Summerabbacat

My goodness you are an observant man @Paladin. Perhaps when Scott's parents were still running the caravan park they did not live onsite and Scott's current home was rented to tourists too, or maybe there was a second bedroom in his current home which Scott has turned into a study or "junk storage" room.

I believe Jenny knows or at least suspects Justin is gay, which may prove very beneficial when Justin reveals to Peter he is gay. The old adage "being forewarned is being forearmed" springs to mind. If Jenny knows Justin is gay beforehand it may help to reduce the impact of the anger and vitriol which Peter is almost certain to direct towards Justin and I expect towards Scott too. She may even be able to "test the waters" beforehand to determine if Peter's oft stated "all poofters are worthless" is something he still believes. These thoughts got me to wondering about Justin's brother too. So little has been mentioned of him apart from his appearance in the first chapter. I wonder if maybe he has a different mindset from his father now. I wonder if he may be gay and thought by escaping into the army he would not have to listen to his father's homophobic rantings during the usual holiday breaks at Easter and Christmas. A transitory and comparatively brief chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters, likely the calm before the storm. The appearance of "little Justin" was amusingly written and a source of "inspiration" for Scott.

How do you know these things @Paladin? I did not know there was a children's book titled Where The Wild Things Are.

A smorgasbord of speculations, words of wisdom from David Rose via his GA medium @John Henry and meteorological observations from GA's very own weatherman @drsawzall Roker. @drpaladin's speculations regarding the imbibing habits of Michael and Maggie are well grounded, however, my speculations regarding the overheard conversation between the two are a little more salacious. “...and I shouldn’t have believed you when you said ‘only once’. Now I know why we can never go out anymore.” “And I told you to stop overreacting. It’s just one drink.” “I think I can still count to three, Michael, and I know it’s not the last one. At least stop pretending this is fine. I know where this is going. You know where this is going.” “Just because you have problems doesn’t mean I can’t have a drink or two on a weekend.” “I have problems? I?” I thought perhaps Michael and Maggie had met a single woman the night before at a bar after dinner and Michael was again wanting to explore a little sexual fun with a threesome, something when first introduced into their marriage he said would be “only once” (maybe it was with Mike’s mother). He wants the two of them to meet up with this woman again for “just one drink”, but Maggie knows it will likely lead to a threesome, which she may be more agreeable to if it was with another man. Her statement “Now I know why we can never go out anymore” is an expression of exasperation because she is not as sexually adventurous as Michael, at least not with another woman. She is not averse to some more dick, but is over more vagina. A number of my fellow readers have speculated all of Liam’s friends may be gay and he is wanting to introduce Mike “into the fold” so to speak. I have to say I did not get that vibe, even with the flirtations between Liam and John and CJ. I thought it the actions of jocks being “bros". And 95°F with high humidity. Please send it my way @drsawzall. I am “seizing up” in temperatures of between 12°C and 15°C during the day and have gone into hibernation like a bear. We Aussies are not used to such bleak arctic weather. And finally, the $64,000.00 question which remains unanswered after this chapter @Arch Hunter, "Where the wild things are after dark. Seven letters, starts with ’B’.” I am suggesting boozing, bonking or blowing.

I certainly would have enjoyed the company of the cats @drsawzall. I also very much like pottery and could well have enjoyed the home made cake too (especially if it was a chocolate cake or a plain cake with real passionfruit icing like my grandmother used to make when I was a child/teen/young adult). And if the sun was out and it was a "balmy" 30°C+ with high humidity I would have been "in heaven".

“Sounds like the relationship with the bloke, Gavin, might not be up to the snuff.” Thomas and Keith were sitting in Thomas’ flat, feet up, eating a takeaway and Keith was bringing Thomas up to date. “You reckon?” “Might be, she’s restless because life’s not what she wants, and she scratches at old itches.” He shrugged, may-be. “Or maybe she’s just a homophobic bitch.” I almost fell off my chair laughing at this comment from Keith @Robert Hugill. It was so un-Keith like and so pointedly true. I found myself losing patience with Maria's petulance very quickly. Ego much Maria. Now Keith has cut the chord I think he will be able to move forward and leave her where she belongs, confined to history as a memory, and not an entirely happy one. I wonder if Keith's restoration work is going to lead to more of the same kind. With seemingly influential friends like Isobel Bonner it could well be the case. And I wonder if a shared interest between Thomas and Jonty may bring some happiness to Jonty's life. He struck me as somewhat awkward in this chapter and may benefit from a friendship with Thomas and/or Keith, particularly if he is gay as some have speculated. @Gary L expressed my sentiments beautifully "Nothing over-complicated but a delightful light touch is on show throughout."

