Friday, May 29, 2020

#SHEA Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist, Volume 2 (tracks 6-10)




Again, THANKS SO MUCH for all the Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist suggestions! Keep them coming!

As you recall, the first five songs (which I’m calling Volume 1) were more about Shaun and Lea in general. I’ve got more from that “category” and will share them another day. This time around, I’m focusing on the FUTURE #Shea… songs that seem to point to S4 onward. Let’s go—

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SONG: “Invincible” by Muse  

Songwriter: Matt Bellamy

Submitted by: Rose Amelie

Comments from Rose Amelie: 
“I think fits perfectly with #Shea because the lyrics are related with the challenges that Shaun and Lea must face in their new romantic relationship… This song is a ‘courage theme’. Their first weeks as couple will be important, and many people will say something about that (Glassy we can hear you!). But the consequence of the earthquake is the new chance to find the happiness that #Shea deserves.”

SAMPLE LYRIC:
During the struggle
They will pull us down
But please, please
Let's use this chance
To turn things around
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we're invincible


HEAR IT HERE (dual language!)

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SONG: “Life is Beautiful” by Vega4

Songwriters: Nic Cester/Cameron Muncey
Submitted by: Faghost

Comments from me: 
Here’s another British band that isn’t well known in the States, but this particular song (which reminds me a bit of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”) has been featured in TV and film numerous times, including episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill. Which might be why Faghost says of this choice…

“This song is, I think, very common…but it makes me think of that 3.20 kissing scene and for the future, no?”

Me, I kind of see it as the music beneath an all-#Shea edition of the S4 trailer.

Sample Lyrics

Life is beautiful
But it's complicated
We barely make it
We don't need
To understand
There are miracles
Miracles



**

SONG: “Follow You, Follow Me” by Genesis
Songwriters: Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins
Submitted by: Sonya

Comments from me: 
Genesis was a progressive rock band from England in the 1970s that traded Phil Collins for Peter Gabriel somewhere around 1976, and then slowly morphed into a bestselling pop-rock band from England in the 80s and 90s. “Follow You, Follow Me” was their first Billboard Hot 100 hit in the U.S., and was decidedly more sentimental lyrically than earlier Genesis efforts.
 
The end result? A simple, timeless sentiment that captures #Shea’s future… and perhaps started in the past, thinking back to when Shaun wanted to leave San Jose and “follow” Lea…

Sample Lyrics

With the dark,
Oh I see so very clearly now
All my fears are drifting by me so slowly now
Fading away

I can say
The night is long but you are here
Close at hand, oh I'm better for the smile you give
And while I live
I will follow you will you follow me…


**

SONG: “Portuguese Love Song” by Craig Armstrong (from the Love, Actually OST)
Songwriter: Craig Armstrong
Submitted by: Rose Amelie

Comment from me: 
I mentioned when I first put out the call for Playlist entries that instrumentals were welcome too… and so far, two readers have taken up the baton with non-lyric suggestions! This is one of them.

Comment from Rose Amelie: 
Love, Actually is a film that shows beautiful stories, all of them with different kinds of love. “Portuguese Love Song” is for two people who fall in love in an unexpected way, with many differences, and in a situation that made being together almost impossible. But both decided to change that, and finally be a couple. Like Shaun and Lea.

“#Shea is a couple who needs to be brave and face together many fears, questions and challenges. But they already have the most important thing: the love for each other.”


**

SONG: “Where My Heart Will Take Me” by Russell Watson
Songwriter: Diane Warren
Submitted by: Andreas

Comment from Andreas:
“The lyrics of this song describe Shaun and Lea after the last scene of season 3, taking off to season 4 with the best hopes for their future… It took almost 3 years, but Shaun and Lea finally dare to love each other. Shaun does no longer listen to others but to his heart. Lea isn’t held back by her self-doubt anymore.”


Sample Lyrics:

It's been a long road, getting from there to here
It's been a long time, but my time is finally near
And I can feel a change in the wind right now, nothing's in my way
And they're not gonna hold me down no more
No they're not gonna hold me down

'Cuz I've got faith of the heart, I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got faith to believe I can do anything
I've got strength of the soul, no one's gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I've got faith, I've got faith, faith of the heart

Comment from me:
Diane Warren wrote—not much of an exaggeration here—EVERY. THING. On pop radio (and some country, and some R&B) in the U.S. and probably elsewhere in the 1990s. For fellow songwriters like myself, this made her annoying as hell. BUT she clearly knew how to write compelling songs for the times with mass appeal.

