Pic of the Week: Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Disneyland Trip: Day 3

More Soundbites (these are pretty easy):

1. Here comes the bride.
2. What do you mean you're doing your work? You ungrateful little twit.
3. Please remain in you doombuggy.
4. Captain, there's something weird out there.
5. I'm trying out the small talk program. Seems to be working.

One more day in Disneyland!

Disneyland Trip: Day 2

Today was a great day in the park.

The crowds were wonderfully sparse, the weather was cool, for Southern California. And it didn't rain. That was very good news since there was a big storm in So. Cal yesterday.

Carrie and I went on our favorite rides over and over. You know which those rides are, I'm sure they are your favorites too. :)

We're ready for another day and more fun at Disneyland!

And now for some soundbites from rides in the park (you know how much I love soundbites/quotes).

If you think you know Disneyland well, try to guess which rides they're from. Some are easier than others. I won't publish comments or the answers until the end of my trip so everyone has a chance to guess.

1. 'Cause this is the wildest ride in the wiiiilderness!
2. Tourists. I hate tourists.
3. They be squalls ahead.
4. Have a jolly good ride.
5. That's dangerous. Let's see if we can get closer.
6. You see the excellence of this invention?
7. You can call me Roger, if you want to.
8. Guilty. That is all.
9. We invite you, if you dare, to step aboard.
10. Next time, wear a blindfold.
11. I had so much fun, I'm going again. And again and again. I wish that was a joke.
12. 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1. Scream!
13. I can't think of anything more fun than scanning you people. Oh, I just did.
14. The back side of water.

I look forward to hearing your guesses.

Disneyland Trip: Day 1

Yesterday we flew to California by way of Phoenix. Not exactly the most direct way to go, but who cares about a little lay-over when you can get a cheaper ticket, right?

We arrived at the hotel a little too late to go into the park, so we went into Downtown Disney for a bite of dinner.

Goofy's Kitchen is the place to go for good food and mingling with Disney characters. We ate as Goofy, Pluto, Dale, Aladdin, Minnie, and Jasmine worked the dining room. All were game for a photo-op, even with a couple of over-ten (K)Carries.

We joined the characters in a little "Twist" between courses, which was a fun jump-start for the next three days of revisiting our childhood here at The Happiest Place on Earth.

Today, Disneyland!

I'm Going to Disneyland

I'm going to California today with my friend, Carrie, for a trip to The Happiest Place on Earth!

Disney posts to come.

Pictures coming when I get home.

Bollywood on Smash

The Bollywood number on Smash was so random and I loved it!

Give me more numbers like that - original music and great dancing.

I have been disenchanted with the Dev storyline because I like the actor, and it's just becoming too cliche, but I'm so glad they finally let him in the spotlight, singing and dancing.

Now I'm just waiting for the writers to give Brian D'Arcy James a decent song. I love his voice and they are wasting his talent.

Snow White and the Huntsman: Extended Preview

Snow White is in vogue right now.

Ginnifer Goodwin plays a spunky Snow in the TV show Once Upon a Time, Lilly Collins played a stunning Snow White in the silly Mirror Mirror.

And then there's Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman. Who knows what kind of Snow White she will be, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

This extended preview pretty much tells the whole story in five minutes. So, if you want to be surprised at how Snow White gets away from the Queen, what the Huntsman does when he finds Snow White, and how she meet the dwarfs (and how it's similar to Mirror Mirror), then don't watch the video. The only things it doesn't reveal is how she defeats the evil Queen and if there's a prince (I doubt it since Chris Hemsworth is playing the Huntsman - unless he's also a prince).

Vocabulary: Wherefore

"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

No, Juliet is not asking Romeo where he is. Juliet is asking Romeo WHY he is Romeo. Why is he a Montague, an enemy of her family.

Wherefore means "why."

