Skip to content

Published on

My oldest, Zack, graduated cum laude from The University of Central Florida this morning, May 2, 2013. The kid is a smart grabber - he must have got all those genes from Mr. Duck. Zack also graduated "with honors" - meaning from the Burnett Honors College - and "with honors in the major." The latter means he's truly nuts and also completed a mini-thesis guided by engineering guru Dr. Ali P. Gordon of the Dpt of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.

We got a chance to meet Dr. Gordon at the Honor's convocation last night, 5/1.  He was clearly brilliant - a gifted professional - and yet he spoke so highly of Zack's work.  Zack would be the first to say how much he was guided and influenced by Dr. Gordon.  Zack said one of his big motivations was not wanting to disappoint Dr. Gordon.  That speaks volumes about how gifted the good Dr. Gordon is as an education professional.  His guidance on Zack's thesis attests to Dr. Gordon's gifts as an engineer.

At the graduation his morning 7,800 graduated from the Arts and Humanities Colleges and the College of Engineering and Computer Science.  They got the ceremony completed in 2 hours - an amazing feat - and they did it without "shortchanging" anything.  This afternoon, 5/2/13, is another graduation of different colleges.  (Bill Clinton will speak at this one).  Our speaker this morning was Dr. Peter Delfeyett of UCF's College of Optics and Photonics.  Dr. Delfeyett spoke in stories.  I understood the motivational parts of the tales and found them very inspiring.  I was very impressed by Dr. Delfeyett's current work with DARPA (the group that invented the internet).  Dr. Delfeyett is working on a project using lasers and their color spectrum to make the internet faster.  Cutting edge stuff, right?

Zack's entire experience at UCF has been first class and cutting edge.  He was a National Merit Scholar and UCF offers a full ride - full, no holds barred scholarship - to National Merit Scholars who put UCF down as their first choice on the selection form.  You know how most things that look too good to be true turn out to be a lot less than advertised?  Right after Zack accepted UCF's offer, I scanned a copy of his scholarship to my desktops at home and at work because - I expected trouble.  You know what?  I NEVER GOT IT.  UCF said what it meant and it meant what it said and that's a life lesson that all of our kids (and their parents) could use.

The ceremony was wonderful - bagpipes and all.  I cried.  Of course, I did.  But they were happy tears for my son's grand achievement.  I'm very, very, proud of him.  They were also tears of gratitude to the University of Central Florida.  My son's dream has always been to become an engineer.  Today, he graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and in the fall he will take the FE exam in South Carolina.  UCF isn't at Disney and I didn't see Cinderella's coach anywhere, but the school surely must have absorbed a touch of all that magic.  Certainly, in many ways, UCF has been a "fairy godparent" to my son.  Wave a scholarship and poof - some hard work, a first rate faculty, staff and facilities and 4 years later --  my son's dream is coming true.

If you're looking for a University that can give you the keys to your dreams, I invite you to take a look at UCF.  AND IF YOU'RE A NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR OR THE PARENT OF ONE -- you're losing the opportunity of a lifetime if you don't visit UCF and give it serious consideration as that "first choice" selection.  Yes, this is an emotional tribute to my eldest son who is one of my heroes, but it is also a real-life tribute to UCF from the mother of a National Merit Scholar.

UCF fosters and encourages an environment where children, fresh from high school, enter to explore, give, grow and learn - guided by a vast array of professionals who are the best in their fields.  Those high school children leave  as young men and women who have learned lessons that pave the path to their dreams.  My son is on his way to realizing his dreams. I hope that many of your sons and daughters find their "fairy godparent" at the University of Central Florida.

Thank you Dr. Gordon and Thank you UCF!!  We need many more places like UCF - where magic meets hard work and where a promise made is a promise kept.

Published on

As I await the Mer's voice over - thought I'd post a link to this story about a 'miracle baby' who inspired a story in tonight's Grey's Anatomy.   The McDonagh family of McHenry, Ill and their miracle baby, Ian, are fine now - but they went through a lot on the road to fine.  I hope this story isn't about Mer and the McNugget.  I don't wish ill on any little one and I'm sorry little Ian and his family went through this - but I already love the McNugget.  Just sayin'.

