(posted by Ange)
A while ago, my mom generously gave me her AirMiles to use for Europe. Recently, I had them transferred into my name and was tingling with the anticipation of finding out how many miles I had. I was hoping to see that I had more than enough miles to fly to Europe. Or at least close to enough. I have just returned from the AirMiles website. I have no HOPE of getting enough AirMiles by next September. Unless I want to spend a whole hell of a lot of money at participating retailers!
I am convinced that AirMiles has concocted their point scheme based on the premise that they will have to spend little money in doling out rewards as people are probably dying before they have enough points to do anything meaningful with them.
This AirMiles card was obtained when AirMiles first began, all the way back in 1992, when it was exclusive to Safeway. My parents used this card every time they shopped. 14 years later, and there are a staggering 5, 237 points. Just a little short of the 9,800 points it takes to fly to Europe. That means I am short 4,563 points. Basically, another 14 years of Safeway shopping!
But don't worry. I can use the points I have and then buy the rest…for $.30 cents each! Calculate that if you're bored and you will see that it probably costs the same as buying a ticket without using the points. My point? I guess I better budget in the cost of a plane ticket.
On the bright side, I do have enough of these airmiles to get me anywhere in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Hmmm….
And then there was one...Ange keeps writing about anything and everything. It all seems to be an adventure of some kind!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
The Passport
(posted by Ange)
I do not have a passport. That's right. No passport. Just a birth certificate confirming my citizenship and a driver's license supporting my identity. I don't have a passport because I have never been anywhere that required me to have one. My birth certificate and drivers' license have gotten me in anywhere I've been. I know, I know, since 9/11 the U.S. would like me to have one, but at the moment, it's not REQUIRED, so no passport.
I have thought of obtaining a passport many times. I've actually picked up the application a number of times. I should have a passport - who knows when I might get offered a trip to France, right? I should be ready to go. Did you know a passport costs $89? Plus the cost of the photo. Plus the charge for having the form filled out by someone who will guarantee you are who you say you are (you can choose from a list of professionals, most of whom will surely charge you). Anyways...given the cost, with nowhere to go, I've never actually filled out the application and have spent the money on more important things like clothes, restaurants, wine, etc. The application usually sits somewhere for a couple of months, on my "to do" list, until I face reality (nobody is offering me a trip to France) and toss it into the recycle pile.
Recently, I could have been in trouble. Dave is currently in Mexico, working on a show called The Travel Guys. He found out about this "job" (it's not hard work ladies and gentleman...he's helping out with a camera for a few hours a day, and not every day) only a few weeks before his departure. Had he insisted on taking me with him, I may have had to scramble to obtain my passport. Luckily, he did not offer to take me with him, so my passport-less state was inconsequential. And I have been sitting at home in sweatshirts and thick socks, thinking about passports since he left.
Obviously I will need a passport before our Excellent European Road Trip Adventure. SO, I do in fact have an application in my possession. In fact, I've had it for about 6-8 weeks. AND I have completed the application form. It was the first thing I did when I brought the application home. All I have to do is get my photo taken, have my doctor sign the other form and send it off to Passport Canada to be inspected and approved. Still, Europe is a long time away and that $89 has much higher priorities. Then again, what if Dave suddenly surprises me with a trip to Jamaica? I should be prepared. Perhaps I'll aim to have my application in before the end of 2006.
I do not have a passport. That's right. No passport. Just a birth certificate confirming my citizenship and a driver's license supporting my identity. I don't have a passport because I have never been anywhere that required me to have one. My birth certificate and drivers' license have gotten me in anywhere I've been. I know, I know, since 9/11 the U.S. would like me to have one, but at the moment, it's not REQUIRED, so no passport.
I have thought of obtaining a passport many times. I've actually picked up the application a number of times. I should have a passport - who knows when I might get offered a trip to France, right? I should be ready to go. Did you know a passport costs $89? Plus the cost of the photo. Plus the charge for having the form filled out by someone who will guarantee you are who you say you are (you can choose from a list of professionals, most of whom will surely charge you). Anyways...given the cost, with nowhere to go, I've never actually filled out the application and have spent the money on more important things like clothes, restaurants, wine, etc. The application usually sits somewhere for a couple of months, on my "to do" list, until I face reality (nobody is offering me a trip to France) and toss it into the recycle pile.
Recently, I could have been in trouble. Dave is currently in Mexico, working on a show called The Travel Guys. He found out about this "job" (it's not hard work ladies and gentleman...he's helping out with a camera for a few hours a day, and not every day) only a few weeks before his departure. Had he insisted on taking me with him, I may have had to scramble to obtain my passport. Luckily, he did not offer to take me with him, so my passport-less state was inconsequential. And I have been sitting at home in sweatshirts and thick socks, thinking about passports since he left.
