LOST is back!

Yay! Woohoo! Squee! LOST is finally back. This is a show that consistently blows my mind...even when it's kind of mediocre. What shocks me most about this show is how they are able to drop clues everywhere. LOSTies call them "easter eggs" and generally I don't catch them. But God bless those college kids. They watch the show, analyze it, google things on the show, and then blog about it. It really helps those of us who just watch it for entertainment.

I find that the best place to find information about LOST is a blog called Begging to Differ. They do an amazing job of connecting the dots for the less perceptive. It kills me that they've moved to a message board format, because they used to just do these terrific single post analysis of each episode, which was great. Not sure how that's going to work now that they're in an MB format.

It truly is a bind bending show. And on top of that, it features some incredibly delicious men. Josh Holloway in particular. I'm sad for those of you who don't watch, because well, it's not a show you can pick up in mid-stream. But those of you who watch LOST totally get my excitement over its return.

And Rhevenge's Title is...

Lover Avenged. Shouldn't that be Ahvenged?? :rollseyes:


Again, I say, when is she going to redo Phury's cover??? It looks like he's sucking on a mannequin.

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

Making Kati's Day

So I logged into People.com this morning, and look at what was waiting for me.
My boyfriend, David Beckham. Look at that bod.
Niiiice.

The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason

Those who have been following the adventures of Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy know that she's fallen on hard times emotionally. The last two books have put Victoria through the wringer while also thrusting her into a life she never could have expected or prepared herself for.

The Bleeding Dusk, Book Three in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, picks up a month or so after the violent and shocking conclusion of Rises the Night. Victoria is in Rome, sans her mother, who while a lovely woman, has disdained her Venator blood and chosen instead to have her memory erased about their family's destiny as vampire slayers. Victoria has taken on a new role with the Venators, and while she's settling into it well, she's still very conflicted about the events of the month prior. There has been trouble brewing in Rome since the apparent destruction of Akvan, a powerful demon. You see, Beauregard, a vampire ancient and Conte Regalado, the former leader of the Tutela are battling for control of the Roman territory. Max Pesaro, one of the Venators that Victoria worked closely with in the past, is missing. As is Sebastian Vioget, Beauregard's grandson, and Victoria's sometimes paramour. To say much about the plot would be to ruin it for other readers.

So here is what I will say...Colleen hurtles the reader into the action, literally in the prologue. She builds upon Victoria's character, but more than that, she builds upon Max and Sebastian's characters. Their stories unfold both parallel to and in conjunction with Victoria's. The three circle around each other and we discover things about both men that are shocking and make each of them only more compelling. The end result, I think is that those in the Sebastian camp will be even more firmly entrenched, and those in the Max camp (of which I am a card carrying member) fall even more deeply under his spell.

The writing is superb. The story unfolds at a rapid clip. Colleen displays a keen eye for detail with descriptions so vivid, you can practically smell the smells of Rome and see the sights. She also manages to use humor at unexpected moments to lighten up what is a pretty dark book. Victoria's mother and her sidekicks, Nilly and Winnie, are as usual, hilarious. But it was Max and Victoria's interactions that captivated me most. To say that the sparks fly between them would be an understatement.

The Bleeding Dusk is a terrific new installment in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles. At the end of the book I was left gasping, "Wait, that's it?!" I can't believe I have to wait until August 2008 to see what happens next. The book builds upon Gleason's existing mythology and is building towards what I can only assume is going to be a mind-blowing final showdown.

Again I say, if you're not reading this series, you absolutely should be.

Changeling Love

wOOt!

Look at what was calling my name from the shelf at BAM! I'm almost done with The Bleeding Dusk, and this is next. SIGH. Why can't my favorite authors write faster??

I'm already ready for When Twilight Burns.

Gardella Love

So, I'm still reading (savoring) The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason. So far the story is fantastic. Lots of action, a new man for Victoria to well...dally with, and Max is back!! And in such a big way. He's still cranky and difficult and critical of everything Victoria does (you know...because he TOTALLY LOVES HER!). Oh yeah...and there are some vampires.

Anyway, the book again features Colleen's superb characterization. I just love Victoria. Here's a young woman who has already lost so much (I'm trying to avoid serious spoilers here). She's been given the mantle of power and has stepped into it smoothly and without too many bumps. At the same time, she's trying to juggle her ambitious mother and her mother's two best friends, who are total flibbertigibbits. It's another superb effort, which I will review when I'm done.

Check out the cover for the next installment of the Gardellas, When Twilight Burns. Isn't it gorgeous?? That's Max, my friends. Sigh. I love Max. If Victoria doesn't want him, I'll take him. I love me some cranky, tortured men. But in the meantime, clearly Colleen has made a deal with the devil to get some of the best covers in Romance Land.

So, if you're not reading this series, you totally should be. But here are some fair warnings about these books:

1- Colleen takes a lot of delight in torturing Victoria. I'm sure that she'll eventually get her HEA, but in the mean time, she loses people close to her, she makes horrifying decisions, she's got a heavy mantle of responsibility. Think Buffy, friends. Colleen went to the Joss Whedon school of plotting -- if Victoria ain't suffering, Colleen isn't trying hard enough.

