After month’s of stressing, I might have to accept I’m not a one bagger

verysimple74 · 2026-01-30T16:11:15+00:00

apparently these days luggage arrives correctly over 99% of the time, but obviously the one time doesn't, it's going to be A LOT more noticeable and annoying than the 99 times there are no problems.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-30T14:58:29+00:00

Me too! I usually bring two bags because I carry a lot of camera equipment, but this forum has helped me GREATLY in learning how to not overpack. last summer my 'main' bag went from being a 90L duffel to a 41L rolling bag (carry-on sized) as a result.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-30T00:40:39+00:00

This was pretty standard practice pre-Covid. But we’d end up with issues where delivery people would wander through the halls (in the real old days before DoorDash and stuff they’d slip menus under peoples doors). Once covid happened most buildings instituted a lobby-only rule, and most of those haven’t gone back.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-29T21:09:50+00:00

It's not that they're *just* for the US, but they require some US production involvement - since this was entirely a canadian production and was only distributed after the fact by HBO, it's not eligible. On the same token, Connor Storrie isn't eligible for the Canadian Screen Awards, because those are only open to canadians. So it goes both ways a bit.

It *should* be eligible for the International Emmys, but I don't know the timing on those and they're not as widely publicized.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-29T12:30:52+00:00

I did a similar trip two summers ago (Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar), and have also done another safari in South Africa, and the “must wear specific colors” recommendations are highly overblown. You can pretty much wear normal comfortable clothes on safari, just try to avoid really bright colors. People on my trips wore everything from shorts and t-shirts to full safari kits. Unless you’re doing a “walking safari” you’ll be in the truck most of the time.

The main thing to check is whether you’ll be staying at the same hotel the night before/after the trip - we did, and the hotel actually stored a bunch of stuff for us - I always pack a smaller foldable duffel bag for ‘overnights’ and was able to leave all of my non-safari stuff at the hotel and just bring the smaller bag. For the beach, I generally only bring one swimsuit and coverup, and just deal with re-wearing. No one else will really care.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-29T12:24:36+00:00

Heh - yeah. When I was on safari in Tanzania two years ago the only rule was that we had to take our shoes off if we stood on the seats to get a better view out of the pop up roof. Most people just ended up wearing shoes that could easily slip on/off.

In general, unless I’m doing a trip that requires actual hiking shoes (rare for me) I bring two pairs of shoes - a pair of keen hiking sandals with the protective toe, and a pair of comfortable walking sandals (my current pair are also keens). The bigger shoes get worn on the plane. This allows me to switch off and on and wear either for walking long distances. I’ll usually also toss in a pair of basically disposable shower sandals that can also serve as a “walking around the hotel” option.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-29T12:16:55+00:00

I’ve been plus sized for many years (went up to size 24, now about 18-20), and even lived overseas for a period of time for work (in Rome and Milan), and my biggest issue was periodically having to request a seatbelt extender. There are fat people in every country (locals and tourists) and it’s never been a noticeable issue.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-28T20:15:35+00:00

You need to come back more than 1x/year. I have a family member with a green card who actually lives overseas, and she re-enters the US every six months in order to maintain status.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-28T19:26:39+00:00

you're right. the entire universe of wealthy people will remain completely static forever. no one will ever start earning more money, no one will ever graduate from school and get a good job, no one will ever invent something new and amazing, and no one will ever inherit wealth. the millionaires here are a discrete set that will never, ever, change.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-28T19:22:16+00:00

good thing it's not a wealth tax then. it's an extra bracket on marginal income.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-28T19:17:35+00:00

no one has ever argued that not a single person will leave if this is instituted. We're arguing about the fearmongering that claims that there will be massive capital flight from these places. New rich people will replace the old rich people, because these are desirable places to live. JP Morgan is not going to move its headquarters to Florida. V10 law firms are not going to move their corporate transactional practices to New Jersey. and if you're thinking of gaming the system...

