Canuk

It is not whether anybody knows, it's whether you frighten the horses ..... ie do anything you like, just don't frighten the horses (my grandmother's advice to me on my coming out to her.....)

I was going to reply saying that Grainger is likely to be CofE and so no confession, no Hail Marys, but then I realised you are probably talking about the newly buggered grandee.... what a wonderful part of catholicism - the ability to do what you want and get absolution afterwards. Us poor anglicans (episcopalians in the US) just have to be good. Fortunately most of us are bloody good, verging on excellent so no problems there!!!

Great list - we agree on an awful lot; History - yep British, but I tend to concentrate on Georgian and Regency England The raj - yep, but again I love the social history rather than the seiges etc... Books; we have two house on two continents both bursting (the houses, not the continents) as well as 1250 books in storage.... we do try and stop buyng them but somehow it doesn't work...... RC -mmmm have to skip that one: closest I came (!) to that was having a 6 month affair with a trainee priest - proving Mark's translator works!!! can't get back to 964, but we were mid level bureaucrats in Norwich at the cathedral back in the 1300's (given until recently I was a mid level bureaucrat you can see that it's hereditary! Hussein of Jordan was a great leader and is truly missed. he is definately at my dinner party of people I'd most like to get to know I have watched EVERY episode of WW, most at least twice. Sam can have my babies any time he wants - he just needs to whistle and I'll come...... . CJ can come to dinner, provided she brings the First Lady with her (Stockard Channing has always done it for me....) Re tigers; my mother was born in the year the last Tasmanian Tiger died (is that enough of a connection????) You may like the Godfather trilogy; I'd like a trilogy of godfathers........ re nappies - I have to agree with Mark : haveing children is f'ing amazing; one of the many downers is changing nappies - however that is balanced by the joy and sheer self satisfaction in seeing your children growing up that it makes all those nasties pale into insignificance!

because Mark M, you have a the same way with words as you do with the other, more sensual, part of your life ! Perhaps long association with Mark 's sensuality has rubbed off (or on, as the case may be.....)

while I am overjoyed to have Grainger back (he's just so doable... ) his new openness (and with a Grandee of Spain) I find a tad worrying...... I am truly intrigued as to where it will "head", so to speak.....

methodwriter, you are right - it's about rejuvenation and adding to old infrastructure to produce desirable living places to support the new ins=dustry that will need to be developed. Some of this can be achieved in a 5-10 year period....the "transformation" may take longer. i need my coffee before I write any more

Great chapter; looks like they have finally grown into the same space.... too 'em long enough to get there. As far as the gentrification of Claremont; 10 years in no where long enough. programs/projects like this need to develop organically and be whole-heartedly adopted by residents if they are going to succeed. Otherwise you have one person's delusional estate that never quite works. This project is starting out well with a plan, a degree of consensus and bags of money. To make it a success with be local buy-in and a level of flexibility by the planners and instigators - whether JP et al have the ability to change/mold/add to, deduct or wvwn scrap "their" plan for what the community wants....... and all this takes time - so in my mind "quick" change is definately not what is needed...... so Mark , whenever you are ready, I'll be there ready to "consult" - I'll even bring some decent Australian wine.......

especially if it was only foreplay .......

hey,have you been speaking to my partner????? that's his view of my time before him....... and there just may (not confessing to anything) be some truth.....

YES!!! the greatest poem ever. Truly love this and have for an awful long time.......

canuk - somewhat obvious, though it was given to me by Australian friends when I became a Canadian citizen. when I lived in Canada I was called Aussie (pronounced Ossy in north-american, which made a german friend wonder why people had given me a west german nickname.......)

a little late to this post, but I thought I'd chuck my 10 cents worth in.... I did a huge amount of research into cameras for my partners birthday. After reading all sorts of technical data online and speaking to many "professionals" both in the trade and out of it a saleman in a department store gave me the best advice: what was your last camera? were you happy with it? if so buy the latest version of that camera/brand you can afford; result is happiness. Sure enough my partner is thrilled with his ....whatever I bought!!!

