ColumbusGuy

Okay, a cliffie has its place, especially when my wish to keep this story's chapters close to prompt length...I can't say how soon the next addition will appear--but it won't be 'many moons'...this one left a direct flow into the next one.

What storm indeed--is it Mare Crisium time yet? Just one mark of my lunacy. Being wracked by tremendous guilt, and maybe finding some inspiration again, I'll do better! Did you have to go back and read older chapters?

Please will work fine...only send a 'hitman' if he's doing it romantically. I'm easily distracted lately by shiny stories by other authors...I promise to cut back so I can write more.

You know, if I had a product like that, I'd give it away to friends, and gouge all the rich idiots out there. I wonder if there really is such a movie?

“What now?” I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice, but it was difficult. The vidscreen showed the Triad Board’s logo at the top: an inverted triangle with the words Diversity—Development—Determination circling it. I had plenty of the first two, but was running out of the third. This was not the first rejection we’d gotten, nor the second. How hard could it be to file an application to start a relationship as co-mates? Sure, Silver Eagle and I didn’t have the female member arranged

A popular word from my youth...meant 'cool', 'neat' or 'nifty'. Maybe 'groovy' would have been better?

Hey, I remember the Sixties! Mine were of rural Ohio, but in reading things later, I heard of things like 'Mods' and 'Teddys'...not bears I understand, but semi-Victorian fashions? Sounds very keen, but your boys are in a coastal town finding their way, and who can't identify with that? So my view of that era is formed by Beatles and Herman's Hermits movies, and Georgy Girl...I got a lot of fun from the scene the guy's chasing her and begins stripping to prove his love for her. Hot, even in black and white!

I have to wonder, have you thought about bringing your 'Seaside' boys over here? I love their story for it's combination of kids finding a safe haven and potential romance despite a rough start.... At least it's not quite a week until we get our next fix of this serial!

I wondered about the spacing, but the one good thing about the editor is that you can post, then go back and add spaces without penalty. I found that when it looks like they're not there to just post, and they magically appear. I did the 'go back and add' once, and got doubles, so went back and took them out again. I loved seeing Troy and Adam finding their 'groove' again, and reaffirming their solidarity as a couple. The parking lot adventure was fun, and so nice to see Adam feeling good enough to do this--just a short time back he'd never have tried anything so bold...these two make a great team, and it bodes well for the start and success of a GSA chapter. I wonder if the administration will allow it? Another hurdle is finding a faculty sponsor for it.... So far as I can determine, my own high school from the mid-70s still has no groups for supporting gays, and banning discrimination on that basis is still not in the student handbook.

What to say? Drake, yeah, he's wounded and torn inside, but he's still got his 'ass hat' on. I get the fear, but everyone can't be wrong about Jimmy, and he refuses to see it or accept it himself. Score another point for Richard in screwing with Drake's head and heart...genuine or not, he's an ass hole trying to make himself feel good no matter who pays the price. I only have one problem with Jimmy: he's so good at seeing into other people's relationships, but keeps pushing his own at the wrong times. Where your own heart is involved, his instincts are thrown off...and he pushes the wrong button at the wrong time. Come on Jimmy, you should know pushing Drake is counter-productive. I'm afraid what the next act will be--Jimmy may tell Drake to forget it for good, then they'd both suffer...but it might shock Drake into seeing the truth, but with his history I think it'd just make him more resolute. It'll take careful maneuvering on Jimmy's behalf to come out with his prize...I just hope Drake is worth it. Love may have infinite patience, but does the spirit?

Not fond of Jeff at all, but he's dealing with a loss of his wife and the after-effects of the Viet-Nam War, which received almost no attention from the military. That war ended in '75, but he could have been discharged earlier...his daughter would have been born in the late '50s to be eighteen in the mid-7os, which means Jeff was born around 1940 or a couple years earlier--too young for Korea, but right for Viet-Nam. Location, not a clue. Todd is great, and I sympathize with David and Suzanne--both are old enough to know the score, and David at least won't open up to a man who shows no regard for his children, let alone respect him. The oldest kids would feel the loss of their mom the most as it puts more stress on them, Jon and Bobby miss her, but aren't able to do much to help, so they are in the most vulnerable position if things go very bad. Let's hope the next chapters give us a ray of hope.

Weird, I never put the concept of a pet's eating and the expression together--I just knew it meant a mess. Dense, or what? Chalk it up to lack of experience--my cats were always fastidious, and my two personal dogs, a German Shepherd I had as a kid and a Great Dane before moving never left any food to worry about! I'm eager to see what happens next...bring it on my friend!

Sorry I'm late, but I didn't want to come to the party prematurely... Great that two of the guys got a little justice, but I can see the case against the other two would have been hard to get harsher sentences, so this works--as does their being in hiding. I'd love to have been there to see Ms. Barencello rip the sleazy detective a new butthole...but at least he's toast as far as his career is concerned. What's the term...he thought he could get away with making a 'dog's breakfast' of things? I have an idea of how Adam can get his revenge on Troy, but I'll wait for your fertile imagination's plot.

