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Twiggyish
| Friday, January 24, 2003 - 3:33 pm
Some juicy stuff in these chapters..
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Mak1
| Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 2:49 pm
Juicy stuff, and the guilt just keeps growing. Kate is busy trying to book reservations for Emily's school half-term. It's only 4 days away, all the best places are booked, she ends up booking a trip to Wales. Two Valentine's bouquets are delivered to her at work. The small tulips are from Richard, the larger "Grace Kelly wedding bouquet" is from Jack Abelhammer (gotta love that name, lol!) Crass chauvinistic racist boss assigns her a Final presentation to do at the last minute, a very big deal. He tells her to work with "the Chinky from Research". This would be the new 24-year-old trainee Momo, who has no experience. Boss says the Final is for an ethical foundation who will like seeing the diversity of their company. Half-term arrives, rain of course, and Kate realizes again that men are not able to multitask like women can. (I'm not bashing men, this is K's opinion.) Emily begs Kate to read Little Miss Busy, whose favorite book in the story is Work is Good for You. Emily wants Mom to be at home, not at work. Richard is visibly embarrassed in public when Kate doesn't know how to put the rain cover on Ben's stroller. Kate gets a moment alone in front of a cathedral and poignantly looks up and says Help Me. She then thinks "Asking a God I'm not sure I believe in to get me out of a mess I don't understand?" Crisis in the office, they head right back. She lied to Richard about the bouquet from Abelhammer. Considering pros and cons of quitting work and moving to the country, the con is "would go mad". Pigeons begin an annoying flirtation on Kate's window ledge at work as her email flirtation heats up with Jack. MIL calls at midnight when Kate gets home from work saying Richard sounded tired earlier, is everything okay? Richard complains about Kate's 24/7 stress. She has sex to appease him......a kind of sex that takes less time and energy than other kinds. Then she is up until 1 a.m. transferring info into pocket organizer. Emily is up at 4 with sore wee-wee. Kate gets urine sample to drop off at hospital on way to airport. Of course she forgot, it was found by security at JFK airport, detained her for a while. She realizes she has flask of urine, but pocket organizer is missing. She and Momo arrive for the Final Presentation and who is there from the State Board of Trustees? Jack Abelhammer, lol. Presentation going well until she doesn't know the answer to a question. Jack bluffs her way out of it. Richard calls, can't find something for the laundry. He tells her he needs her, not just for laundry, please fly home tonight. She says she'll be home tomorrow. Phone rings again, she doesn't want to answer, finally does. It's Jack inviting her for drinks at the Sinatra Inn. (ed. note: YIKES!! She's too vulnerable, exhausted and emotional to do this!) She agrees to meet him there......to be continued........
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Marysafan
| Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 7:55 am
This is a good example of how of these things develope. Kate is running from the responsibilities at home to the responsibilities at work. She isn't living life...she is just meeting responsibilites. Enter Jack....appearing as an oasis in this sea of turmoil that has become her life. She is extremely vulnerable. It is not suprising that she succumbs to the fantasies of a different life. There is no way hubby is gonna be able to compare favorably. I see trouble ahead....BIG time trouble.
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Twiggyish
| Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 7:54 pm
Excellent analogy Mak of the pigeons and her own flirtation with Jack. (guilt?)
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Kady
| Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 9:51 pm
Right now, I am not liking Kate at all. I should already be through with the book but it is taking me forever cause I just hate her. I cannot relate to her at all. She has a great husband, two wonderful kids, a nanny, a housekeeper, and a good job. And she can't find a way to balance it and be happy.
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Hermione69
| Friday, January 31, 2003 - 6:17 am
I think she just has so much baggage from her childhood that she hasn't dealt with yet. Sometimes it is not so easy to just "be happy." Family of origin issues can really mess you up, particularly with a father like Kate has.
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Marysafan
| Friday, January 31, 2003 - 7:26 am
Great insight Hermoine and I have to agree with you.
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Mak1
| Friday, January 31, 2003 - 6:25 pm
Kate doesn't like herself and she knows she has all that is supposed to make her happy, Kady. Like Hermione said, she hasn't dealt with the baggage from her childhood yet. Stick with her. I won't give away anything, except to say it gets better.
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Schoolmarm
| Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 6:56 pm
Best line of the book, end of chapter fifteen. Customs inspector unscrews Barbie container and sniffs. "Ma'am, how would you describe this liquid?" "It's my daughter's urine." "Ma'am, I think you'd better come with me." She left her day planner in the fridge and packed Em's pee by mistake!!!
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