Unfollowed

Unfollowed by Christian White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Terrifying, thought-provoking, and unfortunately timely. Good narration.

Choices…

Well, Gillian has gone on to glory. So sad. I like Laura, but the trade definitely isn't worth it. Why kill a beloved character to prop up another? Makes no sense. Especially considering that Laura leaves town in less than a year, and is never heard from again. The Dixie/pancake decision is years down the line, but this Laura crap is just another glaring example of shortsightedness with no worry of consequence. Thumbs down for me. If there is a bright spot in any of this mess, it's definitely going to be ghost Gillian, and the other supposedly dearly departed PV residents. I don't remember what shenanigans they get up to, but am sure it's going to be fun.

Laura is recovering, and Leo is already second-guessing wedded bliss. You know what they say about the road to hell. Can't fight fate. There are going to be many obstacles, but Leo and Greenlee will always find their way back to one another. Don't like Laura getting hurt in the process, but she kind of deserves it for being so gullible. Not at all suspicious when Leo declares undying love for her out of nowhere? Wake up, girl. It's because you were dying and he thought the commitment was only minimal. Not saying there aren't real feelings there somewhere, but it's not a from here and beyond love. Open your eyes, and use your head.

Chris has officially made his debut. Yawn. Erica should have smacked him in the mouth for the way he was talking to her. I get wanting to show Chris getting under her skin and bringing out her playful side, but it could have been built up a little. Not the best first impression for me. Maybe I'll and up warming to him over time. Although, now that I think of it, isn't he revealed to be Ryan's father, and somehow involved in Edmund's death? Two more strikes. Not looking good.
 

Softening?

Nathan is a disgusting creep. Openly talking about how he's pretending to like Samantha just to take her virginity is grotesque. Hope someone puts him in his place in short order. Speaking of Samantha, she needs to stop throwing everyone under the bus whenever she's trying to make a point. There is no way Martin should be mad at Kat for having an adult conversation. She didn't even know Samantha was listening. Not her fault. Martin needs to cool down with the quickness. Flying off the handle without the full story has never worked out for him before. Should be smart enough to change.

Here's something I thought I'd never say. Really like the scenes at Uptown between Leslie and Ted. The thaw between them seems to be coming out of nowhere, but I'm not mad at it. Just hope it's a sincere effort on Ted's part, and he's not going to be nice to Leslie just because he thinks things are completely over with Nicole. Don't get me wrong, he should definitely exercise extreme caution, but let things flow naturally, have an open mind, and see what happens.

Derek/Ashley/Andre is worse than having kidney stone surgery. This storyline has been on a merry-go-round for almost a year, and absolutely nothing has changed. This lather, rinse, and repeat makes me want to slowly remove my eyeballs with a spoon. I see potential redemption and usefulness in Ashley, but Derek needs to go yesterday, and she needs to stay the hell away from Andre. Maybe she could take a spin with Izaiah?
 

Quote Of The Moment…

 "I'm not ready to find out you know how to forget me."
-Forget Me-Lewis Capaldi

Fear The Light

Fear the Light by William Massa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read this on Kindle years ago, and enjoyed it. Found it on Audible yesterday, and am happy to report I enjoyed it even more this time. Really good story. Great narration.

So Pretty!

 Photo Credit: Jill Rock

Quote Of The Moment…

 "You owe me for being on this planet."
-Anita to Dani

Common Sense?

Jumping to conclusions could be an Olympic sport in PV right now. We've got Adam believing JR's lies about David drugging him. As I said in a previous post, I totally understand the innate desire to protect your children when you think they are in trouble. That being said, all it would take is two seconds of logical thinking for Adam to realize what's really going on. I get hating David after everything he's pulled, but drugging teenagers is way too far, even for him. Think I said it last time, but when is everyone going to wake up to JR's bullshit? This is why everything goes bonkers for him in the end.

So sick of Dimitri. With all the craziness going on, I think a little bit of skepticism is definitely healthy. He's taking it to an unnecessary degree. If Alex, Anna, and Bianca trust Gabriel, back off enough to let the kid breathe. If memory serves, he's not going to be around for long, and the Wildwind gang is going to have much more devastating issues to deal with very soon.
 

Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives

Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives by Jim B. Tucker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely fascinating, if a little cumbersome. Good narration.

Wicked: August 19, 2022

Photo Credit: Eric Bain

These pictures are from the first time I went to visit Eric in Boston. Spent the beautiful day exploring, he showed me his garden, and then we went to The Opera House at night to see Wicked.

