Attention cooking types:

I have discovered some tasty dried cherries in my housemate's pantry. I want to make a pie. What is the best way to deal with dried cherries for pie purposes? Hubby's proposing soaking them in some wine to plump them up.

I have one of these now

I have one of those also, Betsy! It's the bomb diggity.

In "Bugs in the Brain," he describes a parasite that infects the brains of rats without any effect on their behavior except that they lose their instinctual aversion to the smell of cats and, instead, are drawn to it

Is this related to that study that found bugs in catlover's brains that appeared to make them cat lovers?

It's a damn good thing it did not happen during or immediately after the movie, is all I'm saying. Funny movie, but that would have been cree-pee.

Definitely. Also, I read Matty Groves last night (good book, sexy author), and when the nightly footsteps-coming-down-our-steps started I about left my skin behind.

(edit: Or maybe I didn't happen to type any that look different. Probably the simplest explanation.)

"w" is my test key for this. It usually maps to omega, which looks very different in capital and lower case.

You're making me miss Bloom County.

Yes to this. I did my eyebrows Sunday, and Robert asked "Where are the rest of your eyebrows?" to which I responded "Floating in the hall toilet."

Also Hec - thanks for the linky link to the Gorey stuff/pirate cards! It wasn't aimed at me, but it's prime Christmas shopping anyway!

Between Justine and The Sheltering Sky, I concluded that Northern Africa is full of really fucked-up people.

That's the good part. It's good for the fiction. Of course, we're speaking mostly of the ex-pats of the 30s-50s. Not the locals who probably weren't particularly fucked up.

looks at email from friend in Libya. Nods. Actually, I think all ex-pats are fucked up. t /self-referential

I wish I could send Lily some of Mallory's eating joy. Even the green beans, his least favorite, are eaten (with much complaining). He'll eat anything off our plates that we allow. He loves cranberry juice (!!!). I'm so hoping he takes after me and not Mr. Hyper-Picky. He's up to 5-6 servings of real food a day.

Timelies!

Hugs for Deena, Maidengurl, ChiKat, and anyone else that would like them.

I'm feeling positive this morning, which is good. I have LOTS to do, but at least have the day to do them. No lab today, because there's a holiday on Friday, so all of the groups wouldn't have been able to meet. So, just therapy at 3. Other than that I can work my ass off on school work, which I desperately need to do.

Timelies, all! Deena, I'm sorry there's all that medical stuff happening. I don't know why wee kidlings were designed to be prone to ear infections, but so many of the ones I know seem to be. I mean, finger infections--sure. They're into everything. Mouth and nose infections? Ditto. But the ears?

Why is the pasta forbidden to Lily? Did I skip and skim past a gluten intolerance or suchlike? Adorable pictures, anyway. I especially like "braaaaaaiiins".

I'm working on my lab report that has to be submitted online by 5pm today. I need to have it done by 2:30, since I have to leave then for therapy, and I don't want to be trying to submit it at the very last minute and run into problems.

But, it's HARD. There's a reason I've been avoiding it all week. Ugh. I don't wanna do it. But, it's worth 100 points...5% of our lab grade. It's kind of important.

Back to work...

Good luck with the lab report, vw!

The boy is over the worst of his illness--he slept for nine hours straight last night. I feel like a million dollars. We must now shower and go vote.

Oh, Cashmere, I'm so glad that O is over the worst. Sick babies are no fun.

Ok...rough draft of lab report is written. Now to move on to something else, then go back and look at it again in a bit.

I think I should do my quiz that was due last Wednesday. But, I don't WANNA! I'm such a whiner.

vw - I got my stuff done last night, so now I can wave my homework pompoms at you! Go Bug!!!

Betsy - that necklace is uber cool - wish I had extra cash, I'd get one in a heartbeat.

I actually DID have chocolate cake last night. My mom, in a fit of martyr-dom, baked herself a birthday cake ("I know you have been so busy lately, darling").

feh. got news of a breakup of someone close to me, which I saw coming a looooong time ago and was hoping I wouldn't be right. I was right. Damn.

(I mean, I never said anything, because you can't, but I wish I could have, though that's impossible)