C James

Thank you Rick!!!! I've been dying to see what people think of the "explanation", now that Chris has given his. Me? Evil? It's not my fault that you keep such odd hours. Have fun (as much as possible, anyway) at work. Don't work too hard!

Chapter 4 is up, and the title is "Necktie Party". Please let me know what you think, good or bad. :pickaxe:

Ahh, thanks! I've carried a camera bag that was kind of similar. I came close to losing that (left behind in any number of places) so many times it scared me to take it out of the suitcase. I am so glad that there are now decent digital cameras that are pocket-sized. LOL that's totally me! But I like the bag because I don't like to put anything in my pockets, at least not my front pockets. LOL basically if my pants are loose enough that I can easily put something in the front pocket, they're too loose! So I tend to keep my wallet, cell phone, and keys in one of the back pockets if I can, or else I tend to just carry them around and yeah I'm sure to put them down and walk off . LOL, when I was a teen it was so bad that my friends would joke that if I've been somewhere I've probably left my keys there. The bigger the object though the less likely I am to leave it mostly because 1) it's easier to see and notice when you get up/walk away and 2) I'll miss it sooner and 3) if I'm not visibly carrying it I know that I do need to go back (whereas with my keys for example I'd probably just assume they were in a pocket. LoL! I am not deterred by size when it comes to losing things. I lose jackets regularly. If I go to Phoenix (the nearest place with a large mall) I tend to lose my SUV on occasion, at least while I spend an hour walking around the parking lot trying to remember where I parked it. Generally, I drive most everywhere so I just leave things in the vehicle rather than carrying them around. Usually, I can be sure that I won't forget to take my vehicle with me. LoL. As for the pockets thing, I discovered the "cargo pockets" styles of shorts and pants a few years ago, and love 'em!

Thanks! Those are funny!!!!!!!!!

<cough>wallet <cough> (I thoguht most everyone kept them in there?) Sunglasses are indeed a must. Even moreso at high altitude where I live than in the desert, due to even higher UV. I am never without them (I'm even wearing them in my personal pic in my profile). What does it look like? A camera bag? I've never actually heard of ,or seen, what you are describing. Hmm, just did a google, and this page came up: Is that about right? I've packed less than that (though more clothes!) for a month-long trip to South America! Aside from clothes, I took a book, toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo, water, a comb, a razor, a Swiss army knife, a notepad and two pens, granola bars and sunblock. And that was all in one bag that stayed in my room, not being carried around with me every day. The main reason I usually don't carry around more than will fit in my pocket is that I soon wouldn't have it. I tend to put things down and forget them. I don't even wear a coat if I can avoid it because I'm always losing the things when I take them off.

Don't worry Steve, It's all good things that we are keeping from you! (Pssst, guys, let me lul him into a false sense of security, and THEN we strike!! ) I most certainly agree! Well, providing you don't put vaseline on my hooves again, that would be.. Tuesday, Tuesday, or maybe even Tuesday. I haven't made up my mind yet... :wacko: (Goats confuse easily, ya know... ) Ahhh, College life. I remember it well. Though, there are plenty of blank spots in my memory due to doing a bit too much of the aforementioned partying.

Actually, there are some things in the next two chapters that even you and Emoe don't know about yet. Oh gosh! He's given away the whole thing! (good one, Graeme!!) Or, I might be planning an interlude; a nice chapter all about the grass growing in the feild? Or am I just hungry and thinking of lunch? I'll post the next chapter on Tuesday! Or, maybe I'll wait until Tuesday. Or, I might post it early by posting it on Tuesday. (this would be Wednesday, Wednesday, or Wednesday for those who are on the strange side of the international dateline). So, is Graeme a Goat Whisperer? Hmmm... I don't know. Getting close enough to an Echidna to hear whispers means braving those pointy quills...

For me, it's situational: If I'm just heading for town or running errands or visiting freinds, all I need are my wallet, keys, and wristwatch. My "cosmetics" supply consists of a small comb that I keep either in my pocket or in the glovebox. I also usually keep a bottle of cologne in the glovebox. I always have a change of clothes, plus of course a well-stocked emergency kit in my vehicle at all times (needed, when you spend a lot of time in the backcountry, miles from pavement). If I'm wilderness hiking, especially overnight, then I do pack out a fairly heavy load, but the contents depend on the length of the hike, terrain, and anticipated weather.

