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Yeah, formatting's interesting at the moment -- my list ends once it gets past my avatar, but I figure if it's letting me waste time instead of working, who am I to argue?
Speaking of "interesting", NobodysWife went to Portugal via Sweden, and Verizon kept conveniently sending her texts: "Welcome to Sweden! Since you're on TravelPlan, you're only paying $10 today and everything else is free! Welcome to Portugal! Since you're on TravelPlan..."
I guarantee that those texts are specifically set up to make sure you get dinged the $10 daily fee when you enter a country, whether or not you ever use your phone there.
EDIT: Oh, so that's why they wouldn't let me get on the plane...
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Theoretically . . . .
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I've just booked a domestic flight for ALL (DE) and her kids to attend the Longears Family Blunderbuss Swap Meet and Elk Sacrifice next month*
That screaming sound you can hear is produced by my credit card. I could probably get myself to Spain for a tenth of what I paid to go down South. The train would probably be even more expensive, though
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It's my parent's 50th anniversary for when, as teenage Mods, they started dating
I wonder whether that's a "modern generation" thing. Admittedly, we're only at 31 and not 50, but we do the same thing: We celebrate the date we started dating rather than the date we got married, which was almost 7 years later.
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So, NW is off to Portugal for 11 days this afternoon, and tomorrow is the first day of school, so of COURSE Impus Major is planning on throwing a huge party at our house. And he wants me to buy all the pizzas. And the conversation was pretty much:
NobodysHome: In the last 8 days I've bought your friends dinner twice, and it's cost me just under $200. Why should I buy them dinner again? Have them pay for it themselves for once!
Impus Major: Well, you've got a fair point. Whenever we're at someone else's house, we all chip in. Well, no we don't. The parents usually pay.
NH: OK. So I'll tell you what. I'll pay for your party tonight, but I'm not buying takeout for any of you again for the entire month of September. Deal?
IM: Sounds fair!I think I just saved myself $200-$300 in takeout.
(And yeah, food here is seriously that expensive. For example, two "monster" pizzas from Mountain Mike's (a low-end pizza chain) run $95 to feed 8 teenagers. So $12 per teenager isn't bad, but holy carp it adds up fast.)
EDIT: On the bright side, with NobodysWife gone, I can sleep in the studio with impunity, so whatever the kids are doing tonight on their last night of freedom isn't my problem... unless it wakes the neighbors. In which case it really will be the kids' last night of freedom.
EDIT 2: And seriously. By the time I was 17 I'd had 4 separate jobs (paperboy, paperboy's assistant, tutor center tutor, private tutor) and could pay for my own d**n food. Gotta get these kids working!
For $12 I can get a 60-cm diameter (that's 23.6 inches for you 'M'ricans) pizza here. In fact I just finished the one I ordered yesterday. Except on Monday my pizzeria sells 60-cm in price of 50-cm one so it was cheaper and costed $9.
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The Rainbow is halfway done with character creation. I am so afraid for what they're going to unleash.
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Are... are we back?
Nope. The site is still down. Your FAWTL-starved brain started hallucinating...
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My day began with kids coming in, loudly arguing about animal preferences without providing the helpful context that they wanted my advice on picking a familiar.
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When have you even managed to write so many posts despite the site being down?
Or was it keeping just me out?
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I am testing something ridiculously stupid.
Hi, Gary! Long time, no see. :)
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The Rainbow is halfway done with character creation. I am so afraid for what they're going to unleash.
Kingmaker?
I can't wait!
There will be journal of their misadventures to be read, right? RIGHT?!
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My day began with kids coming in, loudly arguing about animal preferences without providing the helpful context that they wanted my advice on picking a familiar.
Weasel.
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In probably my final post of the day (even if the site stays up), the winner for "best country so far" is Sweden. NobodysWife flew in to Stockholm on her way to Lisbon, and she loved the plane, was amazed at how friendly and helpful everyone at the airport was, and her first words to me once she was in Portugal were, "We need to visit Sweden!"
Pretty impressive, Sweden, to make even your friggin' airports so nice that visitors want to visit your country!
Portugal has already added itself to the loser-list with a little-known 6-month passport policy: If your passport is set to expire in 6 months or less, they won't let you in.
So, in abject proof that we're living in a plutocracy, the Portuguese Hurricane, who yes, indeed, is the daughter of two Portuguese immigrants (who've decided to move back, hence the trip), had a passport that expires within 6 months. But she IS FRICKING PORTUGUESE!!!!
