Yettie One

Damn Such a beautiful young Colt, you will burn as the brightest star in the sky forever in my memory Karl. I will never forget you, and your place at the fire will always be here. Thoughts to Daz and Karl's family, may you find strength and peace in this terrible time of sadness. Yettie Hugs Mate. xxx

Wow So it's been a bit of a hiatus for the Yettie of late. I've been pretty bad in terms of sticking to my chosen story, keeping my head down, and dealing with the various issues life's cast my way. Allow me to rant and rave for a while if I may, and try bring those of you that read up to speed. So The first real issue that kind of made me duck under the radar if you will was an official offer received in writing from a Radio Station that I have been consulting too for a number of months now. They have a dream of starting a community Radio Station here in the UK that will teach and train young African people in the skills of sound management recording, producing, presenting and broadcasting in order that they can take these skills back to Africa and use them to develop Radio and Broadcasting on the continent. Big ideas. I approve. But suddenly I was faced with a formal job offer for a senior management position on the team, and this threw me into a quandary. As many of you will know, in addition to a job I am lucky enough to be able to do from home for a National Radio Station, I also have my own business, and am a full time carer for my mother. Now in recent months mom's health has really begun to dwindle. More so her memory than anything else, and where as before I could leave her for the daylight hours in fairly firm comfort that she would be alright, now this is no longer the case, and therefore, how on earth would I realistically be able to consider a full time position? If I am to be blatantly honest, my first reaction after the excitement calmed down, was to realise that I would have to turn this position down, and as it has been something I've been working towards for so damn long, that idea hurt like hell. I hate to admit it, and it appals me to write this, but for a time my anger lead to resentment. I was so angry that I would have to sacrifice a big career opportunity to fulfil my duty to my family. Many years ago now, when things went to pot back in Africa, I came to the acceptance that as I'm the only one of my siblings not married with kids, the responsibility of long term care in later life would fall to me, and after loosing everything to politics and land acquisitions in Zimbabwe, my parents really didn't have much of a choice when it came to retirement. As I worked through my feelings, I was challenged by guilt at feeling robbed of a chance I'd die for in any other circumstance. I felt disappointed that this is my lot. I felt self pity, loathing, ah hell all sorts of things, and dealing with that is honestly not at all easy. But this is my mom, and I cannot turn my back on her in her hour of need? Right? So with a heavy heart I turned down the position. The next big kick was to get news from my sister that her Cancer had returned and she'd have to undergo yet another treatment of Chemo followed by a battery of Radiation in the New Year, and she'd also go onto HRT. Now I watched my father wither away to cancer a number of years ago, and while I am not really very close to many of my siblings, I am close to the one with Cancer. In addition to this, a guy that has become a really very special friend to me, also suffers with this terrible curse, and has had a battle from hell with the illness. We don't talk as often as I wished we could, but when we do I can only but choke up behind a keyboard as I read of his struggles and tribulations. But you know what? Through all the pain, hurt, suffering, both my mate and my sister have to be the strongest people I know, and my heart cries out for them so. They are fighting. They are desperate to enjoy every single moment they are given, and I can't help but feel anger and bitterness at the unfairness of it. It is difficult to deal with you know? In the midst of all this chaos of personal and family health issues, job disappointments, emotional roller coasters, along goes the Young Musician whom I manage and lands himself a fat old recording contract. Well, actually we landed him the contract, but yeah, you get the idea. Cause for celebration? Hell yes, but celebration with a heavy heart, a fake smile on my face, and the knowledge that I'm not fooling anyone when I pretend to be alright. He's on tour in Africa right now as I write, and in a way I've kind of enjoyed having the additional buzz and energy of the demands of preparing for a tour. But it's left me shattered, tired and mentally worn out. Blogging which I love doing has been flung to the wayside. Emails, messages, SMS's. Just some me time you know? It just don't really exist right now. Some days I feel like a clown in a circus act desperately trying to juggle chain saws. LOL "Drama Queen", I hear you all saying. Don't worry, I don't mind you thinking it, I've thought it myself often enough. There are times in life when you wonder how in the heck you are meant to cope, but you know what, when it comes to it, you just find a way to do it. We have to in order to survive. We adapt, change, suit our circumstances. We learn to swallow disappointment and get on with life. We learn to celebrate the good things, laugh at the funny things, cry when we are moved, and get angry when something pisses us off. This is what humanity is right? As I sit here writing this, I am struck that I am not alone. I am not the only person that has had a rough spell of it recently. I'm not unusual or any kind of exception to the rule. I am like most of us, and while I may not deal with these things the same way as any one of you, I have found a way to cope. While my feelings and thoughts may plague me, cause me to worry and fret, feel guilty and evoke emotions I struggle to contain, I can still stand proud as I've stood the test of time, stuck to my duty and been the one that was there when it counted. I don't mind sharing this with each of you, to be able to say those words holds more value to me than anything else could. I hope you can understand this. So while I have been missing of late, I've been around. Surviving, enjoying Circumnavigation when I chill out before going to sleep, quietly watching comments and posts. There. Not visible but near, watching over my little circle of friends, smiling at your wins, frowning at your silly moments, and just as fond of you all today as I've ever been. There is one good thing that has come out of all of this. The owner of the Radio Station came to see me to ask why I'd turned down the position with the station. I explained things, and he left saying he admired and accepted my decision. I felt really good about that, but not as good as I felt when he called me a few days later, and told me that the Board of Directors had decided to extend the offer to include an entitlement to work from home while I am in my current circumstances. It may mean that if I do accept the new offer I may eventually have to move, but hey. Sometimes doing the right thing makes the right set of results happen for us in the long run right? Hugs, hello's, love and Yettie cuddles to you all. Get in touch, lemme know how you all been. Thought for today - "Waiting hurts. Forgetting hurts. But sometimes, knowing which decisions to take can be the most painful of all..." - José N. Harris Song for today - Shinning Light by Ash

