Rob's Halfway House - #10

[Tornado]

Tracy - wow, you've had a busy time lately! I'm glad at least Friday was relaxing. Hm, much as I'd like to give Rob lessons, at times my accent is still a bit English! I was serious when I said the accent is hard to pick up. Even though I left England when I was two and have been here nearly forty years, I still sometimes sound a little bit English, and people here pick up on it.

Brenda - glad you like the tagline. Don't worry, if my book is published it will be in e-book as well. That's a given in the industry now, especially for a novel! Harry is sleeping on the back deck, but he does have access to the kitchen area of the house as well, so he's never too far away.

[vampirelover109]

Good morning ladies

Its a miserable day outside so I think Its going to be a duvet day today Its also bank holiday monday and judging by the tv scheldule It will also be a dvd day *robward viewing* I will be doing some stuyding though I tried walking biscuit but when it rains he will not move his little butt I open the door and he just stays there

Lynne- wow harry does seem to be settling In really well my puppy biscuit he settled In straight away It was like he had always been with us

Sean- I will def have a look at the Audi videos It seems really cool

Tonise I will be staying 21st- 24th June (yay ) I think Its a great Idea for sandy to be our special shopper Im totally happy to contribute $20 only Im not sure how to get the funds to sandy

Brenda- Im selling my.cards in june 2nd though I did sell one to my neighbour yesterday I still dont know how I managed to keep myself together when I saw,rob lol my mum dosent understand how I managed to keep It together

Right Im off to get a cup of tea

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Songbird]

Lynne, I had the same as Grayce with your chapter….I wanted more and knew I would have to wait, possibly for a couple of years. I’m anxious for it to come out. Has Harry had dog obedience courses in the past? He sounds like he’s very quick to learn what is allowed and what is not. I mentioned the platform to my friend and she said it was something to think about, but in general, where she is, publishers/agents think everything should be kept secret until it’s on the shelves. But who knows…she may decide to do that.

Jenn Jenn, your daughter is pretty young, right? Does she have a LOT of homework?

Marielle, I hope the house is a nice one! I agree with Grayce…there’s a difference between supporting the war and supporting the soldiers. They don’t really have a choice of where they go…the government tells them where and when they go. Some of them don’t believe in the war themselves, but because it’s their job, they do it. So sometimes supporting them just means welcoming them back home and not turning our backs on them. I hate those allergies…they are awful. Does your fern allergy do that when you are around them or only if you touch them?

Sean, thanks, I’ll take a look at Robstenation then. I hope I can view them…a lot of places have it set so only people in the US can see the videos. MTV, FOX, HULU,…some Today videos. I will hope they are viewable…being an international fan site should help.

Ashley, how scary!!! It’s lucky you weren’t hurt! Do you have experience with construction, then? It sounds like it will be a fun trip.

Tracy, sounds like a busy weekend! Good thing you went into it nice and relaxed! I have no idea what this guy was thinking…I mean, I have pictures on my FB of my brother’s wedding, I have pictures of our counter protest of the anti-gay minister Fred Phelps…so because this guy is on my friends list, he has access to all those pictures and I can’t imagine he didn’t know I knew and support my brother. It’s possible he was trying to be funny, but this is a guy who was not nice to us in high school, pulled knives on my brother, made fun of me…I declined his friend request the first time he asked. I should never have caved, but I figured that we were older now, maybe he had matured, leave the past in the past, and my brother had added him. Guess I should have gone with my first instinct.

