The Great Balloonfest of 2012

I can always count on an evening with the Playfriends and the Mavens to be anything but boring. Whether we're playing board games, doing bizare crafts or running through Walmart at midnight in our own twisted version of a reality show, I will eventually laugh until I cry.

All I need say is *cocktail dress* and we'll all burst into laughter with an image in our minds that can simply not be described if you weren't there.

Friday night before our annual luncheon, we volunteered to blow up balloons. It was an anniversary year, so we were doing some special decorations. Our luncheon coordinator rented a helium tank and brought us Hi-Float, ribbon and 150 silver balloons. Oh, she also brought three bottles of wine and some glowsticks. I guess she imagined us huffing helium and drinking wine until we broke out into a balloon rave.
After a few speedbumps, we seemed to get the process down. PM filled the balloons with Hi-Float. For those who don't know, Hi-Float is a liquid you put inside the balloon to keep it floating longer. We had no intention of getting up at 6AM to blow up these balloons. Maven LJ massaged them. (More to come on that.) Angel filled them with helium. Instigator put clips on them. Maven Linda and I tied the strings. Angel's sister cut ribbon, and PC gathered them into bundles and tied them to the weights. Simple, right?

Well, maybe. After our first few balloons were a little limp and floating low across the floor like little silver sperm in search of an ovum, we realized we were using too much Hi-Float.  I was so tempted to draw little faces or "X" and "Y" on the wandering ones. We decided to read the Hi-Float instructions and maybe it's just because we're romance writers, but that was some really dirty stuff. We had to insert tip into the balloon and plunge it deep. Then, the number of times we pumped depended on how big it is. One pump for 9 inches, two pumps for 12 inches and 3 full pumps for 16 inches. Note: if Hi-Float leaks out of the balloon, you haven't thrust it deep enough. Um... kay. Then you had to slip off the balloon and gently massage the fluid into the latex.

With each step we read and each glass of wine we imbibed, it seemed to get worse and worse. Eventually, the giggles got the best of us. I feel bad if the people in the room next to us actually wanted to sleep. The next day at the luncheon, Maven Linda discussed how that had become her favorite luncheon memory. I love how with the right group of friends, even something as simple as blowing up balloons can become a memory you can cherish forever.

What's one of your favorite memories with your best friends?
SP

PS. Kira's winner of the Island Nights trilogy is Scarlet Wilson! Email her at kira (at) kirasinclair (dot) come to claim your prize!

PM + SP + I x $ = OMG!

Last Saturday was a gorgeous day. It was a little windy but the sun was shining and I did not want to sit in my apartment and stare at four walls, especially since the walls in the living room have no art work on them and the only furniture is a futon, a storage ottoman, a TV stand, a small end table and two floor lamps.

I emailed the Playfriends and asked if they wanted to have a Saturday field trip to LOOK at furniture and help me decide on a sofa and chair for my living room should I ever get the money to buy it. Angel and PC were unavailable, but Smarty Pants and Instigator agreed to join me. We met first for lunch and solved the world's problems over steak and shrimp (well, most of them) and then headed to the furniture store whose website I've been perusing for over six months now. SP and Instigator rode together in SP's car and I drove my car since the two of them had other plans after the look-fest.

I had printed out pictures of some art work I have to go over this future sofa and had also painted part of the piece of paper with my wall color so we'd have a point of reference. The store had three sleeper sofas I was interested in from the standpoint of style and color options. They also had a few chairs I thought might work both with the sofas and fit in the available space. One that I'd really liked on the website, though, had been removed from the site, so I'd tossed the picture of it before I left home.

My living room faces east and only gets morning sun, so I knew I didn't want anything too dark. But it couldn't be too light or it would fade into the wall. So armed with those caveats, Smarty Pants, Instigator and I began looking at the sofas and fabric swatches. After we'd been looking for a bit, my favorite sales associate, Lisa, returned from lunch and joined the party. Lisa helped me buy my table and chairs and my bedroom furniture last fall.

I thought I wanted some sort of dark beige sofa and a chair with some red. Well! By the time everyone had finished mixing and matching swatches, I'd fallen in love with a moss green sofa in a fabric that's rather like a wide-wale corduroy. It looks like this (only it won't have the psychedelic cushions because with this particular sofa I can get the cushions in any fabric I want).



I'm still not sure how I made the leap from beige to moss green, but I love it! And won't these pictures look great over it (they'll be side by side instead of one atop the other).



