If you blink, you might miss their joyful moment

Few in Genoa City are allowed to exist in a state of contentment for longer than a nanosecond.

Have you noticed that few in Genoa City are allowed to exist in a state of contentment for longer than a nanosecond? Now I get that soaps would have gone the way of silent movies long ago if they consisted of nothing but sunshine and blue skies. But, speaking for myself, I have a hard time staying emotionally invested in worlds where there's nothing but doom and gloom. Our show used to be able to effortlessly straddle that happy middle ground where there was six of one and half a dozen of the other. Oh, how I long for those long-forgotten days.

Take, for instance, Sharon Newman. I hope your eyes were wide open when she had her happy moment. Because if you were one of the fans that blinked, I'm afraid you already missed it. Now, I know this character has disgusted fans for choosing to be with Adam after all he did to her and others. And I can agree that in Nick's shoes, I, too, would be stomping straight to Family Court to try to protect my daughter from Adam.

But at the same time, I can still feel a shred of sympathy for Sharon. Legions of fans are ripping her up one side and down the other for choosing Adam over Faith. But come on, fans, how many other real options has she been given? When she pined away for Nick, fans trash-talked her. When she turned to Jack, more of the same. When she got back with Nick, fans cried foul and boredom. Walking away from Nick to Adam, poison-tipped arrows flew after her. So what would fans prefer Sharon do? Remain forever manless, alone in her house, playing patty-cake with Faith? A fate apparently not demanded for any other bed-hopping Genoa City woman.

On the other hand, Sharon is often her own worst enemy. For instance, I practically fell off the couch with scornful laughter when she was ranting about how Faith needed consistency in her life. This from the Mom who'd first run off to New Orleans to think. Most of us Moms have to be content with locking ourselves in the bathroom if we want a few moments of deep and private thought. Then she spent weeks chasing clues in hopes of freeing Adam. If Faith lacked consistency, well, Sharon has only herself to blame for that. But what she isn't to blame for is Skye's death. If Skye is indeed dead (and given our scribes, only time will tell whether she is or not), Victor's greasy paw prints are all over her corpse.

I know with Adam by her side, Sharon's been feeling all "I am woman, hear me roar." But she should have known better than to think her Adam-fueled bravery would be a match for Victor's hateful vindictiveness. Now she's headed to lockup, charged with Skye's murder, a charge that will undoubtedly turn the tide in Nick's favor and cost her custody of Faith. But although Sharon's loss will likely be Nick's gain, I hope he doesn't get too comfortable in his happiness because the rumors indicate his turn at Victor's vengeful hands could be coming. I like Nick, who sometimes takes an admirable stance against his father's tendency to bend the law, especially if he breaks it in the process (like the elevator pictures he gave to Jack), but it can be somewhat frustrating when he chooses to hide his head in the sand and refuses to cry foul if it's going to make things come out to his benefit. But, since he's doing it to protect Faith, I guess I can't be too hard on him.

Sharon's joy was brief, but the happy grins were wiped off Kevin and Chloe's faces almost before their New Year's Eve kiss had ended. Jana continues to play the amnesia game, complete with an invisibility cloak, which apparently allows her to hear and see without being heard or seen herself. If all else fails, how many other fans see a real or fake pregnancy down this liar's lane? Kevin might not be touching her now, but there was one time he did, and I could easily see Jana using that to her advantage. I know I'm one of the few fans who feel this way, but I'm rooting for romance for Kevin and Chloe.

Although I'm wishing with all my might for my favorite couple's lasting joy, my heart is already breaking for their eventual despair when little Lucy is ripped from Billy and Victoria's arms. Daniel has already recognized the baby he delivered, but I expect he will keep the secret, at least for now. Unfortunately, while he might not tell the new parents, he will likely feel the need to confide in someone, and we all know few people in Genoa City are able to keep their mouths shut.

Lily has been happy for longer than usual, but that's only because she hasn't a single working instinct where her husband and anyone connected to him is concerned. And apparently, neither does Jill, although her blindness could be tied to the fact that she's so grateful to have a man in her bed, she's not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Colin is about the seediest-looking, most obvious villain, yet Jill continues to grin happily at him. How many times has Jill been led down this path by some man? Does she never learn from her past experiences of being emotionally or financially bilked? And fans say Sharon's head is filled with rocks. I'd say she's in good company with Jill and Lily.

Speaking of empty heads filled with rocks, I'd knock Cane upside his unhappy head, but I'm afraid I'd hurt my hand. This man has probably forgotten what happy feels like because he's hardly had it since he came to Genoa City. I found myself almost on the floor in hysterics for a second time during the week when Cane melodramatically hissed, "I will tell them everything!" Colin did exactly what I did. Laughed his head off. How this character can continue to make those empty threats with a straight face, I'll never know. It's impossible to feel anything even remotely resembling sympathy for him because he brought this all on himself by his inability to ever tell the freakin' truth!

