Holy Christmas!

 Was just looking through old posts and realized, prior to my return this year, I hadn't posted anything Christmas since 2017. That seems absolutely ridiculous to me. Genuinely baffled. Granted, I'm not as into it as I used to be. But still, crazy. I just don't understand why it's been so long. Well, as you've already begun to see, I'm more than making up for it. Hope you enjoy.

Red, White & Royal Blue

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Perfection beyond perfection.. Henry and Alex are indelibly etched on my heart. Forever a part of me. Exquisite narration brings them to undesirable life.

5/10/22: Still perfection.

11/13/2025: Fifth time listening, and still perfect. The story never gets old, or loses its poignancy or weight. Every emotion will be experienced. A beautiful, technicolor love everyone should aspire to. Alex and Henry are forever tattooed on my brain, and in my heart.

2024 Nutcracker Haul!

Quote Of The Moment…

 "Honesty bites the dust every time I hear you saying that love is never lust."
-Love Should Be A Crime-O-Town

First Of 2025!

  

Saw this guy on the shelf at Walgreens, and couldn't resist. He's very fragile, so I hope his nutcracker brothers and sisters don't pick on him too much.

Cool!

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

 Can't see Navy very well, but I love the bubbles, and her flippers look really cool.

Misplaced Quotation Marks…

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

 Found this next to Walgreens. Have to appreciate the honesty.

The Dunewalkers (Moving In, #2)

The Dunewalkers by Ron Ripley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Entertaining second book in the series. Is doing a proper job of making me want to see what happens next. Really enjoying these adventures. Good performance.

HELP!

Jesse finally convinces Gillian to leave Ryan. Esta and Cameron have amazing chemistry, and their goodbye was heartbreaking. You will be missed, Princess.

Gillian may be gone, but it looks as though Jesse got his earthly hall pass extended a while longer. Apparently, he had a feeling he should check in with Tad just in time to stop him from killing David. Perfect timing. You know you have a good friend when they're willing to help you get your shit together from The Great Beyond. It's an absolute blast watching Michael and Darnell bounce perfect comic timing off one another. This is going to be so much fun.

Laura has officially gone off the deep end. Even more, if possible. She threw her medication away, with the express goal of having another life threatening episode, thus forcing Leo to stay. Didn't take long to figure out that wasn't going to work. What's the next best option? Book the Valley Inn reception hall, and force your new husband to renew vows. That's definitely same. Nothing wrong there. Greenlee is lurking through all of this, as expected. Hope she gets to Leo in time to get through to him, and stop all this craziness for good.

Chris and Ryan will soon be revealed to be father and son. Does anyone care? Not me. Don't care about Chris and Erica either. Will shout it at the top of my keyboard until Mr. Useless Stamp is gone.

Bianca and Frankie are slowly getting to know one another. Definite chemistry. Don't completely remember Frankie's story, but know it gets all tangled with David/Vanessa/Leo somehow; at least I think. Will hopefully be enjoyable watching everything come together.
 

O-Town Concert: December 8, 2019

That's right. Got to see my O-Town boys again the next year, in the same venue. How lucky am I?! Show was absolutely fantastic, as expected. Got to meet them again after the show, and it was even more special this time around. Why? They remembered who I was from previous shows, and were even sweeter. They each took a little extra time with me, and Erik even thanked me for knowing all the lyrics to their songs, because he had gone blank in the beginning of one, happened to see me singing, and remembered before it was too late. So awesome. Core memory.

Like last time, please forgive my ridiculous expressions. Just so happy.

Quote Of The Moment…

 "You can't play love by numbers, babe. You gotta play it all by heart."
-Love Should Be A Crime-O-Town

New Christmas Favorite?

 Went to Walgreens last night looking for snacks, as is customary on Friday evenings, and saw peppermint KitKat bars on the checkout counter display. Never have been a huge fan of peppermint, but try every new KitKat that comes out, so couldn't resist. The verdict is in. Absolutely delicious. The combination of white chocolate and candycane pieces is perfect. So delicious, and fact, that I got three more today, and am probably going to do the same tomorrow. There are only seasonal, so have to get them while I can. Don't think they'll ever come close to replacing Cherry M&M's as my all-time favorite holiday treat, but are an acceptable substitute.

