Back from the Big Vacation

[przed]

We got back Sunday from our big annual trip up north to Sault Ste. Marie. The Sweetie's family are up there, so it's mostly a time for visiting the family, hanging out on the shores of Lake Superior, and taking it easy.

This week is turning out to be about anything but taking it easy, since Ros turns five--FIVE!--in two days and there has been much running around and buying of presents/loot bag stuff and tomorrow there will be the baking of cupcakes for the daycare birthday celebration. But in the meantime, I thought I'd throw up a few pics with some fun moments from the trip.

Before we hit the Soo, we spent two days at my mom's in Parry Sound, and my oldest friend (we've known each other since we were babies, literally) invited me to a local roller derby. How could I resist?! (I grew up watching roller derby in the '70s. Skinny Minnie Miller was totally my hero.) It was slightly grotty, gritty fun, and I enjoyed it immensely. Though every time there was an injury--and there were several bad ones--I got even more stressed out than I would have been anyway by my friend, the registered nurse, critiquing the medical treatment of the paramedics.

Anyway, here's a scan of the ticket, because that's some nifty design work.



Next up, Ros escaping. Seems she's finally reached the age where she can get totally fed up with mommy and daddy taking pictures of her all the time. This was her getting the heck out of Dodge when I pulled out the camera whilst we were visiting the Sweetie's aunt in the country. You can't see her face, but I still like this picture. Shows her in full action girl mode.


Here's Ros with her dad on the Big Chair in the park on the Soo's waterfront.


For comparison, here's Ros and the Sweetie in the same spot, three years ago. It's hard to believe she was ever that wee.


And just because I seem incapable of making a Take That-free post these days, have a Take That-related anecdote.

I had an evil scheme to convert the Sweetie to loving/liking/tolerating TT by playing their CDs all the way to the Soo. Alas, he partially scotched this plan by actually volunteering to drive most of the way. (Much like the Winchesters, we have a strict Drivers Picks the Music rule in the car.) But I did get some driving in, and decided to lead with a Mark Owen solo CD, since the only TT songs the Sweetie has admitted to sort of/kind of liking are by Mark. When the CD was over--for the record, the Sweetie remains unconverted--and I was passing him back the disk to put in its cover, we had the following exchange.

Sweetie: So who is this?
Me: Mark Owen.
Sweetie: (takes a look at the cover picture) Jeez, what is he? Five?
Me: He's not five! He was thirty when that came out!

Here's the cover in question. While yes, Mark was in his wan, too thin, emo phase here, he does not look five.


Coincidentally, this pic just recently showed up on Tumblr. Here he totally looks five. Or maybe ten. (They were such babies back in the day.)

Comments

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Wow! Five years old! How time flies. Give her a birthday hug for me!

[przed.livejournal.com]

I know! We can't believe it either. Shall definitely give her a birthday hug on your behalf.

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

Wow, five years?

Time really goes fly.

Happy early Birthday to Ros.

Lovely pictures - she really has shot up!

[przed.livejournal.com]

Time is just whizzing by. And yep, she's definitely shot up. And should do a bit more soon, if her appetite is anything to go by.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Oh, how cute! I love the pics of then and now with Ros and Sweetie.

On the album cover, is it just me or does Mark look like a young Tim Roth (whom I adore BTW). :)

Thanks!

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

I definitely see it. *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

I couldn't resist doing the then and now.

And yep, I can see the Tim Roth resemblance. (I adore him too!)

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Wow, five, what a fantastic age to be... Ros I mean, not Mark. *g*

I haven't been to a roller derby since I lived in Ohio. The place was right next door to a huge drive-in cinema another great cultural experience.

I'm glad to hear you had a good trip. ♥

[przed.livejournal.com]

Five is definitely a great age. For Ros, not Mark. *g*

I'd never been to a roller derby live before, but growing up I'd watch them every Saturday morning. Definitely a great Cultural Experience.

Our trip was lovely. Can't wait to catch up and read about yours.

[nsandik.livejournal.com]

What a great vacation! Ros is adorable, as usual! (Oh, so is Sweetie. Don't want to leave him out!)

Five?!!! Freaking Five???!!!!
Wow. She is growing so fast. You guys are such an adorable family.
Big hugs from Reno!

[przed.livejournal.com]

They're both adorable. Not the I'm biased. *g*

And yep, Ros is growing up incredibly fast.

Hugs back from Toronto!

