u/misty43810

We are about to sign a contract for a siding and window replacement project costing about $100k. The contract calls for 50% deposit at signing. We live in the Midwest and the weather is getting cold. Lead time on windows is 8 weeks. They would not be able to do the work in the winter. So realistically the project won’t start for another 7 months. Is it reasonable to push back on the deposit and ask for a tier/staged deposit payment setup? What is the common accepted practice in this situation? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

DOH-IAD and DOH-MIA saver 70k in May 2027. Saver in Aug 2027 is showing 94.5k. Flexi remains 140k

I am finalizing our 10 day Tanzania itinerary for end of July 2027. Current itinerary has 3 nights at lodge in Pololeti Game Reserve just outside of Kleins Gate, followed by 2 nights of migration camp near Kogatende. Should I alter it so we do 2 nights in Pololeti private concession and 3 nights near Kogatende to maximize chance of seeing river crossings? We basically will trade one night at a private concession(off roading, night game drive, less crowded ) for one night near the river.

Any advice?

The last stop of our 9 day Tanzania safari will be near Kogatende Airstrip. The best international return flight option for us is out of NBO. What is the best way to get to NBO from KOG? So far I know there are two options-

A. KOG-ARK, then fly ARK- WIL. Drive WIL to NBO
B. KOG-ARK, then drive ARK-JRO. Fly JRO-NBO

I’m not sure if I can fly KOG-WIL directly. Can I fly ARK to NBO?

I think option A is quickest. Is this correct?

Any insight would be appreciated!

The last stop of our 9 day Tanzania safari will be near Kogatende Airstrip. The best international return flight option for us is out of NBO. What is the best way to get to NBO from KOG? So far I know there are two options-

A. KOG-ARK, then fly ARK- WIL. Drive WIL to NBO
B. KOG-ARK, then drive ARK-JRO. Fly JRO-NBO

I’m not sure if I can fly KOG-WIL directly. Can I fly ARK to NBO?

I think option A is quickest. Is this correct?

Any insight would be appreciated!

Planning for end of July next year. Current itinerary is-

Day 1: JRO Arrival, Arusha
Day 2: Tarangeri, Lodge in Karatu
July 28th - ngorongoro crater, Lodge in Karatu
Day 4-7: northern Serengeti Lodge near kleins gate
Day 8-9: northern Serengeti Migration Camp, Optional Hot Air Balloon
Day 10: Fly to Kenya, Masai Mara reserve camp
Day 11-12: Masai Mara reserve camp. Optional Hot Air Balloon
Day 13: Depart NBO

Current cost is at approximately $36k. Would like to reduce that by 20%.

Seriously considering cutting the final 3 days in Kenya to bring the cost down.

Is that a good compromise? Will we miss much by skipping Masai Mara?

For those who have done Gamewatchers/Porini- how rough is it? I like their philosophy and the conservancy model, and who doesn’t want an authentic safari experience? But I just don’t know if the bucket shower and communal meals would be a huge downside. After weeks of going back and forth with all the different options, I figured it’s better to ask here-for a first time family safari experience (traveling with a teen), would you recommend Gamewatchers/Porini? Will we regret not choosing something more luxurious? Also looking at Elewana, Mara Plains, etc. Ruled out JW Marriott because it’s not in a conservancy.

Just came back from Peru. Glad to say that D’Candela is pretty close to authentic pollo à la brasa we tried in Peru. Now I’m curious where I can find cuy in Chicagoland. Any tips?

Non horse person here so please bear with me-We are in the US(Midwest)

My 13 yo daughter has been riding for about 4 years. Finally started with a “serious” trainer 9 months ago. My daughter loves this trainer. He is very experienced and she is making great progress.

Her trainer sent me this text message last month-

“Starting this month, I will be offering a few options for saddle use for xx’s riding.

I have provided as a priority courtesy to xx my personal custom Voltaire saddle for her preferred use .

The 3 saddle options that I can make available to A are the following:
Option #1
- Switching back to a School saddle
Monthly use-no charge

Option#2
- Continue to use my custom Voltaire Saddle at a monthly rental rate - $200

Option #3
-Begin a search of shopping for xx her own personal custom fitted saddle . I would be happy to assist in looking at pricing of new or used custom models and setting up trial use period. “

I know nothing about saddles. Since we don’t have a horse, buying a saddle doesn’t make sense, so I went with option 2 and paid the $200 for the first month. (Daughter currently rides one specific lesson horse 90% of the time)

I asked around and a few of my equestrian acquaintances told me I should just do the school saddle instead of paying $200/mon. Obviously it is costly to lease the saddle each month and I would like to avoid it if possible. I doubt the trainer is intentionally ripping us off. I’m just not sure how to handle this situation. Is this a common scenario in the horse world? If the trainer thinks his custom saddle is best for the horse my daughter rides, would my daughter’s progress be impeded if we switch to a schools saddle? Would that offend the trainer?

I would appreciate any advice on how to handle this. Thanks