Thoughts of an Ice Princess

Happy Batman To You

narniadear — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 04:58:04 GMT

FRIDAY MORNING - OFFICE OF NELSON AND MURDOCK, ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Foggy: Sure, dude, I'll give you that. What's it for?

Matt: Something you said earlier gave me an idea for this case.

Foggy: Well, spill it! I need a longer list of stuff I can take credit for!

Matt: You mentioned her obsession with Batman.

Foggy: Right. But it's important to note that it's not just any Batman. It's--

Both: Nolan's Batman.

Matt: Yes, yes I remember she made that key point very clearly.

Foggy: But seriously, who wouldn't love Batman? He's awesome. He runs around at night pounding on bad guys in a noble, yet futile effort to improve his beloved city.

Foggy: And he's smart enough to wear body armor and NOT be a blind guy when he does it.

Karen: [comes out of the kitchen] What's going on? Who's blind?

Matt: [turns to Foggy] It's the Nolan piece that's a key point.

Foggy: ...because...

Matt: I just checked the list of tenants in that building where the bomb went off. It happens to be the building where Jonah and Chris Nolan rent out an apartment to use while they're filming in town.

Foggy: So...?

Matt: She would never try to blow up the Nolan brothers.

Foggy: Hm. [shrugs] Well...maybe she didn't know they lived there.

Matt: [smiling quietly] Have you met her?

Foggy: [shakes his head] Never mind. You're right, what could I have been thinking? But what's that got to do with anything?

Matt: [calmly] As everyone knows, Ben Affleck's current bachelor pad is in an apartment building only two blocks East of the one that got blown up. If anything, she would have set the bomb in his building.

Foggy: She would? Why?

Matt: [still very calm] Because obviously Ben Affleck is a horrible choice to play Batman after Christian Bale's tour de force of a performance in the Nolan trilogy.

Foggy: Woah. Ok there, dude, we've been friends for years and I didn't know you had such strong feelings about Batman. Is there, ah, anything else I should know? Hm??

Matt: [doesn't answer]

Matt: [clears throat] Um, no. No. That should be the last bombshell of this friendship. Ha, uh, no pun intended.

Foggy: [rolling his eyes] Riiight. I see what you did there.

Karen: [loudly] Matt, you know that isn't the truth! You guys can't possibly know everything about each other. [slaps Matt playfully on the shoulder and giggles]

Foggy: [turns back to Matt] So let me get this straight. What you're saying is that we're going to prove she's not guilty because if she WERE going to blow someone up she would have blown up someone she believed to be much more deserving of being blown up?

Matt: That's exactly what I'm saying.

Foggy: I like it. Let's go for it! We'll have her home in time for her birthday.

Matt: Wait, her birthday?

Foggy: It's on Wednesday. I noticed it in the file.

Matt: Right. Ok, four days.

Foggy: We got this.

*-*-*

WEDNESDAY MORNING - PHONE RINGS IN MATT'S APARTMENT

Matt: [answers phone] Foggy...

Foggy: Good morning! How does it feel to be a kick-ass defense lawyer the morning after another win for the cause of righteousness?

Matt: [chuckles] Great, Foggy. It feels good.

Foggy: See you in a few?

Matt: Yeah. I'll be a little late. I have to make a stop first.

*************************
Happy Birthday, Laura! Looks like Matt's ready for a party!! Glad you got out of jail!

This entry was originally posted at http://beatriceblythe.dreamwidth.org/718910.html.

Return of the King in review

narniadear — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 04:47:22 GMT

I finally finished Return of the King (and not my filing project, BTW) and I am a blubbering mess. As usual. There is just something about the story and the movie that is so...it's too much for me to handle. In fact, I was just about to write a blithering post about it when I remembered that I have already DONE that. Several times.

November 7, 2012 (referencing the movie):

Oh man. I'd forgotten how all of it just ruins me. Theoden's death and the epic scene with Eowyn and the Witch King. Pippin finding Merry on the battlefield. Their final decision to give Frodo one more shot at it by mustering for a completely suicidal fight. The final battle at the black gate while Frodo and Sam fight their own battle in Mount Doom. When Aragorn turns around and says "for Frodo", and then when they all realize that Frodo did it...the looks on their faces. And then that scene with Sam and Frodo on the rock. Oh my gosh, I could die.

