Wayne Gray

Thank you, Fae. My father died of a massive heart attack, but my mother is still going strong. Her heart seems to be made of some pretty stern stuff, and has always been healthy cardiovascularly. Maybe I'll luck out there. My sodium is fine, blood sugar too. So that's good. I'm exploring options for vitamin D supplementation through my diet, and I saw that mushrooms were one of the things recommended. They're cholesterol-free too, so win-win. They're going to retest my levels at the end of the ninety day period. Otherwise the insurance will see the repeated testing as unnecessary, and I'll foot the bill for the whole cost of those additional tests. As it is, I'll probably have to pay for the ones at ninety days (for those living outside the US, this is what for profit healthcare systems look like). I am feeling less overwhelmed and forcing myself to be more conscious. I have coworkers who invited me to lunch today, and I had to say no. They're going to go to have Mexican food, and that's just a minefield for me. Instead, I'm having a turkey wrap with cheddar cheese. It has 30% of my allowable cholesterol for the day, and is my first dose of the stuff. I have to put in the work. No matter what else I do, most of that is paying a lot of attention to what I eat.

It is still a shock. I'm thinking about everything. I stood at the counter of the coffee shop this morning, ordered my latte, then immediately changed my order to hemp milk vs regular. I need to take a hard look at anything with animal products in it now. Milk is an unnecessary dose of cholesterol, as is creamer. I also put in twenty minutes on the elliptical before work, and I'll be using the Smith Machine tonight when I get home. Thanks for relating your own experience. I value knowing that it can be done, you know? I realize our situations are different, but they're relatable, regardless. I love the willingness to try new things, and I'm lucky that I feel the same way. There's no harm in trying. You're right - this is another challenge. I've had them before, and this is something I can deal with. It's still new and a bit raw, but I'll get it figured out. Thanks, Mike.

Hahaha. You'll be happy to know that the parsnip fries turned out great. Crispy with a healthy dose of olive oil, salt and pepper, they're not all that bad. I'm trying to do the "mostly veggies and fruit" thing. Whole grain with a lot of soluble fiber, lean meats too. Thank you for the well-wishes. Maybe I should have just said yes to the medication. But, I have to know. I have to know if I can do it on my own first. I'm perfectly willing to accept that I may not be able to overcome genetics, even with a very strict diet and exercise regimen. If that's the case then so be it. But I really do have to try first.

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed Guarded! It was certainly a lot of fun (and work) to write. I hope you continue to enjoy my work.

Good question, thanks for asking! It has a base at the bottom. The tail portion is carved into the the largely rectangular base under the piece, then it grows upward into the body of the raven - rising from the base that sits on the ground. It's made to rest on the floor (a very sturdy floor!).

Thanks, Parker. Frankly, Elias is in quite possibly the safest place he could be, at least right now. Three police vets, one active cop, and a bunch of eyes and ears looking out for him. There, they can all support and lean on each other. That's exactly what Greg had intended when he created it. There's more on the way.

Thank you, everybody. I knew it could be high, but I didn't expect such wild numbers. My provider is concerned, thanks to my family history combined with the data. He wanted to put me on the meds immediately, but I convinced him to give me ninety days. He knows I'm stubborn, and that I'll make a real attempt to fix it. On the good side of things ... I've found a recipe for parsnip/carrot fries that looks great.

I recently went to the doctor. Had some routine blood tests done that I've not had in a long time. My vitamin D levels were low, while cholesterol and a test called CRP (c-reactive protein, a test that shows inflammation) were very high. Even though I work out hard, I'm predisposed to high cholesterol and heart disease. I have three months to knock my numbers down. If I can't do it on my own, then I go on meds for the rest of my life. I've always said that I won't do medication when hard work could fix something. Well, we're about to find out if I can do enough to fix this without meds. If not, I'll take them and be thankful that I get a shot at retirement thanks to the miracles of medicine. Ninety days. I have Ninety days. I'd better make 'em good.

