Fantasy Man Friday

It’s Friday again. I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking ‘Well, isn’t she Captain Obvious!’, well yes I guess I am.

Yesterday afternoon I had to brave cold weather and hard bleachers for the sake of my nephew who is playing his last season of high school soccer. He tore his ACL at the end of last season and had to miss the first three games of this season, so of course I had to go lend my support! This is my baby! He didn’t play long though, due to his surgeon’s recommendations.

It has a very Ben Roethlisger feel to it. He’s one of three seniors on the team, so his playing a full game would’ve helped them win. Poor lad. I know he feels pressure and when I spoke with him after the game, he admitted that he didn’t play well. That’s okay though, he’s just coming back, it’ll take time for him to get up to speed again.

So in light of the sports bent of this post, I found this lovely picture of an Australian Rugby player. I think his name is Daniel Conn. I um, had a picture of him with more clothes on, but I couldn’t resist this one. Please do enjoy…

 

I was torn between this one and another with him covered in dirt…the dirt was um, wow, but you really aren’t able to see the definition of muscles as well. *cough* Besides, I find it more tempting with the towel cause really, don’t you just want to rip it away from him???

Alpha Fantasy, Beta Reality

I just read a post by Romancemama at http://southernsizzleromance.wordpress.com/ and she had MY man on it. Tsk, tsk, Romancemama. Gerard is mine, all mine!

Ahem. She did bring up an interesting question though. What I read isn’t necessarily what I want in real life. This is the point where I explain that the females in my family are dominant. It’s a fact of life. With the exception of two or three, the women rule.

So here I am, a single, stubborn, Southern lady with Alpha tendencies. Does this mean I read stories where the heroine is a dominatrix? Nah. I’m not into that. I actually prefer a good, solid Alpha male hero. I’m sure if I came across such a man in real life, I’d probably want to lay him out. A little Alpha is fine, but when I’m reading…

I want him to take the choices away, corner our intrepid heroine, and make mad, passionate love to her. Rip her clothes off, tell her how much he wants her, and love her and only her. That’s the catch. He does this, not because he does this to all women, but because the heroine has him so stirred up, he can’t help himself. This is what I read ‘bodice rippers’ for. It’s the idea that this strong, independent, naughty male can’t live without her. Does she have to save him from his demons? Nah, not necessarily. Demons are what make the hero dark and passionate, the perfect foil for her lightness.

This is what I love about romance. If I read a book where the hero is wishy-washy, or not aggressive enough, that book goes in my ‘get rid of’ pile. This doesn’t mean I want the hero to rape the heroine. I want him to coax her, seduce her, make her just as wild for him as he is for her. That’s a good romance. Throw in some humor (dark, light, goofy, doesn’t matter), a villain, and I’m so going to read that book.

How about you? Do you prefer your heroes and heroines to reflect real life, or do you step outside reality? I’m not talking science fiction, or paranormal, but the Alpha male versus the nice guy you date/marry. What’s your preference? Do you have an alpha male?

Musical Tastes

It shouldn’t be any surprise that I love music. I mention it frequently and I’m pretty sure at some point in this blogging quest, I’ve even said how much I love it.

However, not many share my musical appreciation. All day long I listen to music while at my desk. It can be something as simple as classical music, or as strange and complicated as heavy metal. I usually listen to heavy metal as I find it soothing. It keeps me from becoming too frustrated with projects and people. Unfortunately, my co-workers don’t agree.

Many times one co-worker in particular has asked me ‘That music doesn’t drive you insane?’ and when I explain that no, it actually calms me down, he replies ‘I think I’d have to take to drinking if I listened to that.’ So what if most of the lyrics are growled and the guitars are downright raucous? It’s what I dig. On the other hand, when I get my playlist of random music going and the list flits from Barry White to Primus, or George Jones to Megadeth, people say ‘wow, you’re really jamming in here’.

Do you listen to something that makes people look at you like you’ve lost your mind? Do you frequently endure looks of disbelief when people hear what you listen to?

Countdown to 2010

It’s insane that we’re already at the end of the year. There are so many positive things that have happened this year, but really it needs to slow down a bit.

I’ve decided that my final post of 2009 will be a year in review. So now I have to actually have to try to remember what happened this year. Oy. I don’t have a very good short-term memory. My long-term memory is out of this world, but I can’t remember things that happened last week. It’s annoying. Diet Coke did this to me. I just know it.

