– USA 0

Hi everyone!  I’m back in Stamford, NY and Gina and I have completed our project.  I asked her to pick out the best shots because she has a better idea what you might enjoy.  Please check www.dchinchen.homestead.com and you will see the best of my trip.  It’s an easy-access site and I hope you will enjoy the journey!  I will post more at a later date, and will let you know on this site when that’s complete.  Take care!  Love you all!  Donna 

Posted from USA:

Comments for dchincheneurope:you have 54 comments

Dolores
Donna,Not sure if you are still in NY or OH. Hope you get yourself settled and with your parents. Good Luck.
Just viewed your latest of pictures and your captions with them. It is all beautiful. Oh how lucky you were to be there and to have as much time to do.
I’m still in awe that you frontiered as well.

19 Aug xxxx
Dolores
Donna, Good know you made it back safely. I saved your all your pictures. We have to get you down here to talk about each one.
I still have the connection for travelblog to inform me of new entries, so I will look for the additional pictures.
Love ya

09 May xxxx
Dolores
Hey Donna
Just went through your photo gallery!!!! and saved the pictures. You got some great shots at the Vatican and your last night at the Trevi is wonderful. Aren’t those Whispers wonderful and the tour guide flags are recognizable all over. At the Ancient ruins of Rome, did you recognize the gypsy. So many memories. Now you are a “Wonderer”.

07 May xxxx
jody
hey ma. a few logistical things: i’m going to be in town when you get in. i have to move this weekend (6th&7th) and i’m going to stay with melinda until you get there to let me in. i haven’t decided whether i’m bringing barnie tomorrow or the following weekend. moving is a two-step process this weekend and i’m hesitant to drag him around for all that. it’s either that or he’ll be alone for two nights which wrecks him. i’m going to miss him! he’s such a good cat. graduation is the 12th&13th. are you still coming? the details are in your mailbox. i don’t know if navigating a Syracuse University graduation falls in the realm of “relaxing”… it’s not going to be as itty bitty as my last college graduation. maybe you can talk gina into coming sunday to help find your way around. (don’t tell her i said so!) what am i talking about? you navigated europe! are you coming to convocation on saturday too? you’ll want to be here by saturday morning if you are. if you’re too bedraggled to come at all, let me know asap because i won’t go either and i can focus on other things, like my sanity!! okay. i’ll call monday night. i’m sure you’ll be tired. i have to be back in syracuse tuesday morning. yes folks, i occasionally have something to say that doesn’t result in beer spillage!

05 May xxxx
Billy
Mom, on the way home already! Nothing new these days. Doing a little housework/yardwork during the cool springtime. School is wrapping up. We just hit our last midterms, done on June 6. Looking forward to a little break from teaching. Hope you have a safe flight out of there. Take care. The girls got your latest little package. Thank you!

05 May xxxx
Gina
Hey everyone! Can’t wait to see you Mom! I’ll be on your doorstep waiting for your arrival … hee hee! Makayla scored in her lacrosse game two days ago. It was awesome! Check out chincheneroo.homestead.com for our own little place to keep in touch. E-mail doesn’t seem to work, nor does the phone, so maybe this will be the way to go. It’s been working thus far on Mom’s blog.

05 May xxxx
Kay
Hi!
Looks like you’re having quite the adventure! Enjoyed the pictures. Got your postcard. Took it to school to share in the staff room. Everyone is happy to hear you’re fullfilling a dream. Looking forward to seeing you next week. Stop by on your way home. You’re welcome to crash at our place. We’ll be up. Ciao! Kay

01 May xxxx
Deb H.
Hey Donna yur car is still in one piece. I can’t wait to talk to you about your adventures. I’m so proud of you. Trish M. would like to have us over for tea and talk and even some PASTA FAZULE and CAPICOLA. sORRY FOR THE SPELLING.sEE YOU SOON.chow dEB h. AND tRISH m.

