Taxi service

I am feeling like a taxi driver lately. Driving kids to all their things. Running errands.

I have to leave now to pick up cat at the library.

Anyone else need to go somewhere? Hop in and tell me where.

I'd like to come to NY please. Can you stop off and pick me up?

Let's see...My tank is 3/4 full and an ocean separates us.

Yeah, sure!
Maybe I should swing by and pick up suge on the way over the Atlantic.

Anyone else?

I'm in Venezuela could you pick me up too?

I sometimes feel like a taxi service too, because some of my friends don't have a car and I have to drive them around, but I take it as training for when I have my kids.

No problem Ron. I'll swing by there on my way back from London and the supermarket.

How's your milage? It's only 9934 miles. I'll pay for gas.

Better swing south as you come, there is a hurricane in the north.

ooo! how bout by Pheniox?

would it be too far out of your way to stop by here? I have some shopping to do

Sydney isn't too much of a diversion. Watch the traffic on the way to Mascot.

Oh, me too, me too! But when you come, can we stop at the Kwik-E-Mart and the bookstore and the fabric store too? I mean, since you're already driving across the globe, across town isn't too much more to ask..

Could you stop by California to pick me up? I love road trips.

I better pull out a map...
Does anyone have AAA?
Side trips are no problem. In fact, I insist on stopping at every bookstore I pass.

Are they still driving on the wrong side of the road in London and Australia?

JP... I don't mean to trouble you, but can you pick me up... I'm trapped on a deserted island somewhere in the Caribbean... at least I have some company...



They're even teaching me a new song!

But why is the rum gone?

I love that movie.

"...aaaaaaand really bad eggs"?

>#12: No. The correct side, actually. Just not the right side.

"Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!"

The left side is the correct side. *so long since I've driven that I can't remember if that is right or left??*

I'm left handed, I should get the hang of it in no time.

I'll pick you up in a while, Espy. Unless you find a turtle to take you home. :o)

swing by washington too, I'd love to come to New York.

Speaking of all going to meet up, where is the big meet-up going to be... and when... December 2012 seems like a good time...

Will do rissa.
Any good bookstores we can stop at on the way?

I'm sure I could find a few.

>20 Espeon200:

If it's going to be in December, can it be somewhere warm?

Well, the Harry potter theme park is being built in Florida. It will be done before 2012 so why no there?

JP,
Can you swing by my part of CA while you're getting MrsG? I think we're on different ends of the state but you have family you can visit along the way, don't you?

Isn't the world going to end before then?

Wouldn't that be really cool? A Hogwarts Express meetup at The Harry Potter theme park? *Starts dreamily staring into space*

JP, you think you could pick me up before you go to London, i'm just over the NY border in NJ.

Stop by NW Arkansas to pick me up.

Start saving your pennies, everybody! Actually, I thought we had talked about a meet-up there in 2010, but I don't have great faith in the park getting finished on schedule, so maybe we should plan for 2011. 2012 sounds too far away!

I thought we were planning for 2010 as well. I'm subscribed to get updates as work on the park moves along, but haven't received any in a while.

I found a recent posting that says it will be open by the end of June 2010, which would make a fall/winter 2010 meetup feasible (feelings on this may differ, but for me, winter in Florida is like paradise, and summer in Florida is like hell).

Fall/Winter 2010 would be great for me. I should have some vacation time saved up by then. Here's hoping that the park is open by then -- but we could always start planning a get-together for then anyhow, even if the park isn't open.

Yeah, it's not like there's nothing else to do around there!

At the risk of sounding un-American, I've never been to Disney World (Disneyland in California, yes, but not the one in Florida).

#31/32: I agree, fall/winter 2010 would be perfect! Summer in Florida is the pits!

#33: As long as you've been to one! I've only been to DisneyWorld once and it was an attempt during Spring Break to do 3 parks in about 8 hours. It wasn't much fun. I've been to Disneyland manymanymanymany times and like it better!

I'm in The Bronx. You might as well swing on by. You kow where I live (the nicest neighborhood in the whole wide world!!).

hehehehe!
It seems to me I don't need an amusement park to have fun with HE people. I'll just drive my taxi all around the world. :o)

Here's an idea. If you need me to pick you up and drop you off somewhere, just stick out your hand and yell TAXI! I'll get there as fast as I can.

TAXI!!! 32nd & 7th please.

Would that be our wand hands?

How else will I see you?

TAXI! downtown miami and hurry!

