methodwriter85

Hey Mark, here's to the 49ers making it to the Super Bowl! I'll be happy with either the Chiefs or 49ers winning.

Hey, just letting you guys know that JWolf is planning on a comeback. So exciting!!!

Chapter 74 -When Brad takes JJ to East Harlem for his appointment. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" by Elton John -When JJ leaves his appointment and decides to follow his new shrink's advice. "This Is The Day" by The The

No, you're getting this wrong. JJ isn't going to have a coffee with a high calorie count. His order would be a venti iced Americano with heavy whipping cream on top, no sugar, popular with those on the paleo diet. Or he'd stick to the tried and true simplicity of a skinny venti iced vanilla latte with 5 pumps of sugar-free vanilla and an extra shot of expresso. I could also see him drink a skinny sugar-free vanilla chai latte. I was in therapy for a bit when I was 22 years old. I had a doctor who also called me out of on a lot of my bullshit and made me see things about myself that i needed to see. This will be good for JJ.

I came across a video mocking what it's like to date a Sagittarius and it made me think about JJ's Sag traits. These seem to be the ones that apply to him: Sagittarians can walk – or sprint more like it – away from any problem. Their idea of dealing with an issue is to make it your problem. Sagittarians are prone to storming out and telling someone to get their crap together even when it is the Sagg’s crap. Even worse is the Sagg who’s done therapy: “I’m picking up that you’re in a resentful place right now…” before galloping out of the door lecturing you about being your best self. If responsibility were a place, Sagg wouldn’t even be able to find it. Some Saggs don’t like the word “place.” It sounds too fixed. They prefer “space.” Sagittarians have spaces in their heart, not places. They have their space in the sun and their moral-high space. Sagg lack of tact is legendary. They drop the most amazing “did she just say what I think she said?” clangers and they don’t even work at it. Never let a Sagg wing it for a speech at a wedding, funeral or christening. As everyone cringes, Sagg will smirk, thinking, “at least I tell it like it is.” You say ego, Sagg thinks self-esteem. Because so many of them seem bohemian, their ego can go undetected. It will be swamped in a sea of intellectual discourse, full-on raves about principle, and general Sagg swagger. But it’s there, even if this lot start off every second sentence with “I don’t want to boast but…” They get frustrated when their support system slacks off. They don’t get that it’s not the done thing to screech “don’t you know who I am?” at their family. A Sagg can think the fact that their partner barely has the energy to do anything other than nod “yes, dear” is a good thing. It means the person is becoming accustomed to being a valet or handmaiden to Sagg genius. Then they act all appalled when an outbreak of “negativity” occurs in their life. Many a Sagg has returned from a surfing safari with their ex-lover to find their home empty. It would be so cool if Sagittarians came equipped with a mute button. They go on and on and on. Ideally, like the characters on television, they would not know that they had been muted. They carry with them an invisible soapbox on which they leap to deliver their interminable preachy raves. They can be so in love with their righteousness that they don’t even realize they are pulverizing someone else’s psyche. Not deliberately, of course. Our Sagg is totally into freedom and self-expression for all life forms. Well-brought-up Saggs can manage to shut up and not interrupt. But all of them secretly think that the tedious interval when someone else is talking is a small gap for them to catch a breath while their mind boggles at their profundity. I do think when JJ was younger, he had that cheerful and outgoing Sag attitude, although he never really got that back after his molestation. I also don't really think that JJ expresses that Sag curiosity and zest for life and travel, either. I do think he's got the lone wolf thing down pat, though. He seems to mostly like having acquaintances and 1 or 2 (at most) actual friends. -

Bitty didn't care for JJ a day in his life. Jeanine was his mother, and she had bi-polar disorder. I don't think JJ would ever refer to Bitty as his mother. I don't know if Jim (his biological father) or Richard (his biological half-brother) have any documented illnesses, but they both strike me as the types who would never admit they had any kind of problem.

As far as I can see, it looks like JJ is just trying to finish out high school. I won't be shocked if he takes a gap year. He hasn't really mentioned any college plans. I love that JJ can now exploit the fact that he has a diagnosed illness. LOL. I don't think Will really took Zach back. Will is pretty much saying that he does love him, but it's not happening, at least not now, and they've gotta keep in touch, but they're still broken up.

Chapter 73 -When Will and Zach have some "we're broken up but damn we still love each other" sex. "My Immortal" by Evanescence -When Zach and Will argue, but then come to a certain peace and understanding. "Knowing You, Knowing You" by Abba This has to be one of the most mature break-up songs I've ever heard. -When JJ and Brad ride to his appointment for a shrink. "The Only Living Boy in New York" by Simon and Art Garfunkel -When JJ is diagnosed, and feels happy that he has something he can point to for his shitty behavior. "Where Is My Mind?" by the Pixies

Such a good chapter! Really glad Kevin realized he couldn't keep doing this to himself. I also wanted to punch out Duncan for giving him the "When you're my age" line. Duncan, I'm 33. I'm basically your age. And you can go fuck yourself!

