March 2015

MARCH 2015

THE TRAVEL ISSUE One-bag packing tips Montreal: A foodie’s paradise Luxe airport lounges Staying on budget PAGE 34

PAGE 30

PAGE 22

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CONTENTS THE TRAVEL ISSUE

30 CLUB SAVVY You don’t have to be a million-miler to try out luxe airport lounges.

34 26

PACK LIGHT! FOODIE’S GUIDE TO MONTREAL This gorgeous French-Canadian city is closer, cheaper and friendlier than Paris.

With these 10 tips, you can really cut weight when you travel.

GOOD START

GOOD HEALTH

GOOD LIVING

FROM THE EDITOR 8 Ready to travel? Get planning now!

HOUSE CALL 16 Don’t medicate for acid reflux for too long without doctor guidance.

FINANCE 22 Vacationing on a budget requires a little travel savvy.

MEMORIES 12 Flight of Gold is a riveting read.

ASK THE PHARMACIST 18 Go beyond antidepressants with tests that can help identify lesser-known chemical imbalances.

HOUSING 24 Don’t become a victim of home-improvement scams.

THIS MONTH IN MN HISTORY 14 Minnesota’s Hmong population helped shape the state’s culture.

CAREGIVING 20 Haste to leave the hospital can leave caregivers in a lurch.

MY TURN 10 Learning lessons from the ‘kids’ — even 25 years later — is enriching.

CAN’T–MISS CALENDAR 6

MARCH 2015

37 36

TECHNOLOGY 25 How can I shrink huge photo files that I recieve by email from friends?

BRAIN TEASERS

40

MARCH 2015 VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 3 PUBLISHERS Janis Hall jhall@mngoodage.com Terry Gahan tgahan@mngoodage.com GENERAL MANAGER Chris Damlo cdamlo@mngoodage.com EDITOR Sarah Dorison 612-436-4385 editor@mngoodage.com CONTRIBUTORS Teresa Ambord Suzy Cohen Carol Hall Sarah Johnson Skip Johnson Dave Nimmer Richard Sherman Michael Spilane Amy Sutton Carla Waldemar Beth Wiggins

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MARCH 2015

FROM THE EDITOR ////// SARAH DORISON

BOOK THAT TICKET! T

ravel doesn’t just happen. You have to really want it and, then, you must budget and plan for it (like you really mean it).

I learned this lesson in my senior year of college when I noticed all of my friends — everyone but me! — had been taking European vacations. They were backpacking through the Cinque Terra of Italy, exploring the coffee bars of Amsterdam and relaxing on the French Riviera.

I was busy being editor of the college newspaper. But as my academic college career drew to a close, I realized I had to take matters into my own hands: I took a fifth year of college and finished up my credits in England as part of a nine-month study-abroad program.

Of course, it was an amazing, eye-opening experience, including two long tours of continental Europe.

In the years that followed, however, I slacked off.

Getting married, trying to keep a career going and having a child will do that to a person.

Transcontinental flights and unknown environments become less appealing when you have a little one in tow.

That’s what so wonderful about travel in the later years of life.

If all goes well, you’re back to charting your own course. You have more freedom to take risks and long flights. And, in an ideal world, you have more time (if not money).

Now the big question is: Where should you go?

If you’re a foodie, you should visit — no question about it — Montreal.

This Canadian city (featured in this month’s magazine, our annual Travel Issue) is a mecca for fans of culinary delights, including casual cafes and fine-dining destinations galore. Bread, wine, chocolate, poutine!

Plus, Montreal is big, beautiful, full of culture and, best of all, filled with friendly people who will happily speak French as well as English.

Like its smaller but equally revered cousin (Quebec), Montreal is a poor man’s Paris, just a three-hour direct flight from MSP. As our globetrotting travel writer Carla Waldemar puts it: “It’s closer, it’s cheaper, it’s friendlier — so who needs Paris?”

In this issue, be sure to also check out the stories on airline club lounges (not as off-limits as you might think) and — more important — packing light.

Because packing light makes you lighter, happier, more excited for adventure and ready to — finally! — enjoy your freedom.

Sarah Dorison, Editor

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GOOD START MY TURN ////// DAVE NIMMER

LEARNING FROM THE ‘KIDS’ I

•was finishing supper with three students in the first class I ever taught — broadcast journalism at the University of St. Thomas 25 years ago — when it dawned on me: These “kids” are now in their mid 40s and, the truth is, they’re now teaching me.

I came away with the distinct feeling they had surpassed me, when I was their age, in confidence, conscience and character.

They had turned out to be not only talented but also really fine human beings who are raising families, running agencies, writing stories and finding time to have a meal with an old teacher.

And they each had a specific trait, tools I’d like to keep in my senior-citizen survival kit.

UPBEAT

Brian Bellmont, who with his wife, Jennifer, owns and operates the public relations agency Bellmont Partners, chooses to be optimistic, usually upbeat and positive about whatever he’s doing, wherever he is.

He’s been that way ever since I met him as a

21-year-old when he took over as editor of the student newspaper.

I may have heard him once or twice utter a discouraging word, but I’ve never seen him with a despairing attitude. He looks for the best in people and usually finds it. He and Jennifer employ 10 people at Bellmont Partners, a full-service PR agency with clients in Minnesota and across the country.

They also raise two daughters, Maddy, 4, and Rory, 8.

BALANCED

Kathleen Hennessy, a broadcast journalism major when I met her, has mastered the art of balance — walking the fine line between work and family, being responsible yet playful, selfless but satisfied.

She’s a partner at Axiom Marketing Communications where she puts in a full workweek. She and her husband, Mike, are raising two daughters, Madison and Maggie, who play softball and volleyball. Mike’s a coach and Kathleen’s been a league board member and a team manager.

But the coolest thing about Kathleen is that she finds time to be in a band, Last Call. She plays sax, flute and sings backup in the tight-knit group of friends who now play only occasionally.

“I get a lot out of playing music,” she said. “There is something spiritual about music. That spiritual experience grows when you’re able to share the stage with amazingly talented people, and share that talent with anyone who wants to listen. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”

ENERGETIC

Kathleen Hennessy (clockwise from left), Dave Aeikens, Dave Nimmer and Brian Bellmont recently gathered for dinner at a local restaurant, an event that left a lasting impression on Dave Nimmer.

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Dave Aeikens, who spent 21 years at The St. Cloud Times as a reporter and editor, maintains the passion he had as a senior at St. Thomas. He defines the quintessential reporter — curious, confident, colorful and, yes, a bit curmudgeonly.

Whether it’s online, in print or on a screen, Dave would like to tell you a story, preferably one that no one else knows about.

A couple of months ago he took a job at KSTP as a digital producer, posting stories for KSTP.com. His voice goes up half an octave when he speaks of something or someone who excites him. He loves the thrill of a chase, the challenge of exposing a secret and the satisfaction of explaining an issue.

Dave, a former president of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), truly believes the welfare of the Republic is dependent upon the free flow of information, facts presented with fairness, accuracy and balance. I want to have that burst of energy in my life, whatever the cause.

GENEROUS

The three of them were important to me, and to my future as a teacher, from the very beginning. I think they sensed it was important for me — always a bit of a stretch for the academic community — to get off to a good start in the classroom.

They nominated me for a Professor of the Year award before the semester ended, an honor I neither earned nor deserved.

I didn’t win, but I did learn something about the generous spirit that prompted them to support a fledgling teacher. I can’t imagine that I, at the age of 21, would have had the grace to do something like that.

And here they are, 25 years later, still giving me a gift. What was even better, the next night I had supper with three more students — Rebecca Lentz, Chuck Tombarge and Pat Condon — equally as successful, thoughtful and soulful.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, I’ve managed to be very, very lucky.

