Never Too Late by northie

[Carlos Hazday]

5 minutes ago, dughlas said:

Trust me. I don't read stories on GA for the sex. The characters in the stories I read become people to me. I don't want to feel like I'm peeking into friends' bedroom windows.

Oh, I don't know... there are a few windows I might peek in if given the opportunity!

[dughlas]

Just now, Carlos Hazday said:

Oh, I don't know... there are a few windows I might peek in if given the opportunity!

Yeah, but you're an old perv 

[Carlos Hazday]

@northie

 

We seem to have hijacked your discussion thread. I'll make sure to post the pictures I take through that window elsewhere...

 

[Ivor Slipper]

32 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

Oh, I don't know... there are a few windows I might peek in if given the opportunity!

 

Is that known as 'double gazing'?

[northie]

20 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

@northie

 

We seem to have hijacked your discussion thread. I'll make sure to post the pictures I take through that window elsewhere...

 

Don't mind me. What's that old saw about there's no such thing as bad publicity ...?  

[Former Member]

7 minutes ago, northie said:

Don't mind me. What's that old saw about there's no such thing as bad publicity ...?  

No offense, Northie, but I’m not interested in seeing the pictures @Carlos Hazday took through your window!  ;-)

[Timothy M.]

No, we only want to see the ones he took through Brett's window.   (and then I wanna know how he avoided getting shot  )

 

Anyway, no more  

 

I loved the new chapter, with Andy getting his teeth into all the things he can do to make Eric's life better. After all, that's why he signed up at the charity, right? To make a difference in someone's life, and I think Eric deserves it, even if he is a grumpy old man. I can relate....   

[northie]

10 minutes ago, Timothy M. said:

even if he is a grumpy old man

I'd be decidedly grumpy in his position. Knowing things need to be done in the cottage, but lacking the means to get other people to pull their fingers out. Yes, this is the first time Andy appears to have really grasped what he should be doing. How effective will he be, though?

[Former Member]

2 minutes ago, northie said:

I'd be decidedly grumpy in his position. Knowing things need to be done in the cottage, but lacking the means to get other people to pull their fingers out. Yes, this is the first time Andy appears to have really grasped what he should be doing. How effective will he be, though?

Andy needs to be aware of his own limits and not try to do too much all at once! He could easily get overwhelmed and burnout. It’s not going to be easy to get many of those things done.  ;-)

 

Doing the gardening should be easy for him though! Pruning the overgrown shrubbery and trimming things back are things he’s used to doing. There are probably other little jobs around Eric’s home that he could do too.  ;-)

 

But it really sounds like Eric’s landlord should hire professionals to refurbish the bathroom, fix the roof, fix the entry walk, fix the bannister, and repaint everything.  ;-)

[northie]

5 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

There are probably other little jobs around Eric’s home that he could do too.  ;-)

Don't forget Andy has his own job - he's self-employed. And yes, it's the landlord's responsibility to make good on the cottage. Ad hoc repairs remove some of the burden from the landlord, and that's not good. 

[northie]

@Ivor Slipper makes a good point in his chapter comment which might pass non-UK readers by. Shops here are obliged to charge 5p for a light weight plastic carrier, or 10p for a more sturdy, if still plastic, bag. Eric is careful to provide his own bags - those 5ps are not something he could afford to waste.

[Timothy M.]

9 hours ago, northie said:

@Ivor Slipper makes a good point in his chapter comment which might pass non-UK readers by. Shops here are obliged to charge 5p for a light weight plastic carrier, or 10p for a more sturdy, if still plastic, bag. Eric is careful to provide his own bags - those 5ps are not something he could afford to waste.

 

It's the same in Denmark, except we pay a lot more than 5 or 10 p. Most people try to bring their own shopping bags.

[Former Member]

When the fee was instituted in California, the plastic bag industry did everything they could to kill it. They opposed a Proposition to confirm the Legislature’s decision. They lied about some of the details in their ads, but they still lost.  ;-)

 

It was tough to even get a ban on free single-use bags at grocery and convenience stores. The 10¢ fee was the highest amount they could manage to push through. Studies have proven that the bans and fees have reduced the number of plastic bags that are found in storm drains and on beaches.  ;-)

[William King]

By 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish!

 

https://youtu.be/CWjkH7EV9lg

 

Maybe you didn't realise that you are eating plastic...

It will kill us and the planet.

Unless we act NOW!

 

[Former Member]

4 minutes ago, William King said:

By 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish!

