Tantalizing Tongue Teasers

Okay, I really call them “Tongue Flicks,” but I was in an alliterative mood, hence the title. What am I talking about, you ask? Well…our good Detective Goren has a habit…a delicious habit, mind you…of flicking his tongue across his lips before he speaks. Not every time he says something, but often enough to delight his faithful followers. It’s like the talking equivalent of clearing one’s palate between dinner courses…only a lot more satisfying.

I have to admit, I didn’t notice it so much when I first started watching the show. I mean, the guy has so many idiosyncratic mannerisms, it was kind of overwhelming to process them all at once. In fact, I think I was well into Season 2 when I was reading one of the many message boards devoted to the divine Detective when someone asked the question: “Have any of you noticed how Bobby “flicks” his tongue?” And I sat up in my chair and said aloud to the computer screen, “Yeh, you’re right. He does that!” Great…one more thing for me to watch for. I mean, I can barely follow the storyline as it is for studying each and every movement the man makes. (Hey, a girl's gotta have a hobby...and this is mine.)

Now, I’m to the point I can almost predict when one is going to happen. It’s like when Magnum would pause for a second, look directly into the camera, quirk his eyebrow, and give us one of his roguish smiles. Yeh, it’s like that. (I could predict those, too.)

The problem is, when one “freeze frames” a tongue flick, it simply looks like he is sticking out his tongue in a childish gesture, but trust me, there is nothing “childlike” about this man. (Well, he does have this cute, little pug nose, but I'll save that discussion for another time.) The truth is, one must "experience" this phenomenon in "real time" in order to truly appreciate this fascination with the tongue flick. Mmmm...if only.

So, just for fun, I give you Bobby and his "totally terrific tantalizing tongue."

'Nuff said.

With thanks...once again...to Val for the photos. She's quick with that cap screen function, I tell ya.

On A Personal Note

Twenty-seven years ago today, I sold my first book. I don’t have a scanner, so I cannot include the cover art on any of them, but I did check eBay and found the covers for two of the five. I started to upload them to the blog, but since my name is emblazoned across the front of each, and I do like my "anonymity" – yeh, Linda, I can spell it…just can’t pronounce it – I decided against that.

So, Terri – you “guttersnipe” you – if you’re reading this, can you believe it’s been that long? Bet you’re sorry you ever wrote that fan letter, huh? Yeh, I know, I know…you’re still waiting on the next one. That’s going to be a long, long wait, I fear.

Annoying Lunch Guy

Most days, I tend to spend my lunch hour at my desk, but today, I had me a hankering for some bacon wrapped chicken/shrimp skewers from Longhorn Steakhouse, so off to lunch I went. So, I was sitting in my booth, having placed my order, the waitress had just brought my raspberry iced-tea and I was trying to concentrate on the little story I’m writing when I became aware of the threesome at the table across from me…two men and a woman.

Their sever had just brought their lunch and placed the plates in front of them and the older man, who spoke with an accent that I later determined was Australian, asked the waiter why he had not brought him his baked potato. The young man checked the order ticket and said he had written down that the “Aussie” had ordered mashed potatoes. That is when the woman spoke up and innocently said, “You know, he’s right. You did order mashed potatoes.” This riveting conversation went on for a few seconds; i.e., the great potato debate, when the waiter eventually said, “You know, it’s not a problem. I can bring you a baked potato,” and off he went to collect the promised dish.

Now, I tried to not eavesdrop, but they were talking so loudly, it was impossible to not overhear what was being said. So, I was literally stunned when "Mr. Aussie" verbally attacked the woman, for what I thought was a totally innocuous remark. When the waiter walked away, he turned on the woman and said loudly and angrily, “How dare you? Don’t you ever contradict me. Just keep your GD mouth shut!”

Okay, when I heard this, I could not help myself, I had to glance over at the woman to see how she reacted to this vitriolic outburst. I know how I would have reacted, but the woman just sat there, staring at the guy, looking absolutely bewildered…like she could not believe her ears. I know I couldn’t believe mine. By now I figure I’m vested in this conversation by virtue of my proximity and the fact that "Mr. Obnoxious" was apparently never acquainted with the concept of using his "inside voice," so now I’m eavesdropping on purpose to try and determine the relationship of the trio. Is this guy her boss, a colleague, her soon to be "ex" husband or boyfriend…hey, nosy people need details.

As I’m paying my check and gathering up all my stuff…needless to say, I got precious little writing done…the waiter returns and asks "Mr. Charming" if he would like him to clear away his dishes since he has finished his meal. To which, "Mr. Wonderful" replied, “Back where I come from, we wait until everyone has concluded their meal before removing the dishes.” And I couldn't help but think as I walked away...one can only hope the arrogant old coot does all us Yanks a favor and undertakes that journey back to where he came from soon…very, very soon.

Dream Weaver

Okay, I know we all have ‘em. I don’t always remember mine, but I often wake up with that “feeling.” You know the one. Like you’ve dreamt something special you’d like to recall, but you cannot summon the images to save your life. Or, conversely, there are the dreams that seem so real while you’re in the midst of them that you’re filled with a sense of overwhelming relief when you waken to realize…it was just a dream. I had such a dream last night.

