Poco un migliore. Translation: A little better...

Because I have Type A personality and because I couldn't sleep last night due to my righteous anger, I decided to email Gianluca today to get the deal. I know I'm psychotic...but when you need to know something that is contingent on airline tickets that increase in price everyday and asking for time off in advance, you start to panic!

From: Texas Cinderella
To: Gianluca
Subject:

I don't want to feel like I am bothering you and maybe you are too busy to chat (and I realize we can't talk everyday) but I heard that the Canada date is set.[September 19th and 20th]. Maybe you don't know if we can meet or not yet, but if so I'd still like to do that. Last week you seemed excited about it as well...maybe this week is different?

From: Gianluca
To: Texas Cinderella
Subject: RE:

Texas Cinderella,
you are not bothering at all....I'm just busy, very busy!
I'll be present at the meeting in Canada, I know that we will arrive on 18th and probably leave on 22nd, this the only thing I know.
Of course I want to stay with you, but my boss didn't allow me to stay some extra days after meeting yet...in the worst case, would you be able to come in Canada?

Many many many kisses,
Gianluca.

Yes, I know the freaking language barrier was there so we clarified things online:

Basically, he has asked his boss to return back on Saturday, September 23rd and hasn't heard back if he can or cannot do this. Our original plan was that I would go up after his meeting on the 20th and we would sightsee, among other things (wink, wink) and then we would both leave on the 23rd. So when he asked if I could come to Canada, he meant during his meeting and then we would leave on the 22nd. Meaning slight chance of me running into my coworkers in Canada. It makes things a bit tricky especially since his meeting and hotel are 60 miles north of Toronto.

To further confusion, it seems that his Project Manager has already booked the tickets for the 18th to the 22nd and they are trying to cancel them because they would be spending extra days in Canada for no reason. He doesn't know when he will know all of the details (which adds to my anxiousness) and he is extremely stressed out. Apparently from my company side, "the shit has hit the fan!" with his company and his company is now scrambling.

So I wait. Just like I was waiting yesterday. This situation is just so crazy! Am I really going to fly all the way to Canada to see him? At least he didn't say meeting up will be impossible, right? At least, not yet...

Frustrated Incorporated

So I believe my mom put a curse on this whole seeing Gianluca thing.

Thursday, our chat went swimmingly. The talk of our meeting in Toronto was brought up by him and we were totally on the same page.

Friday, no chatting but frustrating email banter on how I may or may not "see" him on web cam over the weekend. Fine. I was a kind of a brat about it for a second but said if we talked we talked, no biggie. We ended up just chatting on line on Friday afternoon (his night) before he went out. He told me to hold on while he restarted his computer and Never. Came. Back.!!!!

What the f? So today, he was not online and it seems that the meeting in Canada has been confirmed but no word from Gianluca if we will even be meeting. I mean you can't just stop cold turkey and forget about the stupid American in one day after telling her all the things you want to do to her in Canada, can you? I mean can you?

And thus I am cursed....

"Disappointed"

I have been on cloud 9 ever since a Gianluca got back from Sardinia. Not only was he the one to reach out and contact me first, he has told me that he missed me and that he is going to make all efforts to meet me in Boston which is now Canada (where his meeting will be with my company) in September. Exciting news right?

Wrong. I made the mistake of telling my mom all of this happy news-including that I would be staying in the same hotel room as Gianluca.

Let me preface this by saying we are very close . I tell her everything (well except for sexual details and some unnecessary secrets not worth mentioning). I wasn't gun shy to tell her this new development because when I was going to Boston, she told my Dad that I was going to Boston (where one of my best friend's lives) to have a "rendezvous with the Italian" and shared my same enthusiasm. Now that it's Canada and I have no "allies" on Canadian soil, she is not happy and is fearful of me spending time with a "stranger".

She shut my circus down. She used the D word..."Disappointed" and said "she did a bad job of raising me."

I wish I could retract my steps and take it all back and be coy and vague. I wish I would have re-read Golightly's post about her mom and their secrets.

But when you're grinning like an idiot, you can't help but have verbal diarrhea and share your news with the whole world-including your disappointed mother...

Girl Interupted

In an effort to cut corners and save money, I decided to travel on my cousin's buddy pass also known as standby. BIG MISTAKE. Not only was the airport out of control with the latest security issues but all the flights to Chicago O'Hare airport were booked full, leaving no room for Texas Cinderella. Needless to say my weekend was spent going out all over Houston to provide the distraction I was needing in Chicago from the Italian.

In the time I was there on Thursday I did, however, manage the following:

1 pair of uncomfortable shoes that I had to switch from my flip flops due to the airlines restrictions for buddy pass travelers

3 blisters from said uncomfortable shoes

8 planes that left without me on them

7 trips from one terminal to the next to catch the next flight out

1 guy lifting up his shirt on the back of the airport mini shuttle and adjusting his nipple ring-sick!

1 denial from duty free shop worker due to my lack of international boarding pass-WTF?

1 dying cell phone battery

5 people talking to themselves

3 actually speaking into there bluetooth ear device

1 Starbuck's grande vanilla latte

1 breakfast burrito (cheese, potato and egg) in addition to the cereal I had before leaving for the airport

2 large Nestle Tollhouse cookies, sugar and snickerdoodle

1 huge slice of Papa John's cheese pizza

1 Wendy's Frosty with Butterfinger mixins

1 small Wendy's fry

2 bags of 100 calorie packs Wheat thins from purse- I was prepared to eat good...

1 bottle of water

10 hours at the airport

100+ pounds gained in one day

0 sights of chicago

*Update: The Italian emailed me today and told me he was back from his trip and couldn't wait to chat!

Chi-town!