2- While this book is marketed as romance, there is no HEA at the end of each book. This is a five book series, and I've been assured that Victoria will choose a man and get her HEA, but it isn't gonna come in the first three books.

3- There are vamps in this book. Icky, mean, devious, horrible vamps. They aren't the Black Dagger Brotherhood. They're the bad guys.

But truly, the Gardella Chronicles have been among my favorite paranormal rides ever. The characters are complicated, the plot has unexpected twists and turns, and the men are well, one more delicious than that other.

If you're not reading this series, you should be.

Pregnant?

I think so.

Ick

My roomie liked Sandra Oh's dress. Me? Not so much. It's too much dress for such a tiny woman. Talk about a dress wearing you...

Age Appropriate

Amanda Bynes wore a completely appropriate dress for someone who is 21.

Fruit Salad?

My roomie, succinct as ever said Jane Krakowski looked like she was wearing fruit salad.

Breach

This morning I watched the movie Breach on HBO. I'd seen it once before, but was struck as I watched it this time by how well done a movie it truly is.

Breach is the story of Eric O'Neill, a young FBI analyst who is placed by the agency in a newly founded office run by a man named Robert Hanssen. Hanssen, of course, is one of the most successful spies to ever hit the agency. The real events and the movie took place in the town where I live, Vienna, VA. Hanssen was arrested at a park less than a mile from my home.

The story is compelling and filled with tension and is well acted by both Chris Cooper who plays Hanssen and Ryan Phillipe, who plays Eric. But the actor that struck me most in the movie was Laura Linney, who plays Kate Burroughs, Eric's supervising agent, who is his liaison between his placement in Hanssen's office and the team that is investigating Hanssen's spying. Linney brings a certain gravitas to every role she plays. She almost always portrays a "strong" woman, and even when she doesn't, her humanity makes her extremely relateable. She can go toe to toe with any actor out there.

The movie is a cat and mouse game between Eric and Hanssen. It's an interesting look into one of the most devious men who ever lived. It's a wonderfully made movie with lots of unexpected twists and turns, and from what I've been told a relatively accurate look into the operations of the FBI. Seeing it again made me realize again how much I truly enjoyed Breach. All of it. The fact that it happened practically in my backyard is just an added interest.

Have you seen Breach? If so, did you like it?

Nose-In-Book

Well, I've finished my Saturday workout, I'm headed out to have lunch with the Ladies...and then. Me and Ms. Colleen Gleason, well, we have a date with destiny. I don't care if the house blows up -- I will be reading about the adventures of Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy.

And no one can stop me.

I'm pretty happy about it. ;o)

Thanks LeeAnn!!

LA graciously taught me how to make a new header for my blog. I love it!

Thanks, LA! You're the best!

Movies From My Childhood

My mom has a lot of gifts. One of my best memories of my Mom is the wonderful, sweet care she would always give me when I was home sick from school. She's incredibly sympathetic. Even now when I don't feel good and give her a call, she can make me cry because she's so sympathetic.

Anyway, I remember vividly her setting me up on the couch in the family room when I wouldn't feel good. She'd put the TV remote in my hand, leave me a drink within reach, and go about her day, checking on me every now and then. But there were always great movies to watch when I was home sick.

During those times is when I developed my love of the movie musical. Some of them were great movies, like The Sound of Music. But more often than not, they were movie musicals made in the 50's that starred, really nobody "big." It was an era of making so-so musicals because I'd guess they made money, but there weren't really of terrific quality. The series, in particular I'm thinking of is the "Tammy" movies starring Debbie Reynolds. My particular favorite is "Tammy and the Bachelor."

You see, Tammy is this perky, yet backward girl who lives in the swamps of Mississippi with her Grandpa. I don't really remember the circumstances but she meets a rich bachelor, played by an incredibly handsome Leslie Nielson. She falls in love with him and somehow ends up staying at his home, where of course, she charms the pants off of his entire family. Except for his ambitious mother, who realizes that he's falling in love with her, and calls in his "girl" Barbara.

All I remember is that Tammy and Pete fall in love during a fancy dress party that his family is throwing where she roll plays the part of a member of Pete's family from the past. Everyone is completely captivated by her.

Anyway, I love this movie, and the Tammy movies that followed. I love the song, "Tammy" which Debbie Reynolds sings. If the movies were to play tomorrow on TV, I sit in front of them for hours.

Do you have fond memories of movies you watched growing up? If so, which ones and why are the special to you?

SQUEE!

Oh yeah, my fangrrl nature has totally paid off!

Lookee what showed up in my mailbox today with a wonderful note from Ms. Colleen Gleason herself. The book itself isn't in stores until February 5th, so it's definitely an honor to have Colleen send it to me early. And I *AM* honored. She's a doll.

I have plans tonight, which is probably a good thing since I've got to work tomorrow and otherwise I'd be up all night.

