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Nun, er hat  Blumen! Für Euch!  .. wunderbar zur Blüte gebracht .. und sich auf die Suche nach Neuem gemacht. Das Innerste. hat er dabei gefunden!!!

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Hier folgen meine Blog-Sequenzen in verschiedenen Farben

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Xander happily playing on his playmat yesterday

The midwife came to weigh Xander and I'm pleased to say he now weighs 8lbs 13.5oz, so in two days he's gained 8.8oz! I'm amazed, but it does go some way towards explaining why Dales arms were so tired holding him for ages this morning!

On top of the spectacular weight gain, we've had two very good nights on the trot where Xander goes down to sleep around 11.30-ish and then only wakes to be fed and changed at around 2.30-ish and 6.00-ish and doesn't really make much noise about it. He also goes back to sleep within about 10-15 minutes of finishing feeding, which is something of a relief as it means I can sleep too and Dale doesn't get woken through the night (he takes the shift settling Xander down while I get an hour or so of shut-eye before the 11.30 feed).

So, it looks like things are looking up and settling down - it's such a relief, especially since we were having trouble getting Xander to accept a bottle for the pumped breast milk as had been suggested - it turns out he's fine without it after all!

Today I have a big, happy face on, despite wearing no make-up at all (one of my very rare make-up free days since Xander was born - I've been making the effort to put on just a little slap in order to feel more like "me" each day). And Dale's happy because I'm happy and Xander is healthy. Good news all round!

Xander getting his routine hearing test at the hospital
the day before we were discharged

Well, things aren't going so brilliantly after all. The midwife came round to weigh Xander yesterday and discovered he'd lost a little weight - he's never quite got back up to his birth weight yet which it's always hoped babies will do within 10 days or so of birth. The solution is to supplement his breast feeding with a bottle of a couple of ounces of either breast milk or formula, so I've been pumping like crazy with the breast pump my sister bought us, but the problem now is actually getting Xander to take it from the bottle! The poor wee mite has only ever been faced with my huge chesticles, and even though the bottle teats we have are the closest to breast/nipple shape as you can get, he's not happy about having them in his mouth and it's almost impossible to get anything into him that way.

It's worrying and I'll admit I've been in tears a few times out of sheer frustration and worry (even though it's only a very small amount of weight he's lost so far - we don't want him to lose any more!). Dale has been marvellous - very supportive and ready with reassurances and lots of hugs and kisses, but sometimes it's just impossible to fight the tears - I guess it's part of the whole "baby blues" thing (don't worry, I'm not feeling depressed or anything like that, just a bit tearful at times). It's just so difficult knowing that Xander isn’t doing as well as we'd like to see. He just keeps falling asleep during a feed and we have to try and wake him up a little by tickling his feet, blowing on his face and changing his nappy part-way through, just to get him to keep sucking. The midwife will be back tomorrow to weigh him again and see if we've made any progress, but I still worry.

We knew things would be difficult at times, but it's horrid to feel so out of control about things like your child's health and progress.

On a more positive note, Xander is now "official" as we registered his birth yesterday afternoon and have his birth certificate, which is lovely.

Xander having his afternoon nap today

It's been a tough few days since we got home from the hospital. Getting into the habit of sleeping when Xander sleeps is a big adjustment for both Dale and myself and it hasn't helped that Xander seemed to be deciding that night-time is party-time!

The first two nights at home were pretty nightmarish, with both my devoted hubby and I resembling extras from a George A Romero film and almost collapsing with sheer exhaustion. However, the midwife came for a visit and offered a few suggestions. That night was a little better than the two preceding it, but we were still very tired. Last night, however, was wonderful - Xander only woke to feed and have his nappy changed, then went back to sleep again within about twenty minutes of finishing. Dale had a very peaceful night and I woke up this morning feeling more rested and refreshed than I have in several months - and this was despite going to bed with a stonker of a headache last night!

The only other difficulty, really, has been breast feeding. The first few feeds, whilst still in the hospital, were fine, as he wasn't very well and didn't have the strength to fight or wriggle about too much. By the third day, he was becoming impatient and fractious when it came time to feed and would have trouble getting latched on, so I ended up with very grazed, sore nipples for a couple of days. However, after expressing a little to give him via syringe, he calmed down a bit and was able to get onto the breast a little easier.

Once my milk came in, however, it was a different story (it was a little delayed due to the C-section), things happened much more easily (I woke up one morning with a nightie that was soaked all down the front where I'd had a leak of epic proportions - totally Niagara Falls!) and we hit on a good position (with Xander under my arm like a rugby ball) and he's gone on like a dream ever since. He's certainly a good feeder!

Since getting home, we've just been concentrating on trying to get into some kind of routine and accepting visits from family (all his grandparents adore him already - my Mam and Step-Dad came up with my Grom while I was in labour and saw Xander briefly after he was born, but had to head back to Northumberland; they'll be coming back next weekend to visit again; Dale's parents came round to visit yesterday afternoon; and my Dad gets sparkly-wet eyes whenever he looks at his grandson). Auntie Leni absolutely adores her wee nephew too! Then again, when a baby is this adorable, how can anyone possibly resist?

            Kaitlyn Fernanda Berg was a fifteen-year-old girl who always knew what to say. Well, what to say to be a sassy fifteen-year-old you-know-what. Well, anyway, she was a tenth grade high school student at Calvin Coolidge High. She had long red hair, piercing blue eyes, and thin, red, square glasses.

