fluffycakes
Junior Sitter
A silken-haired beauty with a laugh like pealing bells
Posts: 868
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Post by fluffycakes on Dec 21, 2007 23:07:57 GMT -5
Do any of your have Elfs at your malls with big false heads? We don't. Just wondering if this is a common thing or a plot device. Nope, no elves. But now that I think about it, I've never seen actual people dress up as elves, except on tv. All the mall elves I've ever seen have been mechanical. Which, come to think of it, it pretty much just as creepy as people with big false elf heads.
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 22, 2007 0:37:17 GMT -5
Alula, I never thought of those issues, but you're right. I am not an advocate of running away for any reason at 17 (though I know all situations are unique) and am a sucker for happy endings and working things out (realize this isn't always possible in real life but it's nice to hope - especially at this time of year ;D) I know MA is like this, too, which is why I was surprised that she was satisfied with how this one ended. I don't know, this book just had a negative "feel" for me. Maybe it was just the mood I was in when I read it but it seemed much less uplifting for me than BSC books usually are.
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Post by booboobrewer on Dec 22, 2007 22:44:05 GMT -5
Do any of your have Elfs at your malls with big false heads? We don't. Just wondering if this is a common thing or a plot device. Nope, no elves. But now that I think about it, I've never seen actual people dress up as elves, except on tv. All the mall elves I've ever seen have been mechanical. Which, come to think of it, it pretty much just as creepy as people with big false elf heads. Mechanical elves - creepy! Speaking of the false heads, I felt sorry for Mary Anne having to wear that heavy thing and having neck/shoulder pain as a result. On another note, I saw "Elf" recently and loved it Now I picture Mary Anne wearing a cute little elf costume like the girl elf/employee, even though the one she has on the cover is pretty dull.
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 23, 2007 0:29:49 GMT -5
I never thought of how heavy the head would be. That would be awful. Did they really make a point of saying how miserable the costume was beyond her worry about being recognized? I don't remember much about it but think there should have been more. ;D
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alula
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 406
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Post by alula on Dec 24, 2007 2:54:33 GMT -5
Alula, I never thought of those issues, but you're right. I am not an advocate of running away for any reason at 17 (though I know all situations are unique) and am a sucker for happy endings and working things out (realize this isn't always possible in real life but it's nice to hope - especially at this time of year ;D) I know MA is like this, too, which is why I was surprised that she was satisfied with how this one ended. I don't know, this book just had a negative "feel" for me. Maybe it was just the mood I was in when I read it but it seemed much less uplifting for me than BSC books usually are. Yeah, running away at 17 isn't exactly good for anyone, but I think it makes a little more sense with a more serious context than "my parents are snobs." Leaving in a shelter, even in a place like Stoneybrook, is pretty bleak. I do feel bad for Angela when she calls her parents and they won't even speak to her, but again, to me that rings false with the supposed reason for running away. Maybe my own biases are showing in that I lived in a town with plenty of snobby, country-club, gated-community, debutante-ball kinds of people, and I knew a lot of kids who thought that was BS but they didn't run away. They sneaked around and dated behind their parents' backs and claimed to be at tennis practice when really they were out with friends or whatever. Which isn't necessarily admirable, either--it's just, to me, you have to be really really upset to go live in a shelter (as opposed to staying with a friend for a few days). I kind of wish Angela hadn't gone to CA, but had stayed with friends who were closer to town, both so she and Mary Anne could keep in touch and to keep the lines of communication open with her parents. It also seemed to me like Sharon might make a really good liason--I'm not saying the Porters are as bad as Angela's parents, but there is some similarity. I was surprised and a little disappointed that Mary Anne didn't suggest they try to do something nice for the people at the shelter (I have nothing against the Christmas-Hannukah-Kwanzaa-Town, or whatever they called it, but they've done it before). There are kids at most women's shelters, too. And even reasonably well-funded shelters in safe areas aren't exactly terrific places to spend your time. (I was thinking about this because we've been asking the women's groups at our church to donate toiletries, even just like hotel bottles or "free gift" cosmetics that we donate to a couple of shelters, along with a ton of tampons and pads. We collect books and baby clothes and stuff, too, but it's always the toiletries that get to me, weirdly, about not being able to count on having pads and shampoo and deodorant.) I've just started the California Diaries, and I really like how Amalia and her sister volunteer at a woman's shelter. I hope this is coherent. . .Santa came early and brought me a nasty, sneezing, sniffling, stuffy, congested cold, with watery eyes and a sore throat to match. But I really have been a good girl!
