RichEisbrouch

Thanks. This and the comments you made on the original version of chapter 14 are great, and I've now made changes that may cover them all. I'll post that shortly, replace the original 14, and delete the first revision of 14, posted as 15 (revised 14).

Thanks for your terrific thoughts. Some of them were covered in the revised chapter, but there are now others I'll post shortly that may cover all your points. They're based on your notes to this chapter and chapter 4.

Makes sense. I usually don't post anything here until it's finished, though I do use the process for a final proofreading. Still, I make mistakes.

The problem was that Elena didn’t know where to start, even carefully. Like the security guard, she knew about the high school’s politics. Only four years earlier, there’d been a huge investigation, several lawsuits, and a scandal, all focused on discrimination. So when she took the question to Owen, she wasn’t surprised that he put it off until the next day’s lunch. “It’s not like we can check every on Asian student – or even every Asian boy,” he began as Elena, Don, Jae, Rob, and

Thanks, as always. I'm amazed you read the book in one sitting. It certainly wasn't written to be read that way. All the characters and family stories can be overwhelming. You not only survived, but you seemed to enjoy it.

Good. The story got your attention. Thanks for reading.

In a small Western Massachusetts former mill town, now part of a larger college circuit, a Chinese-American high school student is suspected of selling drugs simply because he's recently moved from New York City. The students know about it. The principal knows. The teachers and staff members have heard about it, too. When one of the school's security guards learns too much, she calls the Waldron police, and Detective Elena Petrakis leads the investigation. Backing her -- as in Recycle -- are Chief Owen Neland, Senior Detective Don Burris, Lt. Ike Omari, and Sgts. Jae Ryu and Rob Perez, who offer advice and support.

Elena Petrakis had a tiny problem: one of the security guards from the high school called her to say that someone was selling drugs on campus. “Yeah, I know,” the woman added, almost making fun of herself. “What else is new?” “What kind of drugs?” Elena asked seriously. “A whole range – whatever the kids want to buy.” “Who’s selling?” The woman hesitated. “We don’t really know that.” She suddenly hid behind – or at least shared the responsibili

Thank you both. Very much. Addy and her very large family thank you, too. Also, a small favor: could one of you put a rating on the book? That's a lot faster than taking the time to write a review. Again, thanks. Rich

Soon after Del died, Neal pretty much quit working. “It’s not that I believe in superstitions,” he said. “And I’m sure I’ve got another ten or fifteen good years ahead. But just in case, I better start relaxing.” “When have you ever not relaxed?” his wife Marie teased. But Neal didn’t seem convinced. So Lisa and Daniel took over the insurance business. And surprisingly, Lilah and her husband Geoff took over the farms. “It’s not a good idea to let them go out of

I mainly thought about how bored I was with almost all my classes -- through several degrees. But when I tried to make them better for all of my students, I didn't succeed. As the saying kind of goes, "I could only keep some of the students awake some of the time."

Yeah, well, I shouldn't even have been on permit stage to have sex with anyone but myself till I was in my mid-thirties.

Yep, and they'll probably be just as good at it as we are.

Yep, though these are student essays written in a timed situation in a classroom-style setting without the benefit of spell or grammar check. Of course, some of these need fact check more than either of those. And, admittedly, some of them are simple typos, but they can be pretty funny, too. It's amazing how easily language twists. Thanks for reading along.

The Wright Brothers observed birds flying and thought to themselves: “They eat worms, so possibly eating worms may aid in flying.” The famous scientist Issac Netwon contributed the phrase, “I have done nothing except to stand on giant shoulders.” The teacher can clutch understudies by displaying a video or a film. I’ve always admired Leonardo DiVinc’s beautiful work “Starry Night.” There is more and more huddles to be faced. Robort Eistein. They can grom themselves

Yep, living a very long time has some very interesting repercussions. Still, it's presently nicer to be above the ground. Again, thanks for reading.

When Del died, it was a shock. He was only sixty-nine. That seems like a pretty good age, and he certainly had a very good life. He did everything just about the way he wanted. But Martin lived until he was almost eighty, and everyone in my family teased me that I might go on forever. And Del wasn’t even thinking about retiring. “I haven’t gotten bored with the insurance business yet,” he said. “And I’m not ready just to sit around and ride my horses. So I don’t see any big chan

Yes, she does -- even as other family members seem to be happily hopping around. But Joann helps a lot in keeping Addy stable.

Once Paul was all right again, he and Cara decided to have a baby. “There’s no special reason,” they insisted. But Joann laughed about that. “They finally figured out that they can die,” she said. “It took a while, but that’s all right. They’re still young enough to have kids.” And they did. A son named Barrett. “Is that a family name?” I asked Cara. “No,” she said. “I just like it.” And she didn’t like him being called Barry.

Yep, and Addy's kids' kids also maintain and respect those old values -- with a few additions, like comfortable sex before marriage. But that just goes with the times. Maybe it comes from being raised on a farm, where, no matter what else adapts and changes, the animals and crops always need to be tended.

When you’re thinking so much about one thing, other things slip by. While everyone was worried about Paul, his sister Lilah had a second baby. It was a boy, named Samuel. And Del’s daughter Lisa fell in love and got married. Allan was a boy she’d known from college in Houston, but they’d stopped seeing each other after that because he never thought he could live in a small town. “But he changed his mind,” Lisa said. “I was hoping he would because he’s the only man I could ever l

Yep, there are 14 chapters, total, and they're all posted. Thanks for asking. And a tiny warning: don't expect a Hollywood ending. This is Waldron, Massachusetts.

Thanks. I just read a half-dozen pages of my mother-in-law's last boyfriend's -- at 86 -- sister's notes about her brothers and sisters when they were growing up. This was in Oklahoma around 1918. She notes: "January 10th -- Alva and I have tried to clean up the house as best we could, but the storm grows worse, and it's so cold we can't work away from the fire." " January 11th -- I think last night was the coldest I've ever seen. The wind and snow blew in so cold that our breath froze to ice on the covers and even my hair was full of ice." And, "January 18th -- Alva and I went to Norman this morning. We drove the 12 miles in a wagon. It was so dreadfully cold, I almost froze." I might have been able to write the first and third but never would have had the details for the second.

Yeah -- just amazing. As usual, thanks.

Sometimes things happen that seem so far away from you that you can only imagine they’re happening to somebody else. So many people in my life had died, but that seemed natural because so many of them had lived for so long. It was the accidents that got me worst. My daughter Patricia’s and her husband Eddie’s, and Joann’s second husband, Rod’s. And my grandson Paul’s. Paul had such a good life. He had a good job, and he and his wife Cara were having so much fun that Paul’s mothe