Adventures of a travelin’ girl…

Sometimes, I have a pretty sweet job. Or maybe it’s just a regular job with a few sweet perks every now and again. Either way, its days like this when I am happy to be in Corporate America playing the role of a successful, high powered business woman. Im not really all that successful and not the least bit a high powered business woman, but I play one on tv. Okay, so I don’t play one on tv either.

Back in the spring I was asked to co-present at a large conference in Chicago with one of the banking institutions that we do business with. Apparently I was such a smash hit (gag me!) that they asked if I would co-present the same presentation at a conference in Grand Rapids, MI. Okay, so you’re going to fly me to Grand Rapids, put me up in the Amway Grand, feed me, entertain me, make me stand in front of a hundred people for an hour, then send me on my way? Where do I sign?

Let me just say that I am NOT an experienced traveler. I don’t think I have been through a major airport since the 9-11 attacks. As a matter of fact, I stepped off of a plane the very morning those horrific things took place and haven’t been back since. I remember all the hype about increased security measures, shoe bombers, all that. But when I was preparing for my trip, I forgot to make myself familiar with the new airport guidelines. I checked myself in online, was all set and ready…so I thought. I didn’t check my bag, decided to carry it on with me so I wouldn't have to pay the ridiculous fee that the airports are charging these days. Mistake! Thank God I was at the airport at a non-busy time because otherwise, I would have been mortified. As Im standing there…shoeless…how can anyone be comfortable in an airport security line without any shoes on? Anyway, Im watching them scan my computer, my bag, my purse, then…my suitcase. They might as well have started blowing sirens or something. The lady indicated that there was a problem and they would need to search my bag. Omg. Right there, for everyone to see, are the contents of my suitcase. Thank goodness I packed my cute undies right? Someone forgot to remind me that big bottles of anything liquid are NOT allowed on a plane. For crying out loud, what am I going to do with a bottle of Dove hairspray? Its Dove! A symbol of peace! How harmful can a half empty can of hairspray be? Fine, take it. Oh, and this Clean and Clear facial soap…fine, you can have that too. And the lotion. And my toothpaste. They picked up my bottle of Channel perfume and I about went postal on them…oh, but it was okay. Wshew! I then got a brief lesson from the should-be retired security officer as to what’s allowable and what’s not. And then he gave me a Ziploc bag to put all the allowable stuff in. Him handing me that plastic bag was like being handed that little plastic cup at the doctor’s office. Here, fill this up!

Alright, so Im finally through security and waiting at the gate with plenty of time to spare (which for me is a small miracle in and of itself). Im boarding the plane just like everyone else, and as I give my ticket to the ticket-taker-guy, he slightly glances up at me and says in a tone that is barely audible, ‘thank you Supermodel Miller.’ Lol!! I chuckled, said thank you, walked away, then rolled my eyes. Where was he when they were searching my private belongings?! I should have corrected him and stated that today I am not a supermodel; I am a high powered business woman. I’m only a supermodel on the weekends.

Minnesota Pictures

I am ready to throw my computer in the lake but alas, the Minnesota pictures are finally ready for your viewing pleasure. I put together a slide show, set to music, which last about 4 minutes or so. The featured song, one of my current favorites, is Life In A Northern Town by Sugarland featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen. Though I have no idea what this song is really about, the title fits and it will now remind me of my trips to Minnesota each time I hear it. All of the photos displayed in the slide show were taken by me, a VERY amateur photographer-wannabe. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

Missing Minnesota

I miss Minnesota. I miss being out on the water, the beautiful scenery, the peacefulness. Though our time there was short, it was a great blessing to be able to spend time with family and revisit some childhood memories. As children, you never know which experiences are going to stay with your memory forever. The images that this lake has imprinted into my internal photo album will be there for years to come, evoking the familiar feeling of being in a place that I love.

My parents' and brother's site was on Cut Foot Sioux while my other brother and cousins were over on Big Winnie (Lake Winnibigoshish). Though they are connected, each body of water has its own personality (sounds like my family!). One small and tranquil, the other large and abundant. Here are two videos that I captured on my camera that give a brief glimpse at each lake:

Big Winnie


Cut Foot Sioux


I am almost ready to share my photos with you so stay tuned!

Home Again in Indiana

We're home! Our time in Minnesota was wonderful and relaxing. Now, its time to catch up on laundry and cleaning before heading back to work. I need to organize and edit my pictures from the trip (what I was able to take when my camera wasnt dead!), so I'll post those for you very soon. In the meantime, enjoy this snapshot of the view we had from my parents' campsight:

Hop Skips

I just received a call from my sister-in-law up in Minnesota. Boy am I jealous! They’re on the big lake, aka Big Winnie, and had just stopped off for a shore lunch (literally pulling the boat to shore and having lunch). Thankfully, everyone arrived safely in MN, although my brother’s entourage blew a tire on the boat trailer and lost some bearings during the trip. 14 hours later, they arrived to camp and have been successfully pulling in fish. I told them to save some for us; we’ll be headed that way in less than 24 hours!

They’re going into town tomorrow to get more lemonade and vodka; apparently the Hop-Skips are flowing nicely! What are Hop-Skips you ask? Mmm, a delicious concoction traditionally named Hop Skip and Go Naked! Or, hop skip and fall on your face… Or, as our friend who had a few too many once called, Jump Kicks. We’re not sure where Jump Kicks came from but it’s my new favorite terminology. Hop Skips are great to serve at large social gatherings since they can be mixed in large portions, much like margaritas (my personal favorite). Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give them a try:

Hop Skip & Go Naked

1 bag ice
1 can limeade
1 can lemonade
2 liters Sprite® soda
1/2 gal vodka
1 case beer

Empty a bag of ice into a large cooler. Add the cans of limeade and lemonade, then the 2 liter bottle of sprite. Add 1/2 gallon of vodka and 20-24 cans of beer.