(BTW - I linked the 'miracle baby' story earlier on QA's Facebook page.  If you don't follow us there, you're missing out on some juicy linkage.  So pause, click this link, and follow - all good?  You did it right?  Okay - now on to the voice over...)

Okay - Bailey's got the voice over tonight.  That makes sense - given her job jeopardy.  And infections are like monsters.  I'm a Type I diabetic and staph is an infection I've gotten to know too well.    But how dare the CDC grill Bailey?  She's the nicest Nazi I know.

Great duck - April is going to play the distressed virgin card.  Come on - I was starting to like her for a while.  Guess we're not supposed to like April.  The writers' want us to see her as a nut.  Guess what?  To someone reared in the Bible Belt, April's not such a nut.  I'm going to try to forgive her for the outburst where she blames Jackson for "taking" her virginity.  I'll assume we will have an adult moment later where she at least apologizes and says that even if she regrets it now, her virginity was a gift she gave Jackson.  Geez - women can take responsibility better than this.

Meredith wants Cristina to be there when she gives birth?  Cristina?  Hello - Mer, don't you know your person better than that?  Still, it's possible Cristina changes her mind before epi's end.

The little boy - Ethan, I think - Owen's still attached even though Grandma has showed up now.

Oh, and thank goodness.  The 'miracle' baby story doesn't involve the McNugget.  Don't grill the McNugget, Shonda Sunshine.  Some things are sacred.

The family reunion story is a nice light note.  Love 'em.  Love 'em a lot.  Just not a lot of 'em at once, right?

Bailey channels Aretha's "Respect" to time her scrubbing before surgery?  That fits.  All women everywhere should channel a little Aretha. The Nazi channels a lot of Aretha - which is why no one should mess with Bailey.

Cristina tells Karev to beat up Jo's boyfriend?  Uhh Ohh, watch out what you wish for Cristina.  You might get it.....

So, one of the reunion kids is going to break the CDC investigation story?  Interesting.

Der's hovering over Mer and worrying about her treating Bailey's staph patients is way cute - from this side at least. Der's not so cute when Mer tells him she wants Cristina in the OR.  Love Owen's comment -- "Watching a baby being born is like seeing God in person."

The investigator grills Bailey on whether she closed a particular surgery.  But Bailey has the luxury of getting up and walking out before the interview is done.  Witnesses in a courtroom can't do that - and that point - the point when Bailey walked out - that's the point where the truth begins to emerge.  It's the breaking point.  I'm a lawyer, though I don't do trial work.  My boss is a trial lawyer and I do all the appeals.  Do you have any idea how much deposition and trial testimony I've read?  Yep, my boss is an excellent trial lawyer and he knows all about the breaking point.

Now Mer sits down with Bailey.  But Jackson calls her on it -- and Ethan's Mom seizes.  Bailey's not allowed to treat - and it keeps Ethan available for that possible adoption Owen's going to want, right?  I blogged about that several epis ago.

And Cristina's operating on 'miracle baby.'

And Ethan's Mom doesn't survive the elevator ride up to the OR.

Does anyone have a tissue?

Oh, duckness.  Owen has to tell Ethan about his mom's death.  Owen does a great job and Ethan goes out to comfort his grandmother.  What an amazing kid!  More tissue?  Yes, I think so.

Bailey hears her MENTOR, Webber, tell one of her struggling patients that the problem at the hospital was one doctor and she's been isolated from patients.  Jo asks Webber about it later and he says he doesn't believe that.  He just said it to get the patient's parents to let them operate so the guy wouldn't die.  Either way - it's truth to Bailey and truth from the source she'd take the most seriously.  Bailey goes back to the investigator - demanding to know the results of her staph test.  They tested Bailey - they tested everyone.

The investigator doesn't answer, but Bailey sees the truth in his eyes - she does have the strain of staph infecting her patients.  She's left asking -  did I do this?  Did I do this?  The Nazi, humbled.

Someone call Kleenex for me and order a crate.  Between this and the rumors of a "superstorm" striking during the finale and Shonda Sunshine promising more trauma -- Forget the crate.  How much tissue does an 18-wheeler hold?

Yes, Cristina changes her mind.  However, Derek might kill her if she tries to turn the McNugget birth all dark and twisty. The Cristina expresses sympathy to Owen for Ethan's mom's loss.

