Dear friends...

I didn't forget you at all...

the problem is, just in the moment the writers went back to work, my darn PC went OUT of work

First it seemed only the mouse, then it wasn't sure if it's a software problem or a hardware problem... to make it short, I'm typing these few lines on my dads notebook ... just to let you know, I am still alive... even if a little pissed off with...

I hope I will be able to fix it asap to write something interesting and to read your blogs again

I couldn't even say BUNNY BUNNY to Sparkle this month :cry: ... but I did it in my bed, hoping telepathy will bring it over the ocean..

Please be patient with me and above all my skills of fixing that thing that drives me nuts

Hope to see you soon!!!!

PS: and even if I'm not here, my mind is with all of you

Prolog:

I know I'm on strike and I still support the WGA... BUT

Do you know how difficult it is for a writer NOT to write? And I am only a amateur!

I walk the streets and I see everywhere input... my brain computes and... I don't write it down.

That IS hard. Now I interrupt my strike just for a little story in my little brain.

Chapter 1: Movie sequels

As you know, during the Holidays there are a lot of fairy tales on tv, for kids and for adults... SiFi and Fantasy included.

So this year I saw The Lord of the Rings part 1 on TV.

This summer I bought a DVD box with all parts because it was a special offer, put it next to my DVD player and... never opened it.

Now I have to confess that I have never seen the movies in cinema for different reasons:

I hate hiatuses and cliff hangers, so if I can, I try to avoid them by not watching the first part until the second is out. Now with Lord of the Rings it was a bit difficult because it's a 3 part piece of art and everybody talked about it... but me? I was far away in my wonderful Italian Rustico (old Italian country house, mine was about 350 years old) and I admit it, a bit lazy... going to a decent cinema meant to drive 30 km up and down the hills until I was in Bologna - Casalecchio and that cinema complex was also darn expensive! (sounds worse than it was, but me = lazy :D )

So I never saw The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Of course I could not avoid to see and hear how people loved it, but I said to myself: it can't be as good as the book and I want to keep my imagination pictures in my head, of course all excuses because I didn't make it to the cinema, or is it reciprocal? Who knows.

I did even laugh when I saw the third Oscar night and people even said in their speeches, they were happy there is no 4th part, so other movies will have the chance again to get one or two Oscars - cut on Peter Jackson laughing like a happy bear and his crowed behind him.

So I promised myself, sooner or later I am going to see the movie.

It happened to be later.

I had the same "problem" with Pirates of the Caribbean. Until no one of my family wanted to accompany my nephew to see part 2 (my sister saw part one and was happy I went with him to see part 2) No big deal about that movie and I had to see with little nephew also part 3. Thank God Johnny Depp was in the movie, so I had some eye candy.

Chapter 2: A Fantasy story

So back to the Lord of the Rings. Finally I saw the first part on TV a few days ago. And I saw the heroes of my youth for the first time not in my head, but on screen.

As a teenager I was deeply in love with two book characters: Aragorn and Legolas, could never decide who to prefer.

I was absolutely not prepared to turn back in time, from an adult person (at least in my passport) into the young absolutely innocent person I was then. I saw my two heroes.

First when the hobbits came to the Prancing Pony in Bree - there he was ... Aragorn.... And I caught myself to realize one thing. I must have a thing for unshaved, barely showered men :oops: :lol:

Finally I saw in Rivendell all the other fellows and there he was: Legolas. OH MY GOD! It's him, the one I imagined as teenager!!!!

And so? What am I supposed to think?

I still have no idea. While I could imagine some interesting moments with Aragorn, I just could watch Legolas for hours and hours without even want to touch him. (at least for now :oops: )

One heart is torn apart. And the best thing is: I can always step back in my adult (sometimes cruel) reality without having a problem, being aware of that funny situation, but then I feel like Gollum, put in the DVDs and see my "Precious!"

Unnecessary to write, that I have spent the last nights with watching the other parts too.

Last night I finished with part 3: The Return of the King and while I was waiting to see my heroes again, I realized some really funny mistakes or costume stuff.

It looks for sure really dramatic when a huge army stands there with their banners and the armies of the humans and elves had nice banners, but to make the orc banner look really rotten, they used kind of dirty cleaning clothes. Why on middle earth would a orc be interested to carry a dirty cleaning cloth around? Those creatures having no honour and are serving only the evil should carry a sign of honour? No way!

