Saving Beige on Kindle ($3.99)
Hey Everyone! So excited to say the 1st book in my Young Adult – Fantasy/Paranormal Romance series (Sacrificial Fortunes), Saving Beige, is available on Kindle! To see the Sacrificial Fortunes Blog, go to saving beige.wordpress.com
Ready for Love Recap (…and oh yeah – it’s cancelled as of next week!)
I’m doing a really quick recap of Ready for Love because I’ve gotten so many hits on these blogs. I didn’t want to leave people hanging, even it looks like the series will. Next Tuesday it’ll be replaced by Grimm, possibly my favorite scripted show along with Once Upon a Time on ABC. So, I’m a little sad because I’d like to have finished what I started, I love Grimm and Bachelorette will be starting soon enough! ***I do plan on blogging all of Des’ season so bookmark the blog to find your way back May 27!
Tim
Nominated: Christina, Hailey and Taonaya
Christina is the one saved right away. Hailey and Taonaya go to the garden.
Hailey’s nominated because apparently she can’t stop with the bodily fluid references and Amber has a huge problem with it. Hailey’s getting fed up and I’m kind of on her side. Who cares? Tim’s into her and he doesn’t.
Hailey comes up and Taonaya says she’d rather know now and is glad she took a risk.
Ernesto
First off Olivia decides she wants to leave because she feels attacked by the girls and Tracy feels like if she’s really not ready she should go. Ernesto seems surprised and a little sad, but as he says – you can’t force love.
Nominated: Mandi, Erica (again), Katie
Mandi didn’t take Matt’s advice to get touchy feely, so she’s nominated. Erica was nominated again, and deservedly so after being rude to his sister on the fashion show date. Katie was nominated and I’m not sure why since Tracy said she did great in her one on one.
He saves Mandi first and takes Erica and Katie to the garden. He mentions his doubts with Erica started last week and were compounded by her actions with his sister. He tells Katie she’s so sweet but he might be missing chemistry with her…but he also says he trusts the matchmakers.
Erica comes up and Katie goes home because something was missing. Erica’s eyes pop out of her head…too funny.
Ben
Kari drama: Ben started kissing girls and Kari asks him not to be a lip slut…he’s not sure of her motives and feels slightly manipulated but he’s willing to give her time to figure it out. Later – Amber wants to talk to Kari alone. She’s pretty nice and despite the previews the coaches really don’t give her that hard of a time.
*Side note: He is a lip slut – he’s kissed EVERYBODY and their mother.
Nominated: Tarryn, Beth, Katie
Tarryn is nominated because Amber thought her relationship with ben kind of stalled. Matt wants Beth to bring out the outrageous side of her personality. Tracy picks Katie because she still hasn’t moved out of the mom zone.
He saves Tarryn first and takes Katie and Beth to the garden. He gets excited about both of these girls. Katie makes him smile. He feels like Beth could be his counterpart.
He sends Katie home and Beth comes up from the garden.
I’m sad this is canceled. I want to know who Ben proposes to – hope there’s a way to see the end or that NBC releases the results.
Love Never Dies
Love. A tiny word with so many variations. Romantically, often confused with infatuation. In a family, often taken for granted. In friendship, sometimes forgotten over the years. Does love in any of its shapes or sizes ever truly die? Or, once planted, is it a seed that never exhausts its generative power?
I’d be less than honest if I said this was a purely theoretical post. I feel firmly planted in the no column for the first question and the yes column for the second. Today, I revel in the fact that the love I feel for a friend is as true, strong, and full of acceptance and forgiveness as I always hoped it would be.
There’s not a person on this planet that doesn’t struggle with something. For some people it’s drugs and alcohol, for others depression and emotions, still others fight disease, apathy, and even their own selfish nature. Watching a person you love struggle can be so painful that at some point you may choose to turn away, hitting that hard to accept realization that the only love that can help your friend is the love that they need to feel for themselves. In loving, knowing the limits of your own personal power is both liberating and devastating.
I’ve been in that place of tension with one friend for almost ten years. Unable to be present because of the self-destructive choices I could not influence, control, or change. I gave up a physical presence in their life, but held onto the seed of love in my heart. I prayed for their recovery, I sent small messages of love and encouragement usually around birthdays, I cried many times hoping against hope that they might feel a small fraction of the love I had for them, for their self.
And then, it happened. I started noticing small changes. Little things that gave me hope. I tested the waters, looking for old clues and praying that I wouldn’t find any, knowing that I needed to respect the fact that my lack of physical presence in the past years may have impacted how much they wanted to share with me. Knowing that though my love never went away, it may not seem that way in the light of their new world.