Now remember that this was just a window shopping trip. I don't have money allocated for furniture yet, but I wanted to be prepared for when that money comes in. And four heads are better than one when deciding on furniture and fabrics, especially when one of those heads is mine.

So imagine my surprise when Smarty Pants spots the recliner I'd admired on the website months before.

"It's been discontinued and I only have that one floor model left," Lisa said.

"And it's 25% off!" Smarty Pants exclaimed.

So look what's now sitting in my living room waiting to be joined by the sofa. Nice, isn't it? I just love a great bargain.



And the really fun part was getting it home. I asked how much it would cost to have it delivered because that chair ain't gonna fit in the back of a Honda Accord. Lisa asked if I didn't know someone with a truck or SUV and while I was scouring my brain to think of someone, Instigator piped up and said, "Uh, I do, only it's parked back at the restaurant." A few minutes later, they'd retrieved the SUV, had the chair loaded in the back with the help of another sales associate, Cleveland, and we were caravaning to my apartment. By the time I got the door unlocked, my two able assistants had unloaded the chair and were at my front door.

Aren't good friends wonderful?

Have you ever had your plans take a completely different turn?

P.S. Look at how my plants have grown in a week!

Day lilies beside my patio



Mixed color coleus



Sweet basil

Walkabout Wednesday: Great Smoky Mountains

Development of Great Smoky Mountains National Park began in 1926 when President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill providing for its establishment. The older parks in the system had been developed by taking sections of land already owned by the government. But the land that eventually became GSMNP was owned by hundreds of farmers and several timber and paper companies. And no one wanted to give up their homes or businesses.



The government is not allowed to buy land for national park use, so the states of Tennessee and North Carolina, which would share the park, appropriated state funds and additional monies were raised by private individuals and groups and even school children who gave their pennies to the cause. A large donation by the Laura Spellman Rockefeller Memorial Fund provided the remainder of the funding.

The first park Superintendant arrived in 1931. Between 1933 and 1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps worked to develop facilities and restore early settlers' buildings, and on September 2, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the park "for the permanent enjoyment of the people."



While not the largest of the national parks, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the distinction of being the most visited park with close to ten million visitors each year. The park contains 800 miles of hiking trails (including sections of the Appalachian Trail), 700 miles of fishable streams, camping areas, white water rafting and other family oriented activities. October brings a huge influx of visitors to the park for the fall leaf season.

The area is called Smoky Mountains because they always appear to have a blue haze hanging over them. This is a natural fog caused by warm, wet air from the Gulf of Mexico cooling quickly at high elevation and also by the respiration of he trees. The mist appears blue because evergreens emit natural hydrocarbons that appear blue in sunlight.



Last week the Playfriends visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park, specifically the areas of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Both areas are filled with fun for everyone including Dollywood, a Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, the Ripley's Aquarium, Ober Gatlinburg ski area, river rafting companies and plenty of shopping. Candy shops abound to showcase what has become a mountain tradition -- lots and lots of fudge. And the area also is home to the Rocky Top Wine Trail, which features three wineries within three miles of each other.

When our visit was over, we returned to Alabama with fudge, fabulous beef jerky (who knew they had a beef jerky outlet?), Christmas decorations, new clothing and accessories, jams and jellies (another mountain tradition) and wine. We did our part to stimulate the economy. :-)

Our week was cut short because of the snow storm moving in. While we'd have loved to be snowed into the mountains, we all had obligations at home requiring us to come on back. ::sigh:: We had a terrific time and the week was filled with lots of fun and laughter. We played board games, ate, shopped, ate, sampled wine, ate, plotted books in the hot tub every night, ate and laughed lots. It's safe to say a fun time was had by all.

Have you ever visited any areas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Every visited any of the United States National Parks? Tell me about your experiences. One lucky commenter today will receive a copy of Linda Winstead Jones's recent book LAST OF THE RAVENS, which is set in the Smoky Mountains.

Hollywood Studios

Today the Playfriend family invasion of Disney hits Hollywood Studios. Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, Rock N' Roller Coaster, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, The Little Mermaid... My frenzy is already starting and all I've done is name the rides.

By this point in the trip we'll have been to every park...some twice. But I expect this should be an interesting day for us. While there are quite a few things I think the kids will love there are also a few things that might just bore them to tears - I'm just not sure of the reaction we're going to get. I mean, Magic Kingdom? That's wide eyed wonder as they take in the castle, rides and all the magic. Epcot should be interesting, fun and interactive. Animal Kingdom will probably be my girls' favorite. HS? I'm just not sure. I've always enjoyed it but then the park opened while I was a teenager.