Bailey invades the board meeting.  She hears the investigator say that she carried the staph.  BUT - the gloves were defective - microscopic tears, etc.  The CDC doesn't think Bailey would have given the patients staph without the defective gloves.  CDC recommends Bailey be fully treated before going back to patient care.  But Bailey's still upset and I understand completely.

Jackson has to go to April.  He tells her he's not sorry they slept together and then, on cue, jerky paramedic walks in.  He says he wants the do-over April offered earlier.  She gives it to him.  But I'm still waiting for April to woman up and own her choices.

Okay,  Webber on the bench with Bailey.  She's still upset that she killed 2 patients and then she learns that another died.  She's in tears.....  upset that Webber shut her out when he should have tried to protect her.  Bailey says she always defended Webber when Adele complained about Webber putting the hospital first.  Instead of standing up for her, he stood up for the hospital again.

Alex goes to Cristina's room when he gets home.  Jo called him on telling her secrets to her boyfriend.  And Alex finally confesses that he loves her.  And Cristina pats the bed - calling Alex in - not romantically, but in her old Mer posture of support.  She tells Alex that she thinks she is losing Owen.  Not today, but soon.

Gosh, and the previews for next week - it looks like a lot of folks will begin to lose........

How fast can that 18 wheeler of tissue get here?

Published on

Editorial Note - Ignore all the rumors. Mr. Duck did NOT suggest the title for this episode.

From the title of the episode -- we knew Mer's news would not be good.  Oh, Mer, having a gene doesn't mean you get the disease.  We all walk around with bunches of genes for things we never get.  Forget about it and live now!  Will she do that?  No - she's Meredith Grey.  She's dark and twisty.

She wants an updated will.  Now.

Woah - I just found a commercial deep.  (Inspiration dances with the daring.)  What does that say about the state of my mental health, people?  Seriously,  nothing good.

The Syrian docs have to treat patients in the dark and without instruments?  That's almost as sad as their insisting on Callie being on the team because they lose so many children.

Speaking of children, Owen's surrogate son is back.  And I just read that he and Cristina will be re-visiting the whole baby issue.  I'm guessing that Shonda Sunshine is misleading us again.  Yep - I'm thinking they'll adopt an older kid.

Back to the will - yes.  Cristina was one of the guardians and Derek says she needs out because she doesn't want kids.  Meredith says Cristina will still agree to raise their kids.  Hmm, so that's how the issue will arise.  Crafty Sunshine having Cristina's person bring up the issue of issue.

And surrogate kid's grandmother won't arrive until tomorrow to pick him up.  Yep, it'll be a perfect Shonda Storm.  Mer asking Cristina to be the baby's guardian and Owen bringing home surrogate son.  Part 1 - Cristina says she'll take the kids but she'll raise them by a team of surrogates.  And Mer looks depressed.  Is it Der's sisters for the kids.  And Cristina wants to get the kids 3 weeks a year - she'll take them for their first tattoo........  Mer says they need a Mom and Cristina points out that Mer's still here - she's not dying.

But Cristina should know better.  She knows dark and twisty Mer better than anyone.

Dear Duck - now Mer and Cristina are giving April love advice.  She should know better than to take love advice from those two.  Even the Syrian doc wants to give April advice.  She just looks like she needs help.

Mer and Der discuss how many disasters they've survived.  And Mer tells Der he should give her a lethal dose of morphine as soon as she forgets where her keys are.  By that token, I wouldn't have survived until Zack learned to walk.  And now he graduates in May from UCF with a Mechanical Engineering degree - cum laude, and with honors in the major. Yeah, Mer should rethink that whole exit strategy. If I hadn't been around longer than losing those keys - Sam, my youngest, wouldn't exist and the world without Sam-ness would be a dark and hideous place.  Sam's the male version of Mary Tyler Moore (Remember that song?  Sam turns the world on with his smile.  It lights up a room.  And he really does take nothing days and make them seem worthwhile.) And my engineer, Zack,  would have had no one to hell hack his teachers and school officials until thy gave in and admitted that one size does not fit all.  Where would he be today, my special, brilliant young man?)

And all of babies are getting post-op complications.  Is intern Leah to blame?

