Just Past Halfway

Decided to read a passage from one of my books to F, and realized with horror that people use WAY too many adjectives, adverbs, and idioms.*  I can't translate this shit--and why should I?  Imma get me some Hemingway and read it to this boy!  Nouns and verbs, baby.  All we need.

A typical stumbling block: I'm translating sentences with Ginni, and as I watch her wrinkle her nose at one of my beautiful sentences, I remember that the concept of "eating dinner" is nonsensical to Italians.  Facepalm.  Of course Italians don't "eat dinner."  That would be ridiculous.  No--Italians dine.

Beppe decided to take a photo of me and Ginni yesterday, and ACK, it is super cool to be photographed by a photographer, even if it is with an iPad.  He told us to look at him but not to smile, which is very legit and also very difficult, and also I tend to look like a deranged monster when I don't smile.  This photo made it onto Instagram with a caption like "Ginni and the Mona Lisa," indicating that I was not successful at following directions.  (This is why I'm finished with school, folks.)  But I think I also do the Mona Lisa smile when I'm supposed to smile?  And Mona Lisa Smile is maybe a movie?

I'm almost a week past the halfway point.  Feels farther, though.

*As do I, alas.

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