People have been detained for weeks in Dubai for over the counter drugs and poppy seeds. Some of them weren't even going to Dubai, just connecting through that airport, or even on planes that weren't supposed to go to Dubai but got diverted there because of bad weather or engine trouble. [link]

Skipping way too much and way too belated (this beginning-of-the-semester thing, it can really eat up the time, each semester all over again), so apologies, but better-late-than-never, according to the Buffista Calendar, I've missed several birthdays:

According to Jon B. "If the Apocalypse Comes, Beep Me" Oct 18, 2011 8:09:00 pm PDT two days ago was FAQBaby (or is it FAQToddler by now?) second birthday. And yesterday was another of these lovely double Buffista birthdays, both Burrell's as well as Calli's.

Happy birthday, FAQNot-baby-anymore!

Happy birthday, Burrell!

Happy birthday, Calli!

With lots of wishes for a great day and a wonderful year!

Hi Nilly!

Belated Happy Birthday, Calli!

and Happy Birthday to you to, Burrell, even if I'm a day late.

Way to get started on Year Three, FAQToddler!

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

Yeah, I'm totally scratching out Dubai as a place I'm ever going to visit. Sorry, coworker who suggested it as a place for a global summit.

Birthday happies!

How do the airlines keep their personnel out of trouble in Dubai? I could see that reaching a point where it isn't worth doing business there.

I still don't have a nurse! Not even an ETA. Jeez. My last contact was a confused call an hour ago from some sort of administrative person, but come on!

I did suggest Belize nurse, because a girl can dream, but please--a nurse would be fine.

Hil, Dubai is wacky scary. You have to get the freaking Secretary of State to say your asthma drugs are okay?! You get detained for weeks over poppy seeds on your bagel? Marking the UAE off the list of places I'll ever visit.

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

Juliebird, I am your dad with regard to physical maps. Even with a GPS and directions printed from Google, I want a map in my hand.

§ ita § Good luck in getting a dang nurse there sometime today.

Jesus Christ on a Pogo Stick. I cannot believe how poor pain management is. Fuck.

Hope you get good news soon {¡§_ita_§!}

My dad is scary good at directions, even in his senility. Put him on a mountain top with his watch and a sunny day, and he'd be able to identify the surrounding peaks because of his brain!map and which way is north. But get him in the car on a route that me and mum have driven at least six times before with the Garmin to get to our favourite diner? No trust. Where are we? You're not gonna make us take 95, right?

But, I'm tickled that he's rediscovered having fun, especially after a year of cleaning out his mother's house and finally signing the papers on selling it (we'll see if there are sticky lawyer issues with his brother, co-owner, trying to pull a fast one over on him), and his statement that he'll never stop working, I'm gonna try to get him to start taking monthly jaunts with mum, and have the retirement he apparently won't let himself have (he's extra disgusted with his little brother, who isn't even 60 and is retired and crying about he can't do stuff (like fix up their parent's house for the realtor)).

I still remember when I was using maps, and my friend in the passenger seat took the map off her lap to grab something from the footwell, and the map got sucked out the window. I think that might have been the end for me.

But, I think it would be hilarious to inundate pops with fifty state maps. Maybe I'll even throw in a trip to Wyoming that leads to a dude ranch (directions will of course lead to long-term parking at the airport).

I hate that pain management for Hubby--big, blond, white dude with yards of scars--is so much easier than it is for ita. They believe him when he says he's in debilitating pain. They do check his blood and urine to make sure he's actually taking the drugs and not selling them, but that's it. I don't know if there's anyone at Hubby's pain center who doesn't have observable reasons for pain but who is just trying to convince people on their word alone. There's a Nobel in it for whomever can create a machine that can read a person's perceived pain. Bonus for giving that machine the means to inflict it on someone who makes the decision as to how much relief to give the patient. Put that in your Puritan pipe and smoke it, bucky.