I have lactose intolerance and general tummy-sensitiveness, too, and there's a yoga pose I find helpful sometimes. It's also good for cramps. I can't find any pictures online, but my teacher calls it supported butterfly.

Thanks. That position might be difficult for me, but I'll have to look into it.

I like peppermint and/or ginger for irritated GI problems. Ginger ale, or ginger tea/peppermint tea, sometimes even peppermint candies can help.

I just had Courtship tea which has crystalized ginger in it.

I think I use the Ultra, sj. I don't know for sure. I go through phases where sometimes any dairy sets me off and then months where I can eat anything I want without difficulty. Still, I keep lactaid milk on hand just to minimize problems and always have the chewables in a drawer or in my purse for if it feels like dairy is planning a sneak attack.

Ginger teas are wonderful for settling tummies. My mom always had some on hand. That, and just chewing on a piece of crystallized ginger can help.

Okay, gotta get showered and packed. Teh daughter will be here in half an hour raring to go. Laters!

I'm horrid at recognizing celebs. I did see Richard Gere filming a movie and was struck by how handsome he was in person. On film he rarely sparks me.

I also saw Kristi Yamaguchi walking through a casino in Vegas.

Obviously, the proper spousal role is to listen patiently. I only offerred a counter-example because...well, because it worked. It was a win /win. I did not offend her.

Fair enough. I should know better than to comment on how 2 adults relate, especially when I know those 2 adults, and know that neither of them is trying to be mean.

Pool party yesterday -- lots of fun and grilled meat.

Farmer's market today, if I can get my ass off the couch. Then a nap (The Boy slept over last night, and I don't always sleep well when he's here). And/or maybe go see Superman.

Vacation day tomorrow, and tomorrow night -- Pre-4th of July Rock 'n Roll Carnival -- beer garden, fire breathers, burlesque show and carnival side show. Oh HELL yeah.

4th of July -- parade in The Boy's neighborhood -- featuring something called the Ladies' Lawn Chair Brigade, the Cincinnati women's roller-derby team, InkTank and its larger than life typewriter, and a 30 foot butterfly and huge caterpillar.

I *will* be taking pictures, at both the carnival Monday night and the parade Tuesday.

Okay. Off to the farmer's market.

So, my mum has bought an icecream maker. Whilst I have no doubt we'll be able to make stuff up (neither she nor I is big on following recipes), I was wondering whether any old hands at icecream making might happen to have favourite recipes?

I'm thinking of making something with chocolate and chunks of candied ginger. Or perhap coconut milk and almonds, or maybe...hmm...I'm a total texture slut, and what I like best in icecream is a balance of sweet and salt, and swirls of gooey caramel balanced against something crunchy and salty...

Any thoughts?

I was wondering whether any old hands at icecream making might happen to have favourite recipes?

I have a notion that Jessica has made a lot of tasty ice creams, but I could be making that up.

The chocolate and ginger combo sounds good though. My favorite gelato place does something lovely with a butter pecan and Jack Daniels combo. Of course you need a light hand while adding liquor since it resists freezing. Oh yeah, and that fantastic sorbet with pink grapefruit and campari. Mmmmm. Betsy's husband has a recipe for that.

Mmmm ice cream. I like to toss berries into the mix.

I've always found that making vanilla ice cream and tosssing in whatever other flavors were on hand or sounded appealing worked well enough. In that the result was inevitably ice cream.

I am extremely easy to please when it comes to ice cream, though.

Oh, one note - whole berries tend to become rock hard when they freeze.

Celebrities. Joe DiMaggio brought a grand-nephew or somesuch relative to a movie theater I was working at once. He mostly seemed ancient, but we were all awestruck. I believe someone raced home and got a baseball card for him to sign, but I don't think I even spoke to him.

Also, the guy who played the doctor on Melrose Place came to another theater I worked at at a different time while he was in town shooting a TV movie about Ruby Ridge. I sold him his ticket but didn't recognize him. Someone told me who he was after he was in the show.

I did mention that the Days of Our Lives actor who played Tony DiMera was at our hotel in Luxor the other week, didn't I? And again in the Valley of the Kings?

t /scraping the bottom of celebrity sightings

Mmmmm icecream!

Hi folks! Woot, all caught up in here for the first time in forevah. Even missed the June birthday season (which is also my season), so ... sad about that. Retroactive hippos to all.

I occasionally see random celebs around TO, and I'm on and off fannish so I've been to a fair number of cons and seen/met actors and writers and so on. The encounters that stick are the one where I've gotten to chat and they were really nice. Rode an elevator with Jack Lemmon once and he was really friendly and genuine. My sister was travelling through Montreal with her baby daughter and met Jane Krakowski in an airport lounge. Sis was a major Ally McBeal fan, so was a little freaked out, but Jane just chatted with her and played with the baby, and made a fan for life there.

Leisurely Sunday here, with a holiday Monday to come tomorrow -- Canada Day [observed-ish, since the whole fireworks thing went down yesterday]. It's quiet, but that's nice. Peaceful. I think I'll take a wander over to Starbucks.