And then, when the fellowship reunites, that look that passes between Sam and Frodo. Then there's the very end...It breaks my heart that Frodo ends up so broken and tonight, i'm crying my eyes out about it at 1 in the morning a full day after watching the movie. Just the thought of Frodo finally getting some rest and then that final voice over at the end when Frodo says to Sam, "you have so much to live for, and to be, and to do..." as Sam comes home to his sweet family. Ugh. I snot.

February 7, 2005 (referencing the book):

I finished Lord of the Rings again on Saturday. *sigh* It just doesn't get old (3rd time through). The ending is so amazingly satisfying in every way. I mean, the reader is just like Sam when he wondered about the minstrels putting " The nine fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom" into a song. Wouldn't that be great? he asked. As the reader we think things like "Wouldn't it be great if Aragorn came back and visited the Shire? Wouldn't it be great if Faramir married Eowyn? Wouldn't it be great if they could all have a lot of time to spend together at the end? Wouldn't it be great....?" And it ALL happens. Just exactly as I wished it would. Every time. :) It's so great. My favorite characters have changed slightly. I still hold Sam near and dear to my heart, but up there with him I shall now place Faramir and Gimli. I fell in love with both of them this time around. Gimli has the best "lines" in my opinion and Faramir...well, he's my Lord of the Rings love match. *sigh*

September 14, 2004 (thoughts on Meditations On Middle Earth):

Diane Duane noted in her article that Tolkien's work spawned a whole new age of fantasy--some of it crap, some of it wonderful. She pointed out that most people she spoke with began writing as SOON as they had read Lord of the Rings for the first time. She said that Tolkien's power lies in the fact that his world is so delicately and thoroughly developed, that we as readers have a desire to jump in and create something of our own that has to do with Middle Earth. (Hence the plethera of fan fiction that exists--most of it crap.) She said when we finish reading those books, the artists feel like drawing, the writers feel like writing, the musicians feel like singing/playing and composing...and the movie makers...well, they feel like making movies. :-) That was such an accurate statement, and something that I've never quite been able to put my finger on until now. To pull something from OSC and Alvin Maker, J.R.R. Tolkien was a "maker" in this way. His writing inspires all of us to be about our making and building up. Can this be said of any other writer?

You know, when I read the books, I think my actress self emerged and I desperately wanted to be IN Middle Earth. I associate everywhere I go with Middle Earth somehow. When I visited Estonia for instance, "That vista is stunning. I'm in Middle Earth. This is the Shire!!" When I drive by the little hollow on my way into downtown Portland that's so well hidden and spanned with the most beautiful old bridge, I think "If Middle Earth were right here, THAT would be Rivendell." When I see the beautiful craggy cliffs of Athens, Greece on TV during the Olympics, I think "Those must be the Grey Havens." Really . I'm a dork in my own way. I suppose I would be a Middle Earth travel agent. :)

But, reading this book has definitely made me want to write my OWN "meditation on middle earth." Am I doing that now? No, I guess not. I'm writing a "meditation on Mediations on Middle Earth." (Laugh, I'm funny.)

There was one more comment that I'm remembering right now by another one of the authors in that book. She talked about how we feel when we finish the trilogy. She said we feel a void, and we're deeply attached because, it seems that when we close the cover of the book, Middle Earth STILL EXISTS somewhere in time and space. The Lord of the Rings books are just a window into that world. Isn't that great? I feel exactly that way, not only about Middle Earth, but about the characters in those stories. I am a complete nerd and I want to meet them, to ask them questions, to watch how they react to the world around them...yeah. It may be silly, but I did feel better in finding out that I'm not the only one that feels that way.

May 26, 2004:

It's the charge of the Rohirrim that always slays me in that movie. This is the fifth time that I've seen it, and that's one of the only parts that STILL makes me cry...that and the grey havens part at the end. :) It seems so lame to see it on a tiny TV. Oh that I had a projector. :)

February 29, 2004:

I just love Return of the King. Such a weepy movie-watching experience this was for me. I'm heart glad that it won all 11 of its Oscars tonight. I know it's not important in the grand scheme, but I sure think they deserved it. Woohoo!!!