We Shall See…

Was watching the AMC credits yesterday, and realized that Jean Passanante was no longer head writer. Did some backtracking, and deduced that her last date helming was August 20th. Took me a minute, but realized Richard Culliton was her replacement, and didn't assume duties until September 6th. Craig Carlson helped out in the interim, and did a fantastic job, as I didn't notice a difference in quality.

Came across an old message I wrote years ago on the AMC message board at Soap Central. Apparently, I had very negative feelings regarding Richard's contributions to my favorite show. Curious to see how I feel this go round. It's only been a short while, but no complaints thus far. The transition seems to be smooth. Introducing Frankie with such in-your-face fire is a great start in my book. Will be watching with a more critical, honest, practical eye. No matter how it shakes out, I'm almost positive I won't be bored.

 

O-Town Concert: July 1, 2018

Finally getting around to posting these. Found out O-Town were going to be performing at a venue right down the street from me, and had to be there. Bought VIP meet and greet tickets, and got to meet the guys after the show. Dan said that he heard I was his favorite, asked if he could give me a hug, and we chatted for a couple minutes. Jacob was surprised that I was actually there to see them, and thought I was dragged there by my PCA. Told him I was a day one fan, and he was very appreciative and humble. All of the guys were fantastic, gracious, and couldn't have been more wonderful. Unforgettable experience that I look back on with pure joy on a regular basis.

Hate that I look like a complete dork in these pictures, but I was absolutely awestruck and overwhelmed.

Get A Hobby!

Laura is gross! She calls Bianca to come over, under the guise of patching things up, just to try to use her again. Thankfully, Bianca wants none of it. Can't believe Laura wants Bianca to tell Greenlee about her sex life with Leo. Scratch that. Honestly, I totally believe it. Her insecurity just keeps getting worse. As soon as Bianca refuses, Laura gets bitter and angry, throwing around the oft-repeated jealousy accusations. Snore! Can't wait for the day she leaves town. The sooner, the better.

David's privileges at the hospital are reinstated. Tad completely loses his mind , screams at Joe so bad he causes him to have arrhythmia, and continues to vow revenge. Elsewhere on the David front, he offers Jake a research position working for him, because he got approved for a grant. Everyone expects Jake to immediately turn David down, but he decides to actually considered the offer. I would take it if I were him. You know the saying about keeping your enemies close?
This is totally petty, but so glad to have a break from Rosa and Gabriel.

Arlene returns to meet her grandson, and takes things way too far by secretly cutting his hair. So crazy. Why would you do something without permission, considering how you last left town? Mateo and Adam banish her to parts unknown, but that's not going to last.

Erica learns Chris' FBI agent secret. I just don't care about anything to do with this pairing. Chemistry is nonexistent, dialogue is weak and forced, and misogyny abounds. Not the best combination to build a new couple on. On a related note, how many more times is Greenlee going to fall for Roger's crap? He's literally trying to make it look like she has a drug operation running through Enchantment. True. She doesn't know the whole story yet, but continuously allows Roger to shit all over her, throw her under the bus for things she didn't even do, and just be a horrible human in general, without calling him out on anything. Open your eyes, and get a grip. Between this and the constant throwing herself at Leo, Greenlee is really starting to come off pathetic.
 

Martha's Vineyard: June 30, 2025

Photo Credit: Eric Bain

Eric surprised me with a day trip to the Vineyard this year for my birthday. Hadn't been since I was in high school, so I was definitely super excited. The boat ride was fantastic. Thank goodness I remembered my motion sickness pills. Spent the day exploring shops, eating fantastic food, and enjoying the beautiful weather. I don't know about you, but spending my birthday with my best friend on a beautiful island is pretty close to perfect.

As It Should Be!

 That's right, little bitch Ikaika is gone. Good riddance to smelly trash. Will never understand how he let his family determine his future, seemingly without any input. The amount of time, money, and effort spent on this doofus is astronomical. The rest of the band has every right to be pissed. What a monumental waste of space.

