AFriendlyFace

wha, me? Naw I've been here all along. ***casually throws Chey a frisbee while he tries to hide his monopoly money*** There ya go! I was essentially going to say the same thing, but Nick beat me to it, and said it much more succinctly. In fact when I read that part of the story I liked Seth alot MORE. Because it shows what a good person he is. Dependable, loyal, and of good conscience. And Nick's right, there's lots of ways Aaron could get his keys back (like waiting until the person who has them is also drunk and then simply asking). There's other danger he could be in as well. I've been drunk at my fair share of parties, but usually with lots of dependable friends to "babysit" me (not saying it was right), Aaron doesn't have that. I don't get the impression he's particularly close with these people, and chances are they don't really care about him that much. That means if he starts talking trash to the wrong person, no one has his back. If he passes out in his own vomit, no one's going to say "has anyone seen Aaron?" and discover the problem. No one's holding his hand to keep him from strumbling out into the street etc. The right thing is definitely for Seth to go and get him. It's unfair and sucky, and Seth (and Rory) don't deserve it, but it's still the right thing. It's like if you find someone bleeding on your front stoop you don't just step over them and say "sorry I was on my way out, but hey I didn't stab you". Seth is a "rescuer", but I think that's a good thing. And anyone notice how much rescuing Rory needs? If he did that would be incredibly hypocritical. To state the obvious example in the chapter, Rory left Seth alone to go "grind" with Luke. I mean ok I'm thinking that was the right thing to do, but then I'm thinking this was too. Also it's not like Rory's even got any room to talk about someone still being involved with Aaron. Let's not forget that a few short chapters ago Rory was literally ditching Seth to go to talk to Aaron, and his motives weren't half as reasonable (or noble) as Seth's are. Welcome Sparrow! That's an interesting theory, and if it proves correct excellent job picking up that little clue! But no personally I didn't think that at all. I mean I think it'd be kinda distracting/upsetting to be called a liar in that situation regardless. My personal opinion is that Seth started to worry that maybe they were going to fast or something, and that Rory was feeling pressured. Now that is a good point! I hadn't thought of that, but it makes alot of sense to me. Perhaps Luke was trying to convince himself that Rory was unattainable all along..... Also I'm glad you brought up the point about Seth being jealous/observant about Luke and Rory. I think we're all forgetting that first time Seth and Rory were in the pool together when Luke showed up and "acted creepy" as alot of people described it. Seth ran out of there, and he seemed to be aware that Luke was jealous. Seth had also made a remark earlier about Luke and Rory. Assuming Luke is crushing on Rory, I think it's safe to assume that while Rory is completely oblivious to this fact, Seth is not. Anyway have an awesome day everyone and take care! Kevin

I see Luke more as a top actually.

Good you're in for a treat then. My personal favorite is TLW, but TOU is also really good, and don't miss his two short stories

Well I'm not exactly disinclined to agree with you either. I stated all my opinions about it in the forum in the thread about it, but yeah I didn't really "like" it so much as I found it interesting. And yes I did cry a little, but really not that much, and considering I'll cry for almost any sad movie or book, that isn't such an accomplishment.

