Random Thoughts on a Friday

5 Notes on my VC Andrews Challenge progress*

* contains spoilers!

Book number 2 of the Dollanganger series, Petals on the Wind, in which Cathy grows up and seeks revenge on the mother who imprisoned her and her 2 brothers and sister in the attic of her grandmother's humongous mansion.

1. Cathy's full name is Catherine Leigh Foxworth Sheffield Marquet Sheffield Sheffield. That's Foxworth for her parents (who were related by blood), Sheffield for the doctor who adopted her, Marquet for the dancer she married, Sheffield for the doctor she married (the same man who adopted her), and Sheffield for the second doctor she married (who was also her brother, the first man she ever slept with).

With all of that fantastic backstory, my only comment is..."Catherine Leigh..." Really? That's MY name!

2. Cathy's dream was to become a rich and famous prima ballerina, neglecting the reality that there is no such thing as a rich ballerina - until they leave the business and marry well. No Nike endorsements, no commercial investments, no rise to the top power trip, not even if they parlayed their skills into owning a company of their own - which is even less lucrative than being a dancer. Still, the author will have us believe that such a thing is possible.

And with all of that fantastic backstory, my only comment is..."Catherine Leigh" who studies ballet... Really? That's MY name and MY career (except for the prima, rich, and famous parts)!

3. The ending of this book was pure spectacle - so over-the-top, so soap operaish, I could barely stop myself from devouring the pages. Four men in her life die? Father, first husband, lover (who was her mother's husband and father to her baby), and second husband (and technically her stepfather).

But no, it doesn't end there. She and her new and improved third husband - her brother! - raise her two children as their own. Augh, I think I'm blind from reading this!

And...and...wait for it...she has the attic prepped for the inevitable moment in her life when she must step into her mother's high-heeled boots and shove her kids away when they (or others) begin to ask too many questions.

4. More, more, more! I can't wait for the next book.

5. I wonder if I could ever write something like this without breaking out into hives or being committed to a mental institution.

4 Crazy things that are actually true!

1. You can gain weight from a cold. Recent research has shown that the adenovirus-36, which causes the common cold, can increase fat cells and thus cause you to gain weight while you're sick. Like, srsly? This is so unfair! Check it here at Nursing Degree Guide.


2. Stanley Kubrick had a horrible fear of flying. The famous director, whose seminal work, "2oo1: A Space Odyssey" is always on critics' lists for its influence on special effects and depictions of space travel, had such a fear of flying that he recreated New York City on a London soundstage in the film, "Eyes Wide Shut." He also didn't drive a car.

3. There is a basketball court at the top of the Matterhorn ride in Disneyland. No, Shaq and Kobe don't play there - that would be truly a Disney world, wouldn't? At the very top is a small area where workers can rest and someone put up a basketball hoop so they could hang out and play on their breaks.
4. "Star Trek" (the Original Series) had lyrics for its iconic theme song. Yes, it's true! Apparently Gene Roddenberry wrote them, unbeknownst to its composer Alexander Courage, because he wanted to be certain he would make some money from the show. Check it out here, along with the terrible lyrics that were thankfully never recorded. I can't believe I never knew this (and I'm a total Trekker!).

Celebrity Sighting AND High Culture!

An honest-to-goodness two-fer! Great art and a celebrity sighting. In this case, it was a new German art exhibit at LACMA and an up-close-and-personal view of Mindy Kaling, who plays Kelly on "The Office," one of our very favorite shows.

Mindy was accompanied by a female friend and wearing a fabulous green and navy coat, entering as we were leaving. True to her character's nature, she was chatting, chatting, chatting, the whole while. HH's mouth dropped open just as we passed (you gotta keep it together when you walk by and pretend you don't notice celebrities so they don't get skittish and run away) and he said..."That was Kelly! That was Kelly!"

God, he's so uncool.

Anyway, the exhibit is fantastic, for anyone who lives in the LA area and wants to get cultured. It's called "Art of Two Germanys" and it's German artwork from the 1940s through the 80s. It opens today but because HH and I are patrons (my one contribution to the art world that I suck every bit of life out of), we saw it on a members-only preview day.

Yay! I love art.

And of course, famous people.

Random Thoughts on a Friday

5 Great Things That Happened This Week

1. Barack Obama was sworn in as President. And the country leapt forward into the 21st Century. Finally.

2. American Idol and LOST are back. My two very favorite mid-season shows - the former is a guilty pleasure, the second is genius storytelling.