We don't use "wherefore" much anymore in our everyday vocabulary; okay, no one really uses the word anymore at all. So, wherefore did I decide to write a post about a word that is pretty much obsolete in our modern vocabulary?

Because I wanted to. *wink*

Now you can watch the scene in Romeo and Juliet, if you didn't know what it meant before, notice how the scene changes.

Pic of the Week: Fall in Cedar City

An Angelina Jolie Movie I May See

Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney animated movie, and Maleficent has always been my favorite Disney villain.

I just read that Angelina Jolie will be playing the title role in a movie called Maleficent. It will be about the villain of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale (who is only called Maleficent in the Disney version, I believe).

It will be interesting to see if her story will parallel the story of Sleeping Beauty, or if it will be like Wicked, the book and musical, and tell the back story of how Maleficent became the evil fairy who would want to kill a princess just because she didn't get invited to a party.

Titanic: The Miniseries

Julian Fellowes's forte is to explore the world of the classes, specifically in Britain, having written the screenplays for the Oscar winner, Gosford Park, and the acclaimed miniseries, Downton Abbey. And there is no place where the class division was as apparent as on the Titanic. So, for this 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Famous vessel, it is not surprising that Julian Fellowes would take on dramatizing the tragedy.

Unlike James Cameron's megahit, the miniseries follows the lives of many passengers, from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd classes, as well as servants of 1st class passengers, and crew members. Because, after all, this is Julian Fellowes writing the script.

I was disappointed in the miniseries. It was an interesting decision to end each episode with the ship hitting the iceberg. However, I think it made the miniseries feel very disjointed. By the end of the third hour, I wanted to say, just get on with the real drama, which I felt a bit bad about because real people experienced the tragedy, although none of the main characters were based on real people, as far as I know.

Which brings me to another disappointment I had in the show at first. I wished that that the main characters hadn't been fictitious. They could have given the characters names of real people. I thought later, however, those people have descendants or relatives, and it's easier not to worry about getting the ire up of any of them if they didn't like the way they were portrayed, so, it's easier to go fictional. Also, I thought that most of the people who were actually on the ship probably just ate, slept, sat on deck, read books, played cards, etc. and where is the drama in that? The sinking of the ship is the real drama of the whole tragedy.

The whole miniseries couldn't just be after the ship hit the iceberg. We had to care about the characters, which, I'm sorry to say for the most part I didn't. There were so any characters, and I knew from the start, as everyone did, that some would live and some would die so I almost didn't want to get too attached. The conceit of giving us bits of information a little at a time about the characters made their stories so disconnected that I found it hard to get very emotionally involved in their lives and care about them anyway. The only person I had any emotional feelings for was John Batley, who was played so well by Toby Jones. The moment when the lifeboat comes to pick him up and he doesn't want to leave his dead wife was heartbreaking. 

There were real characters from the ship in the miniseries, but their stories weren't central, and I'm not sure that they were totally accurate with all of the people who really were on the ship.

Once Upon a Time: Hat Trick

I loved, loved, loved this episode, even though it wasn't a Snow/Charming-centric episode.

It was an interesting twist to focus on the Mad Hatter instead of on Alice.

Emma: I'd rather lose my job than my friend.

Didn't Emma ever learn that you shouldn't pick up strangers?

Why does Jefferson call the Queen "Regina" instead of "You Majesty?" What is their history?

Regina: Something of mine was taken and found its way over there.

Regina: There's nothing more important than family.

Jefferson gives Emma tea. A little tea party with the Mad Hatter.

Emma is drugged, but she still notices that Jefferson doesn't have his limp. Pretty good powers of observation.

Why does Jefferson take off Emma's jacket before tying her up?

Jefferson's house has to be pretty high on a hill for him to be able to see the Sheriff's office through his telescope. And it looked like he lives in the middle of the forest. Well, this is a fairy tale.

Do all of the men in Fairy Tale Land wear leather pants? Not that I'm complaining.

Jefferson: I see you found Spot.