Yesterday, I was able to stand next to my friend and know that they were in a good place. Finally I was able to set free the love that had prayed, hoped, and mourned for this person. I was able to see the beginnings of confidence and self loving that I couldn’t find for them, but could only be found through their own journey and struggle.
In giving those hello and goodbye hugs, I was overwhelmed by the unalterable and eternal qualities that all variations of real love share. My love and friendship for this person exists now, just as strongly as when I first felt it. It is a gift and seed God planted in my heart when I was twelve years-old and though it’s grown and changed over 27 years, it’s survived. And I believe it always will. Love to you, Friend. Always.
General Hospital: Elizabeth Webber gets a life!
Oh, Elizabeth Webber!
The character of Elizabeth Webber, played by the fabulous Rebecca Herbst, has quickly become one of my top two favorite soap characters of all time. (Tied with Maura West, ATWT, Carly Tenney Snyder) When I started watching General Hospital a few years ago, I had to piece together a picture of who Elizabeth was by reading online recaps and Wikipedia. It was apparent that she wasn’t being used often and it seemed the writers didn’t particularly like her. To be honest, some of this opinion came from the strong fan base she has on Twitter that was very vocal around the time the powers that be tried to fire her. Still, She was the reason I kept tuning in, even when she wasn’t on.
I don’t want to waste time on something that’s never going to happen so there will be no Lucky/Jason debate in this tribute. What I want to focus on is how excited I am that Ron Carlivati and Frank Valenti seem to recognize exactly what they have with Liz! They’ve given her character new friends and it looks like they’re giving her a viable love life as well!
I love the friendships that Liz has built with Sabrina and Felix, as well as the time she spends talking with Epiphany and Patrick! She’s a nurse. She should be found in the hospital and she should have friends there. People come to her for advice and counsel, including AJ Quartermaine. Who could have imagined that three years ago?
Obviously, AJ is prospect #1 for Liz’s romantic future. Their couple name seems to be Quiz and they have their share of fans online. Since the writers brought the handsome Sean Kanan back into the Quartermaine fold, they’ve been laying careful groundwork to test the chemistry between the two. In my opinion, the test has been a success. Liz and AJ have the makings of a great soap couple. They have plenty of shared history to create storyline for years, the least of which is her undying love for his dead brother Jason with whom she shared the cutest soap child (besides Emma Drake) ever – Jake.
I’ve invested in their tentative flirtation. The acceptance they show for each other as people who have both really messed up and moved on is compelling. I enjoy how Monica, who never thought Liz was good enough for Jason, is all for Liz with AJ. Their friendship evolved into a kiss to build a dream on and now they’re “seeing” each other, or maybe they’re “talking”? Who knows what it would be called these days. What’s obvious is that they’re into each other.
As a Liz fan this would have been enough to make me happy, but then Ron and Frank gave me a gift that made it feel like Christmas! Nikolas Cassadine returned to Port Charles.
Now, I was around towards the end of the affair between Nik and Liz when she was married to Lucky. I remember feeling cheated that I hadn’t gotten to see more of their story before I realized that other fans weren’t happy with them being together. The consensus seems to be this was because of the writers, the rabid Lucky/Liz – Jason/Liz fan bases, and the history between Emily, Elizabeth, Lucky and Nik. What I saw when I watched without knowing the history was fabulous chemistry and great actors.
Fast foward to Port Charles 2013. Nikolas, last seen leaving to give Liz and Lucky a chance to reunite and focus on each other, returns and is shot! Oh what a coincidence that this throws him immediately into the path of Liz.
When Liz sat at Nikolas’s bedside and recounted what had happened between them, it definitely softened and explained where they had been coming from. It made something that was badly written the first time around seem like a storyline that made some sense. Then, when Nikolas woke up and the gorgeous Tyler Christopher unleashed that smoking hot stare towards her? I needed a fan. The way he holds her, the way he hugs her…chemistry defined. There’s definitely a part of me that wants a “Niz” relationship done right.
I am so excited for the prospects of Liz Webber under the guidance of Ron and Frank. It looks like we might actually have two men fighting for her affection because they both really want her instead of having all kinds of B.S. angst standing in their way. I think I’m slightly pulling for Nikolas, but that could change as I see more of her and AJ, or watch more of the posturing between the two men. It was so much fun to watch AJ shut the door and mark his territory, while Nik looked confident and almost bored.
