Summerabbacat

Given the characters introduced thus far I assume that young John is adopted by Phillip and Emily Edwards and changes his given name to Christian, perhaps as a sign of affection for Christian and/or to "divorce" himself from his former life and the tremendous sorrow due to the death of his beloved parents. My curiosity got the better of me and I checked the 'net for what constitutes a full English breakfast. With no disrespect meant to you @Mancunian or any of your fellow citizens, it astonishes me that anyone could manage to eat so much for breakfast. If I were to eat such a breakfast I am certain it would have the same effect upon me as it did on young John. Putting aside the meat and eggs which I would not eat, the cooked mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and toast (so long as it is multigrain bread) are something I could eat and enjoy, but not for breakfast. Intriguing start to this story @Mancunian. Young John is already showing the signs of awkwardness, shyness, withdrawal and low self-esteem that he exhibits for most of the The Boot - Three Years On.

After reading his back story my respect for Ox aka The Major aka Alex has grown even more. His flaws are many but his qualities of loyalty, integrity and a desire to help and protect "the underdog" outshine his flaws. No wonder he was, and continues to be, beloved by so many. I have said it before and I shall say it again, he is anything but a stereotype, cliche or caricature. Befitting conclusion to the story which charts Ox's descent into alcoholism and homelessness @Mancunian.

If Andy's journal entries are to be believed then it appears unlikely his death was suicide, but an accident. Either way, the grief being felt by Ox is overwhelming. Given his appearance and circumstances in The Boot - Three Years On I must assume the army either tired of trying to help him or he refused their help or perhaps it was a combination of both. I am enjoying this story immensely @Mancunian. Ox is so not what one would associate with a career military man; he is so much more complex and interesting. His road to self-destruction is now more understandable after reading this book. His own stubbornness is likely to have been a contributing factor, but that same stubbornness is what helped him to some extent beat, or at least manage, his demons.

I was wondering after reading the first chapter if the publican was Marty who was mentioned in The Boot - Three Years On. The death of Andy was another senseless one attributable I daresay to PTSD. Am I correct in thinking he committed suicide @Mancunian? It certainly seemed as if you were hinting at this with "Each hug that Andy had given his ‘father’ and his friends before he left seemed to last a bit longer than usual. It did not go unnoticed by Marty." I assume Ox will likely blame himself for Andy's death too, which is likely to result in his descent into alcoholism. He is a complex man and a wonderful contradiction of the hard-nosed, insensitive, career military man. He is already exhibiting many of the characteristics he became renowned for in The Boot - Three Years On.

I loved the musical reference in this first book @Mancunian. I am not a fan of The Beatles at all, but I do like some of their songs when sung by others, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds as sung by Elton being one of them. Bunny's name for Andrew as his "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" was very moving, and the fact that Bunny not only entrusted Ox with a letter to his love (perhaps a "farewell" love letter knowing death was nigh), but that Ox delivered the letter without hesitation or judgment to its intended recipient, is indicative of Ox's gay-friendly attitude and his integrity. What a wonderful "introduction" to Ox for Andrew. I hope this is the start of a friendship for both, although I fear it will be one which is short-lived given some of the revelations in The Boot - Three Years On.

This is the second time this week I have written a reasonably lengthy comment on a story, only to find later it had disappeared. The only thing I can think of is that I obviously forgot to 'Add Comment' after writing it, editing it etc. Suffice to say I have forgotten most of what I wrote, although I do recall I speculated on what Colin's outfit might be for the evening out at Ten Tons Of Fun - a lurid-coloured spandex body suit similar to those worn by WWE wrestlers, arseless chaps or a spiked cod piece with a leather harness, a tool belt and work boots (with nothing else) or full-on drag with a sequinned frock, wig, make-up and the whole shebang. I echo the sentiments of my fellow readers in wishing @Robert Hugill and my fellow readers a happy, safe and healthy festive season.

