MILES to GO || before I sleep

No, not really.

But I could be an apprentice for drug cocktail waitressing... er, that is, I went to the doc's today and walked away with not one, not two, but three medicines! One's for the weird super-dryness of my skin that just started a few days ago (and has started to fade ever since), one is another dosing of Prilosec, because this morning I had another heartburn-attack-from-Hell and no amount of Maalox or Gas-X helped (well, not THAT much, anyway) and the doc recommended I up the dosage to one before breakfast and one before dinner. The pain from this morning still hasn't gone away completely. Oh, and then there's a muscle relaxant for my "around-the-head" headaches, which the doc said are probably caused by muscle tension. Hm, sounds like me-- always tense.

And I had a blood test on top of all that, because my "cold feet" might be caused by a thyroid problem. Stupid thyroid-- causes so many problems in the body! On the one hand, it'd be nice to know there's a cause behind my problem and that I'm a) not imagining it and b) can do something about it, but if it means MORE meds or something... ugh. So, two days from now and we'll see.

Oh yes, we got the new Airport Extreme Base Station today, and I set it up. So we've still got Earthlink DSL, but thanks to an APPLE product, we have wireless (no thanks to Earthlink) that is reliable (same), secure (same), and easy to configure (same). Problems? Well, for some lame reason, Gary's wireless printer doesn't seem to see the new network or accept the password. Technically the name is only two letters off of the old network name-- all I did was change the capitalization of two letters. The password's nearly the same too, but I made sure to retype it in perfectly and the printer still won't connect. I don't know why. When I tried to print using the printer already configured in my preferences, it only got as far as 62% (spooling), with nothing actually coming out of Gary's printer. In any case, I'm sure that bit will eventually work when we get Comcast this weekend.

We connected Mom's HP PSC 1210 All-In-One to the Base Station, but my install of OS X 10.5 doesn't have the drivers for it, and the HP website and assorted Mac websites don't have them either (because they're supposed to be on the OS X 10.5 install disc, which I stupidly didn't bring with me). The 10.4 driver doesn't work, as the HP Setup Assistant doesn't even see the printer via Bonjour when I try to set it up. So when I have to select a driver, the one for our model doesn't come up, even though I set it up via USB before. What doesn't make sense is, I probably set it up using the disc, which is only SUPPOSED to work with 10.4 and below, but because it was USB and not Network, it DID work. Or something like that. So I picked another HP PSC driver, but who knows if it'll work.... (the printer queue seems to think it finished sending a test page, but I haven't seen/heard the printer respond!)

So, on the bright side, I'm back in the 'Net game... for now. I have some late papers and such to turn in, school work to catch up on, personal projects I'd like to make headway on, etc., but no shortage of things to do, places to go.... Like LJ. Must catch up on LJ. Way behind. But also-- way tired, because I was up way early for me considering when I got to sleep last night (new bad habit: not finding a good place to stop in my books, so staying up until 3am to finish reading them) and the pain was not a fun thing to try and sleep through. So I might just take a nap before CSI: now.

Speaking of CSI, the writers damn well better use this episode with the return of the Miniature Killer as a reason why Grissom finally up and leaves Vegas and goes to find Sara. The idea of him hooking up with Heather again --when both of them know better!-- is patently absurd, and I can't stand how Grissom can go through so much and be willing to throw it all away because of inaction. So, I hope Grissom gets a happy ending (with Sara, dagnabbit!) within the next few episodes, if not this one.

Ah... I've seen it coming the past two weeks. I've known it's been coming. But it seems like it came so much faster than I expected... Sara Sidle is at last leaving the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Next week, Jorja Fox really and truly ends her role as my favorite CSI on the original hit series. I may be a n00b to the show, but she's what kept me watching. It'll be sad to see her go. But I'll keep watching if only because it's NOT money that had her quit, and I want to know if the writers can actually make Grissom still survive (I don't mean "live," per se, but I don't imagine Grissom can just "bounce back" from Sara leaving so easily. He'll be screwed over even if her reason is as good as gold) believably.

