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It looks like we will be sticking around the home office this week.  We are going to head out for a vacation shortly so the chances of a last-minute trip are small.  However we are flying from Chicago on Saturday so if anyone wants to get a drink with us on Friday please let me know.

Courtesy of Google Maps

Post of the Week: Elle from [a bird in the hand] shared a great post about packing light and smart for a weekend trip.  Saving time and luggage fees.  I used to travel with just a large messenger bag, now I bring it all.  Her thoughts on bringing sample of beauty products is dead on in my book.  Back in my modeling days I saved a fortune on bag fees by only have a carry on with help by packing samples.

We had the recent “pleasure” of crossing into Canada with an exhibit truck, for the first time. No amount of advice or warming could have prepared us for how difficult this can be. There are forms that need stamped before you cross the border but there are no signs marking where you can pull over to get them stamped. So guess what, we ended up going to the crossing and getting escorted back to the US. Escorted back to the unmarked building that is. Josh then went inside to “leave his forms in the tray” and wait and wait and wait for US Customs to stamp the papers. Of course she wanted to see what was inside the truck (you can’t actually see inside of the trailer when the expansions are closed). So we finally made it to the border where the friendly Canadian Border Agent greeted us and sent us moving along.

Our meeting went smoothly and we decided to come back across the same day. Again, if you follow the signs for customs it sends you to Do Not Enter and Dead End areas. So Josh finally just pulled off the road and went into a building. After getting the forms stamped by Canadian Customs he asked what the deal was with parking. You can image his shock when the Agent instructed him to next time, park in the NO TRUCKS area. It’s now 9:00 pm, while we’ve had a long day it wasn’t unbearable. I can’t say the same thing about the US Border Agent on our way back in, she must have been having the worst day or she is just nasty to everyone. She actually yelled at us a few times. Not for doing anything wrong but instead of asking a question she would yell an order. She acted horrible towards us. One of her questions was if we cross the border here often, not to complain but she has our passport record open in front of her. I know their job is to try to find anything suspicious but seesh! We treat people coming into the US horrible.

Welcome to the USA – Smuggler?

2011 A Year in Review

Courtesy of Google Maps

This is usually a fun post to write, I try to keep track of a few things throughout the year to make a tally of different stats. We really made some miles this year. So here we go in 2011 we:

Visited 35 States – A monumental year and I crossed Maine off of my lifetime list
Traveled 20,000 Miles – This is a guesstiment since I use our GPS to track this stat and one of our GPS devices was stolen this year
Stayed 315 nights in Hotels – We did stay a month in our company’s apartment
Flashed our passports in 2 Countries – United States and Belize
Worked on 3 different Tours – Library of Congress, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics and Meijer Virtual Playground

I would invite you all to ask for any additional stats too. I’ll do my best.

Wordless Wednesday

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Uggg, I’ve been trying to write this post for a week now! It’s certainly not that we didn’t have fun on our recent visit to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and we certainly enjoyed the company we were with. I guess I’m just not up for doing a “review” on a museum that so many people are familiar with.

There was one unique thing I liked about the museum as a whole. Instead of charging a high entry fee they charge a lower price and tack on additional fees for the special exhibits. So I you’re jut coming for the main museum it is much more cost conscious. We only had part of the day to spend looking around so the regular entry would serve us fine. The entire place is packed with fun and interactive displays. It would be a great trip to take with little ones or big kids :)

One of my favorite and most memorable areas was massive model train area. I didn’t take a single picture there, just couldn’t stop walking around with my mouth open. The amazing and often funny details just couldn’t be captured in true effect. I watched the trains for more than a half hour.

It’s a good thing I didn’t stay with the trains too long or I might have missed German U-Boat exhibit. Sounds exciting huh, well the exhibit actually contains a real captured u-boat. The area started by taking you down two stories via a series of steps and ramps the lead to large video screens . Each telling another piece of the story about the U-Boat and the men untrusted with the task to capture one The last video ends and you turn the corner into a large open room with the stricking view of this huge submarine. I felt like a kid wanting to run down the ramp and climb on it. We spent a good hour learning more about the battle that lead to the US capturing the vessel and the amazing technology gained from this daring mission.

Honestly we had a great time, it was bittersweet. After finishing this museum we said goodby to our friends from Australia and let them roll onto the next exciting part of their trip across the US.

Well it looks like we will be heading for Toronto tomorrow, then back to the home base in Detroit. This will be the first time we cross the border in a truck. Good times ahead I’m sure.

Wordless Wednesday

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Back Out There

As I mentioned last week we are back on the road, for a little bit at least. We had to pack up our stuff and then pack it into the truck. So this post is really for Josh….. I hate to admit it but I over pack! There are two good reasons for this, when you know there is a whole semi-tractor’s worth of room for stuff you don’t think, will I really need this. Also we always go out for a week and it turns into three. So now I over pack now. I hate being somewhere and not having the right outfit or having to buy something I don’t really like. Those emergency purchases usually end up at Goodwill sooner than later.

Not only do I over pack but I have the world’s largest suitcase. It is nicknamed “The Steamer Trunk” and rarely leaves the truck. Due in part to the fact that it is so heavy; getting it in and out is a very difficult task. Trying to lift it above your head to put back into the trucks loft is NOT fun. Since I’m not a typical traveler I don’t have to follow conventional rules. I pack for more than two weeks and don’t apologize. I also have some formal clothing with us; we never know what is going to come up. There is nothing worse than trying to find a dressy dress in a hurry. Add yes I do need all of those shoes.

Josh’s normal sizes suitcase next to the steamer trunk. I can fit comfortably inside of mine when it’s empty.

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We like to spend our New Years in Chicago, close to so many dear friends. This year was no exception. However we had some very special guests join in on the celebrations. Rockmad and Sweetums swung by on their wild cross-country road trip to welcome 2012.

Me and Rockmad

They started a week before in Los Angeles and headed north, thankfully only running into snow once. This was the first time we had met in real life, although I consider Ree to be one of my closest friends and we do talk every day. After a few hugs and a drink it was right down to fun. Hitting some of the great bars in Chicago to count down to Midnight. I feel so fortunate that they made us a part of their trip and that it was not just a quick visit.

We got to see them for three days!!! What better way to start the new year than to visit the tallest building in Chicago. I have to say it was fun; it was a bit striking to step out into the glass boxes.

We also hit up a few other Chicago landmarks including Millennium Park. You’re not a tourist unless you hit this gem. Ree let me strap on a few of her lenses, to Josh’s protest. Poor guy now has a long list of gear I want.

Lens Magic

This was the perfect way to celebrate and we truly loved the time we spent with Ree and Chris.  Dear friends and wonderful people.

Chris and Josh

This week we will still be in Washington DC but there are possible stops in Philadelphia and Toronto.

Post of the Week: A dear friend of mine has started a fun project. He is planning to wear a different t-shirt every day this year. Now I don’t know many people who have enough t-shirts to even attempt this. You can check out the posts so far and read the story behind each one. I think it’s amazing that he knows when he got each one.

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