Daddydavek

and many more too!

I'm with AJ on this. If it's IRL I hope you do not turn completely cynical and still let your heart be your guide.

Congrats and keep on, it is worth it, even if it ain't easy.

Well the divisional playoffs are well in hand with the Dodgers, Houston and Cleveland all within one game of clinching a spot in the League Championships series. Only the Cubs and Nationals are making a series of it with each having one game in the best of five series. Today the Houston Astros face the Boston Red Sox in the afternoon game and could clinch. Likewise, the evening game features the Cleveland Indians against the Yankees and again Cleveland could clinch with a win. The way Girardi is coaching and then defending his ineptitude, hopefully the Indians can put him and the Yankees out of their misery. I've said since August that I fully expect the Astros to face the Dodgers in the World Series. We shall see. I love October baseball!

Feeling cynical are we?

If you think for a minute that JP and Steff aren't quite capable of putting plans in place for every contingency of age or otherwise and would let it fall to Brad to take care of things, then I think you underestimate that generation. Some boomers had to take care of their parents but many of the greatest generation provided for themselves. As a boomer, I don't have any illusions that my children will be in any position to take care of me or my wife and I don't plan to be a burden to anyone. Trusts and plans for our care are already in place although right now, I expect at least another 15-20 years of independence. Brad will see the example of JP and Steff and put in place provisions for himself accordingly. These guys see and plan ahead. There will still be problems and obstacles, but I think he has already had to deal with the most impactful event of his life with the loss of Robbie. The only thing worse would be to lose a child...and oh shit, I didn't mean to give Mark any more ideas...

I have no idea when or who got my first 'sexual' kiss. After all, I'm 70 and it was a long time ago and I started dating and going to parties in the eighth grade (1961) and I think I was "excited" every time I kissed someone. It still doesn't take much to get my motor running ...... I do know when I got my first kiss from someone who was my contemporary. I was age five and it was my playmate buddy from next door neighbor. She was about two weeks younger than I and our parents kept calling us to come in for supper and we were playing in the back of her back yard. Her mom finally came out to get her and to send me home and that is when we put our toy cars down and we stood up and I kissed her and said "see ya tomorrow!" The only reason I know this is because her mom told my mom and I heard about it for most of my life....

Happy Birthday Big Nick! & Many, many more!

To be clear, I meant to validate the discussion. And I don't think it added much to the story or that it provided any unexpected insight.

Discussions of religion can be interesting, informative, intellectual and ignorant....all at the same time. And usually they become disjointed, with people trying to make points based on unfortunate personal experiences. Just my opinion. I read the chapter and the discussion and it was okay, but not profound and didn't make me like or dislike the characters. Having lived a long time, I've read, heard, discussed, debated and thought about religion quite a lot. Scientists and philosophers have often discussed just what it is that makes us human and my answer is that we tell stories. History is a collection of stories. Religion was a basis for organizing our stories and played a profound part in our developing human psyche over the past several millennia. Therefore, I can't discount it. People entering into a relationship do need to discuss these things to be aware of where their partner is on the subject. However, I don't really think it added a whole lot to the plot or the character development in the current story.

@methodwriter85 I liked your post except for the comment about Frank Hayes dying from a heart attack before he reaches his 70's.

Well Mark, I see you've started another heated discussion over your current couple of chapters of gay soap opera with JJ perceived as the victim rather than the villain. Sit back and enjoy as I know you really get a kick out of this! Thanks to Centexhairysub for being the point man in this and the rest for stoking the fire! In point of fact, I think that Mark has written JJ as both the victim and the villain in the last few chapters and understands that he is a bit of both. In the larger scheme of things, brothers often do torment each other, sometimes with a purpose and sometimes just because they are handy. And paybacks are usually fairly swift. I wouldn't be surprised if JJ figures some way to do just that in a way to let them know he got the message but didn't care for the delivery.

My fumble fingers are bad enough but when I post from my android tablet and it decides to substitute a different word and I don't notice until it's too late---that's what drives me nuts.

As always, thanks for my Granger fix. Getting Valiant back is a blessing, but I think it will need a least another stove or two, and plenty of provisions.... More please!

Poor JJ. When you live your life convinced it's all about me, you miss a lot. Good job of writing and song selection. Of course it left me wanting more...

That's good news and I'm assuming you meant this year instead of 2015!

Great chapter. And I think Liam and I were both surprised at the ending.

Thanks for re-reading my story and finding more than the first read revealed. I tried to write the story with some depth and layers so that it could be enjoyed when read again. Actually, that's what I 'pictured' Abel III had in mind when he decided he needed to keep a log of this seminal year in his life...

Happy Birthday MrM! & many, many more!

Just noticed this and the birthday notice.... Happy Birthday Steve! & many, many more!

Remember folks, this is a crafty old goat known for his cliffies...

Here's my mellow Friday contribution: More than words

Well I did quit smoking before my 26th birthday....

Yeah, you got it bad. The addiction to hot wings that is. I guess I'm much more laid back. If I repeatedly get poor service from a place, I just don't go back. I guess I'm lucky that I live in an area with multiple really good restaurants as well as all the franchises and including multiple Buffalo Hotwing establishments in easy driving distance. Oh, and about that hard on....I'm seventy and if I don't take care of it every morning and most evenings, I find myself springing one at the most inopportune moments.