Il taxi Tedesco dell’ispettore Derrick, con i vetri oscurati, passa lento di fronte alla Prefettura. Una macchina targata Lugano cerca la sede di una banca cooperativa delle Marche. Un autobus doubldeck rosso, il 142 verso Oxford Circus, e’ fermo al semaforo di San Babila. Le luci della Love Therapy sono blu elettriche. Impegnatissime troupe di Merdaset affrontano il Natale 2009 con piglio da reportage, corso Vittorio Emanuele ne e’ invaso: il regalo migliore, il maglioncino scozzese per il proprio cane, la dieta prima delle feste, le nuove tendenze per un sontuoso cenone. Reportage per giornalisti dalla schiena dritta, condite dagli immancabili commenti ad alto valore aggiunto dei passanti meneghini con accento pugliese.

Milano si prepara al Natale con frequenti viaggi in Svizzera. “Chi non scuda in compagnia o un asino o una spia”. I private banker lavorano a ritmo continuo, gli spalloni pure.

E’ una dramatic start per la Christmas season, spiegano gli analisti finanziari. Le vendite sono previste in aumento. Gesu’ Cristo e’ stato upgratato a “buy” da “hold” da un importante banca d’affari Americana con la sede legale nel Lussemburgo.

Temo che la signorina Krugman sia milanista, solo Ronaldinho su Rai Uno ha interrotto il suo pianto sconsolato. Mia figlia e’ gia’ teledipendente. Pero’ parla tre lingue, dorme dieci ore a notte, sta mettendo i dentini a meno di tre mesi, a sei prevede di camminare, a dodici vorra’ il suo primo palmare.

Tonino di Pietro torna a strillare di fronte al Tribunale dove sognava di cambiare il paese, un pentito accusa il Caro Leader di mafia, il Caro Leader accusa di camorra il pentito stesso. Da Palermo ci mandando cassate e un avviso di garanzia. Emilio Krugman non si scandalizza piu’, anzi non s’interessa piu’ di tanto alla esponenziale deriva del nostro stilave gerontofilo. La signorina K. non caga da cinque giorni, ci sono cose molto piu’ importanti da affrontare che un Caro Leader incarognito nel suo triste i solitario final.

Well, I hooked up with two fellows from the hostel. We are all riding in my rental from Sydney, along the coast to Melbourne. Johnny and Mack are on vacation from an oil platform off Western Australia. Extended vacation. While they were out on leave, the platform sprang a leak (and then caught on fire lately). The thing has been pumping oil into the Timor sea for almost four months now.

The guys had me pull it up on the laptop — you can see the oil slick from space… J&M are a team out Scotland and they tell me they’ve given up on going back, so they have been in contact with a broker service who hires and sends folks out to other derricks all over the world. These two have been in Washington (the State) well, off the coast, so they know the US pretty well. I asked them about working dry rigs (land based) and both of them thought that was for wimps (the word was ‘pussies’ actually). Apparently, dust storms do not impress them as much as 30 foot swells and rouge waves.

So, J&M pay for the petrol and I’m paying the rent on the car. We originally intended to drive straight through to Melbourne, a ten hour drive from Sydney, but as soon as we got a good look at the coast and the ocean, we decided there wasn’t any hurry. Johnny bought a surfboard and a wetsuit — he’s been trying to get Mack to get out in the surf. The water is too damn cold for my tastes, so they both gave up on me. My thing is to set up on the beach (when there is a beach) and chill. I’ve got a new book, so that and a Fosters (along with the occasional bikini passing by) is enough for me.

The weather has been in the 70s, but it’s colder near the ocean.

This is at least a hundred tons of water on the move. Not for JB!

All the Aussies are pretty pale this time of year and they seem big on fishing from shore. So there’s always the danger of catching a hook if someone isn’t careful or simply too drunk to be fishing. We first saw real surfing pretty close to Sydney, at Kiama. Johnny got his board in Ulladulla and the first place we went afterward, Bawley Point, was for serious nut-job surfers only. So we backed up the coast a bit (northward) to Mollymook Beach where the surfing is easier. Easier, but not easy. Johnny got dunked bad enough that another surfer had to help him out of the water and we chased his board down the beach until Mack jumped in to retrieve it.

