We've wined, we've waited, now it's time to celebrate 2016

[sjoh197]

7 hours ago, MarineBluePsy said:

Wow today I cooked the last items in the freezer.  It's so weird having it empty and not planning my next bulk shopping trip.

So since I should actually start packing things I'll be shipping, anyone have any tips?  I just realized I never pay attention to how things are packaged when I order them.  Why are there so many types of packing tape?  Are packing peanuts better or bubble wrap?    I do like to pop those bubbles.  

What kind of boxes are best for textbooks?  I'll need to come up with a detailed labeling system so I know whats in each box.  

Are there special boxes for glass?  Or will labels be sufficient?  

Can computers melt at certain temperatures?  I'm pondering taking it with me on the drive, but I'll have to go through the desert at some point.  Can it melt in the trunk?  I don't think the a/c reaches the trunk. 

Bubble wrap and newspaper for not so fragile stuff. A combo of bubble wrap and packing peanuts for glass and fragiles. This eBay site has some good tips.

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Packaging-glass-for-shipping-/10000000178500644/g.html

For textbooks, just buy a thicker box and reinforce with tape. We shipped over 3000lbs of rocks internationally and used regular cardboard boxes with tape on the inside, 4 rows of tape on each outside edge, tape on the corners, and then wrapped them in that cellophane-y type stuff they wrap luggage in.

When we move, its sometimes easier to buy different color tape for kitchen, bathroom, clothes, other. Since the kitchen and bathroom stuff usually needs to be unpacked first. Otherwise our "labeling system" continues to be a letter for the room it goes in, unless its something that needs to be unwrapped quickly, or is needed for daily life, then it gets the contents written on the outside. I obviously wouldn't do that if you're shipping, but a letter-number system with an Excel file wouldn't hurt.

Computers and electronics can be damaged by heat, but also your disk drive can be damaged by the bouncing of your trunk. Unless you are planning to bubble wrap it too... I would put in a padded backpack in the from with you.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

@MarineBluePsy Your computer would likely be fine in the trunk, but like sjoh said, I'd keep your hard drive up with you (unless it's a laptop, then it's fine). I like to take my computerized telescope out into the middle of the desert, sometimes in the middle of the day for solar viewing, so I did a lot of research on the safety of electronics in that sort of environment. I think the general consensus is that unless you're leaving it sit out in the sun for days at a time, you'll be okay.

 

Also, bubble wrap the hell out of everything! I'm glad I didn't have to ship anything but I've seen how they treat packages at shipping centers... *shudders*

And no matter WHAT you do, do NOT mark a box as fragile. That means that instead of the conveyer belt, they'll have people carrying your boxes. Conveyer belt vs. careless worker, guess which one drops boxes and kicks them around more frequently?

[hippyscientist]

WHY IS RESEARCH SO FRUSTRATING?!?!?!?!?! 

Agh

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

2 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

WHY IS RESEARCH SO FRUSTRATING?!?!?!?!?! 

Agh

That way, we're much happier to get that little piece of paper at the end...

[hippyscientist]

Just now, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

That way, we're much happier to get that little piece of paper at the end...

It's so close yet so far...

I'm currently quibbling about a few pixels. Frustrating doesn't even begin to cover it. The joys of being the only person in the world looking at what you're looking at. Once it's done it'll be awesome. It's just getting to that point.

I thought I'd watch GOT to get me through it and that stream won't work

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

3 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

It's so close yet so far...

I'm currently quibbling about a few pixels. Frustrating doesn't even begin to cover it. The joys of being the only person in the world looking at what you're looking at. Once it's done it'll be awesome. It's just getting to that point.

I thought I'd watch GOT to get me through it and that stream won't work

That's sweet though! Hopefully soon those damn pixels will be naught but a memory!

[hippyscientist]

5 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

That's sweet though! Hopefully soon those damn pixels will be naught but a memory!

Thanks  Sometimes you just gotta vent to the world you know? 

[jlt646]

My students are wrapping up their school year, so things are pretty nuts here, but I just wanted to pop in and say hey to everyone, and that I'm still reading everything! 

Two big things have happened this week- my partner decided that she wants to move to State College with me, so I'm looking for an apartment still (panic), and I successfully made kouign amann for my friend's birthday. Huzzah for pastry! Before going back to finish my undergrad, I baked professionally, and now I just do it to zen out in my kitchen...this one was a super fun challenge.

[sjoh197]

43 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

That way, we're much happier to get that little piece of paper at the end...

LMAO

[Neist]

1 hour ago, jlt646 said:

My students are wrapping up their school year, so things are pretty nuts here, but I just wanted to pop in and say hey to everyone, and that I'm still reading everything! 

