Flower and Garden Fest 2015: Round Four

I bet you all didn't realize it was still Flower and Garden Fest at Epcot. It's actually winding down, so, even though it's better hotter than Hades, I still had some things I was determined to try. Off I went, like a brave little Disney Fest freak.

URBAN FARM EATS


Kale Salad with Dried Cherries, Almonds, Goat Cheese, and a White Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect here, as the only time I've ever had kale, it's been cooked. I've been told you either love it or you don't. How was I to know into which camp I belonged without ever trying, right? Turns out, I liked it. It's definitely a strong flavor, but with all the other tastes mixed it -- the creamy goat cheese, the tart cherries, the tang of the dressing -- it all worked very well together. It was a hefty portion as well.


Since I was working on the final remaining items on my list, I just went with whatever I came to next, which was...

BOTANAS BOTANICO


Coconut Tres Leches.

Again, no clue what to expect. Just the strong recommendation of a friend. This was pretty incredible. It was a super moist, super dense vanilla cake, similar to a sponge cake but without the airiness. That "frosting" was actually an ice cream. I don't even have the vocabulary to tell you what it was like. It was creamy but...not. Also very dense. And then there was a little toasted coconut. For all the density, though, it wasn't overwhelmingly so. It was actually kind of refreshing.


Moving right along, I found...

TASTE OF MARRAKESH


Desert Rose (sparkling wine topped with pomegranate liqueur).

...something to drink! And I knew what to expect with this one. It's one of my favorite beverages of this fest. It's bubbly and a little fruity and a tiny bit sweet. I really just like it a whole lot. And nothing else was appealing to me on the menu, so I sipped it solo.


And as I sipped, I made my way to...

THE SMOKEHOUSE: BARBECUES AND BREWS


Smoked Debreziner Sausage with House-Made Kraut and Mustard.

Sure, this just looks like any old smoked sausage. But it doesn't *taste* like any old smoked sausage. This one has some kickiness. It was tasty, but I was grateful I had also purchased a cool bottle of water. The mustard was amazing -- zippy, not sweet. But the star, for me, was the kraut. This kraut was shredded finely, very juicy, and had caraway seeds in it. This last detail means nothing to you, without understanding that my Gramp used to make his own sauerkraut and he would add caraway seeds to his. I've never seen kraut served this way, other than his, so this was a special nostalgic treat I wasn't at all anticipating.


Smiling to myself, I had one final stop to make.

PRIMAVERA KITCHEN


Limoncello Panna Cotta. Rossini (sparlkling wine and marinated strawberries).


First of all, I tried to get them in the same photo, but I was thwarted twice over. Their difference in size was very challenging (that is a plastic champagne flute with a very long stem that extends beyond the bottom of the photo, and that dessert cup was the size of a slightly oversized shot glass). Also, it was crazy windy, all of a sudden, and I honestly thought it was going to blow my dessert right off the table. So, separate photos. The panna cotta was lovely. Light and silky. Raspberries are my favorite berry, and I've really grown a taste for lemon over the past decade. Perfect combination. The panna cotta was a new menu offering, but the Rossini is a returning beverage. One I have enjoyed quite a bit, in fact. Bubbly and strawberry-y. It's like a mimosa, but with strawberry instead of orange.


The perfect toast to conclude another delightful culinary Fest.

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Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: 2015 - Week 18

Checking in for the week of May 3 through May 9.

WHAT I READ |
One Good Turn (Kate Atkinson) - This being the second book in a series, I wasn't surprised that there are a small army of characters, and, somehow, their stories are bound to intersect. It's often slower going for me, at first, while I get acquainted with each of the (fairly unlikable, yet no less interesting) characters. Then it picks up pace for me after the groundwork has been laid.

WHAT WE ATE|
Burgers on the grill. Chicken Alfredo lasagna, which is so rich but sooo good. Barbecue ribs and baked beans. Breaded and baked chicken thighs with cauliflower.

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED|
Finishing my final round of Flower and Garden Fest at Epcot? Does that count?

