Mark Arbour

Robbie would have no problem eating just meat.

Some excellent advice! You've helped me break some unpleasant grammar habits over the years. One thing I've found that really helps is to re-read your chapters at least twice before publishing them. It's amazing how much you can find, especially in terms of style, with a simple re-read.

I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Wade coming out for tradition would be a natural reaction for him, just as you said. I don't think Wade was playing a card when he said he was quitting, he was dead serious. It was one of those incredibly logical decisions that he's capable of making. That being said, if he does stay, he won't quit again unless he means it. Matt has periods where he's a little clueless, but he usually wakes up from them. What we're seeing here is his process of realizing that he's screwed up, and that he has to fix it. One of Matt's more endearing traits is his willingness to admit he's made a mistake and to try and fix it. The guy is flexible in so many ways. I'm glad that I have both series to write. I find that I alternate between the two as my mood sways. Bridgemont is the bigger challenge, just because the chapters require more work to be somewhat realistic, but they're still a lot of fun to write. I think that Wade's confidence is part of who he is, his heritage. Yes, he suffered through an abusive relationship with his father, but he still had his family background and money behind him to help compensate. And if you think about it, he's been working hard to repair his relationship with his father, and it's probable that that healing process has made him stronger both externally and internally. In addition, Wade's got to make the cold calculation that none of these guys can really hurt him. What's the coach going to do, kick him off the team? He's ready to go anyway. Cole and Matt are on the defensive, because they've been such poor leaders, so they'd be hard pressed to come after him with anything substantive. More on the bankers in upcoming chapters.... I think that you hit on something here. With Matt and JJ, winning at the game is the goal. With Will and Wade, winning at life is the deal.

Really well put. I think that the pivotal relationship in his life was with Jeff. I agree with you about Jeff, and that became a central theme in JP's development as a character. Before that, his problems were mostly external, but after Jeff's death, that event festered in his soul like an open wound. I think that the wedding scene in Millenium, where he finally broke down about it, was the point where he was finally able to move beyond Jeff's death and forgive himself. That was fantastic. I can't see JP in that. Now that does seem to be a spot on descriptor of Zach Hayes.

I personally think that the "200 trained sailors" is a bit of an understatement, but the basic point remains that the Spanish philosophy was to have a cadre of trained officers and men and to then make up the bulk of the crew with whatever they could grab in port. That meant mostly peasants and soldiers. If you think about it, that makes sense, since that's probably how they fought their ships back at the time of the Armada. Then, there was a core group that sailed the ship, and then there were soldiers on board to fight. The ships were nothing more than floating wooden castles. Innovation wasn't a Spanish strength in that era, so it goes to figure that they'd still be using the same strategy. I think Dan Savage would say that Granger was definitely GGG. Thanks for that. I think that George has been forced to mature. He's been forced into a man's world since a young age, and he's been lucky enough to have good guidance along the way. Without that, I think that even with his personal strengths, he'd have made some pretty big blunders.

I take you seriously.

The sniping can get pretty nasty, especially if a team loses. I think you're right about Wade's leadership ability, but I wouldn't rule Matt out. He's still finding his way.

Thanks Kye. Normally I would think the progression is to build the conflict up outside the rink, expand it in the locker room, and have it peak on the ice. I think this worked better.

Because you've been following me so long you've become paranoid. ;-)

Thanks MM! I actually had this specific locker room scene in mind when I started writing the story, figuring that would be a great way to bring the situation to an, er, climax.

Writing Wade is a lot of fun, especially when he's playing hockey. When he's in the rink, he's more obnoxious. :-)

Well thank you for your kind words! They're usually fun to write, especially when I can slough off real life long enough to do it!

Actually, there are some very good resources to work from. Our Colonel Drinkwater was a real person and wrote a wonderful narrative on the battle.

Well, I figured a little S&M would work for the story. In the real battle, the ships weren't split evenly, but the Spaniards were broken into two parts. The division was caused by their disorganization, though.

I'll try to do it justice.

I think bravery is appreciated no matter what the context.

How much did you read? LOL.

It's so good to have someone like Wade in a group, someone who worries about the traditions and continuity. And there is so much more to come. I think this weekend will shape up to be one of the longest in CAP history.

September 29, 2000 Escorial, CA Wade “Hey Wade,” Sean said as I answered the phone. “Hey there. Am I a rich man?” I asked. “You are. It hasn’t been easy. The bank was putting up some barriers at first, but I think they figured out they’d better not piss you off or you’ll pull all your money.” “Greed. What a great motivator,” I joked. “So what’s the next step?” “They want to talk to you on Monday. They’re going to send someone out here to meet with you. I set

Happy Birthday Riley!

Thanks. As Jeremy said in the follow-up post, it's all in fun, but I appreciate your concern. I think that it's really my responsibility to listen to all of this stuff and then write what I want to write. Sometimes these threads generate some really excellent ideas for me.

Figured I'd chime in a bit, and use Jeremy's post as a prod. I think this is a good way to look at it. They can't put Will on lock down, and I think that as he grows up, they're going to have to rely more and more on his judgment, because in the end, that's the only thing that will have any major impact. Brad likes to be in control (control freak, anyone?) and that's a tough thing to grapple with if you're applying it to your teenage son. Paternity (the theme) is as much about him as it is about Will, Wade, and Matt. I agree with Blue. 9/11 was a national tragedy. I live in the middle of the country, and didn't directly know anyone who was killed. That did not mitigate it's effect on my life. The issues are so much bigger and broader. I was initially surprised by Blue's comments, and glad that Jeremy interpreted my motives. My point was to try and show how history can impact lives. One of the things that has changed in these stories from inception to now is that my emphasis has changed to focus more on the characters and less on the events. Blue picked up on that. Still, I like to think of the events that had an impact and bring them into the story, just to remind us all of the context. No way. This would be completely out of character for JP. He'll be pissed off about the Iraq War, but he won't be pissed about the lack of student protests. Disappointed? Yes. Pissed? No. He is smart enough to understand that self-interest is a driving force here, and that without a draft, there won't be an impetus to capture buildings. But JP never was a protest rabble-rouser, and I can't see him pushing his grandsons to do something like that, ever. If they did show an interest, he might encourage them, but that's the extent of it. You have to remember that JP's passion is largely beneath the surface, and he is an analytical person at heart. I can definitely see Zach playing football, probably at USC, but I don't think he'll be terrorizing Will and JJ. Watch for the subtle changes in Zach. He's not out to hurt other people, he's simply out for himself, and only himself. Collateral damage to other people's lives as he gets what he wants really doesn't register for him.

I'm suggesting that some (or many) of your hypotheses may not materialize.

As I said in my response to your review, this was loosely based on the actions of HMS Minerve, commanded by George Cockburn (the guy who would burn Washington in 1814). In the real-life version, Roberts was inserted instead of Lieutenant Thomas Masterman Hardy, who would ultimately become Nelson's flag captain at Trafalgar. Nelson uttered the famous words: "By God, I'll not lose Hardy again!" The Minerve was able to dissuade the Spaniards without firing in that situation, and when she found herself in the midst of the Spanish fleet, she was able to sneak through unnoticed, without firing a shot. But it's more fun to have Belvidera in the midst of the confused, fog-bound Spaniards, blasting away, and it conveniently gives me a way to credit Granger with splitting the Spanish fleet into two parts, a considerable contributor to the upcoming victory. In the real life version, it was Spanish confusion that created the gap.

You assume correctly. This is a much-dramatized and altered version of the real life adventures of HMS Minerve. Minerve actually snuck through the Spanish fleet unnoticed.