            Xander Donald Berg was the father of the family, a thirty-four year old man, with brown eyes, and a buzz cut of his short brown hair. He had similar glasses to his daughter, but silver, and not as thin. His skin was slightly darker than that of the rest of the family. He runs his own business, a home real estate business called Burg Real Estate.

            Larissa Kyleigh Berg was the mother of the family, a year older than her husband, and works at an office, as a bookkeeper. Though she loves fancy blouses and skirts, she has never been on to fuss about her appearance. She’s a permed red-head, who never wears any makeup, but makes up for it with her sparkling blue eyes.

            The youngest is Garrett Berg, an adopted child. He has black eyes; black hair in a boy’s cut, in eighth grade at Andrew Johnson Middle School. He’s always been a little quiet, unless he’s bugging his sister. He’s pretty much your average twelve-year-old, plays video games, skateboards to and from school, and all that stuff.

            Today is Saturday, and the house is running as usual: Garrett insists on wearing his pajamas, Kaitlyn is yelling at her brother, Larissa is trying to calm the crowd, and Xander is trying to work through all this.

            “I know I should have just rented the office building,” Xander mumbles to himself as he types away at the computer.

            Larissa shakes her head and gets the mail, but as she opens one of the letters, she looks surprised.

            Kaitlyn yells, and storms into her room, Xander finally gives up and starts to storm away from his desk, and Garrett is running to the couch to play “Drum Hero.” He looks over at Larissa.

            “What’s up, mom?” he asks.

            “It’s the letter...” she replied.

            “What about it?” Xander asks.

            “Get Kaitlyn in here,” she says.

            “Kaitlyn! Get your fat butt in here!” Garrett yells.

            “No!” she replies from her room.

            “Kaitlyn, just get in here!” Xander says. “You mother has something to show us.”

             When Kaitlyn walks in, Xander finally asks, “What’s the letter?”

            “Well...”

            Now, just go to the Voting page to get your voting instructions, and to see the standings of the current poll, as well as the options.

Xander's Dream

Buffy and Willow
Could not share a pillow--
Oh, Will was just fine,
But Buff would decline,
Citing lack of flexibility.

Sweet Willow rejects,
But Buffy suspects
That magic may prove
She's in Willow's groove.
Yes, she's fearing hex-ability.

So I, just a duffer,
Became my friends' buffer
To keep them apart.
But they soon stole my heart,
Amping up my exciteability.

Curative kissage
They saw on my visage
Was what I desired
For three friends so tired
Yet I doubted my desirability.

"Oh come to bed, Xan.
For you are our man."
Called Willow and Buff...
So I called their bluff,
Feeling the inevitability.

the sun's sinking low to a tangerine sky
doin' eighty on I-40, man, it feels like I can fly
twenty miles from Memphis, I'm rehearsing in my car
they're lining up to see me, baby, born to be a star
got lyrics in my head and I know the chords by heart
leavin' Arkansas behind - I was born to play this part 
ready for my coronation when I stand upon that stage
a poetic culmination like a bird free from his cage
I'll be blinded by the spotlight, I'll be lifted by the beat
got a ticket to the top and this road's a one-way street
way back when forever been preparing for this chance
gonna make 'em sing along, gonna make 'em scream and dance
I heard Memphis, man, it's heaven when they finally call your name
and you stand there in the light and you know just why you came
and your life before then flashes and it's all led up to this
and the world around you's fading and all you know is bliss
and come tomorrow morning when the whole world can't forget
know my ride is just beginning and you ain't seen nothing yet

Though patience should be the word of the day, as I have to wait for another month tobuy my copy of madame Hoo's new album and the books I've been craving for... the teeney weeney pay i got from my last job wouldn't have made me that misarable  if the boss and the accountant hadn't given me those awful wide, fake grins. now, were they, really, that embarrased to give me so little in the end?

I'm not depressed anymore, I'm enjoying reading Spander fluff- gay romance fan fiction written by Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans and built around Spike and Xander. during the actual TV series these two have never got to be event friends, not to mention lovers, but who cares? Fan fiction rocks!

If you're curious and want to read some yourself, try here and here. Oh, you know you want to.

Oh well dupa ce m-am bălăcit intens in depresie vreo doua zile am ţâşnit in directia cealalta- nimeni mai vesel ca mine. la urma urmei, urmeaza (ha haaaa) in maxim o luna jumate un alt salariu...

Acum mi-am adus vara in farfurie- am mancat la pepene sa plesnesc. Si inca mai incap niste struguri pe acolo. incet, incet se pare ca ma voi dezobisnui sa ma mai indop serios dupa ora 8 seara (acum e 9). Foarte incet, ce-i drept, dupa cateva zile de intelepciune si cumpatare aseara am mancat de 3 ori carnuri, branzeturi si garnituri intre 21 si 03:30. Oare asa o sa fie si cand o sa fiu insarcinata? Nu prea ma grabesc sa aflu, la cum urla bebelusul vecinilor cand mi-e somnul mai dulce ... eu ca eu, la distanta de un perete ma mai pot intoarce pe partea cealalta, dar saracii parinti oare cum se mai tin pe picioare la atatea nopti punctate de plansete infioratoare? probabil ca ii dau dintii pustiului, trebuie sa fie cumplit, cel putin judecand dupa intensitatea reactiei.

Mi-am visat de cateva ori copiii si aveam un sentiment... foarte greu de descris, nu am mai simtit niciodata asa ceva, o iubire instantanee si uriasa.

Sper sa ne mai si distram peste cativa ani cand ne vom cunoaste de-adevaratelea... pana atunci imi savurez libertateaaaaaaaaa!

