Marty

G'day, clo! Windy, overcast and occasional rain here.

Hmmm... Still a bit too muscly for me. Picky? Moi?? Never!!! (did my nose just get longer?)

Gary! Top o' the morning to you!

How ya, Page!

G'day, dugh! I often like that quiet hour just before dawn.

ENTROPY Walking asleep in the cool morning breeze. Being awakened by the soft sweet smell of the rain as it fell in my eyes. And listening to the sun as it rose in the skies... ...I jumped onto a three-wheeled bus which some unskilled painter had painted vivid green. Giving the conductor my fivepence-halfpenny, I asked him "Does this taxi go to Truth?" And, handing me my ticket, he replied "All trains go to Truth eventually." But I did not believe him. For the sign

*Marty arrives late at the party* I've just binge read this story, Geron. Whilst I'm not a car dude myself (as far as I'm concerned a car is just a means of getting from A to B - and, living as I do in a rural area, also a very necessary thing for me to have), I could still appreciate and enjoy the early chapters with all their talk of stock vehicles, horse power, Camaros, transmissions, gear boxes, etc, etc, etc... I loved the interplay between the characters - the inter school rivalry - and the way you managed to round out just about every character that we met. Jeff was just so loveable, Ed was a delight, and Annabelle looks like she could turn into a very good friend. I'm going to read the sequel next. I might even take time to read that one a little more slowly and comment on the individual chapters, rather than just leaving a single comment to the final chapter (like I've just done with this story). Just might take me a little time to start reading it, though, as I really must get some writing of my own done as well (It can difficult to do that when I am spending so much time reading as well ).

Fuck, Jason! For the first time since I started reading this, I've read a chapter that more or less leaves me speechless. I'm honestly not sure how Greg and Nate are ever going to get past this scene. My first thought is that Greg just isn't thinking this out clearly. At least you acknowledge in the chapter end-note that it's troubling that Greg has found himself practically quoting Richard as justification for his actions. I find it equally troubling, if not more so, that Greg, near the end of the chapter basically thinks that Richard did something good by possibly causing Nate to feel guilty enough to stand by him for the past fifteen years. Has he even told Nate yet how and why Richard brainwashed him, and why the blind spot was put there? I just cannot see Greg ever being happy without Nate somewhere in his life. The fact that you say in the end-note that you have promised Greg a happy ending gives me hope. I just hope the other important people in his life will have one as well. I can't really say that I agree with @FanLit's opinion of Rita. I don't think she's "the pits". I'm not sure if she's the one or not for Nate, but she does come across (to me, at least) as genuine.

I was waiting for someone to make that reply 😛

My dad was 100% Irish as well. He had a problem with drink, which caused more than just a few problems. I can forgive him now, because I now know that alcoholism is an illness... Personally I hardly ever drink alcohol. I think the last drink I had was over the Christmas period.

And the snow was obviously feeling left out. A small amount is falling now. And now, just as it's getting dark, there's an electrical storm.. Donner und blitzen.... (that only means Thunder and lightning - for anyone who doesn't understand German) ⚡

Jayzus.... I read that as "Getting an Evening with Marty" at first.

That gonna be the title of you next best-selling novel, young Albert?

Google tells me that is Greek for "Spell For Sexy" .....

And the snow was obviously feeling left out. A small amount is falling now. I took this photo about 5 minutes ago....

Hey, Page Howya, Wade!

Thanks, Albert. Nicest thing anyone's said to me in quite a while. Well, for the past five minutes, anyway...

Afternoon, Kitt! Who are you kidding Marty? You know dang well you would have clicked the spoiler tag! Shhh!!!! But young enough to do it anyway? Maybe.... But methinks young Albert may be getting to that stage of life where it will start to take him all night to do what he likes to do all night... Just saying....

Night, B. Sweet dreams. Same to you, Gary!

And even more sad is the fact that the export of children was sometimes done with the collusion of the Irish State and the Catholic Church... They were basically sold to the highest bidder. And even after the State gained its independence! Continuing at least until well into the 1970's. If it were to happen today it would be called people trafficking. But in those days it was just a case of keeping the undesirables out of sight of the "good people" of Catholic Ireland. Documentary-unearths-further-horrific-abuse-of-adoptees-from-catholic-nuns-homes 'Sold to the highest bidder' - how Ireland's institutions allowed Americans to adopt Irish children in the 1950s But some of the children didn't even survive long enough to even be sold to the highest bidder... 😢

Yes. Sadly, for much of the past few hundreds of years, Ireland's greatest export has been its children...

All good here, thanks. Agus tú fhéin? (And yourself?)

The words of the song "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" are going round in my head now.... (Potayto, potarto, tomayto, tomarto...)