Once Upon A Time Season 4, Episode 3 "Rocky Road"

Or better title "Cold Hearted Mongoose"

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Robin and Marion take their little son to the local ice cream shop—the only other business in Storybrooke besides Granny's pub/dinner/laundromat.

The ice cream lady gives Marion a little something special with her sprinkled cone.

Emma and Hook confront Mr. Gold, but he has no memory of Elsa or Anna. Emma threatens to use her super power of lie detection on him.

Her words, not mine.

To prove he's not lying, Mr. Gold has Belle use the dagger to command him to tell the truth.

Psst...they don't know it's a fake.   

In a flashback, Elsa is determined to go after Anna to the enchanted forest. Kristoff shows up and tells her that the evil Prince Hans is building an army (including his twelve brothers) to invade her kingdom.



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Now that she's the new Mayor, Mary Margaret tries to hold a town meeting while holding her baby. While everyone begins to shout about tracking down Elsa for the evil ice wizard that she is, Marion passes out. 

Regina confides to Henry that she's trying to find out who wrote the original Storybook. She wonders if it's possible to change how she's written as the villain. Henry thinks it's a super swell idea and they give their quest a special name, Operation Mongoose.

Get it? That's where the title comes from. Ahem, anyway...

Robin rushes in and asks Regina to check Marion. The diagnosis isn't good, the magic will continue to make its way to her heart, and once it's frozen she'll die. Elsa says the only way to break a freezing spell is with true love's kiss.

Thanks Captain Obvious.

But Robin's kiss can't wake her. David says he saw this once before with Frederick.

Who's Frederick, you ask? It's from season one, entitled, "What happened to Frederick"

Kristoff decides to sneak away and spy on Hans and his army. He witnesses a feud between the brothers. Hans lets it slip there is a magical urn hidden in a cave that will trap Elsa, thereby leaving the kingdom unguarded. Elsa and Kristoff risk leaving the kingdom defenceless and travel through the forest in search of the urn.

Granny and Grumpy begin a mob intent on lynching Elsa. Nothing pleases the ice cream shop lady more.

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David and Emma go to Marion's camp site, looking for clues. They find one of his former Merry Men, and famed thieve. He has information; while on a stealing rampage during the black out, he noticed the ice cream shop didn't have any melted ice cream.

Isn't that interesting? It's also interesting there's a new business in town run by someone new.

Hook and Elsa go to Mr. Gold's shop. Hook threatens to tell Belle that Mr. Gold is lying because he knows the dagger is fake. Mr. Gold begrudgingly agrees to help Elsa. She gives him a strand of Marion's hair. He casts a spell and lets them see the magic that created the curse. He lets it free and the wave of tiny snowflakes journeys back to the source.

Follow the snowflakes!

Dr. Hopper runs into Mary Margaret who is finding life difficult doing everything while holding baby Neal. Dr. Hopper senses she's afraid to miss anytime with the baby since she wasn't there for Emma. He tells her it's okay and in fact healthier to let someone hold the baby once in awhile.

Emma, David, and the thief break into the ice cream shop. In the back, they discover everything is frozen. The thief empties the cash register and takes off.

Elsa and Kristoff find the urn in the cave. When Elsa picks up the urn, words magically appear, but she can't read the inscription. Hans and his brothers arrive and a clumsy sword fight ensues. Hans quickly has Kristoff at knife point. Elsa gives hands over the urn to spare his life.

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Hook and Elsa follow the snowflakes through the forest and find the ice cream shop lady, but now she's in a sparkly white dress. Hook leaves Emma a voice mail.

Hans opens the urn and a liquid escapes, filling the cave floor. It takes the form of the ice cream shop lady. She immediately freezes Hans. His brothers flee. The ice lady turns to Elsa and tells her she's been trapped inside the urn for a very long time. When Elsa questions her powers, the woman smiles and explains that Elsa's mother was her sister.

Auntie!