Viitorii mei sefi m-au instiintat ca nici azi nu incepe trainingul asa ca toata dimineata am citit fan fiction inspirat de Buffy the Vampire Slayer, cu accent pe povestea de dragoste dintre Spike si Xander- imaginata, of course, in serial astia doi nu s-au apropiat niciodata. mai tarziu am gatit un Rizi Bizi cu un radio de rock urland incurajator si acum ma pregatesc sa mai citesc ceva dulcegarii Spike/Xander.

daca e cineva curios sa citeasca ceva gay romance in engleza,  recomand mai ales povestile de aici si de aici.

• The Saint and I had a decent chat over the weekend -- all good, clean, safe topics.  Just what you'd expect from someone I've nicknamed "the Saint".  But on Tuesday, I tried to up the ante a bit.  I tried to be real slick, see?  In the middle of him talking about how annoyed he got by his ex-girlfriend's recent, and frequently repeated calls, I said, "So, if I promise not to call you eight billion times in a row, would you mind if I called you sometime?  After all, we're eventually going to meet over lunch and lemon water!" Now, the lemon water reference is an inside joke, and however lame the line might actually seem to you, I assure you I meant for it to be kind of light teasing and cute, dammit.  You know what I got as a reply?  "Lemon water?" Ummm... seriously?  You can't be that dense.  You have a friggin' Master's degree.  You've been through a very, very rigorous program at a prestigious private university.  You really can't be serious.  I explained the lemon water reference, which he claimed to remember, but then he went radio silent.  "So... should I take that to mean that you aren't comfortable with giving out your number?" For once, I was forced to be upfront about what I was after.  I rarely, if ever, bluntly state what it is I'm looking for, though I can sometimes be impressed to do so.  In this case, with the Saint, I do my best to keep things... even and without pressure.  He launched into what became a slightly awkward, albeit mildly embarrassing but swift, polite, and careful decline to give me his number.  And he justified this no-number-giving with a story.  One that related to his ex-girlfriend, the woman whose shadow still affects almost every action he takes, despite his supposed desire to be free of her.  If I ever meet her, I swear I'm going to kick her for the number she did on him.  She's absolutely ruined a good chunk of him for all future potential girlfriends, thanks to her not-irreparable-but-super-hard-to-fix-anyway damage.  As he politely begged off, still claiming to know that his answer and action is "irrational", I told him I understood.  But of course I was wounded, slightly.  Not heartbroken, just... sad.  My best guy friend, Xander, understood it perfectly well when I stated this, claiming that I was partially pained because I recognized something in the Saint that is also part of me -- scars.  The marks of abuse by someone less deserving that mar the innocence and beauty of someone pure, whole, and deserving of every happiness.  Here he was, hurt and still trying to recover.  I hate her, that ex who ruined him.
• The Halfsie offended me this week without really trying to.  In the midst of some harmless flirting, he stated that he "wasn't sure" if he would be able to "handle" me since he's never been with a "bigger girl" before.  Wow.  That one sort of blindsided me, as I wasn't expecting him to say something so ambiguously ... rude?  I mean, I get that he was trying to be sensitive about it and put it as delicately as possible, but just because I happen to not be a stick-thin model does not make me any less sexually appealing.  We're friends, the Halfsie and I.  If we're not going to be friends that screw, then at least graciously bow out in favor of minding our friendship.  Instead, the Halfsie goes on to ask if I've ever had a problem messing around because I'm less of a stick, and more of a healthy, voluptuous female.  So, was that supposed to be an insult?  I really felt that he was asking to be... curious, and not rude, but it still kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  I informed him that no, I had never had a problem getting it on because I'm not a stick.
• As for the Kid, he's been radio silent for a while.  I thought, at first, that perhaps my little last-minute talk about "hey, I don't care if you bone other bitches" kind of scared him off.  However, that didn't seem to be the case.  When I caved and called him up, he answered and seemed pleasant enough, if somewhat detached.  So, over the course of the next few days, I just let him be.  I figured, well, somehow I messed that up and it's over and done.  At least it wasn't messy or drawn out or, God forbid, complicated.  But then, TIF and I were kind of wrapped up in a lot of stuff in our real lives (which would account for our recent silence), and I didn't think much about it.  Work got to be high stress, and my evenings were dedicated to entertainment (TIF and I were playing hostess more than anything).  And then, he texted me.  Something short and random, about how the weather was in Colorado.  I hadn't even known he'd gone on a business trip!  Well, then we got to talking again... and that led us to today's conversation... which, I'll have to save for tomorrow [sorry].  (So I guess the universe doesn't hate me that much...)
• Then, there's the Cyber Guy.  Prior to me getting super busy with real life, we had a nice little online flirtation going on.  One that batted around the possibility of maybe meeting up and getting it on.  I like not really knowing for sure if we're really going to recreate online fantasies, but I find the idea enticing enough to make me toy with the idea a bit.  For now, that's just a distant possibility.

There have been other things going on that I ought to tell you about, but I haven't had the chance to blog it yet!  For example, I've visited the gyno since I last blogged about my life.  I definitely need to blog about that, and I've got to tell you about the last conversation I had with the Kid, and the conversaion I had with TIF about orgies!  I just... as usual... don't have the time just yet.

Ooh, but fun fact this week?  TIF & I will pay a visit to Mysterioso's work, and follow it up with a sleepover!  We're going to have a blast!  Whoo!

When I first started writing this, I was pretty focused on what I will now and forever call the Phone Number Fiasco.  I'm still bummed about it, but I won't dwell on it now.  I can't wait for the Saint forever, you know...

