omg ROMA let's be honest Kate and I were tired going into Rome. This has been a non stop trip. I dare say we've walked over 100 miles before Rome and then we walked 100 more.
Rome was just what we needed after being disappointed by Florence. 
We checked into the hotel around 1 the first day. We decided after all the walking and traveling it would probably be best to take it easy for the rest of the day.……… we didn't do that. We got out on the street and started walking. Got some lunch and headed for the Treve Fountain. You know the Treve Fountain it's in every movie that's ever been shot anywhere near Rome. Then as if with out trying at all we stumbled on the Colosseum. We all know that one as well and yes it is cool and almost surreal to be stand next to. Being that it was the end of the day we saw only the out side and walled around the outside of the Roman Forum as well. Then it was off to dinner at Pizza Ricci which in my humble opinion was the best meal of the trip. It was a real pizzaria with amazing personal size pizzas. It was just what we had been looking for. The resturaunt it's self was amazing inside. 
The next day was the full indepth tour of the Colosseum and the Forum. The hotel had free wifi (the only one on the entire trip (savages) ). So we were able to download to our phones free Rick Steves audio tours of each. Kate and I have a love hate relationship with Mr. Rick that continued on with these audio tours. They were very informative and difficult to follow. Rick's voice rings of an annoying highschool math teacher that thinks he's funny but just makes humor want to kill it's self. Mr. Babula I'm looking at you on this one.  Those two sights took the entire day. On our way to dinner we stopped at an Irish Bar (seemingly the only real bars Italy can figure out how to construct) to relax. Then off to dinner in the square near out hotel for more meat cheese and pasta. Ahhhhhhhhhh. 
The next day as if by requirment after reciveing that papal blessing we went to the Vatican. I know this is going to sound crazy but I thought the colonade that reaches out around the Vatican square was going to be larger but I had built it up in my mind. It was still amazingly large though.  After having lunch with the Pope where he bored us with stores of saints and sinners and heaven and hell, we moved on to St. Peter's basillica which is out of control. There's a reason it's the flagship church for the entire faith. I can't describe it so I won't try but if you can I'd try to make it over here to see it. It's the only over done church that's not gaudy. The sheer size of it is mind crushing.  Little note from our friend Rick. The Catholics stripped marble off the Colosseum to help construct St. Peter's. Not Cool!
After that as if again by requirment we went to see the Sistine Chapel. Too many people! This was in October so I can't imagine the amount of people in the summer. I wouldn't be able to handle it. The Rick Steves audio tour this time was really quite good. 
After a quick lunch it was off to the Spanish Steps. By this time we had walked so much the bottom of our shoes had started to melt but it was our last day and the Spanish Steps was still on the list. After a bit of struggle we made it and sat for at least two hours. We were entertained the entire time by a group of teenaged kids on a school trip drinking like it was the end of days. Kate and I feeling old and uncool went to buy a bottle of wine to try and join in on the debauchery and succeded in our own controled way. Then some shopping and finally found a great Rick recomdation for dinner.  Then one more stop at the Treve Fountain and back to the hotel to sleep and sleep and sleep. 

I'm tapping this out from the airport in Rome ready to see the US again. We had an amazing time but we both miss buttFUZZ and burritos.  In my estimation we've taken over 1500 pictures which I'll post on flickr. The best I'll put here on dport7 along with the much anticipated wedding photos. 
See you all soon!!!!!!! 

