The End of a Journey - Bidding Farewell to Queer as Folk

Today I finished watching the final episode of Queer as Folk. All that I have left are the bonus features, which I shall get through.  ****SPOILERS*****  It's been a wonderful journey, one I've truly enjoyed, and I'm disappointed that it didn't last forever, because I think I could have watched these characters forever. They became such a big part of my life and thought processes. I came to care about them, to worry about them, and I watched with great interest their daily struggles, their lives and loves - and yes, their luscious  nakedness. And now it's done.

Did it turn out as I expected? Yes and no. Some things were serendipitous, some a little disappointing. I would have had Debbie marry her policeman, for one thing. I mean it's all well and good to say you won't marry until your son has the right to do so  himself, but honestly, I don't think that sort of personal decision affects anyone but yourself. And any children you might have. Be that as it may, I'm glad they ended up together, they're a good couple. I was disappointed that Emmett lost Drew to the needs of his virgin homosexual ego, but he made up for that in the last episode. Too bad we didn't get to see more of his old fantasy/new lover from back home. Ted found Mr. Wrong in Tad - there was something more than a little creepy about that guy. But at least he made up for it by finding his way back to Blake. Karma. Whodathunkit? Not me. I had Blake pegged as bad news from the beginning. But people change. And so did he, and Ted.

Hunter came back, which was wonderful for Mike and Ben; they decided to adopt him and he agreed. They've all three come a long way. I'm glad Mike and Dr. David didn't work out, Ben is much better for him. I'm also glad Lindsay and Melanie got back together again, although I think the decision to move to Canada was rash. Better to stay and fight than run, especially considering they left the fathers of their kids behind.

Brian and Justin - what can I say? I was so excited when Brian admitted he loved him, and then he bought the  large Tudor house and proposed (I would love to live in that house, seriously). But I had a bad feeling when Lindsay started talking about what Justin was giving up to be with Brian and sure enough my worst fears were realized - Justin went to New York. They promised they'd stay in touch and see each other frequently, but that's where it was left, so we can only hope that's what happened.

Brian wasn't going to re-open Babylon after the bomb, but Michael talked him into it, and that's where the last  scene took place. It was only fitting that Brian and Michael had the last dance - they are the glue which holds everything together, the principle relationship.






A lot of laughs, a lot of thrills, heartaches and triumphs. Tears of joy, tears of sorrow. But underlying it all was love. An immense love which transcends gender, race, religion and everything else. The lesson of QAF, what you are meant to take away with you, is that it's important that you do love. Not who you love, but that you love.

I'll miss the show greatly, and I'll always love it. What do I now? Well, I can always watch the British version, the one by Russell T. Davies of Dr. Who fame, which began it all. And I can always do what I do best - I can write about it. In other words - fanfiction!

Thank you for five wonderful seasons. I'll always treasure the memories.

Goodbye Brian, Michael, Justin, Ben, Emmett, Ted, Lindsay, Melanie, Debbie, Carl, Hunter.... and everyone else.

Fanfiction - Queer as Folk - Pink Yarn is SO Gay

Yes, I still write a little fanfiction, when I get the chance. This one is my first in the QAF fandom. The prompt (which I chose) was yarn. I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to leave a comment and follow my blog to be entered in my What Would You do for Love contest, to win a copy of For Love of Max!

TITLE: Pink Yarn is so Gay  
SERIES: Queer as Folk
RATING: NC17
GENRE: M/M Romance/erotica
WORD COUNT: 2420
CHARACTERS: Brian Kinney, Justin Taylor
SUMMARY:  When Justin appears back in Brian’s bed, will he take him back, or make him suffer for his transgressions?
NOTES: Written for acropoliswrites prompt 21: Yarn. This is taken from the third season of QAF and may contain spoilers for those who haven’t watched it.

“Yes, Michael. No, Michael. I am listening, Michael, honestly.” Brian shifted the phone from one ear to another, shooting a quick glance at the report that had just been handed to him by a quivering subordinate. He turned his withering gaze to the unfortunate young man, never bothering to cover the phone. “What am I supposed to do with this? Wipe my ass?” He tossed the paper toward the intern, who stuttered ineffectively. “Go on, get out! And don’t come back ‘til you have something worth reading, not a minute before.”

