I have a plan. Eat well on the ground, drink a lot of liquid on the plane, but be very picky about what one eats. And don't bother asking for a veggie meal, just leave the meat in the wrapper. Airline veggie meals are far too fussy.

It is perfectly possible to walk everywhere in Ann Arbor. All roads have sidewalks, with the exception of junctions and overbridges with major highways - and that's exactly where we need them the most.

Highlights downtown include Crazy Wisdom, the sort of new-agey / holisticy / unconventional bookstore that does still exist, does still turn a profit, and really does enliven the city. It's a great place to wander, browse, become immersed in something other than the intense cold outside, and take lunch.

At the next table, there's a party of three talking in a Slavic tongue. Serbian? Russian? Something between? I don't know, nor do I much care. It's another small example of the welcome that the US has historically extended to all comers.

The woman loudly pontificating about the Traditional English University.

Three gentlemen sharing half a chocolate cake.

A group of twelve discuss government IDs while clutching copies of the Visitors' Guide to UM.

In walks a pair of breasts. Five seconds later, in walks their owner. A gent in glasses looks up from his book, and can't quite believe his eyes. That makes two of us - I can't quite believe his eyes, either.

In a university town, one should expect students. You can tell she's a student by the number of pens she carries around in her bag, even before she pulls out the binder and reviews printed sheets of notes. And you can tell he's a student by the thick hardback book he's reading. And that he's not a jock - even though he looks like one - by the intense concentration he pays to each page: without once moving his lips.

It seems that whenever I go to North America, I'm hit by snow. April 97, St John's, 35cm falls in 13 hours, and closes the City That Never Closes For Snow. (Well, Almost Never.) Dec 97, St John's; Mar 99, Toronto, well, these are snow-prone areas, and some fell. More surprised that only a centimetre or so fell in Toronto while I was there than anything. June 01, Dallas, it was a close call, but we managed to avoid the white stuff. Just. Dec 01, Tucson, return delayed over a day by the heaviest snow in 60 years closing down Atlanta. April 03, Ann Arbor, 12cm falls in eight hours - that's twice as much as fell in Atlanta, and the city didn't close, just grumbled and wrapped up warm.

I followed Vic's recommendation and took in an episode of Miracles, but I don't think much of it. There's this bloke in a tie gabbling about some completely ludicrous claim sourced to the US military, and subsequently proven to be a complete load of tosh. Interspersed with what appears to be a workable if not outstanding drama set in a lawyer's office. I stayed awake for this?

Speaking of making no sense, the Barenaked Ladies have gone all commercial, and allowed their US #1 hit One Week to be used in a car commercial in Canada. What next: Chumbawumba sponsoring the Republican Prat?

The kid of nine, posing for pictures with Easter Bunny, looking around and wondering just how he let mother talk him into this.

Two jocks peering into a show car, as if they'll find the meaning of life therein.

Listening to This American Life in the bright sunshine, gazing into a quiet, freeflowing stream. This is the meaning of life.

The smartly dressed children, in their Sunday best on a Saturday afternoon, who are perhaps even more surprised than their parents to see two grown women kissing in public. With any luck, at least one of them will think for themselves.

Pick up Jaeda from the airport, then quietly withdraw to allow Edith to say hello in her own inimitable fashion. This correspondent likes Edith, she's Officially Way Cool. She has NPR as a car radio preset, and that says everything.

Warmup is Stephen Davis, a rather cool guy. Shaved as bald as Richard O'Brien, some very cool tunes, a self-deprecating stage presence, and bound to go far.

Melissa Ferrick is an interesting mix. Parts of the show are clearly coming directly from The Diary Room, and the show is as much about that as it is about love and romance. For those of us in the bleachers, this is a folk show, an excuse to politely nibble at popcorn and drink good coffee. For those on the floor, it's a rock show, with the obligatory light moshing and groping. Well, so I'm told...

At times, it's like the good, raw, Whatever Anonymous meetings. At times, it's eavesdropping on someone who believes in love and romance and all that sort of mushy stuff, and I'm not sure that that's where I'm at right now. But then, she got me thinking and reflecting on those things, and that's not entirely bad.

Jae and Edith met through their shared love of Ms Ferrick's music, and Jae has come all the way up from Texas to see her musical idol, so it's not entirely unreasonable to wait backstage for her to come out. There are photos, there are handshakes, there's plenty of signing things, and Jaeda tells her side of the story far better than I can. Ms Ferrick compliments Jae on her choice of girlfriend, and it is a very good choice.

Jae also took Edith to Regis Hairstylers for a haircut. The staff there want to know, repeatedly, if that's your final snip, and won't listen to anyone coughing from the audience seats.

When I arrived in Detroit, it was exactly freezing, and too cold to wait outside for a taxi for more than a few minutes. Then there was ice, snow, freezing rain, puddles, sun, chill winds, and by the time I'm back at Metro Wayne, it's 85 degrees out and too hot to stand outside for more than a few minutes. Plus ca change.

I have a theory. Never trust men who fly while wearing a tie. Lest we forget, no British prime minister has worn a tie while travelling by aeroplane in a quarter of a century. Anyone who does is clearly out for all they can get, by fair means or foul. They will think nothing of securing the entire arm rest for their own use, including the bit that contains the control for your in-flight "entertainment" system. They will jam their elbows down while eating on that control, take all the overhead locker space, and gently snore, fidget, and want to use the little aviator's room at the most inopportune moments. Men wearing ties while travelling Economy are clearly out to get more than they deserve. Don't let them get away with it.