I think it’s awesome that this team of writers is taking Liz’s messed up history with one set of men (Lucky and Jason) who she was always chasing and transferring it to their brothers (AJ and Nik) who seem to be all about her! Finally! Elizabeth Webber might be getting the life she deserves!
General Hospital Mid-week Recap April 15 – 17, 2013
***I had every intention of blogging the whole week, but had so much to talk about from Monday through Wednesday that I figured the Thursday/Friday shows would turn this into a book…so here we go!
This week is Port Charles started a little slow. Patrick and Sabrina flirted and said they should talk about Britt, AJ and Carly fought about how she treats Michael like a child, and Michael showed more maturity than anyone on the show by going to Sonny and confessing his drunken hook up with Brenda. Michael’s confession was awesome, heartfelt, and downright good writing. Sonny’s reacted by forgiving Michael. He was as fatherly as he has ever been telling Michael he had nothing to feel guilty about. They did throw in a great moment when Michael first confessed and before they went to commercial where Sonny closed the doors and took out his gun, but it was just a tease. Sonny loves “Mike” as the new regime calls him.
When Michael leaves, Sonny thinks Brenda is at the door but it’s…who is it??? Connie or Kate? Sonny has to ask! Before she tells him, she wants to know who he was hoping for. He tries diplomacy saying he wants her healthy and happy. She says she’s neither. She’s both Kate and Connie; she’s integrated. She’s chosen to go by Connie, but she has to live with both of their memories and she has to live without him! He creates conflict because her opposing sides love him. He’s not getting it and won’t give up. She leaves. Later, both Carly and Olivia tell her she’s being stupid and should find a way to be with Sonny.
On Cassadine Island Luke, Laura and Dante each took their turns talking to Lulu’s dead body. While there was some brilliant acting going on, it was kind of hard to watch when you knew she’d be waking up any minute. Even if you don’t read spoilers, magazines or follow twitter you could figure out they wouldn’t recast for a dead body scene. ANYWAY…I’m thrilled with the recast. Emme Rylan has proven her acting chops on Guiding Light and Young and the Restless. Julie Marie Berman WANTED to leave, so I hope people give her a chance. When she finally wakes at the end Monday’s episode – dom dom dom (pun intended) – she has amnesia! She won’t go anywhere with them. Her husband’s name is Stavros Cassadine! Oh Lord! Luke tells Dante not to freak that Lulu will come back. The only thing she remembers is Stavros. Luke finally convinces her to let them take her home.
Sticking with the Cassadines, there was a comic relief moment with Katie Couric and Nikolas in the hospital. She plays a doctor who asks him crazy personal questions and promises discretion. Epiphany comes to his rescue as “Kelly Curtis” is a reporter in disguise. She tells her to get her “skinny ass” out of her hospital and then looks very happy about giving him his sponge bath. (Who wouldn’t? Have you seen this tweet from Ron Carlivati? “Thanks to the dedicated nurses at General Hospital, it looks like somebody will be up and around soon… #GH #GH50 pic.twitter.com/AXxIFVZNjn)”.
Spinelli visited Heather to ask for help but she’s still harping on Sam’s betrayal with the letter. Heather pretends not to know anything, but hypothetically asks how it helps her? Seeing she’s easily distracted by Luke, Spinelli tells Heather that finding Franco’s daughter can keep Luke from Tracy Quartermaine. Later when he visits AJ and Michael, he reveals that Heather did in fact give him info on Lauren Frank (who was kept from Franco by her “crazy” mother!)
Britt threatens Patrick with an abortion and tells him it’s either he helps her or else. She refuses to bring a child into the world unloved and unwanted by its father. Ellie confronts Maxie and says she and Damian know it was Britt’s secret she was hiding. Later she overhears Britt saying it was a secret about Maxie’s baby after all, so she takes the news to Spin.
Tracy tries to sell Pickle Lila to Sean for Kelley’s. She and AJ fight some more over ELQ. AJ comes to the realization that ELQ owns the name Pickle-Lila, so Michael suggests they make their own relish to compete with Tracy and Sean offers the kitchen. Later after Spinelli leaves Michael and AJ, Brenda shows up!
On the teen front, Molly goes to court to see if Alexis will win custody of Rafe for Doc and Lucy. I appreciate the fact that the judge said, “No way.” Since when would they give a kid to someon with Lucy’s past? Then again, it was an obvious set up for Lucy and Alexis to look at Sam and say,”You should be his guardian!” What? I’d be all for this if John McBain was coming back, but it’s widely reported Michael Easton will be a new character. I hope he’s not Caleb. Can’t see how they could redeem him enough to keep him around and I love him so! If you aren’t following Michael on FB you should. (https://www.facebook.com/MichaelEastonSoulStealer?fref=ts) TJ also shows up at the hearing to throw old water on the oh so cute chemistry of Rafe and Molly. I do love TJ as well though! Frank and Ron hit the jackpot with these three who can all ACT!
