ColumbusGuy

With Benny, the way I see it, he could go two ways, be arrogant and mean, or try to help others--fortunately he went the latter course...though it has made him cautious. Linda is complex--a practical farm girl, a sharp and deep thinker, and a person who tries not to go overboard and emotional. A bf is going to have a hard time figuring her out. Benny and Calvin certainly need to communicate more so that they can find a common ground to support their relationship. If it works out, who will be making the decisions, both or just one--and if just one, then which?

Another great gift for us, Graeme! As Tim said, I could do with another chapter of preparation as well--it's just so fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes lives of these people. The plan to bring in Jim's parents as a surprise is just great--he's going to love it. I hope Mrs. Rosewood doesn't spoil their visit, and I hope they can get through to her, but I don't see it being very likely...and I don't think she's actually made any progress at all, and that's just her husband's wishful thinking--he doesn't seem to be trying to push her into a better mental place by talking about it. In fact, he's the one person I feel the most sorry for--he's caught in the middle between his son and his wife: if it were just him, I think Neil could go home and be happy, but his mothers is the big negative weight which is pulling everything down. After all these months, she still can't look at her son if he mentions being gay, or talk about it at all--she has made, and is not willing to make any progress at all--avoidance is not dealing with it, it only makes it fester more inside her. Neil is not safe at home with her...and he can never go home unless she changes and welcomes him as a gay son with a boyfriend. So, his father, for one rash act which he is truly remorseful about, gets that held over his head, while his wife who was equally culpable but in a different way, gets to seem the reasonable one despite her unchanged attitude and state of denial--that is just not fair. Perhaps Mr. Rosewood should try some shock therapy on his wife--tell her that if she won't get therapy or make an effort to change, he will consider leaving her so he can be with his son? Sorry to go on so long. The latest game I've dvr'd is St. Kilda v. Freemantle at Docklands--St. Kilda is one team I remember seeing on my old cable service nearly 30 years ago--got to watch it tomorrow...now if I can locate some German soccer!

Thank you so much SD! I'm glad you like Benny--he needs friends who will let him be himself, and that will help boost his self-image I bet. I have a habit of bringing minor characters onto the center stage more often than you'd think: Greg, Linda, Benny and Denny...and we have yet to meet Jerry Beckel--he will be coming up in the near future since he's coming home for his sister's graduation. Hey! How come this is the first review if you've been reading along?! Just teasing, I'm not a review scrounger, I'm just glad you like it--maybe you can comment in the Discussion Group linked on the front page?

Oh, Benny was beating himself up pretty badly before Gary suggested a bit less drama. This works much better, and I can tell you that Benny will get his answer in the next chapter--which I'll try starting tonight. There will be a shower scene at some point not too far off...not sure Norman Bates will be the inspiration--we'll just have to wait and see.

POV: Benny, Linda, Benny “Benjamin Ross, get your ass out of bed!” I groaned and looked over at my alarm clock. According to it, I still had fifteen minutes before I had to get up, but the voice in my head would soon be real if I didn’t heed it while it was still just an internal annoyance. Thursday mornings meant I had to fix breakfast for my younger brother since mom left early for work, and my older sister Kate had probably left for her day’s classes at OSU in Columbus. 5:35A.M. t

I love it so far, SD...can't wait for the next chapter. David needs to get some psychiatric help...or he needs to tell Twoey what his real problem is--I hate people who play games. More please!

I wrote nearly 3000 words very early this morning, it helped distract me, now my sleep schedule is all screwed up--not that it's ever been normal. I remember the night in '84 when I had about ten people over to my place in the country because I got a new board game--Civilization--and we were at it for more than 24 hours until one of us finally won. There were nights when I lost track of time playing the computer versions of the game and would run into work after being up all night. I'm doing better, but it hits me every time I go into the kitchen and her bowl isn't under the window by the sink...the tears aren't automatic today, but if I close my eyes and think at all about her, they're there again. Happy memories though. Thank you my friends.