Wow this was quite a chapter! So I'm really confused on who Luke likes too. I can't believe I'm seriously entertaining the thought that it might be Dave, when all along I'd given Luke more credit than to fall for a straight guy. BUT now that he said all that stuff about how his issues with his dad and Aaron were leading him to fall for "unobtainable guys".....well it seems alot more likely. It's also impossible to tell based on that whether or not he meant Dave or Rory. Both are fairly "unobtainable". Also we can't necessarily read too much into the "who'll never leave me" line. Sure I thought the same thing about Rory leaving, but he could have simply meant it in the regular, "we're dating and I don't want him to leave me" sorta way. Also Luke's response to Rory's statement about kicking some sense into the guy. Well if it's Dave, Luke's got every reason to believe he's the one Rory would "kick some sense into", since Dave's straight. And if it's Rory, well again Rory would be trying to reason with Luke and be like "uhh,,,,,Seth ". AND if you think back to how Aaron was talking about the way Luke would do anything to make his friends happy.....There's still no way to tell if he's sucking it up and being so supportive of Seth and Rory, OR if he's sucking it up and being supportive of Angela and Dave. The whole thing is really delightfully open-ended right now. I thought it was so great and funny when Rory cut in on Mary and Luke and started dancing with Luke. I definitely think Seth and Rory need to have a little chat about jealousy and trust. Oh and Seth and Luke have got to be two of the greatest guys in the world! I mean look at how teriffic they are! I liked that observation about Grandma Alice maybe remodeling because she's about to sell her house. It's much nicer than my theory about her using that as an excuse for "being tired" when in actuality it's because she's sick. It would of course also eliminate one of Rory's conflicts if she were planning to move to Arizona. Did anyone else notice this was the first chapter Rory officially referred to Seth as "his boyfriend"? Also, I'm probably reading too much into it, but at a few points Meg seemed almost genuinely homophobic to me. Probably not though. Anyway a little observation from this chapter: Anyone else notice the Fisher family is a little preoccupied with making sure everyone (especially Rory) is well-hydrated? If you look back over the chapters it definitely seems to be a theme. Of course it's realistic. It also makes sense that Seth would have learned this from his family. It reminds me of "My New Brother". In that story Mrs. Johnson was constantly offering people tea. Kinda like "oh my gosh this is horrible.....I'll make tea!" I think it's awesome, and captures the way many people behave in everyday (and crisis) situations. Nice touch. Anyway I loved the chapter and am eagerly awaiting the next. Take care and have a great day all! Kevin

If I read something billed as a "non-fiction Memoir" and found out that it was embellished in the ways described, Yes I would feel, lied too, cheated whatever. But if it simply said "based on a true story" I wouldn't. It also depends on the subject matter and the target audience. I don't think it's right to write a book about your struggles with drug addiction, and then fabricate/amplify the problems. I mean that makes people think that "if he can overcome it, so can I!". Which MIGHT be a good thing, OR it might not. It may be that they lose the will to try at all when they find out it wasn't true. Or they may go on believing it, and hate themselves for not being able to beat something without going into rehab, or without seeking counseling or something when "the author could do it". The basic problem, IMO, is that when writing that type of book you're either giving people "false hope" or encouraging them to hold themselves to "phony standards". There's just too much potential for harm. Now if he billed it as a "non-fiction memoir", and then wrote about his life in general and added a few details. Making up meeting famous people he never met, or doing exciting things that never happened. Well I wouldn't like that if I found out, but I wouldn't really care. He was just making the story more interesting, and reading about how someone else "found an Ancient Egyptian ring at the bottom of one of those fun-ball things at Chucky Cheese" isn't going to make me go look for one. So in summation I'd say it depends on how the author classifies his work (non-fiction, based on a true story, etc.), and of equal importance the subject matter, and the target audience. Having read your description of what happened, I'd say the guy was out of line. Since he didn't seem to allow for the possibility that his work was "embellished" when he relesed it, since he delt with a potentially vulnerable targe audience (people who might desperately be looking for hope), and since he wrote about serious matters (drug addiction). Anyway all just my opinion. Have an awesome day everyone and take care, Kevin

wow! Now THIS was when I was least expecting it! ***Sigh*** I guess I'll just HAVE to have a piece of chocolate cake while I read it

Welcome Jas! It's great to have you here! Just curious but how'd you pick on "air traffic controler" as the job you didn't really want but would pay well? Seems very high stress. Anyway personally I say pick a job that makes you happy, but of course it isn't any of my business. At least pick a few good hobbies that make you happy Good luck with you dad, I wish you the very best. Take care, dude, and have an awesome day! Kevin

