Something Sweet For Christmas

Now that my major control freak is satisfied for a while by telling Richard Armitage what I think he ought to do :D, I want to leave you with a little treat for Christmas. At the end of my last piece, I said I was emphatically not against Richard being cast as a romantic lead. But what kind of romance? A period drama? An epic? Yes, he could do those well, but what I’ve been thinking is a little more down to earth. It’s called the sweet romance which I’ve been rediscovering through Beverly Farr, a fellow blogger and RA fan who is also an author. She’s been schooling me about it through her contemporary books, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the education.

She says of herself and her writing:

I love stories. I love romance. I write sweet stories about how love should be.

more here

When I first read that, I wasn’t sure what to think, but I took a chance and read one of her books, and it was hard to deny the grin on my face when I finished. Then I read another one, and then I knew I wanted to talk to Beverly.

ME: Some truth. I didn’t expect to like your stories. I was biased about the “sweet romance” in a contemporary setting. It’s not that I like lurid writing for itself, but I just didn’t have great expectations of a good, modern story that didn’t have something explicit in it. How jaded am I?

BEVERLY: Unfortunately, a lot of people think sweet means stupid or boring. And maybe my stories aren’t sweet. I don’t know. I just don’t know what word to use. I think my stories are like Jean Arthur. Sweet because of content, but with the occasional sting or snarkiness.

ME: I love that mixture, and yep, you’re right. The word sweet has been perverted into something boring.

BEVERLY: Like in my fairy story where the heroine’s brother was eaten by a cat. That bothers people, but makes me laugh.

ME: I bought that book but haven’t read it yet. I’ve read Her Ex Next Door and The M Word. At the risk of sounding offensive, I was stunned at how much I liked these stories.

BEVERLY: Thanks for the comment. I like the “stunned” idea. It gives me hope. My stories are difficult to market because they’re not what some people think of as “sweet” but they’re not the basic contemporary novel, either.

ME: No, they’re not. They are in a class by themselves from what I can tell. I haven’t read romances in years, so I may not be the best one to make an analysis of that.

What got you started on the “sweet romance?”

BEVERLY: When I was younger, I read nearly every romance novel I could find, sweet and otherwise. Over the years, however, I realized that I really don’t want to know the details of what the characters are doing in the bedroom. I prefer to leave that to my imagination. I love the romantic movies — drama and comedy — of the 1930s through the 1950s. The good movies from that era are romantic and sometimes very sexy, without any details on screen. For example: Clark Gable was incredibly sexy and I don’t remember him being in any on screen love scenes. My other favorite actors are James Stewart, Cary Grant, William Powell, and Ronald Colman. All beautiful and brilliant.

So basically I write books that are like the movies I enjoy — sometimes sweet, sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic, but with no detailed love scenes. I had a reviewer who said one of my books was technically “clean” but there was still a lot of talk about sex (it was necessary for the plot). My response to that is that grown-ups in a romantic relationship are going to talk about sex eventually. I want to write books that grown ups enjoy, but I hope that whatever I write will be honest and respectful enough that it will be appropriate for teenagers to read as well.

I’d like to be the Frank Capra of romance writing. But that sounds pretentious.

ME: No, it doesn’t. I think you’re making a good start. I need to think about The M Word characters and which Capra characters they remind me of. Did I mention that I loved The M Word? :D What gave you the idea of using La Traviata as a framework for the story?

BEVERLY: I adore Marriage of Convenience stories, so The M Word started as a twist on that familiar theme. My hero Marius loved opera, but I knew little about it other than liking Carmen, so I started researching. I skimmed books on opera, on Placido Domingo, and watched a film version of La Traviata. At that point, I saw my story had parallels to it, so I expanded on that theme, which made for a deeper, more interesting story. I often start a novel with an interesting premise or character and start asking, “What if?” questions. I know I ultimately want a happily-ever-after ending, but I can write half a book before I figure out how to get there.

ME: Maybe it’s just me, but I pictured Richard Armitage as Marius.

