Wednesday at WW

sparklepants41 · December 2016

thefanciestbeckler said:

sparklepants41 said:

thefanciestbeckler said:

Yay @MissJeanLouise! I hope you'll still keep us updated from the other side of the world Safe travels!
Morning!
Nothing like a good old fashioned pelvic exam and pap smear (seriously could they have come up with a more disgusting name?) first thing in the morning to really make a girl feel alive. 7 am is too early for the doctor, and I didn't even get any compliments on my cervix like Heffa did
I was done at the OBGYN before I'm usually even out of bed, so I went home, showered, did hair and full makeup. My boss probably thinks I have an interview. LOL. I wish.
I got to work this morning to find that we don't have a working toilet and can't use any of the water. The plumber may not be here until tomorrow. This is the 4th time this has happened and I've only worked here since April. I'm not sure that I'll be staying here all day under these conditions, honestly. I'm over crap like this happening constantly.

That really stinks! Does your state have provisions for these conditions in its labor laws? I would think a situation like this would require your office to be closed (and hopefully pay employees for the mandatory day off).

Re the bolded: nice pun

#1 your puppy is absolutely adorable and I want to come steal her.
#2 I'm not sure about the labor laws. Our office is spread out between 3 buildings so they just tell us to go use a bathroom in the other building. I'm going to brush up on those laws now

Glad you're brushing up on those laws - I mean, you could be getting paid to watch The Price Is Right and Food Network at home in your jammies right now

Ro041 · December 2016

thefanciestbeckler said:

sparklepants41 said:

thefanciestbeckler said:

Yay @MissJeanLouise! I hope you'll still keep us updated from the other side of the world Safe travels!
Morning!
Nothing like a good old fashioned pelvic exam and pap smear (seriously could they have come up with a more disgusting name?) first thing in the morning to really make a girl feel alive. 7 am is too early for the doctor, and I didn't even get any compliments on my cervix like Heffa did
I was done at the OBGYN before I'm usually even out of bed, so I went home, showered, did hair and full makeup. My boss probably thinks I have an interview. LOL. I wish.
I got to work this morning to find that we don't have a working toilet and can't use any of the water. The plumber may not be here until tomorrow. This is the 4th time this has happened and I've only worked here since April. I'm not sure that I'll be staying here all day under these conditions, honestly. I'm over crap like this happening constantly.

That really stinks! Does your state have provisions for these conditions in its labor laws? I would think a situation like this would require your office to be closed (and hopefully pay employees for the mandatory day off).

Re the bolded: nice pun

#1 your puppy is absolutely adorable and I want to come steal her.
#2 I'm not sure about the labor laws. Our office is spread out between 3 buildings so they just tell us to go use a bathroom in the other building. I'm going to brush up on those laws now

If there are alternative facilities in nearby buildings, there is probably nothing that you can do.

thefanciestbeckler · December 2016

sparklepants41 said:

thefanciestbeckler said:

sparklepants41 said:

thefanciestbeckler said:

Yay @MissJeanLouise! I hope you'll still keep us updated from the other side of the world Safe travels!
Morning!
Nothing like a good old fashioned pelvic exam and pap smear (seriously could they have come up with a more disgusting name?) first thing in the morning to really make a girl feel alive. 7 am is too early for the doctor, and I didn't even get any compliments on my cervix like Heffa did
I was done at the OBGYN before I'm usually even out of bed, so I went home, showered, did hair and full makeup. My boss probably thinks I have an interview. LOL. I wish.
I got to work this morning to find that we don't have a working toilet and can't use any of the water. The plumber may not be here until tomorrow. This is the 4th time this has happened and I've only worked here since April. I'm not sure that I'll be staying here all day under these conditions, honestly. I'm over crap like this happening constantly.

That really stinks! Does your state have provisions for these conditions in its labor laws? I would think a situation like this would require your office to be closed (and hopefully pay employees for the mandatory day off).

Re the bolded: nice pun

#1 your puppy is absolutely adorable and I want to come steal her.
#2 I'm not sure about the labor laws. Our office is spread out between 3 buildings so they just tell us to go use a bathroom in the other building. I'm going to brush up on those laws now

Glad you're brushing up on those laws - I mean, you could be getting paid to watch The Price Is Right and Food Network at home in your jammies right now

You are speaking my language. Those are two of my all-time favorites.

sparklepants41 · December 2016

thefanciestbeckler said:

sparklepants41 said:

thefanciestbeckler said:

sparklepants41 said:

thefanciestbeckler said:

Yay @MissJeanLouise! I hope you'll still keep us updated from the other side of the world Safe travels!
Morning!
Nothing like a good old fashioned pelvic exam and pap smear (seriously could they have come up with a more disgusting name?) first thing in the morning to really make a girl feel alive. 7 am is too early for the doctor, and I didn't even get any compliments on my cervix like Heffa did
I was done at the OBGYN before I'm usually even out of bed, so I went home, showered, did hair and full makeup. My boss probably thinks I have an interview. LOL. I wish.
I got to work this morning to find that we don't have a working toilet and can't use any of the water. The plumber may not be here until tomorrow. This is the 4th time this has happened and I've only worked here since April. I'm not sure that I'll be staying here all day under these conditions, honestly. I'm over crap like this happening constantly.

That really stinks! Does your state have provisions for these conditions in its labor laws? I would think a situation like this would require your office to be closed (and hopefully pay employees for the mandatory day off).

Re the bolded: nice pun

#1 your puppy is absolutely adorable and I want to come steal her.
#2 I'm not sure about the labor laws. Our office is spread out between 3 buildings so they just tell us to go use a bathroom in the other building. I'm going to brush up on those laws now

Glad you're brushing up on those laws - I mean, you could be getting paid to watch The Price Is Right and Food Network at home in your jammies right now

You are speaking my language. Those are two of my all-time favorites.

Mine too!

thefanciestbeckler · December 2016

Side note - Do any of you have Facebook friends who have started posting statuses with emojis after like every other word? i.e. "Just got home (insert house emoji) from Christmas (insert tree emoji) shopping (insert shopping bag emoji)" So many of my friends have started doing that. Why is that a thing? WHYYYYY? It's so obnoxious!

DrillSergeantCat · December 2016

thefanciestbeckler said:

Side note - Do any of you have Facebook friends who have started posting statuses with emojis after like every other word? i.e. "Just got home (insert house emoji) from Christmas (insert tree emoji) shopping (insert shopping bag emoji)" So many of my friends have started doing that. Why is that a thing? WHYYYYY? It's so obnoxious!

They probably have iphones. With one of the recent updates, whenever you type a word that has a corresponding emoji, it offers up that emoji for you.

thefanciestbeckler · December 2016

DrillSergeantCat said:

thefanciestbeckler said:

Side note - Do any of you have Facebook friends who have started posting statuses with emojis after like every other word? i.e. "Just got home (insert house emoji) from Christmas (insert tree emoji) shopping (insert shopping bag emoji)" So many of my friends have started doing that. Why is that a thing? WHYYYYY? It's so obnoxious!

They probably have iphones. With one of the recent updates, whenever you type a word that has a corresponding emoji, it offers up that emoji for you.

Oh I know. I have an iPhone. But they don't have to do it. It's almost as dumb as the Hatchimals craze in my mind.

DrillSergeantCat · December 2016

thefanciestbeckler said:

Oh I know. I have an iPhone. But they don't have to do it. It's almost as dumb as the Hatchimals craze in my mind.

I agree. My mom just recently discovered emojis and uses them incessantly.

short+sassy · December 2016

6fsn said:

I am so over holiday traffic! It's a shitshow every time I have to leave the neighborhood and people can be straight up assholes.

My dad is coming over today to watch Max while I go to the kids' Christmas party. MIL and sFIL are coming tomorrow. Part of the present they got the kids was a trip to an indoor inflatable place. Of course it's going to be short because they can't be expected to get here before 10 and they have to leave early to get home for a basketball game.

