Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Mark Rainey

751
Well, I've left the sunny, 90-plus-degree days of the Caribbean and Mexico and returned to the 40-degree environs of home, complete with wind and rain, dead leaves in the yard, and not a cabin steward ready to serve coffee anywhere in sight. Blast!

Great cruise, considering it was my first. We were on the Carnival Pride, which is brand new, slightly huge, and immaculately kept. Did some snorkeling among the coral reefs of Key West (which were truly breathtaking), hung out for a day in Cozumel, Mexico, smoking Cuban cigars (which are mostly overrated; I've had better domestic ones for a quarter of the price), and half-successfully stopped the missus from buying every pointless nick-nack in Belize and Mexico. Great food and drink throughout, some great stage shows on board the ship, and a great storm at sea last Sunday night, which was spectacular and exciting, especially from out on our balcony, completely exposed to the elements.

The only downside was the damned Casino, which was kind to me the first two nights, then merciless thereafter. In the end, lost about a hundred bucks, which was small change compared to some of the folks we knew. Saw a couple of people win over $10K, but sadly I was not among them, heh heh. I made a couple of bucks back playing nickel-ante poker with some of our friends. ;)

Was able to check email on board the ship, but could not log in to the DS board, due to the browser and/or network they were using.

No opportunity to write, as you might imagine. I've got an article to write this week for a magazine, but once done, I'll attempt to get right back into LABYRINTH, which I hope people have enjoyed to this point.

It's good to be home, if only to get attacked by four attention-starved wildcats, who managed to mangle quite a few of the house's fixtures while we were gone. Our daughter came in to take care of them, but the cats apparently wanted to let us know that leaving for a week is not wholly convenient for them.

--Mark

752
Quote
I think you should have kept this chapter for your return.  How could you possibly bring everything to this point and then leave us waiting?!!!!!

Well, like I said, I had to put myself in Petofi's shoes.... ;)

I'm off... Be back in just over a week. CYA'll.

--Mark[/b][/color]

753
Well, here it is -- DARK SHADOWS: THE LABYRINTH OF SOULS, Chapter 17 -- the last one I'll get to finish before we're gone for a week. Hopefully, I can start on Chapter 18 when I get back.

NEW![/color]
Chapter 17: http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth17.htm

Chapter 16: http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth16.htm

Chapter 15: http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth15.htm

Enjoy!

--Mark


754
Calendar Events / Announcements '02 II / Re: OT:  Hey everyone...
« on: October 22, 2002, 02:59:23 PM »
Hurry back, Carol! Hope everything goes well. This will no doubt be a good time for your husband to brush up on spoiling you.

Best wishes!

--Mark

755
Quote
There's only ONE problem with these chapters.  NO QUENTIN !!! Last we left the poor boy (weeks and weeks ago, I might add...ahem), he was suspended in some sort of hellish void.  It's this sort of thing that keeps me awake at night.

If he's not in the next chapter, I may be forced to do something drastic.  Don't make me TAKE STEPS, Mr. Rainey.

Keep yer shorts on, woman. And what's the matter with taking steps? You got something against low-impact exercise?

--Mark

756
Testing. 1, 2, 3... / Re: Witchy smilies
« on: October 21, 2002, 10:42:20 PM »
Quote
Thank You, Midnite!!....Especially as I wasn't all THAT polite!!

Raineys are always polite. Sometimes it's just very subtle.

--Mark

757
Thanks for the many nice comments; they're very much appreciated. I'm hard at work on Chapter 17, and I hope to get it finished and posted before we leave on our cruise next Friday.

Yep, I was starting to feel a little bit bad for Julia, but to get to this point, I had to put myself in Count Petofi's shoes.

They're a little bit big, but what style!

--Mark[/b][/color]

758
Calendar Events / Announcements '02 II / Re: unfavorable D.S. review
« on: October 20, 2002, 05:39:36 PM »
PS -- It's always nice to see pictures of stars like Connie looking so glamorous. But who's that scuzzy-looking chap hanging off of her arm?

--Mark[/b][/color]

759
Calendar Events / Announcements '02 II / Re: unfavorable D.S. review
« on: October 20, 2002, 05:36:46 PM »
There's often a double standard regarding "has-beens." True, many people think of an entertainer who is no longer in the limelight as a has-been. On the other hand, if the entertainer hangs on to the top spots year after year, people consider him or her a dinosaur ("He's been around forever. Shouldn't he have retired by now?").

--Mark
(Wondering whatever happened to Engelbert Humperdinck...)

760
I have posted both Chapters 15 and 16 of DARK SHADOWS: THE LABYRINTH OF SOULS this evening for your perusal. I finished Chapter 15 last night and wrote Chapter 16 at lunchtime today (it's short). Hope these will hold you over until the next round; not sure how much I'm going to be able to get finished next week, and then I'll be gone for just over a week. So... savor. ;)

Here's the links:

NEW!
Chapter 15: http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth15.htm

NEW!
Chapter 16: http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth16.htm

And if you want to go back a few chapters to refresh your memory, these are still on the server:

Chapter 12: http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth12.htm

Chapter 13: http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth13.htm

Chapter 14: http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth14.htm

I have now also inserted links at the end of each chapter to take you to the next succeeding one.

Comments always welcome. Please enjoy!

[shadow=navy,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

761
Calendar Events / Announcements '02 II / Re: unfavorable D.S. review
« on: October 18, 2002, 02:19:46 AM »
Sweeping generalizations are usually very inaccurate or patently untrue. And vitriolic outbursts like this one, which offers nothing but subjective views tainted by an obviously negative experience, belong on Live Journal or--dare I say it--some unmoderated newsgroup, assuming it's necessary to devote the time to articulating it in the first place. Being anything but an objective commentary, it says an awful lot more about the writer than the video or the individuals on the video.

[shadow=black,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]
--A professional writer with an obviously failed life who lives in a fog-bound dream world.

762
Hi y'all. I've started working on Chapter 15 of DARK SHADOWS: THE LABYRINTH OF SOULS this week. It's not a real long chapter, so I'll hope to have it posted by the end of the week.

Don't know if I'll be able to keep up the pace that I was with the previous chapters, but hopefully I can stay on it fairly regularly. I know there will be some more interruptions before it finally reaches the end, but I should be able to at least make a little progress at the moment.

Keep yer eyes open and yer fingers crossed. ;)

[shadow=maroon,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

763
Calendar Events / Announcements '02 II / Re: Halloween party
« on: October 16, 2002, 03:56:00 AM »
The Halloween gathering is a mega-fun event. I wish I was going to be there this year. I'll miss seeing those of you I've met!

For those of you who like seafood, go to the Striped Bass; it's right underneath the Tappan Zee bridge. Fabulous food, great atmosphere. You really get the idea you could be in Collinsport.

Next year.... definitely!

[shadow=navy,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

764
Calendar Events / Announcements '02 II / Re: OT - Mid-life crisis
« on: October 14, 2002, 10:07:49 PM »
When I was a youngster, the occasional hot air balloon would go over our house. I usually tried to knock them out of the sky with my slingshot.

Somehow, I don't think anyone was ever in great danger of plummeting.

--M

765
Calendar Events / Announcements '02 II / Re: Very sad news... not OT
« on: October 14, 2002, 07:53:53 PM »
Dennis was certainly one of my favorites on DS, and his presence at the DS Fests was a real joy. What a sad thing, but I  hope that in its way his passing now was a blessing in the face of the rough times he might have faced ahead.

--M