Conversion

Much like St. Paul on the road to Damascus,

I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT!!!

Yes, it IS true, I have been weak and have broken the traffic laws of Italy with impunity including paying for my second ticket today in Florence for driving in a limited traffic area, i.e., locals only.

Like a prisoner on death row, I have made an eleventh hour conversion and will not only be a law abiding citizen, I am now a crusader who will now champion truth, justice and the Italian way of life!!!

This is the official logo of the overworked branch of the Catania Law Enforcement Agency that patrols the streets looking to bust anyone who dares to park illegally.  As I recounted in yesterday's post, I got a 74 Euro parking ticket this week in the mail for parking with two wheels on the sidewalk on July 4, 2008.

WHAT WAS I THINKING? 

HOW COULD I POSSIBLY JUSTIFY DOING SUCH A THING?

As the new "CATANESE PARKING CRUSADER", I will do everything in my power to get serious perpetrators like I USED to be to face Lady Justice and pay their debt to society!!!

It is now my mission in life to take the pressure off of these dedicated souls who work for SOstare!!!

WANTON LAWLESSNESS MUST STOP ON OUR SIDEWALKS!

Damn! All four wheels on the side walk, this has cost you your first male child at the very minimum.

I have recorded each of these license plates and in 11 short months they too will get a letter in the mail heralding their day in court! 

AM 200 JT...

YOU ARE OFFICIALLY SCREWED!!!

Catania, there is a new sheriff in town, get ready to pay for your sins!!!

The Long Arm of the Italian Judicial System

Monday started out as such a nice day with the weather clear but crisp.  After Gustavo came over to help fix a few of the household problems at Malibu, we decided to go shopping for a new camera for Paul.

The Etnapolis Shopping Mall

This is the largest shopping mall in the Catania area to the best of my knowledge and is owned by the U.S. based Warner Brothers Corporation.  Of course Mt. Etna has to overlook it's namesake mall.

We found a very nice Olympus 10 mega-pixel camera at a reasonable price at the Media World store.  An added bonus is that you can take pictures with it underwater down to a depth of 30 meters.  This is a good feature whether Paul goes snorkeling or drops it off a pier.

Is Joe Mollica now a Pharmacist?

Then a funny thing happened on this very nice day...

The mail started to arrive in Davide's office at an alarming rate with bad news.  It appears that the Sicilian judicial system moves very slowly but effectively none the less.  Life was beautiful until today's news that I am now facing at least 200 years in dark, damp Sicilian prison in Caltanisetta if I don't pay a series of parking tickets I unknowingly got last year.

Now, one of my major faults is honesty and a belief that I am responsible for the logical outcome of my actions.  As it turns out, our car received the four or perhaps five parking tickets that we never found on our windshield the day we got them, thus we were clueless to our parking faux pas.

The Parking Infractions are:

March 9 in Taormina = 36 Euros

April 18 in Taormina = 36 Euros

May 22 in Giardini-Naxos = 85 Euros

June 16 in Cefalu = 54 Euros

July 4 in Catania = 74 Euros

Total of the Fines = 285 Euros which equals $365 USD

The great thing about this situation is that we are just finding out about this now, as you can see, we are only 14 days shy of the one year anniversary of the first ticket which was not on our windshield that day and now we are finding out about it!

Of course my blog can be used against me in a court of law to trace my whereabouts on the days in question.  In the first three instances I had co-conspirators, the fourth one is all mine and in the case of the Fourth of July there is some question as to whose new rental car the ticket belongs.

Bottom line, pay the fine or getting ready to start dating some guy named Guido in the Caltanisetta Provincial Prison.  Maybe this can become the plot for the Coen Brothers new movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou - Part II"?

Two vs. Three Pass Drill

We had a very good practice tonight, although a few more players in attendance would always be nice.  Luke is looking better passing every time we get together and the timing between him and the receiver corps is improving steadily.  Taber LeMarr, our new American receiver, looks very good and is doing a nice job helping to coach the other receivers.

Offensive Line Coach Denver Wade

Denver will be a Senior offensive lineman at, you guessed it, Wabash College next Fall.  He is here on a semester Abroad Study Program through Duke University.  Tonight we stopped at Jonathan's Pannini Stand for a post-practice staff meeting.  He is seen here with one of Jonathan's famous Cipollata pannini.

Paul flatly refuses to let his offensive counterpart out eat him so he ordered TWO!

Not really, he is holding mine so that I can take the picture.  A sausage pannini for Paul and Cipollata pannini for me.

Heather Linderman Ad of the Day Contest

Two entrants today, you make the choice by voting on the comment tab below.

Obviously, this one is for the Levi Strauss merchandise that this picture begs you to think about.

Festa Della Donna

This three day festival on March 6-7-8 is a time for the ladies of Catania to go more than just a little crazy as the ad suggestively suggests.

Catania Weekend

Overall, this was a calm weekend in Catania.  The weather improved drastically as we had a lot of sun and with it improved temperatures. 

Saturday morning's view from Malibu for breakfast

Will I ever tire of this view...

... or of this one?