Has Meredith learned anything?  NO - she gets a back up promise that Cristina will kill her when she forgets where her keys are.  And you know what?  Cristina really would do that.

April's gonna tell the paramedic -- Yes, she just did.  She tells him she was a virgin for a long time but screwed up and didn't wait. Will he understand?  No, he won't.  She sees her lack of virginity as a wee little issue compared to the war that the Syrian's are facing.  He doesn't see it that way.  He says the issue is her lying.  It could be, but I suspect that it might be just that - the paramedic doesn't want a playground where anyone else played -ever.  That's the kind of thing a hero might say and believe in a historical romance novel -- from the Regency period -- but only until the heroine taught him better.

Der wants the intern with the natural talent and he rejects the one willing to work his butt off.  Sigh.  Hard work is way underrated.  And Owen fights to admit Ethan overnight because he doesn't want to go with foster services.  Callie says no.   But - she changes her mind.  Except the kid hears Owen say he's sick and Owen has to explain to the kid that he's fake sick.  And Cristina sees Owen cuddled up and relating to his surrogate son and she sees why Owen's been so irritable lately.

Mer tells Der that Cristina agreed to kill her and he shows her his gene scan.  Positive for a high tendency to 2 kinds of cancer, heroin addiction and male pattern baldness.   He tells her it's all a crap shoot.  A less twisty lady might agree.

And April is robbing the hospital - giving away expensive medical equipment.  Girl frog - none of that will change the mind of an arse. And yes, Mer, the truth doesn't always set us free.

One of the complications patients died.  But Leah didn't treat her.  Only Bailey treated all three of them.  And Jackson has to call the lawyers.  And Owen and Derek have to tell Bailey to sit down and let Webber treat her patients.  They were going to fire the intern -- so are we supposed to believe that Bailey is leaving the show?  Bailey?

You know - I did see a blip from Shonda that someone was leaving the show.  But I think that's just misdirection.  Grey's without Bailey?  It wouldn't be the same.

And your homework this week is to imagine Cristina's child-rearing philosophy.  Nightmares may be involved.

FIND A SONG LIST FROM THE EPI, HERE.

 

Published on

Starting with McDreamy bliss and kidus interruptus.  A frustrated McDreamy is still mighty yummy. Lots of sexy stuff in the opener - Owen and Cristina too, proving nobody sexes like the exes.

Oh, and as to the voiceover - if I'm in an OR holding a scalpel, someone's really in trouble.

A tanker accident - leaking gas- a family in trauma.  That's Grey's.  Close the ER?  No way.

A sick kid that everyone is dismissing but the Mom?  Mothers always know.

Okay, now the tanker exploded.  And the patient covered with gasoline ignored the docs and went outside for a ciggie.  Didn't any of these people ever hear of e-cigs?  My brand is "Logic" - their platinum has the max nicotine and a heavier vapor.  It's the bomb and comes in rechargables - 5 are like $19.99.  Some offices even allow you to use them at your desk, BTW and I hear lot's of hospitals okay them in the rooms.  (Hey, it's commercial time on the show too!)

Oh - Jackson's working on the paramedic who played hero while April has to go try to help Karev save a baby.  Given that April's been to the carnival and the paramedic thinks she hasn't - that's got to worry April.  They save the baby but mama's bleeding.  Come on guys - every new little Angel deserves a grown up Angel of their very own.

Mom with the sick kid is back.  His fever is higher.  Docs want to turn them away.  But Mom's a fighter.  Any parent of a special kid better be a fighter. Yeah for Meredith!  Her mommy sense is already well - honed, isn't it.  Yes, admit the kid because if Mom says he's sick, he's probably sick.  And then the little boy Owen's been watching sneaks away and finds Mom just waking from brain surgery and she doesn't remember him.  Okay, I know it's possible.  My brain knows it's possible - but I can't imagine it.  Brain surgery, amnesia and all - I'd know my kid.  (Insert Mr. Duck making a helicopter sound here.)

Jackson treating the paramedic's arse when April walks in?  Priceless.

