|
Post by tallgirl on May 7, 2023 2:53:09 GMT
The thing I miss most when only using my phone is the zoom. Thanks to this thread, I'm going to invest in the Moment 58mm lens when it comes back in stock. I think that might give me what I'm missing. I'll have the opportunity to test it out (1) at a Taylor Swift show in July and then (2) on a trip to Japan later in the summer.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on May 5, 2023 13:44:46 GMT
I had no idea zoom lenses for iPhones exist. Thanks for the tip. Thinking of getting one for the Taylor Swift show this summer!
I still travel with a dSLR but only use it now and then. Mostly because I've started doing a lot of video on our trips and I just can't juggle a video camera and a dSLR - I wind up taking most photos on my phone now. But DD is 16 and now she asks for 'nice' photos of herself on our trips, so I use the dSLR for those, and usually for wildlife shots, too.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on May 1, 2023 2:24:45 GMT
Sorrento was our favourite spot in the whole Amalfi area when we visited last August. All of the charm and less of the pretentiousness of the whole area. Try to find time to eat at Enjoy the Little Things Bistrot in Sorrento - best meal of our entire 2 weeks in Italy and an incredible value - so good, we went there twice! Have a lovely time. Grazie mille! I now have that place on our list. IIRC when I planned my last European trip without a tour, we wasted so much time looking for places to eat, so this is great. Of course the food almost everywhere in Italy is outstanding. There was a hot table at a train station outside of Rome where they had the best artichoke cavattelli that I still remember 20 years later. I hope you make it there - we're still talking about it, 9 months later. Be there right when they open because they only have a handful of tables. Good luck!
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Apr 27, 2023 17:14:40 GMT
If you are going to Italy and you are looking for beautiful scenery, you can't miss the Amalfi coast. Hands down the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The best touristy spot there has to be the duomo in the city of Amalfi. You should also go see Monte Cassino if you haven't already. And Herculaneum. I’m giving myself a retirement present of a trip to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast this fall. This is great information. Grazie! Sorrento was our favourite spot in the whole Amalfi area when we visited last August. All of the charm and less of the pretentiousness of the whole area. Try to find time to eat at Enjoy the Little Things Bistrot in Sorrento - best meal of our entire 2 weeks in Italy and an incredible value - so good, we went there twice! Have a lovely time.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Apr 4, 2023 17:37:50 GMT
Thanks everyone who’s weighed in with help/suggestions. Unfortunately we’re going to the Saturday Cincinnati show, and we’re driving 5 hours to get there. So I can’t get into the merch line early to try for it. And weirdly enough, the online store has almost all tour merch… except this particular shirt. I’ve seen a number of knockoff shirts in Etsy shops but they don’t have the same distressed look to them and won’t cut it for my teen. I do live closer to Detroit and am considering trying to get into that merch line if I can arrange some time off work to be there and don’t need to use my June flex day for another purpose - but I’ll only do that if there are credible reports that the merch is available, and I won’t camp out for it. All of this and the logo will probably wash out after one wearing, if I don’t take precautions like SockMonkey suggested. SMH. I live in Cincinnati. When is the concert? If I'm off the day the merch truck opens, I will go stand in line for your daughter. This is so kind of you but I can't let you do that. The merch lines are abhorrent - like, hours long. I honestly can't ask anyone to line up who isn't already going to be there for their own merch. But it's so nice of you to offer, thank you!
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Apr 2, 2023 16:52:36 GMT
Thanks everyone who’s weighed in with help/suggestions. Unfortunately we’re going to the Saturday Cincinnati show, and we’re driving 5 hours to get there. So I can’t get into the merch line early to try for it. And weirdly enough, the online store has almost all tour merch… except this particular shirt. I’ve seen a number of knockoff shirts in Etsy shops but they don’t have the same distressed look to them and won’t cut it for my teen. I do live closer to Detroit and am considering trying to get into that merch line if I can arrange some time off work to be there and don’t need to use my June flex day for another purpose - but I’ll only do that if there are credible reports that the merch is available, and I won’t camp out for it. All of this and the logo will probably wash out after one wearing, if I don’t take precautions like SockMonkey suggested. SMH.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Apr 1, 2023 22:22:25 GMT
Hi peas, I feel weird putting this out there but finally decided it can't hurt. I have a daughter who is desperate to get her hands on one of the Eras Tour blue crewneck sweatshirts. We won't be seeing Taylor Swift until July and we're attending an out of town show on Night 2. These sweatshirts are selling like hotcakes and as of right now, there are none available at the Night 2 shows because whatever shirts are allocated per city are selling out on Night 1. If anyone is going to Eras, will already be standing in a horrendous merch line anyway, and would be willing to pick one of these up for me and ship it to me, I would be forever grateful. I will of course pay for it and cover the shipping. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm in Canada - I know some people aren't comfortable shipping internationally. If you've read this far, thank you. I thought it was bad enough trying to get tickets to this tour - I didn't think it would be a fiasco trying to get merch, too.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Mar 22, 2023 17:39:09 GMT
Yes! We were there for 4 days last summer - it's just breathtaking. We also stayed in Vernazza. I think it's the most picturesque of the towns (and it's the one that the Pixar film 'Luca' was based on - you need to watch the film after you visit - the similarities are uncanny.) But they're all beautiful in their own way, and each one has its pros and cons. Here's some information about the region. www.yourintrepidfamily.com/europe/italy-europe/how-to-visit-cinque-terre-with-kids/
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Mar 21, 2023 15:37:34 GMT
More Arlington tickets were just released if anyone has a code they haven’t been able to use!