Hook's leg is suddenly caked in ice. The ice lady tries to convince Elsa they can only trust each other, and she drops the bombshell that her own sister, Anna was the one who trapped Elsa in the urn.

Oh, man. They lost me.

But Elsa isn't buying it, she knows the ice lady was trying to frame her for Marion's curse.

Emma and David finally show up. The ice lady calls Emma by name. Emma is slightly confused because she's never seen this woman before. She decides words are useless in this situation and uses her super power— not the lie detecting one, the convenient one when there's no other way out. She defeats the ice lady, but she still manages to escape.

In order to save Marion, Regina enchants her heart and removes it from her body before it freezes. She'll have to stay frozen until a cure is found.

Hook corners Emma and she confesses the reason she pulls away from him is because everyone she's ever been close to dies. He says, "I'm good at surviving."

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Mr. Gold encounters the ice lady in the forest. They know each other. She refuses his help and says, "I'm not ready to make a deal yet." He also knows her connection to Emma and reminds her if Emma remembers their past...it's game over baby.

Check out my other recaps of Once Upon A Time, here...even from the very first episode!

Top Five Reasons To Adopt A Senior Dog

It was around six months ago that my family and I decided we needed a pet—after all it had been a few years since the fish died.

A cat was out of the question because my son and I are allergic. We considered guinea pigs, but when we went to the pet store, no one wanted to reach in and pick up one of the 'large fluffy rats.'

Have you ever seen a guinea pig yawn? They're like little vampire hippos.

Anyway, a dog seemed the natural conclusion. However, I had no interest in taking care of a puppy. Don't get me wrong, puppies are adorable, but I didn't have the time to devote to training a puppy—and neither did my teenagers, despite what they promised.

We eventually decided to start looking for an older dog.

My family and I adopted Cody almost four months ago from Litters n' Critters, a non-profit, dog rescue organization. He's a nine year old cocker spaniel who was much loved by his original owner, but due to circumstances that had nothing to do with Cody, she was no longer able to take care of him.

The day I brought Cody home.

I brought Cody home on a Tuesday morning. By that afternoon everyone in the house was in love with him. He's like this big fluffy pillow with a heartbeat. When he cuddles up close and falls asleep against your leg, you feel like a star. He slipped into our family so effortlessly, I can't imagine having a puppy or any other dog for that matter. He's such a perfect fit for us.

It must have been heart wrenching for Cody's owner to say good-bye, but she was comforted to know he was going to be taken well care of for the rest of his life. I'm so grateful to Litters n' Critters for helping people and dogs find each other at just the right time in their lives.

And now, please enjoy:

Top five reasons to adopt a senior dog...

#1. They won't chew your shoes or anything else. We've gotten Cody a few chew toys and he likes to play tug of war with the kids, but other than that, he saves his jaws for eating food.

#2. They're already trained so there are no accidents. Plus, they don't need to go out for a pee in the middle of the night.

#3. They love to nap! Which means you can nap too!

Cody lurvs his naptime.

#4. They're fully grown. No more guessing at how big they'll get. That means the dog bed you buy will fit them FOREVER!!

#5. Enjoy the simple fact that you're giving a lonely creature a loving home to spend the rest of his days.

Dogs are incredibly loyal. If your properly nourish and love your dog, he will feel the same way about you, no matter how many previous owners he's had.

Me and Cody today.

If you'd like more information on adopting a rescue dog, please check out your local SPCA or Litters n' Critters for pictures and bios.

Who knows? You could meet your next best friend today.

Once Upon A Time Season 4, Episde 2 "White Out"

Or better title "Creepy Bo Peepy"

Elsa vows that until she and Anna are together, no one will leave Storybrooke.

Um...that's kind of already been established, right?

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Anna travels through the enchanted forest and ends up at the cabin of ... David (with long hair, Jesus style). Apparently before David became the fake prince he was a friend of Kristoff's. Anna tries to keep her 'mission of magic' a secret, and she tells him her name is Joan.

