Rob's Halfway House -- #7

[Jazz Girl]

Good.. oops... guess it's already afternoon. Looks like I got a little busier this morning than I thought. Any who, I absolutely HAVE to start my post of with lots and lots of hootin' and hollerin' to support my Dawgs, who play Wisconsin tonight in the Sweet 16. So, with that... *cough* *clears throat*

The Butler WAR SONG!!!! *sidenote* I can actually be heard playing in that rendition. I'm on the cymbals!

We now return to our regularly scheduled posting...

Jaclyn~ Happy Birthday!!! Here's hoping it's RobTastic!

Tracy~ Oh, you just zip it with your older talk! Age is a number, it’s attitude that matters. And, with no small thanks to Rob, we all enjoy the attitude of an 18-year-old most days. Besides, just remember that my monkeys are older than yours! It is true that Rob could make awkward prom pictures look like a Hollywood set. And, I’m the first to admit that it usually takes me several..erm…hours of staring before I even notice these things. But, to me, background and how you frame a subject are just as important as the subject themselves. For me, it’s more of a respect issue for the subject of the photos, something I tend to be hyper-aware of with Rob anyways. In the past, it just felt like they weren’t giving Rob the respect of having a decent shoot. The last EW cover/shoot involving Rob that I really liked was the 2008 Twilight shoot. Since then, it’s like they don’t want to bother with him, so they pull him into an empty room, let him wear his own clothes, snap a few pics and that’s the end of it. But, this shoot… WOWZA!! Both of them dressed to the 9s in 1930’s glamour, bringing in Tai… the whole lot just says, “this is an important moment.”

Yes, the “disgusting moment” was the dog forcing contact on Bella and her punching him in the face. And I totally agree that the Harry/Hermione horcrux kiss just doesn’t belong. I don’t know that Bonnie and Dan don’t have chemistry. I just think we haven’t been able to see it. The books, IMO, especially Halfblood Prince, focus more on the development of the relationship between Harry and Ginny. The movies really kind of gloss over that, save maybe the scene in the RoR when they hide the book. There’s not even a mention of the fact that they are, in fact, dating at the end of HBP, nor do we see any of the tension between them at the wedding in BD1.

Yes, Rob looking so sweet with Queenie… just… *sigh* It’s the vulnerability it shows. With animals, you love them completely. You make yourself vulnerable to something weaker than you are. Showing that… it’s just… love. At first, I was kind of surprised that all the promo stuff started so early. But, now, I’m rather glad. More time to enjoy it!

Marielle~ You tease!!! We knew you all were up to something! That’s so awesome that you get to hang with Susie and SonnyBoy! Have so so much fun. It seems like such a long time to wait. But, what’s going to kill me more is the wait between BD 1 and BD 2. I can wait the 5 months between trailer and film because we know we’ll be getting other stuff. But, that YEAR!! Lord, I will not survive that. Oh, by the way, I’m going to thank you for Jaclyn’s bday giftie. That was just luscious.

Susie~ You SNEAK!!! Well played, sister. Well played. Well, we can't wait to hear all about your adventures with Marielle and SonnyBoy. Be safe and post soon.

Raine~ Good lord!! I’d be a mess. I don’t mind drills and I suppose it’s smart to try to recreate actual conditions so that you’re prepared. But still.. Well, at least you got in some window shopping. I do hope you were able to get your work done. WOW!! I thought taking a trip to San Francisco for work was nice!! That looks like paradise! YAY!! Another one sucked into the fantasticness that is WfE!! I do love me some Walter, too. I think what makes the novel so great is the way Sarah Gruen writes her characters. She doesn’t pull any punches. So she shows you, almost at the same time both the good and bad sides of people, she makes them sympathetic. And, how can you not have just a little love for a man who adores his dog the way he does Queenie! By the way, I happen to have an extra copy of VF if you would like a sister to help you out. I’m more than happy to send it along, along with a copy of EW that I can pick up for you if you like. Just let me know…

Alright ladies. Lunch is calling.