BEVERLY: Well, he looks a little like Thorin, but he’s more like John Standring, and there is one scene that reminds me of Lucas North. Marius is also a little like Monet, because he’s European and likes good food. The more I look for similarities, the more I find. :)

But to be honest, those are afterthoughts. As much as I love Richard Armitage, the character of Marius was created before I first watched North and South and became an addict, so he was his own person earlier. Of course, if Richard Armitage wanted to play him on film, I would be thrilled.

ME: I would pay to see that!

And I understand Richard Armitage has inspired you. How so?

BEVERLY: First of all, he’s beautiful and beauty has a way of inspiring people. But he’s intelligent and that’s even more inspiring. He is a detailed actor who gives the viewer a glimpse into his character’s thoughts and feelings. His performances are carefully crafted, but there is a sense of honesty, sincerity and depth in his portrayals. For me, he makes me think about the characters, then about human nature, and finally about what is important in life. That prompts me to write. And watching his creativity, taking the words of the script and putting it into action, inspires me. I want to have the same detail and dedication in my work. When I write, I imagine a movie in my mind. What do the characters look like and how do they move or sound? I try to add the descriptive details that I would notice in a film, but then I add the emotions that I’m guessing they feel. Watching Richard Armitage has helped me see the complexity of characters and has helped me find the good in my bad characters and the bad in my good ones.

ME: I can’t wait to see what you have coming.

Do you mind if my minor control freak throws an idea at you? Maybe a contemporary story based on Gary Cooper’s character in Good Sam?


Okay, I think my control freak is fully satisfied — at least until after Christmas. ;-)

I hope you will check out Beverly’s works and please be sure to check out her blog as well. She just published a great series on Christmas movies that begins here.

I haven’t said this to Beverly but what I most admire about the male leads in her books is their steadfast love for others and of course including their love interests. The stuff of only Jane Austen’s and Elizabeth Gaskell’s days? Maybe, but I can tell you without hesitation SO is one of those males, and as I sit here on the morning of Christmas Eve 2012, I’m remembering 30 years ago today right around midnight that he asked me to be his mate for life. Should I mention we were watching It’s a Wonderful Life at the time? Or would that sound too sweet? :D

December 24, 2012
Categories: Interviews, Movies, SO . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 9 Comments

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey — A Review with Spoilers

Some of you have been wondering about my absence. It’s a two-fold issue. There is a lot going on with my family and my business. It’s all good, but it’s time consuming. I also had to step away from The Hobbit full court press machine in order to preserve enjoyment of the movie. That’s not a knock on the PR. I understand they had to do it for the general public who hasn’t been following along. But with over two years of immersing myself in information about it and then going to New York and being bombarded by its presence, I knew the movie would be ruined for me if I didn’t step out of the fray.

Okay, enough of my excuses for not being here, I’m ready to review this puppy. Unfortunately, I suck at analysis of movies and books, so I will be deferring to SO for most of this.

We saw the 48fps 3D version. Honestly, I loved this version. It was very clear but not in a buffoonish way as was suggested about 48fps 2D. Most noticeable to me is I came away without the slight headache and nausea I usually get from 3D. With the negative space severely restricted in the higher frame rate, my eyes were not continually straining to focus, and it made for a very pleasant experience. So I think 48fps as the basis for 3D is a big win and here to stay for those who will take the time to try it.

Our 12 year old and one of her buddies went with us, and thankfully, they sat at the very back so we could perhaps escape being subjected to their muffled giggles and their incessant need to go to the restroom. Such is the life of middle school girls. Oy. Despite my sometimes distraction by the two girls, I enjoyed the movie. Mostly, I wanted to know what SO thought since he’s the writer, he’s the movie connoisseur,and he hadn’t been biased by an avalanche of information about The Hobbit!

We had not even reached the exit door after the movie was over when SO announced with a surprised grin, “I really liked that!”

I cut my eyes at him and wanted an explanation, “Really? What did you like about it?”

“It was fun!”

After all of the time talking on and off about The Hobbit, I was hoping for a bit more from him. He continued, “Yeah, it was fun. I was 12 again, and I loved the adventure.”

“So nothing beyond it being an adventure?” I asked still hoping for an examination from him. C’mon give me something I was thinking.