01 May xxxx
jody
everyone calls you guys ORS (original rock star) too?! here i thought my siblings were regular dorks! how does the blog know mom’s not in europe anymore? why would they boot us? how about chinsinfinity no-tag-back?

01 May xxxx
Mountain Man
There’s gotta be something better than “chinsquared”! How about “manychins”, or “twochins”, or “fourchinsandasandwhich”. Actually, how about “chinners”, or “chinski”, “chinchenski”, “extremechins”, “dangerouschins”, “xcountrychins”, “diversechins”, “chinchenaroo”, “deepsnowchins”. Ok, I’m done. Mom, you should know better than to mention “national security” and “bug arriving in NY soon” together in a post. Oops…I just did the same. Blame nobody but yourself if your bags get tossed at the airport. Big brother is watching. Gina is right on that score.

01 May xxxx
Gina
Well fella’s, now that Ma’s coming home soon, I suppose we will loose rights to free blog space so I’ll get hopping on that Chinsquared blog site. Any name ideas yet, otherwise I may keep it as the nickname each of us had to suffer through school. Ciao!

30 Apr xxxx
jody
hey, do you guys think mom was serious when she said she got a new blog? i’m rescinding my accusation of mystery person being kathy… i mistakenly thought kathy s. had commented here but it was kathy e. and now mountain man wants to teach stanley how to hunt mosquito? we have definitely been infiltrated. better lay low for awhile…

27 Apr xxxx
Gina
OK guys … I need some creative feedback … what is our family blog site name going to be? I’m hoping to keep our names out of it in case big brother tries to listen in to Jody’s mumble jumble about new world order and conspiracy against the government. Have a great weekend to all. Get drunk, be happy, have fun. Oh, sorry Billy, that first part doesn’t imply to Utaharians, but you can still be happy and have fun. Jody, I opened the invite to graduation before seeing your entry and I’ve gotta say … YOU COULD-A WARNED ME EARLIER!!!!

27 Apr xxxx
Mountain Man
Okay Jody, I’m done laughing now. You almost made me spill my beer again! DONNA. What’s up. I don’t blame you if you stay in Italy if you have read the posts that your children are leaving. What a circus! pssst: I’m not one of them. I’m a random person writing from northern Canada. Well, must go kill a mosquito for dinner. Wish Stanley was here to help.

27 Apr xxxx
jody
wow, mad conspiracy going on. i’m overwhelmed! billy, gina and i were just talking last night about having a family blog after noticing the success (and abuse) of mom’s. (you eavesdropped and now you want to pilfer credit!) anyhow, gina’s volunteered for blog committee president so contact her for futher information. i think with your email if you “insert” from the address book it doesn’t work, but if you type in your address, it does. it happened with someone else recently so that’s my theory. oh and i try not to spill beer ever… anywhere… at any cost. but i assure you that my graduation invitations are sealed with a beer-coated tongue! (something to think about when it arrives in a couple days. it’s yuengling black & tan, ye deprived SLC resident. perhaps you can extract enough alcohol from that envelope to get a buzz, unlike your typical Utah beer. but i have a cold so i don’t recommend it unless you’re really really desperate… gross.) gina, tell stanley (or his clone… which is no doubt billy’s abovementioned secret operative informant who’s responsible for the leak. was stanley lurking surreptitiously during our phone chat last night?) anyhow, tell him to pack his bags. he’s coming to work with me this summer. i’ll teach him how to earn his keep and i just need someone to run the other end of the saw. (did you hear i’m a one man trail crew this summer? there’s a hearty LOL for ya!) as far as the mystery person goes, only mom or one of her affiliates would say “goobli-gop”… i think KATHY! either that or it’s one of the stanleys. spies everywhere! meet me on myspace… i don’t even know who i’m talking to anymore. oh ma, you should try putting your pictures on kodak easyshare if you need to free up some memory space. when you come home you can order prints or cds, and you can email links to photo albums to all of us. it’s really easy. speaking of avoiding family embarassments, mom’s been quiet lately. hey ma! did you go get a new blog? one that’s kid-free?