SLEEPING: Xander still sleeps awesome during the night. He usually wakes somewhere between 7 - 8 am (usually between 7- 7:30) and gets put down for bed between 8 -8:30 pm. He takes a approximately 2 hour nap after lunch time. He's VERY active during the day so usually Mommy & Daddy go to bed not long after he does.

ACTIVITIES: Xander is so active. He is a machine and he runs nonstop. He's a climber, a runner, and a dancer. He loves testing boundaries and trying new things. He loves climbing the stairs, running across the kitchen, walking backwards, and practicing stepping down into our sunken living room without pausing/crawling down. If you tell him "Happy Feet" he'll stomp his feet in a fast motion. If you ask him to show you his ears, eyes, face, hair, head, mouth, belly, hands, and feet, he will. He likes clapping, sticking his thumbs in his ears, getting tickled, and getting his hair brushed. But he's very independent. He prefers to brush his own teeth and wants to use the fork by himself. He likes playing with non-toys like the lamp, Tupperware items, pans from oven drawer, cords, electrical outlets, candles, dog food bowls, rocks, sticks, paperclips, pencils, trash cans, drawers, water bottles etc. Obviously some of those items are off-limits but he's sneaky and often doesn't listen when I say no. Morning snack is held in the jogging strollers when I jog my daily 2 miles. He plays outside as often as possible. He has a cool wagon, wheel-barrow, lawn mower, sand box, balls, golf set etc. that he enjoys playing with. But often he ends up playing with the bugs, flowers, rocks, or outdoor chairs. We go to the park or mall playground almost daily so he gets interaction with other children. He's become a 'regular' so-to-speak and often sees other regulars that know his name. And yes, he's had a couple run-ins with older children that run a-muck and seem not to listen to their parents. Or their parents are zoned out listing to their ipods, talking on their cells or are just drooling on the bench not properly supervising their hooligans. Indoor activities Xander loves include playing with puzzles, pushing his cars around, watching himself on my digital camera, throwing balls, and stacking things.

SPEECH: Xander has a short list of words (around 7) in his vocabulary but speaks gibberish nonstop. He enjoys saying "EHH" at me to get my attention (ie: when he wants me to put more food on his fork or when he's done napping and wants me to come in his room). His fav and most used words are "doggy" AND "uh oh." He also says "All Done" a lot. One neat thing is that Xander understands a ton of directions and words. He probably understand more than I even realize. For example, the other day when reading a book, I started asking him to point to things on the pages. "Where's the duck?" "Where's the flower?" "Where's the milk?" or "Where's the rabbit?" And he successfully pointed to everything. I was amazed. Some directions he knows include "Ready for Lunch?" (he runs to the highchair) or "Go get me your shoes" (and he does) or "Pinch Daddy's nose" (hahaha). Of course, he still refuses to follow this direction: "No!"

EATING: Xander is a good eater. He likes most fruits and some veggies. We've discovered he likes fresh veggies over canned. He loves corn on the cob kernels that I cut off and he can't get enough of my candied carrots rounds. He even likes roasted, cheesy cauliflower! Canned corn or canned carrots? He won't touch the stuff! Xander dislikes mash potatoes, Walmart-brand sliced cheese, cinnamon sugar toast (I know, he's crazy), and melons. His favorite things to eat include spaghetti, bananas (he's my little monkey), and breads (banana bread and jelly toast are good examples).

XANDER & THE DOG: Kali isn't man's best friend, she's Xander's best friend. They are so good together and Kali's such a patient chill, dog! Who would've guessed?! Xander loves to cuddle with Kali on her doggy bed, feed her dryer sheets, and pat her on the back. He likes watching her eat her food. He sits real close and if a piece of food drops on the carpet, he'll pick it up and put it back in her bowl. When she's finished he'll say "All Done" and pick up her bowl and give it to me.  They play together in the living room daily. One popular game is 'Catch me if you Can.' Kali makes laps around the ottoman as Xander chases her. He laughs hysterically even when he fails at 'catching' her. It's just adorable to watch them interact. Kali is definitely protective of him and often sits in his room when we are gone. She joins us for story time each night, too. :-)

So, I hope you have an idea now what life with the X-man is like nowadays. He's such a delight to have in our lives and we love him dearly!

He is one of the ace waiters of my favorite bar in Malate - Loo-kal.  His name is Xander and I met him once again last April 26 as the third GEB of Broken Hearts Club was gathered in this small quaint pink resto-bar.

He is wearing black fitted sando and a beach pajama that highlights his cute butt. 

I know for a fact that he was featured last year for the month of September for coverboys magazine.  (My previous boyfriend revealed because he once ‘chaired’ the said mag).  Then I saw his teaser ad at youtbe.com wherein he is one of the featured male actors on the indie video called ‘koverboyz’

In person this guy is shy, soft spoken and friendly.  But no one could doubt his oozing sex appeal as every gay guy turns their head just to glance over.  I should know….. I’m even writing ’something ‘for him hahahaha.  So if ever you saw him or he is the one who serves you, tell him na “uuuyyy sikat ka na…nakita kita sa internet!”  Here are some pictures I have collected in the internet and the pix on top were taken last April 26.

Unfortunately, according sa management ng Loo-kal, he was recently fired because of attitude problem. Awwww….

So please support the video ‘Koverboyz fantasies’ and please buy the original so we could watch more of Xander and the guys who are featured in the said video

Characters: All original “Buffy: the Vampire Slayer” characters are the sole property of Joss Whedon.  No copyright infringement is intended.

Setting: Mid-season 2

Word Count: 1,099 (I just barely made it!)

Rating: G

Beta(s): Batmite79

Author’s Notes: I wanted to keep it open enough to be able to fit anywhere into season 2 (after the appearance of Angelus) without a lot of added explanation or addition to existing episodes.  (Which is good, since the word count didn’t leave a lot of room for detail.) 

"Buffy is running through the hospital. Her face is cut and she looks like she's been crying. Her leather jacket sways with every burst of an opening door. She stops as she sees the stretcher ahead. She breathes heavily looking at who is on it..."

“No!  Giles!” she cried, reaching out to him.  At that moment, Xander grabbed her and pulled her away from the stretcher.

            “There’s nothing you can do about it right now.  Let the doctors take care of him.  It’s their job,” he comforted her, leading her to the waiting area.  “Come on, sit down,” he patted one of the chairs.  “They’ll let us know when we can see him.”

            “What happened?  I mean, I was right there.  He was fine.  And then he was gone,” Buffy’s voice was choked by the tears streaming down her face. 

            Xander looked at her, concern on his face, deciding whether or not to tell Buffy the truth.  “I don’t know how, but Angelus got to him.”  Buffy didn’t let him go any further.  She jumped from her chair and started running to the nearest exit.

            “Whoa!” Xander said, grabbing her arm. 

            “Let go, Xander.  I have to find him.”

            “It’s not going to do you any good to go like this, though,” Xander countered, leading her back to the chairs.  “You need to take some time and calm down.”

            “But it’s my fault, Xander.  I have to go after him.”  Xander smiled at the headstrong Slayer next to him.  He had never been a fan of the vampire and wanted nothing more than to see him turn to dust, but he knew Angelus was strong and crafty.  Buffy had to be in top form to fight him and win.  Buffy sat motionless next to Xander, her unseeing eyes trained on the far wall, her mind trying, but failing, to process what had happened.

            A tall young man approached the pair.  “Excuse me, are you Xander?”  Xander nodded, and the man continued.  “I’m Doctor Smith.  I’m taking care of Mr. Giles.  He’s able to have visitors now.”  His gaze moved to the young woman sitting next to Xander.  “And this must be your sister.  He’s been asking for both of you.  This way, please.”

            “Buffy?” he asked, turning toward her.  “Sis, Dad wants to see us,” he said, hoping the code they had unofficially established to use in such instances would register with her, but she didn’t react.  Xander turned back toward the doctor.  “She’s very shaken up,” he said, apologetically.  “It might be best if I go in by myself first.  Then I can assure her that he’s doing fine.” 

            “I understand,” he assured Xander.  He motioned for a nurse to keep an eye on Buffy, and then led Xander down the hall to Giles’ room.  “Here we are,” he said, opening the door.

            “Hey, Dad,” Xander said, the doctor closing the door, leaving the two men alone.

            “Xander,” Giles said, the young man’s voice helping to focus his mind.  “Where’s Buffy?” he asked, his eyes scanning the room.

            “She’s in the waiting area.  I don’t think her mind’s been able to process what happened yet.”

            “I suppose that’s to be expected.  It’s probably best that she not see me here if we can help it.  She needs to be able to stay focused.”

            “You look fine to me,” Xander said, his eyes now showing worry.

            “Oh, I’m doing quite well.  I don’t know what it was Angelus wanted with me, or what he intended to do to me, but whatever it was got interrupted.  The doctor said I lost a good amount of blood, but it’s really nothing more than cuts and bruises.”  Giles did, in fact, look like he had simply struggled free from a bar fight, with the exception of his abdomen, which had been heavily bandaged and seemed to be causing him a great deal of pain.  “Some deeper than others, obviously,” he added, wincing at the pain that crept slowly from his stomach.

            “So, you have no idea what he might have wanted from you?”  Giles shook his head.  “Well, what happened?  Buffy said you were there and then you were gone.”

            Giles nodded his head, painfully sitting up straighter in the bed.  “I was there with her, although I can’t honestly say I was of much help.  I felt someone hit me from behind.  The next thing I remember is waking up in a dark room with Angelus facing me, a twisted smile on his face.”  He winced again, the now familiar pain creeping through his body.  “He kept saying something, but I wasn’t coherent enough to make it out.  His methods of torture are rather barbaric and, I imagine, extremely effective.  I’m not sure how I got there, I imagine I was knocked unconscious again, or perhaps had lost too much blood, but the next thing I remember is you finding me in the street.”

            “OK, so, we should start doing some research, right?”

            “Xander, what exactly would you be researching?” Giles asked, his eyes reproaching the young man, but at the same time appreciative of his willingness to help.

            “I don’t know,” Xander said softly, his head bent in shame.  “But we have to do something.”

            “Look after Buffy.  She shouldn’t patrol tonight.  She’s much too easy a target in this state.  When she’s feeling better, take her home.  Call the others.  Make sure they’re safe.  Then get some rest.  I’m sure we’ll all be much more useful after a good night’s sleep.”

            “All right,” Xander said, somewhat dejectedly.  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

            “I’ll be fine.  Right now I’m much more worried about Buffy.  There’s no saying what effect all this business with Angelus is having on her.”  Giles closed his eyes as Xander left the room and started back to where he had left Buffy.  She had regained a bit of her composure and found herself physically responding to what the nurse was saying. 

 “Thank you,” he said with a smile.  The nurse simply nodded and returned to her rounds.

“Hey, Buffy,” Xander said, squatting in front of her, a soft smile on his lips.  “Giles,” he whispered the name carefully, “is going to be fine.  There was quite a bit of blood loss, but he’s still Giles.  No worries.”

