Italy #5

On Monday morning, our bed and breakfast hostess, Anna, and her husband, Paolo, served us breakfast before we got our start. First on our agenda: grocery shopping. We headed back toward Cerreto and stopped at a supermarket. The employees were very generous in tolerating our lack of Italian. The town is so small that they probably knew who we were. In fact, a woman from the wedding recognized me in the checkout line and said hello--well, it sounded like that.

We shopped very economically, sticking with coke, water, bread, some fruit, a bit of filled pasta, and breakfast pastries. Kev's parents and other relatives, however, bought a great deal. Toward the end of the week, they were trying frantically to use up what was left. For lunch, Keven and I sat on the steps outside of our room and a little sandwiches made from fresh bread, tomatoes, mozzarella, and speck--ham from northern Italy that's been smoked with peppercorns and juniper. I LOVE IT.

Oh, backtrack. Earlier that morning, we'd gone to Silvia's parents' house to say goodbye. Steve and Silvia were preparing to return to London. From there, they would catch a plane to Johannesburg for their three-week safari honeymoon. While there, I used Paolo's computer to check my e-mail and learned that my mom, who had been sick, was on the mend. I was able to traipse through the week with that assumption in my head, which was a relief (although wrong, I later learned).

In the afternoon, we drove past nearby Fabiano and visited Grotte di Frassassi, a natural cave that was discovered in 1971 and is one of the largest formations in Europe. You can take the virtual tour here. That was pretty amazing. Italy contains a great many ancient relics, old enough to make this American's head spin, but contemplating geologic time is well beyond my capacity.

One of the nice things about spending as much time as we did with Keven's relatives is that I learned so much about them. I've known them for more than 12 years now, but the only time I see them is at reunions and brief visits during the holidays. So when Aunt Wendy made humorous cracks about the phallic nature of the stalagmites, I giggled. I was getting to know the real person, and the real person is just a teensy bit dirty-minded.

Because most restaurants in Italy closed on Monday, we ate pasta that night and generally relaxed. Pool time was had by all. It was an interim between the wedding festivities and the bulk of our sightseeing yet come.

Next time: Urbino! Italian motorway driving!

Twelve Years Ago

Twelve years ago today, Keven and I got married. We're getting into the realm of science fiction because I have a hard time coming to grips with that. If I sit down and think about all that we have done and seen and accomplished, then 12 years makes sense. But that number is just a little freaky.

As with most of our anniversaries, today hasn't been particularly romantic or celebratory. Keven is at a BBQ with the girls while I finish up the last of my packing. I printed business cards, signed books and cover flats, placed an ad for SCOUNDREL'S KISS in Romance Sells, and generally caught up on all the last-minute details of a business trip. The girls need their showers, the laundry still needs folded, and the adventure of packing the girls' suitcases remains. "No, put that back. Where's your blue top. Not that one. Yes, two animals is fine. How many undies do you have."

Yesterday I managed to make plans for sightseeing adventures. Ann and I will do the Mall, the National Holocaust Museum, and the American History Museum on Tuesday, and then meet up with Barb for dinner. I'm excited because the American History Museum was closed when Keven and I visited back in November of 2007. Also closed at that time was Ford's Theater, which was undergoing renovations. It officially reopens on Wednesday, so Ann, Cathleen and I have tickets to go see it on Thursday afternoon. Squeeze it in before the Kensington party!

I have a headache and I'm feeling a little nauseous. I think it must be nerves. Every year I think I'm ready for Nationals, and then every year something happens to set me back on my heels and remind me that my confidence only go so far. It gets out of practice!

Oh, I'll be interviewed by Wendy the Super Librarian on Saturday at 2 PM for the Romantic Times website (will post the link when I get back). This will be right after I present on a panel. And then I'll have another panel that afternoon. These major events, along with the literacy signing on Wednesday, mark definite progress from where I was in my career last year. In 2008, I got my pink "first sale" ribbon, went to my publisher's party, and had coffee with my agent--all firsts. In 2007, I attended, pitched to Hilary, and survived! This makes me curious what next summer will bring...

I have some posts lined to keep you company while I'm gone. I don't know how much exercise will have to e-mail over the next week. Wish me travel luck!

And to Keven: I love you. I love our babies. And I've loved (almost) every minute of the last twelve years together.