He said, “Well, it was too long, but then that’s Peter Jackson, and I’m sure he has an eye toward people watching this at one sitting when the series is out on DVD. Something to be savored over and over. Isn’t that what Ringers do?”

Yeah, it is. “But why do you think it was too long?” I persisted.

“The whole Frodo part was extraneous. The time in Bilbo’s house with the dwarves was also too long and too much singing. They should have kept it to one song and then sung the one about the mountains later. But then that may just be me.”

I had felt the song was out of place as well, but I was curious about his thinking. “Why do you think the singing was a problem?”

“It did little to develop the characters or the story. I knew it was supposed to move me, but it did not. When I read the book about a hundred years ago, I didn’t care for the singing then either. It seemed disjointed from the rest of the story. A bit lame. At least that’s how I remember it. As I think of the movie now, part of the problem was that your guy was not developed enough for me to really get the significance of the Misty Mountain song. I did notice the other dwarves were in awe of him when he came to Bilbo’s door, but that wasn’t really enough to show me why they were in awe. Yes, he was the leader, but all I knew of him was he was a deposed prince and angry at the Elves for not helping his people. What in all of that should generate awe? What made the audience really care to know about him? It wasn’t until Balin told more of Thorin’s past and the maiming of the Pale Orc that I understood he was a badass who deserved the reverence from the others. This should have been near the beginning.

The Badass Dwarf

The Badass Dwarf

“And of course none of this is Richard Armitage’s fault. I think he did a good job, but the writing failed there.”

I was stunned. Not by his breaking down the story but at the use of Richard Armitage’s real name. LOL!

He continued, “Then again, Peter Jackson was slow to develop Aragorn, and your guy [yeah, I noticed Richard no longer had a name. :D] is very much like that character in the sense that he is really the Man as it became evident that Aragorn was the Man.”

“But what about Bilbo?” I asked.

“Sure, he’s the physical conscience whereas Gandalf is the spiritual conscience, but the story is about Thorin. He is ultimately the center of this piece. And I did not realize how much Armitage was going to be the central character in this movie. This is Thorin’s story! I guess I kept thinking about the last thing I saw with him — a five minute bit in Captain America and didn’t realize he was essentially going to have the starring role in The Hobbit.”

“Oh, but he’s not the star!” I corrected.

SO laughed, “Yeah, right. Although he didn’t have many lines in this segment, he’s going to be Aragorn at the end. Hide and watch.”

“But the story isn’t the same as the Lord of the Rings,” I said still trying to set him straight.

“No, it’s not, but Thorin is an Aragorn in the sense of the pivotal character.”

I agreed with everything he said and was compelled to keep asking questions, “What did you like best about the movie?”

“Too much to narrow it down, but the ending was fantastic. I’m ready for the next installment.”

“Wow. You really did like it.”

“Yes, I did.”

I have more thoughts about it, but I’ve added it to another post. For now, just know that the movie was worth $12.50 a person, and more important the almost three hours investment of time.

And the biggest plus to me personally is SO now wants to watch other pieces with Richard Armitage. Thank you, Peter Jackson. :D

December 17, 2012
Categories: Movies, SO, Spoilers, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 15 Comments

When Life Gets Too Much, Take a Holiday

I’ve been busy which should be obvious; otherwise, I would have been here fangirling with the rest of you! Life does have a way of intruding. This week it came in with a vengeance, and in the wee hours of the night and the morning, I wrote about it. It would be a wonderful release to publish, but I’m not sure this is the place for it.

Nevertheless, I have plenty to publish for this blog, and those of you who have worked with me for the last few weeks know what I mean. I’m getting to it! But hang on while I throw a few other things at everyone today. I have SO’s review of The Hobbit, and I’ll intermingle mine with his. I have another post with thoughts on the New York premiere, which I wasn’t going to post, but I feel it needs to be said. Last (or maybe not :D), I have a post I’ve been sitting on since the day I started this blog. It may actually go up late tonight or very early tomorrow, which I realize is relative given many of you are not in the U.S. Whatever. It’s going up last and quite a few hours from now. And of course all of this is subject to change if I get a wild hair or we get a bombshell about Richard Armitage dropped on us. Just sayin’.