Sympathies! Though, at least on my morning drive to work, there are WAY fewer cars. It's glorious. I'm guessing schools are out and people are on vacation. Come to think of it, schools must be out. I'm not seeing 4-6 school buses, all within a few blocks of each other, at all times. I'll never understand that.

I also live and work in the heart of the city. The irony of that is, if you want to do Christmas shopping, you have to go to the suburbs. Other than Wal-mart, we don't really have any chain stores here. No malls either, except for a couple in the downtown/French Quarter area. But they're more for tourists. No local is spending $15+ to park, just to go shopping.

How is it that my 3-day workweek feels as long as a normal one? I took Monday off and I'm taking Friday off. But I feel like I've already worked all week, lol.

Maybe tentative good news at work. Maybe. My job is still super insecure, I could be laid off any day. However, I was originally told everyone would be gone by Dec. 31st, but that is no longer the case. Hoping to limp along for awhile longer. Still have my interview with a real estate agency on Friday, though.

Quite frankly, I have become "one" (oohhmm) with my impeding layoff. I am both dreading and looking forward to it, lol. I'm prepared. My finances are in order. Not as much as I'd like them to be, but I'll live. And I think it will be a "closing the door, to open a window" opportunity to finally become a real estate agent. It is currently a hot market in NOLA and I know I will rock it as an agent .

MissKittyDanger · December 2016

DrillSergeantCat said:

thefanciestbeckler said:

Oh I know. I have an iPhone. But they don't have to do it. It's almost as dumb as the Hatchimals craze in my mind.

I agree. My mom just recently discovered emojis and uses them incessantly.

My mum uses emojis but only with texts to me. Not anyone else. She's like "you use those things, I figured you'd like" :') I laugh because she is NOT tech savvy!

MissKittyDanger · December 2016

thefanciestbeckler said:

Side note - Do any of you have Facebook friends who have started posting statuses with emojis after like every other word? i.e. "Just got home (insert house emoji) from Christmas (insert tree emoji) shopping (insert shopping bag emoji)" So many of my friends have started doing that. Why is that a thing? WHYYYYY? It's so obnoxious!

my step-cousin does this, but she's like 15 so I ignore it. Every so often I'll use an emoji on a status but not to that degree! $:\$

mrsconn23 · December 2016

My body hates me today. My period is doing some wonk-ass shit and it's on my nerves. Also, my back hurts and my stomach feels off. Fan-fucking-tastic.

I'd be more concerned that something is up, but I had 3 visits to the lady doc in the last 2 months (meet and greet, IUD replacement, and IUD follow-up) and everything was 'normal' then.

At least I'm not pregnant? #silverlining

banana468 · December 2016

FWIW, I think some of the parents who tell their kids no about the Hatchimal have to reconcile that the kids are saying, "But SANTA could bring it!!" and it sucks if that's the thing they keep talking about. It's nuts, but as parents we do try to get things for our kids to make them happy...within reason.

That said, Chiquita requested a remote controlled helicopter so we escaped the Hatchimal request. My bigger concern was that she lost her mittens yesterday and when I told her that it's not cool because Mommy and Daddy need to buy more she said, "Well, Santa may be able to bring some."

OliveOilsMom · December 2016

missJeanLouise - Customs is typically no big deal entering the country. I only have Eurpoean experience (and its been a decade since I lasted traveled internationally), but you will fill out a form on the plane. Bring a pen! Once you land, you will pick up your luggage and then go through customs. They will look at your form and stamp your passport. Some agents will ask you questions about your stay. Then they stamp your passport and off you go.

I do have a funny customs story (funny now anyway!). My BFF had a Scottish boyfriend she met while studying abroad. That summer, he came and worked in America and in the fall she was going to go back to live with him (she flunked out of college studying abroad). So she saved up lots of cash working that summer and was trying to apply for a work visa there. But her visa didn't come through by the time she was ready to depart. So she was just going to be a SAHG until it came in.

So I was at an internship in DC that fall and came up to see her off at the airport with her parents. She handed her cell off to her mom, since she would get an international one when she landed in Scotland and off she went.

Two days later, I get a text from her cell that says "I'm home." I ignore it because I think her mom texted the wrong person. Next day, she calls me. She is back home. I'm confused. She tells me the whole story.