The gorgeous Francesca has moved to Catania from Palermo full time this year and is dating one of our new defensive ends who hails from Palermo.

LET'S HAVE A BIG "YAHOO" FOR THE DEFENSE!!!

Our Saturday practice was another good one, well attended and very competitive.  Our depth at the skill positions on offense is a huge plus.

Andrea Mannino is kicking the ball MUCH BETTER than he did last year at any time.

Defensively we are showing improved vigor with the addition of several talented players who can run to the football.  The coaching that Paul Petrich Jr. (DL) and Larry Atkinson (DB) are providing is really making a huge difference in our progress.  Now all we have to do is stay healthy and keep improving.

Dessert and Wine at the Agora Hostel in Catania

Paul's "Lonely Planet Italy Travel Guide" recommended this restaurant, which is is part of this hostel, for an interesting meal.  Upstairs they have a large covered outdoor bar area for drinks only that was packed.  If you go to their underground area you will find three delightful levels of rooms that serve drinks and food.  Here you see us enjoying a local beverage at the very bottom of the restaurant, 18 meters below street level, next to an underground river.  The ancient Romans used this underground river system as a spa 2,000+ years ago.

Now the reason I'm not sitting across from Paul is that if I did, the back legs of my chair would be about one inch from the four foot cliff that, with Paul's track record, would surely have me going over the falls and into the river!

Speaking of Paul, so far he has inflicted a relatively small amount of carnage in his usual Visigoth-like wake.  Let the record show that to date he has only broken one plate, knocked over one lamp (only the bulb broke) and a slew of instances where he has called people by the wrong name.  On a not so funny note, he managed to lose his camera while I was in Mexico.

If the cast from Seinfeld ever decides to do a reunion show, Jerry could really help himself by including a character based on Paul as the central theme of the episode.  Imagine the ratings and spin-off potential.

The Underground River

Up Close and Personal

The Agora Hostel has GREAT Desserts

I opted for the low calorie sweet ricotta cheese, orange sauce and chocolate syrup dessert with a little chocolate powder sprinkled on the edges to keep my body trim and fit.  It went well with the house red wine.

In Camarillo we have a band called the Grandmas, in Catania we have the Granpa.

Coincidence... I think not!

The Statue of Ferdinand I near the Catania Harbor entrance.

His title was King of Sicily as well as King of Aragon.  Born in 1380, he ruled Sicily from 1412 to 1416 as part of the long line of Spanish based rulers of our proud island.  During his time Catania, not Palermo, served as the island's capitol.

The Spanish lost their claims to Sicily twice.  The first reign of the Aragon Kings lasted from 1285 to 1713 while the second period of Spanish dominantion was the Bourbon dynasty from 1734 to 1848.

Giuseppe Garibaldi led his "Red Shirts" in the Italian Revolution to free what is now Italy from foreign domination.  As a sign of their new found pride, some of the locals proceeded to decapitate the statues of unpopular foreign rulers like Ferdinand I.  Far less bloodless than the French Revolution was to their monarchs but 160+ years later still sending it's message.

Catania's Fish Market, mostly closed on Sunday, still offered up a few interesting sights.

Via Etnea, Catania's main shopping street and a great place to take a Sunday stroll.

While the Fish Market was closed, the Sunday Market in the middle of Catania was wide open for business!

Peruvian Native Music with a not so authentic headdress on the right.

This haunting flute music draws a crowd all over the world, why not in Catania?

I have no idea but I liked their poster!

They played at the ZO Club on January 31st... if I'd only known

Nice Wheels Sicilian Style

Old Men Gathering Near the Harbor

After shopping for fruits, nuts and some clothing for Paul (yes, NEW clothes!) and getting some great deals we ran into these large groups of men playing cards in a park near the harbor.

By the way the park had about four more headless statues... oh, those fun loving "Red Shirts" were at it again!

Some of the men just wanted to sit in the Sun for awhile and watch the world go by.

"So then Jackie O bid four no-trump and I looked at Ari and he says 'Is she crazy or what?'  I discreetly nodded yes, still the dumbest bid I ever saw"

Kids at Play

It may be because the penitent season of Lent starts this week, I'm not sure, but kids all over the city were dressed up in costumes.  Super heroes and cartoon characters were the most popular choices.

For Sale, CHEAP!

Etoile d'Or, one of my favorite places to grab a quick snack, is only a few steps away.

The ageless majesty of old town Catania.

Updates

You may have noticed in the upper left hand corner of this page a new gadget called "FOLLOWERS".  If you are a regular reader of Coaching for Pizza, just click on it to add yourself to this new gadget.

Also you may have noticed that I recently added Eric Slivoskey's blog as a link.  Eric, who lives in North Dakotas, contacted me last fall about trying to catch onto a coaching job in Europe.  I gave him all the advice that I could and he got a job in Finland as the Head Coach of the Seinajoki Crocodiles.  Good luck to Eric and the Crocs this season.

Andrea Bocelli

I really want to see Andrea Bocelli in concert this year and just found out that he is playing in Palermo's Teatro Massimo on March 20 and 22 with our season opener sandwiched in-between on March 21st in Ancona.  Tickets start at $167 USD each and go as high as $535 USD a seat.  How bad do I want this?

