Clancy59

I think this must be Roger’s sibling. Everyone hates it. It roams around during all hours. I’ve seen it in the middle of the day, n the afternoon and in the evening. It’s been out on weekdays and on weekends. It beeps. You hear it and you start looking around, wondering if you’re going to hit it or get hit by it. Then it will stop for no reason and make 10 customers have to find a way around with filled carts. If it’s looking for spills and such, I really don’t think there’s enough to warrant the expense and the risk of creeping the customers out.

Well, that explains the stacks of product sitting n the aisles in our local stores creating obstacle courses. The good news is that it didn’t last long. They now bring out individual pallets, the way you described previously. Now, however, they have a creepy robot roaming the aisles checking for problems like spills and whatever. It’s just a thin, gray, 6-foot tower on wheels crawling around the store. Someone even put big google eyes in the thing! I really hate the thing, although, come to think, I haven’t seen it in the past few weeks. Hopefully, they had enough complaints that they got rid of it.

That’s normal for any major plan. You make initial plans, but then have to make modifications as circumstances arise. In this case, he went into this knowing nothing about this ship. When he actually got onboard, he discovered there were elements that he wanted to retain and enhance. The majority of his plans are still in place. It’s just like when you remodel a house. There are contingencies as you start the demolition and rebuild that must be accounted for.

I’m excited, also. But, @ColumbusGuy, 50 years? Man, do YOU have a LOT of catching up to do! Anne and her son, Todd, who took over the series when she retired, have close to 20 books now! Contact your local Library and bookstores. 😉

My mom knew things. Didn’t know how she knew, but she did. She was always ahead of the pack with, not just trends, but she knew which direction to take our family, whether financially or whatever. I just kind of know things like where things are, despite never being in a location before. I can describe landmarks, etc., even though it’s the first time I’ve been to a place. My husband’s family has this in abundance. His grandniece (actually his cousin twice removed), once sat on her mother’s lap and stared into her mother’s eyes. Her mother (my husband’s cousin once removed) asked what she was doing. Her response was, “I’m looking at Nana.” She was 3 years old and her grandmother (my husband’s cousin) had recently passed away. His cousin (these are the same people, mind you) also came to tell the babysitter, an older neighbor, that her daughter would be late after a minor car accident one night. She was fine, but came home several hours late. When his cousin came in apologizing, the sitter told her not to worry. She knew. Didn’t phase her one bit that a spirit had visited her! But then, she came from the Old Sod! My husband tells about coming into the house and seeing a strange man in the parlor. They didn’t speak to each other. When he asked his mother, in the next room, who the old man was, they went in to see who he was talking about. No one was there. When asked, he described his grandfather who had passed away 5 years before he was born. He was 4 years old at the time. There are tons of stories in this family. Both ghost and psychic. It’s very intriguing.

Ah! In the Library, we use something similar, but we call them trucks. ☺️

OK. I have to show my ignorance here. What is a ‘gondola’ in terms of a store setting?

That’s why I gave you the winking emoji. 😉

A cheese restaurant? I’m from Wisconsin and I don’t ever remember seeing those items in the cheese shops! 😉

And I think we understand that. I’ve seen some authors who have obviously taken exception to any negative commentary. You haven’t. That is why people have felt comfortable discussing things with you. @Carlos Hazday is much the same. You both listen and take friendly criticism as it is meant.

Like I said, we don’t mean to beat you up about this. We love what we’re reading. This one just hit a nerve, evidently.

I agree, but they’ve also developed a sense of trust in Brad and the others to take care of them.

