Planes, Trains and Automobiles (and Boats and Helicopters)

One of my first trips for JCI was a 12 day visit to Turkey, Luxembourg and Monaco. I thought I was so smart - I was saving time and money as I started my trek across Europe. I had to pack suits, formals, casual clothes, and gifts - you know there are clearly no stores in Europe if I forgot something, so I left Ann Arbor with a big suitcase, a small suitcase and a computer bag looking like a bag lady as I approached the ticket window.

My flight to Istanbul took about 10 hours and I was utterly exhausted when I landed. I was hoping to get a nap and a shower toute suite but instead I was whisked by car to a ferry where we took a 2 hour boat ride across the Sea of Marmara. From there it was a 1 1/2 hour car ride to Balakesir where I finally got to lay down and pass out. My stay in Turkey was amazing and the people were so hospitable. So hospitable that I started to receive so many gifts - 3 bottles of perfume, a piece of artwork, a ceramic plate and 2 Turkish rugs. Really - 4 X 6 area rugs are beautiful and one adorns my office currently, but they are not really easy to pack.

Here is where the fun began! I received so many gifts, my 2 escorts and I looked like pack mules as we traipsed back to Istanbul dragging rugs onto and off of the ferry. We looked like we were moving instead of on vacation.

We immediately went to the bazaar in Istanbul and bought another suitcase. Now, I had 2 big suitcases, 1 small suitcase and a computer bag as I left for Luxembourg. After bartering with the ticket agent, putting on some more clothes and moving as much to my carry on (it was bursting at the seams), I reluctantly ended up paying nearly $200 to get my luggage out of Turkey, I arrived in Luxembourg via a delayed connection in Frankfurt, Germany with not much additional drama.

The next part of the journey was where things got dicey. We were taking the overnight train from Luxembourg to Nice. Now please picture me and my escort (who had his own suitcases also) trying to schelp 4 suitcases and 2 computer bags up and down stairs in train station and up into the train. We looked like refugees from Beverly Hills, we clearly had to much crap to be homeless. As we huffed and puffed to our 6 person sleeping cabin, I quickly realized that our luggage took up all the storage space that was supposed to hold 6 people's stuff. Luckily we arrived first, but I can tell you we got the evil eye from the 4 remaining cabin mates who were forced to store their suitcases on their bunks. After the stare down, we decided that one of us would remain with the luggage at all time for fear some of it would get tossed out the window if we blinked.

When we arrived in Nice we were greeted by a very nice man with a very small car, so small that we ended up riding on top of a couple of suitcases in the back seat. Next form of transportation - helicopter. Here is where I was mortified beyond belief. I heard the helicopter agent telling my escort (in French - she did not know that I was onto her) that they would have to buy another seat for me because my LUGGAGE weighed to much! I continued my game of ignorance and happily boarded the helicopter waiting for the porter to load all my bags and the money to be exchanged while I dreamt of the near future (like 1 hour) when I could park these bags for 5 whole days and not carry them!

After paying another $80 dollars, I was off from Nice and on my way back to the US where I was promptly squired away for secondary inspection before leaving customs. I don't think anyone believed that one person could have so much luggage. I am sure that they thought I was a smuggler or at least had a dead person in my massively heavy bags.

When I finally got home and Tom nearly had a hernia getting all my bags into the house, I vowed to downsize on remaining trips. Knowing that I would never be able to do that (you never know what the occasion requires), I decided that 2 countries per trip was my new rule! I also learned that FedEx can be your friend :)!

Rain Sucks

If I hear one more time "We need the rain," I am going to poke someone with my umbrella. Rain sucks. It is the destroyer of days, the harbinger of havoc, the monster of bad moods and just plain annoying in so many ways.

First, let's talk about my appearance. No matter how much goop I put in my hair, on rainy days, I never have a good hair day. Usually, I end up as a cross between Michael Jackson in his Jackson 5 afro day's and a poodle. Also, having to gear up with rain boots, a rain coat and an umbrella is something similar to suiting up to track across the Serengetti. No matter how cute the gear is, it is still a whole lot of extra stuff to put on and take off through out the day.

Then what happens to drivers when the rain starts? Rain takes seemingly normal drivers and turns them in to stark raving lunatics. A 45-minute ride home from the ballpark turned into a 3 and a 1/2 hour affair because some idiot decided to drive 20 miles over the speed limit, slam on their breaks on a slick patch of road and climb the embankment snarling traffic. I mean, this driving behavior isn't smart in good weather, what would possess someone to do this while dashing puddles, trying to see through windshield wipers that always decide to act up when it is down pouring and when other cars decide to drive 20 miles UNDER the speed limit? Really.

Rain also makes me mad when I am flying (which I do a lot). An easy 2 hour flight to Maine was turned into an 8 hour stay in the DTW airport while my house was a mere 20 minutes away. Can any one blame me for turning into a crazed lunatic when I am trying to fly 2 hours and could have been in Europe by the time I finally arrive?

Also known as the Spoiler of Summer Fun, rain really cuts into my social life. Picnics have been forced inside this year (which is just another excuse for my Guitar hero obsessed friends to break out the Wii again) and 4 baseball games were touch and go through the first couple innings. Even though the games did play, dealing the humidity, the stickiness and the wet seats did not improve my overall mood. Even a day at the pool is impacted by rain. Sitting their in my bathing suit does not preclude me from running like I am being chased from the pool at the first drops of rain.

So rain, you are kind of a pain in the a**. I sleep on average 6 - 7 hours a day and spend at least 10 - 12 days away from home each month for work, JCI or fun. At night and when I am out of town, go nuts! Otherwise, rain, rain go away, Michelle is a busy girl and can't take your delay!

All that is Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray and I grew up 30 minutes apart. Our high school sports teams played one another. We were both cheerleaders. Did we meet? Not that I know of - I am much younger. Varsity cheerleaders usually did not associate themselves with junior varsity cheerleaders.

Why do I care about Rachael Ray and why should you? Because Rachael Ray is cool! Sure she can be overly perky and sometimes downright annoying (especially if I have not had my coffee), but she gets what 30 something women want. She knows that we are busy and she comes up with 30-minute meals that are easy and not boring. She travels around to different cities on her $40 a day show and finds unique restaurants. I have never been to a bad one. I have tried Manana Garage in Maui, Great Lakes Brewing Co and Tommy's in Cleveland and the Ice Box in Miami to name a few (and have schlepped my husband to all of them) and I have never been disappointed. I try to avoid chain restaurants when I am traveling and Rachael Ray makes it easy for me to do so.

She has even started a show called Rachael's Vacation where she drags her husband (and sometimes her dog) along to cool cities. I want to walk around Quebec with my husband in autumn wearing jeans and a nice jacket looking cute and being very married. Who doesn't?

I think Rachael is cool because she remembers where she came from and gives back to the community. She goes back and does a fundraiser every year for her local high school and does book signings at the local country store. I try to give back through my work with the Ann Arbor Jaycees and JCI.

Finally, how can Rachael not be cool with the fun expressions that she uses like EVOO, and yummo! What other 40 year old woman could get away with this? In a few years, I want to be that woman!