26 Apr xxxx
Dawn Snyder
Hi Donna! I am not sure which I enjoy more….YOUR blog about Italy or reading your kids’ notes to each other! I have loved reading both, truly! I hope you are have the time of your life and that you do, eventually, return home to the states! Love, Dawn

26 Apr xxxx
Billy
Hey guys. What do you think about starting a family (Chinchen/Prusinowski) blog. Seems we communicate more effectively this way. I swear, I haven’t gotten a shred of email from you two. Actually Gina, Shirley does get email from you. I presume it’s for both of us, but I don’t really use her account, and I think she checks her email maybe once a month. Mine is [email protected]. Try it some time. I will respond (maybe). What was the “Mystery Person” thing about. Odd. I don’t use MySpace. Silly Rabbit, Trix is for kids! ha ha ha. No, all my students waste all their time on it. It’s a principle thing. Jody, there is no evidence this “Stanley” ever existed. I think s/he is a secret operative. Tip: don’t spill beer on your keyboards. And don’t ask! ha ha ha. Mom, can I use LOL here…do you know what that means>>

26 Apr xxxx
Mystery Person
Is anyone else getting wierd Italian junk e-mail? It’s all in goobli-gop … and I know enough to put two and two together and what is in the messages is, well, … not appropriate for Jody’s ears.

26 Apr xxxx
Gina
Yeah, Billy, I’ve sent you a couple e-mails in the past and now that I think about it, I never got a response either. Oh, and just so you know, if you want to get ahold of me try myspace … I check my e-mail at home every three days or so, usually less. Don’t you just get that I’m trying to detach from the embarrassment that the two of you create. Harrr! Stanley is having an extended visit, I’ll be happy when he’s gone though, he’s eating me out of house and home. He will soon be on his way … he owes me some back rent and refuses to pay up. Hi Mom!! Gotta run to check my e-mail …

26 Apr xxxx
jody
well i forwarded one message one time about, ohhhhh, i don’t know… a month ago or so, more or less. it was math related. and anyhow, i don’t normally respond to forwarded messages either, but it’s probably the only email i’ve sent to you in probably a year so i thought it might garner a response of some sort. gina’s tongue is fine… i think she’s just off communicating with the rest of the world in her private exclusive EMAIL club… but she’ll probably tell you some story about working or something. i demand close up detail shots of all the alleged stanleys and posted promptly!

25 Apr xxxx
Stanley in Utah
Hmmm, Jody…you email me” I never get any emails from you. I wouldn’t ignore my sisters. Well, sometimes I hide from them if they are causing a family embarrassment. Well, mom, glad to see you finally figured out how to read all of our posts. That would have been hilarious if you came back to the States and asked why we never left any messages for you on your blog. Gina, you are strangely silent. Cat(s) got your tongue” Jody, I don’t think kids drink much milk anymore. It’s all about the soda. Soda in cereal, soda to drink, soda on a stick (popsicle), etc.

25 Apr xxxx
jody
yeah gina! why don’t you ask your silly question via email? email pusher!! actually, i think sometimes billy doesn’t get my emails or he ignores me… so naturally we’ve latched onto mom’s blogspace, opportunistic parasites that we are. oh hey ma. rBGH! my goodness, you have been gone a long time… it’s all the outrage here in the states. i think they’ve illegalized it in europe and pretty much everywhere in the world except here. it’s a growth hormone that’s injected in cows to make them more productive milk machines. and now they tell us it causes hormone imbalances in humans. that’s why girls are going through puberty much earlier these days… as early as 3 years old in some places! and so barnie says he prefers rBGH free milk… he hasn’t specified discretion regarding the cheesecake however. so… how can stanley be skiing in stratton and traveling in europe at the same time? hmmmmm, something very suspicious is going on here!

