Dodger

I love reading your comments, Steve, particularly the really long ones. You always make some good points and this comment is filled with them. Don uses his church to justify his homophobia and I know people in real life who do the same. There are still plenty of religions that don't recognise or accept gay people and they're not all cults. As you point out, being labelled a racist can have serious consequences, especially for someone who works in advertising. The church won't be able to help him with this one and I doubt if the chief of police will want to get involved either. Sue has had a difficult time, caught between her husband and Robbie while trying to keep the family together. She's had a lot of pressure from Don and according to Robbie, she hasn't always done the right thing. I don't think there's anyone who Robbie couldn't find fault with or feel aggrieved by in some way. He's a difficult and demanding teenager who enjoys confrontation and is very adept at playing the victim. I think Sue has done reasonably well under the circumstances and has generally stood up for Robbie. She has certainly shown she loves him. Recently her actions suggest she may have given up on Don and is no longer trying to save her marriage. Ginny is a dark horse. Not much is known about her but we do know she has had a terrible childhood and suffers from serious depression. She's attempted suicide in the past and this is the reason why she is seeing Jo. If she's selling narcotics, she would have to hide this from Jo, which probably wouldn't be easy when you consider how she operates. She knows absolutely everything about Robbie so it's safe to assume she's the same with Ginny. I'm not sure if Ginny is together enough to be able to keep it a secret. No comment on the teenage dad thing but there are a lot of possibilities there. Everything will fall into place before the story officially finishes in October (Canadian Thanksgiving).

Thanks @wenmale64 Don is behaving exactly as everybody expects him to behave. He may be clever, but he's not very smart. If he chooses to denounce Daniel's girlfriend on the basis of race, he'll be making a big mistake, but Daniel's probably already aware of his dad's racist nature. Next chapter is this weekend.

Robbie believes his brother is already aware of Don's dislike of anyone slightly different, but it's not an easy conversation to have. It was Nicola who told Don, so maybe she should be the one to warn her brother. I think Robbie is the only person that Daniel could tell his story to. He knows Robbie won't judge him and trusts him not to tell anyone, especially Nathan. It would be difficult for him to tell any of his straight friends. We've come to expect this kind of thing from Don. Sorry about the cliffhanger.

Yeah, the nice local girl line is a definite giveaway, along with 'they have different customs and beliefs'. On that always amuses me is 'I can't be racist, I have a black friend.' He needs to pay more attention to developments closer to home and less time trying to interfere in his child's high school romance. He may learn the hard way or go down with the ship.

Without doubt, Robbie is a lot more mature than he was and I think this is reflected in the readers comments or lack of comments lately about his immaturity and gullible nature. Sue's also a lot more decisive when it comes to dealing with her husband. Maybe she's finally given up trying to save her marriage and decided to concentrate on her family. It may prove a wise decision for her as Don seems to be lost in his prejudice and hatred of others.

Sue seems to have finally made a stand and Robbie should be pleased she's putting herself between him and Don. She's got some fire in her, for sure.

This wasn't meant to be a cliffhanger. More like dividing a large chapter into two segments but I'm sure Robbie will do his best to keep his friends in Spain entertained. Providing Nathan wants to play ball of course.

Ginny is already on prescription medication for depression, if she's taking illegal drugs on top then she's seriously pushing her luck. Nathan definitely needs a friend, but whether or not he'll allow Robbie back into his life remains to be seen.

He probably doesn't have much of a choice now, although once again he's left it a bit late.

According to the police, Alex was arrested after a random traffic stop in Toronto and charged with driving without a full license and insurance, but that was all. Luke was picked up from a nearby address, and both boys were safe and unharmed. That was all we could find out until Don arrived home from work with an update from his friend, the chief of police. “They were staying with a friend in Midtown Toronto,” he said as he hung up his coat. “No wonder they couldn’t find him.” I was

Thanks @mg777 for your encouraging words. Nothing in the pipeline at the moment, but I don't want to spoil any possible surprises. The Cockney Canuck is a labour of love, my friend. I'm just glad to know people have enjoyed reading it.

It will definitely be bad news for Don. Nathan has been a thorn in his side from the beginning. Thanks @Arran

I admit it's been a bit of a trek, but prepare yourself for a frenetic finish and a hat full of chapters between now and October.

It seems like it.

Thanks @croyde You can expect the fur to fly at the end, no matter what happens.

It was unfair to deny Daniel an opportunity for some adult fun, even though he's technically not quite an adult yet. That won't concern Don though.

Thanks @Gary L sorry about the cliffhanger. I wish I was able to fit each chapter into a day's work, more like a two or three, but we're nearly there now.

Robbie needs to get his head out the sand and make a decision. The only reason he is still with Conner is because he doesn't want to leave him when he's going through such a difficult time with the farm. He may need to be firm, it's not like they've been dating for a long time. I'm sure Conner will get over it.

Conner was definitely a bad choice for Robbie. If Don likes him, he can't be good.

I wondered if anyone would pick up on Conner's ridiculous statement. Nathan can do nothing wrong according to Robbie. He has been consistently providing excuses for him even though Nathan wasn't looking for any. We always knew that Ginny had a difficult past although Nathan would never reveal the exact details. She's one of Jo's regulars, so she's receiving help but will likely never be able to lead a normal life. There does seem to be a lot of messed up people in that town but probably no more than anywhere else, it's just they all seem to know Robbie. He's like a magnet for messed up people but his personality does little to discourage them.

Daniel was already showered and dressed for school when I stumbled out of bed on Monday morning, twenty minutes before the bus was due. “You should have woken me earlier.” “I shouldn’t have to wake you up at all. You have your own alarm.” He had a point, but I wouldn’t admit it. I never bothered to use my alarm because my brother was usually so reliable. Now I was a mess, fighting with my clothes while he watched and laughed. It was payback for his black eye, which looked much worse

I will never be able to understand why Americans don't demand a health service like everyone else. In my opinion the NHS is fantastic and Canada isn't far behind, but the U.S.A with all their facilities and expertise could have the best in the world. I've had an operation in the UK and a health emergency in Canada and neither one cost me a penny. Admittedly, I was working and paying taxes in both countries, so you could argue it wasn't free, but it certainly felt like it. No one should have to compromise their health, or the health of those around them because they're worried about the cost. Worrying over an illness will only make it worse, and putting off treatment can in some cases have fatal consequences. Americans deserve better than this.

Lovell, Swigert, and Haise, obviously didn't have triskaidekaphobia, although they may have suffered from it after their return.

This is a great blog with some useful and important information. I'm too trusting for sure, and I've probably made it very easy for someone to find me if they wanted. I've been lucky, but I guess you never think it's going to happen to you until it's too late. I'm naive because I respect peoples privacy and trust them to do the same with me, but I guess it doesn't always work that way. I'll be more careful in future.

Hayden isn't fooling me. I doubt if there's a straight bone in his body.