methodwriter85 Posted November 25, 2010 Posted November 25, 2010 I'm Smitty. I sent Jeremy off on a three-day bender in New York City.
methodwriter85 Posted November 26, 2010 Posted November 26, 2010 So Brad finally acknowledges that he plays favorites with his kids, and he doesn't know jack-shit about one of his sons. At least he gets points for realizing that. I'm thinking that conversation was a bit of a foreshadowing, for when JJ realizes he *can't* make the '02 Olympics. That's going to be really, really bitter for him. The conversation between Brad and Will was pretty heartening. To be honest, that's what I'm more interested in- Brad's family and how they interact with one another- not so much on the sex with the twinks stuff. And I was happy for a My Girl reference- good way to work in generational touchstones for JJ and Will.
rjo Posted November 27, 2010 Posted November 27, 2010 For all Brad's problems he is a good dad. He cares about his kids. Like JP I think he never thought he'd be a father. It wasn't until he saw Darius the cute three year old kid that he even thought about it. This household may not be the normal two parents (one of each sex and their 2.5 kids. The new improved Brad a little less selfish and more giving. He almost lost his family. Now he knows how important they are to him.
Mark Arbour Posted November 27, 2010 Author Posted November 27, 2010 For all Brad's problems he is a good dad. He cares about his kids. Like JP I think he never thought he'd be a father. It wasn't until he saw Darius the cute three year old kid that he even thought about it. This household may not be the normal two parents (one of each sex and their 2.5 kids. The new improved Brad a little less selfish and more giving. He almost lost his family. Now he knows how important they are to him. I think you're right; this whole thing with Robbie was kind of an epiphany for him.
centexhairysub Posted November 27, 2010 Posted November 27, 2010 (edited) I really enjoyed the latest chapter. The interplay between Brad and Will and JJ, to a lesser extent was very revealing. I do agree that Brad just know seems to be realizing that he has a great family and needs to be more involved in it. I do worry that Brad will get lost in his quest for revenge but hope that Robbie, et al... will keep him focused on what is really important. I do like the interplay between Brad and the kids and would love to see more of this. I would love to see more interplay between Will and JP and Stef. I can sort of see Will as the heir presumptive of his generation already. JJ is starting to get some development so I will be interested in seeing where his storylines takes us. Keep up the good work and keep the story coming... Edited November 27, 2010 by centexhairysub
KYE Posted November 27, 2010 Posted November 27, 2010 (edited) Really good chapter, I thought it brought alot of the story characters together from the family perspective. Not only Brad's interaction with the kids but also Robbie's ( with Darius) and JP's (with Will). In an earlier chapter Brad suggested to Darius he talk with JP about his college plans and in this chapter he gets Will to talk to JP about JP's experience coming out to his Dad. Hoping it can help Will understand what Drew is dealing with. It shows how much Brad still depends on JP with his family and trusts JP to be able to help his sons with their lives. He seems to very much want to get JP involved with his sons for advice. It was also good to get a little more closure on Drew leaving, plus we see a little more development of Jeff's character. Now we can sit on the edge of our seats waiting for the Big New Year's Eve Millennium party. Edited November 27, 2010 by KYE
methodwriter85 Posted November 27, 2010 Posted November 27, 2010 (edited) I do like the interplay between Brad and the kids and would love to see more of this. I would love to see more interplay between Will and JP and Stef. I can sort of see Will as the heir presumptive of his generation already. JJ is starting to get some development so I will be interested in seeing where his storylines takes us. Keep up the good work and keep the story coming... I actually thought the reverse was true- Darius and JJ were actually pretty well-developed characters before Millenium. Mark did a good job of developing them throughout If It Fits and Bloodlines. I felt like there was a good sense of what Darius and JJ were like as children. But I didn't think Will was that well-developed of a character, and I've talked with a guy that Mark holds in high esteem who agreed that Will never really registered with him, either. So Mark's spent some time in this story developing the Will character, and I thought that was pretty cool. I get a sense of who Will is now, and also the sense that he won't be just some Brad re-tread. (As much as I love Brad's loving recollections of high fashion, I'm glad that when we get around to Will, he's not going to be a preppy clotheshorse.) As for JJ...he's being set up for some MAJOR disapointment about the Olympics. I mean, he might make '06, but '02 is out of the question, and I think that'll he take it really hard when he realizes that. Mark's set up two great future protagonists when it comes to JJ and Will, I think. In any event, I agree that I love the interplay between family and find it the most interesting in the story. Edited November 27, 2010 by methodwriter85