She lands in London to go through customs. They flag her because they think she is getting an illegal job! The funds she has in her bank account is not enough to sustain her life in Scotland. Her BF at the time says he will support her and her dad says he will wire more money into her account. She says she will by a return ticket now and just stay for a short visit. Nada. She is crying her eyes out! Is put in a holding area with Jamaicans who keep telling her it will "Be alright, man". So they are going to send her home, but she can try to come back into the country the next day! They take basically all the money in her savings account to purchase her flight home. They escort her onto the plane and give her passport to the flight attendant who cannot return it until after a few hours into the flight. She is sitting next to a sweet old lady who is trying to comfort her, she said she cried for at least the first hour into the flight!

In the end, the relationship didn't work out since they couldn't be together. We can laugh hysterically at the story now. Afterwards, we tried a few times to get onto the Amazing Race. I always said we would have problems with her passport because she had been flagged at least once before already!

charlotte989875 · December 2016

I think I'm getting sick. I didn't sleep well and now I've got chills and a tickle in my throat. Any home remedies to ward off a cold before it hits?

banana468 · December 2016

charlotte989875 said:

I think I'm getting sick. I didn't sleep well and now I've got chills and a tickle in my throat. Any home remedies to ward off a cold before it hits?

I take zinc at the first sign of a tickle.

And then I drink a hot toddy. Boiling water with honey, lemon and whiskey - add a clove if you want.

6fsn · December 2016

banana468 said:

FWIW, I think some of the parents who tell their kids no about the Hatchimal have to reconcile that the kids are saying, "But SANTA could bring it!!" and it sucks if that's the thing they keep talking about. It's nuts, but as parents we do try to get things for our kids to make them happy...within reason.

That said, Chiquita requested a remote controlled helicopter so we escaped the Hatchimal request. My bigger concern was that she lost her mittens yesterday and when I told her that it's not cool because Mommy and Daddy need to buy more she said, "Well, Santa may be able to bring some."

And when my kid said she'd ask Santa I still said it wouldn't happen.

banana468 · December 2016

6fsn said:

banana468 said:

FWIW, I think some of the parents who tell their kids no about the Hatchimal have to reconcile that the kids are saying, "But SANTA could bring it!!" and it sucks if that's the thing they keep talking about. It's nuts, but as parents we do try to get things for our kids to make them happy...within reason.

That said, Chiquita requested a remote controlled helicopter so we escaped the Hatchimal request. My bigger concern was that she lost her mittens yesterday and when I told her that it's not cool because Mommy and Daddy need to buy more she said, "Well, Santa may be able to bring some."

And when my kid said she'd ask Santa I still said it wouldn't happen.

Believe me I get it. I just don't know that it's fair to trash all parents when this is the same thing every year. 30 years ago it was Nintendo.

ILoveBeachMusic · December 2016

OliveOilsMom said:

missJeanLouise - Customs is typically no big deal entering the country. I only have Eurpoean experience (and its been a decade since I lasted traveled internationally), but you will fill out a form on the plane. Bring a pen! Once you land, you will pick up your luggage and then go through customs. They will look at your form and stamp your passport. Some agents will ask you questions about your stay. Then they stamp your passport and off you go.
I do have a funny customs story (funny now anyway!). My BFF had a Scottish boyfriend she met while studying abroad. That summer, he came and worked in America and in the fall she was going to go back to live with him (she flunked out of college studying abroad). So she saved up lots of cash working that summer and was trying to apply for a work visa there. But her visa didn't come through by the time she was ready to depart. So she was just going to be a SAHG until it came in.
So I was at an internship in DC that fall and came up to see her off at the airport with her parents. She handed her cell off to her mom, since she would get an international one when she landed in Scotland and off she went.
Two days later, I get a text from her cell that says "I'm home." I ignore it because I think her mom texted the wrong person. Next day, she calls me. She is back home. I'm confused. She tells me the whole story.
She lands in London to go through customs. They flag her because they think she is getting an illegal job! The funds she has in her bank account is not enough to sustain her life in Scotland. Her BF at the time says he will support her and her dad says he will wire more money into her account. She says she will by a return ticket now and just stay for a short visit. Nada. She is crying her eyes out! Is put in a holding area with Jamaicans who keep telling her it will "Be alright, man". So they are going to send her home, but she can try to come back into the country the next day! They take basically all the money in her savings account to purchase her flight home. They escort her onto the plane and give her passport to the flight attendant who cannot return it until after a few hours into the flight. She is sitting next to a sweet old lady who is trying to comfort her, she said she cried for at least the first hour into the flight!
In the end, the relationship didn't work out since they couldn't be together. We can laugh hysterically at the story now. Afterwards, we tried a few times to get onto the Amazing Race. I always said we would have problems with her passport because she had been flagged at least once before already!