Once the door had closed, Brian leaned back into his chair, swiveling away from his desk. “Michael, it’s not that. Why on earth would I want to attend a housewarming for those two? Seriously? I’ll get them something nice and send it, they won’t notice the difference. Trust me.”

He pressed one hand against his temple, massaging it. The ache refused to go away.

“Look, Michael, I’m tired and I’m going home, it’s been a long day—“ Michael’s indignant sputters seeped through the cell phone. Brian held it away from him, rolling his eyes. He counted to ten and put it back to his ear.  “No! I am n-o-t going to Babylon. And if I were, that’s m-y fucking business. Yes, that’s right. Call me later when you find out where the queens are registered.” He slid his phone into his pocket, as he looked over the items on his desk, deciding which he wanted to work on tonight. It wasn’t that he was unsympathetic to the fact that Ted and Emmett had done the ultimate couple thing and bought a house together, he just wasn’t all that interested in it. And he had work to do. A concept which so few of them actually understood.

He’d love to go to Babylon, actually, but working on his new client was a real bitch. He had to showcase the conservative mayoral candidate in a bright and interesting light or his campaign would go right down the toilet. And it would be Brian’s hide that would be nailed to the wall.

Brian picked up Thai food and returned to his loft. Ignoring the echoes of his solitary footsteps in the space which was his and his alone ever since Justin had left him for that pathetic little violinist, Ethan Gold. Oh there was no doubt that Ethan had talent, but Brian suspected that where it counted, the young diva was sorely lacking. Well, no skin off his nose. It had been Justin’s choice. There was nothing that Brian could do about it. Nothing that he would admit to wanting to do, either.

He pored over some pictures on his laptop, thinking, pondering and envisioning. Trying to present the homophobic fascist in an appealing light was not proving to be easy. Rubbing at the bridge of his nose, he closed his weary eyes for just a moment. Or so he thought.

When he opened them again, something felt different, but he wasn’t sure how or why. He pushed himself up from his desk, trying to wake up. Something fuzzy was brushing across his knee. It wasn’t until he reached for it that he realized he was naked, and that the something was a piece of yarn.

More than a piece, it was a length of yarn. Curious. When had he taken off his clothes? He must have been more tired than he thought. He pulled on the yarn, intending to toss it into the trash.  When several inches lay in his hand, he realized it was longer than he’d thought. What the fuck?

He took a good look at the yarn in his hand, wrapping it about his fingers. It was a hideously bright shade of pink. Something only Emmett Honeycutt might wear. Alright, I’ll bite. Let’s see where this little bit of yarn goes and then get rid of it. Forever.

The yarn looped over and around his monitor and from there onto the floor. Brian followed the trail, which led toward his bedroom. Maybe the powers that be were trying to tell him to go to bed, and maybe that wasn’t the worst idea he’d heard all day. No, actually, that honor went to his miserable subordinate.

When Brian reached the bed, he saw that it was occupied. That alone wasn’t news—although entrance to the loft was limited, and occupation was by invitation only. What made this different was the man who was lying across Brian’s big platform bed—none other than Justin Taylor himself.

Brian’s first reaction was to tell him to get the fuck out. But he didn’t. Basically because he was actually speechless for just a moment, although that was bound to be a short-lived moment.”Well, look what the cat dragged in,” he commented drolly, “remind me to shoot that pussy.”

Justin laughed, a melodic sound that went straight to Brian’s heart. He rolled onto his side, as naked as Brian was, propping his head on his hand, the other coyly placed over his cock. “You’re happy to see me, I know you are. You can’t hide it.”

Brian glanced down. Well, imagine that, he had a hard-on. “That only proves that I’m horny. You have a very high opinion of yourself, junior. Now get out of my bed and get the fuck out of my apartment.”

“You know you want me,” Justin continued, as if he hadn’t heard a word that Brian said—or was he simply not listening?

