Some bored newspaper reporter had nothing better to do last night so he stood around in Genova's main hospital and counted the elderly folk carted into the emergency room for over-eating.  Really.  Our generation and younger try to abstain from the heavy gluttony of ole but those 70 and up, those who lived through the hard times in the war, go whole hog.  There were 12 pensioners who had eaten to the point of being of semi-comatose at the time of his report.  In just one emergency room.  Imagine how many in the country.  Today I'm putting away all of the signs of Christmas as we are off for our now annual after Christmas family trip.  This year a road trip north through Munich, into Austria, then Hungary etc.  A few nights books but the rest we're winging it.  As I sit our next door neighbor lights are flashing in the window.  He and GP started a conversation about Christmas lights in the US and the next thing you know his front balcony is done up like the disco in Saturday Night Fever.  I told him this means war and next year we are planning something BIG.  Eric has a landscaping business and owns cultivated fields in the farm land up behind the condos.  He will spontaneously lean over the hedge and offer us a crate of cabbage or fresh spinach.  He also provides me with all my annuals every year.  I LOVE him.  Watching the news with alarms of possible attacks around New Years in European cities.  Great.  We'll be in all major cities.  Off to finish packing.  xxoo me