What I Learned in March: 2014

1. I figured out how to shoot closeup photos with The Baby. Learning a new camera is a process. The Baby is nothing like The Precious. As I was making my second round of Flower and Garden Fest, I wanted to get a slightly different perspective on one of the dishes I was trying. Typically, I shoot my close-ups with The Precious, because I know how to make it work, but it's too unwieldy to manage with one hand and I needed the other for the photo, so I picked up The Baby. (Yes, I went with two cameras. Let's not discuss how insane you think that makes me, mostly because I do not care. It's not like I ask anyone else to carry what I bring with me and also, The Baby *in its case* weighs less than my cell phone! So there. I digress.) The first shot came out blurry -- too close to properly focus. Zooming out enough to allow the camera to focus didn't achieve the photo I wanted. Hmmm. I tried the macro setting again and it still wouldn't focus (I'm not exactly sure why not...still learning). So I started messing with the pre-programmed "scenes." Lo and behold, there is one called...Close-Up. Angels sang and I got exactly what I was envisioning!


2. You know the mini corn-on-the-cob often found in Asian cuisine? It's not some special miniature variety. It's regular corn, picked immature, just days after the silk appears!

3. The back story to the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. I have long enjoyed discovering the "history" created for the various Disney attractions. "Legend" has it that it started out in 1911 as the last outpost for explorers heading into the jungles. The owner had to abandon it in the 1920s, though, due to illness, and it was left vacant, until a group of adventurers decided to purchase it themselves. The Great Depression hurt their business venture. As they struggled to stay afloat (har har), a Hollywood film director asked if they would escort him down the river so he could film local wildlife...and thus was born the Jungle Cruise tours we know and love today!

4. You can actually *hear* an earthquake. I don't mean items falling off shelves. I mean the actual plates of the earth shifting and rubbing. I heard it with my own two ears, sitting on top of one, quite literally.

Every month, Chatting at the Sky shares what she learned. Big things and little things. Life lessons from the serious to the silly. I've decided I want to participate. Just another means of capturing who am I along this broken little road called life.

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This Week on My TV: March 29, 2014

Disclaimer: Some shows I watch live and with others, I tend to be fairly behind on my tv watching. Even so, consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. All I can do is lead in with the show and episode. You read at your own risk!



**(CSI, S14E17 "Long Road Home") Eh, after a run a of exceptionally entertaining cases, CSI was due for a dud. I know Gene Simmons was supposed to "wow" with his cameo, that the "daddy twist" was supposed to shock, and that Brass actually softening to a young girl who is soliciting herself was supposed to elicit emotion, but none of it really impacted me.

**(Grey's Anatomy, S10E15 "Throwing It All Away") Kinda love that Weber informed Cristina he will always be The Chief -- When Stephanie and Jo are sitting side by side, their hair is very reminiscent of Cristina and Mer, respectively, back in the day. -- This exchange struck me as very funny ... Arizona: I think you broke my leg. Stephanie: Oh my God! Oh my God!! Arizona: It's all right. I have another one in my car. -- How did Arizona know that abandoned baby was a boy the second she picked him up? -- Alex: Three days I'm suspended from surgery. You bang a co-worker, and you get a house and two kids. I do it and I get suspended. Meredith: I know, I'm a hypocrite. I heard. -- The organ donor patient received a kidney donation from a friend...who wants it back now?! -- OMG. Cristina named the abandoned baby Oscar. Like Oscar the Grouch. Because he was found out by the dumpsters.

**(Elementary, S2E18 "The Hound of the Cancer Cells") The case, itself, was ok, if a bit convoluted, but I figured the former teacher was going to get himself killed. I also enjoyed the ending when Sherlock and Detective Bell delayed going into Bell's "welcome back to full duty" party because Sherlock saw he needed a few minutes in a coffee shop with a friend after having a bad day. I like seeing Sherlock's progress with relationships.

**(Parenthood, S5E17 "Limbo") I knew that Natalie was bad news. She is suddenly sleeping with Drew's roommate now and doesn't see why Drew's bothered by this?! Maybe because he's a decent guy, Natalie, ever think of that in your little trampy mind? Hmph. -- I think maybe it's starting to hit Camille what giving up their house will mean... Why don't she and Zeek take over the guest house and let Jasmine and Crosby raise their little family in the big house? Or something. (Yes, I am a sap. Nostalgia and sentimental value and memories and all that jazz.) -- I cannot believe Amber and Drew showed up to Aida's "Baptism Eve" family celebration dinner stoned. -- Tears: When Zeek showed up at Joel's apartment and said all those things to him about marriage and figuring things out faster and being the guy Zeek thought he was giving his daughter to on their wedding day, Joel standing there with his eyes filling up with tears about killed me. -- Tears, part two: Julia's reaction to Joel showing up at the baptism totally made me weepy. -- I still do not understand how Jasmine birthed a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned daughter. I get that Aida has Crosby's coloring, but I would think, based on genetics and biology, that Jasmine would have carried the dominant genes or at least *some* of them! More like with Jabar.

**(Chicago Fire, S2E17 "When Things Get Rough") Saddest thing ever: the house fire they responded to where the father piled up his wife and three kids, then laid on top of them, giving up his life to save theirs. -- What's up with everyone wanting Dawson? She's Mouch's idea of a "perfect woman" and then there's Ramsey the Stalker, and obviously Casey. -- Ok, now I feel bad. Apparently, Ramsey wasn't a stalker, so much as an overly nice guy who was reminded by Dawson of a friend who died. -- When Casey called what the father had done to save to his family "the bravest thing he'd ever seen" during the wrongful death deposition, I completely lost it. The characters on this show do little to stir emotion in me, but some of the stories do.

**(Reign, S1E15 "The Darkness") There is no limit to Henry's depravity. -- What on earth was it that was attacking Olivia?? -- How on earth did Kenna end up tied to a dead prostitute?! And so nice of Henry to tell Catherine it was her "housekeeping" problem. -- Mary and Lola are having quite a sensitive conversation with all those guards and servants around, considering neither of them wants Francis to find out about Lola's pregnancy.

**(CSI, S14E18 "Uninvited") Better than the last episode. About halfway through, I figured out that the mother escaped with the kids, but I definitely didn't have the whole story figured out and NO WAY did I expect that the daughter killed her mother and brother for killing the dad (and his mistress).

**(Scandal, S3E13 "No Sun on the Horizon") Sally is straight up crazy. "Crispy piggy, yum yum"...what is that?! -- Olivia is right: all three Presidential candidates are murderers. Murderer's row, indeed. -- Um, since when is Sally "our candidate" for Daddy Pope?! -- Jake very clearly still cares for Liv. And he keeps getting stomped. -- Did Jake actually instruct Fitz's Secret Service to take out Sally if she started to confess during the debate?! -- I don't even understand what happened in that final scene. Has Olivia finally pushed Jake off the deep end? Who did he shoot?? David? James? Someone off screen? WHAT IS GOING ON?!

**(How I Met Your Mother, S9E22 "The End of the Aisle") Ted: Wait, wait. Stop, stop. What the hell are you *doing*? Robin: It's just...I can't go through with this. Ted: No. No, sorry. I refuse to be a part of  a third runaway bride situation. It's like the dude in that documentary who kept having women show up dead at the bottom of his staircase. Sure, maybe they all tripped. But it's like do you want to hang out with that guy? -- Awww, Ted gave Barney the locket to give to Robin. And when Barney asked Ted how he found it, Ted said "I didn't, you did." Ted is a good guy and a good friend. -- OMG. "Deuces are wild." And then I died. -- Ted: Stop. Stop. You're just saying this because you're scared. I am not your future, Barney is. Robin: Shouldn't I be with the guy who finds me my locket? The guy who steals me the blue French horn? I mean, look me in the eye and tell me why should I be with that guy? Ted: Because I'm not that guy anymore. -- Ted: But love doesn't make sense! I mean, you can't logic your way into or out of it. Love is totally non-sensical, but we have to keep doing it or else we're lost and and and love is dead and humanity should just pack it in. Because love is the best thing we do. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's just true. -- BAHAHA! Robin met The Mother by running over her in an attempt to run away from the wedding. -- Marshall: I vow to keep at least eighty percent of these vows. Lily: That seems high. Marshall: Then I vow to keep updating them as we go. Because one set of vows, it can't cover a lifetime of growing and changing with you, of raising children with you, falling more and more in love with you every day, Lily Aldrin, which is what I vow to do for the rest of my life. Lily: Crap. I already broke my no crying vow. ... Me too, Lilypad, me too. -- The Mother called herself a "bit of a detective!" Because she is so perfect for Ted. -- The end of the Slap Bet! -- Ted: It was a twisting, turning road that lead to the end of the aisle. And not everything along the way was perfect. To be honest, not everything to follow would be perfect either. But what is? Here's the secret kids: none of us can vow to be perfect. In the end, all we can do promise is to love each other with everything we've got. Because love's the best thing we do.