Dave Nimmer lives in Woodbury.

Send comments or questions to dnimmer@mngoodage.com.

MARCH 2015

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GOOD START MEMORIES ////// CAROL HALL

UNSOLVED MYSTERY! T

he old airline stewardess in me loves a “cockpit story,” those tales of downed airliners much discussed by pilots.

I also relish a good mystery. And the book, Flight of Gold, provides both.

Northwest Airlines’ military charter Flight 4422 took off from Shanghai bound for New York’s LaGuardia Airport on a March day in 1948. After two refueling stops, the DC-4 carrying 24 merchant marines and a crew of six, crashed into the mountains northeast of Anchorage.

Legend has it there was a shipment of gold on board, never recovered, that was left buried in the rugged Alaskan terrain.

Only the sketchiest of reasons for the crash were offered up in the accident report. It seems the plane crashed at night in clear weather, fell into a glacier and disappeared; the northern lights may have caused it.

Flight of Gold author and commercial airline pilot Kevin McGregor first heard of Flight 4422 in 1989 — appropriately, from another pilot while the two were skiing.

McGregor found the story compelling: Was there really gold on board? If so, what was the story behind it? And then there were the merchant marines and flight crew who died in the crash,

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reportedly still entombed in the icy mountainside. McGregor, a reserve Air Force pilot as well as an airline pilot, felt a special kinship with all of them.

Dozens of expeditions to discover the airplane wreckage and its precious cargo had failed.

Yet McGregor felt drawn to investigate. This meant actually getting to the spot where the airplane was known to have crashed in the Wrangell mountain range, well inside the heart of the untamed Alaskan wilderness.

Skilled at skiing and mountain climbing, McGregor was well-qualified for the quest. But he couldn’t do it alone. Enter Marc Millican.

In 1994, McGregor happened to run into Millican, an old air force buddy, who was also a Northwest Airlines pilot. To their mutual amazement, each discovered the other was researching the crash of Flight 4422.

“Is this fate, or what?” Millican asked.

“Maybe it was meant to be,” McGregor replied.

“There’s a time and a place for everything, and I think this is the time for us to find the DC-4.”

In a narrative that reads like a novel, the search for Flight 4422 takes McGregor and Millican inside Robert Service’s “raw-ribbed Wild that abhors all life, the Wild that would crush and rend.”

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold …

— The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert Service, well-known ‘Bard of the Yukon’

SUN-DAMAGED SKIN? ROUGH, RED SPOTS ACTINIC KERATOSES??

READ THE BOOK Flight of Gold: Two Pilots’ True Adventure Discovering Northwest Airlines’ Flight 4422, Alaska’s Legendary Gold Wreck, published in 2013, is available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or at In-DepthEditions.com.

Filled with coincidence, irony, mysticism and hair-raising close calls with death, Flight of Gold, I swear, could have been the product of a Hollywood scriptwriter or Robert Service himself — if I didn’t know it was true.

I couldn’t put it down until I’d reached the last page!

Carol Hall lives in Woodbury. She’s a longtime freelance writer, a University of Minnesota graduate and a former Northwest Airlines stewardess. Send comments and questions to chall@mngoodage.com.

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MARCH 2015

GOOD START THIS MONTH IN MINNESOTA HISTORY

HMONG IN MINNESOTA O

A dance team prepares to take the stage during a competition at the Hmong American New Year celebration in Minneapolis in 2013.

Photo courtesy of Shia Yang

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MARCH 2015

n March 23, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made the following statement: “I want to make it clear to the American people, and to all of the world, that all we want in Laos is peace, not war — a truly neutral government, not a Cold War pawn, a settlement concluded at the conference table and not on the battlefield.”

At the same time, Kennedy authorized the recruitment of ethnic minorities in Laos, including the Hmong, to participate in covert military operations against the spread of communism.

For years, the Hmong were critical to the U.S. effort in Southeast Asia. But following the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975, Laos was overthrown and the Hmong were targeted, resulting in a mass exodus and thousands who died en route to U.N. refugee camps in Thailand.

The U.S. military evacuated high-ranking Hmong soldiers and aid workers first. In November 1975, the first Hmong family settled in Minnesota.

This year marks the 40-year anniversary of Hmong migration to Minnesota.

According to the most recent census data, the Twin Cities is home to the largest urban Hmong population in the U.S. — 66,000 in the metro area.

Why Minnesota? The first arrivals came through Minnesota’s strong faith-based social-service community. Agencies like Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities, along with individual churches and families sponsored Hmong refugees.

When the first Hmong arrived at the airport in the winter of 1975-76, many were wearing T-shirts and flip-flops.

For those first arrivals, Minnesota was far different from Laos, not just in terms of

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Mrs. True Vang of Inver Grove Heights said of her experience in April 1976: It was “like being born all over again.”

It was a culture shock for Minnesotans, too. Many had never heard of the Hmong people or Laos, especially since the fighting there had been clandestine.

But in the past 40 years, the Hmong have made a profound impact on their newly adopted home.

“Today we are politicians, professors, business owners and U.S. citizens,” said Noah Vang, co-developer of the new exhibit We Are Hmong Minnesota, opening March 7 at the Minnesota History Center.

Members of the Hmong community developed the exhibit to document their remarkable story.

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G O O D H E A LT H HOUSE CALL ////// DR. MICHAEL SPILANE

Reflux should be treated H

eartburn has nothing to do with the heart.

And a burning discomfort is only one of the many manifestations of its cause — gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The problem exists when acidic stomach fluid backs up into the esophagus (the passage between the mouth and the stomach).

Unlike the stomach, the esophagus doesn’t tolerate acid. The response is immediate pain or discomfort, and subsequent inflammation. It’s not a whole lot different from spilling acid on your skin — pain, then redness and blistering.

Anatomical structures, including muscles of the diaphragm, normally keep food and fluids in the stomach. They function like a down-only valve.

But our creator did less than a perfect job — almost everyone has occasional valve failure.

Thirty-five percent of the adult population experience acid-reflux symptoms at least once a month, and 5 to 10 percent have more frequent and more severe symptoms.

PAIN AND DISCOMFORT

Reflux typically causes a burning discomfort that begins in the pit of the stomach and travels up under the breastbone. If the amount of refluxed fluid is large, the person may taste sourness.

The discomfort is usually tolerable and short lived, but there may be an appropriate urge to dial 911 if it’s more severe and lasts many minutes. Relief of symptoms by Tums or other antacids is characteristic of acid reflux and helps distinguish the chest pain it causes from chest pain caused by heart disease.

COMPLICATIONS

Left untreated, chronic reflux can cause some big problems. The inflammation present at the lower part of the esophagus can lead to bleeding. It can be sudden and severe, or a

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slow leakage resulting in anemia. Recurring inflammation can cause scarring and eventual narrowing and obstruction of the food passage.

Respiratory complications develop if the refluxed stomach fluid ascends into the throat and enters the passage to the lung. This occurs more frequently at night and may be “silent,” or without associated pain.

Persisting cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarse voice and recurrent sore throat can all be symptoms of esophageal reflux disease.

The most feared complication of GERD is cancer of the lower esophagus. This can develop if the inflammation caused by the acid reflux is persistent and untreated. Authorities estimate that about 30 percent of all cancers of the esophagus are caused by chronic acid reflux; and esophageal cancer isn’t uncommon.

DRUG ADVANCES

The discovery of medications that block the stomach’s ability to produce acid ranks as one of the most important advances in medical science in the past 50 years. In the late 1970s, histamine2-receptor (H2) blockers like cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepsid) and ranitidine (Zantac) came on the market.

Proton-pump inhibitors, or PPIs, came next, including esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec).

PPIs are far more effective than H2 blockers in eliminating stomach acid. Without the continual cycle of acid and inflammation, the valve structure at the entrance to the stomach is allowed to heal and regain its competence.

SEEK GUIDANCE

Both H2 blockers and PPIs are considered safe for short-term use and are available without a prescription.

Authorities estimate that about 30 percent of cancers of the esophagus are caused by chronic acid reflux.

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However, because stomach acid helps in the absorption of nutritional substances such as vitamin B12, calcium and iron, there’s a potential for deficiencies of these substances to develop with long-term use of medications that block production of stomach acid.

Although the risk of developing these problems is low, long-term use (more than a few weeks) should be monitored by a physician.

Individuals who require high dosages of medications to control acid-reflux symptoms and those

12/5/14 1:27 PM

who need continued use of medication for many months or years are at highest risk of developing nutritional deficiencies and are most in need of monitoring by a physician.

Dr. Michael Spilane, now retired, spent more than four decades practicing and teaching geriatric medicine in St. Paul. Send comments or questions to drspilane@mngoodage.com.

MARCH 2015

17

G O O D H E A LT H ASK THE PHARMACIST ////// SUZY COHEN

Going beyond antidepressants C

hances are, you’ve been programmed to believe that serotonin deficiency causes depression.

But if SSRI antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) completely cured people, we wouldn’t see such high rates of suicide, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and PTSD. The secret sadness people carry isn’t always apparent to the rest of the world. For example, I went to lunch with a new friend who has a picture-perfect life by most standards.

She confided to me that she’s tried to kill herself three times and suffers with chronic depression.

More than two decades have passed and not one psychiatrist or physician has ever suggested magnesium to this lovely lady.

Not one! Unbelievable, considering the studies that suggest magnesium plays some role in depression, even among folks with suicidal tendencies and severe depression.

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There are about 100 different brain chemicals involved in making you feel happy.

Antidepressants target several neurotransmitters, usually epinephrine, dopamine or serotonin.

But there are about 100 different brain chemicals involved in making you feel happy, so targeting just those three is silly.

No wonder there were nearly 37,000 suicides in 2009, and about a million attempts according to the CDC. So many folks turn to SSRIs and all their side effects who maybe shouldn’t or don’t need to: Studies suggest that cardiac problems may occur in the fetus when mothers take SSRI drugs during the first trimester, yet one in four women trying to get pregnant are taking antidepressants.

There are other avenues to explore.

You can get information and/or track your progress if you have severe depression by looking at the following factors: • Interleukin 10 or IL-10: A blood test will measure this cytokine. Reduced IL-10 is seen with depression, feelings of helplessness, insomnia and migraines. Lift your IL-10 with resveratrol, vitamin D and exercise.

• C-reactive protein: You’re more likely to be depressed when it’s elevated. Vitamins E and C, probiotics and CoQ10 can lower this.

• TNF alpha: This cytokine (measured in the blood) is high in patients with depression, narcolepsy, bowel disease and psoriasis.

Reduce TNF (tumor necrosis factor) with probiotics, magnesium, lipoid acid, curcumin, boswellia and essential fatty acids.

• Thyroid hormone: Evaluate your Free T3. Low levels can be linked to depression, fatigue and weight

gain. I suggest you get your T3 number between 3.5 and 4.3 using thyroid medicine or supplements.

• Neopterin and biopterin: You can get a urine test for these two compounds, which are by-products of chemical reactions involving tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), which is required to make epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine.

This ratio is important if you have depression, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression or autism.

Healing depression takes time and requires relaxation. Breathing deeply reduces cortisol, a stress hormone that makes you tired, overweight and sad.

Balancing estrogen levels, raising progesterone, thyroid or testosterone can help.

Deficiencies of magnesium, vitamin C, B12 or folate are often involved. Outof-whack methylation levels are linked to mood problems, too.

Your gut is key, yet so overlooked.

Probiotics improve your microbiome and positively influence your ability to deal with stress and produce neurotransmitters.

The cause of depression differs for everyone.

Please don’t give up on life.

Feeling suicidal? Call 800-2738255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

You’re loved and needed by someone. I love you! I study every day to help you.

And, finally, don’t let anyone dismiss the value of nutrients — honestly your best mood food.

Suzy Cohen has been a licensed pharmacist for almost 25 years. Send questions to info@pharmacist.com.

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MARCH 2015

G O O D H E A LT H CAREGIVING ////// BETH WIGGINS

Haste to leave the hospital can hurt caregivers I

t’s Tuesday afternoon, and the physician says Dad will be in the hospital another couple of days.

His acute urinary tract infection is resolving, but the Parkinson’s disease that causes him to need ongoing care is complicating matters.

Then, Wednesday morning, there’s a call from Mom: “Great news, Sweetie! The doctor will be signing discharge orders soon and your dad can come home right after lunch.”

Panic sets in. Of course, Dad and Mom are eager for him to be home.

But I, their source of transportation, phar-

20

MARCH 2015

macy pick-up, mobility support and crisis management, am at work. I’m not ready, psychologically or practically.

At the very least, I need to shovel the snow at their house before picking him up from the hospital and helping him maneuver safely up the steps.

How did things change so fast? Should I go to the hospital first and possibly appeal the discharge, or is it more important to get things ready at home in case there’s no alternative? Who can cover my afternoon meeting at the last minute? I thought I had another 36 hours.

The default assumption that the caregiver will be able to do whatever needs doing simply isn’t always the case.

Scenarios like this happen all the time.

In the haste to leave the hospital — a desire usually shared by patient and facility alike — a critical part of the health-care team is too often disregarded: the caregiver. We all envision a joyous post-hospitalization homecoming, but that transition won’t be successful if the caregivers — those family members and friends who will take over on the home front — aren’t prepared and properly equipped.

WHO’S THE CAREGIVER?

This starts with making sure everyone knows whom the caregivers are.

They may or may not be the people who happen to be bedside when discharge is discussed. The caregiver may not even be next of kin.

Caregivers aren’t typically identified in the patient’s medical record, and usually they don’t even call themselves caregivers. They’re easily left out of the loop.

Even for an experienced caregiver, new situations can arise: The cancer surgery is over and Mom is ready to return to the ease and familiarity of home, where the real work of healing will begin.

“The nurse is showing me how to change the dressing on the incisions and what to do with the tubes and drains. I’ll be ready when you get here, Sweetie.”

A cautious drive, avoiding all jarring potholes, brings her back to her place of comfort and rest. Until, that is, it’s time to empty the drains and dress the wounds, and the willing-

but-woozy daughter tries to follow instructions that have grown vague with the passing of time.

What seemed so clear and manageable to Mom in the safety and security of the hospital — with experts standing by — is all of a sudden mysterious and scary to us both.

I try to be calm and reassuring, yet the questions pile up: Am I doing it right? Is it supposed to look this way, or is it getting infected? Should I call someone? Who? The surgeon? Her regular doctor? The discharge nurse?

The home care company that’s coming in two days?

It’s not uncommon for family caregivers to perform skilled nursing tasks. A 2012 AARP and United Hospital Fund study found that 46 percent of family caregivers are in that position, often having had little or no training.

They manage medications, clean and bandage wounds, handle tube feedings and intravenous fluids.

Many more coordinate follow-up appointments, transportation, supply deliveries and other aspects of care so critical in the days and weeks following an acute-care episode.

