So, it's been a while since I rambled on endlessly about Spike BtVS, hasn't it? Between work and venting ire at our sort-of elected officials, I've been busy. Mostly work, I'll admit.

I tamed the beast that is FrontPage. Well, 'caged it' might be a better way of putting it. Alvin helped. As we were dinking with formatting I re-read my prose, realized it all sucked sugarless lemon-lime, and re-wrote 75 percent of it on the fly. It's still not good, but it doesn't wander as aimlessly as it did.

For the rest of today I'm working graphics. I'm probably the least visual person I know. Why do I get stuck with choosing layouts and finding graphics that don't suck?

We're migrating the new page up to the web this weekend, so I don't have time to complain and get the work done. (Well, at the moment I've clearly chosen 'complain' over 'work' but it's just a brief interlude.

Next week's delightful chores: A mock white-paper I'm putting together for Version 2.0 of the site, and marketing/sales material we can e-mail or hand out at trade shows.

I've made an outline of the elements that should, generically, appear in a white paper. I'm still waiting for inspiration about Spike.

Freudian typo, there. Honestly. I meant to type, "content." Still waiting for inspiration about content.

Oh, well. On to the matter at hand.

Finally watched the ep I taped last Tuesday. Not enough Spike, but don't I usually feel that way?

What's with all of the proto-slayers? They aren't really thinking spin-off, are they?

Do I care? Not. I doubt Spike will appear, after all. Or Giles. Or Willow. What would be the point?

Reluctantly I'm compelled to admit that I like Xander better after watching that episode. I still think that anyone whose been in the thick of things for seven years should by now be less whiney about it all and should have developed a few useful skills beyond the window-replacing variety but I doubt I'd fare much better in the same situation, so I won't annoy the Xander fans by complaining about it endlessly. He had a seriously good point, though. It would be hell to be no-one in the middle of all of that talent for years on end. (Pudgy little devil, isn't he?)

Why doesn't anyone write and tell me when the S4 DVDs will be released? Have I not made it clear yet that time is at a premium for me right now? Can you informed fans step up to the plate and share a little information?

While you're at it, someone give me the URL to a decent site on the web where the backstory of this show is listed, okay?

(Apparently it's me-me-me day at Casa AnneZo. The world sighs in irritation and starts to sidle out of the room, hoping to find a decent rant going on somewhere else.)

Someone wrote me a long, lovely note about the Geezers In Grocery Stores rant. Condensed, let's just say that she advocates a degree of violence toward the old dears that I can't quite reconcile with my passively passive-aggressive nature. But I've thought about doing those things, yes.

I've thought about handcuffing Spike to a bed, too. That doesn't mean I'd do it if given the opportunity.

Hot flash ensues.

Oops. My mind is never far from the gutter, is it?

(An intriguing flash of a pristine, white bed and a pair of empty handcuffs distracts Anne's attention for several consecutive minutes.)

It's not like I had anything to say, okay? It's a blog. It's not a staggering work of heart-breaking genius. Just me, wandering around inside of my psyche, picking out the more publicly acceptable bits to share.

I'm disappointed. I've watched three seasons of this show, and bits of a few episodes from this season, and I'm still getting zero slash vibes. It's all very upsetting. Spike is too beautiful not to slash but I can't go there without subtext. I need the vibe.

(Another long pause while the critical 'vibe' is considered in the context of Spike. The world fidgets and wonders why it bothers to come over here, anyhow.)

Fine. Go somewhere else.

I may have brilliant thoughts to share later, but you'll never know, will you?