“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?” she asked, relieved, but still ready to condemn herself should something else happen to him.

“I’m sure.”  His voice betrayed him just the slightest bit, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“OK, so, we should figure out what Angelus was after, right?” she asked, her voice low as they walked toward the exit.

“Right now we need to get some rest.  We can start the research tomorrow.”  They slowly and silently left the building, unaware of the figure hiding in the shadows next to them.

In ranking the seasons, I took the following into account: overall plot, series-changing moments, quality of stand-alones, quality of key episodes, and season finales.

7. Season 1 (S1)

To be fair, S1 is at a disadvantage with just over half the number of episodes of a normal season of Buffy. One could argue that the proportion of good : not-so good episodes is actually higher in this season. Also, with being the first season, it obviously had to be good enough in those first 12 episodes to garner enough attention and praise in order to get the go-ahead for Season 2.

However, S1 suffers from flaws which the show writers tightened up in pretty much all of the later seasons. First of all, S1 is heavy on the "monster of the week" episode type throughout, as opposed to the more favourable increasing number of key episodes as the season comes to a close. Yes, there are important scenes relating to the Master's freedom from beginning to end, but there are relatively few key episodes which advance the plot in their entirety. The standalones are good for the most part in establishing the setting and character, but Joss and Co. hadn't quite explored the drama among the characters that made the show as compelling as it was.

Also, the Master is possibly the least engaging character that has several key role in the series, namely killing Buffy and activating the next slayer, as well as being the ancestor of the four most important vampires in the series (Darla, Angelus, Drusilla and Spike). The writers hadn't quite grasped yet that the best villains are evil but oddly likable.

Key Episodes: Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest, Angel, Prophecy Girl

Notable Standalones: The Pack, The Puppet Show, Out of Mind Out of Sight

Episodes to Skip: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, I Robot...You Jane

--------------------------------

6. Season 7 (S7)

At the opposite end of Buffy's run we have Season 7 which, poetically, suffers from the opposite problem of S1; too much drama. Also, too many annoying potential slayers; especially Kennedy.

Since it was the last season, there were numerous loose ends to tie up relationship-wise, and drama became the forefront at the expense of the plot. Buffy has to sort out her conflicting feelings about Spike, Willow is reeling from the aftermath of her dark rage from the death of her girlfriend, and Xander dances around Anya while feeling guilty about his decision to leave her at the alter. All very good plot-lines on their own, but throw them all together with a less than stellar season-long arc on top of the annoying potentials (did I say that already?), and the season as a whole leaves you with a bleh feeling. The Uber-vamps and the Bringers aren't the most entertaining lackeys of the Big Bad we've seen, and the First doesn't feel nearly as hopelessly undefeatable as we'd like.

However, there are some positives about the season. Principal Wood is definitely an interesting character to introduce, and Dawn is significantly less whiny (at the request of Michelle Trachtenberg, I believe). Can't forget about Andrew's supreme geekiness that made Xander look like a jock. Also, being the huge Spuffy fan that I am, I get a lot of the more romantic aspects of the relationship that were seriously lacking in season 6. Finally, the Finale was such a perfect way to end the series about female empowerment, and let us know that the show had come full circle as well as a long way.

Key Episodes: Beneath You, Bring on the Night, Showtime, Get It Done, Empty Places, Chosen

Notable Stand-Alones: Help, Him, Conversations with Dead People, Storytelller

Episodes to Skip: Same Time Same Place, First Date

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5. Season 4 (S4)

Ahh. Season 4. I have a love-hate relationship with this season. There are so many episodes I really like by themselves, and there are some great lines, as well as the addition of a certain bleach-blonde vampire to the main cast.

However, this is also the season of the Initiative. And of Adam. And of the Unpleasant One, aka Riley Finn. Basically, anyone or any plot relating back to the government got on my nerves.

Unfortunately, the good episodes of S4 are often deeply linked to the Initiative. And as Buffy starts dating Riley, this link gets even deeper. *sigh*

I don't know what to say more than that on this season. I think the dichotomy of strong feelings for S4 makes me a poor judge, but alls I knows is I likes it better than S7, but not as much as S6.

Key Episodes: Wild At Heart, The Initiative, Doomed, Goodbye Iowa, The Yoko Factor, Primeval

Notable Stand-Alones: The Harsh Light of Day, Something Blue, Hush, This Year's Girl/Who Are You, New Moon Rising, Restless

Episodes to Skip: Living Conditions, Fear Itself, Beer Bad, Where the Wild Things Are

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4. Season 6 (S6)

Easiest the darkest season of all, S6 looks, feels, sounds and tastes different than the others (but the smell is about the same). If all the seasons before and after this one were rated PG-13, S6 no doubt earns an R. Not just for gratuitous sexual content, but for adult themes and violence (quite often with the gratuitous sexual content). Buffy's depression and secret sexual using and loosing of Spike, Willow's magic addiction and eventual psychotic breakdown, Xander and Anya's relationship collapse and the demon's relapse. The Trio of Supernerds start out as a pathetic but comical foe for our heroine, but the twisted misogynistic stylings of Warren take them to a darker place than even Jonathan and Andrew never knew they would reach. Even
Dawn's clepto tendencies is an issue thats more real than most we see on Buffy. For many, this was the year that they lost the metaphor and the Scooby Gang dealt with serious grown-up issues.

Whether you enjoyed this season came down to whether or not you could handle that. Many people couldn't. Personally, I could.

Perhaps its because this is the season I started watching Buffy, but this season isn't too dark for me, though I do admit its quite a shocker to go from an episode from, say, Season 3 to one from S6. Even the episodes that aren't that great, though, I still have a certain fondness for, because it kept me tuning in from week to week.

