methodwriter85

I agree with Adam that something like this should be in one of your stories... Maybe that one about a Greater San Francisco Bay kid coming of age during the seventies and early 80's, showing him all grown up on a trip...

Your muse agrees with you, Mark. I'm okay with leaving Marcel and JP alone for awhile.

I tend to like endings where you know people will be okay- not great, but okay. The best example of this would be in "Get Real". which follows a shy school boy who falls for the popular jock. Long story short, popular jock throws him under the bus to maintain status with his "friends", and shy school boy never talks to the guy again, and moves on. Battered, but not beaten. Another ending I really liked was the ending of "Gone with The Wind"- Scarlett FINALLY realizing that she loved Rhett, but it's too late. The scene of her crying on the stairs after his rejection of her, and then getting up with a hopeful smile saying, "After all, tommorrow is another day!" really summed up the philosophy I kinda take with like. THIS day might suck, but the next day will be better. So on, and so forth. I've had a pretty crappy past and some really painful experiences in my life, but I dunno...I've already been able to just pick myself up again and trudge on. I don't really need things to be great- I just need things to be okay. And keeping that in mind, I've reach this sort of inner peace with myself and my place in life that's been wonderful to have.

Chapter 2 -When Marcel and JP wake up, post-coital. "Baby Baby" by Amy Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms3xvdNvZaQ -When Marcel and JP have sex in his Harvard apartment. "Here Comes Your Man" by the Pixies -When Marcel and JP drive, and talk about his work with the Vietnam War, and the just-won Gulf War. "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjKLNSOiIZU -When Marcel and JP admit to being in love with each other. While having lots of sex. "Just Like A Dream" by The Cure -When Marcel and JP discuss that this probably won't work past the summer, and Marcel resigns himself to just enjoying JP for now. "Love Song" by The Cure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay_FLTb5fUs

Mark, he kinda looks like how I picture you at age 20 or so.

Well, I was thinking you'd figure it out.

This feels like a situation that Adam Phillips would get.

Chapter 1 I'm going to enjoy this, because I was 5 in 1991, and the early 90's was the first time I really got into music. And of course, this was when MTV actually still played music, and their VJ's were gods. *** -For Marcel's graduation. "It's the End of the World As We Know It" by R.E.M. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDBz_naagJE -When Marcel and JP make love, with him assuring JP that he doesn't care that he's 32 years older. "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" by Heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HXUCJ0QY6U -When Stefan gives, essentially, his blessing for JP and Marcel. "Advice for the Young At Heart" by Tears for Fears http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJW6fQtqqTw -When Marcel meets Dr. Adams at Northwestern, gets a feel for his future there, and respects the past by paying a visit to Jeff's photo display. "Promise of A New Day" by Paula Abdul

You were BORN to blog, Adam.

So on Monday, I get back to school. I'm facing down the last eight weeks of spring semester, and thus finally finish the junior year that I didn't finish before because I left school last year in the middle of junior year. Of course, if we're being techical, I'm not finishing junior year, because at the end of this semester, I should have about seventy-eight credits. To count as a senior, I need ninety credits. To reach graduation, I need 124 credits. This means I need forty-six credits between June 2009 and May 2010. This is where I get into what's been bugging me- to make up the credits and graduate in spring 2010, I need to take two classes during summer session, and two classes during winter session. This is on top of taking about 16 credts for fall 2009 semester and spring 2010 semester. So I'd be going full-throttle from now until I walk across that stage in about fourteen months. What I'm worried about is that I'm going to burn out. Considering that I do think about going to grad school, I'm not sure if it's a good idea for me to get to the point where I don't even want to look at another book by the time I finish undergrad. So this is where option two comes in- taking an extra semester and not doing the summer and winter sessions so I get a nice break. On one hand, I wouldn't have to take a heavy courseload each semester. On the other hand, aside from the financial strain of doing another semester, I'd also be unable to walk across the stage with my friends, and I'd miss out on the whole spring graduation experience. I've seen what they're like, and they're pretty amazing. And then there's option 3- do a 5th year, graduate in spring 2011 instead of spring 2010 or winter 2011. I'd be able to pick up a minor, have the spring graduation experience, have a much lighter courseload, and-this is pretty important- I'd have a lot more time put in between myself and the one-year suspension I had to serve starting in December 2007. The drawbacks would be financial, of course, and I don't think my family would be cool with me still being supported by Mom at the age of 25. So three options...all of them kinda suck, but I know that I have to choose one. I've gotta make the best out of a bad situation I placed myself in because of certain decisions I made- such as transferring to another school my sophomore year and getting suspended junior year. Now I just find myself staring at these last couple of weeks of my re-attempted junior year, and know that sometime very soon, I got to make a decision about my future. Kinda scary.