**(The Good Wife, S5E15 "Dramatics, Your Honor") I really like the judge presiding over the trial Will is litigating. -- That was big of Alicia to alert Will that his clients were seeking a second opinion behind his back when she could have poached them without any effort. -- I don't know what I expected the advertised "bombshell" to be, but Will being killed was *not* it. Holy crap. I kept thinking he would come close to the brink of death, but they'd reel him back and he'd be ok, but no. They wasted no time is him being dead. No dramatic scenes trying to save him, heroic measures, nothing but a gurney in a curtained triage room in the E.R. with his body on it. I am stunned. -- I think that may be the first time I've seen Kalinda show an emotion other than anger or Eli be subdued. Both of their reactions made *me* tear up.

**(Parenthood, S5E18 "The Offer") Zeek's reaction to the prospective buyers criticizing the house is *exactly* how I would feel listening to that. Even if I wanted to sell. And he doesn't. -- C'mon, Joel. Look at what you're doing to your family. Time to come home, man. -- Natalie has a lot to learn about not making a scene. It's immature and ridiculous and inappropriate. And Drew is definitely more private than that. -- I know Hank is being vulnerable and expressing his emotions, but this killed me ... Hank: There's a million Bravermans out there. Right? Every corner, there's a Braverman. They're like Starbucks, the Bravermans. -- Adam and Kristina were watching Top Chef!! -- It's been a long time since we've seen a real appearance from Sydney the Insufferable Brat. Blaming her parents' separation on Victor was an effective throwback. -- I loved Zeek and Camille sitting by the fire pit, reminiscing about the house. -- Tears: Heartbreaking conversation with Max in the car, about his Asperger's and the other kids being cruel to him, as they drove back from picking him up from an overnight field trip following a meltdown. Man, that kid can act. -- Kinda wish I could have understood more of the lyrics to Drew's song.

**(The Blacklist, S1E17 "Ivan") No one thought to question or chase or even just call out after the guy who stole whatever that piece of technology was from the wrecked car and fled the scene? -- Mr Kaplan! I love her character! -- Red [to Ivan, working on his tablet]:  Do you find all those little fingerprints on the glass distracting or does that sort of thing not bother you? -- One of my favorite things about Red is how much he loves good food. -- Irony is...Tom: You never really know people...do you... -- The case of the week was a little meh, but the Tom scenes made up for it with intensity. -- The final scene was sweet, Red comforting Lizzie, and having spent all that time building that music box, knowing what was coming. I am dying to know how he knew her father used to hum the song it played to her when she was scared by a nightmare. I'm still convinced Red is not her father, because he told her in this episode that he has never lied to her, and in an earlier episode, she asked him if he was her father and he told her he was not. But I believe he knows her father very well and feels a deep responsibility for her.

**(2 Broke Girls, S3E20 "And the Not Broke Parents") Max is nervous meeting Deek's mega wealthy parents, blah blah, that's original. ::eyeroll:: -- Deek's mother has really annoying speech cadence. -- No Sophie? Hmph.

**(Mom, S1E20 "Clumsy Monkeys and a Tilted Uterus") With Bonnie being so promiscuous, how did she have just Christy? -- The adoptive parents for Violet's baby seem awfully young to have tried, unsuccessfully, for years to have a child.

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Currently: March 28, 2014

This week at the Broken Road house while on vacation!...

Facing... the unknown paperwork disasters that inevitably wait for me on my desk upon conclusion of vacation. I need to stop thinking about that!

Snapping... photos. Which is expected from vacation, right? New sights, new memories. I rarely return with traditional souvenirs, trinkets and what have you. My photos are my treasures.

Counting... my blessings. How did I ever get to live a life so full and rich? Just little old me.

Loving... that I got to hang out, in person, with a friend I had previously on been able to interact with via technology. Technology is an awesome thing, but in person? Priceless.

Hopping... on the next plane *out* of California if the quaking doesn't cease!

"Currently" is a weekly link-up, hosted by Ot & Et.

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Favorite Lenten Hymns: March 26, 2014

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Broken Road Confessionals: March 24, 2014

**I fail to understand people who post to social media that they are running very late and will have to skip their shower or skip breakfast or have to grab whatever clothes they can find, clean or otherwise. Wouldn't that precious moments spent typing that out be better used to get yourself together and *leave*??

**As I continue to remain obsessed with the orange blossoms that make March in Florida smell like heaven, I find that I am also attempting to subconsciously expand upon it. I have actually spent what might be considered an embarrassing amount of time contemplating whether other citrus blossoms also smell so intoxicating. What about grapefruit? Lime? Lemon? Tangerine? Kumquat? (What?) I might maybe have a problem...

**My daily To Do List is my bible. Without its reminders, I would forget to do half of the things I want to get done because devil thy name is distraction. However, even more than the things I would forget to do, it motivates me to do the things I would otherwise "forget" to do, because what I really like about my To Do List is the actual act of crossing it off.

**Here's my problem. (Oh, me, you are so funny, saying that like there's only just the one.) There are hundreds of treats and restaurants (and menu options at those restaurants) on Disney property that I *want* to try. But I suffer a mini crisis, because it's so difficult *not* to get something or go somewhere that is a favorite! They obviously got to be favorites because one time I decided to try something new, but...still, so hard to choose. Hello, my name is Dawn, and I clearly have an abundance of first world problems.

**I'll be honest: I am not at all a Ben and Jerry's sort of girl. I mean, why would I pay almost as much for one of those tiny little containers of ice cream, when I can get an entire half gallon of Blue Bell or an almost-half gallon (don't get me started on that) of Edy's for barely more dent in the checking account *and* they are often on sale buy-one-get-one? But then they released flavors that I may be powerless to resist. Next time there is a sale, I may have to bite the bullet and splurge. There isn't a flavor in the bunch that doesn't make me drool just to type it: Hazed and Confused (Chocolate and Hazelnut Ice Creams with Fudge Chips and a Hazelnut Fudge Core), Peanut Butter Fudge (Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Creams with Mini Peanut Butter Cups and a Peanut Butter Fudge Core), Salted Caramel (Sweet Cream Ice Cream with Blonde Brownies and a Salted Caramel Core), That's My Jam (Chocolate and Raspberry Ice Creams with Fudge Chips and a Raspberry Core), and Karamel Sutra (A Core of Soft Caramel Encircled by Chocolate and Caramel Ice Creams and Fudge Chips). The problem now is choosing. This could take a while...

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This Week on My TV: March 22, 2014

Disclaimer: Some shows I watch live and with others, I tend to be fairly behind on my tv watching. Even so, consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. All I can do is lead in with the show and episode. You read at your own risk!



**(Grey's Anatomy, S10E14 "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away") ::snort:: Weber just called HR's new "non fraternization" policy "The Panty Police." And then Owen made Weber the chief of police. Oh, Grey's you slay me. -- All the best fights (or "fights") take place in the gallery over the lobby of the hospital. It's tradition. -- Love: Jackson and April revealing their marriage. Mer torturing Derek because she's mad he is putting his opportunity over her turn to advance her career, but putting her frustration on hold for some "husband wife time." Don't love: Callie and Arizona and that ring. Cristina and Own...*again*. Stephanie and Leah acting like immature little brats.

**(Parenthood, S5E16 "The Enchanting Mr Knight") How do tv couples always wake up to the most amazing morning light ever? -- It cannot possibly be as easy at Sarah and Carl made it look to just "go with me to Africa." Even if Sarah, who, let's face it, is never the most organized adult, has a valid current passport, doesn't she have to get a bunch of vaccinations and stuff? -- How long before Jasmine and Crosby end up living in Zeek and Camille's house while they go traveling or whatever it is Camille "needs to do"? -- I like Kristina's shorter hair curly more than I do straight. -- I'm going to say it. I don't care for Natalie all that much. She is only interested in Drew because Amy is there, not because she actually wants anything with Drew. -- Ha! Crosby listening at the vent to his parents fighting. -- Part of me is proud of Sarah for staying focused on her career and not running off with some guy, but...is she finally giving up the good guy? Arg. Fictional life is obviously just as complicated as real life. -- Tears: Kristina getting the phone call that her one-year cancer scan came back clear. Kristina and Adam were perfection in that scene. Actually they were perfect in the doctor's office scenes too.

**(Chicago Fire, S2E16 "Rocket Blasting Off") ::slaps forehead:: A surprise vasectomy as an anniversary gift, Hermann? Really? (Although I have to admit I am amused that his wife *loved* the gift.) -- Boy, when you ask a buddy if he needs anything, you don't really expect that he's going to say "yeah, lie to the cops for me," huh, Joe? -- I think I'm supposed to feel bad for Jones because her father doesn't want her to be an active firefighter but...I don't really care. -- D'oh. Did Daddy Severide make Keeler disappear?? -- I feel like that keychain Benny Severide was playing with at the bar after he apparently confessed to Voight was supposed to mean something but I can't think of what that might be.