HIGH-STAKES WORK

This is important work for the families involved and for the health-care system as it tries to rein in costs and improve overall patient experiences and health outcomes. Everyone — health-care staff, patients and families — wants comfortable, healing patients, confident family caregivers and smooth transitions from hospital to home.

But too often that isn’t how it plays out.

The default assumption that the caregiver will be able to do whatever needs doing simply isn’t always the case.

The joyous homecoming is, in fact, often laden with fear and anxiety for caregivers. We need to do better by the caregivers from whom we expect so much.

The Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act being developed

by AARP is one way to advance the conversation.

Its key provisions are for the hospital to record the caregiver’s name upon admission, to notify the caregiver about discharge in a timely fashion and to provide explanation and instruction about the medical tasks they’ll be performing at home.

A DISCHARGE PLAN

We need to ensure that intentionally including and equipping the caregiver is consistently part of the discharge planning hospitals provide. Identifying the caregivers in the first place establishes a foundation for treating them as key members of the team.

Involving caregivers in discharge planning and its timing allows for needed preparation and coordination of additional help. Training and education empower them to give care confidently and well.

The specifics of the CARE Act are still under development, but the concepts are on target. These are steps in the right direction that will help the “willing but woozy” and the “responsible but rushed,” on whom we so deeply rely.

Beth Wiggins is director of caregiver support and aging services at FamilyMeans, which has been serving and educating family caregivers for more than 25 years. FamilyMeans is a member of the Metropolitan Caregiver Service Collaborative (caregivercollaborative.org). This article originally appeared on minnpost.com.

MARCH 2015

21

GOOD LIVING FINANCE ////// SKIP JOHNSON

Vacationing on a budget Y

ou spent a good part of your lifetime saving for retirement. Now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Whether it’s hitting the road to see family, taking the grandkids to meet Mickey Mouse or just the two of you heading to a romantic destination, travel is likely in your near future.

And, yet, you don’t want to feel regret when the post-vacation credit card bills arrive.

How can you control costs? (Hint: Don’t wing it! Spontaneity can be a fun travel attitude, but, in general, it can cost you dearly.)

Step 1: Get a guidebook for your destination.

Libraries typically have the most up-to-date editions available for a wide variety of destinations. A good guidebook can help you set priorities for your trip by providing sample itineraries, activities and reviews of individual sites.

A little studying now will save you valuable time on your vacation. That way you won’t find yourself staring at that rack of brochures in the hotel lobby wondering which activities are really worth your time and money.

Step 2: Set a budget. Figure out what you feel

comfortable spending on vacation and then make sure you stick to it. A great way to do that is to use only cash or travelers checks. Each day, carry only the amount allotted in your budget and save the credit cards for emergencies.

Budgeting for the big things like airfare and accommodations is relatively easy given that those costs are typically set before you leave home.

It’s all those little things that can really add up and blow your budget in a hurry. Here are a few tips to help you save on day-to-day vacation expenses.

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MARCH 2015

EAT SMART

You can save hundreds of dollars if you make smart choices about where and when you eat on vacation.

Take advantage of free hotel continental breakfasts — or get a hotel room with a refrigerator and microwave. That way you can get groceries and enjoy a few cheaper meals in your room.

When choosing which meal to enjoy in a restaurant, choose lunch.

Oftentimes, plate sizes are the same, but prices are lower. And take advantage of happy hours by eating earlier or later than the working masses and you’ll enjoy excellent deals on drinks and food.

You can save hundreds of dollars if you make smart choices about where and when you eat on vacation.

You're invited to cool it in Duluth, MN! Finally, carry light snacks with you.

That way, if hunger sneaks up on you, you can eat a little something. That will give you time to plan a better meal, rather than walking into the first restaurant you see.

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A little pre-planning can help. Many cities have tourist-friendly subways or buses. Ask the concierge at the hotel about is the best and cheapest way to get around.

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BE SOUVENIR SAVVY

Swiss chocolates, Statue of Liberty playing cards and Eiffel Tower key chains: We used to feel the need to pack up little souvenirs for all of our loved ones and co-workers. That’s an all-tootempting way to blow your budget.

Items that are truly unique to that destination and locally made may be worth the money. Most anything else can be found online at a lower price than what you’ll pay in a gift shop.

Travel can be relaxing, eye-opening, fulfilling and just plain fun. Enjoy it.

You’ve earned it.

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2/18/15 4:48 PM

MARCH 2015

GOOD LIVING HOUSING ////// TERESA AMBORD

Don’t be a target for fix-it scams I

t begins with a knock on your door.

The details vary, but according to warnings from the police, it goes something like this: You open the door and find a young man dressed like a laborer.

“I was just doing a home-repair job up the street,” he tells you. “I noticed your rain gutters are dangerously full. Did you know that? It looks like you’ve got some real trouble brewing there. The gutter problem might’ve even caused roof damage.

I’m on my way home, but I can clean those gutters for you right now if you want. While I’m up there, I can take a look your roof.”

The damage he mentions may or may not be real. But if he manages to alarm you, you may see this as a quick and affordable way to fix a problem before disaster strikes.

Often the con artist acts like it doesn’t matter to him, but he wants to do you a favor and is willing to give you a unbeatable price.

Plus you like this friendly young man, and you figure it’s a win-win situation.

But beware, say the authorities, these are the signs of a home repair/improvement scam. Chances are, the deal isn’t so good, and the price is much higher than the job is worth. But he’s counting on you to not know that. Also, the work, which he describes as urgent, may never get done, or the work may be shoddy, and he may have little or no experience in home repair.

And this might be only the beginning.

That’s exactly what happened to one 87-year-old man in Indiana in February 2013.

Billy Smiley answered the door and found a likable man, who offered to clean his gutters and check his roof. Smiley agreed, and paid the man $3,000 (far more than the job was worth).

Soon the repairman was back, looking concerned.

“Now that I’ve been up on the roof and taken a closer look,

MINNESOTA SAVVY Before you hire any contactor, even a reputable one, check out Minnesota’s Consumer’s Guide to Hiring a Residential Building Contractor from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry at tinyurl.com/mn-contractor.

24

MARCH 2015

this is a much bigger job than I thought,” he said.

Smiley then agreed to more work for more money.

Actually, while an accomplice did the job, the repairman came in and kept the lonely senior company, pretending to form a friendship. Somehow he got a look at Smiley’s bank statements, and decided Smiley could afford to lose a lot more money.

Before long, an afternoon’s work turned into a 15-day job with a $76,000 price tag. Plus the repairman stole $20,000 in jewelry from Smiley’s house.

“They made it sound like they were doing me a favor,” Smiley later told reporters.

Why did he let it escalate?

At first, they won his trust. Then he was in too deep.

“I had to rely on their honesty. And once I got into it, it was one of those deals where you can’t just walk away from it.

They had my roof torn off, and the weather was bad. I needed them to get it fixed,” he said.

But they didn’t. When Smiley caught on to the scam, he stopped paying, and the men left. Smiley had to hire someone else to fix his roof.

“I have no one to blame but myself,” Smiley said. “It’s one of those things I’ve criticized others for doing — for not investigating guys like that before doing business with them.”

He warns people: Use legitimate contractors and never trust anyone who just knocks on your door.

In addition, if someone claims to be a licensed contractor, ask to see his/her contractor’s license and proof of insurance.

One more thing: Take a look at the contractor’s vehicle.

Does it have marketing signs on it? A phone number? Copy down the phone number. And keep in mind, if the marketing signs are of the magnetic, stick-on variety, they could be part of the scam, too.

The men who swindled Smiley were apprehended and went to prison.

But that wasn’t much consolation for Smiley. Read his full story in the Indianapolis Star at tinyurl.com/smiley-scam.

