#and also we were picking my sisters up from the airport that night. they came down so we could see mcr live

[leprosycock]

wait matt admitted to reading your stuff???? do you have a link??

i’ll apologize in advance because you’ll just have to take my word for it, but i promise it’s real and it can be found if you want to put in the work. matt talked on the podcast in i believe the summer of 2022 about how people have written a ton of fics about “me and ryan raping each other” (which is untrue, it’s really only about matt getting raped) and about 98 percent of that is because of me and my friend love. later that year, in the beginning of october, my friends apollo and love reported that matt was posting on the site lpsg about his encounters with fanfiction about himself and ones that he read out of curiosity, specifying ones where he got fucked by a dog. i’m at fault for those ones. deductive reasoning concludes that he was reading my fanfiction and definitely love’s as well

[wosoamazing]

The Transfer

Summary: You move to Barca.

Warnings: None I don't think

A/N: Google translated Spanish so I apologies if it is incorrect, hope you like it. Also as usual feel free to send requests, whether it is for this Series or for kid!readers, or something else. Hope you like it.

You run to Leah when you see her, and give her a massive hug, you missed her, camp was hard, especially the second last day. There was a conversation you needed to have with her, you didn’t want to risk her finding out from someone else, so you decided to just start it right there and then in the airport.

“We need to talk about something, Le.”

“Go to Barca.”

“What?” you exclaim looking up at her, surely you heard her wrong.

“Go to Barca, you deserve it Bug, you’re amazing, go to Barca, you can always come back, Arsenal will take you back in a heartbeat, any club would take you back in a heartbeat, but you’re not going to want to come back, and I’ll visit I promise, and we can put daily facetime calls in our calendar for the first few weeks. Call me whenever you need, I’ll pick up the phone. But the girls are lovely there, and you will have Lucy and Kiera.”

“Wait, so you’re saying go? How did you find out?”

“Of course I’m saying go, it’s Barca, and the finding out part, well Alexia messaged asking if I knew anything I said no, asked Lucy and Kiera and they were like ‘yeah she spoke to us about what the people were like, and the environment etc we thought you knew’ Millie then walked in and was like ‘Guy’s shit just went down at the Matildas camp, might want to check your sister is okay though Leah’, Millie than told us what Sam told her and yeah”

“So, you’re not mad I didn’t ask you first?”

“No, I’m proud, you asked the right people the right questions, you stood up for yourself, you manage to do some pretty hard ball negotiations, and you didn’t let anyone make the decision for you, you stayed true to yourself, and I’m proud.”

_____

“Ready to go?” Lucy asks as your suitcases are loaded into the back of the car, you nod you had just played friendlies against the Lionesses in England, so at least the travel there was short, however the travel back to your club was going to be a bit longer, as you weren’t returning to Arsenal but to Barca.

“I feel sick,” Kiera moaned as she came out to join you and Lucy.

“Yeah, I told you to stop drinking, why do you think we didn’t drink.”

“Ah because she is still a week and one year underage, and you I don’t know, because you don’t know how to let loose and have fun,” Kiera replies. Last night some of your national and club teammates as well as some Leah’s national teammates had a party in your honour, to celebrate you going to Barca and to celebrate your Birthday, which was in a week.

_____

It was your first night staying at Lucy and Kiera’s and somehow it was conveniently team bonding night at their place. It didn’t seem like a coincidence at all. You were really nervous to meet the team, they all knew each other already, this was the first time you were joining a team that you were completely new in, when you joined Arsenal you already knew the girls really well because of Leah, and then when you joined the Matildas you had Steph, Kyra and Caitlin, but this was different.

You had stayed quiet for most of the night, watching the game, trying not to draw attention to yourself, however that was all unravelled when Mapi sighed “Estúpido Àrbitro. Eso fue claramente una falta.” (Stupid Referee, that was clearly a foul)

“Casi fue tarjeta amarilla.” (almost was a yellow card)

Everyone heads turned to you, and their jaws dropped. “You know Spanish?”

“Ah, well a bit, mainly to do with the game, one of my Friend’s Dad’s is Spanish and they talk Spanish at home, especially when he is watching the game.”

“Leah never told me that,” Lucy remarked, “Leah doesn’t necessarily know” “oh, so is this a friend or a friend.”

“Lucy leave the poor kid alone,” Kiera told her off.

“So it is a special friend,” “Is she, or he, cute?” “Do you have a photo?” the girls all asked at once.

“Girls, as Kiera said, leave the poor kid alone, she just got here” Alexia told them, they all shut up immediately.

_____

“Oh, Bebita, what’s wrong?” Alexia asks you as she walks into the locker room, you were slumped back in your locker, leaning against the wall, “come here”, she says as she drags you up and brings you in for a hug, in which you broke, tears start to stream down your face as you try to get out of Alexia’s grip, it was only your third day at Barcelona and yet here you were crying in front of your new captain. Alexia only tightened her grip at your actions cooing “It’s okay, I’m here,” rubbing your back slightly. “How about we sit down,” she sat down and pulled you into her lap, you rested your head on her shoulder, giving into her.

“I-I miss Le,” You sobbed into her shoulder.

“I know, its okay Bebita, we’re here,” Alexia could never understand completely how you felt but she could imagine, she could see how close you and Leah were which wasn’t surprising considering you had been living with her for the past six years but leaving her and only seeing her through the phone was something you were struggling with, and the team had started to notice it, you were always slightly sadder when you re-joined the team after being on the phone with Leah.

_____

You woke up and looked at the clock, it was 9:00am, ‘shit’ you mumble to yourself, you sprung out of your bed before flopping back into it, after having the realisation that you didn’t have training today, you had a game last night, which you played in, it was much tougher than the games at Arsenal, so you were exhausted.

It was only then that you took in your surrounds, there were balloons scattered around your room, and on the floor, there were little present signs with arrows. You quickly got yourself semi presentable before following the presents, they lead you into the living room, all your new teammates were there. “Surprise!” they all yelled whilst someone exploded one of those confetti guns, you were in fact surprised, you had been at Barca a week, you were expecting something low key with Lucy and Kiera not a whole team affair, “Come sit,” Lucy said tapping the empty section of couch between her and Alexia, as you walked over you couldn’t help but notice the pile of presents on the coffee table, you had already received gifts from your family and arsenal teammates, so these had to be from your Barca teammates but you couldn’t really believe it.

“You got these all for me?” you questioned in disbelief.

“Yes, they are all for you,” Alexia tells you before handing you a gift, “here open.”

You eventually finished making your way through the present pile and thanked everyone profusely.

However, while you thanked everyone Alexia walked in with three more presents, these ones were quite heavy. “Don’t open them yet, I just need to call someone,” whoever she was calling answered, and then she handed the phone to you, it was Leah and Lia, “Happy Birthday Bug! We may have some surprises for you, open the skinny rectangular one first. It’s from Katie, she wanted you to have it on your actual Birthday, make it more special” you opened it up and grinned it was a whoop, “tell her I like it please, and that I said thank you.”

“Will do bug, now the smaller of the two remaining was Lia’s idea, but both presents are from us” you opened the two gifts and at the sight of them tears left your eyes, “T-thank you,” your sister and Lia had just gifted you a new Mac Book Pro and a new iPhone. Ingrid moved closer to you and hugged you, knowing it was what you needed. After getting ready the rest of your morning was filled with fun festivities as the girls made sure to spoil you, however it was time to start getting ready to go out for dinner, so everyone returned to their own homes in agreeance they would all meet there, waiting for everyone to be there before they went in.

As you walked into the restaurant with the team Lucy whispered to you, “there may be one more surprise,” she gestured her head over to the massive table in the restaurant, where two familiar figures sat, you couldn’t control yourself and run over to them. “Hi Bug, glad you’re happy to see us,” Leah said hugging you “we missed you” Lia said now hugging you.

“I missed you too” you said before you sat down between them, you were grinning from ear to ear. “How are you here?” “Oh, this was all Alexia’s doing, she planned it all.” You looked over to you captain who winked at you, maybe Barca wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

[alotofpockets]

Christmas plans | Katie McCabe

Pairing: Katie McCabe x Arsenal!Reader

Prompts: "Is that a hickey?"

Warnings: Mention of reader not having a good relationship with their family, small mention of anxiety.

A/n: Despite the prompt and the warnings, this is overall just a very fluffy fic!

Masterlist | Woso masterlist | Words: 2.8k

All around you your teammates were sharing their Christmas plans. You were stretching before training, and the conversation about winter break came up, and everyone was excitedly sharing their plans to visit their families. You dreaded the moment you would be asked about your plans, because opposed to all their excited plans with family, you had no plans of your own. The reason you weren’t going to visit your family during the holidays is because you don’t have a good relationship with them. Since you were still rather new at Arsenal, not many of your teammates knew about this part of your life, though.

Inevitably the question was thrown your way by Lia. Your long time Ireland teammate, and best friend, noticed the panicked look in your eyes, and answered before you had the chance to. “Y/n, is joining me for Christmas. We’re going to stay with my family for a couple days.” You were grateful that the conversation continued after Katie’s response. You had known Katie for years, having met at the U17 team, she had been there for you almost every time that something surrounding your parents had happened.

After training you’re the last one in the dressing room with Katie, the perfect moment to thank Katie for her cover up. “Of course, anytime. You should actually come though.” With a furrowed brow you look back at her. “Oh no, it’s fine. I can just stay home. It’s a family holiday, I don’t want to intrude.” Katie packs the last of her stuff into her backpack, “I think you've spent enough time at the house to be considered family.” It's true, you had spent a lot of nights staying at the McCabe's when things got bad with your parents. “Mom loves you more than she loves me anyways, I know she would love for you to join us. Plus, I think it would be really nice.” So, like that it was settled, you were joining the McCabe’s for Christmas.

Gary was there to pick you up from Dublin Airport. You greeted him with a quick hug, before putting both your own and Katie’s suitcase in the trunk, letting Katie have a moment with her dad. The drive to their place wasn't long, so in no time you were hugged by the rest of the McCabe family that was currently home. “It's so good to see you, Y/n! I'm glad you could join us for Christmas.” Katie's mom excitedly shares, making you feel welcome instantly. “I wasn't sure where you preferred to sleep, I can make up the couch, Gary can set up an air mattress, or I can ask one of the kids that won't come home until Christmas eve if you can take their room for the time being? I'm afraid that the guest room is currently occupied by quite a mess, as we've been renovating a bit.” Katie goes in to hug her mom as well. “Don't be silly, mom, we can just share my room.” She looks your way to see if you're okay with that too. “Yeah, I'm fine sharing with Katie. What have you been renovating?” You knew that Gary loved showing off what he was working on. Like you expected he excitedly asked you to follow him, as he was pointing to everything he was planning on fixing. You listened full of interest, always having loved listening to people talk about what they are passionate about.

Meanwhile in the living room Katie gets questioned by her sisters. “So, does Y/n joining us for Christmas mean you guys are finally together?” Ella starts. “Y/n's here because she's my best friend. Also, what do you mean finally?” Her brow furrows slightly. “Come on, you can't tell me you don't like her more than that.” Lauryn continues, clearly sharing the same thoughts about the two of you as Ella. In response Katie just rolls her eyes and walks away, joining her mom in the kitchen. Leaving a smirking Ella and Lauryn behind, “She didn't deny it.” The two of them share a look, “So, we're definitely going to try to get them together before Christmas right?” 

“Already done with your sisters? You only just got here.” Sharon jokes with her daughter. “They're meddlers, I did not come here for that.” Katie jokes back, as she sits down with her mom. “Not to meddle but-” Sharon laughs at the warning look Katie sends her way, “I always thought the two of you would make a lovely couple. I want you to find your own way, though, and of course I just want to see you happy.” Not a minute later you walk back into the room, deep in conversation with Gary. Katie takes the moment to pull you away, bringing your suitcases up to her room, and settling in.

It was already late, so you and Katie decided to call it a night, getting some well deserved rest after a busy few months. The next day you planned to go shopping with Katie, insisting on getting her family members presents of your own and not just sharing the ones that she had ordered to her parent’s home over the past couple of weeks. 

You weren’t the biggest fan of shopping when a holiday as big as Christmas was coming up, with all the busyness that came with it but you wanted to get them something nice since they were opening up their home for you. Katie noticed the slightly panicked look in your eyes as you entered the mall, and reached for your hand. You squeeze it appreciatively, before intertwining your fingers with hers. She guides you around the mall, entering all the stores you want to check out. Having Katie close by helped a lot with your anxiety, Katie always knew how to be there for you in any situation. 

When you got all the presents you wanted to get, the two of you settled in a little cafe. You were sipping on your hot chocolates, and watching the Christmas decorations around the mall, when two young girls walked up to you, accompanied by their mother. “Hi, we’re so sorry to interrupt but we were wondering if maybe my daughter's could take a picture with the both of you, they're big fans.”  Katie stood up and greeted them, “Yeah, of course you can.” She beamed. You stood up as well, giving each of the little girls a hug. The mom got ready to take the picture, as the girls moved to stand in between the two of you. Their wide smiles didn't falter when they stepped away. You took a moment to talk with the girls, before they went on their way again. The mom thanked you for making her girl's Christmases. Both you and Katie love meeting fans, the young ones especially, as it showed you that what you were doing was inspiring young children. 

On the way back Katie told you about one of the Christmas traditions her family had. “So, each year mum buys everyone a pair of Christmas pajamas, and we spend the evening watching Christmas movies.” You thought it was an adorable tradition. So much so that when you got back you had to fight to keep in your tears when Sharon let you know that she had placed pajamas for both you and Katie on Katie’s bed. You thanked Sharon before Katie pulled you towards her room, knowing how much you hated crying in front of people. Once in her room, you fall down on the bed. Katie sits down next to you, and you instantly reach for her touch by laying your head down in her lap. You let your tears flow freely, while she gently strokes your hair. “Do you want to talk about it?” Katie asks softly. “Just that your family is so loving, and they’re including me in all of it. I’m not used to that, and the difference is a lot. It’s really nice though, they’re making me feel very loved.” You lift yourself up from Katie’s lap, “Anyways, we should head down.” Katie shakes her head, pulls you into her side, and falls down onto her back, pulling you along with her. “They can wait for a little bit.” You try to protest but when Katie doesn’t give in, you relax into her. Your head now on her chest, as she continues to play with your hair. 

Once you feel ready to head downstairs, your eyes finally land on the pajamas that Sharon picked out. A pair of matching red flannel pants, along with two simple black t-shirts. You both change into the outfits quickly, before joining the festivities downstairs. The family pilled down in the living room, the table filled with snacks, and the first Christmas movie started playing on the TV. It doesn’t take long for you to snuggle into Katie, who instantly wraps her arm around you. The moment not going unnoticed by Ella and Lauryn, who share a knowing look.

The next morning you head downstairs in your matching Christmas pajamas for family breakfast. Today the family had plans to go to a nearby Christmas market, play some board games, and in the evening you and Katie were planning on going on a Christmas light walk. You had seen an ad for the event in the mall, and were very excited to go.

Right as you walk through the door post, Lauryn says, “Katie, what's that above you?” Katie looks up and you follow her gaze. You didn't see the warning look that Katie sent her sister's way. “Why is there a mistletoe?” Both Lauryn and Ella try to hide their giggles, while Ella says, “It's a Christmas tradition to kiss someone under the mistletoe, so I assume it is to spread the holiday joy.” with a slightly teasing tone. Katie looks back over to you, searching your face for what she should do. “We don't have to, if you don't want to.” You lock your eyes on Katie's, “I mean it's bad luck if we don't, right?” You joke back, sending her a smile and a nod, letting Katie know you're okay with it. Katie leans in and pecks your lips. “So, breakfast?” Katie says as she quickly turns around again, hiding her flushed cheeks from you.

Your morning and afternoon were jam-packed with family activities, and while you loved every part of it, your mind kept going back to Katie’s lips on yours. How soft they were, and how badly you wanted to kiss her again. Though, you had convinced yourself that for Katie the kiss was probably just for the tradition of it. You couldn't have been more wrong though, Katie badly wanted to talk to you about the kiss, but she hadn't been able to get you alone for a single moment today. 

The first moment the two of you were alone that day, was on the way to the Christmas light event. The car ride itself was quiet besides the radio softly playing in the background, both of your minds running at full speed. Katie parks the car, and right from the parking lot you could already see lights all around you. While you were slowly turning to take in all of the beautiful lights, Katie’s eyes were fixed on you. “What?” You say while a blush rushes to your cheeks, when you notice Katie’s eyes on you. The usual confidence of the girl in front of you, replaced by nervousness. “Nothing, it’s stupid.” She says trying to turn away but you grab her arm and pull her back around. “If you’re thinking about it, it’s not stupid.” You seemingly convinced her as she took a deep breath. “Would you have kissed me if we weren’t standing under a mistletoe?” The question takes you by surprise, as you had convinced yourself that it was just you lingering on the moment you had shared this morning. “Nevermind, forget I said anything.” Katie turns on her heels again, thinking she had her answer by the lack of your response. The action makes you jump into action, once again reaching for her arm. This time you don’t just use the pull to turn her around, you also use it to bring her closer to you. You lean in and connect your lips, smiling into the kiss, as you feel Katie kiss back. The feeling of her soft lips moving in sync with yours sent shivers down your body, while simultaneously making you feel warm inside. 

After you pull away from the kiss, you look at Katie and see the Christmas lights reflect in her eyes. “In case that didn’t answer your question properly, that meant yes.” You joke, making her laugh. She playfully pushes you away, before stepping besides you again to intertwine your hands. You spend the evening walking around the lit up city center, enjoying every moment together. 

You arrive back at Katie’s childhood home way past midnight, so the house is already quiet. She pulls you into the warmth of the home by your hand, only feeling you resist when you walk through the doorway to the living room. She follows your eyes up to the mistletoe under which you shared your first kiss. Katie takes a step back to stand in front of you, and wastes no time to connect your lips. The kiss started out soft and sweet, but quickly turned more passionate. Katie pulls away from the kiss breathlessly, “To be continued.” She says as she takes your hand once more and guides you to her room.

The next morning you wake up in Katie’s arms, a feeling you would like to never forget. “Good morning, beautiful.” Katie whispers as she places a kiss on your forehead. A wide smile forms on your face, “Good morning.” After sharing a few soft kisses, you get ready for family breakfast. The food each morning had been amazing, you were so excited for what Christmas would bring. 

Lauryn asked if both of you wanted to join her on the pitch that afternoon, which of course you agreed to. It might be winter break, but football was a passion you would always take a moment for. You had been on the pitch for about an hour, when Katie decided to take her jacket off. "Is that a hickey?" Lauryn said loud enough for the whole town to hear. Katie sends a panicked look your way, you shrug your shoulders, knowing there isn’t anything you can do now besides mouthing a sorry her way. Lauryn followed the interaction, her smile growing wider. “Oh my god, it so is! I gotta tell Ella that her mistletoe idea worked.” Katie chases after her youngest sister, tackling her to the ground before she could reach her phone. “You and Ella are a pair of meddlers.” She said, shaking her head, as she helped Lauryn up. “It worked didn’t it? Mum’s gonna love this.” You watched the interaction with a smile on your face, realizing that her whole family was rooting for the two of you together. 

On Christmas Eve the rest of the McCabe siblings, along with their partners and children joined you at the McCabe’s, and it wasn’t long before they all knew about you and Katie. You were nervous at first, not wanting the dynamic to change, but quite the opposite happened. They were happy for the both of you, and continued to treat you as family, like they had done the past couple of days. 

All in all it was a wonderful Christmas with her whole family, lots of presents, amazing food, and company from the loving family. Katie was watching you interact with her cousins with adoration in her eyes, she couldn’t wait to continue creating memories together. The family got together for a series of group pictures. You took a couple of the McCabe siblings, and some of them all together with their parents, as well as Sharon taking individual ones of each of her children with their partners, and kids if they had them. 

Katie later posted a collection with her favorite ones, along with the caption ‘Family time❤️🎄’. She added the picture Sharon took of the two of you, where you have your arms around her waist, as she places a kiss on your cheek. You posted the ones you were on to your own Instagram with the caption, ‘Thank you for the best Christmas ever❤️’. 

It didn’t take long for the Arsenal group chat to explode upon seeing your posts. You were laying in bed with Katie, scrolling through the loving messages your teammates were sending your way after Katie confirmed that the pictures indeed meant that you were her girlfriend. That night you went to bed feeling happier than you had ever felt. Truly a high to end the year on.

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[freakyformula]

Pretty like the sun part one

Summary: Reader is a huge Lewis fan and is attending her first race in her life with her brother. She catches Lewis eye and he instantly falls for her.

Writers comment: Can I just say that this is my first ever fan fic so read this with that in mind and please don't kill me I BEG.

Warnings: Reader is referred to as she/her, reader has a brother, age gap but readers age is not specified.

Word count: 3,7k

Y/N= Your Name and Y/N/B= Your Name's Brother

Wednesday

Y/N POV

She was so nervous her stomach hurt. It was the first time she was going to attend a Formula 1 race. She had decided on the British Grand Prix in order to support her favourite driver… Sir Lewis Hamilton. Ever since she graduated nursing school, she had been saving up in order to make it happen, working double shifts and living a simple life. It was all worth it in the end, two years later she finally had enough cash to buy herself a ticket. She convinced her brother, also a huge Formula 1 fan, to accompany her. Although he was busy working on his master's degree and was quite busy, he took the time off. As he lived in London they didn't get to meet up that often, except around Christmas when he came home. Y/N and her brother still had a strong bond and they got along well. Going to a Formula 1 race was a perfect way to catch up with him and get some quality time, she thought. He'd agreed to pick her up at the airport. He waited for her to get off the plane, holding a sign with her name, waving at her when she came into sight.

"Y/N!"

"Heyyy, big brother!"

He chuckled at her comment, knowing full well that he wasn't only two years older than her but also robust and tall. Any guy would be intimidated by him.

"How was your flight?" He asks as they walk off.

"It was okay! We hit some turbulence at some point but other than that it was smooth sailing" She said and smiled.

They caught up on life on the car ride home to his apartment. They discussed their parents strict parenting style, she could see that her brother was worried about her and how she was doing. Even if she was living on her own, she lived only an hour away from their hometown which meant that her life was under hard supervision by her parents. Their parents were never as strict with her brother. He was very protective of his sister and wanted her to move further away from their toxic parents. He had discussed this with her multiple times but every time she declined his offer, finding excuses.

When they arrived at the apartment complex her brother helped her with the bags and they shimmed their way in. Her brother had already prepared the spare room for her in advance, which she was thankful for. She was so tired after the flight and decided on taking a shower and going to sleep relatively early.

"Good night, Y/N/B!"

"Sleep well, Y/N."

And with that she closed the door to the spare room and got under the covers. She was excited for the upcoming days and what they'd bring.

Thursday

She wakes up early the next day and shuffles out of bed. She feels her stomach grumbling and goes to check the fridge for something to eat. Eggs, sausage and beans will do. She finds some toast in the pantry too.

