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Did Pam and Jim jump the shark at Niagara Falls?  Quite possibly.

I don’t watch T.V.  Well, let me rephrase that, I don’t watch T.V. except 1 T.V. show.  Well, let me start over….about the only T.V. show I take the time to sit down and watch at all is The Office.  I got started watching The Office somewhere around the 2nd or 3 season, having been exposed to it’s first season on ITunes.

It has had a great run,and had been a funny show.  It is the only show in my life that I ever took the time to know what day it was on, and what time (Seinfeld maybe being a distant 2nd).  But this season - 2009/2010 has lost the spark.  Jim’s a manager…..something Jim never wanted to be, made jokes about, and declared that if he ever took that job seriously, he’d jump in front of a train and end it all.  It’s a paper company and a failing one at that.  Pam is a salesperson, something Pam never wanted to be, something she made jokes about.  Pam is also now pregnant, adding a level of seriousness we didn’t need and now married to Jim, thus forever ending the nervous, sexual tension that existed between these 2 from the day the show started.

The show was about working at a crappy job, where the 2 main characters KNEW it was a crappy job, and never took it seriously, while everyone around them did.  That made them cooler, they were also at a level higher than everyone else, avoiding the office politics, nonsense and ridiculous seriousness at an office that dealt with paper.  But now, Jim and Pam have been assimiliated.  They’re no longer above or outside the rest of the group, they are one of them and the show’s not funny anymore.

Dwight is funny to a degree, but only because his ridiculous seriousness about his job was balanced by Jim’s smooth and uncaring attitude.  Now Jim is in Dwight’s camp and the spark that made the show hilarious isn’t there.  Michael is funny, but has been too serious lately in his altercations with Pam.  And you can tell something’s not right as you compare episodes from the past and now.  Older episodes flowed smoothly, you could sense the actors/actresses felt comfortable with their characters and agreed with them.

But this season’s shows seemed forced and while they’ve been painful for me to watch, must be even more painful to act in for The Office stars.  The characters seem out of their element and the lines seem forced.  The drama has gotten too real, pregnancies, marraige, manager issues, ugh.  We watched the Office because of how Pam and Jim mocked all of that, not how they engaged in it.  We viewers have all of the “real life” we need right at our own offices.

The best thing the show could do is to get Pam back behind the reception desk, Jim back as a salesperson, lose the baby and rebuild on what was a fantastic and funny premise.  Otherwise, The Office may be never return to it’s former glory.

A Friend is traveling soon to Europe.  She asked what the top tips were that I would recommend for them while over there.  Here you go….

Here are a number of tips that I would highly recommend you follow, if at all possible.

1.) Carry on baggage only - that means 1 suitcase (carry on size) and a purse/daybag. Amy carried a backpack with all her stuff from a company called PacSafe (at REI stores). PacSafe focuses on pickpocket proof bags that you may really like and give you a big of a piece of mind. If you check other bags - BE SURE to have a carry on with some clothes in it and your essentials just in case. Carry on is the way to go - because while everyone else is waiting for their luggage - you’re out the airport and into the train station - plus noone can lose your luggage but you.

2.) USE A MONEY BELT, USE A MONELY BELT, USE A MONELY BELT. Do NOT carry a wallet and don’t carry a purse with your passports, IDs, CASH, credit cards, etc. You can be on the most crowded train, asleep, and with a money belt YOU”RE 99% safe with your cash/IDs. Carry a purse or wallet and it’s highly likely it will be stolen/pickpocketed. Put your cash, credit cards and passports in your moneybelts around your waist - under your pants/skirt. That is the safest way to travel in Europe - crime is low but pickpockets are huge over there, especially in touristy areas - go to www.ricksteves.com and look for the section on traveler comments/scams! There’s a ton of little scams those idiots do to try to get your cash - I’m not trying to scare you - but as long as you’re aware that that little old lady that just fell down the stairs was legit versus a commotion created for her accomplices to steal wallets from people helping her up, you’ll be okay!