Italy.

I leave in a week or so...

And finally, I feel that I can be excited about it! School et all has had me so wrapped up in CRAP that I haven't really had the time to think about anything other than what was right in front of my face: mostly a book about world hunger for one class and my accounting book and annoying online homework for the other.  Fun and enlightening stuff, eh? Wow, so glad that is over. I think the BS factor in my remaining classes is relatively low from this point forward [well, except for the fact that I have to take a writing course...um, why?!? Did my liberal arts degree and a master's not make me write enough? Um, No. I had 30-50 page papers due every semester for the last 4 of 7 in gradschool. And thats just the last 4 semesters!! Some of these requirements, either TXSTATE mandated or State of Texas mandated, blow [for lack of a better word].]

BUT, for now, seemingly insignificant but highly annoying school stress ended yesterday and now its time for trip preparations.

I still need to figure out who is going to watch Mr. Pollock while I am away...OHHHHH DANG, he is going to be so ticked off that I'll be gone....but hopefully not as ticked as he was while I was trying to take this picture. Yes, this resulted in a few scratches. Oh, and that is NOT a LIVESTRONG bracelet but rather a rubber band that held my bunch of organic celery together. On it is stamped "Organically Made"... No doubt.  

I wonder if Monseigneur Armstrong can claim the same thing...?