PTR Oct 2010 - An Aussie returns: Back home and TR started (11/02)

[PrincessInOz]

Ahh....

The Aussie equivalent is Professor Julius Sumner Miller.

The funny thing is that he is NOT an Australian but was an American Physicist. He used to ask "Why is it so?", which became his famous tag line. He also became the face for advertising Cadbury chocolate in Australia....doing experiments, asking Why is it so?....and the answer was "because there is a glass and the half of milk in every Cadbury chocolate".

 

[DisneyFirefly]

If I remember correctly, he had a TV show on PBS for kids to teach them about science

 

[franandaj]

Well I'm glad you at least have an idea of who he is, when you see the ride, it will make more sense.

 

[franandaj]

If I remember correctly, he had a TV show on PBS for kids to teach them about science

He did end up with a show on PBS, but after Googling it, he got his start on a show "Almost Live" which was a Seattle based TV show, but Comedy Central picked it up for a couple years. That's where I knew who he was.

 

[DisneyFirefly]

Ah, okay I know him from the PBS show

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'm now under 2 weeks before flying out of Oz. So, I finally decided that I needed to update my ESTA or risk the wrath of US customs!

For those of you that do NOT know what ESTA is, it's US Customs equivalent of on-line check-in. Visitors from some countries need to get an approved entry visa to visit the US. The ESTA has been in operation for about 3 years or so. Once you get a visa, it is valid for 2 years. ESTA used to be free; but the US government has recently introduced a $14 fee for the visa.

As a frequent visitor, I pretty much thought I had a valid ESTA. Afterall, I obtained a new passport in Feb of this year and had to request for a new ESTA number, rather than using the previous one on file. So, I KNOW I filled in a visa for the family in March this year.

Imagine my surprise when I went on line to update my travel details and the system told me that I did not have a previous valid visa! I then checked DH's visa and the system accepted his number...

I then thought that maybe I had somehow stored the wrong ESTA number and went into the system to retrieve my number.....again, the system said that I did not have a previously valid visa.

So, with a lot of dark and gloomy thoughts (and if acted on, would mean having to tick a yes in THOSE entry questions) about the US government and their need for money, I went into the system to request a NEW visa.

Looks like Disney is NOT the only organisation with system issues! (Anyone who has tried to covert a room-only reservation across to a package will know what I'm talking about!)

Well......I got nearly to the end of the form filling process...when the system told me that I had a previous VALID visa on record and that if I continued with the new visa, the old one would be overwritten and I would incur the charge of $14!!!

Off I went, back to the update a previous visa - only to be told that there was no visa on file for me!

There is an email that is provided somewhere 15 clicks down the FAQ path on ESTA for any issues. I know I could could have sent an email off; but I am within 2 weeks of flying off and I figured it was easier forking out the $14 than hoping for a timely response!

In short, I am now cleared for an authorised entry into the US; and so is DH!

So for any of the Aussies out there who is reading this, I recommend that if you know your flight details and think you have a valid ESTA, please go and check sooner rather than later. You never know....it might NOT be a valid ESTA afterall!

 

[DisneyFirefly]

Thanks for explaining the ESTA thing! I'm glad you got it sorted out. That sucks that you had to pay the fee again, though but at least it's sorted, right?

 

[franandaj]

Sometimes, it's just worth the stinkin' $14 to be sure it's taken care of!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks for explaining the ESTA thing! I'm glad you got it sorted out. That sucks that you had to pay the fee again, though but at least it's sorted, right?

Sometimes, it's just worth the stinkin' $14 to be sure it's taken care of!

YUP! All done and dusted. And it was the best $14 I spent this week for the peace of mind and getting rid of the "aggro" factor.

 

[PrincessInOz]

12 days to go....

And we have a number of things that we had to do but had NOT done.....