CANDLE SCENTS|
Meadow Showers (YC) - I love this scent. It's in the master bedroom and with the candle in the main bathroom (Wind Blown) that end of the house smells exactly like a spring paradise.
Lilac Blossom (YC) - Reminds me of my childhood springs and the huge lilac bush in my grandparents' yard. I don't typically gravitate toward florals, and this one only sparingly, but I always indulge in this one at least one time.
Wind Blown (YC) - This one smells so good -- like fresh air and salt water and dune grass -- that I went ahead and ordered a large jar of it for next spring.
Garden Sweet Pea (YC) - Another floral, but it's soft and subtle, and not at all overwhelming.

WHAT THIS WEEK LOOKED LIKE|
Just before sunrise. I took this in my pajamas, standing in the middle of the street. My neighbors must think I'm insane.


Mah lilies! I plant them after they die in their pot each Easter and they multiply!


Probably the last day of 2015 that there will be low enough humidity that my hairs are almost straight.


2pm snack. Ward off the hangry.


Showoff sky.


On fire.


Same sky, but from the backyard view.


Cutest baby fruit ever.


Peek-a-boo.


I love when it looks like the clouds are glowing from within.


Stormy.


My Throwback Thursday: 1985. Lessons on marriage from a couple married 61 years. You're never too old to hold hands with your sweetheart. Not even after 45 years of marital bliss. T holds my hand and I love it so much.


Despite that fact that it felt like the surface of the sun outside, I was determined to get in one last round of Flower and Garden Fest.


The magnolias are in bloom.


This was a slush approximately seven minutes earlier. (See? HOT.)


Also hot. (As in sweaty and flushed and ugh.) (Not that you were confusing this with "as in smokin'.")


Les fleurs.


Yawn.


The Tomb Warriors in China. One of my favorites.

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This Week on My TV: May 9, 2015

Disclaimer: Consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. You read at your own risk!



**(Reign, S2E19 Abandoned) Kenna, you double standard. You don't want what Bash can give you, so you drive him away, then get jealous when he finds a female friend? -- And Mary, playing both sides. Expecting Francis to show her care and kindness after she's explicitly admitted her affair with Conde, while expecting Conde to be overjoyed that she is no longer willing to leave France with him. -- Narcisse, you player, bedding Catherine, tenderly stroking Lola's cheek. -- Dude. King Louis of England. Dreaming of Queen Mary. While in bed with Queen Elizabeth's proxy. I wonder if this will drive Mary back in to the arms of Francis? And when do we get to see Elizabeth? And who set the fire in attempt to erase the union of Louis and Elizabeth? -- LOL: Narcisse and Catherine each suspicious of the other's scheming.

**(Once Upon a Time, S4E19 Sympathy for the De Vil) David: We told you everything we know. Emma: Are you sure? Because secrets keep coming out. -- Love the twenties flapper scenes! -- Gold: A person obsessed with vengeance is easy to manipulate. -- Emma [to Regina]: Forgive me if I don't take advice from a woman who held a grudge for half her life because a ten year old spilled a secret. -- I was expecting Cruella's story to end on a sweeter note, like Ursula's, which would have been lame. But they through in some excellent twists. She was a deranged killer. She knew Isaac already, who both game her her magical powers (I was wondering about that) and made it impossible for her to kill anyone ever again. And I love that her hair came about as a result of mixing the magic ink with her blonde locks. -- Is the woods around Storybrooke ever not foggy? -- Emma was looking rough this episode. Is the internal battle between darkness and light taking an outward toll?

**(Law and Order: SVU, S16E20 Daydream Believer (3)) I've said it before and I'll say it again: I. Hate. Cross over. Episodes. I refuse to watch the Chicago PD portion, and T doesn't watch Chicago Fire, so we're watching all out of order. They annoy me. -- Why is it, on these shows, that when the bad guy puts tape over the mouth mouth of his victim, he can peel it off to allow them to speak, but then stick it right back on again? Does it never lose its stickiness? And why does it's look so stiff? And if it's so easy to peel off, why don't the victims try to catch the edge on something, peel it off, and then scream like banshees? -- This episode was a little too much like William Lewis. Only in dreaded cross-over format. Get a new story, SVU. -- I had to wonder how Yates was going to get on the stand for questioning when his was representing himself. One could look quite insane, asking and answering his own questions while on the stand. I guess that was why he had to have co-counsel?

