Today Sasha is wrapping up a successful internship. She gave a closing presentation on Wednesday that was very well received. A good feeling. I'll go for lunch at her work today.

Tomorrow we'll travel back to Durham! We'll miss the cats.

The release that I'm working on for work is coming to an end and we're starting to do planning for the fall release.

The house we're staying in has an apartment in the basement, and the two dogs of the owners are living there now. Someone comes in twice a day to feed them and walk them.

Every now and then I go downstairs to play with them. They look intimidating but they're very sweet.

When I went downstairs after lunch I heard a cat meowing, and after I put the dogs back in their apartment I looked for the cat. It turned out that the lazy cat was stuck in the cleaning closet. It must have hidden there yesterday when the cleaning ladies were here.

The cat was stressed out after a night in the closet and very happy that I let him out. Sure enough, the first thing he did was run upstairs to his food.

So I thought the other cat was sleeping all the time, but in fact it is only lazy after breakfast.

In the morning it's very active. When we come downstairs it will run towards us and with loud 'miauws' announce that it's hungry.

We went for a nice long walk yesterday; the same 6 mile course that I ran on Saturday. No running today.

I arrived back in Georgetown late last night. The owners of the house where we're staying are coming back soon and they dropped off their two cats recently, so we have some nice company.

Most cats that I know pretend not to like people, at least in the beginning, but not Scruffy. It follows us everywhere we walk, and likes to play. It's twelve years old but very active. The other cat is pretty much sleeping all the time.

I'm staying here a week; Sasha's internship is coming to and end and we'll return together next Saturday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that effective September 8, 2010 a fee of $14 will be charged for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications.

An approved ESTA application is required to use the Visa Waiver Program. This program allows visitors from several countries, including the Netherlands, to travel to the United States for up to 90 day without applying for a visa under certain conditions. The ESTA registration does not apply to holders of a U.S. visa and permanent residents (green card holders).

All new registrations or renewals on or after that date will require a $14.00 fee payment by credit or debit card. Existing ESTA registrations remain valid through their expiration date. $4 of the fee goes to administrative costs; $10 will go towards funding the activities of the Corporation for Travel Promotion.

Background

A valid ESTA approval has been required since January 2009 for all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to travel to the United States but up to now it has been free of charge. The Department of Homeland Security, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the VWP. It collects the same information as the paper I-94W form that VWP travelers fill out en route to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security recommends that travelers submit an ESTA application as soon as they begin making travel plans.

More information at the Department of State.