I had to send quite a number of American Girl dolls in to the "hospital" when I was a kid. I loved them. My father bought me three of the original ones when I was really tiny and they are so old their bodies were signed and numbered and dated. I wasn't even allowed to touch them until I was 9, and then I played with them so hard and for so many years they are basically ruined, which is sad, as I bet dolls that old from a company that huge would be worth something now.

Kat, it's kind of ironic that K bought a new car with seat warmers when you're enduring 100 degree heat, no?

No kidding! It also has a cooled glove box for beverages or sandwiches. I kid you not.

Cash, I don't think you are crazy for the doll hospital. I think you're being economical. Those dolls cost a fortune. If you were taking it to the AG doll beauty shop, I might feel differently.

Grace's AG doll's hair is nasty, though.

What, do they think they're DC's Metro? the subway system that shuts down for snow ....

They're trying to avoid another massive clusterfuck like what happened during the blizzard. Shutting down the system before the storm gets here will mean the trains can be moved out of the way to let the cleanup crews get in as soon as the weather passes and have everything up and running again much faster.

ah ... foresight ... I'd forgotten transit systems could actually do that. DC's plan seems to be "wait until everything's so badly backed up no one can get anywhere and then shut down ... but don't tell anyone until they're stuck between work and home".

The Queensland floods earlier this year took out the banana crop, and the farmers' lobby group is preventing imports so they won't have the competition next year.

Wait, floods took out a banana crop? How does that happen, short of actually killing the trees (which I assume would make the next several years banana-free ones as well)?

As of yesterday (Metro press release), DC Metro wasn't planning to shut down. Although, to be fair to NYC, DC is quite a bit farther inland.

DC did shut down for Isabel. Made the decision easy to shut down the governent for the first day.

It is Friday the 26th of August and you've reached ita ! de la O's voicemail. I will be in all day, and return your message as soon as possible. Thanks.

Fie upon you.

I asked my sister a question about Jamaican folklore. She blew me off. I said, Sav, you're a anthropology PhD who works at the major Jamaican university, who else do I ask first? "Well, I don't know." "Can you ask?" "I don't want to." "Can you tell me where to look?" "Not really."

I'm actually pissed at her right now. Not only did my father direct me to three web sites and my mother direct me to a family member on the same topic, my sister will email me Word tables for me to sort for her. She can fucking help me with a fucking ghost. Especially since she believes in the damned things.

I wonder how many times I will go downstairs today. I am wearing difficult shoes. Biker boots. Heavy boots. I will get a stretch.

Bananas don't grow on trees, BTW.

Franny's AG doll has curly hair which had gotten a bit ratty. I was a bit frustrated at the thought of the bringing her in to the AG beauty shop, but the stylists told me the secret for how to brush her hair and keep the curls in it. So at least they are nice at the AG store.

... aaannnnd, now I need to go find out how bananas grow.