**(Mom, S2E22 Fun Girl Stuff and Eternal Salvation) Have mercy. I don't think I could have slept in that guest bedroom at Jill's house. That decor was so bright, it was practically generating a hum. -- Hilarity: Christy trying to find someplace to stay when she told Bonnie she was moving out. -- I'm kind of wondering if they are trying to slim down the cast a bit, now that they have Violet engaged and living with her fiance, not to mention Roscoe's latest request to live with his dad.

**(Mike and Molly, S5E20 Fight To The Finish) Molly: ...or have an anxiety attack because you found a key and you don't know what it opens. Peggy: A key without a lock opens the Devil's door. Everyone knows that. -- Mike learning about "what women want" was very cliche and it wasn't too difficult to tell that Peggy was stalling on wrapping up the book because she didn't want to stop working on it with Molly. Both were handled with humor, though, if not originality. -- When Molly showed up at home, silly drunk, all I could think was: did she drive like that??

**(The Good Wife, S6E21 Don't Fail) Finn! I am fully on board with Alicia maintaining her friendship there, at the very least.-- Alicia [to Finn on why she "couldn't" take the Tatro case]: I'm having a crisis of confidence and it's taking up all my time. -- Guy Being Interviewed: What's your name? Kalinda: Kalinda. Guy: Kalinda what? Kalinda: Kalinda none of your business. ... ::snort:: -- I thought the flashback style scenes were done exceptionally well. In fact, if I didn't know better (because I checked) I never would have known they weren't actual footage from an early season. They did an excellent job with continuity and making the cast look a good five years younger. -- Kalinda's vanishing act has really hit Cary hard. -- This is what I've been saying Alicia: go into business with Finn! -- Of course Zach wants to come home the second Alicia dismantles his bedroom, turning it into her new office. -- I wonder if this new lawyer, Amber, will be sticking around? Maybe she could work with Alicia and Finn. -- Are we seriously never going to learn what was in that note Kalinda left for Alicia??? -- After watching the previews, I wonder who was at the door? Based on Alicia's reaction, I hope it wasn't Finn.

**(The Middle, S6E23 Mother's Day Reservations) I remember the yellow pants! This show really does a good job with connecting certain details from season to season with the holiday episodes. -- Awww. I was hoping for another scene or two with Sue's new beau. -- LOL! Mike trying to make online reservations for the Mother's Day tea.

**(Modern Family, S6E22 Patriot Games) Gloria: Did you know, once I pass, I can serve on a jury? They still use the electric chair, right? -- OMG LOL: Gloria's American accent. -- While sweet and entertaining, the kissing between Alex and Sanjay looked...terrible. As in, neither of them had a clue.

**(The Big Bang Theory, S8E24 The Commitment Determination) As shocking as it was to see Amy and Sheldon making out on the couch, did anyone else notice when he leaned back in for more after asking Amy whether or not he should commit to a new show?! -- Leonard: That was really intense. Penny: Well, now we know next time we go to the farmers' market, the order is petting zoo first, then buy vegetables. -- Sheldon: We were necking the couch like a couple of hooligans under the bleachers. ... Oh, Sheldon. LOL! -- Penny [to Leonard]: That's even dumber than you wondering if being bitten by a goat will give you the powers of a goat. Sheldon: If that happens, don't make me wait ten years to watch you eat a tin can. -- Penny: I don't think she's wrong about you going too slow in the relationship. Sheldon: Too slow?? Penny: Yeah, you've been going out for years. You haven't even slept together. Sheldon: That's right. It's called foreplay. -- Emily: Are you breaking up with me? Raj: No, I'm just pointing out that you're dark on the inside and I'm dark on the outside. -- Oh, Penny, you just need to get over it. So Leonard kissed another girl once. ::eye roll:: -- Holy season finale cliffhanger! OMG, you could have knocked me over with a feather when Sheldon pulled out that box full of engagement ring he got for Amy. Fight for your lady, Sheldon!! -- So, we end the season with all sorts of relationships at crossroads. Will Raj work things out with Emily, despite her dark side? Will Stuart be forced to move out on his own rather than continuing to live with Howard and Bernadette? Will Penny and Leonard go through with their Vegas wedding plans? Will Amy break things off with Sheldon or will he actually propose? This show is almost always good for a laugh, but it is at its very best when it plays the sentimentality card or drops a major bombshell. This time it did both. Can't wait for the fall to see where this all goes!