I don't know what to say about this one thanks to my personal history with the bisexual topic. I've had two experiences with them, my very first, and my very last. One was good, the other bad. The bad was the first--with my high school best friend who I thought straight, until I came out in college and he suggested we try things out. He'd been doing things with a relative for years, and some years after college, he met a girl and decided to marry, but not tell her he was bi...and he took back his offer of having me be his best man in favor of her younger brother he'd known about a year. The best was my last and longest relationship--another guy I was told was a homophobe and to be careful around, but who dropped by my house six months after meeting, and he asked me out. We lasted nearly fifteen years before he committed suicide over pressures from his parents to do as they said. I think he was coming to terms with himself and was loosening up in our last years together, but his time ran out. In all that time, he'd surprise me with sappy gestures out of the blue, and I think we'd be together still if he'd lived. With those two experiences, I can hear Richard's argument, but I have to wonder how much of his life is truly changed after that last kiss? I'm also suspect about the validity of his 'therapist's' sessions...I think she steered him toward a more 'normal' lifestyle since she didn't seem to encourage him to include Drake as much as she urged him to include Bernadette. Whether Richard had no other 'gay' feelings or not, I don't believe he can just put away that side of himself, and that makes me feel sorry for Bernadette in the future. At some point, he'll cheat on her. So, I hear you, I can intellectually understand, but I'm not convinced...but that's just me based on emotional experience. Another thought provoking excursion, my dear...XOXOXOXOXO

Nice to have the family back and see Dane getting settled. As to Robert, I hope he works out--but Carson would not be amused as we know.

Oh, gotta love all those people! Ricky was the main reason I watched reruns of Ozzie and Harriet, and his voice wasn't bad either. Dang, now I gotta see if I can find that show online....

As long as the rock is closer to Bill Haley or the Beatles than Snoop Dog.

Bloodied And Broken was a great title in many ways as it put me in a similar if less dramatic spot. As long as Drake is willing to keep the lines of communication open, then I'm good...I can't imagine what excuse Richard will have, but I too will keep my mind open. Not everyone can face reality with calm and reason. Honesty--always and forever my dear!

Ivor's certainly covering all the options available for drama and suspense. Good on yer, mate! No need to repeat all the observations above as I agree with them completely, and just want to add that even in this situation, Ivor is keeping Troy and Adam's growing relationship the focus of the story, showing them supporting one another and reaffirming their love at every opportunity.

I'm conflicted by this chapter now, my dear friend. I assume this feeling is part of your intentions because of the masterful way you do these things, but it makes me uneasy to say it anyhow. Up to this point, not having heard any of Jimmy's involvement with Victoria, I was cutting Drake a lot of slack and not passing too harsh a judgment on him...now, I fear I'm making a leap closer to the other end of the spectrum. Granted his rough time with Richard, which we are about to hear more of, I now consider him to be very nearly an 'ass hat' in his own right. I'm sure by the end of the next chapter or two, I may be of a different view, or thoroughly confused, but feeling this way makes me feel bad because it is nearly like disliking something you've done--which I have never, and never want--to do. So, put me out of my misery and give me that ray of sunshine back...it's flickering at the moment, shining only for Jimmy, and it needs a few clouds to part so I can empathize with Drake again.

Okay, I'm not one to resist a good line! I'll hope Diamond will get 'spayed', though I know the normal word is neutered for boy dogs. And I'd love to see those four in court being exposed to check for bite marks. Ivor sure knows how to maintain interest...and not a 'cliffie' in sight for this one!

I like Callie...and the venue for the wedding sounds wonderful. It would be great if Drake's parents were building a truce between them as Jimmy thinks. Divorce is hard on children no matter the age when it happens...I was 21 when it happened to my parents, and the 'tug of war' between them for attention may not have been as overt as if I were younger, but you could tell it was there on my mom's behalf. Well, looks like we'll meet Rick The Dick soon...

Eric is going to be a hard nut to crack, but he's trying to be open to the effort at least. Plenty of reservations and his grievances of life-long disparagement will take time, but now he can see that others have similar problems despite apparent wealth as seen in Sarah's attitude toward Adam and Andy. Common ground to form a bond, and to plant the seeds for friendship....

Given my usual lunch fare, why is that a surprise? (For the rest of you, Ivor teases me nearly every day because my lunch almost always consists of bratwurst from a local German recipe, with an odd soup or sandwich when I feel like a change...)

That ending sound pretty ominous, so you'd better be working on the next chapter. I'm concerned about the way Detective Diamond was acting...at least Rudiger knows and saw the pictures, so we can hope that the phone won't 'go missing' or 'lose any data' while in Police hands. Bet he's a homophobe, but was wondering why Adam thinks he looked familiar. Oh crkey, I just had a thought--is he from Adam's old church, or was one of the people who looked into Adam's case? Dang, a week to go....