I don’t get it. I am as much a part of society as the next person, as much a human being as anyone else, yet here I am with a feeling of rejection, abandonment and absolute isolation like nothing I have ever felt before. I mean what did I ever say that was so wrong? Is it so awful that I just want my fellow man to know the truth of our situation? Is it wrong to want to give people an informed decision? For heavens sakes! Could I be so wrong to assume that people would understand and appreciate m

Everyone's talking about the end of the world. Really? Oh come on, its something that's been talked about since the beginning of time. 2012 is the end of the world... Really?

Hey Louis Sorry I am late, but here's hoping that you have a wonderful day, and that you got lots of extra special gifts etc. All the very best for the year ahead, and hope much love and happiness finds you always. xx Yettie huggles.

Happy Birthday Mikie. Wish you all the happiness in the world today and all the very best for the year ahead. Hope you find true happiness, much love, and success in all you do. xx

I love this song anyway, but thought that this version was pretty cool.

Awww the fact that he's made the instrument himself, is really pretty DAMN good at playing it, and uses so much expression while he is playing. Really clever.

I have just seen this happen in my own family. My cousin is in his mid 20's now, and has been terrified of coming out to his folks. With good reason too it seems, and I feel so damn bad for him. His mom, my direct cousin is probably one of the most progressive and accepting people I know in my family, and the only one in the family I was able to comfortably come out too. She was supportive and understanding and really wonderful about it, so I can't begin to understand how she could be so harsh towards her own son. Within our extended family we have had a few 'gays' in the family. They have all had difficult lives and had to deal with all sorts of prejudice and hate. Things is as a family we have all seen this first hand, and know the effects it had and the results of the hate and hurt. So why do it when it is your own son? I just don't understand it. And to do it by email. Meh This is a cruel and unkind world. I am not prefect, and do and say stupid things all the time. I've hurt people and done things I wish I could change, but hate on that level? I will most likely never be a parent and in many ways I am glad as it is so easy to cock it up and make a mistake, but I'd like to think that if I ever did, I'd love my kid no matter what disappointments I felt. Everyone has the right to chose who they want to be right? And unless their actions place them in immediate or serious danger, then our love and support is critical to their acceptance and success in life right? Or am I just dumb, and don't get it? Why do we hurt each other so?