But the U.S. Customs Agents wouldn't let her board the plane, citing the rule.
Cue a few hundred dollars passing hands to grease the wheels and get the U.S. Embassy involved on a moment's notice. I swear they probably have envoys on call 24/7 for EXACTLY such emergencies; I'm sure they're hugely profitable for all involved. But the Hurricane paid enough money that the Portuguese embassy granted a waiver via the U.S. embassy or what not, and she was allowed on the plane.
So think about that -- if you have enough money, you can be denied boarding for a real, honest-to-goodness law, but you can shell out said money and have them 'fix' the law for you.
*SIGH*
And yes, I figure flaming bikes is exactly what the site needs.
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My day began with kids coming in, loudly arguing about animal preferences without providing the helpful context that they wanted my advice on picking a familiar.
Hamster.
The answer is always Hamster.| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
…
Pretty impressive, Sweden, to make even your friggin' airports so nice that visitors want to visit your country!Portugal has already added itself to the loser-list with a little-known 6-month passport policy: If your passport is set to expire in 6 months or less, they won't let you in.
To my best knowledge this isn't the complete picture.
I think you'll find that most European countries are actually bound to the 3+3 months expiry rule, if they are a signatory, or an association signitory of the Schengen Agreement (Which passed into European Union Law in...1999? I think).That particular agreement created open internal border between signatories, with minimal controls (ie border security and other border controls) mostly in order to allow free movement of European nationals with still presenting a border with controls to external nationalities.
Furthermore, if I remember correctly, the only countries that aren't bound by the agreement are England, Scotland, Ireland and some Balkan countries (Serbia, Montenegro etc).
The implementation of the agreement in each countries has led to slightly differing wording of the actual laws, which has led to the 3+3 wording. So you'll either hear an requirement of either 3 months or 6 months (the rule of thumb you probably should aim for) depending on the particular member-state you're visiting.
The US Department of State has a page that should give you the required 'expiry rule' depend on the country you want to visit.
According to it:
Sweden requires: 6 months
Denmark: 6 months
France: 3 months
Belgium: 3 months
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I am testing something ridiculously stupid.Hi, Gary! Long time, no see. :)
Speaking of see long no time!
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Because what everyone needs is more flooding.
On the plus side, it's not even September and we're already harvesting pumpkins.
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*Sits shivering in the corner of the thread, covering his eyes, not daring to touch anything in the thread, in fear of triggering another thread-ageddon*
*pulls turtle flippers off the Cover Turtle's eyes*
It's nothing you did, it wasn't your fault paizo went down.
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Paying that much for pizza? That's insane man!So, keep in mind that these are 20" pizzas, so compared to the local Domino's large ($16.39 for a 14" large), you're getting 104% more pizza for 83% more money. In other words, Mountain Mike's is cheaper than Domino's, which tells you something about its quality.
*BUT* at $30 for the large pepperoni, $38 for an all-meat monstrosity, Albany's wonderful 9.75% sales tax, delivery charge, and driver tip, you really do hit $95 for two pizzas.
Pretty appalling, but the numbers make sense as compared to the "dirt cheap" bottom-of-the-line pizzas around here.
You tempt me to make pizza(still have some bread flour I took from my BF's place). My mom is gonna complain that the fridge is too full, though.
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You should always get a cat familiar, so that your familiar can pwn commoners.
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In probably my final post of the day (even if the site stays up), the winner for "best country so far" is Sweden. NobodysWife flew in to Stockholm on her way to Lisbon, and she loved the plane, was amazed at how friendly and helpful everyone at the airport was, and her first words to me once she was in Portugal were, "We need to visit Sweden!"
Pretty impressive, Sweden, to make even your friggin' airports so nice that visitors want to visit your country!
Portugal has already added itself to the loser-list with a little-known 6-month passport policy: If your passport is set to expire in 6 months or less, they won't let you in.
So, in abject proof that we're living in a plutocracy, the Portuguese Hurricane, who yes, indeed, is the daughter of two Portuguese immigrants (who've decided to move back, hence the trip), had a passport that expires within 6 months. But she IS FRICKING PORTUGUESE!!!!
