As Bushie's World Turns (The Update Thread)

[AndrewTX]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the 400 bucks is just what the travel agent charged to do the leg work. Joe is right though, it wouldnt be a Bushie kidn of thing without it. I've got to admit, I was a little upset at the start of this season. I thought we were going to start discussing more about a possible Susan reunion, or something good like that. But luckfully, the writers really knew how to get us back in.

 Bravo writers, bravo.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Hang on $400 travel agency fee?

That's 1/3 of the ticket price... that's unheard of!!

Unless you mean airport taxes etc?

Nope, all the ticket taxes and fees are included in the $1200.  The actual ticket was under $800.  I thought the $400 travel agent fees were quite high, but they did warn us about that before we signed up.  They warned us the tickets would be a total of $1500-$1600.  It turns out it was $1597.xx per person.

The rest of the trip is only $850 plus $250 Visa/Spending Money.  By the end of January, I will have $800 of the $850 raised.  I'll get the spending money out in early March just before I leave so I don't lose it or spend it and so the bills can be as crisp as possible, which helps with currency conversion.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I will have my entire Kenya trip paid for by the first weekend of February, two weeks from now.  Right now, I'm sitting at $2000 minus the $1600 plane ticket leaving a balance of $400.  The remainder of the trip (roundtrip flight from Nairobi to Kisumu, lodging in Nairobi and at Maisha Guest House, 3 meals a day, snacks, ground transportation to and from the construction site) is $850.  I will have the remaining $450 sent in by Saturday, February 4, 2012.  The only expenses I have left after that are my $98 yellow fever shot on February 1 and my spending money/visa money which I'm going to reduce to $150 instead of $250.  The visa is $50 to enter the country which will leave me with $100 for airport food/Kenya souvenirs, and water bottles in Kenya.  I have been told that a 5-liter bottle of water is only about $2.50 US dollars and I can refill that each day.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Even though I don't go into work until 6:00 the next 4 days, I am going to go ahead and start getting up at the time I normally would for my 5:00 shift which should start Wednesday or Thursday.  This means, my alarm will be going off at 2:50 am tomorrow morning which is now under 6 hours from now, so I will make this brief.

I am about to embark on what could be 7 straight days of work if the schedules take effect on Wednesday.

[Joe Biden 2020]

As of this morning, I have now lost 18 pounds down to weight of 267.  I had hit a little plateau there for about 10 days or so, at 17 1/2 pounds, until this morning.  It feels good to be able to say I've lost almost 20 pounds.  This diet is almost 10 weeks old, so I'm losing a little under 2 pounds a week on average.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Hang on $400 travel agency fee?

That's 1/3 of the ticket price... that's unheard of!!

Unless you mean airport taxes etc?

Nope, all the ticket taxes and fees are included in the $1200.  The actual ticket was under $800.  I thought the $400 travel agent fees were quite high, but they did warn us about that before we signed up.  They warned us the tickets would be a total of $1500-$1600.  It turns out it was $1597.xx per person.

The rest of the trip is only $850 plus $250 Visa/Spending Money.  By the end of January, I will have $800 of the $850 raised.  I'll get the spending money out in early March just before I leave so I don't lose it or spend it and so the bills can be as crisp as possible, which helps with currency conversion.

Wait... seriously.

I've bought a LOT of tickets from travel agents... and my booking fees never exceeded $40... ever.

I bought my ticket for Europe in  July last year for $1940... and the booking fee was $35.

You've been had... someone should report them.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Hang on $400 travel agency fee?

That's 1/3 of the ticket price... that's unheard of!!

Unless you mean airport taxes etc?

Nope, all the ticket taxes and fees are included in the $1200.  The actual ticket was under $800.  I thought the $400 travel agent fees were quite high, but they did warn us about that before we signed up.  They warned us the tickets would be a total of $1500-$1600.  It turns out it was $1597.xx per person.

The rest of the trip is only $850 plus $250 Visa/Spending Money.  By the end of January, I will have $800 of the $850 raised.  I'll get the spending money out in early March just before I leave so I don't lose it or spend it and so the bills can be as crisp as possible, which helps with currency conversion.

