FASCISTS!@(*&*%^&%!

Talk about man's inhumanity to man!

(Thanks to A. Mackid)

Comments

[OtheU(manity)]

While I realize that the old advice does not necessarily fit for our Girl Traveler, I'll reiterate NEway ...

When packing for a trip, take:

Half as many clothes.

Twice as much money.

[Bumble]

Blue, I'm not a girly-girl. I was only planning on two pairs of shoes; one nice, one comfy. And maybe a pair of scuffy slippers so I don't have to walk barefoot on a hotel floor. And I was only planning to bring one (casual) outfit per day, and one nice outfit just in case, but it still takes time to get it all together in one bag, get all the security snatchable items out of my purse and into my checked bag, get my to-do stuff (books, crochet project, mp3 player, portable DVD player) into a carry-on, etc. I'm a much lighter packer than most, but it still takes time, and I'm lacking in that at the moment.

Uncle O~ Duly noted. Can I borrow some money?

[Bumble]

And I wasn't going to back for the beach. I don't go to the beach in America in March, and I really doubt that it's warmer in Deutschland. :-)

[Bumble]

make that pack for the beach. *sigh*

it's been a long day.

heck, it's been a long month.

[sharon share-alike]

I pack like you, Bumble. Dragons don't need tons and tons of luggage (and you definitely have a bit of dragon in you!). We know that there are stores if we don't have something we need, there are laundries if we need to wash something we have, and that part of the joy of a vacation is putting some distance between you and your stuff.

I usually can pack a bag for a two-week overseas trip in twenty minutes.

[Bumble]

Twenty minutes? Not me. I'm too meticulous. I pack light, but not fast. :-)

*sneezes*

*puts out ensuing fire*

'scuse me.

*goes to bed*

[sharon share-alike]

*snorks*

*pats out reignited fire*

Um...sorry 'bout that, Bumble. You didn't really need that pillow, did you?

[OtheU(manity)]

Sure ... how much?

How much in Blog dollars?

How much is that in Metric?

[Bumble]

I might take a quick detour to Hannover while we're in Berlin and meet the German pen-pal I wrote for so many years. Yay!

[Eleanor]

*zips in*

Good morning, Kilties!

[Meanie the Blue]

*Greets the Kilties too*

[southerngirl]

*adds greetings from the deep south*

[TCK]

here's a good mornin *snork* from damnyankeeland

[TCK]

*sigh*

it's not monday, is it?

tryin again

[southerngirl]

*smooches* from hobbes...

*snork*

[neophyte]

*lines up to get a smooch from Hobbes*
I hear he's a real tiger, IYKWIM

[Eleanor]

I love Calvin and Hobbes. Too bad your first link was an error and the second one didn't open for me. :(

[southerngirl]

el, calvin said they don't like girls, so hobbes wanted to know who they were gonna *smooch*.

and *snork* at neo!

[sharon share-alike]

*snork* @ everyone.

*volunteers to also smooch Hobbes*

[Hobbes]

Calvin's a weirdo, if ya ask me.

Come and get 'em!

[calvin]

traitor.

[insomniac]

not this Hobbes?

[southerngirl]

insom, i'd rather *smooch* the tiger, tyvm. :)

[Calvin]

Insom's Hobbes is destined for h3ll, if you ask me.

[John Knox]

Hey Calvin! Long time, no see! You never write, you never call....what's a radical Protestant reformer to think???

[John Wesley]

Tho his way be madness, there's Method in it ...

[Bon Scott]

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock n roll

[southerngirl]

*SNOOOORK*

[Martin Luther]

Know any godd knock-knock jokes?

[Bugs Bunny]

eh, what's up, doc?

[John Wesley]

Knock-Knock

[Martin Luther]

I beg your indulgence.

[John Wesley]

Luther.

[sharon share-alike]

*snooooooork*

Um....need a nail there, Martin??

Okay, so I'm not a wussy dragon anymore...I'm an incompetent dragon. I went to give Abby her fluids when I got home from work and ended up stabbing myself in the thumb with a VERY sharp needle.

Ouchie.

