Off on holiday~

Post by **Sugami** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:24 pm

Tomorrow I'll be leaving for America and I'll be touring some of the west coast for 16 days so you won't hear much from me in a while

{Excitement!}

Keavy · Post by **Keavy** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:26 pm

So if I see a gray-haired catgirl with a British accent should I wave?

Eviticus · Post by **Eviticus** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:37 pm

Mid west is where it's at, fo rizzle.

Post by **Ambrey** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:40 pm

Eviticus wrote:Mid west is where it's at, fo rizzle.

Nothing like seeing corn as far as the eye can see

I live in Illinois too Evit.

Post by **Fiye** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:59 am

Come to Vegas....

Self explanatory.

Post by **Alya Mizar (Tsybil)** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:15 pm

Ambrey wrote:
Eviticus wrote:Mid west is where it's at, fo rizzle.
Nothing like seeing corn as far as the eye can see I live in Illinois too Evit.

For me the midwest and the far west exist only to give added travel time between the coasts, the only interesting parts of the country.

I might make an exception for Chicago, but Kansas and Texas have GOT to go.

Keavy · Post by **Keavy** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:19 pm

I agree, we could do without Texas and Kansas hasn't released a decent album in years.

Eviticus · Post by **Eviticus** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:11 pm

"It's not windy in Colorado, Kansas Sucks!"

But really, I live in the St.Louis metro area. It's the only thing that's -not- corn as far as the eye can see for a few hundred miles in any direction.

Pheonixhawk · Post by **Pheonixhawk** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:25 pm

Enjoy your trip kitty.

Okuza · Post by **Okuza** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:04 am

I swear that food quality is inversely proportional to your distance from a coast. Midwest? <shudder>

Then again, isn't Sugami Brittish? ^~

Post by **Alya Mizar (Tsybil)** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:21 am

Eviticus wrote:"It's not windy in Colorado, Kansas Sucks!"

But really, I live in the St.Louis metro area. It's the only thing that's -not- corn as far as the eye can see for a few hundred miles in any direction.

Way too true. Both statements.

Okuza wrote:I swear that food quality is inversely proportional to your distance from a coast. Midwest? <shudder>

Then again, isn't Sugami Brittish? ^~

And true on midwest food. But what they do to coffee is worse.

Besides they don't ruin food in the midwest the same way they do in England.

And don't tell anyone I ever said this but there are some things that they cook well in the British isles. Hagis, however, is not among them.

ScarlettPheonix · Post by **ScarlettPheonix** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:22 am

I agree, especially Seafood. I learned right quick when I first arrived in Texas that eating seafood = not pleasant when you're 400+ miles from the nearest seacoast.

Enjoy Sug! Take lots of pics and share them when you get back^^

Eviticus · Post by **Eviticus** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:07 pm

Hey-hey-hey. That's -only- true for seafood. My county happens to be the largest producer of Horseradish in the world. We export more of it to Germany and Japan then you'd believe.

And ironicly enough, they turn that horseradish into sauces and pastes and ship it right back to the US. >.> Funny, that.

Post by **Sugami** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:15 pm

Buenos dias, c*ckbites. I'm back!

I mainly visited LA, Vegas, San Fran, Grand Canyon and Yosemite with small stops inbetween them.

I stayed at the Stratosphere in Vegas for those of you who know the strip

I went up and ate lunch "at the top of the world" (revolving restaurant) but I didn't go on the rides because heights scare the bejesus out of me

Sorry no pics

1) I don't have a camera
2) I don't like having my picture taken
3) No way in hell I'd put my picture on the net

However my bro took a few scenic ones, I may post a few of them if I can be bothered.

Hey I object to the food comment! We have great food over here, just happens that most of it is Chinese or Italian or something

Can get a good steak from a nice restaurant.
I ate in a famous steakhouse in the middle of nowhere, it has a slide... ring any bells? Good steak

I also ate onboat the Tahoe Queen on Lake Tahoe and that was pretty bad

Food was hit or miss really. Denny's did a good steak too

P.S. your currency sucks! All your coins look almost identical and you have nothing higher than 25 cents! Also pennies are useless! I left them piled up in the hotels

Keavy · Post by **Keavy** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:12 pm

Sugami wrote:Also pennies are useless! I left them piled up in the hotels

Just as a note: I hope you didn't leave them there while you were staying at the hotel. If the maids found them they might have assumed that was their tip. Leaving pennies as a tip is viewed as an insult. One penny means that you found the service absolutely horrid.

Oh, and there are 50 cent and dollar coins but no one uses them. And no, 50 Cent is not on the 50 cent piece. If he was, they might get more use.

ScarlettPheonix · Post by **ScarlettPheonix** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:22 pm

They do look different. A bit anyway- well, ok no they don't- but they are different sizes!

Some cities are actually promoting the use of the Sacajawea (I know I probably spelt that all wrong) dollar coins- at least in NE somewhat- Boston in particular uses them as the change from their Charlie ticket machines for the T system.

Welcome back

Post by **Alya Mizar (Tsybil)** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:55 pm

The only time I see our 1/2 dollar coins or our 2 dollar bills is when I get them as change from our local ferry system.

American pennies are a joke, but the Republicans don't want to admit we have had any inflation since WWII, so we continue to mint pennies and print $1 bills.

Food was hit or miss really. Denny's did a good steak too

DENNY'S???

The steaks in England must be horrid.

Post by **Leane** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:06 am

Sugami wrote:Also pennies are useless! I left them piled up in the hotels

interesting note: a penny (worth 1 cent for those who may not know) costs 1.2 cents to make

the penny literally isn't worth the metal its made of

Keavy · Post by **Keavy** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:26 am

Well, when Arcades peaked in popularity the Quarter was worth 39 cents.