Brian still held the yarn in his hand. He hadn’t realized before but it trailed onto the bed itself, and seemed to end somewhere beneath Justin’s well-placed hand. “What’s this, a new look in bondage? I don’t think it’ll catch on, it’s too gay.” He didn’t release his end of the yarn, though. And he was still quite hard.

“C’mere,” Justin beckoned him in a breathy whisper, giving him the full benefit of his come hither eyes.

“What happened? Did  your pretty little violinist throw  you out already? I’m shocked. You two made such a cute couple.” Brian made no move to come closer. Without thinking he reached for a cigarette, then realized he had no pockets, and he didn’t feel like going after them, or looking for his clothes.

“I left him,” Justin said simply, “I realized he wasn’t what I wanted or needed. That’s you, Brian, only you.” His smile vanished, a look of intense longing replacing it. “It’s you I love, only you, Brian. I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

“I know you did, but it was your mistake to make.” Brian shrugged. “I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen to me. And now here you are. With the mistaken assumption that you can step right back in where you were and continue blithely on your merry way, like nothing happened. Well, you’re very fucking wrong, you can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Justin’s lower lip trembled, his blue eyes glistened. “You want me too, I know you do. I know you love me, Brian, even if you’ve never said it. I can feel it in the things you do, it’s there. I was just too dumb to realize it before. I know it know and I want to make amends. In any way I can.”

“Stupidity has its price,” Brian commented, “and not everything that’s broken can be fixed. Besides, what makes you think I want your dumb ass back? Or that I haven’t replaced you with a better newer model?”

“Because you haven’t and I know it. I know that I was the best thing you ever had, and that since I’ve been gone, you’ve made a point of fucking only guys that look like me. I know that much. Deny it, if you want, it doesn’t matter. I’m here and I’m yours. Take me, Brian. Please.”

“You have a pretty fucking high opinion of yourself,” Brian scoffed. “You’re the best thing I ever had? You left me for that third-rate wanna-be Heifetz, and what did he have to offer you? Only empty words and empty promises. I was real, and I was solid. I paid for you to go to school. He gave you flowers? You can’t get an education with flowers and sweet songs, Justin. I hope you’ve learned that, that’s the only education he can offer you.”

“I have learned that,” Justin replied solemnly, his eyes firmly fixed on Brian. “I was a fool, I let him dazzle me with his siren song. Never again. I’ll never leave you, Brian. I’m yours. Come here and let me show you just what you mean to me.”

Against his better judgment, Brian found himself on all fours, crawling toward Justin like some sort of feral jungle cat. Justin moved his hand; the yard ended in a loop around his hard cock. “I want to be the end of your line,” he whispered huskily, “I want to be it for you, whatever you want or need it to be. I’m yours—come and take me.”

Brian unlooped the yarn and tossed it aside, his hand palming Justin’s hardness, squeezing it. “I don’t play games that I don’t make the rules for, just to remind you. You left, that was your choice. I see no reason to take you back, knowing that you’ll just leave again.”

“No, no,” Justin hastily assured him. “I won’t. I made a mistake and I know better now. Please, Brian.”

Brian stopped his protests with his mouth, melding their lips together in a heated kiss. Brian moaned at his touch, a sound that went straight to Brian’s cock. He increased the pressure on Justin’s erection, the younger man pushed against him eagerly. He pumped it in sure swift strokes, his other hand tightly clenched in Justin’s blond locks. Brian brought him up just to the point of release, then abruptly let go.

“Not yet,” he whispered. “Only when I say so.”

He pulled Justin into his embrace, rolling them both, keeping the bottom position for himself—for now. He looped one leg over Justin’s, arching his body so that their hardnesses made close personal contact with one another. He pushed himself into Justin’s body, hard. His hands traveled the length of Justin’s back, the fingernails leaving trails in his flesh. When Justin would touch Brian, he said simply, “No.”

Brian could feel the need in Justin; it was evident in his voice, his eyes, his body language, in the way that his cock wept pre-cum. But he didn’t care. Justin wanted forgiveness, he wanted to be taken back, to go back to the way they were. Well, everything had its price. This would be no exception to the rule, and the price would be a high one.

