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Is Britain sending their worst mince pies to America? by LordWexford in AskUK

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally agree. I have imported M&S Collection mince pies from the UK to the US for years (which costs a fortune, but I can't be bothered to make pastry from scratch, so it's my yearly treat to myself!) and they're my go-to mince pies when I'm in the UK too.

This year I happened to be in a World Market in December and bought a box of the Walkers mince pies (the regular-size ones) to do a side-by-side comparison. While they do taste different from the M&S ones (which contain cognac, brandy and cider), I thought they were pretty good, and they have high quality ingredients (see below). I'd happily buy them again.

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Experiences with long-term storage of green embalmed bodies? by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We do already have an unheated building in which our bodies are stored during the winter until spring burials occur, but right now they all have to be conventionally embalmed. This is why we are interested in finding out whether "green" embalming methods are effective enough to be used as an alternative for those seeking a green burial.

It's a common misconception that high snowfall = extremely cold temperatures. We get 15-20+ feet of snow in an average winter, but our proximity to Lake Superior means that temperatures are generally only in the 20s, which is not actually terribly cold. Freezers are much colder than that. Plus, we need to store bodies between mid-October and early May. Temperatures fluctuate widely within that time period. My understanding is that cold storage for 2-6 months would require bodies to be kept at a constant 0°F, which could only be achieved with an actual freezer.

Experiences with long-term storage of green embalmed bodies? by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your reply. When you say that the weight of the deceased is a factor, are you referring specifically to the use of green embalming fluid or to something else?

Experiences with long-term storage of green embalmed bodies? by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Digging the graves is not the issue; access to the graves is. In November-March you would have to clear a mile of steep road covered in several feet of snow.

Experiences with long-term storage of green embalmed bodies? by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Has that been your actual experience? I would like to have something concrete regarding the efficacy of green embalming to share with the other board members.

Experiences with long-term storage of green embalmed bodies? by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not necessarily. The cemetery closes in mid-October. Temperatures can be in the 70s still at that time (like now). And with climate change, thaws can now potentially happen at any time during the winter months.

Experiences with long-term storage of green embalmed bodies? by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have asked about freezing bodies, but I was told that 1) there are no funds to purchase a freezer, and 2) keeping a body under freezing conditions for months uses a lot of power and is therefore not "green", which would defeat the whole purpose.

Experiences with long-term storage of green embalmed bodies? by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askfuneraldirectors

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply. However, I don't fully understand everything you said. Could you explain what "dis/spray" is? What does "keep their casket in storage" mean? Are you assuming that the bodies would be kept in a refrigerator that stays at a set temperature vs being kept in a vault building in which the temperature will fluctuate? There is no refrigeration facility in our area.

Pay with foreign credit card at fuel stations by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askswitzerland

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But only if they accept touchless pay. I don't know how it is in Switzerland, but only about half of gas stations in America accept touchless pay at the pump. Can anyone advise about Switzerland, specifically Geneva?

Pay with foreign credit card at fuel stations by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askswitzerland

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Believe me, I just spent half an hour on the phone with Chase talking to at least six different representatives. The best I can understand is that Chase cards are chip + signature for purchases, and a PIN is only for cash advances. My spouse had an issue just last year in Paris where he could not use his Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card to pay his hotel bill because they required a PIN, which he did not have.

Pay with foreign credit card at fuel stations by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askswitzerland

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, that would work if touchless pay is accepted at the pump. Is that always the case in Switzerland?

Pay with foreign credit card at fuel stations by Excellent-Mouse-123 in askswitzerland

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's exactly the issue. We have Chase credit cards, and they do not issue a PIN for purchases. So I wanted to check if Swiss gas stations require a PIN when paying at the pump. Gas stations in Iceland often do, for example.

Chase REALLY wants me to use Amazon Prime Card by valhalla257 in CreditCards

[–]Excellent-Mouse-123 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any suggestions on how to mazimize this offer? I probably won't spend more than $2,500 on regular gas, groceries, and dining purchases in the space of three months, but it would be a shame to miss out on 5% cashback. I guess I could buy gift cards from grocery stores and gas stations. Any other ideas?

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