Ain't love grand? As for JJ, this is a guy who would think nothing of buying a Prada leather coat for 2,500 dollars, so being limited to 2k a month would be a shock to the system. He might have to shop at Aeropostale. *shudders* No, seriously though, I'd direct him to H&M. Especially back then. It had much better quality.

Mark would like me to issue a statement, so here goes. Will is not a drug addict. He does not have a drug problem. He is a teenager who experiments and uses recreational drugs such as pot, ecstasy, and cocaine. The cocaine may have taken some people aback, because that is considered a harder drug, but Mark does not intend for the usage of cocaine to indicate that Will has a drug problem. The indication is that cocaine has, in this particular time period, fallen back into favor as a recreational drug. We also saw Brad use cocaine in 1985 during Man in Motion, as cocaine was also popular during the 1980's. It fell out of favor in the 1990's, which is why we didn't see characters like Matt and Wade use it during their own college days. However, during the advent of the George W. Bush years and the Paris Hilton Era, cocaine did become a thing again, particularly with 2000's era frat boys who worshiped movies like Fight Club and American Psycho and wore pastel polo shirts from Lacoste and Abercrombie with their collars flipped up. Damn Phi Kapps with coke lines running down their noses in class. This is not to say that cocaine isn't addicting; however Will is not an addict. Thank you. The more you know...

Chapter 72 -When Brad and JJ fight over his psychiatric treatment. "Numb" by Linkin Park It's so weird to use a Linkin Park song with JJ. He's not normally rebellious. -When Brad threatens to cut JJ off in a note. "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates -When Zach shows up in Will's room. "Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton

Chapter 71 -When Will and Patrick have dinner in a restaurant with a late 1950's flair. "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra

The difference between Wade and the Cramptons/Schluters is that he's Old Money, like Tidewater Virginia tobacco colony money. He carries that around with him in a way that the Cramptons/Schluters, who were affluent but not wealthy until this current generation, don't do.

Circa Ugly Betty Vanessa Williams as Alex's evil stepmother? I could see this woman totally plotting to take out the obstacles to her own kids becoming peers.

I loved the contrast in this chapter where Will thinks enough about Zach to congratulate him on his football, and JJ deleted Alex from his speed dial. When JJ cuts people off, he really cuts people off. I don't think he's going to do the same kind of thing to Carullo, so maybe that's progress?

Chapter 70 -When Wade and Alex debate on what to do. "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult -When they deal with skeptical cops, and the car they were driving in explodes. "Horse with No Name" by America -When Wade gets off the phone with his mother, and returns to dealing with the cops. "The Bitch is Back" by Elton John -When Will and Patrick listen to Zach's game in the car, and Will decides to put away his issues with Zach for the moment. "All Kinds of Time" by Fountains of Wayne -When Will finds Patrick waiting in bed for him. "The Boy From New York City" by the Ad Libs -When JJ drops on his bed, exhausted by people actually expecting him to think about other people. "I Am A Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel

That seems about right.

Joe Alwyn (aka Taylor Swift's British actor boytoy) as Alex Granger? He came to my attention last year in "Boy Erased" and "The Favourite." He has that brittle aristocratic look to him.

TIL that Los Angeles has a neighborhood named for Wilmington, Delaware. Cool!

Chapter 69 -When Alex visits his comatose mother with Wade. "Trouble" by Coldplay -When Lord Preston details the plot, and then kills himself and his wife, with Alex and Wade having to look at their bodies. "As Tears Go By" by Marianne Faithful

I get a kick out the fact that Will seems to bring out Patrick's redneck southern cornpone side. So adorable. Who doesn't love a hot Southern hunk? I'm waiting for it to turn out that Patrick's real name is like Cash McCall or something Southern like that. LOL.

I mean, hey, Will is a gorgeous 17-year old surfer boy who is in like the top 98 percentile of his class, has tons of people wanting to fuck him, and his immensely powerful family worships the ground he walks on as he is the heir apparent. Of course he's an arrogant cock.

1980 (not 2000) but I thought you'd get a kick out of this, Mark. 1980 Sacramento commercials. I figure you have to be at least somewhat familiar with that area. I think this would be like the equivalent of Scranton for me.

I think he'd prefer JJ because JJ more or less follows the rules. The closest to rebellion JJ ever got was purposefully flunking out of 9th grade because he chose to focus on skating, but in general JJ follows the status quo. Hell, he's finishing up high school instead of getting the GED I thought he would have gotten at 15 because it really is a base expectation from his family. One of my favorite scenes in this story is when Carullo moves in and JJ instantly starts playing the host despite not being happy about it because that kind of thing is just ingrained in his DNA I wonder if you could ever get Private Tim to enjoy Tony.