I moved up to Ohio about 13 years ago leaving behind friends and family. Now, my family (within a hundred miles or so) consists of my husband and our son, with two step children a few  couple of hours away.

Friends?

Do Twitter friends count? Last time I checked…holy cow! Do I actually know 480 people? Doubt it. I can name at least 20 that I really like and may or may not have met in person….

How about FaceBook? There’s quite a few there too. Mostly people that I work with and may or may not have ever flown with.

So, how’s a girl supposed to make and keep a real life friend when either they live over a thousand miles away or are on conflicting schedules? I don’t. I would love to however, my “friends” here in Cincinnati all have 9-5 M-F jobs and I am often gone on the weekends.

My airline friends and I say hi in the lounge and sometimes even get to sit and talk for a few minutes. Otherwise, my friendships last three-four days at a time. It’s even nice when we get to share a meal together. One consisting of a table and chairs and silverware! And, more than 15 minutes is always a bonus.

Why are friends so important and how does social media play a part? A friend of mine, yes I said friend, and hopefully she thinks the same even if it’s only random and chance meetings and online, actually has a very successful blog all dedicated to friendship and how to be a better one!

According to a health magazine (Remedy Report) Loving connections through friends can protect us from sickness and sadness. Friends are there to help you though tough times, quitting bad habits and can even help you heal from life-threatening illnesses. Another study shows how laughing is the best medicine for curing illness and what better way to laugh than with friends.

For those of me that are always on the road, I love my computer and sites like Twitter, Facebook and even Skype. It helps me to feel connected to others even when I cannot be there. I have even had the honor of reconnecting with friends from high school. I just happen to be in the city where one of the women lives tomorrow! So, thanks social media.

Did you know that September is Friendship Month? So go out there and make a new friend! It’s good for your health.

Now that the summer is winding down and the kids are back in school, I reminisce about the last couple of months. My son has just started second grade and is in the on again off again allowance of the hug already, so it was really nice to be able to spend a lot of time with him instead of the summer camp that he went to last year. I just hope that he had as much fun with Mom and Dad as he did with his friends at the pool.

Each week, I bid for a trip that kept me in some city around the destination map for over 30hours. One week we were in Chicago and another Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. We visited Central Park in New York City and more close to home, Dayton, Ohio. Each week, another chance to both hang out and see new sites.

I am not sure which one he would think was the most exciting, however, I have a feeling it may be Chicago. We took the train into the city and then a bus to the Museum of Science and Industry. Getting to the Museum was part of the fun as we counted down the stops and watched people get on and off at each station. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see all of the things there that I wanted to but there’s always next time.

The bus was really quite easy to find and actually was right around the corner from where the train dropped us as promised. The ride took us swiftly away from the city skyscrapers, to follow along lake Michigan in all it’s majesty. Chicago certainly does not lack any green spaces and parks to enjoy, which is a wonderful contrast to the concrete and glass of downtown. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the city life, however, when you have a child, you become more appreciative of open spaces to run and play.

There are two buses that I noticed from the downtown train station to the Museum, the #6 and the #10. We took the 6 because it was the first one to arrive. The only difference is a short walk and I am happy to say the #6 bus gives a view that you just would not have enjoyed by being dropped off at the front doors. Set back across the street and past a vast green lawn is where the bus drops it’s guests off. In front of you stands a Roman treasure, with columns and statues, grand steps and beautiful gardens. It’s building after building where treasures are held beckoning it’s visitors.

The walk into the museum hold it’s own although in a completely modern way, a drastic comparison to the outside architecture. I could go on and on about the museum itself however, I will leave you with this: Go early in the morning and plan to stay all day. We will definitely go back.

After our 4 hour visit to the Museum, my son and I went across the street to “the beach”. The first time that I heard that, I laughed. Coming up from Florida, I laughed that they call some lake, the beach. Then, I saw it. Of course, there are ripples where waves would be and the tide never “comes in”, like I asked.