I agree with foggi that 2012 sounds too far away. I thought it was planned for 2010 but maybe the park won't be finished in time. It would be good for us to discuss a specific date for some sort of meet up so people have more time to save or make arrangements.

#33 ejj:
I've also been to Disney Land but never Disney World. :)

Think Mare would go for an HE excursion in lieu of a honeymoon? :-P

If not, JP, I'll do you a favor and go to Kerian's place; she's nearby, and it'll save you a stop... Though SF does have way more bookstores than the whole East Bay........ ;)

boooookstooooorrrres *starry eyed, glazed expression*

Laia, you mean hanging out with HEers wouldn't be a great honeymoon?

I've been to Disney World twice, but never Disneyland! It was much more fun as an adult, I must say. Though that may be partly because we didn't waste 2 hours looking for my brother who managed to get himself lost. At least we found him! ;)

Opposite for me!! I've been to Disneyland a million times, but never Disneyworld. I want to go soooo bad!!!!!

I've been to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, the latter several times. I like Disney World better, but probably just because it's more familiar to me. And I think it would be lots of fun to go with HE buddies!

#41: My thinking is that its not worth setting a date until we know for sure when it will be open. At that time we can start talking details. At that time, unless someone else wants to do it, I'd be willing to start calling hotels in the area to see what kind of group rates we may be able to get and any other extras we might be able to wrangle. :0

I hate being so young that I can't do anything!!!! I probably won't be able to go. :(

Wait if we go in 2-3 years I might be able to go.

TAXI!!! I'm here in OC but we can drive for 8 hours and stop by the City Lights Bookstore in San Fran, then work our way back to Orlando so I can go to Disney World for the first time.
I desperately want to go, but I am happy with being familiar with the original Disneyland.

No problem. I can pick up K, LG, and laia along the way!

And me!! I will be wherever Tessa is.

Fantastic, the more the merrier.

Just an idea, but . . . there are vacation villas with 4-7 bedrooms, sleep 8-14 people, that rent for $300 a night or so. Could be a very economical way to stay someplace nice and have plenty of room to hang out at night and socialize; a lot of them have access to a pool.

For example, check out:

http://www.pleasantstays.com/traveler/jsp/main/PSTraveler.jsp

Whoa! I plugged in some random dates in Fall of 2010 and you're right, those prices are amazing. We'll definitely have to keep that in mind! That would be seriously awesome!

I know!!! I can see it now.....even though I have no idea what almost all of you look like.

I'll be the one making omelets for breakfast ;-)

That sounds like so much more fun than just staying in a hotel. :-) We'd probably save money on food, too, if we had access to a kitchen.

How can you have 6.5 baths?

the half bath has a toilet and sink but no shower or tub

oops, got my HTML wires crossed.

Did you need a taxi, MrA? I should warn you that I brake for penguins.

#42 laia:
I know! We should meet in SF and go bookshopping! You're busy with classes now, but think about it whenever.

#47 bib:
That's a great idea! It would be worth persuing to see if we could get a group discount.

#48 MrsG:
Your later thought was a good way of thinking. Who knows in 2-3 years. :)

#53 ejj:
That does sound interesting. It may be cheaper that way, too.

#60 MrA:
KIK!

hmm, fall/winter 2010 might be hard for me, depends on when exactly because I plan to be in school at that point. traveling with a 1&1/2 year old might also make it challenging.

June 2010 : ) - I like taking holidays in June - it's cold here and it's my birthday.

the villa idea! great! someone remember to bring Harry Potter clue!

Count me IN for fallautumn/winter 2010!! plenty of time to save! I've never been to Disney World. YAY!!!

I've never been to either! i'd like to go!

I'm a summer girl. Sorry guys. I really hate taking off during the school year if I don't have to.

That aside, I've been to both Disneyland and Disney World. I don't remember Disneyland since I was 2 years old. My aunt and uncle live in Ocala, so whenever we go visit them we go to Disney World. It's been a while since we've been there last. We might have to schedule a trip.

It'll definitely be difficult to find the perfect dates for everyone, of course. Again, not something it's really worth worrying about until we actually know for sure when the park will open up.

#64: Trust me MsD, you really don't want to be in Florida in June!

I agree wholeheartedly with Bib on this one; I know you guys in Oz have been having some hellaciously hot weather (I watched some of the Australian Open), but Florida can be nearly as hot with the added attraction of 80-90 percent humidity. Basically a sauna with palm trees.

>66 LadyN: I was talking with a friend who is an American lexicographer about her inability to convince her British colleagues that we use the words "fall" and "autumn" nearly interchangeably. It's definitely not a "lift/elevator" or "boot/trunk" situation!

