Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Find a Happy Place

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you've read An Echo in the Bone. 



Maybe it's the rain. Maybe it's the wind. Maybe it's the FREEZING COLD day in New Jersey. Or maybe... just maybe... it's JFW.

Jamie Fraser Withdrawal.

I knew this day would come. I just didna know so soon. Lassies - I just made oatmeal biscuits with beef stew for dinner. Now why do you think I did that? I even served them with honey. My god. I'm starting to understand Claire's doage of Lord John. Hell I'm making BISCUITS AND STEW to feel closer to Jamie. At this point, fornicating with his BFF doesna sound so "out there", ya know?

School pick-up today was the hardest it's been since I finished the series. Absolutely brutal. Probably because it was pouring buckets of rain and I was stuck in my car with nothing but my Kindle. Detect a bad attitude toward my Kindle today? Well you're right. I'm angry at that non-"new Charlaine Harris novel"-offering daughter of a pocked whore. Mmmmphhhh!!!! So I read through parts of Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade... but quickly headed over to Outlander. Yup. The wedding night. I'll admit it. I went straight to it... like an addict to the crack, I tell ya.  That is what I've become. An addict in withdrawl, rifling through bathroom cabinets and pulling up cushions on my couch... just looking for a hit. Somewhere. Anywhere. No matter how small and insignificant. I'll take it, yes I will. I'll take it because I've had 8 STRAIGHT MONTHS OF LOVELY, MOIST, FRESH JAMIE FRASER.... and now I have nothing. It makes my Edward Cullen withdrawal look like giving up gum for Lent.  How I'm going to survive this (without gaining 50 pounds since I had THREE, count 'em, THREE biscuits with butter and honey) I'll never know.

24 comments:

  1. Here's how you survive: Get a job that requires you to work, like, 700 hours a day.

    Seriously. That is the ONLY way I've not fallen to pieces myself. I simply don't have TIME to miss Jamie.

    BTW, I have the new Sookie and I hear it's nosogoo. Just sayin....

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  2. new sookie is meh. not enough eric.

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  3. Awwww....Carol. I'm so sorry. As you know, I'm ok and not experiencing the same withdrawal symptoms you are. Prolly cuz I was at peace with how Echo ended. I thought it was going to be MUCH worse.

    Besides...I seriously think we'll see a 2011 release date for Book 8.

    Sookie - Yeah...I heard it wasn't so great. :(

    Outlander Re-Read - Let's do it, Girl!! Gotta start from the beginning though.

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  4. Carol I too feel your pain. I have been listening to Scottish bagpipes all evenning. I feel like my best friends left me to go on a wild trip and I'm here alone feeling sorry for myself. I just finished Echo last night. How am I going to handle this JFW?

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  5. Reread, reread, reread (keep chanting this). It is the only way to scratch that itch.

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  6. Jonesin' for some Jamie.. Huh?

    I miss Jamie too, and I have read the series twice already. Will I do a third one? I don't know.

    But, definitely re-read, Carol. And blog while you're at it, I would love to read your comments from the beginning of the series...

    The "crack" is good, though. I also go straight to the wedding, the wedding night, the days after, and Lallybroch...Sigh...Those were some good times.
    Found myself trying to explain Jamie to yet another neighbor I am trying to get to read the series. And what does she say? "Oh, I am not really into reading fiction."
    Whatever, lady! You have no idea what you are missing.

    Jamie, where are you???
    Did I mention I miss Jamie?

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  7. I TOTALLY know where you are coming from. I tried to "feed" my addiction by desperately trying to find another series that would grab me like this one...Oh yeah, I've read them all - Into the Wilderness, The Bronze Horseman, Pamela Clare's Mackinnon's Ranger Trilogy etc, etc, anything to try to be close to Jamie - the best one I've found is Cindy Brandner's Exit Unicorns series (it even has a Jamie but he's Irish!) It managed to ease the pain the most, although nothing compares to Outlander! I'm going on month 8 of being done and every day it gets a little easier...(I'm listening to DOA audiobook, that helps too)

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  8. I've started over. That's how I'm handling it so far. I've just re-finished Voyager and I paused to read the new Sookie (Disappointing! Not enough happy parts) But I have visions of Stephen Bonnet creeping into my head, so I'll have to pick up and continue. :-)

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  9. The people have spoken Carol -
    RE-READ!

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  10. I feel your pain Carol, I've been going through withdraw since I finished Echo in February. I searched all things Outlander on the internet (that's how I found you), browse the message boards, cannot start my day without the Ladies of Lallybroch website and QOTD. I've got my husband and three friends reading the series at different points just to suck the "jamie-essence" from them and beg them to talk to me about where they are. I've read the LJG books in chronological order and am currently in BOTB .... I'm also listening to Outlander on my ipod ... which is a WONDERFUL way to re-kilt ..... to get to the point - it's a sickness, a dibilitating, heart-breaking illness that only has one cure .... rereading. And, maybe that's what I'll have to do as well. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is ..... "I hear ya sista!"

