Bliss Part 23

First, the countdown has begun.

Yes, it's that time of year when I prepare for a long overseas trip, to preserve what sanity I have left. And the past 10 months have reinforced the fact that one vacation is sorely insufficient.

So as I do tonnes of research for the upcoming tour - and believe, the reading alone is keeping me up nights - I've also asked my parents about the possibility of a shorter trip to a nearby destination, sometime next April / May.

Sounds like they're all for it. Only issue is my annual leave, which is already almost maxed out ( I take some of that leave when I do medical cover for sports events ), and the state of my pocket ( I pick up the tab for my parents' travel expenses ).

But the way I see it, if you don't spend quality time with your family now, you'll only regret it later.
And my parents are fun travel companions - game for anything from taking a speedboat down NZ's Dart River, to helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon, and running around Tokyo's subways. :)


Other things to smile about:

Nip/Tuck season 5 - now airing on AXN Tuesday nights at 11pm.
I completely skipped season 4 because I didn't even know it was on TV till it was too late, but fans will still be able to follow the storyline, since Sean and Christian have uprooted themselves from Miami and moved to LA to make a new start.

3 episodes in - albeit with the usual snips from the censorship board - I'm totally hooked. Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon have never looked better. The script remains tight and filled with dark humour. And the kooky characters, they just keep a-comin'. Bradley Cooper is a hoot as a narcissistic TV actor starring in a medical drama that makes absolutely no sense. One hilarious scene has the "doctor" shocking a "patient" with 580J! I laughed till my sides hurt. :D

Portia de Rossi also guest stars, but I'll refrain from revealing any spoilers. Let's just say it's a most delicious plot development. :)


True Blood season 3

Airs on HBO Monday nights, but honestly speaking, don't bother with the PG-rated local cable version, because it takes too much away from the uncut original. And you need to see this sans snips.

I've given up on reading the novels ( too long-winded for my taste ), and I'm very sure the TV adaptation is far superior.

S3 launches like a rocket from the get-go, as Bill gets kidnapped by a pack of werewolves and Sookie enlists the help of Eric the Viking vamp to find him. Lots of new characters enter the picture, from Alcide the super-hot werewolf, to Franklin Mott ( perhaps the scariest vamp on the show ), and Sam's long lost family of shapeshifters.

The nudity is abundant as well, and the problem is, a lot of the more important conversations occur while one or more cast members is in the buff. So if you watch the censored version, you'll have no idea what the heck is going on.

And since we're all grown-ups here, let me just tell you there're a couple of sex ( or near-sex ) scenes which boggle the mind. One involves Franklin and Tara ( the ultimate orgasm, it appears ), another between Bill and Lorena ( twisted - literally! ), and a truly bizarre exchange between - of all people - Bill and Sam. The last one's soooo weird. But in a funny way. :)

I'm sure you can find it online somewhere. Megavideo, you're a lifesaver. :)