I am happy that they've at least taken the time to build it up, as the voiceovers from previous episodes re: Sara taking cases too personally, her getting upset over things that previously didn't faze her make clear.

I'm NOT happy that it is apparently the episode that got filmed at CSUN (based on the appearance of Juliette Goglia in the preview, who was also in the episode filmed on campus), because if I'd known then that it was Sara's last episode, I would have said "Fuck it!" to my JOUR 410 class and tried to get the chance to talk to Jorja Fox, even if it was just for a "I loved your work on the show, you turned me into a fan, and I hope that when the series ends, you have a guest starring role, because I know I speak for thousands, if not millions, of fans that would love that from the bottom of their hearts."

I do wonder what the final episode title ended up being, because I've heard no less than three things. How do people find out about episode titles, anyway? It doesn't announce/show it at the start of the episode, and my digital cable TV guide doesn't say it... so how?

I'm happy that William Petersen got his wish-- he said he wanted to kiss (Jorja Fox) before the series ended, and he has-- the previews confirm that. The question is, the context of the kiss. It didn't look like a sad, parting kiss-- they weren't alone, for one thing. You could see Hodges over Sara's shoulder. To me, it looked like the locker room at the lab, and that makes me wonder if they decided to forego a traditional wedding ceremony and get married in the lab, right then and there (who knows, maybe Doc Robbins is secretly hiding an officiant's certification?). If they did, they'd need a damn good explanation for Sara leaving despite getting married... but I think it's just as necessary even if, at this point, the audience only thinks they're engaged (hey, they could have gotten married off-screen, but I doubt that). And I don't think Sara's the type to leave Grissom "at the altar," as it were.

Oh, and we finally found out the name of Grissom's dog: Hank. Was that ever stated before? I don't think it was-- fanfiction always has him having different names. I think the dog really DOES belong to Petersen, and the real dog's name is Bruno, but I'm not sure.

I do want to know if they're even going to say where Sara goes and what she does. As in, will she even get mentioned anymore? Or will it still be just "cases," without any character development? I know it was mentioned in interviews that this season is much more case-based, with less focus on the individual characters, but I do think it's possible (and has been done) to strike a balance between the two, even in a single episode.

Well, I'll be waiting on the edge of my (couch) seat... and regardless of ending, "that's what fandom is for!"

Jorja Fox, so long, and thanks for all the great episodes. :)

Ah, well, it seems no matter how hard I (or the Geeks on YTDAW, or the fans on Dollars For Sense) wish, Sara Sidle will be disappearing from CSI. Okay, maybe "disappearing" is the wrong word, all things considered, but Jorja Fox will be leaving the show as of S8x08, according to the latest Entertainment Weekly exclusive (which, incidentally, I saw during my J371 class while doing a newspaper assignment using the Daily News).

Unlike the TV Guide article that was circulating for a few weeks, this one has Jorja Fox definitively saying she's going to be leaving. She says it's not because of the money, though, but because she wants to get away from the violence of the show; not for good (and she even admits it may be the stupidest thing she's ever done, but she won't know until she tries). She wants to pursue other projects... who knows what they might be.

Personally, I would have rather found this out by watching; I see no point to revealing major spoilers for episodes still more than a month away. That said, I am a BIT glad that the episode where she'll supposedly (come on, it hasn't been aired YET) leave isn't the one that was filmed on campus, otherwise I would have really kicked myself for not seeing it in the plot. It makes more sense that way; like I said when I posted my article and talked about the filming on campus, I can't see an episode involving a major character leaving having the usual multiple crime scenes. 42 minutes is NOT a whole lot of time, and for something THAT major, it should be one crime scene at the most, with the rest devoted to the character interaction and the plot involving the character leaving.

What else:
* I pray to all that's holy that they don't kill her off. I don't think they will, given that they had that chance at the beginning of this season and they didn't do it.