I refuse to think this has anything to do with age because if you listen to reports, 50 is the new 40, 40 is the new 30, and 30 is the new 20 which would make me 23. It was a good age, I don’t mind being 23 again. I wish I had the same butt I did when I was 23 (although I was in college and I think that’s when it started to spread). No, my memory loss is all about the chemicals I’m putting in my body when I take those refreshing sips of my Diet Coke.

It’s cold today. Cold and rainy and I have to set out on a golf cart sometime today to take water samples. And as if that isn’t bad enough, this afternoon is my nephew’s first soccer game after his ACL surgery. It’s going to rain tonight too. So I’ll be out there in the cold and rain and yelling at my baby.

So that’s my day in a nutshell. The Saints won last night, WOOHOO! Geaux Saints! and I won NaNo. I WON NANO! No, I didn’t finish my book. I’m still a good 40k words off my goal, but I’m getting there

How about everyone else? Did you meet your NaNo goal? Are you excited the Saints won last night and are undefeated? UNDEFEATED??! Bwahahaha.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Actually, it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas the day before Halloween. It’s madness, I tell you! I was walking in the store the day before Halloween, and where a week before there had been nothing but black and orange, was replaced with red and green. The bottles of egg nog were showing up, and I was thinking this madness needs to stop.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in a couple of years, Christmas items will show up Labor Day weekend, then for the 4th of July, then Easter! What’s with that? I mean, really.

Gr. Okay, so Thanksgiving is now over. It was nice. Small gathering filled with lots and lots of food, and laughter. Oh, and paintball guns. No, we didn’t have a battle, but we did get to watch my nephew, his friend, and our 7-year-old little blonde haired, blue-eyed angel shoot targets. We also had this…I don’t know what it was, some kind of machine that checks voltage. So of course, everyone in the family had to see how much voltage they had. My mom, cousin, and I had the highest (read: we suck the life out of the others in our family), while my cousin’s daughter was a negative (she’s anti-matter). It was amusing, silly, and we had a great time.

Now we’re trying to decide what to do for Christmas. Mais, Christmas! Already! Where did the year go?? Hmph.

Did everyone enjoy their holiday weekend? I read all weekend long. Got an order of books in on Friday and read every single one of them by last night. I have several new authors I like, and I’m oh so excited!

A Thanksgiving Heart Throb

Happy early Thanksgiving everyone!

Now with turkey day nearly upon us, unless you’re the type of person who can deny yourself good eating, most of us are going to start gaining weight. Oh man, is it gonna suck or what? Well, who cares? It’s winter time. You’re supposed to put on weight during the winter so you survive. It’s all about survival,  people! That’s what I’ll be telling myself as I eat enough turkey to put me in a coma.

This year we’re going to my sister’s house since my uncle decided to cancel Thanksgiving. I really don’t know how he thinks he’s going to cancel an entire holiday, but more power to him, and more turkey for me!

Since today is essentially Friday (I am off tomorrow and Friday, BLISS!), I’ve decided to post a special Fantasy Man, except we’re calling him Thanksgivings Day Heart Throb.

Ummmm, so what should we be thankful for? That he’s pulling down his tighty-whitey’s? That he’s gorgeous? We should be thankful that he’s got that nummy 5 o’clock shadow? Or should we be upset because he hasn’t finished pulling those offensive underwear down? He’s a tease. He should be spanked. Right after I finish drooling all over his six-pack. Grrowl!

Happy Thanksgiving, all. I hope it’s a good one and good luck to those who are braving Black Friday! Peace out.

Anti-social Christmas Shopping

We’re finally getting into the holiday season. With the approach of Thanksgiving, Christmas madness begins to develop. Mobs of people will descend on the stores Friday to get the best bargains they can in preparation for Christmas morning.

Not me though. To borrow my nephew’s phrase: Oh Hells no! I don’t do Black Friday shopping. I never will. First of all, I really don’t like to shop. Remember, I’m ‘not normal’ according to my mother. In fact, there’s a distinct possibility I won’t even leave my house on Friday simply because I don’t want to get caught in traffic.

See when I go to the store on a regular day, I already have the store mapped out in my head. I approach shopping like most generals do a military campaign. I’ve been in the store, done a full day’s shopping in twenty minutes with most of that time spent in the check-out line.