Jefferson asks Regina to promise that his daughter will want for nothing if he does what she asks, and she gives her word. I wonder if Regina keeps her word.

So, how does Jefferson know about the curse?

Jefferson: Open your eyes. Look around. Isn't it about time?

Caterpillar: Who are you? Who? Who?

I loved that the Caterpillar was Roger Daltry from The Who.

Jefferson: I hate Wonderland.

Poor Jefferson. He's just a father who wants his daughter.

They actually cut off Jefferson's head!

Jefferson: I'm alive? I'm alive!

Jefferson: I don't think. I know. I remember.

Jefferson: Holding conflicting realities in your head can drive you mad.

Emma: If what you say is true, the woman in the other room is my mother.

It was nice to think that Emma believed for a minute. What will it take for her to believe?

When Jefferson falls there is a whooshing sound. So, did he go back into Wonderland? Was Wonderland part of the curse? It must have been if Jefferson was in Storybrooke. Then where is Cora, the Queen of Hearts.

Poor Jefferson just wants to be with his daughter. Did he want to take Grace back to Wonderland with him? I thought he hated Wonderland.

Emma keeps the hat. What will happen with that?

Emma: Other than being on trial for murder, [Mary Margaret's] fine.

Emma noticed Jefferson's scar when they were fighting, and then she recognizes him in the book. Will she believe soon?

One more picture of Jefferson for good measure:

No Instruments Were Harmed in the Making of This Video

You gotta love a cellist. I'm just sayin'...



Thanks to Nadia for introducing me to this great video.

Smash: The Workshop

Finally, an episode that centers around "Marilyn, the Musical."

I really liked The Workshop. I hope for more episodes like this. I loved watching the montage of the musical itself. I wonder if eventually we will get a two hour episode of the whole musical. If so, I hope Ivy, not Karen, plays Marilyn. Or they could have Karen play Norma Jean, and Ivy play Marilyn.

On to my observations and quotes...

Ellis even eavesdrops on the building manger. Didn't his mother ever tell him it was rude to listen to people's conversations? If so, he didn't listen. *wink*

It's funny that Karen tells the record producer that she is more of a stage performer because she is such a pop singer.

I really like Katherine McPhee's voice, but I don't like watching her sing - her arms are so annoying.

Jessica: So, how did it go? (This is a repeat of her line in "Chemistry." Let's see how many times she says the line.)

Leigh (Bernadette Peters): Traffic was never like this when I lived in New York.

Leigh: Ivy was quite reluctant to let me come.

I love Bernadette Peters, and I was so excited that she was a guest star. However, I wish she had sung a song other than "Everything's Coming Up Roses." But, it did fit the situation with Ivy I suppose.

I wonder if everyone's reaction to Bernadette was real or acted. I'm sure that most of them were star struck.

Derek: The child thing never ceases to perplex me.
Tom: Because you're a reptile.

Derek: That's the least offensive thing I've said in days.

Yay! Julia is finally feeling guilty.

Eileen, you need to put it to Ellis more often.

Leo: You're supposed to be at rehearsal.
Julia: You're supposed to not be smoking pot.

Julia: Don't be so polite you little drug addict.

Leigh: I was over getting nerves by the time I was your age, but you're in the ensemble.

Eileen has eyes for Nick, the bartender.

The montage of everyone in bed the morning of the workshop is interesting, and so random.

I love the perfectly timed bit with Jessica, Bobby, and Karen while they're warming up.

Ivy is conveniently stuck in the elevator so Michael and Julia can improvise the scene between Marilyn and Joe, which is really a real scene between Michael and Julia.

Michael: I need a break.
Derek: Stay out of the elevator.

Eileen: We're going to make a hit out of this because Marilyn deserves it. (Marilyn doesn't deserve it, she was just a movie star. Oh, and she's also dead.)

Julia: Where's Leo?
Frank: He's in High School now honey, he's going to start skipping things sooner or later.