Check back in Friday evening for the exciting recap of Thursday and Friday’s shows and a link to the ratings!
Ready For Love: Week two introduces Ben!
Attention: Ready for Love has been canceled and will be replaced by Grimm starting April 30.
Part Two: Ben Patton
Thirty-one year old Ben Patton from Dallas is the final bachelor who is ready for love. He comes from a family of doctors but spent time on Wall Street and managed funds for the royal family of Dubai. Today he works in healthcare as the CEO of a hospital. For all purposes he seems to be quite a catch. Add to that the emotional pull that a viewer is sure to feel when he mentions his parent’s divorce when he was seven and how being a good dad is important to him, there are sure to be hearts broken at the end of this experience. He’s sweet and family oriented but, truth be told, a little goofy.
Matchmaker Amber thinks Ben needs a level of sophistication from a partner so she picks Lynsee Gonzales from Portland, Tarryn Franco from San Francisco, Seneca Berniard from LA, and Kari Krakowski, Ben’s ex-girlfriend from Texas, with whom he apparently had an “explosive break-up”. However Amber believes they have both evolved and deserve a second chance.
Ben keeps Lynsee who talks of traveling and being an international model, but also mention her biology degree. He also keeps Tarryn, a confident, successful woman who works for private jet comapany. His final pick is the old girlfriend Kari who says he was the one that got away. Too bad he let Seneca go. With an MBA and a JD she was pretty impressive, but she should have known not to give them a couple name or to say her age (34). In the long run, I think he’ll be sad he let her go and kept the ex that said she couldn’t stand watching every girl in a America sees what kind of guy he was.
Tracy thinks Ben doesn’t need a “wonderwoman”. She thinks he needs his vulnerable 12 year-old boy self to meet someone he connects with. She chooses Angela Zatopek, a communications executive from Houston who is saving herself for marriage, and Katie Coyle from Iowa who’s been married before and wants the fairytale. She has two kids but isn’t looking for a father, but a role model for them. He keeps them both! Tracy’s other two choices are Renae Verata from Houston, a Texan with a tomboy spirit who gave a little extra by stripping down to her slip and Kristina Zapata from Columbia who spoke of her passion and love of family. He keeps Renae, but should have kept Kristina.
Matchmaker Matt picks women that he thinks fit Ben’s needs not wants. Possibly a dangerous strategy, but Beth Richman from Charlotte, NC (his first choice) is adorable and tells him she quit her job just to take a chance on him. According to Matt, Rachel Briese from Illinois has a geeky, nerdy side that Matt has too. Her superhero outfit and personality created just for him win him over. The final decision is between Jade Dhir from Austin who made a save the date card for their wedding (ahhhhh – seriously?) and Allie Wagner from Ohio who challenges him to a lightning round of questions to which he answers, yes, yes, yes. He obviously picks Allie, whose twin is dating Ernesto!
The Group Date:
Ben says he’s an active guy and he wants someone comfortable getting sweaty around him. They’re doing a mud run, an obstacle course where they all get covered with dirt. Everyone does well and they head to lunch. He does mention how awkward it is to have his ex on the date and some of the girls talk about Kari like she’s not there. The first girl he asks to talk to is Renae because she “killed” the course. He calls her hot and wonders why she’s still single? They have decent chemistry.
He continues to talk to the girls one on one, but when Angela’s explaining her vulnerability advice from Tracy, he’s distracted by Kari who is “waiting” off to the side. He doesn’t like feeling like he needs to go to her (which is exactly what Amber told her not to do!). They talk and he says he was so hurt that she called things off. She says it was important for her to be there and if he’s into her she wants him to express it, if not let her go. They hug as the girls watch. He’s having a hard time because he has good memories and would like to go back – he’s scared of her hurting him again.
The Matchmaker’s Choices
Tracy picks Katie because she thinks they’ll like each other.
Matt picks Rachel He’s happy because he felt she was holding back.
Amber picks Tarryn because she’s excited to tell her story.
He’s happy with the matchmaker’s choice because wants to talk more with Katie. He wants to be with someone who takes motherhood seriously. They have a nice chemistry and he gives her a peck kiss. Katie feels she has to let him know soon though that she’s not “his” mother!
