BlueWindBoy

“And your point is?” -- GO FOR IT, JOEL!!! Watch out, tho, Norse Heathen can be mighty white supremacist. typo alert: His brother, brother-in-law, and their kids where scheduled -- I think you mean "WERE"? metallic ice-green? It ain't easy being green! And what's he going to do when he's posted to Incerlik? "Go ahead, toss me aside like a crumpled Kleenex." -- Could be worse, like a used . . . Under the tutelage of his fathers, he had learned to love his country, while acknowledging its imperfections. -- OMG!! What are they teaching at the AFA? CRT? Pure Commanizm, I say, COMMANIZM!!! Will CJ speak to the AFA graduates as his first academy commencement, or will he do it all four years? A thousand white caps flew into the sky. -- I was surprised to learn that not all the caps go airborne. Because of the damage of landing and getting stepped on, and simply getting lost or taken (mistakenly or not) from the field, some graduates opt to hang on so they don't have to replace them.

Wasn't Dog Tag a place CJ & Squad hung out from time to time? I don't remember Fr Curry, but I do remember his book on breadmaking. And NO! YOU MAY NOT KILL OFF B&Z!!!

No Chipper? No Bryce or Zion? Who's watching the place? No raunchy talk between Joel and Brock? What is this, Little House on the Prairie? Was the rough cut of the next X-Men: Gambit movie?

"I like taking care of my peeps.” -- THIS is a mensch! It's not just another thing he HAS to do. It comes from his heart and soul. Starbucks inside the airport -- Airport Starbucks? Ritch may be a mensch, but he's got a LOT to learn about being a romantic. I'm surprised Ritch hasn't gotten a tour under the mountain in his time at USAFA. Of course, they would just try to recruit him for Space Command. "I may not be religious, but I’m not about to shout what I said." -- Hey, if President Bartlet can curse at God in the middle of the National Cathedral while on national television, I don't think the chapel cave in on CJ.

"I thought it was Boxworth who wanted to blow Chipper.” -- Go for it Joel!! "I’m ready to settle down and have babies.” -- LOL!! Chipper's got at least one in every venue. Ritch grinned while walking behind the stands with Joel. He had stories to tell too, so Chipper had better be careful. -- The stories Chipper can tell might prove an actual embarassment. The stories Ritch can tell would only burnish Chip's reputation. Chipper bypassed the booze and went straight for the weed. The cadets had to settle for alcohol. -- Not even a mention of Joel's conquest? No raunchy sleaze talk? Why am I reading these stories? Facundo Paraiso? Nice! I'll stick with the Red Breast at less than half the price. "They live in the hood." -- Lincoln Park may be in Southeast, but "the hood"? That's so racist! “Everhope, turn up heat to seventy-five.” -- Ritch hasn't reprogrammed CJ's house? Yet? “That boy’s poo smells like something died inside him.” -- DUH! That's what poo is! I need to find the right spot for CJ to wear his. Maybe next time he, Owen, Spencer, and Tilda get together. -- Didn't Erma Bombeck teach us to use the good china and silverware now? Otherwise, it's just another form of waiting for Godot. No more drama or confrontations, right? -- Just wait until he finds out he's being assigned to Ankara to handle Public Affairs! And his Turkish counterpart?

And now the AF want him for PR, but maybe that's just another way of saying psyops. wearing make-up before sunrise -- The wing will give him grief about that, I'm sure. He was overwhelmed with volunteers, but ended up tapping the cadet wing’s commander and vice commander to join him. -- Wasn't it Joel or Will who was willing to give a testicle to meet Chipper? a Falcons Football knit cap -- That would be a toque, yes? How Canadian/European! Well, I would say I scored a 9 or 9.5/10 on predicting what Ritch was up to in the last chapter. I'm wondering, with what all is going on, that B&C aren't there. Are you getting predictable, Carlos? Ritch's discovering how well suited he is for command. -- Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence. Yeah CJ didn't begin to attract real attention until he decked the biker at Rolling Thunder. -- I thought it was when he was caught fucking Peterson's staff sergeant in Miami. SAFOs -- Safety Alerts for Operators, an FAA thing SAFUS -- Undersecretary of the Air Force SecAF -- Secretary of the Air Force

