Monday, November 20, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Helping Talent Get By
What happens when you don't fit the mold? Suppose you have a great voice and talent to spare, but you don't look like today's rock star? Kathy Brier currently playing Marcie on One Life To Live took her talent in her own hands and produced a rock and roll CD. She found the writers, the musicians and the way to get her dream done.
Check it out:
Kathy Brier's self-produced CD Heartbreaker (rock and roll) on sale at http://www.kathybrier.com
or at the ABC Store Web site, Brier performs songs from her CD at the Triad, 158 West 72nd St. in New York City, on August 19 at 9 pm.
The woman can sing!
kathybrier
Tried it out and bought the CD! Sounds great.
Check it out:
Kathy Brier's self-produced CD Heartbreaker (rock and roll) on sale at http://www.kathybrier.com
or at the ABC Store Web site, Brier performs songs from her CD at the Triad, 158 West 72nd St. in New York City, on August 19 at 9 pm.
The woman can sing!
kathybrier
Tried it out and bought the CD! Sounds great.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Ten Years Later
I recently purchased American Gothic: The Complete Series on dvd. Ten years ago I watched most of the episodes for the first time on CBS. The network didn't have the collective executive wisdom to do right by the series which has since become a cult hit after being re-broadcast on the scifi channel on cable as well as being seen around the world (a big hit in Great Britain and Australia).
My copy of the series has given me no problems though customers who bought it when it was first released in Autumn of 2005 found several glitches due to the poor transfer process done by the plant Universal hired in Mexico to produce the dvds. Another problem with the set, mine included, is that the episodes are recorded out of sequence. You have to go to the net, find the proper sequence, and then hop up and down to change out the discs and flip them over (did I mention Universal also chose to record the show on doublesided discs which are more prone to damage?).
A bonus is Alabama native Lucas Black (currently starring in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, ) who plays Caleb Temple, Buck's illegitimate son. Brenda Bakke plays sultry bar troller by night, prim elementary school teacher by day, gives Selena Coombs a tragic Faulknerian flavor (she played Lana Turner in L.A. Confidential so well, I didn't even recognize her as being a highlight of American Gothic). Nick Searcy is Buck's deputy Ben who is torn between his conscience and not getting on the wrong end of the Sheriff'sGRAY, not RAY gun. Paige Turco plays Gail Emory, Caleb's cousin, a reporter who wants to find out how her parents were trapped in their newspaper building the night they died in the fire that gutted the building. Sarah Paulsen plays Merlyn Temple, Caleb's sister (killed by Lucas the night her father Gage Temple attempted to murder her with a shovel--Lucas uses a shovel later to knock out the man who attempts to rape Gail, saying dryly, "These things have a thousand uses."
The citizens of Trinity are mostly happy (at least for a while) with their Sheriff who has a habit of doling out favors (though he eventually comes around expecting repayment in one form or another). Corruption, ghosts, violence, passion, horror, family ties, possession, flesh eating beetles, deals gone wrong, suicide, murder--just your typical small Southern town on the gothic side of the tracks.
Another Review:
My copy of the series has given me no problems though customers who bought it when it was first released in Autumn of 2005 found several glitches due to the poor transfer process done by the plant Universal hired in Mexico to produce the dvds. Another problem with the set, mine included, is that the episodes are recorded out of sequence. You have to go to the net, find the proper sequence, and then hop up and down to change out the discs and flip them over (did I mention Universal also chose to record the show on doublesided discs which are more prone to damage?).
411maniaAll the complaints are by the way. The show is just as wonderful as I remembered it. Gary Cole is superb as Lucas Buck, the Sheriff of Trinity, South Carolina (just down the road from Ascension), who may or may not be the devil himself. A stage trained actor, who is also a character actor par excellence experienced in television and feature films (Midnight Caller, The Brady Bunch Movie, Office Space, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, etc.) and on the short list of my favorite actors of all time, gives the devil a humor and charm that makes him seductive indeed.
The 411: It's frustrating knowing that there are only 22 episodes of this great series, but the show ended with one perfect single arc, much like a feature film. Everyone winds up very different from where they started. Alliances are made and broken. People slide back and forth from Good to Evil, many times in the course of the same episode. The acting is superb, especially from Cole and Black. I thought of Bakke as the weak link during the show's original run, but watching these now I can see she's as good as anyone on the show. Add to that the subtle and often intricate writing, and you have one of the finest series ever produced for television. Unfortunately, it was about ten years ahead of its time.
A bonus is Alabama native Lucas Black (currently starring in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, ) who plays Caleb Temple, Buck's illegitimate son. Brenda Bakke plays sultry bar troller by night, prim elementary school teacher by day, gives Selena Coombs a tragic Faulknerian flavor (she played Lana Turner in L.A. Confidential so well, I didn't even recognize her as being a highlight of American Gothic). Nick Searcy is Buck's deputy Ben who is torn between his conscience and not getting on the wrong end of the Sheriff's
The citizens of Trinity are mostly happy (at least for a while) with their Sheriff who has a habit of doling out favors (though he eventually comes around expecting repayment in one form or another). Corruption, ghosts, violence, passion, horror, family ties, possession, flesh eating beetles, deals gone wrong, suicide, murder--just your typical small Southern town on the gothic side of the tracks.
Another Review:
And actually, the episodes written by Cassidy are really good. But then, the writing in general is far beyond what I’d remembered. The dialog is razor-sharp - Gary Cole playing the sheriff is a stroke of genius casting - the femme fatales are slick and cunning, and the stories are not only clever (and twisted with a good amount of sheer creepiness), they’re completely engrossing, making for one addictive DVD set.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Words to Go
Pandora.com is a new website that allows you input musical artists and/or songs. The site will select similar music for you to test drive before buying (another option offered in addition to creating a "favorites" list for you). You can minimize the window and continue with other computer projects to musical accompaniment. You can give a thumbs up or down to each selection. If you ask, the program will tell you the musical criteria it used to select a particular song for you to hear. Registration is free for the version including ads. You can buy a premium version that eliminates the advertisement component.