I was planning to go to the park and I'm going to get all my papers straight so I can enter the USA and I would love to go too, so please count me in...but let's wait till the park has an official date of opening so we start planning....

I was in Disney world in mid-may and it was almost unbearably hot. summer in Florida doesn't sound appealing at all. besides, it will be really crowded then.

Ummm....just as a side note, I wanted to make sure everyone knew that the HP Park is going to be in Universal Studios, not Disney, though we certainly could see about finding packages with admission to both parks included.

Summer in Florida is dreadful. We should do a summer meet-up some time, but we should plan it for some place with cool weather.

Iceland!

(I've always wanted to go there.)

#70 Ejj, which did the British folk think we used more? Is one not used in Britain?

I believe they think we use "fall" but not "autumn," and I think they use "autumn" for the most part. LadyN can certainly correct me if I'm wrong on that.

I know silly things like this because I have had a fair amount of experience in Americanizing British dictionaries. It's quite a bit more complex than getting rid of the "u" in words like "colour" and changing the "s" to "z" in words like "realise." Those things can be done (carefully!) with a global search--then the real fun begins!

I hadn't known there was a preference for fall/autumn. Translating British to American sounds like something I would enjoy very much! Languages are great!

Yeah, summer in Florida is just miserable (sauna with palm trees is a great description)... plus you have to deal with the unexpected thunderstorms that shut everything down and make you have to find a safe path from where you are eating dinner to Pirates of the Caribbean... yeah... it's possible, but a little tricky...

Seriously, the last two times I went to Disney it was summer and I got caught in huge thunderstorms that basically closed the park down for the hour that they were raging. Also the park is just way too crowded in the summer, and I'm pretty sure that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be incredibly busy, especially since it's inside Universal Orlando.

I'm willing to put up with the huge crowds if it's just the only time convenient for the majority of the HE people, but I really think a fall/winter trip would be the most fun. We'd, of course, have to make sure that the park was going to be open when we decided to go.

Also, the idea of sharing a vacation villa sounds awesome, but we'd need to make sure that we were able to handle meals for everyone, especially since we have such a diverse group of people on HE. Also, are we talking just a weekend here, or a week, or just a few days in the middle of the week... or the second Tuesdays of a couple months... I think a weekend would be fun, but I'd be afraid that a full week would cause us all to drive each other crazy, and statistically speaking, the best days to visit a theme park are Tuesday and Wednesday (at least I think that's what I've always been told).

Anyway, it's probably good to start talking about this right now, because there are a lot of logistics to get out of the way, so if we start now we shouldn't have as much stuff to figure out when the time comes.

Have we already done a survey about a huge meet-up? If not, I'd be happy to put one together.

it would be a good idea to note that for some of us it takes a full day of travel to fly to/from Florida, so for me to be able to justify going I at least will want to stay for at least 5 days.

I'm not sure how many logistics we really can get out of the way right now Espy. It makes sense to do a survey to see who's interested and check season, duration of stay and timing within the week preferences. Beyond that we really can't get too involved. For instance, if we have a really huge group that wants to come (say, everyone who participated in the gift exchange plus families) it would be more feasible to look into hotels and catered meals, whereas if its a smallish group the villa option would be great. We should also keep in mind that group rates to most theme parks, including Universal and Disney are for 15+ people, so we should try to get that many people at least.

Ummm....I'm going to send you a comment.

I'm not saying that we can cover everything now, especially since there's a lot of stuff to deal with, but at least figuring out what everybody is thinking about it will really help when it is time to plan it... though there might need to be another survey when it comes down to it.

I just like a good logic problem to deal with, and this seems like it might either be really easy to figure out or a logistical nightmare. Any questions that any of you can think of for the survey might be good to post here so that I can incorporate them into the survey, or an eventual survey.

I guess I should ask, should I just do a survey that asks when people want to have the meet-up and where?

I'm eagerly anticipating the comment now... Ok... I have it and I'll send you back a comment.

>79 Espeon200:: The meal part should be easy.

Monday: Mac 'n cheese
Tuesday: Mac 'n cheese
Wednesday: Mac 'n cheese
Thursday: Mac 'n cheese
Friday: Mac 'n cheese
Saturday: Mac 'n cheese
Sunday: Morningstar corn dogs. With a side of Mac 'n cheese

wow, does somebody like mac 'n cheese?

