Desperately trying to avoid a donut joke...

Cooking last night turned out to be an unqualified success. I slow roasted everything for 3 hours to make the meat more tender for my dad's sake, and the plum juice ended up making a kind of glaze over the roast that tastes vaguely of cinnamon-spiced cranberry sauce. This throw-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-into-the-pot approach to cooking seems to work well for me.

juliana is safe , right?

The HELL?? Yeah, I'm fine - that's on the other side of the hill from me. I just hope Helmand's and the Crow Bar were spared - that's exactly where they are.

Photos from the killer kite katastrophe in Pakistan: [link]

ita had Botox injections for her migraines, right? Is this the same thing? or a step beyond?

Migraines treatment combines Botox, surgery

The technique – performed by a handful of plastic surgeons in the U.S. – includes using the anti-wrinkle drug Botox to pinpoint which of several specific muscles in the forehead, back of the head or temple areas may be serving as "trigger points" to compress, irritate or entrap nerves that could be causing the migraine. Because Botox temporarily paralyzes muscles, usually for about three months, it can be used as a "litmus test" or "marker" to see if headaches go away or become less intense while the Botox's effects last, said Dr. Jeffrey Janis, assistant professor of plastic surgery.

If the Botox is successful in preventing migraines or lessening their severity, then surgery to remove the targeted muscle is likely to accomplish the same result, but on a more long-term and possibly permanent basis, he said.

It's one step further. And a weird step, since it's more invasive.

It's one step further. And a weird step, since it's more invasive.

I'm a little anxious about people cutting on your head muscles.

Then again, they try to do it in Krav class anyway.

Has anyone else had trouble using Yahoo!Mail yesterday or today? It's been "The server at us.f530.mail.yahoo.com is taking too long to respond." more often than not for me.

eta actual error message

So, the short version of my sewage story:

1) Neighbor's toilet backs up. Sewage leaks into our living room (carpet) and kitchen (behind the fricking stove).

2) Frantic use of towels and moving of furniture.

3) Neighbor argues with property manager about who is responsible for paying the plumber.

4) I go to my afternoon concert.

5) I return, and there is a man in my living room on his hands and knees, spraying fungicide on the carpet and the subfloor. He cheerfully informs me that it kills things like HIV and hepatitis A (but not C).

6) Plumber comes and goes, doing *nothing*, because since neighbor's toilet is flushing, there's obviously no problem.

7) Giant fans and dehumidifiers stay on all night.

8) Husband gets up early the next morning and calls work, telling them he's not coming in.

9) Husband notices new sewage. Yes, neighbor flooded her place again. Guess who was at the bottom of her call list?

10) Frantic use of towels and moving of furniture.

11) Fungicide guy comes to visit again.

12) New plumber finds a block in neighbor's line. No, really?

13) We pull out the dishwasher to make sure there's not a flood back there.

14) Since the dishwasher is now disconnected, we go buy a new dishwasher and a new stove (appliances are original to the house and would have to be replaced before we sell).

15) Fans and dehumidifier are supposed to run until tomorrow. Can't wait to see this month's electricity bill.

OMG, Dana!

That really sucks, sorry you have to go through that.