Several years ago, my brother and sister-in-law traveled with us to France. We spent the first few days in Paris and then headed to the chateau country of the Loire Valley. We had chosen a small hotel on the Loire River in Blois as our home base. As we entered the spacious lobby, I loved the ambiance of antique furniture, whitewashed walls, marble tiled floors and beamed ceilings. There was a suit of armor in the corner and old tapestries hung on the walls. But when I glanced into the coat closet, I was shocked at what I saw!

I often hear about drivers' pet peeves in the course of their asking me a question, so this week I thought I'd address one of them: using the front seat of a car as a living room recliner. Have you ever noticed while on the road a passenger in another vehicle riding with their feet up on the dash...usually with their shoes off? Has a passenger in your vehicle ever done this?

…That's what I do when Thanksgiving comes around. An old Jamaican cook gave me this very simple recipe, his heavy accent making it a bit difficult to understand.

“You'll never have a better turkey then if you cook it in a bog,” he cheerfully shared. The “bog” I learned, was a simple paper bag.

That was 15 years ago. Today my family, as well as my somewhat critical in-laws, demand that I make the turkey(s) at the Butler Thanksgiving feast, using my secret technique.

Recently, USA Today featured the ambitious sabbatical plans of Nicolas Rapp, Associated Press Writer and Art Director. Nick, 33, will depart on a year long adventure driving around the world. Details of his "year of living dangerously" can be viewed on his blog www.TransWorldExpedition.com.