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

I love the picture of Ros in escape mode *g* She really is the cutest babe, and wow, five already - how did that happen?

[przed.livejournal.com]

The great escape pic is great, isn't it?

I have no idea how she's suddenly five. But it's also kind of hard to believe she was ever toddler size.

[soundofthesurf.livejournal.com]

Unnnnnffff! I couldn't say who's cuter: Ros or the Sweetie! ;D

As to Mark: he sure doesn't look like 5 - but he doesn't look like 30 either! Age has a strange effect on him...as on most time travellers. Yes. That's my theory. :)

[przed.livejournal.com]

They're both pretty adorable. (And you can see where my affection for the big scruffy ones comes from. *g*

Age has a strange effect on him...as on most time travellers. Yes. That's my theory. :)

That is a magnificent theory. *g*

[soundofthesurf.livejournal.com]

They're both pretty adorable.
They are indeed! Well, you know what they say - you get what you deserve? *g*

It's a theory that explains A LOT! :D That's why I stick to it...

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Glad you had a good holiday, lovely pictures (and not just referring to the Mark ones! *g*)

Mark Owen is the only member of Take That where one gets relieved and happy when he puts on some weight *g* He is looking so WELL at the moment compared to 2009/early 2010 (cenea and I have theories about how shared hotel rooms on tour, nice long bubble baths with Jason and Howard and lots of snuggling with Robbie and Gary may be contributing to this, but hey it's just a theory *g*)

Have Mark being whimsical backstage:

[przed.livejournal.com]

Mark Owen is the only member of Take That where one gets relieved and happy when he puts on some weight *g*

Well, Jay is almost alarmingly thin too, but it looks better on him. Mark starts getting sunken-eyed and ill looking when he's too thin.

But yes, he does look much better and happier now. I like the way you and cenea think. *g* Although, man, did you read the Time Out interview last week? It made me more than a tad worried for the poor boy. ::grrr to the mean!Time Out reporter for nearly making Mark cry::

Have Mark being whimsical backstage

I lurv that clip. I plunked down for the Progress Tour app, and I cannot tell you how many times I've watched it.

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Jason's thinness always seems like excessive healthiness rather than lack of self-care, if you know what I mean. And yes, it does sit on him better (and make me think squeeful thoughts about Rangers and other lean lone warrior types *g*)

I think Mark (like Robbie) tends to speak from the heart, exactly as he's feeling, and that reporter was a fairly rare occurence of someone actually asking 'mean' questions to them (usually interviews are kind, if not sycophantic/reverent, in my opinion, and frankly I prefer that not just for the boys but for any media star - politicians can get a grilling though!)

I'm confused - I have the app and didn't get that footage but some of Howard talking about Kidz (also amazing *g*) - is there more footage I'm failing to access I wonder? (I am a bit fail with my iPod)

[przed.livejournal.com]

You're not wrong about Jason, on all counts. He's clearly always just taken extreme care about looking after himself. Plus, he would totally make an awesome Ranger/lean lone warrior type. ::sighs over the image of him with a sword in his hand during Kidz:: *g*

I agree with you on the preference for interviewers who are kind, if not sycophantic. I have a huge embarrassment squick, and nothing drives me away faster than an intrusive interview. Except with politicians, of course. *g*

(The Time Out interview made me think of this interview I recently ran across on YT on one of my many sticking "Mark Owen" into the search interface trolling expeditions. The interview was immediately after the fallout of Mark's revelations of infidelity and alcoholism, and was with, I think, a gossip/society editor of The Sun. But both the subject and the interviewer were being extremely respectful of what Mark and his family were going through, and the editor took pains to point out that Mark was one of the kindest people he's ever met. It was the classiest bit of what was essentially celebrity gossip I've ever seen.)

I have the app and didn't get that footage

Okay, I've only watched that clip on YT, but was relying on clearly erroneous user comments that it was from the app. I haven't had time to watch anything new on the app since we were on vacation and just assumed it was from there, as the editing/typography style certainly matches. I haven't seen the Howard bit yet! Must get on that!