Alls I'm saying is it's thick and full of kickass heroine goodness and Max/Sebastian indecisioness.

I can hardly wait!

What Women Say

I totally stole this from LeeAnn -- who has a blog, check her out! But it's hysterical, and accurate.

1. Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2. Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3. Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4. Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5. Loud Sigh: This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6. That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7. Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome.

8. Whatever: Is a women's way of saying F@!* YOU!

9. Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has asked a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" For the woman's response refer to #3.

Thursday Thirteen

I've been in a blogging slump lately, casting around for something that makes me happy to blog about. So to remind myself about what makes me happy. Here are 13 things that make me happy.

Disclaimer: Family and Friends go without saying -- as you'll note in the list, they don't appear, cause it's a gimme.

1- Roxie & Stella. Easily what makes me happiest are my dog and kitty. I love that I leave the house for 20 minutes and when I get home, Roxie has a fit like she hasn't seen me in a month. I love that when I talk to Stella, she runs and hops on my lap and starts purring.

2- Shopping in "normal" sized stores. I don't think that people who are "normal sized" appreciate what a luxury shopping in regular stores is. Just over a year ago, I could pretty much only shop at Lane Bryant. It's just such fun to be able to walk into pretty much any store and find something that fits me. I don't think I appreciate it enough.

3- My new haircut. Silly, but I've had so many compliments on it. I usually hate change, but this one has been good for me.

4- Going out for dinner. I don't do it that often, but I love to go out to eat. It never fails to make me slow down and enjoy the whole process. And hey, anytime someone else cooks, I appreciate it.

5- Bookstores. I really love bookstores. I love the smell and the atmosphere. I love the bustle of the Borders downtown, but I also love the Books-A-Million in Reston where people will grab a book and sit down in a chair and read for a while. I love the options and choices. I almost never fail to walk out without something in a bag.

6- My Old Navy jeans. Everyone should have a pair of jeans that makes their ass look great. These jeans do that for me. It makes me happy. Shallow, but true.

7- My car. I've had my Jetta almost three years and it makes me as happy today as it ever has. I love hopping into it in the wintertime and cranking up the tushie warmer. There's nothing like a toasty warm tush to make you feel better.

8- Football. My roomie and I are having close to 30 over for the Super Bowl. It's the end of the football season, which is sad for me, but we'll have a great time. Our friend Beth is a Giants fan, so it will be really fun to watch her go crazy watching the game. Good friends, good food, good commercials, great game. What could be better?

9- Elizabeth Vaughan's Warlords of the Plains series. I've just finished a re-read that took me three days. This series really offers it all: romance, and interesting world, war, sickness, death, redemption, the power of family. It's one of my all time favorite series.

10- Big Blue. This is the name of my down coat that my folks bought me last year for Christmas. Even though it's too big for me now, I still wear it almost every day and appreciate it's warmth. It's one of those great coats that has all kinds of little details, like fleece lined pockets, a pocket for my iPod, deep glove pockets, etc. It's just a great coat, and I'll miss it when I have to retire it.

11- Lunch with the Ladies. I have lunch once a month with four ladies I worked with at National Wildlife Federation. I adore catching up with them and hearing about grandbabies and kids and work and husbands. I'm having lunch with them on Saturday, and I can't wait.

12- The afghan I'm crocheting. I'm working on an afghan for my niece, Abby. It's gorgeous and soft and warm, and has been a great project. Next up, and afghan for my nephew Conor. It's great to be able to make something that's useful and pretty and warm. I like having a crafting skill.

13- Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series. I just finished Moon Called, the first in the series, and can already feel an addiction coming on. Generally I don't care for "urban fantasy" but Briggs has a deft hand with characterization, and Mercy is a likable girl. Plus, she's got a multitude of varied and interesting men to choose from. What could be better??

So there you have it. My reminder of stuff that makes me happy. Hopefully this will work like a kick in the butt and get me in a better frame of mind to start blogging.

What makes you happy? What's going on that's great in your life right now??

Vacation Envy

Seems like everyone I know is planning these fabulous vacations in 2008. My sister and her family are going to be cruising the Western Caribbean on RCCL, which I'm so jealous of. My roommate is going to South Africa to visit Tracy.

In 2008, I'm having a low-key vacation year. I am going to Hilton Head Island with my best friend and her family, which really will be fun, and frankly will be no where near as expensive as the last couple of "big" vacations I've taken. But man, after having big vacations planned the last couple of years, I'm kind of jonesing for a big, fancy vacay. Don't get me wrong, it's really good that I'm *not* going on a big vacation this year. I've spent close to $6K in "big vacations" in the last couple of years. But I love the anticipation of a big trip. I also get a huge kick out of planning vacations. I love looking at all the options and exploring new places.

I particularly love cruising because they take such wonderful care of you. Oh well, maybe I'll think about planning something big in 2009.

How about you? Are you taking any fabulous vacations in 2008?? If you are, tell me all about them so I can live vicariously.