"Proper English breakfast…" She thinks to herself.

Within half an hour her brother finds his way to the kitchen too, maybe the commotion is what woke him from his peaceful slumber.

"Morning" he grumbles.

"Hmmm.. Good morning to you too! Sounds like you're having the best day you've ever had!" She laughs.

He looks up at her and starts chuckling, him realising how unenthusiastic he had sounded a couple of seconds earlier.

"Sorry about that" He says, hiding his face in his palms.

She knew just how tired he was in the morning and in pure pity she started the coffee machine for him.

They eat their breakfast and go through the plan they had for the weekend. They'd be seated at the farm curve, a grandstand just past the start and finish line, with perfect opportunities to catch the post-race celebrations at the podium.

She doesn't bother with heavy makeup or doing her hair, she'll save that for race day. She's stood finishing up on her skincare and applying some mascara when her brother sticks his head in.

"Ready?" He asks, clearly tired of waiting for his sister.

"Give me a minute!" She says with a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

The weather forecast is promising; sun and warm weather the whole weekend, but she still doesn't trust the english weather so she packs a couple of disposable raincoats in her handbag, just to be safe. She is dressed in a floral sundress, the skirt of said dress being long enough to go past her knees. She had also purchased a Mercedes cap for the occasion which she would be wearing. She felt incredibly comfortable and attractive in what she wore, how she looked and most importantly, how she felt.

They packed their things and made their way down to the garage. They had decided on taking her brother's car instead of going by train as it would take them much longer. The car ride went by rather quickly, even driving past Milton Keynes, the home base and headquarters for Red Bull Racing. They found their way to the parking, paid, and walked the 20 minute walk to the track. She was happy she took her white sneakers, thinking her feet would thank her later.

She was so excited to finally be here, they got their passes and made their way to the pit lane where they'd get their Thursday pit lane walk. At this point she was almost jumping up and down from excitement, her brother kept her grounded even though he was just as excited. She could see he was happy that he joined her and gave him a reassuring pat on his arm. They walked around the pit lane, talked to some of the different team staff and took pictures. She froze when she saw the Mercedes garage, she could feel her heartbeat in her throat as they started walking closer. She stopped at the barrier and just took in the glory and finesse of the cars and how the mechanics worked on it in order for it to run as smoothly as possible. You caught the eye of one of the Mercedes mechanics who gave you a nod and a thumbs up, referring to your choice of cap.

Lewis POV

It was a hot day on the track. He was surprised it was his own home race, he wasn't used to Silverstone being this hot. He was wearing his usual Mercedes tee with jeans which he soon realised, was a bad idea. Shorts would've been more efficient. He was preparing for some briefings on strategies and the weekend as a whole. This was the thing he dreaded most. All he was there for was racing, not being stuck at hour-long meetings about set-ups. After the meeting was done he thought he'd run back to his driver room to catch a breath, and later go to hospitality for late lunch. On the way to his room, he ran into George.

"Scorching hot, isn't it?" George says with a wide smile.

"Hell yeah it is, I could use an ice bath already!" Lewis giggles.

"Lunch in 5? I just need to change, my tee is drenched in sweat."George asks.

"Count me in, I'll wait for you at hospitality." Lewis says and walks off into his room.

Lewis first impression of George had not been positive, he thought he was stuck-up and spoiled. Unlike Lewis when he was George's age. But he had grown to like the young man, George had calmed down a ton and seemed more respectful. Lewis sat on the sofa with a water bottle in his hand, thinking back.

He had a phenomenal career behind him, having won 7 world titles and had 103 race wins to his name. Everyone on the grid looked up to him, as a friend, brother figure, teammate. He did consider himself lucky and all. But one thing was still missing from his alleged perfect life. Her. Her, that he still hasn't met. Sure, he'd been married before and dated countless supermodels but none of them had felt like "The one". It wasn't like he was actively searching for her, but he had a feeling that when he saw her, he would know.

He didn't hear someone knocking on his door until he saw George in front of him gesticulating with his hands.

"Jesus christ mate, where were you?!" George laughs.

"Eh, nevermind man." Lewis feels his cheeks reddening.

"You okay?" George asks, concern evident in his voice.

"Of course I am!" Lewis briskly counters and smiles at the fellow brit.

George and Lewis find their way to hospitality where they meet up with Bono and Toto for lunch.

"The fans here at Silverstone are a different league." Toto laughs. "The first thing I did as I got out of the car this morning was to give a girl a signature… on her boob!" He doesn't dare to continue his story aloud and whispers "She said she would have it tattooed so she could carry a part of me with her."

"What?! That's ridiculous!" Lewis blurts out.

"I swear to god if she goes through with it…" George says, looking almost disappointed.

"What is wrong with youngsters nowadays…" Bono mutters, making the four men laugh.

As they finish their lunch they walk back to the garage where they check on the data and watch the mechanics work on final changes. He can hear the fans screaming his name outside desperately. He scans the crowd and decides to run out to them. He signs a couple of posters and caps while some fans preferred a selfie with the gorgeous man. As he walks along the line of fans his eye catches hers.

She's absolutely extraordinary. She looks at him with kind eyes. It's as if time stopped, as if they are in their own bubble. He can hear the others screaming his name but their screams feel like they're miles away. He doesn't know if he dares to take a step closer, he's scared to trespass on her space. Then he notices the man she stands next to, they're standing a little bit too close in order to be strangers. He feels his heart breaking just a little bit. But before he looks away the man strikes up a conversation.

"Hi Lewis! I'm Y/N/B and this is my sister, Y/N! We are so glad to finally get the chance to meet you."

Lewis is in awe and takes a couple of seconds to even register that the man has actually said anything.

"H-hi, I'm Lewis!" Lewis almost yells out, making the siblings raise their eyebrows.

"Y/N is a beautiful name" Lewis says, trying to move on from the awkward greeting.

"Thank you" She says, he is barely able to hear it, followed by that warm smile of hers.

Lewis hadn't realised before but she was standing behind her brother slightly, almost like she was afraid of him. Her uncertainty made his heart break, so in order for her to become a little more comfortable with his presence he continued talking to them.

"So, are you happy to be here? Have you been here before?" He asks politely.

Her brother answers his questions for her, which only leads Lewis to suspect that the girl is extremely shy or nervous.

"Would you two like a private tour of the garage?" Lewis asks with a twinkle in his eye.

You both gasp at the question, obviously flabbergasted.

"You're kidding." Your brother tries to resonate.

"I'm most certainly not kidding." Lewis quickly answers.

Lewis went to the gate and convinced the guard to let you both in.

Now he got the chance to properly look at her. Her wide smile and kind aura complement her short stature. God, he'd never seen a creature more beautiful than what he saw in front of him.

They must have noticed him staring with his mouth open because her brother cleared his throat in order to get his attention. This was unlike Lewis, he was usually unapologetically put together, well-spoken and careful. Now he felt like a fumbling teenage boy. And to make matters worse, her brother was here too. He didn't want to give him, or even worse, her, a bad impression.

Lewis made them walk in front of him and he walked behind, explaining the routines and how everything worked. He even introduced them to some of the staff. He could feel her warming up to him, even if it was just a tiny bit. She didn't look down the second he glanced at her. But he could see it in her eyes, she was both nervous, scared and in awe, all at the same time.

When his private tour is about to end he finally asks what he's been meaning to ask the whole time.

"Would you two like to be upgraded? I'll get you paddock passes for the whole weekend, all expenses paid."

All the two siblings do is stare at him, speechless.

Lewis chuckles. "I'll let you think about it for a bit, I'll be back soon."

"We would like that very much, Lewis." You calmly say as he's about to turn around. She surprises her brother and Lewis too, he didn't think he'd hear her say anything for the rest of the day.

"Great, please take a seat and I'll have it sorted." He says and escorts them to the seating area of the Mercedes garage.

Y/N POV

Neither of them could believe it. What on earth had they done to deserve such a blessing? This was insane.

As they're waiting, the mechanic that showed his appreciation before came up to them and exchanged some words with her brother. Her brother was like that, he got along with everyone, while she was the shy one. When they see Lewis walking towards them they immediately stand up.

"Here you go" Lewis says, as he hands over all of the passes. From this point onwards, they would have almost unrestricted access not only to the paddock and the garages, but also the finest dining there was to offer.

"Thank you so much" Both her and her brother say at the same time which makes all three of them chuckle.

Her brother grabs Lewis by his arm and walks away from her.

She sees the two men discussing something but she can't think of what it might be. Her brother is staring at Lewis, he looks like he can't comprehend what he just heard Lewis say. She sees Lewis nervously smiling at her brother and then glancing at her, making her nervous again and she turns her head away in order to escape his stare.

A kind-looking lady brings her a bottle of coke and she sits down, keeping an eye on Lewis and her brother. She can't help but wonder what they're talking about, has Lewis changed his mind? Is he kicking them out? No, he's smiling at her when she looks their way, can't be.

Lewis POV

"We are both very flattered by your kindness and we really appreciate this, but I can't help but wonder, why are you doing this to us?" Her brother whispers, nervously scratching his neck, hoping not to agitate the driver.

"Simply put" Lewis starts "Because your sister is the most beautiful young lady I have ever laid my eyes on."

"I-…." Your brother starts. "I am truly honoured, but do you know how old my sister is?"

"Age is just a number, right?" Lewis counters. "Do I have your blessing to ask your sister out for dinner at some point?"

Her brother is in such shock, all he could do was stare at the 7 time world champion. After what felt like minutes, your brother picks his jaw up and simply hugs the man in front of him, making some mechanics turn around, stunned by her brother's weird behaviour.

Her brother gets himself together. "You know what, Lewis, normally I'd say no. But I know my sister and I know you're her role model. I can't possibly take this away from her." He pauses, and continues "My sister is extremely shy and new to dating, so please treat her with care. She also hates French and Japanese cuisine, just for your information."

Lewis watches as her brother walks up to her again, and sits down next to her. He sees him talking to her as she's furrowing her eyebrows. Lewis has no idea what her brother has told her but they get up and walk towards him.

"I just told my sister that you've agreed to take care of her as I'm checking out the other garages. I can't wait to get a glance of Daniel!" And just like that, her brother gives her a quick hug and a wink to Lewis and walks off, trusting Lewis to treat his sister like a gentleman.

Damn it, this was not how Lewis had imagined things turning out. He wanted to ask her out but he wasn't prepared for it to be so soon. He decided to look at the situation from a positive perspective, this is what he wanted deep down. He was just scared of how he'd be able to handle the situation. He had met her only an hour ago.

"So… Are you hungry, Y/N? I can take you to hospitality for something to eat." He asks.

She seems to consider his question for a bit and looks up at him with a slight smile.

"I haven't had anything else than breakfast today" She admits.

"Well then, sounds like we're off to hospitality then!" Lewis says and takes her hand. He leads her through the paddock and hundreds of fans and staff. He ignores everyone trying to get his attention except for her. He looks down at her every couple of seconds, almost to make sure that she's still there with him. Lewis leads her into the luxurious restaurant, and finds a table for both of them, away from everyone else, and most importantly, anyone that could make a juicy story out of their beginning friendship.

"Now, Y/N, what would you like?" He asks.

She looks at the menu, and seems to consider her options for a moment.

"What about the buffet? I'd like to try out the English cuisine-inspired buffet, please?"

Lewis can't help but smile at her, he can feel his heart swelling at how incredibly well-spoken and kind she is.

"Of course, come this way" He says as he guides her to the buffet with a wide variety of small dishes.

She takes what her heart desires, Lewis keeps his restrictive diet in mind when choosing between the dishes but still finds some food that Angela would approve of.

As they're eating, Lewis tries to get to know her better. He asks her questions about her family, school and work and she tries to answer to the best of her ability.

"I can tell your brother cares about you a lot." Lewis says.

"Yeah, I guess he does, we were close as kids."

"Oh, how come? Just coincidence?"

"Our parents didn't really have time for us and my brother pretty much raised me" Lewis could see tears forming in her eyes and threatening to run down her cheeks. He looks at her head slumping down towards her food.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Y/N" She looks up at him again and wipes her tears.

"It's fine." She says, "It's a long time ago and both me and my brother have forgiven our parents."

"Speaking of parents" Lewis starts, "My father is coming to watch the race on Sunday! Maybe you'll run into him at some point."

"Oh, your dad seems so caring compared to mine." She says, with a certain pain in her voice.

"Y/N, whatever happened to you and your brother in your childhood, you didn't deserve to be abused like that. You deserve so much better, you deserve to be worshipped and loved like royalty."

She gives him a small, pained smile. "I hesitate that will ever happen but thank you anyway."

When they're done, they get up and Lewis once again takes her hand.

"Thank you for this, I really appreciate your time and effort" She says and offers him a wide grin.

"No, thank you, Y/N. I've had such a lovely day thanks to you" He says, taking a moment to admire her.

They walk off to the RB garage in search of her brother. They find him there, in deep conversation with Daniel and Yuki. They walk up to them and her brother gets up, smiling at his sister and Lewis.

"Thank you for today Daniel and Yuki, I will see you tomorrow again, yeah?" Her brother asks.

"Bet" Daniel responds.

The three of them walk back to the Mercedes garage, the sun is starting to set and it's starting to feel a little chilly. "We better start heading back to our hotel, Y/N" Her brother says and she nods.

"My feet hurt and it's only the first day!" She sighs.

"Hence why… Hotel" Your brother laughs, giving you a small nudge.

Lewis is walking beside them, clearly enjoying their banter. He was taking it all in, and he soon came to realise that he hadn't had such a good day in a long time. He stops and turns to face them as they stop too.

"Thank you for today, both of you. You've truly made my day, will you come to the Mercedes garage tomorrow to cheer me on?"

Before her brother had the chance to even think she says "Sure thing, I'm looking forward to it already" and looks down, realising she opened her mouth without thinking.

"I'm glad. See you tomorrow then" Lewis says as he gives her a light hug and offers her brother a firm handshake.

Y/N POV

They walked slowly back to the car, exhaustion evident in both their bodies. No one of them dared to talk, the unnecessary tension feeling overwhelming.

As they finally got to the parking and their car they both sighed from relief. No more walking. They got in and sat quietly, staring forward.

"So, details…?" Her brother breaks the silence.

She looks at him with the widest smile he's ever seen and starts spilling all of the highlights of the day.

"Y/N/B, you won't fucking believe it…"

[sportswriters]

traveling to his hometown - j. swayman

pairing: jeremy swayman x reader | f | established relationship | wc: 943 | warnings: none

welcome post!

you came up with the idea of traveling to anchorage for a few days to take care of your well being. jeremy found it great since it’s break season so he had a free week to enjoy before going back to training. he’s always been connected to nature since he was a kid going to hike with his dad, so it was nice for him as well. jeremy picked you up in the morning to go to his parents house so you could all go to the airport together. his sister would arrive a day later with her husband and the baby.

“hello, beautiful. did you sleep well last night?” he greets you with a kiss, then helps you with the baggage.

“just a few hours. i kept thinking if i was missing to pack something,” you confess. “i probably dreamed about it, i just don’t remember. you?”

“well, me too. can’t wait to rest and enjoy the view with you.”

“i’m so glad we’re going together. so glad you came from such a beautiful place, no wonder you’re the love of my life,” you hug his waist, leaving a quick peck on the side of his neck.

“you’re lucky we can’t be late. i could totally go back up to your place so we could smooch for a few hours.”

you just laugh and let go of him, leaving the teasing for when you’re properly alone.

the trip to his parents house and then to anchorage went by pretty fast. jeremy came from a family full of good people, so it was easy to talk to them comfortably. since it was a long flight, everyone took the opportunity to get some sleep — not even the excitement could control tiredness.

there wasn’t a proper plan to follow during the trip, so you hang out inside just enjoying the coziness of the house, taking every chance to cuddle by the fire or outside on the porch. sometimes you would take a walk around the neighborhood, eating delicious food and buying souvenirs. the other day you went hiking in his favorite place, then when you reached the top, your emotions overflowed when you took in how beautiful the world around you was. jeremy stayed by your side, waiting for you to calm down. he was aware of how hard work has been to you, but the difference was that you couldn’t let out this kind of energy like he did on the ice. he was aware that for now all he could do was being there until you got back.

and you did. within the safety of his arms, you felt lighter while you waited for your breath to normalize and your eyes were still puffy.

“thank you, baby.”

“always, my love.”

you and jeremy have been a couple for almost two years, but after these days being so domestic and behaving like a true dynamic duo in every situation, it made you both realize how great of an idea it would be to finally move in together. neither of you knew you’re thinking of the same thing, so a few hours before going to the airport, jeremy took you to the porch to talk, failing to notice that you said you also wanted to show him something. he was nervous, it’s cute, you would’ve paid more attention if you weren’t as much as a nervous wreck.

it’s not like you’re anxious or anything — neither of you —, it’s the expectation. the realization of how much you love one another. loving someone to the point you wish to spend your whole life with, to wake up beside each other, to wait for them to come home.

“you know you’re my home, right?” he asks.

“i figured i might be one of them, yes” you joke, knowing how important his family is to him. jeremy stares at you for a second with a silly smile hovering his features. he pecks your lips twice.

“okay, smartass. i meant to say you’re someone i’m sure i want to build a home with.”

his straightforwardness catches you out of guard.

“jer…”

“wait, listen. i’ve considered a lot of things, but i know you must have your own conditions…”

“baby, correct me if i’m wrong.” you hold his hands over your lap. “we’re each other’s home, that’s known. now you want us to build a home together? is that right? like living together?”

“yes, if you let me.”

“remember i said i wanted to show you something?” you let go of his hands to open an app on your phone, searching for a picture. jeremy is slightly confused by the subtle change of topic, but quietly waits for you.

you smile when you find it. it’s a picture of a cheesy welcome rug with a bear couple and lots of cute hearts. jeremy smiles right when he sees it, used to the silly stuff you send him everyday, especially the ones with couples that act like you two.

“that’s adorable, for sure… wait.” he tears his eyes off the phone to find you smiling at him with your eyebrows raised. “is this what i think it means?”

“i must add that this is one picture from a quite big pinterest folder. i named it our lil ol’ home, see?” you show him the title.

jeremy looks like he could cry at any second.

“my love…”

you stand from your seat to sit on his lap, hugging him with your whole body.

“we’re in this together. i love you so much, jer.”

“i love you, y/n. can’t wait to start buying couple’s stuff with you as soon as we arrive home.”

[highqueenofelfhame]

rowaelin // 5.5k words // ciwyw masterlist // masterlist

AN: If your at starts with @secondstartorightand can you please comment on this so i can fix your tag? it somehow got cut off in the creation of my tag list and i can't find your blog lolol. ALSO, i'm sorry i update in the middle of the night. i'm nocturnal i'm sorry.

The car was barely put into park before she was throwing herself out of the driver’s seat and sprinting around the front. Aelin launched herself at her cousin, happy tears sparkling on her cheeks while joyous giggles flowed out of her. Aedion didn’t budge an inch when he caught her. His arms wrapped tightly around her middle and he squeezed so hard she thought her lungs might collapse altogether, but it didn’t matter. 

“What the fuck? I thought I was picking up Lysandra!” She cried, scowling over her shoulder at the police officer shouting at her. 

“You can’t park here.”

“I’m not parked, I’m picking up,” she argued, wiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands. Aedion’s hands came down on her shoulders, lightly pushing her toward the other side of the car so they wouldn’t wind up with a ticket thanks to her smart mouth. It wouldn’t have been the first time. 

Once they were back in the car, seatbelts on and pulling out of the maze that was the Varese airport, Aelin said, “What are you doing here?”

“Lys said you needed me. She booked my flight instead of hers. I’ll go home when she gets here next week.” Love and appreciation swelled inside her for her best friend. Of course it would have been amazing to have Lysandra here early, but the relationship she had with Aedion… the two were on a different wavelength. Save for finding out about the pregnancy, the first call she had always made upon getting big news was always him. The only reason he hadn’t been her first call when she took the pregnancy tests was because if they were positive, it felt too important to tell him over a phone call. They needed to be face to face. 

“I do. I do need you,” she confessed, reaching over to squeeze his hand. Telling him about the baby settled over her body like a heavy weight. It wasn’t that she was dreading it, but she was nervous about how he might react. It could go in a million different ways, starting with Aedion hunting down Rowan Whitethorn and beating him senseless for knocking up his little sister.

“What’s going on, bub?” Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shift so he was facing her more, eyes zeroing in on her face, scanning her body. Making sure she was okay. Strings plucked at her heart like a guitar and she had to swallow the crescendo of emotions that wanted to burst out. 

“I’d rather wait until we get home to get into it. But, Gods, I am so happy you’re here.”

“It’s not like, a major illness is it?” The humor was gone from his face, replaced by stern determination to fight whatever it was that plagued her. 

Aelin smiled. “No. I’m okay. I’m… mostly good. There’s just so much to catch up on. Apparently a lot can happen when we’re apart for three months.” 

Aedion snorted in response as he ruffled his fingers through his hair. “I’ll accept that until we’re home. After that, all bets are off and you better start talking.” 

Aelin swore she would, patting his knee to placate him.

The drive back to her apartment was short and quick. Even though she lived in the historic part of downtown, Aelin had quickly discovered that she was no more than twenty minutes away from everything she would need. The airport was the furthest, but all the stores, restaurants, and nightlife a girl could want were in that radius. Not that she was in the market to have a nightlife anymore. These days she found herself tucked into bed by ten or earlier. 

After the hike up the stairs to get to her door, the exhaustion from the last forty-eight hours was starting to creep into her muscles, her bones. All of her limbs were made of lead. After she broke the news and they settled in a little bit, she would reward herself with a nap. Aedion wouldn’t complain about it either after she told him about the baby. In fact, he would probably insist on it. 

Aelin gave him a quick tour of the two bedroom apartment, showing him the room he would be staying in for the week. They would have to share the one bathroom, but they had shared many spaces over the last decade. It wasn’t anything new. 

“Just don’t leave your hair stuck on the shower wall,” was his only request, as if he wasn’t guilty of the same crime. Long and thick hair that had a tendency to shed was hard to wash off when it adhered to her skin while wet. 

Evidently,  the girls had been a little too tight-lipped. The only thing Lysandra had told him was that he was needed, and Aelin hadn’t given him much to go on. By the time they settled onto the couch, the man looked like he was ready to crawl out of his skin.  His hands were constantly flexing into tight fists that relaxed into flattened palms with drumming fingers, then back again. The foot that was on the floor was bouncing so hard it was shaking the couch and threatening to send Aelin into a bout of motion sickness from hell. She put her hand on his leg to make him stop, brows raised pointedly until he obeyed.

“Can you please tell me what the fuck is going on?” Every word was wrapped in distress, the waiting game spiraling him into madness. A million and one scenarios had probably been flying through his mind from the time he found out he was coming to Wendlyn. There was one thing she needed to say first, though. He could wait a few more seconds.

“I want you to know that the only reason you weren’t the first person I told is because you were the one person I needed to tell face to face. Well. There were two of you, but I’ll get to that.”

