Daddydavek

Mark asked an interesting question in one of his responses to a review of Chapter 43 wondering if everyone asking 'how you're doing' or, 'tell us what happened' is really helpful or harmful for a recovery. From my own experiences, (sitting in the front seat of the family car next to my father when he was killed in an auto accident when I was age 15 and later in my early twenties being involved in some fairly intense firefights in Vietnam) I can say that for me, I appreciated when people said "I'm here for you, if and when you ever want to talk about it." I did not appreciate people thinking that I was obliged to tell them exactly how it all happened and what my feelings and reactions to it were. It takes time and the amount of time is different for each individual. Understanding the grief process and what to be on the watch for was an invaluable gift from Nana and JP. I think Will's idea of going to the beach is also a really good idea. Getting out and having a good work-out having fun surfing sounds like just what a good shrink would order.

I actually think that Cody had to say something. He is the father and they were all at table discussing his daughter almost as if he didn't have a say. However, unlike Will's initial impression, I don't think there will be a custody battle. I further think, that while he will insist on joint custody, that he will pretty much leave the actual care and parenting to Isidore. Frank's objection and concern will be smoothed over by Isidore as she seemed pleased at the suggestion that she take over the role as guardian. Will and other members of the family can be involved as much as they want to be, but it will be at Escorial. We still have to get through the next few days and weeks including the memorials and as we have heard from Will's POV, he is taking it pretty hard and sees no way he will ever get over it and shares the same fears for his dad. Losing one close person is hard to process. Losing multiple close family members, in a senseless act of terror is all but beyond the human mind to fathom. Those various stages of grief will keep popping up for quite some time, not just for Will or Brad, but all of them. And remember, the memorials will bring home the finality of the loss all over again.

I agree. It's much nicer to go out on a high note than to look like a star that has lost some of his sparkle. But with baseball, you never know. We had all written the Cards off in late August 2011 so you never know until the end of the season.

re: Marie vs. Will: Another surprise twist to the plot from Mark; why am I not more surprised? I hope we get in the next chapter some of Brad's interactions with his psychiatrist so we can get some better insight into just how he is doing. More please!

Happy Birthday! & Many, many more!

Happy Birthday!

I'm not familiar with UCLA, but I did find the following in a Forbes article from January 2013: Best Fraternities For Future CEOs Fraternity Members Who Are Forbes 500s CEOs Beta Theta Pi 11 Sigma Alpha Epsilon 9 Sigma Chi 9 Lambda Chi Alpha 8 Alpha Tau Omega 7

Thanks again for all the well wishes. I had a great birthday on Friday and this weekend we had super nice weather in my part of this little blue marble.

Cody appears in the chapter released today, but it was for Brad, not for his daughter which he did not mention. I think that says a lot about his priorities and concerns. Cody is not a bad guy. I am sure he fully expects Maddie will continue to be well cared for and realizes that others will do it better than he. Those feelings may change as she grows and turns into a real person with questions and opinions but for now, I think not. Isidore will not shirk in the care of her granddaughter in spirit. Now that the CAP side has figured out their itinerary for the memorials, I wonder if we will be privy to the machinations with which Wade must deal? This reader is really looking for Wade and Nana to pull off a plan the puts Elizabeth in her rightful (secondary) place with all the dignity and grace that Southern manners deserve. At least that's my wish!

Nice transition! I cried again and then loved the attempts at sexual healing. Well we learned a lot more of what provisions Jeanine made for Maddie but learned nothing from Cody except that he was there for Brad. Which was important. When death strikes so near, it is important to reaffirm life. Our psyche's crave that reassurance that we are still vital and matter. While some might find that crass or craven, it is still being human with needs. The family is just beginning to slowly come to terms with their losses. The process can take forever, or at least seem too. More please!

From the clues it looks like the out-of-the way research facility, outside of the political union juris, has run amok and the exo-biologist, the geneticist and the cybernetics specialist are need to fix the genetically modified mess. Having the gen-mod marines as their security but they all are going to undergo some basic refresher training to me indicates the will have to regain control of the facility. That they are sending the rust bucket instead of a capable ship to me seems to indicate it is a one way trip on that vehicle. Oh yeah, I can see dozens of possibilities. The set-up continues to be interesting.

George doesn't yet know the Bacchante is lost, that Maidstone is dead and that Bertie's correspondence is in Davy Jones locker. Nor does he know that Calvert was able to come along at the last minute and collect the last remaining crew and of course the silver. He is out of touch with Winkler and Jacobs. So I guess he will not be enjoying his sojourn in Paris as much as I initially thought. But he is a gentleman and he will just have to make the best of it. At any rate I look forward to Mark getting to the this part of the journey.

Happy Birthday!

I was afraid Arbour was going to jinx them but the Cards pulled through and came from behind to win and are now up two games over the Bucs and Reds. Thanks for the good wishes! Thanks to MJ85 and Percy as I keep running out of 'likes'! Just noticed Greg_A jumped in too! I had a great day. We ate out at a local restaurant and I had an 16 oz. ribeye with salad and baked potato. My wife baked a homemade peach pie earlier today and we had that with coffee at home for dessert! Thanks again to all of you that took the time to wish me a happy 66th birthday!

Well now we know the fate of the men who went north from the Bacchante and only Eastwyck was sent to France. Jacobs seems to have assuaged Winkler's concerns over the marriage issue. I still see George enjoying the food, the wine and the shopping in Paris. I hope the next chapter finds him there and acclimating as he is wont to do.

Thanks again to Bill, Mark, KC and Mann as I have again run out of likes!

The AL Wildcard spots are definitely more fluid. Texas has been in it the past several years and I expect they will claw their way in again. I'd rather see Baltimore or KC than Tampa or the Yankees.

Looked at the MLB standings and those pesky Bucs and Reds are still nipping at out heels. On the bright side it looks like 3 teams from the NL Central will be playing after the end of the regular season.

Since members can change their own title at 500 forum posts, they can just change it if they don't care for the one assigned. I think AJ's original idea has some merit but I too vote to not include an unlike button that subtracts points. If someone wants to criticize, write a review or PM the the person. That being said, criticism with a bit of humor is the preferred method of torture.

Starting with this wonderful post I've already reached my quota of likes for today. So Sly, Louis and Conner, Thanks for the Birthday wishes! And I will be back!

What a nice surprise to view over my morning coffee! Thanks to all for the birthday wishes, they are appreciated!

It was entertaining, especially if you like Queen.

Jay Leno featured it last night on the Tonight show posing the question of base runners sliding in headfirst or feet first and then played the video. The best part was not only did the defender make the tag, BUT held onto the ball.

Someone you thought of as a friend for ten years is going to be a little hard to let go without some regrets. The thing to ask yourself is: Am I better off without her or is she worth the extra effort to try once again to renew contact? From the context of your blog it appears you already know the answer. It's alright to move on and you don't have to waste time either relishing or feeling sad for her. So it's your birthday. Go have some fun!

Jason and Peter really did have an interesting start. Re-reading this brings it all back to mind and I am enjoying them all over again.