AFriendlyFace

Awesome job, Mike!! What can I say that I haven't already said to you about the story? It was definitely extremely compelling, evocative, and powerful! I love the way you present Logan and Jonah's relationship and break up and I think you also did an amazing job characterizing Tom without spending too much time diverting the focus from Logan and Jonah! It's a wonderful story and very well done! Amazing job -Kevin

Oh my gosh, this was awesome!! I really loved it! It was amazing how you subtly led the reader down the path to realizing something horrible was going on all the way back to thinking everything was okay. Is everything really okay or did Dean sense that Andy was suspicious, work out the likely cause, and come up with a reason to explain it away? Could he be hoping to surprise Andy by killing him as Andy reads the end? I'm probably being morbid, but the diary was so realistic and so much of his 'real world' was present that it's a little iffy in my opinion. Regardless this was a wonderful story and I love all the subtle foreshadowing and brilliant details you add! Awesome job! -Kevin

Great story Graeme! This led me to ponder whether or not the fire was Mike's fault. It sounded like it might have been his camp that the description referenced. Which would 'balance' the story in terms of culpability since Brian was largely (at least indirectly) responsible for Mike's injuries, it would perhaps be fitting if Mike were the one responsible for the fire. I must say I'm usually pretty up on Australian, British, and Canadian terms (at least for an American), but this was a new one on me! Is it essentially a canteen? Haha, well at least it beats, "Dude! You can't possibly get up, so you'd might as well lay there." I felt like a really learned something about survival from this story too! Well done Graeme! My skills in this area are lacking and Mike's lucky he didn't have his accident around me. I can barely swim (in fact it's charitable to describe my floundering in the water as 'swimming' at all), so I couldn't have pulled him out. I have/had no idea how to properly do mouth to mouth (wouldn't have remembered to check the airways or pinch the nose, though both sound familiar now that I hear it again), and I'd have been utterly clueless about making a splint. LOL, my approach would likely have been to look for a big branch to fish him out with, and in the unlikely event that that worked I'd have probably just hugged him or something hoping he came to. **makes mental note to look up info on basic survival skills** Anyway, like I said, great story -Kevin

That was indeed a very good and fascinating story! Awesome Job, Corvus! I think that for some reason this was my favourite paragraph:

I noticed that too! And that, lol Very informative, CJ! Much of that was new or forgotten information for me, so I'm pleased to broaden my knowledge! Good Job Kevin

Good point, Graeme! What has me curious is whether or not Nakul's father is on the level with wanting to reconcile or whether he just wants to get Karan and Varun to reveal his son's location! Personally I still do not trust the man! Good story, Beasty -Kevin

Wow Beasty! I liked that story, it was very realistic and offered me a glimpse into a situation I'm personally unfamiliar with. How moving that it's actually based on a true story! Of course that makes it both all the sadder, and all the more poignant and beautiful that it worked out in the end and that Karan found a boyfriend and people to support him! Great job! With that said, I'm going to go read the next story in the world of these characters! -Kevin

Well I'd certainly like to visit Canada!

Creep - Radiohead

Sorry, this is going to sound callus: THANK GOD ROB DUMPED SAM! The little jerk had it coming. I was so irritated and disappointed in him when it looked like he was just going to let it all slide. It's good to be forgiving, but come on, have a little self-respect. Thank goodness he wised up. (It seemed like) He deserves better than someone who'll throw away his love and trust every time his ex rolls around. Jonah was mean and selfish...but Sam was mean, selfish AND STUPID so I don't feel particularly sorry for him. Again I know this sounds harsh, but in my opinion, if you let people manipulate you like that, and betray someone who really does love you (purposely and without regard to his feelings), you get what you deserve. Just my thoughts, Kevin

"Rockstar" - Nickelback

What's really twisted, and something I've often read about, is when women get sown back up tighter for their husbands I think people should do whatever it is they decide they want/need to do as long as it doesn't adversely impact anyone else. As such if that's how they wanna roll then good for them. Personally I'm against the idea, but it isn't really any of my business. The whole concept of 'virginity' as evidenced by the hymen is a little shaky anyway. Some women's break on their own through other activities (activities not necessarily sexual either). On the other hand, some women's are less inclined to break and can do things you wouldn't expect and remain 'in tact'. So really the whole notion is stupid and unfair in my personal opinion. But of course they don't consult me on these things -Kevin

LOL, you know you're making us really curious now! As I recall, over the years there's been several couples that got together (and a few that got apart again) through GA. Although that's for them to disclose if they want to, not for me to gossip about. Personally speaking I've met quite a few people I really care about a lot here Haven't found romantic love here, but then I wasn't really looking for it either. It's always nice to see others who have found it though Take care all, Kevin

