methodwriter85

That could work. He's the one who discovered that Lark/Scott Slater was his dad, right? I could be wrong, but didn't Ryan discover that Jeff was his half-brother through Charlotte Grafton who gave him up for adoption before marrying Ryan's racist dad? I always pictured Charlotte as being Kristen Chenoweth.

It does. At the end of the day, I can be happy for my dad that he found a better life and lived the way he wanted to live. I also can let go of any fear/hope that existed at the back of my mind that he might try to make contact. I no longer need to wonder about him, and I know that he died a peaceful death.

The eyes aren't quite right (his eyes look green), but otherwise Matthew Noszka nails that loveable Himbo vibe that Matt Carrswold has. He could also work as one of the many blond jocks that populate CAP world.

Wow, it's been a long time. I am six months into being 37 years old now- can you believe it? I loved my early 30's, the mid-30's were consumed by the Covid Pandemic, and so far my late 30's have been an interesting ride. Actually, it's been a long and difficult year for me. For pretty much all of my 30's I've been in a holding pattern- living with my mom at her house, helping her with bills, and working in a movie theater. Even the Covid pandemic didn't really change that much for me, save for some extra money that allowed me to put a down payment on a 2-year old economy car after driving an awful 2006 beater for 6 years. As soon as the COVID lockdowns ended I went right back into working at a movie theater. My mom got sick in October, and since then she's been in and out of the hospital as she deals with liver failure. (Not even an alcoholic- go figure! We think it's because of her Aspirin usage. And probably just being 76 years old.) One of my sisters has been having my mom stay at her home about 30 minutes south of her home, as she's a nurse and can look over her better than I can. It's been a really difficult, horrible situation to go through. In March, my mom has been generally stabilizing with some decent medication, but then we got hit with some shocking news- my estranged father I haven't spoken to or seen since 1995 passed away at his home in the American South at the age of 70 from lung cancer. He was a chain smoker, so it wasn't a shocker, but it was shocking to learn that he had kept a Christmas card my sister (the nurse one) had sent him around 2015 or 2016. That is apparently how the sheriff knew to notify us. Funny enough, when the sheriff came to my sister's house, my mom thought it might be about me and I got inundated with worried phone calls from her. My dad was an abusive drunk who I hadn't seen since I was 9 years old. Apparently he managed to get it together enough to live an out and proud life as a gay man in a Southern resort area town and went on to a pretty decent life. My sister (the nurse one) has been acting as the executor of his estate. He wasn't rich, but he did have a house and some retirement accounts. Since he didn't leave a will, everything's being taken care of in probate, which is going to be an interesting waiting period. My dad and my mother were never technically divorced, and by the law of the state he died in, that means he was married, so that also throws a wrinkle into everything. His house is already up for sale, and the estate sale people pretty much cleared out his house and it's like he was never lived there. My dad was cremated, and his ashes were interred in a vault at a Veteran's cemetery near us. We did the whole big family reunion and wake for him, and it was an interesting experience. I saw relatives I haven't seen since about 1993. Pretty mixed feelings about all this but I think the best way to describe it is that I feel relief. I don't have to wonder if there's going to be some day that I can talk to my dad again, and confront him about what he did, and possibly even try to salvage some kind of relationship with him. I know he's gone, and he's taken all his secrets and motivations with him, and I can let go of my anger at how he treated me as a child. It makes me sad that I have so few positive memories of my father but what I can remember is that he was a prankster who loved travel and cooking, and he kept those passions into the end of his life. Finally, my dad was able to go out peacefully in his sleep after living a pretty solid, if quiet life on a nice sunny street in the American South. As for me, I kind of just feel like I'm at the end of something. Maybe it's just hitting my late 30's, but I know things are changing again, and I'm not sure to what. I like to think I'll handle it well, no matter what happens.

RIP

I don't actually picture him as a CAP character, but posting him here because there's something I find really hot about Gabriel Basso from the Night Agent. Lol

We're currently at the year of gay marriage in Massachusetts, the "I Am A Gay American" Jim McGreevy gay sex scandal, the Swiftboat Veterans for truth, and the Indian Ocean Tsunami. I was 18 in 2004 so it's a very vivid year for me.