So, it’s beach bumming our way down to Melbourne…

Here are some of the new potions. Go to Enchantments   to buy them. Derrick has deigned some Christmas Items also. Look a them in Blue Cow.

Here is a picture

Hey guys!

there’s a new mission on OurWorld

first go to Derrick’s condo (go to friends and type in Derrick then click the ‘visit condo’ button) when your there you’ll see derrick.

Derrick:

I’m sad because my cow ‘Blue’ is missing will you help me look for him? I’ll give you a bell to ring to call him I’m sure he’s wandering around on one of the islands.

now at the right hand corner of the screen (where the dance moves, throwing items and emotion buttons are) you should also have Derrick’s cow bell.

go to wonderland,

once your there throw the cow bell on the ground and a blue cow should come running to you and start following you around. now go back to Derrick’s condo.

Derrick:
Blue! Where have you been? Thanks dude. You are awesome! For a reward, I’m giving you a cow decal for your Condo

when you go to your condo click inventory, then decor and you should see it there.

it can go on the wall or floor

lelock230

Go to Derrick’s condo and click on him. He will give you a cowbell and say ’s, ‘He’s wondering round on an island.’ Go to Wonderland and throw the cowbell at thee Mystery Mole bird.Blue will run up to you.Take Blue back to Derrick and Derrick will give you this rug.

This contest will go on until December 13, 2009. If you can think up a funny argument between ourWorld designers Derrick, Edwin, and Otto then post a comment of the argument. If your comment is similar to one of the ones already posted it will be automatically out of the contest.

Ex. Derrick: I heard Ani is gay.

Edwin: She is not gay. I’m her boyfriend.

Edwin: I heard Ani likes Zoe.

Otto: You’re just mad because she doesn’t like you.

Derrick: Shut up! I’m texting Zoe, my g-f.

The orange is okay, but the red is not. You can use this argument if you want, but please have at least eleven lines in yours.

Thank you,

Cody Achord

Caethotic (look me up on oW)

1st Place

Pool stick (flow boost) of your choice

2nd Place

Love pool stick (flow boost)

3rd Place

Yellow VFC Drew Gloves (stripped)

“Sarah won. I’m glad we have someone that motivated and excited to be here on our team. God knows the rest of us want to shoot ourselves in the face.”—Dunbar

“Every time I win, I keep stacking the salad.”—Cohutta

Unfortunately, Cohutta’s salad is no more.* His massive bank account of over $18,000 was targeted by Darrell, who seemed unflappable in the elimination. Last week, we found out that he was a boxer, and now it’s revealed that he’s a personal trainer as well. It’s not all that surprising, then, that he was so calm while suspended above a tank of water holding 40 pounds of weights.

*Seriously, though, how cool are that guy’s idioms? Last week he talked about what kind of “shimmy” he had. This week he referred to money as “salad” multiple times. God, I’ll miss him. He added a whole new reason to watch the show.

It was more surprising, however, that Sarah was also so calm and collected. She hardly flinched while Johanna struggled to stay above the water and finally succumbed to the pressure. So now the teams remain technically even, if very lopsided in the boy/girl ratio.

Each team now has six players, but they are in completely different scenarios. The Champions have five guys and Susie, while the Challengers have two guys, three girls and Casey. It was unfair of Brad to call Casey out like he did for “not giving her A game,” but his frustration is warranted. There’s no evidence to suggest that Casey is not giving her best, but there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that Casey is just a very, very bad competitor. Is that her fault? Not really. We’re not all blessed with “natural”* strength and speed of all these competitors. But should Brad just carry Casey’s dead weight throughout the competition? No.

*At least the players on these challenges seem more open about PED use than baseball players.