You create virtual radio stations (multiple stations allowed) according to the type of music you select. Remember it's your original selection and additions you make which determine what kind of music will be selected for you. This is a wonderful idea and I love it. Hope you love it as much as I do.
You create virtual radio stations (multiple stations allowed) according to the type of music you select. Remember it's your original selection and additions you make which determine what kind of music will be selected for you. This is a wonderful idea and I love it. Hope you love it as much as I do.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
ModerrnTimes
Quality degrades?
Time passes and I lament the loss of quality in most things: my soap operas, the romance novels that used to be such caramel chocolate substitute pleasures, movies, the music I hear on the radio or television, the sodas I once drank, the television dramas/comedies. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just jaded because I've partaken of these things for so many years.
Naaahhh. They really aren't as good as they once were. Too many people seem to be settling for too little. We talk about soap operas on a forum I belong to (yes, I know it's ending with a preposition, so sue me!!). The members in their teens, twenties, thirties know the soaps have declined in quality. But they'd rather watch crap than fight for what they want.
Apathy rules. They quote banal song lyrics from recordings made by singers who can't carry a tune. I'm disgusted by the hopelessness. Yet, if these younger people don't have the will/energy to turn things around. . .I'm too old. And stubborn. I can manage without the new stuff, living on memories. The younger crowd aren't so lucky. Their memories will suck.
Time passes and I lament the loss of quality in most things: my soap operas, the romance novels that used to be such caramel chocolate substitute pleasures, movies, the music I hear on the radio or television, the sodas I once drank, the television dramas/comedies. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just jaded because I've partaken of these things for so many years.
Naaahhh. They really aren't as good as they once were. Too many people seem to be settling for too little. We talk about soap operas on a forum I belong to (yes, I know it's ending with a preposition, so sue me!!). The members in their teens, twenties, thirties know the soaps have declined in quality. But they'd rather watch crap than fight for what they want.
Apathy rules. They quote banal song lyrics from recordings made by singers who can't carry a tune. I'm disgusted by the hopelessness. Yet, if these younger people don't have the will/energy to turn things around. . .I'm too old. And stubborn. I can manage without the new stuff, living on memories. The younger crowd aren't so lucky. Their memories will suck.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Discoveries
Hot Saxophonist
I really really like to discover new artists (even if they're only new to me). So I will pass this one along to whoever passes this way.
Saxman, Rick Parma, and his new album released in January '06: Just Gettin Started.
hear a sample of Chicago artist's work at myspace.com
http://www.myspace.com/saxmanrick
I really really like to discover new artists (even if they're only new to me). So I will pass this one along to whoever passes this way.
Saxman, Rick Parma, and his new album released in January '06: Just Gettin Started.
hear a sample of Chicago artist's work at myspace.com
http://www.myspace.com/saxmanrick
Monday, February 13, 2006
Words to Go
The day before Valentine's Day. I find it odd that we need a holiday to celebrate love which is something I feel necessary for life itself. Not so much to be loved (though that be lovely) as to fill our hearts with love for something or someone to the point where ego becomes muted. At least temporarily.
To love oneself counts, too.
Love requires expression. To love in silence hurts.
"How do I love thee, let me count the ways. . ."
EBB
Favorite love songs:
Younger Than Springtime
Some Enchanted Evening
The Night of My Nights
Favorite movies about love:
Shall We Dance? (Japanese)
Ever After
Trois Colours: Rouge
The Long Hot Summer (1958)
Favorite aphrodisiac:
music
To love oneself counts, too.
Love requires expression. To love in silence hurts.
"How do I love thee, let me count the ways. . ."
EBB
Favorite love songs:
Younger Than Springtime
Some Enchanted Evening
The Night of My Nights
Favorite movies about love:
Shall We Dance? (Japanese)
Ever After
Trois Colours: Rouge
The Long Hot Summer (1958)
Favorite aphrodisiac:
music
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Heart of the Matter---Last Chapter
Heart of the Matter
Last Chapter
Sloan was on the floor, Nate's head in her lap. “I don't know know how to bear this, darling. I just don't know how to be strong right now. . .”
Zach watched her patting her husband's chest softly. He saw the tears on her cheeks and he knew that it was over. Nate was dead.
He went to her and crouched beside her on the floor without touching her. The pain in her eyes was too sharp. Sometimes, a human touch could be too much to bear. “Sloan. He can't hear you.”
She stared at him blankly. He reached out one hand and closed Nate's yes. “Sloan, I don't know what to say to you. So I'll just shut up. But you aren't alone. We're family now. “
She blinked and became aware that he was speaking to her. “He told me he was okay, that the pain wasn't anything he hadn't felt before. He told me that he wanted to sit still and rest a moment alone. He died alone. Zach, he died alone.”
Zach heard a sharp sound from the doorway. He looked up. Kendall was leaning against the door, one hand covering her mouth. She was staring at Sloan whose head was now bent close to Nate's, her cheek against his still face.
“Oh, no,” Kendall whispered at last. “There must be something. . .should I call 911?'
“It's too late. He's dead,” Zach said softly. “We'll have to call them but give her a minute.” He rose to his feet and took Kendall's arm, guiding her out into the corridor and away from Sloan's grief.
“Come with me back to the reception. We should get the guests out of here before the ambulance comes. The medics will have to do their thing and sign a death certificate before Sloan will be able to make any arrangements. . .What should we do about the kids? The plane's already in the air. . .”