* I think that if GSR was 7 seasons in the making (to become canon AND known to the whole cast), they can't destroy it in one episode. I can't see Grissom hooking up with Lady Heather, Sofia, or any other major female character with Sara gone.

* While part of me would LOVE to see Sara leaving because she married Grissom and got pregnant, I think it's a bit too fluffy for CSI. What I don't get is the gap of 4 episodes between Grissom's proposal and Sara's (supposed) departure. Sara could theoretically say (like I mentioned in my previous theorizing post) "I need more time" to figure out her answer, but... somehow I don't see that happening. If she's been with Grissom this long, I really think she'd just KNOW. Something traumatic or major would have to happen for Sara to a) say something like that or b) turn him down and have a reason to leave.

But I can't see her flat-out saying no because... well, the tagline for the episode is "The moment GSR fans have all been waiting for." And hey, I may be a n00b GSR fan, but I'll tell you I haven't been waiting for a moment when Sara rejects/breaks up with Grissom, when Sara dies and leaves Grissom super-depressed, etc. I've been waiting for Grissom to get the balls to propose and Sara to get over her issues and say yes. From there... well, that's the CSI writers' job, to balance the procedural part of the drama with the character portion of it. I know they can make it work without turning it into Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy or whatnot.

If this news has yet to hit DFS or YTDAW, I'm a bit surprised; I hardly think I'm "in the know" (despite my one article that became fandom news...). I wonder if it's worth it to keep sending in flyers and the like to CBS when it seems that at this point, it's not a matter of Jorja leaving on account of a lousy raise, it's her own personal decision to try other things. The last thing I think ANY actor wants is to be solely defined by the one role they stuck with for years and years, and if Jorja Fox can do a character that goes above and beyond Sara Sidle, more power to her. I'd love to see her in more things.

Unlike a lot of CSI fans, I don't think I could really say "If Sara leaves, I leave." I'll probably still watch CSI to see if it starts stinking and if it does, then of course I'll stop watching. That happened with a lot of shows I was initially excited about (and even ones I stuck with until the end, like Alias and Star Trek: Voyager had their Serious Moments of Suck). Of course, I hope it doesn't happen with CSI, but part of the reason why I really enjoyed the show was because of the characterization, specifically the interaction between Grissom and Sara. Hell, if even Spike TV can recognize the "sexual tension" between these two in that simple locker scene from before Grissom went on sabbatical, then it's not like GSR is some sort of minority that the evil CBS writers want to crush into the ground and laugh at.

I'm hoping that however Sara leaves, it'll be with the possibility of future guest appearances. Hence, even though my idea is downright fluffy and would probably never happen, I'm hoping for something at least a LITTLE along those lines, because if she leaves under GOOD circumstances, there's a better chance of her showing up again when Grissom needs some more fleshing out.

If anyone's got ideas on how Sara Sidle could gracefully bow out without being killed or breaking Grissom's heart, I'd love to hear it. I honestly think those are the two extremes, and I really hope the writers don't resort to that.

It seems today's a day for goodbyes, though, whether possible or past, present or future. *sigh*

Here's a thought: In "Living Doll," when Grissom essentially makes the admission that reveals his (long-standing) relationship with Sara (e.g. something that isn't co-workers-only, acquaintanceship, or anything else so simple and friendly), the two people that look THE MOST SURPRISED are Catherine and Warrick.

The least surprised looking ones are Greg and Nick, though later it's revealed that supposedly Greg knew (via hints) from Sara, but Nick didn't have a single clue. Catherine... she always SEEMS like she knew, and I can see Warrick not being so blind. (Point in fact, Catherine is the only one besides Sara to be able to see Grissom in a friendly/non-supervisory light, so it makes sense why in so much GSR fic, she always knows about GSR before they announce it. Even in canon, she pretty much KNOWS that Grissom likes Sara as more than a co-worker/friend.)

Is it because they "acted" too much? It's curious. It's possibly even fic-worthy. Except no, because that'd be bad for my fic karma.