Obviously I will need a passport before our Excellent European Road Trip Adventure. SO, I do in fact have an application in my possession. In fact, I've had it for about 6-8 weeks. AND I have completed the application form. It was the first thing I did when I brought the application home. All I have to do is get my photo taken, have my doctor sign the other form and send it off to Passport Canada to be inspected and approved. Still, Europe is a long time away and that $89 has much higher priorities. Then again, what if Dave suddenly surprises me with a trip to Jamaica? I should be prepared. Perhaps I'll aim to have my application in before the end of 2006.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Simpson Priban Merger a Huge Success
(posted by Ange)
The Simpson and Priban merger was completed this week with the partnership now running smoothly. Simpson's fears of giving up total control of the apartment and allowing questionable objects into the pad were unwarranted. Priban's fears of being told what to do, where to put things and what not to bring also fell away easily. He reports he felt he was given a lot of latitude in this area and that Simpson is the only one who could have made him feel this way. He notes Simpson is quite special that way and unique from past potential mergers. Simpson reported she wanted the transition to be as easy as possible, and wanted Priban to feel comfortable and at home in his new space. She admits she has loosened up a lot over the years, crediting this (and the fact that she is so in love) for the smooth merge.
Both parties are now working well together running the Simpson Priban Residence, which both feel is a much better looking space since bringing possessions together. Simpson is excited at the objects she has "inherited", which include a properly working, large T.V. complete with high end DVD player and surround sound; a fully stocked bar; another fabulous bookcase with books; an extensive DVD and CD collection; and a keyboard to tinker on, to name a few. Given this, it seemed only right to also accept the Playstation, numerous "decorative" skulls and skeletons, and a very large (and very creepy) painting (done by Priban himself) of Dave Mustane, lead singer of Megadeath, hanging prominently on the living room wall. As Priban allowed Simpson to maintain the bedroom status quo, Simpson thought it only right to give Priban the rights to decorate the living room walls. All in all, it looks fabulous and Simpson admits that she is focussing more on how well the painting is done and less on how the eyes follow her around the house. When asked about his lack of "inheritance" from Simpson's side and the fairness of this, Priban replied that he was getting the best thing ever - Simpson. Simpson would also like to note that Priban is the best part of the deal for herself.
The day-to-day "routine" is in place. Both parties work well from their respective "offices" in the same space, once they've risen at about noon or so. Coffee breaks are usually taken together and as usual, they try to work as little as possible, although this seems more challenging for Priban, who seems to be constantly inundated with new work (due, of course, to his amazing talent). Household duties seem to have sorted themselves out spontaneously. Priban is in heaven with home cooked meals on a regular basis, especially since Simpson is a fabulous cook. Simpson is thrilled with her tea being made for her every morning and has already taken advantage of Priban's handyman skills on a few occasions. Mostly, the partnership is enjoying the thrill of the merge, the constant presence of each other, and the fact that neither ever thought they would participate in such a merger.
At the end of the day, this is a merger based on love, mutual respect and a true working partnership. The original purpose of this merger, to save money for the Excellent European Road Trip Adventure, seems to have changed from the main purpose to a side benefit of this great merger. This looks to be a long lasting merger and this blog will keep you updated on its progress and the great things to come out of it.
The Simpson and Priban merger was completed this week with the partnership now running smoothly. Simpson's fears of giving up total control of the apartment and allowing questionable objects into the pad were unwarranted. Priban's fears of being told what to do, where to put things and what not to bring also fell away easily. He reports he felt he was given a lot of latitude in this area and that Simpson is the only one who could have made him feel this way. He notes Simpson is quite special that way and unique from past potential mergers. Simpson reported she wanted the transition to be as easy as possible, and wanted Priban to feel comfortable and at home in his new space. She admits she has loosened up a lot over the years, crediting this (and the fact that she is so in love) for the smooth merge.
Both parties are now working well together running the Simpson Priban Residence, which both feel is a much better looking space since bringing possessions together. Simpson is excited at the objects she has "inherited", which include a properly working, large T.V. complete with high end DVD player and surround sound; a fully stocked bar; another fabulous bookcase with books; an extensive DVD and CD collection; and a keyboard to tinker on, to name a few. Given this, it seemed only right to also accept the Playstation, numerous "decorative" skulls and skeletons, and a very large (and very creepy) painting (done by Priban himself) of Dave Mustane, lead singer of Megadeath, hanging prominently on the living room wall. As Priban allowed Simpson to maintain the bedroom status quo, Simpson thought it only right to give Priban the rights to decorate the living room walls. All in all, it looks fabulous and Simpson admits that she is focussing more on how well the painting is done and less on how the eyes follow her around the house. When asked about his lack of "inheritance" from Simpson's side and the fairness of this, Priban replied that he was getting the best thing ever - Simpson. Simpson would also like to note that Priban is the best part of the deal for herself.
