Outlander Trailer - SOHO Australia

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

Over the River (Near Matson's Ford) and Through the Woods (Between Valley Forge and Philadelphia) to Mother Claire's House We Go!

SPOILER ALERT:  I have read 21 Chapters in Written in My Own Heart's Blood.  

Gather 'round now, chitlins, 'cuz mama's got a lot to talk about, mmmkayyy?  Talk amongst yourselves...I'll give you a topic:  St. John's Wort is neither a saint, nor a wart.  Discuss!!

First of all...  Ooooh wheee!  That Willy is all kinds of messed up in the head right now, is he not?!  Boyfriend's walkin' around...all disheveled...trying to keep up this facade of being rich-folk...when in all actuality, hereditarily speaking, he doesna have a pot to pee in!  (Unless it's the lady Arabella-Jane's chamber pot...and he's too highfalutin to peep on top of her low-class peeps so soon after she peeped 'em!)

The story of Willie's life.

OK so seriously.  Here's a guy who has been told - his entire life - that he's special.  And rich.  And all of a sudden...BAM!  He ain't worth a dime - figuratively AND literally.  It's got to be completely overwhelming and all-encompassing, no?  You really have to put yourself in William's position to understand why I feel such empathy for him.  His entire world is a lie.  His mother is not his mother.  His father is not his father.  And the very people who raised him and were supposed to protect him have been lying to him all those years.

You think I've got it bad...you
should see the Earl of Ellesmere!

This poor kid is a ticking time bomb!!  He makes Dallas in The Outsiders look like he's out for a stroll at the convenience store parking lot!!  I don't blame him one bit for hating Jamie Fraser.  (Nor does Jamie, I might add.)

But Ian?  WEE Ian?!?  Dude...you better back the eff UP.  I will NOT tolerate you hauling off and hitting Ian in the mouth...and then being all snooty and righteous and telling the officers HE started it.  Well nanny nanny noo noo, ya poor bugger.  I don't feel the least bit sorry for ya when ye act like a child.  Hell, my 9 year old wouldn't play THAT blame game...and he invented it!  His sister does everything wrong..."I don't know" leaves his stuff around the house...and "somebody" moved it when he can't find it.  Believe me - I know a good bit about acting like a child...and William's doing a rip-roarin' job.

Hey Rachel...
Want a piece of this?

And how about Miss Rachel being all bedroom eyed over Ian's fine arse in the woods...or his johnson private parts under the loin cloth breechclout for that matter!  Girlfriend is in HEAT!  I love it!  Quaker or no, she knows one fine piece of homely, skinny ass when she sees it!  I found it totally bittersweet when Herself said Rachel just liked to talk to Ian...and look at his face (so paraphrasing but you get the gist).  I love that he's found someone who's so gaga over him that she just wants to stare at him.  But it made me sad to think of his face being tattooed forever...and her probably being sad for him, even though he's not sad for himself.  I think those tattoos would probably make me love him more...because it would make him seem vulnerable in a way.  (And we all know how much Carol loves vulnerability in her fictional men!)

Honestly, it kills me to not know what Wee Ian looks like.  I wish someone would sit Diana Gabaldon down with a sketch artist and make her draw him for us.  I've always seen him like Joe Mazzello...but I'd love to know how she sees him (along with sooo many other characters!)

It also pains me to hear Ian rehashing and reliving "Emily" in his mind while filling Rachel in on all the sordid deets.  Ahem...cough bloort coughhhh!!!

Excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth a little at the mere thought of that awful woman.

Why, yes!  That is my nephew who
thinks I'm dead.  Thanks for asking!

OK getting back to the matter at hand.  Jamie...cruising along Lancaster Avenue  Route 30  Lincoln Highway  the main road to Philadelphia, on someone's wagon.  Like an even hotter, red-heided Pa Ingalls - trying to get back to Claire...so she can tell him just what she was thinking about, sleeping with Lord John, which he finds somewhat Mary McNabbesque.  (Not sure I remember him meeting back up with Mary for a little third base after that...a la Claire and Lord John...but why split hand jobs hairs).  I have to be honest - I don't really want Claire to get off that easy (pun intended!)  but - again - it's almost easier to write it off than spend a ton of time dwelling on it...just like the situation with Jenny.

