Deep Thoughts by Hunter Molson Nutt

I'm not really sure what is going on. Mom has been strange for the last few days...She took me to play with dogs I don't know so good last night and I got to play with my cousin Junior all afternoon today. Mom and I even played ball in the house until the ball almost hit that big thing taking up all the space in my living room. Not really sure what it is for, but Mom sure stares at it a lot when we really should be outside.

Mom's just being weird. Not sure why, but somehow I am getting more treats because if it....Hold on..............................................................................................Sorry had to chase my tail. Some day I will catch it. Then vengeance will be mine!!!

Anyway Mom says I am going on vacation for three weeks and will get to play in a big yard with Gunner and Pudge. Not sure who they are but I think they are the dogs from last night.

Mom just said it is almost midnight (whatever that means) and it is time for bed.....Man I hope she lets me out before, but I like jumping on her bed and waking up before it is light out....

Notes on the Tattoo and Packing

Well there it is for those who thought I was making the tattoo thing up (and you're welcome as I cropped the flabby parts of my arm from the pic. Thanks Gia for taking it.). Despite what some people thought, it is the real thing not one of those peel on temporary things. I had it done two weeks ago and, other than the skin being a bit dry, it is pretty much healed. Yes it hurt, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would.



So packing...I should tell you it is almost 11:00PM Thursday night. I am not quite finished packing as I am not quite finished with laundry. The for five days, I have had the suitcases out and while now they have some clothing in them, most of the week their contents included only PowerBars, Snickers Marathon Energy Bars, gum, and a few toiletries. Shortly before clothes were added this evening, those provisions were supplemented with beef and turkey jerky (on sale at Target), some individual tea and lemonade packets, and two one-pound bags of Twizzlers. If the food is not to my liking I am ready for the Protein and Carb diet.

Actually there are several restaurants right at the hotel and they all sound pretty good. I've added a link to the hotel if anyone is interested. I think this one potentially could replace the Hyatt Regency in Calgary as my favorite. It sure as heck wont be as bad as the Days Inn in Clute, Texas....I'm still having nightmares about that place and that was five years ago...

http://www.tajhotels.com/Luxury/TAJ%20LANDS%20END,MUMBAI/default.htm

Well the dryer just shut off so I should take care of business or just go to bed.

Buonasera,

Lori

Saints and Mojos

What is quickly becoming the most annoying question as my departure date approaches? "Are you nervous yet????"....Well only because I keep hearing that question!!!

Even though statistically air travel is much safer than getting into you car, it is not exactly my favorite mode of transportation. However if your car is in a fender bender or almost ends up in Lake Huron near Cheboygan (a long time ago, the only time I drove a stick, nobody got hurt and it wasn't my car), statistically your odds of survival are better than if the plane goes down. Especially if there is a gremlin on board.

And "seat cushion as a floatation device"? ...That's just plain FUNNY!

Rationally I know this is irrational fear, but a little mojo couldn't hurt. Now I know what some of you might be thinking. The Celtic Cross newly tattooed on my arm is not a protection thing, it is a midlife crisis thing. (Sorry no picture of the tattoo as I haven't taught Hunter how to use a camera)

I didn't even think about a mojo until Saturday when I rode along with my sister to Caeli Regina in downtown Bay City to buy a Saint Joseph statue for her friend who is selling a house. The theory is that if you plant the statue upside down, your house will sell quicker. Sounds crazy, but after her house had been for sale for over a year, my mother did it and her house sold not long after. Just an FYI for anyone who does this, you should dig Saint Joseph up before you move....I do digress a bit...

As Michele is searching for her Saint, I am feeling a bit like a Pagan in a China Shop so I browse. There's Saint Christopher in a case of various medallions. Even though the Vatican removed his feast day in 1969 due to lack of historical evidence, Saint Christopher is still considered by many to be the patron saint of travelers. "Maybe I should get one", I think. Then think it is silly. It's just a medallion on a chain so I move on.

Soon Christopher shows up again in the form of what looks like a variation of a rosary with a Saint Christopher medallion on one end, a cross on the other and three sets of three beads in between. It also has instructions. Three Our Fathers, Three Hail Mary's and three Glorias. I know Our Father and Hail Mary, but who or what is a Glorias??? I'm thinking maybe Gloria, but which version? G-L-O-R-I-A or the Laura Brannigan song from the 80's. Either way I am pretty sure that's not it.

By this time, Michele had found her Saint and I was hanging on to mine debating. In the end, my sister bought it for me and we leave the store. We look up "Glorias" on the Internet, print out the prayers and for some reason I feel a little better with Saint Christopher as my mojo....Well better until I realized I left my mojo or my mojo left me in Bay City...

Ciao,

Lori

Not So Doctor Feelgood

So every adventure should start with a few hiccups and learning experiences...For instance Doug (one of my co-workers who will be arriving in Mumbai the week I leave) and I discovered that you can't apply for a passport with the clerk's office of the county you were born in. Which meant after going to clerks office together, Doug ended up having to go to the post office. Wilted Flower! What's up with that rule? I guess it is better than having to go to the county you were born in...Not that I have anything against Huron County. The fact that 99.9% of the roads in Huron County are either north-south and east-west makes it pretty hard to get lost...Of course this has nothing to do with learning experiences. Unless you have never been to Huron County and in that case "You're welcome".