But the U.S. Customs Agents wouldn't let her board the plane, citing the rule.Cue a few hundred dollars passing hands to grease the wheels and get the U.S. Embassy involved on a moment's notice. I swear they probably have envoys on call 24/7 for EXACTLY such emergencies; I'm sure they're hugely profitable for all involved. But the Hurricane paid enough money that the Portuguese embassy granted a waiver via the U.S. embassy or what not, and she was allowed on the plane.
So think about that -- if you have enough money, you can be denied boarding for a real, honest-to-goodness law, but you can shell out said money and have them 'fix' the law for you.
*SIGH*
And yes, I figure flaming bikes is exactly what the site needs.
Singapore won the Best Airport award for the sixth year in a row.
I'm not sure how friendly the random travelers you meet at the airport are, though.
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In probably my final post of the day (even if the site stays up), the winner for "best country so far" is Sweden. NobodysWife flew in to Stockholm on her way to Lisbon, and she loved the plane, was amazed at how friendly and helpful everyone at the airport was, and her first words to me once she was in Portugal were, "We need to visit Sweden!"
Pretty impressive, Sweden, to make even your friggin' airports so nice that visitors want to visit your country!
Portugal has already added itself to the loser-list with a little-known 6-month passport policy: If your passport is set to expire in 6 months or less, they won't let you in.
So, in abject proof that we're living in a plutocracy, the Portuguese Hurricane, who yes, indeed, is the daughter of two Portuguese immigrants (who've decided to move back, hence the trip), had a passport that expires within 6 months. But she IS FRICKING PORTUGUESE!!!!
But the U.S. Customs Agents wouldn't let her board the plane, citing the rule.Cue a few hundred dollars passing hands to grease the wheels and get the U.S. Embassy involved on a moment's notice. I swear they probably have envoys on call 24/7 for EXACTLY such emergencies; I'm sure they're hugely profitable for all involved. But the Hurricane paid enough money that the Portuguese embassy granted a waiver via the U.S. embassy or what not, and she was allowed on the plane.
So think about that -- if you have enough money, you can be denied boarding for a real, honest-to-goodness law, but you can shell out said money and have them 'fix' the law for you.
*SIGH*
And yes, I figure flaming bikes is exactly what the site needs.
I wonder whose palm would need to be greased and by how much to convince them to keep the Hurricane there indefinitely? Because I'd chip in a buck or two.
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Hi, everyone.
John!
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Speaking of see long no time!I am testing something ridiculously stupid.Hi, Gary! Long time, no see. :)
Hey!
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So Sunday night I was unpacking the massive carton with all of our ooooold D&D manuals, maps, AP's, back-issues of Dragon Magazine, etc.
And Hermione and Teensy Valeros immediately dived onto the hoard, and as Val read aloud from an old Monsters Manual, he asked, "Mama, what's a Schoolbus?"
"What? You know what a schoolbus is."
"No, not a school bus, a skoobus... soocoobus?"
And I started laughing like crazy, which pissed him off, because how could I explain to my five year old how visions of a "The Magic Succubus" cartoon were now invading my brain? Ride on The Magic Succubus! It's educational! Plus, Lily Tomlin can still do the voice.
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NobodysWife flew in to Stockholm on ... and her first words to me once she was in Portugal were, "We need to visit Sweden!"
... leaves and immediately wants to go back... so you could say... she had... Stokholm S-G'NIGHT EVERYBODY~!
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Hi, everyone.
Hey John.
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*Sits shivering in the corner of the thread, covering his eyes, not daring to touch anything in the thread, in fear of triggering another thread-ageddon**pulls turtle flippers off the Cover Turtle's eyes*
It's nothing you did, it wasn't your fault paizo went down.
*Slowly opens eyes, recognizes Mort, smiles and gives her a loving nuzzle*
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So Sunday night I was unpacking the massive carton with all of our ooooold D&D manuals, maps, AP's, back-issues of Dragon Magazine, etc.
And Hermione and Teensy Valeros immediately dived onto the hoard, and as Val read aloud from an old Monsters Manual, he asked, "Mama, what's a Schoolbus?"
"What? You know what a schoolbus is."
"No, not a school bus, a skoobus... soocoobus?"
And I started laughing like crazy, which pissed him off, because how could I explain to my five year old how visions of a "The Magic Succubus" cartoon were now invading my brain? Ride on The Magic Succubus! It's educational! Plus, Lily Tomlin can still do the voice.
Hey, the succubus from the original Monster Manual was seriously crush-worthy! I'm proud of Teensy Valeros for noticing her!
