I bought a t-shirt in Greece that reads (in Greek)

"The only thing I know is that I know nothing." - Socrates

Naturally, the English translation is underneath. But...the more I live on this planet, the more I'm finding the above sentiment is true for me.

For example, for the last fifteen-twenty minutes, I've been perusing some of the updated blogs here at Blogstream, trying to get my finger on the pulse of the modern, urbane world, and instead, I ended up feeling like an ignoramus. I didn't understand a word of the shit that was going on.

Like, the one blog (and the name eludes me) that was talking about something religious. I read the first few words, and I was WTF? did I stumble across some Top Secret government file? To all those religious folk who are now offended, no apologies...I read a blog from the Pets category and had the exact same reaction.

Shit. Am I getting stupid? Is the world getting clever and witty around me while I atrophy?

But, then again...the oracle at Delphi referred to Socrates as the wisest man in the world...all because he readily admitted he knew nothing.

Only the wise admit they're fools. Huh. I came up with that myself. Maybe I'm not getting that stupid.

Socrates for President!

Just checking in. Here's the example of the intelligent dialogue going on at my house right now:

"OK, kiddos, it's almost sleepy time. Let's go brush our toofers and go potty. Then it's beddy-time."

Cripes, no wonder we're raising a nation of inane, babbling idiot-monkeys. Back in my day, it went something like this:

(parent hollering) "Hey, you guys got five minutes to brush your teeth, piss, and get in bed - or else I will beat your asses!"

Love those childhood memories. :) Think I'll go brush my toofers and get my ass in bed.

My house is a constant source of consternation for me. There's always a room I want to paint, an area I want to redo, a place that needs organized, or just something that needs to be downsized or thrown out.

You would think that now I'm out for the summer and my big vacation is done, I'd have the energy and motivation to do these things. But...not really. I haven't touched my house to-do list much.

Until yesterday.

First of all, I started with just a general mopping of my kitchen floor, which honestly, could use it every other day. However, I'm fortunate because I have a floor treatment which hides stains well. Next on the agenda was my bathroom, which needed a desperate dusting and wiping and toilet-scrubbing. Spic and span.

So. Here we go. The debate titled: Where is Everybody sleeping in this house? Seems like up until recently, the kids all wanted to sleep in the same place. Usually on the living room floor. Yesterday, I laid the smack down. "Who is sleeping where?" Turns out my youngest (almost 3) wants to sleep in his sister's (6) room, and the oldest (8) wants his own room. Good. I put the two youngest in the room with the bunk beds, which used to be the oldest child's room. The oldest is now in his sister's room with the single bed.

Bed problem solved. Next item - wardrobes and spare room.

Now that the youngest is sleeping downstairs, what to do with his room? Not only did it have his toddler bed, but also housed an extra bookcase, a spare dresser from our bedroom set, and various other indiscriminate items. Simple solution from the Feng Shui master: dismantle toddler bed, move dresser downstairs to be used by occupants of Bunk Bed Room, clean out closet in aforementioned bedroom to make room for indiscriminate items, bring up large ex-kitchen table from rec room downstairs to upstairs spare bedroom, and move all sewing and scrapbooking items to spare room. Hence, former toddler bedroom becomes book/hobby room. And, the problem of where to put everyone's clothes is solved too. The two younger kids are using our old dresser (sizable) and oldest is using the dresser that actually comes with the twin bed. Oldest used to actually sleep in this twin bed and use this dresser (just now re-acquired) before his sister was old enough to sleep in a big bed. So, for the oldest, it's just like a big happy homecoming.

With the exception of me reorganizing some craft things in the spare room, the switcheroo was accomplished around 5 pm today, and I now have this mellow, everything-is-right-with-the-world feeling.

Now my house is a much better place to circulate the free flow of positive chi which will now most certainly enter this abode. I wish I've have gotten this done before all those online folk voted for the Seven Modern Wonders of the World...my house would have been right up there.

In my recent European wanderings, I've discovered there are a lot of things I like about Greek people and their way. Some things are European in general, and some are specifically Greek.

First of all, I really dig their tiled bathrooms. I know we have those in America too, but I liked them better in Europe. I want to redo my shower now.

Brent and I both really liked their money. Euros are cool. It's nice having a 1 and a 2 Euro coin. And they're pretty.