I do my Christmas shopping the same way except I do most of my shopping online. I know most people consider that cheating, but really, when you’re not fond of crowds, it’s the only way to go. First I’ll buy for the girls in the family since I sort of know what I want to get them all. Then come the guys. T-shirts. That’s my secret to shopping for guys. Get them funny T-shirts and they can’t complain. The kids are an entirely different story. I don’t have kids, I don’t know what kids like, and I really don’t like shopping for them. Usually I get them clothes or stuffed animals (my cousins hate me).

Then there’s the mother lode. Every year we try to get her something she’d really love. Last year it was  gaudy purse (trust me, she LIKES gaudy). The year before, it was half a year’s subscription to World of Warcraft. Have I mentioned my mom’s a computer game freak? Yeah, she’s 60 going on 12. She Beta tests a lot of games coming out and she loves it. So what do we get her this year? I have no idea. I’m thinking I might have to force my siblings to chip in so we can get her a flat-screen television. She’s been hinting (not subtly) about it for over a year now. It’s either that or the hot tub and I am so not buying her one of those.

So tell me, how do you approach Christmas shopping? Do you have an exact idea of what you’ll get your family or do are you a spur-of-the-moment shopper? Are you like me and shop strictly online, or do you like to be in the midst of the madness?

P.S. Tomorrow is going to be Thanksgiving Heart Throb since I’m not going to blog on Friday. Look for it!!

And Now for Something Completely Different…

It’s Monday again *boo, hiss*. Fortunately, it’s also a short work week. It makes me feel like a kid again. You remember what it was like. The holidays would come around which meant you were out of school for a week (or 2 for Christmas). You’d be flat out giddy with delight. That’s how I feel this week. 3 days. Just 3 days and I have a long weekend!

People. I have an announcement to make. The New Orleans Saints are 10-0!! 10-0! (I have put this everywhere, so if you’ve read this on my Facebook or Twitter, I do apologize.) But 10-0!!! Holy crap! I’m just all kinds of happy now.

Okay, on to more interesting things. Commercials. I love commercials. My sister and I can have a two hour conversation about our favorite commercials. I know, we’re weird. However, I like to call us commercial connoisseurs. Saturday, she came to the house to pick up the turkey she’s cooking for Thanksgiving. We spent at least forty-five minutes with my godson talking about our favorite new commercials. I still like all of the Coors Light commercials and that online trading company…E-Trade? or Ameritrade? With the baby telling the old guy ‘It was on the cart path! Why don’t you try reading the rules? Shankapotamus.’ And the other one with the baby singing ‘Take…these broken wings and learn to fly again!’ I mean, really! These are GREAT commercials!

Now for today’s question: Are you a commercial connoisseur? Do you flip the channels when they come on, or do you wait to see what the advertising giants will come out with next? Is there one commercial you’d love to come up with yourself?

Fantasy Man Friday

It’s the best day of the week again. The great thing about Fridays is that they come every week. It’s like a constant Christmas!

I don’t really have much to say today. (20 seconds later) Okay, scratch that. I do have something to say. I never realized before, but I’m apparently a compulsive calendar marker. I glanced over at my calendar in the middle of the first sentence, noticed I hadn’t marked yesterday as over…and immediately had to grab the marker and do so. I really tried to resist, but it wasn’t working. My hands twitched with the need to mark down that November 19 was over. How weird.

Right. So New Moon came out last night. No, I didn’t go to the midnight viewing. I was at home watching the Project Runway finale and I am so not happy Carol Hannah didn’t win. I thought her stuff was nice. Oh okay, Irina’s work was pretty friggin’ awesome. If I were thin and tall, I’d probably wear every one of the looks she created. Dammit.

Let’s talk about something better. Mainly, today’s Fantasy Man. I haven’t decided which one I’m going with. The poll is still open for those who want to give me a little hint of what they want to see, so until I close it, it’s allllll me. Hm. Which lovely man will I post? Okay, decision made.

Today’s Fantasy Man isn’t showing much skin. Sorry, ladies, but he’s been staring at me for weeks demanding his own day. Without further ado…

Look at him! Those eyes! Gah…You can’t tell me you’re not thinking ‘Come to mama’ (I almost said ‘Come to Butthead’…okay, so I was a Beavis and Butthead fan. Sue me!) Look at him!!! No, better yet DON’T look at him. He’s all mine.