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My brother is planning to bring us to lower antelope canyon on our trip in October so I really should get in shape for that. It's lots of stairs. I don't think I'm claustrophobic so I should be fine.
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US itinerary, planning to meet Tequila on 27th/28th Oct.
17 October
Arrive at Sky Harbour (Plane lands at 4.40 pm)
Accommodations (Crown Court Apartments)
18 October
Accommodations (Crown Court Apartments)
Bell Rock (106 mile drive / 2 h, 1.6 mile hike / 1h)
Chapel of the Holy Cross (3.6 mile drive / 10 min)
Lunch (The Hudson's) (3.1 mile drive / 10 min, 1h)
Explore town (1 h)
Airport Mesa Vortex (2.1 mile drive / 5 mins)
Accommodations (Highland Country Inn) (29.7 miles / 1h)
Dinner (Buffalo Wild Wings) / Walmart / Refuel (1.8 miles / 10 min)
19 October
Antelope Canyon Day Tour (270 miles round trip / 8.30am - 6pm)
Accommodations (Highland Country Inn)
Dinner (Beaver Street Brewery)
20 October
Accommodations (Highland Country Inn)
Shuttle Bus (Red Trail) (79 mile drive / 2h, 2h)
Lunch (Bright Angel Café) (30 mins)
Shuttle Bus (Orange Trail) / Rim Trail (2h (Depart by 4.30pm))
Accommodations (Highland Country Inn) (79 mile drive / 2h)
Dinner (The Northern Pines) / Refuel
21 October
Accommodations (Highland Country Inn)
Accommodations (Crown Court Apartments) / Refuel )( 139 miles / 2h 2min)
Free and easy / Laundry day
22 October
Accommodations (Crown Court Apartments)
Lunch (In-n-Out Yuma) / Refuel
Check in accommodations (Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel) (206 miles / 3h 30 min)
Stroll waterfront / Marina / Optional activity/San Diego Natural History Museum (172 miles / 3h)
Dinner (Mitch's Seafood) (1h)
23 October
Accommodations (Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel) / Breakfast
Hornblower Harbour Cruise (8.45am)
Midway Museum (open 10am) (5 mile drive + walk / 30 mins, 1h)
Broadway Pier (optional)/ San Diego Air and Space Museum (2h)
Lunch (Coronado Brewing Company) (optional) (0.2 mile walk / 5 mins)
Coronado Farmers Market (only on Tues) (optional)/Fleet Science Centre (1h)
Maritime Museum (closes at 9pm) (0.4 mile walk / 10 mins, 2h)
Dinner (Little Italy - Filippi's Pizza Grotto) (1h)
Accommodations (Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel) (5 mile drive + walk / 30 mins)
24 October
Check out Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel/ Breakfast
San Diego Zoo / Balboa Park Museums (3.3 miles / 10 mins)
Lunch (any place in zoo or park) / Refuel
Birch Aquarium (optional) (15 miles / 30 mins)
Check in accommodations (Inn by the Sea) (4.3 miles / 10 mins)
Dinner (Duke's La Jolla)
25 October
Accommodations (Inn by the Sea)
Seaworld (10.5 miles / 30 mins)
Lunch (Any on premise)
Dinner (Sportsmen's Seafood) (1 mile / 5 mins)
Accommodations (Inn by the Sea) (4.3 miles / 11 mins)
26 October
Accommodations (Inn by the Sea)
San Diego Safari Park (32 miles / 1h)
Lunch (Any on premise)
Dinner (Brockton Villa Restaurant) (32 miles / 45 mins)
Accommodations (Inn by the Sea) (2.6 miles / 10 mins)
27 October
Check out accommodations (Inn by the Sea)
Lunch (Mariscos Mar Azul) / Refuel) (174 miles / 3h)
Meet friend on way back (aka YOU)
Accommodations (Crown Court Apartments) (207 miles / 3h 30 mins)
28 October
Local attractions / Phoenix Premium Outlets
Accommodations (Crown Court Apartments)
29 October
Accommodations (Crown Court Apartments)
Phoenix Sky Harbour (Plane leaving at 7.35 am) (23.9 mile drive / 30 min)
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Hi, Kjel! 'Sup?
So'n'So I guess.
Stubbed/crushed my (big)toe rather badly today, so I'm hobbling around a bit (my toenail split right down the middle and bleed some).
Been really tired and listless lately.