Cats rule. My profile picture is my beloved Zelda who passed away at the age of 14 and 1/2 on May 13th from lymphoma. On February 26th my beloved Kiki passed away from a suspected brain tumour at the age of 17. Three years ago my eldest two Bassey (the most beautiful male cat I have ever seen) and Ava passed away within 3 weeks of each other from kidney disease. I have Zelda's sister Frida (named after THE FRIDA from ABBA) and my youngest Missy still with me. All have been rescues and lived predominantly healthy lives. I find I have more conversations with my cats than any humans I know.

Adam is displaying more of a sense of humour than in earlier chapters, and it is a sense of humour with a degree of "sauciness" which I find most attractive. His appreciation of the gossip from his neighbours and their little interruptions to his ordered life appear to be loosening his rigidity (but he still won't use a damn dishwasher). I also like his conversations with Arya, particularly the fact he treats her as if she understands, which I am sure she does to some extent at least. Companion animals are wonderful confidantes, I should know I did have 6 of them, which in recent years has dwindled to 2. They added immeasurably to my life.

One of Arya's bones (presumably) under the couch. Good, very very good. It proves Adam is not as anal as he first portrayed himself to be. I was initially surprised he adopted a dog as they will make a mess. That he is able to accept this as a fait accompli is wonderful. She will also damage his beautiful furniture and likely his rugs; seemingly he is able to recognise these are just "things", albeit most likely very beautiful and expensive things, but ultimately just "things". The menorah was an attractive addition to the sideboard in the dining room. It is most amusing that both Adam and Kai are impatient for their letters to arrive, but only Kai satisfies his "lust for letters" immediately.

Neither Adam nor Kai are afraid to express strong feelings in a letter, will that same strength transcend to expression in person. It is easy to self-censor the written word, not so much the spoken word. They are finding much in common which will hopefully mean a smooth meeting in person. Adam, Adam, Adam. Feeding Arya waffles. No, no, no. Although I am a cat person like @centexhairysub, there is something very socialising about dogs. I am more inclined to be reserved when I meet new people, but found when walking my neighbour's dog on occasion that people tend to stop to chat and I found myself comfortable doing so too. I thought there may be restrictions on visitors as I assume Kai is convalescing in a military hospital. And for their first night together in Adam's home may I suggest Julie London's marvellous rendition of You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To @Andr0gene, the perfect fire-side companion piece, with a racy follow-up, also from the smoke-infused vocals of Julie, Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast.

This is very true @Al Norris, but I have to confess I invariably think the worst of my own species. You appear to be far more generous in your assessment of our fellow humans than I.

Kai's revelations regarding his natural inclination to undertake the tasks invariably associated with a male inspired another musical moment for me @Andr0gene. On this occasion it was a song titled It's So Nice To Have A Man Around The House from Peggy Lee's 1959 album I Like Men. Both Kai and Adam appear very self-aware. It will be interesting to observe how closely their self-perception mirrors the observations of the other when they finally meet.

Until this chapter I thought your worries were a little excessive for want of a better term @weinerdog as Phil's mental faculties do not appear to have been reduced by his stroke. I am not so confident now that said faculties were not impacted temporarily when he first had his stroke and am only hoping you have worried needlessly. Given Phil's request to Colin and expression of his concerns about what he signed in the immediate aftermath of his stroke your fears may well be warranted. If it emerges Roger has connived to have Phil sign ownership of his home to him, then all bets are off. Any thought of a possible reconciliation with Roger should be the furthest thing from Phil's mind in such circumstances, and he should go for the jugular and if necessary tear Roger a new one. The best-case scenario is that Roger is at least an honourable homophobe who has not taken advantage of Phil's health crisis, and Phil is able to provide accommodation, even if only temporarily, for Susan and Stanley. His determination appears to be returning and a return to his home with assistance from Susan and Stanley would speed up his recovery significantly I believe. I too thought the young teen could well be an apparition of what Phil believes his great grandson may look like. Phil's desire to volunteer to assist young LGBTQI teens may be something needed very close to home. It may emerge Phil's great grandson is gay, and Phil may hold the key to turning his life around if he is struggling with his sexuality, especially if his grandfather has poisoned his mind with his homophobic rhetoric. In doing so Phil may develop a relationship with his grandson Allen and perhaps a truce with Roger (unless he has connived to steal Phil's home). The irony of such a speculation proving to be true would not surprise in a @Ronyx story. Another well-written and entertaining chapter @Ronyx with the angst stakes having been raised significantly.