Andreas came upon this version by (yet another Brit!) Russell Watson—a singer with a repertoire similar to America’s Josh Groban—which was apparently used as the theme for Star Trek Enterprise. In the U.S., this same song was actually an adult contemporary hit for Rod Stewart in 1998 when he recorded it for the soundtrack of the Robin Williams film Patch Adams. Back then the song was known by its original title “Faith of the Heart.” (So if you’re like me, and wonder ‘where have I heard this before?’… that’s where.)


And that’s Volume 2 of the Playlist!

Remember, this project is continuing to evolve… if you’ve got a #Shea-suitable song (or songs) to suggest, check out this post to find out how to do it!

(And you can simply leave your suggestion in the comments, or Tweet it to me, but I may follow up with a question or two.)

Saturday, May 23, 2020

State Of The #SHEA: Now That They Found Love, Part 1


Now that we found love what are we gonna do with it?

            -The O’Jays (and much later, Heavy D and The Boyz)




It took three TV seasons to do it, but TGD’s Dr. Shaun Murphy and Ms. Lea Dilallo are finally, FINALLY braving love’s journey together starting with Season 4 (when and how that happens is another story entirely; we’ll probably discuss that later, when plans get more concrete in nature).

So the question is no longer “Will they…?” or “For the love of God, WHEN will they…?”, but “Now what?”

At least, hypothetically, it’s “the” question. Some #Shea fans have plates full of ideas to bring to the table already and are past asking that. (Some of them/you have shared said ideas in the comments section of this blog, and you might see those comments in the blog posts… ‘cause y’all are smart and cool and all those good things.)

So I read through those comments (and other resources) and am working on a master “plate” of ideas for Shaun and Lea’s future. And as with the SOS Playlist choices, I’ve broken it down into some categories…

This installment (Part 1) considers some possibilities I’m simply breaking out into THE GOOD and THE BAD.

THE GOOD= things that count as lighter dilemmas & challenges; issues that are able to be resolved in some manner in an episode or two

THE BAD= deeper-rooted situations that have make-or-break potential, though obviously the hope is that Shaun and Lea now have a foundation to withstand such root “damage”

Note: I’m not looking at Shaun/Lea’s progress with the same eyes as the Shaun/Carly progress last season. The main reason for that may seem obvious to #Shea fans, but to keep it simple (and in the paraphrased words of David Shore), it was about “firsts” with Carly: first dates, first arguments, first make-ups, first physical encounters, first time someone called Shaun “her boyfriend”, etc. With Lea, Shore has already said it will be about navigating a relationship. So I’m not including that laundry list of “firsts” on the #Shea to-do list because, frankly, they’ve already done most of those in one way or another. (Except the obvious “first”, which I’m saving to discuss in another post. Don’t @ me for that, as the kids say. It’s a long hiatus we’re dealing with.)




The good…

Romantic gestures

We didn’t witness it much during the Shaun/Carly relationship (except for the flowers & chocolates he didn’t give her at the very beginning, and the “I’d like to have sex tonight, would you?” flowers that he DID). But with Lea, Shaun now has the ability to move past his previous efforts with her (in-house karaoke, and “don’t forget about the donut”) and go as big…or as little… as he likes. He’s already won her heart, so it will be interesting to see A) what Shaun wants (or feels like he needs) to do to honor his new girlfriend, B) what Lea might want to do along the same lines, and C) how each reacts to the other’s efforts (or lack thereof).