Weekend Wrap-Up

I just know how the five people who read my blog wait with baited breath for my weekend synopsis (heh), so here it is:

I went to just the after party for my friend Josh's wedding this weekend. The wedding itself was a really private affair with about 30 people in attendance, only family and the very closest friends. But I hear-tell the wedding was lovely and emotional. On Saturday evening Scott and I had a quick dinner and then went and picked up Josh and Julia at their house and loaded what seemed to be two square tons of luggage into the trunk of my car. They were headed out on a cruise for their honeymoon, and one of the guests at the after party was taking them to a hotel near the airport to spend the night before they caught their flight to Florida.

Anyway the after party was fun. Lots of guests and karaoke and adult beverages. I've learned the Bourbon and Diet Coke goes down nice and smoothly :biggrin:. I didn't overdo, but I was pretty silly for an hour or so there. Was out until about 2:45AM, which was ridiculous and then got up early the next day, checked out of the hotel and drove home. Strangely, while I was tired on Sunday, I felt far worse on Monday (thank goodness it was a holiday). I spent most of Monday with a headache just shy of migraine power. I was alternating drugs every two hours and never managed to kick it all the way.

I've been conducting a re-read of Nora Roberts' Birthright, which I read when it first came out and was left with the impression that I didn't really like it. But so far (and I'm about 250 pages in) I'm enjoying it very much, so I'm not sure what happened there the first time around. Anyway, it's nice because I'd only read it once and that was in 2003 when it came out, so it's like reading a new book all over again.

Other than that, I made a couple trips to the gym, and had my haircut (see post below), and that's really it. Another fun, exhausting weekend is in the books.

So what did you do this weekend? Anything good?

New Hair!

This morning I had 5.5 inches cut off my hair. Yay! It's also about two shades darker than it was. I'm really pleased with the result. It's good to get a new hairstyle every once in a while!

Making a Big Dork Of Yourself

One of my Boys from college, Josh, is getting married this weekend. It's his second, which isn't the point, except that he and his bride, Julia, are paying for the whole thing, so it's going to be a much lower key celebration than a first marriage.

So after the wedding and luncheon (the wedding is at Noon), there will be a break and then we'll meet up at Madigan's Waterfront for karaoke. Personally, it's been well over a decade since I've sung publicly, other than in my car. But many of the Boys DO sing karaoke (some with more success than others). Anyway, they put a lot of thought into what they sing, and they love doing it. It's loads of fun to watch karaoke, and it's one of the few times that the glory of a really bad singer singing will make me laugh. I can't watch the Idol auditions, but I love to watch bad karaoke. There's one girl who is always at Madigan's who doesn't so much sing as moan into the mike. Kind of like Bob Dylan...but you know, without any talent whatsoever. Watching her do Bette Midler's "The Rose" a couple of weeks ago was both painful and hilarious. There are certain karaoke songs that you can just count on hearing pretty much anywhere you go. For sure you're gonna hear the "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" song, and for sure you're going to hear some idiot try to sing something by Meatloaf. For me, I always look forward to Josh singing "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw. Josh is one of those guys with amazing pipes who knows how to sing a song.

Anyway, I'll be watching much karaoke on Saturday night. And it will be awesome.

How about you? Have you ever sung karaoke? Are you any good? If you do sing, what song do you usually go with?

What If That Had Been Poop?!?!

From the wonderful world of Tina Fey's brain. I'm *SO* looking forward to this movie!

Check it out!

Shooting the Messenger

The other night, while watching Carson Kressley (my favorite gay man on TV), he said, "If you've had the same haircut for more than two years, you've had it too long." "Huh," says I.

So I decided that I'm going to have my hair cut. My hair currently touches my back strap on my bra. It's pretty long. So I bit the bullet and made an appointment for tonight to see Jane, my hairdresser. The good news was that Amy was going too, so we'd both get our hair done, and she could consult on the big haircut. I'd managed to get myself relatively worked up about the haircut, not to mention the fact that my roots are probably two inches long and nasty looking. Anyway, I was looking forward to the appointment. And had pumped myself up for new hair.

But then...the child-slash-receptionist at Victoria's Station called and canceled the appointment. The weather is kind of icky today, a snow/sleet/rain combination, which apparently made Jane cancel her hours today. And if I were a better person, I wouldn't have been quite so short with said child-slash-receptionist. But let's be honest, I AM that girl. I was aggravated and couldn't bitch at Jane. So, the C/R got it instead. Needless to say, Jane will be taking me early on Saturday morning. But now I feel a little bad about being snippy to the C/R. Not *that* bad, but sorta bad.

Oh well, at least I can go the gym tonight --when did that become good news??

Save the Author, Save the Ferret

Not everyone who reads this blog will likely have heard this story (or give a crap, but hey, it's my blog), but last week, some nasty allegations against romance author, Cassie Edwards came about. The ladies who run Smart Bitches, Trashy Books broke the story, and have been covering it for the last week or so. The personal part for me was that my company, Defenders of Wildlife actually publishes one of the sources Ms. Edwards "borrowed" information from. As the boulder got to rolling down the hill, the story was picked up by Associated Press, NY Times, the Guardian and then finally, a story in Newsweek will be coming out next week.