Brenda, how are you liking the nook? I’ve avoided electronic readers because I LOVE paper books…I love to take them in the bath and just soak and read…couldn’t do that with an e-reader. And I like to share books with my friends when I love them, and none of them have e-readers, so I couldn’t share with them. But I bet they are handy if you are going on a trip somewhere…you can fit a whole bunch of books on it, etc…I hope you are loving it! I’m glad your daughter’s ear pain went away. Ear infections are NO FUN! I actually have a great brownie recipe. I looked on allrecipes.com and found one that had a high rating so I kind of tweaked it a bit and it’s yummy. I also have a pretty decent fudge recipe that’s really easy and a hit at all the parties…there’s no such thing as Marshmallow fluff here. And your banana bread recipe does sound really good, but there’s no frozen juice concentrate here. At least not that I’ve found. But thank you! Not sure if there’s commercial kitchen space for rent. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to look. I was talking to my friend, and I guess her daughter is really angry with her because she’s grounded and all her friends are making plans and she can’t go. I asked about the friends, because she was planning on calling all their parents, so I wondered how the girls were all going places if their parents knew and she said one girl was sent to rehab because pot wasn’t her biggest problem, and one of the other girls was supposed to call her an apologize for smoking in her house, but her parents both smoke pot so they didn’t have a problem with it. It sounds to me like my friend’s daughter needs new friends. If one is in rehab with a serious addiction and another is getting pot from her parents, that’s not going to make it easy for her to stop. I’ll suggest she look into what resources the school has…thank you for that advice. I didn’t know they had those!

Kids went back to school today after a week long vacation. It’s so nice to have our routine back. They definitely need it. My son was really getting antsy and was pushing buttons all weekend. He needs the structure and more of an outlet for his energy. So I’m glad they went back today, but if it was like that after a week, that doesn’t bode well for the 6 week summer break.

[Jazz Girl]

Uh Oh, looks like this is going to be a long one...

Good Monday morning, siblings. Another busy soccer/track weekend. Friday was a crazy day at work, getting ready for some things in the next few weeks, and then I was helping Hubs with our track invitational Friday night. Saturday morning, it was up early to pick up fundraising stuff and deliver it for band, then to the soccer fields for most of the day. Sunday, as a result of my poor un-UV-exposed sun being outside more than it shoudl have been, I was sunsick most of the day. And, of course, in between all that, I found time to watch Bel Ami three times! It was almost a relief to come back to work today.

Bel Ami~ I was able to watch Bel Ami three times in the course of my 48-hour subscription. I used the Amazon Instant Video service, which was FABULOUS. There were all sorts of stories flying around about trouble with iTunes, so I avoided that like the plague. And, in going through Amazon, I could have downloaded it to my Kindle as well. I watched it on my laptop (the screen is HD) and with my earbuds, which is rapidly becoming my favorite way to watch a RobFilm. It puts that voice directly into the center of my head and... oh my GAWDS, is that the best place ever for it to be with DuRob. If I can get away from constructive criticism for a moment, his voices in this film is like a gift from HEAVEN!!! Because his character is such a seducer, he is using that low, smooth voice and is literally like a brush of velvet down your spine. And combined with the accent... Oh Holy Hell, I was a complete mess.

Okay, focusing on the film itself. I've read the book twice and I can see many areas that would make it very relateable to today's society; teh power of the media and the political machinations being only two. Sadly, I think the scriptwriter didn't dig far enough into those two things, leaving much of the intrigue surface level. And, while what the cast had to work with was, at times, weak, I think the cast gave everything they had to the film. Visually, the film is lush and grandiose, so very appropriate for the times. It is also very clear that this is a film with European sensibilties where sex is concerned.

Rob's portrayal of Georges DuRoy honestly surprised me. I know the man can act, and act very well. But, even I was not expecting this level of performance. Having read the book, I was sure I would feel conflicted about Georges. He's a ratb@st@rd in the book, completely unredeemable, as Rob said in the promotions. So, I expected to hate him, but to be conflicted by that fact because of the very protective instincts Rob brings out in me. What happened was the opposite. Rob shows, yet again, just how well he can get inside the head of a character and bring out those things that you might not see if you don't truly look. And, there was nothing Rob about his performance of DuRoy. He made me completely forget that it was him (and that, for me, is saying something). There are moments when you go from hating the man to wanting to protect him from all the evil and more manipulative people around him and it happens on the head of a pin. You do understand that, while Georges certainly had no compunction about ruining the people who tried to ruin him, or pursuing what he wanted at all costs, that there were moments when he saw the damage he was doing or felt for the people he was climbing over, but truly felt as if he had no choice. I was not expecting to sympathize with him so much. It is no surprise that Rob plays the seducer, the lothario, very well. But, Rob's strongest scenes are based in Georges battles to keep wht he feels is his due. His final scene with Virgine (Kristin Scott Thomas) is truly painfully funny to watch and you almost feel for Virginie in his disgust for her. But, honestly, it is his final scene with Madelleine (Uma Thurman) that really just holds me. Uma's performance received mixed reviews at best, but I felt there were times where her performance perfectly fit her character ( a woman who knows she's smarter and more cunning than all the men around her and who resents the fact that she must give her ideas and words to a man to have them listened to) and this was one of them. {Invisible Ink for Spoilers} Madelleine is George's first wife and he marries her out of a combined sense of infatuation and desire for what she can give him. She's straight up with him, telling him that marriage, to her, is a business relationship. In the end, Georges resents an ongoing affair and turns her in for adultery, earning him not only freedom to move forward and ruin his next rival, but also for a rather large inheiritance. The final scene between them is brief and stoic but so perfectly played in George's emnity towards her and her finally coming to respect him a bit because he outsmarted her and used her own games against her.

