So Michael and Vanessa are now trying to put the pieces of their shattered relationship back together ? I say B.O.R.I.N.G. We have patiently sat by and watched Virginia Harrison do everything humanly possible to destroy their relationship, between Martin?s Syndrome, impregnation (is that a real word?) cheating, conniving, and on and on and on. And now, after all is said and done - Michael and Vanessa broke up because Vanessa was not truthful about the paternity of her baby.

Let me start by saying - AARRGGGHHHH! Why oh why must we, the viewing audience, sit through months and months of "will they ever get together or not", the whole time cheering for them to overcome all obstacles, just so that they fall apart at the expense of themselves. I?m sorry, but I think it would have been better if Michael and Vanessa broke up because of a third party being involved, like Virginia for example. Maybe they should have had Michael get really drunk one night and mistakenly sleep with Virginia and then have Vanessa find out about it. But no, wait ? they did that with Ricardo and Gabi. But you guys know what I am trying to say; the writers of this show seem to do the same things over and over again with the different characters. Ben and Meg are the king and queen of the Will They - Won?t They saga, but that?s another article to write.

They are using the terms Truth and Honest when it comes to these two people and their relationship. Ho-hum, but isn?t that exactly what is going on with Cole and Caitlin. Jeez - I wish that they would give each group of characters their OWN individual story lines to work with, rather than copying each other. OK, so Michael has a hard time right now putting all of his faith and trust in a woman who lied to him about being a forth-coming father. Now, I?m not saying that he should take her back without a second thought - that?s not where I am going with this. If it was the real world, you bet your butt that it wouldn?t be this easy. All I?m saying is that the powers that be constantly get us all worked up over a couple and just when we think that they are finally going to be together and happy ? BAM! Say it ain?t so Sam.

Mark my words, we are going to sit through a few more weeks of the buff Bod and the broken Beauty tiptoeing around each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. Now there is Dr. Tyus - the wonder medical man. Michael is still really pissed at him for being a part of this baby thing in the first place, but Michael also knows that Tyus is in love with Vanessa. I don?t think Michael wants to take the chance of losing Vanessa for good because then he might think she would eventually run into the good Doctors arms. But I seriously doubt that, at least for now. Maybe they should introduce someone to play Vanessa?s father, the great Pulitzer Price winning writer. Or better yet, re-introduce her mother Lena, and let?s see her without the ugly bumpies all over her face. Vanessa and Michael are two major characters on the show who do not have any other family there in Sunset Beach (Casey being the other - we?re not counting Amy and Brad).

I don?t know gang; I?m just tired of seeing the same things day after day. I feel like they are not making any effort to really make some good changes within the show and especially now that SB has been renewed until the end of the year, this is do or die time for our dear show.

So let?s wait and see what happens over the summer with Mike and Van. With that being said - I have to be honest with everyone ? I am having a dry-spell right now trying to come up with some topics to talk about here at the View. So, I am asking that YOU - my loyal readers, send me some suggestions on things you would like to hear me vent about, or praise, or whatever. So come on, get involved and help me to keep making your weekly reading a pleasure (or at least I hope you guys are enjoying it?)

Last week, whilst sitting atop of my little perch on the pier overlooking the beautiful ocean and beach, I asked for some feedback about topics that you would like for me to discuss. Well, I did receive one such email asking me to re-visit the Gabi and Antonio forbidden love situation. I would like to thank Karen G. from Nashville, TN for her input.

First let me state for the record that if I were Gabi and my priest looked like Antonio - you bet your buns that I would leave Ricardo to be with him. But only if he promised me he would leave the priesthood (I know, I will probably burn in you-know-what for this). Speaking of leaving the priesthood, I don?t think Antonio is quite ready to do that, he keeps praying to God asking for guidance in this turmoil that he has put himself in. He feels like he is a failure because he allowed feelings to awaken in himself that should not ever be awakened EVER. No matter how much he tells Gabi (or Maria for that fact) how much he loves her, he will always love God more (ring any bells?). He is more committed to being a priest now then before because he feels he needs to make up for what he has done wrong. And what did Antonio do with the gun he found Gabi with? Did he dump it down a storm drain, keep it in his draw next to his bible, what? A few loose ends here if you ask me.