3. Meryl Streep was nominated for an Oscar for "Doubt" (as were Philip Seymour Hoffmann, Viola Davis, and Amy Adams - all brilliant). While I'm sure Meryl gave a fantastic performance in "Mamma Mia," her role in "Doubt" was superb and mesmerizing.

4. I received my first reader feedback for a new manuscript - yay! She loved it. Never used a teen beta reader before but this book is a departure for me and I wanted to make sure I got it right.

5. Barack Obama was sworn in as President. Oh, did I mention that already?

Inauguration Day Fun

Ah, the where were you when question.

Where were you when the Challenger exploded? Princess Diana was killed? The planes crashed into the Twin Towers? And for a slightly older group, when Elvis died?

These are all such negative events yet they had such a huge impact on our lives that each of us can probably remember very specifically what we were doing and where we were, possibly the clothes we had on and who we were with.

I'd like to think we finally have a *positive* event with which to mark our lives: where were you when President Obama was sworn in?

I was at the dentist. It was the best visit ever, except for last summer when we were watching Michael Phelps sweep the gold in China. My dentist joked that I only come in on momentous occasions. God, how I wish that were possible.

Anyway, the whole day felt surreal and not simply because my mouth was in tremendous pain. From start to finish, watching the VIPs arrive, hearing Aretha Franklin sing (and wearing that fantastic hat that only Miss Franklin could get away with), witnessing the very first African American President being sworn in on Lincoln's bible - it was all just a magical day and it certainly felt that way wherever I went.

My very favorite image of the day, though, was the first time the President and his wife stepped outside the limo and walked down the street, surrounded by Secret Service, waving to the crowds. Michelle looked amazing in her golden coat swinging behind her and the new President - well, gosh, he just looked so completely comfortable in his new role. They both did. More than anything, I will have that picture of the two of them in my head when I think of this day.

Top 4 Things I'm Excited About For the Inauguration of Barack Obama

1. A rescue dog in the White House. No puppy mill pooch for the Obama girls; they'll be getting a dog who needs saving, one who might have been neglected or abused. Firsthand, they will be learning about the importance of "other," just as their father has.

2. A Clinton in the Cabinet. While I always supported Hillary in her bid for the presidency and I thought I would have loved an Obama-Clinton White House, I see now that the next best thing for her is not Vice President but Secretary of State. She'll be fantastic.

3. A strong woman by the President's side. No offense to Laura Bush, who was a lovely first lady, but she did nothing to further women's rights or to represent any interests other than her own and her family's. We haven't had a strong first lady since Hillary and now we will have Michelle - smart, charming, and tough.

4. A man who truly represents our country in the number one hot seat in the world. We are a diverse and complex nation; we require a diverse and complex president. Barack Obama cannot possibly be all things to all people and he will certainly suffer in comparison to all the idealistic images many of us have of him - but he is the first step forward for our country in a long, long time. For the past eight years, we have been moving backward: culturally, socially, internationally. Electing Barack Obama is the first smart thing we have done as a nation and we have to keep pushing forward behind him.

Random Thoughts on a Friday

4 Comments about my VC Andrews Challenge Progress*

* contains spoilers!

Book one HAD to be "Flowers in the Attic," the book that started it all. Four kids, an attic, a nasty grandmother, incest...wow, this one has everything you could want.

I can't possibly do as thorough an analysis as the fabulous Taren over at Chick Manifesto, so I'll just have to give you my own random thoughts.

1. Andrews rivals Stephenie Meyer in the number of times she calls a man good-looking, in this case, the kids' deceased father who died much too young and was much too good. I understand these are teen girl voices we're talking about but seriously, not all teens see the world in terms of black and white. They see lots of shades of grey.

2. I would love to see a layout of the Foxworth estate. I cannot imagine the immense size of the place that children running around (or a young girl screaming!) would not be heard.

3. The mother is an absolute beast! My god, stowing your kids in an attic, running off with a new husband, poisoning the children with the help of your own mother! Despicable. Yet so very good for dramatic tension.

4. The relationship between Chris and Cathy (and between Cathy and her father!) was weird from day freakin' one. Sorry but it's true. There were some weird vibes going on before they were even out of their house. Plus Cathy seemed to take an inordinate interest in her parents' relationship - she was as jealous as a lover! And Pops treated her like a little girlfriend not a daughter. Man, the stage was set for weirdness from the beginning.

I am waiting for the next installment -"Petals on the Wind"- to arrive from the library. According to Taren, this should be the book where Cathy grows up and possibly confronts her mother (god, I hope so!). The tension is killing me!

And now that you know about Cathy and Chris, how incredibly creepy is this new cover design? Eww...