TV Boyfriends

Because I did Book Boyfriends, I figured I should also pay homage to the men of the small screen who steal my heart every week...or whenever I decide to play catch-up on a show.  This list is highly biased by momentary whims.

1a.  Niklaus Mikaelson - The Vampire Diaries

The more of his human side he shows, the more I love him.  He has that look...anyone who's seen the show knows the look.  Then again, even the "I'm about to kill you" look is sexy.  And I'm fairly certain that my love for the bad boys was well-established on the last list.

1b.  Spike Spiegel - Cowboy Bebop

In a world where animated men are just as viable as fleshy men, I choose him.  He's a bad boy...and I could listen to his voice forever.

2.  Dr. Spencer Reid - Criminal Minds

His brain is sexy.  So's the rest of him, but...it's the brain that sets him apart.

3.  Vincent Keller - Beauty and the Beast

He's part monster, part doctor...and he has some kind of speech thing that I find intriguing.  Not the strained emotional raspy thing...but the little bits of accent that can't hide.

4.  Ryan Hardy - The Following

It's Kevin Bacon...do I really need to explain this?!  He breaks rules, loves the most dangerous person he could possibly love, and kicks ass.  The alcoholism is a shame, though...


5.  Tyler Blackburn - Pretty Little Liars

He's a sweetheart, a hacker, and very nice to look at.


6.  Jimmy Howard - Red Wings goalie

This totally counts...I watch lots of hockey and I love him.  Most of the time he's even an awesome goalie.

7.  Mike Weston - The Following

He's adorable, a bit of a fanboy, and a bit of a geek.  I like the young FBI guys.

8.  Damon Salvatore - The Vampire Diaries

He's getting a little too nice...thankfully, I know that can't last.  Once he returns to his old ways, he'll move back up the list.

9.  Sam Winchester - Supernatural

Don't give me shit for not being caught up on this show...and don't tell me what a douche he becomes in later seasons. I don't care.  He is beautiful.  He'd be a lot higher on the list if I watched the show...


10.  Dexter Morgan - Dexter

Yeah, I think the serial killer is hot.  He's usually not my type, but that sly smile gets me.


And my bonus guys are:
Danny Desai - Twisted

I bet that when this show starts, he'll be moving up the list.

Eric Northman - True Blood

He's too white and too blonde for me...but I still think he's hot.  It's the bad boy thing, I'm sure.  Even though I can't stomach the show anymore (inbred white trash werepanthers?  yeah...that's when I gave up), Eric is still nice to look at.

They're almost all related to death or serious injury...in some way.  It's not my fault there are so few regular guys on TV these days.  At least there are some humans on this list.  There may be hope for mortal men in my life, after all!  And...in at least a few cases, the actors are just as awesome as the characters they portray...so they're equally hot in real life.  Altruism, humility, and wit...excellent qualities :)

Limits...Limiting...Limitations...etc.

The hourly prompt I saw a few moments ago was the word limit.  My first thought was breaking point.  How far can I go before I can't go anymore?

Answer?  I have no idea.  I'm not there yet.  I think I've been there a few times recently, but only about specific things. 

Example: health issues.  My breaking point on those is mild discomfort, but I won't actually go to a doctor until the discomfort starts getting in the way of having a normal life.  It's never good for a hypochondriac to go to the doctor and find out that it is in fact something, not the nothing you were expecting.  The last few months have been trying, tiring, and nauseating.  But, not long after I reached my limits, my regular doctor also reached his... so it's off to the specialist I go.  Hopefully I'll be back to enjoying food and coffee again soon.

I mean, seriously... ME without coffee OR chocolate.  It's not been pretty sight.

But other limits...more general limits...what's the end of the line?  At what point to do I give up on things?  And what about limitations that are things I could be changing in order to extend the limits on other things?  Does that make sense??  How do I figure out which things are limiting me, and which are not...and how do I change the things that are?

I always figured that at some point I'd stop worrying about silly little things like this.  Maybe I thought I'd be too busy with work/husband/kids/life... Maybe the me that assumed I'd have a husband also thought I'd have things all figured out.

In any case...the word limit isn't really working my brain as well as I'd hoped...but it's at least served to warm up my hands.  Now, on to character development...or outlining...or perhaps even writing something!!  

I wish I could have coffee...someone else please drink some for me.

  

Book Boyfriends!

I've often wondered if I'm destined to pine after only men who don't actually exist.  Most of the men I read about are so much better than the men I meet out in the real world (no offense, real men).  I'm sure that, in a lot of ways, book men have ruined my expectations so much that real men stand no chance.  Oh well.  Perhaps I'll be a cat lady...assuming that I start liking cats at some point.

Is "the crazy book lady" a thing?  Because if not, I get to set the precedent.