ANYWAY...After applying for passports, the next step was a trip to Medical to set up an appointment to update vaccinations. The earliest I could get in would be the following week...Oh good another vacation interrupted.

A week later I show up at the appointed time. Paula, the nice nurse person, takes my medical history and basically goes over everything I will most likely need but technically were only "recommended": Hepatitis A&B, Tetanus/Diphtheria, Polio (hey what happened with those awesome Polio sugar cubes) and Typhus with Maleria pills to start two days before leaving. We chat a bit. I bring up my back issues and Paula kindly offers to hook me up with some stretch bands to exercise with. I also get a Ziploc bag full of generic pills and bands as well as a thermometer (complete with the little plastic sheaths). Wow these Dow Medical folks are cool! The parting gifts right up front! SA-WEET!

Nurse Paula then leads me to the doctor's office. He goes over the recommended vaccines. "Sign me up for all of them!" All is right with world....Then the 10 page document comes out and Doctor Feelgood begins his lesson.

"Try not to get bit by a mosquito" - Great. Of all the types of magnet I could be the only one I am is a Mosquito Magnet. I'm told I need to buy repellent wipes as I could carry them a couple of those on the plane because unlike a pump of OFF the wipes are within the liquid tolerance. As much as I would like to declare JIHAD on all the mosquitoes in all the world, I think the folks on the plane would be safe if I brought a pump with me. Silly regulations! Then again my passport photo does scream terrorist.

"Do you sing in the shower?" - Like I would admit that to him or anyone reading this...Great now you all know and for a couple of you "NO I WILL NOT KARAOKE AND YOU WILL NEVER MAKE ME!!!" In short, the doctor was trying to tell me not to drink the water even accidentally in the shower...Not a problem as I had already read about the antiquated water and sewer system that run more or less next to each other and date back to the time of the British Raj. Then he proceeds to tell me to be careful of the bottled water I might buy on the street. To make sure the seal was intact. Still no problem as I am pretty sure I would not want to eat or drink anything sold on the street. On the one positive note he did let me know that Pepsi and Coke products are readily available....Oh yeah....BEER TOO!!! Ahh beer : )... but I digress.

"Only eat fruit you can peel yourself" - Too much about food for this, but I will sum up. Only eat fruits and vegetables you can wash and peel yourself, if something that should be served hot and comes out cold don't eat it, don't eat beef around the Hindus, don't eat pork in front of the Muslims, and be careful who you is around if you are having drinks...OK I might not be a world traveler, but I don't sit in the double wide every night wondering the what world is like outside of Michigan. Heck I've been to Epcot (Mom and I drank around the world. It was great!). As mentioned in the last post, I have a minor in sociology and common sense. I am not going to offend the natives.

"If you have a fever when you are supposed to depart, you can be quarantined" - That explains the thermometer.

My favorite: "Keep your eyes closed on the drive to the site. The drivers know what they are doing". Apparently I don't want to see any potential crashes I might be involved in...I may have to give him this one.

I am now wondering how and why someone becomes a doctor at a major corporation as opposed to having a private practice or working in a hospital. I am thinking in this case there may have been bedside manner issues because just as I was getting comfortable with going on the trip, the reality of the situation is getting spelled out. Quick Happy Thoughts! Puppies...Rainbows....The expensive Marriott that I will be staying in that I could not possibly afford on my own....

And at that point the doctor sends me back to another nurse to get my shots.

Later

Lori

Volunteers Needed

The Gateway to Inda

You're on vacation. An e-mail comes to your inbox from your supervisor looking for volunteers to go to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India to train people who could potentially replace you.

I guess the first question would be "Why the hell are you checking your e-mail while you're on vacation?". OK! I have issues! Deal!

My first response..."Why would I want to help a group that could eventually leave me without job?" I was already working with two of the folks over there who have taken over duties from Europe. Plus the the thought of a $400+ kennel bill was literally painful...well maybe not literally. So I deleted the e-mail and went on with my vacation.

I eventually, against my better judgement, went back to work. Then I started thinking...One of the processes, PCEs (For you non-Dow or Dow non-Cost folks, that stands for Product Cost Estimates...Get on you knees and thank God you are not involved with them) would require quite a bit of intensive training. Training that if done over the phone would eventually lead to mental anguish to them and myself. Made much more sense to be there.

On the personal side, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Three weeks in a city with a ton of history. 18 million people from the very wealthy to the souls who live in poverty that is unimaginable. Spiritually speaking, for those of you who know my interests, there are polytheist Hindus, monotheist Muslims and Christians, as well as the Jains (dharmic - which encompasses several religions), Parisis, Buddists, Sikhs, and Jews.

Even though I will spend the vast majority of my time working, this is an all expense paid trip that appeals to the Sociology minor in me. A trip that I would never probably make if I was paying my own way.

I will try to post a few more times before I leave. While I am there I will try to post a couple of times a week with pictures. Feel free to come back and post comments if you like.

Cheers,

Lori