Not far now, my little smurf

Surely getting down to the wire now... Just one more work day, then I have the weekend to do my final packing and planning, then I leave on Monday.  I've taken a break from trying to figure out which cities to visit.  It was overwhelming.  I'll just wait and see what I feel like doing when I get there.  My Mom would say "I have to watch and see what I do."  I did, however, book a hostel for the first night in Amsterdam.  I picked it by ratings online - it got very high marks, and is not in the Red Light District (I will surely visit, but don't want to stay there).  I am fairly confident that it will be acceptable accomodations, and unlike some of the horror-story hostels that you hear about. 

I'm enjoying the company of my precious grandson tonight. He is sleeping over for the first time. I am going to miss him, and have promised to bring him a toy from every place I visit. I'm sure he'll grow a foot while I'm gone. As I write this, I just watched him roll over. It's the first time I've witnessed that feat. It was quite impressive.

I am considering renting a car for a few days while in Italy, and just driving around, rather than taking the train from city to city.  That way I would get to see countryside, small towns, and such.  Who knows, maybe I would run across a little village with women stomping grapes like Lucy and Ethel.  How cool would that be if they let me stomp along!  I have very wide feet, and could be quite productive.  I actually have some rather distant cousins in southern Italy, and had contemplated visiting them, but probably won't because where they live is pretty far south, and also they don't speak English, or know me, and may wonder about the strange American knocking on their door saying "fam-a-lee... fam-a-leee".

That's it for now... I have to put the little pumpkin down for the night and stare at him for a while.  Check back, though... I promise this blog will get less boring once I'm in Europe. 

Hug someone today!  Right now even!  Seriously.... get up and hug someone.  It will feel good.  I promise.