centexhairysub

The more I thought about this post the more I decided I needed to open another can of worms that will cause a flurry of denouncements... LOL... I really don't agree that Brad is the glue that holds even his group of the family together. For Will, Brad is the most important other person in the family. However, I would say that either Robbie or Jeanine really do more to hold everyone together than Brad does. Brad is definitely the Alpha male and drives much of the family drama and to some extent controls the direction that all the others take, he doesn't hold them together. With the exception of Will, everyone else either goes to Robbie, Jeanine, or JP/Stef when they have a problem. I don't even really see Brad's own generation going to him much, Brad even seems to go to Claire with issues more than she goes to him. I think it is sort of funny that although JP controlled the his generation he was never really the Alpha male. JP did it because he had the money, the mind, and the will to do so. Brad is the poster child for the Alpha males, yet he isn't nearly as effective a leader as JP was. Like most Alpha males, Brad views the world from how he sees it; while JP viewed the world from the families point of view. I almost wonder if Robbie will ever be able to be a fully realized person as long as Brad is there. I don't think he always means to but Brad always seems to be controlling the agenda with Robbie and Robbie is never able to forge his own path. I am not sure that Robbie even really wants to because he loves Brad so much and to an extent has subjugated himself to Brad. So, while I do believe the family would not fall apart without Brad around; I do believe it would be a less driven and more team oriented entity, until Will grew up enough to become the new Alpha male... God, I miss Tonto, maybe JP in another decade are so will become the male version of Tonto.....

Well, the behaviour of both of them was so out of bounds... Self absorbed asses is what came to mind when I was reading it but that seemed so out of place for both of their past behaviour. Everyone handles tension differently though but that scene just didn't ring true for either of them. Gathan and Kristen appear to be well brought up and caring people so it was just like this came out of the blue... I also want to see how John reacts to what happened to Will. I agree that I can see Will in with David going over his feelings and how this has changed his perspective; I am not sure about a group approach for something like this... I think that Gathan in a Fraternity would be an interesting spin maybe John Carullo could be his big Brother??? LOL...

Well just finished reading the new chapter of Poor Man's Son and all I can say is DAMN...... I have to agree with Mari that Will is going to have some issues to overcome with this experience. I think that he will realize that his body reacted in a positive manner because the physical sensation felt good but that there is a really negative side to all of it. I hope that Will doesn't have too many problems but this is something that may haunt him and effect him for years to come. He may even believe he is okay for a while but at some point, it will all boil up to the surface. I hope that Brad doesn't see Will handcuffed to the bed, and I hope that Will is dressed before Brad sees him. Brad and Robbie are going to both have a lot of guilt over what has happened and they will have to find a way to work through it. I actually think Brad has a better right to have Gustave removed than he did some of those in the last chapter but if people keep ending up dead, someone is going to start asking questions... I love how JP comes in and just takes control and is able to handle everything. I do have one small complaint. The scene between Gathan and Kristen talking about going back to the hotel and " making love " just rang completely false in this situation. Gathan escpecially because of his history with both Will and Brad comes off really bad here. Kristen because of her upbringing doesn't come off any better. When I read that little section, I was really repulsed by both of them...