From my earliest memory of picking up my german shepherd puppy at age 3, I've never been without a dog and/or cat....but since moving into the city, it's been cats; all my life it's been Siamese except for a couple years when it was a tuxedo named 58. Pets? Some might say, but you can't share your life with some one for years on years without them becoming part of you--not if you're truly human. Each loss is wrenching and agonizing for me, but there was always the unconditional love I got in return. It's times like these when the English language is uniquely inadequate in expressing gratitude to others...'thank you', though sincerely felt, isn't enough to convey my appreciation for your words. Just know that they are heard, and cherished for the spirit behind them, my friends.

You may remember my Traditional Siamese Bortai from previous blogs...I got her and her brother Genghis when they were only a few months old back in 2001...Genghis was stolen in 2005, which left just me and Bortai until I got another stray Siamese, Chula, from my sister. Chula has been gone just over two years now from a resistant respiratory infection...she was eight years old. Two weeks ago, Bortai had small swellings around a couple of her mammary glands, so I was going to schedule a vet visit, then last Friday, she stopped eating much or drinking, so I got the appointment made for yesterday morning. The additional symptom of congested breathing which developed last Friday was not something to be cured with antibiotics as I'd thought: it, and the small swellings, were symptoms of something else. I knew it wasn't good when the vet asked to do x-rays...turned out her chest and lungs were full of cancer--the appetite loss was due to the fact that she couldn't eat and breathe at the same time. With no options, I had my beloved little girl put down at 12:06 yesterday. For over an hour I cried over her before, and then after the shot--and the vet gave me all the time I needed. When I could speak again, I asked her to arrange cremation. This is one of the pics she took of us before the injection. I want to thank all my friends here for their well-wishes and wonderful support...I hope you know what you mean to me!

Oh Gary...I was thinking about what to say in my review about this great chapter, but I lost it all when I saw you dedicated it to my Bortai. I just don't have words for what I feel. Such a gesture when I need it most...your family is so lucky to have you in their lives. Much love and appreciation dear brother. Maybe I can write after a nap, I'm just totally drained from stress and grief right now, but you have given me a light to make for.

A good chapter, Elias, but I have to say it's a mixed bag of emotions for me, as most of them are. Thomas was right in everything he speculated about, Zoe was out to break up him and Colt, and succeeded; Colt was not the person Thomas hoped he was, so now he should spend his time recuperating and finding someone more worthy of his affections. Matt has come very close to losing Andy, and yet, he's also screwing up his experiments with being straight. There is no pleasing him,l and I am thinking he may wind up alone because of the stupid advice of his father...nothing will ever be good enough for him. As for Andy, my heart aches so much for him...I'm glad he's going to talk to Dr. Walker again--despite what he's thinking, I see his behavior toward relationships as pretty reasonable...not ideal, but not extreme either. I'm crossing my fingers that he and the doc can find a solution which allows him to escape his obsession with Matt. More please!

Another great slice of the past, Tallguy. Ronnie is lucky that he has Peter to tell him these things--I only had older sisters, and we didn't talk about sex. In the late 60s and 70s when I was hitting the teen years, I heard things at recess, in Biology and Health Class, and being out in farm country you knew the mechanics of babies, but no one spoke about gay things. I think I was lucky in that we weren't religious, so I had no feelings of guilt or shame about 'jacking', but like in your story, we all did it but didn't really talk about it either. I also was luckier in a way because television was more common and you could often catch glimpses of half-naked guys to fuel your fantasies. I still remember the big ruckus that happened when the 7th grade class went to see Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, and saw full frontal nudity of both of them! It seems no one knew the scene was there, so that was the last time we got to go see a movie as an entire class. Bringing back lots of memories for me, but I never had the need to have a 'cover' since I was a studious loner nerd with glasses that fit in nowhere in a rural school. My Jay & Miles story tells what I wish would have happened, but I didn't take the chance my Miles character did, so my first experience with another guy wasn't until college. More please!

