Jay & Miles by ColumbusGuy

[ColumbusGuy]

Basement--heck I understand that! My house was built in 1908, and although we aren't near the river, in a really bad rain the storm sewers don't always handle it all...and one year, I had about a foot of water come in through the floor drain! No appliances or furnace damage, they dried out before I would use them, so I was lucky just had to rinse out the mud.

I look forward to reviews since they let me know things are working in the story...and I'm very diligent in answering them and trying not to give the plot away.

[EagleIsaac]

Mine is caused by spring melt - especially coming from the water coming from the melt in the neighbours yard

 

I like giving reviews - you like getting them. A good symbiotic relationship I'd say

[Headstall]

I absolutely love reading Eagle's reviews of J and M as he reads along... I probably get almost as excited as you do, CG   Your responses are great but rather cryptic... I can tell you're trying to be mysterious lol.

[Headstall]

Basement--heck I understand that! My house was built in 1908, and although we aren't near the river, in a really bad rain the storm sewers don't always handle it all...and one year, I had about a foot of water come in through the floor drain! No appliances or furnace damage, they dried out before I would use them, so I was lucky just had to rinse out the mud.

I look forward to reviews since they let me know things are working in the story...and I'm very diligent in answering them and trying not to give the plot away.

My basement is completely finished and high and dry, but one year I removed a stone patio that interlocked... it was up against the basement wall, and found out in the spring that was a stupid thing to do...it wasn't much water but it scared the crap out of me...

[LitLover]

My basement is completely finished and high and dry, but one year I removed a stone patio that interlocked... it was up against the basement wall, and found out in the spring that was a stupid thing to do...it wasn't much water but it scared the crap out of me...

 

Mine is dry, but we've been diligent keeping the snow from being too deep around the foundation.  The spring melt can get bad for some of my neghbours so we've learned from them 

And CG...take the time you need with the chapter.  They are always worth the wait.

[ColumbusGuy]

Okay Chapter 22 update...5300 words, not done yet, but getting in sight of the end...and I regret to report, there's drama. I try not to do that, but it's unavoidable in this chapter. I'm hoping to get it sent to Gary tonight, and if he doesn't rip me apart for dramatic overdose, it should be posted by afternoon. Gary has promised to 'rein me in' if I go too overboard.   He's such an awesome guy!

[ColumbusGuy]

Guys, I just sent Chapter 22 to Gary for when he wakes up. I'm sorry for the delay, but I couldn't find  my way through this one and come out smiling. It's bothering me, and I added that in the note to Gary, so what his reaction is will mean rewrites or posting.

Maybe the chapter says too much, or says it wrong, or shouldn't say what it does at all...Gary is my Conscience, and he hasn't failed me yet.

[Headstall]

It's very good... It's a great chapter... and very true to the times... no one will be disappointed

[LitLover]

I really liked that you gave us Linda's POV in this chapter.  It gave us a picture of the type of person she is and I have to say that she really impressed me.  She is more protective of her brother than she lets on. I was even more impressed when she dumped her boyfriend for sticking with that Zane kid.  She is not as shallow as she seems to pretend to be.  Excellent chapter CG!

[ColumbusGuy]

Thanks, LitLover...I was surprised that Gary sent it back with no revisions needed.   This was my first atttempt at portraying a girl's POV, I'm glad it worked...she was due to have her own voice somewhere in the story, and this seemed the right time.

A few minor glitches with wording, and a major one with posting it, but that question is in the Forum section.

My settings in Word 2003 should have left no spaces between paragraphs, but it did, and in posting, I lost all the first line indents...and there was that huge gap after the first paragraph which wasn't in the original as far as I could see, and when I tried fixing it, it began splitting the previous sentence i nthe middle.

[ColumbusGuy]

Just started Chapter 23, it takes up where 22 ends--can't leave our boys in limbo to sort themselves out. Will certainly finish this tale of Monday...not sure if any more of the school week will get covered.

I don't have a title yet--those usually pop into my head part-way through...anybody got suggestions?

Dang, that was fast--thinking about what will be in the chapter, with only half a paragraph done, I envisioned conversations all around to sort things out and promote calmness--and the word 'Healing' came to mind. I'll run with that for now, and see where the boys take me.

POV choices are many--any preferences?

[EagleIsaac]

I think the POV should be the one who wants to be heard the most. I'm sure it will just come to you as you start writing - although wouldn't mind knowing what Dennis thinks of the Beckel family.

Edited April 16, 2015 by EagleIsaac

[ColumbusGuy]

Dang...having someone not in the family do one? Well, actually Mikey started this thing, and he wasn't family then.   I was thinking Linda might start, but Denny can work just as well...just a couple sentences so far, and it was drifting toward Jay...but here's the first sentence:

 

“Jay, I’m gonna need directions…”

 

The rest I have so far is Jay wondering about Mikey's stomach and how he can help ease his boyfriend's pain, then telling how to get home. So many choices!

