How President Bush almost ruined Milan

I've been quietly snickering to myself that I would be 'jumping' into Italy from Denver on Nov. 11 at approximately 11 o'clock. The fates seemed to feel that is was necessary to let me know how absurd this comparison was. As we landed in JFK all ground traffic was stopped for unknown reasons and our plane taxied to the back side of the airport and began to wait. We had been making some great time in the air with a 30mph tail wind from Denver so I was quite confident that my 30 minute layover between landing and departure was not going to be an issue. 40 minutes later we were still in queue behind the airport. we learned that Bush and Airforce1 had just started their engines and were in the process of taking off when we landed which caused the airport to freeze. Once he left and the long line of ambulances, fire engines, police vehicles, shiny black cars, police jeeps, and police cars made their way off the runway traffic resumed and we headed back to our gate. Like any good process industrial engineer would tell you, hitting the go button on everything at once in a complicated system can cause a failure; which it did. another 20 minutes passed before the traffic cleared and we were at our gate. What I like about New Yorkers is that they are completely comfortable with letting you push past them. I guess it makes them feel at home. With a few cheers I sprinted off the plane and down the concourse to gate 26 were the door was thankfully waiting and closed directly behind me. It was smooth sailing from there. It was perfect. How often do you actually get to run like hell, through a crowded new york airport dodging kids and the elderly on your way to your gate? They didn't even check my passport. In the end all the rush was useless because the traffic jam was still in progress and we became 12th in line for departure.
Pictures to come. So far its rained the entire time so they are a bit gloomy.
List of day 1 and 2:
1) enjoyed the Milan public transit system of trains, busses, trams, and subways.
...1a) subway rides: 5, bus rides:4, trains:2 Trams: 2
...1b) became lost: 0 (booya). however, on my way from the bus to where I am staying I took a wrong turn and walked about 2km in the wrong direction back toward the city center before asking for help. I stopped at local meat market and got help. He knew of colorado springs and sylvester stalone.

2) A approached by street vendors with free merchandise: 2
...2a) declined: 2
...2b) gave it to my anyway: 2
...2c) asked for donations after tying the bracelet on my wrist: 2
...2d) moneys they received: 0
...2e) souvenirs from Milan: 2

3) Sites seen:
...Duomo square
...Duomo Cathedral inside and out. its like the death star but made of marble and its square.
...The famous Gallery (one of the first malls) filled with pradda...and ummm...and other designers
...Leonardo Di Vinci’s statue
...Sforza Castle
...2 of Milan’s universities, the names are too long and Italian to remember
...The outside of a really famous opera house, the name escapes me.

4) Traditions taken part of:
...Spun my heal on the bull's balls (see picture later)
...Rubbed the calf of a bronze statue of one of the apostles on the door of Duomo Cathedral
...Cafe' and Brioche (i had a cappuccino instead of plain coffee and a crème filled croissant)

5) Other
...2 amazing pasta meals. 1 was a home made spaghetti and tomato sauce with parmesan cheese, the other was a tiny local restaurant where I had gnocchi with Prego sauce (tomato sauce with meat) and parmesan cheese, with wine. brochette for an appetizer and fried veggies and an after snack, then a very dark sipping liqueur called mezzo? (not sure how that is spelled) I’ll find out.
...watched CSI and the Simpsons at the Borsa's
...went to the bar with 5 lovely italian ladies and enjoyed not understanding a word.


Ciao!