C James

Thank you Graeme!! I sort of gave the wrong impression by naming the previous chapter "endgame", and Ch 6&7 have loads of forshadowings. So, did you like Chris finally getting to acheive his heart's desire? (driving the Charger)? I am shocked, though, that you would suspect Eric of less that innocent motives? Thanks Michael! Yes indeed, life is getting harder for our two protagonists... Besides, who is to say that they actually get to have sex? Maybe the end of the story is that they both just explode and die? Thanks Jack! Good catch on the Piedmont police. Hmmm, yeah, they way they keep getting interrupted, they might not get together while still young enough to do anything. LoL!

Ya gotta admit, though: the title fits... Shhh, don't tell anyone, but it might be... Data. Thanks Rick!!!

Homeless Graeme has written a beautiful story. I can't really say a darn thing about it without giving spoilers, so I will simply say, go read it. I will venture one speculation. Nick, and his mysterious reasons. Given that this is a Christmas story, I had to wonder.. St. Nick? Bravo, Graeme!

Welcome, both of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 7 is up. Several days ago, I announced here that there would be a delay (due to me falling behind due to the flu) and I wouldn't be able to post today. I had anticipated a delay of a week or more. However, Chapter 7 is now online, on schedule. There are two reasons for this; My Editor and my Beta reader. Both Emoe and Shdowgod returned the chapter to me in with astounding speed, and ALL credit for this chapter being online without a long delay should go to them. My sincere thanks to both Emoe and Shdowgod, and not just for the speed with which you returned this chapter to me: You both offer me invaluable help and feedback, and this story wouldn't be here without you. It really is a team effort. THANKS GUYS!! Please let me know what you think about Chapter 7. CJ

Hypothetically speaking of Microsoft... wouldnt that line read If it works don't break it? That is preposterous, for it would imply that it is possible for something made by microsoft to work right. Stringing lights is the easy part! The really "fun" part is finding dead bulbs and replacing them so the strings work! Get out your circuit tester!

Bingo! Yes indeed, it had stopped snowing the day before. I'm going to go with Nick's pick and say #2... You were right! It had stopped snowing. I didin't think anyone would beleive the abandoned mineshaft for a storage area and emergency shelter though. OK, I'd say the snail penis is too strange-sounding to be a lie. I sure how you tell us about it. I'm guessing that #2 is true: you have probably always been asked out. #3 sounds false. I cross-train, and I do weights every other day, and roadwork every other day, but that leaves one day off per week.

The original dealer is in a Park? Please tell me you didn't buy it off squirrels? Seriously, I hope you get it sorted out! The person below me does not have a phone

I guess some of us just couldn't resist the opportunity to talk about the lack of conversation.

Sparkling! One of my favorite beverages is sparkling water. Truth or Consequeneces? (And I don't mean the town by that name...)

Maybe I should concede the race? Getting into a posting contest with Kevin is like getting into a footrace with an Olympic runner, or racing a volkswagen beetle against a formula one, or racing an piper cub against an F-15!

Oranges! Coke or Pepsi?

We sure miss you when you aren't here!

Kevin, I'd have thoguht that having blue hair would not be something that one would soon forget! Hmmm, so, I guess I've got to do the next one... Hmmmmm.... It's snowing here. I heat my house with wood, which I chop myself. I use an abandoned mineshaft on my property for storage and as an emergency shelter (in case of forest fires).

Oh man, I live in fear of losing a chapter like that! I know all too well how miserable it is to start over on something already done. I do have an idea for you though: If you can remember a few consecutive words from the story, exactly, and enough to make it somewhat unique, then you have a chance to recover it. Word stores it's temp files in weird places. So, the easier way I know to find the text, if it still exists, is to first undelete all .tmp and .doc files. Even if you can't undelete any, it might still be there in a file. So, do a text search in windoes search, use the old DOS wildcards *.* and search ALL files for your text string. You just might find it (I've recovered documents this way). Also, I advise everyone to turn off auto updates on everything, especially windows. I do my updates manually, and just select the security patches and what I know I need (which is usually a fraction of the crap they want to "update".) For other programs? I don't update unless there is a good reason to do so. If it works, don't fix it.

4000? But, Kevin will probably reach that by the end of this month, even if he doesn't get back up to full normal posting! Wow, you even post while not online? Now that's a postaholic! Great to have you back, Graeme! We missed you!

I'm just happy to see Kevin posting again, and of course taking the opportunity to tease him.

Does that second part evenmake sense..? In my totally unbiased and impartial opinion: of course it does!

I agree with you about advertising! UGH! I will never understand why most of it works. Even if an add makes me hungry for, say, peanuts, I have no clue why anyone would choose one brand over another. I also find adds incredibly annoying. If I watch TV at all, I record it so I can FF through the darn things. Join the Goats! Join the Goats!

I'm REALLY looking forward to the Winter Anthology! Whose am I looking forward to? Easy, I'm looking forward to all of them!

I looked at this forum and what did I see? Almost every post had "AFriendlyFace" as the most recnt poster, and all within a short period of time! Now that's POSTING! AFriendlyFace has returned to his normal roost atop the daily top posters list! Will he tie his daily record (which is also, hardly suprisingly, GA's daily personal record!) of 46 posts?!?!? I hereby predict that GA's forumn traffic will increase by at least 75%. :king: All hail our favorite Postaholic, Kevin! (AFriendlyFace) :king:

Liquid plumber bottle: Do not re-use bottle to store beverages.

Nick, Best wishes for Taylor's speedy recovery! I hope all goes well, for both of you. I have to disagree with you on one thing, though: I think it is fine to hit back if you are physically hit first, regardless of the genders involved. I don't mean responding to a slap with a closed fist, but in the case of a real blow, I don't see where gender is relevant; if you are hit, you have a right to hit back.

Bob, that is eloqent, and so true! Happy Birthday to all three Birthday Twins! :king: