Wayne Gray

Wednesday, April 10th It was dark, rainy, and late. Franklin pulled his bike up the three steps, welcoming the shelter of the porch fronting his friend's apartment. He chained his transportation to the railing of the porch, pushed back the wet hood of his rain-jacket, then knocked on the old wooden door. Paint flecked off of the wood as he did and he grimaced at the mint green flecks of stuff on his knuckles. Franklin had been sorely tempted by the offer from his customer earlier in the

Thanks. It's fun to put up a little tiny box and try to work within those parameters. See what comes out when you do.

Well, many thanks. 🙂 I appreciate that you'd take the time to craft such an awesome comment!

Certainly! Thanks for asking, and considering it worth sharing with your students.

Thanks, Parker. It’s fun to experiment a bit. 😊

I thought about it. Charles has had years to get over the idea of his best friend's sexuality. So, to him, it's no longer a big deal. That utterly disarmed Wren. He's reeling from the encounter with Caleb, Charles knows about Wren, and Charles isn't mad about Wren being gay... he's mad that he upset his brother. So... it was an odd conversation, to be sure. Maybe it was worth writing? Maybe. It just wouldn't look like anything you'd expect due to the above stuff. Not exactly a typical coming out conversation, if there is such a thing.

It's bone deep. I don't know why, yet, it is. Limited, it's what I am. I'm just me. Not enough? Neither are you. Pair of fools. But, you're mine. And I am yours. It's bone deep.

I like this one. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I usually stick to the "nonvideo" versions of songs. That's why I love stations like IndieAir, and Sleep Music. They're just about the sound.

I'm glad you think so. 🙂 Keep reading with me, and we'll see if they get there.

*sigh* I just dumped a full cup of uncooked quinoa all over the kitchen floor. I'm hungry now, and that's not how cooking works. *grrrr*

Thanks for reading and for the great comment, Spyke. Maybe you're right about those spots. Maybe. I'm a big proponent of alternative building. I've done workshops myself, and learned a lot. Of course, an author's interests and experience will bleed into their work. You're seeing that in action here. The rubble trench, if done right, is a great foundation. "... if done right,..." is such a short little blurb. But, it means everything in the end result. Caleb and Wren are finally official. And without trouble this wouldn't be much of a story, would it? I don't want you guys to be bored. *cracks plotting knuckles* Hold my beer.

I cycle between doing something good for myself because it's good for me, and being disgusted with my own self. Self-discipline, self-loathing... both work. lol

I'm glad you think so, Thorn. Again, thanks for editing. 🙂

Yeah, I know. Life is getting in the way of writing... Annoying. And Droughtquake is 1/2 right, in his next one. I am writing Silverwolf, trading off with Bluegrass Symphony. I was going to stick to Silverwolf, just to spite the haters, but I decided that'd be punishing myself. I like writing both. Though, it means longer periods between updates for each! :-s

Thanks for reading and for the comments. 🙂 A new step in the relationship between Caleb and Wren has been taken. How much further can they go? Sheriff Keen just might be keen for Rachel. We'll have to see. He certainly seems to be interested in justice too. I'm glad you liked their date. It was something Caleb agonized over. Tracy came up with the idea, but ultimately Caleb had to say yes to the idea of dressing up the barn loft, and for her to prepare their meals. So, he was nervous that he'd not pulled it off in a way Wren would enjoy. The results sort of speak for themselves, though. 😉 I whet my appetite for food (and more) often. It's the curse of being me. 😛 The uncles may have turned over a new leaf! You don't know. Can't a backward, money hungry, conniving trio of relatives change? 😄

Thanks, Parker. 🙂 I like them. They've each got their faults, but most interesting people do.

I'm glad it has hooked ya. 🙂 Thanks for the read and the comments. And you're right - Wren could definitely leave things to Caleb. He'd prefer that rather than the uncles getting the property. That money is also a great start for a young guy like Wren. You're also right about Kentucky. We'll have to see what develops, and, ultimately what Wren decides to do.

Hey, I want a nice steak dinner too! By the way, peppercorn and Gorgonzola cheese sauce on a steak is amazing. Thanks for reading and commenting. And yes, I do think Tracy came up with a pretty good "Pinterest Date Idea". 😛

Mmmm hmmm. Yeah, "let it go" isn't really in the lexicon of backwoods boys.

Hehe. Yeah, he has been pushed by Travis quite a bit. Two years of BS, essentially. Well, the dude hit his limit.

Hey, I'm capable of learning! I hate that word, by the way. Sensible... feh. 😉

Don't be sorry, these are good questions. Yep, they've gotta go to Rachel's or Charles's place for showers. They're big campers though and have been since they were kids. They're used to being a bit rough. But you had better be sure they each spent time cleaning up and getting presentable for one another before their date. It's likely they'll rig up a solar shower soon. They have access to flowing water in the creek already, so that'd be easy. They each have a few changes of clothes packed away. Wren picked up his nicer ones from Rachel's place (off-screen), while Caleb had his new duds up at Tracy and Charles's house. Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂

This week I began a new workout regimen. I was sick of excuses I make when I can't make it to the gym, so I wanted something I can do anywhere. No excuses then, right? I planned out a mostly bodyweight routine. I have simple equipment on hand too - two 35 lb kettlebells, a yoga mat for when I need to be on the floor, push-up bars to keep my wrists happy, and a pull-up bar above our bedroom doorway. I'm focusing on increasing the work done in the same span of time. I am not interested in suffering longer; I want to suffer more in the same amount of time. This is a Crossfit concept, and it's how actors get into crazy shape in a short period. I'm not doing this because I want a shortcut. I'm doing it because I only have so much time to devote to working out. I'm forcing myself to be sensible. This first week, I'm taking a lot of time between sets and resting. I don't WANT to. I want to throw myself at it, and go wild. That's who I am - I'm either black or white, on or off. But, I know better. I know I'll be so sore that I can't continue until I recover for a week. Which utterly defeats the purpose. I'm 44. I need to act like it. Anyway, I'm still sore. Nothing extreme, but it's all over. Back, chest, shoulders, ass, legs, abs all have a low-grade sort of buzz of soreness. It's nice. It's precisely what I crave when I work out. It might sound like a strange "reward," but it works for me. It's fun. Except for burpees. Burpees suck.

Tracy did the cooking, but... yes. They all got to eat "fancy". This was a country boy's version of a date. It seemed to suit Wren just fine though. Those uncles... maybe they decided to just leave the boys alone? You know, a change of heart? 🤪

Romantical is a great way to describe it. 🙂 Thanks for reading!