Mary Margaret puts little baby Neal down for a nap. David and Emma talk with Henry about his mom dealing with her boyfriend's wife coming back from the past.

Typical family chit chat, no?

A crow arrives with a message for Henry. Regina is too sad to see him. She needs her space.

Space from her kid? That's suspicious.

Henry drowns his sorrows at Granny's pub/diner/laundromat. There's a sudden ice storm and the power goes out. David calls Emma two seconds later saying he's getting calls from all over town...it's a town wide black out.

That was fast. It just happened.

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Emma and David discover a wall of ice surrounds Storybrooke. Hook shows up and tries to convince Emma how they can turn this midnight event into a date. Seeing a scared girl on the other side of the ice, Emma travels inside the snow structure. She finds Elsa who tells her she's looking for her lost sister.

Grumpy, Granny and another dwarf I can't remember, call on Mary Margaret and declare that she should be the new Mayor of Storybrooke since Regina is holed up in her mansion, broken hearted.

Bo Peep arrives at David's cottage and asks for payment. Apparently Bo Peep is an extortionist and her tall staff is a powerful weapon. She uses it to "brand" David and his mother to work off their debt. Anna tries to convince David to fight back, but he tells her he's just a shepherd. She offers to teach him how to sword fight.

When David and Hook barge into Elsa's ice castle she gets mad and causes and avalanche trapping her and Emma inside. Hook hacks away with his...well hook. But it's pointless. David says. "I think we need magic to fight this."

No kidding. Just like every other episode.

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Shepherd David is proving to be a quick study at sword fighting, but he knows he'll never beat Bo Peep. Anna tells David not to give up and that surviving isn't living. He talks about loss and she calls him a coward.

David says, "One morning when I was six I woke up and heard my mother and father going at it."

*Giggles*

They were fighting about David's father's drinking problem. But he suddenly resolved to quit drinking and be a proper husband and father. He left on a trip, but never returned. They found his cart at the bottom of a ravine.

I don't know what that was all about. Anyway, Anna tells him again to not be a loser like his dad.

Elsa says she'll keep Emma prisoner in her ice castle until Anna is found. Emma relays the news to David and Hook listening on her walkie talkie.

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Mary Margaret is taken to the electrical grid by Grumpy and Granny. She flips out when she can't figure out how to decipher the grid. She tells them to buy flashlights.

Go Mayor, Mary Margaret.

Emma starts to freeze. Elsa confesses that she doesn't have the best control over her powers and the ice sculpture is permanent until Anna can be found. Since Emma has magic...sort of...she tries to melt the ice, but she's too cold...and that would be too easy.

Elsa and Emma bond over their troubled upbringing. Elsa applogizes for putting Emma's life at risk.

Hook and David arrived at Mr. Gold's shop. They have a picture of the necklace that was taken. David does his signature blank face and declares that he recognizes the snowflake pendant. "I know who Anna is."

When David the shepherd goes to convince Anna they can't beat the evil Bo Peep, she is nowhere to be found. Bo Peep is in her place saying that Anna is now her branded slave. AND she's wearing the snowflake pendant.

David arrives at the local butcher's shop, run by Bo Peep. Hook grabs her crook and they book it out of there.

Long haired David arrives at Bo Peep's place. He challenges the guard's and Bo Peep. He wins the sword fight and he takes back the snowflake pendant. After, he finds Anna and they have a heart to heart about being trapped in lives they don't want.

What?

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Hook and David take turns encouraging Elsa through the walkie talkie as Emma keeps turning blue. David tells Elsa that he knew Anna a long time ago and that she wouldn't want Elsa to live alone in a palace of ice. Elsa creates a warm wind—a chinook if you want to be fancy about it— and she melts the walls enough for her and Emma to escape.

Mary Margaret studies the manual while baby Neal cries for his supper. She realizes the power plant needs it's supper too and she turns on the fuel supply, thereby securing her place as Mommy Mayor.