Laters, sisters!

[StellaBlueBella]

Hello Ladies! So when I first joined the Lex I stopped by here and I have to say I was totally lost. I'd never participated in a forum site before, never heard of fanfiction (gee that one didn't take long), and was pretty shy about it. Even though Ginnie assured me there was nothing to be shy about. Thanks to her trying to explain what everyone was talking about I discovered fanfic and got... uhmmm... distracted for a wee bit. So months later, here I am. I won't promise not to be confused but I am not so shy anymore. Sorry for the long over due introduction....

Plus, I am just following VolturiGirl around, lol.

Can I just say the best thing about the EW cover is that Rob is with someone who is actually a few years older than myself... It's like ohhh that could be me... And I feel less like a dirtly old lady, ha! Of course Reese my have a few things I don't but that is totally beside the point!

[missp]

Hi, Girls! I have dinner with friends in a few, but I wanted to drop in and say hello for the day!

SUSIE~~ I knew you were up to something, Girlie!! Sneaky Sneaky!! Have fun!

[SwanCullen]

I had a big post all typed up and the post eating troll ate it Anyways. Hope you have a Happy Birthday Jacklyn! Our weather being Cullen weather yesterday was stormy. It hailed a LOT, it hasn't hailed in a long time so it was odd. Susie, hope you all have lots of fun!

[Susie]

Hi Everyone!

I’m back home now and feeling a bit horrible from being on a plane for 8.5 hours. It’s now 1:30 am to my body, but 7:30pm here in Minneapolis. I’m making myself stay up a little more before I fall into bed. Maybe I’m getting too old for these quick trips?? Nah

The cat’s out of the bag now. Yes. I was in Amsterdam with Sonny Boy and got to see Marielle and her boyfriend!! It was so great to see her again – it felt so comfortable talking to her, sort of like we talk every day. Hey- we do talk to each other every day!! She looked gorgeous! I got to see the things she had told us about on the thread: blonde highlights in her hair, cool new glasses, sleek new coat, and great boots. I also have a picture to post, but I’m too jetlagged right now to do it. I’ll do it tomorrow.

It was a quick trip and seemed even shorter because Sonny Boy had just caught a bad cold the day we left and then the next night had a fairly high fever! Luckily the fever was gone the next day, the day we were to meet Marielle. Still, he missed out on some sightseeing. We had beautiful weather – 3 days of sunshine - we only needed light jackets. Back in Minnesota, it snowed 8” while we were gone! It’s very white here.

OK – Here is my effort to catch up on four pages of posts –

Lulu – Your little one is growing up! TEETH!! I hope he isn’t too uncomfortable.

Caryn – I see there is no rest for the wicked – traveling for work again! Wasn’t it just the embryonic sac that had to be chewed through? Great new WfE stills. I’m still drooling. The EW cover – I too was at a loss for words, but It’s not often you are! I’m a sneak??? Well, a girl’s gotta have some fun! Go DAWGS! Why is the game so late tonight?? I’m hoping that I’m still the good luck charm!

Marielle – It was great seeing you again!!! Too bad the time was so short. Thanks for posting the pics. I got to see your cool new phone – GREAT pic of Rob for your wallpaper! That is an adorable pic of PFach in Nurse Jackie. I don’t know if I want to see Robward chew Renesmee out…..Hey, does your bf know about the dreams you have????

Jaclyn – Happy Birthday!! (again) I know you’ll have a fun celebration. Can’t wait to hear about it. Are you a quarter of a century now? I’m glad you finished WfE!! Now you know why we were so insistent that you start reading it! You’ll enjoy seeing the movie more after having read it. The WfE premier at the same theatre? There must be a bigger screen there than the one went to. I’m trying to picture a red carpet outside.

Raine – I can’t wait for the Official Illustrated Guide either! You get a 2 day company outing at the beach – expenses paid? That is amazing – I don’t think many companies here would do that. You’re lucky. Sorry about the earthquake/fire drill at such an inopportune time for payroll – and walking down 25 floors??? Exhausting.