[ColumbusGuy]

A little delay in Chapter 23--had to proof something, but it's moving now, and seems to be going well--450 words but it's nap time now. For the curious, POV=Dennis.

[ColumbusGuy]

Yet another delay in Chapter 23--but this one wasn't my fault! Act of God, I swear--I was eating a late lunch after a nap, watching TCM, when the power went out, then came back at less than half intensity--enough to make lights glow, but nothing else like the pc or tv. I'm kinda lucky to have Columbus City Power instead of the big commercial company, so I called and they said someone would be out.  About two hours later, they showed up, and had to replace the transformer on the pole-so about 8PM I was back in business, but had to set things up again like clocks, tv and rebooting the pc. Didn't lose anything except a bulb in the light at the foot of my stairs.

 

Anyhow, the chapter is moving again--1100 words, but it's nap time again. Bortai is napping on the edge of the desk, after being up and down for the past five hours, only managing to shut my computer down three times. Damn Hewlett-Packard for putting power buttons on top!

[EagleIsaac]

LOL sounds like you need to back up your work every other minute so you don't lose it when the cat decides she is more important than typing

[Timothy M.]

You know those anti-pigeon pins they put on railings? Why don't you glue some of those around the power button? Your cat will soon learn to keep away.

[ColumbusGuy]

One reason I switched from MS Works to a different free editor was the auto-save time--5 minutes was just too long to try to recreate lost text. With Word I have it set to save every minute...hopefully Bortai-proof.

 

Alas, the power button on my model is right at the right front corner, so I could put guards on only two sides...and yet, she manages to hit it about every third jump! Once on top of the desk, she'll lay next to my arm, or rest her head on my hand--sometimes on the corner of the keyboard. Somehow she has managed to bring up computer things I didn't even know existed just by walking across the stupid thing!

 

Working on 23 now...will keep you guys updated.

[Headstall]

Yeah, CG, I really like the auto save with Word... Cats and dogs are like kids... if there's a way to make life difficult, they'll find it

[ColumbusGuy]

Before her brother Genghis was stolen--he was the adventuresome one! Got him when he was nearly 3 months old, the first thing he did was stick  his head in the gas logs of the fireplace and got all sooty--guess he wanted to see what he'd look like grown up.  Then learning to jump, he tried for the bottom shelf of the mantel--where all my cat figurines were--he nearly made it, but grabbed onto the cloth there to climb further, and everything started falling onto the tiles and breaking! I saved about half the figures, and one very embarrassed kitten.  He and Bortai would chase each other around the house, jumping on furniture, but would always wind up in the middle of my bed.

Going to sleep was an adventure, one cat on either side of the pillow, tails facing my head, then they'd lay their faces in my palms--Genghis would put my hand where HE wanted, Bortai would settle for where I left it--usually in a similar pose to her brother. Cute when they were small kittens, imprisonment when they grew to 11+ pounds each.   It took a long time before she got used to him being gone...even today, I don't say his name because she'd start looking for him.

Back to writing.

[Headstall]

All my cats live in the barn because they have a job to do. My dog likes the cats, but not if they come in the house... she is a bit of a spoiled bitch... the house belongs to her. She does put up with the turtle, bearded dragon, and the fish, but she regards them with disdain...

[EagleIsaac]

My dog doesn't have any competition, but my cousin's cat owns their dog. He rules that house and likes to attack her son's Lego creations.

[Headstall]

My dog doesn't have any competition, but my cousin's cat owns their dog. He rules that house and likes to attack her son's Lego creations.

I've seen that so many times, where the cat rules the dog... Cats are smarter...

[EagleIsaac]

I've seen that so many times, where the cat rules the dog... Cats are smarter...

Well this cat is He meows and the dog comes running.

[ColumbusGuy]

Judging only by my experience, the rumor that siamese are noisy talkative cats is bunk. Having had siamese for 50 years as a kid and adult, I've only had one who meowed a lot--he was a stray I picked up just after moving into Columbus--a lilac point, covered in grease and dirt, and he'd been mistreated I'd wager. Five minutes after I met him at a friend's house who couldn't keep him, he was curled up in my lap purring. He was about 6 according to the vet, and I had him for 15 years beyond that, losing him to kidney failure. Once he was settled in my house, he meowed when he'd hear my voice, and come running...when he felt secure after a couple years, he'd do his silent meow: mouth open like he was doing it, but only the motions came out.   In the couple years before he died, he'd meow again if he couldn't find his way--he'd gone blind and normally had no trouble, but in his last year, he'd start walking in circles and couldn't stop unless I picked him up, petted him and set him back down...then he was fine again until another spell hit. His last day was spent mainly in my arms because he collapsed around midnight and I held him until we got to the vet's the next morning. He'd gone into a coma, so I had the vet give him his last injection, and held him while he slipped away. Kublai was the sweetest cat and I never could understand how someone could have  discarded him.