Manu Rios from Elite as Alejandro in Bloodlines:

I had an entire 2001 through 2006 JJ figure skating career timeline worked out with Daisy, a former figure skater. She was pretty awesome to work with. We loosely modeled it on Evan Lysacek, who was similar in having a "late" start to figure skating for someone that reached elite levels. We worked together for 4 years- it was pretty fun.

This hasn't been the best time for JJ. He's such a tragic figure. That is why I'm thrilled

JJ being so happy about finding something to be good at that his brothers can't touch was sweet. And Tiffany! Always saw her as Kristen Bell.

I qualified that statement by saying "somewhat", because I don't think they're permanently off canvas. Just being rested and getting to live nice, normal lives for now.

I meant that you had a different narrator with Stefan instead of keeping JP as the narrator, who was the narrator for CAP and 1968. You didn't start doing multiple narrators until Poor Man's Son, but Wade did get a cameo as a narrator in Bloodlines.

JJ has been so defined as being a figure skater in this story. He'll have to find ways to define himself outside of that.

Mark made the choice to allow different narrators in the third book, The Land Whore, which moves the narration away from JP to Stefan building his empire in 1973-74. Then it was in Poor Man's Son where Mark decided to have multiple narrators in one story. (There is a brief cameo with Wade taking over narration from Matt in Bloodlines.) It was the right choice. Gives a fuller experience. It also allows Mark to let characters somewhat ride off happily into the sunset, like Wade and Matt essentially did.

JJ is such a bitchy little thing, it's sometimes difficult to write his character. I have to get myself in the mood, usually by causing some unsuspecting mortal untold pain. 😉 I did a JJ playlist. It should make it easier to get into his head: JJ Playlist "Art is Calling for Me" (A Prima Donna song) from The Enchantress "Circus" by Britney Spears "The Fame" by Lady Gaga "Daniel" by Elton John "Drive" by the Cars "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner "Alone" by Heart "Wishin & Hopin'" by Dusty Springfield "All Too Well" by Taylor Swift "Lose Yourself" by Eminem "Disarm" by The Smashing Pumpkins "Last Resort" by Papa Roach "Scar Tissue" by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers "You're A God" by Vertical Horizon "New York, New York" by Liza Minelli "What I Did For Love" from a Chorus Line "Only in New York" from Thoroughly Modern Millie "I Started A Joke" by The Bee Gees "The Only Living Boy in New York" by Simon and Garfunkel "I Am A Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel "Style" by Taylor Swift "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel "One" from A Chorus Line

He doesn't "want" to, per se, but Alex is smart enough to know that his family really needs the cash, and Mary Ellen's family really likes the idea of title, even if it doesn't actually mean anything.

He needed the reality check, though. JJ will be alright.

I honestly prefer being 30-something as opposed to 20-something. Although I miss being able to party until 3 A.M. in the morning and not needing the entire next day to recover. LOL I did think JP dying would make sense as the end point of the series. I already have JP's funeral song picked out: Or I could rip off the ending of This is Us:

I remember suggesting that Will gets a Hummer because that was such a popular rich kid status symbol in the early 2000's (think Luke in the OC) but both Sharon and Mark shot that down, saying it's just too much of a jock type car for Will. lol I did think Matt Carrswold would have gotten one if he hadn't become a dad in Flux. I wanted JJ to drive an Austin Healy but Mark decided instead on JJ getting a driver, which to be honest is pretty in-character. If I didn't have to drive as a resident of suburban Delaware, I probably wouldn't, either. Lol It's not like JJ even really needs a car- where does he go to except practice or a ballet recital to make eyes at Alex?

Who was the "Will" in your life, and how did he hurt you?

Most of the hardcore environmentalists seem to be from rich backgrounds.

I agree.

Kelly Rowen from the OC as Claire? I think I can reasonably see her being Mom to Taissa Farmiga, who is the canon Marie Hobart. (Thanks Blue, wherever you are.)