And I did not forget about SO’s Ode. He asked me not to publish it. The rat! He thinks it will offend, and although he’s not above being offensive on occasion, he doesn’t want to offend the Army. Don’t worry. I’m working on him. ;D

That’s all for now. I’ve got to head to church. Yes, I said church. Amazing that someone like me could darken the door of a church, but God has a sense of humor.

December 16, 2012
Categories: Fandom, SO, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 8 Comments

Cars Floating Down Wall Street or Timeout for Sandy

If you live in North America and weren’t under a rock somewhere, you knew Hurricane Sandy was coming. It’s now come, and the full brunt of its aftermath has yet to be determined. Surfing the Net is not a good way to get some idea and especially a bad idea if you have two precious considerations smack dab in the middle of the thing. If I had a nickle for the pictures I’ve seen that have put me in panic mode, I could buy a nice dinner. Even the ‘fake but awesome’ pics couldn’t lighten my mood:

A few news entities have taken it on themselves to verify what was real. Check out The Atlantic’s coverage of the real and fake photos from Sandy.

Thankfully, SO and I have just finished Skyping with the ‘considerations.’ They told us about cars floating down Wall Street, that they themselves are fine, are actually in a good part of Manhattan, and do not need to go anywhere today. I hope they stay in that apartment! SO told them he was much more concerned about the freaky things people do in these situations than about the elements. And I heartily agree. But he and I also know that they are too much like us, and it would be completely in character for them to go out and check the scene and see what they can do to help. Argh! Yeah, I think I really did just say argh.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who are in a bad place with this storm, and hopefully, there will be aid coming soon. I will update this post with information about where those who are inclined can help out.

One last thing. Thank you to those of you who live in the NYC area and offered to lend assistance to my girls. You will never know how much that means to me and my husband!

October 30, 2012
Categories: SO, Timeout . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 8 Comments

An Onion and Two White Chicks Sittin’ Around Talkin’

Get ready ’cause I was on medication last night, and it seems Heidi went off of hers. ;-)

We had a discussion about an issue Heidi raised, and something I’ve been asked about quite a bit in private and most often by new fans.

Note: I’m handling this like the old Point/Counterpoint segment on 60 Minutes with Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick. You decide who’s Shana and who’s James. If you don’t know who those people were, then a) you probably live outside the U.S. or b) you’re not that old yet. :D

I’ll let Heidi go first:

OK.

There’s no easy way for me to graciously get into this without charging like the Taurus bull that I am into the China shop and just ask it:

Are RA’s letters to fans a hoax?

Now before the steam pours out of your ears like Popeye polishing off a chili pepper popper, let me tell you how this question came about.

Picture this: Heidi has insomnia, so to get to sleep, she decides to hit one of those sites that lists all of RA’s letters to fans. After all, the past snippets I’ve read sound like something straight out of a CBeebies episode, peppered with pleas for everybody to be “extra good, be willingly good,” blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Those things conjure an image of a placid, book-loving, thoughtful man who literally reads my child to sleep at night on Youtube in his sing-song, gentle voice.

You know.

This guy.

I mean, look at him, reading to that stuffed dinosaur. Aw. That’s exactly how I picture him talking to his fans through his letters. “Everybody, you be sweet and go to sleep and have sweet dreams, because we all need to be kind to each other.”

Aw!

Then all the miniature-action-figure-Thorin-toting women in the Western hemisphere collectively breathe a whisper of, “What a sensitive and caring man!” and nod off on their pillows and solemnly swear in their hearts to do every saccharine-dripping request that Richard Armitage asks of them.

You know, you picture this guy admonishing you in his gentle voice:

So Heidi is reading this stuff … trying to get to sleep … and then … WHAM!

A DRUNK GUY HAS TAKEN OVER RA’S COMPUTER AND HAS SENT THIS MISSIVE!