Gosh, the mom who had the baby and is now dying wanted to name her baby Rose?  Really?  That's the heroine's name in my WIP. (She hooks up with a lovely Highland laird named Ramsay)

It's the Bing it On ad.  That campaign reminds me of my sons who like to trade bad puns - the "badder" the better and the "baddest" is the best.  And yes, they're 22 and 15 but their mom is a nutty duck lady.  Considering that, they're pretty normal - in duck universe terms.

It's pretty easy to see that the lovely Owen Cristina reunion will be in trouble after this epi, unless Cristina's changed her mind about parenthood.  Maybe they can adopt an older kid?  Lots of older kids need great parents.  Will the parents of Owen's surrogate son survive?  If both pass away or are incapacitated and Owen keeps the kid, that could be a big ole' obstacle for Cristina.  Sur-son's Dad coded - he's being placed on ice.

Oh, and the newborn's mom didn't make it.  Not fair.  Jo's new boyfriend won't  tell mom's hubby that his wife died.  New boyfriend says the mom wasn't his patient - he passed her along to April. So Alex will do it to save the distraugt April from having to.  And Jo's intern friend called the new boyfriend sensitive?  Those ladies need a new dictionary. And April was left in tears, sobbing beside Jackson.  Those two are not finished.

And the mystery patient has Kawasaki's. Meredith catches it.  'Course, we knew it was Kawasaki's.  The amazing actress playing the mom is Sarah Chalke of Roseanne and Scrubs and she's a real life Kawasaki's mom.  She's doing the show to raise awareness of the disease which can cause permanent heart damage if not caught in time. You go, Sarah....

Callie gets to give her speech.  Only she doesn't do the one she rehearsed.  Now she talks about cartilege - what holds us together when things fall apart.

And April goes to her paramedic boyfriend.  Asking if he believes in fated love, telling him that her patient, the new mom, had a love like that with her husband.  Why would God bring them together if it was just to be torn apart?  The paramedic tells April he loves her - and she's shocked.  He says he "loves her too."  But she wanted him to listen to her questions and now she has a bigger one of her own.

And Cristina tells Owen that in icing down Owen's surrogate kid's real Dad, she was trying to save him.  She wants the family reunited too.  Owen acts like Cris hates kids if she doesn't want to be a mom, and that's just not true.

Oh, dearest duck.  Mer asks Bailey to do gene mapping on her and Zola.  Mer wants to know if she's going to get Alzheimer's like her Mom.  No, she really, really doesn't need to know that right now, while she's pregnant and needs to be cooking up a happy baby.  Happy babies are born to happy Moms.

Mer, oh Mer -- was she missing her dark and twisty side that much?

Published on

QA fans - get ready.  We're only a week away from spreading some magic.

Yes, peeps, "A Magical Forever" -the sequel to my "Forever Series" - Peter's story,  will be available everywhere on Easter Sunday, March 31st.  I enrolled the book in KDP Select, mainly to try the program for myself, and see if I could benefit from some of those paid "borrows."  In Select, whenever a Kindle Prime member borrows your book, the reader gets to read it free and the writer gets paid for the borrow.  In exchange for participating, the writer has to make the book free for the 90-day term.  My term is up 3/30 and I'll start uploading the book to all the other retailers.

So, was it worth it?  Would I do it again?  No.

Don't get me wrong, I love Amazon and the Kindle.  I'm a dedicated owner of the first version of the device - haven't sprung for the new one yet.  I may let them get down the road another generation or so before I do that.  But I do love my Kindle.  And I'm a Prime member - but - you know what?  I rarely "borrow" a book.  At first, I used my borrow every month but then life - and my writing - got in the way.  Perhaps the same is true for other Kindle owners, because I had many, many more sales than borrows.

Of course, I do price my work to be affordable.  "Magical" is priced at only $3.99.   At that price, all my readers can pick up the book for less than they'd spend for a burger combo at most fast food joints.  And the love and joy of "Magic" will warm your soul for a lot longer than that Big Mac will fill your tummy.

Y'all get your buying fingers ready -- next week a big ole dose of magic is headed your way!!

 

Published on

The voice over - work keeps us out of trouble?  Have these people seen my office?

McDreamy talking to the McNugget?  Now that's yummy.  Even if Meredith is already in worried Mommy mode.  Yeah, an idle mind will get us into trouble - or at least mischief.  Meredith is worried about her baby?  She should try being a Type1 Diabetic hearing the laundry list of hideous possibilities from a whole team of doctors.