Teresa Ambord is a former accountant, a longtime freelance writer and a frequent contributor to Good Age. Send comments or questions to editor@mngoodage.com.

GOOD LIVING TECHNOLOGY ////// MR. MODEM

How can I shrink huge photo files?

Is there a way to make

Q&A the photos I receive in the body of an email smaller in size?

The problem with super-large photos usually lies with the senders of those photos.

Pictures sent by email should be low-resolution photos. Most digital cameras have a setting for that, but instead, many people take and send high-resolution photos anyway.

Why? “High-res” photos are required for making quality prints, but they often result in huge files.

It then becomes the recipient’s responsibility to correct the problem. You can resize the photos yourself, of course.

But you also might want to politely suggest that the sender learn how to take low-resolution photos or simply to send them as smaller or resized files.

ShrinkPictures.com is a Web-based service that enables you to reduce the size of digital photos. No software’s required and the service is free. As an alternative, Resize2mail.com is also free. Senders of photos would be well advised to use either of these sites before sending photos.

My suggestion for anybody who wants to share photos is simply to use an online photo album such as Snapfish.com, Shutterfly.com, PhotoBucket.com or Picasa.google.com, then send the URL of their uploaded photos to others who can view the pictures online.

Is there a way to print the contents of a digital file folder? I want a list of file names, sizes and dates modified.

Yes, you can print a list of the files and subfolders contained in any Windows folder. Though this can be accomplished within Windows itself, using a third-party program makes the task a lot easier.

One such program is PrintFolder at no-nonsense-software.com/freeware. PrintFolder can print files, subfolders or both, and it includes several other customizable options.

If you prefer to print your directory of files and folders from within Windows itself (using My Computer or Windows Explorer), display the list of the folders or files you want to print on your screen, then press ALT + PRINT SCREEN (PrtScr) to copy an image of the active window to the Windows Clipboard.

Next, click Start > Programs > Accessories > Paint. On the Edit menu, click Paste (or right-click and select Paste). Click Yes to display the captured image then click File > Print.

I have Windows 7. Can I download the Windows 8.1 upgrade for free?

Unfortunately, no. The Windows 8.1 upgrade is free only for those who already have Windows 8 installed.

It functions the way a Service Pack would for previous versions of Windows.

If you purchase a download of Windows 8 now, it will most likely be Version 8.1. The best way to

obtain Windows 8, and consequently 8.1, remains via the purchase of a new computer with the operating system installed.

I’m not planning to use Internet Explorer anymore because of all the security problems associated with it. But is it safe to use it long enough to download the Google Chrome browser?

Internet Explorer is vulnerable. But that is of no additional consequence in this instance, if you’ve been using it all along.

And realistically, how else are you going to obtain another browser, if that’s the only other browser you have installed? You should be fine using your currently installed Internet Explorer to download Chrome.

Richard Sherman, a nationally syndicated columnist, first ventured onto the Internet in 1988. Learn more at mrmodem.net.

MARCH 2015

25

TRAVEL

Boats rest in the calm waters of the Old Port area of downtown Montreal, where buildings old and new feature stunning architecture.

PHOTO BY STEPHAN POULIN

A foodie’s guide

Marche Jean-Talon is one of the oldest and largest markets in North America.

26

PHOTO BY STEPHAN POULIN

MARCH 2015

PHOTO BY SCHWARTZ

Montreal has been called home to some of the best bagels on earth. At the city’s Viateur bagel shops, bagels are cooked in a wood-fired oven and then removed with a wooden paddle.

PHOTO BY ST. VIATEUR BAGEL & CAFE

to Montreal This gorgeous French-Canadian city is closer, cheaper and friendlier than Paris — and the food is fantastic!

T

BY CARLA WALDEMAR

he smell of garlic filled the plane. Folks congregated in the aisle around me. But I wasn’t sharing.

Matter of fact, I was torn between spasms of ecstasy at the taste of the world’s best beef sandwich and fits of sobbing as it quickly became mere memory.

Sure, people visit Montreal for its famed Cirque du Soleil and for its miles of trendy shopping. Still others stroll the portside passages of Old Montreal, as did explorer Jacques Cartier, or steep themselves in its museums.

That’s all good and worth the stamp on your passport.

But me, I came to Montreal for the food.

It’s closer (a three-hour direct flight from MSP), it’s cheaper, it’s friendlier — so who needs Paris?

They tell me the city of Montreal boasts more than 5,000 restaurants. The food scene, they instruct, exploded after the 1962 Olympics, when France sent many of its chefs to feed the masses. Seeing an untapped opportunity in a city of foodstarved Francophones, they stayed on and opened many a sweet cafe.

Billboards around the city slyly interrogate you, MARCH 2015

27

“Leaving Montreal? But where would you go?”

Those first chefs loved the local products they encountered, which pushed farmers, cheesemakers, bakers and such to provide even more, even better.

The dining public quickly learned to get pretty picky, so farmers’ markets began to flourish — such as Marche Jean-Talon, a public market where you can sample local cheeses galore, all things maple and garden bounty polished to a blinding shine.

One section of Jean-Talon — one of the oldest and largest markets in North America — boasts a selection of 400 microbeers (no Molson’s, thank you very much).

BAGUETTES, CROISSANTS

Follow your nose, and the masses, to the corner of the market occupied by the Premiere Moisson bakery, where you can choose from dozens of dainty pastries, plus 30 kinds of bread made from grains the owners grind themselves.

Better yet, grab a table and eat a breakfast of toasted baguette slices with duck or venison pates, or a lushly fatty pork mix known as “poor man’s pate.”

Add a slick of housemade strawberryrhubarb jam and a bowl of café au lait — okay, maybe a croissant or two — and rethink your plan about leaving.

ETHNICALLY AWESOME

Jean-Talon is a cornerstone of one of Montreal’s many vibrant ethnic neighborhoods.

In Little Italy, where “bonjour” gives way to “bon giorno,” you’ll find Milano Fruiterie, a full-service market featuring fresh pasta, antipasti of all persuasions and a pizza-to-go counter.

Not far away on Avenue du Parc (Park Avenue), the tongue in all the restaurants is Greek.

Cross over into the domain of the black-hatted Hassidic Jews nearby to find

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MARCH 2015

Since 1928, Schwartz’s deli in Montreal has been smoking its legendary brisket, served piled high on mustard-swabbed rye bread.

PHOTO BY COMMISSION CANADIENNE DU TOURISME

St. Viateur Bagel, home to the best bagels on earth.

Why? They’re boiled, as all authentic bagels are, but then they’re paddled into a wood-fired oven to pick up their unique flavor.

Fortunately, the hole-in-the wall is open 24/7 to serve as the community’s culinary ER. You leave the cash register with half a dozen and maybe four make it to the sidewalk.

How many hit the paddle in a day?

“We’re supposed to say ‘a thousand,’ but we’re not counting,” says the counterman.

Speaking of Yiddish, it’s off next to Reuben’s, the spot that gets the blame for my airplane sandwich.

It’s home of Montreal’s famous “smoked meat,” a garlic-rich brisket, thinsliced, a la corned beef and piled so high your jaw cannot maneuver.

Then, for comparison’s sake, head for the Plateau district (Le Plateau-MontRoyal) to Schwartz’s deli, smoking its uber-juicy, legendary brisket since 1928.

Fanatics line the sidewalk in the driving rain for a chance at that fabled sandwich — piled high on mustardswabbed rye bread, along with a pickle so garlicky you’ll be friendless for days.