The day-to-day "routine" is in place. Both parties work well from their respective "offices" in the same space, once they've risen at about noon or so. Coffee breaks are usually taken together and as usual, they try to work as little as possible, although this seems more challenging for Priban, who seems to be constantly inundated with new work (due, of course, to his amazing talent). Household duties seem to have sorted themselves out spontaneously. Priban is in heaven with home cooked meals on a regular basis, especially since Simpson is a fabulous cook. Simpson is thrilled with her tea being made for her every morning and has already taken advantage of Priban's handyman skills on a few occasions. Mostly, the partnership is enjoying the thrill of the merge, the constant presence of each other, and the fact that neither ever thought they would participate in such a merger.
At the end of the day, this is a merger based on love, mutual respect and a true working partnership. The original purpose of this merger, to save money for the Excellent European Road Trip Adventure, seems to have changed from the main purpose to a side benefit of this great merger. This looks to be a long lasting merger and this blog will keep you updated on its progress and the great things to come out of it.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Lost in Translation
(posted by Ange)
When planning a 6 month trip throughout a foreign land, one must not forget to consider matters of communication. We realize that English will be spoken in most places we travel, but since it is imperative that I am able to immediately find out where the bathroom is, no matter where we are, we need a way to communicate in any language. And, we really don't want to come off as arrogant North Americans (don't worry, we'll have Canadian flags plastered all over us) expecting everyone to speak "our" language. Especially in France. I've heard they don't appreciate this.
I researched and considered taking conversational German, Dutch, French, Greek, Italian and Spanish courses at the local community centre. I then quickly tossed this idea. One, it seems like just a bit too much work in preparation for a holiday! Two, I cannot fathom a way of getting Dave to sign up for 6 conversational language courses between now and next September. And three, I really don't know that either of our brains have enough room for that much new information.
Then I briefly thought, perhaps we can get by with what we know.
What we know:
Hola - Spanish for hello
Bella - Italian for beautiful
Petite - French for small
Spanokapita - Greek for Spanokapita
Hello beautiful little spanokapita!
Okay, maybe we could get a few more words out, but really, we are
L-I-M-I-T-E-D!
So what are our options?
Phrase books. Sounds great, but I'm not sure Dave wants to carry a dozen phrase books around in his pack. That's room for one more pair of shoes!
What about an electronic translator? This gizmo lets you type in your question in English and then translates it to the language required for the person you are speaking with. Could be expensive and we don't even know if we can get one that has all the languages we need. We also don't know if whoever we are trying to communicate with will stick around long enough for us to type in our question.
Then someone then suggested a "point it" book. This, it turns out, is a book for travelers that has pictures of things you can point at it (hence, a "point it" book) to communicate. I believe my 2 1/2 year old nephew Markus has a whole collection of these "point it" books, however I don't know that "apple", "dog", bird, and "cow" would be of much use to us. I need bathroom, food, wine, cigarettes, hostel, museum, to name a few.
I think I'll still think about taking a language course, but in the meantime, the "point it" book seems to me to be the easiest way to go. After all, a picture does say a 1,000 words.
When planning a 6 month trip throughout a foreign land, one must not forget to consider matters of communication. We realize that English will be spoken in most places we travel, but since it is imperative that I am able to immediately find out where the bathroom is, no matter where we are, we need a way to communicate in any language. And, we really don't want to come off as arrogant North Americans (don't worry, we'll have Canadian flags plastered all over us) expecting everyone to speak "our" language. Especially in France. I've heard they don't appreciate this.
I researched and considered taking conversational German, Dutch, French, Greek, Italian and Spanish courses at the local community centre. I then quickly tossed this idea. One, it seems like just a bit too much work in preparation for a holiday! Two, I cannot fathom a way of getting Dave to sign up for 6 conversational language courses between now and next September. And three, I really don't know that either of our brains have enough room for that much new information.
Then I briefly thought, perhaps we can get by with what we know.
What we know:
Hola - Spanish for hello
Bella - Italian for beautiful
Petite - French for small
Spanokapita - Greek for Spanokapita
Hello beautiful little spanokapita!
Okay, maybe we could get a few more words out, but really, we are
L-I-M-I-T-E-D!
So what are our options?
Phrase books. Sounds great, but I'm not sure Dave wants to carry a dozen phrase books around in his pack. That's room for one more pair of shoes!
What about an electronic translator? This gizmo lets you type in your question in English and then translates it to the language required for the person you are speaking with. Could be expensive and we don't even know if we can get one that has all the languages we need. We also don't know if whoever we are trying to communicate with will stick around long enough for us to type in our question.
Then someone then suggested a "point it" book. This, it turns out, is a book for travelers that has pictures of things you can point at it (hence, a "point it" book) to communicate. I believe my 2 1/2 year old nephew Markus has a whole collection of these "point it" books, however I don't know that "apple", "dog", bird, and "cow" would be of much use to us. I need bathroom, food, wine, cigarettes, hostel, museum, to name a few.
I think I'll still think about taking a language course, but in the meantime, the "point it" book seems to me to be the easiest way to go. After all, a picture does say a 1,000 words.