Kendall closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don't think Nate would want to interrupt their honeymoon. But if we don't let them know, will Rob ever forgive us? And Hart. . .she has strong feelings for Nate, too. She told me he treated her as though she were his daughter. . .But to hit them with this? Now?”
“Don't call them,” Sloan said hoarsely. She walked towards them, one hand out to the wall for support. “Let's not bring them down from that honeymoon high for a day or two. They will have to come home for Nate's cremation-- Rob would hate not being there for us, not having a chance to say a final goodbye to his father,” she held out her hands to both of them, ”but I can delay the funeral for three or four days. It may take that long to arrange for transportation back to Nevada.
“ That's what Nate would have advised. I've never seen him happier than he was the last couple of weeks, with Rob working from the casino and Hart consulting him every two seconds about the wedding. At first, I thought I was alone in there.” Sloan nodded towards the study where her husband had died. ”But I wasn't alone. Suddenly, I felt the greatest sense of peace.”
Kendall went to find her mother. Erica was dancing with Senator Carstairs, but Kendall managed to get her attention, and her mother whispered something to her partner and they came through the crowd of guests.
“Mother, something's happened. Something awful. We have to send these people away, now.”
“What? But that's so rude. . .”
Kendall took Erica's arm and tugged her away from the Senator, giving him an apologetic smile. “Mother, Nate just died.”
Erica's smile faded. “Oh, God, I wasn't expecting that--Larry Carstairs, he'll help. He's good at gettting people to do things. . .” She walked back to the Senator and Kendall heard Erica asking him for a big favor. . .
Kendall looked around for Zach and he was moving from cluster to cluster of guests, speaking softly to them. As he left one group for another, the people begin to drift towards the exit of the ballroom.
JR came to her and took her arm. “Larry just told me. What can I do to help?” he asked.
Kendall leaned into him. “Nothing. Just. . .I don't know. It's so sad. To go from the dream-come-true look on my daughter's face when she was speaking her vows and the way Rob spoke those vows to her, so full of joy and pride. . .to the look of loss on Sloan's face when she was holding Nate a moment ago. . .two such opposite feelings, it's hard for me to comprehend in a way, but then I wouldn't go back and not experience that again. My wings are starting to fight to be free, and know what, I'm gonna fly now.
“ You want to know what you can do to help me, JR? Help my husband get all these people gone before the sirens start.”
JR's mouth parted. Kendall put her index finger under his chin and lifted, pressing his lips together. He reared his head back and took a step backwards simultaneously. “You're not married to Zach anymore, remember?” he mumbled.
Kendall grinned. “Want to wager on how long it's going to take me to get him back?”
JR smacked his forehead with his palm. “No. I'm not taking that one! You are crazy, know that?”
“I have been. I have been insane for far too long. I won't say I've wasted my time. I have a just married daughter who's just become a millionaire through her own hard work. And I have a few companies that I built from ground zero. Won't be giving up on those because it's just way too much fun being boss.”
“Come, on, Kendall. Get real. Zach's Vegas. You're Pine Valley. It'll never work. Besides, what about me?” He looked righteously grieved at the thought of not having her to run to every time Babe took off.
“JR, if you're smart--and you used to be really smart--maybe you'll go to Greece and join that wife of yours on her little island--you know the one she won from you last time you played Texas fold 'em.”
Kendall saw Zach watching her from across the room. He wasn't smiling. Her heart felt a little twinge of relief. Great. He was still jealous of JR--not that he needed to be. She wondered how he would feel after they were married, and he realized she never intended to let him have another moment's peace as long as he lived. Her life was about to get so much better. Was that fair? She shook her hair back over her shoulders. If someone had told her in that instant how much like Erica Kane she was, she would have laughed. No one did.
She had no trouble keeping an eye on her goal in the now deserted ballroom. Briefly, she wondered if she should check on Sloan and begin to prepare for the official goings on to come? No, she wanted to make sure Zach knew just how little chance he had of leaving Pine Valley without her.
Zach saw her coming, all fluid grace in the long peach Mother of the Bride dress, the light catching the silver highlights in her hair. She didn't look that much older than the bride had as he'd walked her down the aisle. He saw the smile on her lips and remembered how it had felt as he'd kissed her awake before dawn to make love to her again.
He wasn't sure how he had managed to stay on his feet for most of the seven hours since that last loving. She had kept him up most of the night. Was she going to try and convince him that they got along much better when they lived in separate states? He decided that he was going to put that discussion off as long as possible.
Kendall stopped halfway to her destination as said destination turned and walked away from her. A.W.A.Y. from her. She followed him as he walked back towards the study where Nate lay.
Sloan was beside Nate again, kneeling. Just looking.
Zach caught Kendall's shoulder as she started through the doorway to offer comfort to their daughter's mother-in-law. “No,” he whispered. “It's not time for words.”
He released her shoulder. “I'm going to call 911 now. Wait here. If Sloan needs you, you'll be here for her. Right?”
“Yes. I do know how to behave in times like these. I remember how mother was devastated when Chris died. When Jack died. Kane women grieve, too. We're only human.”
“I know, sweetheart.”
Then he left her there. The words she needed to say to him still unsaid.
**************************
Two months after Nate's funeral, Kendall was still in Pine Valley, taking care of her business and getting everything in order for transfering the company headquarters from Pennsylvania to Nevada. The corporate laws in Nevada actually made the transfer much easier than she had expected. An additional bonus was the sinful amount of money she would begin to save on her own personal tax liability.
Kendall rolled her jeans and tee shirt tightly before cramming them into the small canvas bag Hart had bought for her after Kendall had explained what she planned to do.
