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Elvira is speechless!

Thanks everyone for the great comments and hearty welcome-backs! I'm delighted you enjoyed the trip commentary; I had great fun writing it - almost as much fun as taking the trip itself. To answer some questions: 1) Next trip: Rome in February. Defying the laws of common sense, but that's probably where we're heading. 2) I will probably take a long weekend in November for a trip to Paris 3) The big Loon trip is in the fall - self-drive barge. That should get our pictures in the red circle with the slash through it.... 4) The Phoenix>London flight leaves around 10:00pm and gets to Gatwick around 4:00pm. It means I don't waste a vacation day traveling to the east coast (and enjoying several fun-filled hours in Newark or JFK) and there's no chance of 'missing a connection'. It's a non-stop flight. 5) I do all the planning for our trips. Nate did ONE plan (last summer when some of the girls went to London for the Diana thing) and vowed she'd never do it again. "Elvira, I don't care where we go, just tell me how much and where to show up". This trip took about 9 months of work (I actually have a real, boring job that pays me really well so I can go bye-bye several times a year); lots of faxes, emails, letters, trips to the library, index cards and Bic pens. I wrote to all sorts of tourist offices, and got all kinds of very cool stuff in the mail. 6) The Loons have very simple rules (we're just a buncha girls who happen to like to travel and get along very well) for traveling together: no whining, haul your own crap, share (means, too, don't be surprised when a fork NOT attached to your hand ends up spearing something on your plate), pack extra humor - you'll need it.

Elvira, While I don't know you personally I doubt very much if you are speechless (or ever was)! No way! You are so lucky to have really boring job that pays really well and allows so much time off -- I think I will drive up to Phoenix right this minute and apply too :-) Seriously, you are lucky and very very entertaining to boot. I get 4 weeks off but we split it up for Europe and other things. We will be checking out the new "Paris" hotel in 'Vegas later this year -- I get "homesick" for Paris during those commericals. Of course when it is 109 degrees here I get homesick for almost anyplace else.

Elvira where does the name come from. Here "loon" could be short for lunatic- I'm sure you know the etymological derivation- or it could mean "boy". In the old dialect of the north east of Scotland, boys are loons or loonies and girls are quines, or quinies. I know the word in North America speak when it's the bird we'd call a diver. Which is it? What are youse?

Elvira speechless? That is like Stellarossa being civil, or me being terse, or my acquaintance Charley finding good bread in Paris (he said he couldn't). Is the time of the speechlessness event measured in micro seconds, nano seconds or pico seconds? (I am bored, just had to stir up something.) Hey. I am just glad hurricane season is winding down and there are no Cat 4 storms active in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico at the moment. Floyd was bad enough!!

Elvira: Just got back from a 3 week driving tour in Europe including Paris. I took your wonderful Paris restaurant etiquette notes and read them in the car to the 3 others. We thoroughly enjoyed them and they were very helpful. The only problem I have now is that my husband wants service included in the bills, he becomes annoyed with hovering wait staff and he keeps placing his silverware at 4:00 expecting Michigan wait staff to understand!!! This man (who has latin as a second language) and rarely says Bonjour, regularly ordered "un carafe d'eau" and was very pround when it really arrived. That was a terrific thread and oh so practical. Thanks again.

Elvira -- I too truly loved your recam of the loon trip -- I must have missed the part about the restaurant etiquette rules, so I'll have to backtrack. I had planned to e-mail you today and check one detail: how the heck did you manage to deal only with carry-on luggage??? I travel lots for busines and can usually manage 4-5 days, but 2 weeks no way! PLEASE share the details, as I really want to start doing yearly trips with husband and daughter, and the airlines I'm familiar with for overseas have that lousy one carryon rule. Do they not enforce it? Are you all size 1's, with drip dry hair and no need for cosmetics? I really look forward to your answer (as does my husband - he thought it sounded great. Of course, his idea of packing light is to not bother with......)

Atually Elvira your answer to JoAnn will interest me too, espiecally since you few British Airways. We fly BA out of LA and they are super strict on carryon's. Nothing can weigh more than 13lbs (maybe 14/15 if you don't look like you are struggling with it) and they have a scale at the check in counter just so you can weigh it yourself. They are pretty strict on size too, no more than 46" total .. between the weight and size you are definately limited. Are BA flights out of Phoenix less picky? Where they overwhelmed by the Loons and let you do what you pleased? We bought some nylon bags that weight zero lbs and used them for carryon, each totaled 36 inches so we were OK weight and size wize - of course we checked in 2 large pieces of luggage. Do you all have a totally drip dry (in 5 minutes) wardrobes? Or did you wear all your clothes -- 6 layers or so would make for chubby loons I suppose but it would work. Tell all!

I just read that over -- sorry for the typos -- I type so fast sometimes I don't realize when I screw up.

Sheila: Loons are long-legged waterbirds that have a whooping, maniacal call that makes them sound deranged, hence loon. It also comes from our favorite movie (imagine that) Monty Python's Holy Grail when King Arthur responds to the Black Knight's "I AM INVINCIBLE" with "you're a looney". JoAnn and Lori: We pack 4 leggings, 5 tshirts, one longsleeved shirt, one long sleeved cotton turtleneck, one sweater, and a pair of shoes. We wear our jackets on the plane (talk about loons - Phoenix girls in 90 degree weather with jackets)and our big shoes. We found disposable underwear at Walgreen's (3 pair for $1.99)that are rolled into little cylinders the size of a Swiss Army Knife that fit into odd corners of the suitcase. Since we rent houses, we usually have a washer/dryer (toss stuff in at night or before we leave in the morning) but try not to depend on it. We do disposable clothing; that is, stuff that's on its last legs. Wear a few times and toss out (replacing with souvenirs). Tshirts bought as souvenirs become wardrobe. We are sizes 10-14, and we share socks and tshirts and even leggings. We do lots of braids and ponytails and buns; minimum makeup; sample size personal care products (or one girl brings shampoo for all, another conditioner for all). I bring the group's medicine chest (a few of this, a few of that, pharmacies have everything we need if we run out), sewing kit, and bungee cord clothesline. Everything fits into a 20-21" rolling suitcase. We each take a couple of paperbacks, and switch off. The houses we rent usually have a supply of books if we run out, or we can always buy something at a store. Totes makes a tiny, lightweight umbrella, or buy a throwaway poncho ($1 at Target). My splurge is extra socks. We start packing about 2 weeks before takeoff; all the stuff doesn't fit, so we start hoeing out. Our rolling bags are expandable (coming home, we'll check bags since we aren't put out if they're delayed) and we carry an extra empty totebag for additional purchases (on the flight back, we check the rolling bag and backpack, take the extra totebag as our carryon). BA out of Phoenix didn't object to our rolling bag and SMALL backpack coming on as carryons (and we had a full flight). Bob: Speechless was just a - heh heh - figure of speech. I've NEVER been at a loss for words....just ask every grade school teacher I ever had. MaryAnn: Glad the etiquette post helped. And I know what you're husband is going through. Every time "Todd" leans over and croons "is everything all right here?", I have a violent gag reaction, just like having that wooden tongue depressor stuck down my throat.