Proud of Juliette

On Wednesday, we went to the Downtown Toy Store to get over-sized ink pads for our arts-n-crafts based summer. There, Juliette saw a pack of two ceramic horses that you paint yourself. She fell in love. They were $8, and she had $13 saved up in allowance. Should be no problem, right?

Well, she's been jonesing on a mammoth for ages. The girls have been studying paleobiology--you know, as a hobby, in between episodes of "Wow! Wow! Wubzy!"--and Juliette decided her favorite Tertiary period animal is the mammoth. (Her Mesozoic animal is the triceratops. In fact, at the girls' urging, we've all chosen animals from these two periods. Keven is a diplodocus and a basilosaurus. Ilsa is a T-rex and a synthetoceras. I'm a coelophysis and a smilodon--did you know saber-toothed tigers had been renamed?)

Since we have no mammoth in the house, Juliette decided this was what she wanted most in the whole world.

We'd already planned to visit the Kenosha Public Museum, which features a replica of the Hebior mammoth found in the Kensosha area in the 1990s--the largest mammoth specimen ever found in North America. It's massive. Very impressive. And the museum has a gift shop, filled with mammoth-based awesomeness.

But that was two days away! And we were already right there in the toy shop, horses in hand! And that was the only pack of horses left!!!

What's a six-year-old to do?

My brave girl put the horses back.

Later she said, "What would I have done with them after I painted them?" That was something I'd thought of but kept to myself, because in the heat of the "I want this" moment, she probably would've just argued with me. A lesson in parenting I shall tuck away for our future with teenagers.

So yesterday, we headed over to the museum in the afternoon. I didn't even pretend to go to the exhibits first; we went straight over to the gift shop. And lo!! A stuffed mammoth for $12. I think there was a halo of light shining on it, praising Juliette for her awesomeness. She snapped it up and named it Manny (it was going to be Martha, but the mammoth's tusks are too big for it to be female). Later that day, while we took the long way home on the streetcar, I asked her if she was glad of the decision she'd made.

She just grinned and hugged Manny. And it was good.

(The slightly-less-rosy ending: She dropped Manny in an unflushed toilet before bed, which meant she couldn't sleep with him. But he's machine washable!)

Website Updates

I spent the morning updating my website. So now we have the schedule for my appearances at Nationals (here, under "Upcoming Events"), the official jpeg of the SCOUNDREL'S KISS cover, and its updated web trailer. Yay!

Edited to add: I've also drunk Interwebz Kool-aid by joining Twitter. Follow me!

Italy #4

After the bacchanalia of the reception, most people took the opportunity to use Sunday for rest and recuperation. We didn't have to be out of the resort until that afternoon, so I was able to partake in the breakfast buffet that morning. Too bad I had missed it the day before, because it was entirely lovely. Then it was off to the pool.

Later that afternoon, people began to disperse. Some were returning to England, and those of us who were staying made our way to various bed and breakfasts in the area. Keven and I stayed at Casa Rastia with ten relatives: his parents (Linda and Trevor), his grandma and her younger sister, his godparents (Carol and Roy), his mom's sister and her husband (Wendy and Alan), and his mom's brother's widow (Aunt Margaret) and her daughter (cousin Karen). We were the only people at the bed and breakfast for the entire week.

Keven and I had a private room; everyone else had to make do with sharing, so we were appreciative of our privacy. Each room had its own kitchen. And while Keven and I didn't have the views that the upper story rooms did, we were in the basement which meant cool relief on any given hot, hot day. And boy, did some of the days get hot!

That evening we drove up the mountain, near to the very top, and had another fantastic dinner at a little family-owned place. They seemed to get all of their business from people like us, referred by the local B&B owners. All very secluded and private. The sunset over the Apennines was amazing. We returned to Casa Rastia and dropped everyone off, then Keven and I headed over to another bed and breakfast called Salomone, which specializes in honey production, honey-based wines, agricultural tourism, and fantastic food. Keven's Aunt Rose and Uncle Keith and their sons, 20-year-old Jack and 24-year old Eric, were staying there.

But we didn't eat at Salomone that night--just had more to drink. It's like a national sport. So fantastic. We again hit the sack at about 4AM.

Tomorrow: the Anglos go shopping! And spelunking!

Wedding Photos

Silvia, my new sister-in-law, has posted the official wedding photos on her blog. Very cool, all of them.