January 1, 2004 (exactly 11 years ago today!):

We went to see RotK again today. Well, it was again for me and Laura and the first time for the rest of my family. I even think my parents liked it. (My mom has taken an especial fancy to Viggo Mortensen which is rather shocking to us all.) That movie is SO much better the second time around. I came into it the first time expecting so much that I was disappointed and a little cantakerous by the time it was all over. But the second time...well. I bawled even MORE and fell madly in love with it again. What a beautiful movie. I'm naming my first son Sam...and I'll call him Samwise until he's old enough to tell me to knock it off. :)

That's 11 years of a severe emotional attachment to a story (a bit longer because I read the book two years before it came out and cried through the whole thing). I get the exposure more often now through the movie, which works, because the movie is SO GOOD. Honestly. I sat there again today, vowing to put this movie on every 'favorite movie' list I'll make until I die. It just affects me too much to ignore it. But then again, is it the movie that's good? Or is the source material just so good that kind of radiates through the movie to smack me around some more? I have to give the movie some credit though. The music, the casting, the pacing, the epic shouts and moving death scenes. The amazing scenery and set-pieces, and the killer meaningful looks that pass between the characters. The stunning costumes and amazing weaponry, and the visual evidence of love and deep friendship...As much as I adore the book, the movie definitely has it's place in the 'reason I am a complete mess' list.

I'll never figure out why it leaves me with an achy heart when it's all over. I've tried to explain it over the years (see above) and I'm still not sure. It's all just a bit too much, especially when you see the trilogy all together. I guess that's why I can only watch it once every couple years.

This entry was originally posted at http://beatriceblythe.dreamwidth.org/713074.html.

Ouch. This is going to be rough

narniadear — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:59:11 GMT

I've been looking forward to this movie and now it's showing on BBC1. It's 5 parts, I think? Anyway, this clip made me take a step back and chew on my knuckles. I don't know if I can handle David so upset...

If he wasn't so adorable and SO GOOD at looking utterly bereft....jeez. *sniffle* I have to just steel myself. I can do it.

EDIT - 2 Hours later. I was telling Laura about this over chat and the following conversation ensued. This MUST be preserved for posterity.

Cecily: That David tennant thing still has me all twitchy. Seriously. All of my nurturing instincts are going a little haywire to see someone in that much pain (even fictional). My eye is probably twitching and it's been a couple hours since I watched it.

Goody is like 'NO man cries like that. I call foul!"
LOL
Olivia said 'I'll just distract myself from his pain by thinking of all the women who are stampeding to comfort him.
"Get back, you wench! I have tissues!!"
Laura tissues, fuzzy socks, chicken noodle soup, and a good costume drama
LOL
Cecily: Seriously!! He is so good and he really just blubbers and snots all over her.
Laura: Come and bury yourself in my bosom! lol
...
Cecily: I know. My bosom is definitely more ample than that girl's is.
Laura: LOL
Cecily: Mine would be MUCH more comforting.
and I'd wear shoulder pads.
just for him
Laura: I'm silently exploding over here
LOL
Cecily: well, don't explode.
even if it's silent.
it's DANGEROUS.
Laura: not to mention messy
Yeah. I can't stand to see to really skinny people hugging.
Like in top model, those girls hugging each other when they made the top 14
It didn't look at all comforting. In fact, it looked downright dangerous.
That's why David Tennant needs to end up with a plump sort of woman.
Cecily:we're much more likely to be punctured though
Laura: Yeah, but at least we have some padding
two boney people is just not comfy at all
just think of two skeletons hugging
me: *clack clack clack*
Laura: LOL yeah

I know! We crack ourselves UP!

Yay, it's back!

narniadear — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:14:35 GMT

*hugs LJ* I only had to stall for three hours until the server switch let me back on. How nice. :)

To celebrate, I bring you my top 10 TNG episodes in count-down order from 10 to the most fabulous:

10. The Offspring - Episode 3:16 - This is the only Data-centric episode in my top 10. The Data episodes are great because the entire crew is always involved. This one is no different. I love the scene when Troi helps Data 'design' her, I love the Riker scene in 10 Forward, and it really makes me schmoopy when it doesn't work at the end...and Data can feel nothing.

9. Schisms - Episode 6:5 - I find that some of my favorite TNG episodes are the really creepy ones. This is definitely one of those. One of my favorite scenes in Star Trek history is in this episode: The holodeck scene with Geordi, Worf, Riker, Data and random people where they describe that wacky examination table complete with atmospheric sounds and smells. Awesome!