*now i want some! thanks MrA!!*

Well, I guess I would figure breakfast at our villa (I just love saying that!), lunch at the theme park, dinner at the theme park or out somewhere so we can each order what we like. But I'd assume that stocking a kitchen with coffee, tea, milk, juice, eggs, bagels, cream cheese, English muffins, butter, yogurt, cheese, maybe cereal would be reasonably easy and cover most tastes, plus of course an array of beverages and snacks for the rest of the time . . .

Have I mentioned that I love to plan vacations? Really, I love it a lot. Sometimes planning is more fun than the actual vacation, though I have high hopes for how this might shape up--and meeting youse guys, of course.

*edited to add cheese, what was I thinking?*

You know, I'd be up for a fall/winter trip for a couple of days if it was close to a short vacation time (does that make since?). What I mean is, I'd be happy to take off of work 2-3 days if it was the week of another scheduled day off. I could approximate the dates, but I wouldn't really know until around the May before.

Woah! I missed a bit here today!

#70 - That's really interesting, I had no idea that the two had more or less equal usage.

#77 - No correction necessary! we don't tend to use fall, although with the world becoming steadily smaller you do here it a little more often than you used to.

Re: huge meet up - I would LOVE that. It would have to be some time off though for me to afford flights etc. But I'd certainly love it to be the next holiday/adventure I save for after my Borneo project this year.

Well, it's still nearly two years off, so we should all have a decent amount of time to save a bit.

I'd have to say if the villa thing worked out, it would be fun to have those of us who love to cook share their culinary expertise. We could then have a selection of "supplements" for those with dietary restrictions or allergies.

I think so, too. Maybe a cookout with hamburgers oozing on one side of the grill and Morningstar burgers on the other??

Kerian will need to bring a blender to make sure we all get smoothies ;-)

#84MrA, KIK! Are you trying to make us all return home pregnant??

#89 Bib, when you say "two years" that really makes it sound like an unbearably long time! And I agree that it would be so fun to cook together! Every meal could get overwhelming, but we won't be at our villa for every meal, as Ejj said.

#90 Ejj, she doesn't own one yet, but I'll cover for her. ;)

Actually, I would imagine that a "vacation villa" in Florida, most likely comes with a blender....you know?

Akkk I cant go if we go in 2010

Hmm, good point Bib. I'm not used to luxury.

#93 -- Well, there's already been one meet-up, of sorts, in New York . . . so I'm sure there will be others after 2010, if you can't make that one.

And a toaster? Loooooxury.

My family likes to stuff 9 people in as small a space as we can find to rent out for any given vacation. I'm really not making that up.

lefty's last family vacation in the UK:

From the pix of villas I was looking at, whatever they don't have, I probably don't need.

Some of them seem to be in the same neighborhood (3 minutes from Disney! etc.), so if we needed more than one or two, I'll bet we could find 'em.

One of my mother's sayings: "Many hands make light work."

And, well, the rest of the time, I'll be in Hogsmeade.

#98 ROFL! You have no idea how accurate that is!

Make sure that the villa has a secret passage leading to Honeydukes.

How else would I get there? I'm not going anywhere near that darned willow tree.

Um... not to spoil it, but I think they charge extra for the Honeydukes secret passage villa. I mean, it might be worth springing a few extra knuts, but it's really up to the whole group.

My Gringott's account is a little low at the moment, but I always have hope for the future.

How much would actually getting into the theme park cost? I wonder, the trip and the villa costs I can figure on but Disneyworld must cost mucho and who know what HP world would cost! I must contact my ffreind who contrats with Disney sometimes maybe she knows

There are all kinds of ticket combinations out there, but here's a sampling of what I found:

Disney World
1-day pass $75
2-day pass $149
3-day pass $212

Universal Studios
1-day pass $73
2-park pass $83.99
2-park unlimited $94.99

As far as I can tell, the "2-park" pass at Universal gets you into different parts of their park, so my guess would be that they will offer something like that with the Harry Potter section as an option.

There are also nearly endless add-ons available, such as unlimited fountain drinks (soda, presumably) for a day for $8.99 or unlimited food (at specified, mostly fast-food-type places) for $20-$24 a day.

I'm sure there will also be plenty of other options designed to separate you from your money, such as souvenir shops, special shows, etc.

Speaking personally, I'd probably want to spend 2-3 days at the theme parks and have another day or two unplanned. I saw tickets on one site for the Blue Man Group, and I wouldn't mind seeing them again, they were hysterical.

Of course, it's way too soon to make those kinds of choices, who knows what will be available in a year or two? And, just a guess, the prices will probably be even higher then.

