tips Archives - Your Mileage May Vary

If You Stay At The TWA Hotel, Be Careful Not To Do This

When Joe went to NY for a business trip for 2 weeks a while back, I went up and stayed with him for a few days in the middle of the trip, so we could be together during the time when he had a few days off in the middle of a 4 or 5-day visit.

We planned my arrival at JFK so Joe could come to pick me up after his shift. That way he could show me where the shuttle was for his hotel, for when I wanted to go into the city [sorry…locals call Manhattan “the city”] by myself during a couple of days he was working during my visit. But while we were already at JFK, he suggested we visit the TWA hotel. We already had an upcoming reservation there, and Joe had already explored it the day before, but I never had and he knew I was really looking forward to seeing it in person.

Neither of us had eaten dinner, so we agreed to eat at the TWA Hotel’s one sit-down restaurant, Paris Café. While we were eating, I noticed something, shall I call it, interestingly disturbing?

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What To Do If You Forget Your Medications When Traveling

With so many things you need to remember when going on a trip, it’s understandable if you leave something at home. That’s why I still use a packing list. If you forget your toothbrush, toothpaste or comb, you can get those items at your hotel. However, if you’ve forgotten to bring your high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid or any other prescription medication with you, it could ruin your once in a lifetime trip.

Luckily for you, your unfortunate experience isn’t the first time this has happened and pharmacies are there to help you. Here’s a guide to help you get your medications and get back to your trip.

(Please note, the instructions below are only if you usually get your prescriptions filled in the United States. If you’re from outside the United States and have forgotten your medication, you’ll need to see a medical provider licensed to practice in the U.S. to get new prescriptions for your medications.)

There are three things you need to know:

You need to have a prescription that can be filled at the pharmacy
You need to know if your insurance will pay for the medication and which pharmacies are in your plan’s network (unless you’re willing to pay out of pocket)
You need to call a pharmacy that meets the requirements of step 2 to have them transfer your medication or have your doctor send a prescription to the pharmacy

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International Tipping Guide – Who, What, Why, Where, When and How Much, for Anywhere In The World

Tipping. In some countries, it’s an important norm, whereas in others it’s considered an insult. Some folks tip people in certain professions whereas others don’t, and while some countries’ tipping culture suggests just a little bit of money for a tip, others’ say 20% is appropriate.

So who should you tip? And how much? And what if you’re in THIS country versus THAT country? Well, I think I’ve finally found a definitive answer. But first a little background…

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Things You Do (Or Don’t Do) That Could Make You Miss Your Flight (Or Be Worried That You Might)

If you don’t travel a whole lot, you may be kind of behind the 8 ball when it comes to preparing for travel. You may not be sure of things to bring (or not bring) with you, how to find out what the weather is going to be, how to get around those pesky pre-programmed digital thermostats in hotels, etc.

Probably the most important thing is to make sure you get through the security checkpoint without a hitch. Hitches make for delays and delays put you at risk for, if not missing your flight, almost missing it, and undoubtedly some anxiousness about it. Here are some things to take into consideration:

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A Scaredy Cat’s Guide To Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights is an annual event at Universal Studios theme parks in Florida, California, Singapore and Japan. It began as a 3-day event at Universal Studios Florida in 1991 and has slowly grown into a major nearly 2-month event in 4 parks around the world that includes multiple walk-through haunted houses themed after horror movies, scare zones, live entertainment, etc.

Some people ADORE Halloween Horror Nights. They might like horror movies and how the houses tie in with the films. Or they might just like getting scared – and between that sense of anticipation and how good HHN is at the element of surprise, it’s a perfect combination for “controlled” or “safe” fear. Jonna N., a huge fan of HHN, says, “I love the atmosphere. Especially the sets and the immersion. I also enjoy the science and the thrill of the scare factor.” Michael G., a photographer/writer for Inside The Magic and also a longtime HHN fan says, “I love the ambiance, especially in scare zones (it doesn’t hurt that they are perfect photo ops for me) and the original houses. The creativity and detail does not cease to amaze me, especially the movie quality sets/effects.”

Then there are people like me – I don’t get scared and I don’t even like horror movies, but as someone who puts a lot of time and effort into our annual Halloween decorations for trick-or-treaters, I just geek out at how they do things.

And then there are people ~~like my husband Joe~~ who just don’t like it. At all. Possibly on the border of hating it. But maybe would like to go because, for example, they like whatever movies the haunted houses are themed after. But their fear gets in the way.

This post is for you guys in the latter category …

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