Then one of my heroes, Legolas, climbed up that kind of super huge elephant and all I did was ... sorry laughing, while the animal moved rough and he just stood there and shot arrows and hit the aims completely. That must be the poetic license :D

I am sure I will see a lot more of those interesting moments when I rewatch the movies.

But then, at the very end of part 3, The human army came with the horses, Gimli was joking with Legolas while they were sitting on one horse, and the fellows galloped towards the huge gate of Mordor, the gate opened and the orc army came out and surrounded the little human army. They rushed back to the rest of the Horse army. When Aragorn decided to attac the orcs, everybody suddenly RAN towards the enemy :o no horses at all... now... where have they been? I don't know, maybe one of you can explain it to me.

Chapter 3: Orlando Who?

Switching from my dream moments to reality, I was wondering who this Legolas, the exact person I dreamt in my youth, was and, welcome Imdb, I looked it up and it is... tadaaa Orlando Bloom... Orlando Who?... isn't that the dark haired dude from the other movie? The one I watched with my nephew? I can hardly remember him, I watched Johnny Depp :D

Come ON... you want to send me to a dinner with that Pirate dude and I'd probably say: no thanks... you send me on a dinner with Legolas and I'm not only going, but staring (and probably forget to eat) for hours. And still it is said to be the same person :? - if you needed another proof of me being weird, here you go - Wow, there is really something wrong with me :D :lol:

I knew the Aragorn actor before and happened to see "normal" pics and ... hmmmm, well he is... nice... but ... there I go again: take a quite good looking fortysomething, hide his shaver and then I'd be delighted to have dinner with him :D :lol:

So here some pics to make you understand what I mean:

Actor Viggo Mortensen

Aragorn

Actor Orlando Bloom

Legolas

Gosh, I could put so many more pics here, just to look :oops:

Epilogue:

So this was my adventure in the fantasy world and it still makes me laugh when I look at it (and it's not over yet! Thanks to the promotion for the DVD in summer :D )

It doesn't mean that I will be back writing regular because... actually I am on strike :D :lol:

Yes, I support the WGA and even if I wrote something now... it doesn't mean that my strike is over... I'm kind of Italian... I go back "to work" when it seems opportune :D

PS: I wish all of you my friends a wonderful, happy, succesful and prosperous new year!!!!

I support the WGA strike!

So this blog is (temporarily) on strike too

If you don't know what the strike is about look here

.... any OBE here who would offer himself to comfort my crying soul? :D

Sometimes I can be very realistic and in the moment I heard that I had to use my non existing sport skills, I knew there was no chance to get that Led Zep ticket.

Some might say: you need to have the will power and then you are going to make it!... yes, right, but that works only with 20, when the body is still waiting to conquer heaven and earth.... but I have passed the 20 long time ago and when the knees are not working I can have as much will as I want they still won't work.

I can be proud of my brain, but it didn't help me this time.

So what was going on?

Someone, had the great idea to make us built a tower using Coke boxes and climb it up...

you might ask yourself now: HUH? WHAT?

I just post the pics of 3 of us and you'll understand.

Well you see how high the towers have been... except mine... I just couldn't move my knee to the next level and that was it.

Thinking of it... I once filmed a feature about bungee jumping and while I was on the bridge (it was jumping from a bridge in Val Brenta / Italy) I thought: nothing in the whole world would make me jump down there... I would have done it for the ticket, but that needed only courage...

so... I did know all the answers, I would have even jumped from a bridge... I was just not able to do what was asked for.... it was impossible from the very first moment I understood what to do.

So better luck next time and I really should kick Murpheys a$$!!!! (You know the Murphey from Murpheys law!)

I have heard: at least you have been among the last 4.... I tell you what... that doesn't help at all, because it's like a carrot: here little donkey, come and get it! :twisted: and then? in the moment the donkey (me) arrives... there is no carrot anymore... someone else took it.... I prefer not to see the carrot at all at this point.

so what do I do now?

I really don't know.... I might just go to bed, hear all the Zep records and spend the rest of the Weekend there.

That's how life goes

there are Good Times, Bad Times

and it's all Rock and Roll

and at the end I am looking for the Stairway to Heaven

(my all time favourite song, the fantastic live version)

..... or better, I might get the chance to see him. Got your attention? That's good ;)

Ready, steady, GO!

It was the year 1980 when I got to see the (then still not) OBE for the very first time and it was a moment I will never ever forget in my life.