Penny – Is it time for the MTV Movie awards voting already??? BEST KISS! BEST KISS! BEST KISS! BEST KISS! BEST KISS! BEST KISS! BEST KISS!

Chrissy – I’m so sorry you are so sick! Hang in there!! It sounds like you got the virus that was going around this winter!

Volturi Girl – Welcome to the Halfway House! Consider yourself invited! I’m usually here faithfully everyday, but I’ve been on a trip. I think I’ve seen you over on the fanfic discussion threat, right? Kindergarten! You are about to enter a new phase of motherhood. My youngest is graduating from high school in June, so I am also entering a new phase! Please settle in and get comfy here – you’ll get to know us fairly quickly. From your response to Caryn’s post of the WfE stills, I’d say you fit right in!!

Tracy – Your vacation in the mountains sounds perfect! I wish we would have had another family like that to hang out with! Thank you so much for that EW pic – Rob looks divine – THUD is right! And even Caryn has run out of superlatives!

JennJenn – It took me a little while to get “Cullen weather” – overcast, right? Ok Now I get it – stormy baseball weather! Sorry about the post eating troll! How frustrating!

Christina – Your poor kitties!! I can only try to remember what 80 degrees is like, though. Actually I don’t like to be cold and I don’t like to be hot either. Naughty little kids. Thanks for your review of that movie – I was intrigued by it. Ok now that I’m back you can PM me some comments on that latest installment. I didn’t really want to stop there – I just ran out of time. I’ll write more next week.

Tonise – Once you get the kids started on the test, can’t you just sit back and Lex? I suppose that wouldn’t be very professional, would it?

Stella Blue Stella – Welcome to the Halfway House!! Are you Volturi Girl’s buddy? I’ve seen you on the boards. Are you from Alabama? Did you know that’s where MissP (Tonise) is from? Hang around here and you won’t feel like a dirty old lady – you’ll just feel normal. For the record, I’m sure I’m the oldest here –52, but young at heart!! You mentioned Ginnie – the famous Virginia May – I’m one of her betas and I met her in October!


I saw three movies today on the flight – Charlie St. Cloud (liked it), Black Swan (not fun to watch), Eat Pray Love (pretty good). I saw Easy A on the way to Amsterdam (good light entertainment). Actually, I’m pretty sick of watching movies now. I’ll recover in time for WfE, don’t you worry!

OK Now I think I’m ready to go to bed. It feels good to catch up with you all. Now I’ll be back to my normal routine.

Nighty Night!

[dazzel21]

Morning HH Sister!!!

Notice my greeting has no "good", arrrghhh I got caught up in traffic on the way to the office. I was on the bus for 2 hours. How annoying is that. I'm an hour late for work, good thing my boss is not yet in.

Caryn - Can I take advantage of your offer . I have tried calling every bookstore here, no such luck. I would really really appreciate it. Just tell me what I have to do.

StellaBlueBella - Hi! Welcome to the HH. Its nice to see, I would say "new face in the crowd" but that just seem wrong, so I'll just say "It's nice to see a new name in the thread ". Feel free to post as often as you like.

Tonise - . Hope you had fun having dinner with your friends.

JennJenn - Aww sorry about the big post typed being lost. Happens to all of us at one point. Cheer up! How's the writing coming up??

Susie - Yay back home already. It's great that you could spend your last spring break with sonny boy before he left home for college. Do kids in US still spend spring break with their parents once in college??? Out here we call spring break as semestral break or sem break and I remember when I was in college I would always go back to our town every sem break to spend some time with my parents.

I think that's it. My boss is already here.
Time to do some proper work.
Later.

[older_twilight_fan]

Hello ladies! Thank God tomorrow's Friday. After being out of town for a couple of days, it's always difficult to transition back to a couple of very busy days at work....but only one more day to go. Any exciting plans for the weekend, anyone?