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 25, 2007 1:04:57 GMT -5
^ Sorry to hear you're sick on Christmas. That's no fun. I thought I might be getting a cold (tend to get it right over Christmas usually, too ;D) but have so far (my fingers are crossed ;D) been able to keep it away. Feel better soon. I had never considered the BSC doing something for a shelter but that does sound like a good idea. I'm actually surprised they never did. Even Sweet Valley Kids had the girls volunteering to serve dinners - things like that. I've always seen shelters as good causes for donations and think the BSC could have contributed somehow.
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janey83
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 374
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Post by janey83 on Dec 27, 2007 13:59:05 GMT -5
A few things bugged me with this book...
When Richard & Sharon finally learn about MA's secret, they don't say anything about her age, and how on earth anyone would have hired her. Don't they know that 13 is too young to legally work? Plus...the interest piling up on Richard's credit card would have been worse on Richard's part, blowing his perfect credit score. So...I think he was bluffing. No way he would have let a balance remain on the account. No effing way.
Also...I really wanted to see how the other girls reacted to MA's presents. Wouldn't there have been some awkwardness? Claudia would have given MA a clay bracelet, and then she would unwrap the fancy art set and there would just be silence.
Shouldn't Hunter have said "Bye Barry-Add"?
The holiday carnival? Wouldn't it have been better just to have the kids collect new, unwrapped toys, rather than have to organize a carnival? It's like...there was too much work involved. All the effort of collecting crappy, used toys to raise money for new ones. It made my head hurt to read about.
I loved how the other girls gave Kristy the Look as a joke. Great stuff. Kristy almost flipped out on the bus ride home, too. Kristy's silly. She's going to have a heart attack at a young age.
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Post by greer on Dec 27, 2007 14:09:41 GMT -5
Richard would have been paying his bill, but expecting Mary Anne to pay him back. If she did not pay him back on time, she would also be responsible for any interest that would accumulate--he wasn't waiting for her to give him the money in terms of sending in his payment.
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janey83
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 374
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Post by janey83 on Dec 27, 2007 16:43:09 GMT -5
^Oh. Wow, what a jerk.
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 27, 2007 17:30:42 GMT -5
^ That's kind of what I thought. ;D Of course, I've been called "spoiled" ;D but when I told my dad about Richard in this book, he ranted about what a "jerk" "awful" dad Richard was for several minutes. ;D
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Post by booboobrewer on Dec 27, 2007 18:03:29 GMT -5
Also...I really wanted to see how the other girls reacted to MA's presents. Wouldn't there have been some awkwardness? Claudia would have given MA a clay bracelet, and then she would unwrap the fancy art set and there would just be silence. Ha. True. Man, Mary Anne was generous with her gifts. I think it might have been pointed out earlier, but getting a catcher's mitt for Abby, who she didn't even know well at the time? She bought mitts for Kristy and Logan too...
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starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
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Post by starrynight on Dec 28, 2007 12:12:13 GMT -5
^ Besides, catcher's mitts are different than other baseball gloves. A player doesn't really need one unless they play catcher a lot, and I don't think any of them mentioned that they do.
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janey83
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 374
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Post by janey83 on Dec 28, 2007 13:34:19 GMT -5
I'm still amazed that MA went out and bought gifts for all the girls -- at that age, I would come to school with cards and candy canes for my friends, and maybe a paperback for my best friend. Even now, I prob. wouldn't buy a mitt for someone I don't know very well.
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 28, 2007 16:55:17 GMT -5
^ Me either. Of course, I probably would have made my own gifts since that's what I always do. I just don't see the point in spending $10 or so on some "nice" gift instead of doing something thoughtful that doesn't cost anything (of course, those do take a lot of time.......)
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Post by booboobrewer on Dec 28, 2007 18:59:02 GMT -5
I wish I had made some gifts this year I have in years past and I've always liked doing that. Jeff came with Dawn, didn't he? We hear about the gifts MA gets Sharon and Dawn, but not Jeff...
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