24 Apr xxxx
Billy and family
Gina, don’t you know my email..hee hee. Hey, Mom gets a flavor for what is happening back stateside. Mom, well, everything is pretty much the same here. Utah is still on the map last I checked. Pretty busy doing yard work now that spring is sort of here, although it’s been pretty cold the last few days. The mountains got dusted with a few inches of snow. Speaking of snow, have you tasted any European snow. I hear it tastes different. 1f642-9732779

24 Apr xxxx
Gina
This message is for Jody and Billy … Just a silly question … do you know how to use the e-mail? Half of your messages are for each other. Hee hee.

23 Apr xxxx
Gina
Hey Mom … sounds like you are doing good. Gotta tell you, Stanley Jr. looks great after being dragged all over the World. Stanley Sr. went skiing at Stratton not so long ago. Anyway, enjoy the rest of your journey!!

23 Apr xxxx
jody
haha haha haha… funny billy. you can tell them “hippie” is what we call a rare breed of NON-brainwashed human being… if i’m going to be categorized at all thank you very much! i don’t know when exactly i’ll be coming through, definitely shouldn’t be much later than the 16th. regardless of when i get there i can stay until about the 23rd or 24th. something like that. mom! thanks for the postcard. i have all three up on my fridge. i should tell you that barnie now likes to take his meals at the kitchen table. breakfast is usually washed down with a cold bowl of rBGH-free whole fat milk, and dinner is followed by a small slice of cheesecake (plain, no cherries), or ice cream is nice for a change. and all your plants are heavily addicted to miracle-gro (the blue stuff). so expect a few changes when you reclaim your cat and greenery… (as in: expanded girth) in a few weeks! barnie’s real excited to run laps around the house.

19 Apr xxxx
Billy and family
Hi mom! Still having fun I bet! We all miss you. And probably a little eetsie beetsie bit jealous! hee hee. Jody, how is graduation looking for you. We haven’t gotten an invitation yet. Shirley and I were kicking around the idea of coming to visit, but I don’t know about bringing the whole family out for such a short time. But yes, we will be here mid-May, so feel free to give us a shout. The girls love seeing you. And every time after you leave Shirley and I have to explain what a ”hippie” is to them…they get so confused! ha ha ha…oh, just joking. Man, I have a real hippie in my Algebra 2 class. Dreadlocks and all. He told the class once he played homeless on the corner to get enough change to go watch a movie. Yet he has an i-pod. Jody, I think your generation is falling apart 1f642-9732779

16 Apr xxxx
Dolores
You continue to amaze me. Enjoy, absorb it all and your memories will take the place of the pictures from here on.
Sounds like you had a wonderful Easter. We had 14 of us (13 cousins and Linda’s sister) down here for Easter dinner. Theresa had to work. Candace and her family are here visiting Ray, Jr.
Be careful.

12 Apr xxxx
Dolores
Hi Donna
I’ve been playing around the above map. Wow what a city (Valencia). I got down to street names. Wish I would have found those links on your other entries.
Mom and Marie went home, but I sent Phyllis J your updates after their departure.
Jody and Billy, Aunt Mary loves reading your comments. Jody, did you get your venture character from your mom, or did she from you?

11 Apr xxxx
jody
hey ma. thanks for the postcard. feel free to give my number to any of those italian men who are asking. kidding! don’t you dare… hey billy – what are you doing around the third week of may? yes, i’m making my biannual cross-country traversal between may 14 & may 25.

09 Apr xxxx
Kathy E.
Hey VEGETABLE LADY did you get a job selling veggies in the streets? Will write again later. Kathy E.

03 Apr xxxx
Deb Hornbeck
Donna
I know this is THE trip of a life time for you. you have been looking forward to this for so long. God Bless! I just found out about yor blog yesterday.Sure you are having a wonderful time of it. I can’t wait to see the pictures. The ladies and my husband in the village hall were so excited for you. They think you are brave.Will write again later. DEB HORNBECK

03 Apr xxxx
Billy Family
Hi Mom. Just checking in, letting you know we are reading your messages! Sounds like you are having a fantastic time!

