Clancy59

Boy, families can really mess things up, especially those with superiority complexes. Can’t wait to see where this goes next. I had to laugh at the end of the chapter when I realized that I understood these legal machinations better than the technical ones you’ve given us! Maybe that’s because I had a Mom who was a legal secretary and she taught us a few things. Maybe I just have a mind that can wrap itself around those issues better.

Yes, this traitor is working with Stefan, but is he really aware of just how many magicals are in the area and can/will come to Vinnie’s assistance? For that matter, is Stefan? They may be in for a whole world of hurt that they are not expecting!

Ooh, @Philippe! I like that! Let the girls pay for all the wasted food they create! Yes, many people simply take ‘tastes’ of offered foods, especially at smorgasbords, where there are so many tempting offerings. However, that is why PLATES are stacked in strategic places throughout the buffet. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for those girls to act as they have, except for arrogance and self-centeredness. This would be a good time for renovations, but they need someone in charge with a clear idea of what to do since they won’t be available for several weeks.

Would there be any possibility that the useless Northman could be co-opted due to his continued and increasing jealousy of CJ? This latest jaunt, especially under the auspices of “need to know,” will not help endear CJ to him. I am seeing Northman as an increasing problem, and contributing factor, to ‘The Mexican Incident’ we are all so curious about.

Feel better soon!

Yeah, Armand will be painting 2 frescos…1 for the Bistro and 1 for the Cafe. Just a comment. I don’t know if anyone else had trouble, but I had difficulty with the way the POV kept jumping back and forth. I don’t know if you had realized it did that.

Thank you for explaining, @Altimexis, because I had had the same thought about the Ukrainian issue. If you were writing so far in advance, which you should have if you had someone proofing the chapter before posting it, you really were prescient, if not in the details, at least in the basic issue. I certainly hope you are correct in your final analysis, because this whole situation is scaring me to death! I also wish your scientific conclusions could come to fruition. People have to wake up and see what is happening. I try to help in whatever small ways I can, but I am only one person with control over one household (and dealing with an elderly spouse who needs a lot of handholding, so it limits my time and efforts). I get so sick of these big corporations dealing only for their executives and not giving a damn for the people who actually helped give them those billions of dollars. (Sorry. I guess this just hit a real sore spot today.)

Armand strikes me as naive. He seems to have no concept of what his paintings are worth. That gallery owner and maybe some museum art director is going to have to sit down with him and teach him the facts of life in the art world. His parents should be schooled at the same time. I can understand that it is hard to imagine your own child having this level of genius. That kind of thing always happens to someone else, like hitting the lottery. And so it is difficult to know how to deal with it. For Armand, this is simply the way he is. He doesn’t see it as anything special. They need someone with expertise to explain it all to them. It’s a good thing he has Colin looking out for him. Colin seems to be aware enough of what Armand’s genius represents and how it will affect his life. He is savvy enough about the world (look at how he dealt with Jane and her offspring) and knows how to watch out for Armand. He will know enough to get the kind of assistance needed (I.e.; legal, artistic, financial, managerial, etc) to make sure that Arrow will be as successful as possible, while still being there for him as his emotional foundation.

Wow. Even after reading your comments, @Altimexis, I am still am in shock at how cold Jeff is to JJ. (The jealousy and disdain from the others I expected.) Maybe there is some naïveté from JJ, being all of 17 years old, but he is much more world-aware than many give him credit for due to the circumstances of his growing up and his innate intelligence. Jeff really does have blinders on and simply doesn’t want to hear or listen to anything that negates his own ego and idea of business-sense. How does Applazon hold the patents? I thought they were in JJ’s and Henry’s names. Even if JJ is ‘disconnected’ from Applazon employment, they would still be liable for the dividends and royalties due for his various inventions/developments/patents/etc. JJ still owns his stocks and shares. Jeff is not going to be able to get rid of JJ so simply, just because he didn’t like what he said at the retreat. Demanding JJ’s compliance or resignation is probably the worst mistake Jeff can possibly make. He is really underestimating how JJ could damage Applazon with just a few subtle tweaks here and there.

You do more than alright.

…and weren’t you, @Carlos Hazday, at one point, concerned that we, your loyal readers, might not be responding to your chapters enough? How many times has just this story alone gotten to page 3 for Comments, not counting the other stories in the CJ universe?