[neophyte]

Sharon's nailing Martin? And Wesley is calling us Lutherths?! (I never knew Wesley had a lithp)

[sharon share-alike]

*thnork*

[Susie Derkins]

Can I play?

[Calvin]

*Tosses snowball at Suzie*

[Meanie the Blue]

Luther who?

[sharon share-alike]

*PIFF!!*

'cuz everyone knows that's the sound snowballs make.

[Susie Derkins]

Calvin, you're going to regret that.

See?

[Hobbes]

So.....when does the smooching start??

[John Wesley]

Luther an' Catholics don't seem to get along very well. I have a METHOD to solve this problem with religion.

[Alfred]

Enjoy your methods all of you.

This guy is a definite Kilt folk.

[Meanie the Blue]

Alfred, his website indicates Celt, but that's close enough.

[Eleanor]

*zips in*

Good Morning, Kilties!

[sharon share-alike]

*peeks into the kilt*

PIFF!!

*gets plastered in the face by a wayward snowball*

Glad to see everything is normal here.....normal for the Kilt, that is.

Gotta get to work! Talk to you later, Kilties!

*smoooooooooooch!*

(since no one took me up on my offer of smoochies yesterday!)

[Bugs Bunny]

geez, it's quiet here today...

[southerngirl]

please ignore that wascally wabbit.

*grabs sharon and smooches her before she can leave*

*grins*

[sharon share-alike]

Woo hoo!

*grins back*

Every day is better with a smooch.

Well, here I am at work, and it turns out I have no appointments yet. Which is fine with me, because that means I get to play around on the computer and get paid for it.

[southerngirl]

good for you, prof! :)

[The Computer]

Woooo-hoooooooo!!!!

[sharon share-alike]

*snork*

Silly computer. No more racy websites for YOU!

[KDF]

*feels rusty (not Rusty)*

helllllooooooo.....

So... what'd I miss? Besides all of you, of course.

*hugs all Kilties*

[Rusty]

Dang...

[Meanie the Blue]

KFC!! Welcome back! It's been so long we hardly know ya.

[sharon share-alike]

Wait a minute! Is she crispy or extra-crispy??

That's a heck of a tan you got there, sistah!

[Eleanor]

Nice to have you back, Kathy. I missed you and was just inquiring about you yesterday. :)

[Alfred]

Meanie- The guy is playing Spoons while wearing a Kilt.

Welcome back KDF.

[Bumble]

Did somebody say KFC?

*is now hungry for an original recipe breast and a big pile of mashed potatoes with gravy*

One of the things I want to do in Germany is go to a German KFC (is my lack of cultural adventurousness showing?). Seriously though. My German teacher complains that the chicken at the KFC restaurants in America is so greasy she can't eat it, but she used to eat it all the time in Germany, so I'm curious to see what it's like. :-)

[Eleanor]

Bumble, any reason will do. ;)

But you should have bratwurst too.

[Bumble]

Es tut mir leid. Ich finde bratwurst yucky. I'm gonna try some wienerschnitzel though. :-)

[sharon share-alike]

Sauerbraten is also uber yummy!

[Bumble]

sharon~ Wirklich?

*is skeptical*

Blue, can you purchase disposable cell phones in Germany? I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna keep in touch with the folks back home, and I'll probably also need a way to communicate with the girls I'm going with since I may be going off to Hannover by myself on Sunday.

[Bumble]

Also: Should I bother with traveler's checks?

[Meanie the Blue]

Weisswurst is a particularly great style of sausage - nothing like a brat. It's mild but very flavorful veal, and served with a delicious sweet mustard. In Bavaria, you can get it for breakfast with a giant pretzel and, if you were so inclined, a tall cold weissbier.

My kids absolutely love 'em (no, not the beers!), even the inferior ones we can get here.

I remember many years ago, when McD0nald's was first going international, my then nine-year old nephew in Germany was infatuated with McD's, and he asked me: "Do you have McD0nald's in America, too?" If I had had a computer monitor in front of me then, I would have had to replace it.

[sharon share-alike]

Yes, really. Done right, it's delicious!