Two big things have happened this week- my partner decided that she wants to move to State College with me, so I'm looking for an apartment still (panic), and I successfully made kouign amann for my friend's birthday. Huzzah for pastry! Before going back to finish my undergrad, I baked professionally, and now I just do it to zen out in my kitchen...this one was a super fun challenge.

Did make a full-blown laminated dough? Or a cheat-y method? I could never get laminated dough quite right, and I've made dozens of them. Proper and even encapsulation of butter is hell!  

Edited June 6, 2016 by Neist

[jlt646]

4 minutes ago, Neist said:

Did make a full-blown laminated dough? Or a cheat-y method? I've could get laminated dough quite right, and I've made dozens of them. Proper and even encapsulation of butter is hell!  

I made the laminated dough. (: I have a white marble slab that I can fit a soft ice pack underneath to keep the surface chilled, and after pounding out the butter, the combo works out to keep everything at the right temp. Many turns! Lots of layers! 

[Neist]

3 minutes ago, jlt646 said:

I made the laminated dough. (: I have a white marble slab that I can fit a soft ice pack underneath to keep the surface chilled, and after pounding out the butter, the combo works out to keep everything at the right temp. Many turns! Lots of layers! 

My biggest issue is that I could never get the turns uniformly square. If you can't, the butter eventually becomes uneven. In school we'd sometimes use a sheeter, but that's kind of cheating.  

The only thing I really make anymore is bread and ice cream. I love me some bread and ice cream.

[sjoh197]

Well we officially have 300 mb wifis. Yay. 

[Danger_Zone]

10 hours ago, hippyscientist said:

When I looked, it was cheaper to pay for excess baggage on the airline than it was to ship my stuff. Might be worth considering too. Shipping is great if you're moving a whole house + vehicle but I don't have enough stuff to justify the cost of a box. Seriously a small book box was gunna be ~ $500.

Wow! That's ridiculous. Maybe I will try to take more stuff with me to the airport. I just already have a lot of clothes, but maybe I can just ship those instead since they're lighter? 

[Neist]

1 hour ago, sjoh197 said:

Well we officially have 300 mb wifis. Yay. 

Congrats! Do you need 300mb wifis though?  

2 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

Wow! That's ridiculous. Maybe I will try to take more stuff with me to the airport. I just already have a lot of clothes, but maybe I can just ship those instead since they're lighter? 

I'd like to echo @hippyscientist's comments, and I find them generally to be true. Shipping is crazy expensive for larger packages and/or heavier ones, and it's especially crazy in the US. You can have a package of decent size shipped from Asia via EMS for comparatively little, and said package will arrive within days. But sending that same package from the US to Asia costs a small mint.

I had a friend in the UK who wanted me to ship him an item that he couldn't come by over there. It was about the size of a DVD, and he wanted it shipped via the cheapest UPS option. I think shipping was close to US$100. However, I've reliably shipped video games from the UK, and shipping is typically under US$10. Crazy.

[sjoh197]

1 minute ago, Neist said:

Congrats! Do you need 300mb wifis though?  

 

I don't. But my partner is a gamer and he is happy now. We ditched our tv, upgraded the wifis, and are still saving $40 a month.

[sjoh197]

And I am now using our superior internet to do what is really important...

Watch Bob Ross on Netflix. 

[MarineBluePsy]

21 hours ago, Danger_Zone said:

I can't say for sure whether that would damage your computer, but I've had the thermal paste on my fans melt when the room got too hot. So something like that could possibly happen. I don't think heat is generally good for computers, though.

I'm also wondering about how to ship things. I'm thinking about taking most of my clothes with me and getting my books shipped, but it's going to be really pricey if shipping charges go by weight. I'm not sure if it's best to ship a few heavy boxes or multiple lighter ones. I'm going to the post office this week so maybe I can ask about what to do!

I did some rough price estimates and can tell you USPS is generally cheaper than UPS or FedEx.  But depending on your area (and destination) and the overall weight of your items you might be able to ship via Greyhound or Amtrak.

21 hours ago, rhombusbombus said:

shipping books would count as media and is a little cheaper. definitely more affordable than standard shipping.

This I'd heard of and apparently they aren't even picky about the types of books or cds as long as you sign a form saying that's all the box contains.  Apparently shipping this way also means delivery is longer which isn't bad given the discount.

13 hours ago, sjoh197 said:

Bubble wrap and newspaper for not so fragile stuff. A combo of bubble wrap and packing peanuts for glass and fragiles. This eBay site has some good tips.

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Packaging-glass-for-shipping-/10000000178500644/g.html

For textbooks, just buy a thicker box and reinforce with tape. We shipped over 3000lbs of rocks internationally and used regular cardboard boxes with tape on the inside, 4 rows of tape on each outside edge, tape on the corners, and then wrapped them in that cellophane-y type stuff they wrap luggage in.

