Keepsake…

 Photo Credit: Steven Dvorkin

Saw an ad on Instagram, and new my mom would absolutely love it. Think it came out pretty nice. Always a plus when you get to add a family-centric keepsake to the collection.

Fair Pricing…

Pink Goes Good With Green…

 Photo Credit: Steven Dvorkin

 

Another from Walgreens. Christmas stuff was on sale wicked cheap when I got him, so I figured there's no harm in adding to the collection.

Quote Of The Moment…

 "Don't make someone fall for you if you're not ready to catch them."
-Jay Shetty

Could Be Worse…

Still Life

Starting off with full transparency, I'm writing this review after a second playthrough.

We'll start with positives. Story is rich. Graphics and animations were top notch when this game was released, and hold up fairly well. Hours will go by in a blink, as you will become fully invested, and be itching to see how everything plays out. Duel perspectives are fantastic, and trade off regularly, helping things stay fresh, and keep the player guessing.

Negatives: Glitchy gameplay will drive you absolutely bonkers, and have you questioning your life. Illogical, unnecessarily hard puzzles abound. Frustration will seem like a new best friend, and logic and reasoning are pretty much nonexistent. Let's add another con. Unnecessary backtracking happens with such frequency that you will want to put your fist through your computer screen.

Lastly, horrible voice acting. Couldn't figure out which category this fit under, as it is positively awful, but will lead to unintentional hilarity and potentially dangerous fits of laughter. Be your own judge.
Game is worth it, all and all, and will leave you wanting to play the sequel. 
 

Earth, Wind, & Fire Concert At Mohegan Sun: December 7-8, 2025

Photo Credit: Eric Bain

 I know the title is self-explanatory, but figured I'd share a little bit about the experience. Concert was fantastic, though a tiny bit overly loud for the first few songs. Once my ears adjusted, I could hear that the band sounded wonderful, and I loved seeing the passion they all had after all these years.

Food was fantastic, and company was even better. Had so much fun playing the slots, even if they were more down than up. Really want to go back in the beginning of March to see Rod Stewart. Fingers crossed.

Book Lovers

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adore everything about this book, and the way it made me feel when reading it. Perfect. Great narration.

12/17/2025: If it's possible, I'm even more in love with this book. Just EVERYTHING!

When Ben Loved Jace

When Ben Loved Jace by Jay Bell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I cannot stand Ben in this book. He's incredibly selfish, takes Jace's love for granted, and can't stick to any decision. All right, now that I worked through my anger, let's talk about the good stuff. JACE! So incredible to spend time with him again, but just as heartbreaking to lose him. Hope this is the last book that he dies in. Don't know how many more times I can go through this. Anyway, decent story overall, with good narration.

Official!

It's official. I hate Dani! Her running off to see Bill every two seconds, using excuses that don't carry any weight, and kissing him whenever the desire overtakes her is putrid. She's doing the exact same thing to Andre that Bill did to her. It's disgusting. So glad Pamela doesn't buy any of her crap. My poor Andre is going to be absolutely devastated when the truth eventually comes out. Hope he goes apeshit on both of them, and leaves nothing but ashes. Better yet, he should bed Haley just to add an exclamation point to this whole sad situation. I think that would be delicious revenge. With Dani in his rearview, maybe we can finally get a glimpse of the mystical playboy Andre we've been hearing about since the beginning of the show. I say bring it on.
 

Prayer!

Overnight Exploring Boston: August 16-17, 2023

Photo Credit: Eric Bain

Couple of years back, in late summer, I spent an overnight getaway with Eric in Boston. This probably goes without saying, but we had so much fun. Went to the museum, as we almost always do when nearby, did a little shopping, and had a great time sightseeing, and enjoying the weather. Still can't figure out why there were statues of cows sprinkled throughout the city. Very cool and beautiful, but extremely strange. 

Beautiful!

Photo Credit: Jill Rock

What Could Have Been…

 Don't know how someone found this, but just listened to Michelle Pfeiffer's Evita screen test. She sang I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You, and Buenos Aires. While there are times when the power vocal that the songs demand isn't there, I was genuinely impressed with her voice. Would love to have seen her tackle Eva. No doubt her acting chops are superior to Madonna's, and I would have enjoyed the movie much more than I did.

The Last Hart Beating

The Last Hart Beating by Nattie Neidhart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Inspirational story, that has given me a whole new perspective of the woman behind the champion. Stilted narration does nothing to detract from this amazing rollercoaster of a tale.

The Last Showman: Words + Music, Vol. 41

The Last Showman: Words + Music, Vol. 41 by Usher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fascinating, honest insight. I respect Usher more after listening to this.

Intriguing…

Just finished November sweeps, and am happy on the whole.

Leo finally said enough is enough with Laura, and is putting all the puzzle pieces of her machinations in place. The scenes where he finally confronts her were fantastic. Me thinks that Laura isn't just going to let Leo and Greenlee live happily ever after. Sure more craziness is coming. Wonder what's finally going to snap her out of this spiral.