So here's Jamie, riding along...and there is FRIGGIN IAN WHO THINKS HE'S DEAD walking alongside of him!!!  Oh holy hell - I sat right up (in my lounge chair by the pool where I was ignoring my family all afternoon) and said "No WAY!!!!!"  (I can't WAIT until we see Ian realize Jenny's still alive, too!!)  And poor Rachel is running alongside the gaggle of lobsterbacks...trying to keep track of where they're taking her Scottish Mohawk man.  (Um, did Ian not tell you to go to Mother Claire and help him get out of this mess?  So whatcha doin' still here, missy??) And then SHE looks at Jamie and almost falls the hell over...which is beyond deliciously fun, no?!

And when Jamie blackmails Willie and thinks to himself "Oh shiz - I couldna even take him!"???  Oh that just did it for me.  I am as entrenched as anyone can be at this point.

Yup.  I'm knee-deep in NEW GABALDON!!!  

It's like Christmas morning when you've unwrapped all your new toys and you love everything...but you've only tested out a few so far and they couldn't tear you away from these new toys if they tried.

A few quick points:  

- Kindof glad we have't heard from Mother Claire and Hal in the last few chapters.  I needed a break from Hal's asthma and Claire's ministrations.

- Love the complexity of the situation with Ian and Rachel...and Denny and Dottie for that matter.  Religious tradition and its upheaval in one's life always spices up a storyline.

- All y'all have no iDEA how juicy all this Philadelphia burbs stuff is.  Valley Forge...Matson's Ford (which is current day Conshohocken, y'all)...Brandywine...Jethro Woodbine (as in Woodbine Avenue)...it's like Diana Gabaldon was in my class at St. Norbert's and went on all the field trips with me.  Something tells me she didn't sing quite as loudly and obnoxiously as I did on the bus rides there and back...but I digress.

- Jamie has always, ALWAYS acted like a father to William.  So many instances of him showing him tough love...just like a good dad would do.  It warms my heart.  Jamie just walked up to him - grabbed him by the ear (OK not the ear but you know what I mean) - and told him what he was going to do...because it was the RIGHT thing to do.  I have such love for this sad little non-relationship, I canna conTAIN myself.  I can only hope they forge some type of bond going forward, after Willie stops feeling sorry for himself and doing hookers because they insist upon it while being saved from a good buggery.

- Lord John.  Lorddddddd Lord John.  Oy.  That dumb shit has now been taken by yet another band of rebels.  (Oh hush - you know I love him.  He's like family.  That's what family does.  We make fun of each other.  Tracey calls me dumb all the time.)  At least this time he's got the smarts enough to lie about his identity...and tone down the hoity toity English accent.  I can only hope for his sake that he left his sarcastic quips back at camp with Den and Dot.

I know I'm forgetting a ton of good stuff but that's what happens when you read, read, read...which I have been doing today.  I am getting to that point where I have no choice but to read, no matter how hard to try to ration my NG (New Gabaldon).

The force is strong with this one, my friends.  

A Quick Mention...

SPOILER ALERT:  Dinna read unless you've read Chapter 16 in Written in My Own Heart's Blood.

I FINALLY was able to sit down and read this afternoon...and no sooner did I start than I had to STOP.  And blog.

"He had in fact suggested that they walk together to Matson's Ford..."

Tracey and I went to high school on Matsonford Road.  The mentions of the Battle of Brandywine, Valley Forge, The Paoli Massacre were one thing...but Matson's Ford?  This is getting to be too much (in an awesome way.)  It's like Christmas for my eyes.

Tracey says it's like Diana Gabaldon was living under our childhood home's stairs like Harry Potter.  (I almost soiled myself at that thought...but I digress.)

SO - I thought it would be cool to create a MOBY MAP, showing locations in MOBY as I come across them in the book.  There will be a few that might not be mentioned in the book...but were involved in situations in the book...and after growing up in the area, are places that are near and dear to my heart.

I'm hoping those of you who don't live anywhere near Pennsylvania or New Jersey who have never visited these locations will really enjoy getting "the feel" of the book.

Enjoy!!!

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

15 Down...5 Zillion Dreamy Chapters to Go

Spoiler Alert:  I have read 15 chapters in Written in My Own Heart's Blood!  (I still canna believe I'm saying that.  I never thought this day would come!) 

