Someone needs to give me a primer on not-too-spicy Thai food I could try. We have at least four Thai places in town.

This weekend depends on how I feel. Currently I feel like crap. But if it perks up, book signing and ice cream tasting.

Consumer Reports fast food burger ranking:

• In-N-Out
• Five Guys
• Fuddruckers
• Burgerville
• Back Yard Burgers
• Culver's Frozen Custard
• Whataburger
• Hardee's
• Carl's Jr
• Checker's Drive-In
• White Castle
• Wendy's
• Sonic Drive-In
• A&W Restaurant
• Krystal
• Burger King
• Jack In The Box
• McDonald's

White Castle is way too high on that list. They are teh nast.

Massaman curry should be safe. I also like panang, but you might want to check with each restaurant about spice level.

Pad thai. Maybe larb, which is a cold salad with ground meat, depending on how many peppers they put in it.

Thanks, Dana!

White Castle is definitely nasty. But sometimes ratburgers are just what you need after a night out drinking. ::nods::

I can't stomach the smell of the White Castle burger. If I had been drinking it'd be even worse.

Fuddrucker's has excellent fries. Nice and thick and seasoned. I am glad to have one near me.

Amy, I'd ask the restaurants. I know some stuff isn't supposed to be too spicy, but it varies from place to place.

I was also going to suggest massaman curry or pad thai. Dumplings and fried rice dishes are usually pretty safe (and dumplings almost always come with some kind of sweet dipping sauce to counter the spicy).

Unless I'm staying with Nora. And even then I'm sure I was the poky little puppy.

Heh, I am crazy freakazoid about getting to the airport early. You were a trooper!

Ugh, I have to make cold calls to ask for money for a good cause that I totally believe in but I still hate calling people and asking for money.

Why are people so prickly? I was in line to get more tea and a couple of teens got in line behind me. They both wanted to check out the pastries, which are in a display to the right of the line. They looked behind, but no one else was in line, stepped over, checked out the display and stepped back. At that point there was a gal behind them. As soon as they realized, they offered for her to go ahead - they weren't trying to cut in line, but realized she didn't know that. She said for them to go ahead, and then "but obviously you feel like you can jump in line wherever you want". Oy. I was placing my order at this point but when I turned the lady was gone, I assume she left due to their "rudeness". I wonder if she would have reacted the same way to a couple of adults.

Dumplings always sound good to me.

I used to love A&W burgers, but I remember them from years back, when they were less actual fast food and more someplace like Fuddrucker's (and I haven't had one of those near me in years).

She said for them to go ahead, and then "but obviously you feel like you can jump in line wherever you want".

Ah, the passive-aggressive approach. Don't bother if you can't commit one way or another, lady.

This weekend I am going to the garage sale (for the friend's sis I helped pack last weekend) at 8:30. In return for my help she is kindly letting us have some of the plants from her yard, but we have to dig them up. Then home and planting them.

Then In-Laws come to stay for the night. DH's dad wants a new car, a used Mustang convertible, but they only have $1,000 saved up and have decided their kids should buy the car for him. They already have two cars, but the junker he drives makes him feel "depressed," apparently. DH's siblings called him already to warn him he's going to get the guilt full court press. These are the parents, I might add, who did not pay one penny toward DH's education, because he didn't study medicine like they wanted. They live in a house on his sister's property because they never managed to save any money their whole lives.

We do get to escape from the guilt-a-thon on Saturday night when we go see Neil Finn at Largo. Woo Hoo.