The Court should appoint Sawzall, Sawzall & Associates, headed by one @drsawzall as the sole trustee. He could be relied upon to ensure that neither Calvin nor Miss Diesel Tailpipe get their hands on any monies they are not entitled to, not even enough for a packet of cigarettes.

The showdown at the school is why this story remains the #1 comedy. Although the reason for the showdown is anything but hilarious, the showdown itself was. I have only ever seen a handful of episodes of Boston Legal @John Henry, but Billy's "inner Alan Shore" exploded during the showdown. The man has a razor sharp mind and an even sharper wit. Any doubts I may have had that he is the right man to represent the extended Padilla family (I include Kenny in this) were crushed in this chapter. The truth emerged as to the real reason Calvin wants his boys. As much as I dislike Miss Diesel Tailpipe it is possible given Calvin's history of lies to the women he has conned, that she is unaware of the reason. He has sponged off her financially and may have used her in an effort to present a "wholesome family image", but then again she may be the c*#t many of us think she is. Bryan's plea to Kenny appears to have fallen on deaf ears, but I have to wonder for how long. There have been many sad events in this story to date, but I cannot recall one sadder than this. I suspect it is the cold weather here in Australia and my extensive use of heating, but I found my eyes matching those of Kenny and Bryan. And finally @John Henry, I sincerely hope when this story concludes the Thomas trash, and there is certainly plenty of it, is disposed of in the least expensive and most environmentally friendly manner possible.

I had forgotten Nan's cigars (crappy short-term memory).

A number of my fellow readers have commented on this chapter that they are visualising the story as a book or as a movie, surely a good indication of its impact. For me though it is a song or songs which I have heard as is so often the case with a story I like. For obvious reasons, in this chapter I heard the Rupert Holmes penned Letters That Cross In The Mail as sung by Barbra Streisand on her Lazy Afternoon album from 1975. Of course it could have been the more popular Please Mr Postman by the Carpenters whom I do like, but I don't particularly like that song. I just hope the impending relationship between Adam and Kai has a better chance of success than the doomed relationship between the two lovers in Letters That Cross In The Mail. I was amused when I read the significance of the room names. I thought when viewing the floor plan the rooms must have all been painted in shades of green - garden, pine, apple and forest or blue - lake. I love green as a colour but would struggle to have so many rooms in different shades of green. I too had never encountered a doubter bed before. I assumed it was a spelling error, that it should have read double bed, but was not detected by spell check because doubter is a real word. I just viewed one online and they don't look much bigger than a single bed. Adam's quirks are charming @Andr0gene, although the appeal of cigars appears incongruous with his overall desire for order and cleanliness.

If nothing else, Adam and Kai certainly have the same correspondence etiquette. Although it appears "quaint" or "old fashioned" now, a hand-written letter did have a certain charm which an e-mail and more especially a text completely lack. Such a "novelty" now would be nigh impossible for many as they would have to learn to spell, punctuate and construct sentences. No doubt a "useless boomer skill" according to millennials. A meeting between Adam and the Commander is a must @Andr0gene. Let us hope when it happens neither is disappointed.

Beautiful, just beautiful @drsawzall. Eryk (Zippy) and Mikey are fortunate to have such loving parents, including the formidable Aunt Sally. Although he was not that tall (as far as I know) and his character was not a drag queen until his "performance" at the end of the film, for some reason I had an image of Aunt Sally very much like Robert Preston as Toddy in my favourite film Victor/Victoria. I think it was Aunt Sally's care, protection and love for someone who desperately needed it which made the resemblance "real" for me. I strongly suspect Aunt Sally's "story" of a long-departed lover having given her the silver/platinum necklaces was just that, a story. She certainly had a heart of gold and woe betide any one who pissed her off or harmed her beloved, Mikey. And the title, I Love A Rainy Night. I remember the song well and found it very likeable. It was a top 10 hit in 1981 in Australia, not as popular here as in the USA, but then country music does not have a big market here, although Dolly always does quite well. I look forward to the next instalment in the Volvo Tales. Volvo, the second best "export" to emerge from Sweden.

