Thursday, August 27, 2009

Slice of LIfe

I was walking by one of my favorite courtyards in Cortona, 
it is somewhat hidden behind a iron gate, 
but not really and it has this amazing palm tree, a vintage red swing set, 
and hydrangeas everywhere.
I never get tired of looking at it.
So I was passing by before pranzo hour (lunchtime) and noticed an elderly signore grilling meat in the courtyard. He didn't see me, so I ducked down and spyed on him through one of the gaps in the iron gate. There was something so adorable about him lovingly tending his grilled chicken.
I grabbed the camera from my purse and snapped away, incognito.
While he was tending to his job, his wife showed up and yelled at him,
"Stai bruciando il pollo! Muovilo!"
(You are BURNING the chicken! Move it away from the fire!)
He snapped a reply, appeared not to do anything 
and waited for her to go back in the
building.
He then proceeded to move the grill shelf, chicken and all, 
down one level as she had instructed, with an air of resignation, 
which seemed very familiar to him.

He then puttered over to a panel in the wall, 
 washed his hands and disappeared inside.
Now, I watched this whole interaction and thought, 
there is something so universal in this male-female dynamic, 
and I have an idea of what that is...

How about YOU, what do you think?
(Hint in ITALIAN: "frustata")









Sunday, August 9, 2009

Real LIfe in Italy; the TRUE Story; Part II

You would think that with a broken foot
in a hill town in Italy I could manage to get back to posting
but somehow I have managed to stay busy and never get back.
So to recap the second part of the adventure of our first few days in Italy
So after find our car in Culo a Cristo and giving permission to send it to Macchina
Heaven, we set about on the second adventure of the day:

The Ospedale!
(Hospital)


As you may remember, my foot was very broken upon my arrival in Italy,
and in my typical fashion,  I just kept going up and down these vertical inclines
of Cortona, complete with boot and crutches.

After a few days of this nonsense, I was getting a bit alarmed that my foot was hurting and swelling. (wouldn't you if you were a broken foot and your owner kept charging up and down the hills of Cortona?)
I thought I could get some peace of mind by sending a photo and an email to my doctor in Portland describing my symptoms, and she would tell me:
No worries, you are fine!
No such luck.
She responded by saying:
You might want to have that foot looked at.
Having someone "look at it" in Italy, requires extreme stamina and fortitude,
for that means entering the Italian Ospedale or Hospital.


Denys, our EVERYTHING person, transported us there and began the procedure of navigating
Ospedale Beauracracy.


After getting shuffled around to different admitting stations
we settled in for the wait.

Denyse yaks on her cell phone which is constantly ringing and Rob
pretends he knows Italian by perusing the Italian newspaper.
I instead, am becoming more anxious,as I watch the various doctors scurry by... I wonder what will be the outcome of this adventure to the Ospedale.
Did I really screw something up by charging up and down that Cortona
mountain?
Will I god forbid, have to have surgery in this place?
Have the bone reset?
Oh here it is:
Senora Friedman!
They are calling my number!
Here we go, wheeeeeeeeeee!
We enter the exam room.
But wait, who is this Dottore?
Oh phew, he's nobody. He wasn't MY dottore.
Here is the real Dottore!
And he has my xrays.
And what do you think the verdict will be?

Senora, you absolutely can NOT leave your house to run up and down
the mountain of CORTONA
You must stay OFF your foot, keep it in the boot always, and never,
EVER walk without the crutches.
You will run the risk of displacing the bone.
Your xrays are fine, but you MUST do as I say!

Oh dear, this is good news but Denyse, how will I ever manage to go shopping?
 


No problema Stacey, I will drive you everywhere!
And so it goes, another day in the Friedman Dolce Vita Real Life Italy..
But wait!!! 
There was a problem with the xrays!
Another dottore has just arrived to give a second opinion!
It is that same dottore I saw lurking around before!

Senora, we highly advise that 
you do not shop at all!
The debit you incur in your Italian bank account will only 
run the risk of dislocating the osso (bone) 
Complete bed rest is imperative, with absolutely NO shopping expeditions!

Your might also want to take a look at all those utility bills and silly bank statements
that have accumulated this past year 
that your husband is unable to read due to his  faulty command of the language...
This would BE VERY theraputic and aid your foot tremendously in its healing...

OK OK, VA BENE!!!!
CAPISCO!!! (I UNDERSTAND!!!)
that %#@!*% dottore!
Che stronzo! 
(what an a____hole!) 
Allright Allright, I'll stay off my feet!













Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Happy 18th Birthday Jesse!

I can't believe Jesse is 18! I remember a walk I took with him in Forest Park and he was strapped into the baby bundler on my chest facing out with his little hands and legs flapping!
And about a million other memories...
Jesse, thanks for being my kid, I am so proud of you, you are such a loving, kind and caring person, I could not have asked for a better son...happy 18th birthday!!!