Italia

I never much felt like going to Italy, yet that's where I'm headed next week.

Only now there is the extra bonus of large earthquakes in the region where we'll be.

So far no forklifts have been harmed, but in a rare change of focus I'm actually worried about my own safety. Being the captain of our neighborhood earthquake preparedness group has made me wary of any sort of brick architecture in a locale with seismic activity. In Italy that's the norm. What do you see in the photos below? Big piles of brick.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2012/05/29/earthquake-northern-italy-kills-15/5695/

Note to self: in a brick building, arches are more structurally sound. From photos you can see that concrete doorways seem to be surviving the stress / are standing where the rest of the structures are not. 

I swear that I am going to carry work gloves, water and a power bar with me at all times. The medal with the Blessed Virgin I'm wearing will not be worn for religious purposes, but for identification in case something happens.

End of dramatic interlude.