First of 2006

Well it’s a New Year and things have changed a little. I’m still out of it a little from my flight over. Something bad always happens somewhere between flying back and forth and this time it was the usual. Alitalia lost my luggage. Oh, I’m sure they will find it but this happens so fricken’ often that I’ve really lost track. If you haven’t noticed I’m trying to cut back cursing. The plane was also very crowded from NY to Rome. When is the flight not crowded?
I picked up a newspaper on the plane and I find a lot has happened lately. The biggest thing to me was that on Sunday there was an earthquake in Greece. It was 6.6 and centered under water between Greece and Crete. There wasn’t a tsunami but I hear that people in Lecce could just barely feel it. Also the bird flu is popping up all over Turkey. Given how often ferries run from Brindisi to Turkey I feel it won’t take long before it gets here. I still haven’t heard anybody mention if this disease affects pigeons. I shouldn’t come in contact with chickens or farm animals so I feel safe but if pigeons can carry it…
I also managed to see the first quarter of the Bengals’ game before getting on the plane. The Bengals were winning 10-0 when I last saw it but it seems the injury Palmer did come back to haunt them in the end.
Being back in the US for 3 weeks was pretty good. I didn’t do that much and I stayed with the parents a lot so I didn’t get burned out from going to restaurants all the time. I enjoyed it so much I could move back in with them. Then I wouldn’t need a job!! Oh the possibilities….I’m getting a little anti-Christmas. Everyone I know is older now (funny how that is) so it’s hard to buy Christmas presents for these people. The older people get the less they need from other people (I’ll get it myself, dang nab it!). Also being older there is less excitement about what you’re going to receive. I must say that I really like everything I got but somehow it’s not the same. Like mom and I still remember the time I was really excited when I got a stapler for Christmas. I also still have the globe that I got another year. Now someone can get you something really nice that you really like but you just won’t remember it like you do when you get your first stapler.