Parker Owens

Great chapter to begin. But what a fall!

For Andy to use the "M-word" with Monica, especially accidentally - purely naturally, for he noticed it after the fact - would be a big deal both for him and for Monica. And good for Kaz for trying to help Andy see himself more clearly. Thanks for your comments, which I truly appreciate. And most of all, thanks for reading another chapter in Andy's life.

I am glad that there is a good sense to the word 'cute.' Sometimes I think that word gets too much of a workout. Andy may be a little sore after his workout with Kaz, but what is so lovely is his innocence about it all. He doesn't know that it was 'Suicide Hill,' so he just tries his damndest. He trusts Kaz enough that he won't put him through anything horrendously bad. Thank you for the very kind comparisons and for your very adept and perceptive remarks. Most of all, thanks for reading another chapter of Andy's life.

I really appreciate your telling us the story of your promise. Something compels you to act, to commit - and you do. How good you were to your friend then. Andy did the same for Jeff Ellison. Using the "M-word" with Monica must have been a big deal, I agree. And yes, it's clear, Andy still has some cognitive dissonance because he needs people like Kaz to describe him as he really is, in the same way a blind person needs a friend to pick out clothes that match. Thank you for your insightful comments and for reading another chapter in Andy's life.

I really appreciate your telling us the story of your promise. Something compels you to act, to commit - and you do. How good you were to your friend then. Andy did the same for Jeff Ellison. Using the "M-word" with Monica must have been a big deal, I agree. And yes, it's clear, Andy still has some cognitive dissonance because he needs people like Kaz to describe him as he really is, in the same way a blind person needs a friend to pick out clothes that match. Thank you for your insightful comments and for reading another chapter in Andy's life.

Thanks for a grand chapter. CJ and Owen can't hog all the fun; glad the Dads got some together time, too. CJ certainly seems well older than his age interacting with guys like Dawson. Nice to see him get a smackdown. What a hoot to see a Tyson Hill reference. Thanks to you and Mark McNally.

I don't think you are at all weird about this. Of course, I don't get much in the way of fan mail, but I'm content with the GA Personal Message system, rather than the other services. That's my opinion, of course.

Thank you for saying it's beautiful. I think it's beautiful that Andy can just relax and hang with Kaz, go to a party and make a friend. This is a simple, normal chapter in a normal kid's life. Beautiful.

Thank you for extending the running metaphor. Andy may not live on 'planet running' as Kaz does, but he could relate to what you say, nonetheless. And Kaz totally set Andy up, didn't he? Thanks for your insight, and for reading another chapter in Andy's life.

The signs of growth and progress are all around Andy, but he doesn't always see them. This chapter amply records these signs, as you say. That Kaz feels okay enough with Andy to set him straight (so to speak) about his abilities says a lot about how their friendship has grown, too. Yes, Andy is so silly sometimes, but you are also right in pointing out how emerging from hell can color his view of the world. Thanks again for your kind reviews and for reading yet another chapter in Andy's life.

It was a good thing that Kaz called Andy out over the way he talks about himself. Coming from Zander, Andy might discount it as the view through boyfriend lenses. Instead, Kaz simply told the truth as he saw it. You're right about Andy using the "M-word" with Monica. That's hardly an insignificant moment. Thanks for your honest, Kaz-like review, and for reading yet another chapter in Andy's life.

March 11 Today, running with Kaz was the major event. At least, he treated it that way. In the morning, Kaz took me on what he called a distance run, and which I think must have been a marathon. I felt like we had run thirty miles, though Kaz assured me we’d only done fourteen. We took a long route to the south of his house, into territory I’d never walked. I was happy that it seemed to go downhill, at first, until I realized at the next hill that we’d be going up again. And then up some mo

You continue to have the teen dialogue and speech down pat. Interesting new introductions. The line about not being the kid you wanted is a zinger, and will gut Mom for a while. Jack may come to regret having said that, I think. Great developmental chapter. Will enjoy seeing everyone evolve.

A lovely story building up. Nice cameo scene, too. And the shooting stars! Great.

I am so glad you liked it, and all that technical mambo jumbo didn't put you off. As I said to Gary, I kind of like the challenge of rhyming technical terms. That is the fun part. Thanks for the encouragement and review.

I am so glad you liked it. I remember 8 AM Calc classes. nobody warned me. But will you really take Patristic Theology, too? Thank you for your review, and good luck!

Thanks for seeing the humor and for checking out the rhymes, I have a thing for rhyming technical terms. Why shouldn't engineers get lyrical from time to time? Thanks for your review, Gary.

I am glad you thought Dr. O'Shea's approach to be a sound one. There are almost as many approaches as there are counselors, it seems. Andy appears to be working through some of his issues and experiences, enough to grow and become more of who he was meant to be. I Am also very glad you continue to read Andy's journal, and I am most grateful for your reviews.

David is now channeling strength. This can cut two ways, of course. If he feels too strong, he may make critical errors in judgment. On the other hand, perhaps feeling stronger will help him connect better with Twoey. The dance, the new athletic season, the seating arrangements, and all that other stuff could derail their friendship. The two of them will need to be strong about that. Hope Gary and Mike do okay together, or else David will start questioning his interior wisdom. Maybe we could have another chapter tomorrow? Please, SD? I'll be good, promise!

Couplet Coursework Now begin semester's grinding tussle; now the homework, now the classroom bustle. Calculus, Equations differential make you think your life is penitential. Trig analysis is quite sadistic; while you take Theology patristic. Don't despair, your mind expands like taffy as you solve MacLaurin series daffy. Number theory, methods most Socratic lead you to conclusions most ecstatic.

You write about choice elegantly here, Gary. The metre emphasizes the inevitability of consequences from the choices one makes. Its insistent pace highlights your words and drives home the point that you have no choice but to own all your choices. This poem particularly affected me. So very well done.

I thank you for your continued reading of A to Z. It is a long tale, and admittedly hard going at times. The early chapters are especially difficult, as you say. Stefan maddeningly runs when he should stay, covers up when he ought to be open, shuts out help when he could receive what others would give. The early hard going has conditioned this behavior - but who can tell the reader that early on? Not Stefan, certainly. And he is so, so alone, as you say. Not sure what 'HEA' means, but I'm guessing you mean a happy ending? Like Andy, I'm just going to shrug. In this chapter, the big news is that Andy is less the guest or foster boy, and is instead becoming a part of the family. Of course, means learning about the rest of the Stevenson clan. I am enormously grateful for your encouraging words and for writing responses. I am especially happy you have continued to read through Andy's story. Thank you.

You could easily make the case that Garrett Stevenson distracted Andy. The roads they drove on were pretty quiet - not much traffic, he reported in he he journal. And maybe Garrett was trying to take Andy's mind off being nervous. And yes, the um, phone call took a decidedly interesting turn, but a turn almost normal for a teenage, no? Thanks so very much for all your encouraging reviews and for continuing to read Andy's story.

You are right about the parking lot bit; I wondered about that, but the segue into Andy driving seemed more natural, so I let it go. And Andy does know about driving farm equipment, as you say. Hard to believe fifty chapters have gone by, Harder to believe how far Andy has come in those pages. Thank you so much for your encouragement and for reading the story. Believe me, as I started posting, I had my heart in my throat, wondering if anyone would want to read this. Thanks again.

Thank you for your encouraging words and remarks. Andy emerging as more independent and yet more his own part of the Stevenson family is a mind boggling change for Andy. A departure, of sorts. And a nice change from the drama of the past month or so, really. He could use that. I hope you continue to enjoy Andy's journal.