There is really only one logical outcome now: Susie should start to throw the challenges. She is the only remaining girl, so she has to go into the Ruins now. The only variable is who she goes up against. Sarah, Kimberly and KellyAnne have all won at least once in the Ruins. On the other hand, Casey probably wouldn’t be the favorite against several inanimate objects. And while the Champions won’t send Casey into the Ruins, the Challengers would be all too eager to part with her. So if Susie throws the challenge, she gets the opponent she wants—since the Challengers would have the pick—in the Ruins and the Challengers can try to dump their albatross.

While this makes perfect sense, I doubt it happens. For one, not every challenge is throwable (although this week’s would have been perfect), as Wes found out in Week 1. Also, throwing challenges and eliminations brings on a severe scolding from TJ Lavin, and I don’t think Susie wants to deal with that. Mainly, though, throwing challenges is like giving up, even if it’s the most sensible option for a player.

Now I’m bobbing my head like yeah, ranking the teams like yeah…:

Eliminated: Cohutta (Challenger) Johanna (Champion)

I don’t want to imply that Johanna and Wes are meant to be together, but it’s awfully suspicious that she can’t get her head in the game once Wes goes home.

On the Chopping Block: Kimberly (Challenger) Susie (Champion)

Susie’s the only girl left on her side, and Kim’s the weakest girl not named Casey.

The Top Ten:

10. Casey (Challenger, NEW): I just don’t think the Challengers will be able to dump her before the final challenge.

9. Derrick (Champion, +1): The Alliance granted Darrell a free ride into the final for going in, leaving Derrick the most vulnerable Champion guy.

8. Johnny (Champion, —): He’s always been a secondary part of the Kenny-Evan Alliance, so he’s not totally safe.

7. Sarah (Challenger, NEW): She went into the Ruins, so she’s exempt next week. That’s just how the Challengers roll.

6. KellyAnne (Challenger, -1): She’s no longer immune, but she would probably be Susie’s last choice to face in an elimination.

5. Brad (Challenger, -2): Either Brad or Dunbar has to go in next week, and Dunbar’s bigger than Brad. Plus, even if the Challengers win, Brad might go after one of the bank accounts he was salivating over.

4. Dunbar (Challenger, —): I’m still eager to see him go in the Ruins.

3. Kenny (Champion, -1): Flirting with Sarah drops him a spot (although Darrell’s win had something to do with it too).

2. Evan (Challenger, -1): Gasp! How could he have forfeited the #1 spot?

1. Darrell (Challenger, +5): Beating Cohutta not only gave Darrell a bank account of over $31,000, but it also keeps him out of the Ruins until the final.

It’ll tell you how to get this for FREE:

First got to Derrick’s condo

Now talk to him

Derrick:

I’m sad because my cow ‘Blue’ is missing
Will you help me look for him?
I’ll give you a bell to ring to call him
I’m sure he’s wandering around on one of the islands.

Here’s the bell:

Go to Wonderland and throw the bell on the floor

The cow will run up to us and follow.

Now go back to Derrick’s condo

Derrick:
Blue! Where have you been?
Thanks dude. You are awesome!
For a reward, I’m giving you a cow decal for your Condo

Yup, go to your condo > furniture and you will see it!

COOL!

The challenge this week was just silly. We’ve got a fruit delivery!

(photo courtesy of mtv.com)

(photo courtesy of mtv.com)

The goal was to transport as much fruit as possible without touching the fruit with your hands. There were throwers, catchers, runners, deliverers and dumpers. The throwers threw the fruit over a wall to the catchers who dumped it into a basket the runners ran to the deliverer who delivered it to the dumper. No one seemed to be able to throw the fruit over the wall and if they did get it over, the catchers were freaking out about getting a concussion from a banana or a mango hitting their junk.

Everyone thought Veronica was going to throw the challenge so they put her as a thrower where others could pick up the slack. Was she throwing the challenge or could she really not throw the fruit?

WHERE’S THE FRUIT!?!!!

Nominated to go into the ruins this week for the champions was Syrus, Johnny, Derrick, Veronica, Johanna and Susie. For the challengers it was KellyAnne, Sarah, Casey, Cohutta, Dunbar and Brad.