“Grab the headboard. Now!” Brian commanded. Justin obeyed with alacrity. Brian reached into the drawer of his bedside table and brought out a tube of lube. Opening it with one hand, he covered himself with the scented gel before tossing it back. He got upon his knees, positioning himself just behind Brian. He reached one hand around and grasped Justin’s cock again, pumping it, his own erection pressed against Justin’s tight bubble ass.

Justin leaned his head back, toward Brian. “Fuck me,” he pleaded, “fuck me hard, please, Brian.”

Brian tightened his grip. “But do you deserve me to fuck you? Why should I be lenient with you when you were far from caring what I thought when you traipsed off down Happiness Trail with that little Fuckface? Can you explain that to me?”

Rather than make a reply, Justin wiggled his ass against Brian’s cock. “Fuck me,” he repeated, provocatively, “fuck me like only you can. Ethan’s a boy, he doesn’t know how to make love. No one can fuck me like you can, Brian.”

Brian shot two fingers inside of Justin, eliciting a deep moan. He twisted the fingers, Justin moaned again. “Damn straight, sonny boy,” he commented. “Too bad you didn’t figure that out sooner.” Despite his words, he made no move to get up, and after loosening Justin, he removed his fingers and replaced it with his own aching cock.

Justin gasped as Brian filled him. “Yessssssss!” he cried out in sibilant pleasure. “Oh god, Brian, I’ve missed this and I’ve missed you—“

Brian stemmed the torrent of words with a kiss. He drove himself inside of Justin, hard. He nipped at his lower lip, his hand pumping Justin’s slick cock. He could feel the need inside of the boy, the desire to release, but he was obedient, following Brian’s orders. He writhed beneath Brian in the sweet agony of surrender, giving himself up to the lust which consumed him.

Brian suddenly tumbled them both onto the middle of the bed, Justin on bottom. He positioned the blond’s legs on his shoulders and drove himself inside of him. Hard. Harder. Hardest. He wanted to  make sure that this was one lesson Justin Taylor would not forget.

“Say my name!” he commanded.

“Brian!” was the automatic response.

“Again!”

“Brian!”

“Who am I?”

“Brian!”

He forced Justin to repeat his name, over and over, timing each thrust with each utterance.  Justin’s piteous moans rent the air. Brian finally gave him the permission which he sought. 

“Come,” he said, and Justin did—hard and fast.

Brian continued to stroke inside of him, his eyes fixed upon Justin’s, observing every nuance, every shade of his expression. And when he ready for his own release, he came, and not a moment before.

They collapsed together upon Brian’s bed. He reached out and pushed back a lock of hair which had fallen into Justin’s face. Justin gazed at him adoringly. “I love you, Brian,” he whispered.

“I know you do.”

A self-satisfied smirk graced Brian’s face as he graciously permitted Justin into his embrace once more. “I hope you’ve learned something,” he murmured into his ear.

“I have,” Justin promised, “I really and truly have.”

“Good, get some sleep now. Some of us have to get up in the morning.” Justin rolled over, and Brian spooned up against him, arms tightly around him. “I love you, Justin,” he murmured, very softly.

Brian’s hand slipped, flopping onto his lap. Frowning, Brian raised his head, to be met with the sight of his screen saver, dancing across the computer monitor. His hand was numb from where he’d fallen asleep with his head cradled on it.

The apartment was empty, save for himself. And there was no pink yarn.

And no Justin.

♥ Julie

Of Hot Men, New Series and Stupid Plots

*********Warning, possible spoilers ahead for various things*****************

There is only one reason that I am still watching Vampire Diaries in the second season.  Okay, maybe one and a half. The main reason is right here - Damon Salvatore. The additional second partial reason is that the writing started to get better in the second season, as compared to the first. Getting better does not mean it's good, though, or that I think it'll last. Seriously, they would have been a lot better off following the books.

That aside, I constantly have to ask myself - what the fuck does Damon see in Elena. Seriously. I see no compelling reason for him to be so smitten with her. She's got a martyr complex a mile wide, refuses to listen to reason even when it's for her own good. She isn't any great shakes in the looks department. With Damon's looks, he can get any girl he sets his mind - or heart - to. Even that old chestnut of her being Katherine's lookalike doesn't cut it for me any more, cause as we all know Katherine is a major bitch, so what sort of selling point is that?