You’re right. Organized crime Families are scary. When I started writing these stories I didn’t know a lot about them. I looked up histories, names of some defunct Families, and the vocabulary used. Made for a plot twist to paint one as a “good” force. But that “good” Family I showed, the Giovanni ... they’re known for bribery, blackmail, theft, and espionage. And they’re the best of the bunch. Corbin was a part of that world. Now, he calls the shots in his own group, and runs a largely above-board organization. But he always wanted to be free of his past. He’s anomalous. In the real world, these people don’t reform. The Costa are scary, because ... well, they’re closer to the real thing. I do get if you aren’t interested in this portion of the tale. I didn’t set out to glamorize the mob, as I don’t really consider Corbin and his crew as a part of one anymore. But, maybe that’s just me waving away my problems. Entirely possible. Thanks for reading and commenting, Mike.

You put a decimal where there should be a comma. 😛 We'll have to see what the Don is up to. Don't worry, we'll check in on Gary in our next chapter. Harlan, Bruce, and Jenoah are all about now. Stick around for the possibility of more. 😉 Thanks for the read, and for the comments!

Gin-NO-ah Now, the second is more complex. There's no crime if someone comes to them willingly, eh? The Costa are not above kidnapping, but they'd rather not. It'd be far superior to convincingly provide "opportunity", and provide an offer the boy cannot refuse. The Costa are dangerous. Before Elias (and Orson) know what is actually going on, it could be very late in the game.

Thanks, Dave. I like this one too.

You're so right with your comments. Harlan is human after all. Elias is a savant - gifted in ways, yet still behind in others. Orson sees him growing though, becoming more independent and confident. It all marches forward. Thank you, Fae. Until the next one. 🙂

Thanks! I'm glad you think so. 🙂

Hehehe. They felt well-suited for this particular mission. Oh, so very clever. I can't say much more about the Costa and the Raven without giving it away ... so we'll just have to leave this alone. 😉

Thanks, Chris. Gary still has a way to go, but thanks to Harlan he has a chance of getting through. Elias is just beginning to come into his own. We'll have to see what happens with the Family influences swirling around him.

July 06 (Friday, 10:22 a.m.) Mason heard the tinkle of the bell on the door of Gary's little shop. Looking up, he saw a couple of young men who had just entered. One was athletic and pale, while the other was a little shorter, slim, and had a darker, almost olive complexion. They both had very expressive dark brown eyes and dark hair. "Hi. Welcome to Flemming and Son's Goods. Can I help you find something?" Mason smiled at the good-looking men. They both returned the expression.

And you're the one who shared it. 🙂 It's worth sharing. It's cute and sweet.

Hrmph! You might be right. We'll have to see. 😛

You are searching for a link between two completely different universes. 😜

The initial confusion of awakening quickly gave way to a jolt of adrenaline as the orange glow and crackle of flames jarred Joe to consciousness. He threw back the covers and stared out of his window. He owned a hundred and fifty acres of land. A huge mono-crop of corn grew out in his fields, and he was only a few days away from a big harvest. The growing season had been good to him, and he was sitting on a bumper crop. Now, that same crop that had held so much promise was fueling the bigges

Howdy, DiC. I hope everyone is doing well. It's rainy, but oddly warm for this time of year here in Northern California. We can use the water, though. Enjoy your Friday!

This was a very different kind of story, but I liked it a lot. Thanks for writing, Thorn. Well done.

I wanted to say that I'm thankful for the readers who made this story so wonderful to post. I went through and just read the comments folks left, and I appreciate every one of them. Thanks again.

Thanks, Parker. The last part of your comment - about Harlan, is one I like a lot. Harlan’s a guy who finds connection hard. He looks around, sees it on display for others at the campground, and feels angry because he doesn’t have that same thing going for him. But even through his critical eyes, we see the campground as living up to its name. It really is a refuge.