It would also behoove us to look into packages that would be inclusive for both parks. We used to do this when I was a kid, we would get a package that included hotel stay and passes for Universal Studios, Disneyland, Sea World, the San Diego zoo and the Wild Animal Park. Granted that was 20 years ago in California, but the probably still exist in Florida!

ETA: And we'll hopefully have at least 15 people, which at the very least would get us group rates!

Yeah, I really low-balled the ticket prices when I was figuring out a weekend price.... Are those prices the individual prices or the group rates, because we already have 12 respondents to the survey who are interested in going, so we should have 15 people, no problem.

This is all good information to have though, even if it's going to go up by 2010-2011, it gives us something to work off of now.

You probably already know this, but I went ahead and started a new thread specifically about the group meet-up here.

#84 MrA:
Kik!

#90 ejj:
I don't have a blender yet. Smoothie places must make loads of money from me.

#91 lefty:
Thanks! ;)

That's all right, Kerian, I'm fairly sure we'll be able to find smoothies in Florida!

*Or I could pack my stick blender, it's small.*

I don't know. The only real smoothie I had in NY was with jp. A lot of "smoothies" were really slushies.

*wonders what they're slushies are*

Splashies.

icees

KIK. I think I will call them splashies.

Slushies...that's the gray half melted snow that NY cabbies like to splash on pedestrians as they tear around corners.

And by the way, it's "soda", not "pop". In case you were wondering.

Actually it's Coke, but this is an argument that can be carried on for years, so I'll agree that you're wrong if you'll agree that I am.

KIK! And at the same time, ewww.

Two against one, for the moment. It's soda. :P~~~

Is this the part where I say:

ITS SODA!!!!!!

I'm from NY. It's definitely soda.

here it can be either soda or pop. usually a soda, or some pop. coke is a brand, not a general category.

With the distinction being what? If you want some pop, you want soda, but if you want a pop, you're asking to be punched? :o)

Espy, it's not Coke. Coke is a brand name. If you ask for Coke here, all you get is Pepsi. Soda covers a wide range of soft drinks and seltzer. And seltzer is a very important part of a balanced slapstick routine.

Wow. I'm free associating like crazy tonight. This is what I get for trying to cut back on coffee.

ITS (piano) SOFTDRINK!!!

Soda is soda water (seltzer, i think). Coke is a brand name. Pop is a sound, or a verb.

Did a huge soda can just fall from the sky with a piano in it???

I'm with MrA on this one. Scary.

You call it softdrink, too? I didn't think that was used in the USA at all.

You can call it a soft drink here foggi. Just don't call it pop.

Soft drink is used quite frequently, MrA. Most often on restaurant menus, but it is common in speech too.

Well i'll be a monkey's uncle. Learn something new every day. Ore every post.

#128: Are you Rafiki's uncle?

If someone asks for Coke here, we'll give them Coke and no other kind of soda. Some people from out of the area here feel that should include a line of other drinks from that brand/distribution (I'm not a soda person, help me out?).

#122MrA:
What about the syrup?

My step-sister in Utah refers to soda as pop. She and my sister her same age spent an entire summer arguing over which it was called.

But JP... if you ask for a Coke you still get some kind of soft drink...

But I like 7Up and ginger ale! Neither of them has Coke in them.

MrA, if I ask for ginger ale in Australia will I get ginger ale? Or is ale beer there?

I had wondered if it was alcoholic until recently. A co-worker sent me to get them a ginger ale from Target a couple weeks ago. I had no idea what she was talking about and apparently neither did two of their associates who I asked where or what it was. I went back to her and she asked for a Sierra Mist instead. What in the world is a ginger ale?

*blinks in wonder*

K, get back to NY right now! I need to finish edumucatin' you!

KIK! Not finished yet, huh?

You know what root beer is, don't you?
What is the best way to eat a bagel?
What is inside a Boston-cream donut?
Where is the best place to hold your purse/wallet in a subway?
What is the capital of New York?
What do pigeons like to eat?
Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

Please answer in complete sentences.

>#132: if you ask for a ginger anything, you're sure not going to get a beer. We call it (the nonalcoholic ginger softdrink) ginger ale, or more commonly ginger beer. "Ale" by itself is beer, but "ale" is not in common parlance.

*re-reads sentence above and head starts to spin*

Ok, just to be clear, its:
1) Ginger beer or Ginger Ale (nonalcoholic, not really beer)
2) Beer (alcoholic), could be called Ale but you'd be looked at funny.

