Project: Secret Welcome was a success!
We picked Josh up from the airport last night and brought him home. We had our own version of a welcoming fruit basket for him, containing everything he would need to successfully blend in: a Starbucks travel mug, an umbrella, and a tie-dyed t-shirt because we are all hippies. Ed and I spent part of our weekend wrist deep in secret tie-dye and came away with crazy bright t-shirts and a pair of most excellent pillow cases. Our next project will be to take on the rest of the sheet set I bought and turn our bedroom into a psychedelic wonderland of bad acid trips, complete with nag champa and Grateful Dead posters. It’ll be so awesome for a couple hours before we get sick of it, but it’ll be fun while it lasts.
I haven’t started packing for San Francisco yet. I don’t really know what to bring, and I don’t know the current restrictions for things you can take on the plane. I haven’t traveled since the ban on liquids – is that still in place? Am I going to have to go without lotions and assorted girl flavoured finery? I don’t even know what to wear to this conference. Do I go casual or formal? Does it matter? Probably not. I tend to get a little neurotic when I’m going to be on display because of the inevitable backlash, whether it be real or imagined. I am the world’s worst introvert – I love the spotlight, but I’m utterly terrified of being seen. This may come as something of a shock to you, but I totally have issues. Big ones. I keep them in my underwear drawer and kiss them good night before bed.
I just gave myself a heaping spoonful of angst. Sweet!
delicious juice dot com 
I’ve had to travel to the US a stupid amount over the past month or 2 and here is the deal: You can bring creams, gels, and liquids carry-on as long as they are in containers 100ml or smaller and all those containers fit in a 1L plastic sealable bag (like a ziploc sandwich bag or whatever).
Dont bother bringing water or coffee or Diet Coke through the security screening as they’ll make you throw it away.
Once you pass security, you can buy whatever you want (DC included) and bring it onto the plane; you just can’t go through security with it.
I should have some solid gold material about liquids and gels but I’m tired so go crazy…
I love tie-dye! That sounds awesome… my question: do you now have to have a “tie-dye only” load of laundry – is it gonna bleed Grateful Deadness all over my Ikea swirly sheets?!