A Really Long Post

I have so much to say!

Retreat
I got to the retreat in time for dinner on Thursday. The facility now has wireless Internet, which is my downfall, but not as much of a downfall as it was for SOME people. I didn't do any work Thursday night, but I did check my e-mail and found a message from Nephele Tempest, who wanted to call me about The Color of Courage.

She's three hours earlier than I am, so I managed to stay calm all morning, knowing she wouldn't be calling. I think I wrote 35 pages on Friday. Not my best day, but at about 3:30, after my focus had shifted from the phone to how much I could get done before dinner, she called. My friends hung around outside my room for an hour, like waiting for a baby to be born. LOL Nephele offered me representation, and I sent the agency agreement yesterday, so I am now a very pleased client of the The Knight Agency. There couldn't have been any better timing, than to be surrounded by friends, and the people who have been most supportive of me in a million different ways.

Friday night was all about celebration. After dinner we watched Supernatural's season finale (see below). Then about half of us went to Applebee's and had drinks. Saturday was more writing, where I topped out at 81 pages for the weekend so far (added 9 on Sunday, ended 10 short of my goal). Saturday night we played Romance Family Feud, and as always, it was a hilarious blast. This group is excellent for gut-busting, cheek-splitting laughter.

We took some walks, individually and in small groups. There is a cemetery across the road with graves dating back as far as 1744, so we were looking for ghosts. Didn't see any, but we did see a big bare circle a la "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" and I said "Bloody Mary" three times while looking through the window of the old school house next to the cemetery, at Vicki Smith looking through an opposite window with her hair over her face. A few minutes later, the wind blew really, really hard. All my fault.

Anyway, fourth year of fabulosity. Can't wait for the fifth.

Season Finales
Smallville sucked as usual, but my expectations are so low, it didn't bother me at all. I am emotionless about that show.

Not thrilled with the Scrubs finale, either. It was okay. Lots of laughs. But I'm really tired of the "woe is me" attitudes and I do not want JD and Elliott back together, sorry. I also thought his supreme superiority and rotten treatment of Kim was out of character.

The Numb3rs finale was so well done, exciting and interesting and wonderful brotherly interaction. And Charlie kicked ass. But then they had to ruin it all by making my FAVORITE team member a traitor. And it looks like Megan is going to leave, too. COLLLLBY. *sob* Why couldn't it be David? Despite that, I loved the way they did it. That he confessed and accepted the consequences of getting caught.

Heroes was just terrible. Total suckage. The episodes leading to it were okay, suspenseful and well acted, but rehashing a lot of stuff. And there was nothing exciting or tense about the finale. Not a single thing happened that we couldn't see coming. They didn't avoid cliché. They killed the best character on the show (my favorite, anyway, I know everyone has their favorites and that's as it should be). I don't want to watch next year without Peter, who is the best character and has the most exciting power. And I don't want Peter without Nathan, assuming they use the "he sends out the blast but it doesn't kill him" and he survives falling, what, eight miles? But Nathan wasn't as heroic as they set out to make him, either. I don't like a character who can think it's OKAY to allow millions of people to die to further his political ambition, even if he changes his mind at the last minute. The final battle was pathetic, a lot of hand wringing and almost no use of power (though I admit I loved Nikki's smackdown on Sylar!). And Sylar slinking away? Cliché. No one noticing it happening? Not a single person saying, "oh, hey, the corpse is moving!"? Or hows about checking it to make sure he's dead, given all the powers he's eaten? All in all, a great disappointment.

One benefit, though, is that I still have Veronica Mars tonight and Lost tomorrow night and they can't possibly be as bad. Can they?

(I didn't have time to watch the Ugly Betty finale yet, either.)

Supernatural
I've watched it twice. I can't say it was perfect, but there's only one thing that leaves me less than delighted, and it's not a big thing. The YED could not cross the iron pentagram, and presumably the demons who escaped from hell could not, either, until it was broken. So how did it get broken? They didn't show it happen, it happened off screen. At first we thought it was one of the demon smokes who did it, but I think they just flowed out after it happened. Was it convenience, or did YED have a helper who could do it? Someone we will see next year? Usually, "convenience" writing is for much smaller things than that on this show.

Other than that, LOVE. The acting was incredible, from Dean's--well, every scene--to Sam's recognition of there being stuff he didn't know, to Bobby's grief and pain, and Ellen's.

I loved the full circle image at the end with Dean closing the trunk and saying they have work to do. I have to check the pilot, but I think it was the same as the end of that episode.

I was sooooo happy they didn't leave Sam in the dark. He's way too smart not to have picked up on the truth, and I would have been disappointed if he hadn't.

They HUGGED. Couldn't get away with no hug after Sam died. Glad they saw that.

Thrilled that Bobby and Ellen appear to be set up as more regular for next season. Even if it's not a foursome all the time (which I don't want), they should have bigger roles, as the only four people who knew what happened.

The demon chick was my favorite one of the season. Others have commented that the "female guest star of the week" has been hit or miss, but I thought she did a good job.

I will really, really miss the YED. I never really understood what "chewed the scenery" meant, but I think he does it. His delivery is awesome. (I keep using present tense because I'll be watching the ep at least three times before September *g*.)

The only problem with this season finale is that it means no show for four months. *sob*
It would be a big letdown to arrive on Thursday this week, except for one thing.

POTC
A bunch of us are going to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End this Thursday night, and I can't wait! There are a lot of movies I'm looking forward to, but that's the biggest. Excellent timing, is all I can say.

Okay, there's my very long post. I'm going to go set my new computer up now, and hope it works with my keyboard and mouse and printers and that my settings and files transfer okay and that it is everything I hope it will be.

Wish me luck!