David's mother, Ruth gives Anna a few sandwiches for the next leg of her journey. She asks if there's someone in this land that knows about powerful magic. Ruth looks scared. She speaks of a wizard who is to be feared, but he can certainly help her—Rumpelstiltskin.

Hook, Emma and Elsa convene at the Charming household. David vows to help find Anna. "This family finds people because we don't like to give up."

Also, yours is a family that keeps falling into parallel universes. 

Henry goes to see his heartbroken mom. He tells her through the letter slot that he's not giving up on her. She opens the door, they hug.

Hey, they're almost the same height.

Emma and Elsa return to her wall of ice, but Elsa can't melt it. "That's weird, I'm the only one with this power. So why is this still standing?"

Indeed.

The next morning Grumpy goes into an ice cream parlour and the blond woman behind the counter serves him a cone. She says she didn't have any trouble when the power went out.

Why? Because she has the freezing power too. And who is she? Another actor from LOST.



Check out my other recaps of Once Upon A Time here!

Once Upon A Time, Season 4, Episode 1, "A Tale of Two Sisters"

Or better title "Freezer Burn"



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The parents of Elsa and Anna are about to go down with their ship in a rough storm. The mother makes a quick note and puts it in a bottle. She says, "The girls need to know the truth."

Wow! Whatever she wrote on that note must be important. Which makes me wonder, why did the parents wait until certain death before sending this crucial tidbit to the girls? Why not have a letter in a safe back in the palace? Or entrust it with a trusted palace official? Or even one of those troll things? Or...oh never mind.   

Five years later Elsa and Anna visit their parent's grave. The two grow melancholy until Elsa brings up Anna and Kristoff's quickly approaching wedding. Elsa says she has a special present for Anna.
 

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Zipping to the present time, we see Elsa emerge from the symbol on the barn floor and enter Storybrooke. She walks along the darkened streets and almost gets run over by Grumpy's truck. She hits them with a wall of ice to prevent the accident.

Regina now has to deal with Robin Hood's newly arrived wife, Marion.

Poor Regina. It's bad enough your boyfriend's wife shows up, but when she calls you an evil witch in front of everyone...well, let's just say she's entitled to whatever diabolical plan she'll cook up later.

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Elsa excitedly shows Anna the present—their mother's wedding dress and a special snowflake pendant. Elsa starts reading their mother's diary that she just happened to find. Her eyes grow wide as she tearfully explains she's the reason their parents died.

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After Belle and Mr. Gold get married (gag), they visit Neal's grave. Mr. Gold is still keeping the dagger a secret from Belle. He privately vows to avenge Neal's death.

Psst...having secret agendas and magical weapons is the key to a long and happy marriage. 

Robin visits Regina and tells her that even though he's still hot for her, he has to stay loyal to his wife. He says he has to live by his code.

The code? You're a fairy tale character, dude.

Regina gets so mad she breaks a mirror with her hate. She picks up a shard and grins wickedly at herself. This gives her an idea. She slips into the hospital and makes her way to the psychiatric ward where they keep patients locked inside dark cells.

Um...is that right? Where are the police? Or...oh never mind.

Since there's no security or staff of any kind in this secret hospital prison, Regina peeks in on a patient in confinement and easily opens the door. It's Mr. Glass, her old mirror. And we all know Mr. Glass will do anything for his evil queen.

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Mr. Gold and Belle tour their new house. It has a huge library and comes with a ballroom, which comes in handy when they totally rip off the dance scene from Disney. It also comes with a small circular chest that's locked.

Nothing strange about that. 

Hook and Emma have one of those awkward talks when you make out with someone and then don't know what to say the next day. Grumpy interrupts them, screaming about an ice monster loose in Storybrooke.

Elsa is convinced their parents were so scared of her icy powers they tried to escape on that fateful ship.