**(Once Upon a Time, S3E12 "New York City Serenade") That was some terrible CGI of the magic/broken curse rolling through Fairy Tale Land toward Aurora and Phillip. -- Emma: You're a crazy person or a liar. Or both. Hook: I prefer dashing rapscallion. Scoundrel. -- What does it say about me that when Emma's boyfriend proposed and she ran out on him, I was immediately suspicious about how understanding he *really* was about it? -- It bugs me that Snow White's "royal hair" is so rat's-nesty. Shouldn't she own a royal comb or something? -- That was a really good speech Snow made to Regina about keeping her heart and finding a way to be happy. -- Oh good. Just what my inner child needed: a revisit from the winged monkeys of Wizard of Oz fame. -- I feel your pain about the bologna they force fed you in jail, Hook! -- "Walsh" was really a winged monkey in disguise? Yeah, actually, I could see that. Nice work, casting! -- Holy time travel, Batman. I had a really hard time keeping up with the passage of time in this episode. And why the residents of Storybrooke are not still in Fairy Tale Land where we last left them. Or was that the curse/danger about which Hook was trying to warn Emma?

**(Blue Bloods, S4E17 "Knockout Game") The "knockout game" footage was *really* difficult to watch. Especially when you consider this actually happens. It's twisted. -- After about 90 seconds, Danny's CI referring to himself in third person lost its charm. -- Wow, it's not very often that you see Frank annoyed with Baker. Garret, all the time, but never Baker. -- I was just commending Danny and Baez for thinking to park their car right outside the backdoor when they went looking for a suspect, in case he ran (which of course he did), when suddenly Danny employs some interesting interrogation techniques, like stuffing the suspect in the trunk and driving around like a maniac, until he cried "uncle." I miss the Danny Reagan slap in the head though. -- Everyone knows something is amiss when Danny isn't scarfing down his meal at family dinner! -- Erin and Jack?! It's a good thing she "pressured" him into showing his true colors before they made the mistake of letting Nicky in on their secret. ::shudder:: He is slimy. -- We did have one question though: how was the orange paint on the sole of Mike's boot *still* wet long after Danny left the house and Mike's wife went to bed, then he got in the car, drove to the drug dealer's neighborhood, he watched him make a deal, then followed him into an alley for a confrontation? Shouldn't it have been dry by then or at least tracked off to the point that it wasn't leaving clear prints on the ground?

**(Elementary, S2E17 "Ears to You") I hate when someone leaves severed *ears* on my bar! Major *yuck*. -- Mildly interesting case, somewhat interesting twist with the ex-wife growing ears on her back to deceive her ex-husband into a ransom. But mostly this Lestrade arc isn't really holding my attention much.

**(How I Met Your Mother, S9E21 "Gary Blauman") Awww, Ted and The Mother's first date! -- Not a fan of Robin's wedding dress. --  I may or may not be the nerd who looked to see if the Theodore Roosevelt book with which Ted was obsessed was a real book. -- Ted: So it was a bad breakup? The Mother: Real bad. Ted: Bad, like there was a big fight? The Mother: Bad, like there was a big ring. Ted: Bad, like this happened in the past year? The Mother: Bad, like it happened Saturday. Ted: So...bad. -- I wish there were ways I could work this quote into regular conversation! ... Lily: Point comma get to the damn. -- The slow motion close up of Gary Blauman eating Barney's accidental curly fry was gross -- I loved the future peeks on Carl the bartender, Janette the psycho, Kevin the therapist, Ranjit, Patrice, Nilly Zabka, Zoe, Scooter, Lily's stripper doppelganer, Blahblah Carol, Sandy Rivers, James and Tom. I loathe dangling threads and I think that covered them all! -- Ted: You will be shocked, kids, when you discover how easy it is in life to part ways with people forever. That's why, when you find someone you want to keep around, you do something about it. -- That first kiss between Ted and The Mother was perfect. Tentative and that little bit awkward that comes from not knowing the other person's "moves" yet, but so sweet. And then Ted just staring at her and when she asks him what he's doing, he replies, simply "Remembering this." Oh my heart.

**(2 Broke Girls, S3E19 "And the Kilt Trip") All I can say about that abomination is even Sophie couldn't save it.

**(Mike and Molly, S4E13 "Three Girls and an Urn") I'm not sure how I would feel about Kathy Bates gnawing on my armpit! LOL -- Florida: Mickey Mouse, meth and mullets. ... Sadly, more true than I might hope.-- Mike [about his mother]: Why do you think that house across the street goes up for sale once a year? Molly: I thought it was black mold. Mike: *She's* the black mold!!

**(Revolution, S2E16 "Exposition Boulevard") I am not a fan of seeing the insides of eyelids. -- Apparently saying the numbers tattooed into the lower lids of the recruits makes them go nut-so. I can't believe that girl shot her father and then slit her own neck. This show can be so twisted. -- I am trying to imagine what it would be like for soldiers on Guantanamo to look out their window and see a bunch of old ships sailing up, carrying a large portion of the U.S. government. -- I suspect there will be some problems for Tom now that Doyle has activated Jason. -- What. Just. Happened. With. Priscilla.

**(The Blacklist, S1E16 "Mako Tanida") Jolene is trouble. I wonder what message she was sending Tom by showing up at his house and hanging out with Lizzie? -- Profoundly moving scene ... Red: Searching in the desert for a drop of vengeance to slake an unquenchable thirst is a lonely walk, my friend....Donald, I understand how you feel, Beneath the iron and rust exterior, beats the heart of a man swimming in immeasurable grief. I am truly sorry about Audrey. There are few understand love and loss more than I....Let me tell you something that someone much wiser than I told me at a similar point in my life: Go home. Turn back from this, go home. It may seem like the hardest thing in the world, but it is profoundly easier than what you're contemplating. Ressler: I'm not turning back. Red: That's pretty much what I said....Agent Ressler, once you cross over, there are things in the darkness that keep your heart from ever feeling the light again. Ressler: All I feel is hate. Red: Good. You're gonna need it. -- Whoa. Tom is apparently far more badass than I would have expected, what with those doe eyes and the dorky glasses. And obviously far more dangerous. What is going on in that warehouse? And who the heck does he work for?! And how will they feel about the fact that he offed Jolene? -- Because I needed to feel more sad for Ressler, he had to find his murdered girlfriend's pregnancy test? At least he got the head-in-the-box consolation prize from Red...  -- These snippets of details we get of Red's family are killing me. I want to know what became of them! I mean, Red bought his old house just to blow it up. He commissions an entire ballet to give him a private performance of Swan Lake once a year. What on earth happened to them? -- Speaking of killing. Totally creepy that Lizzie gets in the shower with Tom and his bloody hands!

**(The Mentalist, S6E14 "Grey Water") I'm thinking that hiding behind a pantry door when someone is shooting at you is probably not the safest place, Rigsby. Pretty sure those bullets can go through thin wooden doors. -- Where is Rigsby's son? They only ever mention or show his baby daughter with Van Pelt now. I thought the boy's mother was in prison...? (I guess they answered that question, sort of, later in the episode, but it was still weird up to that point.) -- I've missed the interaction between Rigsby and Cho. I'm glad Rigsby is consulting with the FBI on this former-CBI-agent murders case. -- I startled so violently when that shadowy figure emerged behind Van Pelt that I made myself laugh. And I had *just* said to T that we were going to see a shadow go by the window! I wonder what's going to happen to her.

**(Mom, S1E19 "Toilet Wine and the Earl of Sandwich") I've said it before, I'll say it again: I hate that they made Nathan Corddry's character such an unlikable little weasel. -- Bonnie: You do know that he wasn't in the area on business, right? Christy: I know. Bonnie: And it doesn't bother you that your father's a liar? Christy: My mother managed a whore house in Calgary. It takes a lot to disappoint me. -- Violet can be a snot. She has a point many times, but she is a snot nonetheless. -- Do they really allow a group of friends to drive someone to prison? -- Regina: But I'll be late turning myself in! Christy: What are they going to do? Throw you in jail? -- Did Violet get more pregnant between lunch and the conversation on the couch? What the heck was in that sandwich?!

**(About a Boy, S1E4 "About a Girl") Fiona is the kind of woman that would drive me crazy, if I actually knew her. -- OMG! Marcus finally had a scene where he didn't wear a hat!

**(Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, S1E10 "Dirty Little Secrets") Cyrus back story this time. I like learning character history. -- The Jabberwocky is a ridiculous amount of creepy. -- Is the Red Queen *really* turning over a new leaf? I am skeptical. -- Cyrus's mother is Amara, Jafar's mentor in sorcery! Nice twist.

**(The Good Wife, S5E14 "A Few Words") When did Cary go from annoying to actually likable? It totally happened without my noticing! -- I enjoyed seeing what was happening with Alicia just prior to the show starting. Character history is often one of my favorite parts of a show: the history we didn't see because it "happened before the show began." I love seeing how far Alicia, one of my favorite females characters on tv right now, has come since the series premiere. And she is still recognizable. Proof of excellent and relate-able character development. -- That whole exchange between Elsbeth Tascioni and Nelson Dubeck (the guy investigating Peter and harassing Will) was such fabulous comic relief. Elsbeth would have fit in perfectly on Boston Legal. She is quirky but so flipping smart. I love it.