And what do we think of Gabi? To be honest, I do not think that she is a bad person, she did not purposely go after Antonio in the hopes of sleeping with him. She really did make a big change in her life when she found out that her father was the one who raped her as a little girl, and we all felt really bad for the way we spoke of her. However, once she and Antonio did the deed, and realized that they were going to live, maybe they should have come clean with Ricardo. They were supposed to tell him, and then decided against it because they didn?t want to hurt Ricardo that way, so they both agreed to keep mum. Yeah right - Antonio confessed to his sister Maria, not even his own monsignor at the parish. Wrong! You either tell God (or priest thereof) or you keep your mouth shut. If (big if) Gabi and Ricardo do marry, what will happen with Antonio? Is he going to continue to pine after her, or watch her from afar while she is snuggling up to her new husband? I honestly don?t think he would try to take his own life - that would be the 3rd major vow he would commit against the church (don?t sleep with neighbor?s wife - or brother?s soon to be wife, don?t lie and certainly don?t kill yourself). I personally think that Gabi is truly in love with Antonio, heart - mind - and soul (not Ricardo). She looks at Ricardo as the one person who saved her after the rape trial. He befriended her even though she accused him of the rape, he protected her and risked his life for her on the sinking cruise ship. She probably feels like she owes him something for all of that. Don?t get me wrong, she does love him, but not the same way she loves Antonio - her feelings for Antonio run a lot deeper and true-er. And how many hundreds and hundreds of us out there are sick and tired of hearing Gabi and Antonio talking about ?That Time That You and I Made Love?? Enough - I don?t think there is anyone around (except Ricardo) who doesn?t know by now. Stop talking about it. And why is it that every time they do speak to each other, either person to person, or on the phone, they are constantly calling each other by name - yet when they were on the phone last week they didn?t say each others names - Not Once! Very convenient don?t you think?

And last, but most definitely not lease - Ricardo. What could he possibly think if and when he finds out about his brother and his girl? He would probably say to himself, ?I am such an idiot - I didn?t even see this coming?. But then again, he trusts these two people the most in the entire world, why would he ever in a million years think that anything would ever happen between them. Remember what happened when Paula thought that he had raped Gabi and then found out that he was telling the truth all alone? That?s right - she left town because she couldn?t face him, and more importantly he couldn?t face her. She destroyed something very important to him that I don?t think he would have been able to get back (for a long time anyway). Ricardo will never be able to look Gabi in the eyes again because ?she should have known better?. Antonio, on the other hand - was having a ?crisis in faith?, or at least that?s what they told Ricardo. He would probably forgive his brother - but not right away. He already lost his father when he was a little boy, he lost his sister for 5 years, and he doesn?t want to loose his brother too. It?s unfortunate, but it looks like no matter what happens, Ricardo is the loser. Either he stays married to a woman who doesn?t completely love him - or he loses a woman because she is in love with his brother. Not your best multiple choices, huh?

So, these next few weeks are going to be very intriguing for us SB fans. Will Gabi lose both Torres brothers? Will Ricardo ever forgive Gabi and Antonio for what they did (if he finds out)? Will Antonio leave the priesthood? Will Maria say anything to anybody about what she knows to be true? Will Carmen get her VCR fixed? These any many more questions will hopefully be answered shortly.

That's right - Candyland. As in the little kids game with all it's sugar hills and lollipop swings. Hank and Joan's marriage is so "sweetly" perfect; my teeth start aching whenever they are on screen. Now before you guys start raging on me for dumping a good marriage (which we all know is hard to come by in this day and age), let's be real? I don't know of one single couple who has that perfect married life. Two people, who have been together for over 20 years, still lovey-dovey together, kissing and hugging and stuff - ick! I'll tell you, my parents have been married for 36 years and they do have their "sweet moments" where they hug and kiss. But they also have those moments where they don't even want to be in the same room with each other for at least 8 hours or so.

Hey - it could be possible, remember they are from Kansas (farm country). Everything there is much simpler than California, and they don't have the same hassles and headaches that occur in the big city. But still, for a man and woman who have that "down home" quality - they sure are sticking their nose way too far into their daughters love life. I know they, really Hank, only means well and wants to protect his daughter, but there has to be a time when he steps back and lets her live her life. Now believe me, if I was in trouble, or having problems in my life - you bet your buttons that I would want my parents there for support and guidance. But I think Hank has jumped way over the line by going to Ben and threatening him all the time. Ben is not abusing his daughter, not physically or mentally. Meg is not lacking for anything, like a home or clothes or food. The only thing that Ben is not giving her right now is time? time for them to be alone, time for her to sort out her feelings about this whole relationship with Maria and Benjy and Tess. So Hank, chill out and go make some waffles or something.

As for Joan, the quintessential mom, the woman who still makes quilts and alters wedding dresses, I must admit that is a nice thing and rarely seen today. But stop being so squeaky clean all the time. You admitted yourself a while ago, that things were not always so smooth with you and your hubby. Let's explore that a little, let's find out what happened all those years ago in your marriage that made you say that. Granted, every marriage has its ups and downs, and I'm sure that yours is no exception, but I think there is more to what meets the eye in this little love nest.