I started writing a blog yesterday, but abandoned it as it started to get far too dark and depressing to be something I felt comfortable sharing with the world. In some ways it was reflective of my mood, in other ways it was me lashing out verbally at life. I enjoy being able to write in that way. For me it is a channel that I use to vent my pent up feelings, order my thoughts, and write down some of the things that are too difficult to say or speak out loud. I guess in this case I ended up writing for me, and while it could have been shared and exposed some really very personal feelings and ideas I have, it served more purpose as a means for me to be able to look over things I can't really deal with right now. But I did want to blog about something at least. It's been a hard week, and writing is a wonderful escape to get lost in something I love doing and share with those that read, something I consider worthy of discussion. So I got me to thinking, and I decided I was going to blog about a dream I had this week. Dreams. Oh what wonderful things. I am referring to the mysterious occurrences that are pleasant, not the nightmares of horrorville, the night terrors of fantasy fiction. No, no. These are the wonderful experiences, great tales of spectacular adventures, unrealistic events, and people that have been embedded into our psyche in some measure. Now at my age, the erotic kind of dream that is more prevalent in the days of our youth is not a common denominator of my world of night time visions, however it seemed that this week, time made up for its absence by granting me a dream that was not just about one person, but three. Imagine that. A threesome that would have been four if you included me in the addition, almost like a row of buses. That age old adage, you spend hours waiting for one, then three come along at the same time. Unfortunately the dream was not some great big sexual orgy where four characters of my imagination all tangled together in a confusion of flesh and sexual extravagance Nay, it was a lot more sensible and civilised than that. It actually took me back to my younger days, a time when I was more carefree and willing to take a risk. Or was I? The first person I came across in my dream, I know I came across, as it is the first time I have ever dreamt of this guy in my life, yet he is one of those people that was a key determining factor in my exploration of sexuality and the acceptance that it was men that I preferred. For the purposes of this blog I will refer to the man as Character X. The sad thing I have to admit is that the exact circumstances of the dream at this time are sketchy and I am not completely sure what we did or why, however I do know that we tangled together, as I recall feeling intensely satisfied in my dream that I'd chosen so well, as he was indeed damn good under the sheets. So while the details of our sexual encounter are not clear, I know that sex was on the menu at that stage of the dream, and that I suppose must be due to the fact that this is the one character of my dream that I actually did have sexual intercourse with in real life. What was wonderful was too see Character X in life like motion, just as I remember him in my minds eye, clear as the day we spent chatting about everything and nothing. Vivid is not really the word. In my dream, I could feel him, smell him, hear him. It was sublime and fantastical to once more look into those eyes, and see that smile. This portion of my dream took up considerable time, and I am miffed that I can't remember more of the details of that encounter, but as the dream moved on, the following two encounters are clear in my mind. At this stage of the dream, I am part of a team of underground coal miners, way back in the days of picks and shovels, long hard days of toil and labour underground, and playing just as hard above ground. As a youthful teen, I am part of the workforce that in those days did not shy away from including child labour, and as such there is a large group of us mid teenage boys. Now I am not sure how plausible it would be to find a group of boys allowed to enter the pub after a long working day, but this is where I find myself at this stage of the dream. Actually I guess it is more of a working men's club or community hall in which we all congregate and down a pint or three, and it while I am enjoying the ice cold refreshment of a beer that one of my earliest crushes enters the frame. None other than Sean Austin, a hunky rather cute young man that takes a particular interest in me, is really chatty and shares my drink. At some point in the discussion, he leans over and kisses me, another implausibility as in that day and age I am certain that open displays of two men kissing were not an acceptable part of society, however this was my dream, and it lead along its own path. Damnit, I tell you, if I'd known that Sean Austin could kiss that bloody well, I'd have moved to the USA in a heart beat and made every effort known to man to meet and convert the man to our homosexual way of life. Having said that, it was a wonderful experience, even if it was in the confines of my slumbering mind, to sample those lips, and fulfil that youthful desire to spend but a moment with the man of my teenage desires. It was only a kiss at that moment of the dream, but oh what a kiss to have had. The dream moves on at this stage, and I find myself in the same era of time, returning somewhat drunk to the place where I rent a room. It just so happens that the room I rent is in a brothel and the landlady's son is a guy that I had a major crush on when I was in my early 20's. One of those typical gay man loves straight man stories, but in my dream, I return to my room, undress for bed and suddenly find that this person enters my room, and promptly undresses and proceeds to join me in bed. Suddenly that wonderful chill of nerves that strikes you the first time you get to be with someone you have desired and wanted for a while overtook me, and it was as if I was a crazy young virgin about to engage in my first sexual experience. The tension in my muscles, the dry mouth, the roaming eyes. OMG does he have a beautiful ass. He climbs into bed, and it is really quite strange, but I just lie there as he grinds himself into me, touching, exploring and boy do I enjoy the sensations. However it is his bum that is the centre of my attention. The feel of it when it touches me, when he is sitting on me looking down on me, when my hand holds him as he lies beside me panting. That perfect, oh so wonderful mound of his body is the clearest memory I have from this whole dream, and it has left me in the most heightened sexual tension all week since, as whenever I close my eyes, I can only be see this wonderfully perfect image of a man I so wish I'd seen in that state for real. And then....... and then. His mom calls him. Argh. He has to dress and leave my room, and the dream moves on, back to the dark dank mine. I am not sure in dreams having a meaning, I've never really believed in all that stuff, but heck I'd be interested to find out what all that was meant to mean. Three in one night, and an erotic dream I have not really been familiar with since the days of my teens. Hmmmmmm, I am not complaining at all, I wish I explored my mind a bit more frequently like that, but I can't help but wonder what prompts our dreams and the direction they take. I wish I could remember more of the initial part of my dream too. Why is it that we forget the important stuff so damn fast? lol Well whatever the reasons, I am glad I had the dream, and figured that heck it was worth sharing. It is good to for a moment take my mind off other matters, smile and think of something nice. Hope you are having a great weekend everyone. Hugs to you all. Thought for today - "Always desire to learn something useful" - Sophocles Song for today - Hey Ho by the Lumineers

