25 Must See Photos of Italy

Three years ago, I took my Mom on a two week vacation to Italy.  It’s always been a dream of hers to visit the motherland, so I was happy to be in a position to finally see that her dream was fulfilled.  Despite a few tense moments that were to be expected when a mother and her 32 year old son team up to travel, it was a great trip.  We visited Rome, toured the Colosseum, saw the Vatican, traveled to Sicily, walked the beaches, drove the countryside, and ate gelato until our hearts were content.

Whether you’ve been to Italy or have only seen photos, I think you’ll find a mother-son take to be a fresh perspective on such a beautiful country.  So without further ado, may I present 25 must see photos of Italy like you’ve never seen before.  

1.  My Mom taking a picture of a flight status board. 

2. My Mom taking a picture of tables and chairs.

3. My Mom taking a picture of a leaf.

4. My Mom taking a picture of rigatoni.

5. My Mom taking a picture of a homeless person.

6. A picture of my Mom holding an umbrella.

7. A picture of me holding an umbrella.

8. My Mom taking a picture of the ceiling.

9. My Mom taking a picture of candles.

10. My Mom taking a picture of flower arrangements.

11. My Mom taking a picture of grass.

12. Me taking a picture of grass.

13. My Mom taking a picture of peat moss.

14. My Mom taking a picture of sand.

15. My Mom taking a picture of stucco.

16. My Mom taking a picture of stratus clouds.

17. My Mom taking a picture of rocks.

18. Me taking a picture of rocks.

19. My Mom with two guys that like wearing yellow.

20. My Mom taking a picture of me opening up a water bottle.

21. My Mom taking a picture of restaurant menus.

22. My Mom taking a picture of a fruit bowl.

23. My Mom taking a picture of me pumping gas.

24. My Mom taking a picture of me fed up with her taking pictures of me.

25. A picture of stray cats.

A Letter From Ralph – Life On The Funny Farm

So who’s the cross-eyed, snaggletoothed, speedo wearing hunka hunka burning flames?  That’s my good pal, Ralph.  Click the link here for a brief introduction if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the wacky feller yet.
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March 19, 2013

Dear Chris the Buttmuncher,

Whad’ya say buddy old pal?  How the heck you been?  I figured I mine as well fill you in on everything that’s been going on round here since it’s been a while.

For the most part, things is pretty much the same as they’ve always been.  Pap is still grumpier than ever, Gram is still loonier than a jaybird, and Uncle Rodger still smells like he rolled around in muenster cheese and vidalia onions.  I bet the last time he stepped foot in a shower was when color TV was first invented.  Don’t tell him I said that neither, cause he’s likely to go on one of his holy tirades and throw a major hissy fit.  I swear the only reason he was put on this earth is to drink Old Milwaukees and to make my life as miserable as possible.  He’s doing a pretty good job at both of them too, trust me.

I’m still living with Gram and Pap.  It’s a royal pain in the behind most days.  Me and Pap fight like cats and dogs.  We argue over just about everything.  He wants to listen to Sinatra, I want to listen to Slipknot.  He wants to watch It’s A Wonderful Life, I want to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  It goes on like this all day long.  And then there’s Gram.  You up and ask her anything and she just starts clucking like a chicken or barking like a puppy dog.  Pap says that’s cause her mind has gone and checked itself into the funny farm.  It is pretty funny too, I half to admit, especially when she scarfs down an entire tub of Country Crock churn style butter before I half to tell her “Gram, that ain’t the vanilla ice cream you numbskull!” She’s something else, I swear.

All my friends keep telling me “Ralph, how’s come you still live with your grandparents?  By God you’re 28 years old.  Ain’t it high tied you moved out and got your own place?” But I don’t pay no attention to them losers, because even though Gram has gone psycho and calls me Kathy instead of Ralph, at least she’ll set there and listen to my stories about slaying dragons and killing flesh eating zombies.  That’s more than I can say for Pap.  He don’t like my stories and he makes no beans about it.  It just gets us to arguing all over again.  So what else is new right?  Same old same old.

Even though living with Gram and Pap is a pain in the royal behind and we fight a lot, I’d probably be completely lost if it wasn’t for them.   It’ll be a sad day when them two geezers finally bite the dust – which I remind them could be any day now, but of course Pap don’t wanna hear it and Gram just starts laughing her head off like a pack of wild hyenas.

I guess nothing too, too major happened over the past year that I can think of except Gram got the shingles, Pap had a stroke and swears he seen Jesus, Uncle Roger spent a few months in jail, I joined a heavy metal band, and my best friend Krueger burned half his face off one afternoon cause me and him was in the backyard practicing to become fire breathers.  He had to have several surgeries but he’s okay for the most part other than his face looks like somebody took a meat cleaver to the side of it kinda like Freddy Krueger in them Nightmare on Elm Street horror flicks.  That’s actually how’s come I call him Krueger, but he don’t mind the nickname all that much.  He says having a mangled up face is a good icebreaker when it comes to meeting chicks.  Of course me and him is still single, so I don’t know that it’s helping him out all that much.  You’ll half to meet him sometime.  He’s a real character.

I guess that just about covers everything for now.  I’ll try to write you sooner the next time.  Stay outta trouble and I promise not to do the same.

Your good buddy,

Ralph