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A Day in the Life by GamgeeFest	7 Review(s)
Baggins Babe	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/15/2006
If the shop owner happened to have acquired some rare books since Frodo’s last visit, then Merry and Pippin might as well pitch some tents and prepare to stay the night. Oh dear! Frodo and I would get on awfully well then, because noone ever wants to spend time in a bookshop with me either! Merry is being a really bratty tween who needs taking down a peg or six, and Pip just goes along without asking himself if it is wise. I hope Frodo keeps those Baggins wits about him - he's going to need them! Author Reply: I used to get lost in book stores also. Someone like Frodo, who loves his reading and writing, would easily get lost in a novelty shop, tinkering with this and that. He should have kept Merry and Pippin there longer. ;) Merry's being a typical full-of-himself know-it-all tween, lol. Nothing can humble him for too long, I'm afraid. Pippin knows this is a bad idea and he knows they'll get in trouble, but he goes along anyway because it's his Merry. And Frodo, well, you already know what happens to him. :D

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/12/2006
You could feel Sam's relief when the prankster squad went off to town. Frodo is doing evasive very well - dodging both Merry and potential brides being thrown at his head. Poor lass. I don't know that a talent for making attractive paper is exactly one that will win many suitors. Merry is having definite growing pains here. Pippin will forgive him anything, though, even getting him in trouble with Frodo. I'll bet Frodo is wishing he had left picking Saradoc's present for another day - unless he is using it as part of his distraction technique, that is. I like the way Sam and Tom are dancing round mention of Rosie and Goldie which Jolly shakes his head. Author Reply: Sam would have been dancing for joy if he didn't have so much work to catch up on! And now he's got thoughts of Rosie distracting him. Tom isn't helping much, with all his hints about Marigold. They're in the "pet crush" stage right now, where they like the lasses a little more than they know they should (for them being girls and all) but not really yet to the point where they're going to be professing their love anytime soon. It's still all about hanging out and having fun, and if the girls just happen to give them a little extra attention, well, there's no harm in that. ^_^ Frodo's rather subtle in his approaches for keeping Merry distracted and away from causing trouble. He might not have intended for the gift to be part of that plan but it did rather work to his advantage, as well as his annoyance. In hindsight, he would have left the gift for another day, and just spent more time in the novelty shop, lol. Matchmaking father and homely daughter or not, that still would have been better than being peppered with endless, nagging questions all afternoon. Merry's not having such a good time himself. In between all his looking about for the opportune moment, he's having to deal with lectures and feeling sorry for himself that Frodo isn't siding with him on the Sam issue. He just doesn't get what he did wrong, even while knowing that he did mistreat Sam and just not being able to admit to it. At least he has Pippin. :) Thanks for the review!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/11/2006
I worry for Frodo. Loved the matchmaking father and the poor, homely daughter, and extraordinarily bored cousins. Now, to see what it is that Merry is getting poor Pip to take part in. This is hilarious! Author Reply: You are wise to fear for Frodo. Things are not going as well as he thinks they are. Merry's getting his plan in order and Frodo's running out of things to distract them with. LOL, it seems that someone is always trying to play matchmaker for Frodo. If it's not Esmeralda, it's an old stationer with dreams of grandchildren. But that's the danger of being a bachelor amongst hobbits. :D Poor Lilah isn't any happier about her father's efforts than Frodo is. She'd rather just be ignored than be humored (even if it's meant politely) by a dashing gentlehobbit who has no interest in her. Pippin always goes along with Merry's crazy schemes, and he's at the age where bypassing mischief is just unthinkable, even if he does know it will result in nothing but grief for him later. Thanks for the review!

Andrea	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/10/2006
"Mum said she’d sooner kiss a toad than do that again. … Is kissing toads supposed to be a gross thing?" Merry and Frodo looked at the teen sideways. “Yes,” they said. “Oh.” Pippin popped the next slice in his mouth, his face blushing slightly. Merry’s mouth quirked at this. “Pippin,” he started in teasing tones, “you haven’t kissed-” LOL!!! He has, hasn't he? Oh, I like your Pippin! Frodo has a hard time with his cousins. He could change that immediately, if he showed them the tinderbox. But he doesn't and I'm wondering why? Has that box something to do with Sam's advice, maybe as a distraction? And I simply can't figure out Merry's next prank. But if I were Frodo, I would be very, very cautious! Author Reply: I've been sworn to secrecy regarding the toad, lol! Let's just say, I can fully imagine Pippin doing something like that. :) The tinder box just wasn't well-thought out. Frodo would have done better to wait until his cousins left to retrieve it. He wasn't planning on them badgering him - silly hobbit. Frodo is going to have to be on his guard though if he wants to get back home in one piece. Whatever Merry has in store for him, he's had weeks to plan it and plenty of motivation driving him toward this very moment. Thanks for the review!