When we recently returned from Italy we were in line for customs for an hour. Global Entry people went straight on through. I don't think it is so much the actual declaration (which was computerized at JFK not a form on board) that was the hold up but the sheer volume of people going through. Global entry would've cut down on the volume. If I traveled internationally several times a year, I would get it. We do have TSA pre-check which is totally different.

Heffalump · December 2016

ILoveBeachMusic said:

OliveOilsMom said:

missJeanLouise - Customs is typically no big deal entering the country. I only have Eurpoean experience (and its been a decade since I lasted traveled internationally), but you will fill out a form on the plane. Bring a pen! Once you land, you will pick up your luggage and then go through customs. They will look at your form and stamp your passport. Some agents will ask you questions about your stay. Then they stamp your passport and off you go.
I do have a funny customs story (funny now anyway!). My BFF had a Scottish boyfriend she met while studying abroad. That summer, he came and worked in America and in the fall she was going to go back to live with him (she flunked out of college studying abroad). So she saved up lots of cash working that summer and was trying to apply for a work visa there. But her visa didn't come through by the time she was ready to depart. So she was just going to be a SAHG until it came in.
So I was at an internship in DC that fall and came up to see her off at the airport with her parents. She handed her cell off to her mom, since she would get an international one when she landed in Scotland and off she went.
Two days later, I get a text from her cell that says "I'm home." I ignore it because I think her mom texted the wrong person. Next day, she calls me. She is back home. I'm confused. She tells me the whole story.
She lands in London to go through customs. They flag her because they think she is getting an illegal job! The funds she has in her bank account is not enough to sustain her life in Scotland. Her BF at the time says he will support her and her dad says he will wire more money into her account. She says she will by a return ticket now and just stay for a short visit. Nada. She is crying her eyes out! Is put in a holding area with Jamaicans who keep telling her it will "Be alright, man". So they are going to send her home, but she can try to come back into the country the next day! They take basically all the money in her savings account to purchase her flight home. They escort her onto the plane and give her passport to the flight attendant who cannot return it until after a few hours into the flight. She is sitting next to a sweet old lady who is trying to comfort her, she said she cried for at least the first hour into the flight!
In the end, the relationship didn't work out since they couldn't be together. We can laugh hysterically at the story now. Afterwards, we tried a few times to get onto the Amazing Race. I always said we would have problems with her passport because she had been flagged at least once before already!

When we recently returned from Italy we were in line for customs for an hour. Global Entry people went straight on through. I don't think it is so much the actual declaration (which was computerized at JFK not a form on board) that was the hold up but the sheer volume of people going through. Global entry would've cut down on the volume. If I traveled internationally several times a year, I would get it. We do have TSA pre-check which is totally different.

That is very good to know, thanks! That's what we were thinking, too--the kids will be barely 8 and almost 4 when we go, and the less time we have to stand in line, the better. It won't help us on arrival (we don't qualify for the UK's version), but it's good for 5 years and includes pre-check. Which, as an aside, how do you like pre-check?

CharmedPam · December 2016

@IlovebeachMusic, I don't want to pull up an older thread, but how did you like The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime? Should I have stuck it out?

MissKittyDanger · December 2016

2 funny stories about customs.