I'm leaving tomorrow for some fun in Chicago! My cousin lives there with her husband and the most adorable 2 year old you have EVER seen!

The trip will be a nice little distraction from my ludicrous thoughts of the Italian (and his final return in which he is probably married now)!

Pictures to follow...

Otherwise Engaging

A guy I work with, MC, who happens to be super cute and extremely witty, emailed me on Friday to tell me about Happy Hour, which I missed, the night before.

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: HH
HH was fun.

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
I heard...I totally was going to go but there is this fear of flooding and my new car that I just can’t handle sometimes...I promise to go next time even if there is a monsoon outside! How many peeps showed up?

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: Re HH
Did you get a new car? About 50 showed up at peak I would say, but a lot of people skipped cause of the rain….so your excuse is all good. We are going to do it again in September.

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
That’s awesome that it was a success! I will definitely make an appearance next time. Yep…got a new car that is very low to the ground therefore creates huge paranoia when water is involved…

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: Re HH
What car did you get??????????

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
I got a smart car ...just kidding!
I got a 3.25ci BMW. I lover it!

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: Re HH
Okay, how much do they pay you players in your department!?!?!?!?!?
Nice car by the way.

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
Thanks!
Ha ha...not nearly enough! i forgot to mention that my car also doubles as my house…:)

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: Re HH
Hahahaha, no way you are living in it. I don’t see it being a comfortable bed

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
You’d be surprised!

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: Re HH
How do you convince dudes to join you in your “house”?

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
I ask them if they would like to see my “stick shift”...

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: Re HH
SWEET JESUS. ARE YOU PARKED IN THE GARAGE????????

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
Perhaps...

long pause in email banter......

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: Re HH
Good thing, because, if it hails … your new car will be protected.

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
Ha ha…:) random!

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject: Re HH
Well I couldn’t keep talking about your cars features, I am engaged!!!!

To: MC
From: Texas Cinderella
Subject: Re HH
You are such a freaking nut! But know any OTHER boys that would want to take a look under my hood? :)

To: Texas Cinderella
From: MC
Subject:Re HH
Trust me, if I did you would already be shifting!

Almost on the verge of inappropriateness with an engaged man...but not quite!

European Vacation continued...

Juan-les-Pins was so much fun! Apart from the hotel concierges thinking we were completely nuts. First, we couldn't figure out the air conditioner remote and when they showed us how to use it, it turned out to be THE simplest thing in the world. Second, an hour later my mom was enjoying the scenery from our balcony and I decided to join her. She warned me not to close the door all the way because we would get locked out...too late!

We had to get a man's attention from down below, who coincidentally didn't speak English, only French and Italian. He went into the hotel to find a translator and who should come out but the concierges! They had confused looks on their faces until they looked up and saw the two American blondes waving down at them. The whole thing was hilarious and embarrassing and for the rest of our stay, every time we would leave they would warn us to be very careful!

We were supposed to go to St. Tropez but our jet lag go the better of us and we couldn't fit it in. I was really bummed because the whole basis of the trip was to go there but hopefully someday I will finally make it!

Our final destination (sadness) was Nice. I have loved Nice since the first time I visited when I was fourteen and tasted my first escargot! I love the cobble stone streets, the amazing architecture and the endless winding roads.

My old NYC roommate's best friend and her husband actually live in Nice so we had dinner with them one night. We went to a cute outdoor cafe and sat down next to a pair of French ladies who caught on to the fact we were all American. I thought we would exchange casual pleasantries but we ended up sharing a bottle of wine with them and chatting with them the entire meal. They were fascinated by us and later we became equally fascinated with them.

It turned out that one of the French ladies, Betty (pictured above), was a local celebrity and her husband, the late Georges Ulmer was a famous musician who happened to be friends with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. He even has a Boulevard named after him in Paris and Betty is tight with the Royal family of Denmark.

The lady was crazy funny and 81 years old to boot! She smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish. She told us how her son was a well known doctor in France and how she couldn't figure out "how her three minutes of pleasure [with her husband] created such a genius!".... (I plan on keeping in touch with them for when I make it back to France.)


My mom and I had a fabulous time. I would love to live in Europe one of these days. Learn a new language, grasp a new culture. I just hope it's in the cards!

European vacation....

As promised, before getting distracted by my own European....
We finally arrived in Paris after sitting next to a man who not only stole all of our blankets and pillows, he snored. the. whole. way! He had the nerve to ask if wanted them and we were like "ummm yeah!". When he gave them to us they were warm...sick!

Our first morning we heard a women having sex. She was moaning so loudly and for so long that my mom said in an above 12 inch voice, with our windows open, "Finish already!". Geez...French men must know how to please their ladies!

Of all places to have a nose bleed, it would be in the Notre Dame. It was so severe and so bloody that it looked like someone punch me. Everyone looked at me like I was a crazy person. My mom whispered with clinched teeth for me to "Hurry up and get it under control...people are going to think you have a disease or something!" Nice!

Our next town was Cannes. I love Cannes! The shopping is spectacular and the people are beautiful! Of course our cab driver dropped us off at the wrong hotel and my mom and I had to schlep our luggage up and down the main drag in front of multi-millionaires enjoying their lunch by the sea. Classy!

to be continued.....

Premature Freak out!

So I finally chatted with Gianluca! He has been working late nights and having work issues before he goes on the yearly Italian two week holiday. His friends and him are going to beautiful Sardinia and renting a villa. He said I should go...very tempting! I'm not naive to the fact that there is a 100% chance he will be getting Sardinian tail. However, hopefully when he gets back, he will have a better idea of when we will meet in Boston for our much needed rendezvous and finish what we started in Houston! In the meantime, I will be looking for men on American soil...