And I am still suspicious that Brother Wolf is a front for either a drug making laboratory in the building with the chain link fence around it or it is a major distribution centre for drugs coming in from Latin and/or South America.

Thank you @drpaladin. I do believe your reasoned argument well supports my long held belief that Martina killed Sam.

Firstly, the most important issue to address. I hope you make a full recovery Miss @Libby Drew from COVID in time to enjoy the festive season. I will be sending powerful "ABBA magic" your way to aid in your recovery. Perhaps you should imagine a trip to Happy Hawaii or soaking up the sun in a Tropical Loveland to warm and nourish your body. I will send an S.O.S. to Frida and Agnetha or maybe give them a Ring Ring and ask them to sing a song fit for a Dancing Queen to aid in your recovery. Charlotte Kincaid's will left a bequest to Brother Wolf of $8 million. Relatively straight forward one would be entitled to surmise, but what if it was not. What if there was a clause in the will that stipulated the money was to be held in trust with Sam as the trustee or held in trust with money to be made available for treatment for Sam's drug addiction. In either scenario Sam could jeopardise Brother Wolf receiving the full $8 million. Is this perhaps reason enough to eliminate Sam? I would have to say yes. Martina would likely have been the only person to know the full details of the bequest, apart from Charlotte's solicitor and Brother Wolf's solicitor. Perhaps Martina confronted Sam about this and in doing so learned of his apparent love of Micco. She may have then felt Micco a threat to the bequest too, so she kills Sam and frames Micco for the murder, thus eliminating two possible threats to the full bequest being received by Brother Wolf. Martina the murderess. Although I am usually not in favour of the death penalty, which I understand is in force in Florida, for this case I most certainly would be as two deaths have resulted. I was not at all surprised to learn that Kane was not responsible for biting Sam. Martina would have known Micco's special connection to Kane and may have used this knowledge to punish Micco even further. And the cliff hanger to end all cliff hangers. Even bloody Santa Claus would have trouble with this one. Rory was going to say something to Micco the day Martina asked him to leave Brother Wolf. I believe she may have come to disclose this to Agent Calhoun. She had best protect herself as Martina has killed once already and I don't think she will hesitate to kill again if she feels she is about to be exposed. An epic chapter @Libby Drew.

I think the officious young steward got off very lightly by being called a "little prick" and told to "fuck off". Max did well to contain his anger to these "threats" alone. If the young steward believed the group were a bunch of thugs looking to cause havoc with the "offensive weapons" (a pair of crutches for fuck's sake), which was a possibility, he could have questioned Liam's need for the crutches with a discreet enquiry regarding his ability to use the crutches as support for an extended period of time amongst a large crowd. This enquiry could have been made out of concern for Liam's wellbeing, perhaps even calling upon the St Johns Ambulance staff. I am not a "car person" (I don't drive and have never owned a car), but there is something about Mini Cooper's and VW Beetle's which appeals to many people. If Harry is able to afford to have the Mini fixed he should do so as it will be a great "bonding" experience for Charlie and he to work on it together. I cannot imagine Charlie will want to charge Harry for his time and labour as for him it will be a labour of love. Now for the impending party. Miss Daisy Chain I am sure will arrange a fun-filled night for two boys whose lives have only just started to bring them happiness again. Marvellous chapter @Mancunian. Enjoy the festive season in whatever way you choose to do so.

Thank you @CincyKris, you just forced me to research how to insert the ° symbol on my MacBook laptop (I have only been using it for the past 11 years and have never done this). As a child and even into my 20's and 30's (pre-climate change articulation) one could always rely upon Christmas Day in Australia being 35°C to 40°C. Many people of course complained about this (and this is before air-conditioning was a "thing"), but I always loved it. I crave warmth and for me it has to be at least 28°C before I don't have a jacket of some sort on. I think I am part-reptile.

The latter is music to my ears, the "sweetest" music of all. I consider myself no more important to Planet Earth than the lowly cockroach (which I cannot kill, although I do not stop my cats from killing them).