If Leo's in High School, and the workshop is during the day, then shouldn't he be in, um, High School?

Tom: Ivy, you were born to do this. You have ice water in your veins. (So, I have to admit I had to look that up. I've heard the saying before, but never knew what "ice water in your veins" meant. So, for those of you who, like me, didn't know, it means you're calm under pressure.)

I have something else to confess. I loathe the saying, "without further ado." So, when Derek started to say "without further..." I started to groan. But he surprised me and said "delay." I don't mind "without further delay." Thanks Derek.

I loved watching Leigh's face as Ivy started singing. You can see her eyes well up with tears.

As much as I don't like Will Chase's character, Michael, I really like his voice, and I liked the song Lexington and 52nd St.

Karen: I wouldn't miss [the workshop] for the world.

I like the shot of Ivy and Leigh standing in front of the mirror. Even though they are standing face to face a few feet away from each other, because there are mirrors on both ends of the room, the second reflection looks like they are standing within an arms reach of each other. Cool.

Leigh: I know how heartbreaking this world is.

Leigh: For years I've watched as people without an ounce of your talent have passed you by. (pause) That's the Theatre.

Leigh: There's no question. You're a star.

Derek: Do you want to fix the show or indulge in paranoid fantasies?

The Time Lord in Time Square

According to Blogtor Who, where I go for news of all thing Doctor Who, episode five is currently being filmed in New York. They have been filming in East Manhattan and Central Prak, as well as Time Square.

It is the farewell episode for Amy and Rory, and it involves the Weeping Angels.

The above picture was actually filmed in Cardiff, but I believe there will be weeping angels in New York. So, the weeping angels have come across the pond (or, the Pond has come across the weeping angels. Oh, I'm so clever. *wink*).

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill filming in Central Park

The more I read about the upcoming season, the more excited I get for the Fall.

Titanic: Reenactment of the Sailing

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the cruise ship, Balmoral, is recreating the doomed ship’s maiden (and last) voyage. The Balmoral set sail from Southamptom, England, just as the Titanic did, on Sunday April 8, 2012. The ship is carrying 1309 passengers, almost the same number as were on the Titanic. Many of the passengers are relatives of passengers of the Titanic.

The passengers will hold a memorial service at the exact spot the Titanic hit the iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912. Many of the passengers are dressing for the occasion, in attire from 1912.


When the Balmoral left the port of Cobh in Ireland, late Monday, April 9, 2012, it ran into bad weather, and then a passenger developed heart problems and the ship had to turn back to Ireland so an Irish coastguard helicopter could pick up the sick passenger.

The managing director of the travel agency that chartered the voyage could not say if the return to Ireland would cause the ship to miss making it to the exact location of the sinking on time for the memorial service. I hope they don’t sail quicker than they should just to make it there on time. That was one of the mistakes made on the Titanic itself – trying to get to New York ahead of schedule, and going to fast.

Another ship, Journey, left from New York on Tuesday night to sail to the same spot and commemorate the doomed ship’s sinking. It will be interesting to hear how it goes, because two large cruise ships can’t be in the same place at the same time.

What is it about the tragedy of the Titanic that interests people so much? I know that I’m fascinated by the events of that fateful night, but I can’t say exactly why. There isn’t another tragedy that fascinates me the same way. However, it would be so eerie to be at the exact spot where the ship sank, at the exact time 100 years later, in the middle of the night. I’m not one who believes in ghosts per se, but I have a very vivid imagination and I don’t think I would be able to sleep well that night, because there may be some spirits lingering where such tragedy happened.

I am looking forward to Julian Fellowes miniseries, Titanic, which will air on Saturday and Sunday nights. I think it’s the stories of the people who lived and died that night that interest me the most, and I believe this miniseries tells the real story of the real people better than James Cameron’s movie did. To me, James Cameron’s movie was just a love story with the Titanic tragedy as the background. I’m excited to learn more about the real story, and the real people.