What's that I hear? Ah, yes! Angels singing. The remaining members of the band unanimously decide that there is only one choice to replace IDIOT. Dan Miller. Thank God. It's crazy to say, but all was immediately right in O-Town land when he showed up. Just slotted in like the perfect puzzle piece. Love the immediate dedication and seriousness he showed. Although I love them, some other members should take notice.

Anyway, I could go on for hours about the brilliance of Dan Miller, but will just say I'm happy that he's finally where he belongs.

The Set Up

The Set Up by Falguni Kothari
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sweet, but nothing special. Good performances.

A Thief In The Night

A Thief in the Night by K.J. Charles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Quick, adorable listen, with great performances.

Memories…

 I know it's silly, but wanted to share this screenshot I took. It's from the beginning of every episode of 2001 that I've seen so far, and it brings back great memories. Loved the little recap, intense music, and the logo to start everything off. Got me hyped every day.

Moving In

Moving In by Ron Ripley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pretty enjoyable first book in the series. Excited to see what supernatural foe gets vanquished next. Good narration.

Unlovable

Unlovable: A memoir from the voice of Savage Garden by Darren Hayes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Going to say what I'm sure several people have in their reviews. I love Savage Garden, and Darren's voice. Found this on Audible the other day, and had to listen. Don't say this for very many books, but totally experienced the complete spectrum of emotions. Inspiring, healing, and unexpectedly joyful. Fantastic. Beautiful, honest narration.

Willful Blindness…

The people of PV sure don't like hearing the truth. Laura, for example. Bianca goes to visit her, and, of course, they end up talking about Leo and Greenlee. Doing what I believe is the right thing because they're good friends, Bianca tells Laura that Greenlee still has feelings for Leo, it's reciprocated, and to be on alert. Instead of admitting that she knows this and has been insecure about it from the beginning, Laura accuses Bianca of wanting Leo out of the way so that she has a shot with her. By the way, Brooke does the same thing when her and Bianca have a similar conversation. This is so offensive. It's possible to have the best interest of a friend at heart without wanting to sleep with them, or anything romantic. Even though she's upset over it, I'm glad Bianca and Laura are putting each other at a distance. Bianca doesn't need every motive second-guessed. That's not friendship. Laura needs to kick rocks.

Leo can't handle the truth about his loveless marriage, but that's nothing new. He's going to completely crack if this continues much longer.

Liza finds out the truth about Adam, sleeps with Ryan, and Adam catches them together. Liza confronts Adam, and, shocker of shockers, he justifies cheating. Such a mess. I do like that Liza let Adam know she did what she did with Ryan because she wanted to. Love a strong woman. Now, here's the question. Does both spouses cheating cancel out the betrayal? Do they call everything a wash, and try moving forward? Wouldn't be my choice if I were in Liza's shoes. No matter how faithful, or how much love, Adam has repeatedly proven that he only thinks in the moment, and doesn't consider how his actions her everyone around him. Know it's going to be difficult, but Liza needs to jump off that train ASAP.

Shannon admits to attacking Marcus. Awesome. Rosa and Gabriel can be cleared. Feel like I say this quite a bit, but here's my problem. We didn't get to see Rosa and Gabriel get the news. I would think TPTB would realize how important it is for the audience to witness that moment. Weeks of storyline resolved with a phone call. Kind of ridiculous. Not happy. Hope I'm wrong, and we do get a satisfying conclusion.
 

Quote Of The Moment…

 "Grief is patient."
-Darren Hayes

It's About Time!

 Photo Credit: Jill Rock

I collect clocks, and my PCA just gave me this adorable one. So cute, right? Love it! 

Nostalgia With A Sprinkle Of PTSD!

 ABC has officially uploaded the original Making The Band to YouTube, and I'm in absolute heaven… mostly. Everyone knows how much I adore O-Town, and reliving their journey has been quite the trip. One problem. Ikaika. Couldn't stand him first time around, and nothing has changed. From jump, he didn't take anything seriously, was incredibly disrespectful when someone had a different opinion, refused to dedicate himself to the group, and expected special treatment. Don't even get me started on the contract situation. Have found myself screaming at my TV in frustration at his antics on more than one occasion. So glad he took his ball and went home. Totally agree with Jacob when he said he wasn't comfortable putting the fate of his career in Ikaika's hands. I wouldn't be either. Will definitely cheer again when he exits.