You know why Damon is in love with Elena? You could make a point that it's in the books, therefore it's canon. Canon only works when it suits the writers to use it, which isn't often. No, my theory is that it's because otherwise Damon has no reason to stay in Fell's Church. Sorry, I mean Mystic Falls (did anyone catch the blooper in a previous episode where it was actually referred to as Fell's Church? I sure did). And if Damon leaves, the ratings plummet and it's bye bye Vampire Diaries. Obviously it works, doesn't it? I'm still watching, even though I moan and groan through it a lot. Like last night. I just knew deep down that Bonnie wasn't going to stay dead, even if I didn't know how it would happen. What about Elena's next stupid move? Reviving Elijah?  Good one, Elena, we saw how effective he was before. Let's just set him against Klaus, shall we?  Gah!



Enough of that. On to the Hot Men front. My new hot man/love interest comes to us from the new Showtime series The Borgias. With the Tudors being done, they had to find another interesting historical period, one that hasn't been overdone, and they certainly found it in this original crime family. The action begins in 1492 (does that year ring a bell anyone?) when the current Pope is dying, and the Cardinals have all convened, cause they know what comes next - the election of the new Pope.On the death of the old Pope, the cardinals are sealed inside a room and begin to cast their ballots. When the votes are counted, if there is no candidate with the requisite majority, then a signal goes up to the outside world in the form of black smoke; if there is, then it's white smoke. There are some rather ambitious Cardinals who would love nothing better than to sit on the Papal throne, for at this time the Pope wielded far more power in the known world than most people can imagine, so it was a very prestigious and powerful position to attain. Rodrigo Borgia wishes to be Pope very badly. Rodrigo has three children and a wife. I don't know when he joined the Church or began his rise to power, but his family isn't exactly a secret. His two sons are Juan and Cesare - Juan is in the military, while Cesare has been forced to become a man of the cloth, very much against his will.

HOTTIE ALERT!  Cesare Borgia is very hot, he lights up the screen when he is on it. The role is played by Francois Arnaud, whom I've never seen before but hope to see a lot more of in the future. Cesare is his father's pawn. Without his help, Rodrigo wouldn't have been able to bully and buy his way into the Papacy. Cesare has an assassin in his employ by the name of Micheletto. When I first saw this guy, I thought he looked familiar, turns out I was right. He played Thomas in Jesus, which I just saw recently. Cesare has a very complicated relationship with his younger sister, the infamous Lucrezia Borgia. Everyone has heard of her, surely, one of the most famous poisoners ever. Must be a family trait. The series hints at a very close relationship between the brother and sister, one which I believe is historically accurate, although I'm not sure how far the series will take the innuendoes or what they'll do with them.

Only two episodes in and I'm hooked. It's a full rich series with great characters. Sir Derek Jacobi appeared in the first episode, as Cardinal Orsini. Having recently been exposed to the videogame Assassin's Creed by my good friend Jack, I was fascinated at the similarities, especially recognizing the Borgia courtyard from the game as well as the series. Also, there is another pc game which deals with this time and these people, called Machiavelli. In the game you can buy your way to the Papacy too.  I recommend The Borgias to anyone, but especially to history buffs. It's not limited to them, though, it's a drama I think anyone can enjoy.

CBS - I have a complaint! How do you expect people to keep up with a series when there's no rhyme or reason to when you show it? That's the case with Hawaii 5-0. I never know when there'll be a new episode, it's hit or miss.  Show one, skip a few weeks, show another. What's up with that? Lack of consistency will lose you viewers, who will get tired of hunting the show down and waiting for it to be on, even one like the 5-0. Why do I watch this show?  Primarily for one reason:

