Bill W

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Parker.

Unfortunately, I know what you mean. Been there, done that.

From fast food training to receiving a proposal from a gargoyle. An interesting journey. Was Addy one of those stone figures on a medieval cathedral? I suppose that means he never has to worry about having a limp noodle or needing Viagra. And as soon as you revealed he was a gargoyle, I couldn't help but picture him as Goyle from the Harry Potter books and movies. It was an interesting read and I enjoyed it.

Yes, Al. Life can have pleasant results, even if they're not exactly the ones we were hoping for. Jeremy took 'a leap of faith', and although he didn't end up with a 'boyfriend' or 'lover', he did end up with a 'lifelong friend'. It was still a 'happy ending'.

Polymath comes from the Greek word polymathes, which means 'very learned' or 'having leaned much'. It is deceptive, because at first glance you might assume it only means 'having leaned much mathematics' or poly 'meaning many - 'many mathematics', but that would be incorrect. It has to do with much more than just one field of accomplishment.

I believe a synonym for polymath would be the term 'a true Renaissance man or woman'. Unfortunately, there are some today that would rather we slip back into the dark ages.

Jess and Ben are suffering from PTSD after their tours of duty end. Ben was an officer in the army, while Jess was a Navy Seal, but they're both carrying different types of scars from their time in combat zones. Libby Drew offers a sensitive and well-written account of what they're dealing with as they help each other in different ways and the relationship that develops from it. It's a great read and I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it.

You fooled me at the start of the story. When I found out Jess was a Navy Seal suffering from PTSD, I immediately thought he fell in the fountain because he was missing part of a leg, but you only revealed Ben had that type of injury. Now, I'm wondering what made him fall in the fountain. Was he merely drunk? He didn't act that bad when he was dealing with Ben's trying to help him, so I didn't think that was the case. He wasn't slurring his words or acting silly or crazy, so I thought it was due to some type of injury he got in the service. When Ben told him about his foot and having a prothesis, I was still expecting Jess to reveal that he had a similar condition. I guess not. I'm not usually that far off on my hunches. Anyway, it was a touching and well written story and I couldn't stop reading it. No matter how tired I was feeling, I wasn't going to stop, so thank you for this excellent and sensitive story about what some of our servicemen and women deal with when their tour of duty ends.

Yes, @mansexlover that's what I thought as well. Those types of things don't always have a fairy tale ending. Thanks for reading and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Yes, this is a story with a partially happy ending, since Tad didn't turn out to be gay, as Jeremy would have liked. But unfortunately, life doesn't always work out the way we want or hope for. However, they did remain friends and I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

Partners in a relationship that is sometimes cantankerous and other times jovial and light-hearted. I think the sudden mood swings would drive me crazy. The story was short and contained some important information, like seeking help when you have an addiction, but it ended far too soon. I hope someday you will continue this story, because I'd like to see how Yuri and Donovan weather the trials of this type of relationship.

Thanks, Johnny. I appreciate your support.

The bell had just rung and I was hurrying to get to the cafeteria so I could eat my lunch. I’d been sitting in stuffy classrooms all morning long and wanted to eat quickly so I could get out of the building for a little while to get a breath of fresh air before my afternoon classes started. With that in mind, I flew down the flight of stairs that led from the second floor and nearly fell, possibly breaking my neck or being badly injured in the process, since I was taking two steps at a time.

Two high school students run into each other in an unexpected way. What happens when they cross paths the next time may surprise you!

John Jacob Astor IV's body was recovered by the steamer CS Mackay-Bennett on April 22, not far from the sinking. Reports said his body was badly crushed and covered in soot but all who examined his body maintained that it was in perfect condition with no bruising. He was identified by the initials sewn on the lapel of his jacket.

I guess the transitioning process could be considered a type of magic, so possibly it is similar to the HP stories. I never thought about that before.

Flounce can also refer to a fabric manipulation where the fabric is sewn into folds and creates a look similar to a ruffle.

It was the same with Isidor and Ida Strauss. Isidor was co-owner of Macy's with his brother, and the couple left a combined fortune of nearly $4,000,000 in 1912 dollars. Isidor's body was recovered and buried in the Bronx, but his wife's body was never recovered.

If the beaver coat dragged him down into the water, then it gave him a quicker death than slowly freezing to death in the frigid ocean and gave the beavers their revenge.

I bow to your suggestion.

Yes, there are some comical and interesting videos of other animals with porcupines.

Thanks, Danilio, and I just pieced together various things I'd read about Navajo spiritual beliefs to come up with that explanation to satisfy Mac's curiosity. It doesn't explain the detail about how it works, but it was enough to answer his question.

Ah, I get back to back dr visits today. Yes, drs, beavers can go at bit overboard at times and threaten the surrounding area with flooding. One thing you might notice, though, is that their damns don't normally fail, no matter how long they become. For that reason and to protect human occupation of those areas, the beavers have to be dealt with, and the most humane way is by relocating t hem.

Oops, I messed up.

Yes, drp, it wasn't easy coming up with a way to explain the conservation of matter, but I felt putting the explanation in Navajo spiritual terms would work the best. That's an interesting story about your friend blowing up the beaver dams with C4, but it you were chuckling about the outcome before it happened, then why didn't you warn your friend. And was the bridge he blew up merely a private pedestrian bridge or one used by traffic. If it was the latter, I'd think he'd own the county or state some money to replace it. As Mac has been at the reservation, I've been noting how many days have passed, and you might be mildly surprised when you discover how long his training has taken.