Things I liked about the season was the complex relationship between Buffy and Spike, though the attempted rape is by far the hardest scene for me to watch in all seven seasons. It often makes me sick. Also, you can't forget the perfection of "Once More, with Feeling," an episode that brings up the points of the rest of the season all on its own. Dark Willow is a great villain, though a bit anticlimactic because you know she can't die and she wont kill a major character.

Dawn was a bigger pain in S6 than S5, particularly due to her whining about Buffy's lack of attention. She was depressed and trying to earn a living for the both of you with a minimum wage job, you brat; go watch some TV. As I said before, the Trio had a tendency to be quite a pathetic follow-up to a god in the previous season, and when they got dark, they became too real for the universe they were supposed to be in. And, might I mention again that the attempted rape was truly horrible; so much that even the actors were questioning the writers on that.

Overall, S6 is filled with a significant amount of drama, but enough plot to balance it out.

Key Episodes: Bargaining 1&2, Once More With Feeling, Smashed/Wrecked, Dead Things, Hell's Bells, Seeing Red, Villains/Two to Go/Grave

Notable Stand-alones: Life Serial, Tabula Rasa, Gone

Episodes to Skip: Doublemeat Palace, Older and Far Away, Normal Again

------------------------------------------

3. Season 5 (S5)

I am aware that this is the season that introduces, rather convolutely, one of the most annoying characters in the Buffyverse, especially if you have a younger sibling. However, this also introduces the first real moments of Spuffy, and so there are many episodes and scenes throughout the season I just adore. This is also when Willow/Tara is at it's best, and the overall arc of the season is one of the most complete.

Glory is a good Big Bad; not my favourite, but solid. She did have a tendency to get on my nerves after longer periods of exposure, but overall, her plan to get back to her home dimension and destroy any dimensions standing in the way is a plausible one as Big Bad plans go. And, though I begrudginly admit, the notion of keeping the key in Buffy's protection in the form of someone she loves is a good one. The build up of the season, as well as the heartbreaking finale, is great and pulse pounding. The final shot of the season (what was supposed to be the final shot of the series) is as touching and simple as things go. I cry when I see "The Gift."

Not only is this the beginning of the delicious Spuffy, with Spikes sometimes creepy, sometimes adorable crush on the slayer, but we also get the send off of the Unpleasant One. We get a deeper understanding of Slayer lore, as well as what makes Buffy stand out as a slayer. Overall, only a few flaws in a great season.

Key Episodes: Out of My Mind, Into the Woods, Blood Ties, The Body, Spiral, The Gift

Notable Standalones: Buffy vs. Dracula, Family, Fool For Love, Checkpoint, Crush, I Was Made to Love You, Intervention

Episodes to Skip: Shadow, Listening to Fear, Forever

-------------------------

2. Season 3 (S3)

Now, by the number of episodes I like, this season should actually be number one. From episode to episode, the quality was pretty consistent pretty much the whole way through. But obviously the amount of love per episode is not quite as high as number one, and therefore here we are with the silver medal.

Season 3 is excellent. Of course, you need to see the latter half of season 2 to appreciate it, but chances are you have, and you realize that Buffy's final year in Sunnydale High is almost as interesting, weird and tragic as her last. There is such exploration with the "doomed"ness of the Bangel relationship, that by the end you feel that its both heartbreaking and for the best when Angel departs for his spin-off.

Also, we get the introduction and corruption of one of the most popular recurring characters, Faith. The bad version of Buffy, we get a character we think is cool, revile, and sympathize with. Faith is a gigantic character experiment of giving power to an unstable person without the foundations of love, and we see not only her struggle with it, but her complete loss of humanity while still remaining human. Her relationship with the Mayor parallels Buffy's father-daughter relationship with Giles, and the comparison is eerie.

Speaking of the Mayor, he is probably one of the most creative villains on either show. His germaphobia, combined with his Mister Rogers attitude to his minions while he tries to ascend to a gigantic snake demon makes him one interesting character to watch. Excellent performance.

This season also has some of the first sightings of the show making fun of itself, and asks some pretty hard questions of itself, like in the episode "The Wish." Standalones are particularly well done, and the key episodes are often well done but can seem to lack in comparison. Overall, fabulous.

Key Episodes: Faith Hope & Trick, Lover's Walk, Amends, Helpless, Bad Girls/Consequences, Enemies, The Prom, Graduation Day 1&2

Notable Standalones: Homecoming, The Wish, Gingerbread, The Zeppo, Dopplegangland, Earshot

Episodes to Skip: Dead Man's Party, Revelations

--------------------------------------

1. Season 2 (S2)

Season 2 is more or less the essence of Buffy (for me). This season had everything you could possibly want in a season of Buffy; humour, romance, drama, great villains, character development, action, horror. It is my feeling that this is when Buffy was truly at its best.

First and foremost, the main villain of the season is the most personal Buffy ever has. Angelus is not only diabolical, but he devastates us because he devastates Buffy. The metaphor for a girl loosing her virginity to what is seemingly a nice guy, only to find out he's turned into an asshole, is so perfectly executed that we feel Buffy's pain for the entirety of the season. And the final moments, in which Buffy is forced to kill her lover to save the world, is possibly the most tragic moment of all 7 seasons (despite the fact that he returns later).  It's here that Joss realizes that sad endings that are beautifully and painfully done can be ten times the episode than one with a happy ending. Or as he puts it; Buffy in pain, show good.