So the new "Grey+Sloan Memorial" is a high tech wonderland.  Hopefully, they have a team of IT people.  McGeeks.

Matthew's never "been to the carnival?"  He thinks April's never been either - and April is worried about corrupting Matthew.  Yo, April - this is not a good subject to discuss with dark and twisty Meredith.

The sweet teacher has cancer?  I've got to take another aspirin.  Did y'all see that study where they say that taking at least 3 aspirin a week helps prevent cancer?  I mean seriously, it helps heart patients and now it prevents cancer?  And you can buy a big bottle of generic aspirin for $1.99 while a prescription antibiotic that will do bupkis for heart problems or cancer costs enough to feed you for a week.  What genius sets these pricing priorities?

Now April's talking to Callie about the carnival?

Karev is screwing with Jo's doctor boyfriend.  Good for him!

There's a very angry father pushing around an intern.  McDreamy is doing brainsurgery on angry father's kid.  Am I a bad person because I look forward to angry father trying out that 'tude on McDreamy?

The teacher lies to her kids and says she'll be right back to teaching.  Meredith lies and agrees when the teacher asks her too.  (April - see what I mean about that whole morality coaster carnival ride?)

Okay, Karev - having the doctor boyfriend call out in the waiting room for patient Genny Talia?  Reminds me of The Simpsons.  Paging Dr. Bart.........  is that a scary thought or what?

And Cristina's cutting edge surgery turns out to be -- a pitch session for funding for phase 3 of a clinical trial.  Get used to it, Cristina.  All those lives in your OR and all those futures in a Courtroom?  They're the fun part of practice.  But the bottom line is that without a strong bottom line there is no practice.  Even businesses that aren't about business - are all about business.

Cristina rants while Mer worries about the baby kicking.  And Mer thinks Cristina's voice will calm down the baby?  Uh ohh - there's Bailey who has been wanting to pitch Genome mapping.  So Bailey pitches to the McNugget -- and it calms down the tyke-in-production.

Webber tells Karev to get more creative than fake patients with funny names.  So he has doctor boyfriend bring a urine sample to Bailey.  Okay - guffaw.  That was funny.

And Cristina pays back the doctor who was pitching her by giving Bailey his research money.  Yep.  Business can be fun.

Calzona and the massage?  Now that's sexy.  Massages are always sexy - just ask Mr. Duck!  You know, he needs to blog again soon.  Maybe he should post one about how he manages not to kill a crazy duck lady.  A self-help book for all the men married to romance writers trying to get their careers to bud.  It would be a public service, really.

Okay, the new full body scan was cool.  I just think April needs to stop looking for clues from the universe.  That's my job.  (If my hubby tells me about a bird he saw in the yard, I'll ask -- was it a lucky bird?)  But really, April, the universe isn't always trying to solve your carnival crisis.  Ride or don't ride.  Just be happy about it.

McDreamy takes out angry Dad with one big emotional punch.  That's his specialty really.  He's an emotional savant.  How else could he have a happy marriage with Meredith?

Meredith and her mania about the baby are driving McDreamy crazy.  So - he takes Mer off to do all the testing he can think of to try to ease her mind.  See - an emotional savant.

The first McDreamy McNugget pic!  Okay, all the parents out there - it's memory lane time.  AND IT'S A BOY!!!

Homework assignment - Name the McNugget***-

Published on

Okay Grey's peeps, I took a week off from liveblogging Grey's and then the show had a wee hiatus.  But it's back and so am I.  How will Seattle Grace fare with Jackson running the show?

One pre-show thought - what is it with April and men in charge?  First McDreamy and now Jackson?  Just a thought.... Will April's heating fling/thing with the paramedic fizzle out under the bright lights of Jackson's power play?

His first move is firing Owen?  You go Cristina - but Meredith wins the round.  She reminds Jackson that the doctor's sued the hospital over the plane crash that killed Lexie.  But Owen is still on the chopping block -- so he takes on Jackson.  Derek has to save the big, bad power powerbroker - and it works until Owen quits.  Does anybody think Cristina will let Owen quit?

