July 6, 2010 - 7/6/2010 ~ Pounds to Rubles ~ Mickey invades the Baltic Sea

[sharper_fin]

For those interested, I've posted Fat Bloke Diaries 2 on the community boards. They come out about once a week.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1994514

 

[denise]

And related to 2010 trip - we get the Conde Nast Traveler magazine and the issue we received in today's mail has an article about Stockholm.

Which issue is it? I got the November one a week or so ago. Have not had a chance to look at it. I always do the "Where are you" contest first before I look at the magazine..Almost always get the correct answer but have never won, YET!

I will take a look at it. I have saved all my issues and when I get some time will go and see if there is any information on the places we are going...

 

[Stimpy]

What??!! We have to pay to go to the bathroom? geez, glad someone mentioned that now so I can prepare Last time I went to Europe was about 20 yrs ago and I certainly don't remember that. And I'll be sure to bring toilet paper too!

My kids are really excited about Halloween today. Ds is a Redcoat and DD is Sleeping Beauty. I'm not sure why DS wanted to be a Redcoat but he did. Thankfully he let me know at the beginning of the summer b/c it took forever to find a costume! I have to admit, he looks pretty cool in it.

 

[din]

Just a question about how people obtain foreign currency in the States. You keep mentioning getting packs from AAA? Is it not possible to just walk into a bank and get currency? Here in Britain we can pretty much just walk in and pick up what we want, when we want. Many high street stores and post offices carry foreign currency too.

Unfortunately in the US, foreign currency is not something that is common or seen by many. As a result getting foreign is not that easy. Depending on where you live, example in the major cities you can go to a bank to get exchange albeit with some restrictions (having an account with the bank, major currencies only etc..). In small towns or locations you will have to wait a few days to get the currency that you are looking for.

 

[slg]

Can someone post the currencies per country on our website.

I hope that DCL will send us out some comprehensive planning material. I hate to change lots of currency just to go to the loo. I know I won't be using much or any of of it.

Perhaps there are some other small spenders out there that might want to share some currency purchasing. ie, we each buy small amounts for a couple of countries and share amongst us.

Lots to plan. Keep these good ideas coming.

I don't mind euros, I'm going to ireland this year and will have some left other. Its the other countries where we will be for there only a few hours, that mainly I'll need a small amount of coin just for the loo, if we even happen to need the loo. Sigh.

I just had a thought. Can we leave tips for our DCL crew in some currencies we have left over?

 

[goingsouth]

Stimpy-

your kids look adorable--great costumes!
Hope everyone had a safe Halloween- don't eat too much candy! I just put half of what my kids brought home in the freezer!



joanne

 

[nzdisneymom]

Stimpy-

your kids look adorable--great costumes!
Hope everyone had a safe Halloween- don't eat too much candy! I just put half of what my kids brought home in the freezer!

We did the candy sort last night and they put about half of their buckets into the "we don't like this kind" pile. Which is fine - I'll take it to work and put in the candy bowl there - someone will eat it

The boys went as pirates and had a great time with a friend. It was a cool, clear night, which was perfect Halloween weather. Aaaaahhhhhhhh.

We opted to skip a pumpkin this year, so this morning the boys are starting their "cruise fare" jars with $5 each.

 

[Monstro]

London's new shopping mall....

"With some 300 shops, 50 restaurants, and many deluxe amenities, the mall is billed by its operators, the Australia-based Westfield Group, as one of the largest in the world"

http://www.luxist.com/2008/02/06/the-worlds-largest-mall/

 

[denise]

London's new shopping mall....

"With some 300 shops, 50 restaurants, and many deluxe amenities, the mall is billed by its operators, the Australia-based Westfield Group, as one of the largest in the world"

http://www.luxist.com/2008/02/06/the-worlds-largest-mall/

Hi Jeff,
Westfield owns our mall too! They didn't build it but came in a couple of years after and now they are expanding it. They own so many of the malls in California...and all are very nice.
That would be fun to see. Once in Newcastle England we went to their mall and there was an amusement park in it...and this was in 1988! We rode a roller coaster in a mall....what a trip..
Would love to see the Mall of America someday too.

 

[Monstro]

.. Would love to see the Mall of America someday too.

Hi Denise,

The Mall of American has all that stuff in it as well. I found it entertaining. I'd love to take our girls there. now they are a bit older.