Domogarov defected?! OK. That was the Last thing I expected! Owen has every right to be worried for CJ. Jake is taking him into unexpected territory to basically interrogate a Russian defector to uncover whatever information he can in a few hours’ time, all while evading the attention of the FSB. That’s a lot to ask for. This is obviously a major contributor to The Mexican Incident that sent their family running back to DC. Northman is truly a very stupid man. He simply doesn’t understand that CJ is a force unto himself and Northman has no ability to have any kind of control over him. I keep picturing him trying to control a tornado! The more he tries, the worse it will be for him (I REALLY want to know what happens with him when CJ becomes President, if he makes it that long! ). Cox either has been briefed on CJ or recognizes the future that is coming for our boy. She realizes that it is easier, and more productive, to ‘go with the flow’ and guide him into successful pathways for him rather than try to force him into her own ideas of success. With her, I picture corridors that direct the flow of the winds, rather than walls that try to stop them as represented by Northman. 💨

Very sweet. Is one of them named Armand? The theory of Mona Lisa being pregnant had just come out about the time my Mom found out she was expecting me (does this date me?). The day she came back from the doctor, her boss asked her what the test results were (Mom had difficulty holding babies and had had several miscarriages prior to me). Mom said she smiled at her boss and told her to simply call her Mona Lisa. Everyone in the office was very excited for her.

She may have done so, as he is a minor, but he still has to have his name on the account, as far as I understand, especially with the kind of money he’s going to be putting in! The IRS is going to be looking at it very quickly! Someone suggested using ‘Arrow’ as a business name. I guess that could work for the bank. Only they would need to know who he is.

I was going to ask the same thing. Don’t you have to have identification to open a bank account?

It’s not so surprising. He doesn’t have to show them everything he does, after all! This was simply a painting they hadn’t seen yet. They also didn’t know about the frame since he did it at school. I am sure he will get a scholarship. I am quite certain it will be at a top tier school, too!

Many times, it’s not that we don’t care, it’s that we don’t get the support to encourage the student! It could be that the family doesn’t value the esoteric skill, especially in the Fine Arts. Sometimes, there is a bully who makes the talented student afraid to develop the talent. Sometimes the student is simply afraid to be ‘different’ from their peers. Most often, the school system doesn’t have the resources to support and encourage the student. There is so much emphasis on standardized testing in today’s schools, there is no time for anything else. Most districts are actually eliminating these ‘extra’ classes. Some have even tried to eliminate recess! There simply isn’t time for a teacher to devote to those special kids who need the special nurturing to really blossom. Armand is extremely fortunate to have come into Miss McNeil’s class. Not only has she recognized and acknowledged his skill and potential, she has the resources and contacts to get him out where he needs to be to get him the help he needs. His is a rare talent. He needs proper nurturing which she can ensure he will now receive.

I always told my students to not depend on a single search engine. Yes, they could use Google, but be aware of the algorithm that brought the most commonly accessed sites to the top of the list, even if it was filled with misinformation. I gave them a list of alternate engines to use, especially meta engines. It’s only gotten worse over time with Google becoming dominant and the alternatives becoming harder and harder to find. Just about the only ones available anymore are those like DuckDuckGo and Bing.

What a lovely surprise to wake up with, Carlos. Thank you!

Come on! We need more info about the babies! Boys? Boy and girl? Names? Come on! We NEED this as much as Stephen!

Yep. Damon really dug himself a HUGE hole to bury himself in. Can’t wait to see how he climbs out of this! Sorry to hear you were in the hospital. I hope you are on the mend now. Same for @weinerdog. I hope they got it all and you are now OK.

A thoroughly enjoyable story. I’m a bit sorry to see it come to an end here, but realize that it’s appropriate for this segment. There are still some loose ends to be dealt with, so I’m looking forward to further installments. So, Rosalie moved in with Silas, huh? Didn’t surprise me in the least. I said several chapters ago that they would probably wind up together and to watch out for that because, as powerful as they are individually, together, they’ll be formidable!

He could always hire a property manager. I actually own my childhood home 1200 miles away. I hired a management company that takes about 8% off the top of the rent as their fee and they take care of everything. They do check with me for major expenditures like a new fridge or a new roof when the garage roof got fried by the sun. They even vet the tenants. I don’t have to worry about it at all.

That tour sounds wonderful! I think I even know the company and route they took, as it’s one we were looking at! Now it really makes me want to go (but not until things settle down in that part of the world!)!

Welcome back! I’m so happy to see this in the lineup! I’ve been missing Vinnie, Mason, Cyrus and the whole gang. The funny thing is that I’ve been thinking about them for the past few days. That usually tells me I’ll be seeing them soon. Yep. Here they are. I just need to go back to the last chapter to refresh my memory of the battle with Shaw and Stefan!