I don't agree with this. I went back and checked in " The Land Whore ", " Be Rad ", " Man in Motion ", etc... and I am not sure this is right about Claire and Jack. Claire owns at least 5 percent of Crampton Construction; indication are this is at the very least a Forbes 1000 if not 500 company. Crampton Construction in the early stories seemed to mirror Brown and Root in Texas, before the Haliburton takeover. This would put Crampton Construction, if they followed a similiar growth pattern, in a net worth zone of 2.75 billion dollars. This would put Clair's 5 percent stake at around 135 million in Crampton Construction. Plus Isiodore and JP's construction company did all the building for Stef in the early days in the 70's and 80's; that alone would make it huge even if they didn't have any other clients; which the indication was that they had a lot of other clients on top of Stef. I would assume for tax reasons that Isiodore and JP would have been shifting some of their stock to the kids over the years if for no other reasons than tax issues. It doesn't appear that Isiodore and JP's company did road construction and bridges and other stuff that Crampton Construction did so I am going to assume it isn't as big as Crampton Construction. I took a look at two construction design companies in California that both got their start in the late sixties or early seventies and are still around. Since both of the ones I looked at are private companies like Isiodore and JP's there is not an exact current net worth but both are estimated at more than 650 million dollars, as their net worth. I would estimate that since the 1970's when Isiodore and JP's construction company was founded that they would have shifted at least 10 percent of the stock to each of the kids. This would mean that Ace, Brad, and Claire would all have at least 10 percent in that company. Going with figures that match the other two California firms I looked at, this would give Claire a stake of at least 65 million in that company. If this is even close to accurate then Claire's net worth is pushing 200 million, and that is just her. And then there is Jack :wub: , his family were the founders and owners of a grocery and speciality shop type grocery store chain way back in the 1970's. I am thinking something similar to Raleys that are in northern California still today. That would put the companies net worth at around 850 million dollars. Since there has never been much discussion about Jack's family you don't know how many of them are around to have split the stock; lets assume quite a few and Jack has say 5 percent. This would put his stock holdings at over 42 million dollars. Now, I do agree that Claire and Jack and Ace and Cass are not at Brad's level and certainly not at Stef's level; they could not be considered even just rich. My definition of rich would be 10 to 25 million, anything more than that moves you up to another category. They would be in the next category. It is clear that Stef is a worth well in excess of a couple of billion dollars and I would guess that Brad is probably close to a billion but Claire at 200 million and Jack at 42 million couldn't be considered exactly poor relations. Now with Ella it is harder to say. We all know that Marie Crampton left Ella a trust but I can't find where anyone ever said how much. I sort of wondered if Brad giving Gathan a 6 million dollar trust wasn't to equalize him with Ella. This would mean that her's was at least close to that amount. Once again, I am not sure this makes Ella rich but certainly doesn't put her near the poverty level. You know that Brad will be Stef's primary beneficiary but how much of Stef's firm does he own now? I know that JP and Isiodore invested with Stef in the early days so how much of the firm do they own? I couldn't find anything that indicated there was more than a couple of shareholders in the company but nothing ever states a clear list or breakdown on ownership. As if Mark has nothing else to do but maybe there should be a discussion in one of the stories to clear this up some, I am sure Mark could come up with a reason that everyone was going to be crass enough to discuss money... It might be interesting to see who owns what exactly... P.S. you can tell I had a lot of spare time today... LOL... OOPS... I started my research before Mark replied and didn't realize that he had replied but still think maybe a good rundown would be in order...

Well, I am not sure if this should be categorized as a kick in the pants or a blast from the past. I have to admit that I never saw this one coming. I had not thought about either of those people since Robbie left Paris all those years ago. I do think that Jerry obviously truly loved Neil and I don't know that you ever get over someone's death, escpecially the way this one came about. I am only going to say what goes around comes around and KARMA is a bitch... Brad built up enough bad Karma in the last story to last him the rest of his life; but who knew it would bring someone from so far in the past back to haunt him. Unlike many people on here, I would not be horrified or even that upset if we lost Brad; however I will be very pissed off if Will has to go through much more than what he already has on this trip. Even though Will's body reacted to this incident, he will have some serious issues to deal with later on. And on that note, who is the younger guy that is with Jerry and the Professor??? I think that he is someone connected to this more than a hired goon, but how does he fit in? He really seems to want to protect Will at least to some extent? What is the hold that Jerry and the Professor have over him? I always that that Dr Cambronne was to vaguely drawn to be very interesting myself and I can't even remember but a few mentions of Jerry in the past story; so I don't remember how either of them would pull in this younger man or what type of hold one or both of them seem to have over him. I have to wonder if the young man will be around longer in some capacity even after Will, and I guess if we have to have Brad rescued as well... Mark, this is a great chapter and keep them coming....

Hell, as bad as the confrontation between the Earl, Freddie, and George is; the one I want to see is the one between the Countess, Davina, and Caroline... LOL

Well, Brad created so many enemies in the last story that it could be almost anyone... Everyone knows how Brad feels about Will and getting to Brad through Will would be an easy way for someone to really destroy Brad...

Well, this latest chapter of St Vincent was really telling for me. I have never been overtly fond of Freddie and the fact that either he is doing this or has allowed his wife to convice him to do this damns him in my eyes... I have never understood how family can turn on family, although it has happened to me. Bertie finally is trying to support and help the family that he caused so many problems for only to be betrayed by them now... I think that Granger will stop this but from a distance. He will send messages to Caroline and the Earl and that will have somewhat the same effect as if he was there himself. I am torn about whether Lord Chartley should proceed to London without George or stay aboard and continue to recover. I really do think that Lord Chartley could prove to be very important in George's life for a long time; or maybe that is just my fantasy involving men in red uniforms... LOL... I think that Caroline will have to destroy Davina to stop her for ruining the family; that is going to be a cat fight that I can't wait to witness. I don't think that Freddie will ever be able to stand up to his wife because of her father, so it will be up to the rest of the family to take action. I know it won't happen but I think that Mark should do at least two chapters of St Vincent or maybe even three for every new chapter of Poor Man's Son...

Well guess it looks like Robbie will be stuck in Paris a little longer than he wants to be after all... I can't believe we are going to have something as trite as a kidnapping or attempted kidnapping in this story... Paris is suppose to be for lovers... I blame Brad for this completely... You reap what you sow...

