GABIT attendees thread

[RepliCartertje]

Sigh... I *still* haven't made my dress for the cocktail party. I think I might end up just wearing my plain black one instead. Too much to do, not enough time.

Aww But you can't go wrong with Jack at all. I love black dresses got myself one. Although atm I am not sure if I'll wear it since I found a amazing skirt too and now I am doubting what i'll wear.

Packing list, that sounds like a good idea

Only 3 weeks and 1 day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooh packinglist is a good plan actually and a list from what I still have to do and stuff

I think you might need to consider changing your bank. If they don't even know what currency a major country uses I don't know if I'd be happy giving them my money!

exactly. I am not so sure it is a good sign if your bank doesn't know the currency of a country lol
I hope they know the currency for the USA

[Celandine]

I got my federal back weeks ago (hooray for direct deposit!)

And this is actually the second card of mine that has had an issue in the past couple months. I am starting to get worried. The last one was my actual credit card and they called be about a suspicious charge (that wasn't me!) and closed the account too.

And surprisingly sewing involves a lot of moving. At least the way I do it! Cutting pieces out on the floor, ironing and pinning at the dining table then the actual sewing at my sewing table, and back for more ironing and such. Then I'll do the hand stuff sitting on the couch. It's the hand sewing and hand embroidery that can be killer - the embroidery on my Geeky!Sam outfit was killer. Gah.

I didnt get direct deposit but at the time I wasn't all that worried about it. For pete's sake, it was back in February! Oh well, mine is promised to be in by the end of the month. Lovely IRS people.

I still couldnt sew. I *know* how a little, but I never could sit still at it for long to perfect the skill. My mom sews anything and everything and even makes quilts, but I never had an interest in it. I know being the only girl she always had high hopes for me picking it up and I did try, but I go completely nuts when I sit down before the machine and attempt it. Oh well. I always told people I don't have the sewing gene.

Argh! I've just realised that I left my moustache in my vest pocket when I handed my uniform in.

I was attached to that moustache *sigh*

I comfort myself with the knowledge that I will spook the uniform services staff out.

hehe...your such a goof. I can just imagine their reactions when they look in your pocket. "Ahhh! Hairy spider!"

yes, definitely let the CC companies know

what spooks me about hitting the atm is, my bank said it SHOULD work wherever visa is accepted (i have a visa check card) but they didn't know if i'd get hit with that massive money exchange fee. Like when i bought my tickets, i got hit with a 10% exchange fee for making a purchase in brit pounds (which ticks me off to no end cause the cc's are owned by the bloody banks that do the exchange....it's just a way to fleece)

anyway, i'm afraid if i hit the atm a few times to draw out money (i can only get up to 300 us a day, which won't be enough for everything unless i hit the atm 4 times or so cause of the exchange rate) i won't just get the nominal 1-5 dollars, i'll get whacked by an exchange fee that could be rather shocking. so i'm honestly afraid to use the atm

I need to call them back tomorrow and see if they can get me pounds sterling. If not, then i think i'll jsut be bringing us cash or travelers checks and exchanging htem over there

If you get travelers checks in US funds, I believe you'll need to exchange them at a bank once you get to England anyway. Also, the bank's will charge a fee for doing this so I don't know if getting them will be any better than using your debit card. There's a fee either way.

[Skydiver]

I think you might need to consider changing your bank. If they don't even know what currency a major country uses I don't know if I'd be happy giving them my money!

lol

see, i live in the midwest. the nearest foreign country is a few hundred miles away. they have to send ot kansas city to get foreign currency.

its just not needed here so they don't have it

[SamJackShipLover]

I ordered some GBP today at my bank. Can get them next week.

*goes to make packinglist now*

[Skydiver]

i just called and yes i can get pounds. the rate is HORRIBLE however. but oh well. It's gonna pretty much be my last con and i didn't go anywhere last year

[RepliCartertje]

I ordered some GBP today at my bank. Can get them next week.

*goes to make packinglist now*

You have to wait a week to get them I just will go to the bank and get it immediatly I guess that is the nice thing about living in a city

But I really should do that soonish too though cause it is kind of important.

Although I still have some so that is something lol

[ames]

i just called and yes i can get pounds. the rate is HORRIBLE however. but oh well. It's gonna pretty much be my last con and i didn't go anywhere last year

Are you retiring, Sky???
(from fandom, I mean )

[Skydiver]

not from fandom, but cons....well there's not much that i haven't seen or done and it just seems silly to fly hundreds of miles to see an actor to collect a photo and autograph that will just hang on a wall.