Yes indeed, Editors can be EEEvil... Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't say that. I hear mine is having a BBQ party and I'm invited. Strange though, that he'd invite a Goat, when I've heard that Goat is the main course? :fire: And I have no idea what you mean about denial! Harumph! I'm a lurker, I tell ya! Anyone want to have a speculation contest, and see who can come closest to guessing what happens in the next chapter?

I'm coming into this late (just saw it) and I hope the thieving scum is both disgraced and removed. Dom, I disagree with you on only one thing In my opinion, it IS a violation, no "like" about it. Dom, I'm very sorry that this happened to you. Not only are you a fantastic author, but you are one of the nicest people I've ever encountered. CJ

Humph, you are as bad as my editor! I've been trying to convince him to just go ahead and send me the finsihed chapters instead of waiting for me to send them to him for editing, but will he listen? Nooooo.... BTW, I much prefer the term "publish" to refer to putting a chapter online. This is due to me being a lurker, and posting of any sort is against the lurker code. Publishing is ok, though.

Happy thanksgiving!!! Don't eat too much!

You expect a Goat to be able to count?!?!?!?! One of the signs of a postaholic... I think CJ is finally beginning to face up to reality. I expect him to reply to this post, denying it, but the true sign of a lurker would be to ignore it and not reply. Let's see what happens.... ACK!! Vicious rumors!!! Moderator!! Mooooderator!!! Humph, never a moderator around when ya need one... However, as you point out, I am a lurker, so therefor you were wrong in your prediction that I would reply to this post. I'm ignoring it and not replying or posting. Nope, not me!! You have been told my opinion on spoilers. I've sharpened my spines.... just in case As a minor point, you posted the new chapter on Wednesday (Australian time). However, I won't complain. I'll just accept that you're always behind and that you'll never catch up.... I've got my Editor threatening to BBQ me, and now you and your very pointy spines!! Egads, I never knew it was so risky to be a writer!! OK, Graeme, I'll make you a deal regarding the time of posting. Due to the fact I post on Tuesdays, you can just copy and send me the chapter, which should therefor arrive before I actually post it, and that way I don't have to write it.

I think that holds true in any weather or road condition. :2hands:

ROFL! What? Me, have an afinity for cliffies? Would I do such a thing? Thanks!! I know I said last night, but I should have the fixed chapter 3 up in a few hours. I'm trying, but right now my computer is being unco-operative. I think I need one of those computer-fine-tuning devices. You know, sledgehammers. :battleaxe: Thank you Rick!!! I'll keep posting! (Every Tuesday). Yep, the mindset of Chris & Steve might be a little hard to grasp. I can't say too much without spoiling some upcoming scenes, but I can try and shed a little light on the subject. Hmmmm. I can't really figure out what I can say on this without giving out spoilers. I can't really say anything at all. So, why am I still typing? I'm not really sure. It's disturbing though. :wacko: Maybe I can give one little hint? Remember Steve's comment to Chris, regarding what Eric could out them as? Not as gay, but as something else? Maybe that is relevant, and maybe it isn't. OK, I'll shut up now as there isn't much more I can say on this without giving spoilers. :ranger: Chapter 5 will explain this whole situation a bit more, though.

Welcome Dusk!! If you have any problems or questions, please feel free to PM (personal message) me or any of our various team members, and we will be happy to help!

Thanks for the spoiler spaces, but I figure that if the reader has waded this deep into the thread they will have seen plenty already. LoL But, you never know... I'm definitly trying to improve on the writing side, and all of the comments are helping a LOT! Heh, I've been cross-posting a lot tonight! I didn't see your or Dark Shadows' posts until quite a bit after I posted! LoL! I'm working on the re-write for chapter 3 as well as chapters 4, 5, & 6. I definitly want it to be a little less rough than it has been. LoL! BTW, I'd like to be very serious here for a second and tell everyone: In the credits at the bottom of the story, I say something that I really mean: "All remaining errors are mine alone". I say it becuase it is true. I always make changes after both Steve (my Beta reader) and Emoe (my editor) see the chapter, so any errors in any chapter are my responsibility and mine alone.

