Dodger
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Everything posted by Dodger
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Absolutely true but there are thousands of empty apartments and houses in London that are owned by foreign investors that would make a difference although it probably still would solve the problem.
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Local councils enforce this in the UK, although I think it applies mostly to council owned properties or affordable housing. It's a class thing as well. They don't bother the wealthier neighborhoods. I don't suppose the council go knocking at Kensington Palace too often to make sure William and Kate aren't squeezing too many into a room. They have 20 rooms at their disposal though and only 3 kids.
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I know that in the UK there are regulations about who can share a room with who. Over a certain age, brothers and sisters must have separate bedrooms etc and they cannot share with an adult. They used to be quite strict with these rules but there are a lot of people in the country illegally who are not protected of course. Not sure of the regulations in Canada where housing isn't as big a problem but there are plenty of homeless people in Toronto.
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He came very close to handing Simon over but he wasn't convinced he would be safe. A lot of this stems from his experiences in Vietnam and the guilt he feels for allowing the young boy to die when he perhaps could have prevented it. Now he's overcompensating whether this is justified or not remains to be seen.
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You've addressed one of my main concerns here @Israfil I was hoping it wasn't too soon for Jeff to start questioning his views. It's not a long story so I didn't want to drag it out any longer than necessary. After finally making time to watch his son play, Jeff allows his craving for the booze to get in the way again and ends up doing more harm than good. I can't see Jon willing to forgive this in a hurry. Jeff has some tough times ahead?
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Yes, it's not going to be a very pleasant experience for him. That's if he makes it without burning all his bridges first!
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He's shown signs from the beginning that his views aren't set in stone. He's brash and opinionated but he's willing to admit he could be wrong. The fact that it's his son may have provided him with a little more incentive. Maybe he even wants to be proved wrong. Whatever the reasons, he is now on a collision course with Simon's father, who is likely to prove a formidable adversary. Thanks @Sweetlion
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Gradually. It still might need a bit of a tug though. 🙄
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Bye For Now & Weekly Wrap Up (May 27 - Jun 2)
Dodger commented on Renee Stevens's blog entry in Gay Authors News
I wish you and your family all the best Renee at a very special time. Cheerio but be back soon! Thank you for your help. I guess it's up to @wildone now to keep me in line. -
That night Simon slept downstairs on the couch and I managed to stay sober enough to get some semblance of a good night’s sleep. It was enough to get me to work on time but by the afternoon, I was flagging. I was tempted to go to the bar after work but a shortage of cash and the prospect of David and Simon being indoors without my supervision was enough to send me home. If I needed another incentive, Simon provided it with a good meatloaf and the promise of homemade hamburgers the following
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Thanks @droughtquake I knew you would have the answers or find them somewhere 😁 So they didn't have to wear seatbelts at the time of the story and Jeff probably wouldn't have bothered with them anyway.
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I agree, probably earth-tone for Jeff. The green is too flashy. Interesting about the seatbelts. I should look this up. When did seatbelts become mandatory in the back or even the front?
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This would be Jeff's car. What a beast but a little excessive when used to transport one person to and from work each day. Another sign of the times, I suppose. Thanks for the picture @droughtquake
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This story is the first one that was completely written before a chapter was posted, which is why I've been able to post regularly every Sunday without missing a week. It's a lot less stressful this way.
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This is very interesting because this is how I kind of pictured him as the story took shape. Hard-boiled is a good description. Thanks @PaulP
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You're ahead of me with this one. There is a giveaway clue in the final chapter. It's a movie which is not on your list but it will be easy to work out the year. It fits with a musical clue from chapter 2. 😏
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I'm not sure if he is closeted but certainly scared of something he knew nothing about and was considered socially unacceptable. He needs guidance and a better role model than Jeff. Todd is a valuable person to have around but he can only do so much. Thanks for your comment @Bft
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Thank you for your comment @JeffreyL It was not an easy story to write and took a lot of research. I'm still not sure if I got it right but I'm glad that people understand how much things have changed in a relatively short amount of time.
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Thanks, Gary. You certainly don't talk too much and your many readers will confirm this. It's always a pleasure to read your comments which are thought provoking and accurate. You are able to hit the spot pretty much every time and you sum it up so well. Thank you so much for your encouragement.
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Thanks @Carlos Hazday It must be difficult to comment on a story when you're a chapter ahead of everyone else, without giving anything away but you're pretty good at it.
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I'm not sure when PTSD became fully recognized but I'm pretty sure it wasn't that well known in the late seventies. This chapter gave us a better insight into the horrors he witnessed during the Vietnam conflict. Thanks @droughtquake
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Thanks @Canuk The family are suffering along with many of the readers by the sound of it. Thanks for sticking with it. It will need some sorting before Jeff loses everything.
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Haha. Your comments always have a good helping of satire in them @Israfil and I love them. Particularly your take on Jon which has been really amusing. Thing is, I do agree with you. he's not my favourite character either, although I do make excuses for him. Jeff throwing the bills out of the front door was a sign of his immaturity as well as his growing frustration as he realizes he cannot support a family and a heavy drinking habit.
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Thanks, Steve. I see Jeff as a victim. He truly believes that he's doing the right thing and even acknowledges to himself that he hasn't been the best parent. He knows he has a problem with alcohol but hasn't found a way of fighting it yet. As you mention, he's struggling with the flashbacks and has made some kind of connection between the Vietnamese kid and Simon. Maybe he will be able to protect Simon and ease some of the guilt that he feels for not protecting the Vietnamese boy. The fact that he is able to change his mind is significant. Simon was prepared to jump from a moving vehicle rather than face his dad and no one would do that without good cause. There is some hope for him but he needs help. I don't think it's possible to do that alone.
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There is definitely some good in him, buried below the surface. Thanks @Ivor Slipper