Quote Of The Moment…

 "If you ever start to miss me, I'm as far away as you pushed me."

Iconic!

Photo Credit: Andrew Lloyd Webber

Confessions!

I have a couple of confessions. Never thought I would make this first one. This is almost painful. Laura and Leo have chemistry. Can't believe I just wrote that. Feel like I'm betraying Leo and Greenlee with that admission. Laura will never compare to my Greens, but there's definitely something. Saw it when Leo is making Laura laugh for the first time after learning the severity of her heart condition. Josh and Laura were definitely tuned into one another, and if you look very closely, there's even a very faint eye sparkle. Okay, I feel gross writing anything else positive about them. Sorry, Greenlee.

I am really enjoying Anthony Addabbo as Dimitri. No one well ever compare to Michael, but the different take has been surprisingly refreshing. More comedic, and lighter somehow. Not to mention the palpable chemistry with Finola Hughes' Alex and Anna. Very sweet and enjoyable to watch.
 

So Cute!

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

Who Knew?

Did I Ask You?

I applaud Dani and Andre for declaring their feelings for one another, and sticking to their convictions. So happy to see Andre hold his own with Vernon. Nice to see the Dupree bullying tactics fall short of the mark.

Anita needs a hobby. Crocheting, polo, wrestling, ceramics. Something has to occupy her mind so she can keep her nose out of Dani's business. The woman can't breathe without Anita second-guessing her motives. Why can't things just be taken at face value? It's getting really old, really quick. As long as Dani isn't doing anything that may have negative repercussions for the family, everyone needs to stay in their lane.

Bravo, Nicole! Such a relief to see she isn't being sucked into Ted's bullshit. I truly believe the only reason he wants to reconcile is to make good with his own conscience. He's selfish. So glad that Leslie pulled that fire alarm before Nicole let hormones overtake good sense. Respect to Nicole for meeting Ted in person to put a definitive period on the and of their marriage. I hope a new man shows her how wonderful she is, Ted is insanely jealous, and leaves Fairmont Crest forever, or at least until a recast is announced.
 

Truth, Consequences, And Schemes!

Let's talk about JR for a second. He's absolutely out of control. Taking drugs, stealing Adam's car, getting into an accident that put baby Santos at risk, cheating on schoolwork. When will there be consequences for this unruly hooligan? I understand Adam's default is to protect his family no matter what, but this is ridiculous. Not to mention that he continues to poison JR's mind against Dixie. Something has to be done soon.

Speaking of Dixie, poor woman doesn't know which way is up. Fighting feelings for David, watching her son slip away, and trying to decide whether or not to reconcile with Tad. Don't know how she's staying sane. Know I wouldn't be.

I vehemently disagree with Brooke not telling Laura the truth about her heart situation. Sugar coating something so serious is going to to nothing but cause damage. It's a never ending cycle. Laura has overheard the truth, Leo confirmed it, and now she's acting as if she doesn't know to protect her mother. She's breaking down in private, but I have a feeling that it's not going to be long before everything explodes. Keeping secrets, no matter the intention behind doing so, is never good. This is going to be heartbreaking.

Greenlee is spiraling after the Leo breakup. Solution? Throw herself into launching a line of cosmetics. Not the worst idea on its face. The problem? She wants to learn the ropes from Erica by working at Enchantment. Greenlee seems sincere, and it looks as though Erica is going to hire her, but only to sabotage and bury. I understand the whole friends/enemies closer thing, but I think this is kind of cruel. Crazy to say after everything Greenlee did to Bianca, but we all know I love my Greens.
 

Navy!

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

This is Navy. Got her a little while after her brother. Was at Petco, and her beautiful colors caught my eye. She's a very sweet girl, and I'm glad she chose me as her human.

Devastation!

Roger is a hideous human being. Goes out of his way to dig up dirt on Leo, finds his ex-wife Katerina, and pays her to come to Pine Valley and destroy Leo and Greenlee's engagement party. Why? The almighty dollar. How disgusting of a person do you have to be to put your own financial needs ahead of your daughter's happiness? Common sense says that if you start being supportive, and take the necessary steps to repair your relationship, chances are Greenlee would not leave you twisting in the wind. But that would take time and effort, so why bother, right? Screw you, Roger! The whole situation is just as devastating as the first time I watched. My heart can't take this!
 

The Good Girl

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unforgettable. Good narration.