Finally, and this was a biggie. Several people in our tour group were concerned with all the doings at JFK, Glasgow, and Heathrow airports and asked the tour director if she foresaw any trouble on our flights home. The TD looked blank for a moment, and then she replied that Greeks don't worry much about those kind of things. There's no point in it, and if something is going to happen, there's not much she can do to stop it. Basically, her point was that Greeks, in general, don't work themselves up about things that are beyond their control.

And I thought - now there's what our country missing!

It's not that Europe is lazy or hands-off or don't think about the big picture. They aren't. But, in America, we always seem to be worried about something. We do have a tendency to sweat the small stuff.

Also, I liked how Greeks are towards their parents. Our TD told us they don't ship their parents off to nursing homes or assisted living apartments. They bring them home or find them a place really close to their house (like next door). I just found that refreshing. And, they don't celebrate birthdays so much as celebrate their "Name Day." In Greece, anyway, most children are named after a saint, and that's the day they celebrate more. It's not so much about parties and presents, but about reflecting on how you've lived your life, and just celebrating life in general.

I don't know if this is all a Europe thing, or a Greek thing, but some of their attitudes struck a chord with me. I was doing an internal "Right On!" many times during this trip. We'll see if I can work these European attitudes into my own daily living.

Yes, we are back in the motherland. The kids came back this morning, and we are all happy household again.

I apologize for telling you about the trip for the first couple days, then leaving off abruptly, but we were on the cruise ship, and the ship's two (slow) computers were monopolized by teenagers.

So, instead of trying to backlog ten days' worth of adventure, I'll pack it into a concise list of highlights (and lowlights, as the case may be).

1. The sheer joy of finding out we were bumped to the first-class section for the Philly-Athens leg of the plane trip.

2. Looking like uncouth cretins when we asked the flight attendant how much we had to pay for mimosas in the first-class section.

3. Walking through the Propylaia (entrance) and catching my first glimpse of the Parthenon.

4. Not knowing how to turn lights on in European hotel rooms for the first few hours of the trip.

5. Brent running in the ancient stadium at Delphi in 119 degree weather.

6. Doing all of our walking trips in the hottest weather Greece has seen in 100 years.

7. Standing at the northern end of the ancient Olympic ruins, feeling the utmost awe of the "ancientness" of it all, and hating Theodosius whoever for destroying it all because the ceremonies and rituals of the ancient Olympics didn't jive with Christianity.

8. Watching and filming Brent and three other people from our tour group running a race in the ancient Olympic stadium. (No, he did not win, and yes, it was still insanely, dangerously hot.)

9. Feeling extremely tuned into Homer's world of "The Iliad" as I stepped through the Lion's Gate at the ruins of Mycenae.

10. Delivering the first few lines from Homer's "The Odyssey" in the acoustically amazing ancient theater at Epidaurus. ("Sing in me, O Muse...)

11. The amazing dark blue color of the Aegean Sea sailing aboard the Ruby.

12. Unlimited buffet on the Lido deck.

13. Full Moon Saturday on the Aegean Sea. Freakin' gorgeous.

14. Mykonos's whitewashed houses, cozy streetways, and hanging-out-to-dry octopus.

15. Eating fried squid in a cafe on the beach, watching the sunset on Mykonos.

16. Doing the beach thing on Rhodes. Water is clear, beach is rocky. Sun is hot, breeze is cool. Wish you were here.

17. Many boobs on beach in #16 (not mine).

18. Taking a scenic bus tour of Rhodes, and seeing the absolutely breathtaking view of a beach that was two different shades of blue. Light turquoise at the shallow end, dark sapphire as it got deeper.

19. Visiting the place where St. John received a vision from God and wrote the Book of Revelation...on a Sunday...in the middle of a service going on in the chapel right next to the grotto. Yes, uncomfortable, but inspirational.

20. Sitting with other tour members on the outdoor latrines in the city of ancient Ephesus in Turkey.

21. The ancient city of Ephesus itselt.

22. Bargaining with a leather seller in Kusadasi, Turkey...and walking out with two sweet name-brand leather purses and a wallet for Brent for 75 Euro ($90-100).

23. Watching crazy Athenian drivers and motorbike riders with a death wish from the safety of the tour bus.

24. Being there amid hundreds, thousands of years of history. Feeling that sublime feeling of being a microscopic little speck in the universe, realizing I am just a drop in the ocean of this planet as I stand among rocks that have been standing for thousands of years, and will probably be there a thousand more.

25. Knowing I'll be back to the Greek Islands, most definitely. Someday, anyway. I've got to get a boob lift first so I can fit in with the beachgoers on Rhodes.

Tune in tomorrow for my thoughts on the European ways.