Jostle your way to a shared table just

PLAN YOUR TRIP Go to tourisme-montreal.org for Montreal tourist information.

like myriad Schwartz’s fans before you, including Celine Dion, Burt Lancaster and Jerry Lewis.

‘FRENCH FRIES,’ FOIE GRAS

After bagels and smoked meat, all you need to make your dining trifecta complete is poutine: French Canada’s improvement on French fries, say some, or an acquired taste, swear others.

I’ve acquired it.

Fries, like the grease-blessed paper cone offered at the city’s La Belle Province chains, are slathered in a thick, brown gravy studded with chewy hunks of cheese curds.

Poutine means, literally, a “mess’ — or so swore the first fellow whose two orders were inadvertently mingled, accidentally, leading to the discovery of this classic dish.

And nowhere is the mess better than at Au Pied de Cochon, where orders arrive in cast-iron skillets, each topped with a hunk of foie gras bigger than your fist.

But that’s just for starters.

Foie gras gets its own section of the menu at this decidedly informal but madly trendy cafe, launched to showcase the exact opposite of haute cuisine.

Antlers decorate the seatbacks and portraits of pigs get top billing, as do their body parts on the menu — sausage, chops, deep-fried pork rinds and trotters (pigs’ feet) stuffed with foie gras.

SAMPLE IT ALL

Foodie voyageurs can sign on for dining tours (ToursCulinairesMontreal. com) patrolling neighborhoods such as grunge-going-glam St. Henri. Amid re-emerging storefronts you’ll discover Rustica, a shining bakery where macaroons are supreme, as are the Nanaimo cookie bars, cheesecakes and more.

You’ll likely end up at Grumman ’78, a food truck-turned-warehouse destination, to feast on inventive hybrids like banh mi tacos, escargot quesadillas or chicken paired with Johnny cakes.

The bar-none liveliest boulevard in the entire city is bustling St. Denis, vibrating with trendy apparel emporiums, bars, clubs and super-affordable BYOB cafes.

It’s near the slightly more chic avenue, St. Laurent, home to Juliette & Chocolat, serving wicked-good pitchers of chocolate, warm or cold, chosen by country of origin and degree of bitterness.

FINE DINING, TOO

Back in the Old Port, La Champagnerie boasts a dozen bubblies by the flute to accompany well-curated noshes.

That should warm the way to Toque, the fanciest table in town, for locally sourced menus featuring foie gras mousse with apple glaze and popcorn; venison tartare with gruyere; venison haunch with cauliflower, black cabbage chips and wild mushrooms; and Arctic char confit burned with maple syrup.

Then, time for the airport. I’m glad they weighed the luggage — and not me.

But, as the sign says, why would you leave? Only if I must, and not without my sandwich.

Walk it off Montreal — the second-largest French-speaking city in the world (4 million people in the metro area) — was settled by a triad of trappers, soldiers and priests.

It grew up along the St. Lawrence River where the first European immigrant, voyageur Jacques Cartier, beached his boat in 1535.

OLD WORLD CHARM Montreal’s historic city center, Old Montreal, founded in 1642, is near the Old Port area on the river.

Both hot spots are easy to explore on foot. Brand-name hotels are easy to find, too, making this area an easy home base. You also can also pop underground to travel on the clean, bright, easy-tomanage metro lines that connect this vibrant city.

In Montreal, the western half of the city bears streets named for upright British citizens who settled later on, while those in the eastern, French division invoke the names of saints.

Thus it’s truly a bi-lingual city, where signs, menus and museum displays are conveyed in both languages, and street talk segues rapidly between the two.

HISTORY Hungry for history? Start at the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History (below), also known as

Pointe-a-Calliere, which displays the port’s early stone foundations along with, curiously, an exhibit of the Beatles’ more visit the city in the 1960s.

Nearby, the town’s original marketplace has morphed into the stylish Marche Bonsecours, a showcase of classy Quebecois designers — jewelry, knits, furs and moose-themed everything.

The Centre d’Histoire lets you explore five intense periods of Montreal’s history, unraveled in catchy non-museum-speak displays.

ART, ARCHITECTURE Today all the historic limestone facades lining the Old Port host art galleries, trendy shops and cafes aplenty.

Along Sherbrooke Avenue’s Golden Square Mile, on the Brit side of the city, gawk at the mansions surrounding the Museum of Fine Arts, featuring art from old masters to contemporary Canadians and First Nations sculptures.

Nearby, close to the lively campus of McGill University, the McCord Museum takes up the First Nations story with beaded moccasins, fur parkas and bear teeth necklaces.

PHOTO BY MUSEE POINTE-A-CALLIERE

Carla Waldemar is an award-winning food/travel/arts writer. She edits the annual Zagat Survey of Twin Cities restaurants and writes food and travel articles for publications around the world.

She lives in Uptown.

MARCH 2015

29

TRAVEL TIPS

Chicago’s United Club airport lounge features upscale decor with natural lighting and comfortable seating.

30

MARCH 2015

Club savvy You don’t have to be a million-miler to check out those posh-looking airport lounges.

BY SARAH JOHNSON

A

ir travel isn’t easy.

Even if you’re lucky enough to avoid cancellations, delays and cranky kids, it’s tiring. Epic concourses, tiny airplane seats and over-priced bottled water can make you strangely weary.

You dream of entering the apparent peace, quiet and perks of those alluring airport lounges as you slump toward your gate. Sadly, you already know they’re out of your league.

But, wait: Are they?

While such lounges may seem exclusive — available only to flyers with elite travel statuses — anyone can purchase access to these spaces for as little as $50 a day.

In fact, single-use passes to most airport lounges — including Delta Sky Club (delta.com/ skyclub) and United Club (tinyurl.com/unitedclub-details) — give you access to a variety of amenities, including not just free wi-fi, snacks and beverages of all sorts, but also, in some cases, places to nap or even shower.

TRYING IT OUT

I received two club lounge passes when I signed up for a United Airlines credit card and recently had a chance to visit United’s airport lounge in Denver, one of the airline’s hub cities. After taking the escalator to the upper level, I was welcomed by two agents, ready to assist me with any flight issues.

It was a Sunday afternoon during football season, so the main activity seemed to be lounging on cushy cream leather seats in front of big-screen

The Delta Sky Club at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport features comfortable seating, upscale decor and plenty of work spaces for professionals.

Travelers are using lounge clubs with surprising frequency.

United Airlines’ 49 clubs, for example, hosted 12 million people last year — more than the Louvre Museum in Paris.

TVs showing an NFL game. Most visitors were businessmen staring at their laptops, but I couldn’t help but smile at a young boy traveling with his dad.

I picked out some leisure reading material among the assortment of free newspapers (The Denver Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times) and perused the snack options of apples, bananas, yogurt-covered raisins and crackers and cheese.

I skipped a trip to the private bar in favor of the make-your-own cappuccino machine.

BIGGER, BETTER

Airline clubs aren’t a new phenomenon.

The first Delta club was opened in 1958 and United Clubs (previously called Red Carpet Clubs) have been around since the early 1970s.

In hub cities, these spaces can be the size of small supermarkets.

MARCH 2015

31

The Delta Sky Club at New York City’s JFK Airport is about 27,000 square feet. The United Club at Tokyo’s Narita Airport can hold up to 600 customers.

While some of the perks such as free Wi-Fi, healthy snacks and a place to charge personal electronics would appeal to any traveler, specific amenities at various locations are geared toward business travelers such as private conference rooms and on-the-go printers.

Atlanta’s Delta Club goes a step further and offers showers and a nap room. Delta clubs in New York and Atlanta also offer sky decks, expansive outdoor spaces to enjoy food and beverage while watching aircraft take off and land.