Georges' three leading ladies are all polemnically different. Christina Ricci is the perfect foil to DuRob's womanizing ways as Clothilde. You truly get the sense that they do love each other, each in their own way. She gives the vulnerable moments, the softer side of DuRob, a reason to be there. And she has fun with him, unburdens him from his constant scheming. Kristin Scott Thomas is pathetically perfect as Virginie, wife of DuRob's primary rival and seduced because of that. The way she plays Virginie's obsession with DuRob is just... well, you can completely understand it in a way, but you are left shaking your head. As I said, Uma Thurman's Madelleine is rubbing some the wrong way, with the primary critique being that she is over the top, too forceful. But, I can see why she might have portrayed her that way.

The star of the supporting cast, though, is Colm Meaney as Rousset, DuRob's rival in most things. You love to hate him and, even in his final defeat, you can't help but think he earned the whole of it.

And, of course, everyone wants to know about the sex scenes. I love the way Tink (of Robsessed) put it. There are many and they are all very different, but fabulous. More importantly, they do provide a lense through which to view DuRob's relationships with the various women. There is, of course the first scene, which is about 4 minutes into the film, of DuRob rogering the prozzy from behind. Yeah, that one gets your attention. But, there is a reason for it which comes around later in the film. Then you have his scenes with Clothilde, which are the closest to actually intimate, and are lighthearted. His scenes with Madelleine change as their relationship changes and you see how she uses sex in much the same way he does. One of these might be the most uncomfortable scene I've witnessed in a film, but the message behind it is so powerful. And the scenes with Virginie are borderline comical, ESPECIALLY the post-copulation moments.

Overall, it is so sad that this film was underpromoted and never found it's niche. There were some improvements that could have been made, but the performances were amazingly strong. And to think that Rob did this at 23? Yeah, amazing.

Okay, on to posts...

Susie~ It is wonderful to watch what he chooses as he moves forward, isn’t it? I will never leave behind The Saga or see it as anything other than a gift for him. But, I love seeing the intentionality and intelligence with which he is approaching his career from this point forward.

Grayce~ Thanks for the awesome SWatH pics. I’m so jazzed for that film. I have loved the transformation we’ve seen of him so far; from gangly yet beautiful reluctant hero in HP&tGoF to where he is now. I can only imagine it will keep getting even better. On the other hand, maybe the fact that it’s a movie about the military written by a man who has a great history of writing those stories will get him in the theater, thus allowing him to see Rob in a new light. One can hope anyways. What a wonderful way to phrase support for the troops. There is absolutely a difference. I do wonder if we are more sensitive to it in the States because of our experience with Viet Nam vets and how they were treated upon their return?

Tracy~ I’m still waiting on an official release date. We were told December originally and after the debacle with BA, I’m a little gunshy. Oh absolutely!!! I love the cerebral nature of the role for him. One of the things that has always captured me about Rob is how overwhelmingly intelligent he truly is. I think this kind of role is right up his alley. “Hopping on Rob’s bandwagon” Girl, you CANNOT say things like that to me after I’ve spent the weekend watching Bel Ami! And the irony, of course, is that David Cronenberg has said time and again that he learned a lot about what Rob was capable of in a film from watching Twilight, the physical restraint with which he could work. Don’t get me started on critics. It seems to me they’ve lost sight of their true job and decided to make social commentary instead. Otherwise, there would be a lot more information about how the actors portray their characters, how truly the script translates to the screen, and much less about vampires shouldn’t glitter and so and so isn’t a good role model.