I was looking for a chronological reading order and Ranger started in 2022 with the Oscars. I later realized that you were weaving a much more twisted sequence of events. You suggested that I read Singer and Cadet, and I realized that Malibu fell in the early part of that. I ran out of Enterprise episodes to watch and have only recently decided to watch Manifest as its replacement. I don't think I've done 6 in a day. I think 2 is my max, though I may have done 3. After all, I'm also reading through the Expanse novels and novellas. I have LOTS of time on my hands. My boss would dearly like to be rid of me but can't for contractual reasons, so instead I have almost nothing to do and all day to get it done. As a result, I get almost nothing done. I have the recently-added incentive of becoming your beta reader when I've caught up. It's complicated.

The smirk returned to Baker’s face. “Only girls. I’m not gay.” -- I just have sex with men. First they were recruiting him for psyops, now for JAG. Everyone wants a piece of Ritch. "Their lawyers provide legal services and representation to all members of the military.” -- Nonetheless, a JAG is NOT your lawyer, and you are NOT his client. His client is ALWAYS the USAF. Scotch? Ugghhh! Tastes like water run through hot tires, imo. Irish is the way to go. (BTW, it's spelled JohnnIE) I'm surprised Bender hasn't gotten him to Cheyenne's Frontier Days at the end of August or Denver's National Western Stock Show in January. At least Ritch could pick up a decent pair of boots (if he's not going to go Australian). Organization? Friend? Veterans' Day? Hmmmm. What does Ritch have up his sleeve? My guess is the organization is Heroes' Haven, the friend is Chipper, and the event is a benefit concert in conjunction with an AFA home game, and that Ritch and fam will foot most of the bill (the part that airlines, hotels, et al, don't donate). We'll see how prescient I am. There was not much use for an assault rifle inside an airplane. -- Stopping people from carrying their ARs on a plane is an INFRINGEMENT!!! What about CJ and Lola? He swore the day he got stuck behind a desk full time, he would resign his commission. -- Well, that gives him a good 10-15 years anyway, 20 on the outside.

“I don’t think you’ll have to look too hard, Piloto. At least not based on the drooling your fathers say you do whenever you see a particular one.” -- Hmmmm. A Porsche 911 Turbo, maybe? He did not bother to tell them there was another reason for his possible visit in November. -- Going to the chapel? If CJ and Owen and kids are at Everhope, where is Brad? And again, no mention of Wingnut? “That booty was made to be fucked. By me.” -- And I thought Joel was a bottom. I've often said even though I write feel-good stories, a little rain must fall on my characters now and then to help them grow. -- Like the Good Book says, "He makes the sun to rise on the bad and the good, and send the rain on the just and unjust alike."

Because CJ and Owen were expecting, -- Did something else happen in Mexico? Who's the father? For that matter, who's the mother? Their eyes met, she smiled, and his heart fluttered. -- Aaahhh, to feel young love's keen sting. “Tio Ritch, quiero un taco.” -- If only there were a taco truck on her corner, but noooooo, Hillary didn't get elected. SAD!! "She got hooked on the things while we were in Mexico City.” -- There's a 12 Step program for that, but first she has to admit there's a problem and her life has become unmanageable. Did Aba come back to DC for Roo and Jeffer? I don't see her anywhere. “Anyway, time to do the deed.” -- No double entendre, I'm sure. And who is Joel's date for this event? “That’s all we’ve ever been, Ritch. Friends. I’ve had fun with you, but I never thought it was more than that." -- The very picture of friends with benefits. It's a sad, really melancholy, chapter. The ending of so many of Ritch's formative relationships, even his times with Wendy have taught him about what it means to be responsible, to care for others as much as he cares for himself. Now he steps out of the shadows into his own light, his own command, even, as Cadet Colonel. Who knows, maybe he'll get his own group, "Dragon Group"?