When we move, its sometimes easier to buy different color tape for kitchen, bathroom, clothes, other. Since the kitchen and bathroom stuff usually needs to be unpacked first. Otherwise our "labeling system" continues to be a letter for the room it goes in, unless its something that needs to be unwrapped quickly, or is needed for daily life, then it gets the contents written on the outside. I obviously wouldn't do that if you're shipping, but a letter-number system with an Excel file wouldn't hurt.

Computers and electronics can be damaged by heat, but also your disk drive can be damaged by the bouncing of your trunk. Unless you are planning to bubble wrap it too... I would put in a padded backpack in the from with you.

Thanks for the suggestions.  I figured I could put bubble wrap or packing peanuts inside the computer case and then bubble wrap the computer and monitor separately before putting it in a suitcase lined with additional padding.

All my daily needs stuff will be in the car with me, but I like the idea of labeling the shipped boxes by room.  Excel file of the contents and a printed copy just in case should also help.

13 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

@MarineBluePsy Your computer would likely be fine in the trunk, but like sjoh said, I'd keep your hard drive up with you (unless it's a laptop, then it's fine). I like to take my computerized telescope out into the middle of the desert, sometimes in the middle of the day for solar viewing, so I did a lot of research on the safety of electronics in that sort of environment. I think the general consensus is that unless you're leaving it sit out in the sun for days at a time, you'll be okay.

 

Also, bubble wrap the hell out of everything! I'm glad I didn't have to ship anything but I've seen how they treat packages at shipping centers... *shudders*

And no matter WHAT you do, do NOT mark a box as fragile. That means that instead of the conveyer belt, they'll have people carrying your boxes. Conveyer belt vs. careless worker, guess which one drops boxes and kicks them around more frequently?

The hard drive comes out?  I'm not even sure which part that is lol.  But no it won't be out in the sun, just in the trunk while I drive for the day and then I'll bring it into the hotel overnight with the a/c. 

And if labeling fragile isn't ideal, then should those boxes just be labeled glass instead?  That still requires someone carrying it which is precisely what I'm paying for.  They aren't heavy otherwise I probably wouldn't bother.   

[Danger_Zone]

3 hours ago, sjoh197 said:

And I am now using our superior internet to do what is really important...

Watch Bob Ross on Netflix. 

He's on Netflix now? That's awesome! Canadian Netflix has absolutely nothing, I'm really looking forward to US Netflix. Watched Bob Ross being streamed on the internet a while back though, so relaxing.

[Crucial BBQ]

5 hours ago, sjoh197 said:

And I am now using our superior internet to do what is really important...

Watch Bob Ross on Netflix. 

Oh.  My.  Gawd.  Yesterday I found my partner watching Bob Ross on Netflix.  Then again I used to watch Bob Ross on PBS back in the day before I even had cable and "Netflix" was not even a thought in a person's head.  Well, perhaps if they were Max Headroom it was.

[hippyscientist]

I just got into the office and my advisor looks at me and tries to send me to the hospital because I look that awful. When I explain to him that it's just allergies he looks baffled that anyone could look this awful.

TL;DR Pollen I hate you. 

I've never had the delights of Bob Ross but I'm assuming he's like Rolf Harris before Rolf Harris got arrested & we all found out about his proclivities.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

One of the great things about my new research involving time in a cleanroom (used for making nanodevices, no dust/pollen/air particles) is that I walk in and BAM ALLERGIES GONE. In the meantime, hippy, do you take any drugs for it?

[sjoh197]

@Danger_Zone @Crucial BBQ Bob Ross is totally on netflix now. When I was little, we didn't have any form of cable. We only had the 8 or so channels that came through the bunny-ears... And PBS was the only one with kids shows. I would watch Bob Ross everday in the summer. He I awesome... Even now.

[hippyscientist]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

One of the great things about my new research involving time in a cleanroom (used for making nanodevices, no dust/pollen/air particles) is that I walk in and BAM ALLERGIES GONE. In the meantime, hippy, do you take any drugs for it?

Ahhh clean room sounds incredible! Yes I do - I'm on major strong prescription drugs for it and they help but not enough. It's very frustrating for about a month I can't see properly or breathe. Both quite important things!

[Neist]

48 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

Ahhh clean room sounds incredible! Yes I do - I'm on major strong prescription drugs for it and they help but not enough. It's very frustrating for about a month I can't see properly or breathe. Both quite important things!

Well, look on the bright side. When you move to the US, whatever you're allergic to might not be here. It might take years for new allergies to set in!  

One unfortunate consequence of being active in the outdoors is that outdoorsy people tend to develop more severe allergies. Boo.