Lynne~ I actually love that tagline! It truly grabs you. I haven’t gotten a chance to get very far into the book, but I’ll let you know the direction his character takes as I do. Ach, but it would be soooo cool if Rob actually filmed in Australia! Right now, the only news I’ve seen on The Rover is that they are wanting filming to begin in the fall, which worries me a bit. Our man will be quite the busy one, what with promotion for Cosmopolis and BD2 as well. I prefer the phrase sole reason versus only reason. It sounds, somehow, more profound. AWWWWWWWW, Harry’s so cute!! Is he a mix between a Setter and a Cocker or a Golden and a Cocker? How did you come to adopt dear Harry?

Marielle~ Darlin’, I know you have an issue with the man buzzed. We shall just have to agree to disagree on that. But, I honestly don’t think the hairstyle that a character calls for plays any kind of role in what movies he chooses. After all, look at the Eric Packer haircut. And he KEPT that, too!!! I saw the news about Kellan and it does not surprise me at all.

Desiree~ The Rock is aka Dwayne Johnson. As much as I am not a girl for a musclebound man, he is most certainly on my List. And, I don’t know that I’d go so far as to take the Oscars off the table, particularly with Mission Black List. The academy has shown a lot of preference for movies that show the realism of war.

Sean~ I missed Ms. Kristen on Leno, but watched the YouTube of it. Poor girl, with all her movie related injuries. But, gods bless her for going after it without holding back.

Tonise~ You must get out around the same time we do. My boys are out on May 23rd. I, obviously, will be staying at the hotel. I need to call and confirm what the room price will be with my discount, because that could change the cost per person. I’m going to do that today and I will PM you with what I find out. I’m all in on a “snack budget” contribution.

Susan~ As I told Lynne, I’ll let you know how the book unfolds as to the violent content. I’m always surprised at the things that you cannot just pick up at the store. Something like strawberry Jello seems like such a staple here in the States. Really? I didn’t see that on your page. How did he say it? Of course, FB is always lacking context and other cues. But, honestly, why would he think you needed to be told that?

AnnMarie~ Still cannot believe how lucky you are to have been face to face!

MiniMe~ I’m getting seriously concerned that you in a car is a magnet for disastrous situations! I’m glad you are okay. Deer can do some serious damage. The mission trip sounds really cool. Those are the kinds of things I did when I was doing Youth Council back in the day. I always loved those trips. Yep, it’s amazing how quiet and safe a car can feel. It’s one of the reasons I don’t mind driving to kingdom come and back for work. It gives me time to think and just kind of clear my head. Good luck in class today.

Alright, for those of you who got allllllllllllll the way through that, a small parting gift.

[GrayceM]

I so wish I could be with ya’ll in Chicago. It sounds like so much fun. We’re headed to KY this weekend and there’s only four of us going, the husband and I, a friend whose wife recently left him and the boys’ stepdad. So, being the only female there, it looks like I’ll actually be in Forks this weekend! They usually go night riding and I don’t do that. I’ll stay at the campground with the puppies and Rob

I switched over to see if there was a movie “On Demand” that I wanted to watch and saw a commercial for Bel Ami! I could watch it on there before it’s at theaters…well, before it’s at theaters here in the states. I wonder if the husband would notice the charge? ... Normally, when I watch On Demand, it’s for one of the channels we pay for so those movies are free.
Finally spent the weekend without a sore throat and although my allergies are wreaking havoc with my sinuses, I think I may make it through Spring!
Told my friend about Rob’s upcoming role…he was less than amused. He actually thought I was joking! I Love it!

Susie - You know…I don’t have any idea about the WTC at the time we went. I was little and I’m not sure we even got out of the car inside the city. One reason I’d like to go back now…The picture we have is from inside the car. Our home movies look like that though…miles of the side of the road, mountains, road signs, overlooks, scenic views, and then there’s a shot of my sister and me waving at the camera…back to the passenger side of the road driving.

