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I don’t know how you can paint without a Costco nearby, or a Lowe’s. I’d go freaking nuts. If I don’t have a 40 count pack of paper towels in the house fuggetaboutit.

You know, I’m a super duper high Medallion member so I have buttloads of extra luggage and weight I can bring over. You want I should bring you more Bounty? Gives me more room to buy junk!

I’m actually cool for Bounty, Mrs C. I just asked so my friend could feel warm and fuzzy about bringing me some.

What I did was, use rolls of paper towels as packing materials for some of my stuff.

I’ll have a think, though. I had expected to go back to the States by now, so there must be some stuff I’m running out of.

Look, Bounty is all fine and all that, but it may have some negative connotations there, mutiny and what.

As for paper towels themselves, I’ve long been a fan of the blue paper shop towels. They work better, and last longer. Hell, you can throw the in the wash with your clothes.

Let me know, I have plenty of room for stuff.

I’ve got a roll of shop towels I brought over, XBrad. They’re fabulous. Sadly, they aren’t much use in the studio because they’re blue. You really need plain white for painting purposes.

There was a towel I was getting in the States that had the shop towel cottony texture, but in a kitchen paper towel. I thought it was Bounty, but clearly not. I’ll have some in my stockpile; I’ll check it out.

After a year and a half…I’d probably be ready to commit crimes to get my hands on some REAL messican food.

I have a friend who moved to London about 4 years ago. When we’ve visited, she’s asked for things like tampons, Thai Seasoning, and Mexican-style stewed tomatoes. According to this friend, the ice cream in Merry Old England sucks pretty hard, too. However, Mrs. C. smuggling Ben & Jerry’s into the country would raise some eyebrows, when the luggage starts to leak. 😉

Quite an absorbing story. You were on a roll there for a while.

I think I know which one you mean, I use them when I paint but haven’t pick up a brush in years, tho I did just build a paint holder for all 2 bazillion of them! I think it’s Vivid. Next time I’m at the market I’ll tear open a roll and feel it. I have some here but there is nothing on it that denotes what brand. But I’m pretty sure that’s it.

SELECT-A-SIZE GREATEST INVENTION SINCE FIRE!
I can imagine the boardroom presentation… Storch, “You see Sir, we will actually sell MORE rolls by allowing the consumer to use SMALLER sheets.” (Vice Presidents chuckle quietly) CEO, “You know Storch, that idea is so crazy it just might work!” (Vice Presidents exchange worried looks…)

We were on transatlantic cruise a couple of years ago and they nearly mutinied over the lack of US ice cream. Sheesh the joy is in the journey, not making your home come with you!! ‘cept when it involves paper towels!

They didn’t have zip-locks in Norway ’til recently. My son’s MIL used to carefully wash and reuse any she managed to get ‘hold of, which made me feel kind of guilty since I just throw mine away. 🙂

Oh, and I can’t wait to find out what my son and DIL want me to bring with me when I go to Norge this summer…last time he wanted toothpaste (Crest) and deodorant. I know she wants me to make up a bunch of jewelry and bring it, but there will probably be lots of other stuff, too. I’ve never been abroad before, so I can’t take extra like Mrs. Compton.

Okay, I’ve been a broad for quite a number of years, but not in Europe.

Who are you flying with Nina? Check the airlines baggage limits, you might be surprised what you can bring. Another thought is since you have an address that you’re going to that you can trust, you could always send your clothes on ahead and pack goodies in your bag to bring. Or… not bring any clothes just bring goodies and buy new clothes!

I believe the reason why the rolls are smaller is because the paper towels are metric paper towels. In the US we have standard sizes.

Viva has/had a great cloth-like texture. Haven’t seen it in years, though.

How you fixed for mayo?

Staples I beg visiting Mericans to haul: Liquid Smoke, Mapleine, Celery Seed, Peanut Butter M&M’s, Wal-Mart 500 count bottles of aspirin, Crystal Lite, Ranch Dressing packets. One of the Most Wonderful Merican treasures I found and brought back: a silicone baking pan, which I rolled up and stuck in my suitcase, for making Angel Food Cakes. Mmm! Mrs C–what part of the UK are you visiting?

Puzzled about the ice cream comments. You can get Ben and Jerry’s almost anywhere in teh UK. If you buy the rubbish brands they are mostly whipped vegetable fat, sugar and boiled puppy brains – but that’s probably true anywhere.

In fact, at risk of starting a war, B&J isn’t even one of the best brands. Some of the smaller makers (we’re quite fond of Salcombe Farm) are almost as good as home made… but only almost 😉

YES, Lipstick, that’s the brand! I can still find it here in Florida.

Mark, I’m coming into London to spend a few days, then we are off to Paris for a few days, then we are back to Dover to pick up a cruise. After the cruise we are spending two days in Kent to do some looking around. If you need some supplies I’ll be happy to help out.

Uncle B, that’s the ice cream we had on our cruise. It really was vile. There was such an uproar they flew in ice cream for the ship and we picked it up in the Bahamas!!! Really was comedic. You would see these kids walking around with their ice cream in orgasmic afterglow!!! Pathetic really.

There’s a class of fake dairy products here — ice cream, coffee creamer — that’s made with whipped vegetable fat. Sounds like you got hold of that. If we had the equivalent in the States, I never ran across — except maybe in the middle of a Twinkie or something.

A lot of those things you couldn’t get when I first started coming here, you can now. Ziplocs, for example.

Mrs. Compton, ooo, a cruise, yippee! Which line are you going on and where, if I may ask?

I love to cruise and will also be passing through the U.K. (i.e., land at Heathrow and transfer directly to pier) to catch a Silversea cruise of the Baltic Sea in June.

We are doing the Disney Magic.. to the Baltic as well!! We arrive in the UK June 24.

Is Bronco bog-roll still around? For some reason that’s been bugging me for years, not that I’ve tried googling or anything. I wouldn’t use it either. Bloody awful stuff.

Puzzled about the ice-cream issue too, almost every large supermarket (and some of the little stores) stock B&J – which I’ve never cared for, with the exception of the new macadamia nut crunch – but they often also do their own brand stuff and of course Hagen Daz, which is to die for. Though you can’t seem to get their macadamia nut one lately… 🙁

In fact, at risk of starting a war, B&J isn’t even one of the best brands.

Smelly hippies.

Haagen Daz. Hands down. Only a handful of real ingredients.

Speaking of smelly hippies, I did like B&J’s Cherry Garcia, but they don’t do that as an ice cream any longer – just some yoghurt filth with the same name.

The real hoot about the caring sharing B&J is that they sold the business to Unilever – as feelthy capitalists as there ever was!

Thanks, Mrs C–very kind of you. A daughter of a friend is coming with her college roommate next month, and they’re bringing some USA goodies. Should you have extra time in London and care for a cup of tea–or a pint!–let me know. I know lots of skeenic places.

We would love to Mark! Our first day is probably the best day for us. We are heading out to Oxford and Greenwich the other two days we have free then our friends are showing up and it’s go go go go go. UGH. Her daughter is bringing a friend who has never been to London so she wants to show her EVERYTHING in the 3 days we have left there! I bet if you send your email to Ms Stoaty she will pass it on to me and then we can firm up plans!