we are now home -- what a trip home!

we thought we were coming straight from brussels to sfo -- wrong! we had a short layover in chicago at the o'hare airport. not enough time to get from plane, thru customs, collect baggage, check baggage, ride tram to new terminal, new boarding passes and get thru security. we missed our flight home. damn the xbox. that's what got us held up in security. the bag had to be emptied and rescanned. if i was as fast as jill and not carrying 2 big ass bags - we would've made it!! they were able to get us on the next flight - not on standby either. instead of arriving at 5:30 we came in at 9. didn't get home until midnight. poor paul had to be up at 4:30 to head out to modesto for work.

what an amazing trip. duomo was the highlight for me. went in a few times to light candles for loved ones who have passed and ask for blessings for all my friends and loved ones. pretty powerful thing.

jill had the trip and opportunities of a lifetime. she met some great friends from all over the world. hopefully, they keep in touch.

we did make one very special friend. shonna silvas-camera, fantastic lady with a great hubby. she came in to milan to visit and go with us to castings. we searched for international markets and just had a fabulous time getting to know each other. she made it very hard for us to leave.

ciao -- better get that all out now. i'll sound like a dummy saying it here!!

jill had a photoshoot yesterday for a magazine here in italy. they said it will be an 8 page editorial coming out in september.

i dropped her at the train station this morning to take a fast train to pescara. it broke down and she arrived over 4 hours late to their destination. 10 hours on a train - that would suck!! she will be doing a fashion show tomorrow nite, jump on a train at 2 a.m. and arrive here in milan at 8 a.m. she's going to be soo stinking tired.

we're going home in 12 days. can't wait to see paul and william.

i'm so proud of jill and what she has accomplished here.

shonna (dana and suzanne silvas' sister) spent the day with us and it was quite interesting. we were in the subway when this obviously gay man came up to us and wanted to read our palms. he said something to me about my seperation, told shonna about the triangle in her hand and something to jill about paris and england. but to hear more he wanted $$. guess what he needed the money for --- he's saving to get a vagina!!! yes, a vagina.

jill left today for vicenza. she'll be home tomorrow nite. thank god she left me her macbook. hopefully, the package from my ma will arrive today and i can watch some movies. "the hills" dubbed in italian jut isn't cutting it today.

june 30

i've started to write on here several times and just never finish.

we're still busy doing the casting thing. tomorrow she only has 2. that's kinda nice. we'll get out of here around 9:15 and hopefully be back before 1. sometimes they call and give her a couple more while we're out - we hate that. we luv the casting - could be a potential thing - we just hate having to do one more thing outside. it's been over 80 degrees every day. i know it's hotter at home - there's humidity thrown in over here. i carry a backpack with stuff in it and so of course i have the nice "sweaty back" look. it's disgusting.

she's leaving again on friday. this time she'll be staying overnite. i can't remember the name of the town. she's doing a runway presentation. it's like a runway show, but not really. i don't know the difference.

we've been people watching on the train and bus. we always try to see who's twin we see. today it was mr. treanor and my sis-in-law melissa. there's been a ton more but we haven't kept track.

byebye everybody.

been here 2 weeks now. it's getting a little easier. thank god for skype.

jill is still doing castings everyday. tonite she is in verona doing something with "datch".

my mom left this morning. it was hard to say goodbye. she called to say she made it and was heading home with my dad. i wonder if they did the whole running into each others arms thing - eewwwww. just kidding - i bet my dad is happy to have his woman home. now he doesn't have to do laundry anymore :)

love skype - it's my new best friend. especially today/tonite with jill gone. i've talked to cheri and nanci. even had a great chat with my friend deanna.

good nite all -

Weds., June 16

just found out jill will be doing her first runway show in milan - she'll be doing wedding gowns on friday. very exciting!!

we had another step on our ladder of success with learning the metro. we discovered the underground train tunnel that leads to our "home" station. now we don't have to walk 15 minutes in the rain!! (yes, it's raining here)

please understand this metro thing is freaking insane. there's 3 different subway trains, 3 different colored busses and the one big blue train. to go to these castings we have to go to the garibaldi station or the zara station - it depends on which part of the city we're going to. garibaldi gets us to to the red and green lines - zara gets us to the yellow line. you better make sure you are on the right train or you have to get off and switch sides. we usually get off of those lines and get on a tram or bus. you better make sure you're on the right number or you're really screwed. that's more walking. some of the castings are 10 blocks away from where we are getting off. it's a bit of a bitch right now with the rain.

have a great day everybody - it's 8:48 a.m. u.s. time. we're getting ready to eat dinner!!

ciao, ciao (we're learning the language too) hahahaha

Weds., June 16