rustle

allium

You already have my take on things, before posting, but I want to see you blush. It would be tough to name a more sympathetic character than Gibby, but you didn't make him saccharine. You made him noble and loyal, trying to pick up a life of shattered dreams. I wanted to take him home with me. Tanner was another story - just another golden god who actually turned out nicer than I'd ever expect - accepting, non-judgmental, and loyal, even to Amanda. Shelby, in the epilogue, made me hurt, because I felt the depth of her pain. The epilogue added great depth to a story that otherwise would have had a storybook ending, and you handled it very well. Plot lines have always been a strong point for you, and this story is no different. Your characters have come a long way, though, and I'm glad you pump up the narrative more. It makes the work more enjoyable. The one bit of narrative that I found coolest was the bit of fluff floating through the house at the beginning. It reminded me of the credits for Forrest Gump. It slowed the pace and distracted the reader for just the right amount of time. When you first sent me the piece, you asked me about explicit sex scenes, and said you didn't feel right about them with this story. That was a great call. It's still intimate, but not TMI. There's an innocence about the whole piece that could have gone somewhere else. I'm sorry this story came to an end. I'll miss the characters. They've become real to me. But at least I can stop sniffling now. One of the things I like most about working with you is that you listen to suggestions, but you follow your instincts. No matter whether you take a suggestion or not, the work is unmistakably yours. And, damn! I like it.

Damn! Me and my big mouth!

For somebody totally not my type, damn, he's cute. Did you see the very first photo they got back?

There's a time and place for every sexual act. Yang, my place! NOW! *That was a joke. Young guys are great eye candy, but that's as far as it's gonna go.* Seriously, I treat sex as a negotiation with a willing partner. Who's in the mood for what? If he won't pick his head off the pillow to kiss me, I'll lower mine to kiss him. If he wants to flip me over tonight, tomorrow he may want me to tie him down. Either of us can say no at any time. After all these years, I've never done anything sexual that wasn't enjoyable. No, wait, that's not true. It's no fun to play with somebody with a fixed idea of their "role."

How often do you bathe your dog?

Do sock puppets like hand jobs?

Year in, year out, I sleep in the raw. It caused a stir once when I was camping and, unknown to us, a church group had set up camp next to us overnight. I got up to relieve myself and, well, I'm responsible for one of those sasquatch sightings in the Angelina National Forest.

Regarding Alexander the Great, we can flesh out the stories a little. Alexander stated that he didn't like having sex with a woman because it reminded him of his own mortality, and how closely related pain and pleasure are.

Maybe being Borg isn't so bad, hmm?

Matt, I grew up in TX, and I can't stand it, either. Camp Mabry posted a high of 109 Wednesday.

Waking up to the dawn chorus by a mountain lake, with the smell of fresh coffee. A 10-mile hike, followed by lunch cooked over an open fire. Whiling away the afternoon with a carving knife and walking stick. Mole poblano and sunset, with a bottle of Jameson's. Finding there really IS room for two in the sleeping bag. Same Question.

Bad hairstyle - a guy has dreads, about 8" long, mashed into a bun with half of the ends sticking out, and a chopstick stuck in the middle. I've seen better-looking rats' nests. It took work. Oh, and I'm still looking for somebody to cut my hair. Until then, I'll go to a chain. a #5 cut, in silver

That would be my single-blade pocket knife.

Thanks for the flashback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrFCwvlw0cs&feature=related

All hail Yang, Provider of the Ludicrous!

Since the fire, I've lived in a rent house, dependent on and arguing with the insurance company every week. Every day, I find myself reaching for something, only to realize the thing I'm looking for doesn't exist any more. A quilt my mom made, a tool that was my dad's, a reference book. Being unable to move on. same question

Fair enough. Point of clarification: I want neither myself nor another to shed any clothes or touch each other beyond a handshake or brief hug if either of us is currently in a relationship in which he or she is doing so with another, or can be presumed to be doing so with another, as in married, engaged, or either party believes it's a monogamous relationship. Intellectual or emotional relationships are not cheating, in my opinion. No one person can be all things to his or her partner. Being in the closet or out doesn't make any difference in my mind. If you have a woman or man at home, and you bring home an STD, it doesn't matter who you caught it from; it's still an STD in what was believed to be a monogamous relationship. Having said that, if everybody knows, and everybody's ok with it, have fun. Knowingly having an open relationship isn't the same as hiding it from your partner. Edit to add: If it's not me or mine, I try not to judge. That's not my responsibility, so I don't want the burden.

Congratulations and all the best, Bob! I hope it's a wonderful day for you!

"A relationship born of betrayal is doomed from the outset." Aside from that, I would not knowingly have sex with someone in an active relationship. There've been opportunities. Separated, divorcing, it doesn't matter. I want more than that for myself.

That's not strictly true. I listen to an awful lot of new music, since I live in a college town, and turn on the radio all teh time when I'm driving. I don't like to listen to much old music because I crave something different. Therer's a lot of great music being made, but I haven't heard ANYTHING from ANY boy band that I liked. I stopped listening to classical music many years ago becuase it's boring to hear the same music all the time. For the same reason, I got rid of my 70's vinyl. But coming from a musical family, and being educated in performing arts, if it's not well-written and well-played, or too sophomoric, it won't catch my ear.

It's really cool, KC, but why do I feel like I've read it before?

A lot of performers today, including most boy bands, are just good enough at music, just good enough at dancing, and just good enough looking to stay in the public eye. But, they're not good enough at any of that to catch my eye, my ear, or my imagination. I hear 'em on the radio, and want to change the channel. I watch performance footage, or watch a vid, and think their moves are stale. Then I'll catch a piece of an interview, and, well, find them uninspiring. In my mind, I hear Officer Barbrady's voice from South Park, intoning, "Move along. Nothing to see here. Not a single thingy-dingy." But not everybody likes the same things I do, either.

Dad teaching me to play chess. I was 4. keep it going