This one had me weeping profusely @Mancunian and I was not sure I was going to be able to finish it as I was having trouble seeing the laptop screen through the tears. The generosity of Aunt May and Brad and the devotion of their new friend, Dale Roberts aka George, allowed me to finish and write this post-mortem. I chose the sad emoticon, not just because of the story itself (which does have a happy ending), but for the despair and loneliness Dale was feeling, which many feel at Christmas time and on other "special occasions". I myself find I am greatly saddened at Christmas time by the mass slaughter of animals for human consumption (browsing the supermarket catalogues makes me feel ill and frankly ashamed to be human) and the "purchase" of domestic pets as presents, many of which are returned or abandoned after Christmas when the reality of responsibility becomes apparent.

The whole time I was reading of Deirdre's plans and Brian's account of the "grim" phone call between Deirdre, Toby and himself, I had a favourite album track by Blondie (with biting lyrics by the fabulous Deborah Harry) on loop in my head. The song sung with cool disdain by Ms Harry is entitled Just Go Away. The final chorus adds an additional line at the very end which I so wanted Toby and/or Brian to sing to Deirdre: Just go away (go away) Go away and stay away It's easy for me to say because she is not my mother, but Toby is better off without her, at least while she is keeping company with the odious Jasper. "Toby looked at the two of them, “You mean do something like a family?” Brian wrinkled his brows, “Like family? We are a family, aren’t we? Sport?” Toby thought about it then nodded, all serious, “Yes. I’d like that.” Brian gave his son a hug". Toby continues to surprise and delight. He soaks up any affection heaped upon him, which is why I think he so enjoys living with his father and soon-to-be-stepfather and visiting his step-grandparents, especially Grandpa Drew. Speaking of his soon-to-be-stepfather, how is the planning of the wedding progressing @Robert Hugill? I hope you are making it a "green" wedding to ensure Toby's approval and serving only locally grown organic produce at the reception (if there is one). Perhaps you might like to suggest to Toby that it not only be organic, but also be vegetarian. Christmas is nigh in Sydney, Australia, and the weather forecast is disappointing at best. A cool 25C on Christmas Day (I will be wearing a hoodie or something similar for sure), although there is a prediction of thunderstorms which means it will likely be humid (which I love). Unfortunately, it won't be 100 Degrees (my favourite Christmas song sung by not one but two Minogue's). Like @Gary L, I wish you a peaceful and bountiful (of whatever takes your fancy) day @Robert Hugill.

Delightful @Mancunian. The New Boot is a welcome addition for the guests of The Boot, the workers and the volunteers.

I have to wonder if Judge Ketchum left Debbie's leash loose enough for her to hang herself. Several of his comments were clearly warnings to her and it appears he is well aware of her homophobia and will not tolerate it. It also appears Counsellor Noone has a good working relationship with the Judge and should therefore be able to limit the damage Debbie is able to do in her vendetta. Her time would be better employed working on cases where there is real abuse of children living in violent households or impoverished circumstances which are not conducive to a healthy mind and body.

@CincyKris and @raven1 I have not observed any of my cats having an adverse reaction to the fireworks. I have seen their ears twitch if they hear them and they may lift their head from snoozing, but that is about the extent of it. Firecrackers are banned in Australia for personal use and you cannot legally buy them. Seemingly most people observe the law.

I missed said steward too.

Missy's star shone again for me in this chapter. Her recognition that Liam needed gentler treatment due to his injury did not surprise. She is a very smart canine. Have Benjamin and Joseph featured in another of your stories I am yet to read @Mancunian? I am curious about their background so assume this may not be their first appearance. I have not read Goldstein, Johnson and Cole so presume they may make their "debut" in that story. I'm with Janice; I am a real "bar humbug" when it comes to fireworks. I don't find them particularly fascinating, but my main objections are the cost to the community, the fear they create in any dogs with hearing distance and the damage I imagine they may cause to birds (even though I am not a fan of most birds). I think I have only ever once watched the fireworks live on New Year's Eve in Sydney and it was from a very good vantage point too. I just did not appreciate what all the fuss was about.

