Sunday 15 June 2008

GIRLS DAY OUT

My time in Italy is going swell…for those of you that wanted to know! I have recovered from any trace of jet lag, and have full movement of my shoulder joint after my run in with an Italian driver. Despite the implications, I am not here for a holiday, I’m actually here to ride my bike, well more than that…race my bike. For the next two weeks I’ll be training the house down in preparation for my first tour in Italy, the Giro D’Italia. It’s considered a very prestigious nine day tour on the women’s racing calendar so the nerves are beginning to build! Training with Oenone Wood over the Brinzio climb (a hill visited by the tour in 2007) and ‘Chocolate Spoon’ visits (pictured Oenone and Tiff) will surely get me through.

To pass the time, the three of us have devised multiple plans for our somewhat uneventful afternoons. Firstly, Oenone proposed we buy an inflatable boat and enjoy the sunshine. Then I suggested we row to the base of a mountain and hike up the ridge. But Tiffany has bigger plans for us, and somehow the story developed into an epic journey of rowing to Switzerland! If I was to float back to Australia, the news would be that my sister once had the phone I now have (story to come), my brother broke his nose sparring at karate, and Sasha, our Labrador, is growing quickly. I’d discover that it was snowing close to home while I’ve been coating on the sunscreen, and that my Dad broke the 4 hour barrier for his second marathon!!…I’d like to think the new shoes I bought him made the difference :)

So now to address the topic of a phone…remembering that Matt’s was stolen. Well, it just so happens that the new generation iPhone is being released soon in America, at half the price they charge in Australia. It’s also coincidental that Tiff will be returning to the US of A for a few races with her ‘Colavita’ team in late July. So on discovery of this news, there was no hesitation in asking her to purchase one for him…make that two…one for me :) The problem? We both need a phone to get us through to then, which leads me to our new Motorola’s (pictured above). Initially, I couldn’t text Matt, he couldn’t call me, and I couldn’t put credit on my phone. We worked the situation out, but he is more inclined to use the phone as a Frisbee over contact purposes. You couldn’t possibly comprehend how ridiculous this phone is…