As everyone knows, I'm a HUGE Nora Roberts fan. She is an amazing voice for romance, but also, as a victim of plagiarism herself, has been "the" voice for this issue publicly. She and Cassie Edwards are both published by the same publishing house, and she has come out very strong about the issue. Anyway, Nora Roberts has agreed to match dollar for dollar (up to $5,000) all donations to Defenders of Wildlife to support of the work we do on black footed ferrets (which is what the article that was allegedly plagiarized from was about.). Please go here to find out more.

If you're willing to donate $15 to Defenders, it becomes $30 with Nora's support and I can tell you personally that Defenders does really good work. And not just, you know, because I work here, but honestly, we're a scrappy, fiesty organization that is willing to take concrete action to protect wildlife. Plus, look how cute that black footed ferret is. Who can resist giving??

Weird Food Combinations

I love Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. They're one of my favorite comfort foods. I always have at my house Kraft 2% American Cheese (it melts the best), bread and butter so that if I'm hungry for something easy at dinner time, I can rock the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. For some reason, grilled cheese evokes the beach for me. I can remember my mom grilling sandwiches two at a time for, goodness, it seemed like a ton of people for lunch. Anyway, I digress. I love Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Not too long ago, I cooked up a grilled cheese and plopped it on a plate, then turned to the fridge, pulled out the ketchup and squirted some on the plate. I wish you could have seen the look on my roomie's face. She was completely revolted. It was the same face I make when my sister-in-law, Michelle, puts potato chips on her PB&J and then dips the whole thing in her Diet Coke.

Every single member of my family (I'm pretty sure) eats grilled cheese with ketchup. But clearly, this is some sort of a revolting combination to other people.

So, make me feel better, what are your favorite food combinations that would gross out other people?

What did YOU do this weekend?

As we all know, there's nothing I like better than a list, and since I haven't posted one for at least 3 days on the blog, here's my list of what I did this weekend. ("Wow, Kati, desperate for blog material? Sheesh.")

1- Hung out at Sara's. We had one of those classic Kati/Sara conversations that truly, I only ever have with my sister. It was hilarious, inappropriate and made my stomach hurt from laughing so much. I don't think we needed to go to the gym this weekend, Sara. We laughed our butts off too much. All I'm saying is...kleenex, it's both of our friends.

2- Went to the gym. Yeah, I went, you can see what I did here. I went because...well...I ate an entire medium sized pizza this weekend. No seriously. It's revolting. I spent all day yesterday guzzling water trying to get the incredible amount of salt in my body out. Didn't work. I still gained weight. This is why we're working out.

3- Re-read two favorite romances. The first, A Kingdom of Dreams, because Michelle Buonfiglio is going to host a book club on January 22. Come join us if you have the book and want an excuse to re-read it. Honestly, it was as good this time as it was the first time. It's just a great story. Then yesterday I re-read Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. Michelle is my excuse on this one too. She mentioned it in her blog on Sunday and then nothing would do but for me to re-read it. There's this speech the hero gives at the end of the book that makes my eyes well up with tears every single time.

4- Watched football. A hell of a lot of football. I managed to watch all four playoff games this weekend. I loved watching the Packers win. I've decided for these playoffs (And only these playoffs), I'm a Packers fan. How can anyone root against a feel good story like Brett Favre's? Last night I was torn watching the Giants-Cowboys game. Frankly, both are NFC East rivals to the Redskins, so I instinctively don't like either. But I have to say, the Giants are playing damn good football right now, and Dallas's quarterback, Tony Romo (my secret boyfriend) completely lost his composure in the fourth quarter. Granted, he was getting smacked around a lot. But you're the leader on the field -- when you melt down, so does your team. He's got a little ways to go before he's a Hall of Fame caliber QB. Don't get me wrong, he's got it in him, but he needs a firm smack with the maturity stick first. Same can be said of Philip Rivers of the Chargers. I do not like to see any professional football player get into it with the fans. Believe me, Rivers, you're the one who looks like an ass. No one else.

That's it. Four things. Pathetic. The good thing is, at least I rested up. Next weekend is Josh's wedding and it's going to be completely nuts from Friday afternoon on.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Friday Pretty

In honor of LOST coming back on January 31st -- I give you Josh Holloway.

I'd like to be stranded with him!

Grieving the TV Season

So, tonight the last new episode of Grey's Anatomy airs. And then, other than Friday Night Lights (4 episodes left), I will have no more new TV to watch. Thus prompting me to make alternate plans.

"What plans are those, Kati?," you ask.

Go to the gym more? Nope, already doing that, which wasn't hard since I didn't go to the gym at all prior to this year.

Read more? Is that physically possible? I already average 2 hours a day.

Take up a new hobby? Nope, already have several.

Spend more time with friends and family? Umm, no, although that would be nice.

