Richard Norway

Brian Cox is the next Carl Sagan.

Actually, I bought one of those Sodastream soda pop makers a few months ago. I make my own soda now. It's cheaper than buying it at the market (and that's important when you have two foster boys who just inhale the stuff), and you can vary the amount of flavoring to suit your taste. I find it better than store bought, but the cream soda flavoring sucks.

That's only one theory Colin, not proven yet. It is interesting though.

I was a boy scout for a number of years up until my sophomore year in high school. Scouting taught me many things that are extremely valuable in life...honesty, courage, teamwork, and the most important was a sense of self reliance...a feeling that 'I can do it.' I had never heard a homophobic remark in the scouting of my day. In fact, I didn't know that the Boy Scouts of America even had a 'no gays' policy until recently when it became news. I still believe in scouting and what it can teach a young boy about how to be a man with integrity. I pray that they haven't started preaching around the campfire yet.

Mattie, I have to agree with you. There does seem to be a lot of focus on the perp, but not that much focus on the victims.

Colin, that's not debentures, that's debauchery. That's what they do to your food. Debauch it.

Last weekend David, Ray, and his next door neighbor kid, Chris, and I went camping. It was Gallup, NM Pride weekend, and we always set up an informational booth at all, or most all, of the pride events in NM. So, we decided to make it a vacation too. We left home on Friday at noon and set up camp at Bluewater Lake State Park just outside of Grants, NM. Now, we are tent campers. No motor homes for us. But, given the fact that I like a little luxury in my life, we have a large two room tent. The kids slept in the back room while David and I slept in the front room, cuz we knew that we'd be up later than they were, so didn't want to waken them as we stumbled to bed. We use cots to get us off the ground, air mattresses to help sore muscles and bones, and of course pillows for sleepy heads. Gallup Pride was on Saturday, but we spent Sunday just hanging out before heading home on Monday. I do all the cooking, and every meal is planned out. We even enjoy a bottle wine with our meals with candles, wind permitting. Smores are a staple around a campfire every evening. I can't get anyone to join me in campfire songs though. I took Ray fishing along the banks of the lake and tried to catch muskies. We tried for trout, but they weren't biting. Ray had never used a spinning real before, so I taught him how to use it. He caught on quickly. I couldn't fish, as I didn't have a license, so I let him do all the work. Unfortunately, the only hing he caught was the heal of my foot when he let the lure go too quickly and it landed on the back of my heal. Ouch! I took the boys swimming in the lake by the boat launch area, and they loved it. Of course I stood guard on the shore watching and playing life guard. My not swimming had nothing to do with the fact that the water was fricking cold! We met a 15 year old boy that came down to swim with my two boys. It seems that he lived in one of the small group of homes (trailers) just outside of the park. He had no friends his age in the place that he lived, so he would come into the park and make friends with the camper's kids. He was great with Ray and Chris, throwing them around in the water, stealing Chris' shoes so Chris had to walk on the stones, and generally having a lot of fun. Every time he threw the kids up to splash back into the water, he would look at me on the shore for some kind of approval. I let him go as he wasn't malicious, just having fun, as were my two boys. I asked him about school, and he said that he was just entering HS in the Fall as he had taken a year off. He didn't explain why, and I didn't ask. Ray asked me if he could have dinner with us, and as I had planned on a huge portion of (my world famous) lasagna made in a camp cast iron dutch oven with coals. I said, "Of course. We have plenty." He seemed like a good kid, if not lonely. I love camping in the outdoors to get away from civilization, but I find the campers next to me are also very civilized. It seems to be a common thread amongst campers that we enjoy the sights of nature and the ability to try to be self reliant. The trip home was boring, as is usually the case when you keep thinking about the trip and how you don't want to go home. But, life must go on.

Wow! What a trip down memory lane. I grew up in Manhattan Beach, CA and was a surfer in HS, and the Beach Boys were the THING. But back then we had long boards and the shorter more maneuverable ones hadn't been invented yet. I pretty much gave up surfing when I went away to college...in Arizona. I think I caught most of the lyrics from the Beach Boys songs, but probably not all. Memory fails those who were around when Redondo Beach had square rigged ships still in the harbor.

Thanks Luggie. I forgot to post the link. :) I'm hooked on this story, and...Chris... we need chapters NOW!