 

https://youtu.be/CWjkH7EV9lg

 

Maybe you didn't realise that you are eating plastic...

It will kill us and the planet.

Unless we act NOW!

 

And that’s yet another reason I don’t eat fish!  ;-)

[northie]

I love reading story comments, and comments here. One of many reasons is the insight they give into a character when I see them through another person's eyes.  @dughlas wished something for Eric in his latest chapter comment that had never occurred to me.   I'm very much in the throes of writing the next volume of Eric's life, and dugh's thought has sparked off several of my own. Thanks!     

[northie]

Eric meets Adam (Andy's  partner) in the next chapter (out tomorrow). How do they get on?  Well ...    Read, and you shall discover.   

[northie]

A comment by @drsawzall on the latest chapter made me think. In writing Eric's story, I knew I wasn't writing to the market, but I didn't think i was writing anything that unusual either. I'm not a great reader (Yes, I know, more shame on me  ) but I assume there are other stories out there which deal with this subject? Any offers?

[Former Member]

2 hours ago, northie said:

A comment by @drsawzall on the latest chapter made me think. In writing Eric's story, I knew I wasn't writing to the market, but I didn't think i was writing anything that unusual either. I'm not a great reader (Yes, I know, more shame on me  ) but I assume there are other stories out there which deal with this subject? Any offers?

I can recall reading a series of a couple of short stories dealing with two old men falling in love with each other, but I don’t remember anything more similar to your story. Usually older people are peripheral characters, either a grandparent (often soon to die) or a grumpy impediment to the plot. Much as they are in US TV.  ;-)

[northie]

4 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

I can recall reading a series of a couple of short stories dealing with two old men falling in love with each other, but I don’t remember anything more similar to your story. Usually older people are peripheral characters, either a grandparent (often soon to die) or a grumpy impediment to the plot. Much as they are in US TV.  ;-)

That sounds !Ike @Headstall's The Watcher series of short stories. Loved those, but yes, very different. The two men are confident in their sexuality and are open to having a loving, sexual relationship. Eric is very, very far removed from their situation. 

[Timothy M.]

15 minutes ago, spikey582 said:

 

Nothie, since I’ve been a little distracted lately, I’ve been meaning to tell you for awhile that I love what you’re doing with Never Too Late.  I haven’t left any comments, but that has been a great reading experience.  Definitely outside of the norm of a lot of GA content.  But it has so much that I think appeals to a lot of us.

 

I agree, Spikey, it's a great story which makes you pause and appreciate what many of us take for granted.

 

[northie]

Thanks, both of you. @Timothy M. and @spikey582 . I was just reading spikey's comment on Carlos' thread when Tim's notification came through ...   Spikey - you're more than welcome to comment on the story or here. I love reading comments from my readers. I'm finding they really make me think, specially as Eric's story won't finish when Never Too Late is complete. A second volume is already in progress.

[spike382]

2 minutes ago, northie said:

Thanks, both of you. @Timothy M. and @spikey582 . I was just reading spikey's comment on Carlos' thread when Tim's notification came through ...   Spikey - you're more than welcome to comment on the story or here. I love reading comments from my readers. I'm finding they really make me think, specially as Eric's story won't finish when Never Too Late is complete. A second volume is already in progress.

 

Glad to hear you've been so inspired writing this story.  I think one reason I was a bit hesitant to leave comments on this particular story was that it was very rough to read the first few chapters.  Eric's situation is just so heartbreaking, and it was a bit painful to read about his difficulties.  It was so real.  I kept thinking, I want to give that man a hug.  But then, he probably wouldn't appreciate that much, would he?

[Former Member]

3 minutes ago, spikey582 said:

I kept thinking, I want to give that man a hug.  But then, he probably wouldn't appreciate that much, would he?

I’m thinking he’d act offended and upset, but secretly enjoy being touched.  ;-)

[northie]

1 minute ago, spikey582 said:

 

Glad to hear you've been so inspired writing this story.  I think one reason I was a bit hesitant to leave comments on this particular story was that it was very rough to read the first few chapters.  Eric's situation is just so heartbreaking, and it was a bit painful to read about his difficulties.  It was so real.  I kept thinking, I want to give that man a hug.  But then, he probably wouldn't appreciate that much, would he?

No, as you'll discover ... Many people found the first few chapters hard going and said so - I don't mind that at all. His situation is one faced by an increasing number of older people. As I've said before, I honestly thought writing this, that me and my editor @Parker Owens would be the only readers. It has truly surprised me how many people are taking the time to read and comment on it.