16th December 2008

Following the repatriation of the Robin Hood company to blighty, the spokesperson for RA has mysteriously disappeared. However, Hungarian ‘Rendorseg’ managed to locate a hotel room which was noted as his last abode. After searching the room and forensic dusting for fingerprints an ‘ubersuperduper unbelievably teeny tiny mini me micro film’ was located, secreted in a particle of dust which was lodged in a greasy finger print left on the rim of a pot noodle, evidence of Spokes persons seriously compromised existence. The ubersuperduper unbelievably teeny tiny mini me micro film then had to be dipped in Russian Standard Vodka for processing. Viewing the film proved to be nearly impossible but for a lucky purchase from Wollies at 50% discount of the very last “Ubersuperduper unbelievable teeny tiny mini me micro film player/clock radio with microwave and bagless vacuum attachment….it contained the following message:

“Agent A would like to wish all his contacts/agents a wonderfully joyous, peaceful and fun filled Christmas. He wanted to thank them all for their continued support this year and hopes to deliver ‘in spades’ for 2009. He is once again overwhelmed by all the generous gifts and messages and is attempting to respond a soon as is possible. He would like also to offer a toast to 2009 wishing all ‘agents’, success and happiness. In the spirit of peace and good will this message will self destruct in 3 seconds or if option B is exercised recipients will be termin…………… “

You know what, guys?

Um.

That’s completely and excessively much hotter than anything else I’ve seen RA quoted as saying, and here’s why:

HE. IS. FUNNY!

I mean, did he really WRITE that stuff?

Now, you have to understand that I’m a prankster at heart. I pulled countless pranks when I was in college. My
parents were convinced the family name would be so tarnished, that great-great-great grandchildren would be barred from our learning institution of choice, given the havoc I was creating on campus.

I know pranks.

And this, my friends, is one of the best pranks I’ve seen in ages.

Either:

A) RA’s friends stole his laptop in the dead of night and sent it off to this fan site for world-wide publication as a prank against their mate … or

B) RA himself drank five bottles of champagne by a roaring fire on a frigid Christmas season night and got so toasty silly that he fired this off and then decided to send it, just to see what kind of reaction he’d get. I mean, look at it. It’s Saturday-Night-Live-caliber comedy, poking fun at serious-minded middle-aged women who can’t get enough of reading about a man they’ve never met!

Richard, now come on. You are so busted.

Of those two options …. I choose A.

I think this letter is a hoax, and possibly many of the others he purportedly has written, too. I mean, you saw that intellectual and thoughtful thing he did at that blog with the book reviewers (if not, go here).

Either the guy is an onion with this prankster personality lurking under his Mr. Thornton persona – which, by the way, underscores his acting abilities – or someone has perpetrated one of the most hilarious hoaxes imagined: a letter embraced by fans as the real pearls of words penned by their beloved film idol.

Guys.

I’m going with the hoax.

And if RA actually did write that thing?

We will never hear it from him, because as a prankster to the core, I can tell you that we never breathe a word of our indiscretions. The fun of the prank is portraying to the world an austere and dignified front while on the inside, we are laughing non-stop at you.

Actually, I’ll bet this guy wrote it.

My turn:

This won’t take long. :D

Okay, let me see. You say he’s a prankster, Heidi, and that pranksters can effect an entirely different demeanor. Doesn’t that bolster the argument he did write the letter and wrote the Vulpes Libris answers as well? :D Speaking as a prankster and the offspring of a prankster, I totally know someone can pull off another side to themselves that might surprise people who think they know a person. ;-) Don’t ask me how I really know that. ;P

What I find interesting is this assumption Richard Armitage couldn’t haven’t written these because he’s sweet and kind and good with children — at least from what we can tell by the CBeebies videos. Yet most people have layers. Most people are onions. In fact, I’m married to an onion. He’s wonderful with children. They adore him. He’s a really gentle soul. But oh my gosh can he he come with the humor, and can also slice someone up with his tongue when it’s warranted, and sometimes when it’s not. Wait. He just came into the room. He’s grinning and doing some kind of twisty thing with his body while saying, “I can’t do this if you don’t put some curtains on the back windows.” LOL! Now he’s doing what looks like a dance. He just stopped to grin at me. ROFLOL!! I’m not sure I’m going to leave this in the post, but it may be too good to leave out!

By the way, this is the guy who our daughter wrote of him after his visit to her first apartment in NYC and her first time living away from home:

…my dad is an extremely kind, caring, down-to-earth person. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and is a funny, intelligent, artistic man. He loves the comfort of a well-written book, and has a better understanding of the true meaning of art more than anyone I’ve yet to meet in this artist driven city.