Anyway, this morning I was wandering around on Twitter, finding blogs to read and generally wasting some time.  I came across this: mtgreviews: top ten tuesday.  OMG.  Granted, I didn't know all of her book boyfriends... but I certainly relate to the idea of creating a list of these.  I was also able to relate to it not being difficult AT ALL to come up with this list.  Soooo here we go:

1.  Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy – Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Bookish people can be united in thinking he’s top man.  I really can’t think of a man I’d rather have… he’s snarky and arrogant in the right ways…and he’s a gentleman…and he has that certain something that makes him irresistible.  (It’s also true that I’m unable to read the book without picturing Colin Firth…bonus!)

2.  Four/Tobias – Divergent, Veronica Roth

What can I say?  He's a badass...he's smart, funny, talented, and kind of dangerous.  

3.  Roar – Under the Never Sky, Veronica Rossi

He’s pure love, cloaked in pure badass… I know I was supposed to be falling in love with Perry, but that was impossible when Roar is just…so much more interesting.

4.  Peeta Mellark – The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

Another man who demonstrates pure love, but also a ton of bravery and loyalty...with a sweet side.  I like the love against the odds aspect of his character.

5.  Marco – The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

The way that he demonstrated his love was absolute perfection.  He was a creator.  Everything about him and his story was beautiful.

6.  Will Herondale – The Infernal Devices, Cassandra Clare

I sort of like the asshole guys who refuse to fall in love…the dark, mysterious ones who you KNOW are totally in love, but who won’t for anything in the world admit it.  Will is good at this…but when he does finally admit it, and things go terribly wrong, he’s a total gentleman about it.

7.  Ash – The Iron Fey, Julie Kagawa

The one and only faery-boy I’ll admit to loving.  He has the dark, mysterious thing going for him… but the story fits with some Shakespeare and The Neverending Story, so he had plenty of opportunity to show himself as both interesting and determined in his pursuit of love.

8.  Lucas – Shadow Falls, C.C. Hunter

Werewolf with baggage… another of those dark, mysterious guys.  Are we sensing a theme here?  Yes?

9.  Patch – Hush Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick

Bad/good guy?  I’m still on the fence about WHY I like him… I just know that I do.

10.  Jared Ryel – Providence, Jamie McGuire

A protector and a vicious killer…fine by me.

Bonus Boyfriends (everyone should have some)!

Sirius Black – Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling  (yeah, I had some Misery-esque fantasies after his death)

Ponyboy Curtis – The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton

Stephan – Shades of London, Maureen Johnson

So, it's established that I like the very young, dark, mysterious bad boys... and don't really mind if they're killers, so long as they maintain impeccable taste and possess quick wit and charm in equal measures.  I also like the super-protective types.  Oh, and in most cases, the men I like aren't entirely human. 

The worst thing about this list is that I know I'm forgetting a few... and I'm going to remember and feel like a total jerk for forgetting.  Even though these are fictional men who will never know that they were slighted.  

Wait, no... the worst thing about this list is that they're fictional.  FML.

Milestone

A lot of parents think I'm absolutely crazy because of what I'm about to say, but...I'm fine with my kid sleeping in my bed.  Oliver has always slept in my bed.  When he was tiny, he had a little sleep positioner and I'd take him out to feed him a few times a night.  It was just the easiest way for both of us to get the most sleep every night.  My kid never cried in the middle of the night, and I was well-rested.  Eventually he outgrew the positioner, but stayed in my bed.  I figured I'd move him to his own bed when he weened, but he was nearly 3 then.  So, I decided I'd transition him at 3.  That didn't happen... he just got upset whenever we talked about sleeping in his own room.  Until last night, he slept in my bed.

The night before last he went to bed in his room, and stayed there until almost 3AM.  It was a big step, and I think I had more trouble sleeping than he did.  Had he not woken up and not been able to get back to sleep, he would have been fine in there all night.  Last night he went to bed in his room, after telling me that he hates his room and will not sleep in it... and I woke up at 12:30 and 4 and checked on him.  He was fine.  He came into my room just before 7 and told me he was done sleeping.

But...he crawled in bed with me and cuddled.  It was so sweet :)  I can't think of a better way to start a day. So he's achieved a milestone...moved on to his own room...and mom still gets cuddles.  I think I can deal with this.

I am going to have to get him a bigger bed, though.

Bittersweet Birthday

I went into labor at around 5:30PM on March 25, 2009.  I was watching the Simpsons and folding laundry.  No big deal.  Contractions 5 to 7 minutes apart.  I didn't figure that it'd take more than 10 or 12 hours.  I could manage.

I remember the drive to the hospital very clearly.  It was the 27th of March, 2009, and it felt like I'd been in labor for an eternity.  This wasn't a trip to labor and delivery, though; I was just going in for my weekly check-up hoping I'd progressed enough to be admitted.  The early afternoon sun shone through the windows, making me uncomfortably hot even with the AC on.  The radio played Michael Franti and Spearhead - Say Hey. The drive down Campbell was punctuated by contractions.

The walk into the hospital was slow...stopping occasionally for contractions.  There was a contraction in the elevator, another while signing in, and a couple while waiting.  At least all that contracting got me admitted.  It only took another day to finally get the boy out.