I remember this from Jamie's blog I think. It is good advice

Hey Jamie, I shall be careful with my words because I think you need to be in the place you are right now and the last thing I want to do is make it any worse. I would like to point out a couple of things though that are my opinion and life experiences: Unfortunately that's really the only evidence that matters in the first place. Without memory and emotion things are just things. You can get rid of something that reminds you of him, and that may even help a bit, but just look at the word 'reminds'. The object itself holds no objective significance about you, him, or your relationship with him. It only reminds you of him, and as long as he's in your memory and heart all your doing is trying to 'hide' him or shove him to the side. Personally speaking I like to keep things 'to remember someone by', but I only like to keep the happy things, because happy times are always worth remembering. I've done my share of ridding myself of objects that hold exclusively negative memories, but really those are few and far between. Why let the bad times pollute the good? You might say it's unavoidable, but personally (or perhaps just for me I'll concede) I don't think it is. I want to remember the time I cuddled on the couch with my ex boyfriend for hours, making out and talking. It was nice. It was a happy time. It didn't work out between us, but that doesn't poison the happy memory. This I would disagree with most of all. I've developed VERY close friendships with people from several different, distant geographic areas. I still love them and I still consider them among my closest friends. Often I only talk to them one the phone for a few minutes once or twice a month. Actually that's an overestimate. Sometimes it's two or three months, or longer, without communication shared between us, but there have been times in our lives, mine and theirs, when we've needed each other and we've been there. Sometimes driving long distances because we were physically needed for a hug or just the comfort of presence, sometimes talking on the phone for many hours each day for several days. Whatever it was I've often experienced needing them and turning to them, and I've often dropped what I was doing to be there for them when I suddenly hear from them out the blue. Friends don't have to be proximally close, they don't even have to be frequent communicators; they just have to be people who mutually care about each other and will 'be there' as needed for each other. How very beautifully and powerfully put. Unfortunately I'm not sure if you can ever count on that. For my part I can't think of a single person I know whom I would recognize and not react to. Off-hand I can't think of anyone I would at least smile and nod with; however, I can imagine not wanting to see someone and trying to avoid them, or force myself not to acknowledge them, but either way they still have an affect on me. I can't imagine thinking 'or I know this person' and then neither looking away nor toward them. I can't imagine merely looking straight forward because it honestly doesn't occur to me to give them acknowledgment as opposed to forcing myself to do that because I know it's for the best for one/both of us. Perhaps we mightn't acknowledge each other for this reason, but I don't think that indicates that the person is insignificant; indeed I think it acknowledges that the person is so significant you must act in a very deliberate, conscious way. Again, the only remedy would be to not recognizing the person; the only remedy would be to truly forget. If there's one thing I've never been able to do it is to forget something on command. There is much in my life that I've forgotten, but I don't remember it. Anyway, I'm proud of you for making the decision to move on and for holding together. As I said, I'm sure you need to go be where you are right now, so I don't mean to question, and certainly not to criticise, your stance. Only to give you more to think about. You're an amazing and beautiful person, Jamie, and I know you'll be just fine. -Kevin

LOL, thanks guys. My break was quite long, over two hours (it was a full class, plus lunch so about 2hours 15 min), and I was TRYING to leave early so that I'd have time to stop somewhere and eat lunch and still get back in plenty of time. Needless to say that other stuff didn't happen, but at least I made it

Good for him!

Great pic, dude I have the same problem, Jamie! My eyes are a vivid blue, but they always look dark, or red, in photos

I think we should do it in New York! Mostly because I want to go to New York anyway...on the other hand I didn't even make it when it was only one large city away, so halfway across the country might not bode well for my attendance either

Yep, she ran off and left me with only a handful of one and two syllable (except for that one) words until she gets back Thus, to my readers out there, expect Aaron to speak alot of Cavemanese in the next chapter As am I! It must be a an ironic joke of mother nature's to throw out gay boys when a family/blood line is about to end Personally speaking I think a gay child is slightly better off being raised with gay adoptive/foster parents (assuming these parents are safe, respectable, competent individuals, but then one hopes this about ALL adoptive/foster parents). I know that may be a controversial statement, and I in no way mean to imply that straight adoptive/foster parents couldn't do an excellent job raising a gay child as well, and of course in an ideal world there would be no need for adoptive/foster parents in the first place and everyone would live happily ever after regardless of parent or child's orientation, but of course we don't live in that world, and I do think that, on average (as I said, not barring exceptional straight parents by any means or assuming any gay jerk would do well), a gay foster/adoptive parent might have extra skills, insights, and experiences that would benefit a gay child. Personally speaking while I'll love and be happy with any child, I would like to have a gay or lesbian one. If it's possible for me to purposely adopt one I probably will. Well I don't think this question is off-topic since it deals with adoptions laws. Why would need to adopt him after he turns 18? Just for various legal reasons regarding estate, inheritance, and/or next of kin? I was only vaguely aware that it was even possible to adopt someone of majority age (I think I knew that, but I could have been convinced otherwise pretty easily). Forgive my ignorance, but adoption laws aren't my area of knowledge at all. Take care all and have a great day Kevin

Miser - Zombie (I really like this new version!)

My gosh! I thought myself well-versed in safe sex procedures and tools, but I have to say I'm also learning about spray on condoms for the first time as well! Like Tim I'd be pretty reluctant to try these. I'd like to try them just as a lark, but of course since safe sex isn't something I do for fun (well I mean it is, but not the SAFE part of it; I'm serious about that ). So the only way I'd try these would probably be if I were in a really serious, long-term, monogamous relationship with someone I trusted. Which of course in many ways defeats the purpose of these since I'm assuming they're not meant to be a novelty. Perhaps it's just that I don't know much about them, proper procedure, or efficacy. Well said, Gary!

Woo Hoo!! That's awesome, Tim! I'm so excited for you! It definitely sounds like everything is starting to fall into place! -Kevin

I actually didn't know that either, Jamie, thank you

Matchbox 20 - Disease