Mark’s Notes On The Go

I held off on mentioning this partially because I’ve been slam-busy and partially waiting for things to firm up, but I’m no longer going to Italy completely solo.

I’ll still have some me time, but part of the trip, Brandy, a friend for more years than either of us probably care to admit, is joining me.

Specifically, on my 5th day there, Brandy flies in and we’ll head down to Sorrento by way of Naples. We’ll be there four nights to take in the sights at Pompeii, Hurculaneum, and whatever else we can find time for. It kind of came about out of the blue. Brandy has been to Rome before but did not have time to get to Pompeii, and she planned to go back one day. I didn’t figure she’d drop things to scurry down there with me, but I invited her along and she got her tickets last Friday. YAYYY!!!

We’re still working out where we’re staying. Brandy is going to try the hostel experience her last night in Rome but didn’t want to try it the whole trip. Either a hotel or possibly a reasonably priced self-catering apartment we found. Still in research mode as of yet.

Oh, yes, she’s also there one night in Rome. Hopefully we’ll get an early start back that day to catch some sights. We’ve already planned on seeing Nero’s Domus Aurea.

I have two nights after she heads back to round out my trip on my own as it will begin.

I’m not quite to the counting the days spot yet, but it’s already a month away! Maybe I am counting?

Time to go read the Rome and Naples travel guides I got…

I started feeling kinda poorly the end of last week, scratchy throat, sniffles - the usual. Was hoping allergies. Went home for an early rendition of Dad’s birthday (which is actually this coming Friday). With luck the folks won’t look back on the visit as the coming pestilence. Saturday and Sunday I continued to feel worse.

Only drove back to Atlanta Sunday because I had a big project shipping Monday that no one else knows… great… By Monday morning, I was sure that I had a feeling for what the walking dead feel like in the zombie movies. I went to work with the idea of getting said project ready to go and then going home… of course, nothing is ever that easy… said project had issues… and more issues… and I skipped lunch (not that I felt like eating really) and struggled through six hours… not quite a full day… And then I limped home and collapsed. I could tell before I left work that I was having flashes of fever. Still am…

Today, I was dead lazy… the alarm went off for when I’d normally prepare for work… I got up, called in, and collapsed again… I woke up around 11am… checked voice mail (forgot to change it to say I was out). I had breakfast/lunch (crackers) and lay on the couch and watched the rest of Season 2 of Greatest American Hero. In my state, that was only a couple of hours (which was what I lacked) before the hot flashes of fever knocked me on my butt again. More sleep was followed by more sleep… followed by an hour of Season 1 of Kids in the Hall. At least I’m moving through some DVD’s I thought as Fever #303033 broke.

Since the end of the cupboards was in sight, I had to get out for a bit. Feeling better than I was, I ran a couple of errands, returned a couple of things to Home Depot and stopped by the post office before Kroger. Kroger… what an experience… I would have been in and out if not for the lines at the regsters… I went solely for the “U-Scan” line so I could be in and out quick… no dice… despite the sign that says 15 items or less, eveyone ahead in the lanes had BUGGIES full of items… nice… I’m standing behind more people (with a couple of items). They look like they are fuming, but I literally am - I can feel the heat rising off of me… great… I’m going to be a vector in some CDC study any day now.. When I finally got my turn with a register it kept stopping and asking for “cashier assistance.” I’m getting pretty ticked and the cashier manning those registers kept treating me like a retard… I silently hoped that he would catch the bubonic plague from me… Finally he realized that the register scale was broken and it couldn’t tell that I was bagging my items… well, gee, thanks Sherlock…

Back home I had a brief whine fest with my Mom. She, of course, recommends the doctor. I’m 98% sure that it’s a cold and the only thing the doctor would tell me is to take aspirin and wait it out… I’ve had enough sinus infections to recognize those… And my sinuses are much clearer today than the previous two… my hearing is almost clear… just the repeating fever and a bit of a cough now… I think I’m on the road to recovery.. Maybe back to work tomorrow or Thursday… we’ll see…

In the meantime, either more reading or TV… or sleep… sounds good… I think the cats are starting to recognize me as one of their own…

Well, if you’ve talked to me or e-mailed with me in the past month or so, you’ve probably suffered through a good deal of trip talk, i.e. “Should I stay or should I go now.”

More than a month ago, I started contemplating Rome for the New Year. It’s the off-season yes, but it cannot be any colder or wetter than Scotland and I had a blast there. The cold I could deal with, the rain, if I must (but that’s the part I could do with less of - at least a dry afternoon here and there maybe).

At any rate, eventually Paris came into the mix. The rates there were low. For awhile, I dropped Rome and thought about just doing some time in Paris and finally seeing what I could remember all these years later from high school French class. As I started probing the brain on a daily basis for common things I encountered, I was surprised what came back. Granted, I could only probably speak the language on a toddler’s basis.

Then I started looking into overnight trains and realized that I could leave France at night and wake up in Rome! I came incredibly close but kept getting back to thoughts about the money and things I should be doing with it, etc. And just as I was on the edge of committing to it, the low fares evaporated… It was suddenly not much more expensive for a direct flight to Rome versus a CONNECTING flight to Paris… please…

So, still unable to make a decision, I limped along…. Friday I came home to a dead PC monitor. So, there went another unexpected outlay of funds. I did step up to a 19″ LCD, though. So, I’ve gained a ton of desk space from the behemoth 19″ CRT I had. Saturday, I defied logic and kept looking at fares. France dropped again… Of course, there are the riots going on right now… For all involved, let’s hope they are not still ongoing at New Years, but it was a reason to pause and think. More so for my Mom’s sanity than my own. I should have proven to many by now that I don’t always make the sane/safe choices.

I read and read about Italy. Rome, I’d done some already. But I spent the day Sunday looking into where else I could go - south of Rome (and hopefully warmer). Dug up a lot of info. on Sorrento, a resort city south of Naples and near the Isle of Capri. AND close to Pompeii and Herculaneum two cities buried in 79 AD by Mount Vesuvius. The train fare from Sorrento to those places is not much more than a ride on MARTA.

So, I went to bed Sunday (after spending all day cleaning house) with a lot on my mind. The non-sane voice kept saying to go. Granted I could use the $$ for the trip towards the student loans that I find myself whining about… But life is short (we have no idea how short or long) and maybe sometimes delayed gratification isn’t all that great….

This led to a night of tossing and turning. The little pros and cons kept flowing… But the time to make a decision was drawing short. I’d noticed last week that there were precious few good hostels in Paris at New Year’s. I noticed Sunday that my first choice in Rome was already booked those nights and second choice… well… was probably second choice for someone else that is not quite as indecisive as me. So, giving up on a good night’s sleep, I came in and booked my flights…

I fly out on Dec. 29th and land in Rome about 9am the next morning. I fly back to the U.S. on Jan. 10th. I haven’t COMPLETELY decided on my plans there. Did go ahead and book the hostel for the first 5 nights I’m there It was really only those first few days with scarce beds. I had thought about 6 nights in Rome and then three in Sorrento, followed by 2 back in Rome, but I’ve about sold myself on doing 5 in Rome, 4 in Sorrento, and then back for 2 in Rome. Looks like I’ll be in Sorrento for the Epiphany. I wonder how much shuts down for it? I guess I’ll see!

So, again I’ll ring in the New Year in another land!