And speaking as someone who travels a LOT, I would say: If you have a debit/check card, don't bother with traveler's checks. Using your check or credit card gives you the best and most up-to-date rate of exchange, and you should have NO problem finding ATM machines that will accept your card. Nearly all stores and restaurants also will take your debit card (so long as it has a Visa or Mastercard logo on it).

/my two cents

[Meanie the Blue]

You can get disposable cell phones there, but it's all very tricky. We just bought a cheap regular one from T-M0bile, which had its own hassles too.

Based on my experience, I would go with getting one here that's made to work over there. Google it and you'll find several websites that offer them.

If your home bank has branches in the cities you will be going to, call them and ask if they charge "foreign fees" for ATM withdrawals. If not, go with cash and use their ATMs. Otherwise, there can be surprisingly high ATM fees. Travellers checks are a nuisance, but at least you'll know what your paying ahead of time and they're not all that expensive.

[Meanie the Blue]

"Rehbraten" is a venison version of sauerbraten that is terrific.

[Bumble]

A) I have a debit card carried by Visa...

B) ...from National City. I doubt they have branches there. Am I right?

[Bumble]

I've only had venison once, but it was tasty.

[Meanie the Blue]

I suggest you check with Visa or the bank that it debits through about foreign fees.

Didn't see any National City branches.

[Bumble]

'kay. I have a TracFone. I was just looking at their website. I can use my phone to call internationally, but it doesn't say anything about whether I can use it internationally to call home. I'm betting I can't. Probably no service for them elsewhere.

[sharon share-alike]

It doesn't matter if there's a branch of your bank there or not...the ATM machines will still accept your card (though they may charge you a fee to do so). But it may still be less than your bank would charge you for buying traveler's checks.

And *SNORK!!* I just finished eating some venison stew I made a while back and froze. It was YUMMMMMMMMY!!

[Meanie the Blue]

ATMs over there will definitely accept your card, it's just a question of which is cheaper - ATM cash withdrawals with fees or the cost of travellers checks.

It's very unlikely that your TracPhone works there.

[OtheU(manity)]

Bumble -

Yep, whut them others said ... use your Visa Debit card ... HOWever, you might wanna ask your bank about how much their fees are for foreign usage ... I think ours wuz about one percent, which is usually the rate for top-line traveler's checks, so the card is a LOT easier ... yes, if you get cash from the machine, your Visa account should get the BEST possible exchange rate at that time ... it's the way to go ...

HOWever, on the phone dealie ... we thot the "cheapie disposables" deal over there wuz a bit pricey, and getting one here to use over there is QUITE pricey ... ALSO -- according to WHUT WE WERE TOLD -- our phones won't werk over there (different circuits or somethin' -- we turned ours on, and got NADA ... not even a signal, let alone a time of day or such

I don't KNOW that it's "the circuits" ... but that's whut we heard from several sources, and we din't feel a major need for phones (used pay phones when we needed 'em ... perhaps get a calling card over there? ... and when we could find 'em ... not many pay phones in Ireland, or the North, that we could find ... or restrooms in gas stations, for that matter ... or washcloths in the hotels or B&Bs ...

Use your Visa Debit ... forget the phone ... that's my suggestion ... OH, and have a GREAT TIME!!!

[Meanie the Blue]

The cell phones there operate over an entirely different technology network, so our phones don't work there and theirs don't work here, unless you have one with multi-network capability (rare and expensive). It's absurd, but from what I understand, our networks will be switching to their technology in the next few years.

[sharon share-alike]

*realizes that Blue has been talking about sausages, and hasn't made ONE pervie comment*

*wonders if Blue has been abducted by aliens and replaced with a simulacrum*

[Bumble]

He's too busy imparting the wisdom of the seasoned traveler at the moment. :-)

[sharon share-alike]

But the Blue I know and love can multi-task!

I think the Kilt should go to Plaid Alert....

[Meanie the Blue]

OK. If you ever develop a taste for brats, stay out of Nurnberg. Their specialty is minis, actually 3 little guys in a roll. Cute, but ultimately unsatisfying.

If you've ever listened closely to Monty Python's "Johann Gamblepudding" routine, where John Cleese is introducing the interminably hyperextended name of a German scholar that he is supposed to be interviewing, you will catch a mention of "Nurnburger bratwurstls".

