Carlos Hazday

I'd wager those two get put on time out frequently. I previously hinted CJ was the disciplinarian, but we see he and Owen work together well. I pity the fool who interferes with how they discipline their kids. I very much doubt the grandparents would go behind their backs to comfort the kids if they turned to Brett and Cesar. Brett might give them a shot of something to relax them, but he'll most likely back CJ and Owen up. All of us usually settle for sloppy service and products at one time or another. If I had CJ's bankroll, I'd demand better when it happens. Unfortunately, wealth does provide some benefits not available to those of us who don't qualify for an Centurion card.

We still have one more chapter covering day 1! We'll get to hear a bit more about CJ being DC's mayor.

@Clancy59 The kids are not idealized perfection. They're definitely spoiled in a lot of ways, but their dads work hard at keeping them grounded. Foodwise, there'll be things they don't like, but they're probably not allowed to say they don't like something until they taste it. I didn't travel extensively with my parents when I was that age (we didn't have the money) but by the time the third brother came along, the finances were better and my youngest brother wound up in Europe a couple of times. The crew might my accustomed to dealing with high net worth people, but not like this. They'll obviously spend money and expect quality service, but they won't demand anything too outrageous.

I'm not sure my nieces and nephews ever threw tantrums like that, but my one of my best friend's daughters did. I clearly recall a trip we did together to Key West, the kid crying her head off on the drive back, and my friend talking to her as an adult, asking what was wrong. That was close to 30 years ago but it obviously stuck with me. Trying to show consistency in how they dealt with Liebe at when she was the twins' age and younger.

But he's OUR wanker! CJ can't throw tantrums for fear the kids might imitate him, but he's not about to let anyone walk over them. Brett and Ritch would have been disappointed he was so diplomatic.

Only as far as I'm on a kick to trash all things Russia. I wanted an international crew to reflect the yachting world and decided the one who would prove difficult would be a Putin admirer. Because it was tangential to the story, I cut out my initial description telling us she was borderline homophobic and a supporter of Russia's laws against gay people. I think it worked better limiting her to being obnoxious and being put in her place.

Andalucía, Sevilla, Malaga, Toledo, Valencia... all those cities I heard about growing up would be places to take them to and explore. I mentioned before my maternal ancestors come from Ribadesella in the north. However, my paternal ancestors could be found in Toledo until 1492 when Jews were expelled. A couple of Hazdays (spelled a bit different back then) were big shots. One was a medical pioneer and another one was renowned philosopher. Not sure when the genes were corrupted between them and me.

Good! My goal with this story's to make readers' smile. I particularly enjoyed writing the trailing entourage thing. I can see Brett and Ritch smirking and rubbing their hands together then pouting when their other halves suggested they sit. Brett probably threw a tantrum to rival Jeffer's.

I may have watched a chef or two throw tantrums in cooking competitions. LOL Can you imagine those three as adults, sitting at a bar, trying to decide how many dozen slimies they want to order?

Should I add you to the adoption waiting list?

Thank you. Take a look at my reply to Dave's comment. Does it make sense?

I'm pretty sure cruising the Med on a mega sailing yacht will be enjoyable. Although as someone mentioned before, that family could squeeze fun out of a rock.

Those kids are being raised to be good capitalists and not pass any opportunity to make a buck. Showing the conversation between the captain and the chef would have not worked. She politely dismissed CJ so the scene would have revolved around the two women by themselves. It's been years since I switch point of view within a chapter. After the first couple of entries, CJ-centric stories have all been exclusively from his POV until now. We get to see things from every family member's perspective, but it would have been silly to break the continuity to include a scene from the captain's POV. Furthermore, the story's about the family not the crew. @Dr. John NYC commented the prologue reminded him of the Below Deck shows on Bravo. Although the episodes I've watched did influence some story details, those shows are all about crew drama. I wanted to avoid that.

Such enthusiasm! LOL Thank you. This is a sailing holiday so I tried to keep a sunny outlook through the entire book. Hopefully, at the end, readers will be smiling.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed that. It's simply CJ being CJ.

Monday, 3 May 2027 Barcelona - Balearic Sea Staring at the three-masted vessel, CJ whistled. “Daaamn… Grandpa Cap really knows how to plan a vacation!” “Welcome!” The greeting diverted his attention from the sailing yacht. The shoulder stripes identified the speaker as being in charge, and he assumed the others standing on the pier were the rest of the crew. Young and fit, they looked great in maritime whites; the golden threads in their epaulets shimmering in the morning sun.

@Mrsgnomie You're the one who suggested Dave as a character's name so don't give me crap about it. As for Manchester, trying to avoid the obvious Oregon Coast or the much longer and warmer Florida Coast, I figured we'd throw @Mancunian a bone.

Crossovers? Don't you dislike those suckers? You have me at a disadvantage since I've not been reading your story. How many kids have you got? My stories are date specific and in 2022 I can offer up 2 girls and 1 boy, all under 4. In 2027 we have 3 girls and 5 boys ranging between 3 and 8. In July of that year they all spend a week in Orlando. Wanna go to Disney World? Any joint work must be set in Manchester and feature a character named Dave.

If I had kept CJ in Florida, my stories would trash Desantis regularly.

I've been getting about a dozen contribution requests from both parties every day. I'm allowing them to come through so I can get an idea of what's being said. There's crap coming from both sides, but the Republican requests are full of lies and most come from Trump. I can't wait until this election cycle's over.

@Clancy59 I'm looking forward to your reaction to the next couple of chapters. This turned out to be a complex story since I tried to update readers on the characters' lives while also providing a glimpse into how CJ and Owen are raising their children. The Founding Fathers extolled education as a way of protecting and advancing democracy. The fixation right wingers have on "protecting" children leaves them ignorant of vital information and may lead to a monotheistic authoritarian society. Sometimes I despair of how gullible some of our fellow citizens are, following so-called leaders who care nothing about the country, too focused on achieving power and keeping it.

Thanks, Jeff. To be honest, so am i. Time to cast off.

Not sure if you're aware Florida's governor complained about a bookstore hosting story time for children with a drag queen reading. He suggested parents could be held accountable for exposing their children to whatever it is he thinks is dangerous. That's one thing CJ will bring up.

And it's not only us. France toyed with electing a right-winger and Italy did. The rise of nationalism isn't new and it's usually part of societal shifts. It happened during the industrial revolution before. I think Covid accelerated the process and the economic hardships brought on by the pandemic and now Russia's belligerence may encourage more countries to fence themselves in.

If I pay too much attention to current events, I get depressed. CJ's my outlet. He gives me a chance to show how we can act to improve the world for future generations.