I so loved Dawson's Creek.... I do think this chapter was perfect but I was really sad at Will's first heartbreak. I don't guess I ever really wanted or thought that John and Will would only be with each other from now to eternity but I would still like them to end up together in fifteen years or so... Didn't TVland or some channel like that start up in the late 90's? I was thinking that quite a few of those cheesey sci-fi shows from the 70's re-ran on something in the mid to late 90's.

Perfect!!!

Well, just got back home from a few days of vacation to find a new chapter of St Vincent, and what a delight it was... I love the fact that Granger realizes how lucky he was that the wind returned and doesn't just believe that he can do no wrong. I also like the fact that Granger seems to take a few minutes to interact with the regular crew, although I would suspect this rarely happened in the British navy of the time. Well I am even more interested in Lord Chartley after Mark's description in the sick room, I know, I am bad... I really do feel that this is a person that maybe very important to Granger in the long run. I don't know why I have that feeling but I do. Now, he might be someone that just effects the rest of Granger's life after being in it a short while; or could he be the one? Hmmm, well only Mark will know for certain. I have to wonder what Freddie could have done that will be as bad as I think this is going to be. I have always wondered if something wasn't going to happen so that in the end Granger would end up with the title. Freddie and Bertie would both have to be removed for that to happen but stranger things have occured in the Arbour universe. I have always liked Bertie more than Freddie, yes even when he was a drunk lecher; I just never trusted Freddie, he seemed to be wound a little to tight. Can't wait for the next chapter, keep up the outstanding performance, Mark....

I have gone back and read this story again up to the current chapter and I am really convinced that Lord Chartley is going to play a major role in Granger's life. I don't know why but there is something of the same feeling that I had when Granger and Travers first met in the interaction between Granger and Chartley, a certain unexplained delicious tension. I have been reading up on the naval encounters of this era since the Bridgemont series started and piqued my curiosity. From what I can find out, xebecs usually carried a crew of 300 to 400 on each ship. This seems to be many more than the xebecs in this and the last story in this series. Are the xebecs referred to in this story a specific type of xebec? Just wanting to do some research but everything I am reading is pointing to a much larger ship than this story indicates. I can tell that there are different classes of xebecs but nothing seems to be as small as indicated... Can you provide feedback?

Aren't we going a little far down a wayward path??? Nothing in any of the stories suggest that Bill Hendrickson did not have a legitemate son; there has never been a mention of him but on the other hand neither has there been a mention that he didn't. We just need to sit back and see if Mark has an answer or explanation for us instead of getting this involved in something that maybe nothing.

I wanted to take a few minutes to stop and say how much I enjoyed this story. The writing and story development were excellent. I cried through the whole last chapter but it was worth all the tears. I have to admit I had already considered early in the story that Gordy was dead and coming home to be buried, although never thought about the military aspect of it. I had wondered ever since John contemplated suicide early in the story; I had wondered why someone coming home that he obviously cared and loved would get that type of reaction. The only think I could come up with was that Gordy was dead; I initially thought maybe Gordy had killed himself because of John's behaviour. Your ability to pull tears from me is a rare gift. As an old cynical soul, I rarely let anything like this effect me but I bawled like a baby through your last chapter. And for what it is worth, I think not revealing the contents of the letters or journals actually worked to the stories advantage. This was truly a remarkable story.

I think that Bill Hendrickson, JP's biological father, would have been Kristen's great grandfather.

I think part of my deal with Will and John is the lack of face time between the two. I can't get a read on them because although they have slept together a few times and had a couple of conversations; I just don't feel like they have had enough one on one time to figure out what they want and where they are yet. I sort of like the idea of them finding each other and being with each other forever but agree that I don't have that vibe yet either. On a different note, do you like Crosscurrent? I have tried to start the story twice and just never really got into it for some reason. It is usually the type of story that I really like, but just couldn't seem to connect. I never got past the first couple of chapters when it first started. Maybe I will go back and give it another chance...

Well, I agree that Granger will always have that love of the sea; but I could see him doing something else as well. Granger was raised with the idea of honor and duty and if they came to him and said, " Your country needs you to be a spy, an emissary, or an ambassador"; I don't think he could really say no. I think Granger will always have that need for adventure and need for that next thrill but I could see him finding it in other places as well. That being said, I could also easily see Granger retiring at 70 after being an Admiral for 40 years. I just can't wait to see where Mark takes us on his exploration of this thrilling and chilling story of adventure, lust, and love...

