Hey, posting from the WiFi at the Beyond Bread (what, exactly that is, we're not sure -- if it was 'Between Bread' then it would at least explain the sandwiches).

Tucson is temporarily at least sunny and warm, and my dirty laundry is now cleanly drying on the clothesline. (Which actually is a spinny line/rack contraption -- is there a name for those? We had one when I was a kid.)

The Wild Animal Park was fantastic -- I've been to the San Diego Zoo twice, but this was my first time there. Not at all crowded in the winter rain, so the animals were very cooperative and the keepers were very talky. And I went on my Photo Caravan Safari as the only passenger, so I got all my questions answered and fed about a dozen (okay, it seemed like that many) giraffes by hand. Their spit smells like chlorophyll, is as sticky as sugar syrup, and isn't too awful to detract from the experience.

There were many other cool animals too, including ostriches coming up to the truck and pecking at it. Did you know they're fascinated by Shiny Things?

Re: 24 What exactly is Jack's new job? It's not Secret Service or he would have been with the dude when the shit went down. Also, who in the hell says, "I'm falling in love with you?" Dude, either you're there or you're not. Now, had it been, "I think I'm falling in love with you" it could have been the old trick-a-roo of not saying you love the person but roping them in cause the word "love" is in there. It's a small nit but it still bugged. Jack is still hot. I also miss Tony and Michelle, but Chloe still cracks me up. "As usual, no one can hear you and where's your laptop????"

Me and QPB went over to the Arroyo to check out the dam.

[link]

It's usually dry.

x-post with Bitches, as several non-Bitches would enjoy this story:

12/18/04

Our route to India is thus: Dallas -> New York -> Paris -> Mumbai. We had a couple hours of layover in JFK, so we ate some pizza from Sbarro. After we ate, my brother went wandering around.

He returned and motioned urgently to me. I could tell he meant business, so I got up and followed him. The only thing I could think that would require such urgency in an airport was that he wanted to show me a really hot girl. And sure enough, there seemed to be an attractive female in white standing by Sbarro.

Huh. She looked like Mischa Barton.

Whoa. She sounded like Mischa Barton. Mischa Barton has a very distinctive voice.

"Excuse me," said my brother, "are you Mischa Barton?"

"Yeah," she said.

I said something like "How weird" or "How absolutely bizarre."

And then she walked away as if we weren't even there.

No chance for us to save how much we loved The O.C. while skirting around the fact that we didn't care so much about Marissa. This was my brother's first celebrity encounter (and my first completely unexpected one), and we totally got the brush-off. I mean, I get that she's a regular person too and we were total strangers getting in the way of her monthly meal, but I thought she'd be used to this sort of thing and be a little more gracious. It's a good thing neither one of us were, like, totally dying to meet her cause OMG we're ur #1 fanz!

Some supplemental information. My brother had seen her and her mother (and, I'm pretty sure, her sister, as the girl I saw with her bore a striking resemblance) at the gate for Venice. He had casually followed her when he saw she was heading for the food area, so he decided to get me. After our sole interaction, we saw the two of them in the Burger King line, and I later saw her with a BK bag in hand. So, rest assured, Mischa Barton is eating. Be proud. And finally, we noticed there had been a gate change for the Venice flight. It had used to be a hundred gates away. So clearly, we were meant to meet Mischa Barton.

For the record, she does look pretty good in person. And she's kind of tall, too, about as tall as I am.

When I was in NYC a few months ago, I thought I passed Chris Carmack (Luke) on the sidewalk one night. Maybe it really was him. My brother figures we're going to run into Ben McKenzie in Paris and Adam Brody in Mumbai.

But Mischa Barton's on our Bitch List now. We would have given good conversation, dammit! All we asked for was, perhaps, an acknowledgement of our existence. I think we're going to spend the entire trip making fun of her. I never got on the Mischa Barton hate train before; I had little problem with her or her acting. Now I have a personal vendetta!

Honestly, speaking as a non-famous chick, P-C, if a guy noticed me, followed me for a bit, called ANOTHER guy over to look at me, and then had the other guy tell me I was bizarre, I might be a little wary myself. However, a "Hello" might have been nice.

Our route to India is thus: Dallas -> New York -> Paris -> Mumbai.

I was on a NY - Paris - Mumbai flight on my way to Moscow in November. It was very Amazing Race feeling. I wonder if it was the same flight?

t big geek

I wonder if it was the same flight?

Was it Delta?

Yup. I'm ridiculously tickled at the idea of being on the same flight.

I don't know who Mischa Barton is, other than the name and the images over on the Fug site, but I will happily help hate her on your behalf.

I think I like hanging out webbing in a sandwich place rather than a coffee place. Now if only Dunkin' Donuts had WiFi, my world would be complete.

It's usually dry.

Too cool, Allyson. That's awesome. I love when that fills up.