Summer 2002

 

Well once again so much time has passed since I last wrote that I have no idea where to begin. In the deep dark recesses of my tiny little brain I seem to remember writing some time in March. I know you are all thinking “why the hell doesn’t the stupid bastard just read his own web site” – a fair question and one which I must say occurred to me as well. But a quick inspection assured me that Iberia do not have an internet connection and as I am on a four hour flight (delayed by a few hours) from Madrid to Stockholm, it is unlikely I will get to one before tomorrow – so I am afraid you will all have to put up with my senseless ramblings. 

On the assumption that it was March when I last wrote I will update you all on the wild and wonderful things that have happened since then. Probably the most significant event since the demise of the Gregorian calendar was my fortieth birthday – yes I know I still look so young and it is hard to believe, but I did reach the big 40. Naturally I had the traditional mid life crisis, bought a sports car (or at least a Cabriolet), arranged for a 19-year-old former beauty contestant move in with Cindy and I, and volunteered for a death defy macho expedition to prove I was still young. More on the death defying expedition in my next update (assuming I do manage to get the death defying part right - late breaking news see the link on the previous page for the death defying expedition). Yes it is all true, even if the 19 year old is Anna’s (my sister) Goddaughter and a friend of the family – truth be told Cindy was understanding about all the other follies but I can imagine the young chick thing during a mid life crisis would have been more death attracting than defying. Speaking of Anna she is currently staying with us having decided to come and see if Europe (Italy) is for her. She is currently looking (or rather waiting for August to be finished so she can look) for a job and time will tell if it is her destiny to stay here.

Back to the birthday thing – we had a GREAT party, invited a bunch of friends over for Cocktails with the plan of going along to a “disco” at the local sporting club at around ten – several large jugs of “Harvey Wallbangers” meant that we eventually got to the club two hours late and very merry. Piecing together what little everyone can recollect I believe a very good time was had by all. Cindy gave me a great present – but I cannot discuss it on this site as children read it, as well as a two-day driving course at the Monza GP track. The course was fantastic – the first day spent learning skills like correcting under and over steering, braking in the wet, with and without ABS, cornering, racing lines and so on. We also learned a few things every wanna be racing driver has to know like hand brake turns and how to spin the car around whilst speeding in reverse. The second day we spent hurtling around the Monza track. (The cars we used were Audi S3’s, Volvo V60 T5’s and Audi TT’s). So now when I watch a Formula 1 Gran Prix I know what it is like to go through the Prima Variante or through the Parabolica. This racing course has a sad and tragic epilogue. Last Friday a bunch of us went Go Kart racing. Danny and Kim were over from Ft Lauderdale along with Danny’s business partner Hunter. Danny was keen to go racing so I arranged for a bunch of us to go. To book the whole track for two “Gran Prix’s” we had to have a minimum number and so we had to pressure the girls, Cindy and Kim to come with – they agreed, under duress as they were both exhausted from a heavy days shopping. Well no doubt you have guessed the end, Cindy soundly whipped my (and this is only a small consolation) and everyone else’s butt in the second “GP” – so much for my racing course! I am discussing this event with my lawyer, as I am sure it is grounds for the annulment of our marriage.

Well the birthday thing over and a premature end to the ski season due to poor snow meant a quiet rest of April and May. Work was then pretty hectic causing us to cancel a trip to the UK where we had been invited to the Eastbourne Tennis Tournament. Cindy finished off her very successful year as President of the Benvenuto club and although she is already thick into scheming her participation in the club next year I am looking forward to a year where I can be something other than the Presidents main squeeze at “official functions”.

Catrina and Calvin both did really well at school. Catrina had an exceptional report and she has her social skills down to a fine art – all the teachers love her and she knows exactly what to say and do to get into everyone good books. Calvin on the other hand coming from a planet where the rules are somewhat different to earth’s battles on. He is really clever but would rather soldier on, banging his head, hard and often, trying to impose his “rules” on society – then he is convinced that everyone in a position of authority is out to get him because they don’t agree with the rules of Planet Calvin. I have to admit though he is growing up and is hopefully learning to be a bit more flexible in following earth rules. Someone said something to me the other day that really struck me – after seeing Calvin they commented, as almost everyone does, how he looks like a miniature version of me – they then said that must make you feel very proud! I had never thought of it that way – but I am proud of him – not for looking like me, but for overcoming some tough odds to be a good kid. All I need to teach him now is how to stop clashing wills with his mother. He has failed to understand it is a battle he can never win. I suppose that is my fault, I am a poor teacher – because despite knowing this fact I too often try to argue with his mother, I too never win – sigh! He must be my son, we are both slow learners. Nicola was over at Easter and it was great to see her, with her hectic social calendar and boyfriend I have learned to treasure each opportunity I have to see her. For the first time I think ever she was not with me at Christmas, she came over for a short while in April and then declined to join is for the summer hols. Hopefully she will be back in September but even that trip is now threatened with potential becoming a Prefect at school requiring some extra activities. Nicola is finding school tougher now as she finishes Standard 9 and heads for Matric. My big ray of hope right now is that she wants to come to University in Italy.

For our summer hols this year we spent two weeks in Sicily at a beautiful place called Fontane Bianche. We had great weather and the company of some very good friends. We rented a “strange” villa 20 m from the beach. The house was strange in that the people who lived in it normally had never thrown anything away – ever! They rented us their house complete with 3 generations of mostly crap filling every nook and cranny. The cupboards and drawers were all full to over flowing, the fridge and pantry likewise. It was weird, some of the stuff seemed to be valuable (there was a tray in our room filled with Roman and medieval coins) or antique but mostly is was kitsch crap – you know the three porcelain ducks flying on the wall type of stuff. The whole 1st story of the house was one large room the kids dubbed the museum – filled with antique furniture, silverware and hundred-year-old bric a brac.  None the less we had a great time and the house gave Cindy and Rose hours of conversation “skinnering” about how weird the woman who owned it was and how they would decorate it differently. The holiday just flew by – all our plans to do this and that while we were in Sicily came to nought and we mainly just relaxed on the beach.

August is now with us and the days swing from beautiful hot sunshine to violent tropical storms. As always the Sporting Club become a focal point for Cindy and the kids and I get there when I am not flitting about the globe trying my best not to become one of the many tens of thousands people losing their jobs in this tough economy. Cindy has been patient star this summer. With the house always full, not only have Anna and Robyn (my sexy 19 year old mid life crisis fling – I wish Heh! Heh! Heh!) moved in but we have had a steady stream of other visitors staying with us. Up to 9 people in the house at a time, that and the kids on summer hols it is a wonder Cindy has not had a nervous breakdown. Me of course I am really helpful, when the going gets tough, the tough get going – so like today I get on an aeroplane and leave Cindy to fend for herself. To add to this Cindy was fantastic in supporting my death defying adventure, allowing me to “break” my promise to spend a week in August with her and the kids to go off and live my dream. I suppose they will make her a Saint one day for putting up with all my travelling and mad ideas, while she soldiers on running our home, entertaining my guests and doing a great job of growing our children.

Well that is all for now, we look forward to enjoying the rest of summer, surviving my macho adventure and counting the days until the snow falls and we can get back on our boards. I hope you are all well and if you have got this far in the letter – thanks so much for sticking with it!

Ciao

Riccardo, Cindy, Nicola, Calvin, Catrina and all the rest of the people that occasionally live in our home.