MikeL

I really enjoyed chapter 21, John. And I have faith that you won't let Coop die. I think his is a rhetorical question. He's really thinking about what he would do if he lost Mich.

No habla Espańol. Lo siento.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngsKzdKNAmo

Well said, Robbie. I think I agree with all you said except Shane's sexuality. Perhaps we should split the difference on that. Bisexuality would easily fit Shane's behavior and permit the future course of the story as we both outlined it.. I think you have described the relationship between the two young men very well.

Happy Birthday, John!

As the victim of a bank merger, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Arranged marriages do work sometimes. There are cultures and certain social strata where that is the norm and is expected.

tedious

What a deal! The goat never misses an opportunity to mess with readers' minds.

Happy Birthday, Vic! Relax today...no running or gym! I know; I'm too late already.

Happy Birthday, Bob! And many more!

estuary

Leap frog? Yeah...lots of fun! Question to ponder: If a pig loses his voice, is he disgruntled?

opalescence

I suppose this could soothe the feelings of the unemployed. Anyone want this guy's job? http://www.4cyc.com/play-YIMigVo1pyA

Blood tests...sigh...once had three different nurses in my urologist's office stick me a total of four times before they could get one little vial of blood for a PSA test. In the process, one of the nurses stuck herself with one ef the used needles, so she and I both had to be tested for HIV. I told them to test mine from the vial they just obtained. The next time I went to that doctor, she (the careless nurse) was no longer employed there. As for gallstones, I recommend having the gall bladder removed (cholecystectomy). It can be done laparoscopically with three or four tiny incisions. Mine was an outpatient affair taking about four hours from check-in to heading home. See: http://www.webmd.com...-for-gallstones The gall bladder's only purpose is to store excess bile. Who needs that? Good luck! If it hurts, get rid of it.

fyke

I'm sure it's true that exercise helps you live longer, but when do you find time to enjoy yourself? I can think of only one form of enjoyable exercise.

Good comments by Steve and Benji. I think the goat doesn't mind playing with our minds. He's given enough (possibly) contradictory information to serve his purpose. Shane's words and reactions might mislead us, but that is the character misleading another character, not the author misleading the readers. I vote that Shane is gay. I'll even go out on a limb and predict that he will accompany Trevor on the second half of his circumnavigation. A circumnavigation doesn't have to be solo. Once they've found Trevor's mother in Australia and she's explained the means and reasons for her disappearance, they'll be on their way. This does remind me of the endless discussions of what constitutes a cliffhanger.

Chapter 20 is excellent, John. You had me believing it would have a sad ending, but it's far from that. Please keep up the great writing.

Little girls are so cute. I was reminded of that just yesterday. I think yellow is the perfect color. It's neutral, warm and cheerful. Most important, you don't have to repaint for the second child... or the third.....

Congratulations to a great author, John!

bodacious

leaderboard

My vote would be for none of the above. Century Gothic has more white space within the letters making text easier to read. It has the additional advantage of using less ink or toner when a page is printed.

Happy Birthday, Myr!