Spotted this today and thought that it was really cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=qybUFnY7Y8w

Oi Oi KC. Special day it is ey! Hope you have a really great day, and remember to have a drink for all of us when you do! All the very best buddy. xxx

Arrogance is never an attractive quality! The sentiment of that story is just perfect. A family over time will always have special little quirks, wonderful stories that add substance and value to their relationships. Seeing that for what it is, is part of the joy of understanding that love always wants the best for those we cherish. Enough? Much better than everything any day of the year. To have everything is to live in excess, to loose sight of the value and meaning of appreciation for what I have, what I've earned, what I'm given. In this case I would assume that everything was not an option for whatever reason, and rather than being greedy, or unrealistic, this family have learnt that true happiness comes from being content, and to be happy you really don't need everything, you just need enough. These are things that we can only learn through trials and tribulations. Time changes every perception, and I can honestly say, there was a time I may not have seen this message for what it is worth, but having lived for a while, I can really appreciate the sentiment more. Daddy thank you for sharing, and may you too find enough to give you reason to smile, to be happy, and to find contentment.

Never heard of anything like that before. It's something managed though, it is not really something that you would find happening in the wild!

I was chatting with a young DJ that I am working with today about travel, and the delights of getting to explore our world a little at a time. While we were talking Rob asked me where I thought the best looking people in the world lived, and I couldn't answer. It got me thinking and I have to admit, it is a really intriguing question. I suppose that the answer to this question is subjective as each of us has different tastes, sees attraction on a different level, and will each be looking for quirks that other people will consider strange or slightly weird. But that is all well and good, as it means that there is someone there for everyone, and beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, so in a way it is a good thing that we can all rest easy in that somewhere out there a soul mate awaits us all. But I have to be honest, the more I've thought about it today, the more I had to say that while there are stunning examples of great looking people in every place I have visited, there are definitely some places that have a larger proportion of good looking men than other places. Ok so yeah, I am zeroing in on the male of our species. Awwww are you surprised! I have been lucky to have visited a good number of places. Not everywhere sadly, my tour of this world continues a little at a time, but of the places I have visited, one place stands out as having the largest population of damn fit men! But before I share with you the place I reckon has the most stunning looking men among its population, let me talk of some of the places that I have managed to enjoy a good few hotties strolling past. The 'Gay Scene' in Holland was amazing. Although I can't really say that the guys I was admiring were Dutch, as it is such a diverse cosmopolitan society in Amsterdam, that I was very possibly drooling over men from every nation around the world. But for a great night out in the one of the finest cities in Europe, with enough eye candy to last a life time, Amsterdam is it. There is something about the Irish that I can't quite put a finger on. I think it is their accent. Actually I am pretty certain that it is their accent. They say the language of love is French, well I am convinced the language of lust has an Irish accent. I can definitely say that on each of the four times I have visited Ireland, I have always been smitten by the beauty of an Irish man talking in a broad Irish drawl. Having said that, the one unattractive thing I found, especially in Dublin was a drunk Irish man slurring in a broad Irish drawl. I was lucky to live in Wales for seven years, and would