**(Reign, S2E19 Abandoned) As Kenna is daydreaming about Renaude, I'm glad they don't have access to phones. It offers a suspense that we lack in modern times: instant gratification is far more challenging to come across. -- I didn't think that I would, but I really enjoy the dynamic between Leith and Claude. Their differences play off one another so well on the screen. -- Leith [to Claude]: One thing I will never do is risk getting on Catherine de Medici's bad side. Claude: You'd rather get on my bad side? Leith [snort chuckles]: A million times,YES. -- It was good to see Greer and Mary together again. -- Catherine is onto something with Narcisse turning Lola down. I think he truly may care for her...in his own way. -- So is this going to be goodbye to Conde? -- Narcisse [to Lola]: I say a great many things. Your mistake was in trusting me. ... OMG, it was actually killing him to destroy her trust and reputation in order to appease Catherine. -- Leith [to Claude, who is lashing out because she got her feelings after being rebuffed romantically]: Why do you think I tried to take that scabbard? To buy her an annullment so that we could be married. Only it costs a fortune, more than I'll ever have. But I will do whatever it takes to hold her in my arms and call her my wife. I know you've had a disappointment. But you are so young. Think of all the time you have to meet your true love. And when you do, becareful of your tempr. It's so easy to drive love away. -- I realize being human means weakness, but I don't like that they've Mary so weak when it comes to Conde. -- Greer really is doing quite well for herself as a madam, but she tore out Leith's heart in the process of choosing independence over love. -- Bash had some harsh truth for Mary that the only person who can withstand her love is a king. He knows, better than anyone else, that anyone beneath her in power can never truly have her. -- I found it interesting that Mary approached Francis dressed in black, like mourning, when she was attempting to reach out romantically. -- Louis of France? Is he really going to try to push Francis off the throne in order to get Mary??

**(The Blacklist, S2E21 Karakurt) Tom (or Jake or whoever he wants to be now) cannot honestly think that boat thing is ever going to be a viable option for Liz, can he? -- This show uses a lot of biological warfare. -- Red: Oh, the boy knows more than doodle, Brimley. -- Liz is getting way too emotional. It's clouding her judgment and making it impossibly difficult to take her seriously. -- Katarina Rostova, a myth...wha?? -- How does Red just make up stories off the ciff like that and make them sound so believable?! -- Red [to Harold]: What good are ethics if you aren't alive to live by them? -- T wants to know how Red got shot, had major surgery, and has all but recovered, yet Caul's neck is still bleeding from that cut he received long before Red was shot. -- T and I both shouted NOOOOOOO in that slow-mo voice when Liz was racing toward the Senator to keep him from shaking hands with Karakurt. -- Red: Relax. If I had bad intentions for this visit, you'd know by  now. ... At least he's up front. -- OMG. I bet Red infected Liz when he attacked her at Union Station. That's how *she* ended up infecting the Senator. And now they are coming to get her because they think *she* is a Russian spy!! The Cabal was asking about a child of Katarina Rostova, which, assuming she isn't actually just a myth, would be Lizzie! Aaaahhhhhhh! I need the season finale NOW!!

**(Person of Interest, S4E22 YHWH) Root [standing in front of a police SUV]: C'mon, get in the car. Mr Finch: Are you out of your mind? Root: Since when has that been relevant? -- Oh, Mr Reese, you and that intense raspy Clint Eastwood whisper. -- Who was that sniper guy?? They definitely made a point of Mr Reese noticing him when Elias and Dominic were being loaded into the police van. He's got to be associated with Samaritan, right? -- So...after all that cheesiness of trying to download the basic DNA of the Machine into that briefcase of chips, is it alive or dead? And that was one thick slab of cheese with the Machine and Mr Finch schmooping all over each other as the sparks flew and bullets rained down. -- Boy, they sure cleaned house. Elias is dead. Dominic is dead. Control is being hauled away to be dropped in some deep dark hole. Shaw remains MIA. -- If there's one thing this show does well, it's remember its mythology. I had to look them up, but Caleb was once a Number that Mr Finch saved and I knew Thornhill was something important, which of course it was: the name of the person who doesn't really exist because he was created by the Machine to store its memories before it rebooted every night. Nice tie-ins. -- Something I rarely get with this show is what the names of its episodes mean.