Another wonderful memory-filled chapter. So much of their separate 'sessions' reminded me of my own. I didn't have a chance to buy the magazine Peter had, but I did get similar ones once I was 18 and could mail order them...those poses still are so hot to me, and I remember most of the pictures being in black and white, but one or two were color. Father McFadden is amazingly understanding for the time, though I have no experience with the Catholic church it surely isn't that way now. There were a couple 'dare' sessions with other kids, but nothing wild went on. I gave up pajamas once I got too old for the footed ones, and did underwear after that. I didn't get briefs in any other color than white until I was about 15 and could shop at Lazarus and buy my own. On to the next one!

I like it so far, Tallguy...it kinda surprised me that Tom took such a risk saying what he did to Peter, but sometimes you can just get a 'feeling' that someone would understand. He did the cautious thing by not stating he liked guys, but rather that girls weren't a big factor in his life. Been there growing up in the 70s in rural Ohio. I can't wait for the next chapter!

Another winner Graeme. I loved the fact that Peter found a way for Neil to have an important part in the game as Ty's stand-in. I'm sure that helped bolster their morale! I miss interaction between Liam and Neil...though it was great that he was in the stands watching. I'm hoping things work out for them, and for Deon and Clarissa...and everyone else too. More please! Oh, and I finally found some games on my cable systerm which are taping so I can catch them...I don't know where they are in the season, but one is the Magpies.

Such a nice chapter after the hectic day I've had! I'll return to 'like' it when I get some back...can't wait for the next one!

G-Man, you're a dick. Boiling with anger through most of the chapter, wanting Candy caned at the very least...and you go and change the playing field. So unfair. We all know that illness alters our reactions and tempers, but we also know how persuasive Kendall can be--and he had Truth and Right on his side here. He also has a belief in God to sustain him, and he showed Candy the difference between professing religion and living it. He used the weapons advised by Barnaby, but also his own convictions of what is decent and moral. It may seem odd, but I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't a spark inside Candy that is worth fanning into life? Maybe she won't be interested in having a part of the baby's life as she sees it now, but maybe she'll be interested in at least hearing how it's doing? I hope this is the start of a positive turn for her. So, who is our villain to be now, G? More please!

Sorry Elias, I have to come back later to 'Like' this since I'm out. I think Thomas has realized that Matt is a lot like Colt, and that may be why he says there isn't a future for the two of them...Matt's young and is mistaking his feelings as maturity rather than rationalization, but I think Thomas sees that. I just can't help feeling sorry for Andy and Thomas. Andy started out on the wrong path, but he's learned from it, and is on the rightone now...and Thomas has done the same. It is their misfortune to have fallen for guys who haven't yet learned that the grass isn't always greener in someone else's yard. More please, my friend!

James, I'm glad to see a new chapter, and I realize that Siggi has legitimate reasons for the way he feels due to his childhood, but there are therapists who can help him...can't we find him one? Dmitri does the best he can, but he got lucky in avoiding the worst that people can do...surely he can see that Siggi needs counselling? More please!

That's the thing I like about reviews--I learn what stands out for each person, and it's almost never the same thing--and sometimes not what I thought it would be either. I have to figure out where Lee's going, it seems. The boys' acceptance of Denny is pretty quick--but they are close-knit, and if one is happy, then that is what counts for the other two. I've been aware of the psaltery for years, finding it on a record of American folk music by the Beers Family, who were big in the 60s-70s. The pic is of their instrument, bigger than the modern versions which have been reduced to lap-size, with the consequent loss of depth. Some of their albums are available online, and I recommend them, but the first was the best 'Introducing The Beers Family', which you can find also, but I think only on vinyl. They appeared on tv shows and folk festivals, and Pete Seeger thought very highly of them. A few clips can be found on YouTube.