I think I'd be downing myself in a bottle of vodka had I been one of these kids.

Come on now. I went to a performing arts high school. You think any of us actually took showers in gym class? We didn't even have sports teams.

Hey. If I wasn't being melodramatic, then I wouldn't be Jeremy Smith. I'm just sayin', man. I have this perfect bow that I practiced back in 9th grade for shows, and hell if I ain't going to use it now. *takes another perfect, final bow.*

Chapter 27: Marie -When the clan leaves Claremont, this time for good. "Life In A Northern Town" by The Dream Academy -When Brad, Robbie, and Jeanine show up with the kids at their new house, a family now. "Modern Love" by David Bowie -When Brad and JP discuss the birth of Marie Hobart, and about the loves in their lives. "The Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston -When Brad enjoys a tranquil moment before going off to talk to JP about the loves of JP's life. "Love Theme" (St. Elmo's Fire) by David Foster -When they celebrate Robbie's official HIV negative status, and make love. "Alive and Kicking" by Simple Minds Chapter 28: Will -When Jeanine gives birth to to a baby boy, and Brad decides to name him after all three of his fathers. "Neverending Story" by Limahl And what a never-ending story it's been. We've been following this family through 23 years, and get to see the start of a third generation. It's been a pleasure playing DJ for you guys throughout the story of Brad's coming of age in the 80's. Hopefully, someday I'll be playing DJ again to showcase Darius, JJ, Marie, and Will as they navigate adolescence in the 90's through the 2000's. But until then....*takes a final bow* 2023 me: Holy crap, I had really had no clue what we were all in for, in the best meaning of the term. It really has been a blast over nearly 15 years of working with Mark on this saga. And you really can call it a saga now.

I know you do. That's why I found a place for it.

Chapter 26: Au Revoir, Grandmaman -When Brad and Robbie discuss the matter of Jeanine, and what this means to their relationship. "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins -When Stefan gets to watch Brad fist Robbie. "The Stroke" by Billy Squier -On the plane where Brad and JP wrap up the Paris adventure. "What You Need" by INXS -When Robbie and Jeanine go off to talk about what this pregnancy means, and Brad sees how sick Grandmaman is. "Left of Center" by Suzanne Vega -When Jim Crampton storms out after by blackmailed by JP. "Rasputin" by Boney M -When JP speaks at Maman's funeral. "A Deal With God" (Running Up That Hill) by Kate Bush

Chapter 25: Careers -When Greg despairs over his movie troubles, offers Robbie a job, and Brad starts work with Stefan's company. (Greg's mood swings seem...familiar, for some reason.) 2023 me: I think I was making a joke about Adam Phillips mood swings here? Things got particularly nasty between Adam and I during 2009 if I'm remembering right. Thank god we both mellowed out by the end of Adam's time as an author on the internet. "Working in A Coal Mine" by Devo -When Brad and Stefan bond, and Stefan learns the truth about JJ's paternity. Why do I feel like JJ is going to find out about it in a really humiliating way when he's an adult? LOL "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne Warwick and Friends -When Brad wakes up Robbie in the morning in a special way. "Wake Me Up" by Wham! -When Brad finds Marcel and Robbie in bed together, and trusts them that nothing happened. "I'm Your Man" by Wham! -When Brad is sat in stunned silence when the Space Challenger explodes. "Elegia" by New Order -When Brad talks to Jeanine on the phone, and discovers that she's pregnant. "If She Knew What She Wants" by The Bangles

Chapter 24: Engagement -When Brad and Robbie talk to Robbie's psychiatrist, Robbie admits that he killed Neil, and Brad thinks he'll be okay with it. "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen -When Brad proposes to Robbie. "Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Donley Henley -When the happy couple discover that Greg and Stefan bought them a house in Malibu. "Once in A Lifetime" by the Talking Heads -When Robbie and Brad get the truck that Marty McFly had. And then have sex. "Walking in L.A." by Missing Persons *** 2023 me: From the vantage point of now, it's kind of wild to see 22-year olds trying to settle down like this. It was much more common with Baby Boomers to want this, much less so by the time Gen Xers came off age, and even less so with Millennials. Just a completely different mindset. Gen Z star Millie Bobby Brown announced getting engaged and there was all this hang-wringing about her being too young at 19 to get engaged. In 1986 nobody would have been doing that over a 19-year old getting engaged.