Lynne - Harry is adorable! I saw the pic you posted on the other thread. And I’m glad he’s getting along well with the family.
Guess there’s no chance of getting chapter two, huh?
The tagline was excellent! Did I tell you that already? Oh well, in case I didn’t… Since I don’t know what the book is exactly about I think the use of “sole” is appropriate, but would you be able to use:
What if he told you…
“You are the sole reason I was put on this planet”
…and you found out that was true?

Songbird - I think any brand of condensed milk would work. I know the Eagle brand is what we buy but I can’t imagine it takes much different. I don’t buy a lot of brand name things as long as I can compare ingredients. I don’t think I’ve ever had zucchini bread but I imagine it’s pretty good.
I think your friend did exactly the right thing. If she dealt with her ex about this and it’s gone beyond “trying” it, then there needs to be a stop to it. She’s too young for this to become a habit and the only way for it not to is to go extreme when this comes up. Scare or humiliate her just enough so that she doesn’t ever want to be caught again.

I know the feeling. I have a cousin who is openly gay and a lot of people still find the urge to mention it. I can’t even look at his Facebook page most of the time…some of his party pictures are almost too much.
I’ve realized more of the guys I knew in high school are gay than I would have ever thought at the time. Makes sense now…

Things like that have never bothered me I guess. It’s getting brought up a lot recently though because NC is having the “Vote” on the Amendment One Marriage during primary elections this week. I think it’s silly and a waste of time. Why don’t people come up with something that is necessary instead of wasting everyone’s time opposing something so…so not relevant? I don’t propose that I know what God’s idea is for the human race but I do know that I’m in no position to judge someone else’s lifestyle or to boycott something that does not affect my life. Most insurance companies already recognize “domestic partnerships” and you can leave your life insurance to anyone you choose, so what’s the need to be married? And more importantly, why protest the ones who do want to marry. What possible difference is it going to have on my life if the gay couple living down the street, share the same bed as well as the same last name? It’s going to happen whether or not I agree with it… and it’s not like people are going to stop being gay in NC just because I do or don’t agree with something.

Brenda - I’m so glad you’ve decided to expand your horizon. You can have a lot of influence on a child’s life by helping their parents deal with separation and divorce. Children learn by example so if the parent is handling it badly, the child will too.
I almost wish I had the nerve to go back to school for family law. I am very interested in it, but the job market is just too unstable for me to take a risk that big. Maybe when the kids are grown and there’s not so much to pay for all the time.
I went to school for Medical Office Assistant and I will have those school loans paid off in September! I had them deferred for a year several times in between jobs, so I’ve ended up paying more than my share of the actual loan over the years, but it will be done so I’m not anxious to have that cost back on me just yet either.

Sean - I thought Kristen was extremely cute and she always seems so overwhelmed when people ask her directly about herself. I loved it when he asked how she injured her foot and she sort of ducked her head when she said “Breaking Dawn” like she knew the reaction that was going to get and was anticipating it. The audience didn’t disappoint either. Did she say “puncture wound”? wonder what happened… Oh! I’ve got the husband and boys all geared up to go, probably the weekend it comes out. Since the boys will be getting out of school the next week and we’ll be gone that weekend. I’ll let ya’ll know, but it seriously does look like it’s going to be excellent!

Caryn - I think that’s exactly why we are so sensitive to the way our military men and women are treated. The treatment of Vietnam vets was almost entirely unknown until later on and by then a lot of them had gotten used to the treatment. I think it’s horrible to go off to do your sworn duty and have people protesting back home, to go through what those men went through and then when they do get to come home, are looked down on or worse. Vietnam was not their choice. Neither is where they are now. But to have to go through all that for people who are not grateful for the sacrifice...
Someone has to do it…and for those of us not brave enough to do it ourselves…I take great pride in having so many friends and family serving or have served in the military. One of the women I work with has a nephew in the Marines. He was actually captured and tortured a year ago, but was rescued. He was in a detox facility for 3 months afterwards and he signed up and went right back in…Can you imagine?

Marielle - How was this last house? I know you were more optimistic about it...

Hey Tracy, Jaclyn, Suzan and everyone else I may have missed!