Speaking of spirals, Bianca. For some reason, though I never saw definitive proof while watching, she insists to Erica that her and Frankie are in love, and are going to be a couple. Frankie did say she wasn't opposed to the idea, but was hesitant when Bianca continued relentlessly pushing. Bianca finds out that Erica wanted Opal to plant drugs on Frankie, and rightfully loses her shit. Long story a little shorter, Frankie can't deal with the unceasing pressure from Bianca, and finds temporary relief and the arms of a newly recast JR. Bianca runs off to find Frankie after the aforementioned Erica confrontation, finds her in bed with JR, and storms off to the Wildwind stables to ride, clear her head, and hopefully gain perspective. Unfortunately, she gets thrown, whacks her head, and upon waking up, can't remember much.

Frankie calls Erica to tell her that Bianca took off after finding her and JR. Erica says file things to her, threatens death, and shortly thereafter is seen sitting in a chair in Frankie's room, and holding a gun looking dazed, while the camera slowly reveals a dead Frankie on the floor. The mystery begins…

I don't really care about the Proteus story. It is, however, nice that Hayley isn't buying any of Mateo's bull, and he finally comes clean. Will be nice if we get to see them join forces to bring down the enemy.

David and Anna continue to reluctantly grow closer, and it's delicious fun.

Quick note. I am absolutely loving Edmund and Brooke slowly rekindling things. Proves that no matter how much time passes, when there's genuine connection, possibility always remains.
 

Quote Of The Moment…

 "Evolve or evaporate."
-Usher

The First Church

The First Church by Ron Ripley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyable, but nothing stand out. Good narration.

Foxwoods Casino: January 14-15, 2025

 

 Photo Credit: Eric Bain

 Went to Foxwoods overnight a little over a year ago. So much fun. Didn't have much luck when it came to gambling, but great food and great company more than made up for that.

Quote Of The Moment…

 "You don't have to risk your life to live it."
-Leo to Laura

More Balance!

Been quite a while since I posted anything BTG. Couple reasons. First, stories don't develop quick enough for me to post regular content, unless I want to do daily recaps, which I have no interest in. Performances and writing are always on point, but pacing is awful. Which leads into the second issue. Absolutely every storyline circles back to the Dupree family somehow. Listen, I get it. They are the focus of the show, but something has to give. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why a second prominent family hasn't been introduced. The big bad Dupree family need fresh, compelling opposition. Everyone in town kisses their ass, even while claiming distaste behind their back. Lack of balance and focus is getting really old.

Going down a similar path, let's quickly discuss the breast cancer story. Absolutely love how it's playing out thus far, and like I said in the previous paragraph, performances are top notch, with a few exceptions. I bet you can guess my biggest problem. 99% of the show is revolving around the diagnosis and fallout. It's actually getting depressing to watch, and I'm afraid I might not be the only one feeling this way. For those who know their soap history, socially relevant storylines are essential, but when there's no break for levity, audiences can start tuning out. Beyond The Gates is just beginning to find its footing, and cannot afford to drive people away.

Here's hoping the creatives have plans in place to address these issues in the new year.
 

Mad Skills…

 Photo Credit: Jill Rock

Jingle!

Photo Credit: Latisha Todman

 Mom needed to find a new home for this bell tree, and I was more than happy to help out.

… From The Dead?

The latest episode of the Soapy podcast dropped today, with guest Susan Lucci. As you can imagine, the topic of the ever elusive reboot came up. According to Susan, it's still very much a possibility. Feel like I always say this when this subject comes up, but I don't know what to think. Of course, the lifelong fan in me would love nothing more than to reunite with my beloved Pine Valley friends. But, if I'm being completely honest, I don't know if I can go through this again.

Let's look at this logically. Three possible outcomes. The first is that it finally comes to fruition, and has a healthy run. This is the dream, and would make me the happiest. Next, and unfortunately most likely is that we get more information on intent, get all excited despite ourselves, and nothing happens… again. The final possibility is that the green light is finally given, it makes it to air, and is unsuccessful. Being completely honest when I say I don't think I could withstand the emotional toll those last two would take. The high of a reunion, and the absolute gutting devastation of having to experience that loss for a third time would be positively unbearable.

So, I think it's obvious why I don't know how to process any of this. Was just getting comfortable with the thought of this torture being behind me. Here we go again.
 

You Better Not Pout

You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Performances are really good, but this one was just okay for me. Enjoyable, but nothing memorable, or special.

All Wrapped Up In You

All Wrapped Up in You by Rosie Danan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cute and sweet, but missing the charm of the other books in this collection. Good performances.

Merry And Bright

Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adorable. Great performances, and an unexpected twist.

Snow Place Like Home

Snow Place Like Home by Laura Pavlov
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cute, sweet, and happily predictable. Good performances.

Quote Of The Moment…

 "The star of the show is the show."
-Jeanne Cooper

Quote Of The Moment…

 "Control is your drug of choice."
-Liza to Adam

Middlebury Sanitarium

Middlebury Sanitarium by Ron Ripley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This one is just okay. Good enough to continue the series, but didn't enjoy it quite as much as the others. Good narration.

Quote Of The Moment…

 "Not everything gets cleaned up with an apology."
-Brett to Emma

Happy Anniversary!

All My Children debuted 56 years ago today. Said it countless times over the years, but I will never be able to properly express what this show means to me. I will always mourn the unnecessary, spiteful loss. Pine Valley forever!
 

You Knew I Was Going To…

A little ridiculous, but I had to do it. Look at that face! LEO!!!

BFA: November 25, 2022

Photo Credit: Eric Bain