[Meanie the Blue]

The Mother Ship is signalling me now to cease transmissions.

Must obey.
Must obey.
Must...

[KDF]

Thanks for the the welcomes, everyone! Yes, I'm a tad crispy, NTTAWWT. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELEANOR!!! Sorry I missed it. *sniff*

*realizes that Blue has been talking about sausages, and hasn't made ONE pervie comment*

Posted by: sharon share-alike | 11:10 PM on February 28, 2007

If you ever develop a taste for brats, stay out of Nurnberg. Their specialty is minis, actually 3 little guys in a roll. Cute, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Posted by: Meanie the Blue | 11:32 PM on February 28, 2007

Ummmm...

*blinks*

*maintains wide-eyed look*

*head explodes*

[Bumble]

*snorks*

*yawns*

*leaves for work*

*sigh*

[sharon share-alike]

EWWWWWWWW! Why is there head all over the Kilt???

*blinks*

*desperately tries to maintain innocent, wide-eyed look*

*fails miserably*

BWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

[Eleanor]

*zips in*

It's so early here in su.so.ca. that I don't even "get" sharon's double entendre, nope, don't.

Thanks for the belated b-day wishes, Kath. It's never too late to send a present, ya know...;) just kidding!

[sharon share-alike]

That was a double entendre?

Wow...was going for a single and got a double. And everyone knows that multiples are better than singles!

[sharon share-alike]

Holy cats!

I come home and NO ONE has posted on the Kilt??? Sheesh!

Whassup, people??

[Meanie the Blue]

Apologies, all day business trip for me today with no net access, so I have not been around to double or triple your entendres.

Observes a marked increase in wide-eyed innocent lookage since KDF's return, even following the explosion of her head. Not an easy trick (please entendre at will).

[Meanie the Blue]

* *

[Bumble]

I worked from 9:00-6:30 today by myself and without a break.

I'm going out for Mexican now, since I only had a handful of Pringles and two Fig Newtons for lunch. I have nothing else to say at this time, other than that I might quit my job here and now if it weren't for the fact that I should be getting a big fat direct deposit at midnight tonight.

[Meanie the Blue]

Bumble, that's the way it is sometimes in the working world - you bust your buns to keep the operation going smoothly, seemingly merely in return for your daily bread.

But note that I said sometimes and seemingly. If you have to always labor that seriously with barely time to eat anything, then you are being exploited. If your bosses are good ones, they will take notice of your extra effort and conscientiousness, and find a way to reward you beyond your regular paycheck. Keep up the excellent work, but make sure your bosses know of it and appreciate it. With luck, you will be given the proper resources to avoid extreme situations.

[Bumble]

I don't have a boss. My boss got fired the day I met her, and she hasn't been replaced yet. That's why my current schedule is insane.

[Meanie the Blue]

That boss has had a boss, who is now your boss until your real new boss is appointed or you are made the real, not acting, new boss.

What you're doing now comes under the heading of extreme service, for which you should be recognized and rewarded.

[sharon share-alike]

*smooches and sticks a gold star on Bumble's nose*

.....What?? You want more recognition and reward that that??

Well, yeah, okay....you deserve a nice bonus for that.

[Bumble]

Well, she better have fixed my pay scale. That's all I've got to say. If my paycheck tonight is associate wages instead of sales lead wages, there's going to be hell more money to pay.

[sharon share-alike]

Hmmm....

*envisions scene at BABW store*

Supervisor: "I'm sorry, Bumble, but...I didn't fix your pay scale. I forgot."

Bumble: "There's going to be hell to pay!"

Supervisor: "OH! Well, I can pay you hell, THAT'S no problem!"

Um. Maybe not. Maybe it's just time to go to bed.

[Bumble]

It didn't get changed.

*storms off to Kokomo to get the district manager's number and raise hell*

I'm working too hard not to get what I deserve, and I wanted to have my money straightened out when I went to Germany. They now owe me another $250 or so, and I won't get it for another two weeks even if it does get fixed this pay period. Dammit!!!

[Meanie the Blue]

Uh oh. Somebody's in for a stinging.

[lalala]

*buzzzzzzz*