Spring breaks as madness marches in

Spring was not the only thing breaking after Phyllis' head felt the heavy clunk of the Champagne bottle. Did Kelly's impulsive action thwart Victor's grandiose scheme and damage his future as a master puppeteer? Watch what you say. The confessional walls have ears. Also, should the stalker ''accessorize'' the mirror with a different shade of lipstick? To learn more, check out Two Scoops.

It was that zany time of year again as spring breakers traveled to various resort areas, looking for fun, while businesses and bars geared up to rake in the big bucks. As anyone who lives near a resort community knows, where the spring breakers go, craziness follows. It's March madness indeed. A manic energy can be derived from the activity on the streets and in the increased flow of traffic.

The only method of travel from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas in south Texas is by a ferry, which transports vehicles across a Gulf of Mexico channel, and during spring break, the traffic is insane. One can wait in line for as long as an hour or more to get on a ferry just to get across to Port Aransas, which is where all of the celebrating takes place. People must want to party pretty badly. It's a certain kind of madness.

Kelly also teetered on the brink of madness, and she didn't even need to wait in line for a ferry to arrive there. Thank goodness Kelly's choice of travel was by plane, rather than by ferry, or Victor would never have dared to predict that she could make a quick exit out of town. However, Kelly delayed her travel plans and put a chink in her own armor when she bashed Phyllis' head with an unopened Champagne bottle. Man, that must have hurt!

Somehow, I doubt if Kelly's instinctive action was a part of Victor's big plan, which had been concocted with the mysterious person in the confessional. Just where is this diabolical scheme going anyway? How Kelly could possibly win Jack back if she was not even in the same location as the supposedly lovesick-over-Phyllis puppy? Victor advised Kelly to act like a remorseful, wounded, fragile bird, but how would Jack be able to see her great performance if she wasn't even around? Kelly sure put a lot of faith into someone she didn't even know and whom, I am sure, she had only heard fiendish things about. Was she crazy? Maybe. Just maybe.

And, for heaven's sake, just who is that in the confessional? Victor had given every indication that the mysterious person was someone else whose only desire was to do Jack harm, but who could that be? The only person who had appeared to be harmed, so far, is Kelly, since she had to spend a night in jail and could still face serious consequences for her confession. Oh, wait, Phyllis can be added to the list, since it was her head that got clunked with the Champagne bottle. The bottle wasn't even opened. Could a person even survive what looked to be a lethal hit? Shoot, if Phyllis wasn't brain damaged before, that blow sure could have done it.

Miraculously, Phyllis came out of the whole ordeal with only a bump on her noggin. After she and Jack finally put two and two together, they realized Victor had his own agenda as usual. Jack guessed that Victor's deal with Kelly was to pay her bail after she confessed -- but why? Before Jack could find out, a desperate Kelly called with what sounded like a final farewell to Jack. And Jack, being the forever white knight, worried about her sad fate and appeared to want to rescue the damsel in distress. So, let me get this straight -- the idea behind all of Kelly's shenanigans was to have her win Jack back after he stopped her from committing suicide? Now, that's what I call romantic!

If this was Victor's big, elaborate plan, including Kelly's poisoning, only to have a phony rescue be the end result, he surely must be slipping. Wouldn't it have made more sense and been much easier for Kelly to have threatened to end it all back when Jack still had some love and respect for her? What motivation would Jack have to save Kelly now, especially after she bonked his fiance with the Champagne bottle?

Was all this complex scheming just window dressing for Victor because he loves to play puppet-master so he can watch his prey dangling on a set of strings. Oops, I guess that would make them marionettes, not puppets, wouldn't it? It just seems like so much trouble to go through just to come to this rather weak conclusion. Didn't you just want to wipe the smirk off Victor's face though? Why, he was practically licking his chops in anticipation of Jack's downfall.

But hold on. Both Victor and Kelly made a big deal about the final destination on Kelly's itinerary being kept a secret. Kelly even feared Phyllis had seen the location before Red drifted into unconsciousness. But wouldn't Kelly and Victor want Jack to know where she would end up if the intention was for him to save her from herself? Really, Kelly genuinely needs help, but Jack obviously shouldn't be the one to give it. But why the secrecy? Perhaps Kelly hoped it would make Jack more determined than ever to find her. I was trying to think of a special place that the two of them called their own, but no place really comes to mind. They both have a love for all things Italian, so could Italy be Kelly's final destination? Or am I seriously overthinking this?

As far as Victor's accomplice goes, who else could his wicked scheme possibly help? Even though Victor would claim to differ, his plot has only affected Kelly, so one might jump to the conclusion that the culprit could be Maureen. But no, Victor was more than happy to get Maureen out of town and Nikki's life, so I don't believe he would work with her to rid himself of Jack or for any other reason. Besides, would Maureen want her precious daughter to spend even a second in jail, even if it resulted in a reunion between Kelly and Jack along with his money and power? Actually, she's pretty greedy and very selfish, so maybe she would. But I doubt it. I can't see Stitch working with Victor, either, since Ben already has what he wants, which is a life with Victoria.

