Carlos Hazday

@BlueWindBoy I once walked into an apartment a relative had died in a few days before. I almost puked just from the smell. Pretty sure the cameraman didn't finish the documentary. And I'm certain he won't be hired to work in the next movie CJ and Owen produce. Where's that sign post showing all roads lead to Mexico? I'm pretty sure I had him moving before I had his name. Rough crowd! Honestly, I saw a white flag with the word in blue and all caps. Simple and classy. I'm still fuzzy on the details. I need to figure out possible moves from one agency to another and how his romantic life fits into it all. One of those instances were slow incremental steps fit the bill.

@BlueWindBoy LMFAO You never know, he could jump to the Space Force and be the captain of the first spaceship to Mars! There may be a few more references to straight sex. Should I start posting alerts? Some twenty years in the future, I predict Edrice will be assigned to the White House. I think Bacon Station's a made up one. No complaints about the straight sex? LOL And no, Edrice's hopelessly hetero. I actually thought of that. Edrice jumped out while rolling to a stop and Ritch immediately followed. Youth and training to react in emergencies may have had something to do with it. As for moving the guy, I threw in the line about him being alert and Ritch fearing fire, but decided not to include the questions about his condition for dramatic effect. Nothing kills the mood like having to read boring details. Not a Subaru. While writing and posting this story, I was in the middle or working with Mann and WolfM on their stories. Both about werewolves. I had to YouTube the scene... now I want to watch the trilogy again.

I love how @Parker Owens and I have been able to intertwine our casts.

I have a similar reaction. Whenever someone binge reads and comments, I end up at a minimum scaning th chapter so I can refresh my memory and reply coherently. This one's always a hard read even though I wrote it.

@BlueWindBoy Pretty sure I mentioned Carson being a rower when CJ attended the reception at the boathouse back when he was at Georgetown. I cringe when I read the earliest installments. I'm helping a newer author and one of my recurring notes is the repetition of details like opening the door whenever the characters drive somewhere. I've tried to curtail the amount of useless things and this may have been a spot when I could have added a few words to explain Henk was in the barn at the same time CJ took Liebe there. Henk left the space and was back home when Brad encountered him again. Brad may have matured a lot since enlisting, but he's no trained therapist. I mention Heroes Haven provides all sort of services to residents and Brad seeing a counselor. The assumption would be Henk has the same opportunity although I left it open in case he had refused to speak with anyone. Whenever I've dealt with bouts of depression, keeping busy has been the best therapy. I count CJ and company with helping me maintain my sanity at times. Henk found solace in his garden, and its destruction would have left him with little to ground him.

OK, THAT was funny as shit.

@BlueWindBoy Considering Ritch suspected Donovan was intoxicated when he arrived, I assume he was stopped for a driving infraction. LMAO! Airplane's one of the funniest movies ever! And that's exactly what I was hinting at! Ritch's becoming a leader! I haven't bothered with actual GPAs for either anyone, but I've stressed both CJ and Ritch did well even if neither one was at the top of the class. You're entirely right, even though he's a good student, right or wrong the family's wealth would tip the scales in his favor. LOL - BLAINE and Michael... Nope, not cluttering the cast any more than I already have. Yep, once you prove your worth, you can get away with plenty. I know it happened with me when I worked for Ernst & Whinney. Once the partners realized someone as junior as me could bring in clients, I was actually encouraged to do things a green staff accountant would not normally be a part of.

@BlueWindBoy Aba's reluctance to follow them to Mexico was based on attitudes I've observed for some Cuban-Americans my age and older. They consider Miami home, and after leaving their original one, find it difficult to move again. Her going to DC was a little different. She was still mourning her husband, had family other than CJ and Owen around, and she was already somewhat familiar with the city. Taking care of her first great grandchild I'm sure influenced her decision too. Surfside's north of Little Havana. Unrelated side note - earlier this week I needed my bike towed to the dealer and called for roadside assistance. The service sent me the tow truck operator's info and said it would take up to 2 hours. At the end of the waiting period, I called back. It happened 4 times with 4 different tow truck companies. None showed up until three days later when I requested help again. One of the operators explained he had 22 trucks and 17 of them were being used to haul debris from the collapsed building. The ramifications of the tragedy have reverberated all through the extended community.

Richards' older? Betty definitely is. I'll say QEII is definitely doing well for her age.

@BlueWindBoy I wonder how Colorado and New Mexico felt when told they had to give up an 1800-feet wide strip of territory on their western borders. Will get back to you on the typo. I need to figure out how and why I used Yuk. Donovan just met Ritch before they all flew to DC, he may not be aware of a lot of Ritch's views. Plus, a party at a wealthy family's home may have influenced his decision to attend and remain after being scolded. We'll find out what happens next chapter; I wasn't as rough as you propose. Someone wearing that cap in the middle of Anacostia would not be popular. Happy with the explanation for needing a nanny in Mexico?

@BlueWindBoy I think Brad's focus on veterans' issues has been fairly narrow, his knowledge of the fly fishing/outdoors programs due to Owen. How many people in the US know anything about the Invictus Games? As for Harry and Meghan, I foresee a reconciliation later this year when the Queen falls ill. She is older than dirt after all.

Thank you.

Actually, my goal when I write Patrick's spinoff, is to show not all (gay) priests are pedophiles. I will trash the Catholic hierarchy for the coverup. Didn't they pay attention during the Watergate crisis? It's not usually the crime but the aftermath that does people in. You're getting ahead of yourself... LMAO SPOILER Brad will NOT be President Abello's FBI director.