There are several renditions to this recipe so feel free to switch it up to suit your taste. More or less beer can be used (I say way less!) and I’ve seen some recipes that use whiskey and other devilish liquids. Remember to drink responsibly!

We're getting very excited about our trip to Lake Winnibigoshish and are scrambling to get things purchased, organized, and cooked before we leave tomorrow. We have lots of fun to squeeze into three days of fishing and boating, so much to do!

The Adventures of Max and Jill

Max surprised me (sort of) with a little get away this past weekend for our first anniversary. We had talked about going away a while back but due to work and all of the other things that life throws at us, we just didn't get anything planned. Or so I thought. Max had something up his sleeve but wouldn't tell me what. He just said to pack an overnight bag and get ready to go, 'we're leaving this afternoon!' How on earth does a girl pack for a trip when she doesn't know where she's going? "Very casual" is all I got. I had guessed earlier that we'd be going to an amusement park, just wasn't exactly for sure which one. About three hours into the trip, it turns out I was right. :)

About five hours after we left home, we arrived in Sandusky, OH, roller coaster capital of the world! We visited an amusement park on our honeymoon so it is now our goal to visit a park each year for our anniversary. I personally am looking forward to the day when we've visited all of the ones here in the US and we are "forced" to travel abroad.

So anyway, we're in Sandusky, 5 hours away from home, and uh, we have no reservations to stay anywhere. None. Everything was booked, Max said. Huh. All of the hotels in this dumpy little town were booked. But what the heck, right, lets go anyway! Max would sleep in the car for all he cared, I on the other hand, am a bit more...am way more particular as to where I lay my head. He was content with stopping at the first two hotels we saw. Nuh uh, no way Jose, I'm NOT staying there, keep driving. We tried two other places, both full with the exception of smoking rooms, which Max refused to accept. Max was referred to a resort just a few miles out of town, they might have some openings. This should be good, I thought, based on the looks of everything else around here. We get there...and omg...b-u-t-ful! I crossed my fingers, toes, and eyelashes in hopes that they would have something available...and affordable. Thankfully, they had open rooms, a bit pricey but what the heck, it was our anniversary! Sawmill Creek Resort is where we stayed and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a nice getaway or are in the Sandusky, OH area. This place had its own golf course and a spectacular setting right on Lake Erie. The weather was absolutely beautiful when we arrived so it was a great opportunity to head down to the marina and check things out. Here are a few pictures that I was able to snap before the battery in my camera went kaput.




I could have taken in that view all day long!

We went to dinner, then came back to check out "The Saloon" at the resort. Okay, people who live in million dollar condos and drive million dollar boats, do not hang out in saloons...do they? Apparently so and apparently they have a really really good time doing so! This cozy bar (for lack of a better word) was comfortably filled and hosted a Motown cover band, which was a hoot! We had so much fun watching the *ahem!* elderly folks getting their groove on. We busted our moves a few times as well, but I think I had more fun watching everyone else. And the funniest thing of all was when we spotted this guy (please forgive the terrible photo quality, I had to sneakily take the picture with my cell phone):

Who was an absolute dead ringer for this famous bounty hunter:

He had the black pants, white shirt, cowboy boots, necklace, and long blond hair. This guy knew what he was doing, for sure! Hysterical!!

I wont bore you with details of Cedar Point. We had a great time and that's all that matters. Unfortunately, a strong storm headed our way as we were getting ready to ride this:

This coaster launches forward, reaching 120 mph in 4 seconds, racing straight up a 420 foot track then comes down a track that twists 270 degrees. Great balls of fire!! I can take most coasters but this one I was really unsure about. But, mother nature had other plans and the ride was closed due to incliment weather. *wshew!* Maybe next time...


Oh, I almost forgot! On our way home, we stopped in Celina, OH for a bite to eat. We somehow stumbled upon this little dive right on the lake and decided to give it a try. What a spectacular view!

But the interesting thing about this stop were these two little cutie pies:

We saw the white dog trot up the sidewalk then came the black dog. We were commenting on how cute they were and the waitress told us that they follow their owner where ever he goes. He comes in for a beer and they sit across the street and wait for him to finish, then they follow him home. That's exactly what they did too! Their owner peddled up on his bike, came in to have a beer, and the dogs sat and waited for him across the street. They watched and waited until he was done. When they saw him getting ready to leave, their tails started wagging but they didn't move. Once he came out and hopped on his bike, away they all went! What loyalty!

Because this post is now waaaay too long and its past my bedtime, I'll leave you with the last few shots of our adventure:

Hail Purdue!

On December 26 we headed to Detroit MI for the Motor City Bowl to watch Purdue play against Central Michigan. We had played them earlier in the year so this was a rematch. Still exhausted from the holidays, we were in the parking lot by 6:15 to jump on the bus. 5+ hours later, we arrived in Detroit. The game was at 7:30 and it turned out to be a real nail bitter. I'll save you the details (that's what ESPN is for!) but I will say that we won by a field goal with 2 seconds remaining on the clock. Wshew, that was a close one!

Here's Max and I as we entered the stadium.
The ever popular Purdue Marching Band.
Coach Tiller accepting the trophy.
After each win, the team sings the Purdue fight song to their fans.

Boiler Up!