“Aelin,” he whined, leaning forward and taking her hands in his. When he noticed the tremor in them, his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the impatience, replaced by his protective nature. 

Aelin’s eyes were snagged on their hands. Her’s looked so small between Aedion’s, and she wondered how tiny the baby’s would look when he held it for the first time. The thought of him holding something so tiny and pure had her eyes brimming with tears all over again.

“Hey,” he said softly, drawing her eyes back to his face with a knuckle beneath her chin. “Whatever it is, it’s okay. We’ll deal with it.”

Aelin laughed a little because it would be okay. Not just her and the baby, but Rowan, too. All of them would be fine. The road through the woods was just a little scary, is all. 

“Okay,” she nodded again, using her shoulder to catch a tear that escaped. Ripping the band-aid off was the easiest route. Dancing around it would only drive them both crazy, and they were each antsy in their own way already. On the exhale of a deep, steadying breath she said,  “Aedion, I’m pregnant.”

“Bullshit,” he blurted, jerking back from her. His hands never left hers, if anything his grip tightened. But he was leaning so far away that his back hit the plush armrest of the sofa. Aelin tugged until he was sitting up straight again, mouth parted in a wide ‘O.’ With shaking fingers, she reached over and pushed up on his jaw until his lips were closed.

“You’re going to drool on my pretty couch.” Though she tried to sound serious, there was no bite to her words. In fact, it was getting hard to keep her face neutral. 

“You’re– you’re fucking serious?” With eyes wider than the moon he took her in, pulling their arms out to look directly at her stomach. 

“You aren’t going to see anything, it’s still stupid early. And I’ve been so sick I’m probably losing weight, but… yes. You’re going to be an uncle.” 

The tears he had been trying to hold back broke free of their invisible cage, sliding down his face as he pulled her to him. One of his hands cradled the back of her head as his lips pressed soft kisses to her hair over and over again. Aelin’s arms snaked tightly around his waist, her face burrowing into his shoulder. 

Aelin tried not to think about it, but until she met Rowan, nothing ever made her feel more safe than being with Aedion. They grew up so close that half the time they referred to each other as their siblings. Both of them were only children and had been each other’s best friends since the day she was born. According to their parents, the first time three-year-old Aedion held Aelin when she was merely a few hours old, he made her promise after promise to always be there for her, to protect her. 

When her dad taught her to ride a bike at age four, Aedion had been there, too. When the training wheels came off, he ran alongside her with one hand on the middle of the handlebars for a little extra insurance. And when she had toppled over a bump in the concrete and skinned her knee, Aedion had picked her up and carried her back to the house while promising she was going to be okay. 

At age nine when she was tall enough to ride her first big roller coaster, he was the one that rode with her. The entire time he kept her hand tightly in his, reassuring her that it was going to be so much fun, that she would feel like she was flying, and if she was scared she didn’t have to let go of his hand. They spent the rest of the day running ahead of their parents to get in line for everything she was tall enough to ride and if it only sat two at a time, he sat with her and their parents fell in line behind them.

When she was sixteen and experienced her first heartbreak, he drove home from college that weekend. They laid in her bed until she had it all cried out, Aedion making violent promises to break all of the boy’s bones if he ever so much as breathed in her direction ever again. There was a steady supply of chocolate truffles and popcorn while they watched every silly rom-com she wanted. When he left to go back to school, he’d promised her she was going to be okay. 

At age twenty-two, when he found out the depth of her college sweetheart’s mental and emotional abuse, Aedion managed to keep his emotions under a careful lock and key when she showed up on his doorstep with nowhere to go. As she grieved over the loss of herself and the relationship, he was a steadying presence that refused to let her tumble into darkness on her own. On the bad days, he was there to make it better. Nearly every day for several months he promised she was going to be okay. 

It took some time, but she was okay. Even on the days she felt like she might completely crumble, his pinky promises when they were children held true. Aelin was going to be okay. It didn’t matter what happened, what life threw at her, she was going to be just fine. 

Aelin tried not to think about Rowan, how the safety of his arms had felt impenetrable the way that Aedion’s did. Not even her father had made her feel quite as protected as Aedion had. It wasn’t to say that he wasn’t a good father– Rhoe was the best father a girl could ever dream of having. There was just something different about the connection she had with Aedion. Now it was extended to Rowan, and she didn’t know what that meant. 

When they finally pulled away with red faces and puffy eyes, Aedion was smiling so widely it was making her cheeks hurt because she wore a grin to match. His thumbs brushed her tears away, both of them exhaling so shakily it resulted in laughter. 

“This is good?”

“It’s good. It’s… scary as all hell, but I think it’s good. It still doesn’t feel real. I haven’t had any scans yet, just a blood test because I was so sick. Lys made me go to the hospital for fluids when I couldn’t keep anything down. Then there’s the two dozen pregnancy tests under the bathroom sink. The throwing up has been the worst, though. Which shouldn’t even be called morning sickness, by the way. This shit hits me at all hours of the day without being provoked.” Aelin hadn’t thrown up since the day before, but she wasn’t going to jinx it by saying so out loud. It had a mind of its own and a vengeance against her. 

The depth of how badly she wanted to tell him hit her then.  The way the words just poured out of her lips in a steady stream made it so glaringly obvious that this was exactly what she needed. She wasn’t sure she could have gone much longer with a secret so hefty.

The muscles at his jaw rippled beneath his skin from the force of his clenching. Even the grip he had on her hands tightened further, almost to the point of hurting while he made peace with himself that he couldn’t protect her from being sick because of the baby. Something flickered through his eyes and it made her sigh as she said, “Go ahead and ask.”

“Who is the father.” The short, clipped tone had her fighting off another smile as he added, “And what is his degree of involvement, because if he isn’t–”

“Relax, bub. We had a moment after I told him where things were… rough to say the least. Yes, he upset me. No, he didn’t mean to.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” His lips were bracketed with tension.

“You know that soccer player from Doranelle, Rowan Whitethorn?” She tried to make it sound nonchalant and dismissive. Partially because he wasn’t really soccer’s most famous athlete when they were together. He was just Rowan.

“What the hell does a living soccer god have to do with this?” The genuine confusion cloistered amongst his features made her bite her lip to keep from smiling. Gods, it was so good to have him back. 

“I’m going to let you sit on that and connect the dots while I get some water.” Aelin patted his knee as she rose and walked to the kitchen. She was halfway there when he gasped.

“No fucking way!” 

“Yes fucking way. That’s how it happened actually,” she called, swiping a bottle from the fridge and returning to the couch. His face was torn between pure excitement and disbelief. For the thousandth time in the last hour or so, she laughed. 

“Rowan Whitethorn is one of the best soccer players to ever live, Aelin. I know you don’t care about it but he’s– I had posters of him on my dorm walls in college. I met him before the game I played against Doranelle and told him that he’s my hero, and– wait.” The excitement dropped from his face, eyes narrowing slightly. “What the fuck did he say that upset you?”

Aelin sunk back against the cushions with a heavy sigh, taking a long drink before getting into that mess. Her brother’s gaze didn’t once waver from her face, looking for any indication that he needed to get in her car and go kick somebody’s ass. It was sweet. Funny as hell, but sweet. Part of her would pay to see that fight, though. It could go either way depending on who wanted the win more.

“I found out yesterday that he had a situation a while back where someone he was sleeping with got pregnant and tried to milk him for all he was worth. And then told him she miscarried, and he found out weeks later that she lost the baby well before she even told him about it.  It’s even more convoluted than it sounds, but when I first told him he asked if I was doing it for money. Whether he meant if I’d gotten knocked up or was lying about it, I still don’t know. He knew the truth when I told him, but went into self-defense mode. Anyway, I–”

“Why the fuck would you be doing it for money?” 

“Well… He didn’t know who I was. Obviously I did it on purpose the first few times we hung out, but after that it just got to a point where it didn’t come up? So he didn’t know. But don’t worry, I plan on giving him shit about it for the rest of my natural life. Once I die, I’ll give him the occasional spook, too.”

“This isn’t funny, Aelin,” Aedion said flatly, lips pressed so tightly together they had disappeared. 

“It isn’t,” she agreed. “But I’m pretty sure he’s willing to grovel for my forgiveness until we both die. Don’t worry, I’m going to make him work for it.” 

“That’s my girl,” he grinned, bumping their knees together. 

“I didn’t even know who he was until after he accused me, and–” Aelin was cut off by an abrupt cackle that startled her so badly she splashed water on herself. She scowled at Aedion, smacking him in the shoulder.

“What the fuck do you mean you didn’t know who he was?!” Incredulity dripped from every letter and matched his expression perfectly. Aedion was gaping like a fish. “He’s the most famous soccer player– no,  forget soccer. The man is probably the most famous living athlete right now, period.”

“He told me he was a high school soccer coach! I didn’t think we were both lying about who we were!” She cried. Aedion’s whole body shook as he laughed at her. Even as she hit him again, she was fighting off laughter of her own.

“How did you find out the truth?”

“Lys wanted to know what he looked like. So she just googled a few key words hoping for a news article about his team or something. Lo and behold, it was him in his stupid blue jersey looking fine as hell even while drenched in sweat.” Aelin chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m sure mom, dad, and grandpa will all be thrilled I’ve made my way back into the soccer world.”

“If your baby isn’t a soccer prodigy by the time they can walk, Rowan should request a paternity test.” Aelin punched his bicep as hard as she could. Aedion howled with laughter  as he rubbed at the hurt. She was hoping to leave a nasty bruise. 

“He’s the only guy I’ve been with in…” Aelin puffed out her cheeks, eyes narrowing as she stared out the window to backtrack on her love life. When she came up empty handed on a time frame her lips morphed into a frown. “That’s so embarrassing I’m not even going to go down that rabbit hole.”

“Have you talked to him about Sam?” All of the joy from the morning was blown to tiny pieces. The blood in her veins thickened, turning into ice and making her shiver. 

“I’m going to need a nap if we’re going to talk about that,” she declared, rising to her feet and heading toward her bedroom. 

“We’re talking about this later,” he shouted after her, and she merely waved him off with the flick of her wrist. For that discussion, she needed to be fully rested with a full belly of chocolate hazelnut cake. 

Just before she rolled over to go to sleep, Aelin checked her phone. A text was immediately fired off to Lysandra reading BITCH! I’m too hormonal for a surprise like this!!! Which was quickly followed up with I love you. Thank you. 

Before allowing herself to drift into the waiting arms of unconscious bliss, she opened her message thread with Rowan.  A text had come through an hour ago, likely just after he woke up. The idea that he texted her to start off his day did things to her that she wasn’t willing to face. 

>> Just checking in. You didn’t let me know you got home safe last night. 

It was hard to ignore her emotions when he did shit like that. They hadn’t parted on the most outstanding terms. She could have forgiven him and they could have gone back to how things were. Instead she told him she needed space, told him not to touch her in that way because it had sparked things that she wanted to ignore for now. There was so much to process and there was no room for error.

It was such a casual intimacy, him brushing her hair out of her face. In another world where he hadn’t stomped on her trust like a twig, he would have been kissed for it. Everything about the way he just looked at her, for gods sake, sent sparks exploding through her. Aelin knew she couldn’t let her emotions lead her on this. It had backfired before, and she couldn’t let it happen again. Like she had told Lysandra, she just needed to be sure about him. 

Still, she felt a little guilty for not telling him she made it home okay. 

<< Hi, sorry. Safe and sound, don’t worry. Had an early morning and now I’m going back to sleep for a bit. I’ll let you know if I start dying. 

<< That was a joke. I’m entirely fine. Please don’t speed down here like a bat out of hell. 

Her thumbs hovered anxiously over the screen, the blinking cursor mocking her. It was weird how quickly things had gone from amazing to awkward between them. Making jokes seemed weird when they still had things to work through and talk about. 

Worse than the awkward tension that had settled over them like a fresh winter’s snow, she wanted to tell him that Aedion was in town. That she wanted them to officially meet. Not as two athletes, but just as people. Maybe crowded around a table at the Neon Moon, the two of them spouting off soccer stats and reliving match highlights from World Cup games. 

That scared her. It made her stomach turn and her ribs constrict until it hurt. It filled her muscles with sand and made it hard to move. Aelin didn’t want to think about what that meant, so she didn’t tell him about Aedion, didn’t mention how much she wanted them to meet and get along. Instead, she sent a much simpler text before she rolled over and fell asleep.

<< I hope you have a good day. 

~*~

The sun was setting and casting a beautiful golden glow over the city as Aelin and Aedion walked arm in arm down the street. What was supposed to be a few hour nap turned into a full seven hour sleep, but her cousin didn’t complain. After freshening up with a shower, she made quick work of a little makeup and an outfit she felt good about herself in. Lately all she had been wearing to the office was leggings and oversized shirts. 

Aelin dragged Aedion down the sidewalk with their final location just around the corner. Tonight the pair were taking on the Neon Moon. She knew that he was going to love everything about it. The gritty but slightly sophisticated feel of it reminded her so much of the Staghorn back home, and Aedion loved finding hidden gems like this one. On the rare occasion that they had been able to travel together, their main goal was always finding the coolest bars and cocktail lounges in every city. The only difference was that tonight, and for the next several months, Aelin wouldn’t be running up the tab with him. 

It was a good night to be here. The crowd was to be expected on a Sunday evening, but it wasn’t too noisy. There was a small table back in the far corner that she was quick to grab while he gathered their drinks at the bar. Aedion would no doubt come back with some sort of bourbon cocktail for himself and either a water or a mocktail of sorts for her to sip on while they waited for food. 

A pretty waitress swiftly stopped by the table and Aelin immediately put in an order for soft pretzel nuggets and beer cheese. It had always been one of her favorite snacks, and over the last few weeks she found that she could almost always keep the pillowy bites down. Baby seemed to like those, which was great, because they were her favorite thing at the Neon Moon. 

“You’re right about the Staghorn vibe,” Aedion said as he slid into the chair across from her. “I definitely get that.”

“This is where I met Rowan.” She pulled the fruity looking beverage from his hands, smiling a little when the flavor of lavender exploded across her tongue. It was nothing crazy, just a simple ginger ale with lavender syrup added, but it had become her go-to when she stopped in. Something about the lavender and ginger soda soothed her rioting belly. Plus, it was absolutely delicious. Connall must have seen her come in with Aedion if he knew to make it for her. 

“What was he doing in Varese?”

“Friends. He has an apartment here, too. He says it’s easier to be low-key here than it is in Doranelle,” she shrugged and took another drink. “Fenrys Moonbeam’s twin brother Connall owns the pub. We’re friends, I think.”

“You and Fenrys or you and Connall?” Aedion’s eyes were scanning the room, checking out all the decorations that lined the walls. 

“Connall. I’m assuming he made the drinks because I ask for this every time I come in.”

“I knew he looked familiar,” Aedion half-mumbled to himself. Aelin smiled, but it faltered when his eyes widened in the direction of the bar. Her stomach flipped and she started silently praying to the gods that she wasn’t going to look over and see Rowan sitting at the bar. 

But it wasn’t Rowan that caught Aedion’s attention. It was a golden-haired man who looked just as surprised as Aedion did, though his full lips were starting to twist into a smirk. His long curls were wild, falling around his shoulders in ringlets. One side was tucked behind his ear, completely exposing one half of his perfectly chiseled face. The man was beautiful. There was no other word in the dictionary to describe him. 

He looked so much like Connall, Fenrys’s coloring seemed to add a little more life to his face. She had ample time to take him in as he made a beeline for their table, an amber beer bottle in hand. While Connall was all dark shadows and whispered promises in a dimly lit room, Fenrys was life that came directly from the sun. His skin was a darker shade of brown than his brother’s, probably from spending so much time outside soaking up the sun’s rays during practice. And though his eyes were just as dark of an onyx as his twin’s, Fenrys’s seemed to glow as they settled on her face. 

Before she had time to fully process what was happening, Fenrys had grabbed a chair and pulled it right up beside hers. He plopped down, their thighs nearly touching. The table shook when he dropped his elbow onto it, his chin resting on his first as he looked directly at Aelin. 

“I have been absolutely dying to meet you,” he drawled, eyes jumping over every inch of her face. Aelin couldn’t help it. She started smiling, too. 

“Fenrys.” Not a question. This was definitely the fair side to Connall’s dark coin. 

“The assistant coach, at your service,” he winked, that cocky smirk never leaving his mouth. Her laugh was involuntary, lighting up the dim corner they sat in. Aedion looked lost, but Fenrys’s dark eyes pulled from her just long enough to look at him and extend his free hand. Everything about the man had a relaxed and almost giddy air about him. “Aedion Ashryver, it’s a pleasure to meet you. How’s your knee these days? I was bummed as hell about your injury.”

Aedion shook his hand, shrugging one shoulder, “Twinges when the weather is bad and gets achy in the winter, but doesn’t give me too much trouble. The pleasure is mine, by the way. Huge fan.”

“And I of you.” The interaction made her feel lighter somehow. There were times when Aedion still got extremely upset about his knee, especially if it was brought up in the context of how great his career could have been. This was one of the times where she didn’t sense an impending doom spiral. She would have to thank Fenrys for addressing it tastefully when Aedion wasn’t listening.

Fenrys’s eyes turned back to Aelin, cheek still squished against his fist. Up close she noticed little wrinkles around his eyes like he spent so much time laughing that it carved little canyons and valleys into his skin. Rowan always called him a pain in the ass, but she had a feeling it had more to do with jokes and teasing comments than anything else. Good. Rowan needed that in his life, even if it was in the form of annoyance. 

“Whitethorn has been gatekeeping you. I’ve been begging for an introduction because anybody that can draw him out of his constant state of brooding is worth meeting.” Fenrys paused, his eyes dipping down to her fingertips that rested against her belly. “Congratulations, I think?”

“Thank you. I’m happy about it. A little more every day,” she confessed, brushing her thumbs in abstract shapes over her t-shirt. 

“I know he said something stupid–” Aelin cut him off with a snort. Calling it stupid was an understatement, but the mirth in Fenrys’s eyes told her that he was well aware. “How much are you going to make him pay for it?”

“I’m nowhere near done, if that gives you any indication.” It wasn’t that she wanted to be mean to Rowan. It was just that there was no parallel universe where she wasn’t a little brash. Teasing was her second language. Aedion had frequently called it her love language, and he wasn’t wrong. It was almost like a test of sorts. An initiation. If he couldn’t weather the jokes and smart-ass remarks, they weren’t meant to have a relationship beyond co-parenting their child. 

One of the biggest red flags she ever ignored was Sam not understanding or approving of her humor. The way he had made her swallow everything down and bottle up her personality until she was merely a shell of herself and couldn’t even pretend around her family anymore had been a mental battle she lost. It wasn’t the worst of everything she went through with him, but Aelin wasn’t going to lose herself again.  Not for a man. Not even because they had to raise a baby together. That could be done at arms length with minimal contact unless necessary. 

Fenrys was grinning at her, completely ignorant to the dark spiral she had just been on. Something like mischief danced in his eyes as he said, “What would you say if I had an idea to make him squirm?”

“For your own enjoyment, or ours?” Aedion asked warily. Always the protective big brother making sure nobody was laughing at Aelin’s expense. 

“Why not both? I’m team Aelin. And if it’s a hard divorce, she wins my custody. Whitethorn was a dumbass and a little joke won’t kill him. It might take a few years but he’ll start laughing about it eventually.” Fenrys gave a dismissive wave through the air. The relaxed nature of him made her lean back a little in her chair. While Connall was easy going in all of their interactions, Fenrys was the amplified version. What would it take for him to snap about something? Going off first impressions, it seemed like a lot. 

Fenrys was looking at her expectantly, almost hopefully. Like he somehow knew about the sass and swagger she liked to carry for a security blanket. He felt like a kindred spirit, and Aelin liked it. If things went sideways she just might have a shiny new friend to get her through it when her family couldn’t be by her side. 

So Aelin smiled at him and leaned forward, bracing her arms on the table. Across from them, Aedion swore quietly. He’d been on the receiving end of her bullshit for twenty-five years. By the looks of it, she had just met someone that would stoke that fire into a roaring flame. Whether he was cursing the chaos the pair of them would bring upon Rowan, or hoping that it didn’t turn on him eventually, she wasn’t sure. 

Either way, Aelin was so in. 

“What do you have in mind?”

@elentiyawhitethorn @autumnbabylon @fancysludgeshoelamp  @wordsafterhours @live-the-fangirl-life @the-hospitality-of-knives @tangledraysofsunshine @readandlisten @westofmoon @rowanaelinn  @morganofthewildfire @writtenonreceipts @feynightlight @emster1622-blog @scarblx @secondstartorightand @thefaetrove @loveyatopluto @actuallybarb @peppermint-fae @the-devils-own @scottmcgivemeacall @livingmylifeforme  @wordsafterhours @foreverfallingforthestars @llyncooljones @emily-gsh @loosesimplicity @emilyrose111294  @charlizeed @aelinchocolatelover @cretaceous-therapod @sayosdreams @fireheart-violet @the-regal-warrior @backtobl4ck @shyvioletcat @bellasbookboyfriends

[gghostwriter]

Entangled Strings of Fate

Chapter 4. Re-routing (take the long way home)

Spencer Reid x FOC

Summary: Caltech, Pasadena - Cleo considers herself a woman of logic. With an IQ of 158 and an eidetic memory, how could she not. But meeting Spencer, the boy genius to hers, had her believing in intangible theories like the invisible string and the fates. Now, if only he would notice the depth of her feelings. Set in Caltech, pre-season 1 and will progress from there.

A/n: trying to figure out the writing schedule for both my fanfics out is a bit hard, not going to lie. The writing style and pace for both seems too different for me so please bear with me as I try to figure out which days are for which fanfic and which days are for posting.

Also, here is a link to the sister paintings that I referred to in this chapter. It’s titled ‘Digame’—second to the last painting

previous chapter || series masterlist || next chapter

“There is no such thing as an accident; it is fate misnamed.” - Napoleon Bonaparte

The BAU was back in full swing. Spencer was called back with Gideon three weeks ago for a series of murders in Seattle. That meant she was also back in almost self-isolation with her classes and readings. She filled her days with endless past case studies and her nights with her sister, Thalia via phone call. 

“Please Cleo, come visit me over the weekend here in California,” Thalia pleaded for the nth time. She was currently in her final year at USC, taking up Accounting and Finance.

“Alright alright, I’ll book a flight but you promise to show me around okay,” she sighed. They couldn’t have been more opposites of each other. Thalia was more go with the flow while she needed structure. “You have to promise me that you won’t ditch me like the last time.”

Thalia laughed. “I promise, I swear.”

——— 

“I know you just got here a few minutes ago and you’d like to settle down first—” Thalia started on once she picked Cleo up from the airport. Her flight landing just past 4pm. “—but my friend invited me to an art gallery opening and I’d really, really like you to go with me, please, pretty please.”

Cleo turned her head to the driver’s seat and grimaced. She loved Thalia with all her heart, she really did, but her spontaneity was giving her a whiplash every time. 