no wonder I had such a great time in Buffalo NY and Chicago Illinois...... my kinda guys!!

it may have been more civilised then, and that "civilisation" continued to an extent in WW1 when they at least initailly the two sides stopped the shooting rom Christmas etc, however before the invention of penicillin any injury, and injuries tend to happen in war, was at the very least debilitating and usually fatal. So it may have been more civilised but surviving was no mean feat.....

because with love and the added bonus of great sex, the rest is background. Sure, Robbie f***ked up, and compounded it in ways he initially didn't understand. Brad too f**cked up, but they both now need to put it behind them. Brad's need to "work it out of his system" verges on childishness. Relationships need to be worked on All The Time, and the more you put in the more you get out. Mark , you really are a clever bastard; I don't get this involved with ANYTHING apart from my own boy and that's a little different! Great writing. I'll calm down now. Just get someone to smack some sense into Brad (and Robbie). Now.

I agree; at some point my sympathiy moved from Brad to Robbie. Yep, they both have "issues", the difference now is Robbie has recognised his and is doing something about it. Brad is almost determined not to see anything, change anything, hear anything or do anything. He is regressing rapidly. Mark's alter-ego or not, it looks like he is well on his way to pissing off the kids, Jeannie AND Robbie.... especially after Robbie des the inevitable confession to the family and, as family does, it forgives and moves on and then collectively turn around to see Brad, like a shag-on-a-rock , looking self-indulgently hurt. he may end up with "sleeping partners" but few friends...... That I can get so riled up about someone who doesn't exist outside my laptop does imply the writer knows his stuff..... something that's not exactly breaking news ok, , having put up with my drivel, you can now move on with your version!!!!

Bliss!!! what a wonderful surprise for a monday morning! though I fear a serious rat's nest......... at least he has found another "useful tool".....

Mark M, There is a lovely innocence about your posts that is quite endearing!

drop it, Rover, drop it......

great chapter. for complex domestic reasons I had to read this chapter in two parts - initailly I read to the shower scene, then this morning I read the rest - it is amazing how Mark develops and then turns around a scene. That said Robbie does try my patience; narcisistic self-serving twerp. amazing how good writing can actually produce such emotions........

i'm happy to get a hell of a lot more pathetic than "come on Mr Arbour...plueeez"....... dearest Mark , I will leave it to your imagination to work out how pathetic I am prepared to be........

well Mark, , I think you really proved yourself this time (as if it were necesary), I found myself screaming "No!" at the computer at the Matt/Brad car scene , this followed by a sense of relief at "we can't do this can we" way more than palpable....... congrats on getting me so worked up..... As for Robie's whining; you'd think that he would have worked out that this doesn't get him anywhere, ever, with anyone. Either his level of self-knowledge is non-exsistant or the whining is so ingrained that he doesn't know he does it unless he is told - every time. You'd think that a Hollywood-type of his stature would have some smarts..... perhaps that assumption on my part is a product on knowing almost no Hollywood types????

???? don't understand the "here we go again" comment..... is there some discussion I missed? and I think you misunderstand, my comment was about a previous comment. As far as I am concerned the sex can be for any and all the reasons people have sex. the "purposeful" in my comment referred to the story, not the reason(s) people have sex......

it's ok here in australia we have "socialised medicine" so the bill is not the problem... on the other hand his inability to treat my lack-of-grainger symptoms is proving troublesome...... only one person can do that...... and he knows who he is...... <sigh>

while I think MMike69'c comment re sex scenes was ironic, I agree with Bob1010 that in a story (as opposed to real life) sex for sex's sake is rarely satifsying, and Mark is ablways able to make the sex purposeful and interesting. I loved his secretary's comment that she has been "a very naughty girl" - frankly Mark you give me your credit card and I'll be just as naughty - what's more I would even let you punish me..... you could even put on your Grainger voice.... Grainger? did I mention Grainger.... how wicked......