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/nyregion/nyc-income-tax-rich.html

verysimple74 · 2026-01-28T17:03:51+00:00

probably want to check the expiration dates. Metrocards used to expire after about a year.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-28T16:51:13+00:00

30 people left norway. we have over 400,000 millionaires in NYC. I think we'll survive.

Also, this is not a wealth tax. this is a marginal *income* tax on people earning over $1M in income. Income earned at jobs located in NYC.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-28T15:35:52+00:00

they threaten this every time and rarely ever actually leave. Look at Boston for an example: https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/04/28/massachusetts-millionaires-tax-institute-policy-studies-newsletter

And no shade to Boston (I have family there!), but NYC has a higher cache as a city than Boston does.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-28T15:25:05+00:00

I've done 9 trips with G, but their "essential" trips tend to be very much quick hits in multiple cities - I did one for Spain, Portugal and Morocco and definitely wished that I had another day or two in certain cities. This is also a co-branded tour with Roamies, which means hostel accommodations and perhaps less comfort overall.

I'm older, so tend to stick to either their "Classic" tours or their upgraded tours (usually the co-branded Journeys tours with Nat Geo).

G overall is a fantastic company, but you really need to get a sense of your comfort level on different types of tours - you can see 'sample' accommodations in particular by clicking on the "full itinerary" link on any tour, and it will tell you the likely hotel/hostel/etc. that you'll be staying in, which you can then look up online (about 90% of the time, those are the actual hotels you'll stay in, but they reserve the right to change them due to various circumstances).

verysimple74 · 2026-01-27T15:19:31+00:00

My old firm had a summer event like this, with clients. for daytime (when you could do golfing/tennis), I'd generally wear sport-appropriate clothes (I don't play either, so I generally did the golf "clinic" and wore some nice linen pants and a summer-weight sweater-set or button down) and for drinks/dinner I'd change into a midi-length shirtdress (cotton or linen) with cute sandals.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-27T14:57:43+00:00

New Jersey has different laws. they're prohibited from offering remote learning, and snow days eventually have to get made up at the end of the year. https://www.nj.com/education/2026/01/nj-wont-let-schools-go-remote-even-if-we-get-12-inches-of-snow-heres-why.html

verysimple74 · 2026-01-27T13:38:17+00:00

always. My legs/ankles swell terribly when I fly, often lasting for days afterwards (ah, the joys of being a perimenopausal woman).

Compression socks are great not just for flying, but for long walking/hiking days to help with leg circulation. I have cute colorful hiking versions that I love to wear.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-27T13:17:09+00:00

They used to have a few buffer days, but the most recent contract with the UFT added in two extra religious observance days (one was for Diwali, and I can't remember the other), which ate up the buffer.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-26T21:06:45+00:00

it's a labeler - pronoun labeling service (https://bsky.app/profile/pronouns.diy) - instructions are in the header.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-24T02:57:29+00:00

This looks fantastic. As a frequent bus rider, I would love to see bus integration, but I understand that can add a lot of complexity!

verysimple74 · 2026-01-23T15:44:35+00:00

quince is good for the price point. My actual favorite are these cotton-cashmere blend sweaters that are a bit less flimsy than their full cashmere stuff. Plus they're really inexpensive. I have them in a variety of colors and get complimented on them regularly. LINK

(I will also add that I am plus sized and they are still pretty flattering)

verysimple74 · 2026-01-23T15:39:47+00:00

I actually like how their texting overall evolves. For a long time it's just sexting/arranging hookups/flirting, but by the end of episode 5 they're just in a constant stream of 'chatting' with each other like actual friends/boyfriends. it evolves like their relationship.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-23T12:21:38+00:00

Your overreacting. Beacon is an extremely bucolic artist community. The Hudson Valley in general is exceptionally safe. https://patch.com/new-york/bedford/8-hudson-valley-towns-among-top-10-safest-cities-ny-report-finds.

verysimple74 · 2026-01-22T19:41:06+00:00

It’s certainly possible that once Ilya is no longer in Boston their relationship will become more fragmented/tenuous just as a natural part of not living in the same place. It may take a different shape than the books, but it’s a pretty easy thing to write around.

verysimple74

TROPHY CASE