Susie and  Johanna have formed an alliance so Veronica finally got thrown in against KellyAnne. Just one episode too late. Johnny decides to throw Syrus under the bus because he’s gotten “injured” in the last couple of challenges, so Syrus ends up going in.Syrus choses to go against the bank account – Cohutta. Don’t worry, Cohutta’s ready to play ball, ya’ll. But, there’s no doubt in Syrus‘ mind that he will whoop Cohutta ass. After Cohutta beat Wes, I wouldn’t bet on him losing just so soon Syrus.

(photo courtesy of mtv.com)

Syrus trying to unhook himself. (photo courtesy of mtv.com)

The ruins challenge is to shimmy across a big wooden vertical pole, grab a key and use it to get them loose from the ropes strapping them on to the pole.

I wish I would’ve made that bet on Cohutta beating Syrus because that’s just what he does. Syrus started out strong and ahead, but just couldn’t calm down enough at the end and that cost him. Syrus, you’re out!

Veronica and KellyAnne take significantly longer to get across the pole than the guys do. According Syrus, “they look like 2 hanging pigs in a market.” Ew Syrus. KellyAnne wins while Veronica’s still trying to shimmy across the pole.

Johnny glueing feathers on Derrick. (photo courtesy of mtv.com)

Johnny decides to cover Derrick in maple syrup and feathers while he’s passed out and did so in his “sacred area.” Of course Derrick gets pissed and not-so-gracefully leaps out of his bed at Johnny. Johnny gets pissed for being blamed for this. Uh, Johnny, you did it. You brought the feathers.

I never really understood what was going on with Evan and Veronica. Did they like each other? Didthey hate each other? Were they hooking up or did shejust hop into his bed for the fun of it? When Veronica left this week Evan said he really wasn’t going to miss their relationship, so I’m thinking if there was a “real” relationship, it was pretty fake.

Evan and Veronica. (photo courtesy of mtv.com)

Watch The Full Episode Here

Additional Links:

MTV’s RR/R Challenge: The Ruins

Evan Denies Hooking Up With Veronica

Johnny’s Trick On Derrick

Veronica: You’re a coward.

Derrick: I’d be a coward if I weren’t standing up for something I believed in!

Veronica: You believe in me going up against KellyAnne?

Derrick: …Sure.

“It seems pretty simple to me—if a man’s got a real good shimmy about him, then he can win”—Cohutta

First, we ought to talk about the shimmy that Cohutta has about him, as he won his second straight elimination in even more exciting fashion. This time, he beat Syrus in a rather impressive come-from-behind win. 

The elimination, which involved “shimmying” across a pole with your hands and feet locked in karabiners, seemed ideally suited to the agile Cohutta, but Syrus jumped out to a huge early lead. When it came time to unlock these karabiners, however, Syrus struggled, not realizing—as Johnny tried to point out—that you only needed to unlock one, at which point you could just pull the rope over the pole. Cohutta overtook him, and sent Syrus home, gaining the biggest bank account in the game in the process.

On the girls’ side, though, Veronica could not pull another miracle, and had to go into The Ruins against KellyAnne this time. KellyAnne, finally competing against someone who was trying, defeated Veronica rather easily.

Veronica was right, though, to call Derrick a coward. With fewer players, it’s becoming easier for the Evan-Kenny-Johanna-Susie alliance to exert influence. But that’s really only because a player like Derrick so passively goes along with their suggestions. Derrick knows that players going into an elimination ought to get to pick their opponents, but he is so afraid of alienating his teammates that he refused to let Veronica go against Sarah.

The same thing was at work when Johnny hatched his gutless scheme to send Syrus into The Ruins by claiming that Syrus had “injuries he was hiding.” Once again, rather than make waves in the game by insisting that Johnny go in when it was his turn, Derrick went along with plan.

