Happy Birthday, Jessica!

Hil, the answer to your question about arrowroot powder is that sometimes grocery stores have it. Sometimes it's with the baking stuff. Sometimes it's in the health food section. Sometimes it's one of the things they mysteriously bring out only at certain times of the year, like Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix. It's packaged by big companies like McCormick. What sort of things do you use arrowroot for over cornstarch?

This reminds me of a family business on St Joseph's Island (Canada) - Gilbertson's road building, gravel, and pancake house.

I saw a sign in North Georgia for a business offering tax preparation and lawn mower repair. "You know, Bob did such a good job on the lawn mower that I think I'll have him do my taxes."

Yay for GC's friend's news! They'll probably want her to have radiation, but aside from taking so much damn time, that's pretty much a walk in the park. A long, tiring walk, mind you, but way better than the other routes.

My mom found Vicks' VapoRub highly effective for treating the burn from radiation.

If the grocery store has a gluten-free section, that's generally where I've seen arrowroot powder in the past.

The Trinidadian restaurant around the corner from me also does tax prep, but in that case it's just an accountant friend of the owner who sets up shop at one of the back tables.

I've mentioned my idea for a House ep with Fry, right?

A guy comes in who doesn't know who he is and "picks up" identities from things he reads. For most of the ep he believes he is House's English manservant...

"If sir wishes, I will indeed consent to being 'scanned,' as it were, by the Magnetic Resonance Imaging apparatus."

My mom found Vicks' VapoRub highly effective for treating the burn from radiation.

I used aloe vera gel and Aquaphor, which seemed to work pretty well, although I did end up with burns at the end. There is one good thing about have chemo and then radiation, which is that radiation is so much easier. The weirdest part about radiation is that people are always drawing on you with magic markers.

Happy birthday, Jessica!

Yay GC's cancer free friend! I'm so happy every time I hear that cancer has, in fact, been fucked.

Speaking of which (in a roundabout way), Shir, that is a gorgeous picture, but wow. I would never, ever, ever have had the nerve to hang something like that on my bedroom wall when I was sharing a house with either parent. You've got (dirty) courage, woman!

The weirdest part about radiation is that people are always drawing on you with magic markers.

True, true. When K-Bug had radiation therapy, that was the worst part of the whole process for her. Being drawn on.

Oh sweet Jesus. I work for a pharmaceutical publisher, yeah? We publish journals about drugs and drug-related devices, which includes vaccines.

One of my co-workers is 7 months pregnant with her first. She refuses to get vaccinated for H1N1 because -- and I quote -- "I don't want to give my baby autism. Plus, you know that vaccine hasn't been tested, and I don't want to be a guinea pig for vaccine companies."

I literally couldn't respond. Because it's not cool to tell your co-worker how completely ignorant what just came out of her mouth was.

(She is not, I should mention, an editor. Thank god.)

Look at your tagline, Steph. Maybe that will give you some comfort.