Suppose I should brush up on my bodies of water. There are beautiful rocks to sit on, sand to build castles and a grill restaurant that will make you up your choice of eats. I have heard that the water in Lake Michigan is quite frigid, so I cautiously reached a toe into the water. Yes, it was cold but not as bad as expected so we did manage  to step deeper into the water reaching our knees. It really was quite nice and I look forward to going back one day.

I wonder if I will get to spend time like this next year with the boy? Or will he be “too old”? I doubt it.

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I have been trying on and off for the last month or so in between trips to make the perfect cupcakes. Unfortunately, I have the tight pants to prove it!

A couple of trips ago I made some that I thought were pretty good. My crew seemed to agree, that’s for sure. It was a recipe that used buttermilk and although I thought that they were good, I thought that they actually tasted better the second day. They seemed to get a little gooey on the outside by then though.

A few days ago, I made some that were simply the standard from the Betty Crocker cookbook, except I used self-rising flour. These were awesome the first day and really easy to make. I had never used self rising flour before but it turned out just fine, simply omit the baking powder and salt in the recipe.

But, what about the frosting? I have tried two different butter cream frostings that are both different from even the one I read today, which is simply butter and powdered sugar! No wonder people looked at me crazy when I said I was trying to get my butter cream just right. Yes, there are some that actually use egg whites or boil a simple sugar first.

I have actually noticed at least one cupcake place around my area, another not too far from me and yet another that makes mostly cakes for special occasions. But, are they any good? Why bother if they aren’t any good? Apparently this is not a good enough reason for some places. I tried one that cost $3.50 each out in San Francisco and it really wasn’t that good. The cupcake itself was dry and the icing make my stomach feel a little queasy. Possibly just too much sugar, which is why I am trying to make the Perfect icing!

I wonder what people are looking for when they purchase a cupcake that someone else has made and are willing to pay $3.50 or more for it? Dunno. I was checking it out for educational purposes of course and the shop was so totally cute. Still, a dry cupcake?

Image via Wikipedia

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Co-Workers….

Before I started working as a flight attendant, I worked in an office. An office with 5 women including myself. One was okay and apparently used to babysit me so I got along with her pretty well. Unfortunately, she was not always there. Another was also pretty nice although rarely ever there (it was a travel agency). The woman that worked at the desk behind me was a total doll and I loved working with her. She eventually started working from home so that she didn’t have to deal with the office drama and I don’t blame her. If I could have, I would have!

Most of the drama came from the “B” in the office who enjoyed making my life Hell. Instead of helping me with the paperwork when I didn’t quite get it, she would come out and practically scold me. Or so this is how I saw it.
The day that I was told that I wasn’t allowed to take my vacation with my boyfriend “because no one was taking summer vacations” although Miss. Perfect that was rarely there anyway (not the office lady) was exempt from this rule, I quit. I understand the whole seniority thing but favoritism doesn’t fly with me. Perhaps that stems from being an only child?

When I started as a flight attendant, we only had one aircraft and it only had one flight attendant. Life was good. Then, we got the CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) and life was even better because I could hear myself think, unlike on the prop plane. Then, it happened. We got a jet. With two flight attendants. Oh, heck no! I avoided that sucker like the plague.

One day, I got stuck on it…the jet… in the back, working with another woman in a small round tube with no escape for days….

It was fantastic!

Who knew what I had been missing all those months? Of course, what happens if I get paired up with some wench that think she’s my boss. I would just die, right? Over the last 12 years, I have flown with pretty much only two types of people with the rare exception of “hope I never fly with you again”.

Wish I could fly with you for the rest of the month.
Nice flying with you but couldn’t care either way if we fly together or not.

The last trip was, well, not the best but that’s okay because it was only two flights spanned over three days. (yes, a very long “layover”). The person that I worked with didn’t smile much, and was a little rigid. Unlike the last few people that I had flown with where we laughed the entire time and had fun with the passengers. I messed up on something minor that was easily fixed since it was just a misunderstanding and yet she felt the need to talk to me about WHILE I was serving the passengers in coach! “Can we talk about this when I get back to the galley please”? I actually felt it necessary to apologize to the passenger that she totally embarrassed along with myself and explain the mix-up.  Ugh!