*pauses, decides to leave it alone now before things get worse*

>#130: Syrup? What syrup? That's something that you put on ice-cream.

>#129: Nup. I'd tell you whose uncle i am but i might get into trouble with MrsD for calling her nephew a monkey-boy.

#136 jp:

1. Yes. I'm so knowledgeable that I even know what a root beer float is. ;)
2. Umm, toasted? With cream cheese? I had my first bagel with cream cheese on the plane home. I mistakenly ate it as a sandwich but know better now. *blushes*
3. What is a Boston-cream donut?
4. Tight to you, the strap possibly wrapped in your hand once or twice.
5. Are you kidding? ;)
6. Anything.
7. A) Who is Grant and how did he die?, or B) Grant.

>#136:

1) Yes, it's beer made out of turnips.
2) Hiding it so MsD doesn't ask for a bite.
3) Boston
4) By the chain of the handcuff that attaches it to your wrist.
5) Joisey.
6) People. But they rarely get the chance. Don't stay still too long in NYC.
7) Zombies.

#137 MrA:
My father never bought soda. He always bought soda water and the syrups you use with it to mix and create soda in your own home. My sisters and I had to make it ourselves whenever we wanted soda when we'd visit him as kids.

It's the sap of a tree distilled with soda water to make a non-alcoholic alternative to beer.

It depends on your mood, but generally you should eat it the same was you would eat an English Muffin.

Boston, not the city, rather the musical group. This is generally considered to be their reunion tour by their fans.

Trick question, the best place to hold your purse/wallet is not in a subway.

That would be Albany, not New York City.

They like to eat anything they can fit in their beaks.

Some dead guy is buried in Grant's tomb.

I am confident about all of those answers but the last one.

Can't. Breathe. ROFL!!!!

KIK!

Isn't a tomb above ground?

I think you are thinking of a pyramid.
As far as I know, there are no pyramids in NY.
However, Donald Trump is building a nice family tomb for himself. But I think it's in Jersey.

>145 jugglingpaynes:

Gee, do you think it will have the Trump name on it?!

I've been told Louisiana has their graves above ground, I think the reason being that the ground is too soft. That said, I wouldn't want to be buried there. Bodies sometimes leave their resting sites during floods. *thinks* Or was that if they're buried in the ground there? *shakes her head* I forgot.

>147 Kerian:

Yes, soft in that wet sense. They're basically at sea level, so if you dig, you hit water pretty fast. That's why they bury people above ground.

Ick, just burn me, please.

you mean after you're dead, right?

Oh. Dear.

I live at sea level as well. I've never heard of that happening here, though! Perhaps because the next city over which holds the cemeteries is further from the bay.

I don't know anyone whose been buried here. My cat was burned and is in a box on one of my bookshelves. $200 and they slapped his name label on crocked.

>149 MrAndrew:

Well, by preference, yes. Please check thoroughly!

The correct term is cremated. The image Kerian just stuck in my head. {{shudder}}

*pokes ejj*

...good enough. Light 'er up, Vern!

"Not dead yet!"

*lifts head feebly*

"Think I'm getting better."

No you're not, you'll be stone dead in a moment.

I don't want to go in the cart!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha haa ha ha aha haha!!!

Ok, and now to join the pop debate.

Ask for a coke here, and you'll either get a coca cola, or get told "We only sell pepsi, is that ok?"

Ask for soda, and you'll get soda water.

Ask for pop, and they'll know you want a fizzy drink, but will ask you which one.

Ask for a soft drink, and you'll be offered fizzy drinks, juices or cordials.

So there.

What do you ask for if you want a lemonade?

And do you still have "lashings" of fizzy drink, or did that go out with Enid Blyton?

Ummm...we ask for lemonade. It's always worked for me anyway.

:-P~~~~~~~

So, if i ask for "lashings", i might not get soft drink?

Now, that would depend on what kind of establishment you were in.

The House of Lords I suspect.

I am a bad boy.

If it was lashings of Ginger Ale you wanted though, you'd have to say the ginger ale part, or they'd look at you funny. Although if you asked for lashings of ginger ale, they'd still look at you funny. It's a no win situation. So maybe avoid the request for lashings, unless it is a good beating you're looking for.

*Rethinks plan to navigate English society based on Enid Blyton books*

*Goes looking for biggles books*

Don't rethink entirely MrA, there are plenty of Faraway Trees you could go up...

Its POP! coca-cola, pespi, Mountain dew, seven-up. Its POP! because the bubbles pop pop pop Red pop, grape pop,orange pop! Its POP!

