A bout of Americanism.

For more than a month, I was occupied by visitors. First came Brandon, like my own personal Kramer from Seinfeld, Brandon seemed to show up just to make my life a bit more interesting and than immediately thereafter he would disappear. He had been in Italy since the beginning of October, and passed through Rome four times, each time staying at my apartment. He departed mid December, and his departure was followed by the immediate arrival of my friend Eóin. Eoin was at my two houses for a total of three weeks, just to clarify the two houses, I moved while he was staying with me. During his stay, we went out a good deal, spent Christmas and New Years together, actually spending Christmas day watching Lolita and Full Metal Jacket. It couldn't have been spent better in my opinion. It let me know just how isolated I am, being an American in Rome. All my Italian friends were with their families, all the Americans I know were probably getting drunk or doing something else equally stupid, and Eóin and I sat trying to make it through the masterpieces of Stanley Kubrik.

Eóin departed the day after the new year, and I was supposed to be visited by my friend Catt, but she got sick, and canceled her ticket the day before the flight. I sort of floundered around from the 2nd of January until the 8th, when my mother arrived on her birthday.

We had an amazing time together. We ran around Rome like maniacs, and my mom learned all about Bernini, Carbonara, Deep Fried Stuffed Olives, and $1.20 bottles of vino. I went to Florence for the second time in a month, and we saw some amazing art, I even talked to some girls in the Uffizi, but that didn't go anywhere. The most beautiful girl i talked to actually came from Albania. She was the bartender at some shitty bar that hands out flyers, for "Lady's Night." My mom and I went, because, well we had the flyer, and we wanted to sit down in an actual bar and drink Negroni's.(Gin, Campari, and Martini Red Vermouth.) My mom was really into them.

After all the excitement of my mom's visit, I tried to crash, but I couldn't. Being an American in Rome, the job options are limited. The most lucrative profession is giving tours, but that requires you to follow a tourist schedule, which means molto fucking presto. I have to wake up almost every day at 7:30, and take 45 min of public transportation to get to work. This wouldn't be so bad, but I have been trying to find a girl to date, and that requires going out at night, so, I don't make it in until around 5 am. Do the math. It's not enough sleep. I feel like a zombie, I speak like a toddler, and I must look even worse.

Today was the first day in a week that I could sleep in a bit, and when I woke up, I had a major urge for something home, something familiar. I walked down to the SUPERCARNI, and bought some ground veal. I bought the cheese that looked closest to American, (it ended up tasting like Poly-O string cheese.) and happpend to find sesame seed buns, I couldn't believe it. I was so stoked, that I found a Pilsner style beer, and decided to have a private party of one in my little kitchen area, complete with McDonald's brand ketchup. I cooked my burger to perfection, and went to open up the bun. It was then I had the realization that my burger was not going to be American, but a sorry imitation. My bun wasn't pre sliced, and when I cut it open, it fell apart, like the cheapest shit one could buy at Walmart. They come from a company called Daily Bread, and are produced in the EU. My beer isn't a Bud, but a Ceres "Top Pilsner," and well, I don't have any of my friends around me to party with, so I turned on CCR's greatest hits, and tried my best to pretend.

Shit, it sucks to be alone. See you all in March!

i'd rather stand in the rain.

that video that jim posted was terrible. i'm ashamed to be a part of this blog...