Nope, she chases Owen outside.  He tells her Derek blames him for the crash.  Uhh Ohh - now Cristina's going McDreamy hunting.  He'd still be cute with an arrow between his eyes.

Now there are 3 organ transplant surgeries in one day and no transplant coordinator - because Owen was going to do that job.  And April's trying to talk one donor out of donating.  (I"m a lawyer and I have no idea if Cardiac Death donation is legal.)  But I love April's crusading spirit -- even if I suspect she's gonna be power crushin' on Jackson real soon.

Jo's talking to Mer about Alex.  Is Jo really that clueless?  I've heard men try to claim that they "know" first, but I don't know if I believe it.  What do y'all think?

Cristina suggests that the warring neighbors get transplants on the same day - domino style - but one of them is ornery enough to reject it on principal:  he doesn't want anything to do with his neighbor's heart.  Mer and Jo arrive to find--- a kidnapped kidney??  Seriously?  We're at commercial now but the docs have just said they're done;  Mer said, where's our kidney;  and the docs give each other that Cpt. Kirk/Spock look -- oh so dramatic.  It can only mean -- a kidnapped kidney.  Unless I'm wrong - which does happen.  Hey,  If Shonda was going to get alliterative, how about "the purloined pancreas?"

It seems the kidney is on a plane to Seattle....  How?  I'm wondering if it was Owen.

Catherine thinks Richard wants Jackson's job ---- he tells her she's setting Jackson up to fail.  Yo, Richard - never get between a Mama and her baby boy.  A mama's baby stays a mama's baby - whether he's 2, 22 or 32.  (My oldest baby toddles onto a stage to get his engineering degree in May.  He thinks he's grown, but I know better - just like Catherine.  Except - I don't always know better.  Sometimes, I just think I'm right.)

April comes around - and now it's time for Cristina and Derek to have a heart to heart.  She asks Derek what his deal with Owen is about - "it's not about him" she says and Derek doesn't disagree.  Is it Mark?  Did Derek decide he was betraying Mark by befriending Owen?  We'll see, now they've started the transplant two-step.

Jackson steps up and says "that is it."  And it is it --  who can overrule him?  (Only Mama, of course.)  Bailey in Jackson's corner is interesting.  She was in the Chief's corner for a lot of years.

Mer and Jo arrive with the kidney.  No explanations - except that Jo fought hard for it.

Derek goes after Owen.  Derek says he's been pissed at the world - and at Mark.  And April has to drag a distraught Mama off the son who just turned off his vent so his heart would die and he could donate his organs.  It's a noble thing to do but I'd have sawed off the hand of anyone touching that vent.  Just saying.  Again.  Don't mess with a mama's baby.

And Richard and Catherine are still fighting over Jackson.  She tells him to back off.  Then she tells Richard she's been looking for a father for Jackson for 28 years.  Ahmm - does that sort of make Meredith and Jackson siblings?  Step-siblings?

Now Jackson takes control of the board meeting.  Owen agrees to come back.  Jackson says they are re-opening the ER.  Awww - and they re-name the hospital: GREY - SLOANE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.

Yep- that sounds just right.

 

 

Published on

A recent explosion in the writing universe, and a Dear Author post about the whole thing made me consider my views on fan mail and author meltdowns.  DA blogged about a couple of incidents.

One, in the "what was he smoking" category, dealt with an author who not only decided to track down reviewers and commenters on his blog - but he called their JOBS.  Yes, Virginia, you read that right.  An author responded to a blog comment by tracking down a poor soul who commented from their workplace.  He traced the commenter down to a County Education department and then called the person in charge of Internet security for the county to "out" the commenter.

Again, as to that author I ask - "what was he smoking?"  I'd also add - "I don't want none!."  That incident I write off to temporary insanity -- I hope.  But I agree with DA who cautioned her readers to be careful about where they comment.  By All The Ducks In The Pond, I can assure anyone who comments on my blog that the most I'll do, if I even do this, is to reply to your comment here, on my blog.  I lack the time and the motivation to track you down - digitally, virtually or in real life.  Geez.

The other incident I found disturbing enough to make me emerge from my recent blogging holiday, drag out my soapbox and pontificate.  It dealt with an author who recently blogged about how much she'd been "bothered" by certain questions or comments from her readers.   Seriously.

