Luke's Blog

It seems like everyone has a blog these days, right? We are all so important!! :) Here is the blog for my adorable nephew, Luke. He was born in March and has been the delight of the family ever since. He is the ringbearer in our wedding- I can't wait to see him in his tux!

www.sellshouse.blogspot.com

Eric's Blog

Hi everyone! I've gotten a few comments on the fact that I haven't blogged since Eric got to Sicily. I'm sorry!!! :( Things have actually backtracked in my pursuit for internet access from home. At one point, I had an active phone line, PLUS international calling, AND had the internet service "on order". Then one day I picked up the phone and there was no dial tone. Back to square one! Ugh! So dear friends, I am not ignoring you, I am just monumentally frustrated and tired of trudging over to the library every time I need to check my email or blog.

HOWEVER, my loving almost-husband has started his own blog and it is much more up to date than mine. You can also link to his web albums which show our trips to Lipari- which was AWESOME, by the way.

http://www.lifeisaforeigncountry.blogspot.com/

Only 3 weeks to the wedding! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eric arrives

Hi everyone! So sorry for the delay in posting. Believe it or not I am still without phone or internet at my house. I could go on about all the drama involved in setting up utilities in Italy for a whole post, probably. But, as I just nipped over to the library on my lunch break, I will instead focus my attentions on more exciting events.

Eric is here! He arrived Thursday night and has been sweating since he stepped of the plane. He's gone through about 30 gallons of water already. We're hoping his body will adjust to the change in climate, but I'm not optimistic. :) He keeps accusing me of dragging him nearer and nearer to the Equator (first DC and now Sicily). I'm starting to think that all of our vacations together are going to be in NORTHERN Europe.

But really, he is enjoying himself here. I took him for dinner at Pizzeria Pellegrino, which is right in the main piazza of the town. They have the most amazing pizza there called pizza tartufatta. It has mozzarella, proscuitto crudo, roasted mushrooms, 2 other mysterious cheeses and truffle oil. This may not sound like eating it would be a transcendent experience, but let me tell you IT IS. There was your life before tartufatta and then your new life with tartufatta. While we were eating, they were having an outdoor Mass in the piazza followed by fireworks. I told Eric the locals were welcoming him to town.

The next couple days we spent putting the apartment together. Eric is excited about installing his stereos (yes it is plural, I think he has a dozen or so) and is mystified by European current. We have transformer boxes but for some reason they aren't working effectively. He gets shocked everytime he puts the needle on his turntable. His new idea is to rewire all our lamps with euro plugins so that we don't have to plug them into the transformer, we can just plug them into the wall. I find it adorable that Eric gets excited about projects like this.

Hope to post again soon! Ciao!

The Beach

This picture really does NO justice to the experience I had last Sunday on the beach at Catania. However, I realized as I was leaving that I hadn't taken any pictures, so I turned around and snapped one.

The beach where I live in AciTrezza is made of volcanic rocks, so to enjoy the water you need a boat or a floatation device, or pay a few Euro and get a chair on the Lido (big deck on the water). A few miles down the coast there are more typical beaches. The Catania beach is amazing- to your left, Mt Etna feels like it is right on top of you, it takes up the whole sky. In front of you are sandy beaches and the Ionian Sea rolling in. To your right is a cabana with food, live music and very lively Italians.

Things can't be that bad when you have a view like this

The past couple weeks have been sort of high stress... I've moved in to the apartment but my household goods shipment is still sitting in Naples waiting to be put on a truck and driven down here. In Italy, August is the vacation month, and everyone operates as if they are on vacation, even while they are at work. Our housing department is staffed entirely by Italians. They are wonderful, friendly and very helpful, but I must have been there 20 times this month. Yes, that's more than once a day. "Ciao Lieutenant Murphy, come stai? Can you come back after lunch? No one is here who can set up your utilities." "Boun giorno Shannon! Oh, today is bad, there are only four of us... can you come back tomorrow? Grazie mille!" Now, there are lots of helpful MEN in housing: "Ah, bellisima ragazi (beautiful lady) oh yes I help you. Eh- Giuseppe, LT Murphy is here! Ah, bella bella, Ciao! You go out with a nice Italian, eh, yes?" Being "bellisima" can get me lots of things, but it doesn't seem to get me internet in my apartment any faster. :)

The picture above was taken on the terrace of my apartment as the moon was rising. It is so beautiful!

Pharmacy Party

Last Wednesday we had a potluck at work. We were celebrating becuase two of the techs had August birthdays, and myself and another tech had just arrived. My lead petty officer, HM2 Cavero, is Philipino. I've had plenty of Philipino food at potlucks at Bethesda, but it was no comparison to the food HM2 Cavero brought in. Wow! Pancit and fried rice and these little sandwiches that were out of this world. She takes roasted chicken, shreds it and seasons it with Hoisin sauce, then wraps it in hommade sweet dough and steams it. It was so soft and delicious! I hope we have lots of potlucks.

Later that afternoon we had a command awards ceremony. I was presented with the Navy Achievement Medal, which had been forwarded from Bethesda. This was a big honor and I was very proud to recieve it. Most officers who do a good job will get an end of tour award, and usually it is a Navy Commendation Medal, which is a bit lower of the totem pole than the NAM that I got. So, I was very pleased that my superiors thought highly of the efforts I put in at Bethesda and rewarded me for them.

I'm starting to feel more comfortable in my uniform. Lieutenant is a relatively high rank in the Navy. Most people come in an Ensigns, then are promoted Lieutenant Junior Grades, then promoted to Lieutenant. Generally, LTs have at least 4 years of service. I came right in as an LT. Hence, I only had one measly little ribbon- the National Defense Medal, which everyone gets. My most junior techs were more decorated than me! After 60 days at Bethesda, I got to put on the Global War on Terror ribbon, since Bethesda provides medical support to the operations in Iraq/Afghanistan. That was all I had for 2 years. You get to feeling a bit wimpy when all you have are two ribbons. Thankfully, the command was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal this past summer, for successfully passing our accreditation inspection. So, I got to show up with a FULL BAR of ribbons when I got to Sigonella. (see above) Now, I get to buy my fourth ribbon- which goes in a whole new row! And after 12 months on board at Sig, I get the Overseas Service Ribbon- I'll have 5!!

COS Vineyard

I spend Saturday and night at with a dozen friends at this beautiful vineyard in the Ragusa province in southern Sicily, about 90 minutes from base. http://www.locandacos.it/english/default.htm

We arrived Saturday and spent the afternoon by the pool, then the owners held a wine tasting for us followed by a 5 course dinner. Sunday morning we had fresh baked crossaints and espresso along with a tour of the wine cellar. One of their wines is stored not in wooden barrels but in terra cotta urns buried in rock. (see above) That one was my favorite!

I start work tomorrow which I am looking forward to. I miss having a routine. Living in the bachelor's quarters is getting tiresome, too. I've been living out of the same suitcase since early July, and I'm ready to get settled into my new home.