Chris, I can't tell you what a profound impact you've had on me with your story Nathanial Smiley. I was in my living room watching a movie just before I came back to my office to read your story. The movie was Dancing with Wolves. Given that background of what my mindset was like going into your story, you can imagine the emotion that was playing havoc with my mind. But to add to the story of my mindset, I also listen to Spa on SeriousXM on my computer while reading. The Native American music was abounding that night of my first read of Chapter One. I'm up to Chapter 8 now. I'm a wreck and it's all your fault! But, I laud your effort to make us understand the Cherokee people and who they are. This is a wonderful work. It is NOT a gay work, but rather a work about humanity. I can't give you enough credit, and I hope that everyone here reads your work. Richard

Thanks Des. That was not soul searching (as you can do), but rather a wonderful trip into feelings (as you can do so wonderfully too). I loved it. The ending was sublime.

All I can say is that I hate you guys. My 'to read list' has grown out of so much proportion with all of your great reviews that I may die before I get to read what I want and need to read. Priorities...I must keep priorities in mind.

To me, humans have a short attention span, at least from what I've seen. Two minutes of the history of our species is probably all that many of us can concentrate on at one time. Sad...but true. If you have any knowledge of what had happened as depicted in those microsecond film bytes, the thoughts of all of the rest of history surrounding that byte should have screamed through your mind, bringing you to the knowledge of the full spectrum of our history as you remember it. And as the next microsecond byte screamed past you, you could connect the previous one to the present one. Some of the video bytes were taken from what was available at the time, and as our history progressed, our ability to record that history also progressed. All I can say is that this student hit the proverbial nail on the head. They got us to look at ourselves...but really to concentrate on ourselves...to connect histories historical bytes...and look at what we have wrought. It's good to watch history unfold itself on CNN, but it happens slowly. What an insightful way to put it all together for those of us that seem to lose the big picture, being wrapped up in daily detail.

Camy, you must know me and my life. :)

When I was a kid, I rode bikes because it was a cheap way of transportation. My first bike was a Honda 150 cc road bike, but I quickly went up to a 250 cc Honda Scrambler. I laid it down one evening on a freeway off-ramp when I decided to pull off the road to wait for my friends who were behind me on an overnight camping trip. Yes, we had all our gear stored on the bikes. My front tire hit the sand filled gutter on the edge of the off-ramp and I went down. My friend behind me missed my head by less that 12" as he sped by trying to stop. I lived in a beach town in Southern California where the alleys hosted only parking garages for the houses behind. I was traveling only 20 mph down the alley when a car came out of it's garage and I hit the real fender. I went over the trunk of the car, but my bike was totaled. That was the last bike I owned, so I'm glad to be alive now. I was 19 then.

I liked it very much. It struck a cord with me about how our community center youth group is organized to help our kids be all that they can be and overcome the bullying and oppression over their sexual orientation. I wrote the author and told him how much I appreciated that he had written that story.

Paul McCartney of the Beatles has turned his musical talent toward classical music. He was behind the use of strings and orchestrations in many of their songs.

Paul McCartney of the Beatles has taken his music talent into the realm of classical music. Here's a YouTube of his third album.

Hey Maddy! I haven't seen you since TAH. Good to see you back. Like Camy, I was interested in your characters and would like to read more of Ariel's life.

Okay James, not long egg production for this one, nor cream in gallons, This one is actually one of my favorites and is easy to make, and is so delicious that you'll be making it over and over again. When your partner asks, "How did you do this?" You can say, "Oh, it's something that I just through together." :) Pork Roast with Mushroom Gravy Serves 4 Ingredients 1 (5 to 7 pound) pork loin or butt 1 whole head garlic, cloves separated and peeled Red Hot Sauce or other hot sauce 1 tablespoon Cajon Spice, recipe follows 1 teaspoon garlic powder 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped 1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce For the Gravy: 6 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 rib celery, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 bunch green onions, green and white parts chopped separately 2 cups rich beef stock 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 pound mushrooms 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce Salt Freshly ground black pepper Directions Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Pierce the roast all over with the tip of a paring knife and stuff one clove of garlic into each hole, followed by a few drops of hot sauce. Sprinkle on all sides with Essence and garlic powder and rub into the meat. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the roast evenly on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and enough water to come 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Add the teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine and loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and add a more water as necessary to come 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Continue to cook until very tender, about 3 1/2 hours total cooking time. Meanwhile, to make the gravy, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat, until milk chocolate-colored roux is formed, about 15 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and the white part of the green onions, and cook until the vegetables are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the beef stock and heavy cream and cook until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender and golden brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and teriyaki sauce to the gravy and simmer until flavors come together, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm. Remove the roast from the oven and transfer to a platter. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Strain the pan juices through a fine mesh strainer into the gravy and simmer until heated through and thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve over the carved roast. Creole Seasoning: 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano 1 tablespoon dried thyme Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Yield: about 2/3 cup