They look a like, down to their eye color and height. But that was where the similarities end. Thalia had this air of freedom in her that Cleo never had. She thought maybe it came from the burden of her intellect but Thalia wasn’t lagging behind her at all, she was bordering gifted spectrum just like her. If Cleo was being honest, she was a little bit jealous of how free her sister seemed even though her decisions were chosen for her. 

“Are you sure you’d want me to go with you? You know it’s not really my scene,” Cleo stared out into the window. 

“I’m sure and that’s why I’m asking you to go with me! To get you out of your comfort zone once in a while.” 

She sighed. “Okay alright, but you owe me a mean breakfast tomorrow,”

“Deal.” 

———

She wished she had said no instead. Seeing a beautiful woman flirting with Spencer was enough to dampen her spirits.

“Isn’t that your friend, Spencer?” Thalia pointed out of the blue. “Should we go say hi?” 

Her green eyes widened as she took note of him in the gallery. What were the odds that they would be in the same state or even the same art gallery for that matter. She was about to agree before noticing his acquaintance introducing a beautiful blonde woman to him. 

“Oh hey, that’s Lila Archer,” Thalia gave her sister a reassuring look. “She’s a local star of sorts here in L.A.”

She stared at the sister paintings in front of her with intense scrutiny. It was an abstract painting filled with deep colored brush strokes against a pale blue grey background. The art felt unassuming and inconspicuous. It wasn’t the most eye catching work out of all the canvases  displayed but like a train wreck about to happen, she found herself not able to look anywhere else. It gave visualization to the gnawing in the pit of her stomach. Murky and dark with the emotion. A sense of dread cloaking her every being, unsure of where it was coming from. 

She took a sip of champagne and looked around for a glimpse of him once more. He was gone.

She took a deep breath and read the title and the poem accompaniment.

Digame, which means ‘Tell Me’ in Spanish. 

The poem goes:

Tell me about the first person you loved. Tell me about how they loved you and you loved them. How you stopped and why…

oh. 

Oh. 

OH.

The truth has come up to the surface. The truth that she had been subconsciously been pushing to the deep corners of her mind and heart. Her balance felt off-kilter with the revelation. Like her world came to a screeching halt and started spinning in the right direction. 

She was in love with him. Probably since the beginning. 

Her initial intrigue with Spencer Reid has turned and become a highly flammable substance for her beating heart. It had become love that is now burning deep maroon with flickers of black with the knowledge that he was not hers. That he was a single man not immune to a pretty woman’s attraction and attention. 

Frankly, she didn’t know what to do with this life altering revelation. 

———

“Hey, are you okay?” Thalia asked on the cab ride back to her apartment. “You’ve been quiet this whole time. Is this about what we saw?” 

Shee looked out the window, watching the city lights and night life. “Do you think I should I have bought that painting from the gallery?” 

Thalia scrutinized her. She was never one for the art and having her asked that threw her off balance. “I guess if you really like it. I mean Mom and Dad would be happy seeing you spend money on, and I quote, the finer things in life—”

“—but is this really about the painting or is this about Spencer?”

She twiddled with her hands. “Can you ask your friend for the painter’s information? I’ll pass along to Mom for the painting. I think I’d like to have that hung in my apartment back in Virginia.”

Thalia sighed. She knew there was no use in trying to pry her thoughts and emotions, she’ll reach out when she’s ready. 

“Sure, so what do you want for breakfast?” 

“Pancakes would be great,” she softly smiled. 

———

Her flight back to Virginia was scheduled at 6am. An ungodly hour as Thalia repeatedly commented on.

“That’s a good book to pass time,” the stranger on the plane next to Cleo commented on.

He was handsome, she noted. Dirty blonde hair effortlessly pushed back and a set of deep blue eyes that seem to hold intellect with a hint of somber behind them. 

“You’ve read it before?” She asked, showing the full East of Eden cover to the stranger.

“Yes, a few times actually,” 

“Can I ask what your favorite part was?” She extended her hand. “I’m Cleo, by the way.”

He reached out his hand, shaking hers. “Joe, Joe Thompson. And to answer your question, it’s when Abra tells Cal that she loves him,”

Cleo smiled. That was one of her favorite parts too. 

“I think I love you, Cal” 

“I’m not good”

“Because you’re not good” 

“I liked that part too, it gave thought that we are all imperfect beings capable and deserving of love,” she rambled. “It felt humanizing that Steinbeck put that thought into words way before and that it can still be adapted to the modern society—I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“It’s alright, I thought it was very cute,” he smiled. “This may be out of the blue but would you like to get lunch together in Virginia? I mean, you can say no—”

She zoned out for a bit, remembering the tabloid magazine at the airport earlier that featured Lila & Spencer. 

“—it’s just that I live in Virginia and I could show you around if you’re just visiting for a little while—”

Maybe this was kismet, she thought. Maybe this was the universe giving her an obvious sign of what was meant to be.

She found herself nodding along before responding. “I’d like that and I am from Virginia.”

Joe smiled and she felt a little bit lighter. 

Maybe it is kismet.

[monkee-mobile]

Do you mayhaps have any more Davy Baby thoughts to spare?🤲

Sorry this took a bit to get to! I’ve been busy and a little brain dead so thoughts haven’t been coming so easily but I guess I’ll talk about Davy when he gets a bit older!

In my personal little monkees universe davy loses his mom young like real davy did in real life. He starts flying out to England a lot from like ‘70-‘72 to visit his father who gets sick (his sister starts paying for his flights so it makes it easier). Of course all the boys are distraught when Davy’s over in England. Micky and Peter miss their friend and Mike makes himself sick worrying if Davy’s okay over there. The one who it’s the hardest for though is Davy who’s without his friends and helping out his father, who the whole family is worried might die. He gets judged pretty heavily by his oldest sister and extended family for being a long hair hippie kid, so he feels pretty isolated and just worried for his father all the time.

On top of that, England reminds him of being a kid, for better or for worse. He’s back in his childhood room, and he’s back with his family. There’s reasons why he left england in the first place (not like awful stuff, more just feeling stifled and wanting to “be free” (haha) (“I wanna be free” is the first song he writes on his own. mike is very surprised cause he didn’t really know davy had it in him to pull his weight in songwriting and secretly very proud), and just feeling judged by his family for not meeting their expectations. Young davy idolized americans and had dreams of being a star, but his father and grandfather were not happy about him leaving and pursuing “impractical” things, which is why he tries to prove to his grandfather he’s successful and alright and made the right choice going to california)

But davy feels stuck and alone, with no easy way to get back to his friends—who he’s definitely started to think of as home, more home than england—unless he wants to take a whole plane ride and have to make grand excuses to his whole family. So he just feels awful whenever he’s there for too long. The boys have each other to lean on. Peter misses and worries about davy but mike assures him davy’s alright. Davy’s stuck in his bedroom. So he calls Mike.

It starts as “call us when you get there so we know you’re alright” and he calls up most nights to see how everyone is and update them on what he’s doing, but it starts that, after Micky or peter inevitably hand the phone over to mike, and mike asks him how he’s doing, davy just breaks down. He feels really small and just lets it all out over the phone. Poor thing is crying and Mike feels awful because there’s really nothing he can do but say “you’ll come back soon and we’ll be okay” and “we love you davy” (every time davy comes home the boys all give him a giant hug in the airport with lots of jumping and yelling and picking up and spinning and maybe some kisses on the forehead and davy always clings to mike really hard for a few days afterward and mike doesn’t say anything about it but he doesn’t mind. just holds davy when he needs it and is there for him)

eventually davy’s dad does pass away and mike would never admit this but deep in him he’s kind of relieved it finally happened because davy being away all the time was stressful on all of them, both money-wise and finding gigs and establishing their image as a four-piece group, but also just because they were all always worried about each other or worried davy would get sucked back into his life in england, and davy was always stressed out about his father even when he came back to California. So it’s not a good thing that his father has passed, but they can have some peace of mind now.

But his dad’s passing hits davy like a brick because, well, there goes both of his parents. They all go off to england for the funeral with him and davy stays quiet for most of the early time. Just silent and big eyed and keeping up appearances and all. Mike sees him break little bits at a time and he lets davy sleep in his bed at night and mike holds him close and rubs his back and sings to him. It isn’t until they get back to the pad that davy just breaks down. inconsolable crying and panicking and all. He feels orphaned and upset and horrified that he could lose someone like that. He basically spends a long time in a very fragile state and mike starts taking very special care of him. He goes full mumma.

Davy has always been pretty baby, but now he’s gone from bratty, rebellious toddler, to very sad, weepy little boy. he’s always with mike and mike makes sure he’s eating and drinking water and gives him bubble baths and things and lets him sit on his lap and reads to him and sings him silly little songs and just lets davy be as little as he needs to be. Davy, still the little attention hog that he is does eat all of this up and is full on attached to mike, lovey dovey and snuggly. Peter also snuggles with davy a lot of the time because he’s just calm and warm and nice. (micky can be a lot. he’s very good with davy, but sometimes the baby is taking a nap (and drooling on mikes shoulder, but so it goes when you’re a long-suffering mother) and mike needs to just firmly tell micky that he needs to stop shaking the house and barking or something)

Davy starts, jokingly at first, calling mike “mum” at this point, and micky pokes fun at him saying he’s Davy’s mama, but eventually davy starts calling him “mumma” when he’s really all soft (and mike internally melts because davy starts saying mumma when he’s all sleepy curled up on mikes lap and he’s just so darn precious to mike with his big eyes and button nose chewing on his thumb and trying not to suck on it and clutching onto mikes shirt) and, yknow, mike just asks davy one time, (because mikes growing out a beard at this point because it’s the 70s and he looks very much not like someone’s mother) if maybe he’d like to say “papa” or something. Davy is like “no, you’re mumma” and mikes like, “okay so i just have to deal with this now” and accepts that he is a mom now (he thinks of himself as “mama”, but starts to realize to Davy he’s “mumma” and mike thinks about that for a time and decides that that’s sweet as all hell)

But yes, mike is mumma and davy is slowly healing. Davy’s definitely being babied for maybe longer than he “should have” been (and pushing his luck with mike and being a little shit again because he’s so so spoiled) but it really does help him out. and he gets pampered and coddled and pulled around in a red wagon for a bit because he’s just that damn spoiled.

I’m sorry this is going on for so long and got pretty sad honestly but I have a BIT more!!

So davy starts to go back to business as normal (even though at the pad he’s so totally all baby for like the better part of the early 70s) but he does start to tell Mike to let him be more independent and that he’d like to just try to move on. So mike lets him (inside he’s pretty hurt. he misses his baby!!) and they do still cuddle and stay very close and Davy still chills in his lap and takes naps on him and holds onto Mike’s shirt very tightly, but some things ease up slowly. Davy goes out with micky and they look for chicks and things and mike stops reading bedtime stories to Davy. (he dearly misses that and it makes him pretty sad. he reads to peter a lot though so he’s not completely without someone to take care of) davy doesn’t call him mumma much anymore unless he’s feeling particularly vulnerable.

So flash forward to the 80s and davy is a full middle aged man. they all are. Mike is going gray in his beard (which is quite distinguished he thinks), and has finally cut off his long hair cause it’s just easier to manage with it short, and davy is in the process of growing out a mullet of all things because he thinks it’ll help the group look more “trendy” (micky laughs his ass off the first time davy comes home with the haircut and davy sulks with mike, who just chuckles and rubs his back, and Davy refuses to talk to mick for like two days. don’t worry, davy will get back at him when he has that hideous 90s ponytail)

But, yeah, davy isn’t really such a little guy anymore, but mike has softened up quite a bit and is more open with his feelings and all, he’s just softened generally (Generally meaning he’s a big softie and cries happy tears over little things and they all start giving each other platonic kisses that become commonplace in their household), and though he’s a big boy now, davy is still mikes little one because he became davy’s mumma with his heart and soul and Davy is his baby for always, and so sometimes mike just has to slip in a baby voice when he’s talking to davy and watch davy slip a bit back into their old dynamic because davy cannot resist attention and he misses his mumma too, he just wanted to grow up a bit.

Okay so that’s a mammoth of a post. I’m sorry if it’s way too much or not what you were thinking, but this kept coming to me so here it all is. I didn’t get into all the specifics about davy when he’s all baby, but he’s VERY spoiled by his mum and his big brothers. they try not to spoil him but he’s just so damn cute when he gets all pouty. He pouts A LOT, but he’s can also be very giggly and sweet. He’s very ticklish too, but DO NOT TELL MICKY !! Micky thinks davys adorable, he kind of co-parents with mike at points because once davy gets comfortable, there’s only so much toddler energy and “mumma mumma mumma mummamummamumma” mike can take.

Anyway, I guess that’s where I’ll leave it. Davybaby forever ✌️

[cljordan-imperium]

Heaven & Arthur Visit The LaVeaus

@call-sign-shark CELEBRATES 1K

This is part 1 of Heaven & Arthur visiting Mel and her family because I'm cutting it off at 2680 words. LOL

Modern AU

@call-sign-shark's OC Heaven and her husband Arthur Shelby travel to Louisiana to visit some military men Arthur served under and with in the military. But it is Heaven that gets the biggest surprise of the visit.

“We leave in an hour to pick up Arthur and his wife, Heaven, from the airport,” Cade entered the kitchen to let Mel know.  He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, then looked around at Mama Marie, Dontanion and Francios.  “You two, behave.” He pointed at the brothers with a serious expression.  Arthur was suffering from PTSD from the Gulf and the last thing anyone needed was the two LaVeau brothers being assholes and causing him to have some kind of attack.

“One wandering ancestor and we will forever be doubted.” Dontantion smirked and winked at his sister, as his shoulders raised. “One wandering ancestor who wandered in on my friend who was getting dressed for her wedding and gave her a death prophecy.” Mel rolled her eyes as Cade took a seat next to her and planted a kiss on her cheek this time.  “You are lucky she did not stroke out.” Casting a look over to her mother, “can you please make these two behave, mama?”

“Boys, do not make me resurrect your fathers.”  The smile she gave her sons made everyone’s blood run cold.  As loving and warm as Marie was, no one ever forgot she was also the scariest person currently walking the planet. Only Rasputin may have ever topped her, and she had far outlived him.

“Yes, mama.” Francois replied before putting a strong elbow into his younger brother’s side.  Even at over one hundred and fourty, Dontanion sometimes did not act a day over 16.   “No ancestors scaring Cade’s friend, or his lovely wife.” The look in his eye was serious.  Even if the death prophecy HAD come to pass, and they HAD hated Mel’s friend, and it HAD been hilarious at the time, causing a brave soldier still bearing the mental wounds of war further trauma would not be something they would partake in.  

“Please, he was over in the Gulf with me and some of the guys on the team.  He was under Alexander.  Has some bad PTSD, seeing spirits that he would think were hallucinations from there might just send him…” Cade raised his brows and tilted his head, he didn’t need to finish, both brothers were nodding.  “His wife, I don’t know much about but he says she is an angel and shy.  Her name’s Heaven.  She seems to have dont him a lot of good, he seems to be healing more.  Figured she and Mel would be the ones hanging out, maybe with Mama Marie too.”  He winked over at the woman who was like a second mother to him and who could make anyone feel welcome and loved.

“Of course, any of your friends are welcome here.”  Love and warmth emanated from Marie.  While she had immense powers, which she did not hesitate to use to protect those she loved; she was, at her heart, a mother.  All of Mel’s friends had been adopted as surrogate children.  None were turned away if they needed a mother figure, that was just Marie and the time she came from.

“Thank you, mama.” Love radiated off of Melania too as her gaze alternated around the other four in the room at the time, before her attention turned to Cade.  “When do the others get here?  I know Alexander got in last night and is still passed out in his room.”  

“Tomorrow.”  Cade answered, picking her hand up off of the table and kissing the back where there was a scar that lay across running from just below where her pinky met her hand to the crease of her wrist.  The last evidence of the whole ordeal involving Ambrose and Adama.  Even though it was long ago, it still made his heart clench and sometimes made him want to ask Marie to bring the assholes back so they could kill them again. “So you girls will have twenty-four hours before testosterone rules the house.”  He winked at her, banishing thoughts of the past.

“Lovely.  Just remember, Archibald can contain you all if you get out of line.”  The whole room erupted in laughter at the threat of having her pet albino alligator snack on people.  Not that he hadn’t been used as nature’s body disposal device before when required, but not on people they liked.

*****

Louis Armstrong Airport in Kenner was a bustle of activity as Mel sat on Cade’s lap down on the first floor by the baggage claim.  It seemed the easiest place for Arthur and Heaven to find them.  Although, from what Arthur had told Cade over the phone, Heaven shouldn’t be too hard to spot with snow white hair and skin just as fair.  A statement that had apparently gotten Cade promptly cussed out for mentioning she should fit in with the aforementioned alligator in the swamp.  Mel had a feeling that her fiance was lucky he’d been on the other side of the ocean from Arthur at the time.  

They watched as the flight from Heathrow Airport flipped over from “On Time” to “Landed”.  It still amazed Mel that they had direct flights, and for no more money, not that money mattered to her family…with Ambrose and Nic “missing”, she had complete control over Meirs Enterprises Worldwide, which meant more money than she cared to think about.  For friends of Cade, money was NOT an option anyway. 

About 20 minutes later, Mel felt it, somewhere near was a powerful witch.  Her hand went instinctively to Cade’s, their fingers interlacing.  The signature was not one she recognized, the magic different, old world like her mother and brothers’.  Her eyes scanned the crowd as people descended from the second floor on the escalators. She could more than stand on her own, but after the past events, having Cade there without her family was not something she was altogether comfortable with.  If whomever possessed the magic was hostile, it could get ugly fast if they sensed her as well.  Not since Adama had she faced down a threat, and that…she closed her eyes and swallowed before the thought fully materialized.

“Do I need my gun, or is this something of the invisible sort, babe?” Cade’s chin rested on her shoulder as he spoke just loud enough for her to hear.  He knew her signs well enough.  When she was tense, it was never a good one.

“Shooting them is as good as dropping a house on them, I guess.  A lot easier when inside too.” She tried not to let her nerves show with some humor, but she was anything but lighthearted with the situation.  As they sat there waiting for Arthur and Heaven, she did not stop scanning everyone coming in their direction.   It was that scanning that produced what would be the biggest shock of the day, the revelation that the witch was Arthur’s wife.  “You are definitely NOT shooting the witch.”

Cade chuckled, having no clue what had suddenly changed the beauty on his lap’s mind.  “And that would be because….”

Mel stood as the pair approached them, “you must be Heaven,” she greeted the tiny woman with a bright smile and offered hand.  There was no way that Heaven couldn’t sense her as well, but seemed to completely not notice.  She then remembered that Cade had mentioned that Heaven was originally from France, and since Louisiana is a bilingual state, she had an idea to make the woman feel even more welcome. “Bienvenue en Louisiane où dans le bayou, les sorcières sont vénérées. Je crois que vous et ma famille vous entendrez très bien. Ma mère est une grande prêtresse du vaudou. (Welcome to Louisiana where in the bayou, the witches are revered. I believe that you and my family will get along very well. My mother is a high priestess of Voodoo.)” 

Heaven’s eyes widened at her words, clearly not having expected them. “Comment le saviez-vous?  (How did you know?)”  The woman looked absolutely confused, which was when Mel remembered she still had the talisman on that Dontanion had given her when they were hunting Adama that cloaked her magic.

“Parfois, une sorcière en connaît une autre. J'ai aussi deux frères sorciers à la maison. C’est en quelque sorte une affaire de famille. (Sometimes a witch just knows another one.  I have two warlock brothers at home too.  It kind of runs in the family.)”  Mel gave the woman a wink and then turned to Arthur and Cade who were both looking at her with rather confused expressions.

“What, can’t one girl fluent in French welcome another?  Do you know how often I get to use that?” She smiled, Cade giving her a look that said he knew better and she’d have to explain once  that they were alone. “You must be Arthur.”  She extended her hand to him, “it is such a pleasure to meet any friend of Cade’s.  You both are now family, that is how it works here.  We will spend a couple of days out on the Plantation, and a couple here in the Garden District.  My mother has been up since dawn cooking, so we best not keep her waiting too long.  Mama Marie is not one to be kept waiting.”  Mel laughed.

Cade knew his fiance better than that.  Those were far too many words for just a polite hello, and he did recognize enough to know that she’d found her witch.  But, he was a good boy and would say nothing.  Things normally worked out more in his favor that way.  “You’re discussing how to bankrupt us in the French Quarter aren’t you?” A brow rose and he nudged Arthur with an elbow. “I hope you brought all your plastic, bro, my girl can shop!”

Arthur for his part either missed what the exchange was about or was so entranced by his bride he gave not one fuck.  He did, however, growl at Cade’s remark, which told the fellow soldier that he probably had experienced a similar shopping excursion to the one Mel had more than once put him through.  Although, to bankrupt them, Mel would have to literally buy the entire French Quarter, as in the land it was sitting on and all the buildings.

"Can you not behave for two minutes?"  Mel’s brow rose as she looked between the two men, Cade trying not to laugh and Arthur about taken aback at her words.  “No growling.”  She raised both brows and looked pointedly at the Brit.  Heaven giggled next to her, which just had Arthur rolling his eyes. “Now, you boys do the heavy lifting of getting the luggage, Miss Heaven and I are going to go get the car from the garage and bring it around.  And you two can ride in the back.”  She dropped a kiss on Cade’s cheek with a big grin and a wink over to Heaven.  She already liked the striking and beautiful woman.  Wait till her family laid eyes on her!

*****

From the airport, to River Road, Mel gave a guided tour to their guests of the historical context of each and every plantation along the road.  Her mother had been alive for the building of many, although she did not share that quite yet.  For Heaven, it might not have surprised her, for Arthur, he might have tried to exit the vehicle while at 60MPH.  The latter was more her concern.

Finally they arrived at Vita Pacis Plantation (Life of Serenity).  It had been renamed after Ambrose’s death, her mother choosing the name for what this now represented to them all.  It was a place of peace, of respite from the life they lived in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, from the missions they went on collecting artifacts around the globe.  It was to this estate, to the buildings that rested upon the land and had for over 300 years, that Mel and her friends returned to find peace and to be at peace.  It would be on this estate where she would marry Cade in six months.  

As they drove up the red brick drive, live oaks arching over it with their green leaves and the dangling spanish moss providing shade, she heard Heaven gasp as she got her first view of the grand plantation house mansion.  It was impressive with white limestone exterior and grecian columns that rose three stories, the floor to ceiling french doors that served as windows to the rooms were framed with dark red hurricane shutters.  It created an impressive picture when famed with the arch of the live oaks over the drive.  Just the guest house had four bedrooms and was a sight, but the grand mansion was something out of a movie.  Lovingly preserved by the Meirs family, and now the LaVeaus, it was a piece out of time and history.  The dark stains of the past that it held could never be erased, but they would be made up for over time.  Now it stood for the LaVeau legacy, and that was a strong, vibrant, and proud legacy.