They're ridiculously adorable

Jaclyn~ Hope you had a wonderful birthday! If you can't find a copy of the upcoming EW issue in Scotland, I'd be happy to send you one for your birthday.

Susie~ You and Marielle are so very sneaky, especially seeing as Jaclyn and I were dead sure you were visiting Lulu as we speak. Hope you had a wonderful visit together, and it's neat that Marielle was able to meet Sonny Boy. I'm sorry he wasn't up for much sightseeing with his bad cold, and hope he's feeling better. I'm not too keen on watching Robward chew Renesmee out of Bella either, and really wonder how they'll faithfully adapt that scene. Get some rest hon. You still have next week off work too, right? You must definitely be Caryn's good luck charm for Butler, because they won again and have made it to the Elite Eight.

Stella~ Welcome to the Halfway House--as Caryn recently mentioned to VolturiGirl.... where our motto is: we don't cure the addiction to Rob, we feed the addiction. Fanfiction can certainly be very distracting--to the point of neglecting housework, jobs, kids, and husbands. And please don't feel like a dirty old lady around here. I'm old enough to technically be Rob's mom, if she had him when she was eighteen. We'd love to see you around more frequently, and hope you have as much fun as we do.

Caryn~ Congrats again to your Bulldogs! Great job holding off Wisconsin's little run at the end of the game. Good luck on Saturday! I do love how glamorous both Rob and Reese look in the EW shoot as you mentioned....like old Hollywood movie stars. He just looks so incredibly grown up, especially when you compare the likes of this picture to to this thing of beauty .
I agree with you about the Harry Potter movies neglecting the development of the Harry/Ginny relationship. They kind of missed the chance to showcase the H/G romance in Half-Blood Prince, instead focusing a bit more on the Rob/Lavender business....espeically with the "after-Quidditch" kiss in the common room, which should have belonged to Harry and Ginny instead.

Raine~ The earthquake/fire drill sounds somewhat frightening and almost a little too real. I'm sure you were all emotionally and physically exhausted, especially with having to finish the payroll tasks in less time. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed WFE too, and you're certainly among the majority here who've loved the book. I really think it's going to be a wonderful movie, especially considering how tricky it can be to faithfully and successfully adapt books to the screen. I'm also looking forward to meeting the supporting characters such as Walter and the other roustabouts (sp?). Congrats on your upcoming vacation--on your company's dime. What a sweet deal! You work hard enough, and you certainly deserve it.

Marielle~ I'm glad you enjoyed your brief visit with Susie and were able to meet Sonny Boy. You're quite the sneaky one too.

[marielle]

Good morning ladies……

Last day of the week!!! Yay!!!!
I’m so ready to be done with this week and be able to catch up on some sleep…and I’m going to visit a friend who just had a baby…

Anyone else has any plans…

Raine, wow, with Japan still on our mind that drill must have shaken you to the core…annoying that it has been done in such a busy period, but Quakes come when they want as well so it’s probably for the best….

You go Caryn!! Yes age is just a number, how you feel is much more important…I feel 80 at the moment but I always do in the morning…
Oh bugger, I totally forgot about the year in between, that just plain evil…and to think that we probably get only 3 or 4 trailers throughout that year…How are we going to survive…

Welcome StellaBlue!!! There is no need for you to be shy in the HH……non of us is easily offended or shy…I’m sure you will enjoy staying around and feeding on Rob-crack…

Susie, you are making me blush!!! Yeah, I guess we do talk every day here...*laughs*…funny huh…like we said, it’s just like a normal group of friends…aww, poor girl, you went from the best spring weather ever back to snow…I would have gone crazy…
To your question, Uhm…. That’s a NO, but he can’t complain about them either, the real smutty dreams he benefits from as well… .