“Has my father asked you to marry him?” Hart picked at Kendall's open wound, without consideration for her more sensitive feelings. “You know, usually it's the guy who pops the question.” Hart gave Kendall a sly peep from under her naturally long eyelashes. Dark lashes as long as Zach's. Kendall swore under her breath at the unfairness of men having uselessly long eyelashes. Well, except they could pass them along to their daughters, she thought, idly.
“He's proposed to me at least five or six times in my life. I'm liberated . . .”
Hart's mouth fell open. “You? Liberated? That's a joke. Right? All right. So you like sex. But liberated? Give me a break. You're so wound up, a yoyo is a slinky toy compared to you.”
“I've practiced on you for two weeks. I can do this.” Kendall took a lace bra from her drawer and poked it into the bag, grumbling, “Don't know why I bother with those. . .”
“What if Dad doesn't want to haul your ass over a thousand miles?”
“I'll have you know your father is very fond of my--” Kendall howled when she saw Hart wrinkle her nose in disgust. “Too much info, huh?”
*******************************
Zach stood outside Kendall's house and stared up at the window of the bedroom they had once shared. He was calm. And centered. Who was he kidding? He was scared. To. Death.
Behind him, his new Harley gleamed in all its chrome glory in the early morning light. He couldn't remember if Kendall had ever confessed to riding on a motor in her life. Surely she had. Ah, she was in great shape. She could handle it . Optimistically, he had ordered two helmets and both were strapped to the machine.
He was going to give her one last chance to come back into his life. One. Last. Chance. Was he a masochist? Or what? He grinned. Was still smiling as he walked up the steps onto the veranda. He rang the doorbell. A maid in a light green uniform opened the door.
“Yes, Ms. Hart is expecting you. This way. “
He followed a few steps behind, down the hallway to the breakfast room. She opened the door for him and he murmured, “Thanks,” before stepping into the pale yellow room.
Kendall didn't bother to get up as he pulled a chair back from the little dining table. She barely looked at him as he sat down. She took a long swallow of orange juice and then wiped her mouth wth the linen napkin. “Hello and good morning to you, too,” he said.
“I don't feel very well,” she mumbled.
“What's wrong?” He was concerned.
“Nerves.”
“Why?”
“I was feeling so very confidant I could say what I wanted to say to you but now you're here and I don't know if I can because it's so very important and I'll just die if you don't feel the same way and what will I do if you don't--”
Zach came around the table and pulled her up from the chair. He silenced her by putting his mouth gently on top of hers, but Kendall didn't want that. She wanted passion and she opened her mouth and he opened his and then they were together as he pushed her onto the tabletop scattering dishes everywhere. It was a wonder no one was scalded by the coffee that spilled from her cup, but then they were on top of the table and joined as closely as it had ever been possible to join with another human being. Afterwards, she struggled for oxygen and he wasn't much better off but at least he wasn't on the bottom under two hundred pounds of muscle.
“Kendall, don't ever be scared or nervous--”
“Will you marry me?”
“Say that again.”
“Will. You. Marry. Me?”
“Okay,” he rolled off her and smiled.
“Good. Okay? You said yes?”
He smiled at her, and it was special because he let her see his joy. She smiled back at him.
“Well. Well then. Wait here while I go--freshen up? Be right back.” She waved at him from the door. He slid off the table, re-arranging his clothes. He wondered how on earth they'd managed, especially how they'd managed not to get caught out by the maid. He poured himself a cup of coffee and snagged a cinnamon roll from Kendall's plate. He ate the sweet roll in two bites as he went back towards the formal living room just as Kendall walked back down the stairs, dressed in white jeans and a red pullover under a black denim jacket. She sported black hightop boots and carried a small duffle bag.
She tossed the bag at him and he caught it with one hand, balancing the coffee in the other. He took a deep swallow and sat the cup down. “Going somewhere?” he teased her.
“Home.” she said.
And so it was.
Last Chapter
Sloan was on the floor, Nate's head in her lap. “I don't know know how to bear this, darling. I just don't know how to be strong right now. . .”
Zach watched her patting her husband's chest softly. He saw the tears on her cheeks and he knew that it was over. Nate was dead.
He went to her and crouched beside her on the floor without touching her. The pain in her eyes was too sharp. Sometimes, a human touch could be too much to bear. “Sloan. He can't hear you.”
She stared at him blankly. He reached out one hand and closed Nate's yes. “Sloan, I don't know what to say to you. So I'll just shut up. But you aren't alone. We're family now. “
She blinked and became aware that he was speaking to her. “He told me he was okay, that the pain wasn't anything he hadn't felt before. He told me that he wanted to sit still and rest a moment alone. He died alone. Zach, he died alone.”
Zach heard a sharp sound from the doorway. He looked up. Kendall was leaning against the door, one hand covering her mouth. She was staring at Sloan whose head was now bent close to Nate's, her cheek against his still face.
“Oh, no,” Kendall whispered at last. “There must be something. . .should I call 911?'
“It's too late. He's dead,” Zach said softly. “We'll have to call them but give her a minute.” He rose to his feet and took Kendall's arm, guiding her out into the corridor and away from Sloan's grief.
“Come with me back to the reception. We should get the guests out of here before the ambulance comes. The medics will have to do their thing and sign a death certificate before Sloan will be able to make any arrangements. . .What should we do about the kids? The plane's already in the air. . .”
Kendall closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don't think Nate would want to interrupt their honeymoon. But if we don't let them know, will Rob ever forgive us? And Hart. . .she has strong feelings for Nate, too. She told me he treated her as though she were his daughter. . .But to hit them with this? Now?”