He did not get a chance to ask for assistance. Vurdem threw a hook, and Ritch landed on his back. -- Oh, yeah, that's going to end well for Vurdem. was able to answer all questions easily. -- Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV. Boxing accounted for twenty-five percent of concussions reported at the Air Force Academy. -- Other than "tradition," I wonder that it hasn't been replaced by a mixed martial arts requirement which would seem more versatile and encourage a variety of strengths and approaches to self-defense. "Congratulations on your appointment as Squadron First Sergeant.” -- WAY TO GO RITCH!! Roy Boy's? The Green Line Grill would be WAY better. One of the collective nouns for a group of fighter aircraft is CIRCUS!! For planes generally, it's a stack. “When I thought of the name, I figured we could do something with an airplane wing at the center.” -- Aaaahhhh, he's not just short and cute, he has some actual usefulness. I wanted to award him a Purple Heart for being injured, but realized a broken nose inflicted by a fellow Academy cadet didn't qualify him. -- Friendly fire doesn't count?

The REAL reason I voted for Hillary in '16.

Now that the Cayenne is on campus, will the Ritchie Ritch jokes start? “Careful, Peterson. Thin ice, you know? I am a superior officer.” -- No, just a higher-ranking one. they had stopped at Josh & John’s Ice Cream shop downtown. -- Ritch should bring the Scoop Bus to campus at the end of BCT "I would never out anyone." -- Unless they're a public homophobe grifting off their homophobic animus; THOSE people deserve all the public shame the world can give them. “Actually, he has balls. You don’t.” -- LOL!!! Advantage Peterson. "Are they friends, or are they simply teammates? Tell me about a personal conversation you’ve had with any of them.” -- Good response to the I can't be a racist because "I have Black friends" line. As Ritch pitches headfirst into the practice of CRT. “My apologies, Master Sergeant, sir.” -- As a Sergeant, even a Cadet Master Sergeant, doesn't Ritch work for a living? Why does Joel call him "sir"? “But I sure as hell hope I never go through what they went through in Mexico.” -- More about the "incident," which now must be linked to CJ's sexuality. The CDMX may have the Zona Rosa, but that doesn't make it safe or the police sympathetic. (I wondered why you didn't call it the DF, found out the name's been changed, no doubt to protect the innocent.) And he was certain there was no gay agenda to take over the country. -- Oh, but there IS! Complete with t-shirt, planner, card game, and more. There's even a plan to elect a gay to the Presidency! Some think Pete was our last hope, but there is another. What happens when Joel meats Cal? Or will Cal meat Joel? (I'll show myself out, now.) In re: Mexico -- Liebe gets addicted to tacos? And THAT'S why the emergency evacuation and cancelled summer assignment and changed phones? Cuz "addicted to tacos" would cover about 40% of the US population.

Sounds fine to me. Maybe even a few changes of majors or fields along the way, say from petrochemical engineering to gender studies to international development?

Out of sight. Out of mind.

He did not think it suitable for a Secret Service agent to be on the cover of magazines and half-naked on a billboard in Times Square in Manhattan. -- LOL!!! Yeah, Brad, how the hell did THAT happen??? cleaning up the language and adding details. -- DUH! He's a ground-pounder. "But my parents agreed with her, so here he is." -- I'm surprised he didn't say, "My dads." I'm also surprised he doesn't list friends or family or supporters or mentors in his last paragraphs. When Cristina remarries, does she lose the alimony? Whatever it takes to keep bleeding him dry, since Mann hasn't convinced you to kill him off yet. Maybe Wolf could use him as a throwaway character? I started out writing a story about a gay family, and it ended up with me considering most of these characters as mine. -- I often have to explain when I talk about "my kids," because I've had so many students over the last 30 years and each year a couple more have wormed into my heart. They don't stay in touch much with me, but I hear about them in various ways, and I'm always happy when I do, even when it's hard news.