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Mar 21, 2023 13:45:43 GMT
I am going with my 16YO DD in July and we are so freaking excited. After being shut out of Verified Fan and the Capital One presale (because Canadian cardholders weren't eligible to buy tickets - ugh), I spent months stalking fan-to-fan forums on Twitter and Facebook and finally landed a pair of face value floor tickets for Cincinnati. Unfortunately they are VIP so they are more than I wanted to spend, but we will have the time of our lives I'm sure.
For anyone still looking for tickets, be aware that the ticketing agencies quietly released some additional tickets to the Arizona and Las Vegas shows in the week or so ahead of the show. Don't lose hope yet!
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Mar 20, 2023 21:31:48 GMT
Some of the things he's used his to shoot (besides vacation pics & work): a steam train, the damn dog when he went walkabout, the extent of a grass fire, the roof of our house to check for storm damage, a cool video graduation message to a niece who had a 2020 non-graduation graduation. I shot aerial photos of my girlfriend’s mother’s farm and property last year. She used to buy photos like that from a travelling photographer in an airplane - she would have them done every ten years or so. It’s cool to be able to DIY something like that now. While there I also flew low over her shed to check the roof for damage. They are a nifty little tool.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Mar 20, 2023 0:49:36 GMT
I have a drone that I use mostly to make travel videos - though as time goes on, I travel with it less and less, since the restrictions are getting tighter and tighter. In addition to the national park rules listed above, you cannot fly a drone within a certain radius of an airport or helipad. Do you know how many helipads there are in major city centers? A lot, LOL. We just returned from Rio de Janeiro and I didn't take it with me because with all the helipads around, there would be no place I could legally fly it.
Rural Kansas sounds like it's full of opportunity though - you can get lovely infinity shots of farm fields and that sort of thing.
Anyone who is seriously considering a drone should consider something like the Mavic Mini which weighs in at 249 grams. Most of the rules about registering the drone, etc. kick in with drones weighing 250 grams and up. It's a loophole. You still can't fly around airports or national parks, but you can get away with a lot more than you can with the bigger drones.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Feb 14, 2023 17:56:20 GMT
We clap at the end of my Group Power (weight lifting) class. Kind of like a, yay us for getting it done! I've been doing it so long I don't even think about it anymore.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Dec 27, 2022 1:17:48 GMT
We usually wait until January 1 but we’ll be travelling this week and I didn’t want to come home to face it. So it all came down today.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Dec 22, 2022 18:38:40 GMT
I went to a concert on the 12th and wore an N95 mask. Maybe 2% of the people there were masked. I've seen lots of reports since from fans who caught covid or the flu. I was in the stands, not the GA floor, but I still think it was the right call. I haven't had Christmas with extended family for 2 years, and we are traveling right after Christmas. I had no intention of getting sick and being unable to do those things.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Nov 18, 2022 22:30:09 GMT
I actually think she’s genuinely remorseful about the whole thing. While I think she is very motivated to break records, she has always done a lot to engage with her fans, more than most artists.
I wish they’d done the boost thing like they did for the Reputation tour. It seemed a more effective way to ensure that loyal fans got presale access rather than this tour where anyone, scalpers included, could sign up.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Nov 18, 2022 19:43:45 GMT
Did you get tix tallgirl ? Can’t believe general sale is cancelled - what a mess! Well, maybe? I didn't get selected for Verified Fan and I got a great spot in the queue for the Capital One presale... with my brand new Capital One card... only to find out that Canadian cardholders were ineligible from the sale. It was a sad day. As soon as the general sale was canceled, like within 10 minutes, I hopped on Stubhub and bought a pair of tickets. I paid about 2.25 times face value and the same tickets now are going for 2-3 times as much as I paid, so I'm glad I pulled the trigger on them (even though I have NEVER paid that much for a ticket before and am still angry that that's what it has come to). But the ticket transfer deadline isn't until 24 hours before the show. I'm not worried about the money because I know Stubhub will give me a refund if the sale falls through, but I am worried about being left without a ticket at all. Does anyone have experience with this? I've heard Stubhub will give you another seat to the show, but what if they are 100% sold out? Would they give me tickets to the following night or to another leg of the tour that is still somewhat close to home, do you think, if my paid-for tickets don't materialize?
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Nov 15, 2022 18:59:54 GMT
Capital One sale is deferred until tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Nov 15, 2022 14:54:08 GMT
Thanks everyone. Fingers crossed this works!