We also get the first villains who end up being loved by the audience; Spike and Drusilla. Their twisted love for each other and for destruction made them a captivating foe for Buffy, and both characters were so different yet powerful that they both stole all the scenes they were in. With the addition of these two, the foursome of the important vampire gang is complete (at least, by introduction to the audience). Though their importance was supposed to be at the same level of Mr. Trick in Season 3, due to their immense popularity, Drusilla becomes a fan favourite, especially in Flashbacks, and Spike arguably becomes one of the most important characters on the show.

Buffy, Xander, Willow and Giles all get significant drama and character development in this season. The writers really get into a stride with stand-alones as well as key episodes. In fact, most of the important events that occur in later seasons of both shows can be traced back to episodes in this season, even the one-shot eps. It's that powerful.

What else can I say; Buffy Season 2 comes as close to perfect as this show can get. Much love from beginning to end.

Key Episodes: School Hard, Halloween The Dark Age, What's My Line 1&2, Surprise/Innocence, Phases, Passion, Becoming 1&2

Notable Stand-Alones: Lie to Me, Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered, Killed by Death, I Only Have Eyes For You, Go Fish

Episodes to Skip: Some Assembly Required, Ted, Bad Eggs

The previously unseen three-minute clip, currently on YouTube, was created in 2001 to attract financial backers for the animated spinoff. However, the project failed to be picked up, despite being masterminded by Buffy creator Joss Whedon and featuring most of the television cast on vocal duties, with the notable exception of Sarah Michelle Gellar.

In 2003, Whedon told the Hollywood Reporter the reasons for the animated Buffy's demise: "We just couldn't find a home for [it]. We had a great animation director, great visuals, six or seven hilarious scripts from our own staff - and nobody wanted it. I was completely baffled.

"I felt like I was sitting there with bags of money and nobody would take them from me. It was a question of people either not wanting it or not being able to put up the money because it was not a cheap show."

As a side note, Sarah Michelle Geller wasnt interested in reprising her role/voice for the animated series unlike the rest of the cast were so they drafted in Giselle Loren as 'Buffy Summers' who also voiced Buffy in the 2 Xbox games Buffy and Chaos Bleeds.

http://vsrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54387

I know Star Wars, a Dark Horse license, seems like an obvious choice for another Essential collection, as mentioned in another thread; but it doesn't really fit the pseudo-fantasy realm of standard comic fare. Buffy the Vampire Slayer -recently starting it's eight season in comic book form- on the other hand, does. It's very similar to Hellboy in that our heroes and heroines are fighting demons from hell (or more accurately, the Hellmouth).

The license itself would be much easier to obtain than Star Wars (obviously), and I know a great deal of people who would buy into Versus just to take their Willow-Themed deck against every comic-book hero in printed form! Buffy obviously has a great cult fan-base, and this type of collection could be exactly the shot in the arm Versus needs.

Am I the only one that thinks this would be a sweet license to add to Versus? It's possible, I do lead a pretty sheltered life. Let me know!

Buffy has already existed as a card game.  Formerly it was made by Score.  The biggest thing this long-dead game had going for it was the flavor.  It had so many cool tie-ins to the show and actually played out as close to an episode as you could expect from a card game.  It also had about the same amount of campy humor as the show.  The game only lasted a few expansions, but I was entertained enough by it to buy up a crapload of it dirt cheap at Gen Con a few years back.  I still get in a game every now and then, though my friend Rob has to re-teach me every time.  The game lives on through online virtual cards that people still make (similar to the Star Wars CCG), though a lot of them are over-powered.  The game had also sort of devolved into the card game "War" because people would play an "action" card for its numbers instead of for its text.

Anyway, it's high time for me to make my own fantasy cards for Vs.  I've always wanted to, but never had the time.  Now, with the new leaked footage of the Buffy Animated Series found at the link below, my excitement has begun anew!

http://www.buffytheanimatedseries.com/

I'm going to enlist your help for this project.  I'm going to be making the cards throughout the week with your feedback.  Please submit any flavorful ideas for cards from the Buffy Season 8 comic in the comments section and I will try my best to make a card out of it.  Here are some ideas I've already thought of...

Buffy Summers could be a seven drop with a leader ability.  Heck, she runs an entire army now so she needs a leader ability!  Faith, our anti-hero slayer that's near-equal to Buffy could be a six drop reservist that penalizes people around her (like those Arkham cards from the World's Finest set).

Generic slayers and generic vampires could serve as army characters for the opposite decks, but we could still include slayers and vampires that serve bigger roles like Renee and Dracula.  Giles and Andrew are the researchers so they could serve as draw/filter/search cards like Barbara Gordon.

Xander Harris has already made reference to himself as Nicky Fury in the comic book, and he serves as a commander for Buffy, so he could throw out army slayers like Nick Fury from the Marvel Universe expansion.  Or he could give everyone +1 willpower, which would fit the theme of the show.  In the show he was constantly trying to find his place in the gang, and it was often explained that he was the heart, or humanizing character of the bunch.  So him "encouraging" characters on your board would be thematic.  This would also allow him to have the flavor text, "Give Will more power?!  Are you crazy?!"  It's of course referring to Willow's constant battle with her abilities and it just seems like something Xander would say!

Speaking of Willow, she could use magic plot twists like the Shadowpact team did.  Heck, there are a ton of magic users in Season 8, so a revisit to the magic theme would be perfect!  She would definately be the team's eight drop.

Alright, the challenge is on.  I know at least four of the five people that actually read this blog like Buffy, so get thinking.  I don't have the time to do this all by myself!  Thanks in advance!