Um...if they were so terrified why did they leave little Anna in the palace with Elsa? Or why not have Elsa shipped away to live in an igloo up north? Or why not banish her to the highest alp? Or...oh never mind. This is "Once Upon A Time" and logic rarely matters.

Emma and Hook follow a trail of ice. Elsa manages to conjure a snow monster that begins to cause chaos in the streets.

Not ready to believe Elsa's theory, Anna consults the troll king about their parent's last voyage. He says their parents were going to Misthaven, but for what reason he doesn't know. Anna is convinced they should travel there for the answer, but Elsa will not leave the kingdom.

While her snow monster roams the streets, Elsa hides in an alley where she happens to see a newspaper blow by with a wedding photo of Mr. Gold and Belle. 

That was fast, they just got married.

Regina brings Mr. Glass up to speed on what he's missed. She decides to go back in time to kill Marion before Emma can bring her back to Storybrooke.

Awesome plan. No snags there.
 

Elsa slips undetected through the streets of Storybrooke until she finds Mr. Gold's pawn shop.

 

Anna secretly takes off for Misthaven, leaving Elsa on shore with Kristoff.

The snow monster goes into the forest and happens to find Robin, Marion, Hook, Emma, and David at a campsite. Emma tries her magic, but it doesn't work. Regina shows up and destroys the beast right before it almost crushes Marion.

Regina leaves in a plume of purple smoke before anyone can thank her.

A lonely, soft flute plays in the background.

Hook tells Emma they should enjoy the quiet moments that come between fighting monsters, but she confesses she feels too guilty to make out because she ruined Regina's good times with Robin by bringing his wife back. 

Emma goes to Regina's house and tries to talk to her through the doorway. She says she's commited to giving everyone a happy ending.

So many inappropriate jokes happening in my mind right now.

Regina asks the mirror to help her change fate. She claims Henry's story book is the reason she's so unhappy. Then she announces, "It's time to find out who wrote this book and make them give the villains their happy ending."
 

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Mr. Gold looks at his sleeping bride and while he polishes his secret dagger. Sorry, that came out wrong. He uses it to open the small chest. Inside is what looks like a tiny universe.

Whoa! What the heck have the writers been drinking?

Elsa watches helplessly as Anna's ship leaves for Misthaven. Kristoff tells her Misthaven is another name for the enchanted forest. Anna stands on the deck of the ship with her eyes full of hope. She touches the snowflake pendant and smiles.
 

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Back in Storybrooke Elsa breaks into Mr. Gold's shop. She finds the snowflake pendant and whispers, "I'll find you Anna."

Dun dun dun!!!

Hey, if you liked this, check out my other Once Upon A Time recaps here.


 

Contest Time!!!!

Finally, FINALLY, I have the opportunity to host my own frickin' contest.

Yes, it's related to my YA debut, BUTTERFLIES DON'T LIE, and yes, the free swag is fabulous.

From Nimbus Publishing, September 2014...

Sometimes the best matches are the ones you least expect.

Sixteen year old, magazine quiz junkie, Kelsey Sinclair wants to make this summer unforgettable by (hopefully) seducing her secret crush, Blaine Mulder. Armed with romance advice articles, Kelsey tackles true love with scientific precision, including getting a job at the seaside restaurant that overlooks the yacht club where Blaine teaches sailing.

However, visions of rendezvous on the beach are clouded when the new kitchen guy's laid back attitude and smouldering stare quickly get under her skin. With his renegade demeanour and unpredictable stunts, Luke is the opposite to Blaine's golden boy reputation.

Determined to follow through with her original goal, Kelsey ignores her growing attraction to Luke, certain he's not the guy for her. But when she finally manages to get Blaine's attention, Kelsey worries the magazines are all wrong, and that sometimes the best matches are the ones you least expect.

 

Originally featured on Wattpad, it received over 2.5 million reads in three months!

For character pictures, quotes, a playlist and various other interesting folly, check out the inspiration board on Pinterest here.

