Getting ahead of ourselves (yes, I mean you...)

After a few phone calls it seems that various family members think we need to start planning our next trip. I'm still going to post a few shots we took while in Rome, so the forward thinking readers of this blog need to learn to enjoy the recent past.


This delightful fellow was in front of us waiting for the Vatican Museum. It's mind-boggling, isn't it? Is it real? Did he pay money to the stylist? This wasn't the greatest sight in Rome, but it has to be in the top 5.

Still going

Here are a few more photos from Rome. These pics are from the day trip Eric and I took to Ostia, and you can see that I took pictures of lots of old stuff. My only regret is that I didn't get a photograph of the splendid picnic we enjoyed among the ruins. It was splendid, just splendid...aside from the malarial mosquitoes.



This mosaic was one of many that is just hangin' out in Ostia. However, this mosaic was in Technicolor, unlike the rest. Since I was touring with an ethical classicist I was nervous about taking a chunk of artifact...so I waited until he walked away. Geez, this mosaic looks great in our livingroom. Ancient Rome and Old Tucson...match made in heaven...

Ancient toilets...no walls, no privacy...just guys (firemen, I think) enjoying each other's company.

Another extraordinary mosaic. This photo was taken from a second story observatory. Huge...the public bathroom firemen really like mosaics.

to the "dopest" peeps out there

Thank you, Hutchinsons! We love ya, love ya, love ya, love ya.

"Brown paper packages tied up with string"

Some of our favorites from the Roman holiday:

Scruffy looking mammals . . .


Glitzy ad campaigns . . .


building code violations . . .


mmm . . . "like angels crying in my mouth"


Old stuff . . .


Papists . . .

The only pics that matter

We're back from Rome and trying to catch up on all the work we ignored. The trip began on an auspicious note as you can see from the accompanying photos. Yes, we are sitting in the first class lounge. Not among the unwashed masses, not among those teeming hordes of pretzel munching squish 'ems, oh no, we were in the "lounge".