“Don't call them,” Sloan said hoarsely. She walked towards them, one hand out to the wall for support. “Let's not bring them down from that honeymoon high for a day or two. They will have to come home for Nate's cremation-- Rob would hate not being there for us, not having a chance to say a final goodbye to his father,” she held out her hands to both of them, ”but I can delay the funeral for three or four days. It may take that long to arrange for transportation back to Nevada.
“ That's what Nate would have advised. I've never seen him happier than he was the last couple of weeks, with Rob working from the casino and Hart consulting him every two seconds about the wedding. At first, I thought I was alone in there.” Sloan nodded towards the study where her husband had died. ”But I wasn't alone. Suddenly, I felt the greatest sense of peace.”
Kendall went to find her mother. Erica was dancing with Senator Carstairs, but Kendall managed to get her attention, and her mother whispered something to her partner and they came through the crowd of guests.
“Mother, something's happened. Something awful. We have to send these people away, now.”
“What? But that's so rude. . .”
Kendall took Erica's arm and tugged her away from the Senator, giving him an apologetic smile. “Mother, Nate just died.”
Erica's smile faded. “Oh, God, I wasn't expecting that--Larry Carstairs, he'll help. He's good at gettting people to do things. . .” She walked back to the Senator and Kendall heard Erica asking him for a big favor. . .
Kendall looked around for Zach and he was moving from cluster to cluster of guests, speaking softly to them. As he left one group for another, the people begin to drift towards the exit of the ballroom.
JR came to her and took her arm. “Larry just told me. What can I do to help?” he asked.
Kendall leaned into him. “Nothing. Just. . .I don't know. It's so sad. To go from the dream-come-true look on my daughter's face when she was speaking her vows and the way Rob spoke those vows to her, so full of joy and pride. . .to the look of loss on Sloan's face when she was holding Nate a moment ago. . .two such opposite feelings, it's hard for me to comprehend in a way, but then I wouldn't go back and not experience that again. My wings are starting to fight to be free, and know what, I'm gonna fly now.
“ You want to know what you can do to help me, JR? Help my husband get all these people gone before the sirens start.”
JR's mouth parted. Kendall put her index finger under his chin and lifted, pressing his lips together. He reared his head back and took a step backwards simultaneously. “You're not married to Zach anymore, remember?” he mumbled.
Kendall grinned. “Want to wager on how long it's going to take me to get him back?”
JR smacked his forehead with his palm. “No. I'm not taking that one! You are crazy, know that?”
“I have been. I have been insane for far too long. I won't say I've wasted my time. I have a just married daughter who's just become a millionaire through her own hard work. And I have a few companies that I built from ground zero. Won't be giving up on those because it's just way too much fun being boss.”
“Come, on, Kendall. Get real. Zach's Vegas. You're Pine Valley. It'll never work. Besides, what about me?” He looked righteously grieved at the thought of not having her to run to every time Babe took off.
“JR, if you're smart--and you used to be really smart--maybe you'll go to Greece and join that wife of yours on her little island--you know the one she won from you last time you played Texas fold 'em.”
Kendall saw Zach watching her from across the room. He wasn't smiling. Her heart felt a little twinge of relief. Great. He was still jealous of JR--not that he needed to be. She wondered how he would feel after they were married, and he realized she never intended to let him have another moment's peace as long as he lived. Her life was about to get so much better. Was that fair? She shook her hair back over her shoulders. If someone had told her in that instant how much like Erica Kane she was, she would have laughed. No one did.
She had no trouble keeping an eye on her goal in the now deserted ballroom. Briefly, she wondered if she should check on Sloan and begin to prepare for the official goings on to come? No, she wanted to make sure Zach knew just how little chance he had of leaving Pine Valley without her.
Zach saw her coming, all fluid grace in the long peach Mother of the Bride dress, the light catching the silver highlights in her hair. She didn't look that much older than the bride had as he'd walked her down the aisle. He saw the smile on her lips and remembered how it had felt as he'd kissed her awake before dawn to make love to her again.
He wasn't sure how he had managed to stay on his feet for most of the seven hours since that last loving. She had kept him up most of the night. Was she going to try and convince him that they got along much better when they lived in separate states? He decided that he was going to put that discussion off as long as possible.
Kendall stopped halfway to her destination as said destination turned and walked away from her. A.W.A.Y. from her. She followed him as he walked back towards the study where Nate lay.
Sloan was beside Nate again, kneeling. Just looking.
Zach caught Kendall's shoulder as she started through the doorway to offer comfort to their daughter's mother-in-law. “No,” he whispered. “It's not time for words.”
He released her shoulder. “I'm going to call 911 now. Wait here. If Sloan needs you, you'll be here for her. Right?”
“Yes. I do know how to behave in times like these. I remember how mother was devastated when Chris died. When Jack died. Kane women grieve, too. We're only human.”
“I know, sweetheart.”
Then he left her there. The words she needed to say to him still unsaid.
**************************
Two months after Nate's funeral, Kendall was still in Pine Valley, taking care of her business and getting everything in order for transfering the company headquarters from Pennsylvania to Nevada. The corporate laws in Nevada actually made the transfer much easier than she had expected. An additional bonus was the sinful amount of money she would begin to save on her own personal tax liability.
Kendall rolled her jeans and tee shirt tightly before cramming them into the small canvas bag Hart had bought for her after Kendall had explained what she planned to do.
“Has my father asked you to marry him?” Hart picked at Kendall's open wound, without consideration for her more sensitive feelings. “You know, usually it's the guy who pops the question.” Hart gave Kendall a sly peep from under her naturally long eyelashes. Dark lashes as long as Zach's. Kendall swore under her breath at the unfairness of men having uselessly long eyelashes. Well, except they could pass them along to their daughters, she thought, idly.
“He's proposed to me at least five or six times in my life. I'm liberated . . .”