Rachel is different from the other girls. He connects with her sic-fi/fantasy side and likes that she’s interested in the same things he is. He feels like emotionally they’ve connected quickly and he kisses her for real! They both feel something.
It’s Tarryn’s birthday and he brings her a cake which they eat together. He asks again, how are you still single? She mentions she’s goal oriented and driven. He says he’s not intimidated and mentions the chemistry building between them. She asks him to kiss her, he says he’d love to, and it’s a whopper of a kiss.
The Matchmaker’s Critiques and Advice:
While the guys are in the man cave and can’t listen. Matt asks Rachel how she thinks she did. She says well. She feels they connected on an emotional level and there might have been a kiss. Matt asks how far she stepped out of her comfort zone. She says 110% but he doesn’t agree. He calls her a people pleaser and asks her to give more. Amber thinks Tarryn did well, and Tarryn says the birthday cake was her highlight and she doesn’t kiss and tell even with Amber’s prodding. Tracy says Angela didn’t follow through on actually being vulnerable, she just talked about being vulnerable.
Amber addresses Kari and gets on her for breaking down and crying because now Ben is confused and doesn’t feel free. Matt says the hug was for the other girls and Kari gets very defensive. Giuliana asks for an experiment. She asks Kari to close her eyes and for the girls to hold up their hands if they thought the hug was for them. All of them raise their hands and Kari opens her eyes to look. I’m not liking this girl’s entitled attitude! Katie questions Kari’s intentions and Kari turns it around on her. Amber breaks in and reminds the girls that she’s been a matchmaker for 17 years and she chose Kari and believes her heart is in the right place.
Elimination Picks:
Amber chooses Kari so they can have an answer as to whether or not he wants her there.
Matt chooses Rachel because he thinks she’s not a big enough puzzle for Ben in the long run, but he thinks she’ll be back.
Tracy picks Angela to make her vulnerable, to which Angela say OK in the hard, so not vulnerable voice that seems normal for her.
When Ben can save just one, he keeps Angela. This means either Rachel or Kari is going home. This is actually surprising because I thought he would keep Kari and Rachel. They head down to the garden in the pods and we get flashbacks of them both. Ben says he didn’t expect to have them there. Rachel tells him she felt a real chemistry and would never judge him. Kari doesn’t want him to feel pressured. She’s there to participate and wants to be known for the girl she is now. Ben pulls Kari aside and says they need to talk. He is pissed about their break up. He asks her to not make him break Rachel’s heart if she’s not there for the right reasons and can’t let him get to know the other girls.
He sends Rachel home because it’s just not there for him. Rachel says maybe she shouldn’t be so nice, but she’s not going to change who she is. She’s heartbroken and disappointed. To be honest, so am I. Kari might be good TV, but we’ve all seen relationships like theirs before…toxic stuff.
Ready for Love: Week two introduces Ernesto!
Part One: Ernesto Arguello
First off, let me say I didn’t expect to fall for Ernesto Arguello, a Texan of Cuban and Nicaraguan descent who lives in Miama, as hard as I did while watching episode two. I kept thinking what an awesome Bachelor he would have made (Sorry NBC!). The man is philanthropic (He and his brother build houses for people in third world countries), handsome (even with a farmer’s tan), and charismatic. His sister and mother talk about him like he’s a god and describe him as loyal, AND he’s never said I love you to a woman. That last part could be a red flag, but watching him with his family and the ladies on their date, it seems like it’s more about his need to find someone real and sincere, as well as beautiful.
The matchmakers (Amber, Matthew, and Tracy) did well picking women that he would mesh with and the only girl I was sad to see go in the initial round was Elizabeth Cappella. The overall favorite seemed to be Alba Reyes (former Ms. Puerto Rica 2004) who broke out her Spanish and won him over. One girl he sent home actually brought a frog. They really speeded through the first round this time. I almost think they don’t need it.
The group date was building a house which was actually a lot more interesting than last episode’s concert and singing challenge with Tim Lopez. The girls were assigned various tasks and it was pretty easy to pick out a few he had chemistry with. He has some cute moments with some of the girls like when he was painting on Kristen Sikorski but the clip that stood out the most for me was the one with Shandi Finnessy and Alba. I think they both may go far!
The next step involved the matchmakers choosing one of their women for Ernesto to get one on one time with. Amber chooses Shandi (former Ms. USA 2004), Matt picks Mandy Wagner(whose twin Allie also makes it out of the first round with bachelor Ben), and Tracy picks Victoria Mora, a fiery, competitive chica who didn’t come off as well as she might have on the group date.