Avalon was gonna be my last con cause, dude, how can you top rick and amanda????

but then AT3 came along and i decided to go.

i may go to a con now and then, but not a yearly thing. I tend to more enjoy getting together with my friends and simply having a group vacation than spending the money to see an actor.

[Skydiver]

You have to wait a week to get them I just will go to the bank and get it immediatly I guess that is the nice thing about living in a city

But I really should do that soonish too though cause it is kind of important.

Although I still have some so that is something lol

not here. you have to live in a city that has federal banks, the closest is Kansas City to me. Wichita might have some federal banks, but in small towns they simply dont' stock foreign currency because there is really no need

in fact, my bank was 'you can use credit cards', and yeah, i can, but then i get hit by the massive exchange fee so it literally costs too much to use them.

[ames]

not from fandom, but cons....well there's not much that i haven't seen or done and it just seems silly to fly hundreds of miles to see an actor to collect a photo and autograph that will just hang on a wall.

Avalon was gonna be my last con cause, dude, how can you top rick and amanda????

but then AT3 came along and i decided to go.

i may go to a con now and then, but not a yearly thing. I tend to more enjoy getting together with my friends and simply having a group vacation than spending the money to see an actor.

...point.
I'm still a newbie at the world of cons, so meeting the actors is as wow-worthy as meeting up with new (and old) friends, but I can see where you're coming from. On the other hand, it also helps when you live relatively close to an area which has regular cons ...

Spoiler:

MK has Collectormania, which doesn't have to cost a lot of money, as it's free entry to the mall - you just pay for merchandise and parking, which is optional and actually quite reasonable, respectively. London's not too far away ... assuming I move back to England, of course. And if not, I'm close to Toronto here ... there's often something going on there ... and if I move again, well ... I'll figure something out!

[PengYn]

My plan this time, once I've landed on Wednesday and after passing through the huge duty free shopping zone, is to stop at the money changers (my federal and state returns've been cashed and are ready to be lopped in half by the exchange rate! ) right at the end of the ramp, and then I was going to get roomie & I the London Transport's travel cards.

Is it best to go back over to the airport on the Hoppa or the free buses (for the cost of a bit of walking) and then take the Tube into Piccadilly from there? (45 min.) Or a bus route? (longer?) From my earlier surfing and also checking out the link Bev shared ((((Bev)))) , it seems like the Tube shouldn't be bad and that the last Tube trains on weekdays head out at midnight. (And even if the last train was missed the N9 night bus goes between Knightsbridge/Picadilly back out to Heathrow.)

But I guess I'm really wondering how easy it is to access the Tube stations at the airport if you're just coming in from one of the hotels and are just using it to hop back and forth into town.....

Speaking as your royal tube correspondent:

* For the weekend of the con assuming you're not going to be bothered going anywhere else DON'T by a travel card. You can always by a bus pass for those times when you need to pop to the shops or if we're all wandering off somewhere. Reason being that Heathrow is in Zone 6 versus central London (tourist hangout) which is in Zone 1. The cost of a travel card encompassing all of those zones is quite high.

*If you're still staying at the Ren beyond the con and planning to hit the city then invest in a zone1-6 travel card and you can go on any mode of transport in London.

*If you change hotels to a more central location after the con then all you would need is a Zone 1 travel card bought at any tube station or ticket stop for around £4. You can then go anywhere and keep that card for 24 hours.

*The Picadilly Line is your best option if you choose to opt out from taking the express train (that's the expensive one). Bussing it in would very likely kill you. For one thing no bus (barr the night bus) travels directly from Hounslow to central London so you'd be chopping an changing the whole way. And it would very likely take 3 hours to get there. The Picadilly Line will indeed take 45 minutes.

*As to ease - the airport is well sign posted. The buses (hoppa or otherwise) drop you off directly at the terminals. Every terminal will have signs and access to the Underground. You don't have to walk miles, usually it's a case a going down an escalator as you enter the terminal. Follow the signs, and there are plenty of staff there to help wayward tourists.

21 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think a party is order for tommorw

Let's!!