Yes, it's for Alex O'Loughlin.  Not the only reason I watch, but the primary reason I ever started watching in the first place, having fallen in love with him in Moonlight (I never even watched this series til it was off the air, what a waste that it only lasted one season, but at least I own that season in its entirety). That being said, I do like the show a lot. It has good writing, interesting plots and great characters. My son-in-law Michael really likes Konno and Chin, and so do I, but my favorites are the main characters, Steve McGarrett and Danny (Book'em Danno) Williams. It's the relationship between these two that makes the show, in my eyes.  Yes, the scenery is quite gorgeous. Every time I watch, I envy my son more and more (he is stationed in Pearl Harbor). The writers have created quite the bromance here, between these two guys, one which is echoed by fangirl fanfiction writers in their slash fiction starring them. I've not yet gone that route, and haven't decided if I will - they are cute together as they are. The last episode was no exception.  ****** again, possible spoilers********  Steve was injured at one point, and Danno hiked up the mountain in order to find a signal and send for help for his friend. As Steve was being lifted away to treatment, Danno pointed to himself, then drew a heart in the air, then pointed at Steve. It was a squee-worthy awwwwwww moment indeed.  That and the way that they bicker like an old married couple, to borrow a phrase from HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  All I'm saying here is CBS, get your shit together, and be more consistent with  your scheduling, or you'll lose viewers. (No, not me, but less committed watchers).

Now, on to Justified. The second season of Justified is every bit as interesting and satisfying as the first, and the writing has just continued to soar, no complaints in that department whatsoever. I'm not saying it needed improving or anything, cause it didn't, but even great things can become greater. It's no secret why I watch this series:  It's for Marshal Raylan Givens, played by Timothy Olyphant. Besides being easy on the eyes, Raylan is a great character, and this season is showing just how versatile he is. He has his own brand of justice, but you know he will always do what is right. That being said, when ex-wife Winona approached him with her little dilemma, he didn't hesitate to offer his help.Apparently she gave in to temptation and took a bill from some money that was going into the evidence locker. That part of the story lasted for a few episodes, and I kept scratching my head as to why. Not why she took the money - she's got money problems, so that part is understandable. But what the hell did she want with just one hundred dollar bill? Well, my instincts were spot on - it wasn't one, it was a satchel full. And watching them trying to get that money back into the evidence locker was hilarious (and it also involved Stephen Root as the speedo wearing judge).

As  you'll recall from the first season, Bo Crowder is deceased. He was the main antagonist at that time, while his son Boyd was on the periphery as a secondary villain whom one was never sure how to take. My daughter finds Boyd (played by Walton Goggins) to be quite cute. It's nice to have different tastes in men between us, we never fight about them at all. I'll take Raylan, she's welcome to Boyd. Last season, Boyd experienced a religious conversion, which may or may not have been sincere. This season, he's developed in other ways, and is on the wrong side of the law again, or at least heading that way. The new baddie for this season is Mags Bennett, who controls her county with an iron fist, as well as the weed market, and her three sons - Doyle, Dicky and Coover. Doyle is the corrupt sheriff, Dicky the inbred junky and Coover is the slow Neanderthal eejit. Or was, anyway, til Raylan dropped him into a mine shaft. Don't worry, the shooting was justified. Mags is an interesting adversary, and I see a feud building up on the order of the Hatfields and the McCoys - the Bennetts and the Crowders.  Should be interesting to watch.

I'm also curious to see where, if anywhere, the relationship between Raylan and Winona goes. I'm not even sure where I want it to go. Wherever it leads to his happiness, sure, but I don't know about her sometimes. I do like her better than Ava, though, who seems to be with Boyd. Art, Raylan's boss, is funny, a good foil, almost a father figure to Raylan. Which is good cause Arlo, his real daddy, ain't much of one.I own the first season of Justified and will own the second when it's available. This series just keeps on getting better, I highly recommend it.

I started watching Top Chef Season 5 from netflix - it's the only past season that is available, for some odd reason, but that 's okay, cause it's the one I wanted to see the most, cause it was Fabio's season.  Who?  Let me show you Fabio:

I first encountered him in the Top Chef All Stars season - he quickly became my favorite, and I was sorry to see him told to pack his knives and leave. But it made me curious to watch his season, which I'm doing now. The only other chefs in that season that I recognize are Carla and Jamie.  I love Carla and can't stand Jamie. Obviously all three will get axed at some point, or they wouldn't have been on All Stars. One interesting point of watching the fifth season was that I actually saw the house where the losing contestants stay - I'd always wondered about that.