No, I'll be watching DVDs of television shows. Fortunately for me, Amy's husband Trip is more addicted to DVDs than I am, and has what can only be described as an IMPRESSIVE (all caps, just because I know size matters) collection of DVDs -- many of which are seasons of television. There are a couple of television series that I'll be purchasing, starting with Friday Night Lights, season 1 (the hotness of Tim Riggins cannot be over emphasized), but I'll also see about borrowing some TV on DVD from Trip. He's been after me to watch Veronica Mars, which I might do. He also owns all of the Sopranos. I've watched about five episodes and don't really love it, but hey, with nothing else on, what's a girl to do?

So, what will you do during the writers strike? Watch movies? Read? If you'll watch TV, what the heck are you watching??

Shameless Thieving

And no...I'm not talking about Cassie Edwards. :wink:

I stole this from Stacy. Thanks, Stace!

• reading: "My Darling Caroline" by Adele Ashworth
  
• re-reading: "Kill & Tell" by Linda Howard. Then I'm going to re-read "A Rose in Winter" by Kathleen Woodiwiss
  
• eating: some dark chocolate
  
• drinking: Diet Pepsi
  
• wearing: Khakis and a blue cable knit sweater. As Sara asked, "How many cable knit sweaters do you own anyway?" The answer, enough to wear one every day of the work week.
  
• jewelry: fun silver hoop earrings, a silver thumb ring, watch and my Tiffany bracelet.
  
• listening to: Big 100, right now it's "Black Magic Woman"
  
• watching: nothing, I'm at work, but tonight I'll be watching the last (damnit!) episode of Grey's Anatomy
  
• craving: honestly? A bagel with cream cheese
  
• wishing I was in: Paris
  
• dreading: I'm not really dreading anything right now. Amazing, huh?
  
• missing: Tracy. She just left and I already miss her.
  
• glad it's: almost the weekend
  
• hoping I'll be called by: I'm not waiting for any calls.
  
• crushing on (in RL): Huh. No one again. I seriously need to looking into getting one of those "life" thingies. I hear they're huge!
  
• crushing on (my dreams): Jeffrey Dean Morgan
  
• tired of: Seriously, I can't hear about Britney Spears one more time. It's making my ears bleed.
• can't get enough of: The NFL playoffs and Tracy's evil pizza dip!
  
• can't stand: Bananas. Ugh. Can't stand the smell, or the taste unless they're in banana nut bread, then I'm all about them!
  
• glad about: vacations
  
• thankful I'm not: going to a bachelorette party this weekend (I bailed, and I'm glad about it!)
• fascinated by: celebrity gossip and the current romance industry train wreck.
• believing in: the work that I do for the environment.
  
• so over: my current work out mix, I need a new one!
  
• remembering: my vacation last August. It was great!
  

Required Reading.

Over at "Let's Talk Romance" in the past couple of days, we've been talking Old School romance. I've kind of extrapolated that into what I consider to be "required reading" for romance. Books that I think all romance readers should try in order to have a "full" appreciation of the genre.

Without further ado, here are what I consider to be the Top 10 romance novels a well rounded romance reader should read:

1- The Windflower by Tom and Sharon Curtis - This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me. This is my all time favorite romance. The prose is incredible, the characters are fun and interesting and the heroine is one of my true favorites.

2-A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught - McNaught is literally one of the grand dames of romance. She invented many of the cliches that romance uses. This was the first time I'd ever read a romance and laughed out loud. On top of that, AKOD is a deeply emotional tale of two people whose families are mortal enemies.

3-Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - P&P is the backbone of romance. Austen's comedy of manners and stinging social satire also produced two of the most beloved characters in romance. And Darcy is the prototype upon which many a romance hero has been based.

4-Born In trilogy by Nora Roberts - If Judith McNaught is a grand dame of romance, Nora Roberts is the reigning champion of it. Smart, articulate, and considered by many to be the public face of romance, she is also a wonderfully inventive author. Her Born In trilogy epitomizes one of the things Nora does best -- connected stories. Plus, she has this wonderful knack of building a sense of place through description of setting and use of voice.

5-In Death series by JD Robb - OK, well, this is Nora too, but a totally different Nora. Her In Death series is something like 25 books strong. It's a gritty, futuristic world peopled by Eve Dallas, a homicide detective and her ridiculously wealthy husband, Roarke. Roarke is considered by many (me included) to be the best romance hero ever written. Part of the reason we love Roarke so much is that we've had 25 books to get to know him. He's a richly drawn, layered character, as is Eve. Also, the secondary characters in these books, who we also have the luxury of getting to know over the series are fantastic. You root for and worry about them as much as the leads. Fair warning, the books can be graphic in their violence, but wallowing in the In Death series is a wonderful pastime.

6- Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh - Balogh is a deeply gifted historical romance author. She's written many of the most beloved romances out there. Slightly Dangerous is the last in her Bedwyn series and in my opinion, is one of the premiere romances ever written. Wulfric Bedwyn is the definition of still waters running deep. And Christine, his heroine draws him to her with a captivating sense of humor and lightness that makes her eminently likable.

