Newlyweds

The romantic Sienna Piazza del Campo, known for the famous horse race, the Palio.


Ciao from Italy! Our season's moving right along. Not sure where the months of October and November went, but I guess we just get busy with various things and here we are.



Married life is great! Brenna and I have really been enjoying our time together here, and the laid-back lifestyle of Italy has actually been good for us (especially her... I think she needed it). We seem to learn more about each other all the time. For the most part that's a good thing, but sometimes it's just normal newlywed stuff. For example, I now know that she likes to leave a couple squares of toilet paper on the roll, so when it comes time for a replacement, I will be the one to do it. Or another example is when I finish brushing my teeth, I better rinse off every last bit of toothpaste from my mouth before I use the towel on the rack. These are types of things that all couples deal with, I'm sure, but now we're getting to learn them for ourselves.

As far as basketball goes, we've kinda been up and down in this early part of the season, as our 6-4 record indicates. I still think we have one of the best teams in the league, but we don't really show it on a consistent basis yet. Our fans don't really seem to care. Win or lose, they're still as rowdy as ever. In October we beat our inner-region rival, Fabriano, and some of our fans take the rivalry so serious that they stormed the court after the game, and some were seen with tears in their eyes. Oh... the Italian passion and drama.

I have some great teammates and people around the organization, who treat Brenna and I with care and respect. We get invited for meals and other activities regularly, but we pick and choose our times, as we seem to prefer our quality time together at home with just the 2 of us. However, some of us did get to visit good old Ronald McDonald on one of our free days. Mickie D's is not that common of a thing over here, so some of my American teammates and their families took the 30-minute drive towards the coast to get a "taste of home".

Earlier in November we had 3 days off in a row, which was a bonus, since most weeks we only get Mondays off. We were in the Tuscany area for a game, in a city called Livorno, so we were able to get out and see some things during our little mini-vacation. Florence was as beautiful as ever! To avoid traffic and parking difficulties, we took the train and walked around all day. We were able to do some Christmas shopping, see the sights, as well as wish my Dad a happy 70th birthday, with some of Michaelangelo's statues watching over my shoulder (as you can see from the picture). The following day we drove down through the Tuscany region and visited San Gimignano and Siena on our way back to Jesi. I realized, during this little trip, how much I like hanging out with my wife, and how much better it is to experience this stuff with her.

Thanksgiving was a big success last week, as Brenna put on quite a spread. There were eight of us here at our place. Three of my American teammates, one of their fiancees and daughter, and an American volleyball player who plays professionally here in Jesi, as well. We truly had so many blessings and so much to be thankful for over the past year... but in regards to the meal... the turkey we found at the grocery store (rare), and the amazing pumkin pie cheesecake she made, were huge hits. If only we had enough room at our place for all of my teammates, I think the Italians would've definitely enjoyed our true American Thanksgiving.

We hope all of you are enjoying the holiday season, as we prepare for Christmas. All our best to you and your loved ones. We hope to be in touch soon.