[ShimmeringStar]

Speaking as your royal tube correspondent:

* For the weekend of the con assuming you're not going to be bothered going anywhere else DON'T by a travel card. You can always by a bus pass for those times when you need to pop to the shops or if we're all wandering off somewhere. Reason being that Heathrow is in Zone 6 versus central London (tourist hangout) which is in Zone 1. The cost of a travel card encompassing all of those zones is quite high.

*If you're still staying at the Ren beyond the con and planning to hit the city then invest in a zone1-6 travel card and you can go on any mode of transport in London.

*If you change hotels to a more central location after the con then all you would need is a Zone 1 travel card bought at any tube station or ticket stop for around £4. You can then go anywhere and keep that card for 24 hours.

*The Picadilly Line is your best option if you choose to opt out from taking the express train (that's the expensive one). Bussing it in would very likely kill you. For one thing no bus (barr the night bus) travels directly from Hounslow to central London so you'd be chopping an changing the whole way. And it would very likely take 3 hours to get there. The Picadilly Line will indeed take 45 minutes.

*As to ease - the airport is well sign posted. The buses (hoppa or otherwise) drop you off directly at the terminals. Every terminal will have signs and access to the Underground. You don't have to walk miles, usually it's a case a going down an escalator as you enter the terminal. Follow the signs, and there are plenty of staff there to help wayward tourists.

*bows deeply to Royal Tube Correspondent* Thanks for the info.

I'll be getting into the Ren a few hours before roomie on Weds. and we might be going into London that evening, definitely going to London most of the day Thursday, and we're contemplating Friday morning/midday, depending on what her schedule is. And nope - no plans whatsoever for a travel card for the weekend of the con; just for 2-3 days before it (which we're trying to get an idea of what we're going to do right now).

To be honest I was probably more worried about security - that the airport only allowed the airline passengers access to the Tube lines and not the general public. (Which could be entirely possible in this day and age when in most U.S. airports you don't get much beyond the front door unless you're a ticket holder.)

LOL! I must've become a Tube snob when I was there last. I didn't want to have to worry about changing buses and worrying about 50 million different bus routes to get to the sights I wanted to see, so when I came last time (for about 5 days before the con), I totally used the Underground system. (It helped immensely that the flat I was in was just around the corner from the Gloucester Tube station.)

So if the Tube is quicker/more direct, methinks I'll drag roomie into and around London that way.

And no unfortunately, both roomie and I'll be flying out the day after the con to get back to RL and work. But thankfully *hugs roomie* we'll have a wee bit of time pre-con to chill and enjoy the London sights.

*hugs PengYn*

[SWMBOTGSG]

lol

see, i live in the midwest. the nearest foreign country is a few hundred miles away. they have to send ot kansas city to get foreign currency.

its just not needed here so they don't have it

That reminds me of the little post office in a small town we passed through in Kansas 20 years ago. I asked for air mail stamps and they didn't have any because "we don't have any call for them". I had to wait until we got to Kansas City too.

Mumsey

[Skydiver]

That reminds me of the little post office in a small town we passed through in Kansas 20 years ago. I asked for air mail stamps and they didn't have any because "we don't have any call for them". I had to wait until we got to Kansas City too.

Mumsey

yep.

there's a lot that 'big city' folks just take for granted.
prior to the passports becominig mandatory, we only had one post office that woud do them and it was just for about 3 hours a day, 3 days a week.

now they have someone on staff about 6 hours a day every day

[Skydiver]

...point.
I'm still a newbie at the world of cons, so meeting the actors is as wow-worthy as meeting up with new (and old) friends, but I can see where you're coming from. On the other hand, it also helps when you live relatively close to an area which has regular cons ...

Spoiler:

MK has Collectormania, which doesn't have to cost a lot of money, as it's free entry to the mall - you just pay for merchandise and parking, which is optional and actually quite reasonable, respectively. London's not too far away ... assuming I move back to England, of course. And if not, I'm close to Toronto here ... there's often something going on there ... and if I move again, well ... I'll figure something out!

that's kinda the catch for me. there's not a con around that isn't a multi hour trip if not a flight away.

it just gets too expensive.

I don't really care for any fandom beyond stargate (with the interest in atlantis and sanctuary of course) so there are no actors i'd pay to see.

if i was gonna geek out, i'd rather lurk on a set and watch them do a show or something non-pimped like that. but that doesn't happen so i'm content to just let things be