The Third Sister Finishes Outlander!

Just got this from my sister, Jill, who just finished Outlander and couldn't figure out how to leave a comment in the comments section. (Don't ask.) Enjoy!!

OK, so I decided to just give you my comments and you can post them if you like.  It will be so much easier.  Here goes:

1.  I don't consider myself a slow reader.  I'm an efficient reader.  Besides, it took me awhile to get used to all those dinnas and cannas and dunnas and ye's etc.  I was half way through the book before I realized "ken" meant "know".

2.  Yes, I meant Jenny.  Ellen is my pregnant grade partner with twin boys and I was reading about a woman with 2 fathers of her baby, I got confused.

3.  The page before the preview said, "And look for the NEXT installment of the acclaimed Outlander series.... Read on for a preview..."  I do what I'm told.

4.  Tell Karen it's actually the other way around.  How have I been able to hold out this long with my sisters being so addicted.  I've considered an intervention.

5.  Tracey, don't line up for any Academy award.  I knew in Carol's kitchen that I was in for a lot more violence.  How did I know?  FROM YOUR REACTION!

6.  Carol, don't profess to know whose name I call out in my sleep.  Just last night I took Jamie, I mean Howie, to our hot spring, I mean hot tub, but my breasts wouldn't float.

7.  No, I'm not a changeling, but that was a REALLY good movie years ago! 

8.  Now, I was a bit disappointed in my hero, Jamie, towards the end.  How many times did he come riding in on his white horse to save Claire?  My fictional heroes need to continue that no matter what happens.  But when he's dying he starts giving up and wants her to go back home.  Boohoo so you've been beaten, flogged, done up the ass, hand smashed and nailed to a table, blah blah blah.  Man up and be my hero without needing opium to do it!!  Reminds me a bit of Edward when he wussed out while Bella was pregnant.  Did I hit a nerve??

9.  After regaining consciousness at the suggestion of Jared Padelecki being Jamie, (great picture btw!  Carol, can you get me a poster of that pic for the ceiling above my bed?)  Anyway, Jared will always be my Sam Winchester and no one else.  Besides, he doesn't have red hair.  In my opinion, we haven't seen Jamie yet.  He should be a total unknown.

10.  Thank you for the opportunity to get all that off my chest.  Third sister, signing out.

Echo Excerpt in Outlander: WTF???

So my sister, Jill, just finished Outlander. (Give a collective cheer because she's only been reading it for about 6 months or so. And this WITH a trip to Italy, no less. LOTS of plane time... but I digress.)

And THIS is what I just get in my email box:

I finished the book.  I started reading the excerpt from the next book.  Who the heck is having a baby with 2 fathers????  And where is Ellen cause it keeps saying Ian.  And where are they????

Now... I'm not really sure WHY she's asking about Ellen. Does she mean Jenny? Ugh - whatevs. Anyway - whoever signed off on putting an Echo excerpt at the end of ANYTHING OTHER THAN A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES should have a SERIOUS talking-to by his or her boss.

(Please tell me it wasn't Diana. DOH!)

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat - 9:00PM Eastern - TONIGHT!

Black Jack Randall is the Devil

Spoiler Alert: Dinna read unless you have read Dragonfly in Amber.

After a particularly busy weekend that involved a wedding, weekend guests and an invitation to a party at a local yacht club (dahhhling) - I finally got a quiet moment to sit down and blog this AM. Only problem - I'm having a really hard time. Why? Because I just got through the horrendous stretch of Jamie being kidnapped, tortured, raped, seasick and finally horrendously dazed and confused at the abbey. How do you banter about that? It was not easy to read - even a second time. Oh no it wasn't. And I knew it wouldn't be. As I've said so many times before in this series, I felt like Jesus at the Garden of Olives; Lord, please let this cup pass over me...

Here's the thing. As hard as it was to read all of that (well, listen to all of that) I keep thinking about Dragonfly. I keep wondering how Claire could have had a problem in the least with Jamie wanting to kill Jack Randall after all the things he did to Jamie - Frank or no Frank. But at the same time - I wonder how Jamie could have not have fallen at Claire's feet and begged for forgiveness at the country home in France when she had lost Faith and almost died. After everything SHE has been through - saving his life at the abbey - she deserved more than she got. Yes, yes, he told her how much he loved her and was so sad and blah blah blah - but come on now. I don't even see where conversation was needed. Only "Claire. I. Was. Wrong."

Now - do you see what a perplexing paradox this is for me?! I'm annoyed at HER for stopping him from killing Jack Randall - and I'm annoyed at HIM for not kissing her ass enough over him almost killing Jack Randall! Holy hell - I've confused the crap out of myself!

I will leave you with this thought, sassenachs: I'm headed to the sulfur spring. I feel like it's a fantastic dessert I have earned after long hours of hard work slaying dragons.

Let the swimming begin...

We Interrupt this Outlander Blog...

...to talk for a moment about The Pillars of the Earth, which I finally watched last night.

YOW. SA!!!  I could not BELIEVE how much of that book I forgot. There are so many storylines - and all I really remembered was Tom Builder and Ellen. Holy COW! 

I have to say - I truly enjoyed it. I really liked Rufus Sewell as Tom Builder - even though I pictured him completely differently (Kevin McKidd from the second he was mentioned, actually). I was a little confused at Ellen. I expected the character to be played in a much more sultry and seductive way. The actress - Natalia Worner - was very good (holy crap when she peed on the table I thought I'd die) but just not what I was expecting. And hello? Did someone forget the scene in the woods between Tom Builder and Ellen??? How could they omit that? I am wondering if it will be a flashback.