8. Power Play - Episode 5:15 - Season 5 is positively amazing and I had a hard time NOT picking my top 10 from that season alone. I chose this one over Disaster mostly because of the creepy factor. I love the three they chose to be possessed and I loved how terrifyingly threatening Troi's personality was. She did it really well. I think the coolest thing about season 5 was how many ensemble episodes there were. This was one of them (though I do love Disaster with all my heart!!)

7. Déjà Q- Episode 3:13 - This is my favorite Q episode of all time. If some of my favorite episodes can be classified as 'creepy', a lot of them are also classified as 'hilarious.' I adore this episode just because it's such fun.

6. The Game - Episode 5:6 - So we're back to season 5 and back to 'creepy' with a Wesley-centered episode...I know!! I really liked him in this one and I LOVED how creepy this one was. I think I've seen this episode more times than any in the whole series....mostly because we started recording Star Trek during season 4 and we rewatched them all the freaking time.

5. Starship Mine - Episode 6:18 - Ok, this one is fun for so many reasons. Picard is hot all the way through and says the word 'saddle' several times. The 'small talk' guy that Riker and Co. are stuck with at the reception on the surface is pretty freaking awesome. I love how they teach Data to do 'small talk.' And then Picard is hot. And a badass. Love it!!

4. Parallels - Episode 7:11 - This episode is all kinds of awesome because, to put it quite simply, I ship Worf/Troi. I really really ship those two. I do love me some Riker, but I was tired of their whole drama that dragged on forever and ever and I just loved the scenes in this episode with Troi as Worf's wife. It was fabulous! And I loved the ending, when he invites her to dinner and she stays. :) yeehaw!!

3. The Inner Light - Episode 5:25 - And we're back to season 5. Again. This episode is on "Best Episode EVER" lists all over the internet, so I won't say anything more than this: Ok. Maybe this is the episode I've seen more times than any other.

2. The Host - Episode 4:23 - Now, I am not a huge Dr. Crusher fan by any stretch, and I really don't like this episode because of her. I love this episode because of everyone else. I love the scenes with Troi where she beats Crusher with a 2x4 to get her to talk about what's going on. I love the scenes with Picard when he's the most wonderful and supportive best friend, even though we know he's a little jealous. But who do I love the most? Riker. Of course. This is the most romantic episode in the entire series (in my opinion) and he makes the whole thing. I had to admit my undying love for William T. when I saw this episode. Just the way he looks at her...*dies*

and now for the one you've all been waiting for!! My favoritist TNG episode of all time:

1. The Best of Both Worlds, Parts 1&2 - Episodes 3:26 and 4:1 - Yes, this counts as one. Don't make me hit you. What can I say about this episode? Creepy? Heck YES! Awesome? You bet. Ensemble? Holy crap. Picard awesomeness? Of course. Soundtrack? Best ever. Story with crazy awesome villain? Oh yeah. This episode in its two parts still gives me chills when I watch it. The writers managed to instill a great amount of terror into the concept of The Borg. They've biffed it since then, but at the time, there was nothing scarier. Fabulous!

When I counted up my favorite episodes, I had 24 after the first sweep. It was hard to narrow it down, but I did. Just know that if you see a deliciously creepy or scary episode: I loved it. If you see a freaking hilarious episode: I loved it. If Picard is hot/badass in an episode: I loved it. If Riker is funny/cute/heroic in an episode: I loved it. If the entire cast was involved in most of the episode: I loved it. So yeah, that accounts for the extra 14-15 episodes on my favorites list.

That was enormous amounts of fun.

What else is enormous amounts of fun? Last night's episodes of The Big Bang Theory and, yea even of HIMYM, though the latter wasn't as funny as it's ever been. Who would like to play "Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock" with me?

"Star Trek 1 is orders of magnitude more awful than Star Trek 5!"
"Star Trek 5 is the standard by which all badness is measured!"

Fabulous nerdy goodness. I have to agree with Raj on that one though. Star Trek 5 is the worst movie in the world.

Now that I'm cheerful, I won't talk about anything that's depressing. There's nothing new to report anyway.