Wait... seriously.

I've bought a LOT of tickets from travel agents... and my booking fees never exceeded $40... ever.

I bought my ticket for Europe in  July last year for $1940... and the booking fee was $35.

You've been had... someone should report them.

Maybe, but I'm not worried about it.  This trip has been happening every March for the past several years and they haven't had any trouble, so I'm confident.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I can't help myself but weighing everyday.  I know that's not good, but I would go crazy if I don't.  I'm still between 17 1/2 and 18 pounds lost this morning.  I had a big lunch yesterday, but a relatively light dinner.  I'm knocking on the door of the 20 pound mark and I'm determined to not only meet 20 pounds, but exceed it in the coming days and weeks.  The recent trend has been losing a half pound, then holding steady for a week or so and then losing another half pound.  It seems like I hit the wall during that week, but the thing is I don't bounce back off the wall.  I hold steady within 2 pounds of my new best.  It's gotten to the point that regular Coke tastes nasty to me and I usually end up throwing half the can out.

This should be my final Sunday that I have to work today.  My schedule should change by mid-week (I hopefully will know tomorrow) and I should be able to work Wednesday-Friday and off Saturday-Sunday this week.  I can't wait to go back to church Sunday morning.  I miss being with my church family worshipping with them.

[Joe Biden 2020]

As of 11:00 pm tonight, I am exactly 96 days from my 30th birthday.  I have got a whole list of lifestyle changes I want to make and have in place before I begin my 4th decade on this earth.  One of those changes is trying to lose another 20 pounds.  I have already lost 18 pounds in the last 2 1/2 months, so I don't figure it should be too hard to lose another 20 pounds to get down into the 240s, which is substantially down from my peak of 285 on the morning of Monday, November 14, 2011.  I am already down to 267.0, and I hope to get down between 245-250 by the time I celebrate my 30th birthday.

I do have a confession to make.  While I have successfully switched to Coke Zero and Diet Dr. Pepper, I have still been eating quite a bit of fast food and pizza, mainly because nearly everything in my house is past the expiration date.  I don't go grocery shopping very often, but that's one of the changes I plan on making.  I am going to go shopping this Friday evening at Walmart so I can eat healthy food at home rather than going out.  This will accomplish two goals, (1) save a ton of money and (2) probably allow me to lose weight at a faster clip.  I've done great in my weight loss goal over the past 2 1/2 months, but I know there is more I can do and I plan to go shopping this Friday evening when I have more time to shop without having to rush home to bed.  I am also going to start taking my lunch to work on Monday, as well, so that will also help in both goals.

I've also got other lifestyle changes I'm going to make, all in an effort to increase the quality and productivity of my life.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I've also got other lifestyle changes I'm going to make, all in an effort to increase the quality and productivity of my life.

A real girl might help that.....

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

If you want to lose weight just drop the soda altogether man...

[Joe Biden 2020]

As of 11:00 pm tonight (5 minutes ago), I have officially crossed underneath 50 full days until the midnight of the day that the Kenya Mission Trip begins, accounting for the time change on Sunday, March 11, 2012.

I've got a bunch of stuff I still have to do in the mean time to get ready for the trip.  I am 50 days away, so I will need to start packing in 25-30 days from now, just so I can have plenty of time to get what I need to take put away so I don't use it.  I'll probably start packing on Saturday, February 18 or 25, 2012.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

As of 11:00 pm tonight (5 minutes ago), I have officially crossed underneath 50 full days until the midnight of the day that the Kenya Mission Trip begins, accounting for the time change on Sunday, March 11, 2012.

I've got a bunch of stuff I still have to do in the mean time to get ready for the trip.  I am 50 days away, so I will need to start packing in 25-30 days from now, just so I can have plenty of time to get what I need to take put away so I don't use it.  I'll probably start packing on Saturday, February 18 or 25, 2012.

Ahhhhhhh OCD issues...love it

[Joe Biden 2020]

As of 11:00 pm tonight (5 minutes ago), I have officially crossed underneath 50 full days until the midnight of the day that the Kenya Mission Trip begins, accounting for the time change on Sunday, March 11, 2012.