Shaun is now in a position of prosperity. Just as we can see who someone is when things are down, it's equally important to see how Shaun handles things when so much is going his way: career stability, newfound relationship with the love of his life; supportive colleagues…

Interestingly, it could very well be Lea who's in "prove it" mode to Shaun. Especially if he starts hearing less-than-flattering comments about his new relationship from some of the others (*cough* MORGAN *cough*).—TONY

Will there be a formal “first date” that we see? I’m not sure—seems like it would depend on whether or not the writers want to compare such an experience to his first one, and I wonder if they feel that’s necessary (especially since Shore has said this “won’t be about firsts”). Personally, I think it could be fun to see, especially if it shows Shaun more at-ease than he was a year ago at that point. What might be more fun is if Shaun and Lea mutually agreed to do something “fancy” and then mutually agreed to bail midway through and go someplace more casual. Or… get their fancy dinner “to go” and head back to the Chateau de Shaun*.

OR, they could skip all this and head to Excite Ballpark for a San Jose Giants home game! (Yes, baseball fans, I had to look that up.)

Maybe the bigger question is… will Shaun continue to seek romantic advice from his fellow BV-ites? (I mean, it’s worked out so well for him in the past, right??)

I do wonder if we'll see Shaun asking the others for advice as much as he did when he was with Carly, because he knows Lea much better than the rest of them do. And Morgan, especially, has pre-conceived ideas about Lea that I wouldn't mind seeing Lea disprove (which is my way of admitting that I have the feeling I'll be yelling at the TV again in season 4, as I did in season 3, "Lea is NOT a flake, Morgan!")—Amy Danko

Or maybe he’d do better studying an article like this if he needs ideas?

Either way, I’d like to see Shaun make some effort in this arena. We’re likely to see him struggle here and there, but hey, he’s wanted this for a LONG time (even when he didn’t know he wanted it). Now that he’s got “this,” he may need to leave his comfort zone behind now and again.

I also think it would be stellar to see Lea take the lead on some dates. We know she’s likely mastered the bar/concert scene, but how about a visible downshift into something they can both enjoy?
  
(*Speaking of the Chateau de Shaun…)


To move Lea back in to the apartment or not move Lea back in?



The answer to this question (at least, for me) is simple: HELL TO THE NO. They’ve already lived together; they know how to make that work. They’re just starting on the “relationship” part; to even attempt to do so while housed under the same roof sounds like DISASTER: THE SEQUEL.

I don’t expect Shaun to get this. I kind of anticipate him fully anticipating Lea’s homecoming. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if this becomes an early obstacle that gets resolved by some top-level reasoning on Lea’s part. And if it happened to conclude with something along the lines of “the next time we live together, I want it to be for keeps”… hey, I wouldn’t be mad.



Getting Glassy’s blessing


Do Shaun and Lea need Dr. Glassman to approve their coupledom? No. Might they already have his approval? Probably (even if he doesn’t show it yet the next time we see him). But Shaun and Glassman will likely have other issues in season 4 that could put them at odds with each other, such as if and how Shaun should try for Chief Resident (one of those things readers have brought up in the Comments). And while a full-on Grumpy Glassy take on Shaun and Lea feels a little been there/done that by now, there’s plenty of room to play with that dynamic…

*  Shaun might skip the BV-ite advice for romance, but still come to Glassman for it. Or better yet, Lea could do the same. And even Glassman’s advice could turn out to be wrong, which would provide interesting results.

I'd like to see Shaun and Lea figure out their relationship themselves, without a lot of input from the other Bonaventurites, with the exception of Glassman, since he knows them both. And if they want to give Debbie a bigger role, I'm totally in favor of that. (Car chicks unite!)—Amy Danko

*  Shaun and Lea could double-date with the Glassmans at least once (something I know has been suggested by Amy, and probably others). I’ll say it here, and probably many other places in the future… Lea and Debbie are a sisterhood just waiting to happen.

*  If Shaun starts coming to Lea’s workspace a little more often than he should (mini-makeout sessions, anyone?), Glassy could be required to set the kids down, perhaps directly between them 😉, and have a fatherly-yet-fully-professional chat with them.

So, you see, the potential for conflict abounds even if there is no glaring involved. (Whew.)


The bad…


Meeting Lea’s family  



Now that she’s on the same romantic page as Shaun, I don’t know if there’s any one thing that Lea Dilallo fans want more than details on what makes her tick—and, by way of that, getting acquainted with some other Dilallos.

We’ve had dribs and drabs to work with thus far: a grandfather she adored, an immediate family she’s described negatively, a brother (Donnie) that contributed, as did she, to the “tanking” of the family business (“and our relationship”). And, of course, we know she hails from Hershey, PA.