I echo the universal sentiment expressed regarding this opening chapter, captivating @Andr0gene. Adam's habits are mostly endearing, I particularly liked his appreciation for taking his time to do things, although his refusal to use a dishwasher and vacuuming daily would soon wear very thin with me. His fastidiousness would certainly not accommodate having any feline companion(s) in his home. His fascination with Kai, someone whom he has never met, may be a little quixotic, but he at least appears to be well acquainted with the rocky road many relationships take.

I assumed it was a one-eyed wink @drsawzall, the eye without the pupil.

Peter disappointed AGAIN until Scott essentially told him to pull his head in. His behaviour in this chapter was not the behaviour of someone who will welcome the news Justin will eventually disclose to him. I have the feeling when it is disclosed he will react as if Scott and Justin have set him up and he will blame Scott for "turning" Justin gay. I do not recall him being such an arrogant and ignorant blokeish SOB when I read this story many years ago. Perhaps Jenny can slap the bejesus out of him, unless he is violent. Sally will be beside herself with joy if Scott and Justin do form a relationship. She may well prove to be an ally too, especially with the likes of Mrs Johnson and any other small-minded people in town who know Scott. I assume he is well known being a long-time resident and having been with the caravan park all his life. "Justin looked up at me and smiled. For the first time he actually looked happy. And for the very first time I truly knew how I felt about this boy." My eyes leaked profusely reading this @Mark Ponyboy Peters, not even my beloved Bananarama whom I am listening to as I read this chapter could prevent this from happening. Simply beautiful and very moving statement. And on a side note I noticed another top 10 placing for After We Danced in the General Fiction category on GA for the start of the new financial year. I expect The Rip will be "rocketing up the charts" and occupying a similar top 10 position soon too. Molly Meldrum would be proud.

With your vivid description of Pete's Bar & Grill @drsawzall, I easily recalled the thickness and stench of cigarette smoke in bars and nightclubs when it was legal to smoke in such establishments and I was a smoker myself. Disgusting, filthy, very unhealthy and now very expensive habit. It prompted me to research smoking rates in Australia which have dropped from 24% of the population over 14 smoking in 1991 to 8.3% in 2022. The USA has reportedly seen a similar decline in cigarette smoking in the last 15 years. Conversely, at least in Australia, alcohol consumption has not declined, with 33% of the population over the age of 14 consuming alcohol in quantities which endanger their health in 2022-2023 and alcohol-related rehab treatment accounting for 43% of those seeking such treatment in the same period. A delightful short with rich characterisation and the ever-present "sawzallian" sense of humour which has amused me on many an occasion. Uncle Pete, Mikey and Zippy, such likeable characters; Tommy Johnson the only thoroughly unlikeable character (apart from Ronald Reagan and Oliver North). Although not specifically stated, I am guessing Uncle Pete may be gay too or at least is gay-friendly.

Another of the more amusing chapters in this story @Robert Hugill. I had a great chuckle with "..... Jack, one of the contract staff, was getting something out of his bag, bent over, winking at me. Not unpleasant, gave me unprofessional thoughts; it was definitely time to get home." Brandon gave me a good laugh too, a straight married male who appeared to have few qualms being surrounded by gay men, with some becoming very friendly. He treated such events as a bit of a lark, such a refreshing attitude from a "bloke". Francis Heyward is still an enigma. What is he really like? What is his real interest in Dante and Vaughan? At times his interests seem purely carnal but when the subject turns to "art" he appears all-consumed.

At first I thought Alex's perception of his father's contempt for him was likely exaggerated, but Joshua's disdain for him was so blatant in this chapter. Joshua really is an arsehole, complete with the annoying trophy girlfriend. Alex's snark was in full flight with his comments about New York and its attractions “Like the giant rats,” Alex said. “They outnumber humans over there,” Alex continued. “You’ll finally reunite with your people.” Bored, Alex started up again. “And the crack-” I found these comments very amusing as were his comments about turning Matt's bedroom into his own personal art studio. I strongly suspect Alex is much smarter than what his school grades would suggest; acting less intelligent is his form of rebellion to annoy his father, but ultimately it will harm himself more than anyone else. Blair's disregard for his physical well-being is concerning. In the last chapter he mentioned taking painkillers to help with sleeping, in this chapter he revealed frequent headaches and copious consumption of caffeine. Poor diet will not help his intellectual performance at all. Harrie must continue to "hound him" for this. Now Alex and Blair are at least speaking again I suspect their spat will soon be forgotten and things will return to normal, or will they?