Daisy139 Posted November 28, 2010 Posted November 28, 2010 I would think JJ will realize this really really soon. He's been skating now for a good year or so? So he should have a pretty good idea about how fast he can theoretically progress (e.g. you can't learn a triple in a year or two, esp. not all the required triples) and how fast you can legally test for skating ranks. Since he'll have to wait till '06, he might even get more frustrated / disappointed with his progress if puberty hits him pretty bad (=rapid growth spurt / body proportions changing) and he has to re-learn some of his techniques. Anyway, his progress will surely be very interesting! Thanks for another wonderful chapter, Mark And I agree with those that have said that the relationships of the 3 kids and their parents/role models will be very interesting to see. I think all 3 kids are interesting in their own way. I don't think I'm capable of very profound feedback right now.... my mind is on a boring nonsense paper I have to write. Sorry Also... George Granger is on my cell phone and just waiting for me to continue reading, so I must away
methodwriter85 Posted November 28, 2010 Posted November 28, 2010 (edited) One thing Mark's never really done is show what professional athletes go through, which is going to be really interesting road for him to tackle eventually. It's why I'm glad he's made JJ into an aspiring professional figure skater- from all accounts, it's a HARD and unbelievably dramatic thing to deal with. I had a friend who tried to make the '04 Summer Olympics as a runner, and man...I remember him sitting me down once and telling me he wasn't going to try for '08 because at this point it was really making him miserable, and getting to the Olympics Trials only to find out he wasn't quite good enough was a tough, tough pill for him to swallow. Coach Deej graduated from college in 2000, and had basically put his life in this holding pattern where he coached and subbed on the side while training for '04. At 26, he had to figure out an entirely new lifepath. It was tough- but he's been doing pretty good. The other similiar thing I saw was the absolute obsession with weight. Both sports require a really lean body type, and it was amazing to see a 5'10" guy try and maintain himself at 140 pounds when 160 was more natural for him. Edited November 29, 2010 by methodwriter85
sat8997 Posted November 29, 2010 Posted November 29, 2010 One thing Mark's never really done is show what professional athletes go through, which is going to be really interesting road for him to tackle eventually. He won't have to worry about it if JJ gets run over by a bus in the Ice Palace's parking lot. It could happen...
Mark Arbour Posted November 30, 2010 Author Posted November 30, 2010 He won't have to worry about it if JJ gets run over by a bus in the Ice Palace's parking lot. It could happen... Driven by a rogue hockey player.
methodwriter85 Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) Driven by a rogue hockey player. This is where I get baited by Mark, and I bite, freaking out. *freaks out* Edited November 30, 2010 by methodwriter85
mmike1969 Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 This is where I get baited by Mark, and I bite, freaking out. *freaks out* Ah no. If he wanted to bait ya, he could of said "driven by an insane Brian"... just saying...
DragonFire Posted November 30, 2010 Posted November 30, 2010 I think a lot of people don't give Brad an awful lot of credit. I've just re-read the whole series from start to finish & to be fair his attitude, temprement & general character has been pretty consistant. Yeah he's head strong, but that's one of the things I like about him, a typical alpha male. The way he dealt with Robbie is exactly what I would expect from him. Obvoius devistation followed by stealy determination to make (and punish) Robbie into realising what a huge mistake he made was masterful. Yeah, he's had to look at himself & compromise, but he's done that & realised hes not so perfect....but at least he gets it & is trying to change. Interesting times ahead though with bringing down Omega, have a sneaky feeling the dot com crash in 2000 will help them somewhat!
Mark Arbour Posted December 1, 2010 Author Posted December 1, 2010 Ah no. If he wanted to bait ya, he could of said "driven by an insane Brian"... just saying... Now there's an idea! I'll have to run that one by Sharon. I think a lot of people don't give Brad an awful lot of credit. I've just re-read the whole series from start to finish & to be fair his attitude, temprement & general character has been pretty consistant. Yeah he's head strong, but that's one of the things I like about him, a typical alpha male. The way he dealt with Robbie is exactly what I would expect from him. Obvoius devistation followed by stealy determination to make (and punish) Robbie into realising what a huge mistake he made was masterful. Yeah, he's had to look at himself & compromise, but he's done that & realised hes not so perfect....but at least he gets it & is trying to change. Interesting times ahead though with bringing down Omega, have a sneaky feeling the dot com crash in 2000 will help them somewhat! It's awesome that you came away with that impression, since that's pretty much how I wanted him to be. The Dot.Bomb is a convenient event, no?