love to move back down that way someday. If there is one thing I loved about the country, it was the Welsh men. The Welsh get a lot of stick here in the UK, they are often regarded as the underdogs of the four British Unions. However, as much as they are teased, they have the looks that the rest of the British Isles lack, and that is a fact. Welsh men are hot, simple as that. I can't say too much about the accent, it sounds like they are singing all the time, but put a Welsh man in rugby shorts, and put him on the rugby pitch and I'll swoon all day long. But even the Welsh don't compare to the men of the nation that had me dribbling at the lip. I Have been lucky to visit this country on a good many occasion and I guess one city more than any stood out as the home of the perfect male. Looks wise this is now, I am referring to the most shallow of attractions, the beauty of sight, the attraction of appearance, the desire of the flesh. And for this and this alone, the one country that in my opinion has the highest concentration of hot men, of course reminding you all I am speaking of countries that I have had the joy of visiting. South Africa. No No I am not being Biased. I am simply stating a fact. And it is my opinion after all. If there is one place that you DO NOT want to visit in a tight skimpy speedo as a gay man, it is the beach in Cape Town. I am telling you now, regardless of age, regardless of your taste, regardless of your style, you will swoon and develop a stiffness in your lower regions. It is inevitable. I visited Cape Town a number of times as a lad, and it was in Cape Town that I guess I can really first recall realising that it was men that I fancied. You see, I guess I must have been around 13 or 14 on one of our family trips south, and I'd been bought a camera for the first time in my life. I had ventured down to the beach on my own one afternoon to see what I could snap. A sea gull caught my attention as being really tame and came so close to me, so I just sat watching it waiting for an opportunity to snap a picture of it. It was during this time that I became aware of a guy, probably about 18 or 19 sat back by the sea wall with an older man. What stood out initially to me was his white speedo against his dark tanned skin. But as I studied him more, I began to realise that he was perfectly stunning. Dark hair, stunning bright eyes, perfect body, and the tightest, skimpiest thin speedo that showed off a package I suddenly decided I'd happily explore all night long. The sea gull abruptly became a decoy I used to fake appearances of taking an artistic picture, while my new target became the bronzed god I'd fallen in lust with. That was kind of my awakening to the male form, and my attraction to it. Later, when I was closer to 16 we once more visited Cape Town, and I recall struggling to spend any time off my belly when I was on the beach, as I had the unfortunate problem of being physically stimulated every time yet another handsome man strolled past with all sorts proudly on display. For a closeted young gay boy it was murder, but oh so nice. In some ways I wish I'd visited Cape Town when I was older and more willing to accept my status as a gay man. But one day it is my dream to maybe retire there, so I can live in hope hey! Now I am sure that everyone will have their own paradise story, or place where the honey and milk is drawn from the highest concentration of good looking people, but for me right now, that place is South Africa, and in specific Cape Town. Just one thing, while they look oh so lovely, I can't say the same for the South African Dutch accent that I can for the Irish. There is one other thing that I would like to add to these thoughts. Admittedly there are a load of places I have not been to, and I am sure that as I continue to explore this wonderful world of ours, that I may indeed discover as I suspect, that there are places that have just as good if not a higher concentration of beautiful men for me to ooogle. Some of the Eastern Bloc countries and Australia spring to mind. Thought for today - "Values are not trendy items that are casually traded in." - Ellen Goodman Song for today - More than a Feeling by Boston