SYTYCD Week #5

My lack of enthusiasm for this season is making me sad. I think it's because I can't rely on my favorite personalities to deliver the goods, and the best dancers of the year are turning out to be people I really have no feelings for either way. Oh well. Some good routines last night.

Gasp! I hope Cat didn't cut her hair. But it was hella cute.

Melissa & Ade (disco & waltz): The disco was actually pretty fun. Lots of good synch work, and her hair was very Keeley Hawes in "Ashes to Ashes." The lifts were not effortless, which detracted from the fun, but I occasionally get it in my head to blame Dorianna Sanchez for that. Or a lot. The looked like they were having a great time, despite the work.

As for the waltz, I loved Melissa lines, as always, and their non-waltzy bits were very nice. However, it's still supposed to be a waltz. He was doing a lot of stepping, rather than gliding, and I was left to wonder two things: a) how would Brandon have handled the same chorey, and b) just how good is Ade? I can't figure it out because Melissa is so distractingly lovely. She has a strong following, but I wonder if she may have peaked too soon. After all, these two performances were ones that people could take for granted if they tried hard.

Kayla & Kuponoh (contemp & Broadway): Well, Mia certainly is on her game this season. The group number (to Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" in week 2) was striking. The Butt Dance was an instant classic. And now she adds a fantastic and emotional piece about addiction. I wonder if Sonja's success is keeping her on her toes? Kuponoh played a fantastic character and completely did his job, which was to hold steady for Kayla. She showed him up in a painful way, technique wise, but it turned out to be a gorgeous, moving dance.

As for the Broadway...not so much. I don't think I like this new woman. Or else her chorey hasn't been done justice yet. But if you want to see how other SYTYCD alums dance to this music, check out Kate & Jack (third place and winner from AUS#1) as they demonstrate a routine to the AUS#2 hopefuls in Sydney. It's at 5:50 in. I just can't get over the intensity on their faces and the power in their movements--both of which were lacking from K & K.

Caitlyn & Jason (foxtrot & jazz? contemp?): Caitlyn looked elegant and lovely in her 20s-ish dress, and the gliding, classy style really suited her. They at least looked like they didn't hate each other. The other routine was by Mandy Moore, yes? So forgettable. I think these two are done, if for no other reason than there are more memorable dancers still left in play.

Jeanine & Phillip (Russian folk & jive): WTF was that? Was there any couple who could've rocked this out? I felt sorry for them like I did for Kherington & Mark when they got the two-step last year. Trying out a new style when you're desperate to make it one more step is not what these dancers need or want. Unfortunate. The jive was nicer, but they certainly made a much bigger deal out of Evan's lack of bounce in week 2. Phillip was passable and everyone cheers. "He can stay another week!" Look out, girl partners.

But enough about Phillip. They're always talking about him, when Jeanine is really, really good. Her jive was hot and funky-flirtatious. Can't wait to see her shine.

Randi & Evan (hiphop & samba): AUS#2 used "Halo" for a gorgeous contemporary this past spring, so my opinions about what should be done with this song were already colored. Hate to say it, but this was fairly pedestrian chorey from Tabitha & Napoleon. Meh? That's the best I could sum up. I think they're both better dancers than this, but they didn't show it tonight.

PASHA!! Anya as a blonde! Can you imagine how hot that samba would've been had they danced it? Notice that they didn't show too much of them dancing in the rehearsals, for fear of melting TV screens and ruining Randi & Evan's chances of making a good go. Evan, he is not the samba king. I don't think Evan can do any brand of sexy patented after 1952. And Randi needs more playfulness to show off her cutesy sexuality. This just wasn't good enough. My faith in them wanes.

Janette & Brandon (tango & jazz): Holy crap!! See, I think they're cool enough people, but I don't have it in my heart-of-hearts to root for them. Something just doesn't connect for me. BUT, that said, they absolutely killed it last night. That tango was breathtaking. Nigel was wrong in that it wasn't the best, most professional ballroom routine of all time, because that was Heidi & Benji's mambo from Season 2. But damn. Great work from Janette and Brandon. As for Wade's love-it-or-hate-it style, it won't do them any harm. They danced his piece well and will be so so so very safe tonight.