He had been posted to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. -- Good practice for Thule Air Base. Can he see Wasilla from base housing? And what about Gina? Following what felt like an interminable flight -- Interminable? It's only 5 1/2 hours, not like that 22 hour flight to Sydney. Just wait until he has to fly to Diego Garcia or Alice Springs. The exercise with the Norwegians was the result of an increase in interactions with allies designed to repair damage done to relationships during the Trump administration. -- Well, THAT's keeping up with the times! The flight took them over the Arctic Ocean, close to the North Pole. -- Which one? The magnetic one keeps moving closer to Russia. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52550973 "I want to hear everything that went down in Mexico.” -- The infamous, oft-mentioned, unexplained, incident. Apparently there was some kind of threat that State security deemed serious enough to warrant emergency evacuation, but didn't need secrecy but did necessitate new phones. I wonder if it was directed at CJ alone or a set of FSOs; how many were evacuated? A disaster would have been on the public news feeds, even in Anchorage. So does CJ get another posting, or is he grounded to Foggy Bottom and the UN? Another possibility is that he's doing double-duty and his official cover was blown. intelligence work covers a myriad of activities, including much information-gathering that is essentially the same as normal diplomatic reporting, especially if CJ and Owen were moving in the right echelons of Mexico's corrupt elite. Or, maybe, it has to do with the asshole supervisor getting CJ declared persona non grata. I think this is the first time you've used PT and perhaps not everyone knows it means Physical Training? “How the F did they get this number?” CJ looked perplexed. -- CJ, of all people, is asking this question? I was amazed how quickly the switchboard could find a number when I worked there for Jimmy just as an intern in the pr office. For some reason, the URL you gave for cj lands on the FY 2022 International Affairs Budget I do have something outlined about CJ working closely with a Republican White House. -- Somebody like Arnold Vinick, I hope. Whatever happened in Mexico, we know our family's physically intact. That's what matters. -- Or it could have been another of those Havana attacks that have happened in Cuba, China, Great Britain, Russia, Poland, Georgia, Taiwan, Australia, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Austria, and even the US, among others. These have resulted in "temporary" brain injuries.

NO LESBIAN SEX SCENES!!!!

“I’m not sure I want to sleep on the same bed the two of you go at it on. I might get gay cooties.” -- Ask Patrick or Chipper or your dads, there are worse things in life. “Nah… Once Owen stops popping out kids, we’ll figure out space requirements.” -- That will happen only when CJ stops getting him pregnant. “Pretty cool Riley wears our daughter’s birthday as his number.” -- An AMAZING coincidence! OTOH, you only need 25 people to have a better than even chance that 2 people will have the same birthday; weird, yes? CJ has, again, manipulated the situation with the skill of a Romulan. Between getting to care for Wingnut, having Phil/Riley's gym and trainer a couple blocks away, and his own accessible luxury living space, Brad can have a sweet life at Everhope. OTOH, the commute to AU is going to be a pain without his own vehicle (or a lot of Uber credits).

“CJ, buddy… Can you introduce me? That man’s so fine he could do anything he wanted with me.” -- And he would, Joel, him and his buddies. You up for that, cuz I would pay good money to watch. And some in the brass have their undies in a twist because Congress is taking sexual misconduct investigations and prosecutions out of the chain of command and vesting it in the JAGs

Patrick Kennedy, a student at Boston College -- I remember advocating for him to go to the Jebs at BC, but I thought he ended up at BU? Mac's small garage was popular with owners of Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Jaguars, and other expensive foreign cars. -- But could he handle a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid? The end of Brad's home visit to Boston was sad. His mom's right in that Brad's anger toward his grandparents doesn't serve him well. OTOH, he's right to keep the boundary and he's right about the apology Tom's parents owe Tom. I get Brad's attitude toward religion and the Church, but it's also Patrick's interest and life. Isn't Patrick worth a Mass? And then add in Brad's constant self-discounting and negative self-talk. It's a toxic mix of shame, anger, grief, and fear. Brad's therapy and recovery aren't over. “What’s your number, Phil?” -- VERY smooth, CJ. They just got done telling you they don't want to hang with people who want their phone numbers, and you go and ask for it anyway? VERY smooth.