• Organise the finer details of Operation Grandparents so that the handover of DS from one set to the other occurs smoothly. We do NOT want DS to think that we ran off and ditched him (which we are....)
• Organise the furbabies minders to come in, feed them twice and day, love them, collect mail, open/close curtains, take rubbish bins in/out etc. We have found a service where someone comes in to do all of those things for NOT an unreasonable amount of money. If we left the cats in a cattery, it would cost us about $30 per day. The service costs us $25 per day.
• Decide on how we were getting to and from the airport - drive or taxi. I do NOT want to leave this "discussion" until the last minute.
• Decide if we want to NOT have our newspaper delivered for 8 days or ask the service to pick up the papers.
• Tell a neighbour that we will NOT be around for 8 days.

So, this week I will be making sure that we have these items in hand and that they are NOT left till the last minute.


Oh - I also got my haircut last week; so another item completed and will NOT be a last minute rush.

 

[DisneyFirefly]

Show us a picture of your hair!

I have a to-do list I need to post myself, actually. It's not very long, as I don't have very much on it

 

[manntra]

Happy that you got your Visa situation taken care of
Good thing you checked early or else it could have been quite a

Looks like you are moving along on your list of things to do
I do hope the weather continues to be nice....it has been in the 80's and sunny as of late

Tracy

 

[PrincessInOz]

Happy that you got your Visa situation taken care of
Good thing you checked early or else it could have been quite a

Looks like you are moving along on your list of things to do
I do hope the weather continues to be nice....it has been in the 80's and sunny as of late

Tracy

Sounds like PERFECT weather for us. I hope that there's NOT a change in weather until after Halloween.

Show us a picture of your hair!

I have a to-do list I need to post myself, actually. It's not very long, as I don't have very much on it

Post coming up! But you'll find that my hair has NOT changed much...

 

[PrincessInOz]

Firefly asked for a photo of my new hair cut.

This is me and DH taken at the weekend. If you're comparing it to the hair in the first photo, you'll find that my hair has NOT changed much.

I'm NOT much of a fashion plate and I've worn it this way for quite a few years. It's an easy style to manage and perfect for my work.

 

[franandaj]

You look good! And YAY for not changing it much. I haven't changed much about my hair, just grown it long ever since I quit swimming and the chlorine stopped breaking it off. It wouldn't grow back then, so otherwise I've been growing it out.

I was thinking of getting bangs, but Fran said, I'm too old for bangs. Previously I couldn't get bangs because it wasn't late 18th century period correct, but since we aren't reenacting any more, I could have them...thoughts?

 

[PrincessInOz]

I think you should have it cut to a style that you can manage and are happy with.

Out of curiousity - Are bangs fashionable in the US right now? NOT that we care about being fashionable but it may "date" you if they aren't in style.

 

[DisneyFirefly]

My mom has bangs at the moment and is 49. I think that if you're happy with your hair, that's what matters most. Alison, I think you'd be cute with bangs!

Sharon, you and your DH look so happy together in that photo! And I totally get what you mean about simple hairstyles. I don't like taking that much time to do my hair. I don't see the point

 

[PrincessInOz]

My mom has bangs at the moment and is 49. I think that if you're happy with your hair, that's what matters most. Alison, I think you'd be cute with bangs!

Sharon, you and your DH look so happy together in that photo! And I totally get what you mean about simple hairstyles. I don't like taking that much time to do my hair. I don't see the point

Thanks!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Well, Firefly has just hit the 10 day countdown and has completed her online check-in!

I will hit the 10 day mark tomorrow; or in 3 hours time.

I think I might NOT do on-line check in this time. We are, afterall, going to be checking in past 11 pm and I doubt that check in will be flush with people at that time. Plus, whilst DH is checking us in, it gives me the opportunity to go to concierge (assuming that someone will still be there at this time of night??) and pick up DH park tickets and MNSSHP ticket, which I ordered as will-call.

 

[DisneyFirefly]

Yay! Like I said on LTP, I mainly did the online check-in because I'm arriving right around the actual check-in time, and I've heard the online line is usually shorter.