Another one, I had to keep telling to calm down and relax. After totally and completely apologize to the passengers telling them that she was sick and it was a long day and she really didn’t mean it and is normally a really nice person and…Come on people, work with me here.

I know that I am not the only one who runs into to this situation. I just wonder if it’s just a “woman” thing or if it happens in offices with mostly male personnel?

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I love a good cup of tea or coffee in the fall with some seasonal spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. The give it such an earthy flavor and cinnamon actually helps your body to metabolize sugar.

Nutmeg, which is actually not a nut, is used in cooking around the world in recipes both sweet and savory. The seed pod from inside a West/East Indies Islands is covered in red lace that is dried and sold as Mace. For the best flavor, purchase whole nutmeg and grind it as needed.

With that said, there is another side to Nutmeg that concerns me. Long believed to have magical powers and healing properties, the spice is now being snorted by kids to get high. Another option is to eat 3-4 TBSP for the “Marijuana like effects”.

According to EpiCenter.com:  Nutmeg’s flavour and fragrance come from oil of myristica, containing myristicin, a poisonous narcotic. Myristicin can cause hallucinations, vomiting, epileptic symptoms and large dosages can cause death.

The article that I found on Digg.com was a Fox news special reporting on the problem says that there are no harmful effects or deaths yet but according to the statement above, that may not always be the case.

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Okay ladies and gentlemen. It’s Round Two. Or, at least since I started with the company. What will it be?

Yes?

No?

More designer uniforms perhaps?

We tried to tell you the first time that the uniforms and the this and that the company offered you was crap but you didn’t want to listen until it was too late. The pre-merger flight attendants have representation, do you? Nope. Now is your chance to have yourself heard. If there was a way that you could be treated the way you should be just because you care about your job and your passengers and want your company to succeed because that’s your life at stake too, then the story would be different.  But, it’s not. All the lies and promises will fade again just like last time….

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Delta Force For Global Good invites you to join in the 2010 Habitat for Humanity International Build, Oct. 29 – Nov. 5, 2010 in El Monte, Chile to construct a 15 house build.  El Monte is a Chilean city and commune in Talagante Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region.  You are invited to take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to community service by engaging in this exciting project – building homes for those in need.

According to the Delta website, this is an opportunity for Delta employees to give back to the world. If this is something that you would interested in, check with Habitat for Humanity or Delta Airlines.

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In 1996, I was a travel agent. I loved my job and the adventures that I put together for other people. Sometimes, it was just booking an airline ticket but sometimes it was a cruise or a travel package! Oh, to dream. What was most fun for me was when my coworker and I checked the different airlines and were able to pick flights on dates based on a “fare war” (do they still do those) each airline was having connecting through different cities. We were able to put together a roundtrip ticket to Hawaii for only $500! I actually have no idea how much a ticket to Hawaii is these days but back then, that was amazing!

Skip ahead to 2010…

I know that there are still travel agents around however, I wonder how busy they are. There are so many sites online that allow to book your own travel that most people simply do it themselves. You can scavenge through the dozens of  sites, different airline sites or even ones like Kayak that supposedly show you all of them at once. Of course, when I first went to that site, I was disappointed to see that it simply opened them all up in different windows for you! I thought it would show the prices found on each site on ONE page. Personally, I like checking different sites but would love the time I saved by having everything in one place.  If you like doing it yourself too, I have the best site for you to check out! I have wanted to get back into the business and this was the best idea for me. I can still be a travel agent but without being stuck in an office.

Online travel agent meets all of the online shopping that you could possibly need all in one place! By the tickets, the luggage and the travel clothes all at one place. That way you can still do it all yourself but really have it in one spot. AND, if you really would like to have someone else to do it, just let me know @ willflyforfoodblog@gmail.com.

www.2exploreandshop.com

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ad·ver·tis·ing  [ad-ver-tahy-zing]

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I have been going to Boston since I started back in 1997 traveling between there, New York City and Montreal; however, I never really took the time to get to know her. The times that I have actually stayed the night were mostly spent just passing the time in the hotel. Either I wasn’t there for very long or simply didn’t think that I could get to the city area by myself. I went once with my husband and once with my crew, both times simply looking at the buildings, grabbing a cup of Starbucks and watching the ducks in Public Park. Never really seeing Boston.