**(Law and Order: SVU, S16E21 Perverted Justice) My top three least favorite types of tv episodes: crossovers between multiple shows (even if I watch both shows already); episodes "ripped from the headlines"; and procedurals with a case-of-the-week that reaches no resolution. This was type three. It was actually a pretty engaging episode...right up until they reached the final scene. "We did the right thing." "Did we?"...as Liv watches the daughter hug her father with a questionable tear rolling down her cheek. Did he assault her when she was a child? Was it really all a lie fabricated by her mother? She just. can't. remember. ARG.

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Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: 2015 - Week 17

Checking in for the week of April 26 through May 2.

WHAT I READ |
Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything (Charles P. Pierce) - Well, here's the thing. I've always appreciated what Brady has done for my team, but I've never been a huge fan of *him*. So, I thought I would learn a little about him and see if that would change my mind some. And it did. Taken with a grain of salt, he seems like a decent guy, for the most part. He certainly works hard, and I appreciate his attitude. That being said, this author did very little to engage a reader who is NOT a Patriots fan. In fact, if I were the fan of another team, I would have been turned off by the author more than anything else. There was a lot of slurping all over Brady and the Patriots, almost a tone of disdain, that even as a Patriots fan, I found a bit distasteful. (We won't even discuss how scornful he speaks of baseball, which didn't sit well with me.) The writing, itself, was ok-ish. Sometimes he over-explained references he made, other times he just assumed the reader knew who some obscure person was without a single descriptor or deeper identification. The other thing that I found a little disconcerting was the way the author told the "story" of the 2005 Patriots season, while linking each game or two to something in Brady's personal history. Some of these links were a stretch, at best, and some were just downright jolting in the jumps back and forth through time. Overall, I'd give Tom's story a solid four stars, but this author's failure to be objective through most of the book, combined with the way he chose to tell Tom's story, are what I rated a generous three.
One Good Turn (Kate Atkinson) - Just started this one. Her books have a lot of characters whose stories all seem to intersect (I'm surmising , based on what little I've read so far, and the fact that this is the second in a series), so right now, I'm learning who everyone is still.

WHAT WE ATE|
T roasted up a whole chicken, which we had with stuffing and some sweet peas. He also put a corned beef brisket in the slow cooker, and we had some boiled potatoes (with butter, salt, and some fresh parsley) and some green beans on the side -- I scored big time in the husband department! We made some BLTs one night, some fish sandwiches another night, and had tacos on Friday. Monday was the big deal, though: we tried a new (to our kitchen, not our taste buds) recipe for the Fisherman's Pie that they serve at Epcot's Food and Wine Fest. Oh. My. Rich and decadent and so good. Saturday, we stopped at Rainforest Cafe for lunch while we were at Animal Kingdom.

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED|
Finally got up to WDW to get T's Annual Pass renewed. Sneaking in under the wire on this one. It expires next weekend! Gee, it's such tough luck when your To Do List has items like this to cross off, huh?

CANDLE SCENTS|
Meadow Showers (YC) - I love this. It's fresh and green, like the outside smells after rain, and we have a whole large jar of it to enjoy.
Midnight Jasmine (YC) - Pretending I can smell orange blossoms.

WHAT THIS WEEK LOOKED LIKE|
Trying my hand at a house plant. (Please, don't let me kill it. Poor thing.)


Delightful.


This unseasonably cool weather is such a gift.


Those sunrise colors make me all swoony.


New calendar art! Funny thing: for all the trips I've made to California, all I've ever really seen of Los Angeles has been the airport or driving through it.


Golden warm light waking up my kitchen.


Enjoying the fantastic weather on a WDW date (had to renew his annual pass). Heading out for our "two week" safari.


There's a baby pelican in that nest, all fuzzy and white, trying to pretend he hasn't almost outgrown it.


This day really was this stunning. Also: flamingos.


Coolest horns on the safari.


Meerkats get watermelon!


Mama and baby.


When you're at WDW, don't forget to look up sometimes too. Details are every direction.


Harambe Village.


I never get to park in Yeti! (These are the ridiculous things local passholders who are in the parks dozens of times per year get excited over.)

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This Week on My TV: May 2, 2015

Disclaimer: Consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. You read at your own risk!



**(Mike and Molly, S5E18 No Kay Morale) LOL! Peggy doesn't travel because she's afraid someone will kidnap her and sell her as a s*x slave. -- The rest was kind of predictable. Kathy Bates reprises her role as Kay who is depressed by all the pain and evil she's seen in the world, but she recovers after helping a woman give birth in a cab while trapped in a traffic jam. Meh.