WOW.  What a difference four years make!

As I've told some of you already, I am not racing through MOBY.  No way.  I mean to take my time about it, aye?  There is no way I'm going to race through this puppy and sit around bewildered and rocking back and forth in my happy place until the next one comes out.  If I had the willpower, I'd read half a page a day until Book 9!!!

Remind me I said all of this when I'm halfway through the book in a few days and whining to you all about this or that (she says with a wave of her hand.  Is it me or does everyone wave their hands a lot in MOBY??  It makes me giggle and wonder if DG does a lot of hand-waving at home to her poochies and my best friend, Doug.)

OK...SO...I am going to give a quick synopsis of what I've read so far.  This is the Reader's Digest version as I left off at a juicy part and must go read.

First off...I have the sickest love/hate relationship with Lord John.  One minute I'm all "Oh I loveeee Lord Johnnnn...he's so witty (and pretty...and gayyyy!)" and the next I'm thinking "You snotty English bastard.  Jamie should have killed you when he had the chance."  Now poor Jamie's laid up in poor Mrs. Whatshername's cot with pain shooting up through his left but-tock (said like Forrest Gump) while Lord John is laid up with the indent of Jamie's knuckles in his upper cheekbone.

One does notice the parallel, does one not?

It's a good thing those girls came back with sausage and the makings for johnnycakes because I did NOT want to think about our beloved Jamie with a void in his wame.

And could I have LOVED IT MORE when he was sittin' round the table, kabitzing with the likes of Washington and Mad Anthony Wayne???  Oh it was positively DELISH for our history dorks lovers.  I could SMELL the woodsmoke!!!!

And by the way, I watch TURN...so MY Washington is smokin' hot.

Now on to Claire.  I've waited four+ years to say this Lordddddddd Claire!  Girl...can you ever stop your ministrations, even when the person receiving said ministrations could possibly get you killed?  No, I suppose not.  And I've always loved Hal so much...so I'm hardly bothered by his being fed some lovely cannabis tea.  It would have been classic if Claire cut to the chase and lit up a bone.  (How much would you love to witness a mutual Claire/Hal high, resulting in high-pitched cackling a la JoBeth Williams in Poltergeist?!  Oh that would have made my DAY!!!)

And is it me?  Or is Jenny the greatest comic relief to come down the pike since Laugh In?!?  I have done a complete ONE EIGHTY on this woman!!!  I HATED her at the end of Echo...and now I canna WAIT until she shows up in a scene!  I want to THANK Diana Gabaldon for burying that hatchet so quickly and not making us wait around through some stupid girl-fight between Jenny and Claire.

AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!!!

And I want to know what's going on down at that print shop, too.  She keeps excusing herself to go down there and find out what's going on.  I mean...dinna get me wrong, I'd be making every excuse in the book to go hang out with Fergus as well...but still.  The Brits are leaving, man.  It's not safe out there!!!

Off to read, y'all.  A girl can only stand so much!!!

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

Tobias Menzies in The Deep.

MOP Chat Cancelled Tonight

Tracey and I have decided to cancel MOP Chat this evening to give everyone a chance to continue reading MOBY without the threat of spoilers.  We are also headed to see Diana Gabaldon at the Free Library in Philadelphia tomorrow...and plan to stop by some of the locations in MOBY.  You know...Valley Forge...Wayne (named for Anthony Wayne)...and what's that other town??  Oh yeah...

REMEMBER PAOLI!!!    

Be afraid.  And be expecting some amusement on MOP in the next few days as I have every intention of blogging/vlogging about our trip!!!

I Couldna Help Myself, Sassnachs

A Very Special Spoiler Message

I am a spoiler freak.  The slightest thing can really mess with my brain while I'm reading.  Some people are fine with knowing that "something happens" on chapter __ or page __.  Not me.  The mere suggestion of anything - no matter how small or insignificant it seems to others - throws my cranium into a tailspin.  Why?  Because I like the element of surprise.  I don't want to find myself looking for - or waiting for - something to happen.  And it doesn't matter how small the situation is; I don't want to know so much as what type of soap Jamie is washing his hands with.  It's just the way I operate.  THANK YOU SO much, you awesome fellow Outlander peeps, for understanding.  :)