methodwriter85 Posted December 1, 2010 Posted December 1, 2010 (edited) They were heady, strange times....I remember when the Dow hit 11,000 in 2000 and I thought it was amazing. I think I started following the Dow in 1997-ish, when the bull market was in full swing and the DOW hit, I believe, 7,000 or 8,000 for the first time. When I was in 6th grade during 1998-1999, they had us play the stock market with theoretical money. The kids who won were the ones that invested in Dell stock, I believe. Seems kinda funny in hindsight, no? MacIntosh was considered dead and gone, and Microsoft and Dell were the big things to have. And then the IMacs came out in late 1999 and changed the whole game. And then Microsoft had to split up in 2000. It's been strange how the CAP saga is coming closer to "our time", so to speak. I like how Mark incorporates technological changes into the story, like how the boys get Playstation for Christmas and everyone has cell phones now. Which was true in my own 1999/2000 experience- kids stopped carrying around beepers and cell phones became norm by 2000. And kids were glued to the internet by 2000- I remember one of my high school teachers bitching about the fact that people no longer write letters, because of how e-mail had taken over. Edited December 1, 2010 by methodwriter85
Mark Arbour Posted December 2, 2010 Author Posted December 2, 2010 They were heady, strange times....I remember when the Dow hit 11,000 in 2000 and I thought it was amazing. I think I started following the Dow in 1997-ish, when the bull market was in full swing and the DOW hit, I believe, 7,000 or 8,000 for the first time. When I was in 6th grade during 1998-1999, they had us play the stock market with theoretical money. The kids who won were the ones that invested in Dell stock, I believe. Seems kinda funny in hindsight, no? MacIntosh was considered dead and gone, and Microsoft and Dell were the big things to have. And then the IMacs came out in late 1999 and changed the whole game. And then Microsoft had to split up in 2000. It's been strange how the CAP saga is coming closer to "our time", so to speak. I like how Mark incorporates technological changes into the story, like how the boys get Playstation for Christmas and everyone has cell phones now. Which was true in my own 1999/2000 experience- kids stopped carrying around beepers and cell phones became norm by 2000. And kids were glued to the internet by 2000- I remember one of my high school teachers bitching about the fact that people no longer write letters, because of how e-mail had taken over. It was an amazing boom time, but you were watching the wrong index. The one that really took off, and the one that will bomb, is the NASDAQ.
methodwriter85 Posted December 2, 2010 Posted December 2, 2010 It was an amazing boom time, but you were watching the wrong index. The one that really took off, and the one that will bomb, is the NASDAQ. Yeah, I know. The Dow basically stays stable until 9/11 rolls around, if I remember correctly.
mmike1969 Posted December 2, 2010 Posted December 2, 2010 And now we know why JJ does not like the kind of people Will and Darius hangs out with if Will has to be carrying around a switchblade! :wacko: Kind of reminds me of when I was at Ft. Bliss, Tx and we had sort of "Amnesty Day" and the 1SG told us to drop ALL weapons into the 'box' or else... Apparently EVERYONE was carrying something: Pistols, knives, brass knuckles, etc... Of course, the smart people left behind their drugs too. Stupid me saying outloud in formation: "WTF??? Is everyone carrying weapons on them except me????" It took me a few seconds to realize... Wow, that was a stupid thing to say out loud in front of a bunch of people carrying weapons...
Mark Arbour Posted December 3, 2010 Author Posted December 3, 2010 And now we know why JJ does not like the kind of people Will and Darius hangs out with if Will has to be carrying around a switchblade! :wacko: Kind of reminds me of when I was at Ft. Bliss, Tx and we had sort of "Amnesty Day" and the 1SG told us to drop ALL weapons into the 'box' or else... Apparently EVERYONE was carrying something: Pistols, knives, brass knuckles, etc... Of course, the smart people left behind their drugs too. Stupid me saying outloud in formation: "WTF??? Is everyone carrying weapons on them except me????" It took me a few seconds to realize... Wow, that was a stupid thing to say out loud in front of a bunch of people carrying weapons... That's pretty funny. A lot of young guys like knives.
methodwriter85 Posted December 3, 2010 Posted December 3, 2010 Yeah, I don't think it's that weird that Will carries around a knife. He likes to surf; I'm sure he likes camping, and most outdoorsy people I know carry around a swiss knife. Mark, you've made Will one butch little gay dude here, as he hates shopping but carries around a switchblade. LOL. Although yeah, I'm calling it- when Will's a senior in high school, he's going to drive this: http://www.automedia.com/New_Cars/hummer_h2_2005_photos_SUV_Exterior_2005-Hummer-H2-ext-1.jpg I'm assuming he's going to need the room for the countless camping and surfing excursions and whatnot. And he's popular openly gay guy, so he needs the rooms for his friends. JJ, I think, will drive this: http://image.europeancarweb.com/f/8687486/0512_z+2005_MINI_Cooper_S+Front_Drivers_Side_View.jpg A 2005 Mini Cooper. Smaller, more compact, plus it's European and pretty cool. Plus I can't see either of his brothers driving something like this, or Brad or Robbie feeling this car, so that would be an added bonus.