Pic of the Week: Salisbury Cathedral

Once Upon a Time: Heart of Darkness

I love Once Upon a Time!

It was so wonderful to see a Snow/Charming-centric story. It's interesting to see other stories, but this is what this show is all about. I am a sucker for romance, and this episode gave that in spades.

I loved seeing a wanted poster for Snow White hanging on a tree in Fairy Tale Land.

It's great that Snow was humming "With a Song in My Heart." Having access to Disney's large canon, wouldn't it be cool to have a musical episode of Once Upon a Time using Disney songs. I would love it!

Snow looks so cute with her curled hair and big red bow.

It's nice to see Jiminy again. He needs to be in more episodes.

I love that Jiminy asks the dwarfs to write letters to Snow to let her know their feelings. It's a great intervention attempt.

Regina: I know what it's like to lose someone you love, to be publicly humiliated. It put me in a very dark place. It changed me.

Side note: So, I'm writing this after seeing the episode where we find out why Regina hates Snow, and this makes a lot of sense, except for the "publicly humiliated" part. I wonder if there's more to the story.

Why does Snow tell Grumpy to get out of her way when he's not standing in her way. She's going the other way.

Snow to Grumpy: What I don't need is to be lectured by a dwarf with a bad attitude.

Emma: You have to go home.
Henry: Not going to happen.

August is there to make Emma believe who she is.

Henry: Last time I tried to find proof, I got stuck in a sink hole.

Why did Snow take the soldier's underwear too? It's a funny scene, but just a little creepy.

Regina: Everyone has a dark side, David.

Regina: I always believed evil isn't born, it's made.

Rumpelstiltskin: If you bottle love, you can do anything.

Grumpy: If you take that bow, you do it alone.
Snow: That was always my plan.

Rumpel to David: If she kills the Queen, she becomes as evil as the woman whose life she's taken.

Snow: Words, words, words.

Snow is now quoting Shakespeare ("Words, words, words" is from Hamlet.)

It's great to see Dr. Hopper again.

David can remember Fairy Tale Land when he's hypnotized. So, Henry just needs to get everyone hypnotized. *wink*

James to Jiminy: You can talk?
Jiminy: Yea, and you can listen.

It was a great scene when James was trying to get Snow remember him.

James: I would rather die than let you fill your heart with darkness.

Best moment was when James kisses Snow and she finally remembers him, especially seeing both of them with tears running down their cheeks. I am such a romantic.

Snow: I will always find you.

Oh, David how could you doubt Mary Margaret? How could you?

I'm so glad that the writers allow David/James to cry. They let him show his emotions rather than going with the mantra, "man up."

Grumpy: Let's show that King what Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs can do!"

I love the dramatics of watching Mary Margaret unlock the jell cell and opening the door.

Emma: Belief is not proof.

What is Rumpel going to do with Love, now that he's bottled it?

Smash: Chemistry

This is the episode when Ivy begins her downward spiral into prescription drugs. I'm still waiting for the soap opera to end and the good show it can be to start.

Karen: When do they stop changing everything? 
Danny: Five minutes before the performance.

I've said it many times about this show, and I will say it again: Who does a workshop of a musical without a finished script?

Tom says he's not letting Derek use his music with which to bludgeon his writing partner, but then he just walks away, leaving Derek to further bludgeon Julia if he wants to. Strange thing to do. Wouldn't he stay and stand up for her?

I don't know how I would feel to be the actor who plays Ellis and have to be do the same thing every week - eavesdropping and being a snitch. I think I would want to go to the writers and ask if I could have some kind of other scenes. But this is one of my complaints with the show, there are so many two dimensional characters.

How does Karen get out from behind the piano without the production team seeing her after they talk about replacing Ivy?

Julia: Look at you, handsome even after flying all night.

There's something off with Angelica Huston's acting. I just can't put my finger on it.