Of course, there is a hot tub waiting for Ernie (as his sister called him) and the three women – it’s a dating show. However, Victoria throws a curve ball when she refuses to disrobe saying she’s not comfortable with that. Ernesto says he respects that and she stays in her big white robe and throws attitude. After a while, he asks Shandi to jacuzzi where they discuss their mutual love of kids, the sacredness of wedding vows, and their faith. Looks like another notch in Shandi’s belt.
Matt’s advice to Mandi is to physically create a moment to remember. She does this by getting in the cold pool and then asking Ernesto for body heat. After this ploy they switch to hot tub where he tells her likes her attitude and feels they’re on the same page.
His time with Victoria doesn’t go well, although I don’t think she noticed. He told her he likes her confidence and attitude but that he feels she’s uncomfortable. She discusses boobs and butts hanging out (amazing the matchmakers don’t point this out considering the flack they gave Hailey for saying fart!). He again says “I respect that” as she continues to complain about the other girls.
As the one on one time ends he says he has concerns for the matchmakers!
In the group review the Matchmakers like that Shandi didn’t bring house drama to date and that Mandy took Matt’s advice, but Tracy gives Victoria heck for not holding back on her competitiveness and being self-centered. The matchmakers have a little conflict regarding Victoria’s refusal to disrobe and airing her feelings of awkwardness. Matthew says her behavior labeled her as “drama queen for life” in Ernesto’s mind.
They also bring up the conflict between Shandi and Olivia Matti, which we’re sure to see more of in the future. Shandi has the maturity edge and Tracy says a woman that can’t get along with other women will make a rotten partner.
For Elimination:
Tracy picks Victoria for all the reasons listed above.
Amber picks Erica for not bringing out her voice as she asked.
Matt picks Kristen because he sees a brother/sister vibe and he wants to see her get sexier.
Ernesto is diplomatic and loves everyone but likes the fun side and optimism of Kristen so she’s safe.
Erica and Victoria go to the pods to go the garden with Ernesto. We are dramatically reminded that only one will come back up while Ernesto does the sign of the cross on the way down! Ernesto is grateful they came and he admits to not knowing much about Erica. He tells Victoria that he admired her beliefs. She aks for his understanding because she was adjusting to the process and the women.
Theirs an awful moment when Erica says Victoria’s not there for the right reason and I seriously wish that he would send them both home at this point! He keeps Erica – not a shocker. Victoria looks like she could kill Erica! Like, she’s seriously scary. But she says it’s just not her, meaning the show.
Part Two: Bachelor Ben – coming soon!
Why “The Croods” made me appreciate my dad even more…
First off, let me admit that I usually cry at animated movies. I have the distinct honor of probably being the only person to cry at the previews to Return of Neverland and Finding Nemo, but I digress, Yesterday, I went to see the Croods and my crying streak continued. If you’ve seen only seen the previews to the film you may wonder about my sanity. It looks freaking hilarious and it absolutely is. I laughed quite often. What I didn’t expect was to be so taken in by the story of a daughter and her father.
The character of Eep, voiced by the wonderful Emma Stone, struggles to come into her own in a family where her overprotective dad won’t let then out of the cave. The father, Grug (Nicholas Cage), tells stories where anyone that tries something new dies. His is a message of fear, born out of inexperience and love. Grug doesn’t want to keep his daughter from goodness, he just wants to protect her from everything!
It’s hard not to watch as a grown woman and see both sides. I can absolutely relate to the desire to follow the light, which Eep does both physically and metaphorically, but having loved children with my whole heart, I can also see the desire to protect them from hurt at any cost. Watching the journey (and it’s an actual journey) of Eep and Grug from the cave of darkness into a new world of understanding took me back to my journey with my father.
While we didn’t have as much conflict as Eep and Grug, we had our share of moments. It’s hard when you watch a movie, hear the words for which you judged your dad, and realize they just came out of your own mouth not an hour before. The empathy and compassion I felt for Rudy Ray Davis at how hard it must have been to love me and give me freedom brought tears to my eyes.
But those tears were nothing compared to the onslaught at the end of the movie (STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS).
As the family runs from the land that is crumbling behind them, they suddenly encounter a chasm that it too great for them all to cross. Grug, being a caveman and immensely strong, selflessly throws each member of the family across the divide, saving Eep (of course!) for last. She knows that once he throws her he won’t be able to come with them and the moment where she tells him she’s not ready to go, that she has too much to tell him, to fix…was where I lost it. He responds in the way only a good father can. He tells her he knows, that he loves her, and he gives her a hug.
I am lucky enough to have a father who know, loves me, hugs me and forgives me.