Originally I thought about one family member—Lea’s mom, maybe—coming out to San Jose for a visit and driving Lea crazy in the process. But when Andreas noted that there has been one road/out-of-town trip per season of TGD thus far (1.11 and 1.12 “Islands”, 2.14 “Faces”, and 3.10 “Friends and Family”,), I got to wishing and hoping that Destination: Hershey is on the S4 canvas. Home for the holidays, maybe…?

Because we’ve only got those drips and drabs to work with, opportunities abound with Lea bringing Shaun home to meet her family. If there’s wackiness, I want to see how Shaun contends with it. If there is unfinished business, particularly with regards to Lea’s relationship with her brother, I want to see what role Shaun might play (either as a problem-solver, a supportive partner, or both).

But mostly, I want to see if Shaun can mirror at least some of the attentiveness that Lea provided him when they went to Casper last season. A trip to Hershey could help mend some fences for Lea, but it could just as easily rip her open to more vulnerability than she ever bargained for. How would Shaun react in her time of need? And how much would it ultimately help her?

It could be another defining moment in their story. I REALLY hope TGD writers think so, too.


Lea’s aggravation as Shaun’s work overshadows their plans/conversations



We’ve seen it before with them—Lea starts talking about something from her side of life, and Shaun cuts her off by launching into his own train of thought, de-valuing her contribution in the process. Lea’s trying to make a point; Shaun abruptly “has to go” and the conversation is left unfinished and unresolved.

And NOW it could be more like Lea throwing her day upside down in order to plan a special dinner for the two of them…just to have Shaun sit at the table with a medical journal in hand, barely acknowledging her. Or he might get caught up in the Case of the Week at St. B, and not make it to dinner at all.

Or they have returned from Destination: Hershey but she’s still dealing with aftermath from the trip… and now that Shaun is back in work mode, she finds it nearly impossible to talk to him the way she needs to.

Part of this could be the struggles of loving a thoroughly overworked young doctor, and a bigger part of it could be those complications of loving someone with ASD that Lea wrestled with in the past. I sense it’ll take a delicate dance to keep things progressing on this matter—so much so that I don’t know if it’s the kind of thing they could simply “get right”.


Shaun makes errors at work, and unwittingly blames Lea and/or some element of the relationship



This one makes me anxious just thinking about it.

Perhaps Shaun leaves something important at Lea’s desk, and she discards it by mistake. Or, he’s got her on his mind (in a good way) when he misplaces something entirely, causing her to be on his mind again (in a not-so-good way). Or she forgets to pass along an essential piece of information, which both causes Shaun some anguish and reinforces Lea’s “flaky” reputation at a time when she needs it the least.

Or a disagreement between the two of them distracts him enough during surgery to make a bad judgment call—or prompts a more difficult than usual face-to-face with the patient’s family—causing Shaun to question his ability to be the best doctor he can while also struggling with the love of his life.

Look, I’m really not trying to think of ways to mess them up—if the long-term plan for TGD is to keep these two together (as I hope is the case), I’m confident they will build this relationship solidly.

(Honestly, they took #Shea to hell and back (waaaay back!) in the span of about four episodes. I think they’re more than ready—and capable—of telling the next chapters of this story.)

But as worst-case scenarios go, there’s plenty to choose from if the show chooses the road-more-rocky. Something small and insignificant could turn into something bigger and deeper in a hurry—seems the ideal conflict for an hour-long medical drama with overlapping personal story arcs, no?

And as I said at the start, there are plenty of ideas to go around… and I’ll dive into another round of ‘em soon. Got something to say about these, or want to share your own take on Season 4 storylines for Shaun and Lea? Please hit up the comments!

Friday, May 15, 2020

#SHEA Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist, Volume 1: Tracks 1-5



THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who has suggested songs thus far for the Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist thus far!

To any readers still thinking about suggestions, or actively working on a list: I’m eager to see what you’ve got, but there’s no deadline here. Send them to me whenever you’re able (see THIS PAST POST for more details). BTW, I don’t necessarily share them in the order received…

Because… I’m trying to compile posts about the playlist by category. This post, for instance, is devoted more to music that speaks more to Shaun and Lea in general (at least up to the end of Season 3) than to a particular place in #Shea time.