But we have the whole day to spend exploring. And if the park is an entire flop there's always the pool back at the resort. I wouldn't mind an early afternoon and some cool water. I'm sure after the last few days we'll probably need it.

The trip is coming to an end and even thinking about it makes me a little sad. I probably set myself up for a day or two of depression when we get home. I mean, PC wasn't kidding when she said SP and I attacked this trip commando style. We spent months - and way more hours than we probably should have - planning for this trip. What will take over that obsession when it's over? I know! Another Disney trip. Just don't tell Zilla. ;-D

Have you ever spent a ton of time planning something only to be depressed when all the fun was over? What have you hyper-planned?

Instigator

P.S. Remember our Keep Playground Monitor company contest! Just post today and I'll pick 1 winner when we get home to get a copy of Afterburn and a special Disney surprise.

Just a bystander. Honestly.

I didn’t plan to go to Disney World this year. I certainly didn’t mean to. After all, I did the Disney thing last year. I’m still trying to erase the memory of “It’s a Small World” from my mind.

But a couple of months ago, I was calming eating my grits at the monthly Playfriend breakfast, and the next thing I knew, I was swept up into the Disney plan.

The upside is that I’ve had to do nothing to plan this trip other than write SP a couple of checks and pack a bag. Insti and SP are travel agents on speed with an agenda and a plan and a timetable. Do not stand in their way. Smile and nod. Write a check. Do not question the vision.

I’m blown away with their attention to detail and their plan to squeeze every drop of coolness out of Disney possible. They’ve planned an amazing trip that the Playkids are going to be talking about for years to come.

(DG is a bit disappointed he can’t go – after all, when we went last year, he was recuperating from the flu and survived on toast and blue PowerAde. We’ll miss him, that’s for sure.)

The Control Freak has been out-Freaked this time. My clipboard and color-coding hang their heads in shame when stared down by the spreadsheets and matching t-shirts. But AC is going to think I’m the bestest mom EVAH for taking her on such an amazing trip – for which I will happily take credit, even if I didn’t plan a single thing.

Because I didn’t mean to go to Disney this year. Honestly, it just happened.

PC

Amuse Marilyn with your stories of being swept up into something without meaning to be and her favorite story will get a PC Disney prize pack!

Playfriend Family Invasion Is On!!!

We’ve gone and done it! Saturday all the Playfriends except the Playground Monitor hit the Magic Kingdom for the Playfriend Family Invasion. Drama Queen has been waiting for Little Man to get old enough for us to go to Disney World and now the time if finally here. I just hope this trip lives up to expectations. How could it not? 6 kids, 6 adults, 9 costumes for the Magic Kingdom Halloween party (some of us refused to dress up), and matching t-shirts. What more could we ask for?

My own experience with Disney World involves my only trip there at 15. Other than a few rides in the Magic Kingdom, most of my memories revolve around Epcot. I loved all the different countries there! As a matter of fact, tonight the Playfriends plan to leave the kiddios with the 2 hubbies that accompanied us and “drink around the world.” I’d tell you all about it, but I’m not sure if I’ll remember. :)

For the most part, though, I’m enjoying the break from home. I found out how precious this was last fall when we went as a family to the mountains during fall break. That was the first real vacation we’d had since having children. There is nothing better than running away from the overload at home. Getting away from the house, the pressure to cook, clean, and keep up. All that stuff can be exhausting. In the middle of it all, we forget how truly wonderful our families really are. How hysterical my hubby’s sarcastic sense of humor is. How much of a young woman my daughter is becoming. How beautiful my son’s big grin is. These are the things I hope to reconnect with in the Magic Kingdom – the magic of my family. (Hopefully I'll remember the magic during that 12 hour drive home on Saturday. Yikes!)

Where do you like to get away from it all (for just a few hours or a couple of days)?

Angel

Remember, we’re running a “Keep Marilyn Company” giveaway this week. Commenters will be selected from each day to win prizes we bring back from Disney and books. A complete list will be posted on Saturday!!!

Road Trip! Wet Jeans! Cold boobs!