New Orleans is actually Below sea level Stupid place to build a city if I may say so

Why oh why do I sleep?!

#147: I was under the impression that bodies leave their resting places so often in Louisiana because that's where most of the American vampires live.

I've lived in the Midwest, where it's pop, the West and Northeast, where it's soda, and the South, where it's coke, (notice the lack of capitalization). I'm a cola drinker, so I usually ask for Coke and let them either say OK or ask if Pepsi is okay. However, if I'm picking up a variety of different types of fizzy drinks for a party, I would say I was going out for soda.

"Soft Drink" is the term for anything that doesn't have alcohol. So, lemonade is a soft drink, but Mike's Hard Lemonade, is not.

Mike's Hard Lemonade is pretty good, though.

I am sooo tempted to add to this discussion the issue of what one calls one of those big sandwiches that usually include lettuce, tomato, cheese, meat, and maybe onions, pickles, olives, mayonnaise, special sauce . . .

Sure, there's a big chain that uses one of the names for these, but there are a lot of other choices.

A great big sandwich??

I was going to suggest a hoagie or a sub, but the special sauce threw me off.

Isn't that called a heart attack on a plate?

lol ejj... as in a sub or a hoagie?

I live where we call it a soda and a hoagie
But i used to live where they ask for a sub and a pop.

I would usually offer a guest a soda if it was going to be served in the can, and some pop is it was going to be poured into a glass, but they are somewhat interchangeable. in a restaurant you would be offered a soft-drink, and it would usually come from the fountain.

>172 kirbyowns: Sorry; my favorite sub place offers something called "sub sauce" that I think might be Italian dressing.

>173 jugglingpaynes: I thought that was fettucine alfredo! Given all those Subway ads with Jared, I think of them as practically health food.

I grew up with submarine or sub sandwiches, but moved to a place with hoagies. Other possibilities include hero, Dagwood, grinder, or torpedo; I have been told that a po'boy is not the same thing, though.

I love this language. It's endlessly fun.

Me too. I love linguistics.

I've also heard them called foot-longs, but I think that also applies to hot dogs.

Or franks.
frankfurters?

Sorry. :o)

#152 jp:
Sorry! Words wander away from me sometimes.

#169 bib:
Is that a TrueBlood reference? ;) I so need to read the first book already. My sister loves it.

#177 jp:
You can refer to a sandwich as a footlong in a sandwich-making place, i.e.,, Subway.

You shouldn't let your words wander, K. They get in trouble when they're off on their own. I recommend a short leash and a comma-studded collar.

Good thinking! I could get along better with my words then, too. After all, I am a question mark.

#178: Actually its a "pretty-much-every-vampire-story-set-in-America reference, but yes, True Blood is included in that."

Can I go to Hawii?? I want to get tan! Im as white as a ghost!! (Maybe not that white! ;)

I'm pretty pasty myself. But I wear sunblock to avoid burning and I don't tan much naturally. 8) I've had a couple extremely bad burns and now work diligently to avoid any more.

belles in the south treasured their white skin

don't get me started on white skin right now, mom. 8)

lol, don't worry MEM, your not the only one who doesn't tan! I have always been super white , the kids in school used to call me casper.

LOL!

106: IM GOIN TO DISNEY SOON! YAY!

I'm super pale and don't tan either.

Me, too, though I once turned the color of a lobster after 1.5 hours in the shade in April in Florida. Ack!

Somehow I lucked out and rarely burn, but tanning is so bad for you it makes me sad... I could have gorgeous tanned skin, but then I'd end up with skin cancer... stupid science.

Don't you hate it when you go in the ocean, and ladies, you shave your legs, dosent it burn! My sister said it killed!

Ouch, I know what you mean, but it's a price we pay to look good LOL =D

That's so right!! lol!!

lol! :)

it stinks bein a girl u no?

*Mayb i should make a thread on that... :)*

You do know you're not supposed to shave your legs the day you go into the ocean. You're supposed to wait a day. I learned that from a colleague.

who says only ladies shave their legs...

*mental image of MrA shaving his legs*

AAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!

*attempts to wash brain*

i tend to have that affect on women...

Thankgod you fessed up to that MrA, I was starting to wonder where the hair in my razor was coming from.

lol!!

My brother once shaved his legs.
Of course he also shaved his eyebrows off once.
And then there was the time he shaved Sargent stripes onto the back of his head...

137--> I was under the impression that the word "Fosters" was austrailan for beer. Commericals lie, man.