Guess I should get to work, since I only have a couple days this week. I may try to find out the code at the campground and take the laptop. I can get signal but only at the top.

[Songbird]

Caryn, I'm excited for you that you got to see Bel Ami! When does it come out on video? I know I saw it advertised somewhere, but don't remember the release date. Yes, there are a lot of things that we consider "staples" that don't exist here. This is why it's sometimes an adventure to find a good recipe that works! The thing on FB...he just said "Your brother is gay." The thing is that this is a guy who bullied us in high school and I had reservations about adding him to fb in the first place, but thought at 35 years old, he's bound to have grown up. And my brother added him and he was worse to my brother than he was to me, so I added him. But we haven't talked, there's been no argument, no conversation, no debate....I have never commented on his page and he's never commented on mine. And he's been on there for...probably a year or so? So I have no idea why he just randomly posted this on my wall and what his motivation or intent were. Was he trying to be funny? Was he trying to upset me? Was he trying to upset my brother? Did he truly just think I didn't know and it was his duty to tell me? Was he stoned out of his mind and didn't know what he was typing? Several of my friends have kind of jumped in and not so much told him off as made it look pathetic just by using sarcasm. It's still there on my profile. I'm thinking I might unfriend him though. I'm usually someone who gives people the benefit of the doubt, but given the randomness of it and our history, I'm inclined to think his motive was not altruistic. He's not responding at all, so I kind of think he knows that it was a jerky thing to do and no one thought it was funny. But yeah, that's the thing about FB...you can't see a facial expression or hear the tone of voice, or read other clues into it to define a reason or intent.
What a nice parting gift!
Grayce, the thing with them WANTING to be able to get married is that there are some benefits offered to married couples that civil unions don't have. And gay couples aren't protected by law...for example, my brother is married, but not legally. It's not legal in Wyoming. If something happened to his husband, and he left everything in his will to my brother, his family could contest it and because they are not legally married and are gay, they would most likely win and my brother would get nothing. (they wouldn't do that, but they COULD) Also, benefits like health insurance through work that only counts for legal spouses, they can't get that. Technically, they can be fired for the sole reason that they are gay. There's no protection against discrimination of gay individuals. I know that doesn't really have anything to do with being married, but the thing that a lot of people misunderstand is that the so called "special treatment" that the gay community is asking for is actually equal rights. They want the same protections and rights that every other citizen is guarunteed. They aren't asking for EXTRA rights, just the rights they are already supposed to have based on the constitution, but that are denied to them because they are gay. If something happens to my brother and he ends up in the hospital ICU where only spouses or immediate family were allowed in, his husband wouldn't be allowed to be at his side. THAT'S why they want the "marriage" to be legal...it's those little things that come only with marriage that we all take for granted and he can't have.
Have fun in KY!!! And Forks!

[marielle]

Hello all!!!

Pfff I found a few minutes to type a post!!!

We went to see that second house I posted on fb last week. I’m so undecided about it… I really loved the town and neighborhood of that house and I loved the lay out of the house but it needs a lot of work, almost too much considering the asking price. And my mind is still thinking about the house we saw on Friday. Pffff…. I hate shopping homes in Holland, give me the country in England and I would pick out the prefect chocolate box house…

Alright, now…

Grayce, I’m know you are right about the troops… and don’t get upset with me but I don’t have much to do with military. A friend of mine went to Iraq and Afghanistan, he came back a changed man, I can never decided if it was good or not for him… that’s why I really hate the war…differentiate is difficult

Ann-marie, I thought I saw something different with your hair… are you going to dye it the same color again?

Tonise, I send you a reply to your HH-con things on FB… but a quick sum up, if you need me to take care of some things in Chicago before you get there, let me know, I have two days of shopping possibilities there.

Tracy, due to my heart issues my overall resistance to things is a bit less, the small skin inflammations happen all the time, just a scratch can be enough if it’s on the wrong place but the one I had last weeks was located on a spot that made walking very painful, it’s now almost gone, just waiting for my skin to heal…
The house we went to see today was in a town that still lived by small village’s standards, with friendly neighbors and active communities. I kind of miss that in the city.