We're watching Top Chef Masters now. It's interesting, although I haven't picked a favorite yet. We've also watched some Chopped, and I've come to like that show too. Remember Ted Hall from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? He's on Chopped - he's the host, if you will. It's great to see him again. My favorite on Queer Eye was always Thom, I wonder where he is now.

We're also watching Six Feet Under. I'd been interested in the show when it first came out but wasn't able to watch it. I recently learned that Michael C Hall, of Dexter, is in it, so of course I had to see if I liked it as much as Dexter. The answer is a resounding yes!  

We haven't started the second season of Dexter yet, but we are on the second season of Six Feet Under. This series involves a family owned funeral home - Fisher and Sons. In the first episode, Nathaniel Fisher is dead, and the family must deal with his loss. Nate Jr (Peter Krause) comes home from Seattle for the occasion. At the airport he meets and fucks a strange woman named Brenda (Rachel Griffiths). David (Michael C Hall) has followed his father's footsteps and works at the funeral home, along with Federico, the only other employee. The boys have a sister named Claire (Lauren Ambrose of Grounded For Life). She's in high school and has quite a skewed view of life. It turns out that their mother, Ruth, has been having an affair with a hairdresser for two years, which she confesses to her flabbergasted sons (who really don't want to hear this). David has a secret of his own - he is gay and having an affair with a totally hot black cop named Keith.  Let's throw into the mix, Brenda's bad boy crazy brother Billy, played by Jeremy Sisto.  It's a great show,  I love it to death, especially David. It's so funny to see Dexter with emotions, which only goes to show what a versatile actor Michael C Hall is. There are only five seasons of Six Feet Under. My friend Aly has already watched them all.  We'll get there, I know.

Finally, Queer as Folk.  Still watching that, just started the third season. A lot is going on. At the end of the second season, Justin left Brian to be with Ethan, and Emmett and Ted decided that they are in love. The third season picks up there - Brian is relying heavily on Michael's company, and Ben is being very understanding about it. Emmett and Ted are having some strange times, trying to balance their friendship and their relationship and Emmett slips up. Justin and Michael are on the outs, understandably, putting their joint comic venture in jeopardy. Brian finds relief in fucking guys that resemble Justin. And Lindsay and Melanie are discussing having another baby. Or is that fighting? I love these characters so very much, I can't say enough about this series. It's funny, warm, sexy, hot, dramatic, and wonderful. If you love gay men, you'll love it, the scenes at Babylon are worth the price of admission alone - lots of nude hot men, and yes, there is full frontal. Oh, that reminds me that I'm also watching Spartacus, watching it now on Netflix. Quick comment - I like the series okay, it's pretty, the plot is nothing great yet (I've only seen two epsiodes) but the blood is definitely over the top and the effect is totally lost. It needs to be toned down cause it's only making a mockery of itself, and it's way too much an imitation of 300, and then some. I doesn't even resemble blood. Okay, we get the idea already. Now, concentrate on something more interesting, like plot. I like watching John Hannah and Lucy Lawless as a couple, although I never imagined I'd see Lucy naked like that, but now I have. I haven't decided yet if the series lives up to its hype - I'll keep you posted.

All for now, back to my writing and editing. I'm editing Ranch Hands for Wicked Nights. It was written by my friend SL Danielson, so added bonus there. It's a good story about real men, it's worth taking a look at. I'll review it later.

Have a great day!

♥ Julie

On Making It Happen

In today's episode of Queer as Folk, the big event has finally arrived - the wedding of Lindsay and Melanie! We've been following their relationship ever since the series began, the first episode having culminated in the birth of their beautiful baby boy Gus (whose biological father is infamous sex god Brian Kinney). And now comes the big day, so of course the path of true love and episodic television can never run smoothly, now can it?

Things start falling apart at the last minute, after a Tarot reading at a stagette party warns the two that this is not a good weekend to be married because Mercury is in retrograde: between a caterer and catering hall closed down for salmonella, engraved wedding rings lost by the jeweler, and a wedding dress inadvertently destroyed by the dry cleaner, nothing is going right! Lindsay is having panic attacks, the two brides are on their last nerve, and typically selfish Brian is vacating Pittsburgh for a free vacation in Miami rather than attending the wedding!