**(Person of Interest, S3E17 "/") Weirdest episode title ever. -- How come Mr Reese wasn't affected by the tear gas Root left behind for the four Vigilance goons coming for this week's number? -- Did Fusco just call Root "Cocoa Puffs"?? -- Fusco [to Reese]: She had a warrant. A *real* one. What was I supposed to say? Agent King is actually a superpowered nut ball. Just ask my buddy, the urban legend. -- Root is almost as badass Mr Reese. -- I cringed exactly the same way Finch did when Shaw went to pour alcohol on her wound. -- Fucso's contempt for Root gives him the opportunity for some of the best lines in this show.

**(Reign, S1E14 "Dirty Laundry") Shouldn't Mary and Francis have been traveling back from their honeymoon in a sleigh, not a carriage, given all the snow on the ground? -- I audibly gasped when Henry accidentally(?) pushed the Archduke of Bohemia's sister out the window during their tryst. -- Lola is pregnant with Francis's baby?! -- Oh the humor of watching Catherine and Henry attempting to dispose of a body on their own. -- Good grief, Henry is depraved. -- What on earth happened to Olivia after she left French Court?!

**(Law and Order: SVU, S15E18 "Criminal Stories") I can't decide which Reverend is more obnoxious: this one or the one on Blue Bloods. -- Hate crime episodes are done so frequently now that they lose some of their effect. -- What a surprise that Alec Baldwin acted like a jerk. (Acted? Hmmm.)

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Currently: March 21, 2014

This week at the Broken Road house...

Battling... the doldrums. Approaching vacation will do that to a girl.

Surfing... radio stations as I drive. A sure sign that it's time to download some new-to-me music to Ye Olde iPod.

Jumping... to conclusions. I should stop that.

Taking... a photo every single day. I love it. Interesting related factoid: my friend, G, decided to play along too (I'm doing my own thang for 2014, so the prompts are generated by me, for me), and it's keeping me right on track. Accountability, man. Strong motivator.

Making... a packing list. Vacation visible on the horizon and I love any excuse for a good list!

"Currently" is a weekly link-up, hosted by Ot & Et.

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Turn to the sunlight.

Left to my own devices, my natural rhythms will draw me to wake with the first natural light of day. It gently nudges me to wakefulness, as bit by bit, the light eases the darkness aside. I turn to the sunlight.

Emerging from the sanctuary of my home, the air still damp and cool from the departing night, each morning I seek the sunrise, its golden warmth gilding tree branches and dew-dropped blades of grass over which I marvel and wonder. And though the days which start grey and soft hold a separate beauty, I miss that sun-kissed welcome, because my morning ritual is to turn to the sunlight.

Truth be told, the harsh brightness of midday causes me to turn away my face, to shadow my eyes, to seek cool shade, but even then, I bask in a space filled with (somewhat filtered) natural light. I turn to the sunlight.

Like moth to flame, I am entranced by the glory of sunset. The rich, vibrant colors stacked upon the horizon, as the fireball sun sets the clouds aflame, almost as if they glow from within. I am awestruck, no two ever alike, but always amazing in their beauty, and I turn to the sunlight.

As the stars wink on in the deepening night and whatever piece of the moon rises to cast silver light over a world tucking in for rest, I douse the light. Rolling to my side, my face, cradled by the cool pillow beneath my cheek, turns to the place where, once again, there will be sunlight.


For the days I want to write but need that extra push, and, just as much, for the days when the prompt inspires me, all on its own, whether I need extra motivation or not.

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Spring

1. What first tells you that spring is here?
First, the trees covered in pink or yellow blossoms, which drop to make way for the pale green haze of fresh leaves.

2. Name your five of your favorite distinctively spring habits or customs.
1. The midweek Lenten services and the special services held during Holy Week.
2. Being so hungry for baseball that we happily devour the meaningless scrimmages of Spring Training with nearly the same enthusiasm generated for post-season play.
3. Now that they are doing Outdoor Kitchens at Epcot's Flower and Garden Fest, I look forward to this even more!
4. Decorating with the softer, gentler colors of spring after the fiery hues of autumn and the jewel tones of winter.
5. The ecstasy of the first breath of orange blossoms on the breeze...and every last deep inhalation of them through the end of their season.

3. What is your favorite smell of spring?
Orange blossoms. No contest. Perhaps my very favorite scent of all. (Did you already figure that out?)

4. Favorite spring memory?
How excited we would get to see the first spring robin, hopping over the muddy yard and partially melted snow. That one bird held so much promise: the first brave green spear of spring flower poking through the soil, the first day that would be warm enough to leave your coat unfastened in the afternoon. We'd squish around the window, exclaiming and watching him go about the business of being a bird and breathe deeply in anticipation. It was a yearly rite of passage.

5. What's your favorite quintessentially spring food? Least favorite?
Favorite: the combination of lemon, cream and berries, and fresh new spring vegetables (not together though).
Least favorite: lamb.

6. Go-to spring beverage?
Pretty much anything that resembles this:



In essence, bubbles and fruit.

7. Least favorite/most annoying thing related to spring?
A tie between the creeping humidity and the film of pollen covering every outdoor surface. Unless I happen to have a very vocal mockingbird hanging out in the tree directly outside the bedroom slider, singing and squawking around the clock, in search of a mate. Then it's the mockingbird, because I may not require tons of sleep, but I do need *some*.

8. Place you'd most want to be in the spring: the lake, the city, the beach or the mountains?
The beach! Surprised? I'm thinking more along the lines of walking on the sand, playing with my camera, turning my face to the cool breeze. Not traditional summer beach-going, which could not be further from my scene.

9. Your absolute dream spring day would be:
Sunny and 75 for a high, breezy with big puffy clouds, and light crowds at Disney World. Coming home and sitting on the porch swing, breathing in orange blossoms on the evening air (yes, I am obsessed with them). Cool 50s at night, perfect for sleeping with a sheet and a light blanket with the windows open.

10. If you could go anywhere on vacation in the spring, where would you go?

Washington DC when the cherry trees blossom. It's on my "wish list."

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Favorite Lenten Hymns: March 19, 2014

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The stars make no noise.

There's something about being far away from city lights and looking up at a sky full of stars. There is a stillness as they twinkle silently far above, their determined little light traveling across a space so much larger than we are capable of comprehending. They don't have to make a sound to lend their beauty to the velvet black of night. Like the whisper-softness of sparkling snowfall, they shouldn't be audible and yet...it almost seems as if you're just quiet enough, still enough, and listen intently enough, you might actually hear what twinkling sounds like.

The stars, like the snowfall, make no noise, but they are what peace sound like.


For the days I want to write but need that extra push, and, just as much, for the days when the prompt inspires me, all on its own, whether I need extra motivation or not.

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Flower and Garden Fest 2014: Round Two

I had a ninety minute hair appointment before I hit up Epcot for my next tour of Outdoor Kitchens, so it was nearly 1pm and I. was. starving. Which means I hit the first one I came to.

URBAN FARM EATS


Land-Grown Eggplant "Scallop" with Romesco Sauce and Spaghetti Squash.

Let me just say, I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this dish. And not simply because I was ready to gnaw off my own arm. The eggplant had a nice crispy crust on it that, if I didn't know it was a vegetarian dish, I would have sworn included bacon. There was a very tasty smokiness to it. The romesco sauce was amazing. The red pepper flavor was awesome with the eggplant, but it was even better with the spaghetti squash, which I have to say, I had never had before but had been very curious to try. I've heard it was just like spaghetti many times, and while I'm not sold on that, it was pretty good!


Now that I wasn't in danger of going hangry on people who stop directly in front of me, in the middle of the walkway, completely without warning... Hmmm, perhaps, I really should get something else to eat.

FLORIDA FRESH


Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions, Baby Arugula, Feta Cheese and Balsamic Reduction.

Very light and fresh. The peppery greens, the creamy feta, and the refreshing watermelon all tasted great with the dressing. The one change I would have made was more thinly sliced pickled onion. They were sliced rather thick and were somewhat overpowering. Their tangy-ness would have worked better if their strong flavor had been a little more balanced with the other salad components.


Yep, *that* took the edge off! And the shady bench I had found on which to eat it happened to be just across from...

PRIMAVERA KITCHEN


Three Cheese Manicotti (egg pasta stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, tomato sauce and bechamel).

This was excellent. It was just the right ratio of pasta and cheese, but even better were the generous sauces. I loved the combination of traditional tomato and creamy bechamel. And that fresh basil leaf: perfection.


Where to next? Well, there wasn't any line at...

TASTE OF MARRAKESH


Harissa Chicken Kebab with Couscous Salad. Desert Rose (sparkling wine with pomegranate liqueur).

After going three for three, I hit a partial dud. I liked the spices on the kebab, but unfortunately the chicken was really dry. Bummer. I was hoping I would at least like the salad, but the texture of the raisins and the heavy celery flavor were also not a winner with me. Oh well, you can't love them all, right? What I did love? The Desert Rose. I had it last year too. It's bubbly and a little sweet and completely refreshing. It couldn't redeem the meal, but it's a winner on its own.


Room for one more. Dessert!