If players like Derrick (and, really, Syrus has been guilty of this at times as well) and Darrell didn’t just go with the program, then it would be much harder for players like Evan and Johnny to control the game like they do. I get that often the best way to survive and advance in these games is to not make waves, but eventually the sneakiness is going to turn on you, as it turned on Syrus tonight.

But stop! It’s Ranking Time:

Eliminated: Syrus (Champion) Veronica (Champion)

The Challengers are on quite the winning streak in The Ruins now. And thanks to this game’s “individual bank account” rules, some of them may end up with a large chunk of money in the end.

On the Chopping Block: Casey (Challenger) Sarah (Challenger) Susie (Champion) Johanna (Champion)

For the Challengers, the game becomes more about trying to dump Casey before the final challenge than anything else now. Both Champion girls have to be considered “on the chopping block” now, since there are only two of them left.

The Top Ten:

10. Derrick (Champion, -2): Cowards may crack my Top Ten, but they don’t make it high.

9. Kimberly (Challenger, -3): As I suspected, she was immune this week. But next time she’ll be vulnerable again.

8. Johnny (Champion, NEW): I was wrong about him getting sent home last night, but I still think he’s on thin ice. That fight with Derrick brought out some ill will towards him.

7. Darrell (Champion,-2): I honestly never have any clue how to rank him; he’s not part of the key Champions alliance, but he’s never considered for elimination and he seems like a strong competitor. Plus, he’s a boxer, apparently.

6. Cohutta (Challenger, +4): The man’s got a real good shimmy to him, huh? Makes you wonder if people will think twice before calling him out now, even if he does have the biggest bank account.

5. KellyAnne (Challenger, +2): She’ll be immune next week after going into The Ruins last night. Plus, she has now earned her reputation as a strong girl.

4. Dunbar (Challenger, —): I didn’t really like Dunbar on Real World: Sydney (probably because everyone pales when compared to Isaac), but I’m warming up to him on The Ruins.

3. Brad (Challenger, —): Still a leader, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up in The Ruins next week.

2. Kenny (Champion, —): He wasn’t really in this episode much. He was missed.

1. Evan (Champion, —): Some chinks are starting to show in his armor; discussing strategy while non-alliance members are in the room is a rookie mistake.

Starting Five:

-          Mario Chalmers

-          Dwyane Wade

-          Michael Beasley

-          Udonis Haslem

-          Jermaine O’Neal

Key Reserves:

-         Jamaal Magloire

-         Daequan Cook

-         Quentin Richardson

-         Carlos Arroyo

-         Yakhouba Diawara

Significant Off-Season Additions:

-         Acquired Quentin Richardson from Timberwolves

-         Signed Free-Agent guard Carlos Arroyo

Significant Off-Season Losses:

-         Lost Jamario Moon to the Cavaliers

Man on the Hot Seat: Michael Beasley

The second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft is in the hottest of seats this season. Coming off the lowest point in his life during the summer at rehab, Beasley is ready to prove the doubters wrong. Beasley averaged 14 points in 25 minutes of play last season as a rookie sixth man. That doesn’t seem like a lot but not many players in the league can produce that much in such a limited role. No matter what people say, Beasley is an enormous part of the Heat and hopefully he can get his act together on and off the court.

Biggest Question:

Can Dwyane Wade produce another MVP type season alone and stay in Miami after this season if that’s the case?

I believe Wade has the power to produce another type of season like last season. The problem this time around is will he want to do it alone? This year Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers are not rookies anymore and Wade should be expecting more help from them. The fact that Beasley was the second overall pick in the 08 Draft makes him a target for success.

Wade has already been public about wanting more help in Miami or else he will bail on them at the end of the season. What will Pat Riley do? Trade for talent? Tell Wade to navigate to storm alone for one more season and help will be on the way? If you listened to Wade over the off-season, he is really serious about this, he is in the prime of his career and he doesn’t want to waste it in a team that will not go back to the Finals. As of right now, The Miami Heat might as well be called the Miami Wade until we see if the rest of the team can help the One Man Band.