Mucho macho, man. -- MUY macho! About the O'Keeffes (part of the art reclaimed from CAMALA?): The 2016 Tate retrospective illustrated how this cliched interpretation, written almost 100 years ago and perpetuated by male art critics at the time, is gendered and outdated. https://www.cracked.com/article_29021_georgia-okeeffe-hated-people-thinking-her-flower-paintings-are-vaginas.html “Fuck that! You have a large room with a large bed. The six of us could have gone at in there.” -- LOL! Are you SURE Edrice isn't a bit flexible or fluid? “I’m surprised at you, Peterson. You stand up against racism and homophobia but talk about women as if they were mere receptacles? Shame on you. The three of you are on your way to becoming Air Force officers and all you can think about’s fucking chicks? People like you is why there’s sexual harassment and worse in the armed forces.” She shook her head, turned to face the front, and uttered her final words not looking at them. “You three stay the fuck away from me the rest of the weekend and when we return to Colorado Springs.” -- Miranda "Priestly" Kerr is in the right here. And to think I was accusing CJ of misogyny. Ritch realized, in the future, he would have to be more cognizant of his surroundings -- Ahhh, nay nay, fluffy. It's not like these comments are wrong in some surroundings and OK in others. Ritch is going to have to adjust his attitude and thinking EVERYWHERE he goes. It's just as Miranda said about racism and homophobia; they're not OK around people of color or people who are LGBT+ and then OK in private with buddies. Cancun? It's not Cancun if Ted's not there. YAY! Unadulterated trashy gay sex banter!! Didn't take long for CJ and Owen to hook Joel up. For example, When Owen dies, Ritch has to fly to the funeral. (Kidding!) -- Ritch is going to name his son Falcon (in Hail to the Chief), which is a hoot to name his kid after his school's mascot. What nickname can the kid have? Falcky? -- https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/09/14/meet-nova-the-air-force-academys-new-mascot/

TMPL, and he's not even Canadian! the-squad.org is available for $10, or how about thesquaddot.org? also $10 There ARE some "interesting" cop calendars out there https://famewatcher.com/hot-cops-shirtless-12-real-policemen-calendar-models.html The documentary had been a catalyst, helping him realize he did not want to be a public figure. -- Brad, I'm afraid that ship has sailed. You're an Academy Award winner. You'll never not be an Academy Award winner. Like winning Olympic gold, it will ALWAYS be on your bio sheet. Think of it as a thorn in your side, an angel sent from Satan to torment you, to keep you from boasting. “I’ll never be able to compete with that. Not if I become a cop.” -- It's not a competition, but it is a concern. It increases the chances for divorce. The Vessel has reopened! You can't go alone anymore, but they didn't raise the guardrails to keep people from jumping. I guess they figure your having a companion is deterrent enough.

Porsche Cayenne, but is it a Turbo S E-Hybrid? They start at only $165,300 which would make for points beyond the wazoo. Add $50+K of accessories and you've got a sweet ride. But why chalk and not Air Force blue and silver? “Yeah! And you get to take it to the Academy this summer and drive it all the time for the next two years. I should get a chance.” ROTFLMAO!!! My dad would have TOTALLY pulled this line on me. With CJ/Owen in Mexico City, Aba in Miami, B&C splitting time between DC, Malibu, Mexico City, NYC, Colorado Springs/Vail, and Miami, who's taking care of Wingnut? Where IS Wingnut? "The house wouldn’t recognize any other name.” -- LOL, shades of Smart House. At least he didn't name it "Eagle's Nest." Did you mean "won't" instead of "wouldn't"? four-hour round trip -- From Vail to DIA and back during the holidays? Good luck on that. It'll be 5 if he's lucky, and more probably close to 6. But, hey, this IS fiction. Ritch waited 3 WEEKS to tell CJ about Defiant?! He's a brave/foolhardy man. The Game Creek Club is right at the base of Gondola 1, just a football field from the middle of Vail Village, so what's with riding the gondola and taking a Sno-Cat? “Uhhh, burn, bro. Nobody cares who you are these days.” -- Who's that with Liebe?

“Nobody goes inside until the people I hired come clean the place.” -- I cannot imagine the horror these people have seen, which is, itself, a different kind of trauma. CJ was simultaneously angry and dismissive. “Fuck him. He knew the rules. You were in charge, and he shouldn’t have challenged you. As for the camera, forget it. We have enough in the budget to replace it.” -- Exactly what a good producer should say. “I’m moving to Mexico. I requested an assignment to an embassy" -- Pure coincidence, I'm sure. a custom-made banner with EVERHOPE printed on it. -- Pics or it didn't happen. "What I’d really love is to work for the Secret Service.” -- An interesting and non-obvious choice for a law enforcement career. Is he in it for the protection detail, or for the financial crimes aspect, I wonder? I ask because he'd have an almost automatic in with Army CID if he wanted to go there. It's not like he has to be USSS to be part of CJ's White House. "I want to concentrate on the future.” -- Un dia a la vez.