Mel knew that when she had opened the wrought iron gates of the drive, it had alerted those within the guardhouse and the mansion of their arrival.  No one got onto or off of the property without being noticed.  If you tried to come on secretly, there were things seen and unseen that would greet you.  You had better hope the former got to you before the latter did.  So, when Mel pulled the large black SUV around to the back of the mansion, it was of little surprise that her mother stood flanked by her brothers, waiting to greet their guests.  She could not wait till they discovered the surprise that lay in store.

Once the car was stopped, and everyone was out, Mel led Arthur and Heaven over to her family while Cade unloaded the luggage from the back.  She could tell that all three of them immediately recognized in Heaven what she had and the adoring smile her mother cast on Heaven warmed her heart.  Marie was known for taking in anyone needing a mother and love, and it was clear she was already looking that way at Heaven, no matter if she had family back home or not.  

Marie was the first to speak, stepping forward and taking both of Heaven’s hands in her own. “Salve, fili mi, maiores te ad nos perduxerunt. Hic semper domum habebis. (Welcome, my child, it seems the ancestors have lead you to us.  Here you will always have a home.)” Then she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss in the middle of Heaven’s forehead.

Arthur tensed and Mel leaned over, “my mother adopts anyone she feels needs love.  She sensed that in Heaven and has welcomed her to always see this as a home.”  She kept her voice low as to not embarrass Heaven who was now tightly embracing Marie and she swore she saw a tear on the porcelain skin of her cheek. “You too Arthur, Vita Pacis means Life of Serenity.  Any friend of Cade’s is family here, where the mind can find peace when one needs.” With a soft and warm smile on her face, her eyes gently closed as she inclined her head.  

The stoic man just inclined his head in return before turning back to the scene where both Francois and Dontanion were further introducing themselves to his wife, who seemed to be taking everything in stride.  As dwarfed as the beauty was by her gruff husband, she looked absolutely tiny next to Mel’s brothers who were both well over six feet in height and broad shouldered.  “See, I told you this trip would be good for you.”  Cade finally made it up to them and clapped Arthur on the shoulder.  “And Mama Marie and the spooky bunch has adopted another stray.  I guess we’re brothers now, Arthur.  Wait till you taste her food!  We may never get you back to England.”  They all laughed as they began to head in to see exactly how big of a feast Marie HAD prepared.

@call-sign-shark @raincoffeeandfandoms @saltysupercomputer @blind-the-winds @sunset-a-story @touloserlautrec @aziz-reads @toribookworm22 @outpost51 @late-to-the-fandom @writingmaidenwarrior @spookyceph

[itdisneymatter]

Day 01 - Islands Of Adventure

The short

Islands of Adventure today. First full day and it couldnt have been a more perfect first day of our holiday. Once in the park proer, we made a bee line to Hogsmeade and did Forbidden Journey (gold standard as always) and then Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. And Magical it was, such a great ride and experience, it was fantastic. Jurassic Park next, River Adventure and the super speedy, super awesome Velocicoaster DONE. BAAACK to Hogsmeade to do Flight of the Hippogryph and Hagrid’s again (yup). Pretty much walked on to the Hulk, then Kong and finally Spiderman and the day was done. Very chill day which we didnt expect and ride times were all surprisingly reasonable.. Met up with Pauline and Kevin and went to Chilis for dinner where we were reminded very strongly about how big portion sizes were - IT. WAS. A. STRUGGLE, but very good and great to meet up with the family (not for the first time, I may add - details below). Very tired by the end but overall we all had a very very enjoyable day. Heading to Universal Studios tomorrow with Pauline, Kevin, Emily and Kelly - really looking forward to it.

The long

First off, I am tired writing this as its been a pretty long but very pleasurable day, so please excuse the mistakes, blandness and lack of edit photographs (or even photosgraphs), it’ll get better once I get acclimatized… probably. Please also forgive the fact that this may descend into an incoherent scrawl as I have my first glass of the new whisky at hand as I write this, and it may not be my last as it it very, very nice…

Of all the gin joints in all the towns…

So before I head into today, Ill just give a little recap of some of the events of last night that failed to go into the yesterdays update. Picked up the car after flying through security at the airport and decided to head to Disney Springs to pick up the Magic Bands for our upcoming Disney parks this week. Oh and as soon as we stepped out into Orlando air, the heat just hit us, not too hot - a very pleasant warmth but glad that we dressed for the occasion beforehand. And our car was huge, so spacious and easily devoured all ten of our cases and bags with room to spare. Took about an hour from the airport and by change we parked at the nearest car park to Planet Hollywood which was the place we had to pick up our bands. We were tempted so much to stay at Disney Springs for a while because it felt so familiar and exciting, but came to our senses as it was getting on in the day and headed to the hotel to check-in (and get our smoothies #nom), unpack and get base camp established. And although we were kinda shattered from all of our travels, we headed out to Walmart to get some essential supplies in. Now Walmart is frickin’ huge, its like Asda on Steroids, which then had a baby with Costco and you could easily get lost in it. And who did we bump in to? Pauline and Kevin and the girls (my sister and brother in law for those who dont know). Absolutely crazy and completely unplanned, what are the chances??? So yeah, we were stood in the middle of Walmart catching up and getting the low down on what they’d been up to. It was really nice to meet them out and about even though we had plans to do so this week. So after we said our goodbyes, we returned to the hotel and we all pretty much crashed out.

And now…

This morning I woke up at 5am. Why was this you ask? Maybe it was it my body clock adjusting? Or the heat just getting too much? Nope, it due to an alarm going off, the alarm that Ann had set on her phone to get us up for our flight the DAY BEFORE! I was able to get back for a short sleep though before we woke up proper and we were all the better for a good night sleep.

So on to Islands of Adventure today, our first of the two Universal parks we were doing back to back to kick off the week. We decided to ease ourselves into it, as we had to get our tickets and the accessibility pass organized which would take a little time at guest services. There was a buzz of excitement and familiarity as we parked up in the Jurassic Park carpark and walked down the moving walkway. And the Jurassic Park theme tune playing (which is possibly one of the most emotive movie themes ever), was the icing on the cake. We got to the gate and took our our embarrassingly huge A4 printout to get into the park (I find it pretty crazy Universal still rely on paper and pen for these things). The person scanning us in called everyone by their correct names as we entered one by one, well everyone except me. He called me Gerald. Now, I’ll take this time to recall an event from the evening before - whilst waiting on our Smoothies at the hotel, we came across a whole bunch of keyrings with names, one of which had a similar name to Gerald - Geraldo. I joked at the time about having been referred to that as a friendly moniker occasionally in the past and how it would be funny if I purchased said keyring as a joke. Well, the dude at the gate just gave me a big push in that direction and then having seen a stroller in the park not a 100 yards from that point with the family name of Geraldo, my fate i now sealed.

Guest Services. The girl assisting Ann, Lexi could not have been more helpful and pleasant. Right, I get it , I know this is their job and they get paid to do it, but I’ll tell you what I havent seen such kindness and willingness to help from random people in a long while. and it really didnt stop there. Such nice people here (be warned I fear I may say this a lot on this trip).

So on to Hogsmeade and the plan was to get a return time for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (which I will be calling Hagrid’s from this point on), and ride another Harry Potter ride while we wait. We had been forewarned about how excellent Hagrid’s would be by Michael & SJ, so kinda hyped for it. Decided to do Forbidden Journey while waited, and I couldnt quite believe that the wait time was only 15 minutes! The queue experience was excellent and this has been an outstanding ride in the past, so to see this at 20 minutes, that cray-cray. Pauline and Kev had said the parks were a little quieter but I really didn’t expect this. Hopefully a sign of good things to come. So the five of us strolled through Hogwarts halls, wearing our custom HP t-shirts, and we laughed and reminisced about previous years, even way back to the first year when it was only Ann & I as the children were all too small to ride. Happy times at Hogwarts.

Oh yeah the custom t-shirts (see I told you this was going to be all over the place). I’ll mention this only because it’ll matter later, but one of the sets of t-shirts we did (and we did 3 sets in total), was personalised t-shirts with quotes and character references from Harry Potter, all in Gryffindor colours. Ann had Dobby, Grace had Luna, Patrick had Fawkes, Robert had Hagrid and I had the Deathly Hallows. We didnt really have the time to make them so close to the holiday in hindsight but really glad we did.

Anyway, me and my soon to be sidekick for all park rides Grace, were in one cart and the other three in another. It was just like I remembered, and Grace loved it too (though closed her eyes at the spiders). Very enjoyable first ride of the holiday, scores out of ten below.

GG 8.5

AG 7

PG 8

RG 8

GG2 8.5

Now I and the other have adjusted these scores, in anticipation for the newer rides (Im looking at you Rise of the Resistance), so they may have slipped from previous years, but this is still fairly respectable overall.

Hagrids next and again the girl at the gate, Autumn was so amazingly nice. We had an issue getting a retun time for another ride, so she gave us 5 free tickets to walk on to any other ride later in the day and when I had problems with my locker she gave me a comp locker ticket without question. They dont need to do this, but it really made it so special for us. Just utterly humbled by the whole thing.

So Hagrids, aye well to start I was on the motorbike and Grace in the side car, with the rest of the troops not far behind. And it was so utterly, gob smackingly fantastic - I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time (while holding on to the handlebars for dear life). Everyone loved it and Grace screamed 10. 10. 10. 10. no 11, can I give it an 11?…. as we came off the ride and couldnt wait for me to ask her her rating. Ive said we should also give a ride a star everyday and Hagrids got five stars, it was that good.

GG 9

AG 10

PG 8.5

RG 9

GG2 10 (just 10 grace)

Had to get a Butterbeer (so good), and we then headed off to get a return time for the next coaster - VELOCICOASTER! We decided to come back and do Flight of the Hippogryph at a later time.

Life finds a way

We managed to get a return time for Velcicoaster which everyone apart from Ann decided to do. Yes, even Patrick “I dont do Rollercoasters” Gaffney decided he would go on it. No coaxing, arm twisting nothing. It was a big thing for him as hes not good with heights at all and it was a big one, so we dont to PG for stepping up to the plate. Meanwhile Robert “I love all the coasters” Gaffney, had been waiting all day for it!

Jumped on Sadie’s favourite ride, River Adventure, while we waited to go back, and we survived unscathed (well unwet, if thats such a thing). Funny thing as we were waiting in the queue, I had to borrow Anns prescription sunglasses as I couldnt read my phone clearly. Definitely felt old, if I didnt already at that point! Scores on the doors for this one were:

GG 7

AG 6

PG 7

RG 7

GG2 7

Back to Velocicoaster at our return time and the tension was building. Ann took some time out to go fill our unlimited refillable drinks and we hesitantly shuffled to the ride entrance. Grace was getting a little nervous, and even more by the fact it was only 2 persons wide as she would be on the end. But she wanted to try at least once, and to her and everyones elses credit, they did great. But boy, was it fast. Superfast really, reaching up to 70mph at one of the loops, and although that doesnt sound like much, it felt very very much. Robert had it as a definite contender for best ride, and Patrick thoroughly enjoyed it, which was great to hear.

GG 9

AG -

PG 8.5

RR 9

GG 9

We decided to use our free tickets we got earlier to do Hagrid’s again whilst it was still within walking distance, so back to Hogsmeade we went. The day was pretty easy going so didnt fell like were had to hurry through anythng at any point which was a nice feeling, so backtracking really wasnt an issue.

Flight of The Hippogryph. It was very short, just like this paragraph so heres the scores:

GG 6.5

AG 5

PG 6.5

RG 6.5

GG 6.5

Seriously though, still a nice wee ride, but when you now need to factor in the newcomers, it starts to slip.

The Fountain of Knowledge

Whilst taking a break before doing Hagrid’s again, we decided to sit on the edge of a nice water fountain in The Lost Continent area. I took my camera out for the first time (hence the lack of photographs, but that will definitely be changing as of tomorrow), and took a few shots of Grace. All of a sudden the fountain started speaking to us! It was surreal. His name was apparenlt Finneus (yeah Finneus the Fountain) and complimented us on our tshirts and asked where we were from. And on hearing that we hailed from Scotland, he put on a poor scottish accent (as you do or at least as others do) and asked about Haggis, the weather and the MIDGES, all the while cracking jokes. It was hilarious and so surreal. It was things like this that made our day get better and better. And it really didnt stop there. So we then got into the queue at Hagrids with our free passes, only to be called back hurriedly by one of the ride ushers. We thought we had done something wrong, but they wanted to see our custom T-shirts! And they were so impressed by them, that they told us to keep our free tickets as they were going to walk us all right to the front of the ride! We just couldnt believe it. It was EVEN better then second time, so better in fact I increased my score to 9.5. As we were leaving we thanks the crew, and they then asked if we wanted to do it again. WHAT??? It was insane, so yeah back to the front of the line yet again for our third time around Hagrids. Such a crazy series of events and special shout out to Justin, Andrea and Jake for that, absolutely buzzing after it and definitely worth eeking out the time to get the thsirts designed and printed.

To wrap up the day, we got a return time for Kong and while waiting for that headed to The Hulk. The ride Grace had been desperately wanting to try since the last time when she was too short to ride. The queue time was only TEN MINUTES!!! Just me, Robert and Grace for this one and Grace, who had been a bit shaky after Velocicoaster was starting to get a little anxious for it. She gripped my handed as we headed off from the platform, and after the first look I heard her screaming. Thinking that she it was too much for her, I looked over only to see her screaming with joy and we twisted upside side down and around and around and around. She exited with the words, BEST RIDE EVER! although her heart won out as she ultimately settled on Hagrids as her most favourite ride experience of the day. I was a little apprehensive about The Hulk after riding Velocicoaster, not living up to the memory and would pale in comparison to the newer tech rides. But it did not disappoint, it was everything I remembered it was, great solid ride and one I would happily go on again and again (which coincidently is what Grace said she wanted to do). One of Robert favourite ride from last time, and he felt the same way to.

GG 9

AG -

PG -

RG 8.5

GG2 10

Penultimate ride of the day - Skull Island: Reign of Kong and although I couldnt remember much from last time, it was really great and mixed visual effects, motion effects and animatronics really well.

GG 8.5

AG 7.5

PG 7.5

RG 8

GG 8

And finally Spiderman. Showing its age a little now, but still a good ride with lots of great sequences.

GG 7.5

AG 7

PG 7

RG 7

GG 7

And with that, we were done with the Islands of Adventure for the day. Honestly so overwhelmed by it all, and cant say enough how much of an amazing day we all had. If every day turned out to be half as good as this, it will be a fantastic trip.

And for dinner we caught up with Pauline, Kevin, Emily and Kelly after a quick change and headed to Chilis. Having only had a snack as we werent really hungry throughout the day, we were ready for it! We sat down to a a plethora of home made chips/nachos, cheese, chicken tenders, wings, bites, sizzling fajitas, corn and the biggest mozzarella sticks on the planet. Of course, not accounting the portion sizes, I think it defeated most of us in the end (well apart from Kev, Patrick and Robert), so will to take that into account in future. It was a great night made even better by my mum and dad who had given us the funds to cover the meal before we left (thanks guys! :)

Were heading to Universal Studios with P&K tomorrow, so need to be up bright and early, so with that Ill sign off for now. Thanks to those of you who are still here, spk to you tomorrow!

Step count of the day: 20.5k

Star rides: Hagrid’s (5 stars)

[igot7bbs]

My Happy Ending?? P.1

Word count: 1770

About: Y/N is a 24 year old girl living in the states! She has never really been fond of the concept of love, thinking it doesn't exist because of one bad breakup. Her bestfriend Mark left for South Korea to pursue his dream of becoming a Singer/Rapper!It’s finally time for her to see him perform live with his group! What she doesn't know is that she may find true love with one of the guys...

Authors POV  - Y/N and Mark on the phone

Mark: I've been walking around for 30minutes and I can't find you!!" His voice sounded frustrated.

Y/N: I haven't moved at all. I already told you, I'm wearing a burgandy tracksuit and my suitcase is black!!

A few seconds later

Mark: Ok I think I see you!!

Y/N: I MISSED YOU BESTIE!" You ran up to him and gave him a huge hug.

Mark: It's only been 5 months plus we facetime like every other day." He was chuckling while hugging you back.

Y/N: I know but I still missed you!

You made your way to his car from the luggage pick up section at the airport. The last time you guys saw each other was five months ago when Mark went back to Oregon to spend the holidays with family. You guys had been friends since middle school and you told each other everything. To you it was a big deal being able to see him again because he was like a big brother to you, and you a little sister to him.

Mark: I'm surprised you have so much energy right now, I thought that after a 13hour flight you'd knock out or be half dead." He said giggling to himself

Y/N: Yeah I'm as surprised as you are, but I mean it's my first time in Korea!!! You're the one who usually always goes back home. I'm happy I came over for a change." You couldn't contain the happiness you felt.

Mark: Well I'm happy you're finally here. I'm excited for you to meet the gang"

On the way to your Airbnb you guys talked about the show tomorrow. You shed a few tears here and there because you were so proud of how far he had come! Your best friend had become the amazing artist he dreamed of being, and you were ready to be the loudest fan at the venue tomorrow. After finally arriving at the Airbnb, Mark helped get your things down and you both walked inside.

Mark: Ok quick run through on names, cause we all know you suck at them.

Y/N: Alright I've been practicing, here we go...                                                  JB, Father of the group, soft and sweet but gets upset if disrespected. Also has killer dance moves and his soft delicious voice can make you melt.         Jackson, Goofball but also a protective big brother. Does his own thing but will be forever loyal.                                                                                          Jinyoung, His thing is being a bit of a jerk. He has an amazing booty if I do say so my self. Is the mother and actor of the group so don't cross him.                                                                                                           Youngjae, Our sunshine. Is like a baby but then again he isn't. His voice and laugh will make you dive into a distant world of joy and harmony.                                                                                                 BamBam, Immature child. Always hyper and outgoing. Basically a crackhead that will love you forever but will never say it to your face.                                                                                                     Yugyeom, Our little dance prodigy. Tall, handsome, but a little shy. Is a cute sensitive teddy bear.    

Mark: Wow.......... perfect!! Look, I'm just going let you know now so you don't come for me later. I'm not letting you leave Korea single Y/N. I'd rather say it to your face than you yelling at me in front of everyone. As your best friend it is my duty.

You were looking at Mark with an annoyed look.

Mark: I know I know it's too soon and you just got here, BUT you're not getting any younger so don't fight me on this please! Now get a good nights rest because we have a long day tomorrow.

He gave you a quick kiss on the forehead, shut the door behind him, and drove off as fast as possible. Of course he was trying to avoid the scolding you would give him for trying to set you up with someone yet again. It's wouldn't be a normal trip without having Mark meddle in you love life. I mean he was your best friend after all and he just wanted what was best for you. after rolling your eyes and just shrugging it off, you got ready for bed and drifted off to sleep....

Next Day

The day went by quicker than expected. You spent your first full day exploring a bit of Seoul and just breathing in the new atmosphere before returning to the ABnB and getting ready for the concert. For some reason you found yourself getting nervous. It was going to be the first time you saw Mark perform in Korea. Different emotions and thoughts were going through your brain.

"What the hell? Why am I feeling like this? Is it because I'm going to watch him perform or because of what he said? There's no way I could end up with any of the guys! I haven't even met them yet! Who would I even end up with? I mean I'm pretty sure they would all look good in a tux while hugging me, then running off into the sunset while holding my hand...What am I saying? Marks cray, ain't no way I'm ending up with one of his friends!"

You made your way to the venue and of course you were front and center. Mark had offered for you to stay back stage but you wanted the full experience. The concert was finally over and you couldn't even speak from all the chanting, singing, and screaming. You were definitely the loudest person there but you couldn't give 2 fs about what people would think. You were there for your bestie and you were damn proud of him. Tears were forming in you eyes and for a moment everything around felt as if it was moving in slow motion. Your friend was living part of his happy ending....... but where was yours? Seeing him smile up there because of the goal he had reached overjoyed you but you couldn't help but ask, what about yours? Why did it feel like you were there but left out. The guys were having a blast on stage as if there was no pian or heartache in their lives. You wanted that feeling. You wanted that happiness, and it was time to let go. After snapping back into reality, you realized his manager had escorted you to Marks dressing room.

Mark: How was the show?... " He asked in a shy manner trying to act cute.

Y/N: Mmm I've seen better.."

Mark changed his expression. He looked surprised while holding his chest.

Y/N: I'm kidding! That was absolutely amazing!!" You gave him a hug and wouldn't let go because you didn't want him to see the tears that were slowly forming in your eyes. "I'm so proud of you Marki" After staying in the position for a moment you sucked up the tears, and giggled as you let him go. Let's be honest though, Mark knew all to well that you were tearing up.

Mark: I'm hoping those are tears of Joy Y/A." He wiped your cheek. "You have no idea how happy it makes me that you're here. Now come on the boys have been on me all day because I haven't introduced you yet.

Grabbing your wrist he rushed you into a room that was waaaay to crowded. You couldn't understand much but you could tell a lot of people were already wasted. While navigating through the crowd you somehow got separated from Mark. Of course, you panicked and just stood there.

?: I found you!

The lighting was terrible so you couldn't make out the strangers face. He just held your hand and dragged you through the crowd. Wanting to get out of the swarm of people you just followed. You slowly started to make out Marks face about 10ft away.

Mark: Thanks Bam. How'd you find her so quick?

Bambam: She's tall and foreign..

Mark: Makes sense.

Y/N: So you're Bambam? I'm Y/N nice to meet you.

Bambam: I'm Bambam. It's good to finally meet you.

Bambam kept cracking jokes while Make rounded up the team. The music wasn't very loud, nor did the room feel like a club. Everyone was just there to talk and hang out. After the team was together Mark introduced you.

Mark: Guys for those of you who haven't met my bestfriend from back home, this Y/N!" He had a huge smile on his face. What a dork you thought.

They all rushed over and started greeting you, almost as if they knew you. Everyone that came by seemed familiar but you knew there was one missing. A few minutes had passed as you started to get to know the boys, Mark nudged your side...

Mark: This is Jackson or goofball as you stated before.

You turned and saw a tall guy standing maybe 2 feet away. You stood there silent in shock. What the hell... THIS BOOOIIII IS FIINNNEEE. Your knees almost gave as you stared into his beautiful eyes and saw your future together. Running toward the sunset while holding hands. Then buying your dream home together and putting babies in it and maybe getting a dog named Claudio....... Are you kidding?? Snap out of it!!

**Jackson: **Hi nice to meet you I'm Jackson, or Seuna, or Wild and Sexy. Which ever you like is fine! Its whatever" Why did he seem nervous? Uhhhhhh He smelled so good!! Did he actually or were you hallucinating? They had just finished a concert. Did he actually smell like sweat but since he's gorgina you just smelled Bleu de Chanel?? WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO YOU?? You couldn't function properly. You were confused but you liked it. You kept thinking "Let go Y/N"

Mark nudged you again and laughed a bit. You tried playing it cool and not show your excitement but..... you couldn't. You tried so hard to talk some sense into yourself. "Come on Y/N this is way too soon and way weird. You literally just got here and you just met the dude. You can't do this!! You promised yourself you wouldn't let another F***boy come into your life and ruin it!!! COME TO YOUR SENSES!! ERROR!!! EMERGENCY!!! COME BACK TO REALITY!!" You finally let it hit. Jackson was not going to happen. Nor was any other dude. Depression came and settled into your broken little heart. Now what? This trip was not going to end how you wanted and you knew it. Forget about that happy ending girl. It ain't for you.........