09/10 Record: 48-34 (4^th East, 2^nd Southeast Division)

Playoffs: Eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)

According to heat.com, The Miami HEAT annouced today that they have signed Carlos Arroyo to a One-Year 1.1 Million dollar deal. Really? We sign Arroyo but not Tinsley? Arroyo, 6’2”, 200 pounds, has appeared in 433 regular season NBA games (113 starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 3.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes while shooting 43.2 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from three-point range and 80.1 percent from the foul line. Arroyo has spent his seven-year NBA career with Toronto, Denver, Utah, Detroit and most recently the Orlando Magic. according to HEAT.com,Arroyo started his colligate career in Miami at Florida International University, he became just the second player in school history to score at least 1,600 career points. He finished his FIU career setting school records with 459 assists and 177 steals. He also ranked second in school history in three-point field goals made (174), third in field goals made (562) and third in free throws made (302).

For you people at are interested, Arroyo will wear number 8 previously used by Antoine Walker and Shaun Livingston.

Now, here are my two cents about this. Miami needed depth at point guard, and team officials met Saturday to discuss a number of potential candidates. They settled on Arroyo, why? I don’t know, but coach Erik Spoelstra has been told he has been brought in to play backup to starter Mario Chalmers. Why don’t we trust that Chris Quinn can play solid backup? Now Miami has 4 point guards in its roster. Mario Chalmers, Chris Quinn, Carlos Arroyo, and John Lucas III. Lucas III and Arroyo’s contract are not guaranteed but they were invited to pre-season. Lucas seems on his way out, I don’t like the way he has been playing and it seems that with the Aroyo acquisition, Lucas III could possibly be on his way out.

One interesting thing i found on the NBA website, Arroyo played for Puerto Rico in the 2004 Olympic Games, scoring a team-high 24 points for his country when it stunned the United States 92-73 in an opening-round game. That’s pretty neat I would say.

I don’t hate him, I just liked Jamaal Tisley better. I hope he can prove me wrong. What do you guys think?

Posted by Audiegrl

Derrick Thomas showed the bruises and cuts inflicted this week in Brooklyn Park in a beating that authorities are treating as a hate crime. A neighbor called 911, and police arrested two suspects as they committed a second assault nearby.

Minnesota Star Tribune/ Paul Walsh & Abby Simons—Derrick Thomas was on his bike with home in his sights, returning about 1 a.m. Wednesday from hanging out with his girlfriend and cousin in Brooklyn Park.

Before he knew to be terrified, Thomas, who has autism, found himself flying over his handlebars and writhing on his back on the concrete. Standing over him, he said, were three men armed with an ax, brass knuckles and a gun.

They beat and kicked the 18-year-old while screaming a racial epithet, and they ordered him to strip naked, he told police. Then they robbed him of everything he had, including his Air Jordans, blue jeans and shirt. Police said Thomas has a mental capacity of someone 8 to 10 years old.

“They were saying stuff like, ‘We hate the president; we’re gonna kill the president, his wife and his kids,’” Thomas recalled from his front stoop Friday, his left eye puffy and discolored. “They said every black person that comes through our park, we’re gonna kick their butt. We don’t like black people, period.”

Bryan Westerlund

The assault, and another on a second black man — Thomas’ uncle — just blocks away, led authorities Friday to file assault and robbery charges against Anthony P. Kilpela and Bryan C. Westerlund, both 21 and both white, of Minneapolis.
“We’re incensed,” said an angry Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who took the unusual step of calling a news conference about the charges from his living room while he was home ill.

Anthony Kilpela

“We will send the message that these kinds of hate crimes are not to be tolerated,” Freeman continued. “You do the racial thing, you’re gonna do more time, and we’ve asked for more time.”

The alleged comments about the Obamas drew the attention of the Secret Service, whose agents interviewed Thomas on Friday, according to his family.

“We will appropriately investigate, as we do all threats against the president,” said John Kirkwood, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Minneapolis field office. Such threats, Kirkwood said, are felonies.