Ready? Last night I dreamed I purchased an alligator from…of all places...eBay. Not a cutesy, stuffed version of the critter, but an honest to gosh, fully grown…live…alligator. I don’t know how it was delivered, but in the dream I saw myself walking it on a dog leash. I decided to keep it in the basement and, in dreamtime, it appeared that several days had passed and I had not even bothered to feed my new pet. Gotta tell ya, I wasn't looking forward to descending the basement stairs to confront a hungry alligator. I was just “dream thinking” that I wasn’t at all prepared to own an alligator because I didn’t know what to feed it or how to care for it when, luckily, I woke up to the realization that it was…thankfully…only a dream.

Now, if I had my druthers, I’d rather my nocturnal ruminations were filled with luscious visions of a certain fictional NYPD detective. I mean, I think about this guy all the time, but I almost never, ever dream about him. I guess my poor, old besotted brain is so saturated with thoughts of Detective Bobby during my waking hours, it thinks I need a break when I’m sleeping. I, most humbly, beg to differ.

But this past Wednesday night, I found myself dreaming about... Bobby. It wasn’t “sexual” by any stretch of the imagination. My dreams about him…rare though they may be…never are. We were together and alone and he was talking to me…although I cannot recall a single word he said...and then he “leaned in” real close as if he wanted to tell me something very particular when…I kid you not…the phone rang. It was 1:40a.m. in the freakin’ morning and the phone rang!!

Now, my brain’s initial reaction to being awakened from a sound sleep in the middle of the night was to scream “death in the family, death in the family” in my half-awake ears. So, I answered the phone and said a cautious, “Hello.” But instead of a “live” voice on the other end of the line, it was a taped message from the car dealership where I recently bought a new car, reminding me that they were moving to a new location in October. Yes, I said a "recorded message" at 1:40a.m. in the morning!!

Now, the wave of relief that washed over me with the realization that my family and friends were indeed safe and sound was immediately supplanted with downright frustration and irritation at having been so rudely awakened from my "Bobby dream." Oh, the humanity!

So, for anyone out there who may be reading this and who also happens to be a Bobby fan, may your dreams be blessed with images such as these when you close your eyes and drift off to dreamland tonight. I know I'm hoping mine will.

Sweet dreams everyone!

As usual, with thanks to Val for the pixs.

Through The Years

In anticipation of tonight’s premiere of LOCI on USA, I have grown (I almost spelled that “groan” – talk about your Freudian slips) a bit reflective, contemplative, pensive… I’m hot for Bobby…okay?! So, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at how the splendiferous Detective has “changed” since we first met him way back in 2001.

Season 1, Episode: "Art"

With thanks to Val for the photo.

Season 2, Episode: "Bright Boy"

Again, with thanks to Val for the photo.

Season 3, Episode: "Sound Bodies"

Val, what would I do without you? This one is from your collection, too.

Season 4, Episode: "Semi-Detatched"

This one I snagged from "thereelvincentdonofrio" blog. Many thanks!

Season 5: Episode: "Grow"

Another one from "thereelvincentdonofrio" site. Thanks to the ladies at The Reel.

Season 6, Episode: "Brother's Keeper"

Once more, with thanks to Val for the photo.

Season 7, Episode: "Amends"

This one I got from telejunky.

That does it for my mini-retrospective of our dashing detective. You're not getting older, baby...you're getting way, way better. Oh, yeah!

A Wonderful Guy

Pardon me for a moment while I break into song in giddy anticipation of tonight’s premiere of Season 7 of Law & Order CI.

This is "me" singing, and here is the song.

I'm as corny as Kansas in August,
High as a flag on the Fourth of July!
If you'll excuse an expression I use,
I'm in love with a wonderful guy!

I am in a conventional dither,
With a conventional star in my eye.
And you will note there's a lump in my throat
When I speak of that wonderful guy!

This is the guy...


And this is his show...

Don't call me tonight...

Or ballistic, I'll go...

Okay, all of the photos were found through Google Images. Sorry some of them are so small. The song is "I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy" from "South Pacific." Music and lyrics by Rogers & Hammerstein.

Fall Remembrances

In my previous job back home, I had the pleasure – ever so briefly – of working with a woman named Linda. Linda was a boisterous, vibrant redhead with a remarkable lust for life. I can still vividly recall the morning at work when she came to me and told me she thought she had found a lump along her collar bone and asked if I would mind to check it out to see if I thought that's what it was, too. So, off to the privacy of the conference room we went, and a few seconds later, I concurred with her “self- diagnosis” and demanded that she call her doctor immediately for an appointment. That was in August of 1987 (or thereabouts) and the following March, Linda succumbed to an inoperable brain tumor. She was forty-seven.

I think of Linda now and again, but her memory always seems to worm its way into my thoughts when fall rolls around because Autumn was absolutely Linda's favorite time of year. Not me, I prefer spring when everything is bursting forth with new life, not fall…when we are treated to a few days of dazzling hues, followed by weeks upon seemingly never ending weeks of brown, gray, black ugliness that makes me want to crawl inside a closet and hibernate until the daisies start to bloom again.

But not our Linda. She always said that she wanted to go “hug a tree” when the leaves started to display their autumnal splendor. Linda was also a poet, so in her honor, I searched the Internet and found the following verse.

Pumpkins in the cornfields
Gold among the brown
Leaves of rust and scarlet
Trembling slowly down
Birds that travel southward
Lovely time to play
Nothing is as pleasant
As an autumn day!

(My apologies. I searched and searched, but could not find the name of the author, so I am unable to give proper credit.)

The following colorful array is for you, Linda. If I know you, you’re hugging a tree right now. Miss you, my friend.

Photo courtesy of Google. Got this in an email today, so have no clue who gets the credit, but thank you.