Meet Maria Santalucia... The name has a ring to it...

Who Maria?

She's just a pig-headed Italian witch with piss and vinegar running through her veins...

That's a classic line from THE MORON himself - Walter Mattheau (Grumpier Old Men). I am always quoting the movie and we have fun with it.

My sister was bugging me yesterday while I was out on the ocean (literally out of the blue, I had a little cell service). She says she's tired of fish and fishing and bears and bear hunting and moose and all the stuff I am into. Her and mom know that I met a woman up here, and they are dying for the latest, I'm sure. They probably call each other every morning and speculate until they can't stand it anymore. So I suppose I'll throw you a few tidbits sister...

After I decided that I was going to base my trip out of Homer, I started to wonder what the women were like up here.  My thought was: I'm going to be up here for two months - it would be nice to have a friend to do things with, and help me get acquainted with the area, meet new people, etc. I had a subscription to match.com, so I searched on the Homer area, and that's how I met Maria.  We started talking about 6 or 8 weeks ago - via email, text, and eventually phone. PJ and I met her together first at her B&B. We had lunch and dinner, got a tour of town and the russian village to the east of here, and even stayed for a night when a room was open at the B&B.  After PJ left, I started spending more time with Maria, and we have sort of "hit it off."

So far, we've been to church twice. She's been out fishing and bear hunting with me. Maria is an awesome cook, and has even published her own cookbooks. Seems everywhere we go, people know and love her. When we go out for dinner or dancing, I've met so many people - I can't possibly keep them straight.

Maria has four sons. Three of them own fishing vessels and have netting permits - and they are out on the sea right now for the months of June and July. Perhaps next summer I can work with them. I think that would be an interesting experience. The fourth son is a green beret, and last we heard, he was in Cambodia (he sent us a few touristy pics on his day off).