I was standing there in a big crowd, 15 years old, and at a certain point my tears have been running down the cheeks.... of joy and emotion

I guess you have still no clue, right?

What OBE are we talking about?

Not about him:

or

(I actually wouldn't mind to meet those OBEs :P )

No I am talking about my lifetime love for

Jimmy Page

This love is completely different of all the love I experienced in my life.

When he takes the guitar and starts to play my life is all of a sudden so smooth and wonderful. His playing is like an antidepressant.

It was in spring 1980 when my friend Natalie came to me and said: "did you hear the news already? Led Zeppelin are coming to play here in the Olympiahalle (Munich/Germany)"

It was July 5 1980 when my friends and I entered the Olympiahalle in Munich, since it was a sold out concert there was no way of going in front of the stage but we found a place from where we saw the stage very good and had a lot of place to dance

(the orange cross)

It was unbelievable to hear all the songs live: Rain song, Nobody´s fault but mine, Since I´ve been loving You, Achilles Last Stand, White Summer / Kashmir, Rock & Roll, Whole Lotta Love, and many more ....

And then the stage was dark, a stool was in the middle and Jimmy Page took his special guitar

(this pic is old, just to show the guitar)

sat down, he started to play:

Stairway to Heaven

I was like hypnotized and have never heard anything so beautiful like his playing in my life and that was the moment silent tears run down my face.

From this moment he had conquered my heart and will always be in there.

Since ever then Jimmy Page and his presence accompanied my life - I could write about so many moments his music was with me, I even met him once in a rock disco in Munich - but that story is so long and would need so many time to write down, I can only tell you that he has (had?) a very very strong British accent. :D

I have seen him playing live another 2 times and it always electrifies me. The last time was his Page & Plant Tour in fall '98 ... I had a REAL crappy summer and when I entered the same concert hall like 18 years before, I just stood on the other side of the stage but again right under the speakers... who cares if I will be deaf after the show :D

It was a fountain of youth and I have been dancing in another dimension.

It would be so fantastic to get the feeling again... if only I could :(

Led Zeppelin announced a reunion for only ONE concert.

Inscriptions have been open on the internet site, but it was so many people trying to get one of the tickets and they have been also quite expensive, so there was no chance for me to get one.

Until..... I heard a special give away from the local rock radio station I usually listen to. They are celebrating their 10th anniversary and one of the prizes is ONE ticket for the Led Zeppelin concert in London !!!!!!

I went on their website and subscribed for the quiz, but you know, so many people trying to get THAT ticket.... I won't have a chance.

This morning, at 7 am, my cell phone rang and I answered still in coma with an "halloooooo?"

"Hi! It's your rock station calling, you have been drawn out of 30.000 e-mails to play a quiz with us this morning - the prize: the Led Zep concert ticket.... Are you ready?"

you should have seen me, like from 0 on 100 in 1 second! Eyes wide open, heartbeat running if I had just come back from the Berlin Marathon but brain still in: ~HELP ME!!!!~ mode

The moderators have been so sweet and nice and tried to cool me down. Yes usually I can be cool like a fridge in Alaska, but hey... not when there is a Led Zep ticket to win.

There was a dude as second contestant and we had to answer 3 questions. The one who knows the answer should say the own name and could then answer the question.

1. Question: One of the band members is two times in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of fame?

Me: (saying my name first) Jimmy Page!

The moderator was quite impressed that I answered so quick and was curious:

Do you also know the band names? Of course, Led Zep and *mumble mumble mumble* that must be: The Yardbirds

RIGHT! - unfortunately that was no extra point ;)

2. Question: Whose son name is "Jason"

Me and dude at the same time, but since his name is shorter he had the chance to answer.

Dude: John Bonham

Moderator: ok, so John Bonhams son is playing the drums at the gig, what was his name?

Dude: Huh? Don't know

Me (thinking) oh noooo :D

3. Question: what was the name of the album before "Houses of the Holy"

Me: (first saying my name) The unnamed album also called IV or "the four symbols"

Yeah! That's it you are going to be in the final round on Friday!!!!!!

So here I am now, nervous like hell but with only a very slight chance to win on Friday. You might ask: why? Because on Friday it won't be a Q&A quiz, but they invite all 4 contestants to the Potsdamer Platz to the big Led Zep party and then we have to "climb the Stairway to heaven" where the ticket is waiting... and that will be impossible for me, since I am not only old and slow, but unfortunately also slightly *cough* overweight and a woman.... I am pretty sure that I will be the only woman among all 4 of us.