Why does Michael want to resume his affair with Julia when he has a great wife and child at home? There's just no motivation for it, other than this show is a soap opera so they think it needs some infidelity.

I want that apartment that Ellis and his friend show Eileen, but then, wouldn't anybody? What a view!

How did Ellis get Eileen to even go into a bar called the "Bushwhack"?

It was very disconcerting when Ivy looks straight into the camera during her hallucination-induced song.

I don't think I've ever seen a Star of David made of blue and white balloons, or any colored balloons to be exact. But then, I've never been to a Bar mitzvah before either.

Julia: I love that you have a favorite element.

Michael is such a sleaze - thinking of meeting Julia at the rehearsal space even when his cute wife brings his cute little boy in the room.
 
Would a husband really let his wife go out walking alone in Manhattan at night?

Michael: I'm an actor. Don't offer me the part if you don't want me to take it.

Derek: How is the voice today.
Ivy: The voice? The voice is fine. 
Derek: Terrific
Ivy: Do you want to know how I am?

Jessica: So, how did it go? (This is one of my favorite lines that in so many Disney shows. It's in Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, and in others I'm sure.)

Why does Ivy think she could fire Karen? She is not in charge.

During "History is Made at Night," it's more interesting to watch the dancers than Ivy and Michael.

Why does Eileen go back to the Bushwhack, and invite a potential backer there?

Eileen: Watch out, it's my turn.

Grimm: Plumed Serpent

I love how Grimm is using so many obscure fairy tales for each episode. It will be nice when they use another familiar fairy tale, but even the episodes based on obscure ones are so well written and thought out.

I have to say that I just love the main characters in this show. Nick is so easy on the eyes, and I really love his character. I'm glad that Juliette isn't just the throw-away girlfriend, that she gets to have a major part in the show. Renard is such an enigma. Is he good or is he bad? What is his agenda?

And Monroe? Well, Monroe is one of my favorite TV characters of all time. And he plays the cello!

Okay, let's get to Plumed Serpent.

It's nice to see that other Baldwin brothers are still working, that Alec doesn't have a corner on the acting jobs in the family. But then, they all look and sound alike, so who knows if that really wasn't Alec anyway. *wink*

Monroe's character is so multi-faceted. We know he has many hobbies and interests. From everything we know about Monroe, you'd think he'd go to the theatre or the opera or the ballet for an evenining of entertainment, so it's hilarious to see him at the club where Ariel, the fire dancer, works.

Most Wesen freak out when they see Nick because he's a Grimm, but Ariel just smiles. She's excited to see a Grimm.

Nick: I thought dragons were mythological.
Monroe: Dragons are. Damonfeuers aren't.

Monroe tells Nick that a Grimm was found decapitated. We really haven't heard much about other Grimms. You would think Nick would be interested to know, and maybe want to meet, other Grimms. But he doesn't seem very interested except that one was killed.

Ariel: Am I your first Damonfeuer? You're my first Grimm.

Ariel takes her flame batons home with her even though she has her own dressing room at the club. Does she practice at home? *wink*

Ariel: Remember Nick, you came for me; I didn't come for you.

Nick: That's just what I need, an entrance to hell.

Eberhard's wife died in a fire. Did he cause the fire?

Hank: This girl takes being wired to a whole new level.

Ariel: Now Grimm up, it's time to face your Damonfeuer.

Monroe: It's a quest. Your princess has been taken by the dragon. (Even though it's mythological.)

Why do Ariel and her father use the handcar and not the section car? It's a lot quicker.

I'm interested to know exactly how Ariel was able get Juliette out of her house, into her car, onto the handcar, and then into the cave. Juliette seems the type who would have put up quite a fight.

Monroe: I'm not liking the plan so far. 

Juliette can really pack a punch.

The question is - why does Ariel want Nick to think she's dead? What havoc is she going to cause in the future? Hmmmm.