Plus, Stitch looked like he would do whatever it took to protect Victoria in the deleted footage of Ben for the documentary. Besides, I don't think Victor would risk jeopardizing Stitch's relationship with Victoria when Ben only wants to protect Victor's daughter. Strange as it may be, Victor's mysterious confessional buddy and Austin's murder almost appear to be connected. Whoever the killer and/or stalker was, he or she had access into Victoria's house and wrote the message on the mirror after the electricity was cut off, which would seem to point to Stitch.

Ben had made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with divulging any Newman secrets for Austin's expos, and he rather violently refused to cooperate. I wonder what could have caused that kind of reaction. But no matter, the more the evidence shows dear Ben killed Austin, the more I don't believe it. In fact, I am starting to wonder if Austin is even dead.

Although I have always had my doubts about Austin's death, when Summer was spooked by his image in the mirror, I really began to believe he may just be alive. It just didn't look to be something that Summer had conjured up in her mind. The supposedly ghostly vision seemed to serve the sole purpose of frightening Summer. But why would Austin go through all of this trouble to convince everyone he was dead and then return to haunt Summer? What exactly did Austin turn up as he was making his documentary? Or did Austin scare Summer to try to get the dirt he needed?

Victor would never allow his darling granddaughter to come to any harm, so surely, he wouldn't have played a part in this and go to this kind of extreme just to get Austin out of his life. It's unlikely that Austin was the accomplice in the confessional but, boy, would he have some sins to atone for. And speaking of sins, it's pretty amazing the confessional doesn't smolder every time Victor enters it. A week of Victor's confessions wouldn't even scratch the surface of all his wrongdoing.

The "red" herring might just be the lipstick on the mirror. The lipstick pretty much hints that the killer or stalker is a woman, but the messages are coldly hostile. "I'm always watching." That is just so impersonal. An angry woman tends to let her feelings show. Shoot, even the writing on the mirror was too precise and clean. A furious filly would scribble ferociously how she would make her enemy pay in glorious and gory detail. There wouldn't be enough room on the mirror for her many acts of revenge.

The scorned lover might write something like "Die, you sucking pig, and I will be deliriously watching as hundreds of ants, scorpions, and venomous spiders crawl all over and bite every inch of your body to where you will squirm and twitch in agonizing pain." Oh, I don't know. That might fit -- it would just have to be a really big mirror. Part of the lady's revenge would be plotting the painful and horrifying methods she would use to get even with her betrayer. No, I feel the stalker must be a guy.

Not only were the words written in a cool and malicious way, but I am sorry, the color of the lipstick to me seems to be all wrong for the purpose in mind. Why use a girly, pinkish mauve when a blood red shade would accomplish so much more. Just think, the stalker could even color in bright red blood drops intended to shake up any victim. And Genoa City is filled with fashion designers and makeup moguls who know how to accessorize. Apparently, the stalker should have received some much-needed advice in selecting the appropriate shade of lipstick for terrorizing young adults into secrecy.

Could this cosmetics faux pas mean we can cross the Newmans and Abbotts off the suspect list -- along with Chelsea and Lauren -- and pretty much everyone else in town? Or was this done for the sole purpose of throwing our amateur sleuths off the track? Now, wouldn't that be clever? But maybe Abby and Ashley should adopt this killer color of lipstick as the newest Jabot sensation to hit the cosmetics world. They could use a break after losing their hexing fragrance of perfume.

Kyle was apparently throwing everything at the wall just to see what stuck when he switched from Stitch to Sharon as the killer so fast I thought my head would spin. Boy, Kyle really stinks at sleuthing. Okay, sure, let's blame Sharon for every single dastardly deed in town. Shoot, Genoa City wouldn't even need Victor any longer to control everything from behind the scenes. Hey, wait a minute. Maybe Sharon is Victor's accomplice as well. Nah, Victor would rather make a deal with the devil than to partner up with Sharon. But now she's the culprit according to Kyle? Huh?

Austin was murdered, so Sharon must have gone off of her meds and killed him. Why? What was her motive? Even when she was off of her medication before, she had a reason for doing what she did, even if her views were a little warped. Not only that, Sharon off her medication would never be able to write the messages in such a neat and tidy manner. Honestly, I would hope the writers could come up with something a little more complex than Sharon did it because she quit taking her pills. That would be the easy way out.

As I have stated before, I would really like to see Sharon become stronger and more independent for Faith's sake but she still has a long way to go to get there. First, she would need to prove to herself and to everyone else she can survive on her own without a man. Once she shows she is able to make rational decisions, Sharon should be able to heal from her past misdeeds and move on to a brighter future with her daughter. As a happier and better-rounded person, Sharon could then have a healthy relationship with her next love. So then, why would Sharon want to take a peek at Austin's computer?

Sharon did overhear Noah, Summer and Kevin talking about a big secret, so maybe she was just being nosy. Or she could have been concerned over her son knowing a much-guarded secret. Or maybe Sharon just wanted to become involved in another storyline. Who knows what her reasons were as long as per main priority was still to be the best mother she could be for her little girl.