02 Apr xxxx
Irina Lowery
Hello Donna,I keep following your adventures with a thrill! This is so wonderful that you are doing this! You are such a great traveller! I can’t wait for your next “report”! Enjoy your life!
Irina

31 Mar xxxx
Aunt Mary, Marie, D
Hi Donna,
Marie has been down here since Friday, March 23, and goes back north with Mom on the 30th. She has read all your previous entries and is soo happy for you. Thanks for sharing with us.
We love you, too. Do take care of yourself.
Ciao, ciao!

27 Mar xxxx
Utah Chinchen’s
Hello from Utah! Just wanted to let you know we got your postcard. Thanks a bunch!

25 Mar xxxx
Dolores
Donna, I am reading this and SO JEALOUS. You have got to remember it all or show the pictures.
Good for you in fulfilling your dream.
Love and Kisses

21 Mar xxxx
Denise at Jefferson
Donna,
Ciao! So glad you are in Italy – we are living through your dreams as we shovel snow… ENJOY yourself – thanks for the pictures. I am sure you will have fun with your relatives. I hope you are able to use some of the Italian we studied.
Love, Denise

19 Mar xxxx
Kay
Hi,Donna!
Good to hear from you! So glad you’re having a great time! I knew you would! Loved the pictures and I see Flat Stanley is getting to see Italy, too! What tales you will have to tell when you get home! Will watch for your updates.
Ciao! Kay and Norman

19 Mar xxxx
jody
hi ma! great pictures!!! so glad you’re having fun. i knew you would. what? no more homesick talk?? hey, no hard feelings if you decide not to make it back for graduation. if i were you, i wouldn’t be inclined to leave all that to listen to someone drone on and on about the future of whatever and rattle off 10,000 names just to watch me shake some anonymous hand and collect a piece of fraudulent paper that purports that the real degree will come in the mail in a few weeks. anyhow, barnie’s got a live-in lady friend named bobbin. they’ve grown quite fond of each other… you might say they’re “going steady”. i’m afraid she’s going to break his heart when her mama comes back from spring break at the end of the week and reclaims her. ciao before i get a parking ticket…love, jody

15 Mar xxxx
Dolores
Mom is reading this over my shoulders. We appreciate the pictures, esp., since there is a picuture of the fountain in our “Italian” bedroom (Mom’s current room). Now she knows what is in the background of your pictures.
She says to tell you that she is happy for you to be able to fulfill your Italian travel dream. She regrets that they MOM & Dad) never went to Italy.
Bless you, Dolores, Fred, Theresa, Aunt Mary, and Philip

14 Mar xxxx
Irina Lowery
Hello Donna,
Sound like you are having a great time there! What a great traveller you are! Please do it all for me too – I would love to be there with you! I still see Itally in my dreams and can’t go back to my everyday routine. All the pictures are sorted, edited and cleaned – time to start memoires, but the heart is still in the “highlands”. Have fun!!!
Irina

14 Mar xxxx
Billy
March 13. Hello! Is anyone out there”

14 Mar xxxx
Billy
Hi mom, Billy here. Glad to see this is being updated. Sounds like you are having a lot of fun. That’s just awesome. I almost wish I was there right now. Hey, guess what: Janelle entered a science fair at her school, and got second place amongst the 1st – 4th graders. She was so proud, it was funny! Well, take care. Our lives are as busy as ever. Gina: happy B-day, belated. We were in California right before that, and I have been playing catch-up ever since. Hope to call you soon…probably this weekend. Man, it seems like just yesterday we were wishing you a happy 29th. Time does fly. I can’t wait till we can all get together again.