James Blunt

James Blunt is playing in nearby Acireale soon, maybe that will be a little easier ticket to absorb, we'll see.

A Quiet Friday

After Thursday's marathon trip to Palermo we opted for a quiet day by first going to the local IPerSimply to re-stock Malibu with fresh provisions.

We had a good 2 1/2 hour staff meeting in the Elephant War Room to discuss various strategies and plan Saturday's practice.  The weather has turned warmer so we should have a good turnout.

After the meeting we cruised the mean streets of Catania...O.K. via Etnea and the Piazza Duomo aren't too dangerous but it sounded good for the blog. 

Antique Carriage in Catania's City Hall Courtyard 

Also on display was a

"TEEPEECAL" Sicilian Peasants Cart

A pub in Catania near the Fundo Bianco, the official team bar of the Elephants

How many Iguana references can I find in a week on two continents?  I think that Debi Murphy may have been pouring drinks but I'm not sure.

Laurie arrives in Catania in

LESS THAN A MONTH!!!

The Ruins of a Roman Amphitheater near the Piazza Duomo

 

We passed these on the way back to the car, it had seating for about 15,000 people back in the day.

Of Palermo, MUMMIES! and the Acireale Carnevale

Thursday, Paul and I loaded up the Ford Fiesta for the two hour drive through the heart of Sicily to visit Palermo and hold an evening practice for the seven Elephants who reside there and can only make the Saturday practice.  We hope that this extra session will pay dividends as the season nears. 

Snow and, no, that's not Mt. Etna

From all reports, this has been one of the coldest winters in the recent memory of our collective teammates.  We saw snow in the mountains all through central and western Sicily on our drive.  If you recall, our Palermo players could not get to practice last Saturday because the freeway was closed due to the snow.

The north coast of Sicily and the Tyrrhenian Sea

Palermo's Eurocalcetto

This is where we will practice in the evening and we made finding it our first priority once we arrived so that we could be sure of being on time for practice at 6:00 p.m.

Does anybody want to go to Dubai with me?

Another reason to visit this faraway and exotic land, the dedication of the new Luciano Pavarotti Tower!

Cool kiosk in Palermo

Trattorria Basile

Paul found the GREAT place in his Lonely Planet Italy guidebook.  It is very unpretentious but serves very good food at incredible prices.  We ordered two bowls of spaghetti, one loaf of bread and one Diet Coke and one Fanta.  The TOTAL price for the two of us was only 7.40 Euros... we'll be back!

Palermo's Teatro Massimo Opera House

Hard to tell from this photo but it is HUGE!

Palermo's Capuchin Catacombs

Finally, after several aborted attempts we found it AND it was open!  I again respected the request for no photography so you will have to be satisfied these pictures of some postcards and the guide booklet I purchased.

These Catacombs were recently featured in National Geographic.  This underground crypt hoses 8,000 mummified bodies of Palermo's upper crust and clergy.  For centuries, people would choose a niche to be placed in before their deaths and thus get a feel for some of their future neighbors.  Upon death, their bodies would be dressed in their best outfit and then be dried out.  Interesting but still a little creepy. 

Warm-up

Our seven players all showed up ON TIME!  We are working with two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, a running back, a tight end and a defensive back.  An eclectic collection but we got a lot of work done, it was worth the drive.

Paul coaching a 1 on 1 pass rush vs. pass blocking drill.

Carnevale in Acireale

On the way home we stopped in Acireale, only a few miles north of Malibu, to check out their Carnevale celebration.  With Ash Wednesday occurring next week, this is a six day festival leading up to the start of Lent.  We will return for more festivities this weekend I'm sure.

Nutella Crepes are a key part of any pre-Lenten diet.

They are classified as a Health Food after all aren't they?

It's a Small World

During Paul's 22 kilometer walk last week he ran into these two people who are from Finland where Paul once coached and we ran into them again last night at the Ristorante L'Oste Scuro di Vincenzo Fazio in Acireale.

To the left of Paul are Paivi Iivonen with her husband Heikki.  They actually said that they went to a Porvoo Butchers American football game in Finland last season so that means that they saw both Larry Atkinson and Taber LeMarr, Elephants this season, play for their old Finnish team in 2008.

A small world indeed!

P.S. If you want to read a hilarious account of Paul's 22 kilometer walk while I was in Mexico, click onto Jason's blog  If you know Paul, you'll be glad you did.

Great Friti di Mare Spaghetti

Unlike Paul, the "1928" embroidered on my pullover is the founding date of the Brookside Golf Course that surrounds Pasadena, California's Rose Bowl, hence the rose.  Such a date on Paul's clothing usually denotes the year he bought the particular item. 

The disturbing "Candy Man" of the Acireale Carnevale

Elephant WR/DB Taber LeMarr

While we were in Palermo, the final piece of the Elephants American puzzle finally arrived.  Taber grew up in the Phoenix, Arizona area and attended both the University of Wyoming and the University of San Diego before playing a season in Finland.  He will be a major player in the IFL this season.