At this point in the movie, I don’t think it can get worse, but oh am I ever wrong. Grug tells her to blow her shell if she’s in trouble and throws her to the other side where they catch one last glimpse of each other before where he is standing collapses. Of course the family all believes he has perished and eventually they start blowing their shells more as a way to honor him than anything else. But Grug is alive and he hears the call.
His response is to immediately find a way to come to their rescue because he believes they are in danger. He concocts a crazy scheme that should never have worked and ends up by their side.
This is where I totally lost it. The selfless love, the willingness to face any danger, the ability to do what must be done because the people you love need you and are in trouble…I’ve only known one man in my life that could actually do what Grug did and I’m lucky enough to call him Dad.
So, thank you Rudy Davis for loving me despite my flaws, for protecting me even when I didn’t want you to, for forgiving me when I was an egotistical know it all brat, and for being the most loving, sacrificing, generous man in the world.
General Hospital Recap April 8-12: Returns make for classic soap drama!
General Hospital is rockin’ 50 and this past week’s episodes were prime examples of why viewers are once again tuning into Port Charles. Executive Producer Frank Valenti and Head Writer Ron Carlivati have done what no other show has had the nerve to do, return to their roots. What amazes me is that even as a new viewer (roughly three years now), I am absolutely loving the returns of veteran actors I never knew existed their first go on GH. Too often shows bring people back and let them wallow with nothing to do because they’re afraid of ruining the past or the character, but not Frank and Ron.
Monday’s episode started out with the resolution of Friday’s cliffhanger where Frisco Jones proposed to Felicia at the Nurses Ball (The absolute biggest and best return of all)! Even I, as a newbie fan, know that Frisco goes with Felicia, but Felicia chose Mac! And the story worked! We didn’t have to get Frisco and Felicia to get good drama. Frisco then turned around and left his daughter Maxie to fend for herself after she was just starting to trust him again. Great set up for Maxie to keep growing emotionally. She’s always been a bit one note – Ron is growing her up!
Other great returns this week? Stavros Cassadine! Never knew Robert Kelker-Kelly was even on GH, but when he showed up in the dining room and said “Hello Laura” I about keeled over from excitement. Carlivati gave me just enough well placed background info through the conversations of other characters to keep up. (And as someone who reads spoilers and all I can about the show, this was one surprise they kept from everyone! Still hoping they’re keeping Blackie on ice, too!)
Another fantastic moment, although not a return, was the reveal of Emme Rylan as Lulu Spencer Falconeri. Can’t wait for her to work with Dante. Their chemistry will be off the charts. I like him better with her already. What really worked for this reveal was having Nikolas (can we say, “woohoo – find a way to keep him around”) explain how everything came about to Elizabeth and Alexis. It made absolute sense that slighly crazy Stavros would have a thing for Lulu. They even found a way to explain Helena switching Aiden’s paternity test (to give Stavros something to live for – an heir).
The return of Brenda with Jax and the whole breaking off of the Jax/Brenda engagement helped last week’s shows succeed. Food fight anyone? But who could have guessed the cat fighting that would ensue when Carly found Brenda in bed with Michael? These ladies clawing each other’s eyes out is the epitome of great soap drama! It made me uncomfortable, angry, excited, and kept me glued to my TV. My one complaint about Brenda and Michael is that it’s obvious nothing really happened between them and I really wish it had. It would have added so many more dimensions and options to the Sonny/Carly/Jax/Brenda/Michael/AJ relationships.
Speaking of AJ (another great returnee), how classic was his reaction to Michael sleeping with Brenda. He could hardly contain his joy. In fact, his joy was almost equal to Monica’s joy regarding his blossoming relationship with Liz. Before Nikolas’ return, I was totally on board with a Liz/AJ (Quiz) pairing, and I still think they’re pretty adorable, but if you watched Friday’s episode where AJ saw Liz hugging Nikolas, it’s hard to deny the “Niz” chemistry. Wow.
That’s about all I have to say about the week of April 8 – 12, 2013 in Port Charles. What’s so awesome is that I know I’m leaving so much good stuff out! Tell me what you thought made this week amazing and whose returns are getting you psyched to keep watching!
NBC’s “Ready for Love” – To watch or not to watch?
As nine o’clock Tuesday evening approaches, I’m faced with the choice of staying up after The Voice to watch Ready for Love or turning in early for some usually much needed shut eye. After watching episode one, I think I’m ready to give it a second look. I like the twist NBC decided to put on their new foray into the reality dating business. Using professional matchmakers to pick the women the men can choose from gives it a fresh feel, and the matchmakers themselves (Amber Kelleher-Andrews, Tracy McMillan, and Matthew Hussey) have loads of charisma. Bill and Giuliana Rancic, a happily married couple with reality TV cred, host the show that will feature three bachelors looking for love.