Man, you had us worried, Graeme. I'm glad to see that Ty's treatment is starting to work...I hope he can play in the Final. With any luck, the Leopards will come through and get him that chance this coming weekend. If Julie has a fit though, I think Ty might need more treatment once the season is over...but then it might be brain surgery or a tourniquet around his neck to cut off the blood flow when she smashes his head in. I hope everyone gets their chance in the draft, but most of all I wish it for Jim and Ty--they'd be fantastic on the same team, and I just hope Carlton will see that. Nice to see Neil and Liam again, I missed them...and I hope Deon can figure out something with Clarissa. Where's that truck to run over Mr. Flanders, or the proverbial piano falling out of a high window to smash him? More please!

It's wonderful to have our boys back, Elias--thank you! I'm sorry to see Colt and Thomas having such a difficult time, but I think Thomas' decision is the right one for them. At the moment, I don't think Colt is ready for a committed relationship, even if he truly does love Thomas. I only hope that Thomas doesn't wind up being left out in the cold. I hope he can find the strength to open his own eyes and see if there might be someone out there for him who is going to be loyal as well. Every the mystery: do Matt and Andy end up together as a couple? I hope we find out when the story concludes, at whatever book that might be--I don't look forward to it ending as I'm fully enveloped in these guys' lives. Right now, both Andy and Matt have their flaws, but I see Andy in a more sympathetic light--despite what Matt may think, I believe Andy learned more from the Dr. Walker talks than he did, and is acting in a more mature way--not necessarily in a fully-adult way, but still more so than Matt. All I ask right now is that Andy be happy, whether it is with Matt, or another guy who can love him in return as a partner.

Wow, I didn't think that scene would bring up fond memories--it was just to show they were still learning how to connect. My first few kisses were like that...far different from ones with a relative. I get the feeling that if Greg still shared their room, he'd have been hounded even worse than Jeff was--but Lee isn't as bold as the other two--unless he thinks it's a safe question to ask. Seeing G/D sleeping together gave him his proof to come forward...I'm wondering if I should write the scene with his first 'meeting'?

I confess going into this, that I had no clue who you were talking about, but at the mention of the 76 Olympics, I was wracking my brain to remember anyone by that name, and Bruce Jenner was the only one I could come up with--surely not the same person. It's surprising what you can miss if you don't follow social media...I have always detested daytime tv and it's ridiculous 'reality' shows; what isn't made up stunts is intrusive invasion of privacy. I don't give a crap about what 'stars' or 'celebrities' do, and care even less about their opinions. Being famous is no sign of a special wisdom or road to happiness--it just means they had a talent they could exploit to become rich. So what? You're just another person under all that, and your views are no more valid than mine...get over yourself, as the saying goes. I don't understand the struggle of those who feel they are the wrong sex, but I do understand their struggle to be themselves and how their peers will feel once their secret is out. It is a shame that our world is the way it is...despite some advances toward equality, the first instinct has been, and I think always will be, to attack that which is different. I venture to suggest that this is hard-wired into our genes as a means to preserve the species, but a good deal on top of that is learned behavior, which we can change. Say whatever you will, no one person is more important than another, our importance lies in the number of those who love us and respect us as we are: mother, father, sibling...friend. The goal of life is to make the way easier for others in any way you can, by lending a sympathetic ear, or by supporting and defending those who need your help against those who would be unkind. Gary is just one of many at GA who exemplifies the best that human nature can be, and he has shown it once more in this letter to a fellow spirit who has a struggle to fight. To anyone who is trying to live their life the way they think it should be, I'm with you! To those who think it is their business to drag others down to their level of mediocrity and intolerance--FUCK OFF.

Oh, Zarek, you have the ability to make me edgy with just a few words! I panicked when I first started reading your review, then let out a big sigh of relief when I got to the real point--The Cola Wars. I would do a Coke if there was no other option, but my first choice was Pepsi or Grape...once Coke messed with their formula, then went back to the 'old' one, it didn't taste the same to me, so I never drank it again. At places which serve Coke, I will opt for the root beer or fruit punch if I can. Today, it's Pepsi Max since I need to avoid sugar.