Atilio's Birthday

GOOGLE ANALYTICS REPORT FOR APRIL, 2009:  In the 30 day month of April, this blog received 4,921 visits from 78 countries.  We got 7 hits from Croatia where a reliable source tells me that the Internet was really invented.

From the English countryside, we got a hit from a cow in Jersey!  Not to be outdone, another bovine in Guernsey represented as well.

Thanks to all of you who follow this blog!!!

Last Practice for the Bologna Doves Game

As always, the Elephants never cease to amaze me and have allowed me a new experience that I had never had in my previous 41 seasons of coaching football.

In our last tune-up Thursday night for Saturday's game up north, the player in charge of the footballs and cones got sick and did not show up, neither did the footballs or the cones!

Our defense had a hard time with this.

Add to this that Friday is Labor Day in Italy, a National Holiday, and attendance goes out the window too.

"Serrano needs to sacrifice a live chicken to Jo Boo!"

After all that has happened this season to date, and there IS more to come I'm sure, I called for a Team Bondage moment (I know it should be Team Bonding but that just doesn't seem quite right for this group) at the team bar, Fundo Bianco, to get a little "Elephant Energy" going.

Perfect Timing!

It also turns out that April 30th was the Fundo Bianco's owner Atilio's 34th birthday!  My grandmother, Abuela as we called her in Spanish, shares her birthday with him and would have turned 107 years old yesterday if she had not passed away at the ripe old age of 99.

Here you see the birthday boy himself setting up the first of literally hundreds of shots for the loyal patrons to help celebrate the special occasion.

Atilio's Army of trained professionals just kept pouring.

Gregorio Barbagallo just had to give Atilio two more kisses.

While Christian Di Mauro had to give him his birthday cake.

I'm not sure but they may now be officially married after this.

Human Shield

After we all laughed at Christian's antics and Atilio laughed too, but he is a self respecting bar owner and there was really only one thing he could do in this situation to save face... shake up a bottle of prosecco and spray all the customers.  Laurie and I were seated at the bar and both received a heavy dose of his "fury".

Here you see "West Coast Elephant" Roberto Paderni a RB/WR/DB who hid behind me for protection during this vicious attack.  I of course took one for the team...

... as did Laurie!

Gustavo just had to join in with the cake to the face mania with a self-inflicted wound.

I was found out later that hundreds more lives besides Roberto's may have been saved by our heroic acts!!!

West Coast Elephants + 1

OT Andre Specchiarelo and OG Alessio D'Arpa join diminutive and dry Roberto for a photo of part of our Palermo contingent with FS Christian Di Mauro working his way into the limelight.

 

Gustavo joins the W.C.E.

Christian, on the right, had just taken his first sip of his second Moretti Beer when he passed out as this photo was being taken. 

Recreation

Here Roberto and I recreate the Human Shield incident from earlier tonight.

BIG Boys!

OL/DL Matthieu Cassaghi joins the Alessio and Andrea.

 

Laurie holding court with Claudio, Peppe and Gregorio

Looks like the Team Bondage idea is working!

Laurie Says:  It really was a fun evening, with the exception of the 'locker room celebration'.  I now understand why players wear goggles to avoid getting the champaign (or proseccco) in their eyes which really stings!  It took me forever to be able to see again.  And another thing, what a waste of prosecco!!!