I don’t know why a serial killer is so attractive…

But I have fallen head-over-heels for the show Dexter. It’s a Showtime series I watched last fall, and after gushing about it to a co-worker recently, I re-watched season 1 in anticipation of season 2. The 2nd season starts next weekend, and I am breathlessly eager to see how it all pans out. Yes, I upgraded my cable again just to catch season 2.

The basic premise of the show is that Dexter, a forensic blood spatter expert for the Miami Police Department, takes out serial killers in his own ritualistic style. He hunts serial killers in his spare time, and rather than leave them to at the mercy of the American Legal system, he disposes of them in a more complete fashion--permanently.

Like other serial killers before him, Dexter basically doesn’t feel anything. He fakes his way through life and lives by a code his adopted father instilled in him. He is able to maintain relationships with a sister, Deb (the daughter of his adoptive father) and even a mostly healthy dating relationship with his girlfriend Rita. In an ironic twist, he is a heroic champion to both of them. He’s Deb loving big brother--listening and counseling her on her dating and job woes. And in nearly every episode, he helps Rita out with some problem. Whether it is a custody battle with her abusive ex-husband or an ugly debate with a lousy neighbor, Dexter is Rita's knight in shining armor.

And yet he is such a man--living his life with dark and twisted secrets. If either of the woman in his life knew the truth about him, there relationships with him would definitely change.

As season 1 progressed, I started to note changes in his behavior, a deviation from his “normal emotionless state.” It’s as if he is developing a conscience and starting to care about things, and it’s that character development, that growing vulnerability that keeps me eager with anticipation. Will Dexter be able to keep his secrets from the 2 women in his life? And if these women learn the truth, what will they do? Stay tuned...

August was for Michigan travel after all, I guess...

I had planned on going to Michigan's Upper Peninsula with 2 girlfriends in August, but we cancelled that sight seeing trip for serveral reasons, and it turned out to be a really smart decision. I had to make 2 other treks up to my home state as it turned out.

First of all, my Mom hurt her back, and so my sister and I went up for a few days to help care for her, my 91-year-old Grandmother, and my Dad who was still recovering from hip replacement surgery a few weeks earlier. We learned later that my Mom has arthritis in her back, and so it is just something she is going to have to watch and take care of. If she over-exerts herself, it can get inflamed and cause horrible pain.

Then last weekend, I went back up to Michigan. My Dad was hospitalized with blood clots in his leg. This happens after he has surgery sometimes. They take him off blood thinners before the surgery, and it takes a while for his blood to get back to where they want it afterwards. He came home on Labor Day, and I stayed until early Wednesday morning and then came back home to Indy. They all seemed to be doing much better when I left. In fact, Tuesday was a lot of fun. We took a "3-hour tour" (a drive that lasted more like 5 hours) North along the Lake Huron coast and got to see lots of my favorite waters, the Great Lakes. (sigh!) So it was a nice stress reliever after our few days of stress and hospital visits, etc.

I'm hoping my next trip to Michigan is just for a fun visit though!