A conclusion with some tears, but it also has a sense of the beginning of a new era. I was very pleased to see Max recognised for not only the quality of his work but also for his policy of inclusion in the workplace.

Max and Stacy are so well matched, both have a strong sense of justice and equity. Max's statement "I will also give you one further guarantee, if any of the contractors need additional workers we will try to recruit from the local homeless shelters if there are suitable candidates" impressed me greatly. I immediately thought of Joe who made a teary appearance in one of the more recent chapters. Recruiting workers from the homeless shelters is something akin to workers working for a company in which they have shares, there is an incentive to go above and beyond. If any homeless workers are employed I envisage the financial compensation would not be the only reward, the sense of achievement and pride in helping to build something purpose-built for your "community" would have to be significant. Given the name of the shelter, The Boot, I have been trying to incorporate the signature tune of the only Sinatra I like, the fabulous Miss Nancy, into a chapter comment. Given The Boot is closing, but in some respects is merely moving (many of the staff and guests are likely to be the same, the services offered may be somewhat different), I feel the title of Miss Nancy's These Boot(s) Are Made For Walkin' is somewhat appropriate (just don't listen to the lyrics for the song's intent). It has to Miss Nancy's version though. I have a version of the same song performed by Amanda Lear (perhaps unknown to Americans, but very popular in Europe and the UK) and have heard the version by Jessica Simpson which was popular in the early 2000's (I did not mind this version to be honest, she has a "big" voice). Now for the new establishment, The Old Shoe Factory. I have been wracking my brain for songs with shoe in the title and have only been able to think of a limited number - Boogie Shoes by KC & The Sunshine Band, Boogie Woogie Dancing Shoes by Claudja Barry (gloriously camp Eurodisco stomper from late 1979) and The Red Shoes by the incomparable extraordinaire, Kate Bush.

Clearly my mind is not the only thing fading @drsawzall, the eyes have seen better days and appear to be past their "best before" date at least. I read the comments by @JohnnyC, @akascrubber and your first comment AND STILL did not notice you all referred to the fruit lingonberry not loganberry. I have to confess to never having heard of a lingonberry, but as I like most berries, I daresay I would like it too. Is is good for fading eyesight by chance?

Du mäste @Gary L. In all seriousness, I bought some very well made, attractive and inexpensive bedside table lamps in IKEA, but I also bought a very attractive but poorly made floor lamp there at the same time (fortunately it too was not expensive). I have never eaten their food and would certainly not eat the Swedish meatballs, but love the idea of the loganberry jam (although this may not be available in Australia, I have never in my life seen or eaten loganberry jam).

Designed to maximise your "shopping pleasure", expose you to everything in the store so you will buy more. And those shopping carts, a bit like some of my joints (ankles, knees and hips in particular) when I have bad hay fever @drsawzall.

I am not a huge fan of traditional Christmas carols (apart from Silent Night) or Christmas themed songs. I do have one "guilty pleasure" and it is gloriously tacky. I absolutely love One Hundred Degrees by two of my favourite fellow Aussies, Kylie and Dannii (how proud the parents Minogue must be). I have never experienced a White Christmas and have absolutely no desire to do so (I hate the cold). Christmas in Australia with temperatures of 35C plus, sheer perfection. This year the prediction is for another cool Christmas with the temperate reaching a predicted maximum of 25C (I will have a hoodie on as for me this is way too cold). Miss Daisy Chain, the perfect Christmas hostess and The Choirboys a joyful musical combination (way better than Bing Crosby singing the bloody awful White Christmas). As is very obvious @Mancunian I am an opinionated SOB and cannot bear musical snobbery. I love pop music of virtually all genres and make no apologies for doing so.