Pancake Day

So, Portugal didn't pan out. The tickets jumped by €250 in the time it took to get my boss to approve the time off.

:(


So, instead I booked a trip to Rome.

HOLY STROMBOLI! IMMA GOIN' TO ROMA!

Yeah, that is what I picture Rome to be. You know, for the record.

OMFG I fly out next Thursday and I'm staying in the "old district", which, in Rome...what does that mean? How old is "old" in Rome? Will I see senators? Will there be togas? Will there be a purgatorium?

I'm going to put some random things in the Papal blessing room for the Pope to bless. Please take my survey to determine what I should leave for the Pope to bless. I'll also be taking open suggestions.

Also, I'm going to eat gelatto, and also, I'mma gonna talka like thees. And also also, I'm going to see the Colosseum and the Villa Borghese and a bunch of other cool places.

omg omg omg omg omg omg Rome.

I'm only sad that.....cheese alert.....it'll be Valentines Day, and I won't have my Valentine with me. :(

Ah, anyway, I'm all excited, and getting excited has made me for some reason tactless, and instead of dialoguing with friends and colleagues I've been doing something else. Specifically, I've been parroting them. It comes from me thinking about Rome all the time, and not really paying attention to someone when they talk to me, so when it comes time for me to respond I have no valuable input, so instead I absentmindedly parrot what they said....in their accent.

It happened last night:

Stephen watching TV: Who is missing on this episode of Lost?
Kate nose in Rome book: "Ep-ee-sode of Loh-st"
Stephen: .....Is it Charley?
Kate: "CHAR-lee?"
Stephen: No, wait, it's Harley, not Charley.
Kate: "HAR-lee, not CHAR-lee."
Stephen: What are you doing?

Then this morning, with Amy at work.

Amy: I'm making porridge.
Kate: "pa'rge."
Amy: What?

I probablly need to stop. It's just that when I'm not paying attention, all I hear is the funny accent, so I repeat it under my breath. It's making me sound crazy tho, so it's probablly time I knocked it off ("toime oy noch-ed eet off").

OKAY, so is it Lent or is it not Lent? When was Fat Tuesday? My Polish friends are telling me that it was Fat Thursday and they had their pazcki's (yes, the tradition is still practiced in Poland) on the 31st. But the Irish are saying that today is "Pancake Day", their Fat Tuesday. In Ireland, you make up loads of crepes ("pancakes") for Fat Tuesday. Well, I'm confused, and I'm also miffed because I evidently missed a second opportunity to gorge last Thursday.

What are you giving up for Lent? This year I will be speaking--prompting me to take a look back at the title of this website and reminisce. That was rough. And strange. And actually really cool--I can't say I wouldn't reccommend it if you don't have a Lent idea yet.

Anyway, good Tuesday, and don't forget to take my Pope Survey!!