A/N_: Hi everyone. _So I'm writing this story for fun also I'm editing and changing a few things here and there! It's a take on a story I wrote on the app WIT! It's also called My Happy Ending, I just changed it up... quite a bit actually! I hope you like it! Well spanks for readin

[child-of-of-the-sunshine]

Never Stopped Loving You

Prologue

A/N: My friend Fives from discord edited this for me. So big thank you to him. Annamae nickname it Anna and will be used mostly.

The Uranium Plant Mission was over and the team had a month before they all had to report back to North Island. Jake only had one thing on his mind, home. He missed his family. Jake’s dad picked him up from the airport. Jake had been dying to drive his old truck again, which he and his dad fixed up before he left. The moment Jake walked into his childhood home his little sister came running up to hug him. “Jakey!”, she said as she was starting to cry. “Hi, sis,” Jake said, hugging her back. Jake's mom came out of the kitchen and exclaimed, “we didn’t think you were coming back to us, Jake!” “I didn’t think I was either,” he said, starting to get choked up. His mom walked over and hugged him and that's when Jake broke, crying in his mom's arms. Most people that knew Jake back in high school knew he was a mama’s boy. “It’s okay Jake, let it out,” his mom said, rubbing his back. “You did good, kid.” His dad said, patting his back. Sure Jake had saved two brothers on his team, but Jake felt like he didn’t do any good. Jake thought he could have done more or should have been in the sky sooner than he was. “Jake, what happened?” His mom finally asked. “I can’t say, but we almost lost two of my guys on the team,” Jake said, almost stuttering over his words.“Oh, Jake.” She said looking at him, “go upstairs and wash up for dinner and if you want to talk after we can,” his mom said smiling at him. Jake did as told and went upstairs also taking his bag to his old room. Jake stopped in the doorway and looked at all the belt buckles he had won from bull riding back in high school and middle school. He stopped at a photo of him and a girl. The girl had beautiful blonde waves in her hair and was wearing his hat. Jake smiled remembering that day very well. 

“Jake, come on!” The girl said, looking back at him. “I’m coming, the fair will still be there.” Jake laughed at her. “I know but I'm excited!” The girl said. “Annamae, you will be the death of me,” Jake said laughingly. “No, I won’t,” she said, grabbing his cowboy hat off of his bed and putting it on her head. Jake shook his head at the memory knowing that he could never get the girl back. Jake washed up for dinner and looked at himself in the mirror, before heading back downstairs to the dining room to eat with his family. 

Halfway through dinner his sister got a call from someone. “Macy, you're not going out with your friends tonight. Your brother is home.” Jake's mother said, looking at the girl. “I know I told them that,” Macy said looking at their mom. “I can’t go, it's a school night and my brother is back in town,” Macy said before hanging up the phone. Later in the night Jake grabbed the keys to his car and went to a bar in town. Jake didn’t expect to see Annamae working at the bar. Jake walked up to the bar and waited to be noticed. “What can I get for you?” The familiar southern accent hit his ears. Jake's mind went blank upon hearing it, “I’ll take a whiskey on the rocks.” 

“One Whiskey on the Rock coming up.” The girl said. Jake sat down at the bar and took his hat off placing it on his knee, Jake kept thinking back to the mission. The drink was set in front of him

“So what brings you to town.” The girl asked. “I’m on a month of leave from the Navy until I have to report back,” Jake said looking at his drink. “You have family here?” The girl asked. “Yeah, I grew up here,” Jake said.“I know you did, I was surprised to see you walk through those doors. Your mom told me about that goodbye.” Annamae said. “Yeah, it was pretty serious.” Jake said still not looking up at the girl he was still in love with. “Nice seeing you Jake,” Annamae said before walking away from Jake. Jake had two more Whiskeys on The Rocks before paying and heading home. What Jake didn’t know was that he would be seeing Annamae a lot more than he thought.

[memo15g]

Flight Back to US (7/21) | Kat Tang (BOD)

Waking up at 5am in the morning, the bittersweet knowledge that we were leaving Vietnam settled in. As I finished packing up my box of leftover MEMO clinical supplies, I reminisced on the trip and all of the months of preparation we had done. It admittedly felt as if we had been in Vietnam for a long time, yet simultaneously the two weeks passed by in the blink of an eye. The mission trip was over, and so was my term as Co-Executive Director. As I look forward to the next chapter of my life, I know I will look back fondly on my 5 years in MEMO and all of the work we’ve been able to accomplish thus far for the underserved communities here in Vietnam, but also back home in Southern California. I will miss the 20 hour days, all of the yummy food, late night officer and BOD meetings, playing with the children in the schools and orphanages, and supervising the vitals room during clinic days. I will miss feeling connected to our patients, as I rub their hand comfortingly after pricking their finger at the glucose station. I will miss all of the wonderful and kind people we met in Vietnam, from our collaborators to the local volunteers who worked side by side with us during clinic days. And I will miss all of the beautiful memories I have made alongside our other MEMObers.

When 6am rolled around, our 15Gers began to head down to the hotel lobby to bring their luggages and MEMO boxes down and eat breakfast. Once the bus arrived, we loaded our things and climbed into the bus. During the ride to the airport, I opted to peer out the window, taking Vietnam for the last time. I am so grateful to everyone for being so welcoming to us during our time here.

At the airport, we ran into some problems with our MEMO check-in boxes (note for next year: no batteries in the check-in items!) but other than that, our flight from Vietnam to Taiwan went smoothly. I sat next to Wendy and we spent the majority of the flight talking and reminiscing on the trip. Kalvin was in front of us and was lucky enough to get the whole row to himself! We then had a 6 hour layover in Taiwan (big thank you to our advisors and providers for giving us access to one of the lounges there!) and some of our members parted ways with us there for their short vacation in Taiwan. Then came the long flight from Taiwan back to Ontario, California (about 12 hours!) where I got to sit with Wendy and Hallie. I honestly slept the majority of the flight. Usually I have to put a movie that I know well on to fall asleep, so I opted for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. This was admittedly a bad choice when I was later awoken by a particularly loud fight scene. When we arrived to the airport and got all of our belongings, my sister and mom were waiting to pick me up. I went around to our advisors and members to give hugs and say my heartfelt goodbyes. While I was sad, thankfully it was more of a “see you next time” since I expect to attend Gala next year!

MEMO has been a huge part of my life and while I am closing this chapter, I do not plan to leave MEMO behind forever. It will always have a special place in my heart, and I look forward to seeing MEMO continue to thrive and help those in need. After 2 years on Board of Directors, I think I am more than ready to start cheering from the sidelines and allow our upcoming Board of Directors step in with their fresh outlook and exciting new ideas! I have always joked that being in MEMO feels like running a marathon rather than a sprint. Looking back now, I think it is more like a relay. At the end of the day, it’s always a group effort and we all rely on one another to accomplish our goals. Passing the baton on to the next set of directors, I have confidence that they will continue to lead MEMO into a bright future. The mission trip is such a wonderful culmination of all of our efforts throughout the school year. It was so inspiring to see all of it come to fruition after spending so many long hours planning, and I’m excited to carry that inspiration and love for serving the community into the next segment of my life.

[travelingtheusa]

FLORIDA

2024 March 16 (Sat) – We went out for lunch to Cracker Barrel.  Otherwise, we stayed around the campground most of the day.  Got ready to tomorrow’s move.

2024 March 15 (Fri) – We went to El Patron for a Mexican lunch.  It was very good.  Afterward, we went to the National Naval Aviation Museum.  What a fantastic museum!  They have changed it from 10 years ago.  You used to walk into the foyer with 5 full-size Navy Blue Angels jets overhead in formation.  The going joke was always, Why are they so far apart? When they are just inches from each other.  That entrance is different now.  The entrance is still jaw dropping but not focused on the Blue Angels any more.  We walked around the building filled with all kinds of planes, gliders, and hot air balloons.  They also cover the space program with capsules the astronauts returned home in.

      A ferocious thunderstorm passed through tonight.  One particular boom was so loud that the RV shook and the night sky lit up lit a bomb had gone off.  Scared the heck out of Sheba and me.

2024 March 14 (Thu) – We went back to SMART HQ this morning.  More talk.  More review of files.  Discussion of issues and upcoming caravans.  We left at noon and stopped at The Fishing Hole for lunch.  The name kind of gives an image of a small shack on the bayou but it turned out to be a very nice restaurant with a New Orleans flair.  Paul enjoyed a jambalaya and I had shrimp and bacon on cheese grits (the house specialty).  It actually turned out to taste pretty good.

2024 March 13 (Wed) - We packed up today and Eglin AFB after 28 days in place.  It took a bit to get all the preparations in place as we are still getting used to the new rig.  We left at 11:00 and drove to a nearby parking lot where Paul guided me while I tried backing the RV up.  I did fine driving straight and turning but that backing up is hard!  Paul makes it look so easy.  Guess a career of driving heavy machinery has paid off for him.

      We arrived at Pensacola RV Park at 1:30 pm.  This is a very nice campground.  The sites are roomy with lots of grass and just the right amount of trees in place.  Our site is gravel and there are full hookups along with WiFi and cable TV.

      Once we were set up, we drove 16 miles to SMART HQ.  There is a small building on the lot of Melissa’s home.  Melissa is the Executive Manager for SMART.  She and her assistant, Phyllis, live together in the house.  The SMART HQ used to be Melissa’s photo studio.  Paul and I went through files and talked with the staff about SMART issues. 

      Stopped at the Bonefish Grill on the way back home and ordered the Bang Bang Shrimp.  That is so good.  We also indulged in margaritas and bread.  Obviously, we wound up taking half our meal home.  We were stuffed!

2024 March 12 (Tue) – We spent the day working on our caravan plans.  Got the basic route done with a list of activities to check out.  At lunch time, we drove to the base dining facility for lunch.  They advertised Yankee pot roast for today’s lunch and I wanted some of it.  Unfortunately, by the time we got to the dining facility, it was all gone.  A black bean burger did not taste good after hungering for the pot roast.  We went back and continued working on the caravan plans. I made reservations to fly back to New York on the 20th. I spent $1,000 to go back and get my free hearing aids from the VA. How crazy is that? My sister, Susan, will pick me up, take me to the Northport Medical Center, and drop me off at the airport so I will have no car rental. I will also stay with her and her husband so there will be no hotel costs. Too bad I couldn't pick up one of those cheap flights Southwest is always advertising.

2024 March 11 (Mon) – We went to the base dining facility today.  I had a turkey, bacon and avocado wrap with sweet potato fries and Paul had smoked turkey with a baked potato with a mushroom vegetable sauce.  We shared a potato soup and both had a drink.  The entire meal came to less than $19.  How come we didn’t find this place sooner?

      We then drove to the commissary and did some shopping.  Also stopped at the package store to pick up some bourbon.  We returned the key to our mailbox in the UPS store.  It was smart to get that box.  We saved a lot of money with all the packages we had delivered.

2024 March 10 (Sun) – We stayed in all day working on our next caravan.  It is a lot of work to put these things together.

2024 March 9 (Sat) – We drove to Fort Walton Beach and Destin this afternoon after spending the morning working on our next caravan – Planes, Trains, Automobiles & Ships.  There is so much to see in Michigan that we are having a hard time shaving down the choices.  We’ll get there.

      The National Seashore of Fort Walton Beach and Destin reminded us very much of Fire Island back home.  Lots of water and sand.  The ocean on one side and the bay on the other.  We stopped at a café called Crackings for lunch.  Everything was excellent.  The day was overcast.  It rained hard most of the night.

2024 March 8 (Fri) – Well, I am back from New York.  It was a longer trip as I had several doctors to see. I had left extra time hoping to get new hearing aids from the V.A. but they scheduled me for March 15.  I have been trying to change it to March 20.  I plan to fly back on the 19th, go to the VA on the 20th, and fly back to Florida on the 21st.

      The trip home was very productive.  I saw the oncologist, cardiologist, dentist, ophthalmologist, and chiropractor.  All tests came back green across the board.  I am fine.  Almost.  The ophthalmologist said my lower lid is pulling away and my upper lid needs a lift again.  He referred me to an eye surgeon for evaluation.  I will go back in June and get it done.

       While I was away, Paul did wonders with the RV.  He built a beautiful desk that looks like it came with the trailer.  He also found places to store everything.  It will take a while to determine where everything is and a little longer to get used to new set up.  I keep going to the wrong cabinet for the trash. 

      We drove to Pensacola yesterday to participate in a muster with the SMART White Sands Panhandlers Chapter.  We knew more people than I thought we would and enjoyed meeting new folks.

BREAK – BREAK

2024 Feb 15 (Thu) – We worked around the camper today.  Paul ordered several things online to work on while I am gone.  He will be making a desk for this new camper.  At noon, we ran out to get some things done.  First stop was at the UPS store on base.  We stopped there yesterday and opened a mail box for the month we will be here.  Today, we went back to get some paperwork notarized.  Then we shopped in the PX and the commissary.  Next, we went off base to the post office to mail off the paperwork for our new plates and registration.  Of course, there was a stop for lunch.  We ate at Sonny’s BBQ.  “If it isn’t smoking out back, it’s not Sonny’s upfront.”  Everything was delicious.  We even took leftovers home for dinner. 

      I spent the night packing for my trip back to New York tomorrow.  I will be gone for 2-1/2 weeks.  I had to buy another suitcase because I am bringing winter clothes with me.  It snowed yesterday and more snow is predicted in 2 days.  I hope it won’t be too miserable while I am there.  Kenny is sick and Miranda asked me to stay with my sister.  Susan lives in the Hamptons and that would add an extra hour’s drive to wherever I want to go.  I decided to stay in a motel for the duration.  Ugh.  The cost!

2024 Feb 14 (Wed – Valentine’s Day) – We took off from Eastpoint at 10 a.m. and headed out to Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Valparaiso.  We went through a time change from EST to CST.  We stopped at a gas station for lunch.  It was quite nice.  I never saw so much fishing equipment for sale in a gas station before.  There must be some really popular fishing spots around there.  We tried to drag our feet because check in time wasn’t until 3 p.m. but we arrived a little after 2 p.m.  Since I had already spoken with the office and gotten our site number, we went straight there.  It was open so we pulled in and set up.  The campground is little dated with lots of trees around the area.  We are parked under pine trees and some kind of tree with small nuts.  Hope they don’t fall on our rig.

      Hudson’s birthday is tomorrow.  We sent him a pair of basketball shoes for his birthday.  He had a play-off game tonight and wore them there.  He said the game would be devoted to us.  They won. 

2024 Feb 13 (Tue) – We left Williston at 9:45 a.m.  We never got to see my niece.  I called her yesterday and she said we would get together later that evening.  Unfortunately, a rainstorm blew in and she got busy taking care of the animals on her farm.  She never called back.

       We arrived at Coastline RV Resort in Eastpoint at 1 p.m.  We ran out to get fuel and grab lunch at the Red Pirate.  We are only here for one night.  It is a beautiful campground.  The sites are roomy with a large, lovely brick patio.  There is a pool right behind our campsite with one person braving the cold.

2024 Feb 12 (Mon) – We packed up, then ran to the post office to send off Valentine’s cards to our grandsons.  When we got back, we said good-bye to Margaret & Rich, hooked up, and took off.  It was about 50 minutes to the Williston Crossings RV Resort.  It is a very nice, gated resort.  They have a pool and hot tub, laundry, games, activity room, and camp store.  Our campsite is full hookup on a concrete pad.  The staff were very nice and one of them was even named Melody.

      Once we were set up, we went into town to get some spring bars for the refrigerator.  For some reason, we did not have any in the fridge and when I opened the door, I got plastered with saucy chicken.  We are still learning and adjusting to our new space.

2024 Feb 11 (Sun) – There were the last minute runs out to WalMart and Lowe’s.  Paul was going to make steps for me to get up into the bed.  Our new 10” mattress arrived and once on the base, now comes up past my waist.  I need help getting into the bed.  He discovered a plastic step ladder with two steps.  We bought that and returned the wood he bought.  Then he spent the day working under the RV, plugging holes and spraying a bed liner.  I worked on trying to get the taxes done before my trip to New York.  Margaret made hamburgers for dinner then we watched the first half of the Super Bowl with them before returning home.

2024 Feb 10 (Sat) – I went to the hairdresser today.  I wanted to touch up the lowlights and get my hair cut.  The hairdresser put too much color in and the cut is funky.  She called it a pixie cut but it looks like anything but a pixie cut.  As usual, I will wait for it to grow out and hope to find another hairdresser who can do my hair the way I want.  *sigh*

       Rich grilled the steaks tonight.  I made baked potatoes and Margaret cooked up some corn.

2024 Feb 9 (Fri) – We continued work around the RV today.  At noon, we ran out to Winn Dixie to pick up some steaks for dinner tomorrow.  And, as always, a stop at Lowe’s was in order.  We have been there almost every day as we pick up and return items.  Margaret & Rich took us out to dinner at Olive Garden tonight. 

2024 Feb 8 (Thu) – We stayed in all day, working around the RV.  Paul is really doing so much.

2024 Feb 7 (Wed) – There’s been a pretty steady stream of Amazon packages arriving.�� We are expecting our new mattress on Thursday.  We will be taking the king size bed out and replacing it with a queen size mattress.   We spent the day working around the RV.  Paul got the safe installed behind the fireplace.  I am still trying to get our RV registered in South Dakota.  The guy that I worked with has left the company and a new person is on board.  I made an appointment to meet Tuesday by phone.  I also have to find a notary public.  Our mail forwarding service at Escapees sent a note asking for us to verify that SMART is not a business.  Paul also has to sign his revised will.  I will meet with the lawyer when I go back to New York later this month to sign my will. Margaret made stuffed chicken and rice for dinner tonight.

2024 Feb 6 (Tue) – We went to WalMart early so we could get an oil change for the truck.  While that went on, we had breakfast at Dunkin Donuts then roamed the aisles for a bit before the truck was done.  Then we drove to Home Depot but didn’t find anything so we left bare handed (wow!).  Margaret mentioned another store where she buys things cheap so we drove there.  Ollies didn’t have much of what we wanted but they do have nice area rugs.  When we need another rug (our new one arrived in the mail yesterday), we’ll have to shop there.

       Margaret made dinner again.  We enjoyed left-overs.

2024 Feb 5 (Mon) – The modifications continue.  We ran out to WalMart – returned items that didn’t work out and bought new stuff.  At 5:00 p.m. Margaret & Rich had a birthday dinner for friends (one couple and a single guy).  The two men were celebrating birthdays.  Margaret made a seafood meal – shrimp, crab cakes and fish.  As usual, all the food was good and plentiful.

2024 Feb 4 (Sun) – Paul ran out to Lowe’s to get paint.  He is adding two shelves to the pantry and wanted to paint them the same color as what is in there.  I worked on SMART National Muster items, including a comprehensive schedule that lists all times, topics and presenters.  We took Margaret & Rich out for dinner to Los Magueyes (a Mexican restaurant).  The food and margaritas were good.

2024 Feb 3 (Sat) – We went shopping again at both WalMart and Lowe’s.  In addition, we got on the computers and ordered some stuff online.  It’s cost us over $1,000 to date to equip and adjust this new RV.  Margaret made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  She seems to be enjoying our company and fussing over us at dinnertime.

2024 Feb 2 (Fri) – We worked tirelessly all day long, getting things rearranged and built.  Matt & Melissa came over to Margaret & Rich’s tonight for dinner.  Paul and Margaret used to work with Matt back in NY Traffic Signal days.  Margaret made Marry Me Chicken.  It was very tasty.

2024 Feb 1 (Thu) – We woke, made a list of things to get, and went shopping at Lowe’s and WalMart.  Half way through Lowe’s, I lost the list somewhere so we didn’t get to buy everything we needed.  But we came home and got a good deal done, although very little unpacking.  Paul discovered that the cardboard file boxes fit nicely in the closet.  We will be going through and packing up anything we don’t use on a regular basis.

      Margaret made hamburgers for dinner.  Then we watched TV while our clothes were in the washer and dryer.

2024 Jan 31 (Wed) – We got up and tried to get some semblance of order, enough to be able to close the slides and drive off.  We left the RV dealer parking lot at 11 a.m.  and arrived at our friend’s home, Margaret & Rich (Paul and Margaret worked together at Traffic).  They had a nice covered area for their RV which they were kind enough to move out and let us use.

      We visited for a bit, then went out to tackle the problem of finding a place for everything.  We moved from a 40’ rig into a 38’ rig.  We also lost a lost lot of cabinet space.  By the afternoon, we were walking around taking measurements.  Tomorrow, we will go to Lowe’s and pick up wire racks and storage boxes to add room.

      Margaret cooked meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner.  It was good!  Afterward, we watched TV for awhile, then came back and crashed.

2024 Jan 30 (Tue) – We drove to Optimum RV for our 9 a.m. inspection and walk through of the new rig (after stopping for breakfast at the Hometown Restaurant).  We waited almost an hour and a half before the tech came to get us.  We walked around the RV, letting him show us the different functions and instructing him when he didn’t know something or had it wrong.  The water pump didn’t work and a slide on the bureau was loose.  Other than that, all seemed to be in order.  When we were done inspecting the rig, the tech brought us back to the office to see someone in finance.  That was another hour wait.  At noon, I asked the receptionist if we should go to lunch, seeing as how it was lunch time and the finance officer was probably going to lunch, too.  She told us he would be right out.  Half an hour later, a young man came out and told us he needed the title to the Vilano and a copy of my driver’s license.  I gave him my license but we had to walk back to the rig to get the title.

      In the meantime, our RV was parked out front where we checked in.  Another tech had asked to take a quick look inside so we dropped the trailer and popped the slides.  He walked through, admiring the RV and telling us it was a nice rig.  We agreed.  We had to search a bit among all the packed up bags and boxes but we finally found the title and brought it back in.  We then waited another 20 minutes before a second finance guy came out to complete the paperwork.  We signed over the title, signed a bunch of papers, and were congratulated.  It was now after 2 p.m.

      We went back to the rig and made a quick lunch.  Then we commenced to moving everything from the Vilano to the Ahara.  At 6 p.m., we took a run down the road to get dinner at Wendy’s.  There was another couple who was also transferring stuff from their travel trailer to a new fifth wheel.  We picked up dinner for them.  Seeing as how it was dark and we had a mess inside, we decided to spend the night in the parking lot.  The place is a disaster and the cat is freaking out.  I’m getting too old for this!