I loved the dirty look Faith gave when Sage was so obviously being nicey-nicey to the lass to score some points with Nick. As Avery can testify, this kind of strategy doesn't get you very far. Faith was no dummy. Sage reminded me of an insecure schoolgirl when she told Faith she had a wonderful daddy. Again, the word that comes to mind is obvious. Faith saw right through her and added "and mommy." I thought Sage was smarter than to set herself up to look desperate in front of a new beau's eyes. Oh well, Nick does like his ladies needy.

Joe Clark is starting to look a little needy, also, these days -- and all too obvious. Dylan was right. Anyone could have been as blind as Neil once was and still be able to see that Joe's Better Days Foundation was all just a ploy for him to stay in Avery's zip code. And Avery was no longer pushing Joe away either. Perhaps Dylan should be alarmed ,since Avery almost seemed to be falling under Mr. Clark's spell. It certainly helped Joe that Avery knew about his abusive childhood and believed that his way to heal was to start a program of funding for abused women and children. He sure knew the way to win over that lady's heart. Dylan's future with Avery just may have hit a dark-haired, hunky roadblock.

Before Phyllis was conked on the head, she and Jack had decided they would marry in a month, so you know that will never happen. But I don't see Billy and Chelsea rolling down the aisle, either, and Adam wouldn't let that take place anyway. I think Adam -- er, Gabriel -- had better work on a new strategy. His current one seems to be going nowhere. Then again, Chelsea was giving dear Gabe some almost longing looks during his toast to the happy couple.

Maybe his idea to win Chelsea over as Gabriel is starting to work, even if she isn't aware of it yet. Sometimes love can sneak up on you. Chelsea sure has been dragging her heels about marrying Billy. Maybe Chelsea has been drawn to Gabriel due to the special chemistry she and Adam always shared. If Chelsea did fall in love with "Gabriel," would Adam be able to keep the truth from her, or would he risk losing her and possibly his freedom by revealing all?

Did anyone else think it was a little bizarre that a drunken Neil would be flapping his gums to the very people he had banished from his life and had sworn he would never, ever trust again? Come on, he didn't even tell the one and only person he acknowledged that he still believed in, and he had every opportunity, since Lily was at the Athletic Club with him long enough to cut him off at the bar. Okay, maybe that's why his lips were sealed to her. But no, he couldn't tell Devon the truth about the fatal accident fast enough, and he made certain Hilary learned all about it as well. Sure, he was drunk, but alcohol wouldn't have masked his feelings about those he claimed to abhor. In fact, his heavy drinking should have magnified them. It seems to me Neil just used alcohol as an excuse to keep Hilary and Devon in his life.

By divulging his secret, Neil showed he didn't want to lose them -- or he was just afraid of being alone. After all, Neil did love Hilary, and he was the happiest he had been in a long time when she supported and cared for him. Even after all the toxic words she spewed at him and even though he believed she had only played him, Neil still did not want to let her go. I always knew that Neil let his lack of sight blind him to the truth about Devon and Hilary's affair. Neil did that very willingly as he did in revealing the truth about the accident to them. I am relieved that he sobered up and confessed to Paul. Maybe now Neil can be free of the hold Hilary has had on him.

I knew there was no way Neil could let Nikki continue to take the blame for the accident. As he stated, he couldn't possibly live with himself and look himself in the mirror each day -- now that he finally can, that is. Good for him! Neil just never seemed the type of man who would let a lady as gallant as Nikki sacrifice her life for his. It's strange that, at one time, Neil had everything going for him, and now he seems to have lost everything.

Sure, unknowingly to him, Hilary may still love Neil, but it will never be in the way that he wishes. As Hilary stated to the drunk on St. Patrick's Day, she lost the one true love of her life, and that was Devon. But Neil did the right thing when he stood up for himself and took responsibility for his own disastrous actions. You can be sure, though, his family will be there by his side as he goes through any hardships that may lie ahead.

Kevin, I love you, but please quit jumping quickly from one suspected killer to the next. That's starting to make you look really guilty.

I am relieved that Lily eventually forgave Cane. With so many breakups and non-weddings, it's nice to have one somewhat stable couple who have been together for a long time on a soap. With Michael and Lauren, that makes two. We need the stable couples to accentuate and balance out all the angst and misery of the dysfunctional ones.

Hooray to Neil and Nikki for celebrating St. Patrick's Day with clear, sparkling glasses of water at the bar. Cheers!

So, Victoria thought sending Ben to babysit her younger, attractive, single sister in the room next door at the Athletic Club would be a good idea?

In Y&R sister soap news: way to go, The Bold and the Beautiful, for finally shocking me with an earth-quaking cliffhanger. It was the first time the normally predictable B&B has ever stunned me, and I couldn't be more delighted.

I hope your spring break, St. Patrick's Day, and March Madness basketball parties were safely filled with fun festivities and just a wee bit of craziness. Until next time, please stay tuned.

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