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Yesterday, I was there again except this time with my Mom who I wanted to show those same adorable duck statues and beautiful flowers that line every corner of Boston Commons and Public Park. I know someone who should be relocating there next year so I really took notice this time and actually felt a stronger connection to the place. I feel a bit silly that all of these years I stayed in the hotel instead of getting out and enjoying the view.

Downtown Boston (and just about everywhere in the area) is unbelievably easy to get to. Right at the airport, there is a bus that will take you to the Blue Line, which can in turn get you to anywhere that you would like to go. Only $2 per person, per trip to start and very easy to figure out. If you are unable to read the map of train lines (red, blue, orange, ect.) I found the staff extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Take the train Inbound from the airport to get to the city center and don’t get too comfortable because it’s not that far away! We debated at getting off at State Street or Government Square but thanks to a fellow passenger, we chose State. That way, we were able to see Faneuil Hall , a tribute to the Holocaust and a lot of really great architecture. One of my favorite things about the city from what I is the diversity in not only people but the landscape. Old meets new, modern with classic. All sharing the space together and not phased by the other. Churches from the 1800′s are not uncommon next to all glass offices.

Finally, after asking a mail person or two for directions (they are the most knowledgeable people to ask for directions!), we found Boston Commons. It is a large park, much larger than anything I could find in Cincinnati (due to lack of space), with vendors and readers, sleepers, families and runners. As with any town worldwide, there was a person or two that really needed to put their shirt back on. Yes madame, I am talking to you. I fell in love with the fact that people were napping in the middle of the park without a care in the world. They didn’t appear to be intoxicated or disheveled, simply enjoying the warm sun on a beautiful day. This could be us Cincinnati at Washington Park. The park is laid out with green grass and flowers surrounding walking paths and statues like a tribute to the Civil War.

Different statues every few hundred feet or so, a small lake and even a Ferris wheel. Flowers and perfectly manicured  lawns, portable food including a pickle vendor who tells me, “These aren’t pickles. These are Grillo’s Pickles”!  Walking through the streets and past more than one local cemetery and then into the park, school children learned  from period dressed guides that taught them the history of the land. A large gated playground filled with children,  squirrels that looked light they may have been asking for food. But, where are the duck statues? Across the street at the  Public Gardens.

The first thing that you see is a beautiful black rod iron gate, flowers and a sign of what is expected and prohibited from the park. Walking into the park, I saw them. Mrs. “Duck” and her babies strolling along in perfect arrangement.. I think that I may like this park even more. To our left, we saw the Swan Boats gliding through the water with passengers in tow. Two live swans laying as if king and queen of the ducks appeared to be preparing for parenthood sitting on a bed of hay and feathers with ducks sleeping around them. Workers lay mulch and feed trees all over the park enhancing the work of natural art did not seem to disturb the park goers due to the size and layout of the park. The lake feels like the center piece to me and is a grand piece de resistance.

From the parks, we strolled the streets looking for something to eat. Not just anything but fare local to the area. Lobster anyone? I was hoping for something other than Legal Seafood only because it seems like just another franchise. Of course, that’s exactly where we ended up.

Before finding a place to eat, we headed into the mall for a quick look around. A truffle shop selling chocolates for $30/pound and a Gucci store, where we mistakes the security guard for a sales person he was dressed that good!

After not really finding anything other that a Legal Seafood in the Mall, at least two Starbucks and a bagel place, Mom and I started to head back toward the airport. She told me that there was a Legal Seafood located on the water somewhere where she stayed on time. After asking just one more person, we found it less than a block off the Aquarium exit ( MBTA station). And guess what.? It was fantastic. We ordered the trio roll  (lobster, crab and shrimp meat packed in to a toasted flat side hot dog roll) and a cup of Lobster Bisque. The cole slaw was a little too bland but the rest of it was fantastic and much more food than we could have eaten had we not shared. I also loved the fact that it was on the water, which made it even better.

A couple looks at the bay dotted with boats of all sorts and we headed back to take our flights. All in all a perfect day!

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