9/26/2025: Just listened to this again, and it's just as spectacular as the other times I read/listened. Good narration.

Gorgeous!

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

WOW!

 Julia Barr and Susan Lucci! Holy crap! So the storyline with Laura's heart just got underway, and I'm already floored by the performances. Julia Barr is effortless in everything she portrays. One minute Brooke is scared to death and screaming. The next, she's doing her absolute damnedest to keep it all together and be strong for her daughter. Julia makes every minute of the rollercoaster that Brooke is on grounded, believable, realistic, and relatable. An absolute master.

Having Erica be Brooke's support through all this is absolutely brilliant. The fact that they can put their decades of differences aside in light of what's happening is wonderful and inspiring. Seeing these two women relate to one another through the shared difficulties of their children is beautiful. Sometimes support is found in the most unexpected ways.

Lucci playing everything understated, with confidence, sincerity, and honesty is absolutely fantastic. My hat is off to both of these wonderful performers.

YAY!

 Since I started blogging again, I've wanted to change the look and layout, but wasn't satisfied with any of the given options. Was bored this morning and decided to tinker a little.  Turns out it was much easier than I thought. So thrilled with how it came out. Love anything black and white. There are a few things I wish I could change, but I think it would require JavaScript and/or HTML knowledge, of which I have none. Happy with how it came out using the little skills I have. What does everyone think? Please feel free to leave a comment.

Flynnigan!

 

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

This is Flynnigan. My PCA found him half frozen to death in the bottom of a carriage in the Walmart parking lot the day after Christmas. Surprised me with him, and everything has been wonderful since. I think he's absolutely adorable, and he seems very happy here. Can't believe it's coming up on a year. Glad he was rescued, and I can give him a nice home.

BMFA: October 17: 2022

 

Photo Credit: Eric Bain

 First trip to the BMFA! Pure joy! Incredible!

Just Because…

Photo Credit: Eric Bain

Saw this bench when I went out for lunch with Eric the other day, and thought it would make a pretty black and white picture. Really like how it came out.

Minister Of Loneliness

Minister of Loneliness by Matt Boren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sweet story, with good performances, but tries a little too hard.

Powerhouse!

I know it's early, but think I may have just watched my favorite scene of the week. Nicole and Leslie going at each other over their children was absolutely fantastic. The chemistry between Daphnée Duplaix and Trisha Mann-Grant is positively explosive. One of the things I love about BTG is that the creatives take good care to always make sure that each character has a valid, compelling argument to get the viewer on their side. Oh, and not to mention, snappy, smart, contemporary, real life dialogue. I know I just went on quite a rant there, but it's all to say that I love when these two powerhouse actresses and characters square off. Can't wait to see where it goes, but have to admit to wanting Nicole to completely destroy Leslie at the moment. She's been getting away with too much for too long.
 

Quote Of The Moment…

 "If you're crying, it means it matters."
-Kelly Clarkson

WTF?!

Track listing has been released for the upcoming recording of the 2025 London revival cast of Evita. Honestly, I don't even know what to say about this. Someone, somewhere has to be playing some sort of joke. Not only is the recording incomplete, but it doesn't even include Eva's Final Broadcast or Lament! How is this real?! The show is her life story from beginning to end! Who the hell made the brilliant decision to not even include her death?! This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Not only are we getting screwed out of the complete recording that was promised, but this sad selection of tracks is ridiculous. I'm completely dumbfounded and disgusted.

Tracklisting:

1. Oh What A Circus
2. Buenos Aires
3. I’d be Surprisingly Good for You
4. Another Suitcase in Another Hall
5. A New Argentina
6. Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
7. High Flying Adored
8. Rainbow High
9. And The Money Kept Rollin in (and out)
10. You Must Love Me

June 29-July 1, 2024

Photo Credit: Eric Bain

Went to New York last year for my birthday with Eric.. That it was the perfect trip goes without saying.

Saw the original Broadway cast of Water For Elephants, which was absolutely incredible, went to The MoMA, and saw one of the most famous paintings in the world. Still cannot believe I saw Starry Night in person. What an honor!

Apparently, Santa got confused what day it was. Saw Fleetwood Mac's iconic album Rumors on the floor of the hotel the morning of my birthday, and Eric said that Santa brought it overnight. I still think he gave it to me for my birthday, but it's kind of cool to think that Santa made a special trip just for me.

Great food, too, putting aside the fact that I almost died, of course. See picture above.

Unforgettable experience.

He Finally Realized!

Twins!