**(2 Broke Girls, S4E18 And the Taste Test) And we're done. We had to ask ourselves that, beyond wondering how this show is still on the air (with a renewal, no less!), why were we still making ourselves watch it?! This show has gone from bad to unwatchable. Not even Sophie was enough to keep us watching that much raunch and poor acting anymore.

**(Mom, S2E21 Patient Zero and the Chocolate Fountain) Poor Violet. I know she's a brat more often than anything else, but I get why. Not only did her childhood really stink, she's now gotten her life together after giving up her baby for adoption, and when she invites her disasters of a mother and grandmother over for dinner with her fiance for a big announcement, they assume she's pregnant again, not that she worked so hard in school that she's made Dean's List. -- I had just finished saying to T that Christy is really spending more time looking at Bonnie instead of the road, considering she's driving a car, when the airbags went off. -- While Christy's anger with Bonnie is getting a little old (understandable, but old), the insults are pretty humorous.

**(Reign, S2E18 Reversal of Fortune) While it was nice to see Catherine provide comfort to Mary after Mary's trauma, it is so much more entertaining to see Catherine and Narcisse back to plotting and scheming. -- The question of price for Bash's life keeps popping up: Francis's fever. Kenna's carriage driver dying, leaving her unprotected in the woods. Clarissa reappearing. -- Oh, come on, Leith. Did you really think that leaving Claude alone wouldn't result in her running off to find mischief. I can't stop giggling at Greer running a brothel though. -- Ah, strong and badass Mary has resurfaced! ... Mary [to Narcisse]: Do not test my power and do not tempt my fury. -- Oh, I just want to hug Conde. Rejected love is the worst.

**(Scandal, S4E20 First Lady Sings the Blues) Quinn really came unglued when they found Jake all stabbed and bloody in the office. -- Russian doctor: Now, you, scared man with glasses. ... David's face through most of this episode slayed me. -- I love that Black Sable was just a regular grandma now. All "come on in, I just baked cookies," when Olivia knocked on her door. -- Lizzie: You look defensive. Mellie: I *am* defensive. -- Rowan was positively terrifying in this episode, between insisting Russell (?) finish off Jake and sending Olivia a message by killing Black Sable and the Russian spy dude she'd managed to buy off to leave Black Sable alone. -- Olivia: Some people have bark. Some people have bite. I have both. -- I died when they sent Cyrus to Sally's show to endorse Mellie's run for Senator of Virginia. -- I'd forgotten what it was like to see Fitz showing any backbone. It's good. We need more of that. -- Cy's derisiveness is so expected and yet always amusing. ... Cyrus [snorting]: Because that's the American Dream. -- I was freaking. the heck. out. when Jake came too and saw his attempted assassin lying on the bed next to him in the makeshift hospital. -- Charlie: You don't have me. I have me. And the me I have enjoys being alive. ... Never ever change, Charlie. So dark, but so funny! -- What is this "Foxtail" Rowan and Russell are mentioning? -- I thought Olivia had gone so far off her game...until she turned it around on me as much as Russell and pointed that gun at his head, demanding answers. What the what?!

**(TURN: Washington's Spies, S2E1 Thoughts of a Free Man) The king has quite a temper. -- I do not envy Anna her work at the tavern. That was nasty, every which way. -- I want to feel badly for Mary, that Abraham does not return her feelings, but she really just annoys me. -- Clever plan on Abraham's part, to find a believable way to get himself to New York, with Hewlett's blessing no less.

**(The Middle, S6E22 While You Were Sleeping) Sue: It's the dress I ordered when I was going to prom with Darrin. I'm so jealous of my three months ago self. ... I wanted to hug her! -- Sue: The Year of Sue turned into the Year of Suck. -- Frankie: Brick I'm not going to eat something when I don't even know what it is. Brick: You make us do it all the time. -- After Frankie told Nancy Donahue Sue wasn't going to prom, because she didn't have a date after breaking up with Darrin, Nancy called Sean, who rearranged his plans and drove home from school just to take her (only to find out Sue had found her own date, or, rather, Logan had found her). Sean was pretty dejected at Sue told him. Maybe it was because he's a nice guy who went out of his way to help his best friend's little sister, but I've always wondered if Sean kinda harbored a secret crush on Sue. -- I wanted to cry when Sue got covered in rogue cheese after she got all dressed up for her prom. She looked so pretty!  -- I feel like I'm cheating on Darrin, but Sue and Logan were pretty darn cute together. And The Year of Sue deserves to hold good things for her!