Myk is giving some very good advice here. The only things I'd add are the depending on how much snow, chains might be in order. Also, if you have a choice of vehicles, a 4 wheel drive is a good choice. Above all, as Myk said, go slow.

I look at it this way: ten years ago, had a Baptist Bishop siad this, it would have raised a firestorm. Today, it hasn't. And that, my freinds, is what I call progress. :king:

Oops. Fortunately for Emoe, I do a spelling check and grammar review before sending him chapters (and things still slip through). It could be worse for him though: I might be Australian and thus have a penchant for putting "u's" in strange places. I like it!!!! Thank you!! I'll also try and keep that in mind when writing. Thanks! Edit: And yes, we've cross posted again. My understanding is that it takes two postaholics to cross post regularly, but I could be wrong.... The fact that my post above was 20 minutes before yours has nothing to do with it. Well, you see it's like this: I post so rarely that it takes me a very long time to post, so the 20 minutes is quite understandable. The most I've ever cut in a re-write is 7000 words. That was in a chapter with 7006 words. I shall at the very least endeavour to keep the number of exclamation points below the number of words.

Hi Graeme! Looks like we cross-posted!! Strange how that only happens to postaholics like you! YES! Much better! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( <------ umm, speaking of my penchant for over-using exclamation marks... ) Good point. I'll try and cut down. I still like them in highly-charged dialog, but I do think I use way too many. I'll see if I can cut it in half for the next chapter (which is longer). Thanks!!!! ( <---- I only promised to cut done in the story!!!)

I know I've used too many of the things, especially in chapter 2. I did try and take some out. Hmmmm... How about "thanks to you," Steve moved closer, and yelled furiously in Eric's face "you blackmailing piece of s***, becuase if it weren't for you messing with our heads, we would have been together months ago!" I did retain the exclamation mark at the end, becuase I think it is more appropriate there than most anywhere else in the chapter. I do agree thoguh that there were too many in the chapter. Thanks Matthew!!!!!!! I may be wrong, but my own preference is that they are more appropriate in emotionally-charged dialog, so I tend to be liberal with them there (too liberal). I just did a word count and found 29 of them in chapter 3, which is way too much IMHO. As a counter example, chapter 6 of "living in Surreality" had a lot of action and emotion, and has all of two. Telling rather than showing has been a recurring problem for me (as Steve can attest) so this is something I am working on improving. :ranger:

So much different from the previous chapters? LoL, yep things did start off a bit dark. But, ummm, I hope you don't think they will all be lighthearted from now on. I probably shouldn't mention this, but, um, the title of the next chapter is "Necktie party". Fear not! The car will be back in chapter 5!! Thank you Graeme!!! What? You didn't expect me to divulge the plan, now did ya? Poor Eric... Oops!! I goofed there. In fact, I have a nasty feeling that I sent the wrong copy to my editor. I re-worked it a bit after my wonderful beta reader, Shdowgod, read it, and then sent it to Emoe. However, I did it in two stages and may have bungled it and sent poor Emoe the wrong one (with only a few changes). Well, if I suddenly disappear and you hear Emoe complaining about having a freezer full of leftover BBQ'd Goat, y'all will know what happened.... :fire: Yipes! That one really got by me!! Up until about chapter 4, this story is largely based (including some entire passages) on one I wrote years ago. It was written in the present tense. Oops!! I'll add this to my list of things to fix. THANKS!!!!!! Hmmmm... Snakelike? That just doesn't describe what I was trying to convey. Is there a better way to describe someone slowly and casually standing up? Opinions anyone? Please?? Okay... you get the idea... lol Read you cow! --- I like your wording for that better than what I had. Thanks!! I'll see if I can get the revised chapter online tonight. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 3, which is entitled "Get the Rope", is now up.

Hi Kevin!! Sorry to hear that you have to move. I love your attitude!! You are definitly one of the most "together" people that I know.