For those of you who may not be in the know, al fresco means "outdoors" or "in the open air," or something like that. In Italy, they have these special restaurants where you can actually eat outside. And it makes everything very flavorful. It also makes you talk about your food using funny words like flavorful.
Last night, we went to see a minor league baseball game al fresco. It was a great game. The Harrisburg Senators vs. the Erie Sea Wolves. The Senators came back from 5-0, and it was 5-8 in the seventh inning when the bugs came out. Swarms of them. Oh, they didn't bother me much, but the rest of our group was quite agitated by them so we had to leave. I don't know why. What do you expect when you are al fresco.
Wanders, thank you for not saying re those mosquitoes, "Life is brutal." After all, we all know that there's no crying in baseball.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like Wilbur unbuttoned his shirt between panels. I'd be unable to savor the flavorful vegetables if that sight was across the table from me - gah.
The people in the background look suspiciously like Charterstone Pool Party types, and what happened to the fountain and building between panels?
Wanders - were the hot dogs and beer fresh and flavorful?
ReplyDeleteOK, whether she's with child (as we know she is, amirite?) or not, Dawn's looking to get slapped silly.
ReplyDeleteOne night with the bad boys who loiter about Coliseum and she won't have the energy to smirk.
That doesn't look like Tuscan food. It doesn't look like food at all, it looks like hedge trimmings. Flavorful, though.
ReplyDeleteSince when does Wilbur eat vegetables, aside from the occasional lettuce in his sandwich?
Why is all the flatware in the Worthiverse so small and stick-like?
ReplyDelete''Sob, sniffle... Green glop was Dave's favorite food! He always ordered it, when we went to Diner!''
ReplyDeleteI had been hoping that Dawn would meet some handsome Italian who would mend her broken heart.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'm hoping that WILBUR will meet a beautiful Italian lady, and have a passionate summer romance.
Just to give Dawn something to be REALLY miserable about.
But I'm mean that way.
--Beagle Vet
Dawn: "No, Dad, Tuscan guacamole is BRUTAL!"
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of my family's trip to Disney World when I was 11. We stayed at a hotel in Kissimmee. *I* wanted to stay at the cool hotel with the monorail that goes through it, and I whined about it several times.
ReplyDeleteUntil my mother took me aside and told me in no uncertain terms that my dad had worked VERY HARD to pay for this trip, and I was being very ungrateful and needed to appreciate the fact that I was there at all, since so many kids never got to go to Disney.
She was exactly right, of course, and I apologized to my dad, and adjusted my attitude.
Wilbur needs to have a similar chat with Dawn. At the edge of a cliff.
--Beagle Vet
As we all know, Italy is famous for its vegetables.
ReplyDeleteColosseum!
ReplyDeleteSorry; life is brutal.
Wilbur could've saved lots of money, time and effort and taken Dawn to the Olive Garden
ReplyDeleteI think Dawn is hot.
ReplyDeletePanel One: wilber is eating a single green bean with his hand while Dawn is poking at her plate of edamame gelato with a stylus.
ReplyDeletePanel Two: Wilbur is using a doll hand gripping a proportionately sized spoon to feed wasabi to his chest hair while Dawn contemplates a befouled cotton swab.
Buon appetito!
Now I'm all disappointed. I went to all the trouble to plant a garden and just as my beans are coming in, I find that the only really fresh and flavorful vegetables are in Italy. Would it count if I packed a suitcaseful and brought them there?
ReplyDeleteVegetables. Dave ate vegetables.
ReplyDeleteWhat self-respecting Italian chef would serve American-style mugs of coffee to go with your plateful of pesto sauce/mashed zucchini?
ReplyDelete(For some reason, Toots McGee's "edamame gelato" made me laugh out loud. Bravo!)
Finally, we're beginning to see the De Chirico-style backgrounds that I've been anticipating for this storyline. Joe Giella takin' it to town!!!
ReplyDeleteWilbur's elbows on the table and hand apparently in his plate of green mush is why the term "boorish American" was invented. California is well known for its delicious, organic, heirloom, free range, cage-free vegetables, so not sure why the Italian veggies are such a revelation.
ReplyDeleteIt could be the first time they've tasted vegetables (or any other food) without the background smell or aftertaste of salmon squares.
ReplyDeleteIs time in Santa Royale passing at the same rate as time in Italy?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Italy is like Narnia. In that case, when Dawn and Wilbur return, Mary/Wendy will be answering the same letter from her talking computer because no time will have passed there.
I just made my own head hurt. Now I will stop pondering the space-time continuum of the Worthiverse (brutal) and pour myself a glass of wine (flavorful).
So everything reminds Dawn of Dave?
ReplyDeleteI can only pray that Dawn and Wilbur do not witness the eruption of Mt Vesuvius.
PS I am actually in Tuscany right now. As far as I can tell, I was visiting David on the same day as the Westons. And I'd just like to say that Dave and David have one thing in common. Neither of them will look Dawn in the eye. David can't and Dave won't.
ReplyDeleteShame on Wilbur, shame on the Italians! Is this some kind of insult to Mary's flavorful vegetable tourine? She would not be amused.
ReplyDeleteThey went all the way to Italy to eat vegetables? Heck, I can do that anytime in the back of Kroger.
ReplyDeleteDawn is the total Debbie Downer, just not as funny. Lets hope a spider is in her flavorful lettuce and she chokes to death.
Meg, did you happen to see a down in the dumps, spoiled, sullen girl in Italy? If so, please smack her all the way back to Rome for us.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Italy so correct me if my geography is shaky. David is in Florence, correct? And Florence is in Tuscany, correct? And both are north of Rome?
ReplyDeleteThe Amalfi coast is SOUTH of Rome, isn't it? So what are they doing, just bopping back and forth all over the country like pinballs? My understanding is that traffic in Italy can be somewhat...challenging so if they are driving...holy cow, I'd hate to be in their way!
--Beagle Vet
Wilbur needs to stay away from the canned veggies and try fresh in the US once in awhile.
ReplyDeleteAnd on behalf of Daves across the globe, I apologize for this plot line.
Beagle Vet,
ReplyDeleteI've been wondering about their itinerary, too. Florence for Art, Amalfi for Beach, somewhere in Tuscany for Lunch, Rome for Ruins:
Wilbur is grasping at some expensive straws to try to interest Dawn who, today, has officially moved from sullen to insolent.
Mike in Cleveland, you are so right about Dawn's nasty attitude. That's not depression, that's just mean, self-centered brattiness. Still, I have hope for this storyline. Since Wilbur has completed his preannounced itinerary, our next stop should be Giorgio's empty villa in Milan.
ReplyDeleteThere, Dawn will meet a sexy pool poy, or a smoldering gamekeeper, as handsome as Dave, but with dark hair and eyes. (Well, given Giella's limitations, a guy who looks like Bobby Black.) True romance will kindle, and...
Oh, who am I kidding. It'll be a wizened old caretaker with a chinbeard, the Italian equivalent of Hobo, who will set everything right by asking "Signorina, are you all right?"
Oops. I meant pool BOY, not poy. Or maybe koi. Happy 4th everybody!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it about time to release the lions?
ReplyDeleteDawn would probably be too bitter for them. Somebody slap her.
--Beagle Vet
Life is brutal.
ReplyDeleteI hope Wilbur pushes Dawn in front of a Vespa.
ReplyDelete