BUTTERCUP COTTAGE


Fresh Baked Lemon Scones with Berry Preserves and Creme Fraiche.

Now *this* was the way to end a meal. The flavors were light but satisfying. I was amazed by how much lemon flavor they packed into those little scones. I also find lemon, cream, and berries to be my very favorite combination of flavors for spring, so sitting on my shady bench, I was pretty much in heaven.


The next few weeks will be busy for me, so it will be April before I get back again, but I'll be planning my attack during my hiatus. I think maybe two more rounds will cover everything on my must try list.

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This Week on My TV: March 15, 2014

Disclaimer: Some shows I watch live and with others, I tend to be fairly behind on my tv watching. Even so, consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. All I can do is lead in with the show and episode. You read at your own risk!



**(Blue Bloods, S4E16 "Insult to Injury") Danny sure runs into a lot of suicides lately. -- The teacher (I think that's who she was?) on the field trip Frank is chaperoning for Sean's class is a real piece of work. Those poor kids are not having fun or learning anything! And Frank wants to see the dinosaurs, darn it! It's probably not a good idea to keep the NYC Police Commissioner from seeing the dinosaurs. -- It's just not a good police chase unless the car fishtails. -- We know our Danny Reagan at this house: T predicted the punch, I predicted the hug.

**(About a Boy, S1E2 "About Total Exuberance") Ha. Marcus was in the wall. -- Will looking through the dumbwaiter at Fiona and Marcus at the end of the show was a smidgen creepy. -- This show is actually kind of funny. That isn't easy to pull off at the start of a new sitcom.

**(Chicago Fire, S2E15 "Keep Your Mouth Shut") How did the new girl get fire gear so quickly? It was like she arrived and two minutes later there was a call and she suddenly was fully suited up. -- Exactly what does Severide want Clarke to do for him to the guy that kidnapped and raped Katie?? -- Wow, Candidate Jones. Whining to Severide that Casey is being mean to her. Time to learn her place at the house. She's not a "man or a woman," she's a candidate. They treated Mills the same way. -- Dawson needs to get her panties out of a twist already. She just wants to be pissed off at everyone. -- Gee, Severide, when the detective that told you to stay away from the guy who attacked your sister and then asks you if you know anything about why he's come up missing, shooting glances at Otis and Clarke isn't at *all* suspicious.

**(Reign, S1E12 "Royal Blood") For a while, I found Clarissa sympathetic. But that scene in Catherine's chambers where she inexplicably broke the neck of the servant girl, and then the one where she ripped out a chunk of her own hair, complete with scalp, to add to the locks of baby hair she stole from Catherine's dresser, well, let's just say she's crossed back over into creepy, but in a real way now, not just spooky, as she was to start. -- Mary holding power over Bash in regard to the young princes? Ouch. Especially when he so obviously loves her. That was harsh. -- Francis and  Lola??? *That* won't turn out to be a complication. No... -- It's too bad I know history, because I would love for Mary to end up with Bash. -- That was a horrible way to "bury" Clarissa, even if she turned psychopathic at the end.

**(Grey's, S10E13 "Take It Back") I went from thrilled for Jackson and April (even though I can't believe I just said that about April running out of her own wedding with another guy) to supremely annoyed with April yet again, for making a decision only to back out of it. Follow through on *something*, April, would you?? -- I am so confused. In three weeks, Callie and Arizona, well, mostly Arizona, went from screaming and crying and saying they were over to buying a house? -- I love Mer and Der, but with everything else happening at that wedding, Mer was mad that Derek was being summoned by the President of the United States? Is this just about their agreement that this would be "her year" for her career, after being focused on her pregnancy last year? --When Alex introduced Jo to his father's current wife as "his fiancee," I said "what?!" a split second before the corresponding expression came across Jo's face. -- Cristina [to Shane]: You've made some bad choices. That was a good one... In the future, make more good ones. -- Full circle: residents crying over attendings in the stairwell.

**(Revolution, S2E15 "Dreamatcher") Whoa. That pretty much sums up the hour in which neither the viewer nor Aaron had any idea what was real and what was illusion. Those nanites are some serious business.

**(How I Met Your Mother, S9E20 "Daisy") I don't know why, but it bothers me that Robin's mother has a British accent. -- I find it amusing that they always call Billy Zabka by his first and last names. -- As Troy is my witness: I called Lily being pregnant. I said we didn't know what was actually in those glasses Linus kept giving her. She stopped at a "quick mart" and left with a brown paper bag, exactly what she did the first time she thought she was pregnant when she and Marshall were visiting his family in Minnesota. She got to The Captain's house and asked to use the powder room, was in there for a while and then raced out of there, where we know she went back to the hotel to tell Marshall that they weren't going to Italy. Plus she was chewing gum, which might have helped settle her stomach. -- I *love* that we got a preview of Marshall and Lily in a year. I *love* that Marshall gave up the judgeship so Lily could have her dream in Italy. And I love love *love*  that they named their baby girl Daisy, as a tribute to the daisy in The Captain's powder room where Lily tried to hide her positive pregnancy test.

**(Law and Order: SVU, S15E16 "Gridiron Soldier") Rollins needs to get her gambling under control again. I realize addictions are never gone, but it's a little tiresome that we have to revisit this theme with her character this often. -- As soon as it became clear what the charges were going to be, T called that there would be chair throwing. He was right. -- The coach in these episodes always acts indignant when his role in the situation is revealed. -- political statement re nfl?

**(Mike and Molly, S4E14 "Rich Man, Poor Girl) Carl: Your wife's well read, well educated, and well mannered. ... Molly, well mannered?? -- Mike: I'm Shrek with a buzz cut. 

**(Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, S1E9 "Nothing to Fear") That talking Tweedle head is creeeeepy. -- I wonder how Jafar will feel about "the genie" being The Knave and not Cyrus. Will that change anything? -- Guard: You're a fool. Only thing waiting in that prison is death. Jafar: Death and I have already met. Send him my regards. -- Poor Lizard. It's no fun being the girl who wants the guy she cannot have. -- The Knave: Confidence. Confidence is a terribly sexy quality in a woman. -- I don't understand what happened to Lizard when she made her final wish. She was suddenly dead because that was the only way to make the Knave feel *anything* about her? -- The Red Queen's lips really bug me. -- I love The Knave Genie's reaction every time he says "Mistress mine my will is thine, tell me thy wishes three." -- I did not expect the Jabberwocky to be a female.

**(The Good Wife, S5E13 "Parallel Construction, Bitches") They totally faked me out with the television show starting this episode! I was all annoyed, thinking I had recorded the show incorrectly. -- Do government officials really just pull up in black vans to talk to people on the street? -- Haaaaahahaha! The judge just called the defendant table of Florrick-Agos, Lockhardt-Gardner, Lamont Bishop and his personal attorney a clown car. -- Marilyn: You have a great talent for turning friends into enemies. -- Holy crap, this NSA wire tapping thing is crazy. I wonder if it really works the way they are portraying it or if they are parodying it. -- I may be slightly more than amused by the NSA geeks listening in on Diane and Will dismissing Cary's warning that their phones were tapped too. -- Oh boy. Things are about to get messy  for a whole lot of people right now in regard to those stuffed ballot boxes.

**(The Mentalist, S6E13 "Black Helicopters") Hmmmm. This is all very "The Bridge"-like. Tunnels from Mexico to Texas. A woman's body discovered in Juarez. -- That rancher who pulled up on Cho and Fischer sure had a clean and shiny black truck for someone driving around on dusty dirt roads. -- Leaving Jane alone in a vehicle in which you arrived together is a surefire way to end up stranded. -- I like that we keep "visiting" Rigsby and Van Pelt, but it makes the storytelling a bit disjointed. -- Grace's bangs are hanging in her eyes and it makes me subconsciously feel like my hair is in *my* eyes and I hate when it does that. Can someone trim her bangs just a smidge, please? -- I really enjoyed all the old toys Jane kept gifting people. That was an excellent addition to the episode. -- La Roche: Rigsby! Rigsby: Everything ok? La Roche: No, everything is not ok. This place is creepy. -- Who is stalking former CBI agents?! Now they took out La Roche and Rigsby is still there!