Thanks Aaron, I was unaware of that. I checked ou the Tears for Fears version, and honestly I didn't like it nearly as much. Probably because most people like the "original" better (first version they hear), and in my case the other is the "original" to me. I guess people just get used to something one way. Anyway not only that but while the Tears for Fears version is good, I find the other one to have a much sadder tone, which I think is appropriate for the song. Also I quite like those two quotes. One of my little jokes is to say: A fool and his money are soon par....Hey were's my wallet? hehehe I tend to be cheesy like that. I like those two. The first one is very true. Many people tend to say "well I'm sorry, but....." and then try to justify whatever they did. hehehe it's no more "right" but it actually works much better if you do the excuse/justification first, then move on to the contrite, sincere apology LOL as for the 2nd one, I just love the cynicism

Welcome Feral! Well I'm game for using a new criterion to measure newness. Actually to be honest I still consider myself fairly "new" here, I mean six months isn't THAT long. I'm just a tad loquacious and thus tend to post quite a bit. Anyway I had always hoped for Rory/Luke, but the Rory/Seth thing is just going so well I'm not so sure anymore. I mean I'd hate to see Seth get hurt. But if somehow Seth and Rory suddenly realized "it could never be", and neither one of them got hurt and they remained friends, then I'd LOVE for Rory and Luke to get together. Anyway I hope you like it here, and if you ever need a brownie sundae or anything don't hesistate to ask me By the way I love you signature lol. Take care, Kevin

I realized JAVA must have meant Jase after Vic's comment, but actually I was thinking he meant Jason Cross. But then I think Sean Hayes might be a tad old to pull off a 16 year old.

HMmmm, it seems like a bad idea to me to make Luke and Rory "cheaters". I mean I'd lose my respect for them, but I guess I would keep reading, so maybe it would work.

Thanks Michael, You're right I am going to take it easy on the running for awhile. Actually when she made that remark I was technically her supervisor. Also I'm not "out" to her anyway. So while she is very blunt, and probably would state her opinion if asked; I doubt she would have volunteered that comment had she known. Besides that I was ticked off, but I didn't feel at all threatened or harassed. As for the gossip.....well that's just gossip, and the truth is pretty much EVERYONE there would be fired if it came to gossip. Anyway it isn't really my work situation that's unpleasent. I've been having quite a bit of fun in fact. I'm just concerned about Coressa, but she's looking for another job anyway. Actually I don't at all mind "breeders kissing". For one thing I think it's sweet when any two people who are in love kiss. And I'm a little bisexual anyway, so there's really nothing I find disgusting at all about a guy and a girl or two girls (though again I think it's sweeter if their in love ). As one final bit of irony (which I really do hope I'm wrong about), I personally think her fianc

Thanks Zot, I'm sure you're right, "open relationships" and "poly arrangements" probably can work. I just don't personally want to be in one, and have a little trouble understanding them. But of course I should mind my own business and let people be. I'm glad for you pulling it off for 21 years . I hope your relationship continues to be happy and healthy. And you're right it does seem that overall people have lowered their standards, it is sad . Anyway thanks, and have an awesome day! Kevin

Thanks Eric, I appreciate the advice. And I think you're right too. I did a little research and the consenses seems to be that I do need to take it easy until I've recovered, and then change the habits which got me there in the first place. Which sucks since I was just getting to where I could run a pretty good distance at a clip. I suppose I shouldn't have been running on cement though, and I guess my shoes weren't that great. Anyway thanks again, and I will cut out the running for awhile (I may still try to get in some light walking though). Anyway have an awesome day and thanks! Kevin

Was it really when you were "least" expecting it? I was least expecting it about an hour after I finished 28 Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that Jota. That's awful. I hope you guys can spend alot of quality time together, and also if possible don't lose hope, you never know, perhaps he'll be fine. If you need anything please let us know, and please feel free to PM me. Take care of yourself, and I'll keep you guys in my thoughts and prayers. LOL first off way to go on those nuts! secondly, I think Luke's too much of a "gentleman" to try anything like that when he knows Rory's already in a relationship. LOL I'm finding more qualities I share with Luke:

So today sucked! Let's see where to begin? Well first off I text messaged, then eventually called and old (very dear) friend of mine, Claire. I could write pages on end about the complicated, but awesome sorta past we've had, but to get to the subject at hand; she broke up with her girlfriend, Mary. They'd been dating about two years now too. And actually they were one of those examples of "a happy gay couple I knew in real life". I dunno after hearing all about it, I guess it's for the best. But the thing is it's still really complicated. See my friend is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. So basically the entire time they were going out, she was supporting Mary, she paid all the bills etc. Well when they broke up, she basically just went ahead and let her stay. Then to top it all off, she moved, and Mary moved with her. I mean I guess it isn't really any of my business, but they're broken up, I get that they're still really close, and that's awesome, but I think the least she can do now is start pulling her own weight. I don't know though, I guess if I put myself in her shoes.....I'd have trouble kicking out an ex too, especially if he didn't have anywhere to go, and we hadn't broken up badly (apparently their break up wasn't that messy). But I do think I'd have said something along the lines of "OK so now that we're not together, you can stay till you find a job and a place to live, but then you're on your own, just let me know if you need help". Well anyway the story doesn't end there. Mary's ex girlfriend Pam (from before Claire), is apparently moving back to the state. And planing to move in with them! Pam is in love with Claire it seems, and while Claire likes her as a person, she's doesn't feel that way (Plus, obviously that'd be complicated). Well Mary now wants Claire back, and Claire thinks it's because she's worried/jealous about something happening with Pam and Claire. Pam's solution to all this is what really depressed me about humanity. "why don't we all be together?" Some kinda three way relationship or something. I shouldn't criticize I know, but a monogamous (two person) relationship, is a value I hold rather dear. Anyway Claire, rightly, pointed out that was crazy and there's no way she'd go in for that (go Claire!). It just upset me that that was a real "viable alternative" or whatever. And it also upsets me because I feel Claire's totally getting the shaft here, and she's one of my all time favorite people. Then I'm also upset because they pretty much were the last "successful" gay couple I knew, so I guess I'm disillusioned. I guess it doesn't have anything to do with being gay anyway. Straight couples face problems with cheating and lack of commitment too.....but uh...that really doesn't make me feel any better. I mean monogamy does exist right?? Actually I still know of a few successful cases firsthand (in the straight community). Anyway moving right along. Something's wrong with my knee and I don't know why or what. It just hurts to touch it, but I can't see a bruise. My shins are killing me, I think I'm developing "shin splints". And this morning, Lucky was running along side of me, so I had to walk closer to the wall than I wanted to, to avoid stepping on her, and I scrapped my toe against the corner part of the wall. So yeah my legs aren't doing so well right now. I get plenty of sleep, but still had a really tough time getting out of bed. I almost just skipped my class, but instead I rushed and made it last minute. Then I got to work and everything just went down hill from there (note the saracasm). When this semester started, I transferred to a different location. Well today the owner tells me he's decided to promote Kim to manager (the position vacated by my transfer). This sucks because Kim's the one I had the complicated, conflicted relationship with at work. And like the last week I was there, she thoroughly ticked me off with a homophobic remark. Someone was talking about a movie (no not Brokeback) and It was something like "As long as there's no gay stuff, it's so nasty when guys kiss". Of course we already weren't getting along that great, but that didn't help. So then I find out that my remaining close friend over there, Coressa, is having a really tough time with Kim. We were good friends, and I suspect alot of this is, at least indirectly my fault. Plus she told me Kim's been talking about how nice it is that I'm gone, which in all fairness I'm really happy about not working with her anymore too, but still. Anyway the worst part is that the owner is more or less on Kim's side, and there's no one to stick up for Coressa. I tried to put a good word in for her, but there's very little I can do not being directly involved anymore. So anyway I think this is bothering me the most, because I feel all sorts of guilt and responsibility about this, which I could, and maybe eventually will explain, but I don't have time right now. No right now I must go sit through the most boring class I have this semester. Oh yeah I'm running late too

