Ron

You could say the same about your front door but we don't necessarily panic about that all of the time do we. Or, do we? It's all in your comfort level. The only time I have ever truly been surprised was once, when reaching for my drink, the plane hit turbulence and suddenly dropped. My drink seemed to pop right up into my hand and I grabbed it without spilling a drop. It was pretty cool and scary at the same time.

A kid leaves a toy on the floor = Ouch! Give a kid a little bit of power = Ouch! Unfortunately for poor Ayla, this is what happens in life sometimes. As adults, often we have to grin and bear it and especially when we have no choice. I like this, Kitt.

My graduating class was much smaller. Thanks for commenting, Wayne.

Do you think they will film it? I would like to play art critic but I can't make the show. All kidding aside, I have very mixed feelings about this.

Thank you, Slytherin. I did have a cheering section to please.

Oh you do, do you? I guess I couldn't have gotten this far without some idea of who is behind curtain No.1 Thanks, Joann.

Ben is not so unlucky, just fallen on hard times. He is a well adjusted guy, despite his high school days. Thanks for commenting, Stephen.

Make a Connection By R.L. Hunter Ben Taggard was just about to sit down and eat a fried bologna sandwich with mustard and ketchup for lunch. He rather liked bologna sandwiches but eating one for the reason that money was tight and he had gone over his food budget, and the cupboard was rather spare… not so much. The first bite was delicious despite his circumstances and he was just about to take another when the doorbell rang. ‘Why not?’ He thought to himself and got up to answer the door.

Ha! Looks like somebody got hooked.

The Sam Cooke song had me looking for another appropriate song as well. I include the link (because I cannot figure out how to get video to actually show) to the Darlene Love version of Chapel of Love which had it's 50th anniversary of being recorded in April, 1963. Ms. Love sang every voice on the recording in what is known as overdubbing. The song was made famous a year later by the The Dixie Cups in 1964. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v669V_UjiDo edit to add: I remember singing and dancing to the Dixie Cups version as a five year old. Good times!

I didn't understand a word of it but it didn't stop it from being a great fun thing to watch. I loved it.

I like the slow set up for the rest of the story. Things happen along the way and it's all very interesting and it all leads to this. Nice, not all in your face in the first chapter.

In real life that line would usually mean someone gets hurt and you give us a family of hurt. That was a powerful look at life in a day for them. Very emotional and intense. Well done.

I just had a look at the page Graeme and there is an external link to GA near the bottom of the page.

I've had the pleasure of landing and take off from the old Hong Kong airport. When coming in at night, you could look out your window and see into the skyscrapers right outside next to you. Very cool and fun. Of course there were an awfully lot of wonky landings there over the years. Now you have to land way outside and take a train ride or a long cab ride in.

advocatus diaboli has created a thread that gets responses from the site admins. You might want to cross post there. It's not a bad idea for a wiki-page.

That was 'cute(ish)' but TJ Smith, keyboardist on the couch, is dreamy.

I read Colorado Game first and in the reviews (you can learn a lot from reviews) people kept commenting on how much they loved the characters from The House Always Wins. So, I read it and I will save the rest for discussion day.

Cassie is not merely a flatterer, or dare I say... flatter-nista. She has a great beginning chapter to her story Geeks as well.

Anyone who goes into a relationship not expecting past baggage probably shouldn't be getting into a relationship at all. There is always baggage of one sort or another. Still, it doesn't mean you have to share everything and if you think it does, once again you probably shouldn't be getting into a relationship. Sharing tidbits about family members with someone you love, such as that time you caught your cousin Suzy blowing your neighbor in the back seat of his car is a far different subject than telling that Uncle Jimmy shot and killed a man in a bar fight and never got caught. Two very different things, one you can share and snicker together about at every family get together and the other you carry to your grave lest Uncle Jimmy comes and gets you. Share - Don't Share. It is really not as difficult as you make it seem. Omissions and Lies - Folks lie all the time in relationships about small things. Most of the time the lie is to prevent an argument and a smart partner knows this because he/she will have done the same thing. If you catch your partner in a lie and it's not important, be smart, let it go. And don't lie about the big things. If you can't say anything because you are sworn to secrecy, then say you can't say anything if the subject comes up. Because if it's not yours to tell, say so, don't hem and haw about it, that only creates more interest. As for omissions, the advice is very much as with lies. Say you and your partner dress in formal wear for a fancy doo. He steps into the room puffed up and all proud of himself but he has chosen a cumber-band in a garish shade of puce, his favorite color, that you hate. If you're smart, you will say that he is the most handsome man on the face of the planet and watch him all pleased, big smile on his face and looking at you like he wants to devour you. See, you just omitted the fact that you hate the color and because of that, you are going to get laid later that night. But if you omit the fact that the doctor called about those test you took last week and he said you have two weeks to live... Well, I leave that one for you to decide. There are levels and degrees of everything, W_L. Nothing is set in stone for any two people, you feel your way around each other and make up the way you want to be, together as you go along. Things change over time, you will change, your partner will change and you will change each other. Fidelity is something to be defined by you and your partner. You two will be the decision makers and be damned the slings and arrows of friends and family if you're smart about it.

Egads, now I think I have to.

Well, maybe since Mann is providing a cheering section. We'll see what I can do.

I thought about the anthology as well but then, that is just one theme - Recipe for Disaster - and if you are not moved or inspired by it *shrugs*. It could have competition from NaNoWriMo as well. But Holiday themes are right up the alley for many folks and there may be quite a few takers if the themes are interesting. Only one way to find out. The tricky part is choosing an end-date that doesn't find people caught up in the Holidays. You want readers, right?

I have an idea for 275 - The Twist. But jeez, I only have a week?

As a suggestion, you may want to limit themes again to 8 or 10 and after they are taken - open the themes up for additional writers to pick any of the themes. One theme may get more responses than others but at least every theme will have one author. Besides, you may get an author that would like to take on a second theme for fun. Just an idea. edit to remind that depending on the end date, this may compete with assorted Holiday goings on. You may not fill 32 vacant slots anyway, that is awfully ambitious thinking.