2024 Jan 29 (Mon) – We got up early and went into the Magic Kingdom to have breakfast at the Crystal Palace.  It was a character breakfast and we got our picture taken with Winnie the Pooh.  Afterward, we walked over to Tomorrowland to go on the Circle of Progress but it was closed.  We walked through the stores looking for a bumper sticker and a Mickey Mouse sticker to put on the camper but they don’t make them any more.  Bummer.

      We packed up and left Fort Wilderness at 11 a.m.  It was almost two hours to the Wild Frontier RV Resort in Ocala.  We spent the night packing up as much as we could.  I was exhausted by the time we finally went to bed.  Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.  We stayed here close to the RV dealer so we could arrive and get the day started early.  Hope all goes well.

2024 Jan 28 (Sun) – We visited the last of the 4 parks today – the Animal Kingdom.  This is the least visited park of them all.  We started out with breakfast at the Rainforest Café.  The meal was good but as with all Disney restaurants, the meal was more than twice the cost of a meal outside the park.  We walked around a lot.  Got to take a river ride in the Avatar setting, saw the It’s Tough to be a Bug show, and watched a show with birds.  It was very warm this morning and early afternoon, then a cool breeze blew in.  Paul says a cold front is coming in.  We rode to the Wilderness Lodge for lunch and ate at the Roaring Fork.  It was good.  Then we caught the boat to the campground, took the bus back to the parking lot, then got in the truck and drove back to the campground.  It was a long day.

On a good note, Paul seems to be over his virus and I never caught it. Whew!

2024 Jan 27 (Sat) – Today was a trip to Hollywood Studios.  This was the most crowded park yet.  The new Star Wars attraction is the big, new attraction.  There were people everywhere!  We had breakfast at Hollywood & Vine to the tune of $130 (ouch!) and got to go on one ride after a 70 minute wait.  We got annoyed and left.

2024 Jan 26 (Fri) – We went to EPCOT today.  We left a little later since we wanted to stay for the fireworks.  We got there about 4 p.m. and strolled along the walkway.  We waited over an hour for Soaring Over California.  Also walked through a few areas before getting to the World Showcase.  We had dinner at the Biergarten Restaurant.  It was a buffet with German fare.  Everything was good and there was a show with 4 performers.  They played various instruments included the bells, the French horn and those long Swiss horns.  The fireworks show was fantastic.

2024 Jan 25 (Thu) – Paul popped up at 11 a.m. and said, “Let’s go to the park.”  I immediately agreed and we caught the boat to the Magic Kingdom.  The park was crowded but we managed to get on a few rides – Runaway Train (45 minute wait), Haunted Mansion (55 minute wait), Pirates of the Caribbean (35 minute wait), and the Hall of Presidents.   We came back home to feed Sheba and have dinner, then returned to the park to watch the 8 p.m. fireworks show. 

2024 Jan 24 (Wed) – We stayed in again today.  Paul seems worse but he says he’s a little better.  Hope he gets better soon so we can take advantage of at least some of the park.  My throat does not hurt any more.  Guess it cured itself.

2024 Jan 23 (Tue) – We stayed in all day.  Paul in blowing his nose and running a low grade fever.  I have him taking Ivermectin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Quercetin, and Zinc.  It only lasted him 2 days and with very mild symptoms last time he had it.  Hopefully, it won’t be any worse this time.

      At 4:30 p.m. we drove into town to pick up a few groceries.  Then we went to Pioneer Hall in the campground and had a light dinner.  I started getting a scratchy throat. 

2024 Jan 22 (Mon) – We packed up and left Brandon at 10:30 a.m.  We drove an hour and a half to Lake Buena Vista to stay for a week in Fort Wilderness in Disney World.  No other place looks like Fort Wilderness.  It is unique and inviting.  I love it.

      Paul started with a scratchy throat yesterday and is congested today.  This evening, I was on Facebook with the Vilano group.  One of the members there posted that she tested positive COVID.  We did a test on Paul and, sure enough, he is positive for COVID.  What bad timing!

2024 Jan 21 (Sun) – We packed up and left Tampa at 11:30 a.m.  We only had 9 miles to go back to the Elks Lodge for the night.  We got the same spot we had last week.

2024 Jan 20 (Sat) – We went to look at our RV again then walked around the show.  The crowds were very large.  Lots of people turned out to look over the displays.  Another couple in our group bought an RV.  We had a happy hour tonight and shared stories of our purchases.

2024 Jan 19 (Fri) – We stopped at our RV to look it over.  Unfortunately, the RV we bought was a show model and because this is a manufacturer’s show, they will continue to show the model for the entire show.  All we can hope for is that it doesn’t get abused during the show.

      We walked around the show.  Paul bought snap pads for the new rig.  There was a bingo game tonight.  We didn’t win anything.

2024 Jan 18 (Thu) – We walked around the show again today.  When we returned last night, we sent inquiries out over the internet to get some quotes on two different RV models we liked.  This morning, as we were getting ready to leave for the show, we got an email offering a quote on one of the models.  We took that quote to the RV dealer, showed the quote, and asked the salesperson to match it.  After a little bit of angst and some discussion among the staff, she agreed to match the offer.  That was quite a coup!  The MSRP was listed as $118,000.  The “special show price” was listed as $89,995.  The quote we got from the internet was $78,213.  That was almost what we paid for our Vilano back in 2017.  They gave us $30,000 for a trade-in.  We feel we got an excellent deal and signed the papers.  We purchased a 2024 East West Ahara.

      There was entertainment tonight.  A band played.  They were excellent.  When they called numbers for door prizes, we won two surge protectors – one for 30 amp and one for 50 amp.  We will donate the 30-amp protector to SMART at national.  It is worth about $250.

2024 Jan 17 (Wed) – The Tampa RV show opened today.  We walked all around the show.  My back was killing me by the end of the day.  Whew!  We stopped at a couple of designated dealer sites and got quotes on two rigs.  We returned to the RV and made a couple of calls to dealers, trying to find a better deal.  We will work it for the week we are here. The electric was hooked up when we got back.

      Our group had a potluck tonight.  It was cold and we sat around the circle with 5 propane fires burning.  The food was good.  The weather got cold today.  It’s projected to be cold again tomorrow.  Brrrr.  One of the ladies brought her little chihuahua to the potluck.  She was warning everyone not to touch it as it bites.  Not for nothing, but if your dog bites, you shouldn’t bring it to a group function.

2024 Jan 16 (Tue) – We woke at 5:30 a.m. to pack up and leave.  Taking down the RV in the dark is an adventure!  I used both a flashlight and the light from my cell phone.  After hooking up the trailer, Paul drove to the dump station where we dumped the black tank and filled the fresh water tank.  Then we hit the road and drove 9 miles to the Tampa Fairgrounds where the Super RV Show is taking place this week.  Hope we can find the kind of rig we want at a decent price.  They are SO expensive today!

      We are camped with the Vanleigh group on the grass along the back fence.  We have no water or sewer hookup.  We should get electric but are running the generator for now.  Some of the folks here remember us from the first group campout here back in 2020.  Paul and I set up the large tent.  Another one of the guys here put up his smaller, 10x10, tent.  The sky opened up this afternoon and it poured.  Everyone fit under the tent very nicely.

       At 5:30 p.m. we met Brenda & Rick at Ulele Beer Garden.  We first met them on the Utah caravan and have become fast friends.  We try to visit with them whenever we are down this way.

2024 Jan 15 (Mon – MLK Day) – We went to Bradenton this morning to visit with my cousins, Fred & Margie.  Their daughter and her husband, Carolyn & Bobby, were also there.  Two hours flew by.  Fred is not doing well (he will be 89 this year), but he is very alert and competent.  He said his sister, Pat, fell down and was in the hospital.  Although she did not break anything, she is bruised and sore.  Pat will be 92 this year. 

      After we got back to Brandon (almost an hour drive), we stopped at Tres Amigos for lunch.  The sky opened up just as we pulled up and the rain poured down.  We spent an hour inside enjoying our meal.  By the time we came out, the rain had stopped.  The weather is cooling off.  There is a cold front coming across the country.  Rain and ice is pelting the northern states.  Even the southern states have falling temps.

       When done with lunch, we went food shopping at Publix.  Groceries stocked, we are ready for tomorrow’s move to the fairgrounds. 

2024 Jan 14 (Sun) – We didn’t do much today.  Stayed in.  The weather was lousy.  We worked on caravan stuff.

2024 Jan 13 (Sat) – We walked down the street to a small grocery store down the road.  It was a lot like a Restaurant Depot.  We picked up a few frozen meats but couldn’t find the rest of what we wanted.  It was just as well, anyway, because we had to carry the groceries back down the road – about half a mile.

      We drove out to lunch at Tibby’s, which was a cajun style restaurant.  I had rice and beans and Paul had jambalaya.  We have both tasted better but it was all good.  We then stopped at Total Wines after lunch to pick up a bottle to put in the prize drawing pile. 

2024 Jan 12 (Fri) – We did our laundry this morning.  Drove down the road to a laundromat.  It seemed like it had pretty new machines.  We put the clothes in the washer and then went to the post office to mail off some insignias for SMART chapter members.  After we returned and put the clothes in the dryers, we walked to Office Depot to pick up a few items.

      There was a dinner at the Elks Lodge tonight.  They had pierogies, kielbasa, a stuffed cabbage, salad, fruit, and the most delicious rye bread.  Everything was very good.

2024 Jan 11 (Thu) – We went into Tampa to look for jeans for me.  The first store we stopped at did not have any short sizes.  The second store didn’t either, but Paul suggested I buy crops.  That worked.  I bought I pair of jeans at Macy’s and another at Lane Bryant.  Mission accomplished, we stopped at Bonefish Grill for bang bang shrimp and soup. 

2024 Jan 10 (Wed) – We packed up and left Moore Haven ACOE at 9:45 a.m.  We stopped at the dump station then took off for our 3-hour drive to Brandon.  We are staying at the Elks Lodge.  The camp host suggested a site that was kind of sandwiched between 2 and would have required a very long hose to the water spout.  We decided to take another site adjacent to the lodge building.  We have 50-amp electric and water hookup; no sewer.  We stayed here back in 2017.  The lodge was a very busy place back then but not so much today.  We went into the lodge at 4:30 p.m. to pay for our site.  There was one other couple in there.  It’s still a beautiful bar but attendance is not good.  The bartender confirmed that membership has dropped off, just as it has everywhere else in the U.S.

      After paying for our site and enjoying a drink, we drove into town to get dinner and shop.  Dinner was at Tasty Venues, a Real Italian Restaurant.  I had lasagna and Paul had spaghetti pie with 3 different types of meatball.  The lasagna was exquisite!  I have never tasted anything as good as that.  It was a large serving and I took most of it home.  Paul was unimpressed with his meal.

      We left the restaurant and went to Publix to pick up a few groceries.

2024 Jan 9 (Tue) – We met Allen & Carol, Buddy & Deborah, and Buddy’s daughter, Lynn, at LaBelle Brewing Company for dinner.  I ordered meatloaf and got a dish overflowing with food.  I think they wanted to get rid of the meatloaf because I got 2 very large slices along with green beans piled high on a plate too small for the meal.  The green beans were soft and mushy.  Yuck.  The mashed potatoes were delicious and the meatloaf was OK.  I took most of it home.

      The weather was pretty ratty all day.  A brisk wind blew most of the day and a rainstorm blew in tonight.  There was heat lightning in the clouds.  That always looks pretty cool.  The weather was pretty severe south of us and we were getting warning notices about the possibility of tornados.  Our son and daughter-in-law contacted us to make sure we were OK.

2024 Jan 8 (Mon) – We drove to Fort Meyers today.  I need a new pair of jeans but when I started trying on clothes, I was dismayed to find I was a larger size.  I got depressed and stopped shopping for any clothing.  We stopped at Books-A-Million where I picked up a couple of cook books. Then we went to Chicken Salad Chick and had chicken salad sandwiches.  We stopped at Publix on the way back to the campground.

2024 Jan 7 (Sun) – We stayed in today and worked on the next caravan we are planning for 2025:  Planes, Trains, Automobiles & Ships.  There is so much to see and do in Michigan.  We are having a hard time paring the choices down.  I guess that’s the hardest part of planning a caravan – choosing the right amount of activities yet leaving time to explore on their own.

2024 Jan 6 (Sat) – We went over to Allen’s tonight for a barbecue.  He smoked up some ribs.  They were delicious!  We stopped over Buddy & Deborah’s house to look it over.  They bought it in February just before taking off for an extended RV trip this summer.  They only just got back at Thanksgiving.  The layout of the house is odd and they have their work cut out for them.  But they seem to be happy next to Allen (Allen and Deborah are siblings).  Buddy showed Paul where to hook up the RV if we ever come visit and stay at their place.

2023 Jan 5 (Fri) – We drove into LaBelle to shop at WalMart.  Then we tried to find a place to buy firewood.  Ace Hardware, WalMart, Tractor Supply, and 7-11 were all out of wood.  Allen & Carol and his sister and husband, Deborah & Buddy, came over at 4 p.m.  We had hamburgers and hot dogs.  I made potato salad and chickpea salad.  Allen brought over some wood from his shop and we had a campfire.  It was an enjoyable evening.

2023 Jan 4 (Thu) – We packed up and left LaBelle at 11:30 a.m.  We only had an 11-mile drive to ACOE Ortona South Campground in Moore Haven.  We were here some years ago.  It is a very pleasant campground right on the Caloosahatchee River.  Our site has electric and water hookup.  We are on a concrete pad with a gravel patio with a covered picnic table.  There is a lock right next to the campground.  After set up, we walked over the lock to the other side and watched a boat come through the lock.

      We sent a note to Allen, telling him we arrived and were set up.  We agreed to have them come over for a BBQ tomorrow. 

2023 Jan 3 (Wed) – We went to Clewiston today to tour the Seminole Reservation Museum, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki.  It was an hour’s drive from LaBelle.   When we arrived, we drove first to the Swamp Water Café for lunch.  The café was set in a visitors area with cages for animals.  Almost all the cages were empty.  There was a very nice arena with grass and a moat filled with clear, clean water surrounding it.  In front were 3 stands for an audience to watch an alligator wrestling show.  The waitress told Paul the café had just opened for 7 days a week on Monday.  The place had closed for the pandemic and has not reopened.  The petting zoo was also closed. 

      The entire village is very well kempt and you can see they put money back into the reservation from the casino.  There was a new development under construction.  A very nice campground was also on the reservation.  We went to the museum.  The walkway from the parking lot to the building was a decorative block.  Inside the museum, we found the Seminole Indians to be very different from the Indians out west.  There clothing was very colorful and the men wore turbans!  The natives were driven into the everglades during the Seminole Wars (three of them) and they are very proud that they never surrendered or signed any peace treaties.  In the back of the museum was a boardwalk that wound through the swamp for a mile.  There were many storyboards along the way that described the wildlife, reptiles, insects, flora and fauna of the area.  There was also a replica fishing camp and a replica village.

       When we got back to LaBelle, we drove to Allen & Carol’s home, visited a while, then drove to Amigos & Beer for dinner.  I had tortillas and Paul had a combo meal.  We had margaritas but they were not good.  Mine smelled like perfume and the taste was off.  We drank them any way. 

2023 Jan 2 (Tue) – We drove to Fort Meyers this afternoon.  We spent the morning researching RVs online and decided to go to dealers to look at rigs.  The first stop was at Camping World.  When the girl demanded to make a copy of Paul’s license, he refused and we left.  What kind of weird requirement is that?  She claimed it was for insurance purposes.

      Next stop was at La Mesa.  They did not have any towables on their lot.  We seem to remember stopping at La Mesa a year or so ago and they said they are only selling motor homes.

      Then we stopped at Blue Compass RV.  The salesman was very upbeat and eager to sell us an RV.  We looked at a rig we really liked but once we started comparing it to our current RV, we realized it was missing a lot of storage space.  There were not nearly enough cabinets to hold all our stuff.  The salesman asked us to contact him when we find a rig we want and he will try to get it for us.  We told him we are going to the Tampa RV Show and (to be expected) he told us the better deal is at the dealership.  We will see.

      We went for lunch at Skip One Seafoods, a cute local restaurant that had really good food.  Allen asked if we wanted to go to dinner tonight but since we were an hour away and still looking at RVs, we made a date for tomorrow instead.

      After we got back to the campground, we did the laundry.

2023 Jan 1 (Mon) – We packed up and left Naples at 11:15 a.m.  It was only 74 miles to LaBelle so we took it slow.  The drive was nice.  We are staying at Whisper Creek RV Resort.  We had such a hard time finding a campground in the area so we wound up making reservations at this resort.  It is costing us $125 a night.  Ouch!  At any rate, we wanted to visit with our friends, Allen and Carol.

      We drove over Allen’s house at 4:00 p.m.  He lives in a double gated community on a hill right on the river.  It is a very lovely home with a main waterway going past the back of his house.  We visited for an hour then went to dinner.  Allen’s son, Allen Jr., is visiting and joined us as well.  We were going to go to a Mexican restaurant for margaritas but they were closed so we wound up at the LaBelle Brewing Co.  I had a cobb salad and Paul had jambalaya.  The food and company were very good.

       After dinner, we drove back to their house.  Visited for a half hour, then left.

2023 Dec 31 (Sun – New Year’s Eve) – We drove into the historic district of Naples today.  Everything is built in Italian architectural style.  I guess their sister city is Naples, Italy.  It has a very European feel to the town.  There were so many expensive cars.  A Bentley convertible, many Bentleys, BMWs, Porches, Audis, etc.  We are in the land of the rich people.  We found a parking spot and walked down to the Naples Pier.  The sand was so soft and beautiful; finer than sugar.  There were people and cars clogging the streets and sidewalks.  We left and drove to the Texas Roadhouse for lunch.  We got fuel and returned to the campground.

      New Year’s Eve came and went while we slept away.  We went to bed at 10:30 p.m.  There were fireworks going off all night.  We were wakened at midnight when there was an influx of joyous noise.

2023 Dec 30 (Sat) – We went to breakfast at Hoots this morning.  It was a small café but bustling with business.  I had corned beef hash with eggs and Paul had some kind of Mexican dish.  Everything was very good.

      After breakfast, we went to WalMart for groceries.  The exterior was not like the average store.  Paul joked that because we are in a rich neighborhood, they didn’t want it to look like a WalMart so they made it quite fancy.  Inside was pretty much the same except that there were 37 self check-out lanes and only 2 cashier lanes, both of which were closed.  I found someone to come check us out.

2023 Dec 29 (Fri) – We packed up, stopped at the dump outside the gate, then proceeded on our way to Naples where we are staying at Marco Naples RV Resort.  This is another of the gargantuan commercial company RV parks.  We are here for 3 nights.  Naples is a very high end city with lots of manicured lawns and residential communities.  Our campsite is on a concrete pad fit between two mobile homes.  We have full hook-ups.  The resort has bocci ball, a pool, horseshoes, and 2 dog parks.  The mobile homes are tightly fit in with open spaces here and there for RVs that come and go (like us).

2023 Dec 28 (Thu) – We took down our Christmas tree and all the decorations, packed them away, and restored the rig to pre-holiday status.  It looks kind of empty now.  At 4 p.m. we drove to Marathon.  Traffic was heavy and we got there at 5:15 p.m.  We were planning to have dinner with Tim at the Cracked Conch.  However, Tim was worried we wouldn’t get our food in time to make Show Me The Money at the American Legion at 6 p.m. so we picked him up at the restaurant and drove on to the legion.  We all had hot dogs.  Carrie met us there.  We played cards for 2 hours.  Carrie was very lucky and won several games. Paul saw Tim and Carrie share an intimate kiss.  Guess they are more than just friends.  Good for him!

      At 8:30 p.m. we said our good-byes and headed back to get ready for tomorrow’s move.

2023 Dec 27 (Wed) – We drove to Key Largo to mail off a package we were returning.  I ordered (what I thought was) a heating pad, but when it arrived it was a huge sauna blanket.  Too big for RV living so I returned it.  Next door was Ferdinand The Bull Cuban restaurant.  We both had Cuban sandwiches.  I didn’t care for the bread but it was tasty.

      We met Carl & Shirley (SMART friends) and Tim at the Old Tavernier Restaurant for dinner.  We sat out on the patio.  The menu was interesting and everything was quite expensive.  I felt bad for Tim who wound up ordering the cheapest thing on the menu (lasagna) and still forked over a large share of the bill ($40).  We then all drove to the Elks Lodge where we played the Queen of Hearts.

2023 Dec 26 (Tue) – We did the laundry this morning.  Drove to a laundromat down the road that had bags and bags of laundry all over the place.  My impression is that they are the only laundry for miles around.  And they take in laundry for all the resorts and hotels in the area.  It was expensive, too.  The small washer cost $3.50 and the dryer was $0.25 for 5 minutes.  It was over $14 by the time we were done.

      A thick fog rolled in this afternoon.  Everyone claims it’s weird.  They never get fog.  It stayed all afternoon and into the night.  We drove to Marathon, got on Tim’s tiki boat, and rode to the Dockside Bar & Grill where we met Carrie.  After some food and drink, we drove to the American Legion where we played bar poker.

2023 Dec 25 (Mon – Christmas Day) – We picked a turkey breast up at Winn Dixie yesterday.  I cooked it this morning, then we brought the turkey and cranberry sauce to Tim’s.  Tim cooked a ham.  It rained and we sat around his boat for an hour.  During a lull in the rain, Paul and Tim went down to the store to pick up soda.  One of Tim’s neighbors came over and invited us to sit on his boat because he had a cover over the deck.  So we traipsed over there.  There were 9 of us in total and we enjoyed a Christmas meal with the food everyone brought.  It was a very pleasant day.

2023 Dec 24 (Sun) – Paul and I met Tim and Carrie for Christmas morning service at the Marathon Community Church.  They used to be part of the Methodist Church but they broke away.  Much of the service was very much like that of the Methodist Church. 

      After church, the four of us went to the Cracked Conch for brunch.  Three of us ordered corned beef hash, eggs and potatoes.  Paul ordered creamed chipped beef.  The waitress brought four orders of creamed chipped beef.  We sent 3 back; they left one because they were only going to throw them out any way.  Everything came on a separate dish – the eggs, the potatoes, the toast, the hash.  There were way too many dishes on the table.

      When we finished, we got on Tim’s tiki boat and rode to the Dockside Bar.  We sat on the patio and had cocktails.  At 3, we left and returned to the campground for a potluck meal at the Elks lodge.  At 5:30 p.m. we went into the lodge and enjoyed the assortment of foods people brought.  Again, there were way too many cheese and cracker dishes.  As we were leaving at 6:30, we ran into Carl & Shirley.  They were on previous caravans with us.  We plan to have dinner with them on Wednesday.  We said a quick hello then hurried out to attend the 7 p.m. candlelight service at the United Methodist Church down the road. 

2023 Dec 23 (Sat) – Paul and I went to Doc’s Diner for breakfast this morning.  Tim recommended it and it was quite good.  I had corned beef hash with eggs and grits; Paul had sausage and gravy.  We drove to Marathon and met Tim at the American Legion for a gingerbread house making contest.  Paul and Tim concentrated very hard on their project.  I made a gingerbread man.  The guys won the contest!  I think it was the campfire (complete with flames made out of licorice) and the chimney with fire that did the trick.  I was the only person to make a gingerbread man so I won it all.