BUTTERFLIES DON'T LIE, is loosely based on my own summer job experiences (except the romantic bits, unfortunately) working as a busgirl at The Captain's House restaurant in my beautiful hometown of Chester, Nova Scotia.

Psst ... Kelsey's mix ups and blunders at work were inspired by my own debacles as a busgirl, but one particularly embarrassing episode that didn't make it into the book was the time I got stuck in the dumbwaiter — I guess it was a slow day. 

 

And now for the moment you've all been waiting for, stuff you can win ...*drum roll*

 

 

2 autographed copies of BUTTERFLIES DON'T LIE

 

1 Alex and Ani butterfly charm bangle

PLUS ... a mystery prize that is guaranteed to make your friends jealous.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ddae8d431/

 

 

 

 

Top Ten Things Outlander and Downton Abbey Have In Common

While I wait to learn the fate of Edith's baby, if Mary gets married again, or if Daisy and Alfred fall in love for real in the next season of Downton Abbey, Outlander is providing a lovely distraction. Oh sure, there's more fighting and cursing in Gaelic, but the two period serials in fact have a lot in common.

Top Ten Things Outlander and Downton Abbey Have In Common


#1. Life in the past was TOUGH. Especially for a woman, even the rich ones didn't have a lot of choices. Here's my advice, if you ever come across a time machine, run the other way.

#2. Every village needs a castle.

#3. The kitchen staff know ALL of your business.

Mrs. Fitzgibbons
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Mrs. Patmore
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#4. Chamber pots are inevitable.

#5. Taking a stroll over sweeping landscape provides for good conversation.

Claire and Jaime
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Matthew and Mary
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#6. Sex can happen at the most inappropriate times.

#7. Horses come in very handy.

#8. Mud happens...a lot.

Claire and Jamie mud caked and outrunning the British
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Mary tends to the pigs
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#9. Nothing says celebration like a long table full of wine and food.

#10. The working farm boy is always sexier than the British gentleman.

Tom the Irish chauffeur
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Jamie MacHottie
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Bonus! Run out of dialogue or the plot stalls? Add a war.

Hey! Look At This!

Hey! It's my official book flap!

The folks at Nimbus Publishing even put me on the back in colour and everything. *high fives all around*

I particularly love the quiz on the back.

Sometimes the best matches are the ones you least expect.

Sixteen year old, magazine quiz junkie, Kelsey Sinclair wants to make this summer unforgettable by (hopefully) seducing her secret crush, Blaine Mulder. Armed with romance advice articles, Kelsey tackles true love with scientific precision, including getting a job at the seaside restaurant that overlooks the yacht club where Blaine teaches sailing.

However, visions of rendezvous on the beach are clouded when the new kitchen guy's laid back attitude and smouldering stare quickly get under her skin. With his renegade demeanour and unpredictable stunts, Luke is the opposite to Blaine's golden boy reputation.

Determined to follow through with her original goal, Kelsey ignores her growing attraction to Luke, certain he's not the guy for her. But when she finally manages to get Blaine's attention, Kelsey worries the magazines are all wrong, and that sometimes the best matches are the ones you least expect.


The launch day is September 15th, but you can pre-order it here or here if you're afraid of crowds.

I'll be having a few contests very soon so come back later for more eye candy and a chance to win your very own copy to hold and cuddle.

Here's the Butterflies Don't Lie Pinterest board with pictures of the characters and other neat stuff to tempt you. And if that doesn't do it, check out the official playlist on YouTube.

Bonus Trivia: Butterflies Don't Lie is loosely based on my summer job experiences as a busgirl at The Captain's House restaurant in my hometown of Chester, Nova Scotia (except the romantic stuff, unfortunately). However, a lot of Kelsey's embarrassing moments at work actually happened to me. But there's one particular mishap of mine that didn't make it into the book. I'll share that little tidbit of humiliation next time.