**(Mike and Molly, S5E19 Mother From Another Mudlick) At first I thought Rosemary's little singsong of "Little Peggy cries a lot. Always wants what she ain't got." was amusing, but it turns out Rosemary was kind of a B! If that's how Peggy was treated while she was growing up in Mudlick, it's no wonder she's such a cantankerous woman!

**(Madam Secretary, S1E21 The Kill List) I know it was just Juliet watching her family on that camera, but it was still creepy. -- Dr Sherman: Have you thought of what you would tell Jane if you had the chance? Elizabeth: Oh yes, we've had many imaginary conversations. ... I hear ya, Bess. I've been there. Oh have I been there. -- I totally wanted to hug Elizabeth while she cried on the therapist's couch. It's so real. There's no way you can see some of the things she's seen, just since taking office, and not be profoundly affected. Not if you have a heart, soul, and conscience. -- Is it just me or is there something a little unsettling about the President being so intent on killing Juliet, despite the reactions he got from both Russell and Elizabeth? It's borderline suspicious. -- I like that this show doesn'y shy away from the difficulty of doing this job even when you don't like it. I'm glad they don't take the easy way out by always having Elizabeth do the"right" thing or the "popular" thing, in the end. And I love that she questions every decision she makes, because there are always consequences.

**(The Good Wife, S6E20 The Deconstruction) RD: For an extra $200 an hour, you can actually get them to speak. -- RD: You're going to defend her anyway, aren't you? Diane: Yes. RD: The soft-hearted liberal in her natural habitat. -- (Finn!) -- RD: Only in America, right? You're a grandma, go to jail. You're a drug addict, go to rehab! You wonder why people like me are into smaller government. Diane: Oh yes that's right. Smaller government would have no such ironies. RD: Perhaps there would be smaller ironies. -- David Lee could only look like a bigger douche with that Bluetooth in his ear. -- I don't understand why Alicia doesn't go into business with Finn. -- I'm pretty sure when you're a criminal kingpin, it cannot possibly be in your best interest to utter the words "tell Dexter he's dead" while the cops are handcuffing you. -- Kalinda's exit from the show: disappeared or dead? T's vote is dead. I'm saying she'll vanish. -- After her classy work attire, it's so odd to see Alicia in jeans and a hoodie. -- Prior to the last two episodes, and not counting Will's death, which is different, it's been a long time since we've seen all these tears from Alicia. -- What was in that note Kalinda left Alicia??

**(Person of Interest, S4E21 Asylum) Why is that when a call goes dead on a tv show, the other party just keeps yelling the name of the other person, like the call will be magically restored? -- That was quite the psycho game of chicken there, Root. -- Elias, your beard is weird. -- Samaritan's home base is a psychiatric hospital. Oh, irony. -- LOL: That Samaritan chick looked confused when her gun didn't have an unlimited supply of bullets. -- Why did Greer have to read Samaritan's comments to everyone? Does he think everyone else in that room is illiterate? -- I like this show very much, but there are too many groups wanting similar things and sometimes I really lose track of everyone.

**(Modern Family, 6E21 Integrity) Gloria: I wanted to kill him. But I bite my tongue, because in this family, they think that I am a Columbian hot head. Which is crazy because a Columbian hot head is when you set somebody's hair on fire. It smells terrible but it sends a message. -- I kinda wanna know was those threats from Gloria were on Haley's jerky boss! -- Classic Modern Family: Jay was worried that Gloria wanted Lily's old pink castle for Joe, when she wanted to turn it into a pirate fortress, and Phil was sulking because he thought Claire wasn't allowing him to buy a Ms Pacman machine, when, really, she had gotten him one as a surprise. -- LOL: Lily's "the baby's stuck in the well" line, cut to Joe stuck in the balloons spelling out 'well'. -- So...baby or no baby for Cam and Mitchell? We were for, then against, then having second thoughts...