More @

Da Maigret a Montalbano, da Derrick al Maresciallo Rocca, dal tenente Colombo all’ispettore Barnaby, passando per squadre di polizia, RIS, CSI, The Discrict, Texas Rangers, il commissario Rex e Raul Bova (improbabile agente dei servizi di Intelligence). C’è il crimine e dall’altra parte i tutori della legge che investigano, smascherano e spiegano.

La giustizia trionfa. SEMPRE.

Nella realtà non è così, lo sappiamo. La maggior parte dei crimini resta impunita, dal furto dei motorini ai delitti della mafia.

Non sapremo mai chi era veramente Jack lo Squartatore, come sono andate le cose quando uccisero Kennedy, se Osama Bin Laden è vivo e (in caso affermativo) dov’è.

e Mattei? e Sindona? e Ustica? Delitti impuniti.

PROPRIO PER QUESTO piacciono tanto queste fiction poliziesche, queste “finzioni” in cui alla fine i birbaccioni sono sempre sconfitti.

NON CI RASSEGNAMO a vivere in un mondo in cui l’arbitrio, la disonestà e la sopraffazione trionfano. ABBIAMO FAME E SETE DI GIUSTIZIA.

Vogliamo che il crimine e l’ipocrisia siano sconfitti dall’intelligentone/intelligentona di turno. 

Almeno in TV.

POST SCRIPTUM (postato alle 22.00) Per essere precisi, qualche volta la polizia riesce nel suo intento: qualche mafioso viene arrestato, qualche apparato criminale viene smantellato, ecc… Per lo più, ciò avviene grazie a un’antica istituzione, chiamata “soffiata“, cioè alle informazioni che provengono da confidenti (categoria in cui regnano l’ambiguità e il doppiogioco, ma comunque indispensabile…) o da criminali veri e propri (desiderosi di eliminare la concorrenza).

Per capire bene certe situazioni vi consiglio di leggere e rileggere un famoso romanzo di Leonardo Sciascia, IL GIORNO DELLA CIVETTA.

Al quale romanzo (e al film che ne fu tratto nel 1968) dedicherò presto un post.

Italy is Elizabeth and Derrick’s next vacation destination.

They have been married for 16 years. Their road started when they were young and hanging out with a bunch of friends behind Derrick’s house. Elizabeth managed to do what young girls do best and got Derrick’s attention by pulling a thread off of his jeans, thereby pulling the entire pocket off of his pants! Some 13 years later Derrick found himself proposing in Paris. Um, yeah, every girls dream!

On that day their story was only just beginning. The day before their wedding Elizabeth lost her job. Did this put a damper on things? No way. Soon after they started their own business, The Spice barn.  Derrick, being the architect he is, designed the Spice Barn and built it in their own backyard. They lived their dream for 13 years and sold after Elizabeth started to have allergies to the spice dust. The old Spice Barn is now being converted into their home. Wow, I got a tour and it is beautiful, with no detail left untouched…even an outdoor shower!

Besides all of the exciting parts of their life what becomes the most evident when you are around them is their love.  One of the biggest reasons I wanted to do this session was Elizabeth’s words in her first email to me, “I would lose everything and live in a tent with him as long as we were together” and “He makes it easy“.  How could I pass up meeting a couple like this?

When are they heading to Italy? This past summer Elizabeth was diagnosed with cancer.  She is currently going through treatments and with a very positive outlook they are planning to travel Italy when she is better.  Not that I am by any means an expert but I think they’ll be heading to Italy sooner rather than later.  I strongly believe that being happy and willing to walk through the struggles that life offers is the very first step to recovery from just about anything.

Elizabeth and Derrick, it was a joy to spend the sunset on one of summers last hot days with you, Penny and your orange barn!  I think you’ve got it all (hair or no hair)!

This is Penny.

She’s a rescued dog.

Derrick is home from hospital!  He is still having some issues breathing, but the expert opinion is that it is not too serious, but is a combination of his general health problems, plus anxiety.