I've got a bunch of stuff I still have to do in the mean time to get ready for the trip.  I am 50 days away, so I will need to start packing in 25-30 days from now, just so I can have plenty of time to get what I need to take put away so I don't use it.  I'll probably start packing on Saturday, February 18 or 25, 2012.

Ahhhhhhh OCD issues...love it

You'd better believe it!! Not ashamed of it, either.

[Franzl]

I pack anywhere from the night before to 5 hours before transatlantic trips.

[AndrewTX]

I pack the night before I leave. ALWAYS. I packed the night before I moved to PA.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

When I left for 6-weeks in Europe... I packed on the morning I left..

[Joe Biden 2020]

The schedules haven't changed, yet, but I'm not too suprised as my supervisor has been sick and trying to move into a new house this past week.  He's been pre-occupied.  The schedules should change next week as he gets both of those time-takers behind him.  In the mean time, I'm still going into Week 34 tomorrow just like normal, with one exception.  I do have this Sunday off.  I am switching off with one of my coworkers.  I will work tomorrow and then work again Monday and Tuesday.  I could get upset that the schedules have not changed, and I have gotten upset, but then I realize that I still have a steady, good paying job and that is something not everybody can say in this economy.  God has blessed me with a job, and I am going to do that job no matter what schedule I am given.

[Joe Biden 2020]

The schedules haven't changed, yet, but I'm not too suprised as my supervisor has been sick and trying to move into a new house this past week.  He's been pre-occupied.  The schedules should change next week as he gets both of those time-takers behind him.  In the mean time, I'm still going into Week 34 tomorrow just like normal, with one exception.  I do have this Sunday off.  I am switching off with one of my coworkers.  I will work tomorrow and then work again Monday and Tuesday.  I could get upset that the schedules have not changed, and I have gotten upset, but then I realize that I still have a steady, good paying job and that is something not everybody can say in this economy.  God has blessed me with a job, and I am going to do that job no matter what schedule I am given.

I got an email from my supervisor this evening saying the schedules will change this coming week.  I've got probably 3 more days of this 6-5 shift since I am off on Sunday.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Holy Cow!! My schedule has done a MAJOR flip-flop.  I was thinking it would be 5-2 or 5:30-2:30.  Boy, was I wrong.  I am now working 12-9 Monday-Friday beginning this Wednesday.  I'll still work one more 6-5 shift tomorrow and then switch to 12-9 on Wednesday.

[Joe Biden 2020]

My breaks and lunch schedule will look like this...

13:45-14:00    Break
15:30-16:30    Lunch
18:30-18:45    Break

This means no "block" more than 2 hours 15 minutes and that just at the very end of the day.  I believe I can handle it.

[memphis]

When I left for 6-weeks in Europe... I packed on the morning I left..

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I'm not sure how one could pack weeks in advance. I don't own enough clothes to have stuff packed away and change clothes everyday before leaving. The bathroom items are even worse. Have to wait to the absolute last minute for those.

[AndrewTX]

My breaks and lunch schedule will look like this...

13:45-14:00    Break
15:30-16:30    Lunch
18:30-18:45    Break

This means no "block" more than 2 hours 15 minutes and that just at the very end of the day.  I believe I can handle it.

I tend to work 9 hours.. straight. No breaks. If you can't handle it, than you can turn your penis in and we'll go ahead and get you fitted for a nice magina.

Let the infractions begin.

[Joe Biden 2020]

My breaks and lunch schedule will look like this...

13:45-14:00    Break
15:30-16:30    Lunch
18:30-18:45    Break

This means no "block" more than 2 hours 15 minutes and that just at the very end of the day.  I believe I can handle it.

I tend to work 9 hours.. straight. No breaks. If you can't handle it, than you can turn your penis in and we'll go ahead and get you fitted for a nice magina.

Let the infractions begin.

I can definitely do it and I never said I couldn't do it.  I do like the breaks, though.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Today is my final 6-5 shift.  I will be working 12-9 starting tomorrow, February 1, 2012.