Okay, last night I spent a good deal of time watching Weeds instead of doing laundry, and I tell you, I'm so conflicted.

Honestly, the premise goes against so many things I believe in as a person and a parent that I sit beside myself while I watch, and my parallel self contrives all sorts of solutions to Nancy Botwin's problems. Sell the house. Fire the housekeeper who doesn't clean. Get a job.

Yet, I still want her to succeed at the crime ring she has undertaken.

I root for her.

It could just be the sheer hotness and vulnerability of Mary-Louise Parker. She plays out both a toughness and a fish completely out of water thing that I adore. She's naive. But when things fly at her she's constantly thinking out of the box.

Two scenes that made me hold myself laughing: in season 1, watch for an episode that plays out stunningly close to the opening scene of Romancing the Stone when Kathleen Turner's looking for any paper product to wipe her nose with. Only my friend Nancy ain't looking for a tissue.

Another scene, this one from season 2: she decides to resolve an issue between the two men in her life by sitting them down at lunch together unannounced, and hoping that the intro will smooth things over. Instead she's literally stuck in the middle of an alpha-male contest that she very naively did not foresee.

Classic. And did I mention she's super hot? Seriously - I can't wait to be 44 like MLP.

Rembrandt toothpaste. So fantastic. It really whitens and brightens in a short amount of time, and doesn't leave an unpleasant toothpaste taste.

Also, as you know, I've been watching Persusasion, and I think I might have gotten it out of my system for now. During this obsessive bout (my fixations are often recurring) I realize that the elements which draw me to this particular story have to be the emotional and physical maturity of the main love interests, and the profundity of both their suffering and their passion for one another. They've both put a lot of time and feeling into this relationship - they're not stumbling over your basic, easy-to-overcome obstacles.

Plus, after 8 1/2 years, Anne loses her breath at every intimate moment as though she has just met Captain Wentworth, and the Captain...well, this is a spoiler, but after equally as often losing his composure with her, he races to write the most gorgeously clumsy and perfect letter to confess that he still loves, and has never stopped. What a true man of action.

My, my. This Austen chick knew what she was doing, I tell you. I'm fanning myself right now.

This is my first blog ever.

Ahh, let the petal fall.

Okay, so enough with bad metaphors of losing my flower. Here's the thing: I fixate. I like all different things and have a myriad of interests, but at least once or twice a month and sometimes every other day, I fixate on something. Could be something old, something new, but it tortures me. Could be a person, place, thing, idea, tune, etc.

If it's a type of cake, I must eat it - which becomes not enough. I must also find the recipe for future feasts on said cake. And not just one recipe - recently I spent most of a day researching bran muffin recipes (bran muffins, for Christmas sake!) and comparing/contrasting my findings - any recipe with raisins was automatically disqualified.

If it's a new author, I must read him/her until I can no longer decipher words. Then I go hunting for biographies, interviews, strange facts, photos, etc. If it's a book that became a film - I must compare.

My point must be gotten by now. I'll move on before you do.

Anyhoo, this week it's Jane Austen's Persuasion. I used to favor Sense and Sensibility, then Pride and Prejudice, but the more I read/watch it, the more I realize how far superior Persuasion is to every other. (Truthfully I used to hate Austen, but something happened, and now I luff her).

Today I was reading the description of the late Richard Musgrove, and I was delighted to realize that Jane made a funny about the name "Dick." And yes, she meant it just as it sounds.

I checked out the DVD version starring Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root, both actors unknown to me before the first time I viewed the film. My favorite thing about this version: the fact that the actors look as old as the characters are supposed to be, and all the touching by Captain Wentworth and sister Anne. Also classic: the scene with Captain Wentworth's and Walter Elliott's dueling umbrellas.

Are they really competing for Anne to touch their, ahem, umbrellas?

Captain's guileless offer of it to her reminded me of the ever-funtastic feature film, Dirty Dancing: "I carried a watermelon?!!?

I'm sure there will be more on this. It's been at least four days already.

Help me. Please. Help.