THIS is who I'd like to see as James Bond!

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggg!

So I've been really excited for the last two weeks, doing loads of research to go to Italy next year, but I learned this weekend that I can't get a student visa for going over and studying Italian; they require full-time, degree seeking status. This means much more money in tuition. So I looked at my genealogy paperwork again and I have at least three major setbacks there. I qualify for sure, but there are a few discrepancies on the documentation I have and it would take court orders and wads of cash to amend. So this week I will begin researching more education options including grants and loans, and I will start writing letters to the powers that be regarding dual citizenship. I'll take on the whole country if I have to!

A few weeks ago I went to Mendocino for a little solitude and to set goals for the coming year. After a massage, some decadent room service and a walk through an interesting cemetery I've decided to focus on the following:

-Use more kind words (less catty comments)
-Be compassionate of people's actions and decisions (less judgmental)
-Work every day towards pursuing voice-over
-Dedicate more time to writing my novel
-Live for a period of time in another country
-Purge my apartment of all unnecessary items

Thank you so much for all of your support and suggestions already so far! Check out pix of the coast.

I'm browsing this great site that's basically a directory of people who will host people for free for a few nights when they're visiting from other countries. Here's a great listing posted by a man in Rome:

53 years old.University researcher. Scientific network in environmental-social issues, biodiversity, wildlife photographer. English, Spanish. I live alone. I can host 1/2 person.

Goodness, which half will I ever choose???

Last Sunday I was at home painfully hungover from a wedding the night before, but I mustered the energy to do the dishes and make a few phone calls. I called my neighbor who lives a few doors down but we had a bad connection so he asked me to pop over. I shuffled down the hall and when he opened the door he looked at my head, then smiled, then looked at my head again. I felt a weight on the top of my head and thinking it was my sunglasses I reached up to remove them but it was actually my cleaning tiara. Mmmmmm hmmmmmm. Slowly but surely; I told you it would happen.