As promised....August 21st and my Hamlet thoughts.

narniadear — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:06:02 GMT

I went to bed really early last night (9:30!!) and so now I'm up really early. I figured I'd use the time to type up my ramblings from last Thursday night. Now, these ramblings cover the whole entire day because it was a day unlike any other I've experienced in my life...in a bad way and in a good way. So, remember that I'm not writing it now, just typing it. Forgive my mixed tenses and terrible grammar. This is very VERY long. :)

8/22/08 12:54 AM
Faviere House, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom, Western Hemisphere, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way

(I decided to see how long I could get that address.)
I have to write about this day of the trip because it's been the longest, most eventful, most expensive day of my entire decade thus far, not to mention the entire trip. (maybe not.)

6:00 AM I woke up 45 minutes before the alarm went off because my mom was trying to get out of that infernal air mattress bed. I tried to sleep some more, but everyone was bustling around getting ready. We were leaving London and everything had to be packed.

I was going to try to get the rental car early because we really wanted to get Carrie to Stratford as soon as possible to see if she could get a ticket to the play. Oh yeah - today was play day.

7:00 AM We crawled down to breakfast which Mrs. Halligan had gotten up extra early for us. It was good, but it was the same as the last 5 days. I've been able to eat less and less every morning, even though I love the bacon and little croissants.

Laura and I then headed out to catch the bus to the station so that I could pick up the rental car. It's rush hour. Victoria Station. It took us all of our extra time to get there and find the rental car place.

7:55 AM We realize that they don't open until 8:00 AM

8:00 AM They open and I go through the long and irritating process of renting and signing my life away. I am terrified and at about 8:20, I finally get into the terrifying car. (Laura took this video. Pay no attention to my bad hair.)

It's not fun, not even in the "I'm having an awesome new adventure!" kind of way. We navigate out of the station and I stall the car. We get on the wrong road and have to drive around the station and I stall the car. I realize that this is really going to suck at just about the moment I stall the car again. We finally find Vauxhall Bridge road, which is a triumph. We're going the right way! and WHACK! My passenger side rear view mirror is folded in and Laura gives a little yelp. I've hit something with that mirror. Fabulous. I couldn't tell what it was, so I turned onto our road. To my shock and dismay, a little red car pulls up alongside me and it takes me a minute to realize that he's trying to force me to pull over. Hm. That must be what I hit.

The guy leaps out of his car shouting all the way. I tried to explain to him in my very convincing and patheitc way that I didn't realize that I'd hit him and no, I wasn't trying to escape and I'm sorry, but this is the first time I've driven on the left side of the road and the right side of the car. I didn't cry, but I was legitimately pathetic. I went to write down all my information, cringing at the thought of what it would cost. I came back to give it to him and he had calmed down considerably. He apologized for running me off the road and yelling at me and explained that his car was new. (I had created two black scuff marks on his red rear view mirror paint job). He told me that he'd just take my number and let me know if the insurance (his) wouldn't pay for all of it. I think he felt bad when he found out I was in a rental. I was much encouraged by his change of attitude and we left on good terms. It will still cost me money in the long run, but will probably be much less complicated. This is extra cost #1 of this day.

9:00 AM We make it back to the house and I've sworn Laura to secrecy about my (first) unfortunate incident. No one in my travel party knows, so SHH!! Stay tuned for further adventures with that passenger side.

We get loaded up and pray together before we head out. We don't have clear directions, we just know that we need the M40...on the Northwest side of London. We are currently on the Southwest side of London.

10:00 AM I could fill the hour with minute by minute descriptions of how terrible and harrowing our drive through and out of the city was, but I won't. It was terrifying because I was still pulling to close to things on the left and people were pulling too close to me on the right. Everyone in the car was totally wound up the whole time, and to quote Pam Beesly: "It sucked."

10:10 AM We've missed several turnoffs to the M1 which we believe (mistakenly) will bring us to the M40. We're on the main drag heading north and are now in suburbia. Out of London. I've already hit the front passenger tire once on the curb in my attempts to drive all topsy turvy. The second hit would prove to be our undoing.

10:30 AM We've missed another important turnoff and ended up in a completely unknown place. It's not M1, it's not the M25, the A5, the M40, or anything we wanted. And I hit the left front wheel again in my distracted driving.

My mother is in the front seat this entire time. She's good at navigating, but really bad at keeping her cool. She's a drama queen and kind of a glass-half-empty kind of gal. Her gasps of terror were really getting on my nerves, which made what finally happened that much more hard to bear.