Hart's mouth fell open. “You? Liberated? That's a joke. Right? All right. So you like sex. But liberated? Give me a break. You're so wound up, a yoyo is a slinky toy compared to you.”
“I've practiced on you for two weeks. I can do this.” Kendall took a lace bra from her drawer and poked it into the bag, grumbling, “Don't know why I bother with those. . .”
“What if Dad doesn't want to haul your ass over a thousand miles?”
“I'll have you know your father is very fond of my--” Kendall howled when she saw Hart wrinkle her nose in disgust. “Too much info, huh?”
*******************************
Zach stood outside Kendall's house and stared up at the window of the bedroom they had once shared. He was calm. And centered. Who was he kidding? He was scared. To. Death.
Behind him, his new Harley gleamed in all its chrome glory in the early morning light. He couldn't remember if Kendall had ever confessed to riding on a motor in her life. Surely she had. Ah, she was in great shape. She could handle it . Optimistically, he had ordered two helmets and both were strapped to the machine.
He was going to give her one last chance to come back into his life. One. Last. Chance. Was he a masochist? Or what? He grinned. Was still smiling as he walked up the steps onto the veranda. He rang the doorbell. A maid in a light green uniform opened the door.
“Yes, Ms. Hart is expecting you. This way. “
He followed a few steps behind, down the hallway to the breakfast room. She opened the door for him and he murmured, “Thanks,” before stepping into the pale yellow room.
Kendall didn't bother to get up as he pulled a chair back from the little dining table. She barely looked at him as he sat down. She took a long swallow of orange juice and then wiped her mouth wth the linen napkin. “Hello and good morning to you, too,” he said.
“I don't feel very well,” she mumbled.
“What's wrong?” He was concerned.
“Nerves.”
“Why?”
“I was feeling so very confidant I could say what I wanted to say to you but now you're here and I don't know if I can because it's so very important and I'll just die if you don't feel the same way and what will I do if you don't--”
Zach came around the table and pulled her up from the chair. He silenced her by putting his mouth gently on top of hers, but Kendall didn't want that. She wanted passion and she opened her mouth and he opened his and then they were together as he pushed her onto the tabletop scattering dishes everywhere. It was a wonder no one was scalded by the coffee that spilled from her cup, but then they were on top of the table and joined as closely as it had ever been possible to join with another human being. Afterwards, she struggled for oxygen and he wasn't much better off but at least he wasn't on the bottom under two hundred pounds of muscle.
“Kendall, don't ever be scared or nervous--”
“Will you marry me?”
“Say that again.”
“Will. You. Marry. Me?”
“Okay,” he rolled off her and smiled.
“Good. Okay? You said yes?”
He smiled at her, and it was special because he let her see his joy. She smiled back at him.
“Well. Well then. Wait here while I go--freshen up? Be right back.” She waved at him from the door. He slid off the table, re-arranging his clothes. He wondered how on earth they'd managed, especially how they'd managed not to get caught out by the maid. He poured himself a cup of coffee and snagged a cinnamon roll from Kendall's plate. He ate the sweet roll in two bites as he went back towards the formal living room just as Kendall walked back down the stairs, dressed in white jeans and a red pullover under a black denim jacket. She sported black hightop boots and carried a small duffle bag.
She tossed the bag at him and he caught it with one hand, balancing the coffee in the other. He took a deep swallow and sat the cup down. “Going somewhere?” he teased her.
“Home.” she said.
And so it was.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Web crawling is one of my favorite recreations. This afternoon I've been looking though web links to movies (mainly classics) and movie stars. I've always been fascinated by the older films as well as somewhat of a movie fanatic from the age of around six or seven. My mother was the one who got me hooked. My father worked out of state coming home maybe three or four times year. My mother would take me to the movies in our small town. Unlike today, they were in those years an inexpensive form of entertainment. What could be even more entertaining was walking home after the movie, taking a shortcut through a cemetary in the dark. I suppose it's fortunate that I was born a Scorpio because I came close to the dead very early on.
Am I rambling? Yes. Because I can. That is a phrase I have picked up on one of the forums (bulletin boards) I frequent regularly these days. We are viewers (I cannot say it's fanship exactly because we often make fun of what we see on All My Children these days) who love to laugh about the terrible show we are currently watching (and sometimes not watching). I love my fellow posters for their awesome writing talent, drawing talent, computer graphics talent, and above all for their wacky sense of humor which meshes well with my own.
Shameless plug for the site (you must register to view and to post and must visit [lurking is fine, posting isn't required but can be a lot of fun] at least once a month to maintain your membership), but you won't be bothered unless you subscribe to a thread (topic) and want to be notified when new posts are added there. But naturally, you must familiarize yourself with the soap opera All My Children to appreciate what goes on in our forum.
Lobster_and_Branch
The story of how we came to be is funny. The founder got her act together after a bunch of members of another AMC related site (which we promptly christened TBTSRN, the board that shall remain nameless) were severely reprimanded by the moderator there. She threatened to close our thread down if we didn't shape up so about 75 of us decided to ship out leaving behind five or six members who wondered where all the fun went. The really amazing part of this story for me is how quickly so many of us reconvened at the new forum. Ah, the power of the web.
I am reminded of the line from the movie Speed after the elevator falls for the first time. A passenger asks the passenger who pushed the down button, "What button DID you push, Bob?" I wonder if anyone at the other forum ever asked the moderator there, "What button DID you press (that caused us to lose seventy-five members)?" I suspected the moderator was suffering from a bad hangover after New Year's Eve celebrations. At least, I hope she had a good excuse.
So the funny people jumped ship and went to lobster_and_branch (which is an inside joke that is probably explained somewhere in the dictionary of terms there). We also have a fanfiction thread going in the forum and I have been contributing a story "Heart of the Matter" there in installments. As long as someone keeps asking, "And then what happened?" I'll keep posting chapters until my tale has reached a natural stopping point.