1st - Mexico Trip
- on our way through security, I forgot I had Pepto Bismal {unopened} into M's bag and he didn't know. Stupid me. Scanned, and M got pissy because he didn't know. He'd said 'no' to liquids, then he basically got proven a liar. Oops! I told him he should have looked at the bag again to know what I packed ...

Trip was rough but when you get into Cancun airport, you push a button. Green is cool, red you go to secondary. I legit had panic attacks about it going red because that means they have to go through your bags.
Luckily turned green.

2nd - D.R. Trip
- we flew into the airport pretty late - 11pm ish - and it was pretty empty. Our bags were first so we head to customs to give in our paper work. Some guy is standing in front of area.
Guy: you just got of the plane?
M: yes.
Guy: what hotel?
M: Majestic.
Guy: come come. we'll get your stuff
Me: what about our customs paper?
Guy: Souvenir!
*M and I eye each other and follow to counter*
We get our hotel stuff and they tell us to head to shuttle.
Me: Do you want our custom papers? {because I honestly didn't trust other guy}
Counter Guy: nope. you keep!

We get into shuttle and just kind of sit there like "uhm ... what?"
We still have it. It's with our stuff from the trip

short+sassy · December 2016

Not a customs story, but a major international travel to move story.

A b/f I had in college lived most of his childhood overseas. His dad ran rubber plants for Goodyear. For the first int'l moving trip, the dad had flown ahead to Rio 1-2 months ahead of time. The mom...who had never even been out of the state of Ohio!!!!...then had to fly down to Rio by herself with three children, all under the age of 7. At the time, my b/f was the youngest at 2.

He doesn't remember that flight. But his mom has regaled him many times with the story that he was throwing up for most of the 12+ hour flight!

They lived in Rio for five years. Guatemala city for four years. And Taipei for 5 years. A very unusual childhood to say the least!

MissKittyDanger · December 2016

@short+sassy poor kid

getting sick on the plane is rough

short+sassy · December 2016

Tried Wendy's new Siracha chicken sandwich for lunch. Don't care for it. A bit too spicy for me. I was worried about that. I like the taste of siracha. And I like mild-medium or medium heat. This is medium-hot, almost hitting flat out hot.

But good if you like siracha and like that high of a spice level.

DrillSergeantCat · December 2016

My exH, exF&MIL, our son, and I went to Jamaica and had no problems getting there. Coming back, though, H was pulled into the secondary screening room. He was in there for an hour. There were 3 other guys in there all with the same name as each other and they were in and out. The guy processing H asked for his SS card which he doesn't carry on him and then wrote the number down wrong. He came out accusing H of lying and wanted all this proof of who he was and trying to say his passport was fake. They eventually got it sorted.

short+sassy · December 2016

DrillSergeantCat said:

My exH, exF&MIL, our son, and I went to Jamaica and had no problems getting there. Coming back, though, H was pulled into the secondary screening room. He was in there for an hour. There were 3 other guys in there all with the same name as each other and they were in and out. The guy processing H asked for his SS card which he doesn't carry on him and then wrote the number down wrong. He came out accusing H of lying and wanted all this proof of who he was and trying to say his passport was fake. They eventually got it sorted.

I have never carried my SS card, unless it was a rare occasion that I needed it for something.

Different situation, but similar mistake. In my younger days, me and two of my friends were at a country and western bar. We closed it down and the full lights were turned on, lol. I had given the bar my credit card so I could run a tab.

I go to one of the bartenders to get my card back. I don't know why, but he was immediately super suspicious of me. I told him my name, he got my credit card and said, "This isn't yours! You didn't give this to us." I'm like, "Well, if it says short+sassy, then obviously I did." Mind you, I am one of less than a dozen people who are left in the bar.

He's still scowling at me and demands to see my id. I give it to him. He starts to hand both my id and cc back to me and then snatches them back and says, "Wait a minute! This says you are 5'10". You're not 5'10." I literally rolled my eyes at him and said, "You read it wrong. I'm 5'0" and that is exactly what my license says." He looks again and finally grunts, "Oh, okay." And hands it back, lol.