Drama with that idiot aside, I'm having so much fun binging the original series again. Almost done with the first season. So excited to see everyone develop, and for Dan to take his rightful place. It's going to be a blast.

… Same As The First!

Andre and Dani have the most boring honeymoon ever. I get wanting to get your sex on, but they haven't left that room. Must be all kinds of smelly and sticky up in there. I know budgets aren't what they used to be, but get creative with the sets so we can enjoy other aspects of the honeymoon with them. Just hearing about the experiences doesn't do much for me. Complaining aside, them finally telling one another I love you was incredibly sweet. Their relationship continues to evolve, and I love watching. Major applause for Dani shutting Bill down when he tried interrupting the honeymooners with the ridiculous Winterfest excuse. Stay strong.

The neverending Eva/Kat repetition is really starting to wear on me. The actresses deliver every time out, but even they must be sick of saying the same shit in different ways. Adding Martin as an extra layer isn't intriguing me in the least. A significant development needs to happen soon, or I'm going to be falling asleep whenever these two share scenes.

This one is going to be really quick. Someone needs to put Leslie in her place. That it looks to be Shanice is all good with me. Sorry. One more thing in the Leslie universe. Could Ted be any more dumb? I cannot believe he seems to be falling for this kinder/gentler act Leslie is trying to pull. Hope he sees through her, and is just waiting for the perfect time to shut her down. Have a strange feeling miss multiple personalities might finally be getting what's do her at Winterfest. We shall see…
 

Dancing…

I hate Gabriel! All right, let me back up a bit. Marcus has been pressuring Rosa about sex. Gabriel doesn't like it, and keeps warning her that something bad is going to happen. That's all fine. My problem is Gabriel constantly dancing around issues, instead of coming out and saying exactly what he means. So sick of hearing about the traumatic experiences he's had. We're not seeing any character growth, so I don't sympathize. There's just no movement. Mateo fires Gabriel, because he doesn't like how he's constantly making Rosa uncomfortable, and can't hold his temper. Gabriel sees Rosa and Marcus sneak off, makes his way to the boathouse, hears a scuffle, and finds Marcus with his head bashed in, and a bloody ore next to him. What does the idiot do? Walks over to it, and picks it up, just in time for Shannon to show up and see him holding the would be murder weapon. Everyone winds up back at SOS, where Shannon wants the cops to arrest Gabriel. As he's getting arrested, Rosa comes up behind him crying for some mysterious reason. Oh, and the cops tell Gabriel that Marcus is in a coma.

Seems pretty obvious what happened. Rosa is hysterically crying and looking all disheveled because she wouldn't have sex, Marcus got aggressive, and she defended herself. I don't really care how this all shakes out. We spend weeks building up to the fact that Marcus is a creep, and don't even get to see what happens between him and Rosa. Stupid. They might show us in flashbacks, but I would have rather seen it as it happened. Will Shannon ever come forward with the truth? Hope she does eventually. Also, I think this is probably the last we see of Marcus.

Ryan loses his mind over ghost Gillian, kidnaps Opal, and burns down the Wildwind turret, because he can't cope with his grief. Forgot to mention that he and Liza almost have grief sex.

Speaking of Liza, I'm waiting on pins and needles for the Adam confrontation.

JR tells Tad and Dixie the majority of the truth about what happened with David, and that he's blackmailing Adam. Tad then goes to find David, chokes him out, and tells him to stay away from his family. Good stuff. Can't wait to see how everyone reacts when they learn about Adam cheating.

Quote Of The Moment…

 "I was settling for crumbs when I was serving feasts."
-Sophia Bush

Watch Out!

Poor Liza. Almost everyone she loves is either outright lying to her, or withholding information. She finds JR at the airport, where he is trying to escape Pine Valley, because he caught his father cheating, and put the pieces together. Liza and JR hear about the David verdict at the same time, and everything starts clicking into place. She goes to the courthouse to confront Adam with her suspicions, only to find out from Erica that he's in with judge Campobello. She approaches the door just in time to hear every sordid detail about what Adam did. I feel awful for her, but cannot wait to see her lose her shit on him. It's going to be amazing. As if one giant problem isn't enough, Liza still doesn't know about Mia, or the fact that she and Marion are in cahoots. This is going to be bad. Marcy Walker is about to burn it down.
 