**(The Big Bang Theory, S8E23 The Maternal Combustion) LOL: double mother suckler. -- Leonard [to Penny about her engagement ring]: It came from Tiffany's! Sheldon: You mean the box, right? -- Raj: How old is this jello? Stuart: Well, considering it's carrots, I'm going with old. -- Mary Cooper [to Leonard about his mother]: I'm sure she loves you very much in her old godless way. -- Mary Cooper: Doesn't matter. A good Christian would have turned the other cheek. On the other hand, a good Texan would have shot her.

**(TURN: Washington's Spies, S2E2 Hard Boiled) This guard that was appointed to accompany Abraham is a real tool. -- Simcoe: 'To whom it may concern.' That'd be you. ... I missed your punchable face on the screen, Simcoe. I have a difficult time disliking Hewlett and Andre, as the enemy, but you? Not so much. -- I'd like to poke Mary with that embroidery needle. She is such a meddler. -- Andre looked like he was struggling not to throttle Simcoe during their meeting where Simcoe was being reassigned. -- Simcoe: I suppose I'll have to charm them. ... You make me weep, Simcoe. As if! -- Poor Hewlett. He is so awkward with the ladies. -- Simcoe without a wig = way weird. -- I cannot believe that innkeeper swiped the eggs from Abraham's basket! What was up with that exchange, though? It seemed like he could have exposed Abraham by turning over the eggs with the coded messages, and yet it seems he simply destroyed them and told Abraham to stay away?

**(The Blacklist, S2E20 Quon Zhang) Red: He needed you to get the Fulcrum. He wanted you to discover secrets. Did you discover any secrets, Lizzie? ... Red's tone, when he said this, was positively chilling. -- Red: You should have let me die, Dembe. Nobody told me about this aimless walking. ... I am a huge fan of the way they made Red's injury believable, right down to his obvious discomfort in certain positions, how he begins to droop after too much activity, and his disdain for all the necessary post-op walking that is required for recovery. -- Despite all his dealing and scheming and no-nonsese-ness, I had to snort when Jasper made his remark about Red not knowing what loyalty is, because that is the one virtue I think Red truly possesses and demands, almost to a fault. -- Full disclosure: I thought, just for a moment, that maybe Navabi had turned rogue and crossed Red. And then I dismissed the notion for the realization that "springing Jasper" had to be a set-up as part of Red's plan. -- Navabi: Satan wasn't transformed into an angel of light. He was disguised as one. --Red: Don't look so glum, Kenneth. You just spent ten minutes being ridden hard by Agent Navabi, I would die for five. -- Connolly is a total snake, playing Harold via his wife, to get the leak he needed. -- Still amuses me that Red's calls come up as 'Nick's Pizza' on Liz's phone. -- So we know (or think we know, if Red is being truthful) that Liz was the daughter of Russian spies, and that Red was the one who erased her memory. The rest of this episode was clearly more about laying groundwork for the final two of the season. I am dying to know where this is going.

**(Blue Bloods, S5E21 New Rules (1)) Frank: Five bucks if you get me out of drinks with the mayor. Baker: Gonna cost you way more than that. -- I kinda like that Pop is the only one that calls Frank 'Francis'. -- I knew Curtis was going to end up being trouble. I didn't expect him to pull a gun on Linda and Hector. And, of course, gun shots fired as the scene fades to black, with the last thing we saw was Linda stepping in between Curtis and Hector, and the season finale looming.

**(Blue Bloods, S5E22 The Art of War (2)) Did the doctor call Linda 'Cindy'? -- Frank [as he walks into Linda's hospital room]: Gang's all here. ... Oooo, probably could have gone with something a little less...applicable to Linda's shooting. -- I thought Hector had twin three-year-old daughters? That photo Danny showed looked like two girls, but more like ages four and six, maybe? -- Interesting how they always make Erin a real pain in the backside, but Jamie can explain legalities in a far more tension diffusing manner. I wonder if it's because he's seen both sides, between his law school education and his time as an officer? -- Do NOT mess with people Frank cares about. I wanted to cheer when he reveals to that gang kingpin, sitting all smug in prison, that the police chief he ordered be gunned down was actually a federal cop. He thought he was so smart, already sentenced to life, in a state without the death penalty. Not so smirk-y once he learned that he'd be moved to a federal prison where the death penalty was, indeed, an option. I like Frank best when he is quiet and direct and exacting justice.

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