Songbird, my allergy for ferns is worst when the atmosphere is damp but in general I get it just being around them… walking in a forest can make me insanely itchy… I have already ordered extra lotions and meds for the vacation.
When I friend came home from his first mission we held a big party for him… it was just shocking to see how much he had changed… it was a good change in general but I had a hard time with it anyway...

Caryn, thank you for your Bel Ami review… I expected you to be away for that, watching it a dozen times… As you were expecting to hate his character, I don’t think you can… you just can’t hate anything Rob…
I loved the Eric Parker cut (at least when you mean that half shaved)… I hate the slick do… It’s not that I don’t like the short version I just always have been drawn to men with long, punk or weird hair do’s . Yeah, I think Rob is already getting that movie mode, I guess it will be his first movie he does this fall. I expect the Aussie movie demand a bit more hair…

Alright I still have to figure out how my rented satnav works… So I’ll see you all tomorrow!

[Tornado]

We had a public holiday here yesterday, so today will be Harry's first test at 'normal' life with our family, with Little Man going to school, and all. I hope he'll handle it okay. Last night he was a bit disruptive at first until I went out in a rage and yelled at him, and we didn't hear another peep from him after that!

I emailed my publisher about putting my first chapter on my novel page yesterday, and she doesn't want me to do it yet, as she doesn't think it's ready. This is frustrating for me, but I understand her reasoning, so I'll just have to wait a little longer.

Ann Marie - yes, he's settling in pretty well, better than I expected!

Songbird - it makes me so happy to hear you say that. If you can write that on my author page when it comes out, and tell everyone you know about it (but don't show them the chapter!) that would be great! I don't know if Harry's had any other training, or if he's just the kind of dog who picks things up quickly. He's certainly very intelligent.

Caryn - I'm glad you like the tagline. I value your opinion greatly. Yes, it would be cool if Rob films over here. It would be great just to know he is spending a few months in Australia! I enjoyed your take on Bel Ami. In a few weeks I will be able to add my own thoughts.

Grayce - hm, your change is not a bad idea. I'll think about it ...

[Chernaudi]

Hi everyone.

We're having a big rainstorm where I'm at. Nothing insanely major, but water is backed up at a drain and it's leaking into the front door. Sucks, but sometimes happens and I'll be getting much better weather after today.

I also got some more of my stuff in the mail today. Some aircraft info papers and my WWII aircraft book. All I have to wait for now is a couple of magazines, and that'll be all my ebay stuff.

Remember that Kristen will on Jimmy Kimmel tonight and she'll also be attending the Met Fashion Gala. I'll be watching that and Top Gear and Crash Course, as well as reading and playing some VGs once TG and Crash Course are over. I'm also wondering about what I'm gonna eat tonight. I've narrowed it down to either some Mexican flavored rolls and a chicken parm pizza. I have a lasagna thing that I'd like to try, but that seems to be a project for tomorrow night.

Ann-Marie: The Audi videos are at Audi TV under the Spa WEC section and at a You Tube channel called LeMans Live.

Songbird: If that's the case, I don't know if you can see the videos or not. At least the Audi TV stuff that I'm recommending to Ann-Marie is world wide.

Beth: Kristen, ever since the fame and the stuff with Rob, has never been comfortable with personal questions unless it's work related.

Caryn: At least we can't say that Kristen doesn't throw herself at her roles, can we?

I'll be back later My yard is water logged, but the storm has mostly passed now. At least I won't have to worry about our well going dry anytime soon.

[Susie]

Hi All!

I guess I'm making a habit of taking days off now!

Strange BD Dream. It must have been because I was reading about how Caryn was going to watch Bel Ami in advance online that in my dream we could watch BD2 in advance online too. Except that when I watched it, it was nothing like BD2 at all - it was sort of like BD.5 or and definitely not written by Stephenie Meyer. The story went off on a tangent that was anything but satisfying! Bella wanted to make sure she got to date around a lot before she committed all to Edward by becoming a vampire. It was so out of character and Edward just had to wait in the background while a parade of average Joes went out on dates with Bella. (There was no sleeping around) The movie was horrible and I was outraged! I shudder to think what Caryn would think if she had a dream like that!


