Elizabeth Peters/ Barbara Michaels/ Barbara Mertz (I think that's her real last name) the last I heard lived in Maryland ... Frederick, I think. But she definitely is/was local (she may have moved since the last I heard).

I'm afraid I kind of burned out on the Amelia Peabody books, but I still have most of her older ones and do a reread now and then.

I haven't started the Epic Closet Cleaning Project yet since it is going to be massive, but I think I'll tackle it in the morning.

I can't help it, I read my "name" and my virtual ears perk up. (And yes, my closets could use a MAJOR purge, but I'm gonna assume that's not what you meant).

I hab a cobe.

Me too! Summer colds always feel like a betrayal. Mine seems to be going away pretty easily for a change (knock wood). I hope yours treats you as well. Probably a good call on yours, Hil. I know I wanted to go to Zumba last night, but as the cough has been the most prevalent component of this cold, I chose not to chance the asthma attack too. Crossed fingers I can go back tomorrow.

Steph, I wish you an uneventful day.

And the author of the Amelia Peabody books is also a real archaeologist! Barbara Mertz, whose books on Egyptology are very interesting (must get a copy of Red Land, Black Land )

I'm afraid I kind of burned out on the Amelia Peabody books

Yeah, once Ramses and Nefret get together it kind of loses some of the drive. I also got annoyed with Sethos becoming such a focus. He was much better as the mysterious archvillain.

ibuprofen really does help with the discomfort of a sunburn.

Also, anyone who ever even sees the sun should keep a bottle of lidocaine-infused aloe vera gel in the fridge AT ALL TIMES.

Ahhh...

I have just plain old aloe vera gel in the bathroom. It's too cold if I keep it in the fridge. But I am amazed how well it works. Sunburns that would have blistered fade within days.

in dinner news...

I'm trying to invent something with the flavor of saltimbocca to serve over pasta. I'm thinking about sauteed chicken strips in a cream sauce with prosciutto. It occurs to me that one of you might already have a recipe like this.

The problem with the Barbara Michaels books for me was my feeling she was writing the same book over and over.

Laga, I have used this chicken saltimbocca recipe before with great success. link Though, it doesn't have cream in in.

I'm reading David McCullough's book on the Johnstown flood, and I just went for a walk in the park and spent the whole time looking at the spring and creeks and dam and everything there and figuring out how it all worked and how likely it was to fail.