Thanks, sara. You're right -- there are a few things I can do, and I'll do them. Everyone here knows the drill. I will still want to drive to Rose's daycare when the sirens go off, though, just to be there with her. I probably won't do that, but honestly, I'm glad to know it's an option. And I'll feel better, too, once I know that M has landed, in an hour or so (insh'allah).

Good luck to your brother and his family. I'll be thinking of them too.

My brother was the idiot out on his deck while his family sheltered in the basement and a tornado took out a lot of houses a mere mile away. They didn't know that until later, in his defense (though not in defense of his ignoring the warnings. To their neighborhood, it was just a thunderstorm and winds.)

PJ's gone and picked up the kids when the tornado threat is bad,even sometimes discovering in hindsight, they moved to worse danger(actually, I think my brother did it once, and found himself caught in traffic heading into one, so he's all fuckit now . ) It's an option, but with this particular natural disaster, still a crapshoot. You do what's good for the heart. Everything else is not on you.

Yeah, I'm a bit blasé about tornados having grown up where they are, but don't go on the road! Bad plan.

Earthquakes freak me out way more. No warning!

Lee, WRT basenjis and cats...I think the issue is that basenjis are cats. In dog form. Remember the dogs in the elk? One was Gus Pong and other was Jake, a basenji. They are a primitive type dog and might have more of a prey drive than most.

I miss you people. I wish my life were open to more mellowness. But right now it's shit. Shit with a side of pooh.

meara, pretty much. Give me hurricanes. Fine, whatever. But the earthquake here? Lizard brain FREAKED OUT. So did the rational one.

Does anyone know anything about the Da Vinci drama (not the coroner kind) coming on Starz? And does anyone know enough about actual Da Vinci to estimate the bullshit quotient?

There's been some worry at Afterelton because both Goyer and the lead are being very cagey in answering questions about the character's sexuality. At the very least he's been made a rakish ladykiller despite zero historical evidence of Leonardo ever being romantically interested in women, and I suspect that if they were going the Captain Jack Harkness route we'd have had it confirmed by now.

Also, I don't recall reading anything about the real Leonardo going through a sword-wielding action hero phase in his younger days, though of course he had an extremely wide range of interests.

Good to know, Kat. It sounds like they shouldn't be on the list of possibles.

I miss you too, by the way, and I am sorry life is poo filled right now

Lee, probably not great on the list, but they might be fine. Kuma was a sort of primitive type and he was better with cats than other dogs. So you never know.

The best part of my day? KPCC was doing a radio event at Republic of Pie today, so I knew they were open at 7:00 instead of 8. I stopped by before work and had the most amazing scone. It was a scone of all scones. Talked to John, the owner, who is super kind. Pretty good way to start an otherwise hectic day.

PJ's gone and picked up the kids when the tornado threat is bad,even sometimes discovering in hindsight, they moved to worse danger(actually, I think my brother did it once, and found himself caught in traffic heading into one, so he's all fuckit now . )

This is what I worry about!

Yeah, I'm a bit blasé about tornados having grown up where they are, but don't go on the road! Bad plan.

Well, Rose's daycare is just a mile from my office, so it's not like I'd be on the road long... but you're probably right. And now I'm remembering the time last year when I drove home at midday because the sirens were going, and realized that (a) everyone else in Nashville was on the road too, and (b) I would be driving basically right into the worst of it. Not my finest moment.

M just landed in Chicago, thank the FSM, so I think I'm headed to bed now. Wish us a whole lotta nothin' tomorrow!

What is the (please forgive me) essence that makes pesto pesto?

I think it's just a paste, a tasty, delicious paste. It doesn't even have to be green.

My Italian food conundrum is why is pasta called pasta? Doesn't pasta also mean paste?