But we all know that it's always darkest before the dawn, right? Can anyone doubt that with a little willpower - or maybe a whole lot of willpower - and the desire to make it happen, that our two lovely brides will indeed have their big day? See for yourself!

I confess - I cried. But isn't that what weddings are for? Tears of joy and happiness?

That's what you call making it happen. Knowing what you want to occur, and making it work, no matter what the odds, or what you perceive to be the odds.

There's an old Burt Reynolds movie from 1981 called Paternity, about a man who wants a child but not a wife, so he hires a surrogate mother. Great movie, I've seen it many times; it's one of my favorite having a baby movies. In the film, there is a scene were Burt's character, Buddy, is explaining about wanting a child, and talking about a little boy he used to watch riding his bicycle up on a high area, where common sense would dictate that he would fall, but he never did, defying gravity. Until the day he actually learned about gravity. Buddy said he wanted to be there when his child learned about gravity. That always stuck with me. It says to me if you don't know that you aren't supposed to be able to do something, you can do it. Like the bumblebee. He's an aeronatically designed mess that should not be able to fly. And yet he does, because nobody ever told him he can't.

My theory is that if you want something badly enough, it doesn't matter who else thinks you can or can't do it - your belief can make it so. That's very true in writing. How many people say they couldn't possibly write a book? They're daunted by it all before they even get started, so they never start. But if you don't think of it as writing a book, but as telling a story, you can sit down and do it. One step at a time. Just make it happen.

Once upon a time, I wrote fanfiction. I was inspired to do so by my daughters. They were writing it, and having a great time, and I was jealous. I wanted to have that fun too. So I decided to do it, and not only that, I said I'd use the three of us as characters in my fanfiction. I was excited and enthusiastic, and sat down to write. Two pages later, I got stuck. That was depressing. Two pages in and I hit a brick wall? What kind of writer was I?

Not a very good one, I decided, cause I had no idea where to go or what to do. I felt like a failure. So I stopped for a few days. Through my head, I kept hearing music from a movie I was watching a lot of at the time - Moulin Rouge. Finally, the message got through to me, the one my subconscious was trying to convey. And suddenly I saw my story, so I began to write. And write. And write. When I reached to about a hundred pages, I suddenly realized that this wasn't a short story any more. And still I wrote. By the time I finished, I think it ran 232 pages, and I think that was single spaced, and it encompassed several fandoms. No, I can never publish it, of course. But voila! It was a book. I made it happen.

When I decided to write Dark Love, all those many years ago, my first non-fanfiction book, I had no idea where to start. I was daunted at the idea of writing a book, but determined to try. So I wrote a scene here, another scene there, and I began to let my ideas flow, and my characters grow, and because I wanted it to happen, I made it happen. I wanted to be published, which is a little trickier, because now you're talking about outside forces, ones you can't control. But I was determined, and at first I did not succeed, so I gave up for a number of years. But I decided to climb back in that saddle and ride again - and I made it happen, with the help of Silver Publishing. Dark Love was released this month, about 18 years after its birth.

You have to believe in yourself, and you have to be willing to work to make something happen. Some things are outside of your total control, but even so, you can influence them. If you don't try to make them happen, they never will. There is a great deal to be said for the power of positive thinking?

Am I sure? I'm positive!

Lindsay and Melanie may be fictional characters, but they are examples of making something happen. They didn't do it alone, they had the support of their family of friends. If you believe, you can do it. I can hear some of you now - but I wanted this, and I couldn't make it happen. Think about the things in your life that didn't happen. What happened instead? Sometimes we need to take a different path than the one we think we should be on, in order to follow the path that we want to take. Sometimes it's hard to see that, when you're being diverted to a new course. But keep on believing.

If you want it, you can make it happen. I truly believe that. Things do happen for a reason, whether we realize what that reason is. I believe in you - you can make it happen!

Let's take one last look at the happy couple:

Let me know what you think! Do you believe that anyone can make it happen? I'd love to hear from you!