@BlueWindBoy Don't mess with my editors or I'll send CJ after you. I've ventured into editing for a couple of authors, after warning them I'm not that good yet, and I've come to realize how hard a job it is. I'll correct both in a minute. FYI I know the difference and proper usage of where-were-we're but my fingers seem to ignore my brain's instructions at times. I still can't believe I named two douche bags Eddie and Freddy. Maybe they are the way they are because of their nicknames? I should have added a Teddy to the cast. Aba? Not ALL roads lead to Mexico. SPOILER Liebe's nanny's Infanta Romero.

Thank you. My mother and her mother both died after suffering from Alzheimmer's. We held a mass for each one. Dad was Jewish and he had asked there be a viewing/part with nothing religious. Unfortunately, he died last year and out of an abundance of concern, I vetoed any type of gathering. We placed his ashes atop Mom's with only their sons, my brothers' wives and their four kids present. I hope when I go, it's quick.

@BlueWindBoy What do you mean meaningless sex? It was meaningful enough he remembers! LOL Damn straight boys, they're as bad as queer ones. Some of the harshest criticism I've ever received has been from a friend. Forty years after meeting, I value them more than ever. It takes a true friend not to sugarcoat things. Redbreast was suggested by a bartender friend when I asked for suggestions. Google backed up the recommendation. Korematsu I put on a similar level as Dred Scott and Citizens United. They deserve overturning. I don't care if Senator Romney thinks corporations are people too.

The kintsugi bit was inspired by an article I read in Smithsonian Magazine. I keep a list of interesting things I may want to use to round out chapters and this was one of them. Carson's probably the least developed of the Squad members. I have a general idea, but details will have to wait until his own book or more likely until after CJ returns from Mexico and they tackle a couple of political projects together. During CJ's work for Hilary, I attributed something a bunch of high schoolers did in Arizona for real to him inspiring them. Ryker Burnett admitted CJ inspired him and made him think of attending Georgetown. Here he inspires Brad to pay it forward. The true mark of a leader's not what he can accomplish on his own but what he can achieve by inspiring others. At least that's the way I see it. Weren't most of us just as conceited when we were his age?

@BlueWindBoy Not sure it's military protocol, but it's definitely Brett's. I may have to revise their net worth, I didn't realize the Hockneys were that pricey. Nope, at the party the mentioned dinner but not lodging. This was a progression after getting to know him a bit better. Yeah, but the lift kit makes it look cool. I need Fernando to stick around at least through 2024, maybe 2028. I want him to face CJ. In '24 he'll be stumping for the president and make at least a trip to California. In '28 the entire family will rotate through Malibu for the Olympics. Brett again. There's a veteran's organization called Irreverent Warriors and Brett could be their poster child. Thanks for catching that sappy, romantic bit. I'll have to do some editing. What would Ajax and Marina think of that? Or could Chipper have an East Coast throuple and a West Coast one. Actually, I have one planned not involving any of those characters, but it won't appear for a while. I haven't designed the Calder yet. Once I figure out what I want its placement will be revealed. I didn't want to turn the story into a how-to-display-art booklet.

The house will be featured in multiple chapters and stories. We'll go through a major rehab and I'll share details here and there as they become relevant. I've gone through the rehab process without the financial resources those two have, so I've had fun imagining what I could do without money not being a li Italian.

@BlueWindBoy Let's attribute Sabrina's openness to being in the presence of a fellow marine. At some point I have to revisit/describe security. A frequently empty house with that amount of artwork needs more than a regular alarm system. That security gate may have to stay. What about Barry Goldwater being a Planned Parenthood supporter? Seems Republicans have devolved over the years which probably requires a Darwin to decipher what's happened. They all drank the Kool Aid. Have you ever reached an overseas customer support center? I get called Mr. Carlos more often than I care to count. LMFAO I read an article about Willy Wonka's Booze Factory a couple of years ago and thought it would be a fun place to visit. Since I haven't been in LA in years, I decided I'd have my characters do it for me. I probably didn't do the place justice, I ended up trimming the descriptions a bit and using the place as an excuse for B&C to day drink.

@BlueWindBoy Chipper returning to EZ was somewhat inspired by Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Asbury Park's Stone Pony. I've previously mentioned I envision CJ and Chipper having the most personality similarities out of the group. I see them both as being fun guys with good hearts and sharp minds. Chipper's sense of loyalty will be further explored in future chapters/stories. I still haven't figured out where the hell Brett's parents exhibited all that artwork while alive. I mean, their house isn't THAT large, and we know a couple of pieces are in Washington and Vail. Maybe the mobile can hang/stand over/on that entrance console. You know, close to the door so you can smash and grab with ease. I'll hold off on discussing Fernando for now. There's a bit more about him later. I didn't use a real museum because I have plans for CAMALA and him, they'll be featured in a chapter or two in Everhope in 2024. That's the book AFTER Mexico. Meryl will appear in the Mexico book. As for her looks, I started with Miranda Priestly as inspiration.

@BlueWindBoy Let's remember Chipper straddles the fence and seems to like threesomes. You never know what a DM can lead to. Although I love writing real-world based stories, I often have to remind myself I'm writing fiction and I can include and exclude whatever I want. Gambit gets made, makes a bunch of money, and Brock's performance gets nominated for several awards. Anyway, I thought Kitsch was out of the running and Tatum was the leading candidate for the role. We'll find out who they ask to move in at the end of the book. Ranger has a reference to the caretakers in 2022 and CDMX will further clarify the issue.

@BlueWindBoy LMAO Freddy, Madeline, and Greg I tried to write as caricatures of a certain type of SoCal resident. A himbo, a bimbo, and a jerk. As for Bryce and Zion, I also made them influencers and party boys, don't forget Coachella!

Thanks, JR. I swear the next book has a happier ending.

😞