So today is the closest I can get to London and the concert.... But it's a wonderful dream as long as it lasts :)

And what's the point of the whole blog?

If you are an OBE and can play Stairway to Heaven on the guitar, you might win my heart ;)

I dedicate Jimmy Page a quote from his own song:

"Since I've Been Loving You, I'm about to lose my worried mind"

It's October.... the golden October.... in the morning there is fog, during the day some sun, but in the evening the fog comes back...

(S- Bahn Berlin)

The right day to take a relaxing bath:

(yes, that's my bathtub :D )

It was wonderful and I didn't want to come out that soon until this little beauty came:

(here a pic that shows her on the window bench)

Yes, she looks innocent on this pic but trust me, you are going to leave any bath tub immediately when the little cute was in here:

:o

She just went out and left me there with her "big business" :cry:

It was her luck to run out because otherwise she might have ended like this:

my little cat is not only a beauty, but she is also very courageous, just like this cat:

subtitle on the pic:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me" (Psalm 23)

Because when she looks in the mirror she sees:

but I see her like she is, a girl that loves to play (here with toy mouse):

That's it from my home....

just one more thing to mention:

German scientist Peter Gruenberg won the Nobel Prize for Physics. Without him our life would be a lot more heavy... his researches lead to a HDD that is a lot lighter and contains more space than it used to be. That effected that notebooks and mp3 player could shrink that small like they are now!

Congratulations and thank you Mr. Gruenberg! :)

subtitle.... I'm going to kill you with cuteness :D :lol:

Ohhh what's that???

gotta investigate it!

how does that work?

now it's time for a rest :)

(stepping over the clean laundry :D )

So that is a busy afternoon of my cat :)

I hope you liked it

TOP TENS
1. Are you single? I have a cat, does that count? :D
2. Are you happy? *sings* Happiness is a warm gun...
3. Are you bored? Whenever I feel boredom coming up, I find something to do (and if it's only re-watching House)
4. Are you sad? Often, it's the yang without I wouldn't feel the ying.
5. Are you Italian? Probabilmente, sicuramente nel cuore ;)
6. Are you German? Der Pass sagt ja ;) auch in manchen Verhaltensweisen :D
7. Are you Asian? Have been often in Asia and like that food, does that count? :lol: no, actually I am WAY to tall for it and my hair are too blond :D
8. Are you cool? Of course!!!, people on the street try to copy me - I think that's pretty weird! :? But you know what? Cool doesn't mean cold or untouchable.
9. Are you Irish? I haven't even been there :D :oops:
10. Are your parents still married? Yes, even if they are separated for *counts with fingers* 24 years - a interesting situation :lol:

TEN FACTS
1. Birth Place: not in a car :lol:
2. Hair Color: ok. I am blond, but not THAT blond :D
3. Sexual Orientation: none :lol: ... naaaa joking, I prefer(ed) men .... REAL men, no soft washed "yes my darling" men !!!
4. Hair type: my hair? I guess they would be a bit curley if they'd be short, but my hair have always been long :)
5. Eye color: As green as cats eyes
6. Birthday: May 11th
7. Mood: tiered, somehow I sleep not enough, for quite some day already!
8. Watching: My pc screen? :o
10. Lefty/righty? Righty

TEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE
1. Have you ever been in love? Sure
2. Do you believe in love at first sight? It was in 1992, South Miami Beach, I watched out of the window and there he was! :lol:
3. Why did your last relationship fail? He lied .... It was SO heavy, I still have problems trusting men :(
4. Have you ever been hurt? Look above and that wasn't the first time....
5. Have you ever broken someone's heart? ME? No... I really don't think so.
6. Are you in love? Does my cat count? :D for the rest, look above, I would love to, but I have still my problems...
7. Do you believe you only fall in love once? I have been in love many times... I LOVED only one time, at the moment I don't know if I will love again, I might fell in love though :oops:
8. Are you afraid of commitment? Yes... at the moment definitely yes.... I wonder who will convince me. :)
9. Have you hugged someone within the last week? My sister, my mom and my nephew is WAY to cool to hug his aunt! He is nearly 10 years old! :lol:
10. Have you ever had a secret admirer? If he is secret, how would I know? :?

