I've wanted to do this for years.  This year, I decided to it for real, regardless of the intimidation factor.  I think it turned out pretty nicely and it only took around an hour or so with a break in between.  Tools used were a very sharp small chef's knife, a printout of the logo to guide me, and scotch tape to hold the logo in place while I was carving.  Pumpkins don't last long down here in South Florida so we took a lot of pictures. [gallery link="file" columns="2"]

Yesterday and today I'm attending the HIMSS European Health IT Leadership Forum in Rome, Italy.  We flew out from Miami Wednesday afternoon, despite Tropical Storm Nicole's best efforts to delay things, and arrived in Rome Thursday morning just in time to kick off the conference.  Tight scheduling at its best.  This is my second time to Italy, first to Rome, and here are some thoughts, in no particular order:

• Our Alitalia (Delta codeshare) flight from Miami to Rome was direct, but the plane was old (a 767) with no movies, and only one working bathroom for all of Economy class.  They also kept the barrage of cartoons and other horrible TV going the entire flight, and the sound was turned on in the cabin just faint enough so it would wake you up at times.  All in all, one of my worst international flying experiences in quite some time.
• Immigration into Italy was bizarre.  We walked up to the officer who glanced at Sara's passport, and wave her on, and he didn't even look at my passport (he could see I was a US citizen from the cover, maybe).  I asked him if Sara could have a stamp in hers, but he said no and waived us on impatiently.
• I can see how the driving unnerves Americans, but compared to Asia it was pretty tame.  Lots of tailgating and gesticulating, just like the stereotypes would lead you to believe.
• The coffee is truly amazing.  I'm really surprised you can't get something like it in the US.
• The food is similarly amazing, but it's all carbs, so those of you who have a problem with it are out of luck.
• This feels true to most Americans about most of Europe, but in Rome you really can be walking around in the city and just find yourself next to a ruin that's thousands of years old.  This is a much more prevalent experience in Rome it seems than anywhere else I've been.

That's all for now, we'll post some pictures later.

Here are a few of my favorite beers, at least those than can be obtained fairly easily.  I like pretty much every kind of beer, and enjoy everything from the "pedestrian" Miller Lite to some of the more snotty barley wines available from craft breweries. I've got a couple of rules when I'm drinking beer:

1. Always drink draft over bottles.
2. Drink it in a glass when drinking from the bottle.
3. No jawing about how someone's beer they're drinking is "gross" or "weak" or "stupid" or "American."  I have drunk a lot of different beers, and often drink what some would consider to be expensive or sophisticated beers, but I also really enjoy Miller Lite.  Especially on a hot day.  Even better if I'm watching baseball.

So with that said, here's the list of beers I really like to drink, in no particular order:

• Miller Lite
• Michelob Ultra
• Guinness
• Smithwicks
• Newcastle
• Old Speckled Hen (not so easy to find)
• Blue Moon
• Tecate
• Sam Adam's Summer Ale (tap only)
• Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat (tap only)
• Boddington's
• Sierra Nevada (not so easy to find)
• Kronenbourg
• Abita Purple Haze

In general, I like to drink the light beers when it's hot out or if I'm outside and it's bright and sunny.  I enjoy the rest when it's a little cooler or if I'm inside.  I enjoy the darker beers with a meal.  If you can ever find Kronenbourg on tap, I highly recommend you try it and the same goes with Old Speckled Hen from the bottle (I've never had it from the tap).

Drinking Beer in South Florida

Here's a list of some of the best places to drink beer in South Florida:

1. The Field (Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood)  - unmatched ambiance and character, with a great beer selection and good Irish food.  They have amazing live Irish music most nights.
2. The Lodge (Boca Raton) - quirky ambiance with great beer selection and decent food.
3. Ye Olde Falcon Pub (Davie) - great food, over 50 beers on tap, great character.
4. Shuck 'N Dive (Fort Lauderdale) - really good cajun style food, Abita beer on draft, be prepared for a rowdy if you find yourself there when LSU is playing.