Immortal????? That means he's gunna be having LOTS of sex!!!!!!!!! He's a lucky bugger that Shay. Great chapter Stellar. There is so much going on in this chapter like they say. Heck, I had to read and re-read a few times to keep up with it all. Two things that leap out in this chapter. One, The sincerity of the love shared between Mira and The One is sensational. His attentive diligence and complete submission to his role as the better half of Shay is so beautifully told. What makes me chuckle, is that while Mira is naturally inclined to be in service of The One, his chief desire to bring happiness and contentment to The One, Shay has thus far taken a very submissive role sexually. hehe. I love the way this little quirk plays out in their relationship and enhances the dynamic of their relationship. Not sure if that was an intended result, but it is subtle yet powerful. The second thing is your ability to make even the most confusing seem fairly simple. To create the dialogue and rapport between the characters while they are discussing the results of Konstantin's findings, and uncovering its implications is masterful. There is so much information to present to the reader, and for a layman to take that in, process and understand it, is only possible through the passage of text as it is written. For that alone I salute you, aside from the other details I could rave about. But credit where credit is due, that was a great piece of writing. I look forward to seeing the pain that is delivered to the Lucre Liberators I'm not sure they are going to be liberating all that much in the near future. I am also really interested to see where things are going with Carlos. Red patches on his hands??? That sounds ominous. So many possibilities lie ahead. Oh what it is to have to wait for the next instalment of this tale. Woe is me, get writing buddy!

Some of the bits of the puzzle begin to fall into place. I have had some of my suspicions confirmed, and others have begun to develop. It had to be that the dear Bridget was not all she seemed. I have a feeling there is a lot more pain this woman and her lover are yet to cause to people within the story. I do worry about these 'Associates' though! Things are still hunky dory in the Med. Lots of drinking, adventure and exploration going on. Turns out Joel has not been as coy and mischievous as I'd guessed he might. Not sure if that is disappointing or a relief. Although I do agree with him about worrying about Trevor's passage through the Indian Ocean. The Suez sounds really expensive. I must say I didn't realise that Atlantis is as big as she is. That is a pretty big boat he's running there. Well 30 chapters in now and I'm still intrigued to know what happens next.

Ok so twenty chapters in now, and this whole plot has really taken on a life I never expected. There is quite clearly a twist in the truth behind the full story of the disappearance of the Aries. In addition to that I am not convinced that Dirk is completely to blame, but not as innocent as he could be either. Huge questions marks hang over that whole affair, and while the mind creates a hundred different scenario's that could explain things, it is wonderful how the plot has slowly but surely built. I was glad to see Joel end up on Atlantis with Trevor, and while the are in many ways acting like a couple of wreckless 17 year olds, there is also a remarkable amount of maturity in these two boys that is heart warming. I can't help wonder if Joel is maybe just a little more interested in seeing Trevor embrace his homosexuality a little more than he is letting on, it will be really interesting to see how their relationship pans out. I have also really enjoyed the little quirks in the storyline, the Gay T Shirt flip that ended up really making me smile, forgetting to use the right phone, Joel coming clean to his parents and not wanting to lie to anyone. These are wonderful little insights that breed that sense of reality that I so crave in a story. The boys have been remarkably lucky so far, and are lucky they can afford to do all this right now. Money is not a problem...yet. Time is not a problem. Weather is not a problem. Parents are not a problem. Well other than the Dirk/Trevor and Lisa/Robert situations lol. There have been one or two situations where the detail relating to specific things that the boys have been doing just suddenly comes to a halt, kind of leaving you wondering what occurred between passages of text, but again this is me being fussy. In general, at this stage of the story, I am really enjoying the flow of the story and the development of the plot.