7- Warlords of the Plains series by Elizabeth Vaughan - Vaughan's debut, Warprize, the first in this series, builds a fantastic world that reminds me vaguely of Jean Auel's Clan of the Cavebear series. However, the three books, Warprize, Warsworn and Warlord and richly imagined and drawn. While the world is fantastic, it is grounded enough in reality that it's easy to visualize even though many of the creatures and culture is foreign to us. Vaughan has a deft hand with the fantastic.

8- Dream Man by Linda Howard - Linda Howard is another giant in the romance industry. This is a contemporary novel with a paranormal bent, as the heroine is psychic. But Dane Hollister, the hero of the book is one of my favorite romance heroes. He epitomizes one of the things Howard does best -- write heroes. He's definitely all guy, but has a soft candy inside that'll make you melt.

9- Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught - This book introduced into my lexicon the concept of "forced seduction" which is certainly one of the romance world's hottest and most contested issues. But the story is wonderfully told and the scene where Whitney, the heroine finally confesses her love for Clayton, the hero makes me melt every time.

10- Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss - No required reading list for romance would be complete without a Kathleen Woodiwiss novel. Ashes in the Wind is set during the Civil War, which Woodiwiss always excelled at writing. The heroine dresses as a boy, befriends the hero (who marries her eeeeeevil cousin) and eventually they fall in love. It's a wonderful story that shows that even romance cliches can be written beautifully. It's not my personal favorite of Woodiwiss's, but it is a classic.

Honorary mention goes to JR Ward's first three of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, Dark Lover, Lover Eternal and Lover Awakened. In it, Ward shows that world building in a paranormal and a strong sense of voice can make or break a novel. These books show why this series is so compulsively readable. I feel like the last couple books have gone off the tracks, but she's still a major talent in the paranormal romance world.

I'd also include in an extended list: Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas who writes emotional, brilliant historical romances, Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale, which is a unique romance, brilliantly conceived and written and Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase whose wit and use of prose is very nearly unsurpassed in romance.

There you have it. What am I missing? What romances do you consider to be required reading?

Do You...Or Don't You?

So, I'm a self-professed television junkie. So certainly, this writer's strike is hitting me where it hurts. I have one more episode of Grey's Anatomy left, and five more of Friday Night Lights, and then, well, I basically have nothing on TV to watch.

Next week though, an American phenomenon begins again...American Idol. Now, even when TV is in full swing, I don't watch. I find the auditions to be tortuous, and then, once they get into the actual rounds, I have a hard time with how critical (read mean) the judges are to the kids who are on the show. With the exception of Kelly Clarkson (who I love) and Carrie Underwood (who I tolerate), the show mainly just dominates the news, but doesn't produce much in the way of entertainment for me. I'd pretty much rather jab a fork in my eye than deal with Ryan Seacrest, who I find annoying in the extreme, so there's really no draw for me. My usual M.O. is that I tune in the for the second to last show and watch the two finalists, pick one, and then tune in for the last five minutes of the final show to see who gets crowned. This has suited me fine. But it makes me crazy that it completely dominates all pop culture conversations for the better part of six months. So I generally at least read the EW Pop Culture blog's recap of what happened the night before. And really, that suffices.

But I wonder, with no actual TV on this go-round, will I end up watching AI? I can't tell you how much crap I've rationed out to my sister and my cousin for watching. But there's NOTHING. ON. TV. now, and I just can't guarantee that I won't be sucked in. I really hope not because generally I find AI very, very painful to watch.

How 'bout you? Are you a fan of American Idol? Do you never miss a show? Or are you like me and can't stand it?

It's Over

It was a dynamite run, and one I'm so proud of. My team can finish their season with their heads held extremely high.

Sean would have been proud, and certainly, so is the Redskins Nation.

Pimping

For some reason, February is always a big release month in the Romance world. This year is no exception. The three books above are all books coming from some of my favorite authors in February.

The Bleeding Dusk is the third installment in Colleen Gleason's brilliant Gardella Vampire Chronicles. Colleen has taken the historical paranormal to new heights. She's a witty, smart writer who takes navigating the bloodsuckers of the ton to a whole new level (both literally and figuratively). Her main character, Victoria is among my favorite heroines. Colleen does a great job of turning romance on its ear by really giving Victoria a hard time -- a really hard time. On top of that, Colleen is a damn fine person and one of my favorite authors, just because, well, she's a cool chick whose talent and sense of humor I really admire.

The Psy/Changeling series by Nalini Singh is one of my favorites and her next in the series, Mine to Possess is also out in February. Nalini has taken a innovative approach to "were" books. I honestly have never had a single person that I've recommended the series to not like it. She's got a deft hand with internal monologue and her heroes are delicious.

Jaci Burton is easily my favorite erotic romance author. Her romances are unbelievably hot -- scorching even. What I love about her writing is that her heroines tend to be very real. They have real hang-ups and issues. And the men who come to love them seem oblivious to the heroine's issues. I don't know why, but her stories always make my insides melt. Her latest, Riding Wild, comes out in February too. Believe me, I'll be curling up with this book ASAP!