Without further ado…!


SONG: “One Thing” by Gabe Dixon
Songwriter: Gabe Dixon
Submitted by: Faghost

Comments (from me): really beautiful, simple piano ballad… the later verses don’t really apply yet, but the chorus reminds me of the “catapult” concept…

SAMPLE LYRIC:
Sometimes one thing means everything
Something one thing means everything
So many roads, one leads you home
Can't see it if your eyes are closed
That one thing could be everything I need


**

SONG: “Crash and Burn” by Savage Garden
Songwriters: Darren Hayes/Daniel Jones
Submitted by: Tony Payne (seconded by Amy Danko)

Comments from Tony/Sample lyrics:

“Although not quite as popular as their big hits Truly Madly Deeply and I Knew I Loved You, I love how this song captures the mutual, symbiotic nature of Shaun and Lea’s relationship... a relationship which has seen the two be there for each other, just when they needed that companionship the most.

“This song begins with an offer of assurance:

VERSE 1 (portion):
When you feel all alone
And the world has turned its back on you
Give me a moment, please
To tame your wild, wild heart


“And the chorus, which contains the song title – and the companionship:

Let me be the one you call
If you jump, I’ll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash, then crash and burn
You’re not alone


“It’s Shaun and Lea’s ability to comfort, assure, balance, and reinforce each other that makes me such a huge fan of their relationship – and of this song for their relationship.”


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SONG: “More” by Harry Connick, Jr. (originally written for 1962 Italian doc Mondo Caine)
Songwriters: Riz Ortolani/Nino Oliviero/Marcello Ciorciolini (adapted into English by Norman Newell)
Submitted by: Amy Danko



Comments from Amy: “Because Shaun and Lea make each other ‘more’.”

Comments from me: But WAIT, there’s MORE! (see what I did there)
“More” was originally written as an instrumental piece for the 1962 Italian documentary Mondo Caine. The lyrics came a little later; the English lyrics came a little later than that. It has been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Roy Orbison to Glen Campbell to the Supremes to Bobby Darin to The Rascals…! And the version Amy’s submitting was recorded for Connick’s 2004 album Only You.

Sample Lyrics
Longer
Than always is a long, long time,
But far beyond forever,
You'll be mine.
I know I've never lived before,
And my heart is very sure
No one else could love you more.



**
SONG: “Better” by SYML (aka Brian Fennell)
Songwriter: Brian Fennell
Submitted by: Angelica (Seconded by Andreas)

Comment from me: This selection is largely inspired from Sheree-Lynn Blizzard’s tribute video to #Shea featuring this song. We’ll be talking more about Blizzard’s contributions as the summer progresses… in short, check her out on YouTube because she’s awesome.

Comment from Angelica: “(Sheree’s video is) an early look at #shea and only features scenes from season one and two. But, in my opinion, the song and video captures the very essence of #shea and is well worth the watch.”


Comment from Andreas: “The lyrics (from ‘Better’) summarize all the relationship from 1.3 (“Oliver”) until the season 3 finale from Shaun’s POV.”

Sample Lyrics:

You came into the picture like a natural
You were unexpected, got me spiritual
I don't wanna say it, but maybe it was fate
And I cannot contain it…

Love can terrify, love can start a fire
Holding on tonight, we're burning like a lighter
Everything inside us burning with desire, now


**

SONG: “I Like Me Better” by Lauv (aka Ari Leff)
Songwriter: Ari Leff/Michael Matosic
Submitted by: Rose Amelie

(So we’ve got a “more” song, a “better” song, and an additional “better” song… yes, I'm aware of it!)

Comment from Rose Amelie:
“This theme represents the classic #Shea confession: "You make me more". Why? let´s see the lyrics:

Damn, I like me better when I'm with you
I like me better when I'm with you
I knew from the first time, I'd stay for a long time 'cause
I like me better when
I like me better when I'm with you



“In the ‘I Love You’ episode finally we see Lea accepts that she is in love with Shaun, but most important: she started to understand that she is important for Shaun, and it doesn`t matter what she believes from herself (selfish, needy...) he still loves her. For the first time (I think) she feels really loved and accepted. Lea now knows: she´s more (and better) with Shaun.  P.S.: The song says ‘New York City’. For #Shea fans, that will change to ‘San Jose City’.

