He Golfs I Scrap Travel

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Work in Italy

Boy, does this explain alot about Italy: http://paulgoldfield.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/working-in-italy/

This is a blog from an ex-pat. In this post he explains how jobs work for Italians and compares Italian jobs to American. It is a crazy system!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

I am finally feeling good! My appointment with Dr. Reus went excellently! He thought that the infection and healing would continue and that no more surgery would be needed! He asked that I come back in three weeks for a check up or if there are signs of infection like fever or nausea. Whoo Hoo!!
I continue to feel well and with Molly's help we had a wonderful Christmas dinner of Prime Rib, Twice Baked Potatoes, Green Beans! Everyone was here including Sue and Steve! We had a great time decorating cookies for dessert. The appetizers were yummy and the gingerbread house was gorgeous.
Lots of Christmas blessings for us this year!

....and so it goes..... December 18, 2011

So many us know what happens after strong antibiotics! YEAST! I called Dr. Mayhew yesterday and we talked. She really likes the surgeon that was recommended to me by the ER Doc. She said surgery is necessary to get the rest of the infection. So I will call tomorrow to see if I can remake an appointment. I am dreading this whole next step...........

I guess I'm not done............ December 9, 2011

After bending to tie my shoes, yesterday, I noticed a pain and a kind of pulling at my navel. As the day wore on I started feeling weak and achy and I had pink, warm spot under my navel. This morning I had a couple more red spots and now I had a little fever. My Dr. does not have office hours on Friday so she told me to go to the ER where they could take blood and give me ultra sound to see the extent of the infection. U G H! We left about one pm after I showered and packed a bag (unlike Italy) of clothes and necessities and bag with things to do.

It took about an hour to work my way back to the ER rooms. Lindy, Rory and J were in and out. Nurses, Dr. blood, IV line for iodine contrast for the CT scan. The blood tests looked good, the CT scan showed a couple of pockets of infection where my appendix used to be and at the navel. Diagnosis: cellulitis. Two antibiotics: Cipro. and Flagyl. I was out of the hospital by 6:20pm. We went to Costco for meds, picked up a sandwich at Port O Subs and then home.

I have the name of a consulting surgeon to call for an appt.

Hurray for no surgery today!!!!

Roma, Italia Day XIV November 19, 2011

We had a leisurely last breakfast at the Hotel Fellini. We finished packing the last minute items, settled the hotel bill and called a cab to take us to the airport. The airport went smoothly. The girls got some Limoncello from the duty-free and bought a T-shirt that has disappeared! Our US Airways flight was full about 300 people packed very tightly. There was not enough room for our arms! It is a 9-10 hour flight. We went right to customs where we queued for two hours to talk with the customs agent about what we brought into the country. We then went to get our luggage. Molly has a Nexxus pass which allows her to go to a kiosk and then right on through. She was sitting and waiting with our luggage. We then put our luggage on a conveyer belt and went to board our next 6 hour flight to Seattle. This plane was smaller, fewer people and we had plenty of room. We all took naps, finally. We arrived about 30" minutes late but J and Drew were waiting for us and Max was in the cell phone lot waiting for Molly. It is 25 degrees here with snow still on some surfaces! BRRRRRRRRR!

Roma, Italia Day XIII November 18, 2011

I am exhausted from the last two days of sightseeing. Carly needs to meet up with some classmates and though I wanted to go with them, I was just too tired. There were some gifts that I wanted to get for my family and a charm bead for my bracelet. I had one last appointment at the hospital for wound cleaning. Molly came with me to to get the final bill ($3100!). We rode the Metro (subway) back to our hotel. Molly and I did a little shopping and then she went to see a couple of museums and met up Carly. Lindy and I went out for a little shopping and then we had badger naps! We all met for dinner and drinks at the Albert.

All our bags are packed and ready for our flight in the morning.

Roma, Italia Day XII November 17, 2011

This is Vatican City Day!

Our first stop is the gift shop and Post Office. Molly read that a resident of Rome actually comes to the Vatican to do her mailing because it is so much more reliable than the Italian postal service. Molly's package to Carly took six weeks to arrive! Anyway, we bought and mailed a postcards to friends and family with the Vatican postal stamp! (It still took three or four weeks to arrive)

Next we went through the Vatican Museum. This museum was started in the 1500s by Pope Julius II. It was the first time a private collection was available to the public. Successive popes added to the museum as they explored the world and brought back aritifacts.

Next we went into the Sistine Chapel. No one is allowed to take photos here because a Japanese company bought the rights to all photos in exchange for the restoration! But here is a photo from behind the altar The Last Judgement!

The Sistine Chapel is one of Michelangelo's grandest accomplishments !

Carly told us that when it is crowded you are only allowed a certain amount of time in the chapel. We were not ushered out but allowed to stay as long as we wanted.

It is so hard to believe that we were standing in the room where popes are chosen! Amazing!

Next we followed Rick Steves' advice and joined a Korean tour out the side door. I guess this a way to beat the crowds going into St. Peter's Basilica.

The Basilica is two football fields long!

In the center there are emblems that mark the sizes of churches around the world. Michelangelo's Pieta was to your immediate right as you come in the doors.