All of these books are out on February 5.



If you're looking for something to read until then, I can't recommend Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady enough. This book is one of the most entertaining I've read in a long time. Bourne's heroine is a French spy. Her hero is an English spy who must capture her. There are so many things to love about this book, but the most compelling is Bourne's mastery of language. She uses very few dialog tags. Why? Well because you don't need the tag to identify who is speaking. This is because the French characters speak like French people speaking a second language (in this case, English). There's no need for the obligatory "ma petite" or "cherie" you know they're French by the way they phrase a sentence. On top of that, the story dives directly into the action, and offers twists and turns and developments that left me guessing and occasionally shocked. The book is truly superb. The only thing I don't like about it is the cover cheese. I wish that the cover had been more evocative. Oh well, maybe next time.

Somebody Bring Me Some Water!

Hoo-boy! Tonight I finished watching BBC's production of Elizabeth Gaskell's book North and South. It's the story of the Hale family who move from the south of England to Milton in the north, after Mr. Hale steps down from his position as a vicar due to differences with the church. The Hales find Milton vastly different from anything they've experienced. In looking for a residence, Margaret witnesses a worker at a local mill being beaten by the master of the mill, John Thornton. An ongoing series of misunderstandings between Margaret and John as they navigate the difficulties that an impending strike at the mill, Margaret's relationship with striking workers at the mill, and Margaret's mother's illness produce tension throughout the movie.

The movie is, as with all BBC productions, sumptuously shot. When Margaret is in the south, everything is bright and colorful. Milton is shot with a blue/gray filter and it seems dreary and sad from almost the beginning. But as Margaret and John begin to circle closer and closer to each other, little moments of brightness incur on the scenes. A walk through the park brings a passing shot of colorful flowers, or daylight glistening on the rooftops of Milton, which seemed so dark and dreary before.

The story evolves slowly with Margaret and John seeming to work at cross purposes often. They certainly experience what the romance community calls "The Big Misunderstanding" although it's not so much ONE misunderstanding as many small ones. As a viewer, I found myself wanting to close them in a room and make them talk to each other. Because here's the thing, both are characters of strong moral direction and pride. And they're good people -- you find yourself rooting for both of them throughout the story. Margaret is trying hard to keep the household running as her mother's health fails. John feels great responsibility towards both his family and those in his employ. We see their motivation throughout the story.

Both of the leads in the production are superb. Daniela Denby-Ashe is lovely and understated as Margaret Hale. She has many quiet moments throughout the production, where we can see her struggle to adapt and make her way, despite several obvious social blunders.

And Richard Armitage...what can we say about him? In the beginning of the movie, I couldn't really understand what the big deal was, but as I came to understand the honor of his character, and his strong moral code, he became more and more handsome to me. When he first proposes to Margaret, the scene was utterly agonizing. Both of them needed someone to whistle "time out" as they hurl insults at each other, and make them just sit down and talk. So when the final scene comes, I was yearning for them to be together. But it is Armitage's humanity I think that makes John Thornton such a compelling character. His eyes are so expressive, and we can see him struggle with his pride, social constrictions and also his growing affection for Margaret.

It is truly a lovely story set against a stark and moving backdrop. I'd wholeheartedly recommend North and South both as a wonderful period piece, but also as a terrific romance that will make your heart melt.

Many, many thanks to Dev, Stacy, Katiebabs and Kristie for talking the film up. I'm definitely a convert now!

New Year, New...nah

Every year at this time, I make resolutions. Generally by March or so, I've broken my resolutions and am back to living life the way I always have.

With the exception of last year. Last year, I managed to stick to a diet and lose weight that I'd been carrying around with me for literally YEARS. I'm very proud of this accomplishment, but truly, I think the reason that it worked for me was that I had my roommate pushing me. I've said it before, I'm a competitive girl. I needed to have H. to push me. It worked like a charm. I'm hovering pretty close to my goal weight and have been for months. I'm hoping that with the agreement that Sara, Meghan and I have entered into, I'll be able to not only hit my goal weight, but also get healthier.

I've got ALOT to look forward to this year. In a couple of weeks, my friend Josh is getting married. He's one of my all time favorite people and the wedding will bring a huge group of my friends from college to DC for the weekend. I can hardly wait to see everyone and catch up. It should be a good time, if an immature one. LOL!

In May, my closest online friends will be coming to DC so we can meet in person for the first time. I'm really looking forward to that. I figure we'll end up gabbing...alot. But also we'll get a chance to tighten up bonds that we've formed online. These ladies are very often a HUGE source of support for me, and I can't wait to meet them all in person.

In August, I'll go to Hilton Head Island for a week with my best friend, Amy and her family, as well as some of our good friends. It'll be a wonderful week of relaxation and fun. I'm looking forward to that too.

At some point, man would I love to meet a fella and get settled down a bit.

All in all, it's shaping up to be a great year. I hope it really is.