Some very talented writers are posting there, too. So I have fun reading their work as well as the fun of writing my own. The forum administrator has a wacky humor that produces hilarious graphics, surreal takes on the soap. Another writer is doing a diary for one of the main characters--Ryan Lavery, for all who watch/have watched AMC--that contains some seriously funny strikethroughs.
Am I rambling? Yes. Because I can. That is a phrase I have picked up on one of the forums (bulletin boards) I frequent regularly these days. We are viewers (I cannot say it's fanship exactly because we often make fun of what we see on All My Children these days) who love to laugh about the terrible show we are currently watching (and sometimes not watching). I love my fellow posters for their awesome writing talent, drawing talent, computer graphics talent, and above all for their wacky sense of humor which meshes well with my own.
Shameless plug for the site (you must register to view and to post and must visit [lurking is fine, posting isn't required but can be a lot of fun] at least once a month to maintain your membership), but you won't be bothered unless you subscribe to a thread (topic) and want to be notified when new posts are added there. But naturally, you must familiarize yourself with the soap opera All My Children to appreciate what goes on in our forum.
Lobster_and_Branch
The story of how we came to be is funny. The founder got her act together after a bunch of members of another AMC related site (which we promptly christened TBTSRN, the board that shall remain nameless) were severely reprimanded by the moderator there. She threatened to close our thread down if we didn't shape up so about 75 of us decided to ship out leaving behind five or six members who wondered where all the fun went. The really amazing part of this story for me is how quickly so many of us reconvened at the new forum. Ah, the power of the web.
I am reminded of the line from the movie Speed after the elevator falls for the first time. A passenger asks the passenger who pushed the down button, "What button DID you push, Bob?" I wonder if anyone at the other forum ever asked the moderator there, "What button DID you press (that caused us to lose seventy-five members)?" I suspected the moderator was suffering from a bad hangover after New Year's Eve celebrations. At least, I hope she had a good excuse.
So the funny people jumped ship and went to lobster_and_branch (which is an inside joke that is probably explained somewhere in the dictionary of terms there). We also have a fanfiction thread going in the forum and I have been contributing a story "Heart of the Matter" there in installments. As long as someone keeps asking, "And then what happened?" I'll keep posting chapters until my tale has reached a natural stopping point.
Some very talented writers are posting there, too. So I have fun reading their work as well as the fun of writing my own. The forum administrator has a wacky humor that produces hilarious graphics, surreal takes on the soap. Another writer is doing a diary for one of the main characters--Ryan Lavery, for all who watch/have watched AMC--that contains some seriously funny strikethroughs.
Monday, January 09, 2006
A Day with No Words
A day with no words
Eyes with no sight
Ears without sound
This is the day of darkness.
The shortest day of the year has past,
The light goes stronger.
Mellow January day but still
A day with no words--
This is the day of darkness.
Chemical imbalance?
Absence of light?
Winter blues?
A day with no words.
No tears, no fears,
No laughter, no hope,
No cares, no words.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Why I Love Jazz
It's great traveling music. I drive to work every day with the jazz station playing on the radio. 91.1 FM operated by Samford University. True it's light jazz, none of the old classic standard musicians like Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, etc. ad infinitum. BUT it beats the heck out of everything else that's playing, including the standard rock/pop songs that I also prefer to the more modern "music" on offer today.
Note: one day rant on the pitiful stuff called music that plays today. Whiny, tinny, off key and depressing. Or just plain vulgar. Not a thought in its head.
Traveling music is music that has a lively beat, that seems to fit the very act of driving a vehicle. Other music that offers travel pleasure: the Viennese waltzes by Johanne Strauss. Of course with the waltzes, one can imagine riding in a coach drawn by beautiful white horses.
Back to why I love jazz.
Jazz is layered music. You get to multi-task with jazz. You can listen to the beat, to the rhythm, to the melody, to the vocal (if there is one), to the instrumentation, and finally just let the whole settle into your mind. Jazz isn't for the lazy listener.
Jazz is variety. You get big band, small quartet, vocal and solo instrument, swing, Latin, bossa nova, Dixieland, cool, hot, beebop, lazy, experimental.
What I don't like is jazz that is an amalgam of rock and jazz. I love real rock with a hard driving beat and I love most jazz. I just have this thing which is hate for combining the two.
Some favorite jazz artists:
enough already. I LOVE jazz. The artists are too numerous to mention, sadly a lot of them are deceased.
Who cannot sing jazz: Norah Jones, Diana Krall.
Note: one day rant on the pitiful stuff called music that plays today. Whiny, tinny, off key and depressing. Or just plain vulgar. Not a thought in its head.
Traveling music is music that has a lively beat, that seems to fit the very act of driving a vehicle. Other music that offers travel pleasure: the Viennese waltzes by Johanne Strauss. Of course with the waltzes, one can imagine riding in a coach drawn by beautiful white horses.
Back to why I love jazz.
Jazz is layered music. You get to multi-task with jazz. You can listen to the beat, to the rhythm, to the melody, to the vocal (if there is one), to the instrumentation, and finally just let the whole settle into your mind. Jazz isn't for the lazy listener.
Jazz is variety. You get big band, small quartet, vocal and solo instrument, swing, Latin, bossa nova, Dixieland, cool, hot, beebop, lazy, experimental.
What I don't like is jazz that is an amalgam of rock and jazz. I love real rock with a hard driving beat and I love most jazz. I just have this thing which is hate for combining the two.