Chapter 23: The Trial -When Grandmaman decides to accompany the clan for one last trip to France, her homeland. "To France" by Mike Oldfield and Maggie Reilly -When JP and Brad talk about who JJ's father is. And JP learns some disgusting truths about his family, and gets amused by the fact that JJ is really a Crampton. (While he's really a Schulter.) "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson -When the clan has to deal with French media circus surrounding Robbie's case. And Grandmaman turns out to have some connections that'll help. "Under Pressure" by Queen -When Robbie's case is thrown out, they scramble to get Robbie the hell out of there, and the clan breathes a sign of relief when they get back over the Atlantic, heading back to the US. "Major Tom" (Coming Home) by Peter Schilling Gee, I sure hope Robbie never goes back to Paris. - When Stefan realizes that Lou is the child he helped save from the sort of childhood he had, back in 1973. And the true meaning of Christmas is revealed as the Cramptons, Schulters, and Hayes close out 1985 strong after a tough bout. "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid

Which is why "Do They Know It's Christmas" was a perfect song for that moment.

I trim like once every six months. Eh. Completely shaved pubis- ick. Don't mind back hair getting shaved, but a completely shaved body turns me off.

Chapter 22 - Prison -When the clan strategizie, along with the lawyer, about how they can help Robbie. "Invincible" by Pat Benatar -When Brad and Robbie have some goodbye sex, and Robbie says he wants Brad to be free to mess around, so long as it's not with Max. "Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister -When Brad gets to Claremont, plays with Darius until his nap, then bonds over watching Jeremy at the hospital, the newest addition to the crazy Crampton brood. "We Are the World" from USA for Africa -When Brad sees Bitty in a crack house. "White Lines" by Grandmaster Flash -When Brad and Jeanine have sex. "What's Love Got to Do With It" by Tina Turner

Chapter 21: Arrested -When JP and Brad talk about their options, and Brad is adament that he won't let Robbie go down for killing Neil. "I'm Going Down" by Bruce Springsteen -When Brad and Robbie's lawyer talk. "An Innocent Man" by Billy Joel - In the courtroom, where they succeed in getting Robbie out on bail. "The Confrontation" from Les Miserables (1985 musical) -When Robbie and Brad have sex, using fisting and letting Mouse watch the action. "All Through the Night" by Cyndi Lauper

I got ENFP. Here's the description of it- Idealist Portrait of the Champion (ENFP)Like the other Idealists, Champions are rather rare, say two or three percent of the population, but even more than the others they consider intense emotional experiences as being vital to a full life. Champions have a wide range and variety of emotions, and a great passion for novelty. They see life as an exciting drama, pregnant with possibilities for both good and evil, and they want to experience all the meaningful events and fascinating people in the world. The most outgoing of the Idealists, Champions often can't wait to tell others of their extraordinary experiences. Champions can be tireless in talking with others, like fountains that bubble and splash, spilling over their own words to get it all out. And usually this is not simple storytelling; Champions often speak (or write) in the hope of revealing some truth about human experience, or of motivating others with their powerful convictions. Their strong drive to speak out on issues and events, along with their boundless enthusiasm and natural talent with language, makes them the most vivacious and inspiring of all the types. Fiercely individualistic, Champions strive toward a kind of personal authenticity, and this intention always to be themselves is usually quite attractive to others. At the same time, Champions have outstanding intuitive powers and can tell what is going on inside of others, reading hidden emotions and giving special significance to words or actions. In fact, Champions are constantly scanning the social environment, and no intriguing character or silent motive is likely to escape their attention. Far more than the other Idealists, Champions are keen and probing observers of the people around them, and are capable of intense concentration on another individual. Their attention is rarely passive or casual. On the contrary, Champions tend to be extra sensitive and alert, always ready for emergencies, always on the lookout for what's possible. Champions are good with people and usually have a wide range of personal relationships. They are warm and full of energy with their friends. They are likable and at ease with colleagues, and handle their employees or students with great skill. They are good in public and on the telephone, and are so spontaneous and dramatic that others love to be in their company. Champions are positive, exuberant people, and often their confidence in the goodness of life and of human nature makes good things happen.

Chapter 20: Murder -When Brad gets back to his apartment, paranoid as hell. "Private Eyes" by Hall and Oates -When Brad and Mouse screw each other, in the heat of the moment. "Add It Up" by The Violent Femmes -When Brad and Robbie work things out about what happened to Neil. And then have make-up sex. "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears -When JP and Mouse reconcile. "Better Be Good to Me" by Tina Turner -When Robbie gets arrested by the police. "Police On My Back" by The Clash