Well in general I have to agree with methodwriter but then I thought about it and decided I don't... LOL... I don't know if Will and John are truly soulmates and will be together in 50 years or break up during the trip to Paris but I think either is possible. We don't know why two people make it and others around them don't. I know at least two couples one gay and one straight that have both been together since they were about the same age as Will and John. Now, in the case of the gay couple they were apart for a few years for college and the military but both got back together and have been ever since. Dough and Mike were both 14 when they met and became involved. Doug went into the army when he was 19 and Mike was in college. They were apart for six years, although they did see each other several times during that break. When Doug got out of the army and went to college, he choose one that was near Mike and they reconnected. They have been together, and completely faithful as far as I know since. They just celebrated their 23rd year together, and that doesn't count the years in their teens. They are a wonderful older couple that I do guite a bit of traveling and theatre trips with. The straight couple got together when Patty was 14 and Charlie was 16 and he even put off college for two years working so they could go together. I actually believe they have never been with anyone else sexually in their whole lives. This August will be their 25th Wedding anniversery. They waited until they graduated college to get married. They had been together almost eight years when they got married. I do think that you can met your soulmate when you are 13/14/15 but also agree that is rare. I don't know for sure how Will and John really view each other because we have had very little face to face time in this story for them. I do believe that they will met and be with others over the next few years but who is to say that when they get out in the world they don't find that the grass was always greener with each other...

Well, chapter 15 was excellent as always but sort of bittersweet as well. I had wondered how long it would take before there was a split within Clara and Wally's household between Gathan and Ella and the others. It actually took longer than I thought. Zach is starting to remind me more and more of Billy, and not in a good way. Zach just seems to like to start s&*t just for the sake of doing so. I really like how both Gathan and later John handled Zach's behaviour. I am really glad that Will and Stef are getting some one on one time together. It is good to see Will connecting with his past in such a positive manner. I don't always agree with Stef's attitudes and behaviour but Will needs someone to be blunt and honest with him. I am glad they seem to be connecting. JP's worry over the cancer seems to be over-ridden by his fear or concern about Kristen Hendrickson. I wonder when that secret will come out as well. That is something that will either have a major impact on all the families or everyone will just go " eh "; but with this story, I am betting on an explosion... Glad that Robbie is going to France as well, maybe he and Brad can purge all the bad feeling from before... Keep up the great work Mark.

Well, even with some of them do owe Granger, with England and Spain at war; I am not sure they wouldn't still be forced to take Granger and his crew captive. Now, once he gets to land, his Spainish connections might be able to help but... I rather think that once there is any wind Granger's ship becomes much more manuverable than the xebec and that more than anything will turn the tide. I rather like to think that Granger will be master of his own fate.

I loved chapter 9 of St Vincent. I am amazed at how well Mark is able to capture the feel of battle and the detail of warfare from so long ago. I just really believe that Mark's writing on the Bridgemont series is exceptional. Just when I thought that Granger might suffer his first defeat, Mother Nature decides to intervene. I am sure that with the next chapter, Granger will complete yet another victory. I just hope that he cost isn't too high. I wish we knew what the issue was with Lord Chartley. There has to be a reason that he is acting this way that we aren't aware of. Granger is on the same social level and almost on the same level militarily, so it can't be just annoyance at having to deal with a lesser personage. I wonder if there is something in the past that Granger either doesn't remember or isn't aware of. I think Lord Chartley may turn out to be a very important person in Grangers life, just a feeling. As always, great job Mark, and can't wait for the next chapter of this amazing story...

Well, I really enjoyed this latest chapter of Poor Man's Son. I really am enjoying the dual narration and find it growing on me more and more with each passing chapter. I like the fact that we are getting basically two stories in one. I found myself thinking back to when Stef went back to Paris with others and showed them where he came from and how that ended up having repercussions on future stories and wonder if this one will??? I thought that Stef and Will's conversation was just pitch perfect. It played really true for me. I think it gave Will a lot to think about and maybe gave him a point of view that he hadn't thought about. I really like how Kristen stood by Gathan during the dinner. I have been around so many guys like Josh that thought they were just a little bit better than everyone else around them, and you know what, they rarely were... I thought Gathan handled himself in a very mature and thoughtful manner. Gathan is growing on me more and more each chapter. Keep up the great work Mark.

While I have actually grown to like Gathan, I understand rjo's reaction. I think part of the deal is that through the last few stories in this series, we have begun to see what an interesting person Will is going to become and we already have more invested with him than Gathan. While Gathan may already be an interesting addition to this story, for a lot of us; Will is on the verge of being a major figure since we have had more time to get to know him.

Well, really enjoyed chapter thirteen of this story, I am really enjoying the dual narration. I have to wonder if any of the Hendricksons know about JP's parentage? I know that nothing was ever said in the story but I wonder if JP's Hendrickson Grandfather or Father ever told anyone that we don't know about??? Somehow, I don't think so but all of this has me wondering... I really like the story line with Gathan and Kristen. I think they make an interesting couple for several diffrent reasons. I wonder how this trip to Paris will work out with everyone there. Hmmm can you say "menage a trois", but the question would be which three??? I thought both scenes with Brad and Will were pitch perfect. This is just the type of confrontation and conversation that I could see them having. I do think that they both have points and I can't wait to see how it all plays out...