OK, this is a soap opera, with its drama, comedy and silliness, so let's see what would make this happy little life they lead a not-so happy one (for a while at least). I think it would be a great idea if another female character started to take a liking to Hank. Oh, how about... Bette! She has admitted to Hank that he is an attractive man (and yes gang he certainly is). Why not have Bette and Hank get put into a situation where Hank ends up saving Bette. Maybe from a crazed fan from her gossip column or they get stuck in the shop late at night. Anyway, Bette could then start a little infatuation with Hank and see if he would step over that line with her. Or maybe even have it come out that he did have an affair many years ago with another woman, and that woman shows up in Sunset Beach - now that would be pretty interesting. Or how about having Hank fall off of a ladder while fixing something, he hits his head, and when he wakes up from being knocked unconscious he has amnesia. He thinks that Bette is his wife, and not Joan. (Pretty good huh?) The writers of the show need to explore Hank and Joan a little more, rather than keeping them around as window dressing for their children. It's great that Joan is so nice and understanding with everyone about his or her problems, but let's see some of their own problems for once (losing the farm in Kansas didn't cut it).

To those of you out there who have folks like Hank and Joan, I say Congrats!

Talk about your marriages made in hell ? Gregory and Olivia are definitely two people who still are carrying around a whole lotta bad baggage from their marriage. With the back stabbing and underhanded deeds going on between them, it's a wonder that they survived as long as they did before divorcing. But am I the only one that sees that these two people truly love each other and want each other back? I know it's a little twisted, and maybe I am being completely stupid here - but in a very strange way, Gregory and Olivia were meant to be together.

Let's rewind this little show for a moment. SB started 2 years ago with Olivia being a fallen-down drunk, with her daughter Caitlin always taking care of her and picking up after her. Gregory was completely vile towards his wife because of her pathetic condition. Then she sobered up and dried out from her stupor, only to find that her husband Gregory still had a lot of love and passion for her. They began what I think was a completely wonderful romance between two people where it wasn?t just about sex with them. Things were going great, it was as if they were 20 years old again and 'courting' each other, when Olivia became pregnant with child (we still don?t know who dear ol' daddy is). Gregory couldn't have been more thrilled and he vowed that he would make things right with this baby.

And then we see Annie and the whole baby snatching story (which I won't rehash right now), which turned Gregory from a loving husband and father-to-be, into this evil, sick, and completely twisted person the likes of which we have never seen before. (Kudos to Sam Behrens for giving Gregory such amazing evilness that I actually sat there holding my breath). He completely blamed Olivia for their child?s death and went on to divorce her and marry Annie. When the truth did finally come out that Olivia had nothing to do with the death and that she, in fact, never had one single drop of alcohol, did he forgive her? Absolutely not! He still blames her for knowing that their son was in fact alive and well, and is now trying to do everything within his power to make sure Olivia doesn?t become the legal parent to their son Trey.

But we all remember that wonderful scene where they were stuck in the elevator together, getting all hot -n- heavy with each other, thanks to Annie spiking Gregory?s drink with Niagra. And what about when they were in the car accident while driving little Trey to the hospital during last summer's earthquake? They again, professed their love for each other and showed us how much they do belong together, no matter what. That right there proved to me that these two couldn?t stay away from each other. Even now with most of Gregory?s rage being directed at Olivia, I think it's obvious that he still loves Olivia very, very much. They have a history together, even though it may not be as wonderful or smooth as most relationships, but they do have a history. I always go back to that little expression my sister always tells me: "You Only Hurt The Ones You Love". Well, if this is true - then Gregory must really, really love the crap out of Olivia. If he truly hates her for what she has done, he would have just been done with her already. But no, he keeps making her life miserable, thereby, staying in her life. We all know that Gregory never loved Annie - and he has every right to make her life miserable, but instead, he tries to avoid her as much as possible. It just seems that with everything Gregory does, he somehow manages to have Olivia involved one way or another.

As for Olivia, she could very easily make arrangements to never see Gregory as much as she does, when she goes to get Trey. They could just have the housekeeper, Rose, delivery and pick up Trey for her weekly custody visits. And what about this week with Olivia asking for Gregory's help in getting the autopsy report on Francesca Vargas? She could have just called her lawyer and make him get a copy of it. I don't know if I am ready to see these two messed up lovers reunite, but I would like to see them at least start to be civil to one another and put away the hostility. They are both the parents of little Trey, the center of all this animosity, not to mention their other two children (one of which is being charged with murder).

Now I'm not saying that Olivia's affair with Cole was OK, but they seem to forget that it happened when Caitlin broke up with Cole way back when, and that it only lasted for a few weeks (about 2 months in soap opera land), and he also did not know that Olivia was Caitlin's mother. They never meet each other before that; he did not even know her name. Gregory thinks that Cole is the real father of Trey, but when the truth really comes out (I think it's Gregory who is daddy dearest) I'm almost certain that things will start to change. Olivia herself cannot commit fully to AJ because deep down, she knows that Gregory is her true love.

Why not throw these two people together into another situation, which makes them once again realize how much they mean to each other. Maybe that will be the little kick-start this relationship needs. It really isn?t that fun to watch Gregory constantly beating up Olivia for her wrong doings because Olivia doesn?t have the ability or "dirt" to fight back. This really is a very fine line between love and hate - so it's going to be very interesting to see who falters over to the other side, and which side it will be!