Mark Arbour

God, that was funny! :funny:

That's a really good question. Granger's lovers don't tend to be talkative, and that's probably because in my mind, that means they'll be making extra noise. That's not something they want to do. Granger is usually surrounded by people (or at least they're nearby), whether it be his crew, or his staff. The time in the story that I remember him being loud (not talkative) was with Major Jardines. I think that was in HMS Belvidera, but it could have been in Master and Commander.

That's a reasonable criteria.

Which just further substantiates my theory that San Franciscans are so much classier than their peers in LA.

Incredibly insightful.

Thank you so much. I'm glad you're here. I think, personally, that Be Rad is the second best story to start the series with. At the risk or derailing this thread (and your comments), I'm wondering what other people think?

Sigh. It's been more than 25 years since I lived in the Bay Area, and I still cringe when people call it Frisco. Frisco is a suburb of Dallas. San Francisco has some of the most earthquake resistant building on the globe. The biggest problems come from areas built on landfill, like the Marina District, which got hammered in the last big earthquake there. We never lived in a brick house; they were always made of wood and stucco, and when there was an earthquake, they would sway, not crumble. I have no fear of being in places like subways in California. An old brick building: maybe. It's been a while since I've been in an earthquake, but I always thought they were kind of cool. The last one I remember, I was in our house, upstairs, and the whole house started swaying. I got up and stood in the hallway, waiting to see if it would get stronger, or just fizzle out. It got strong enough to make me go downstairs, then it ended.

Nope. Tim was right (for the first time in about 20 forum pages ) Football (and hockey) are different, and they go in buses. They're going to a strange school (probably) with fans who may be obnoxious. The coach is going to want to keep his guys together, and keep an eye on them.

The only CAP constant is change. ;-) Thanks for the review, Edward. There are a lot of variables ahead, especially for Zach and Will, because they're still so young.

That's a really good point. One injury, and you're derailed. Or at least delayed.

Thanks so much for the review. I think that Brad and Will got much more tuned into each other after 9-11. And what you're noticing is that Will is indeed maturing in fits and starts.

Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar, which won't happen until after Copenhagen, and after the Peace of Amiens. That's a while off. I think we can rule that one out. Having been sent around the world once already, and having just gotten back from that trip, I think it's inevitable that Granger stays relatively close to home (meaning probably in Europe)

Thank you so much! I encountered parents like Wally when my son played sports, although I never had that problem myself. And I tried to be diligent in not being that guy with my son, but there were times when I failed at it. I think it's a real problem, and I think it makes total sense that Wally would act that way, especially since it's a sport he played, and a position he played. I think Zach is reading Will very well, and he knows that Tony is history. That's why he can be so calm about it. Otherwise, he's pretty much signed up for a don't ask-don't tell deal when it comes to the other people in their lives. I agree with you about an ongoing relationship...stormy seas ahead. I love stormy seas. ;-)

Thanks so much. Some thoughts on your review: I think that's a good observation about Will being distracted by Zach being there. As that fades, we'll see how Will handles it. I think that Zach is starting to show himself as a guy who keeps his cards really close to his vest, and only really shows his true self to a very select few...possibly only one. I can't help but think that stories of this guy you know that made it to the NFL would be very very hot. ;-)

This author finds your nit-picking about the bus particularly annoying, simply because you're right. Damn. It's not my team who missed that one, it's me. I should have caught that. There are a whole bunch of reasons why teams travel to away games together. Good reasons. And it's pretty much a universal policy, especially with sports like football. (Can debate teams meet at the location?) Seriously...thanks for pointing that out. I generally learn from my mistakes.

Thanks! I think that Brad's way of thinking on this is that he and Will share some pretty similar traits, so if going to the condo (scene of the crime) and dealing with the demons head on worked for him, it may work for Will.

TLOL @ your ability to work maturity in without using the word maturity. And I'm starting to understand some of your issues with Will and Matt. Will is like his father in a lot of ways, and he is actually pretty self aware in this situation. He knows that he's too pissed off to deal with Matt right now, so he's keeping him at arms length until he can deal with Matt. For a reference on how his mind works, you may want to revisit "Be Rad" and read Brad's reaction to Robbie sleeping with Gary. Will doesn't carry grudges, at least that we have seen (Tony may be an exception), so I think he ultimately will settle things with Matt. But he's not ready to do that, and in reality, neither is Matt. Right now, it's simply a cold war.

That's a very good point. Could Will handle being in a relationship with a closeted guy? And could Zach handle the pressure of always worrying that he was firmly in the closet?

I'm glad you liked the chapter. I think that Will already knew that, but what was significant was that Zach admitted it.

Thanks Miles! Will is walking into this thing with his eyes wide open, and incidentally, so is Zach. And while that's all fine and good, what happens if their feelings ultimately cloud their logic?

BTW, the Duncan Shiek song was great!

Fyi. The first two links don't work.

November 2, 2001 Washington DC The wheels of the plane touched down, landing with enough time for Wade to make his interview at Georgetown, assuming there weren’t any more problems. “I’m really sorry I lost it with you guys,” I said to them, about the tenth time I’d apologized. “We’re good,” Wade said, smiling at me. The plane taxied to the FBO, the pilots powered down the engines and opened the door to let Wade out, and then we were back on the runway, heading for New J

That would be interesting to hear, not only from Westie, but from the rest of you.

I'd like to think that too.