The bottom three will be Caitlyn & Jason (who will both go home), plus some combination of Not Melissa, Ade, Janette or Brandon. My guess is Kayla & Kuponoh again, because their fanbase is seriously wonky and unreliable, and Randi & Evan, who could do with a dose of positive in being able to perform their own style before going into the Top 10.

Thoughts?

Italy #3

The day of their wedding arrived, and I was sick like I've never been before. Keven and I had grand ambitions to head down to breakfast before 10 AM. I got out of bed, showered, and got back into bed. I was so hangover that the hangover hadn't actually started yet. I was still drunk. OMG. Absolutely wretched. And what was worse, I had to read during the wedding, so it's not like I could hang out in the back of the church and hide.

Meanwhile, Keven went and did non-hungover things. Good for him. I became acquainted with the Ideal Standard toilet in our bathroom and contemplated the ubiquitous existence of Italian bidets.

At about 1:30, I was feeling marginally recovered. Keven came and fetched me, dragging me down to the restaurant. I ordered strong coffee and a fruit plate. Luckily, I was in Italy and both strong coffee and fruits are available in abundance. After that, things started to look up. I actually felt quite good by the time we arrived at the church at 4 PM. Oh, and we looked really good! Everyone did! Maybe it was the sunglasses and the bright sunshine, giving all of us Anglo types some color!

The wedding was to begin at 4:30. We were inside the church, gathered and waiting, but the festivities didn't begin until roughly 4:50. The priest spoke no English, so one of the bride and groom's friends, Alan, an Englishman who had married an Italian girl, translated the priest's impromptu speeches. Everything else was translated in our program.

Silvia's dress was amazing, and Steve looked very handsome--and extremely nervous. Because I was reading and Keven was an usher, we were seated with the family at the very front and had a fantastic view of the whole proceedings. My reading went off without a hitch, and the entire ceremony probably lasted an hour. If you were going to create a fairytale wedding in your mind about the blending of two cultures for a very special day, that was it. That was what happened. It was absolutely perfect.

After a zillion photos and much throwing of rice, we all headed back to the resort for the reception. I changed shoes right away! A tremendously huge buffet was laid out, and Keven and I quickly partook of two plates of food. Only then did a waiter announced that we could adjourn for dinner! The buffet was simply the appetizers. And already the champagne and wine were flowing freely. I was fully recovered enough to partake, but I kept my ratio on that evening at 4:1 (water:wine). This proved a successful strategy.

Dinner was, in a word, amazing. I have never eaten so much consistently fantastic food and in such quantity. But again, this was an opportunity for Keven and I to recognize that the entire experience would've been vastly different had the girls been in attendance. They would've been bored out of their minds. Speeches from old relatives translated into two languages? Food they've never seen before? Lots of grown-up talk about people and things they don't know or understand? Boredom!

But for me it was heaven.

The final course, poor thing, was barely touched by most folks at our table. I thought for sure that no one would have room for dessert, but I think people were pacing themselves at the end. At the end of a half hour, the dessert buffet looked like the victim of a locust infestation.

Then the band took the stage. They were a kind of 50s and 60s tribute band, with lots of surfer music and rock'n'roll standards. Steve and Silvia danced to a montage of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" and "(Bang, Bang) My Baby Shot Me Down," and then Dick Dale's "Misirlou," which really got the party going. All very well done and tons of fun. I got to dance to "Helter Skelter" and The Doors' "Roadhouse," so I was a hella happy girl. After the band signed off, they turned on some tunes and Keven and I danced to "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" by Chris Isaak. Ultra cool.

Oh, they even brought out a birthday cake for Grandma Lofty and Keven's cousin Eric, both of whom were born on June 13, the wedding day. So that was special. They were serenaded "Happy Birthday" in two languages.

Keven and I turned in at about 4 AM. I think the jet lag was really helping us at that point, because it would have only been 9PM back home in the central time zone.

Tomorrow: the post reception chill out.

Italy #2

In case you missed it when I added the link to the last post, here's my photo album.

Keven and I spent the night at Silvia's parents' house and slept in until 11. I awoke to Paolo, Silvia's father, telling me something about driving. Steve and Silvia had already left for the wedding rehearsal, so I didn't know what he meant. Luckily, Silvia returned from church in time to translate: Keven had to get to the car rental place in Fabriano--the next town over--by 12:30! He zipped around and got ready. Valentina drove him there, then basically pointed in the direction of Cerreto and wished him good luck. He made it back to the house and channeled Scotty from the new Star Trek: "I like these roads. They're exciting!"