LOLOL Zarcie, I guess a fellow user always does know. MMMMMM Chocolate ganache! And WOW that's so awesome working in a chocolate shop. It's like a childhood (OK maybe adulthood) fantasy come true! LOL have an awesome day and take care! Kevin

LOL Nick, Actually I've never seen Half Baked. It's one of those movies I've always meant to but never have (like Dumb and Dumber). LOL but that does sound like a good description. Anyway have an awesome day and take care! Kevin

HMMMM **makes a mental note** Have an awesome day and take care, Libbonobo Kevin

Thanks Kitty! LOL it's a relief to know I'm not alone. ***checks his schedule for days he can attend group therapy*** HMMM "just Nuts" huh? I'll have to look into that! Have an awesome day and take care Kevin

I most certianly will Shadows! That's two of my favorite things: chocolate and nuts! In the same package!? JOY! LOL I agree James! Chocolate + Nuts = MMMMMM. Anyway have an awesome day and take care! Kevin

Hey Shadows, Thanks I'm really glad you liked it. And you're right it is much easier to give something up for a predetermined amount of time. In fact Lent will probably be my next serious attempt lol. So were you able to resist those chocolate nuts? Anyway have an awesome day! Kevin

Hey Viv! That was really awesome of Rich, I'm glad for you. I bet that really made you feel better after all the stress with your daughter, and the worry at the Scouts. Anyway as far as ideas go. Well I pretty much like all that stuff you mentioned too. And I initially thought, Psychology. Maybe for you specifically, child or family psychology? But then again I eventually decided to change over to writing ....so I may not be the best one to go to for advice. I could definitely see you doing any of those things you mentioned, especially high school counselor. Anyway I'm sure you'll figure it out. I can't wait till the next chapter of your story comes out, I really love it. Have a terrific day and take care! Kevin

LOL you really shouldn't get me started on quotes. Here's a few that come to mind quickly: "Hope for the best, but expect the worst" ~ (I'm convinced I came up with independently, but apparently Mel Brooks got credit first ) I always like the one in my signature: Resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die" ~unknown Here's two I recently read, that I thought were amusing: "I am not a Marxist!" ~Karl Marx (it seems that by the end of his life, in his opinion, his original idealogy had become perverted by his followers) Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest ~Denis Diderot (a little gory for my taste, and I hate neither monarchy nor religion that much, but I still like the quote) Here's a few from songs I quite like: Which mask will you wear today? How 'bout the one with the pretty smile? To you it's just another day, in a life you haven't lived in quite a while." ~Just another name by Lifehouse "and I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad, that dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had" ~Mad world by Gary Jules (from the Donnie Darko soundtrack) "I was drowning in a wave of ectasy tsu tsu tsunami" ~Tsunami by Prozzak (no disrespect meant to victims of the recent Tsunami, the song is much older and "tsunami" is actually a person, which of course adds considerably to wit of the song) "I'm through with these pill that make me sit stil" ~Everything is alright by Motion City Soundtrack (sorry I like this whole chunk of song alot, and it's better taken as a whole anyway) I used my magic age as if it were a wand And never saw the waste and emptiness beyond The game of love I played with arrogance and pride And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died The friends I made all seemed somehow to drift away And only I am left on stage to end the play There are so many songs in me that won't be sung I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue The time has come for me to pay for yesterday when I was young ~Yesterday When I Was Young written by Charles Aznavour (there's like a million covers, I personally like Eddie Arnold's the best, but Roy Clark's seems to be considered the "definitive", Shriley Bassey also had a good version.) "[Here's] to sodomy, it's between God and me" ~La vie Boheme from the Rent soundtrack My anaconda don't want none Unless you've got buns, hun ~Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot And here's a couple I made up myself awhile back: "Reality is one of the last things I want to be in touch with." ~Me "I "fell" asleep once, was horrible, I couldn't get up for like eight hours!" ~Me