**(Scandal, S3E12 "We Do Not Touch the First Ladies") Olivia [after Fitz references a "fox in the hen house"]: I am not a hen and my house is not yours. ... I love when she gets all indignant with him, then just crumbles when he beckons her. It makes you so credible, Olivia. ::eye roll:: -- They are really working hard to hide Kerry Washington's pregnancy. -- Man, it must be awkward to be the Secret Service and have to listen to the President have personal arguments. -- Wow, what troll bridge has Hollis been hiding under? I almost forgot about him. -- James: We're out of time, David. That metal-on-mental sound you hear? It's Cyrus forging his sword. The one he's going to cut my throat with as soon as he finds out I'm Publius. -- Jake: What? Olivia: Hello to you too. Jake: You called me. You said it was important. You said to come home early. I used my official Boyfriend of Olivia Pope Key. So...*what*? ... I can't even imagine what this little arrangement is doing to Jake, pretending to be the boyfriend of the woman he loves so she can sneak around with Fitz. -- Hollis: Them boys are all dumber than a trailer hitch. ... I'm going to have to remember that one. -- Part of me wants to feel bad for Mellie and all she's been through, but gosh, she is vicious and evil. -- What is with Huck bringing Olivia cups of coffee, looking uncomfortable and leaving?! ... Ohhh. I didn't recognize Huck being *sorry*! -- I seriously thought David was going to be a goner at the Publius set-tup. Thank God Abby and Huck "kidnapped" him in time. I wonder how they knew though. -- Huck [to Olivia]: You took in a wild monster and you groomed me and petted me and trained me to sit at your feet, but that doesn't make me  puppy, Liv. That just makes me a very loyal monster. So I didn't go too far. I went exactly as far as my leash allows. And you hold the leash. You ruined her life and you made me save her. And then you gave her to me to take under my wing. *You* hold the leash. *You* went too far. You should have never given me someone to love. Monsters eat people, Liv. It's what we do. -- Powerful scene with Mellie and Andrew and the portaits of the First Ladies and the title of this episode. Nicely done. "We Do Not Touch the First Ladies." -- What a crazy final two minutes! Fitz's Secret Service Agent is B-613 and Jake's "eyes on the inside." He gives Jake a flash drive that shows him the Oval Office where Fitz asks Olivia if she has feelings for Jake and she says she doesn't know. (This has *got* to be torture for Jake.) And Harrison's Adnan Salif woman is working for Olivia's mother OMGWHAT?!

**(The Middle, S5E16 "Stormy Moon") Meh. Reverend Tim Tom. Never really a fan. Let's put Reverend Tammy in the same category. Sue being jealous, though? That was kinda funny. -- Frankie was arrested for unreturned library books. I always *knew* they would do that when I was a kid! -- I just can't drum up the same enthusiasm for an Axl-and-Cassidy reunion that I have for Sue-and-Darrin.

**(Modern Family, S5E17 "Other People's Children") Claire didn't wear a wedding gown when she married Phil?? -- Manny: Ah, Luke. Sweet as custard...and just as smart.

**(Dallas, S3E3 "Playing Chicken") That was quite a...bathing suit, Emma. -- It was just a little creepy, watching Emma and Rebecca go lingerie shopping for Rebecca's honeymoon with a man they are both bedding. -- Sue Ellen still has the touch when it comes to getting what she wants. All that time with JR made her a master of manipulation. -- Oh for Pete's sake, Harris. Does your mother have to do everything for you? -- Of all the evil on this show, I am starting to think the most evil of all is Mother Ryland. -- Why, of course, I happen to have this folder of incriminating information on the person you're asking about right here close at hand. How convenient! -- Christopher, how are you not smart enough to know better than to get into a vehicle with men you don't know in Mexico? -- That was quite a longing look exchanged between Elena and Nicolas. I thought they were supposed to be "like siblings?!" -- Bobby so busted Nicolas trying to bribe the witness who saw Cliff Barnes in Mexico the night JR was killed. Ha! -- Ewww! Emma stole the lingerie Rebecca bought to wear for John Ross and then *wore* it for a rendezvous with John Ross herself first?! (Or did she buy the exact same one for herself without Rebecca noticing? If so, Rebecca needs to work on her observation skills. Especially if she's going to keep hold of her husband.) -- Nicolas has a wife and family?! What a dirty lying dog! All while he's seducing Elena.

**(The Big Bang Theory, S7E18 "The Mommy Observation") Let's just go with a "best quotes ever" theme here. -- Amy: Should you really be sitting in Sheldon's spot? Raj: He's in Texas. He'll never know. Penny: Wouldn't be so sure about that. Leonard: Yeah, he has a very sensitive butt. [everyone gives Leonard funny looks] It's true! Once I saw him sit on a bunch of loose change and add it up. -- Howard: You can't show up to your mom's empty handed. You should bring something. Sheldon: I already am. I'm bringing the gift of knowledge. Howard: Oh boy... Sheldon: Despite what her Bible says, recent archaeological studies indicate that although camels are referenced in the Old Testament, they didn't exist in the Middle East until hundreds of years later. Howard: I was going to say we pick up a cake or a pie, but an insult to her faith is always thoughtful. -- Things you never expect to hear Sheldon say: I'm not nearly drunk enough. -- Leonard: You don't go into science for the money. Bernadette: Speak for yourself. Last month, my company both invented and cured Restless Eye Syndrome. Ka-ching, ya blinky chumps! -- Sheldon's mother [after Sheldon tells her he saw her having sex]: Maybe we should sit down an talk about this. Sheldon: Can you recommend a surface you haven't had coitus on? -- Howard: All I'm saying is you might not want to get in the way your mom's happiness. Sheldon: You may have a point. I love my mother...even if she fornicates like a demonic weasel. -- Sheldon's mother: Are you having the sex talk with me? Sheldon: Well, someone has to! Sheldon's mother: Oh, dear *Lord*. Sheldon: No, don't look to Him. He's mad you right now.

**(About a Boy, S1E3 "About a Godfather") Marcus bowling = me bowling. Takes too much coordination. -- Andy's wife has annoying Crazy Eyes. -- How do they get babies to cry at the right moment in a show? Does someone pinch them or something? -- Did Will seriously put Post-It Notes with their names on the kids' heads, tell the baby to hum instead of crying, and squirt the baby in the face with a water gun when he started crying? ::snort::

**(CSI, S14E16 "Killer Moves") Live moss bath mats at one of the hotels? I'm not sure how I would feel about that if I checked in there, unsuspecting. -- I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but love that Sanders is cute and a nerd. Shows usually make the nerds super nerdy-looking, as if they couldn't also be attractive.  -- A chess themed serial killer. I bet *that* has never been done before!

**(Parenthood, S5E15 "Just Like at Home") How many awkward and uncomfortable scenes can we cram into that opening sequence? Oof. You're killing me, Bravermans! -- Whoa. That spa in Mendocino where Adam and Kristina went was *crazy* nice. And that huge stone fireplace! ::swoon:: -- Carl is just being the perfect man, saying Sarah's dad was so smart when she told a story about him from her childhood, remembering Sarah's sister's name is Julia, taking her out to dinner at a taco truck because it was tied into her first big photo shoot. -- Oh, Hank. You should know that you don't mess with another artists's vision. -- I get it, Crosby. It is so hard to face saying goodbye to the place that houses all your childhood memories. -- Things I loved: Zeek being willing to sell the house to make Camille happy, because marriage is sometimes about difficult sacrifices. Sibling dance party at Julia's, because Crosby, Sarah and Adam want her to not feel alone. Drew giving Amy really good advice about needing to talk to her parents, about the abortion, about Tufts not feeling like a good fit, about all the things that are troubling her and making her seek refuge in Drew's dorm room. Victor calling Julia from Joel's apartment after having a bad dream, because despite everything, he just wants his *mom*.

**(Law and Order: SVU, S15E17 "Gambler's Fallacy") Rollins sure gets all gussied up for her nights out gambling. -- Rollins is in quite a mess, in debt up to her neck, doing dirty work for the gambling bosses. This has to be the peak (valley?) of this story line for her, right? -- Things I did not see coming: The art gallery owner was the gambling club manager's boss. But that was nothing compared to Declan, the gambling ring goon actually being an undercover vice cop! -- Between Rollins and Amaro, things are sure not going well under Liv's watch. -- Kinda love that they used a character with an Irish accent. That's not one that gets much attention.

**(Reign, S1E13 "Consummation") Catherine [preparing for her execution]: Must I do everything? Will I have to catch my head in my own hands too? -- I rather enjoy Amy Brenneman as Marie de Guise, Mary's mother. -- Mary: I understand. You don't want to be seen as someone lying in wait to reclaim your throne. Francis: Or anything else that now belongs to my brother. ... Ouch. That had to sting. -- It was strange to see Mary in a high-necked long-sleeved gown. -- Oof. Mary loves them both. I wouldn't want to have to make that kind of decision. There is no winning at that game. (Bash. Totally Bash.) -- Kenna's a brazen and ambitious little tramp, isn't she. -- Catherine was shrewdly wise. Mary loves them both, but loves one more. (How could it possibly *not* be Bash though?? History aside, of course.) -- Even a fake royal wedding is enough to give me happy chills. Mary was stunning. -- I suspected it but didn't think it would be feasible. Clarissa is *not* dead! This is going to complicate a bunch of things for Nostradamus and Catherine. -- I am very glad that consummation ceremony has gone by the wayside. Talk about awkward.

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Broken Road Confessionals: March 14, 2014

**What is the fascination over paper straws? I swear they are plastered all over Pinterest and every inspiration blog on the internet. Have you ever tried to actually drink something through a paper straw? It's gross. Especially as they start to get mushy in the liquid. So, they're cute but entirely non-functional? I don't get it.

**I might maybe still have some white Christmas lights up in our house. Just a handful. They're woven into the evergreen garland that sits on top of our entertainment center. It goes up for Christmas but it stays up for all of winter. The lights are white though, so I like to think of it like sparkling white snow. Oh, whatever. It makes me happy.