Smarty Pants and I played hookie last week for a road trip to Atlanta, GA, where we saw the group Nickelback in concert at Lakewood Amphitheatre. This is an outdoor arena where we’d purchased lawn tickets at a fraction of the price for the covered seats. Of course, what should have been a fun and relaxing time with Soapbox Queen Jennifer LaBrecque turned into a regular Playground Adventure (those of you who are regulars here know what I mean… need I say Meth Lab?).

Well, this sheltered Angel learned a lot along the way:

1. The odds aren’t ever in our favor. There was a 30% chance of rain during the concert time, so as soon as we arrived, the bottom dropped out – complete with booming thunder and scary lightening. We stood outside the amphitheatre for 45 minutes during this downpour that stopped once they let us inside. Then started again on Nickelback's second song. Hmmm… maybe we should play the lottery?



How is it that SP's hair looks the same and mine is just grossly flat? :(

2. Some people don’t care anything about remembering a concert they paid good money to see. Imagine that.

3. I’m too old to play in the rain. I haven’t been that soaked while still wearing clothes, well, ever. My coat was still dripping the next morning. And in case you didn't know, padded bras don't dry out any quicker than jeans. Did I mention that the temperature also dropped into the 50s? On second thought, those padded bras were probably a good idea.

4. Chad Kroeger, lead singer for Nickelback, is quite fond of the F-bomb. I heard it more in 3 hours than my entire lifetime. :)

5. Even soaked, I love dancing to music so loud it makes your heart pound in your chest. Of course, it is a lot easier to dance when you are dry and not worried about slipping on a wet grass hill.

6. Drunk guys don’t care who their arms hit when they are “getting down.”

7. Pot smells much different than cigarettes. (I did mention I was sheltered, right? I missed getting a drug education in college.)

8. SP and I agree that there were 2 things that made this concert worthwhile:







This was my favorite part! Ryan Peake is one of the guitarists and singers. Yum!




Daniel Adair, drummer. Let’s just say this guy can make you think really naughty thoughts during his drum solo. Wow.

What has been your favorite concert experience? Ever have any trips that just don’t go exactly as you planned?
Angel
P.S. Friday's comment by Gina won a book from Anna Cleary. Please check out Friday's comment tail for instructions on claiming your prize!
P.P.S. Don't forget this is the last week to enter the Good VS. Evil contest. Check out the sidebar for the link.
Coming Soon! Join guest blogger Tawny Weber here on Thursday!

Bad girls, bad girls, watcha gonna do...

On Sunday, I took one of the (many) Facebook quizzes out there to find out which Joss Whedon character I was. The answer was Faith, the other Slayer from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is interesting because I like Faith, and I’d love to have her body and her moves, but rather funny because of today’s blog topic.

(I'd love to look this good ---------------->)

The Playfriends are always up for something new and different, and two weeks ago, Angel, Smarty Pants, and I signed up to take a women’s self-defense class. Yep, one of those classes where you get to beat up on guys wearing lots of protective gear. We learned how to get loose if someone grabs us from behind, and how to stomp, hit, kick, and elbow men in sensitive areas

Now, I haven’t been in a fight since high school, and then only twice. (I think I’m still banned from that skating rink.) I have dealt with my fair share of drunk guys in bars who wanted to get a little too friendly. I’ve slapped some faces and brought my knee up where it counts, but the whole punch-stomp-kick thing was new for me. But I think we all learned a lot and had a pretty good time.

Of course, part of the fun of doing something different with your friends is that you get to see them in a different light and learn something new about them. And let me tell you, Smarty Pants has some aggression issues, and you do NOT want to mess with her. I don’t really know what she did to the instructors, but I was her biggest casualty of the day. (No surprise, I know. This is ME we're talking about. It's not a true Playfriend adventure until PC gets hurt...)

Not ten minutes into class – when we’re supposed to be learning the proper movements and practicing *gently* on each other – SP nearly sent me to the hospital. It was partly a size issue – SP has about six inches on me, so when she lifted her arms and turned to face her “attacker” (ahem, me) her elbows were right at head height. This wouldn’t have been too bad, except for the aforementioned aggression issues coupled with some overachiever excitement. WHAM! SP’s elbow into PC’s temple. I saw stars. Tears welled up. I’m surprised my weenie self didn’t pass out from the pain. (I’m no Faith the Vampire Slayer.)

I had two black eyes the next morning. Even with copious amounts of concealer, I looked like a battered woman and Darling Geek got many strange looks at church. I had a monster headache for two days. There was swelling and tenderness that lasted longer than that.