Sadly, I don't think the particular author was smoking anything.  I think she was suffering from "too big for her britches" syndrome.  An occasional ego-driven quote, comment or blog is bad enough, but if a writer has a severe case of TBFHB, his or her friends or family should care enough to lock them away from contact with the outside world until it passes.  Otherwise, they might repay reader loyalty with derision or disdain and do their careers serious damage.  This particular writer wasn't shut away, which is too, too bad.

This TBFHB author did a post listing a bunch of things about her reader email that bothered her.  She didn't like being asked where she got her ideas or how much money she made.  I don't see either question as a big deal - they're easy enough to answer with an "everywhere" for the first and "not nearly enough" for the second.  Those answers would be true for most writers and I think most readers would be glad that their favorite author answered their questions.

Then the TBFHB pushed the author to do the unthinkable -- she chastised a reader anxious to read more of her work.  Yes, Virginia, the reader loved one of the writer's books so much that she went on to buy the rest in that series.  Then the reader took the time to find the author's blog, email the author, telling her that she was anxious to read more.  The reader committed the unpardonable sin of asking the writer to write faster.  The author responded by posting the email on a public blog and expounding upon why it annoyed her.  Even worse, the author played editor for a reader who never tried to post or publish her email and who wrote it only to communicate to the author.  All of us communicate differently and I often use shorthand abbreviations I'd never use in a book or blog post.

The author said she wasn't the reader's slave and that had the reader done her homework, and "done a bit of intelligent googling" that the reader could have found all the information the writer gave her about her publishing schedule, etc.  What struck me most was that the author said she hoped the reader wouldn't "address her mother/grandmother this way."  The writer found the reader's enthusiasm disrespectful.

Well, RESPECT IS A TWO-WAY STREET.  The author's very public response to this reader was anything but respectful.

IMHO, if a reader takes time out of her busy life to contact me about one of my books, that reader deserves my respect, my appreciation for her patronage, and she surely deserves to keep her privacy.  Write me using any slang you like - I'll understand you were trying to communicate a thought in a one to one exchange and that you were not writing for either public consumption or editing tips.  Give me your thoughts any way you choose and I'll take the time to say thank you for buying my book and I'll do my best to respond to your thoughts, questions or suggestions.

See, although I think my time is valuable, I don't think its any more or less valuable than my reader's time.

And that's the key.

Walmart didn't become Walmart by taking out advertisements or writing big posts on its website complaining about how its customers shop.  It became Walmart by appreciating and rewarding customers for their patronage.  Most Walmart's retain a touch of humility even today, as a mega-ginormous-hugely successful business, by still employing greeters who speak to customers as they enter, welcoming them to the store.  Walmart welcomes customers however they shop, whenever they shop and lets the buyers know that the store wants their business.

If a writer doesn't make the time to appreciate readers and to treat any and all contact with them respectfully and courteously, then that writer doesn't want readers.  If readers are such a bother, the writer can confine herself to writing for her own amusement, on her own timetable.  Our books are designed to instill and encourage reader interest and enthusiasm.  If a reader cares enough to contact a writer - that's a home run.

The author wanted to know whether that reader would have spoken that way or in that tone to her mother or grandmother.  The author should have asked herself if she'd have responded in that way or in that tone to her agent or publishing partners.  Let's say Amazon emailed, saying  "Ms. Writer, we purely double-dog love your stuff.  When can you get us some more?"   Would the writer have posted a public blog excoriating Amazon for its enthusiasm for her work?  Would she have edited and re-wrote their email?

You can bet your sweet bank balance that the writer would never have responded to Amazon the way she responded to that reader.  Yet, it's all the readers that make up all the numbers that make Amazon and Barnes and Noble, KOBO and all the other retailers enthusiastic and interested.  Every single reader deserves the same respect that the author thought she deserved because respect either works both ways or it doesn't work at all.

I'm going to crawl down off my soapbox and head back to my WIP, a Highland romance that will be the first of my "lovely lairds" series.  But if you want to reach me, there's a contact link in the upper right corner of this blog.  If you email me because you bought my books, I promise respect and privacy and I promise to say "thank you."

Readers are special people.  We need more readers who care enough to respond, not fewer.  If my work touched you, feel free to email.  I'll always be glad that you did.