Diane should be happy for the moment. Although it's not clear how she managed to squander the millions she got from divorcing Victor and become a pauper, I'll go with the flow and accept that she somehow pulled it off. It's been much harder to reprogram my brain to forget that Kyle was conceived almost simultaneously with Abby, but somehow has only creeped to 12-ish while Abby's old enough to drink. Nevertheless, child's age notwithstanding, Diane's enjoying her cougar relationship with Nick, who has seldom been celibate for more than a few days. She also had to derive great pleasure from witnessing Jack's shock at learning she was now living on Victor's largesse after Jack chose Phyllis over Kyle. And, if the rumors circulating through cyberspace are true, her enjoyment should increase a hundredfold when she adds a second man to the nasty mix.

When it comes to Phyllis, no need to try to refrain from blinking for fear you'd miss her handout of happiness. She's sure to be over the moon with ecstasy when she learns of the latest peril to befall Pauline (Sharon). I expect she'll be chortling with glee and performing a jig of joy outside Sharon's jail cell. But, to give her credit, she could also wind up being the one responsible for helping to set Sharon free. We know Phyllis is like a pit bull when it comes to some things, even Sharon things, and we've all likely heard how hard it is to pull a pit bull free once he gets his jaws locked around something.

Victor is another whose happiness is never fleeting. It has become his happy mission to cause the most pain possible in others and it matters little whether the recipient is son, daughter, ex-wife, or mortal enemy. If it were anyone else, normally, at this point, I would be mumbling, "that's all right, he'll get his." But this is Victor. Except for rare instances, does he ever really get his? I don't know if this will be one of those rare times or not, but I must admit, based on some of the rumors, I'm looking forward to finding out what lies in store for Victor when it comes to Nick, Diane, Victoria, Abby, Adam, and perhaps even Jack.

For the moment, it should be happy days indeed for Nina, Heather, and Ronan. Nina and Heather because Ronan is sticking around, and Ronan because at least he has hopes that he might be able to convince the Angel of Death it's not quite time to come a-calling. I know Heather is disliked by fans almost as much as Sharon, but I actually don't mind Heather and Ronan as a couple. Heather can definitely be relentless, but she's convinced me she really cares about Ronan. And for the fan who wrote in a couple of columns ago whose 2010 hopes were for more mother-son interaction between Nina and Ronan, your wish has arrived. I hope you've been enjoying them.

So, although the week began a little dry, and Wednesday had me questioning my reason for continuing to watch a show that was seriously irritating me, Thursday and Friday's show changed my mind and once again had me hooked. So I'll keep hanging in there to see what happens next.

I'll just be sure not to blink too often.

Okay, I'm returning to the real world now. Until next time, here's a few comments from the e-bag. Hope you enjoy!

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Before I leave home on any given day, I like to know where I'm going and how I'm going to get back from there. More and more, I'm getting the impression the writers on Y&R aren't like me. In the last few years, they've introduced/reintroduced Tucker, Sofia, Malcolm and Chance, and I doubt there's a viewer out there that can describe any of those characters. Is Tucker a ruthless businessman, or a son interested in getting to know his mother? Is he a devoted fianc, or someone who will cheat on his woman at the drop of a hat? Is Sofia so career-driven she can't find time to settle down with her fianc or so family minded she'll risk her job for her future step-niece's husband? And then there are the characters we used to know that we can't recognize anymore. Heather used to be straight-laced and uptight then suddenly she's making eye-contact with men and hopping into bed with them. And don't get me started on Cane, Sharon and Adam. The writers obviously have no idea what to do with Cane. It's clear where he's concerned the writers are making it up as they go along. How do they get him back home for here? How do they get Sharon back home after having her choose a man - one who kidnapped her daughter - over her child? How do they get Adam, one of the most anticipated (before he returned) characters, back home after having him do unspeakable things and show little remorse for them? - Bajangirl

I think Michael Muhney should be nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Adam. He is so good I've gone from literally disliking him to liking him. He and Sharon make a handsome couple. - Rose

I have never been a Nick Fan. His wishy-washiness about Sharon and Phyllis really put me off the character. But watching him this week with Diane and watching him stand up to Sharon about Faith has started to turn me. What really impressed me was when he brought the photos of Victor and Skye to Victor and demanded an explanation. The writers and the actor are doing a great job taking Nick from being a bit of a doormat to being a strong male character that I enjoy watching. - Denise