At 12:33PM on Saturday, March 28, 2009, I had my son.  Believe it or not, this is the first time I've done the math.  67 hours.  I've always said around 72, so I guess I should cut the kid some slack, right?  He looked a lot like Beldar Conehead at first, thanks to the suction cup.  Thankfully that wasn't permanent.  He was 8lbs 3ozs and 20 inches...10 fingers, 10 toes, chubby cheeks and blonde hair.  He was an absolutely perfect little human. :)

The first year passed much too quickly.  He was talking at 7 months - his first word was cat, his second was boob.  Not long after, he took his first steps in grandma's classroom.  He hasn't stopped moving since.  I cried when he turned one.

The aging stuff just doesn't stop.  I feel myself getting older, but it's not as shocking as the speed at which my son ages.  There should be a pause button.  There should be some way to slow down the first years....they're so full of wonder.  Even having been there for everything, I feel that I must have missed things.  Before I knew it, my little boy was not so little anymore.  He was doing things for himself, speaking in complete sentences, and forming opinions of his own.  And then he was two, and I cried again.

The journey to three cleaned up some of his language that'd previously been both hilarious and potentially embarrassing.  Long before turning three, he started saying bike instead of cock, and firetruck replaced firefuck.  He got his first haircut.  He went to a babysitter.  He held a baby chick.  He traveled to KS in a car to meet family.  He started liking movies (Puss in Boots was his favorite for a while).  He got taller, he got more outspoken, and he stayed cuddly and sweet.  And then he was three.  I cried.

Three was a year full of learning.  He mastered the potty, which was a milestone that made me happy.  No more diapers!  He started learning his letters and numbers, figured out how to use the computer by himself, and he started school.  He also began developing empathy - crying during sad parts of movies (Brave and Frankenweenie).  It broke my heart a little to see him so upset, but I also felt proud of him for his caring heart.  He's content to play outside all day.  A movie day works just as well.  Hulk is his favorite hero, and The Avengers is his favorite movie.  I really think both two and three deserve some extra time.  So much is going on...it seems unfair to rush.

Last night I cuddled my 3-year-old for the last time.  I gave him kisses and told him I love him, and felt unbelievably sad.  He really isn't a baby anymore.  As awesome as all his growing and developing is, and as much as I love the little boy he is, I can't help but miss the baby he was...and I can't help wanting time to slow down.

Today he's four, and I've only cried a little.

He's at school...having cupcakes and strawberries.  He'll go to his dad's for a bit after school, and when he comes home he'll have pizza, cake, and ice cream before opening the last of his presents.  My son is four.

I really want this to slow down.

Singles Day

While a good percentage of the population is currently enjoying a nice romantic dinner, I'm sitting here watching The Vampire Diaries with a freshly bathed kid on my lap.  He likes to watch me type :)

In my adult life, I've been single on Valentine's day more often than not...and generally, it's fine by me.  I think it was sometime last night, while I was thinking through my plans for today, that I realized there'll come a time in my life when I'll probably need to start dating.  I sort of decided that the time will come sometime between now and whenever Oliver would be embarrassed to call his mom his Valentine.  Not sure when that'll be... but I'm unprepared.

Despite limited experience, I'm pretty sure that the kid is the best Valentine ever.  :)

The Origin of Aphrodite

Most people have heard that Aphrodite was made from sea foam.  In fact, her name means "from the foam."  Honestly, until last week I had no idea where she came from, nor did I care.  Considering that this week is Valentine's Day and love is (hypothetically) in the air, I can't help but think a little bit about the Goddess of Love.

Origin stories are a lot of fun.  If you know where a person comes from, you have an idea of how she got where she is now.  Where you come from is important.  It also seemed at least a little important to the Greek Gods.  Of course there are numerous versions of these stories, as there are with all deities.  I'm taking my first ever mythology class right now and it's interesting, but I'm genuinely grossed out on a regular basis.  God behavior is so barbaric (though I suppose not much has changed, really...but I won't go there...now).  Let's just say that their parenting skills were sub-par and leave it at that.  Last week I was reading creation stories...the ultimate in origin stories, because they discuss the origin of everything.  I found Hesiod's origin stories the most interesting.

In the beginning, we had Gaia and Uranus...Earth and Sky.  They hooked up, possibly because there wasn't anyone else around, and started making beings.  All was good and fine for a while, but...eventually Gaia got tired of childbearing.  I mean, she was literally carrying these kids around...inside her.  So, she complained.  Eventually her youngest son, Cronus, felt bad enough to help her out.  Mother and son conspired to...make sure there wouldn't be any more kids.  Cronus castrated his father and threw his severed member into the sea.

That wasn't the end for the severed member, though.  When it landed in the sea, foam rose.  From that foam came Aphrodite.  How's that for the origin of the Goddess of Love???

Happy Valentine's Day...a little early.