Post by **Sugami** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:36 pm

Keavy wrote:Just as a note: I hope you didn't leave them there while you were staying at the hotel. If the maids found them they might have assumed that was their tip. Leaving pennies as a tip is viewed as an insult. One penny means that you found the service absolutely horrid.

Gratuities were covered by the tour operator so the pile of pennies was a bonus for anyone that found them

A quarter looks just like a nickle, which is really annoying. I was looking through my change to try and find the right amount then just got fed up and paid with bills. Another instance I accidentally gave 16 cents instead of 36 cents, luckily I was able to fish out another two dimes quickly.

Coke machines would usually accept nickles, dimse and quarters, which meant at each hotel I'd unload all my change into those

they also accept $2 bills apparently but I guess they're being worked out of circulation or something. 50 cent and 1 dollar coins wouldn't be accepted by machines too.

Yeah your pennies should be removed from circulation and change everything to 5 cent incriments. BTW why are they called "pennies"? Penny comes from pence or 'p', which is British and you guys don't use. Should be called "cennies" or something

We have 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins and I can tell what is what without having to read the damn thing!

Tsybil wrote:DENNY'S??? The steaks in England must be horrid.

Maybe you've just been to crappy Dennys or I found a good one

Think I've had enough steaks to tell the difference between a good and bad steak

Had it medium; was succulent and tender and a little pinky. Not chewy at all, no fat, just a good steak

ScarlettPheonix · Post by **ScarlettPheonix** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:47 pm

You must've found a good one

Nickels are smooth edged, quarters aren't- its how I sometimes have to remember which is which

No idea why we call them pennies- its probably just a hold over from "pence" that has no real meaning anymore for us.

When I was in Korea and Pheonix may have seen it in Okinawa- but the military powers that be banned all use of pennies on the Peninsula in any of the shoppettes and base facilities.

Didn't really change anything and was very easy to get used to- so much so that it was a bit of culture shock to be handed exact change with pennies when I did come back to the states finally

/comfort Sug- currency is considered one of the hardest things to get used to in another country I believe, especially when it makes no sense to the natives too

Post by **Alya Mizar (Tsybil)** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:12 pm

Sugami wrote:BTW why are they called "pennies"? Penny comes from pence or 'p', which is British and you guys don't use. Should be called "cennies" or something

We used to be a British colony you may remember. Out first pennies were as big as your old 1p pieces and had a silver center. But they had a purchasing power greater than today's $10 bill. I can only thank the founding fathers that we did not keep the pound.

Tsybil wrote:DENNY'S??? The steaks in England must be horrid.

Sugami wrote:Maybe you've just been to crappy Dennys or I found a good one.

You found one of the good ones. And there are no crappy Dennys, just blah ones. Most of us here in the states denigrate mass market restaurants, and with good reason.

Keavy · Post by **Keavy** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:16 pm

For the most part, places like Denny's and IHOP are where people go when traveling or after a long night. Like when I was headed home with my dad and girlfriend after the Rush concert. We stopped off at an IHOP for dinner because we were able to get full dinners for the same as we would have paid for hot dogs and sodas at the event.

The IHOP we went to was very good, though. I only go to those kind of places for breakfast foods, anyways. Pancakes, omelette's, that kind of thing.

When I want a steak I'll go to either Cattlemen's or Ruth's Chris.

Post by **Sugami** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:47 pm

ScarlettPheonix wrote:Nickels are smooth edged, quarters aren't- its how I sometimes have to remember which is which

That's silly

I don't have time to inspect the edge of my coins or try feeling which one is smoother

Tsybil wrote:We used to be a British colony you may remember.

Well it was before my time but yeah I'm well aware of where you yanks came from

You found one of the good ones. And there are no crappy Dennys, just blah ones. Most of us here in the states denigrate mass market restaurants, and with good reason.

Guess I got lucky then

if you're ever in Vegas try out the one outside the Stratosphere and see for yourself

Keavy wrote:When I want a steak I'll go to either Cattlemen's or Ruth's Chris.

Can't say I ever saw or heard of those places when I was over there

Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:19 pm

Sugami wrote:
Keavy wrote:When I want a steak I'll go to either Cattlemen's or Ruth's Chris.
Can't say I ever saw or heard of those places when I was over there

Pity Cattlemen's has excellent steaks and the ones at Ruth's Chris' melt in your mouth, even blood rare like I like them.

Post by **Sugami** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:55 am

Euw, medium is nice but I wouldn't want it bloody

Post by **Fiye** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:56 pm

I can actually tell the difference of Quarters and Nickels now for some odd reason. Maybe they've finally fixed that issue in the latest U.S. Mint patch

Either way, its not to hard. Quarters are thinner than Nickels after all.

Odd how it took me a good number of years to get this kind of ability.

Post by **Alya Mizar (Tsybil)** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:57 am

The human body is a precise measuring instrument when properly trained. An experienced machinist (engineer to you Brits) can cut to 1/10,000 of an inch by eye. That kitties is the diameter of a dime at like 32 Ft., 10m.

I was handling a LOT of change when silver coinage was going out of circulation. After a while I could tell the difference between American 90% silver dimes, Canadian 80% Silver, American clad, and Canadian alloy ones by WEIGHT!!!

I was shocked when I realized I was sorting them without looking.

ScarlettPheonix · Post by **ScarlettPheonix** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:46 am

Wow, that's pretty impressive Tysbil. I knew it was possible to eyeball measurements for a lot of things~ I do it all the time with cooking measurements but nothing that precise.

Keavy · Post by **Keavy** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 5:10 am

Sugami wrote:Euw, medium is nice but I wouldn't want it bloody

My ex-gilrfriend Sandra, no joke, would take a raw steak, put it in a hot pan for 30 seconds each side, then eat it.