The other good news is that we have a toasty warm house again!  Just in time too as there is a definite Autumnal chill in the air.  We also have a working Aga again, so no more sandwiches and takeaways (well that was a treat for Adrian’s birthday actually!).

We still have a long way to go before we’re even close to getting the new kitchen though.  Next stage is getting the damp sorted out and after an interesting chat with the electrician yesterday, it would seem that we really should be budgeting for a complete rewire throughout most of the house.  We have a very sensitive trip switch which means there is an electrical fault somewhere in the house, and we seem to have a mix of very old cables and slightly botched add-on stuff.  Suffice to say that if we go ahead with the kitchen first, it will be halted as soon as an electrician takes a look at the board.

Another bonus of the last few days is that I have had a huge tidy up and clear out of my studio.  I was trying to get on with design stuff as normal, but it just hasn’t been possible with all the work going on.  So I spent the time really sifting through stuff and re-arranging my space a little.  Now I have a lovely clear space, but I’m in danger of not being inspired as I no longer have a pile of interesting craft clutter staring me in the face.

So, I’m off to make myself do something creative.  No idea what, but I NEED to get crafting!

Over the weekend, I tried to be low-key. Partially because Saturdays make me want to shop ( of which I try to avoid) and Sundays are incredibly lethargic.

Saturday, I made an attempt at baking. Derrick bought ingredients ( sweet potatoes and chocolates) from Whole Foods and we set off on a course of desecrating my kitchen. The potatoes were cooked, peeled and instantly squished to gooey perfection with our naked hands; mixed with sugar and cream and placed in a 360 degree oven. The chocolates were melted for brownies. I managed to sneak myself a taste of cocoa sweetness in between preps before being chastised.

I never knew how to bake, at least not until I had gotten to know Derrick. Apparently he had a nick-knack for creating sweets. He told me once way back he had wanted to own a little bakery in the Village and christian it ” Derelicte Sweets” ( in honor of Ben Stiller), but given that the name had the high possibly of infringing on copyright laws, he scrapped the idea and ended up in sales. I wondered had he even went along with his aspirations, I would have been a frequent customer at his shop.

His talent was unquestionable. He was a great cook, but never honed his skills at a restaurant. He told me being born from a Italian background automatically qualified him as a professional. His grandmother, whom he affectionately called ” nonna taught him all the basics: pasta, gnocchis, risottos, cannolis, etc.

When he had been my roommate, he provided for our every meal and supper; the only thing I had to do were the dishes. I missed those days.

So, with pie and brownies in plated hands, we made ourselves comfortable on my sofa and devoured away at the desserts.

” I’m going to be fat”, I said, after a few mouthfuls. It was delectably sweet and melted warmly in my mouth.

” You’re not fat, you need to gain weight”, he retorted. ” You’re skinny as is. Even if you managed to gain a pound, you’ll burn it off during the week.”

I weighed 115 lbs.

” Nope, that’s it, I’m done. Anyways, how’s Stephen?”

Stephen, the bohemian, as I liked to reference him. Twenty-six years old freelance artist occasionally sporting an unshaven beard during commission weeks, and highly intelligent if not egotistical. He disliked abbreviated names ( i.e., Steve) as much as his disdain for the orthodox.

” He’s fine, he left for San Fran today”, Derrick replied casually.

” Oh, so that’s why you came over”, I mocked.

He threw a throw pillow at me.

The afternoon ended with half a pie in the refrigerator and a wad of brownies which we decided to save for Mims ( who had a chocolate addiction). We watched the newly leaked episode of Dexter while giving each other manicures, and concluded the evening with sushi, ordered in.

Derrick ended up crashed for the night on the sofa and I took to searching for roommates online.

Derrick is kind of a miracle child. He was diagnosed with cancer several months ago and spent many weeks undergoing aggressive chemo treatments. His grandmother (and my co-worker) calls him her little “miracle baby” and one look at those eyes and I understood why.

He was darling despite being skeptical of me and mine. He was a little too old for my “camera teddy” trick but thanks to the help of his mom, I was able to snag a few good ones! Thank heavens for parents.