I'm a bit new to writing, but it's become a passion with me. My first attempts were very personal in that the characters that I was portraying were an extension of myself, my ideals, my ways of doing things. I became my characters, or better worded, they became me. It was comfortable and I enjoyed getting my way of thinking out there. But as I continued, I realized that not everyone was like me and characters that I was portraying had their own particular history and would react and do things differently then me. I have 3 novels started with characters that are not me. That is difficult. I find that I didn't understand them or why I'm making them do the things that they do. I seemed to be blocked as to how to finish their stories in the way that the characters will seem real because they're not me. I'm not as accomplished (yet) as you are Dave, but I fully understand the problem that writers go through in making their characters believable. So how do we write a character's actions that are completely different from the actions that we would take? My question is that if we don't understand why that character is acting in a certain way that is different than the way we understand, will our readers feel that it is believable? Probably not. For me I've realized that research into their motives is paramount. What makes them tick. If I don't know, then I can make it up. (writers prerogative) I guess my point is that if you want to write about someone that is foreign to you, you first have to study what drives them.

I've always tried to keep you all up to date with what is happening with our foster boys, but Julian has been difficult so I have held off until I could try to put it all together. He came to us on Halloween morning at around 10:30 am. Julian was removed from our home this morning. I guess that needs some explanation. Julian is 15 years old now and this is the 23rd home that he has been in since he was 2 years old. He has no concept of what family is all about. We tried to show him that, but he never connected...until lately. I don't feel that I should go into his behaviors, but I will say that the sheriff has been involved numerous times. What I do see is a kid that needs guidance, but at his age, he's reluctant. Hell, in his mind, every adult in his life has abandoned him, so it's been a struggle. It was the state's decision to remove him because they felt that he needed a higher level of care. He tried to commit suicide a few weeks ago. Don't try to tell me that that wasn't traumatic on David and I. We've gotten to love this kid. I took him to a psychiatrist after that incident, and the psychiatrists recommendation was also for a higher level of care. He is depressed. My partner, David, has been taking meds for depression for years and is well aware of the symptoms. But Julian refuses to take any meds because his appointed attorney has told him that as he's over 14, he can refuse..which he does. We saw an opening in Julian that his case worker and probation office never saw. They assumed that he was a bad kid and treated him as such. We saw something different. Their approach was to give him consequences for his behavior...only. They wanted to see outcome from Julian based on fear. We believe in a nurturing approach where the out come is based on not fear of doing something wrong but to instill in him that the outcome is what he wants to do, not out of fear. We saw a breaking of his shell over the last month or so. He cried for the first time in front of me this morning when he realized that he had to leave. I fear for him now. The group home or shelter home that he's going to now will destroy everything that David and I have built over the last 7 months. They're going to dictate his schedule without giving him the chance to be a kid and learn how to dictate himself. I must agree, however, that he needs a higher level of care. We'd take him back when he's released.

You know, I never met a chocolate that I didn't like. I'm going to be making that Chocolate Cloud Cake this weekend.

Like GW, my computer is filled with story ideas that never seem to get completed. But they are a source of ideas for me to start more story ideas that will never get finished. Time is my enemy. Whenever I've gotten stuck, I try to remember where I wanted to story to go, and then wrote the last chapter. That gave me focus on completing the Middle.

I think that is a great idea. Writers are creative, and I'm sure there are a lot of writers here who are also creative in the kitchen. I know Cole and James are, along with a lot of you. I have two foster boys that want nothing but burritos and spaghetti, so when I make chicken cordon blue or cajan jambalaya, David and I get to have double portions. LOL Seriously though, a forum topic on food creativity would fit for a lot of us. So here's my first submittable: Cajun Jambalaya · Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped 4 ounces chicken, diced 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 3 bay leaves 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon hot sauce 3/4 cup rice 3 cups chicken stock 5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced Salt and pepper Directions In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast): 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried thyme Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 2/3 cup Come on Cole, you're next.