Movie Review: Mirror Mirror

I really wanted to like Mirror Mirror. This is the kind of movie I usually really like, a fairy tale adaptation that doesn't take itself too seriously. However, there was something a bit off about the script and the acting. I thought that it was going to be very funny, but most of the jokes just seemed to fall flat.

I really liked the look of the film. It's so visually stunning, and I liked the storybook world that was created for the movie. Everything had to be large and very grand, so that Julia Robert's gowns didn't seem out of place. Speaking of her gowns, I loved them. Actually, I loved most of the costumes. I especially loved Julia Roberts wedding gown. I want to borrow that for Halloween this year.

Unfortunately, Julia Roberts character just didn't work for me. In every movie she's in she always plays "Julia Roberts." Her characters don't usually vary much from that same personality. In this movie she was "Julia Roberts" saying funny lines, and acting a little evil. I also didn't really understand the woman in the mirror. She looked like she should be a nicer version of the Queen, but she did the evil magic? And the woman in the mirror was so lethargic, I wanted to shake some emotion out of her.

I liked the dwarfs and I especially liked Armie Hammer as the Prince. Just like the evil Queen, I had a hard time concentrating when Prince Alcott stood there shirtless. *swoon* Lily Collins was a very pretty Snow White and she fit the role of Snow White very well. At times she looked like a young Audrey Hepburn. Not a bad person to be compared to.

Of course they had to turn the story around and Snow White saves the Prince instead of him saving her. I didn't mind that too much, but eventually men will start complaining that they are always the "damsel in distress." It would be nice to have a little happy medium in this regard.

To sum up, I was extremely underwhelmed by the movie, which was very disappointing because I was looking forward to it.

I hope that Snow White and the Huntsman will be better. Although I'm not sure how I feel about Kristen Stewart playing Snow White in that film. She's another actress who always seems to play herself.

Grammar Gaffe: I Feel Bad

The title of this post is correct - when you're upset about something, you feel "bad," you don't feel "badly."

Think of other adverbs you use with feel:

I feel sad. (not I feel sadly)
I feel happy. (not I feel happily)
I feel pretty. (not I feel prettily)

I feel bad and I feel badly mean two different things. If you feel badly you're saying that your sense of touch has been damaged and you have a hard time feeling things physically.

If you have been saying "I feel badly," don't feel bad, just correct yourself.

Pick of the Week: Happy Birthday to My Handsome Pop

Today is my Dad's birthday, the first since he passed away last July.

I'm doing okay for the most part, but there are times when it hits me hard that he's gone, like right now when I'm trying to write about it.

92 years are a lot of years to have on this earth, and he made the most of those years. I'm just glad he spent so many of those years with me.

I know I didn't know him when that picture was taken; I just think he looks so cool in those sunglasses.

That's Suzanne hanging on his leg and Diane's tow-head.

Happy birthday Pop!

Once Upon a Time: Red-Handed

At last we are given Red's back story, and what a tale it is. I have to say that I didn't expect the twist in this one.

This episode should have been called "Peter and the Wolf."

Emma to David: I'm pretty good at spotting a liar, and honestly, liars have better material.

Why does Emma say so many times that she can tell when a person is lying? Just so that we can see how often she is wrong about that? Although, in this case she was right. David was not lying.

A wolf howls before we cut to Ruby in Granny's diner. What a great moment.

Granny: You know red repels wolves.

Ruby to Granny: You just want me to act like you until I turn into you.

Ruby: You dress like Norman Bates when he dresses like Norman Bates's mother. Ruby

I love that August tries to hide laughing at that line.

Ruby: I should be out there having adventures with lemurs.

Emma: Buses out of town don't really happen. 

Don't they find it strange that there are no buses out of town? 

Red: When there's something I want, I'm good at tracking it down.

Snow: So your Granny's kind of intense.

It's funny that there's a reference to Pongo from 101 Dalmations. And poor Pongo has been separated from his owner, Roger, in Storybrooke, and he lives with Archie.

