefully I'll be playing catch up again this weekend and photograph my pages to be able to post them next week.

Transumanza: Part the Second

Finally.  After the bands and the history and the batons and the beer we get to the good stuff: the cows.



Almost all the cows are wearing these huge bells to announce their arrival.  (As if the huge parade beforehand wasn't enough.)  And for stampede control these men with sticks were walking in front and among the herd to keep them in line.  I'm not even kidding.  These poor babies endured a severe beating if they got out of line.  No trampling of babies or doggies pulling carts full of babies were going to happen.



Then they just kept on coming until the road was covered in manure.  The people rejoiced.



As for me, I hightailed it home.  The sky turned from baby blue to threatening gray.  After being soaked during my 5K the day before I wasn't ready to have a repeat.

Bressanvido Festival Part the First

Every year about this time my town has a festival celebrating the cows trek from the top of the mountains, where they stay for the summer, down to our town for the winter.



There's a parade on the first Sunday of the 10 day festival.  Old tractors start the fun.


Followed by baton twirling.



A marching band.



People dressed in period attire.



These guys were my favorite.



Especially the guy pretending to sell rosaries with the Italian flag strapped to his back.



The polizia stopped by to keep the party in check.



A new addition this year are the super adorable dogs pulling carts full of flowers.  There was on dog pulling a cart carrying a little girl.  Adorable.



Next were these guys.  Pulling something a little heavier than flowers.



No, I don't live in Germany.  Italians like beer, but it's way more expensive here.



Unless of course you're lucky enough to be on the other side of the street during the parade and the guys handing beer out of the back of this van stop by you. Then it's free.

Goal Achieved! I'm awesome!

Today I did something I never thought possible.  I ran my first 5K.  The donut dash.  A deployment goal.  Something I've wanted to do ever since I saw the 1996 Olympics when I was a kid and I saw the American women's team kicking some butt.  They were wearing the cutest track outfits and gold necklaces and had long manicured nails and I wanted to look just like that in body and style.

It was pouring and has been all day.  So at least the weather was nice enough not to rub my face in it by stopping the rain after I was done running.



There were kids there from my center with their moms.  This soaking wet cutie is Danielle.  Please notice my Bondi Band I'm rocking.  It's the one I got from Wannabe Athlete to support her aunt's fight against breast cancer.



I ran the whole race.  Not one second of walking.



35 minutes and 27 seconds of running.  Longest non-stop run time to date.  My goal was to come in under 40 minutes and I totally beat that.  I'm so amazing!  I didn't stop smiling the whole way home.  I also didn't stop cranking the heat.

When's the next race?  I'm hooked.

So many things, so little pictures

My internet at home is anti-picture.  It takes forever to email or load pictures to any website.  While I've been taking some beauties lately, only 4 have uploaded.  Che no bene.

Upcoming posts and or topics or things I want you to know:

• Romeo and Juliet ballet in Verona
• I strapped on a harness and climbed things for Missy's birthday. We have proof.
• Gelato in a brioche with whipped cream in Palermo
• I've worked the split shift this week (545 AM to 945 AM then back in from 1300 to 1800).  It has fried my brain.
• We are moving centers at work.  All day tomorrow. But our new center is awesome.
• I agreed to co-teach a Bible study at the chapel this fall. 
• I'm freaking out about co-teaching a Bible study this fall.
• MyCAA is pulling my finical aid for my school because they are poor planners.
• I have to be an even better planner to get them to pay for as much of my schooling as possible.
• Hello, long-weekends-of-schoolwork. Not nice to meet you.
• Cecilia is leaving me soon.  I don't want to talk about it.
• My first 5k next weekend! 
• My first 5k next weekend. Pray for me.
• Read Jill Mansell's Take a Chance on Me this weekend. Outstanding.
• Book give-away coming soon!
• If you've made it through all these bullet points are truly are a true friend.