Having trouble keeping up my spirits/creative juices/concentration game-wise, so I'm wondering if I should take a break from rpg-ing for a while…or at least dial back to some more laid-back gaming for a while.
And Gods do I feel like I need a drink!
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Hey, the succubus from the original Monster Manual was seriously crush-worthy! I'm proud of Teensy Valeros for noticing her!So Sunday night I was unpacking the massive carton with all of our ooooold D&D manuals, maps, AP's, back-issues of Dragon Magazine, etc.
And Hermione and Teensy Valeros immediately dived onto the hoard, and as Val read aloud from an old Monsters Manual, he asked, "Mama, what's a Schoolbus?"
"What? You know what a schoolbus is."
"No, not a school bus, a skoobus... soocoobus?"
And I started laughing like crazy, which pissed him off, because how could I explain to my five year old how visions of a "The Magic Succubus" cartoon were now invading my brain? Ride on The Magic Succubus! It's educational! Plus, Lily Tomlin can still do the voice.
I think for me it was the Neired in Monster Manual 2, the only monster manual I owned.
Hey!Speaking of see long no time!I am testing something ridiculously stupid.Hi, Gary! Long time, no see. :)
Yes!
So Sunday night I was unpacking the massive carton with all of our ooooold D&D manuals, maps, AP's, back-issues of Dragon Magazine, etc.
And Hermione and Teensy Valeros immediately dived onto the hoard, and as Val read aloud from an old Monsters Manual, he asked, "Mama, what's a Schoolbus?"
"What? You know what a schoolbus is."
"No, not a school bus, a skoobus... soocoobus?"
And I started laughing like crazy, which pissed him off, because how could I explain to my five year old how visions of a "The Magic Succubus" cartoon were now invading my brain? Ride on The Magic Succubus! It's educational! Plus, Lily Tomlin can still do the voice.
*Nods approvingly*
Yea those schoolbuses are temperamental pieces of equipment.
Really old-school...
Can get really stiff in the transmission, if it doesn't get lubricated properly.
You also have to learn to properly massage that clutch to find the smoothest clutching-point, or else you'll just hear her grind those transmission-teeth.
But, do it right and hearing her revving up...
Gods!
*Gets a slight disturbing inward look on his faces, while biting his lower lip and clutching the air, like his sitting at the wheel of a vehicle*
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Hi, Kjel! 'Sup?So'n'So I guess.
Stubbed/crushed my (big)toe rather badly today, so I'm hobbling around a bit (my toenail split right down the middle and bleed some).
Been really tired and listless lately.
Having trouble keeping up my spirits/creative juices/concentration game-wise, so I'm wondering if I should take a break from rpg-ing for a while…or at least dial back to some more laid-back gaming for a while.
And Gods do I feel like I need a drink!
Ow! How did that happen, and take care of it so it doesn't start oozing pus or something.
Yes!Hey!Speaking of see long no time!I am testing something ridiculously stupid.Hi, Gary! Long time, no see. :)
Strewth!
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Facts you can't unknow.
How many times does the dog try to bury a milk bone under my crotch before giving up and just eating it.
3 times.
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I am testing something ridiculously stupid.
We're rooting for you, Gary! Even those of us you haven't heard from in a long time!
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Um...who the Hell are all you people?
I know how bad toe injuries can get. In '88 or '89, while posted in what was West Germany, I had the misfortune to have the baseplate of a 4.2 inch (roughly 107mm) mortar fall on my right big toe. That's roughly 400 lbs of cast Aluminum falling from a height of about 3 feet. OUCH! My toenail is now permanently disfigured. I'll join you in that drink.
*Grimaces*
Ouch indeed! That's nastier then my bump for sure!
My toes bane, was a old diesel pump on a wobbly frame. Foot meets frame, frame tips, pump lands on toe. Have no idea about its weight…a casual guess would be around 160-180 pounds. It was so heavy I almost couldn't lift it off the floor (and my toe ^^') and onto a pallet besides me…
Um...who the Hell are all you people?
I... Don't... Know...
Yup, we're going to get flooded, again.
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Big (Slow) Pete: What should I do now?
Coworker: Grab a shovel!
Big (Slow) Pete: Okay, now what?
Me: Act casual.
Later that day Big (Slow) Pete wanders into the backyard where I'm working.
Big (Slow) Pete: What should I do now?
Me: Did you act casual?
Big (Slow) Pete: No, not yet
Me: Well, there you go!