BTW, I'm 1,500 words into a story based on the I'd Wait for Life video! And yes, I know I have a Pros story to be writing. :-/

Also, my friend that I've sucked into TT has asked to come over and watch TT stuff next week. Totally without me prompting her. \o/

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Kidz, Kidz, Kidz... *happysigh* What more perfect piece of choreography has ever existed? *g* elfwhistletree says there has to be more Kidz routine fanfic and I have promised to oblige her *g* (although yes, I too have Pros and LoM to attend to)

Re: some previous comment exchange, yes, I did lose the Mark/Robbie TT fic to the problems I have had with writing long!fic until these Big Bangs forced me past that (in a good way) - I have several thousand words of an idea, still not sure it's a good idea. I have some other TT AU stuff (including a wingfic) that might happen first, but I really want to get the inspiration to fill that prompt for you, ideally to do a proper longfic in Take That with something or other, possibly that (although I find Mark/Robbie in some ways quite hard- how do you feel about Mark/Robbie/Jason?)

Yay Take That pimping! \o/

IWFL video story! Yay \o/ DO WANT *g* Do feel free to send that over to me if you like to (read: Halo is impatient for more Zed TT fic *g*)

The Sun have a very good relationship with Take That and nearly always report positively on them. I believe I'm correct in saying that when the woman involved approached the Sun with her story, they gave Mark the option to break the story himself, on his own terms.

Whereas currently the tabloid media here have taken the fact that Robbie has mentioned in passing in his blog that he wants to do a solo tour some time to mean he's 'officially confirmed leaving Take That' which, yes, OK, maybe he will maybe he won't but it's a BLOG not a press release. Mind you, one tabloid here is actually shutting down after it was revealed that they had hacked into the phones of a girl who'd been murdered and altered her voicemail, and the phones of several other people related to other child murders and terrorism victims. So honestly a black day for reporting ethics.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I totally plan to produce some Kidz fanfic. As soon as I've finished the Pros BB story, and conquered the beast that the IWFL story is turning into. (As expected, that puppy has a ton of plot and back story. But man, is it fun to write.)

Definitely \o/ for TT pimping.

Do feel free to send that over to me if you like to

That would be awesome! soundofthesurf is currently cheerleading me on it scene by scene and helping me out with the plotting a bit. I can send you the finished draft, unless you want to see the whole gory draft process. (I don't necessarily recommend this. The first four scenes have come okay, but I have a feeling the writing is going to get a lot messier very very soon.)

I do vaguely remember the Sun editor said they'd gone to Mark before breaking the story. Which just goes to show what a good relationship they have with him and the band. I doubt they'd have given most other celebs a that option in the same circumstances.

Because I am just that obsessed, I set up a few Google alerts for the Progress tour. The coverage in the British press has been sort of amusing to follow. There'll be an actual interview with real attributed quotes in one media outlet. And then for the next week and a half, every other paper/website/blog will cannibalize the interview, with increasingly hysterical spin on it all. I hit of a few of those ROBBIE LEAVING TAKE THAT! stories and after the second one could barely stop rolling my eyes. There's also been all the OMG Robbie Is Swearing! stories, with people complaining that Robbie's spoiling a show that should be good family entertainment. Really, people? Have you been paying attention to how they usually stage Relight?

The News of the World scandal has made the news big time over here as well. I was shocked that Murdoch is pulling the plug on the paper, though I'm sure it's only so he can get away with even slimier goings on with his TV outlets. Twat.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Oh, and about my prompt, fill it if and when the spirit moves you. Heh. Mark/Robbie/Jason would be fab. And ya know, Mark/Jason/Howard might be even fabber. (Howard and Jason are rapidly becoming my OTP, with M/J/H my go to OT3.)

I have some other TT AU stuff (including a wingfic) that might happen first

Only in TT fandom would the prospect of wingfic make me eager with anticipation. ;-)

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Because I am on a mission to link you to all of YT or something... *g*



Robbie has stated on his blog that his 'boycrush' is Jason Orange. One cannot fault his taste *g* (he also said during the 'Rudebox' section of Kidz last night 'Jason Orange wants to suck my dummy' which is... well still a kind of horrendous innuendo but amusing nonetheless *g*)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Because I am on a mission to link you to all of YT or something... *g*

Hey, linking me to all of YT that has TT content sounds like a fine plan to me. *g*

And one can certainly not fault Robbie's taste. Jason is currently fighting it out with Howard for my affections.

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Wow 5 years old, and the pictures are adorable.

p.s. I totally blame you and Halo for the fact I had to download Love Love.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I have no idea how she's already 5. It's crazy.

As for Love Love, what can I say. I'm just doing my job as a one woman ambassador for Take That. ;-)