Tracy, nah, I’m not sneaky…Susie just like to keep things a surprise and I of course went along…

I have to go and help a co-worker…see you all later

[Jazz Girl]

Well just look at all that pretty Butler Blue!!! GAH!!! Way to go, DAWGS!!! Jeez, they are seriously trying to test my blood pressure of late. But, no matter. We held firm and did what we needed to do to send Wisconsin packing. Now it is on to the Gators of Florida on Saturday. Florida has knocked us out of the tournament twice. Well, I’m thinking the third time is our charm, baby!!

Alright, enough of my jumping up and down and celebrating like a loon. On to posts!

Stella~ LOL! Considering Rob once played Reese’s son, the whole idea of him now playing her lover just tickles me pink. We’re just glad you joined us. We’re, as you might notice, a pretty welcoming lot. So, welcome!

Tonise~ Hope you enjoyed supper out.

JennJenn~ Bad Troll!!! But, we're glad to see even a few words from you.

Susie~ A quick trip to Amsterdam? Were you and SonnyBoy visiting for a reason, or just the experience? Again, I’m happy you all got to hook up with Ms. Marielle. So much fun! Sorry SonnyBoy ended up sickly, though. Glad he’s feeling better. Hope you got all caught up on the sleep. I have no idea why we drew the late game. It makes no sense to me. As BYU played in the game just before us, to me, it would have made more sense to have them play late as it was still early afternoon in their market when they started playing. But, that’s why I don’t make those decisions.

Raine~ No worries. Just PM me with your proper mailing address and I will be happy to send it along. I’m all for spreading the RobLove!

Tracy~ Thank you, darlin’. Yes, we’re quite excited around here. I don’t know. I think both of those pictures have their charm. But, yes, Rob looks just classically beautiful in this latest shoot. TeeHee. You made a wee bit of a Freudian slip.. “the Rob/Lavender kiss” No worries. We all have Rob on the brain 24/7. But, I totally agree. I was more than a little upset that we don’t’ really see any of the buildup of the relationship once they get back to school in HBP, and then we don’t really get any of it in 7.1, not the birthday kiss, not the tension between them before the wedding. I do wish they’d put a little of it in.

Marielle~ Safe travels and have fun with your friend and her new wee one.

New Rob Article~ Some of you may have seen recently that Rob was on the cover of Style Italy magazine. It contains one of the interviews he gave during the quick international press tour a few weeks back. I absolutely HAVE to share the interview with you all because it gives us a very different view of Rob, one that just makes me sigh and smile like a lovesick puppy. (Sorry Mods, but I have to post it… it’s just too good not to!) The translation is thanks to @catrux, a regular on Robsessed. It should be noted that the title of the article is Robert Pattinson; The Sun in a Smile. Never truer words were spoken. The man lights up the world with one crooked grin. Enjoy!!

The real prototype of these generational mutations is Rob Pattinson: 24 years old, an Englishman in Hollywood, where he became famous worldwide playing the pale vampire Edward Cullen (and, even before, Cedric Diggory, a model student at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series). He jokingly admits to be “nothing special, one of those who live in hotels and travel the world”. However, he created a new masculine identity, surprising even for the Facebook sub-culture who’s made him a star via the social network. Today is the eve of an important test for him: his new movie, WFE: he’s the protagonist of a melodramatic film, set in a circus, from the bestselling book by Sara Gruen. […]

Having been labelled as a teen idol, you’re now being tested as a true actor.
I had this chance to act with Cristoph Waltz and I fall in love with Marlena (Reese), his wife. Travelling with the circus, I visit areas of America far from Hollywood. There are dark secrets in this movie, as in life. And there’s this idea of life-saving love, which I believe in. I’m not cheesy, but I have a romantic soul.

Do you get on well with girls?
I grew up with two older sisters, and I have a great respect for women. I hate the lack of prudishness, I get bored when people are ostentatious of their body. Sex and feeling for me walk side-by-side.

Your rock side: people say you spend nights with your friends listening to Tom Waits, Van Morrison and the late Jeff Buckley.
Music is a key aspect of my life. I wish I could play a movie about Buckley, his voice, his songwriting gave me a lot. I’m interested in his creativity, in his existence, even in his death by drowning in 1997, in the Mississippi.