**I can't speak for anyone else, but sometimes I think I would rather deal with the symptoms of whatever condition is being considered for treatment than to suffer through most of the medication's side effects that they list at the end of the commercial. Maybe I would feel differently if I actually had one of those conditions, but I don't know. Most of  the side effects seem pretty unappealing.

**I know they are all "better for the environment, save you five dollars over the life of the bulb," but I really just cannot get on board with the light that the swirly bulbs produce. It's not soft enough? It's a totally unnatural color? It's not warm enough? I don't even know. It's not "something" enough and it bugs me, even though we have them in quite a few places in the house.

**Here's the funny thing about being a soft-hearted, can't-stand-to-disappoint-anyone people-pleaser: when you stop letting people walk all over you and tear you down and let you down, when you call them out on this behavior -- the very same behavior, mind you, that they've been telling you that you shouldn't allow -- they *really* don't like it. So...there's that. Lesson learned? People like to say they hate hypocrites, but they don't mind actually *being* one.

**I am very obviously "fashion challenged." Nothing makes me feel like a bigger fraud than attempting to wear lipstick, wrap a non-winter-weather-gear scarf around my neck, or accessorize my outfit. I admire all of these things, but when I apply them to my person, I look in the mirror and feel like an imposter.

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Currently: March 13, 2014

This week at the Broken Road house...

Hoping... we might actually get to use the new shower by the end of this coming weekend!! It's so close...


Wondering... if this is the last sweater-wearing opportunity we'll have here until next winter. Regardless, I am enjoying every last bit of brisk, invigorating weather I can!


Working... at a decreased level of productivity. I am due for vacation. It's within sight. It's time to recharge.

Wearing... polka dot socks. Socks with stripes or polka dots are an instant burst of happy for me.


Eating... my way around Epcot's Flower and Garden Fest's Outdoor Kitchens. Round Two on tap for Saturday!


"Currently" is a weekly link-up, hosted by Ot & Et.

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Favorite Lenten Hymns: March 12, 2014

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In the Mirror

The girl in the mirror was rain-soaked that day, but found a sheltered place under which to take temporary refuge.

The girl in the mirror was newly inspired by a place she usually only tolerates.

The girl in the mirror is closer than she appears.

The girl in the mirror had purchased a little piece of happiness that morning.

The girl in the mirror knows joy and disappointment, like she knows that rains pass and the sun shines again, and each has their place in the great balance of life.

The girl in the mirror sees herself more clearly than she did a month, a year, a decade ago. She will see herself more clearly still tomorrow.

The girl in the mirror sees herself reflected back and reflected back and reflected back again, in some ways obvious and in some ways that require looking more carefully, and she wishes to reflect more light than shadow.


For the days I want to write but need that extra push, and, just as much, for the days when the prompt inspires me, all on its own, whether I need extra motivation or not.

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Flower and Garden Fest 2014: Round One

Back in the day, it was a long, slow, lonely wait between Food and Wine Fests. I was sad and wistful. I sighed a lot. Last year, EPCOT did something *wonderful*. They introduced food booths to Flower and Garden Fest and suddenly the cartoon Disney birds sang sweeter and I had an extra skip in my step. The idea appears to be a keeper (commence ecstatic squealing!), because it's *back*, with its own unique flavor (my puns are always intended, I'm going to stop apologizing for them) -- mostly lighter, more garden-centric menus -- and a fancy new name for the food booths: Outdoor Kitchens! (For Food and Wine Fest, they are "Marketplace Booths," in case you were wondering.)

I was ready, passport in hand, taste buds fired up!


First stop...

BUTTERCUP COTTAGE


Field Greens with Strawberries, Toasted Almonds, and Farmstead Stilton. Iron Horse Fairy Tale Cuvee.

I don't even know where to start. You're thinking "that's just a salad," right? WRONG. It was many things, but "just" a salad was *not* one of them. It was exactly the food I think of when I think of spring. It was light. It had so much flavor, yet wasn't overwhelming. It covered all sorts of sensory points: sweet (strawberries), slightly bitter (field greens), crunchy (toasted almonds), creamy (cheese), tangy (whatever that incredible vinaigrette was that dressed it). And it was gorgeous to boot! (Did I just say "to boot?" I am a dork.) But seriously, more than one person stopped me to ask where I had gotten it as I made my way to one of my secret dining locations. And if you can't kick off a great food event with a "glass" of something bubbly, well, then I don't even know or care. I wanted bubbles. The cuvee was *perfect* for me. It was super subtle, neither too dry nor too sweet (though if it had one toe slightly over the line, it was probably a wee bit closer to the sweet camp). Paired with that salad, I could have stopped right there and been palate-ly? cuisine-ally? Forget the modifier. I could have been satisfied.


Don't be silly. There's no way I stopped there.

HANAMI


Frushi (fresh seasonal fruit - pineapple, strawberry, and melon -- rolled with coconut rice, served with raspberry sauce and sprinkled with toasted coconut with whipped cream on the side).

Yes, I know. Total sacrilege to even pretend this is sushi. But it's fun and colorful and light. And I ate it with chopsticks! That's a win.



Time for something a bit more substantial, yes?

THE SMOKEHOUSE: BARBECUES AND BREWS
 

Smoked Turkey "Rib."

I cannot believe I am about to say this about a piece of smoked meat, but I was underwhelmed...by the total lack of flavor! I don't even know how that happens. I mean, shouldn't it at least taste, well, *smoky*, if not like turkey? It was so bland that, if I hadn't been festing solo, I would have gone back to the "fixings" station for some barbecue sauce, just so I could feel like I was eating something. I mean, the portion was more than generous (that was about a meal-size meat portion for me *easily*) and the meat was tender and very juicy (if I had guessed I would have a complaint here, it would have been that it was dry, not tasteless, because turkey is notorious for that), but honestly, I was disappointed. I wanted smack-me-in-the mouth flavor and let's just say I've found more flavorful plain white rice.


I was actually kind of full after the turkey (seriously, full after eating something that tasted like nothing! the injustice!), so I knew I'd only have room for one more taste.

LOTUS HOUSE


Vegetable Spring Rolls.

These were a great way to end. They were light and crispy (not at all greasy or soggy) on the outside. The inside was mostly cabbage with some carrot and (I think) some finely chopped mushroom. And that unidentified dipping sauce? Awesome. A bit of zip to jazz up the dish. There was no way this one was bland!


Appetite has been whetted. Round two awaits!

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This Week on My TV: March 8, 2014

Disclaimer: Some shows I watch live and with others, I tend to be fairly behind on my tv watching. Even so, consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. All I can do is lead in with the show and episode. You read at your own risk!



**(Reign, S1E11 "Inquisition") I knew there was no way that baby would get clear of the castle without someone suspecting from whence she came or what the story was behind the pagan mark on her little foot. -- Finally, an explanation for Clarissa. What crazy notions they had so long ago, that birthmarks were a "kiss of the Devil." -- It was sad to hear Catherine and Henry talk about how they slowly killed their love. -- That was some quick thinking by Bash to dump some grain out under the storeroom door where he and Mary were hiding, especially after being sliced by the sword, when my first thought would have been something along the lines of "owwwwwww!!" -- Did the peasant midwife who had been hiding the baby really say that Catherine had a bastard child with her lover? Her lover, *Richard*? Her lover, Richard, who was Henry's friend and who has a port wine stain birthmark on his cheek? One that runs in his family? One that was passed on to a daughter, who was abandoned by its mother, sent to Nostradamus' father to have it removed, but the child was horribly disfigured and she was reported dead...except that child is...Clarissa?? Whoa. -- Henry: Next time you see a threat, large or small, you cut it down like a weed. -- Did Catherine's family pretty much tell her to off herself?

**(Elementary, S2E15 "Corpse de Ballet") Did Sherlock really post a note reading "coitus in progress or recently concluded" on his door? I totally expect the same will occur whenever Sheldon and Amy get around to "it." Also amusing? Joan [reacting to the note on the door]: More on point than a sock. -- It's very inconvenient when ballerinas, cut in half, fall out of the scenery during rehearsal. -- It sounds like Jonny Lee Miller had a pretty good chest cold going when they filmed this episode. -- Sherlock [to Joan about how he slept with the primary suspect to determine if she had a shoulder injury]: Sleep with her yourself if you don't believe me. -- I knew that lawyer was the real culprit, but I was way off on how and why.

**(Blue Bloods, S4E15 "Open Secrets") Garrett is pouting that Frank can't tell him something. It's not good to have secrets in a marriage! Even a "work marriage." -- I knew that custodian had something to do with the disappearance. Watch enough crime shows, I guess, and you'll be able to spot the obvious criminals the second they appear on screen. -- Garrett [to Frank]: I'd get you a fake mustache and glasses, but you've already got that covered. -- Nicky has quite a lot of opinions on "rights," now doesn't she. I suppose she is an effective teenager if I spend about half the time wanting to smack her. -- Well, I'm glad they found  both missing girls but did they have to make me cry with the father being reunited with the daughter who was missing for years?