10:31 AM We pull up to a light on this unknown street and the guy in the car to our left rolls down his window and calmly points at the tire "Your tire is flat." It is? We start moving again and as my mother exclaims in that 'I told you you were too far over and that it was going to ruin our lives!' kind of way, I can definitely feel that the tire is flat. Gasps of terror from my mom. My heart just sank. Guilt about driving so badly that in less than 3 hours I've had two incidents. Guilt that we won't ever get to Stratford on time for Carrie to be able to get a ticket to the play. Total prideful shame that I had completely failed at this task to the inconvenience of everyone else. Terror at how much it was going to cost.

10:32 AM "I smell burning rubber" - This from my mother as I pulled into a little neighborhood just off the road and parked on a residential street. I remembered the 'if you have a breakdown, just call this number' schpeal from my rental car guy, and without a word I called. I was so angry/upset/stressed at the moment that I couldn't say anything. Again, no crying, but close to exploding. I finally got in touch while Carrie, Laura and Becca made themselves useful by finding out where we were. Watford, at the corner of Bushy Mill and Tudor Lane. So I told them and she said someone would be there within an hour and fifteen minutes.

I settled in for my long and infuriated wait. I could tell everyone was trying hard not to appear annoyed/terrified/I-told-you-so. They were sweet, but none of it helped.

10:50 AM Amazingly, our guy go there quick. He very quickly established what we had already figured out: no spare tire in this car. (It was a VW Touron). He said "Hm. I'm not sure what to do now because the rental car company could pay it and you'd pay them, but you'd have to call and clear it. Or, I could just take you to the tire place and have you pay for it." Having read Becky Foulger's blog about her tyre replacement adventures in England, I decided on the latter. So, Graham (that was his name) took the tyre off and I got in his van with him to go buy one.

11:00 AM (a mere three hours after I picked the freaking car up from the rental place) Graham looks like a British version of Vezzini from the Princess Bride, but with a head of white hair. He's very kind to me and we arrive at the tire shop right in town. He informs me that it will be expensive. ₤85 for the tire. This is now extra cost #2.

We sat for all of 10 minutes while the tire guys gave me a new tire. I'm still so upset, bu tkind of numb and a bit cheered to be having someone help me so nicely. I then look up and see TARDIS car air fresheners. Laura bought the Dalek from the Doctor Who museum shop (which sucked), but they didn't have the TARDIS. I grabbed one of those and a K-9 for me. Right here in the Watford garage! Definitely a bright spot.

11:10 AM We arrive back at the car to discover a nice lady taking care of the other girls. She brought them lemonade and let them use her bathroom, and they didn't even ask. She just saw them stranded. Her name is Betty and I'm grateful for her. Graham put the tire on, gave me some directions pep talk, showed me a map, and we were off. About a 90 minute delay. Definitely not as bad as I'd thought.

Here's where we stopped and unloaded the luggage, looking for a spare tire. Luckily we were off the main road.

Here's my mom coming out of Betty's house, the lovely lady across the street who helped us.

11:20 AM I now thoroughly despise this car. There's been nothing remotely fun about it and I'm the only one insured on it. Alas, I have to drive it anyway. I'm still completely put out by the whole ordeal. Everyone else is being really supportive, though I'm still feeling guilt.

2:00 PM AFter Graham's perfect directions got us onto the freeways, we zipped right up to Stratford. We only arrived 3 hours later than I wanted to [/sarcasm] and it took some maneuvering to find our guest house, but we made it.

2:10 PM Stratford is adorable, our rooms at the guest house are roomy and adorable, and I'm grateful. I claim a big bed selfishly for myself. Carrie and I get cleaned up and run out the door toward the theater to see about tickets. Laura and Becca follow on our heels.

2:25 PM AFter some strange back way navigating, we finally figure out that the theater is way down the river and that there's no bridge but at the town center...until we see the sign for the foot ferry with the slogan "It's shorter by water. 50p" underneath it. This ferry is probably the most adorable thing I've ever seen. About 15 people can get in, sit down, and be cranked (not paddled, not rowed, not pulled) across a very narrow part of the river. It takes about 30 seconds in total. It's well worth the 50p as we find ourselves right in front of the Courtyard Theater.