Okay fine. Look. What do you think? Good choice for today’s Fantasy Man? I promise to have more skin next week. Although, if my Mike Rowe crush continues to build, you may see him instead…lol.

Enjoy! Happy Friday everyone!

My 5 Sexiest Men Alive

I’m totally going to blog about The Sexiest Man Alive. That is, if I can get my fingers to work this morning. It’s at least 50 degrees in my office and the digits don’t want to work as fast as usual.

Anyway, Johnny Depp. Yummy! Those eyes. I’m really not going to start drooling *gets out the bib just in case*. He really is one sexy mofo. Oh, I know people are attracted to different things, but he has this (I was so about to bust into French but I can’t spell it) air about him. He’s a man who can be either the boy next door or the man your mama always warned you about. He’s just that hot.

So who else makes it on my list of men who are so flexible (in more ways than one I’m sure *eyebrow waggle*) they can play any part? List time!!

1. Edward Norton will always make my list. He isn’t your usual good-looking man. He’s actually kind of unassuming if you think about it. Except when I watched Fight Club, I was instantly drawn to him. (Hello Brad, you were a hottie too, grrowl.) Then, I saw him in Death to Smoochy and fell in love. If you haven’t seen this movie, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s so absurd, but man…it has EDWARD NORTON in it!! *swoon*

2. Brad Pitt. You didn’t honestly think I could have a list of sexy men and not put Mr. Pitt on it, did you? Pffth. Brad…oh Brad, I’m mad…for you! So we all know he was dead sexy,  yet whiney in Interview with the Vampire. Those fierce, freaky eyes, that long hair…and fangs! Hubba, hubba. He so could’ve bit me anytime he wanted to. Then he had to go and make Troy. I distinctly remember seeing this at the theaters with my mom. You know that part when we see Brad in all his golden, sun-kissed, naked glory? Oh yeah, that’s my favorite part of the whole friggin’ movie! Moving on…(glad I got the bib out)

3. Jake Gyllenhaal. He has such a boyish face with those big blue eyes and that wide smile. I swear, if I were still a teenager, I would so have a shrine dedicated to his cuteness. I first saw him in Bubble Boy…500 dollar! 500 dollar? 500 dollar! Sorry, had to get that out of my system. He was cute and clueless and I wanted to hold him and pet him and call him George. Then, I saw him in Jarhead. I love a man in uniform…buzzcuts, muscles, sand, Nirvana playing in the background. Mm.

4. Christian Bale. I know, I know, he’s got some serious anger management issues and a lot of people don’t like him because of it. Am I ever going to meet this man? No, I seriously doubt it unless he’s given the role of Lucian when my manuscript makes it to the silver screen. Then, it’s on like Donkey Kong. One night I was bored and decided to watch American Psycho. OMG (or to borrow a phrase from fellow FF&P’ers) ZOMG!! Christian Bale running through a hallway in nothing but a pair of tennis shoes, wielding a chainsaw. I was in love! Then, I saw him in The Prestige and I didn’t even look at Hugh Jackman (who is also luscious). He was bad, he was good, he was confusing me! But I wanted him anyway. Evil, naughty man who needs to be spanked.

5. Liev Schreiber. Hm, you’re probably wondering who he is. Most recently, he played Sabretooth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I first saw him in Mixed Nuts dressed as a woman. I thought he made a pretty woman and to be honest, I thought he was the best character in the movie. Then I saw him in Scream and I was in instant lust. Okay, he was a bad guy, not a bad guy, still a bad guy, Hell I don’t even remember if he turned out bad in the end or not. It didn’t matter. I thought he was cuuuuute! I wish he’d get more lead roles because I think he’s a delicious actor.

And that’s my list of five sexiest men alive. I feel as though I’ve cheated ya’ll by not providing pictures, but let’s be honest here…If I had looked for pictures of them, I wouldn’t have posted this at all because I’d still be drooling and scrolling through my list.

So who is on your list of sexiest men alive? I really wanted to put Mike Rowe on this list…he’d come in 6th to be sure. I just love that man. He’s so cute and funny and his voice is divine! Okay, back to the questions: Do you agree with my list? Love these men in a different movie? Hate all of them? Give me some opinions here folks!