(In honor of the "king of late night television," I've put together my own "Top Ten" list. I have to preface this list with a short explanation of what went on this past weekend. My friend, Jill, and I decided to load up the kids again and take the train to Cochem, Germany. Cochem is beautiful; I've been there before, and it's definitely a favorite. There is a huge, majestic castle that sits up on a hill and looks down over the town. On my first visit to Cochem, the weather was horrible and we didn't make it to the castle. Jill and I decided we would take the kids on Saturday. The rest, as they say, is history......)

TOP TEN REASONS I ALMOST WET MY PANTS TODAY (from laughter)

1. Arriving to the train station 40 minutes early and still missing our train to Cochem because we couldn't figure out how to use the ticket machine (doesn't anybody speak English around here?).

2. Being offered Champagne (from the bottle) by a group of odd-looking, drunk German men, Michael and Harry. Michael entertained our children while Harry bragged about being able to say "Cheers!" in 80 different languages. Jill and I could hardly contain ourselves as they made themselves at home right next to us for the entire 90-minute trip.

3. Being serenaded by same group of odd-looking, drunk German men who have a fondness for Elvis Presley songs.

4. Making it to Trier (thank goodness our drunk friends are going elsewhere!), deboarding the train and walking 500 yards north to another track to catch our connecting train, and realizing that the train we just deboarded has followed us those 500 yards, changed its destination sign, and is picking us BACK up to take us to Cochem. Huh?

5. Arriving in Cochem, FINALLY, only to realize we have no idea where we are or how to get to the downtown area. (The only living person within miles of us was a woman at the taxi office who didn't speak English and wouldn't open the door for us.)

6. Finding our way to downtown, FINALLY, only to find that all the shops and the castle are closed for the day. Isn't this fun, kids?

7. Waiting at the track to board the train to leave Cochem and being almost blown away, literally, by a freight train moving at about 130 miles per hour through the station. (Jill was smart enough to move further away from the tracks; I was frozen with fear as I tried to remember if my will was up-to-date.)

8. Arriving in Trier, our half-way point, only to find that the last train home left 30 minutes earlier. Oh, please don't tell me we have to spend the night in Trier? I don't have any clean underwear!!


9. Learning that there is one more train to Kaiserslautern, but we only have 17 seconds to get to the track and board before it leaves. Where are the kids, and can we come back for them tomorrow?

And finally, the number 10 reason I almost wet my pants today:

Making it to the track just in the knick of time only to see our even drunker German friends, Michael and Harry, getting ready to board the same train! What are the odds? I mean, really?


The fun didn't stop there either. Harry sat with us AGAIN for the 90-minute train ride back home while Michael serenaded another group of unsuspecting Americans with the same Elvis Presley songs. We tried to hide from them, but it was useless. Thanks to my oh-so-friendly daughter, Grace, they found us every time. This trip was utter chaos, but WOW, what memories. What's next for the travelling duo and their wild and crazy children? Vienna, Rome, Salzburg, Bern.....wherever the tracks may lead!