But one thing I love most about my father is his ability to love people exactly where they are. He can see past someone’s pain, someone’s anger or someone’s facade into their being and is able to appreciate them for everything that they are. He truly enjoys each relationship he has with people, knowing that each one is important in its own special way. Just as he enjoys admiring artwork and literature, he enjoys the beauty in humans as individuals.

And he’s also the guy who had me believing his girlfriend before me had a deformed ear which she covered with her long hair swept to one side, and when I met her, my shock evident that her hair covered no deformity. Yes, it was a good yarn. Damn good yarn. Oh that it were the last time he gulled me. He also has a way of twisting up words and phrases to make them funny. He’s the one who should be blogging, and honestly, he could have written that April letter. But those abilities don’t preclude being kind and sweet.

Yes, personal experience is king. Can’t you tell from my account and Heidi’s? ;-)

So B (see above in case you’ve already forgotten it :D), which I’m calling “the onion theory,” says Richard Armitage is thoughtful and kind (but not perfectly; who is?), and he was sitting around drinking beer with a bunch of his buddies who were teasing the hell out of him about the Army, and presto! the April letter (and maybe a few before it) was born.

So yeah, I’m going with the onion theory. :D

I feel another post coming on, and a good thing or this one would have difficulty loading.

October 18, 2012
Categories: Fandom, SO, Voice Work . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 47 Comments

I’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

When I started this odyssey of Richard Armitage addiction, I had such plans of waxing on about art. That was derailed. I just never dreamed I would have more than a passing acquaintance with action figures. Maybe I shouldn’t phrase it that way. :D But how else to explain the insane desire to look at this:

As soon as this guy started talking on the video, sanity returned, a little, and I started looking both ways to see if the family had seen or heard what I was doing. SO would have a field day with this, and thankfully, he still doesn’t know about the box full of Little Guys in the basement. I did get them on the cheap, but really, how many does a person need? Yep, I’m caught up on Little Guy. Time for some Tiny Thorins. *she laughs maniacally*

October 12, 2012
Categories: Movies, SO, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 10 Comments

Finally Did It

From the time I started this blog, I’ve been talking to my friends about something else I had in mind, and I’ve finally started it. It’s a new blog. Yeah, I am a glutton for punishment it seems, and no, this blog is not going away. For a long, long time I’ve wrestled with what to do about this place, and it occurred to me that I had given myself the untenable position of choosing between this blog or the other one. The other day it hit that God had not come down from on high and told me I had to have one or the other. So I’m keeping them both. Richard Armitage is too much fun to talk about to stop now. How long I can manage this I don’t know, but I have SO‘s support. This is key.

For those who are wondering about my loose ends here, I will get to all of them, and most notably to some of you that I have more to say about my conversation with Todd Garner and my Comic-con experience. No worries! I will share it and soon. Until then, I hope you will forgive my distraction.

So where is this new blog? I’m so glad you asked. :D It’s over here.

September 18, 2012
Categories: SO . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 5 Comments

Thoughts on a Sunday Morning

For some time now I’ve been working on something else, and I’ve mentioned it a few times. I do have some things I need to finish here, and I’m still going to run this blog for a bit longer once I make my jump. How long I’m not exactly sure, but I may make it to my third anniversary next April. Not entirely sure of that, but it’s possible. Frankly, every time I’ve tried to quit this thing, something happens to keep me from it. That’s not a complaint. It’s always something good that occurs. Why that keeps happening I don’t know. I don’t post every day. I’ve inhibited the Google bot. I don’t have RA’s name in my blog name and have seldom put it in a title until recently. I have had significant help from some of the RA fan sites and from my fellow bloggers. I appreciate them all very much! I am also on Twitter although statistically a small number of those who surf the Net are on Twitter. So to all of you who find this place and continue to read it, thank you for that and for continually drawing me back into this marvelous ride. And thank you to Richard Armitage for just being Richard Armitage. LOL!