Some favorite jazz artists:
- Sarah Vaughn
- Dave Brubeck
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Marian McPartland
- Paul Desmond
- Sting -- note: he doesn't make the mistake of combining rock and jazz, his jazz is pure and his voice a delight, I never realized how great a singer he is until I heard him sing "In the Moonlight" from the 1995 version of Sabrina
- Manhattan Transfer
- Keiko Matsui
- Glenn Miller
- Artie Shaw
- Duke Ellington
- Frank Sinatra
- David Benoit
- Acoustical Alchemy
- Eric Essix
- Stanley Turrentine
- Stanley Jordan
- Lyle Lovett -- didn't know he sings jazz, did you?
enough already. I LOVE jazz. The artists are too numerous to mention, sadly a lot of them are deceased.
Who cannot sing jazz: Norah Jones, Diana Krall.
Monday, January 02, 2006
The True Power of Water
I have spent the last week and a half reading a short book (paperback 145 small pages) titled The True Power of Water by Masaru Emoto (Atria Books, 2003).
The premise is that water at a certain temperature will form water crystals that can be photographed. The formation of these crystals will reflect a variety of conditions and can be influenced by
we feel when not in the presence of the particular water under observtion. I found it an interesting concept. The book contains photographs of water crystals observed under different conditions.
The most interesting theory in the book is that we can change the quality of water which in turn can be used for healing us. Emoto who is certified in Alternative Medicine tells us that, by changing the frequency of the water, it can be altered to fill in the gaps in our own bodily frequencies and thus heal the problem that is causing us physical distress at the cellular (water) level.
I won't go further into Emoto's theses. If you're really interested in his ideas, find a copy of the book and read it. It's concise and well-translated into English from Japanese. There are ways to experiment with his ideas contained within and might be entertaining/enlightening.
The premise is that water at a certain temperature will form water crystals that can be photographed. The formation of these crystals will reflect a variety of conditions and can be influenced by
- our words
- our prayers
- a printed label (which the water "reads")
- a musical composition
- and even emotions
we feel when not in the presence of the particular water under observtion. I found it an interesting concept. The book contains photographs of water crystals observed under different conditions.
The most interesting theory in the book is that we can change the quality of water which in turn can be used for healing us. Emoto who is certified in Alternative Medicine tells us that, by changing the frequency of the water, it can be altered to fill in the gaps in our own bodily frequencies and thus heal the problem that is causing us physical distress at the cellular (water) level.
I won't go further into Emoto's theses. If you're really interested in his ideas, find a copy of the book and read it. It's concise and well-translated into English from Japanese. There are ways to experiment with his ideas contained within and might be entertaining/enlightening.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Soap Operas
I am currently not watching AMC. On the other hand I am watching video clips of certain portions of AMC (commonly known as All My Children). The clips I view are those featuring two currently popular characters: Zach Slater played by Thorsten Kaye and Kendall Hart played by Alicia Minshew.
I post on several forums (which I sometimes refer to as bulletin boards) which have threads discussing these characters and their storylines on the venerable soap opera. We have heated discussions about the way the writers treat our favorite characters and how the writing often makes no sense. The characters are treated as carefully as living creatures. Such is the power of the word. The power of imagination.
I wonder if humans move beyond the printed word, will the spoken word also drift towards disappearance?
Words to Go
January 1, 2006
We live in interesting times.
Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am female way over the age of consent. In my life I have been a daughter, a friend, a cousin. I have been a student and love learning still.
I live in the Heart of Dixie. The climate is moderate. My natural surroundings are beautiful. I love animals, cats in particular, but dogs are nice, too. I love nature and movies and music (jazz, show tunes, some pop music of eras gone by) and some people. I love the ocean and the mountains, have yet to see the desert firsthand. And my soda of the moment is Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper.
I have gone to school long enough to get a Master's Degree in Library Science. And even worked as a librarian for over ten years (including the student work I did as a teenager). I have owned a small business (which went bust way before I was ready to give it up) and had some of the best months of my life working fourteen hour days.
I'm currently employed by a manufacturer of high voltage testing equipment. You could say I like to live dangerously. Others would say I play it too safe with my life. Both would be right.
My biggest challenge at this point in time: learning to live in the here and now. As life grows shorter, I find this to be of more value.
Do you think there will be a day when humans move beyond print? Do you think there will be day when animals -- say other primates -- move up to the printed word to communicate?
The purpose of my blog is to communicate. If you wish to comment, I ask only that you please refrain from cussing too much. Excess can be so boooorrrinnng.
Feel free to free associate. Amuse me, because I surely love to laugh. Talk seriously at me. Teach me something.
We live in interesting times.
Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am female way over the age of consent. In my life I have been a daughter, a friend, a cousin. I have been a student and love learning still.
I live in the Heart of Dixie. The climate is moderate. My natural surroundings are beautiful. I love animals, cats in particular, but dogs are nice, too. I love nature and movies and music (jazz, show tunes, some pop music of eras gone by) and some people. I love the ocean and the mountains, have yet to see the desert firsthand. And my soda of the moment is Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper.
I have gone to school long enough to get a Master's Degree in Library Science. And even worked as a librarian for over ten years (including the student work I did as a teenager). I have owned a small business (which went bust way before I was ready to give it up) and had some of the best months of my life working fourteen hour days.
I'm currently employed by a manufacturer of high voltage testing equipment. You could say I like to live dangerously. Others would say I play it too safe with my life. Both would be right.
My biggest challenge at this point in time: learning to live in the here and now. As life grows shorter, I find this to be of more value.
Do you think there will be a day when humans move beyond print? Do you think there will be day when animals -- say other primates -- move up to the printed word to communicate?
The purpose of my blog is to communicate. If you wish to comment, I ask only that you please refrain from cussing too much. Excess can be so boooorrrinnng.
Feel free to free associate. Amuse me, because I surely love to laugh. Talk seriously at me. Teach me something.
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