I forgot to mention that yesterday's face of November is DL Hawkins. Sometimes it becomes very obvious how far behind the curve England is with all the Heroes merchandise - S1 seems an eternity ago. I always rather liked DL, despite or may because I always associated Leonard Roberts with his earlier role in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, in which he played Riley's sulky best mate. Annoyingly, the calendar fell down at lunchtime and I accidentally got to see December's picture. Ak! not only has it spoiled the surprise but I always think it brings vague bad luck to see the next month ahead of time.

In other news, I saw with great interest that Barack Obama was adressing the crowds from the town of Manassas yesterday. My parents lived for three years in Mclean, VA for three years and we all used to love going to Manassas. For whatever reason, it felt just like what we pictured a small American town to be like and I have great affection for that town and happy memories of potterng around its small shops. I kind of shudder to think what the traffic must have been like yesterday, mind. It was a total bitch when the local Farmer's market was in town, let alone the next (touch wood) President.

New month, new Heroes character to look at for the month of October. And so it is goodbye to Claire and hello to Peter Petrelli, looking damned fine in his blue scrubs. I spent more of today checking the date than was strictly required of my schedule. Shame his month falls in the one where I'm out of office for a full two weeks but I can't feel that sorry - I will be on holiday after all, not down the salt mines.

First day in office all week, so it is the first chance I've had in June to unveil the latest in a series of underwhelming Heroes portraits (May being an obvious, fantastic exception). Anyway, I bid a happy farewell to Matt and eagerly turned over the new leaf to find... Simone? What, really? Sigh. Yup, I have to look at Tawny Cypress glaring down at me for the rest of the month. Didn't that lady EVER smile?
When she got shot and Peter was all sad about it , I thought to myself "it's all the laughter he'll miss the most"

Course,  Peter being Peter,  he moved on pretty quickly. For instance, I thought it was somewhat strange in the S1 finale where he wanders around in that dream of his first memory of  meeting Charles Deveaux, her presence apparently provokes no more than a small, fond,  passing sadness. (Bit like the reaction of unexpectedly coming across a photo of a much loved pet who died twenty years ago whilst you were clearing out the attic.) Just how recently had Simone died? A few weeks ago? Days? I lost track of time but it couldn't have been more than a month, surely?  Everyone deals with grief differently, of course and it's also possible his little heart was breaking and he was just giving no visual clue to us, the audience. Still, for the show's Mr Sensitive & Touchy Feely, I think it's odd.

Anyway, from now till June 30th, I shall be forced to think of her every day.