If someone had told me when I started this lark that so much would happen and so easily, I would have scoffed. Not to say that this isn’t work. It is. But contrary to what some may think, I’ve asked for very little from others in the last two and a half years. Thanks to those of you who answered when I made a request, and to those of you who took it upon yourselves to give me something unasked. Your participation is the icing on this cake, and cake it is because it’s helped evoke and sustain an aspect of me I hope will create something fine with my next project.

Until then, SO continues to smile and quirk his eyebrow at me. It’s the whimsical way he’s always had that makes me want to get in his head, and when I finally do get in his head, it’s one of the most pleasurable things imaginable. This morning is our anniversary, and I can say with conviction that I’ve never been bored. Not once. Irritated or disappointed at times but never bored. And I have it on good authority he’s never been bored with me. I’m very thankful for what’s occurred between us, and after all these years together, it refreshes me to say that this morning.

September 16, 2012
Categories: SO . Tags: , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 27 Comments

A Little Note of Joy

I apologize for the cryptic nature of this post, but it can’t be helped.

There is cause for some rejoicing in the Frenz household. Oh, it might be premature for me to say this, but I have to say this somewhere! Something which has weighed heavily on this family since September 2010 may be alleviated in the near future. It’s not a sure thing yet, but it’s looking pretty good, and if it happens, we will be spending lots of time at this place in coming months:

And my laptop will go with me.

Whatever happens, SO and I are learning in a way we never knew that it’s a waste of time to sweat over all the things you should have done, could have done and would have done. Just do something.

September 13, 2012
Categories: SO . Tags: , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 16 Comments

A Preface to My Comic-Con Experience

Before I tell you what happened at Comic-Con, I just want it clear that I was not planning on going. It was never a thought in my head. And when I’ve said I had no desire or plan to meet Richard Armitage, I have been serious. I love to make jokes about it certainly, and some of the pieces I’ve written, candidly, I’ve gone back to and laughed. Is it okay to admit I’ve laughed at some of my own stuff? I must sound arrogant, but oh well, I’m sure no matter what I do, someone is going to think poorly of me. The truth is that this blog started as a lark about an obscure English actor whom I never really thought would make it big, and therefore none but a very small number of fans would read it. (Sorry, Richard, I figured you were over the hill by Hollywood’s standards, but I was wrong, and I’m glad.)

My presence here was to have some laughs about this fangirl thing by casting myself as a nut, and to get out some thoughts about creativity and life. That more than a handful of people have read it was completely shocking to me, and my longtime readers know this is far from the first time I’ve said that. As for SO, he has given me good-natured hell about this place, and at first thought I was wasting my time when I “really should be writing! and not losing your story!” I understood that, but he didn’t understand that I had to get out of my comfort zone to reignite my creative thinking. And it’s been a blast. But never was it a real thought to communicate with Richard Armitage (the fake fan letters are a gag if some of you still don’t quite get it), send him gifts (never have) and certainly never to track him down (more on that later :D). Never going to stand at the stage door. Not happening, not part of who I am.

But I got invited to Comic-Con, and I really did want to go to help TORn and had no real expectation of meeting Richard Armitage at that madhouse let alone speaking to him. However, I am a person who likes to be prepared, so I figured if I went, I needed to be ready to talk to him or whomever if I got the chance. My friend, Heidi, who was a longtime AP reporter and now a freelance writer, explained how the process works with getting stories and asking interview questions. I loved listening to her, and thankfully, employed the techniques on the floor of the exhibit hall at Comic-Con with great success. The result of that will be coming up on TORn. And this was a labor of love. If I could do this sort of thing for a living, I would jump at the chance!

The only thing I will tell you today about my experience is I’ve learned a thing or two about being a Richard Armitage fangirl in public. I’m not sure when I’m going to post the experience, but it won’t be today as I’m traveling, and I doubt it’s going to be tomorrow since I’m whipped and need to do nothing for at least a day when I get back home. That won’t happen since I have a lot I normally do back home, but I’m going to try. Maybe I’ll get something up by Wednesday; just know I’ll try to get something up this week.

edit: I totally wimped out on this account. Not sure I’m ever going to tell it. Maybe a few years from now when it will be funnier to me.

July 16, 2012
Categories: SO, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 34 Comments

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