Some United Club locations, such as Chicago, include family rooms designed for nursing mothers and families traveling with small children.

Travelers are using lounge clubs with surprising frequency. United Airlines’ 49 clubs, for example, hosted 12 million people last year — more than the Louvre Museum in Paris.

In Newark alone, more than 1 million people used the airline’s private lounge. Tokyo’s Narita Club, meanwhile, hosted nearly half a million people last year.

club locations around the world.

If you travel frequently with a guest, you might want an executive membership for $695 per year, which allows for unlimited access for the member and up to two guests per visit.

United Airlines’ annual club fees, which entitle you to access to 49 club locations worldwide as well as affiliated lounges, cost $500 per

BUYING A MEMBERSHIP

Some frequent flyers gain access to these areas simply because of their volume of travel. If that’s not you, it’s important to ask: Is full-time membership to these clubs worth it?

If you have a complex international or multistop itinerary that’s already cost you thousands of dollars, having a dedicated agent with real-time flight information can be a lifesaver.

If you know you’ll need a quiet place to work during a long layover, you would do well to seek out one of these spaces, especially if you’re traveling alone, which can help keep club costs down.

However, if you want to go beyond the one-day pass, it can be costly.

Delta’s annual club fee starts at $450 per year, which includes club admission plus admission for up to two additional guests for a fee of $29 per person, per visit at more than 200 club and affiliate

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Seattle’s United Club airport lounge features snacks, drinks and a private bar.

subscriber or $750 per subscriber and spouse, plus a $50 initiation fee. (If you buy United’s one-day pass within 30 days of purchasing a club membership, you can waive the initiation fee.)

What’s the verdict?

If you don’t mind bringing your own snacks and braving the hustle and bustle of the main concourses, you may do better to save your money for another part of your vacation.

Amenities, after all, have improved for the masses at many gates at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, for example.

Travelers are enjoying more restaurant and shopping choices right next to gates along with tethered iPads — incorporated into gate-side waiting areas — that allow travelers to order food and drinks.

And, if you need free wifi, MSP offers free wifi to all travelers willing to take a survey and/or view advertisements in exchange for every 45 minutes of access.

Sarah Johnson is a Minnesota-based freelance writer who covers history, sports, food and travel for a variety of publications.

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TRAVEL TIPS

Less is more

Try these 10 tips for packing light — for real this time — for your next big trip.

BY AMY SUTTON

W

hen you travel, do you over pack in an effort to make sure you have all the things you need — only to realize half the things you crammed into your suitcase will never actually get used on your trip?

We feel you. Packing light isn’t easy.

And, yet, who wants to drag around 50 pounds of stuff? Heavy or huge bags aren’t just impractical (and likely to throw out your back), they can make you achy and tired on your journey as you schlep them to and from the bag drops and baggage claims at the airport and then in and out of cars, shuttles and hotel rooms.

They’re also terribly expensive.

Every year airlines continue to make billions — nearly $1 billion in the last quarter of 2014 alone — in baggage fees.

Clearly, many travelers still don’t know how to take advantage of traveling light. At first it seems like common sense: Just pack less stuff. But how?

Here are 10 tried-and-true tips to get you started.

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MARCH 2015

1

Booth Manor Residence MAKE A PACKING LIST AND STICK TO IT.

Called the “go-light guru” by Time magazine, Doug Dyment emphasizes on his site, OneBag.com, that the most important thing for light travel is “the acquisition, personalization and use of a good packing list.”

“What to pack,” he says, “is far too important to make up as you go along!”

Dyment likens writing a packing list to drafting a contract with yourself, ensuring that you won’t pack anything that isn’t on the list.

2

PICK THE RIGHT TRAVEL BAG.

Some bags can be incredibly heavy even when they’re empty. Choose a lightweight bag with a non-rigid structure.

Be sure it’s small enough to be a carryon, if possible.

A bag that brags about having the most features isn’t necessarily the best one. All those extra pockets, rollers and pads? They add external volume and extra weight without providing much more versatile packing space.

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A small umbrella lets you leave both the raincoat and the sun-blocking hats at home, too.

Finally, setting aside a few hours during your trip to visit a self-service laundry (especially on longer trips) can help you lighten your load dramatically.

You can even ask your hotel to launder some of your items or bring a tiny bottle of detergent along for handwashing a few items in the hotel sink.

5

LEAVE SOME OF YOUR ‘ESSENTIALS’ AT HOME.

Some of these things are more obvious than others, but you can survive comfortably without all of them.

• Jewelry: If you can’t live without it, you won’t want to lose it.

Leave it home.

• Your 24-step beauty or shaving regiment: You won’t horrify anyone if you cut back to the basics.

• Shoes: Choose two pairs, tops. (You’ll cut major weight this way.)

• Guidebooks: Many popular guidebooks are available in electronic formats. Besides, nothing makes you look like a tourist more than carting around a guidebook.

6

USE THE RIGHT FOLDING TECHNIQUES.

The best techniques for compacting clothing are rolling or bundling. Both save space over folding.

For an excellent demonstration of the bundle technique, watch the YouTube video at tinyurl.com/bundle-packing by SCOTTeVEST clothing company CEO, Scott Jordan.

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MARCH 2015

7

CONSOLIDATE YOUR ELECTRONICS.

Do you need your laptop, GPS, cell phone and your Kindle? Or could your tablet or phone act as a reasonable substitute for all four?

With the plethora of apps, programs and features available on most devices (including Kindle for iPad and iPhone, for example) there’s no reason to pack multiple devices when one can do every job.

8

LIGHTEN YOUR WALLET OR PURSE.

... by leaving it at home. Travel expert and guidebook author Rick Steves sings the praises of using a money belt instead.

“With a money belt, all your essential documents are on you as securely and thoughtlessly as your underwear,” Steves says. It can hold your cash, credit

cards, passport, rail pass, room key, ID and emergency information. Anything else you might’ve had in your wallet or purse should be left at home.

9

REMEMBER THE TRUE ESSENTIALS.

Don’t leave important items home because of your space-saving fervor.

Some easy-to-forget examples include: • Medication: Some medications can’t be purchased overseas.

• Plug adapters or voltage converters: If you want to use your electronics abroad, you’ll need them.

• Washcloth: Trust us on this one.

Not only are washcloths surprisingly rare in hotels in some countries, but there are also many situations that merit their use on the go.

10

KNOW THE RULES.

Keeping up to date with TSA restrictions is essential. The regulations are ever-evolving, so what was fine to take last year may be on the banned list this year (and vice versa). When flying, always know the rules for your specific airline.

Neglecting this knowledge can result in added fees, cause you to miss your plane or even land you to trouble with authorities.

Amy Sutton is a freelance writer from St. Paul who is, at this very moment, finalizing her plans for a whirlwind trip in May across Europe with only one carry-on bag.

MONTH CAN’T-MISS

CALENDAR BEGINNING MARCH 6

Creepy Crawly Subtitled “an entomological investigation of textile pattern,” this unique art exhibit by Jennifer Angus features thousands of insect specimens pinned directly to the gallery walls in striking patterns.

When: March 6–May 16 Where: Textile Center, Minneapolis Cost: FREE Info: textilecentermn.org or 612-436-0464 ONGOING

Mary Poppins This musical stage version of the classic Disney film features all the classic songs and characters viewers know and love.

When: Through Aug. 29 Where: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Chanhassen Cost: $50–$84 Info: chanhassendt.com or 952-934-1525

MARCH 1–22

Rock the Ordway Celebrate the new state-of-the-art Concert Hall at the Ordway Center

with a series of concerts and events.