**(CSI, S14E15 "Love for Sale") Really, with the flies, CSI? ::gag:: -- They did some cool camera work with the clouds over that "abandoned" building Greg and Nick showed up at to investigate. There were also some cool overhead shots inside the brothel. Well done, CSI! -- It's always the preacher's daughter. Except, wow, there were some interesting twists! Like it most of it wasn't at all what seemed.

**(How I Met Your Mother, S9E19 "Vesuvius") Opening scene with The Mother! Always a good sign for an episode. And how cute were they?? They know all each others' stories and are high-fiving for finally being an old married couple. I love them. Also? That was a *rock* on her hand. Holy cow, Ted Mosby. -- Susan Tupp. Sue Tupp. Suit up. A room full of Barney's suits so he can pick one for the wedding. ::snort:: --  Ted: And then I think it hit all of us. We didn't know the next time we'd be together. This was it. And it's funny. In a moment like that, when what's really happening is too intense to deal with, sometimes it's best... The Mother: ...To leave it unspoken and just enjoy each other's company instead. -- The Wedding Bride Too. They really are giving a nod to so much of this show's history. -- Why were Ted and The Mother teary when mentioning mothers showing up for their daughters' weddings? I am in denial here, because it sure feels like they are going to kill off The Mother before this is all over. Not cool, HIMYM. Not. Cool.

**(2 Broke Girls, S3E18 "And the Near Death Experience") Why does the laugh track always "woooo!" every time Chef Nicholas comes on screen? Seriously? Do they assume most of the television audience is blind? -- Caroline: And se-end. ... And sla-ap. Because this show needs any more ways to be annoying. -- I don't know which is more disgusting: Han's cleaning projects at the diner or Oleg in general. -- Caroline and Max are hiding in the bathroom from Nicholas's wife...and having a conversation at a decibel level known as shriek. ::shakes head:: At least make them use a stage whisper.

**(Mike and Molly, S4E13 "Open Mike Night") So. Carl sings really flat. And that may be all I have to say about a show based on *Molly* giving out a bunch of advice.

**(Scandal, S3E11 "Ride, Sally, Ride") I wonder if the First Lady really runs through the White House like Mellie just did. -- I can't get used to a rattled Harrison. -- Mellie is back to not knowing what it is she wants. "Come back, Liv, Fitz is dying without you." "Date some guy from this list for show and stay away from my husband." -- The person Harrison is so freaked out by is...Nora from How I Met Your Mother? I did *not* see that coming! ALso did not see it coming when they started tearing of each other's clothes. -- James and Cyrus have one jacked. up. marriage. They turn on each other at the drop of a hat.

**(The Blacklist, S1E15 "The Judge") Lucy Brooks *is* Jolene Parker! -- The man in the cowboy hat that Red sent to do some checking on where Lucy/Jolene has been is Broyles from Fringe! -- There is no point in telling Red you can't help him when he asks you for something. One way or another, you'll find a way or he'll help himself. -- Tom, you are a dog, sitting in a bar, taking off your wedding band. -- This show deploys some extraordinarily well chosen music for its soundtracks. This time it's "Jolene." -- Who. Is. Tom. Keene. What mission? What target? What is his purpose with Lizzie?!

**(Mom, S1E18 "Sonograms and Tube Tops") Violet in a little bit of denial, maybe? Not wanting to know the gender, thinking about going to prom, hating the crib. -- Christy got a whole bunch of food for a restaurant for Violet's baby shower. For exactly how long was she expecting that food to keep? -- Is Violet really giving her baby up for adoption? Her reasoning is noble and responsible, but the way it ended, it sounded like Luke's parents were going to do their best to prevent it.

**(Dallas, S3E2 "Trust Me") John Ross is so his father's son. Right down to the "darlin'." -- I approve the changes they made to this season's opening sequence to more closely mirror that of the original series. -- Did Bobby just say "stupid pills" in adult conversation?? ::snort:: -- I am *really* loving that beard on Christopher. -- Judith Ryland: I made my bones dealing with psychopaths and criminals while you were still playing with your Easy Bake Oven. -- Christopher: Ya know, I have to be honest... Nicolas: I've learned all the best lies start with that sentence. -- Threats and lies and backstabbing and cheating and bribery and epic parties. Ewings will always be Ewings. -- Bum is a good guy, covering up Sue Ellen's request to have him tail John Ross to see if he was involved with Emma, as a promise he made to JR to keep an eye on John Ross. -- Harris looked horrified as his mother was helping the Mexican drug contact feel her up "looking for a wire." I didn't think it was possible to horrify Harris Ryland. -- ::tires screech:: Harris Ryland is working for the CIA what?!

**(The Middle, S5E15 "Vacation Days") Frankie: Why does he have to go to Florida? What does Florida have that we don't? Mike: Beaches. Young people. Hope. -- Wow. A lot of people in Orson Yelp about a fast food baked potato counter at the mall. Poor Sue. I would take it all personally, too.

**(Person of Interest, S3E16 "RAM") Who knew there was a Man in the Suit, before the Man in the Suit we know and love? -- It would seem Mr Finch knew of Mr Reese before they became business associates. I always figured the first time they met was when Mr Reese was all scraggly and hopeless. -- Note to self: wasabi in a gunshot wound does not feel pleasant. -- I really enjoyed the back story of how Reese ended up on the hunt for the laptop that eventually landed him out of the CIA, homeless and despondent...until Finch acquired him. -- The hooded figure in the park was Shaw! I love how all their stories were woven together long before we first met any of them. -- Just when we were wondering where Root was, here she is again, giving cryptic messages and getting ready to blow things up.

**(Chicago Fire, S2E14 "Virgin Skin") Called it: Rafferty found herself in trouble for treating a patient who declined medical attention for religious reasons. -- Casey is a liar. Just like the rest of the previously injured firefighters have been liars. This story line is getting old. I suppose he'll have a miraculous cure too? -- Is failing the test going to send Dawson back to being a paramedic? Rafferty's suspension certainly opened a space for her again. -- Boden, you're an idiot. You're letting a good woman go because of your pride and fear? -- I think I actually like a character! Clarke has grown on me. -- Of course Dawson's arch rival from academy is going to be assigned to not only her house, but Casey's truck. Cue the jealous woman rage.

**(The Big Bang Theory, S7E17 "The Friendship Turbulence") Howard used to call Sheldon "C3PeeWee Herman."  ::snort:: -- How many times is Leonard going to stick his foot in his mouth in regard to Penny's acting before the writers notice the "joke" has gotten stale? -- They sure are mean to each other, for a group of friends. -- Amy [to Raj when he comes to her for help, after mentioning he'd seen West Side Story and was freaked out]: There's an undergrad in a leather jacket snapping his fingers by the water fountain? -- I guess Penny's "check engine" light is finally an actual problem. Heh.

**(Modern Family, S5E16 "Spring-a-Ding-Fling") Ha! The Spanish teacher that was on sabbatical was the Cam at the high school, before Cam started teaching there.  -- OMG. Cam: Stop. It's Cammer time.

**(About a Boy, S1E1 "Series Premiere") Ewww! Did Will just tell a kid he doesn't really even know to throw the rib back in the bucket after the kid licked it? Is this ok by the "man code" or something? -- Did cello lady just imply that they would "get busy" while the kids played?! Gross. -- I'm guessing that song Marcus sang to his mother was supposed to be sweet but...it was a little creepy. -- Not bad, especially for a series premiere. We'll definitely give this one a shot.

**(Law and Order: SVU, S15E15 "Comic Perversion") Hey! It's Amy from Parenthood! I really like Skyler Day. I thought I remembered her being on an earlier episode of SVU and she is reprising her role of Renee, a former rape victim. -- This guy is not funny. Rape comedy can't be a real thing, can it? -- Chuckle-slut? What? Who comes up with this stuff? -- What is the Barba's problem? I thought he was starting to becoming likable and now he's back to being wicked cranky.

**(Last Man Standing, S3E17 "Eve's Boyfriend") Does the Larabee reference imply that he moved home again? -- Mandy's hair gets worse every week! -- Mandy: I see what's going on here. Eve: That would be a first. -- Eve: I hate living in a house with a bunch of girls. Mike: Yeah, I know the feeling. Take a break, c'mon in the den, do what I do: bitch about the Democrats and clean shotguns. -- Kristin: Eve, they're going to find out eventually. Mike: Boy, there's words every parent loves to hear. -- Kristin: So all of this wasn't just an excuse for you guys to have some alone time together? Eve: Hello, both of our parents work. I get out of school at 3. If we wanted to, we could have had two kids and a cat by now. -- Hold up. Kristin still comes home to do laundry? Way to be Miss Independent.

**(Elementary, S2E16 "The One Percent Solution") That opening scene between Sherlock and Joan regarding the...errr...roosters was funny. My inner twelve-year-old is clearly alive and well. -- Interesting parallel between the roosters and Sherlock/Lestrade. -- They know they are dealing with a bomber, and yet they show up at his house and barge right in, without checking to see if he has it rigged with explosives??

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