Lucky Suit

Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adorable and funny. Laughed out loud a few times. Great performances.

2026

 As is obvious by my last Evita post, I wasn't to happy that a highlights album is being released in December, because I had heard that the entire score with the new cast was recorded. Turns out, I was right. A complete recording of the 2025 London Revival cast will be released sometime in 2026. Such fantastic news, as I've heard a bootleg, and it is phenomenal. Cannot wait. Am going to preorder ASAP.

Spooky Fun!

 Photo Credit: Elizabeth Letourneau

A couple of weeks back, the family and I had a early Halloween celebration. Such a wonderful day. Great food, good laughs, and fantastic company. Going to remember it for a long time. My sister made the above graphic to commemorate the day. So cool. Will leave your imaginations to wonder what on earth a Wookalar is. Trust me, if you knew, you would never get a proper night's sleep.

So Unnecessary!

Gabriel gets drunk because he's upset about Rosa, and kisses Bianca. I don't get it. Know what I'm about to say might sound ridiculous, but I have to. Yes, Bianca immediately reiterates that she's gay, and has no romantic interest in men. Here's my question. Why even push that button? If your committing to making the daughter of the most legendary character in the history of daytime lesbian, there's no need to play mind games, even momentarily. Wasn't on message boards or following online opinions or anything like that at this time, but can't imagine people being thrilled with this scene. Can't even quite articulate what I'm feeling, just don't think it's fair. I doubt the same thing would have been done if roles were reversed. Representation matters, and it shouldn't be messed with because TPTB get cold feet. They shouldn't even want to test the waters to get a reaction. Don't chicken out. That whole scene was completely unnecessary and unfair. You can still show Bianca helping Gabriel get use to physical closeness without jeopardizing integrity.
 

Flowers In The Attic

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Hatred this book. Disturbing doesn't even begin to cover it. Shocking and disgusting. Won't be continuing with the series, and will never read this again. Good narration.

I Want Movement!

Lies and misunderstandings all around. Let's get this out of the way. Instead of letting JR face the consequences of his actions, Adam bribes judge Campobello. Simple money exchange? I don't think so. She let's him know that he'll get what he wants if they have sex. Of course, he caves. So disgusting. Liza gets cheated on, JR learns he can get away with anything with the help of his billionaire daddy, and David whistles as he dances his way out of prison. I hate when people don't get what's coming to them. Learn from mistakes. Grow and change. It's called evolving and maturity.

Opal helps Gillian get through to Ryan, but looks psycho in the process. I love a good story of loss, and struggle to accept it, but hope this doesn't drag on much longer. Don't remember what the endgame is, but want it to come quick.

Rosa/Gabriel/Marcus/Shannon are boring me to death. Would never skip scenes, but everything involving this quartet is like watching paint dry. Marcus' abusive tendencies can't come to light soon enough. Wouldn't mind seeing redemption for Shannon, as I really like the actress, and know there's unrealized potential in the character. Don't think it happens, but would be nice.

Leo and Greenlee: The Merry-Go-Round. Practically identical conversation, same result. Every time. He can't leave Laura, because he's afraid she'll die of a broken heart, and the sacrifice of Gillian will be for nothing. Oh, wait. That last part was all me. Greenlee doesn't want to waste her life watching her soulmate with someone else. Can you blame her? Wake up, Leo. Good intentions do not a successful, loving marriage make. Grow a pair, and choose!
 

Logical…

Quote Of The Moment…

 "Erica's not a verb, and, if she is, she's past tense."
-Greenlee Smythe

History!

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

 The famous/infamous Shane Dawson X Jeffree Star Conspiracy Collection! If you know, you know. So glad I own this piece of history. Would love to eventually add the collection of pig lipsticks. Hopefully someday.

The Master!

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

 

My ever-growing Stephen King collection!