Ok so I started reading this a while ago and for one reason or another I've kind of gotten side stepped for this reason or that. But at last I've been able to make some headway into the story, and really glad I have. I decided to try Circumnavigation as it is such a long story, and I figured it'd take me a while to get to where you are with the story, and that is a good thing as I can be quite impatient when I want to know what happens next. So yeah the size of the story was the first attraction. Then I got reading, and wow. I have really enjoyed the journey so far. I have kind of decided I'd review every 10 chapters or so, unless something really serious happens or I just have to voice my opinion, but yeah, so first ten chapters in and I am impressed. Two things spring out at me as a reader. There is plausibility in the plot line, something I crave. Careful attention to detail, decisions explained, not everything unfolding perfectly or unnaturally. When I read a story that I can relate to and believe I enjoy it so much more. Secondly, the characters are alive in this story. Lisa is sublime. As I read I can hear her in my head, a voice through your words. Lads walking along the beach in speedo's, I can see them as they go. To make a character you have written about become so alive is magical and enhances the story so much. I do have a criticism though. As a non sailing person, there is a lot of terminology which in one way lends well to the theme and flow of the story, however, often I do wonder as I am reading, exactly what it is that I've just read about. Some things are broadly familiar like the expression 'to cast anchor'. However to 'stand the boat' did make me wonder, and while I could assume or guess its meaning, I have from time to time had to wonder exactly what it is that the 'tech talk' means. This is only a minor point however, as it does not detract form the story in itself, just something I noticed and thought I'd mention. I also love the pictures and charts of where the boat has been throughout a chapter. It gives a visual sense to what we are reading in a brilliant way. I also love that I have a fully fledged picture of Atlantis in my head thanks to the plans of the boat. Really well thought out and a great read so far. Thanks, and excited to see where the next ten chapters take me.

Heck I didn't expect that much of a fight to get the NNN into that Soap Box!!! **dusts off hands** Sometimes long arms drooping down to the ground have their advantages. The long arm of the LAW haha!

Asam I don't know what to say, other than thank you. My blog so very often seems to me to be a place I can just vent my thoughts and speak my mind. Talk about things I am learning, and prompt myself to remember the important lessons in life. To realise that it reaches out and touches other people's lives renders me speechless and to get this kind of response to a blog I wrote........ I can't really find good enough words right now. You are a wonderful person Asam, and you see beyond the norms of life and the bigger picture as you call it, comes into focus. As the Bodistava is learning through a millennium of lifetimes, all that is good and important in life, it is our understanding of these lessons that makes us different and capable of so much more. The thing I see in this lesson is that one person's understanding of a lesson, can touch, inspire and prompt another to share the message and I hope that in sharing our thoughts and feelings, we can touch others around us to make our world a better place. Thank you and god bless you too.

OMG *** Locks NNN in a Soap Box *** I think that if you really went into things that deeply, you could find someone that would disagree or have issue with almost any form of advertising or multi media broadcast promoting something. While I don't completely disagree with ya NNN, I do think that in the greater scheme of things, it was just a pleasant thought, and meant to encourage rather than offend. Nuff said, hope that Soap Box is big enuff for you mr!

Happy Birthday Lacey. Hope you have a great day! xx

Ha! The big guy with a heart the size of a friken planet, it's your birthday, which means ya another year older, another year wiser, another year more mature, another whole year more grown up.......... Erm Who am I trying to kid??? You are Marky Mark Mark, the guy who will always be a big barrel of laughs and fun for so many of us, and heck bro you deserve the very best on your special day. So as the hours tick by, I'm not gunna worry you too much about the wrinkles that have started to appear, or the grey hairs I can see sprouting out your scalp and all the other gags I could use for getting older, but merely say, hope that the day brings you great happiness, much joy, love, and attention. Keep smiling, stay strong, and enjoy. May today and the each day of the year to come bring good things, and even on those days when the tide seems to turn, may strength, happiness, and your loyal friendships carry you through the day. Huggles big man. Happy Birthday.