Former Member

This is a very well-crafted, slow-burning tale about Grant, a Physician’s Assistant who moves from the beautiful Wine Country in California to arctic Barre, New Hampshire to start his first job. Grant buys a fully-furnished house that needs some minor work. There is no central heating, so he needs to start a fire in the fireplace. As he prepares the wood, he discovers a Journal that’s been scorched, hidden under the ashes… Troy is a handyman living in his van as he struggles to survive. He has lost contact with all his friends. He is approaching the end of his endurance… Wayne Gray has polished this story before he posted it here on GA. His skills have increased over the time I have read his stories. (Thank you @Thorn Wilde for your work editing as well.) This is a story you won’t want to miss.

I love how Grant came home to the Bay Area to get married! Even though he wandered far from home, he returned to his birthplace for one of the most significant events in his life. I can see a series of short stories involving these characters. Another wedding. Sadly, a funeral. Gavin crossing over to Camp Refuge… ;–)

First you trick me into reading a story where a trusted and supposedly trustworthy character double-crossed the protagonist! Then you tricked me into reading a werewolf story! And now you’ve tricked me into reading a ghost story! ;–)

As you are aware, I am very familiar with the length of your stories! ;–) Just because I am discomforted by the ages doesn’t mean you should stop writing fictionally about your experiences. I was just considering why I remembered the story, but hadn’t Reacted or Commented on it. This is not the first or only story that I haven’t felt comfortable responding to, but almost all of the others have much more serious issues accompanying the age thing (often too cliché with overused, worn-out tropes). ;–) Artists are supposed to make us feel – discomfort often makes us think about things we should be thinking about. ;–)

As a Gay Person of Color, I often feel like I don’t belong anywhere. Other Gay people will tell me I belong in the LGBTQ+ community, but all too often I feel fetishized – or I feel like a token. In the Gay Asian community, I don’t feel like I belong because my family has been here several generations unlike so many I’ve met in the Gay Asian community. In the Asian community I grew up in, I don’t feel like I belong because I rejected the conservative Evangelical Protestant churches that my father led throughout my childhood and until he retired. When I was homeless, I didn’t feel like I belonged because there are few homeless Asians in shelters – there were more Asians who were social or healthcare workers (some of the other residents would initially think I was staff). My background was very different from most other homeless people because I grew up in the suburbs with highly educated parents, so I speak like a college graduate even though I’m not. I dressed like someone from the suburbs, too, and my clothes were not worn out even though they were old. I had most of my stuff in storage so I didn’t have to carry it all with me everywhere, so I wasn’t perceived as homeless by most people. My therapists would try to reassure me that it was all in my head… ;–)

But Robbie stubbornly seems to go out of his way to make bad decisions! ;–)

Renato Fasano, one of the greatest conductors of the recording era, paired up with Shirley Verrett to do the definitive Orfeo ed Euridice, by Gluck. The restoration of the original Third Act finale is amazing. Gluck's ballet for the piece comes here, and the final two movements are these: lentemento et Chaconne What a glorious finale! (And in case you think my praise overkill, this recording is THE must-have version recommended by the Metropolitan Opera's Guide to Recorded Operas, page 164.)

So Sage is Wow and Bella is Love? And Bella won out? ;–)

Ever notice that some of the worst parents have the most kids? ;–)

Putting together a single character list for the two series would either be intentionally inaccurate or would include spoilers. Even family trees could be problematic. If you haven’t already done so, you might want to read at least the stories Mike has posted on GA in the order he lists. You’ll meet the core characters a few at a time that way. ;–)

Go Team Tom!

Samuel R Delany wrote a book that was considered unpublishable due in part to the age of the protagonist. When it was eventually published, they got around the controversy by adding 100 to the age whenever it was mentioned. It was clunky and very transparent, but it was a way for the story to be released in print. Stories involving 13 year old having sex make me feel uncomfortable. That might be why I never Reacted or Commented on this story. Or I might have read it elsewhere. As others have mentioned, I read it because I trust you! And I enjoyed this one enough that I’ll eventually read the others in the series. But the length makes it difficult for me to get through without taking breaks… ;–)

But I think it’s only recently that they’ve started featuring two people of the same sex. I know two famous actors (I can’t remember who they were) were shown on the screen in LA and they mugged as they appeared to kiss. Others have merely hugged. ;–) I think it’d be funny if some guy dropped to his knees as if he were going to propose – especially if the other person was a straight friend! ;–)

I’m still remembering just little tidbits, not the theme or main story arc. I’m getting old and I must have read this story a long time ago. I do know that I remember being surprised when I started noticing recurring themes and repeated details being mentioned in multiple stories across the two series. I was shocked when one huge thing I hadn’t realized was revealed to me in an email from the author! ;–)

Do/did they do the KissCam thing there? ;–)

As far as I know, Justin is male, so he’s blond (no ‘E’) and, as far as I know, Christina was never in a McDonalds Spin the Bottle ad with Nsync. ;–)

Not the cabbage patch? ;–)

I got scolded for using the ‘Y’ word! How many times did you use it in this chapter? At least it sounds like we won’t be seeing the forbidden word anymore… ;–)

I’m not a fan of any of the Jonas Brothers. Have you seen the McDonalds Spin the Bottle ad with Nsync and the blonde skank? Lance spins the bottle and it seems like the director was more aware of Lance than Lance was willing to admit at the time… ;–) It’s on YouTube, if you’re curious… ;–)

Tom Holland and Charlie Puth, but not Nick Jonas! ;–) I just realized @Wesley8890 misinterpreted my statement. I would never turn down Spider-Man (any of the three). The way I originally wrote it has inherent ambiguity. ;–)

But Donnie would be so happy! ;–)

There are so many other things I’d want to spend £5,000,000 on. It’s interesting that Summer season is quoted in Euros (€32,000/week + expenses, ‘approx $35,500/week’), while Winter season is quoted in Dollars (44,000/week + expenses). And again, I can think of numerous other things I’d rather spend US$35,500-44,000/week + expenses on. Those who charter this yacht spend more in a week than I ever did on any of the cars I bought (ignoring inflation). :–0

I never saw the movie…

And in the next story you post here, we’ll find out who introduced coffee to Rothenia! I love all the tiny details that are hinted at in your other books. ;–) I think it’s funny that Damien and the flowers are one of the things I remember from reading this before. Rudi’s uncomfortable relationship wth his mother-in-law is another. ;–)

On the other hand, anthropologists digging in East Africa were listening to the song when they discovered the bones of our distant relative which were nicknamed ‘Lucy’ in honor of the song. ;–)