The girl can certainly throw an elbow.

And I never could get her back. Check out the pictures of us on the Playground. She seriously has six inches and about twenty pounds on me. If I grabbed her from behind, she just leaned forward until my feet were off the ground and I was helpless. I was more than happy to turn her over to the well-padded and well-trained instructors and let her beat up on them.

Angel also let loose and wasn’t quite as angelic as normal, but honestly I don’t have a lot to report because the concussion caused a little bit of amnesia. I was also pretty busy keeping SP’s elbows in sight at all times so I didn’t accidentally get in the way again. (And we won't mention about how she tried to take out my *good* knee...)

For proof (and laughs), I present the photographic evidence of our adventure:

Angel grabs me from behind. Hmm, she doesn't look too Angelic at the moment, does she? She seems to be enjoying it. Bit of an aggressive streak in her too...

Now it's ON. There's about to be some hair-pulling and b*tch-slapping going on...

Angel takes on the instructor.

SP was behind the camera (this is unusual, because usually it's Angel behind the camera) and I was off nursing my concussion, so there are no shots of SP in class, alas. There are also no photos of my black eyes.

Good times. :-)

Ever take one of these self-defense classes? Did you unleash your inner Slayer on the instructors? What kind of revenge should I be planning for SP?

PC

A New Obsession

Well, my life has been taken over my a new obsession, planning for Disney World. Most of the Playfriends - and Playkids & a couple Playhusbands - are heading to the World later in the fall. There are plenty of things I need to be doing (and if my editor is reading this I swear I'm working on my syns too!) however, I've lost hours of my life gathering information lately.

I think this is a flaw in my personality, my ability to become obsessed with a project. If anyone has a 12 step program for this, or a pill I could take to remedy this, I'm open to suggestions. I mean I can and do split my focus...I just know that the few free hours of my day will be filled with whatever my newest obsession is.

In the absence of a magic pill, I have adjusted my daily plan to allow for at least 2 hours to indulge in comparing touring plans, dining options and character meals. To researching trading pins and budget tips. I've hunted designs - one of them here - that I'll probably end up making into t-shirts for my girls. I've even requested some customized designs for the Playground Family Invasion.

I'm excited about this trip, and so are my girls. I know in a couple weeks the euphoria of just booking will have passed and my obsessive personality will have moved onto something else (like writing my next book in 4 weeks). But until then, anyone have good sources for Disney information? Or any trip tips - specifically for a group of 12? How do you plan for vacations? Do you plan everything down to the last detail or do you just wing it?

Instigator

Research, research, research.

Historical writers do a lot of research. What people wore, what they ate, how they danced, whatever. Most historical writers are walking experts on their time periods, because they know that if they get the tiniest of detail wrong, someone will send them a nasty email (“There’s no way Lady Hawkshore could eat roasted quail with sage potatoes as sage was not a common spice in 1066 as it was not brought over from the Holy Lands until after Richard I, blah, blah, blah, etc.”)

This is one reason why I don’t write historicals. I didn’t enjoy research in college, and I’d rather write books than research details.

Then I decide to set a book in a winery. I have two great characters and a fun plot. I’m writing a synopsis and I’m feeling pretty good about the whole thing.

Then I realize the only thing I know about wine is how to get the cork out, and even then, I’m not always 100% at removal techniques.

So, I’m rather screwed, as the WHOLE book takes place at a winery where the heroine is a winemaker. Hmm, you think that wine stuff might just come up in the book at some point?

Cue images of Kimberly banging her head against her desk because ugh, I’m going to have to do massive research just to figure out what I need to know for the small bit of realistic detail this book is going to need. ~whines and wails, gnashing of teeth, rending of garments~

Fabu CP to the rescue!! Pamela lives in a wine region within driving distance. She knows a guy who grows grapes. He, in turn, calls one of his friends at the local winery, and next thing I know, I’m headed up to Illinois for the weekend for a crash course in Winemaking For Romance Novels.

Have I mentioned how fabu my Fabu CP is?

This is Frank LaFoon of LaFoon Vinyards in Anna, Illinois. He grows grapes for Owl Creek Vineyard (they sent wine to the Presidential Inauguration!). He was my tour guide and info man – and he certainly has the info!

Frank set me up with a personal tour of Blue Sky Vinyard by their winemaker Karen Hand. (No picture of me and Karen to share– I was too busy taking notes and asking questions and I forgot. Sorry Karen!) Instead, I have a picture of me and Pamela in front of the building.