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Nov 15, 2022 13:41:24 GMT
Not sure if anyone else on the board is trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets today - I can't imagine I'm the only one. I didn't get a verified fan presale code, but I am a new Capital One cardholder and I'm going to try to buy tickets during the Capital One cardholder presale. I've never done this before so I'm just looking for some guidance. I know that for the regular sales that start at 10 a.m., you can log in early to join a waiting room - though I don't think it affects your place in line. If the cardholder presale starts at 2, do I also log in early to join a queue? Or can I not do anything until 2 p.m.? Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Buying event tickets from Ticketmaster is a crappy process and it always leaves me frazzled.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Oct 28, 2022 13:44:54 GMT
I am not a makeup person at all, but my DD is, and I'd like to get her some of her already-started-Christmas-wish-list items. Just wondering if anyone has a 20% code they are able to share - I think I understand this is a thing? Also, I'm in Canada - not sure if that matters. I don't think I'm on board with buying a teenager the anti-aging serums she has requested, but I can get behind the sunscreen and Sol de Janeiro stuff.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Oct 3, 2022 20:21:31 GMT
So it looks like Sephora is offering two advent calendars this year. The first is all Sephora house brand stuff, and the second one is a mix of brands but looks like it's focused mostly on skin care. My 15 YO DD has discovered makeup in a big way and *loves* Sephora. I'm thinking of getting her a calendar but am wondering if anyone with experience has any thoughts on which of these (or another) they'd recommend? I'm leaning toward the Wishing You/house brand calendar simply because there's more makeup and less skin care in it. Wishing You
Sephora Favorites
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Oct 3, 2022 0:23:18 GMT
I will give a very enthusiastic 2 thumbs up for Churchill, Manitoba, which is the perfect place to see polar bears, beluga whales and the northern lights all on one trip. However there are no roads into Churchill, so it’s probably not the best destination for a road trip.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Sept 26, 2022 0:29:29 GMT
The thread about international travel that was recently bumped to see how trips have been going for the Peas reminded me that I never shared our latest travel video here. In July, our extended family took an Alaskan cruise. This was originally planned in 2018 for a 2020 departure to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Covid obviously derailed that, but we were able to push the trip out a couple of times and finally took the plunge this year after mutually agreeing that if the ship was sailing, we would be on it. Luckily we all got negative covid tests 48 hours prior to sailing, made it onboard, and our trip was a success. 2 of our party of 18 came home with mild cases of covid. To be honest, that was a better outcome than I had expected. We knew it was a substantial risk, but my parents aren't getting any younger (none of us are) so it was a risk we were willing to take. We were also very fortunate that nobody got sick until after we got home, so we didn't lose anyone to quarantine while still onboard.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Sept 25, 2022 14:44:49 GMT
We had two trips this summer and both went very well. We had an Alaskan cruise that sailed round trip from Vancouver. After the stress of obtaining negative Covid tests for all 18 of us (YAY) we flew from Toronto to Vancouver uneventfully and set sail on an almost-full ship. We had a lovely time despite some temperamental (but typical for the area) weather. After we got home, 2 of our 18 tested positive for Covid - from a household that hadn’t had it before. Those of us who’d already had it all were fine. I felt pretty safe on the ship but the amount of coughing at the Vancouver airport before our flight home was definitely concerning.
Then in mid-August we left for 2 weeks in Italy. We travelled around by train and had the most marvellous time, feeling very safe everywhere we went. Our only extended indoor attraction we visited was the Vatican museum; most everything else was outdoors. Masks were required on public transit and the rule was enforced on the high speed long distance trains, but not on shorter commuter trains or ferries. I was prepared for it to feel terribly crowded at that time of year, and it was busy, but not as bad as I’d feared.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Aug 4, 2022 12:09:06 GMT
I'm so sorry. They say there is no worse human experience than losing a child, and I can only imagine what that must feel like. Your feelings are completely valid.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Jul 25, 2022 19:15:27 GMT
I ate a lot. I thought I'd lose interest if I couldn't taste it, but I found myself eating more almost to compensate, you know? I lost my sense for about 10 days total.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Jul 12, 2022 19:36:56 GMT
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Jul 12, 2022 18:32:35 GMT
We are headed to Italy in a few weeks and I wanted something comfortable but stylish. I bought 2 pairs of sandals: a pair of black leather Tevas that look a bit more sophisticated than their more rugged outdoor sandals, and a pair of cognac leather Clarks with a sporty wedge heel. I've been wearing the Tevas for a few weeks. I did get some blistering on the bottom of my foot initially because the leather footbed is a bit more slippery than their typical sole, but I think I'm ok now. The Clarks should be here this week.
|
|
|
Post by tallgirl on Jul 5, 2022 14:22:56 GMT
We had an Intellivision when I was a kid - kind of like an off-brand Atari. And we had Dungeons and Dragons for our Intellivision, but it wasn't really like the regular D&D role-playing game. I remember you had to run around little underground caves picking up quivers of arrows, and then try to use them to kill the dragons when you found them. Regardless of the fact that it wasn't true D&D, my very devout mother was aghast that we had it and played it, because she and her social circle were very aware of the Satanic Panic going on at the time. I'm not sure who brought it into the house, whether it was my dad (who is also devout but a bit more level-headed) or if it was gifted from someone else; my sisters and I were young enough that it wasn't us.
|
|