So we had achieved a Volkswagen Golf. Next we had to make it to the resort. The wedding partiers were stationed at the Borgo di Lanciano, which featured hotel rooms, a restaurant, and reception facilities in what used to be medieval servants' quarters, all entirely renovated and amazing. The castle where the lord would have lived was up on a hill overlooking the valley below. Keven I arrived, checked in, and found our people.

We were pretty much the only guests staying at the resort that weekend. Everywhere we looked there were people we knew. Keven compared it to a 1980s sitcom like "Family Ties," where the Keatons would take a holiday in the whole show would relocate to Florida or wherever. Waiting underneath the veranda, drinking, were all of the ordinary family members we spend time with at holidays and reunions...except we were all in Italy!

This is where getting older kind of sucks: I know it's been six months since I saw everyone during our holiday trip to England, but it felt like no time had passed at all. Sheesh.

Let's see...drinking, relaxing, talking, drinking, chilling. That was Friday afternoon. The older crowd--Keven's parents' and most of that generation--adjourned for dinner. We went into Cerreto later that evening for dinner with our friends and the younger members of the family--a total of 35 people! We sat outside and experienced our first full Italian dinner. The food was insanely delicious, and the wine flowed as freely as the water. I tried to keep my ratio to 1:1 (water:wine), but alas, that wouldn't prove enough.

Turns out the whole dinner was only €20 each. Amazing. Something like six courses with dessert and all the wine we could drink for the equivalent of $30. What's even funnier, the waiter said that Steve could pay him the next day rather than interrupt our evening's festivities by hassling with the bill. Granted, this show of faith was backed up by the fact that everyone at the restaurant knew Silvia's family, but still. I can't imagine that happening in the US.

Afterward, we strolled across the street, back to the gelaterria/bar that we'd visited the night before. That was probably where my drinking ratio went haywire and I lost track of what I was doing. Some generous friends have suggested jet lag also played a part. They're nice to me that way.

Tomorrow: the consequences. And the wedding!

Public Enemies (2009)

Johnny Depp (Dillinger), Christian Bale (Melvin Purvis), Billy Crudup (Hoover), Marion Cotillard (Billie Frechette)

Directed by Michael Mann (Heat)

Summary: The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.

Keven and I went to see this with our friends Richard and Karen, which has been how we've been seeing most films this summer. Babysitter. Friends. Movie. Tiki bar. Good times!

I don't know what I was expecting from this, but perhaps my amorphous expectations were too high. I've only truly enjoyed one Michael Mann film, which was The Last of the Mohicans--and even that one has some flaws. Overall, he creates big movies that don't necessarily feel as big as they're billed to be. Heat was like that. And so was Public Enemies. It seemed like it could be big--big characters, big action, big emotion. But I didn't get a sense of any of that.

There is a scene in Heat when Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro sit down in a café and have a five minute war of words. A verbal chess match. A machismo face-off! It's the only time in the film when crime-stopper and criminal share screen time. Public Enemies repeated that same stylistic choice, with Christian Bale's FBI agent, Purvis, sharing about five minutes of screen time with Johnny Depp's jailed Dillinger. Instead of being wowed, I thought, "I've seen this before."

And then there was the romance, which didn't fit and didn't work. It seemed forced. I never believed that she was his one and only (she wasn't), nor did I get the feeling that he would shrivel up and die without her. Without that sense of potential loss, the entire relationship they based the film on was hollow. When compared to two classic "together in crime" films, namely Bonnie and Clyde (based on history; unhappy ending) and True Romance (fictional; happy ending), Public Enemies simply came up lacking. If you're going to do a crime romance film, it needs to live up to its predecessors or risk falling flat.

Christian Bale's performance was much more subtle than he's been giving of late. I truly got the sense that he was having difficulties with some of the decisions Hoover and the FBI were making. Johnny Depp was as deliciously Johnny Depp as always. When some of the machine gun battles and vintage car getaways got a little bit long, I realized it was because I hadn't had a dose of Depp in several minutes. (And because the film would've benefited from an aggressive 20 minutes cut from its run-time.) He was the heart and soul of this picture, but it wasn't enough.

A decent movie, overall. But in the summer when we've already seen some very good pictures, "decent" wasn't good enough.