7 Quick Takes

Firstly, please join me in prayers for Jen, who is pro taking-6-kids-to-IKEA and anti-pedicure. That kind of crazy is bound to catch up with a girl some day...

And now some random:

1. I ate nachos, a cheeseburger, and a Corona for dinner tonight. Followed by a gelato milkshake (did you even know there was such a thing?) from the estimable Old Bridge. How do I feel? Like I'm about to go into cardiac arrest at any moment.

Pretty much how it went down.

Like a starving sailor docking after several long, lean months at sea, I'm going to need to pace myself when it comes to gastric re-patriation. Ugh.

2. These guys. This piazza. The sounds of Rome winding down on a summer night, punctuated by the bells of St. Peter's. I will miss this part of Italy.

3. We found a house to rent in Denver, we think. 3 bedrooms, a living room and a family room (whaaaaat?) a creepy 'semi-finished basement' aka Joey and JP's toddler man cave, and a fenced backyard with a big ass deck. American perfection.

4. We're stoping over in Dublin for 3 days on our way back to 'Merica, because it was cheaper than a direct flight and because I'm an awesome wife, and Dave wanted to go to the Guinness Factory for his birthday. I'm sure the Emerald Isle has more going for it than that, but after Amalfi, I'm under-promising in the 'fabulous things we'll do on vacation' department.

You really can find anything on the internet...

5. If you haven't read this yet, you really should.

6. We're re-watching Downton Abbey in it's glorious three-season entirety right now, thanks to one generous sister-in-law and the lenient copyrighting practices of the nation of Cambodia. And it is so much better than I remember, and that's coming from a serious superfan. I mean come on, you can cut the sexual tension between Lady Mary and Matthew with a knife, and Maggie Smith pretty much kills it with every line that crosses her tightly pursed and disapproving lips. Hands down, best show ever. EVER.

7. I'm coming around to the wonders of the Blanqi. Yes, it's hotter than hell to wear another layer under all this sweat, but it actually keeps the sweat semi-contained, and my baby bump looks adorably round and contained when I strap it on. Plus, love handle smoother. Win/win. If you're in the market, go for the full priced original, don't settle for the half price Target post-partum model. Take it from a squishy veteran.

Blurry pic, smooth bump.

Happy weekend y'all. We'll be jetting off to Castel Gandolfo in the morning, because even though the Pope's not there this summer, there's a big lake and a castle. And we can't get enough of these Euro train rides. Who needs AC when you've got all these strangers breathing cool air down your neck?