Twice during the past week I noticed something dart across my kitchen floor. The first time I thought was a trick of light on the edge of my glasses but when I saw it again last nite I was certain it was some sort of creature not welcome in this house. I guess the decal on my bathroom floor just wasn't effective enough. I wrote "mousetraps" on the grocery list planning to get some today but then I remembered the TomCat mouse trap Bell Labs gave away as samples of their product when I visited their booth at a career fair earlier this year. It's more like an elaborate
It's a couple hours late but here is the Friday Five, brought to you by

- If you had to move 100 miles or more to the north, east, west, or south, which would you choose, where would you end up, and what's so great about there?
I would move north as there is a bit more unspoiled wilderness up there. Not much, but there are certainly fewer towns & people than the county I currently reside in. So, for this question since I have the resources & a reason to move I'm also assuming I have the resources to build my dream home which sets me off daydreaming. . . but that's for another Friday Five. - Do you have a favorite stretch of highway or byway for driving, touring, or wandering?
When my father could still drive his motorcycle he took me on many long rides out in the country. I may not be familiar with the roads he took but I know there is a lot of beautiful countryside not far from here & I'm usually happy to have an excuse to drive them. Specifically? Highway 18 all the way up to Devil's Lake is a nice route if I can spare the time. There are also a few roads out by Cooksville & another to Black Earth whose number I can't recall. I'm glad I don't have to travel far to find these. - Are you happier to start a trip or return home?
It depends on the trip but generally, in the case of vacations or adventures I'm happier starting. There is so much to look forward to & so many potential paths yet untread. It's really a wonderful feeling (except when you're just sitting in an airport for three hours.) Returning home is usually sad because the adventure is over, it's time to go home & return to the workaday drudgery of daily life. I remember whenmatt_william & I were on our way back from Japan last year. Once our flight reached L.A. & everyone else in our tour departed & went their own ways I was struck with a crushing depression that remained until I reached my own home where shortly thereafter I was welcomed by a troupe of friends. That most of all helped me recover.
- Plane, train, automobile, bicycle, or foot?
An ideal vacation for me uses all of them. In Japan I used all but one. - Do you overplan or underplan your travels? (Assume that "no" is not a valid answer.)
I typically overplan. You can't always know exactly everything you'll need for a trip & I hate forgetting something important. This is how I ended up bringing but never using my denim jacket, origami book & box of paper & boots in Japan.
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