Day 50 something: Too tired to figure out the date

So I am up in Bamberg, Germany visiting with a new friend Josh Butrin, www.burtin.org. I came up here to talk about Young Life, MCYM staff, and all that Jazz. I am telling you all this for no reason because my actual plan is to wrap up Italy in one short blog. I haven't been able to do that ever in the past, but maybe tonight, my extra sleepy body will force my mind and hands to type less. It isn't working out so far.

Let’s recap. Italy began in Vicenza with Jim, Mandy, Juls, and the rest of the gang. There was also the family that Jordan, mom, auntie, and I stayed with, but I can't spell or pronounce their name. We enjoyed Venice. Then it was off to Rome and the thwarms, that is like swarms only much many more. St. Pete’s, JP II, super old buildings, and Carabinieri. In between stays in Rome, we sung down to Naples and Pompeii.

Pompeii was cool. Not my favorite. (Sorry Jordan! He for some reason loved it. I don't understand, but there are a lot of things about Jordan that I don't understand. Jordan is more than I want to get into right now.) It could have been because a couple hours into walking around Pompeii, I tore a huge gash in my big toe. I have pictures It didn't hurt immediately, but it sure bled like a stuck pig. (I don't know where the statement stuck pig came from, or why I even used it except that I didn't want to use a cuss word there. Jordan was getting on me about my language or potential language the other day. I apparently haven't learned. That reminds me of something that I left out of my Carabinieri story. See, right after the two dudes grabbed me, my sinful mouth opened up and F#%K came out. I don't know where it came from, but considering the circumstances it was sort of understandable. I am not justifying my words but pointing them out to say that I, like everyone else, accept apparently Mary the mother of Jesus according to the Catholics, am a sinful human who deserves to rot in hell. Jordan was very concerned about my language. Me too, because out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. At that critical point in my apprehension, my heart wasn't overflowing with Christ. Funny thing too is that what little English the cop dudes spoke, they knew that word and me saying it didn't help my situation. I was apologizing for saying it as soon as it came out of my mouth.) For me, that was the most interesting part of the day, well that and the driving. Have you ever heard the saying, "You drive like an Italian."? Neither have I, but there should be one, because Italians are crazy, crazy drivers.

After Naples, it was back to Rome for the night. I had forgotten my memory card for my camera, which gave us a perfect excuse to go back. The evening great because Henry had a Karaoke game for his PS2 and we, we meaning the kids, played it. I tried once and sucked hard core. I got the most laughs out of everyone there, but I also scored the lowest of everyone. That confirms what I already knew. My voice is best heard when accompanied by incredible volumes of other sounds and should never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever be amplified. Noe did the best in a single song and Henry wasn't half bad.

From Rome, we went to Florence, for about 15 minutes, Pisa, for an hour, and then Camp Darby and the beach. I was so excited about going to the Mediterranean for the first time. It could have been because I heard that the chicks there go topless, but I don't think that was the reason. Maybe it was, but I would never admit it to anyone. I didn't see a topless girl there and wasn't disappointed. Leaving Darby we stopped in Cinque Terre and then back to Germany. We had dinner in Terino in Northern Italy with some more of Jordan's friend.

We took our time getting back and stopped in Gebalshtop for a few hours. That was pretty much the end of the Italy part of the trip. There are a few more things that happened in Germany on the last two days, like Noe and Auntie getting there passports switched, but that is another time.

Until then and tomorrow.

Jason