What kind of use do you do of Internet?
A practical use. My favourite movie last year was The Social Network and one day I’d like to work with David Fincher. Everything he does is interesting, and he got the best out of an actor I really admire, Jesse Eisenberg.

Mr. Pattinson, you’re an idol. Who’s yours?
Jack Nicholson. He had a huge career and he always owned his characters. Whereas, in the end, for a lot of people, I am just Edward the vampire and in my life I’m just Robert. We share the same hairstyle. But when I read an entire article about my hair, I laugh my best British laugh. (Kate: And what a great laugh it is)

By the way: what brought you from London to Hollywood?
Difficult work perspectives. I didn’t have great experiences as an actor, I had posed rather awkwardly as a model; then, cinema. In Vanity Fair I was Reese’s son, while in this last movie I’m her lover.

To be honest, not a great curriculum.
No, and I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to be an actor; I had always thought I was going to be a writer or a musician. But then I fell In love with the adventurous aspect of cinema. And I found the discipline, the ethic, and let me tell you, the inner call, which helped me to give a proper structure to my life.

Fame was next, a non-human fame: the vampire. How did Rob Pattinson protect his persona from fans only interested in a celebrity?
I am a cinephile, I’ve always loved cinema. It’s a passion. Cinema has the most important, and the truest communicative task: it makes us dream, it broadens our imagination, and yes, it can help us become better people. I started studying French just because I was interested in the nouvelle vague director Godard. All of this doesn’t make me a “celebrity” even if I later entered the Hollywood system.

How important was your family in your education?
I have a solid family behind me, two sisters, Lizzie is a musician like me; yes I play piano and guitar and I even wrote songs for Twilight. I remain an Englishman, I still remember my days in a public school, the Harrodian, where I wasn’t an extraordinary student, but always curious and open to cultural variety. My family taught me a sense of reality, of duty, the refusal of any kind of hysteria and I’ve never considered myself superior to Americans because I’m from London. I hate every kind of snobbery: it has often racism behind it.

We know very little about your life. As a man and an actor, how would you describe yourself?
My father Richard sold cars for years, my mother works as an agent in the show business. I started acting almost by chance at school and I played in a band. I never asked for too many clothes and shoes, and I’ve never been a social climber and I’ll never be. I read a lot and I still do; my favourites are the Russian writers, Dostoevskij, Nabokov. They make fun of me on set because I’m always reading stuff. Lately I’ve been reading again my favourite English writer, Martin Amis. His books are extraordinary accounts of contemporary life and psychology.

What was the turning point from the status of young actor to superstar?
I came to a point where I said: I’m going to be a professional actor, looking for the origins of my characters, making something real out of this ephemeral job. This will allow me to live the life I want to live, to be active in green politics, to be a citizen of the world. Fame is an handicap, not a privilege, it often complicates things. I try to not fall in the web of top class hotels, first-class flights, designers sending you tons of stuff, thousands of girls everywhere..

Can you resist everything? Can you define yourself by what you refuse? You’re immune to gossip?
My private life is off-limit. I’ve never spoken about my flirts, I’m not a man for short and superficial love affairs. I don’t talk about my relationships with female friends, not to mention how I don’t talk about my relationship with Kristen Stewart, an actress I admire because she’s a real person, and a real actress. It was the chemistry I had with her helped me to get my role in Twilight. I don’t let people take pics of the houses I rented both in New York and London. When I’m in L.A. I live mostly in hotels. You can live very well in the anonymity of a hotel room, especially when you have a piano to play.

How important do you consider your style, the clothes you wear?
I like dressing Calvin Klein, English shoes, Tshirts and comfortable jeans. I’ve always been influenced by James Dean’s look. Yesterday elegance was conformism, today it’s individuality. Maybe we should find a balance.

Memorable travels around the world?
I avoid going on vacation to trendy places, I prefer road trips with friends, like students who choose nice motels, cafes in the depths of America, where a lot of people can’t even recognize me. Simple people who teach me how life is not Twilight. I travel to keep my feet firmly on the ground.