There’s a lot more to growing grapes and making wine than I ever expected. My brain was exploding from information overload after just a couple of hours. There’s a lot of science and a lot of art (and I suspect just a smidge of voodoo as well) that goes into growing good grapes and making good wine. I’ll never just casually open a bottle of wine ever again, that’s for sure!

What really blew me away – beyond the *really* unbelievably cold temps possible in Illinois – was how wonderful everyone was. How generous they were with their time and their knowledge, and how willing they were to answer my questions, no matter how stupid or strange they were. (And I don’t want to give away a major plot point to my book and spoil the surprise, but let’s just say I asked a couple of questions no vintner or viticulturist would ever want to even think about, much less answer.) And when I finally left them, I had email addresses and an open invitation to email them if any questions came up later on.

That’s so awesome. It’s times like this I really love my job.

Thanks to Frank and Karen, I spent the rest of the afternoon in deep huddle with my CP reworking all the things that were WRONG in my book – like timelines , yikes! – and hopefully this means I won’t get irate emails from readers telling me how wrong I was about just about everything. I now know what the inside of a fermentation room smells like, how tall grape vines actually are, and most importantly, how passionate the people who make wine are about their craft.

(That's Karen in the fermentation room.)

Thank you, thank you, Karen and Frank (and Pamela and Hubby) for a great research trip…

Oh, and that “deep huddle?” We were in the hot tub, so that didn’t exactly suck either. Did I mention how much I love my job?

So, do little mistakes pull you completely out of a book? Would you email the author and let her know she’d messed something up? How much factual detail do you like in your books? Just a flavor, or do you want to really learn something?

Unconventional Conventionists.

If you said “from Transsexual Transylvania,” I know where you've spent many a midnight – The Rocky Horror Picture Show!

In my youth, I was a “regular Frankie fan”; I've seen the movie 40+ times, only giving it up when I moved to Knoxville for college and no one showed it (can you believe in a college town no one showed RHPS? How crazy is that?). After my initial withdrawal pangs, I settled into a grown-up life where I didn't hurl rice at strangers and shout the word “a**hole” every time someone said the name Brad. I also reached the age where the thought of something beginning at midnight was insane.

But when Smarty Pants announced she'd seen an advert for a midnight showing of Rocky in town, I was more than willing to go with her. See, SP was a Rocky virgin, and I got a little kick out of the idea of initiating her into something that would be right up her weird alley.

We even dressed up for the event – I'd say we did a pretty good job, considering how I only gave SP 24 hours notice she'd need a costume. Unconventional Conventionists, at your service, ready to Time Warp again.

I think SP will blog on Friday about her experience (aided and muddied by tequila as it was...), but I had a BLAST. Granted, the last time I saw Rocky I wasn't old enough to drink, so it's been a while. I was worried I wouldn't remember any of the lines – the remarks you shout at the screen – but most of them came back to me once the music started. It wasn't my old crowd, so some folks had different call-backs at different times, but it nice to hear other lines from other places. Probably half of the audience in attendance were virgins, so there were some etiquette problems that annoyed me, but I tried to shrug it off. After all, we were all virgins once, and enthusiasm shouldn't be squashed unmercifully. (Even if they were terribly annoying.) Plus, without a large group of regulars, it's difficult for the virgins to learn how to behave :-)

I will say that SP was not an annoying virgin. She did very well, even if she wouldn't turn off her flashlight when we told her too, and hearing her giggle at some of the lines warmed the cockles of my heart. (Ask any Playfriend – getting SP giddy enough to giggle is something we all aim for and relish when it happens.) And I think if Rocky had a regular showing around here, she'd be willing to aim for a Rocky “Slut” status.

There would be a small problem with that for me though – the whole “midnight showing” thing. Honestly, I'm too freaking old to Time Warp until 3 am. I was worthless most of the day Sunday. On most nights, 11 pm is my bedtime – I'm sound asleep by midnight, and 3 am is only something I see if AC has a nightmare. Regular Rocky showings would kill me, and I'd be torn between the doing the Time Warp and being a functioning human being.

But, gosh, it was fun. Talk about a time warp – I felt underage again. Thinner, less wrinkly, too. It was a nice stress-reliever as well – shouting profanity at a movie screen is oddly cathartic. Go figure.

Any other Rocky fans on the Playground? Could you do midnight showings? Anything from your youth you revisited recently?

PC