It looks like § ita § is surrounded by hurricanes.

I don't even know how to make those not-S-es show up.

Also, I am damn tired of waking up with a headache. It's been almost every day this week, and while it's not the worst headache, by any means, some of the days I haven't been able to beat it back with drugs. And it makes it hard to get up and get anything done. GRRR. Not sure what to do, and/or how much it's related to this cold that isn't QUITE gone yet. But OW.

Was everyone aware of the prescription drug regulations for the United Arab Emirates?

patients or travelers carrying prescribed prescription medications must have their prescriptions issued by licensed doctors, attested by a notary public, and, in the case of U.S. citizens, duly authenticated by both the secretary of state of one’s U.S. state, and finally also authenticated by the Secretary of State of the U.S. Government in Washington, D.C.

The list of controlled medications is ridiculously long, includes a lot of stuff like Prozac and some asthma medications that a lot of people take, and there have been a whole lot of arrests for medications that weren't even on the list. Maximum penalty is four years in prison. [link] (Someone I know was supposed to be going there for work, but can't, because she's on a couple of those medications and doesn't think that she can get them authenticated by the Secretary of State.)

Packed the folks off, am absolutely exhausted. Ate lots of good food, saw lots of beautful things (Terrain at Styer's is both, although ridiculously expensive). My dad had a blast and we even did a spontaneous trip to Valley Forge before heading back to my place.

He drove us nuts the entire trip with his need for physical maps (he doesn't trust the Garmin and has an innate need to be able to see the big picture about where we're going in relation to where we've been, I get that, and it's a lost art for me). That plus his unexpected surprise at how fun visiting places is (he hasn't had a proper vacation since we stopped going to the lake cottage when I was in junior high), his Christmas present will be AAA mapped trips that can be launched from his or my place and be taken in a three or four day weekend.

I discovered that Longwood rents scooters and spent the rest of the day zooming around and dodging small children.

§ ita §

SG-1 serpent staffs?

I don't even know how to make those not-S-es show up.

Copy and paste!

How do you even make apple butter? I like it! Is it just apple sauce cooked forever?

Was everyone aware of the prescription drug regulations for the United Arab Emirates?

I had no idea! That's wild.

I have nothing to contribute to the apples discussion. I eat them raw and that's about it.

That is hard core, damn!! I mean, doctors note and notary would be plenty but ALSO sec state and stuff? Geez.

Copy and paste!

That's how I fake it and don't even worry about making it!

Man, this last pastry rolled out PERFECTLY. As in, if it's not perfect, it's because it rolled out too thinly, but not broken, which would be a first time for that particular pie error.

I did have one crust melt into the pie in the oven, so I don't count my chickens until they're baked, but I am pretty sure that mishap was before I understood the premise of cutting butter in, so hopefully I'm clear.

I think this time I got the right combination of tacky-after-adding-liquid and right-amount-of-flour-used-to-handle.

Cool down, filling! Heat up, oven! I want to get this puppy assembled and into the metaphorical frying pan.

My will to accomplish anything today is largely absent. I'll blame going out with friends last night (apparently, dinner+drinks+ live music = pumpkin by 11) and a cool house and cuddly cats. The tulip bulbs are not getting planted this weekend.