Are you interested in the real world?
I’m still interested into green politics and animals, preferably without paparazzi following me around. I have a dog, my true life companion, that’s never going to be in a photo shoot. This whole animal welfare thing is deeply in my heart: it was a real joy to be able to work with so many different species in WFE. I have a democratic and liberal concept of my life.

Congratulations. But don’t you think this is a super-serious attitude for an actor famous like you?
This is me, just me: I’m not interested in casual relationships, I need to know people, I’m not making an existential statement here: simply, I want a family, with 2 or 3 kids. Not funny? I really wish I could talk to animals more than to people who think they know me just from my movies.

Cosmopolis, Cronenberg’s move, is really going to be super-serious, from DeLillo’s novel, a metaphorical trip into America before 9/11.
I portray a contemporary man: ambitions, velleity, subterranean anxiety. Great stuff.

And, as if that wasn't enough, the article was accompanied with this shot, which just totally finished off my heart.

I seriously LOVE Tai.

[Susie]

Happy Friday, Girlies!

I just love those EW pics of Rob and Reese!

I just can't get used to the new snow we have on the ground here. It's very white, so I suppose it could be beautiful, but enough is enough. I'm ready for spring!! It won't get above freezing until next Thursday. I sure enjoyed my few days of early spring in Amsterdam. EDIT - Reposting of my picture of Susie and Marielle

Caryn - Congrats on your DAWGS! I'll be cheering for them on Saturday. Reason for going to Amsterdam? REASON? Well, let's just say that meeting up with Marielle was the bonus - other than that - I wanted to cash in on that flight benefit and pick the most exciting trip for Sonny Boy - only a couple of days because we can't afford much more than that - hotels are very expensive there. Hubs just kept telling me not to spend much money...yada yada yada....The 3 direct international flights from Minneapolis are Tokyo (not a good time for that!), London (Sonny's been there a few times already), and Amsterdam. Plus the airport fee for AMS is only $50 whereas the airport fee for LHR is $150!! So, Amsterdam was a no brainer. We were in Business Class going out, which was great since we wanted to sleep. Coach coming back. Remember those days??? I'm thrilled we can still get on as retirees!! The plane was only half full. Good time of year to do it. I enjoyed the Rob article you posted. I'm not surprised by his answers- just affirmed! He is a real down to earth person. I love how he says he doesn't like casual, superficial relationships. Could he possibly be an ENFP???

Marielle - Yes, I really felt like you and I could have talked for ages on Wednesday night. Isn't it cool? I am indeed having trouble adjusting to this weather, but I have to look at it this way - I missed the little snow storm we had here completely. I didn't have to shovel or drive in the mess on Wednesday morning. Back to the winter wardrobe. Your dreams - I'm glad you can tell us about them. I guess I wouldn't tell hubs about those kinds of dreams either!

Tracy - I know what you mean about getting back into the work schedule after missing a few days. I'm going to have trouble when I go back on April 4. Then I'll be in "power teaching" mode. I will take on two additional classes a week for the spring- Friday mornings and Tuesday evenings. I'll be a basket case - that combined with Sonny Boy's graduation. Yikes. I have a feeling the spring will go very quickly. I'll try to get lots of relaxation in next week.

Raine - A 2 hour bus ride? That's terrible. How long does it usually take? That's not a good way to start your day. How do college kids in the US spend spring break? Daughter Dear always comes home, but some kids go somewhere warm. In Minnesota that's a big deal. Spring Break is usually in March when we still have winter, so those who can afford it will usually travel to California, Florida, Arizona, or Mexico. We have free flights, but only if there is room on the plane, so the popular destinations aren't even a possibility for us. I could go to Hawaii in July - but that's when we want to stay in Minnesota!


OK - Time to get something done - I know- STARBUCKS!! Sonny is still sleeping...

Have a great weekend everyone - I'll be checking in periodically....