TEN THIS OR THAT?
1. Love or lust? :o ;)
2. (sorry, question got lost)
3. Cats or dogs? The cat is here, the dog is at my dads place, the other dog is at my sisters place, I grew up with both, but I think I am a cat person, love dogs too though
4. A few best friends or many regular friends? Few friends, I used to have a lot, but now its quality over quantity!
5. Television or Internet? You are not going to take me away one of it, right? :o
6. Pepsi or coke? Bitter Lemon :lol:
7. Wild night out or romantic night in? I guess I am too old for wild nights... can I have a calm evening out? :D
8. White or black? Colours!

9. Night or day? I am an owl, but sometimes I really enjoy the day when the sun is shining and the weather is warm
10. IM or phone? depends on the mood I'm having,

TEN HAVE YOU EVER
1. Been caught sneaking out? I don't sneak!
2. Been skinny dipping? Not lately :D
3. Done something you regret? Some times yes, but decisions are made and that's what made me, who I am now.
4. Bungee jumped? Are you completely NUTS? I filmed it and I looked down. NO WAY I will jump down there!
5. Went streaking? Huh?
6. Finished an entire jaw breaker? In Italian: sopra la panca la capra canta, sotto la panca la capra crepa.... In German: Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid und Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut. :)
7. Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? No, because if I want something I just try to realize it and I learned to be patient :)
8. Kissed somebody of the same sex? Sure, in Italy it's all the time bacio bacio (on the cheek)
9. Cried because you lost a pet? Of course, more than once. I was so sad, even after one year that my beloved cat disappeared, I feel better only now with my little cutie here :)
10. Wanted to disappear? OH YES! When it's getting too boring I wish I could just hide out.

TEN PREFERENCES
1. Smile or eyes: Would there be a smile without the eyes?

2. Light or dark hair: It was dark hair, now they tend to be also gray :D
3. Hugs or kisses: Would you kiss without a hug? :o
4. Shorter or taller: Taller, thank you :D (I am already 1.80 m)
5. Intelligence or attraction: Intelligence attracts me ;)
6. Romantic or spontaneous: I am not really a romantic person in the clas.sical way. My romance is different, I would like to define it as pure...
7. Nice arms or nice stomach: I don't need a six pack
8. Hook-up or relationship: Please look up the other questions :D
9. Smelly feet or smelly breath: That question is ODD! Why on earth would someone have to chose between the two of it?
10. Play the guitar or into sports: Play the guitar! You know how to play Stairway to heaven? It used to be my panty peeler when I was young ;) *starts to think of....*

THE LASTS
1. Last phone call you made: Dad, if he needs something from the supermarket
2. Last phone call you received: My sister, asked me if I want to join her at the supermarket :lol:
3. Last person you hung out with: Ella! On Saturday! She came to Berlin and we walked my quarter and had something to drink in a street cafe in a beach chair :lol:
4. Last person you hugged: Mummy!

thank you all once again for coming to my season opener parties. It has been wonderful and I must say, I was not disappointed by the shows :)

But OH my dear!!!! The mess you left me! :D

now I gotta take out this

naaaaa not me... me = too lazy I better take

because when a man tells me:

:D

after that I need to take care

of my farn...

I said FARN!!!!

:lol:

after the work is done, I sit down, relax and have a

and a

but... NO, wait!... yesterday I went shopping and found some meat in special offer so I cooked today (not joking it's very tasty)

and some Italian salad... yummy!!!!

I could watch:

or maybe I just have a look in the book I brought from Italy...

if only this book would be available in English, I would have bought it as present for doarpr and olgkap :lol:

4 young Italian philosophers are discussing House and all about the philosophy in the show ......

young "fan" is tired today

Jesse might know the problem... she decided to take her nap in the box with my important papers :)

have an easy evening :)

Thank you for coming to my Tuesday party :)

I liked it !!!!!

And today? It's Wednesday!!!!! It's CBS night!

A party for all my friends, but it's a special night for some of my friends and they are the guest stars:

Paula, Kay, Finn and Lyle - the first part of the evening is dedicated to you!

The second show is SO popular that my special guests would be too many to write all the names of my friends who watch it... I could forget someone and so I better don't do it ;)

Make yourself comfortable.... here?

or better here?

I thought I might prepare some German snacks for you today:

With that - take a beer!

Don't be shy, remember my basement? :lol:

Or some wine for those who prefer it:

young folks stick with soft drinks ;)

ready?

GO!

First

and then:

Today "new fan" is WAY to busy to watch tv :lol:

well, maybe later she will calm down and watch ;)

(disclaimer, the couch and chair are NOT mine - I wish it would be cleaned up like this in my home :D )