Hayley Atwell - aka Aliena - was awesome. Perfect casting.

Donald Sutherland - her father, Bartholomew - equally as riveting. But then, when is Donald Sutherland not awesome? (I can hear Tracey saying "He's the father of Jack Bower! Of COURSE he's riveting!")

I am looking forward to - yikes - tomorrow already?! I can't believe how much of the book they shoved into one two hour episode!

Biggest actor surprise of the night? Matthew MacFadyen - Prior Phillip - aka MR DARCY in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE!!! You could have knocked me over with a feather when I put that together in my brain (with a little help from IMDB, of course!)

So You Think You Can Play Jamie Fraser?!

Tracey came up with a reality show idea that is PRICE. LESS. Luvs it! She posted it in the comments section but I think it warrants a full blog entry. The following is what she came up with. 

PS - I want to be a judge!

OK, lassies, I have refined the idea for the show (which is now going by "So You Think You Can Play Jamie Fraser?") It will be a cross between American Idol/Dancing with the Stars and Project Runway/Top Chef.

• There's a host and four judges. HERSELF, as we've determined, is head judge. Maybe the movie screenwriter (whoever that may be) is second judge. Still haven't determined the third judge. Then there's the special guest MOP judge, which features a rotating cast from our own ranks.

• The search begins with casting calls in three-four cities, like on American Idol. (Edinburgh is one of those cities.) That's where we have the first few eps that feature the auditions of bad, laughable Jamies.
From these auditions, the field is narrowed to maybe 20 potential Jamies.

• Now it turns more Project Runway-y. Each week, the Jamies have some sort of challenge they have to complete, with the judges getting rid of one Jamie per week. (I canna decide if America should also vote--maybe that starts happening when we get to the top five Jamies.)

• After the final challenge--voila, we have our Jamie!!!!

So whaddya think some appropriate Jamie challenges might be?

Jared Padalecki: Another Possible Jamie Fraser

Megs made a tremendous comment on my last blog entry... mentioning Jared Padalecki as a possible Jamie Fraser. He's from one of my favorite shows of all time (until the writers went and lost their damn minds and messed with the perfection that was "SUPERNATURAL".)  I know, I know, he's not Scottish - or even English or Irish for that matter... but just take a look at the photos over at MyOpera.com. Even if you still dinna think he has Jamie possibilities, it will be a lovely minute or so for your eyes.

Outlander REread: The Perfect Storm

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read OUTLANDER or CROSS STITCH. 

Sigh. I am in the thick of it now, lassies. Jamie's been gone for a while... Claire has been singing for her supper with Murtagh.... and I've been surrounded by the vast cloud of nothingness that is Jamie's absence. I knew it was coming - but it's been hard to deal with. Kindof like when you're headed into NYC via either the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel and you know it's going to be uncomfortable for the next few minutes... but you hit traffic and it ends up being ten times worse than you were expecting.

And now I'm at Wentworth - trying to bust Jamie out with Claire - headed down the stairway toward the torture chamber. In "Perfect Storm" language, I'm "headed right for the middle of the monster."

But there is a light in all this darkness. And that light goes by the name of Dougal MacKenzie.  Holy crap - I wasn't expecting what I got in the cave. I don't know why I thought Dougal was so horrible in that scene. A little smarmy - yes. A little shifty, of course. But he really had feelings for Geilie! Claire said she could tell from his reaction to her comments about her being dead (forgive me - I don't remember the exact phrase - but I believe it involved a "hint of a look of sadness" or something of that nature.) And yes - Dougal suggested Claire come home with him - but I canna necessarily blame him, ken? He expects Jamie to kick it in a matter of days, if not sooner, and he doesna think there is a thing he can do about it.  And Claire is one fine piece of 20th century tail.  Bottom line - I truly have to say I believe him. I think he cares - but thinks all hope is lost - and figures that life goes on. And I'll admit it - if Jamie had never been in the picture.... hmm.... seeing as my Dougal MacKenzie is Dougray Scott... weeeeeelllll... I canna say I'd have turned him down.

Sooooo.... I am looking forward to listening to this section... and I'm terrified to keep going.... but I know I must. That which does not kill us makes us stronger.

(And leads us to the promised land - aka - THE SULFUR SPRING!!!)

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat Tonight! 9PM Eastern y'all. We will be discussing the reread... and Seussical the Musical... and most importantly COMICCON and some possible meet-up ideas (one of which will most ASSUREDLY involve Jock Tamson's Bairns.)

Outlander the Musical: Post Scriptum

When I posted that last entry about Outlander - The Musical, I hadn't heard the rest of the songs. I just listened to the rest of the songs...and since I am not really a fan of most musicals, I unfortunately just can't get excited about this.

Why? Well, for one, I can't get behind Jack Randall and Jamie singing to each other. I just can't.

I was thinking all the songs were like "Is Tu Fuil ‘o Mo Chuislean"...and was picturing a beautiful, soothing, Gaelic show that was different from the "musicals" we're used to seeing on Broadway.

Please understand that I have the utmost respect for all of the talented people who are involved in all aspects of this project. I say 'more power to them' for doing it. But it's just not my cup of tea. I'm thrilled for all of you who are excited for this; I truly am. And when and if there is a movie or series, I'll be excited too.

In fact - maybe AFTER a movie or series has been made, shown and put to rest, I could possibly get behind this. I can't say enough to make sure it's understood that I'm not bashing this project at all. I don't want to be negative about it; just to voice my opinion. I have even revised this post multiple times, just to make sure everyone understands where I'm coming from.

(I just ended a sentence in a preposition... and that gives me the willies... so I need to shut up now.)