2:30 PM We dash into the box office and Carrie discovers that there's zilch. I feel guilt guilt guilt. She doesn't help. WE scoured the cool RSC shop for David Tennant goodies and Hamlet stuff, and I realized that Carrie wasn't with us. (I bought a fabulous Shakespeare Handbook there that is so useful and awesome.) When we finally got outside, we discovered that Carrie had placed herself in the "Hamlet tickets or bust" line. She didn't seem too pleased about it and I felt more guilt, but it was cool to see that she only had about 10 people in front of her.

2:50 PM So we ditch Carrie at the theater and head home. We stopped at the Stratford tourist shop where I bought some postcards and a really awesome magnet with little rope legs and arms...of Shakespeare, of course. this brings my magnet total to 4. Postcard total? 80 billion.

3:00 PM Adding the new booty to my awesome cloth RSC bag, we decided to follow a nice lady's directions to a bookstore. We wanted copies of Hamlet for the play, to read along. Yeah. Silliest idea ever and I'll tell you why later. We find our bookstore, our Hamlets, and some tempting British Harry Potter. We refrain from the Harry Potter, but I do remember to get Katie A's book for her. Success!

3:20 PM We haven't eaten since breakfast at the buttcrack of dawn, so we stop at Sainsbury's (I love Sainsbury's) and buy food. We headed over to give Carrie some food and water and then got on the foot ferry again.

3:45 PM While on the foot ferry (remember, 30 seconds) the clouds opened up and we got wet. As we pulled into the opposite bank, it stopped...only to start up again about am inute later. This time, with a vengeance. I positioned myself to try to protect my poor new books from the rain and ended up with a soaking wet back. We pretty much ended up with a soaking wet everything. But, we made it home.

4:00 PM Carrie calls to tell me she needs to pay for her hypothetical ticket in cash...and that she's out. More stress. AFter we eat and I get seriously GI sick...

4:30 PM Mom and I drove (yuck) the money down to her. I hate driving that car.

4:45 PM We make it home and somehow I waste 45 minutes. By this time I'm rather blitzed.

5:30 PM I finally start getting ready for the play by taking a HOT shower. We're having a cab pick us up at 6:30 because my mom can't walk it and we'd have no place to park if I drove.

6:30 PM I rush out the door, forgetting my copy of Hamlet, but remembering my Sharpie and Hamlet postcards...just in case.

6:40 PM We arrived at the lovely theater and I'm terribly excited. Carrie still doesn't have a ticket. And then, I heard my name: Katie P with lovely blonde hair is there before my eyes...in the flesh! Today will go down in history as the day I saw David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, and Katie P. (katzamboni) Live and in person. If you don't know why this was so momentous, ask me and I'll tell you. It was cool. I also got to meet Kama (kama_police) of KamaCon fame. How awesome is that?

6:45 PM We headed into the theater and realize that our seas aren't bad. Narrow and stuffy, but not bad. The theater fills up and Carrie still doesn't have a ticket. Guilt.

7:15 PM It begins. Now, this is why I started writing about today, but now I don't know if I can make it. We'll see. Awesome stuff about this production of Hamlet...no it's too complicated. Let me sum up: Patrick Stewart as the ghost! Awesome! Favorite scenes:

The first scene with Hamlet and the Ghost. I've never seen them touch before and when David Tennant on his knees puts h is arms around Patrick Stetwart's waist as his father's ghost and they embrace...I melted.

The 'To be' scene. When he first walks on with his hair all messed up in bare feet? Magic. The soliloquy? Perfect. Made wonderful sense. This entire scene with that speech, Ophelia, and then Polonius and ending with "The play's the thing" soliloquy was one of the most brilliant pieces of work I've ever beheld. That last soliloquy "Am I a coward?" just slayed me and it's never been my favorite before. HIs scenes with Polonius were perfect and we were allowed to laugh. Good funny. His treatment of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is PERFECT, as the knowing scorn just oozes from him until he says "You cannot play me like a pipe." toward the end of the play.

The Polonius/Claudius/Gertrude scene where she says "More matter and less art" was beautifully done. Great Polonius. Very funny. (This Polonius you've all seen in Sense and Sensibility. He plays the doctor at the end that says "If I bleed her, it would kill her..." He's a great Polonius.)