I also have to chime in about the boy/girl activity issue. As a child, my dad taught me basic woodworking techniques and skills, and even electrical basics (he was an electrician). When I was a teen, I (F) enjoyed making some models, also, but I enjoyed learning how to sew, embroider, crochet and knit much more. I am a born crafter and simply enjoy seeing things come together into a finished product. It’s why I also love baking. I take disparate ingredients and out come lovely cookies, cakes, pies and other delectables. I was the one who painted in our house when we moved, not my husband. However, I had to take exception to Brad turning to only the girls and asking if they were interested in sewing or knitting. There are many men who take great pleasure in the so-called ‘feminine’ arts. I know a number of men who produce beautiful blankets in both crochet and quilting. Brad would have been much better off presenting the question to the entire table as an open-ended question. For example, he could have said, “We have people doing models. That’s a start. Is there anything anyone else would be interested in doing? Possibilities could include sewing, knitting, painting, quilting, woodworking or anything else you may have seen someone work on that interested you. We can investigate all possibilities. Any suggestions?” That would have allowed the kids to brainstorm without censure, and later, to get involved in any activity they are interested in, irrelevant of their gender. I am sure I speak for many of your readers when I say I am sorry that you seem to be getting beaten up over this single sentence, but it seems to have hit a nerve for many of us. Perhaps you can fix this in future chapters (if you haven’t already, since I am a little behind in my reading).

If he’s been out for 7 (I think) years, I think he’ll be OK. The nepotism thing....well...😒 (they don’t really have a shrugging shoulder emoji).

It sounds like the Montessori method might be a good way of organizing the school. It kind of works on a one-room schoolhouse idea and allows the students to study what they are interested in at their own pace. All the traditional curricula are covered when students focus on their topics because they do deep research and need to learn those skills in order to complete the studies.

Nah. General Petersen will be President Abello’s Secretary of Defense.

Yay! A New Year and a new story! Yippee! I’ve been looking forward to this storyline for awhile, now. I have a bit of a soft spot for the Air Force. My dad was in the Air National Guard in Wisconsin for 33 years. I hope this finds everyone safe and happy. I send my best is he’s for a better year than the one we just left!

Hmmm. I hadn’t thought of the born/turned aspect. That’s an interesting idea.

I have worked retail in the past and recently retired from 35 years in the public schools. We have our own stories, as you can imagine. I have been reading a variety of these kinds of stories from FB and cringe at some of the behaviors. I have always tried to be mindful of my behaviors to others (Mom insisted on proper behavior), but I have found myself hyper-vigilant after reading some of these stories. Hang in there. Keep the sense of humor going. It will be your saving grace, in the end!

Since his name is Bubba, I think he is a ‘no-frills’ kinda guy. So...Buster.

Aww. Bonding time. Interesting that Sawyer sees GOLD threads coming from Jimmy. Is this significant? Is this an indication of Alpha status, perhaps? Descriptions have always been silver threads, like Sawyer to Jimmy. It’s also interesting to note that Sawyer can discern that the threads, while intertwined, do not interfere with each other, allowing autonomy. Lovely chapter.

It has also been known for a rider to survive the death of a dragon. It leaves him/her almost a half person, as such an integral part of themselves has gone, but they often find a new career within the Weyr. Those who cannot abide further close contact with dragons often go to the various Crafts, usually something they had an affinity for previously to them becoming a dragonrider.

D’Gar will be a great Weyrlingmaster. He not only has the technical knowledge, but he has the compassion for his students, also. It’s a powerful combination for a powerful instructor. (Take it from me—I taught for over 35 years.) It also allows him to be near H’Rek. Yes, losing his students will be hard. It’s always hard to lose someone you know well. But he won’t have the same reaction as he did with S’brin. First of all, it was his first real experience with the death of a close, intimate mate—his weyrmate. Anyone would lose it when losing their life partner. Secondly, how old was he? About 18-19 Turns old? He wasn’t prepared to deal with it, no matter what or where or when he’d been raised. Lastly, it has now been several Turns since the event and he has matured, naturally. He is facing things as an adult, not as a teen, and he is much more capable of facing things calmly and competently. He will be able to take care of the Weyrlings when they experience that loss for the first, and probably subsequent, time. Bottom line is, F’Lar has made an excellent choice for Weyrlingmaster. Go for it, D’Gar!

With the number of kids at Sanctuary, you know there will be injuries at some time in the future, some more severe than others. A wheelchair in the infirmary would not be remiss. Buy it. For that matter, also buy a set or two of adjustable crutches for the inevitable sprains that will be coming along. Amir will be graduating to crutches shortly as he gets stronger, anyway.

If not one of his friends, I’m sure Dad and his friends will explain the situation to the third judge!