Labels: buttFUZZ, honeymoon, travel, vacation

so if some of you are wondering yes kate and i still have buttFUZZ. it's been a while since i last posted anything about the little guy mainly because ian swanson asked me to stop. I thought it was about time to give an update. we've almost had butFUZZ a year now and what a ride it has been. as most of you know we trained her to go in the toilet like a human and it really worked........ for a while. then i don't know what happen but all of the sudden she just didn't want to use the porcelain anymore. then things got ugly.. she would hold her "business" for days and start to get crazy. then when we weren't looking she would drop a surprise on the couch or the bed. after she let some liquid fly on the couch we had enough. the only choice was to go back to the box and we did. needless to say she is much happier. I mean lets be honest there isn't an animal among us that isn't happier when everything is flowing correctly. in honor of her more happy self i made a little video of buttFUZZ to share. so enjoy


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Labels: buttFUZZ

so, there's a lot of media to post tonight. i have a before and after picture of the newly restores chairs taken only four years apart. we also have a buttFUZZ update. sadly today she got spay and well that's gotta hurt. i took her to the vet at 7:20 this morning to start the process and the vet said that if she had the operation this morning we could pick her up later tonight. Turns out they called Kate and she picked her up after work. Well, it turns out after they take out a female cats "parts" they have to put a cone on the little lady so she doesn't...... well...... pick at it i guess. because it was the funniest and saddest thing little buttFUZZ has had to endure I thought I'd document it and share it with you the dport7 faithful. Kate chose the music and she really nailed this one.










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Labels: buttFUZZ, lame

as you may have heard it's a new year, and with that brings "change". this being the year of "change" got kate and I thinking. what if we use all this "change" momentum to do something in our own lives? after some though and some help from friends we decided that "change" should rest squarely on the shoulders of a little cat named buttFUZZ. that's right we are ganna keep the "change" ship sailing by teaching our cat to poo in a human toilet! (i'll give you a moment to recover).................... How the hell are you going to do that paul? I'll tell you. Maiken (good friend of dport7) told us of this device and process called citikitty or as i call it shittyKitty (they should have consulted before naming it). anyway shittykitty is a plastic tray of sorts that fits on your toilet under the lid. you put the kitty litter in it and the cat uses it as a litter box. you then over time remove pieces of the tray until the cat is sitting on the toilet seat using the bathroom as you or i would. what's great is no litter clean up. currently buttFUZZ likes to kick the litter around after she's done her business leaving an endless cleanup job for us. in a few week the mess is over and the cost of kitty litter is a thing of the past. with all the money we'll save kate and i can buy a boat............. or go to dinner, we'll have to see what the numbers look like.
Anyway i thought it might be funny to document buttFUZZ's progress. in a way the whole thing seems kinda pet owner crazy but it may turn out to be the best thing ever. stay tuned!!!! this is buttFUZZ using it for the first time. had to take the shot via iphone better quality next time. this is serious stuff.

Labels: buttFUZZ

is it christmas? honestly, i'm not even aware of the holidays anymore. I guess that's the thing about getting older you don't even know the holidays are coming because, really who has time to even think about it. I did some christmas shopping but i don't think i even thought about the holidays the entire time. It was just another thing i needed to get done. Sad? I guess but whatever. Kate bought a wreath for the apt but i think that was just to have the scent of pine around the place. anyway just wanted to push out a post. listen to me and paul podcast good luck with your christmas season... try eggnog I liked it. dairy free of course!!! buttFUZZ has adjusted well.

Labels: buttFUZZ, holidays

so i know this has been a few posts in a row but i've got some exciting news. Over the holiday i found a cat. her name is buttFUZZ and honestly she's the coolest. Super friendly and calm. for those of you that didn't know kate and i have been talking about getting a cat for a while but had decided to wait till after the holidays. While i was visiting family in canton Ohio i came across buttFUZZ here on my uncle's farm. Now i know what your thinking "paul are you crazy taking a farm cat to brooklyn?" The answer is well a little yes and a little no. the reason i decided to take buttFUZZ was because she is soooo well behaved and friendly. the crazy really sets in when you think about all the travel that's required to get the little guy back. Yesterday we had a 4 hour car ride back to defiance and buttFUZZ handled it no problem. With any luck the plane won't freak her out and she'll love brooklyn her new home. so in honor of the newest member of the dport7 staff i thought I'd do a little introduction video so you could see the little guy.

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Labels: buttFUZZ