Hamlet in his mother's chambers. I've never had that scene move me so much. When the ghost walked in, reminded Hamlet of his 'blunted purpose' and then turned to go...just then catching a gaze at Gertrude as if he couln't help it...and then when all three of them were holding hands, all the while Gertrude doesn't know he's there...WOW! So powerful! I really loved this Gertrude. More of Hamlet on the floor hugging one of his parents...and it was so touching. He loved them. He wanted their family to always be together. And then the flippant "goodnight mother!" as he drags Polonius' body out the door.

This, of course, is followed by the Hamlet taped to the rolley office chair scene which was brilliant. Here is where the Doctor showed up, spoke a bit of Shakespeare, and took a bow with flourish. When he says "And now, to England" and tries to roll himself toward the exit, I thought we'd die laughing.

Ophelia mad and Laertes quivering with rage taught me something about this play. Hamlet lost his father and pretended to be mad and attempted to go crazy with rage and revenge. He couldn't quite manage either of those reactions and spent a lot of time wondering why. Shakespeare then shows us Ophelia as if to say "Here is what being driven mad with grief really looks like" and then the same thing with Laertes and his revenge. It's supposed to be a contrast, I think. I didn't see that until this show, mostly because David Tennant's delivery o f the soliloquies and the direction helped me see and understand Hamlet better. Great stuff.

Patrick Stewart was never so good as when he was plotting with Laertes. It was very cool and done in much more of a 'business deal' type of way. Excellent.

That fabulous blue shirt that Hamlet wears before he puts on his fencing garb...yowza! And the tawny orange Converse shoes? Yeah. Perfect. Doctor Hamlet died with his Converse on. As it should be.

Have I mentioned Horatio yet? Should. He was wonderful and I actually believed the love that he and Hamlet had for one another. It was really moving.

How fun was it that Patrick Stewart got to wave his hand and say in a commanding voice "See that it is so." or that David Tennant got to say "The time is out of joint. O cursed spite,/that ever I was born to set it right." HA! So great. And there was nothing cooler than the "Words...words, Words?" line delivery. Brilliant and why didn't someone think of that before??

The scene at the graveside. "I loved Ophelia!" *dies*

The first soliloquy that he delivers ("O, that this too too solid flesh would melt...") through gut-wrenching crying. Wow. It has to be done that way. I was slayed by it as he delivered it from the corner of the stage all curled up in a ball. And then when Horatio and the guards enter at the end, I love the way he hurriedly wiped his tears away and crossed the stage to stand apart from them. It was so great.

There's more. I'll think of it later.

9:15 PM Intermission - Carrie got in!! Rejoicing all around. During this time, I head out to find the stage door...just in case.

11:00 PM The play's over and we book it to the stage door. I'm about 3 rows deep with my post card and a sharpie and my camera...And there he is!

He started at his right and worked his way left. I was WAY to his left.

We take video and pictures and I can't believe he's so close...so I reach my postcard and then try again and finally get it to his eye level. He wonders aloud if his sharpie will show up on the black (it does, beautifully) and then signs it! Triumph!

All the while he's expressing his thanks and smiling and being all-together affable and fabulous. I get shunted back a bit, even though I try to use my long arms to get Laura's program signed...and then I drop my camera. No worries, it's happened before. I pick it up...and it's done for. The screen is completely toast.

11:15 PM In the elation over my autograph, I can't be too upset about my camera and unexpected cost #3 of the day. I went to find my mom and show her my spoils, feeling grateful that my SD card, complete with all the pictures of the entire trip, is intact. I went to look at the SD card reassuringly...and it's gone. It came out when I dropped my camera and has probably been crushed to dust by many feet. Now I'm not excited about anything anymore and I headed off to see if I can possibly find it.

11:17 PM I ended up back where I was when David came out and there was my card on the cobble stones, looking innocent and intact. Whew! I may have bad luck (leaving my bag on a bus, flat tire, breaking my camera) but it is always followed by good luck. (Getting my bag back, having great help with the tire, and finding my SD card). I breathed a sigh of relief, mourned my poor dead camera, and headed home.

12:54 AM Started writing this.

1:30 AM Made mom move to the big bed so she'd be more comfy. She fell asleep immediately.

3:05 AM Finally done with this day. Holy Crap. I wish with all my heart that I could see that play again.

That took me a solid 90 minutes to type. It's now time to go get ready for work! 7:05 this morning. :)