The word Pop, when used to order a soda, or the musical genre, makes me want to vommit.

I don't tan either, I charcoal.

ladies, ladies *shakes head* if you've been shaving your legs every day like you're supposed to and should, your legs don't burn when you go to the ocean. duh.

I once but a whole section of my hear on a bet. I might have shaved an eyebrow too at some point. Cant remember.

Suge, I can't make the last paragraph make sense.

Maybe burnt instead of but,
and hair instead of hear?

"cut" and "hair". Sheesh, don't you guys know sugespeak?

although... it could be butt instead of but, and bear instead of hear. That would make an interesting bet.

#206: ROFLMAO...you said butt....LOL

Is it good or bad that you speak sugespeak, Mr?

IT'S GOOD! SQUEEEEE!

PIANOOO!!!

Mr I need to carry you around so you can translate what i say to other people! HAHAHAHA! Are you available on weekdays?

yes, but my fees are ludicrous.

hmm I can use it as a tax deduction.

No, i mean they are really ludicrous - i only accept fresh-water fish as payment. I can give change, but it's in crustaceans.

Anyway, i thought K was your translator...?

hee hee i no, i have seen people on AFV, and the guys like cry when they liek rip off the hair! its funny! hee hee

#196 kirby:
I've never heard that before! Why not?

#214 MrA:
Definitely not. I didn't get that last paragraph of suge's in #203 at all.

My step-brother shaved one leg once. One of my sisters made him.

whose leg did he shave?

my sister was bitten by a moose once...

Not this story again... let me guess...

She was Karving her initials on the møøse
with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given
her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and
star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo
Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst
Nordfink"

#217 MrA:
Kik. Sorry that wasn't clear. One of his own legs.

Glad to hear it.

>#218: well, møøse bites can be very dangerous.

Perhaps this thread needs to be taken over by a llama?

We're now traveling by llama?

I got kicked in the head by a llama! Really! I was about eleven and watching a guy lead the llama to a pen for a temporary petting zoo at our mall. He picked it up and the durn thing kicked out and BAM! I had a hoofprint shaped bruise on my forehead!

Ok no llamas. How about we travel by emu?

they bite....well peck

All right then since polly is being picky then how about by Donkey?

donkeys can be very stubborn and they kick too. I suggest mules, they are docile and hard working

Or, you know, maybe by Mercedes hybrid?

I'm happy so long as it's not traveling by llama. Those things can really spit. If you think spit is bad on LT, you're very wrong!

227>I don't know, polly. I've worn mules and almost killed myself tripping in them.

228> What an interesting suggestion.

Thats your problem JP! You don't wear them! You ride them!

We had a baby llama at our school a couple of months ago. Along with a baby tiger, a parrot, a lemur, 2 hedgehogs, and a giant sea turtle. Our only male teacher is married to a person whose family owns the local safari.

Do we have to stay over land? Because I would love to travel by dolphin. Or whale. *thinks of Whale Rider*

*Thinks of Jonah. Thinks of Pinocchio.*

*Thinks of Nemo. Thinks of the Nautilus.*

I'd love a pet llama ;)

MsD, I worked with llamas.

They spit.

It feels like you are getting slapped in the face with a warm wet grainy hand. They will purposely seek you out to spit on you. I had to clean their pen when I worked at the children's zoo and I spent the whole time ducking and covering.

And then there were the African geese. {{shudder}}

A frickin' goose messed with you, JP? Let me at 'im! I'll tear the fiend apart!

They had a petting area. Goodness knows why they put that monster in a petting area, but it didn't matter, because African geese knew which were the zoo employees. I might as well have had a red shirt with "Expendable" written across it.

I was sitting in the area keeping an eye on the critters and this evil goose bit my thigh. I pulled away and it grabbed me again by the jacket. Two other attendants came over to pull it away and the only way they could get it to release was to smack it. He goosed me good. I had a welt on my thigh as big as an egg.

My cousins had llamas and a goose. The llamas were well-known for spitting at people and the goose was well-known for biting people. Needless to say I liked to stay inside their house when I'd visit. ;) Something funny was one day watching their puppies chase the chickens to have the chickens turn around and chase the puppies, though.

#238 MsD, are you saying the llama would be a big improvement on your current pet who can talk back?

LETS RIDE ROLLERCOSTERS :)!!

Go ahead, I'll hold your stuff.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could catch a rollercoaster between your home and your work/school? They really should try to be more inventive when designing railway lines. Who says everything has to be flat?

thanks ejj!! hee hee here i go!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!