Jeff

 

[CarolAnnC]

Westfield also owns many malls here in the Chicago area. Just got back from the Louis Joliet Mall which is a Westfield. DD needed a dress for graduation next month and I picked up a couple of good buys in Macy's. Also stoppped in at Linen's n Things which is going out of business. Found a DVD Rack there which we need for our expanding collection. Also took DD to village hall where she voted. We have absentee voting here which is nice. She will be driving far on Tuesday for a clinical and not around for the voting hours.

The mall in London sounds fabulous. Problem there will be space in the luggage for purchases, lol

Warm again here, must be Indian Summer. Will be heading out soon to grocery shop. Never enough time on weekends it seems for chores.

 

[DisTeach]

I hope everyone had a spooktastic Halloween! Did anyone go to any parties or anything? Some friends and I went to a bar that had karaoke and a costume contest; one of my girlfriends won (Edward Scissor Hands). I gave out zombie ring pops to my students during school and did a raffle of a goodie bag, one for each class. Now it will be countdown to Thanksgiving and then...the holidays. Can you believe it?

 

[scottishwee35]

sorry I missed out Halloween fun as I was working last night so never mind.

Just back from spain as cannot be bother to decorated the halloween as Know that USA much better than Scotland

Maybe next year could be better as my daughter won the best dresses at the brownies.

forgot take the photo, bad mum

Scottishwee35

 

[APinCA]

We were planning on just a pre-trip to London. It's so hard to take 3 weeks from work. Now my husband found out that the Farnbouough Air show is (near London) the week following the cruise. He's an aerospace guy and might be able to talk his way into getting work to spring for him to go! It would be great to get more days because you are all right- it pays to get the most from high air tickets!

joanne

Thanks for the info. We may have to rethink our pre/post stay days since DE's (Darling Enginerd) eyebrows raised up when he heard that we return on the 18th and the show starts on the 19th. Edwards hasn't had their Open House for a few years so he hasn't had a chance to share his love for airplanes with his DD recently.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Here are the boys' in their halloween attire.

Zachary (age 11):

and Nathan (age 12 1/2):

 

[scottishwee35]

Here are the boys' in their halloween attire.

Zachary (age 11):

and Nathan (age 12 1/2):

Hi

Lovely photos, will show Keith later.

Scottishwee35

 

[denise]

Thanks for the info. We may have to rethink our pre/post stay days since DE's (Darling Enginerd) eyebrows raised up when he heard that we return on the 18th and the show starts on the 19th. Edwards hasn't had their Open House for a few years so he hasn't had a chance to share his love for airplanes with his DD recently.

I asked Jimmy if he heard of Farnborough and he just looked at me with that duh look and said, well yeah, that's where the SR-71, number 17972, landed after it broke the transatlantic world record on Sept. 1st, 1974, why?

I said, with my there's more useless information look, there is an air show there and it starts the day after we get back from the cruise. I told him it's only there every other year. He said of course it is because the other year it's in Paris. He then went on to tell me the entire story of the SR-71, and how it was announced that it had taken off from New York at the beginning of the air show and that it was landing there at Farnborough. I told him...you can't remember what you wore to church last week but you can remember this?
Maybe we could send the boys to this?

 

[CarolAnnC]

Love all the Halloween costumes! Nice that all the kids had a great time trick or treating.

The mild weather continues on here. Catchup on housework day. Might even start checking online for good deals on Christmas shopping.

 

[scottishwee35]

Hello

Outside now is very cool - freezing brrrrrrrrrrr

Do USA have bonefire or fireworks on 5th November?

Anyway

I found exchange money for UK

let finger cross

http://www.forecasts.org/pound.htm

Scottishwee35

 

[nzdisneymom]

The mild weather continues on here. Catchup on housework day. Might even start checking online for good deals on Christmas shopping.

We're doing something a bit different for Christmas this year as the kids are getting older so they are harder to buy for. Of course we're going on our cruise which is the BIG surprise, but we still want to have a few things for them to unwrap when they get home. Anyway, Zachary likes playing some of the online games that require subscriptions for the beyond-basic versions - like ToonTown Central, Pirates of the Cariibbean, Club Penguin... so we are going to give him a year's subscription -- he can divide it up however he wants - a year of one, four months for three, six months for two... and we don't have to start January - just whenever they fall.



We started our saving jars yesterday, and each boy has been able to add some money to their jars already. Yay!