When: March 1–22 Where: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, St. Paul Cost: Various. See the website for details.

Info: ordway.org or 651-224-4222

Where: Covenant Village of Golden Valley Cost: Classes are free and open to the public. Space is limited.

Info: To register, contact Victoria Kendall at 763-732-1525 or VAKendall@ CovenantRetirement.org.

STARTING MARCH 5

Artful Aging Project Explore your inner artist by attending a series of Artist Sampler Sessions offered in partnership with Community Programs in the Arts (COMPAS).

When: Upcoming classes, all led by artists, include A Mosaic Life from 1–3 p.m. March 5; Theatre Sampler from 1–3 p.m.

June 10; and Talking Suitcases from 1–3 p.m. Sept. 14.

MARCH 5

Sound Horizon This in-gallery music series features the country’s leading composers and audio artists as they present short sets. Douglas Ewart, a multiinstrumentalist and instrument builder, performs in March.

When: 6–8 p.m. March 5 Where: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis MARCH 2015

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MONTH CAN’T-MISS

CALENDAR Cost: Free with museum admission ($14 for adults, $12 for seniors, $9 for students, free for ages 17 and younger) Info: walkerart.org or 612-375-7600

ONGOING

The Habsburgs Rarely seen masterpieces from one of Europe’s greatest dynasties are featured in this expansive collection of artworks, including many that have never been shown outside of Austria.

When: Through May 10 Where: Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis Cost: $20 for adults, $10 for ages 6 to 17.

Info: artsmia.org or 612-870-3000

MARCH 6

Raisin’ Cane Part of the ongoing series Women of Substance, this play stars Jasmine Guy and the Avery Sharp Trio in a celebration of the voices of the Harlem Renaissance.

When: 7:30 p.m. March 6 Where: The O’Shaughnessy, St. Catherine University, St. Paul Cost: $25–$55 Info: oshag.stkate.edu or 651-690-6700

MARCH 6–15

Telling: Minnesota 2015 In this production of The Telling Project, local veterans and their families take to the stage to share their stories of military service.

When: March 6–15 Where: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis Cost: FREE. Reservations required.

Info: guthrietheater.org or 612-377-2224

MARCH 6–15

Thurgood Based on the life of Justice Thurgood Marshall, this play starring James Craven follows the character from the back alleys of Baltimore to the Supreme Court of the United States.

When: March 6–15 Where: Illusion Theater, Minneapolis Cost: $20–$35 Info: illusiontheater.org or 612-339-4944

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MARCH 2015

MARCH 6 AND 7

100 Years of Sinatra Andrew Walesch and his big band celebrate the famous voice of Frank Sinatra, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2015.

When: 8 p.m. March 6 and 7 Where: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Chanhassen Cost: $40–$55 Info: chanhassendt.com or 952-934-1525

MARCH 7

Pentatonix: On My Way Home Join the pop a cappella vocal quintet as they perform favorites and new material.

When: 8 p.m. March 7

Where: Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis Cost: $29.50–$59.50 Info: hennepintheatretrust.org or 800-982-2787

BEGINNING MARCH 7

We Are Hmong Minnesota Home to the largest urban Hmong population in the U.S., the Twin Cities has been shaped by the culture of the Hmong people, showcased in this new exhibit that celebrates Hmong culture and its political, social and economic significance in Minnesota.

When: March 7–Nov. 29 Where: Minnesota History Center, St. Paul Cost: Included in museum admission ($11 for adults,

$9 for seniors and students, $6 for ages 6 to 17) Info: minnesotahistorycenter.org or 651-259-3000

MARCH 8

The British Invasion 50th Anniversary Tour A variety of iconic singers will perform, showcasing their contributions to the music revolution of the ’60s known as the British Invasion, including Peter Ashe, Denny Laine and Billy J. Kramer.

When: 7 p.m. March 8 Where: Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis Cost: $48.50–$58.50 Info: hennepintheatretrust.org

MARCH 12–22

Songs of the Baltic Awakening Vocal ensemble Cantus’s spring concert will feature the music of the Baltic states and the story of how the people of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia gained independence from the Soviet Union.

When: March 12–22 Where: Various locations in the Twin Cities Cost: $15–$40 Info: cantussings.org or 612-435-0055

MARCH 19

MN Artists: Upload, Then What?

A group of panelists will discuss how artists are using the Internet to further broadcast their work, build audiences and create new work.

When: 7 p.m. March 19 Where: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Cost: FREE Info: walkerart.org or 612-375-7600

BEGINNING MARCH 20

Anne of Green Gables In this adaption of the classic tale, a young orphaned girl spends time on a rural farm on Prince Edward Island.

When: March 20–April 12 Where: Theatre in the Round, Minneapolis Cost: $22; senior discounts are available.

Info: theatreintheround.org or 612-333-3010

damaging bees’ health, the science behind them and resources for concerned citizens.

When: 12:30–4:30 p.m. March 26 Where: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska Cost: $32; $20 for arboretum members; $25 for Master Gardeners/Master Naturalists Info: arboretum.umn.edu/ Pollinators3.aspx or 612-301-1210

THROUGH MARCH 31 MARCH 20–22

Saint Paul Ballet Mixing ballet and contemporary dance motifs, the ballet performs four pieces from choreographers with varied styles.

When: 7:30 p.m. March 20 and 21; 2 p.m. March 22 Where: Cowles Center for Performing Arts, Minneapolis Cost: $25–$35 Info: thecowlescenter.org or 612-206-3636

MARCH 25

We Know How This Ends: Living While Dying A conversation between authors Bruce H. Kramer and Cathy Wurzer celebrates the release of their recent book about living with ALS. When: 7 p.m. March 25 Where: O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Paul Cost: FREE. Registration required.

Info: weknowhowthisends. brownpapertickets.com

Mirror of Nature View lithographs by longtime Highpoint Center co-op artist Kurt Seaberg.

When: Through March 31 Where: Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Minneapolis Cost: FREE Info: highpointprintmaking.org or 612-871-1326

APRIL 24

Gerontological Conference The Minnesota Gerontological Society — a group of social-service professionals working to bridge research and practice in the realm of aging — hosts its 39th-annual conference, Designing Our Destiny: Aging Ain’t for Sissies — Challenges, Opportunities and Affordability.

When: 8 a.m.–4 p.m. April 24 Where: Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Park Cost: Register before March 31: $45 for students and retirees, $100 for society members and $195 for non-members Info: mngero.org or 952-829-5937

MARCH 26

Plight of Pollinators: This session, the second in a threepart series, will focus on the pesticides

MARCH 2015

39

BRAIN TEASERS

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SUDOKU

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TRIVIA

ANSWERS

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MARCH 2015

The best gift you can give a child isn’t found in a toy store.

TRIVIA WHO SAID … ?

1. “Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.”

Winston Churchill Kevin Bacon Billy Graham

2. “The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.”

Forrest Gump Fareed Zakaria George Carlin

3. “Change comes not from men and women changing their minds, but from the change from one generation to the next.”

John Kenneth Galbraith Johann Sebastian Bach Ron Paul Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.

CRYTPOGRAM Voyage, Villas, Vistas

WORD SCRAMBLE

You can get there. We can help.

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CROSSWORD

ANSWERS

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ACROSS 1 Shower alternative 11 Hollow 15 “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1934) actor 16 NASA unit 17 Correct 18 Pigmented layer 19 Takeout menu eponym 20 Smartens (up) 21 1954 Detroit Auto Show unveiling 22 Battery, e.g.

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MARCH 2015

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21 Fictional house “built according to no architectural plan whatever” 22 Hitchcock thriller set in East Germany 23 Friday et al.: Abbr.

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