Heffalump · December 2016

short+sassy said:

DrillSergeantCat said:

My exH, exF&MIL, our son, and I went to Jamaica and had no problems getting there. Coming back, though, H was pulled into the secondary screening room. He was in there for an hour. There were 3 other guys in there all with the same name as each other and they were in and out. The guy processing H asked for his SS card which he doesn't carry on him and then wrote the number down wrong. He came out accusing H of lying and wanted all this proof of who he was and trying to say his passport was fake. They eventually got it sorted.

I have never carried my SS card, unless it was a rare occasion that I needed it for something.

Me either. It says right on there not to, and I'm a rule follower so it stays in the safe.

ILoveBeachMusic · December 2016

CharmedPam said:

@IlovebeachMusic, I don't want to pull up an older thread, but how did you like The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime? Should I have stuck it out?

I thought it was well done. I don't remember a lot about the book but thought the way they adapted it to stage was a reasonable way of doing it. The second half moved faster than the first. I also saw people leaving at intermission. I wouldn't say it was a great play but it had a good message.

ILoveBeachMusic · December 2016

Heffalump said:

ILoveBeachMusic said:

OliveOilsMom said:

missJeanLouise - Customs is typically no big deal entering the country. I only have Eurpoean experience (and its been a decade since I lasted traveled internationally), but you will fill out a form on the plane. Bring a pen! Once you land, you will pick up your luggage and then go through customs. They will look at your form and stamp your passport. Some agents will ask you questions about your stay. Then they stamp your passport and off you go.
I do have a funny customs story (funny now anyway!). My BFF had a Scottish boyfriend she met while studying abroad. That summer, he came and worked in America and in the fall she was going to go back to live with him (she flunked out of college studying abroad). So she saved up lots of cash working that summer and was trying to apply for a work visa there. But her visa didn't come through by the time she was ready to depart. So she was just going to be a SAHG until it came in.
So I was at an internship in DC that fall and came up to see her off at the airport with her parents. She handed her cell off to her mom, since she would get an international one when she landed in Scotland and off she went.
Two days later, I get a text from her cell that says "I'm home." I ignore it because I think her mom texted the wrong person. Next day, she calls me. She is back home. I'm confused. She tells me the whole story.
She lands in London to go through customs. They flag her because they think she is getting an illegal job! The funds she has in her bank account is not enough to sustain her life in Scotland. Her BF at the time says he will support her and her dad says he will wire more money into her account. She says she will by a return ticket now and just stay for a short visit. Nada. She is crying her eyes out! Is put in a holding area with Jamaicans who keep telling her it will "Be alright, man". So they are going to send her home, but she can try to come back into the country the next day! They take basically all the money in her savings account to purchase her flight home. They escort her onto the plane and give her passport to the flight attendant who cannot return it until after a few hours into the flight. She is sitting next to a sweet old lady who is trying to comfort her, she said she cried for at least the first hour into the flight!
In the end, the relationship didn't work out since they couldn't be together. We can laugh hysterically at the story now. Afterwards, we tried a few times to get onto the Amazing Race. I always said we would have problems with her passport because she had been flagged at least once before already!

When we recently returned from Italy we were in line for customs for an hour. Global Entry people went straight on through. I don't think it is so much the actual declaration (which was computerized at JFK not a form on board) that was the hold up but the sheer volume of people going through. Global entry would've cut down on the volume. If I traveled internationally several times a year, I would get it. We do have TSA pre-check which is totally different.

That is very good to know, thanks! That's what we were thinking, too--the kids will be barely 8 and almost 4 when we go, and the less time we have to stand in line, the better. It won't help us on arrival (we don't qualify for the UK's version), but it's good for 5 years and includes pre-check. Which, as an aside, how do you like pre-check?

SITB @Heffalump I love pre-check! Don't have to take off shoes or belts or take out computers! The only problem I had was the first trip I took afterward getting it, I didn't make sure the number was on my profile with the airline so I didn't get it on my boarding pass. I didn't notice until I was up at the check point. The guy let me go anyway since it was so early in the morning. He told me that sometimes you don't get pre check and it's a random thing!

Wednesday at WW

Re: Wednesday at WW

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