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  11. Wow THANK YOU everyone! I was like "oh god they're going to think I'm a freak if I blog about how sad I am" but clearly this is a sickness that has afflicted many of you, too!

    Jeanie - you have given me an idea. I never blogged about Outlander. Did the same thing with the Twilight series; started a blog on Book 2. Sooooo... I OWE it to all of you to READ OUTLANDER AGAIN - and blog about it! Lorddddddd... that'll be some obnoxious blog posts! Remember "Watch while I take ye" blog? That will be NOTHING compared to "I canna be gentle about it!" NO SIREE!

    PS - Jenn M - it's ON. I don't even think I'm going to read Sookie #10. I haven't heard one good comment yet. They had me at "not enough Eric".

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  12. Hey Carol, Been there, sister. After Echo I joined some OL Facebook pages and then found the Outlander Book Club. OMG, I must have posted 100 comments in the first week. Book by book, character by character, holy cow I was in heaven. Then I realized that these people have been discussing these books and characters for years, but they're very nice and they tolerate this obsession well. My fam thinks I've totally lost it. Reread, rekilt, read NigheanDub's symbolism pieces, you'll think that you were reading diff books, they're wonderful. Enjoy!

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  13. Awww, big hugs to you. You did it!!!

    This is when I started reading the Lord John novels...not quite the same, but hey, it's an Outlander-series character, and there is mention (and maybe some sightings!) of Jamie. And I'm enjoying them anyway.

    I play to read the Into the Wilderness series at some point too...my to-read list is a mile long, and I still want to re-read the Outlander series. Too many books, so little time. :/

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  14. Tracy, I have a profession to suggest: English teacher! Not only will you be busy with TONS of grading, but it will allow you to appreciate how GOOD Herself's writing is!

    Carol, as if JFW wasn't bad enough, soon you will have to deal with MLW-Major Lost Withdrawl. We're coming to the end....and Jack...don't let him be alone...please....and if we could see some more bare chest shots, I would be a happy camper... :0

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  15. And may I suggest listening to the audio versions? It helps you go a bit more slowly...and here's hoping for that 2011 release!

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  17. JFW is the worst. ( And the same month I am finished Echo in the Bone and Lost is over - that is a lot to handle LOL )

    To handle my JFW I bought a Jamie coffee mug so I can have him with me every time I drink coffee. I am pretty sure my husband thinks I am insane. I am so glad I found my way over here to know that I am not crazy!! Jamie is really that amazing hahaha

    I don't think another book or series will ever move me like Outlander but right now I am reading the Into the Wilderness series. I was trying to postpone my Re reading of Outlander, but I may have to re read with you Carol. I still need to read Lord John . And I am sad to hear the new Sookie is a disappointment. Not enough Eric is a huge violation!!

    At least I have True Blood premiere and midnight Eclipse to look forward to.

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  18. If you manage to find the happy place, let us know. I finished my first reread a couple of weeks ago. Thought I was on the wagon. Then I picked up the first Lord John...and it's all coming back.

    "My name is Stephanie and I am a JAMMF addict."

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  19. You guys all rock. Seriously. I have been doing much better the past few days. Most likely this is due to lots of sunshine.. and lots going on that is keeping me busy. I have a feeling rainy days will be my nemesis until I have new Jamie in my hands. (ooooh new Jamie in my hands! What a lovely thought!) ;)

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  20. I just Googled 'Outlander book 8 release date' and got nada... except your blog post... from MAY OF 2010!!! Lord help us!!! Come on Diana, we're dying out here! Do you think she heard me? Yeah, me neither. Wah!

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    1. Anonymous...first off...THANK YOU for sending this because I am giggling my ASS OFF at my own damned post! OutSTANDing!!! Secondly, I made beef stew again tonight, so that's pretty darned funny, too. Thirdly - last I heard was fall of 2013. Karen over at Outlandish Observations will definitely have it posted somewhere. Fourth (crap, there's a fourth!) I have been totally obsessing over Book 8 lately...to the point where I'm considering a reread. And I don't really even like rereads...but LORDDDDDDDDDDDDDD I need me some Jamie Fraser.

      Mmmmppphhhhhmmmm!!!! :)

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  21. Good Lord fall 2013!?!?! I may go postal! Ok... Re-read it is! Hmmm... Beef stew sounds glorious! Biscuits with butter and honey even bettah

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  22. Biscuits with honey and butter...NICE! I didn't make those. Or bannocks. Bollocks! LOL

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