Red: Do you think I can save him?
Snow: I think you can save everyone.

When Ruby goes to pick up food at the diner, she doesn't order anything for Henry. Poor Henry, he wanted a hot dog and a cookie.

Why is Peter carrying a chain?

Henry: She doesn't remember how cool she is, what she's capable of. 

If Henry knows that Red was a wolf, why would he say something like that? She's a wolf, she's capable of killing people. 

Does Red not turn into a wolf in Storybrooke because that's magic, and there's no magic in Storybrooke?

Emma: There's a lot of Maine to search, Regina.

It's a great twist to make Red the wolf. So, when Granny and Red lock up the cottage, they're not locking the wolf out, they're locking the wolf in. However, if they lock the wolf in, and if Red wears her red cloak to bed, how did she get out to kill all of the men who were hunting the wolf?

Poor Peter. They kill off a lot of nice looking men in this show. Dang it.

Ruby: I don't know what I am.

Granny: We're approaching from downwind so we have a chance.

Good thing Granny explains that so that people like me won't be asking the question of why the wolf doesn't smell them coming. *wink*

After working with Emma, Ruby doesn't dress like a "drag queen during Fleet Week" anymore - not so much like a slut. And she tones down the makeup, to a more natural look. She looks so pretty.
 
Ruby to Granny: I said that you wanted me to turn into you, but what I meant was I don't know how to be you. You're a tough act to follow.

Ruby: I sort of found someone in myself that was more than I expected.

Ruby: Emma was my lemur.

Why are David and Mary Margaret talking in the pet shelter? Is that where David works? If not, it's just so random. 

An Apology to Those Who Read My TV Recaps

I am so far behind on my recaps of favorite shows that I don't think I'll ever catch up. That's what happens when you're trying to write a novel.

So, instead of recaps, I thought I would post things I liked or found interesting in the episodes, along with questions and favorite quotes.

The posts may contain spoilers, so if you haven't seen the episodes, tread carefully.

Thanks for reading!

Into the Woods on the Big Screen

More exciting news on the movie musical front.

Disney is bringing Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods to the big screen. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this news. Actually, I can. I am soooo excited about this news!

Now, for those of you who may think that Disney might ruin this great musical, there’s even more good news. Rob Marshall will be directing. He has already proven that he can direct a musical adapted for the screen (Chicago). And even better news: James Lapine, who wrote the script for the original production of Into the Woods, will be writing the screenplay. So, if this isn’t a great adaptation, then they just didn’t try hard enough.

The only actor I have heard that has been approached for any roles is Emma Stone, though I haven’t heard which part Rob Marshall is thinking she would play. Red Riding Hood? Cinderella? I think she’d be a great Red.

Who would be in your dream cast of Into the Woods, the Movie?

Novel Update

I have been working on my novel for over a month now, and it's going well.

I am about half way through the first draft, and I feel good about it.

TV Review: Missing

I have a new favorite TV show. (I have so many favorites now, I can't say which of those is really my favorite.)

Missing stars Ashley Judd as Rebecca Winstone, a former CIA agent whose 18 year old son, Michael, is kidnapped when he's in school in Rome. Rebecca goes to Italy and uses some of her old contacts and old moves to try to find Michael.

Ashely Judd is great as Rebecca Winstone. I have always liked her and her acting, and this is a great role for her. Her reaction when she sees the footage of Michael being abducted is so believable. And when she runs after the airplane that Michael has just been dragged onto, and it flies off, she sinks to the ground in despair, and it is heartbreaking.

The show is filmed on location in Europe, and it is wonderful to see the many famous landmarks.

Each episode feels like a mini-movie, from the stories to the cinematography, from the acting to the action scenes and stunts.

I don't know what will happen at the end of the series. Michael can't be missing forever. Mom has to find him sometime. But for now I am thoroughly enjoying the ride.