Now on to your posts -

Well lookey here! NewJen was here last Friday. Now don’t that beat all!

NewJen – The zoo with 100 five-year olds? Are you sure you’re not exaggerating? Reminds me of the movie “We bought a Zoo” with Matt Damon. Great family movie. Have you seen it?

Tonise – Wow – only 3 more weeks of teaching for you! You sure deserve the break. I’m glad you’ll have time to relax before the big HHCon. Well you know I’ll be at HHCon al l three nights. I’d be happy to put down a deposit of some sort. The hostesses should have a little meeting I think.

Sean – Poor Kristen – always getting hurt on the job. Too bad she hurt her foot during the reshoot of Bella’s first hunt. Sorry about all the rain you’re having. I hope your house doesn’t get flooded. Enjoy watching Kristen tonight.

Marielle – I agree that looking for a house is nerve wracking. Don’t think it would be that much different in the UK. Do you know how much those cute little houses cost? Just keep looking and the house will find you. That’s how we felt about our house (we’ve been here for 22 years now). It was hard finding all the elements we wanted at the price we wanted in the neighborhood we wanted. We shifted the neighborhood just a little bit and then could afford what we wanted. It turned out to be a great neighborhood and very close to the one we wanted so we still go there for shopping etc. Good luck. I hope your skin inflammation is better. Sonny is doing better in school. His last day of class is Friday and then he is done with finals the next Tuesday.

Songbird – My experience with cake flour is that you can just substitute regular flour. It won’t be as fine, but it’s still good. I know the meaning of “Coffee Shop” in Holland – it’s all so bizarre for us American’s isn’t it? So I’d have to call it a café so that people wouldn’t misunderstand me, right? I talked to Marielle and Suzan about that. Root Beer! That’s making me crave a rootbeer float right now. We used to have them in the summer when I was growing up. Totally agree about the dufus who made the tacky post on fb regarding your brother.

JennJenn – Wow. That time is going to go by quickly!

Ann Marie – Hooray for having a current passport! Good thing you checked just to make sure. A year since you saw Rob – it is a timeless memory though, right? I saw your most recent card on facebook and I loved it. Very fun. What course are you taking this term?

Lynne – Your tagline is very intriguing. I would have loved to have a guy say that to me back when I was younger. I love your cute new puppy, Harry! You’ve got a real adjustment at your house, don’t you? They say if the mom is onboard it usually works out. If mom isn’t 100% in favor of getting a dog, it usually doesn’t work out because guess who does most of the doggy duty?

Ashley – Two deer ran out at your car? How scary! You’ll have to get used to watching for them. Did they get killed? I watched Sherlock last night too! What did you think of it? It thought it was good, but way too detailed and confusing – like they were trying too hard. The Dominatrix was over the top. I guess men liked that part, though.

Tracy – Arrington Vineyards – Sounds like a great location for the next HH Mini-Con! You must have appreciated that especially since you had such a busy week. My knee is a little better and maybe it wasn’t a tear. Not sure. But since I switched to Celebrex I don’t feel as well as I did on my mega ibuprofen dose. My acid reflux is quite a bit better, though, so I guess I stick with the Celebrex for now.

Brenda – I love that pic of Rob and Kris at the London premiere. So natural. I liked her dress and his suit better there than what they wore to the U.S. premiere (which was still very nice). That dress is just stunning. Congrats on your Nook! You’ll really enjoy that, knowing how much you like to read. I’m a hold out. Of course I use the excuse “two kids in college” to explain why I’m so low tech. I’m going to put the Muppets on my list for movies to watch at school in between classes while I rest!

Caryn – Poor sunsick girl! That is definitely not fun. At least you got to see Bel Ami three times! Loved your detailed review. It just kills me that you probably typed that all up effortlessly as a first draft. What a mind you have! Now I’m dying to know what the “uncomfortable” scene was. Was it something that could also be done in Cosmopolis? Something kinky? Something abusive? Do tell!

Grayce – If you only saw NYC from a car window, you definitely have to plan a trip there with your hubs. This weekend in Forks – you must mean that you’ll be in Forks in your mind because you’ll be watching Twilight ? Night riding – that sounds pretty darned scary.

Time for Bed!

Night Night!