enfinblue's Bluey (credit to Fifi for the nickname!) Diaryland Diary

"I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart." -Vinc3nt V@n Gogh

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Afloat in a sea of youth I feel leathery all of a sudden...

OK. So only a brief moment of self pity here.

I went to bed REALLLLY early last night. I napped from 6:30 and then went fully to sleep at maybe 9. It was great. I woke up this morning feeling quite well-rested (it is just after 6; OK, it's just after 7).

But then I went into the bathroom and I nearly cried. There was a nearly 40 year-old face. Honestly, I nearly cried. For sure I've had lots of wrinkles around my eyes for ages, given all of the running that I did when I was younger. I just don't have much body fat in the cheeks or eye sockets anymore, too. But this morning I think that my allergies and the excess sleep had gotten to me and my eyes were puffy and when I smiled I looked like about 80 around the eyes...Maybe I should go and search out the Italian dude.

So the Polish guy asked the Australian guy the other day how old I am, and the Australian guy was kind enough - really, he was quite a nice guy - to tell me that the Polish guy had expected much much younger.

But in any event I know that I am old. Furthermore, since I don't lie about my age, EVER, unlike everyone else online...my age will have ticked over on the special dating site and I'll be either insulted by more dudes in my age group for wanting to possibly have children, or I'll attract even OLDER dudes.

The older dudes, they REALLY like me.

Yeah, you're sick of hearing that.

So that, I think, is my self-pity for the day. I will allow myself no more. The big thing that I need to figure out is whether I should go on the free bike tour to Chianti with Marco tomorrow. I'm tempted. They are very special tours. I know that I have done a few of them. I have to call him before 5. It could be a nice way to spend a day before the end of the trip!!

Oh. This is terrible. I actually feel a bit sad on my birthday. And I have been so NOT sad for the entire rest of the time. I think I will need to drink a bottle of wine today. :)

So yesterday's cooking and marketing class was quite delightful. Perhaps you can imagine! We spent a whole lot of time at the San Lorenzo market. Honestly, it was great. I almost threw down a whole bunch of cash for 25 year-old balsamic. In the end I didn't. I was trying to be good. Plus HOW AM I GOING TO CARRY THIS STUFF HOME? I don't really want to have to buy another suitcase. I guess I'm going to have to do a test stuff to get it all home, or at least wear two leather jackets on the plane.

I can't believe that I bought two leather jackets. Oy. Really bad. They are short and cute. I feel so flashy in them. With a dress and heels back home...

All I need is a gorgeous guy on a motorcycle. OK, in a mini. Whatever.

:)

The best, best part of this trip is that I can't remember what I do for a living!

Yesterday, a woman on the tour asked me about the Laff3r curve. She had a business degree from the university of Chicago. I had to let her rant and roll for a little bit and then I told her simply that I tend to work at the opposite end of the income spectrum from the one in which she was interested - i.e. figuring out how to get more money in the hands of poor families with children, either directly through taxes or through work incentives.

The work incentives, of course, were received warmly. The tax benefits...not so much.

It's amazing how people can talk and talk about how taxes should be lowered...but funny how they shut up when you talk about the mechanics of an actual tax system - progressivity, horizontal and vertical equity...umm...anything to do with redistribution.

But, no matter. I forgot everything. I forget everything. I just don't want to waste a minute of life on economics whilst here. Oh and lest you think I'm American-bashing... She was a Canadian originally from Montreal who lives in the US. I think she was a nice woman but my lord was she ever pretentious. She obviously had a LOT of money, but my goodness was she ever LITERALLY a 4 by 4. I suppose that that's what happens when you ONLY eat your way through Italy and have money to burn. When we were at the market alone she spent 70 Euro on salami with truffles for her dinner at her apartment that night.

AHHHHHHHHHHHH.

So I love Italy. The owner here, too, just came to wish me a happy birthday. It rather amazed me! I guess that they have my passport.

What else? What else? I think I will be gloomy and go look at tombs in Santa Croce. Or maybe I'll simply go to Santa Croce and pretend that I am Lucy Honeychurch being bewildered by Mr. Em3rson and the mysterious G3orge.

I know, lord help her.

I could go back to the market for some more pecorino, I suppose. Yes, yes, yes. I haven't yet tried the tripe - very scary- but the meat really is lovely here. And of course, the cheese. I can't wait to show you all the pictures. Oh and yesterday we went to one of those little shops that is basically an all-day wine bar. You go in to drink wine by the glass. The little locals were sitting in there as we tried the various homebrews. I will go back. And I mean, HOW can you resist places that have little Della Robb!a tabernacles on the walls above? It's just a miracle.

Today, I believe, will be a day of adventures.

7:17 a.m. - 2008-05-13

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