Tuesday night we met Tim Lopez, lead singer from the Plain White Tees (think “Hey There Delilah”), whose divorce from his high school sweetheart over her inability to deal with his music career has left him heartbroken but ready to love again. I’ll admit, from the previews I thought we’d meet all three bachelors that night, but they seem to be alternating hotties.
Each matchmaker picked four girls for Tim to choose from in a blind audition a`la The Voice.
Amber Kelleher-Andrews, a gorgeous and highly successful matchmaker who they showed with her perfect husband and children on horseback, seemed to pick the most real girls, especially Hailey Clark, a 31 year-old elementary school art teacher from Florida who caught Tim’s attention by quoting Dumb and Dumber. I was surprised he kept Siham Bengoua, but she won him over with her french accent and poetry. He also kept 30 year-old Sara Lavagnino. Sara won him over with her sincere and touching revelation that she had lost her fiance of three years to skin cancer. Tim connected with her sense of loss and we were on to round two with another four girls chosen by Matthew Hussey.
The three girls Tim kept from Matthew’s group included the surprise contestant, Leah Trogan, a 27 year-old make-up artist who had a “past” with Tim. At this point it seemed like maybe they had hooked up before, but she sold her story as an “I’ve never told him how I really feel” type story and he decided to keep her so… His other choices, 27 year-old Danielle Duff (divorced after nine and a half years of marriage – say whaaaat???) and 31-year-old Taonaya Fleury weren’t all that memorable.
Tracy McMillan might be my favorite matchmaker for her simple, brash style. She made some great picks, and Sarah Moore, a 28 year-old graduate student from North Carolina, could be a sleeper contender. She was joined by 25 year-old Christina Rigaud of New Orleans. A classically trained pianist, she’s also breathtakingly sexy with eyes that most women would die for. Tim’s final pick to round out his nine ladies was the cute, fun-loving, 23 year-old Jenna Reeves from Austen, Texas.
Next up: Date Night
Of course it wouldn’t be reality love without a group date, and Tim’s starts out just the way a rock star’s group date should. The nine ladies are treated to a performance from The Plain White Tees. After they are sufficiently dazed by his semi-celebrity, he has them show off some of their musical skills by creating and singing some lyrics. I have to say I didn’t really enjoy this segment. It was too polished. Most of the girls voices were better than average, and when they all just happened to hear Leah’s (previous hook-up girl) conversation with Tim because a mike was left on? Well, we got staged drama at its best.
Later each matchmaker chose someone for Tim to have one on one time with. Then, on the show, the girls are critiqued on their dating skills. My favorite as of now, Hailey Clark, went first. Hailey and Tim seemed to have genuine chemistry and their banter was so fun to watch. Matchmaker Amber later critiqued the fact that Hailey answered the dreaded “What’s your most embarrassing moment?” question in a way that included the word fart. Apparently you are never, ever supposed to use this word in front of a man. I don’t know what Amber was watching, but Tim loved Hailey’s honesty and humor.
Matthew sent him off with Danielle Duff who proceeded to let him know she had a “list” of 50 qualities she was looking for in a mate. She also mentioned she’d put the list out into the universe. She was appropriately critiqued regarding making Tim feel inadequate. If he has 25 of the qualities (which she said he did) then that meant he started out in the hole! Don’t look for Danielle to stick around long; their chemistry was less than sparkling.
Matchmaker Tracy chose the sexy Christian Rigaud for one on one time with Tim and she made her time count! Bonding over music, she worked her eyes to the best of her ability and it was obvious he fell for it. She’s not going anywhere soon.
The Final Act
To close the show, each matchmaker had to put up one of their three women and Tim had to send one girl home. Amber put up Hailey for the “fart” debacle. Matthew chose Leah (who didn’t answer when asked point blank by host Giuliana Rancic if she’d been intimate with Tim before) to see if Tim was serious about giving her a chance. Tracy picked Sarah Moore, the quiet, dark-haired girl who had apparently been too nice in defending Leah to the other girls. Again, the matchmakers think you have to be cut-throat to get a man.
To almost no one’s surprise, Tim sent Leah packing and kept Hailey and Sarah.
In short: Good, if slightly crazy and out of touch matchmakers, hot bachelors, and some really good women who actually have chemistry with Tim! I’ll be back.