centexhairysub Posted December 3, 2010 Posted December 3, 2010 Well, I just read Chapter 46 and don't even know where to start... The scene on the beach with Brad, JP, and Isidore was just heartbreaking; we have had so many truly interesting people come and go in this series and it was so nice to take a moment and remember some of them.... :( I have always been like that on New Years Eve; I always get retrospective and spend half the night thinking of those that have touched my life, whether they are gone or still around. I just found the tone of that whole experience perfect... I also really liked the back and forth between Brad and Robbie the whole night; they really seem to be back in a good place and I for one hope that it stays that way from now on. Much like JP and Stef, I think that Robbie and Brad were meant for each other. I will say that I think that Brad has also figured out that he cares for Cody as more than just a friend. I don't know what is going to happen there but as long as it doesn't cause issues with him and Robbie; I am all for it. I really liked that Stef and Will maybe getting closer; Will has always seemed sort of lost to me and maybe with his new openess with Brad and his move to get closer to Stef, he will become more of a complete person. I hope that over the next few stories we get to see more of all the kids. We all know that because of the burst in the tech market that Brad, Stef, et al... will win the fight with the Carmicheals and Brian; I just hope that everyone manages to hold onto their souls while fighting it out. A truly great chapter that had something for everyone; I do think the scene on the beach was the best though.... 1
Mark Arbour Posted December 3, 2010 Author Posted December 3, 2010 Yeah, I don't think it's that weird that Will carries around a knife. He likes to surf; I'm sure he likes camping, and most outdoorsy people I know carry around a swiss knife. Mark, you've made Will one butch little gay dude here, as he hates shopping but carries around a switchblade. LOL. Although yeah, I'm calling it- when Will's a senior in high school, he's going to drive this: http://www.automedia.com/New_Cars/hummer_h2_2005_photos_SUV_Exterior_2005-Hummer-H2-ext-1.jpg I'm assuming he's going to need the room for the countless camping and surfing excursions and whatnot. And he's popular openly gay guy, so he needs the rooms for his friends. JJ, I think, will drive this: http://image.europeancarweb.com/f/8687486/0512_z+2005_MINI_Cooper_S+Front_Drivers_Side_View.jpg A 2005 Mini Cooper. Smaller, more compact, plus it's European and pretty cool. Plus I can't see either of his brothers driving something like this, or Brad or Robbie feeling this car, so that would be an added bonus. A figure skater in a Mini Cooper? There's a more gay stereotype out there...I'm just having a hard time coming up with it. Well, I just read Chapter 46 and don't even know where to start... The scene on the beach with Brad, JP, and Isidore was just heartbreaking; we have had so many truly interesting people come and go in this series and it was so nice to take a moment and remember some of them.... :( I have always been like that on New Years Eve; I always get retrospective and spend half the night thinking of those that have touched my life, whether they are gone or still around. I just found the tone of that whole experience perfect... I also really liked the back and forth between Brad and Robbie the whole night; they really seem to be back in a good place and I for one hope that it stays that way from now on. Much like JP and Stef, I think that Robbie and Brad were meant for each other. I will say that I think that Brad has also figured out that he cares for Cody as more than just a friend. I don't know what is going to happen there but as long as it doesn't cause issues with him and Robbie; I am all for it. I really liked that Stef and Will maybe getting closer; Will has always seemed sort of lost to me and maybe with his new openess with Brad and his move to get closer to Stef, he will become more of a complete person. I hope that over the next few stories we get to see more of all the kids. We all know that because of the burst in the tech market that Brad, Stef, et al... will win the fight with the Carmicheals and Brian; I just hope that everyone manages to hold onto their souls while fighting it out. A truly great chapter that had something for everyone; I do think the scene on the beach was the best though.... Thanks. I'm with you on New Years. It's usually a bittersweet time for me.
Clydee Posted December 3, 2010 Posted December 3, 2010 Well, I just read Chapter 46 and don't even know where to start... The scene on the beach with Brad, JP, and Isidore was just heartbreaking; we have had so many truly interesting people come and go in this series and it was so nice to take a moment and remember some of them.... :( I have always been like that on New Years Eve; I always get retrospective and spend half the night thinking of those that have touched my life, whether they are gone or still around. I just found the tone of that whole experience perfect... I also really liked the back and forth between Brad and Robbie the whole night; they really seem to be back in a good place and I for one hope that it stays that way from now on. Much like JP and Stef, I think that Robbie and Brad were meant for each other. I will say that I think that Brad has also figured out that he cares for Cody as more than just a friend. I don't know what is going to happen there but as long as it doesn't cause issues with him and Robbie; I am all for it. I really liked that Stef and Will maybe getting closer; Will has always seemed sort of lost to me and maybe with his new openess with Brad and his move to get closer to Stef, he will become more of a complete person. I hope that over the next few stories we get to see more of all the kids. We all know that because of the burst in the tech market that Brad, Stef, et al... will win the fight with the Carmicheals and Brian; I just hope that everyone manages to hold onto their souls while fighting it out. A truly great chapter that had something for everyone; I do think the scene on the beach was the best though.... I agree completely...your comment was nicely written.
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