And FUN FACT: Paige Spara is featured in the official Lauv music video for the song.”

Comment from me: To be totally honest, I wasn’t a big fan of this song when it came out… melodically it didn’t hit me just right, I guess. But it’s growing on me now, especially when I think how it relates to #Shea. And Spara is lovely to watch in the video; several fans on Twitter have mentioned watching the clip and imagining Shaun/Freddie Highmore in the guy’s role. Not a bad idea…!

Here’s the official clip (and yes, that's Paige in the thumbnail):


We’ll stop there for now. I intend to post about contributions to the Playlist every couple of weeks or so, so stay tuned for another installment later in the month!

 Do any of these songs resonate with your feelings about Shaun and Lea? Please feel free to talk about it (AS WELL AS OTHER SONG SUGGESTIONS) in the comments!

Friday, May 1, 2020

#SHEA ULTIMATE S.O.S. PLAYLIST (Call for Submissions!!!)




It’s time for #Shea fans to face the music! And I mean that in a really good way.

One constant I’ve seen and heard since blogging about TGD are the SONGS that this fan or that fan associate with Shaun and Lea. And of course, the emotions that go with those songs have fluctuated as their story has done—particularly since December.

There are lots of fans, and lots (and LOTS) of songs. And there are probably #Shea playlists out there by the dozen already, but yeah--I want to build one here too.

So this one will bear the highly distinguishing title…
#SHEA ULTIMATE S.O.S. PLAYLIST!

The S.O.S. part is State Of (the) #Shea abbreviated… it’s NOT about saving anything; they’ve already saved themselves for now! If anything, think of it as a playlist to save yourself as we wade through the time ahead without any new TGD episodes. (We all know it might take longer than usual for season 4 to start, right?)

The Playlist is going to be built almost ENTIRELY by readers—I have some ideas myself, but they’ll probably amount to just a drop in the #Shea ocean. So here’s what to know if you’ve got music suggestions of your own…

1)      It can be any song. Any genre. Any decade. It doesn’t even have to have lyrics, though if it’s an instrumental I think we’d love to know what’s inspired you to suggest it.

2)      It could have been featured on TGD itself… or used in someone’s YouTube video… or not! Whatever the source is fine.

3)      I know some fans have LONG lists of ideas; I’m going to ask that you try to limit your suggestions to your top SIX picks for now. Depending on how many suggestions I get, that might change. (And of course just ONE song suggestion is fine too!)

4)      My intent is to feature several Playlist submissions at a time in various blog posts over the next several months. I would try to tag whoever is getting featured in a particular post so they don’t miss it!

5)      I don’t do Spotify, or have a YouTube channel, but if anyone wants to take the suggestions made here to an actual playlist, feel free! But please let me know if you do, so I can spread the word.

6)      This isn’t a contest; I won’t ask you to pick favorites (though you can certainly voice your support for one song or another via the comments). Hopefully everyone will feel like they have a voice in this Playlist!


Here’s what I’d like you to include with each suggestion:

Song/Artist (both the original artist and cover artist, if it’s a remake)

Where you learned of this song

The song lyrics, or a link to a lyric video

The lyrics that stand out the most to YOU with regards to #Shea

What phase of the relationship do you think this song applies to? (e.g. early days, a particular rough patch, current, the future?)

Is this from Shaun’s POV, Lea’s POV, both, or neither?

Essentially, I want you to share whatever you think is important for people to know about this song. (But including as much from the above list as you can would be helpful!)

HOW TO SUBMIT:

     1)      Email me: KLawrence997-at-gmail-dot-com

     2)      OR, DM me on Twitter…

     3)      OR, post your full submission in the comments
(this would probably work better if you only have a few songs, and are using a link for the lyrics)

I suspect some will simply want to Tweet their ideas to me. If you go this route I MAY see them and MIGHT record them properly to use later, but… no guarantee.

Any questions? Post them in the Comments, please.

HAVE FUN!