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/10/2006
I love this. Merry as devious as ever; Pippin game for whatever Merry wants; Frodo frustrated with Merry; and Sam just getting on with his work. I love all the details you are putting in about their activities. The description of the marketplace was wonderful. I got such a kick out of Merry's and Pippin's persistance in the matter of Saradoc's gift, LOL! Poor Frodo. And the stationer, trying to get Frodo interested in his daughter, poor thing. I really like seeing Sam with the Cottons. We know that they were good friends, so I wish that more fic would explore that. It's quite clear that both Sam and Tom have already gone in the deep end over Rosie and Marigold! And I loved Sam singing "Errantry" at the end of the chapter. That's one of my favorites from AoTB. I am almost as curious as Merry: I am dying to know what that Brandybuck's plan is, and I would love to know what Sam's advice to Frodo was. Frodo's lecture to Merry, I am afraid did not make the right impression. Merry is still too conflicted about his own feelings and motives to be able to take such advice to heart. And I loved the way you showed Pippin--falling asleep on Merry in the stationer's shop, and playing with his food. That was delightful. Author Reply: Pippin always goes along with Merry, no matter what, and it is often his downfall. But he can't help it. He loves his Merry and wants to do everything his older cousin does. He wants to prove that he's as grown up, though he can't help playing with his food! Merry's bound and determined - a dangerous combination for that Brandybuck! Frodo better be on his guard, even more than he was before. Merry can be rather one-track minded when it comes to things of this nature, protecting his dignity and all that. ~_^ That does, unfortunately mean that Frodo's lecture went in one ear and right out the other, but we know that Frodo gets through to him eventually. Poor Frodo! As if having Merry wasn't enough to contend with, he then has to deal with the stationer. Let's hope the stationer and Esmeralda never join forces or Frodo won't stand a chance! And then there's that dratted tinder box. It's such a kid thing to do and it's something every adult has to put up with at one point or another. Sam must have breathed a huge sigh of relief to see his master leave and he doesn't waste time getting caught up. Good thing too, because he wasn't counting on Rosie showing up. That's plenty of distraction right there! He and Tom won't get much accomplished if they get chin-wagging like that, though Jolly will have plenty to tease them about. Whatever Sam's advice to Frodo was, you can bet it was something sensible. Thanks for reading! I'm so glad you're enjoying this!

Frodo Baggins	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/10/2006
Oh GamgeeFest! This is so funny! I can't wait to see what happens to Frodo...poor thing! TO be on the wrong side of Merry is not a pleasant thing! And to have to babysit both for a couple of weeks....wow! You're really a good author and capture the Merry and Frodo competition very well. Keep up the good work! God Bless, Frodo Baggins Author Reply: Poor Frodo indeed. He's not having a very good day so far, is he, and Merry's bound and determined to make it worse. Merry doesn't hold very many grudges, but when he does, look out! Babysit, lol. Though I imagine Frodo does rather feel like he is watching a couple of faunts just about now. Thanks for the review!

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/10/2006
Uh-oh. I'm a bit worried about Merry's prank. I'm afraid I may have an idea what he's planning and if I'm right, this should be a read disaster. On the other hand, I find myself wondering if Sam's project might figure into things. LOL I am having a wonderful time reading this and trying to figure the out-come. I do hope there will be more soon. Oh, and I've decided that I don't ever want to go shopping with Frodo! LOL Author Reply: I'd be interested to hear if your guess comes close to the mark once the last part is posted. It took me forever to think up something he could do to get back at Frodo, and I'm a bit worried it won't live up to expectations. No one's going to be enjoying the day they thought they were going to have. :) LOL, or at least, shopping with Frodo when he's going for stationery! Poor Merry and Pippin. They're putting up with quite a lot to get this prank played out. Thanks for reading and I'm glad you're enjoying it!

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