08 Mar xxxx
Phyllis A.
Hi Donna, Great hearing from you. Whatever you do don’t blow a fuse like I did in my Venice Hotel room. Right off the bat too. Needed that blow dryer like now. I have since invested in a converter. What fascinated me about Italy and Greece was the modern buildings built around the ‘ruins’. One of the restaurant I ate at served up Tortellini. Absolutely did not like them. Had to try the espresso. I really thought that I would not like it. What a surprise. So strong. Served in a little (and I mean little) coffee cup and only half of that was filled with the espresso. You just sip slowly to savor the taste. To me, it was DELICIOUS !! Loved the cappuccino too. The different little Italy’s in the States- none come close to the original I had in Italy. Not even little Italy in NY. Are you going to Florence? Now that was an experience. One cannot be shy there :)) The statue of David – fascinating. To think this was the statue fashioned by Michelangelo (Buonarroti) – ooh just gives me goose bumps. When we were riding into town to see DAVID there was a Pharmacia with the Antonino name on it. You get an opportunity check it out and see if they have relatives in Ohio :)) It’s just down the street and around the corner from the museum that DAVID is in. Alright, Alright this is your trip not mine. Your just bringing back many great memories. Waiting for your next adventure, bye for now, Luv

06 Mar xxxx
Gina
Hey Ma Chinchen! Glad to hear things are going good. It was great to hear from you. The girls are playing lacrosse and loving the new sport. They continue to ski with the ski team. You know what? I forgot to send you Stanley … oops. He’s doing fine. Please tell me you have his twin brother … right? I was just at Holiday Valley for a weekend race. The kids did really good and it was fun being at a different mountain for a change. My job is going really good. Love it tons for now at least. They are keeping me busy. My current job is the Strong Emergency Department, a hospital in Rochester and I will be taking on the Thompson Hospital in a couple days. It’s just so great staying busy and coming home with a good paycheck at the end of each week. And Pat … well, he’s Pat and still the same. We might be taking a trip to Statton to ski with the girls near the end of the season. Keep up the good travels and come home fluent so you can teach the girls some Italiano!Ciao ciao for now!
Buon anote!
My speeling must make you cringe!!!!!Love you bunches!
Gina and the family

05 Mar xxxx
Billy
March 4. Mom, how is Italy” Hopefully you get a chance to update this blog soon! We just got back from California today. Shirley’s company paid for a trip to Disneyland, so we took advantage and spent the last few days there. It was the tourist trap that I expected, but Janelle and Katie had a blast (except for the “scary” rides). Well, back to lesson plans for the ‘morrow. Jody, whatever 1f642-9732779 Stay out of trouble – the both of you! And where is the 3rd musketeer”

05 Mar xxxx
Phyllis A
Hey Donna, I’m with Jody. Post something so we know your ducky :)) Could it be your just having too much fun!! Well, let us in on it ! 1f642-9732779 Ta ta,

03 Mar xxxx
jody
hey ma. hope you’re having a grand time. post something so we know you’re okay. whatever billy… i couldn’t find the blog right away for some reason, otherwise i for sure would’ve won!!

03 Mar xxxx
Phyllis A.
Hi Donna, You go girl !!! You finally made it. I hope all goes well and when you get back to Akron. Ooh, should I even bring that up 1f642-9732779 I will expect a full report, and knowing your journaling expertise it shoud be one heck of a story you’ll have to share with all at the next breakfast / Dinner. Will be looking forward to your pictures too. Have fun. Ta ta- Luv and Hugs,

02 Mar xxxx
Dolores
Donna, I understand how you would want to kiss the ground. Wait till you experience Italy. It is home!!!! Let it “envelope” you. In Rome, you’ll look around and wonder where Grandpa and his family may have walked. People there will make you think of someone we knew in our youth; the italian spoken will make you melt. ENJOY!!!!

01 Mar xxxx
Billy
Hi mom!Ha…I win! First “comment”. Where’s my prize”Hopefully you had a good flight. I doubt you will have this updated for a few days…but anyways, thought I would visit and bookmark.Whoever else reads this” Gina, Jody” How are you guys”Billy

24 Feb xxxx
well
well

21 Jan xxxx
me
hi

21 Jan xxxx
18 Oct 2011 – start of travelblog

posted Thursday June xxxx

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