      Afterward, there was a potluck dinner.  There were way too many cheese and cracker dishes but we were able to fill up.

2023 Dec 22 (Fri) – Everyone took off today.  Chris drove Susan to Miami for her flight back to New York, then returned to his new digs in Jacksonville.  Dennis & Denise decided to leave and head back to their condo in Myrtle Beach, S.C.  And Greg & Potsy left to go back home to Sarasota.  It’s just us and Tim again until we leave.

      We took the day to just kick back and relax.  Paul is reworking our route since our planned caravan has been cancelled.  I worked on various projects to include my new book.  At 5:30 p.m. we went into the lodge for dinner. 

2023 Dec 21 (Thu) – The weather was overcast and drizzly today.  The group had talked about bicycling over the bridge to Pigeon Key but cancelled out.  Paul and I did some shopping at Winn Dixie.  Chris and Susan walked across the 2 miles to Pigeon Key.  Dennis and Denise went shopping for sandals and tee-shirts.  At noon, Susan, Chris, Tim, Paul and I went to the American Legion for lunch.  Then we met Dennis and Denise at the Pigeon Key Train Depot.  Greg and Potsy arrived to meet us there as well and we all took the little trolley across the old railroad bridge turned walkway to Pigeon Key.  There we took a tour of the island where 400 workers used to live on the island while the rail line was being built.

      When we got back, some of us met at the Dockside Inn for drinks.  Then, they all ran back to their respective hotels to get their gifts.  We met at the Florida Keys Steak & Lobster House for a Christmas dinner.  We had a Santa swap (each person put a gift in and took one gift out).  It was fun.  We had a great time.  The last time all six of us were together was eleven years ago in May of 2012.

2023 Dec 20 (Wed) – Chris and Susan moved out of Skip Jacks this morning and went to the Hampton Inn.  Apparently, the place they gave them to stay is a condo that is being lived in.  When Chris pulled out the bed on the couch, there was sand and dirt, a screw driver, a half eaten dog bone, etc.  They were so grossed out!  Whoever lives there just threw their stuff in a closet and vacated.  

      We drove to Key West with Chris and Susan.  Parked in back of the Navy base for free and walked the town.  We saw the Butterfly Museum and had lunch at the Moon Dog Café.  Then we took Chris to see the USCGC Ingham.  It brought back memories for him (he’s retired from the Coast Guard). 

      When we got back at the foot of the 7-Mile bridge, we met Tim for dinner at the Sunset Grill.  Dennis & Denise had arrived and also met us at the restaurant for dinner. 

2023 Dec 19 (Tue) – Susan and Chris flew in today.  We met them at their hotel, Skip Jacks, and went to dinner at the Cracked Conch.  When done, they returned to their hotel and Tim and I went to the American Legion for their membership meeting.  I was somewhat surprised by the lack of officers.  The commander filled all roles – adjutant, vice commanders, treasurer – and ran the entire meeting by himself.  It took about a half hour.  When done, we filed out into the bar and played bar poker.  Paul had dropped Sue & Chris off at their hotel and came back to the post.  He won one game.

2023 Dec 18 (Mon) – We drove to Marathon to meet Tim.  It was an almost hour drive!  I don’t remember it being so far away.  We met Tim at the American Legion but they had run out of lunch food.  So we hopped in our vehicles and drove to the Cracked Conch for lunch.  It was a cute little beachy place.  Paul had fried scallops, Tim and I had cheeseburgers.

      After lunch, Tim took us out on his Tiki boat.  It was a very pleasant ride with a fairly strong wind blowing.  There was a touch of coolness in the wind but not bad.  I am always so amazed at all the people who live in their boats out on the water.  The city has 250 mooring points where a person can anchor to and live for just $350 a month.  There is a pump out service from the city and a facility where people can shower and do laundry.  It’s certainly a different way of life.  Tim keeps his boat tied to the dock because he wants to have electric service.  He says the state also has mooring points for hook ups as well.  There were certainly a load of boats out on the water with very few open points.

      When we got back, we drove back to the American Legion where we played bar bingo (it’s bingo at the bar instead of tables).  It is a very nice post.  The bingo caller was clearer a man trying to be female with shorts, a blouse with open shoulders, longish hair and painted nails.  S/he is called Victoria and has a slew of tattoos left over from his days in the military.  They played 12 games, each on a sheet of paper with 6 cards printed on it.  There were different games to play which kept things interesting.  All of us won a game and when all was said and done, Paul and I basically broke even. 

2023 Dec 17 (Sun) – It rained this morning, then cleared up.  We were able to pack up without rain pouring down on us.  Thank goodness!  We left Key West at 9:15 a.m. and drove up-Island for 2 hours until we arrived at the Elks Lodge in Tavernier a little after 11 a.m.  The gate was closed and I called the camp host to admit us.  We were shown to our spot - #5.  Paul pulled in, swung around, and backed the RV in like the pro he is.  We are along the fenceline with close access to the side entrance where the bathrooms are.  Since we have no sewer hookup, we need to be careful to limit our water usage.  We can usually last 10 days with no sewer.  We have to kick it up a little to make the 12 days we will be here.

      I called my brother, Tim, to say we were here.  He said Sundays are his “busy” days (as if you could be busy retired and living in the Keys) so we agreed to meet him tomorrow.

      The sky is blue and nearly cloudless.  There is evidence the storm passed through today.  In fact, everyone says this was a really unusual storm because it lasted so long and intensified as the week went on.  There are puddles and pooling everywhere.  At one point during our drive, we could see where the water came up and covered the roadway.  There are parts along the drive from Key West where the islands are very thin with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other side.

2023 Dec 16 (Sat) – The weather was miserable today.  It poured hard on and off between light rains.  The wind blew in very strong gusts, even knocking the Starlink satellite over. We didn’t want to go out, but we needed fuel for tomorrow’s move.  So, we got gas on base for $1 less than the station right outside the gate.  While out, we stopped at Kennedy Café for lunch.  It was a Greek restaurant and we both had gyros.  There was a 5 or 6 year old girl following the waitress around.  She brought my water when the waitress brought Paul’s tea, then gave me a menu.  Cute until she gets hurt.  She was hopping and bopping around the place with her little tutu and sparkly shoes. 

      There was a quick stop at the NEX to look for pirate booty (which we did not find), then back to the RV.  Travis called this morning.  Noah was also on the phone and asked us to get some pirate booty for them.  We will continue to look for it.  Wish we’d known the past week we’ve been here.  We walked past sooooo many gift shops.  We’ll still be in the Keys on Islamorada and we can search there.

2023 Dec 15 (Fri) – We went to the aquarium this morning.  It was a little misty with spotty rain.  The aquarium was something of a disappointment.  It was small and the outside tank was overcrowded with large fish.  There were 7 nurse sharks, groupers, tarpon, red drums, etc. all swimming around (the nurse sharks actually just lay around).  A staff member gave a demonstration and fed some of the different kinds of fish, including the sharks.

      After the aquarium, we walked into town and had lunch at Irish Kevin’s.  We thought it was an Irish restaurant but it turned out to be more of a bar that sold some food.  No shepherd’s pie.  We indulged and each had a margarita (since we started dieting about 2 weeks ago, we have given up alcohol).  I had a cheeseburger and Paul had some kind of fish.

      When we were back at the trailer, I got a call from the camp host at the Elks Lodge, where we are headed on Sunday.  She wanted to know when we were arriving today.  I told her we wouldn’t be in for 2 days.  There was some confusion about when we were scheduled to arrive.  I looked at the registration form I filled out on line and discovered I had signed off on an arrival date of December 15, not 17.  Oops!  I agreed to pay the 2 days since they held the space for us rather than renting it to someone else.  It’s incidents like this that make me worry about my mental capacity.  It doesn’t happen often but when it does, I ponder my brain.  It would be awful to contract Alzheimer’s or dementia.  We see a lot of folks in our travel group that suffer the disease.  It’s unsettling to know that you are in the age group that is susceptible to that.

2023 Dec 14 (Thu) – We drove into town this morning and mailed off 163 Christmas cards.  Whew!  Then we drove to the Little White House.  President Truman took his vacations here during his presidency and even after he left office.  He claimed he got more work done when he was down in the Keys as opposed to being in Washington, D.C.  The house was lovely.  Many presidents and dignitaries visited and/or stayed in the house.

      We then walked downtown to have lunch at Fogartys.  We sat out on the patio and watch chickens and pigeons flock around the area.  There are loads of chickens all around the area.  Reminds me of Hawaii.  We then drove to Fort Zachary Taylor.  It was an old fort built in 1845.  It was intended to protect the Straits of Florida, Key West Harbor, and the Gulf of Mexico.  The fort was used in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.  It was the longest serving U.S. coastal fortification, serving from 1861-1947.

      When we drove out of the park, we noticed the USCGC Ingham.  It was the largest Coast Guard ship I have ever seen.  We had to explore it.  We bought tickets and went onboard.  They offer cocktails by sunset on Fridays.  The history of the 76-year-old ship was very interesting. 

      By the time we finished our tour, it was raining pretty good.  We came back to the campground and did the laundry.

2023 Dec 13 (Wed) – The bicycle company dropped off the bikes this morning.  The bike fits although it feels like my knees come up a little high.  We put them under the overhang and will take them out when the weather clears up.  We told him to pick them up on Saturday.

      Then we drove into town and had lunch at the Cuban Coffee Queen.  It was a small café in an indoor mall.  We got our meal and sat in the aisle outside.  We toured the Audubon House.  My cousin, Denise, has worked there for many years and when I mentioned her name, we were ushered right in.  The house went through several owners.  Finally, it was renovated and renamed the Audubon House in honor of John Audubon who stayed in the house for a while.

      Next, we went to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.  Mel was born in Indiana and moved to California.  He became in the new sport, scuba diving.  He opened a dive shop and did snorkel and scuba until discovering shipwrecks.  He went on to wrecking (diving on shipwrecks) and moved his family to Florida.  He searched for 16 years until he discovered a Spanish galleon with a cargo valued at over half a billion dollars in 1985.  The ship had sunk in a storm off the Florida Keys.  It turns out there were many ships that sank during storms sailing from Cuba to Spain.  Mel made quite a living diving on the wrecks.

      After we got back to the campground, we finished up the Christmas cards for mailing.

2023 Dec 12 (Tue) – We drove over to the ITT office and got military tickets to a few attractions.  Paul also arranged to rent 2 bikes.  Unfortunately, they are NOT electric.  I hope I can manage it.  We’ll see when they deliver them tomorrow.

       We drove into town and had lunch at the Stoned Crab.  The waitress seemed to forget us.  I kept staring down the aisle looking for her.  Finally, the hostess noticed and went to get our waitress.  The meal was OK but nothing to write home about.

      We drove over to Office Max to get ink for the printer.  We also stopped at CVS to pick up a statin the doctor prescribed for me.  I put it aside while I mull over taking it.  Maybe I’ll put it in the drawer with the high pressure medicine.  When we came out of CVS, we noticed a hair cutting salon.  Paul needed a haircut badly.  It’s been too windy for me to do it outside, so we went in.  While in there, I had a hairdresser also trim my hair.  I asked her if she could fix a bad cut.  She looked at my hair and went, “Oy Vay!”  It looks much better now.  And the black lowlights have begun to fade and blend in better.  I like the way it looks now.

      When we got back to the campground, there was a note on our door from the camp host.  There is a weather report calling for high winds and local flooding caused by rain.  Wish we had known before we rented the bikes.

2023 Dec 11 (Mon) – We stayed in all day.  I began working on writing our Christmas and getting cards ready to assemble.  The weather was kind of crappy anyway.  At 5 p.m., we walked over to the Sunset Grill for dinner.  We had wine with it and wanted to watch the sun set but it was too cloudy.  Oh, well.  Another day.

2023 Dec 10 (Sun) – We drove around town to check out the sites.  We stopped at Winn Dixie for a few items and Paul picked himself up a bagel at a small shop near the grocery store.  I picked up a prescription at CVS.  It is a statin the doctor wants to start taking for cholesterol.  I am reluctant to do this and the bottle sits on the shelf for now. 

2023 Dec 9 (Sat) – We packed up and left Sunrise at 9 a.m.  It was a 4-hour drive to Key West.  We are camped at the Sigsbee Naval Air Station (NAS) campground.  The campsites are very tight and the campground is full.  We have been trying to get into this campground for a couple of years.  We wanted to stay here because so many folks talk about camping here.  Now that we have done it, I hope that’s the end of coming here.  We are mountain people, not beach people.

      There is a lounge right in the campground.  We walked over and sat on the deck with a glass of wine and watched the sun set.  The campground is right on the Gulf of Mexico and the front row of campsites faces the water.

2023 Dec 8 (Fri) – We packed up and drove to the dump site where we emptied our tanks.  Then we had to stop at the store to return a remote control they gave us in case we were out late and needed to open the gate upon our return.  We had to put $40 down in deposit and when I gave it back, they refunded the $40.  The clerk was different than the one from yesterday, so I told her I lost my membership card.  She said there was supposed to be a charge to get a new card but she just gave it to me.  We then drove to George’s body shop where I presented him with the card.  I filled it in with me as the member and George as my husband.  Hopefully, it will work for him.

      The drive was pleasant until we got into the Palm Beach/Miami/Ft Lauderdale area.  Then the traffic ground down and we crawled to our destination.  We are camped at Markham County Park in Sunrise, Florida.  We stayed here two years ago on the way down to the memorial for Tim’s son, Joey.  It is a huge park with loads of activities – shooting range, skeet range, BMX track, archery range, several dog parks, volley ball, etc.  Our campsite is in section B in a wagon wheel formation.  It is very nice, on grass, with full hookups.

      After set up, we drove to town (about a half mile away) to do a little shopping and get fuel.  We came back and drove around the park.  It is very impressive.

2023 Dec 7 (Thu) – We drove over to meet George at his place of work this morning – AutoHaus Body Shop.  He showed us around and introduced us to his new dog, a rottweiler.  Beautiful animal but he calls it dumb.  We went to lunch in George’s new Audi electric car.  Our meal was at Muddies, a small but very nice café.  Next door was a Rope Store. We had to go in and check it out.  They really sell ropes and all kinds of lines.

      After lunch, we went back to the shop.  Paul mentioned that there are spots on our truck that he can’t get out.  He asked George about it.  When he looked at the truck, he said the spots were caused by battery acid.  The only place that could have happened was when Paul had the truck in the shop back in Greenville, SC, while I was in NY.  The garage said the batteries were bad and sold us two new ones.  It looks like someone dropped a battery in front of the truck and acid splashed across the right front panel of the truck.  George took pictures and made up an estimate of cost to repair the damage.

      When we got home, Paul called the Ford dealer and told them about the damage.  The manager told Paul to send pictures.  I emailed the estimate and pictures.  We’ll see what happens.

At 5:30, we drove to Dolphin’s Waterfront Grill & Bar where we met George (Linda was at a Christmas party with her bible study group), Denise & Matthew.  Denise is George’s sister and Melody’s cousin.  Matthew is her new boyfriend.  They have been dating for six months and seemed very happy together.  We enjoyed a delightful meal while we reminisced about our growing years.

2023 Dec 6 (Wed) – We left Kings Bay, GA, at 10 a.m.  It was a long drive with two stops – one at the visitor center at the border and the second at one of the largest Buc-ee’s we have ever seen.  It had 120 gas pumps and 240 fill stations.  Inside was like a combination department store, country store, and gas station.  The place was so busy with traffic jams outside by cars looking for parking.  We wound up parking on the curb because there was no parking.  The “station” was packed with lots of energy going on.  There was a smoked meats sandwich counter and a fudge/candy station.  We shopped for a gift for family. 

      We arrived at KARS (NASA’s recreation park and campground) on Merritt Island at 3 p.m.  This is the 4th time we have camped here.  We came because they give a second membership card to use the facility for a family member.  Because NASA has been revitalized and demand is back up, they stopped giving the additional membership card.  We gave those cards to George & Linda.  He will be disappointed to hear this.  We were assigned a sign right on the water front of the Banana River.  They have improved the campground a lot since we were last here.  They put in new electric stanchions and a second dump station.  The American Legion post is active with meetings 3 times a month.  We have never seen this post do anything in the past.

      At 5 p.m., we drove to George & Linda’s home.  We visited for a while then they drove us to a restaurant names in honor of Ernest Hemingway.  It was a unique place and the food was good.  We all celebrated with “traditional” margaritas.  We returned to their home then drove back to the campground at 9:30 p.m. 

      I was so tired, I went to bed.  Paul stayed up to watch a lift off from Kennedy Space Center.  The complex is directly across the river and offers spectacular views of rocket launches.  Although I had fallen asleep, I was awakened at 12:08 p.m. when the RV shook with the force of the list-off.       

[brianyololau]

9/23

Today is my last day in vietnam. I’m on the plane back to Saigon so that we can take the international flight back to the Cali. This has been one HELL OF A TRIP. I’m not gonna lie, there were times in Huế that were randomly sad and fun. For a good portion of it though, I was pretty bored because there was nothing left for me here. I didn’t have any blood cousins to reconnect with. The older “aunties” moved on with their own family since I last visited 18 years ago, and I don’t even recognize the neighborhood I visited when I was 6. It’s all changed.

It’s sad too. Seeing how my mom and uncles used to live, I felt nothing but sadness and compassion. Yesterday, we visited the neighborhood where my family lived. My mom showed me where Cẩu Vủ used to bike to Cô Châu’s house every day for her grandpa to hem materials before bringing it to Cậu Long to sew together. It was a sight of poverty that was humbling and painful to see. To think that my uncle used to walk around the streets selling lottery tickets just to make less than a dollar a day. The river I looked at was the river my uncles used to swim in. It was also the same river my mom swam in because her father was too busy in jail to teach her how to.

To see that my mom had a childhood too.

To see that she still has a part of that inner child.

To listen to her tell me of how she used to run across this one small isle because the bodies of unborn children used to be buried here.

To listen to her tell me the bridge we’re crossing is the bridge that my grandma tried to kill herself in.

Stories of living in piss poor conditions, struggle, suffering, and surviving together. I thought Huế had nothing for me here when I first came. Relics of the past. But as the stories began to pile up, I slowly realized that this small city in the middle of nowhere actually has a long history underneath it that I can’t see in front of me.

I met someone named Chị Phương on Cô Châu’s side who was very kind and welcoming to me. She was the definition of sweet and caring, unafraid to start and maintain a connection with everyone. That was the Chị that convinced me Huế wasn’t as lifeless as I initially thought. I met her last evening at the joint family dinner, and she made a constant effort to be friendly with me. So, I opened up, and we were cool since then. We ended up going to a tea/coffee shop and going to a live music restaurant across the street. I ended up bonding with two little boys that came along and singing on stage with Lindsey and Chị Phương.

Man, Lindsey and I got up to sing Santeria, and we were bombing it. At one point, we just stood there cause we were doing nothing right. I wanted to just apologize and walk off, but something in me just said fuck it. I ended up hitting it from the beginning again and singing a whole verse and chorus before exiting. I could feel the change of mood in the crowd from disappointment to entertainment. Someone even gave us a rose with cash!

This morning, Chị Phương picked me, Lindsey, and one of the little boys up to go eat breakfast with her parents, After that, we visited a coffee shop where her sister came through (the sister is the mother of the two boys). Then, our car went to a second coffee shop where I flew my drone for like 3 minutes before my mom called lol. But it was fun! I felt like I got to see a side of what Huế has to offer for the modern generation.

She ended up picking us up and the whole joint family followed us to the airport. I remember saying bye to all of them, and standing in the line to enter the boarding side. I was convinced that Huế had nothing left for me, but the image of all the extended aunties, Chị’s, and the little Khoi boy made me miss my roots for the first time.

Chị Phương told me throughout the day that since the moment Khoi met me, he began looking up to me. She said Khoi was scared to be on the floating restaurant the night he saw me but decided to man up when he saw how unafraid I was. Khoi said he wanted to be big and tall like me when he grew up. Chị Phương even said that when Khoi saw me going for the fish spring roll, he felt inspired to go for some too. When I got in the car to go to the airport earlier, she told me Khoi wished that I could extend my flight an extra day so he could hang out with me longer. He thought my drone was really cool and wanted to fly one in the future. I told him that when he grows up, I’ll bring him one as a gift. I ended up liking the kid. I hope I see him again. I hope I see Chị Phương and all the extended aunties too. I don’t know why I felt all of this just today. Maybe it’s knowing that I’m not coming back for a while. Maybe it’s how Chị Phương was so kind and welcoming towards me. Maybe it’s Khoi boy. Maybe it’s the love the aunties showed me even though they were strangers to me for most of the trip until now. I just know that when I looked back to them before crossing to boarding area, I felt a special kind of love and newfound appreciation for them.

[imarawbu]

Still overseas but here's an update.

My daughter did very well on the flight, she'd get fussy if she was hungry or so but that's about it. The second 8 hour flight she wasn't able to sleep and so was super upset, this wasn't her fault, there was a kid next to us who kept screaming for no reason every 20 minutes. So everytime she fell asleep this kid would scream and wake her up. We landed in my husband's country, met my husband's sister and her husband and daughter who is 8 months older than my daughter (the husband didn't know about me and my husband only recently told every family member about me but told them not to tell their wives/husbands.) Went to the hotel which was supposed to be 5 star but was more like an Ameican 3 star, which is fine but I was a little concerned with the water that's why it's necessary to get 5 stars. I ate something bad on the first flight and so I was super sick. We only got the hotel because our next flight was in 8 hours. My husband decided to talk with his sister and brother in law in the hotel room so we lost 2 hours plus the plane was an hour late and it took 2 hours to get through customs. Leaving us with 1 hour to sleep before we had to go to the airport for our next flight. I was obviously upset with him because my daughter had not slept properly and I was also tired, he had told me he would visit with them and I could go up to the room and sleep with my daughter. He then got upset because I asked him to please have them leave because my daughter needed to sleep. He got upset because they figured out I was wanting them to leave, it was 3 AM anyways, and my daughter needed sleep, this wasn't unreasonable.

We made the flight to the state my husband is from and his brother (who had to pretend he didn't know about me and my daughter) it was interesting to see a baboon at the airport though. (This is a small airport in the middle of nowhere). His brother picked us up and we started the 2 hour drive to my husband's home town. On the short flight, my husband had gone over what I am allowed o say and how I'm supposed to act. I get there is a major culture difference, however alot of the stuff was just straight up misogyny.

Also keep in mind, I am not fluent in his language and his family speaks in an accent that is different from what I am used to hearing with words from their local dialect that are totally different from their language. I understand enough to know generally what conversations are about (depending on context) without having to know every word. Only his three younger sisters are fluent in English and sometimes their English is a little difficult to understand. There are 9 people in the house and other than my husband, only three speak fluent English so it's nerve racking.

I've met his parents and one sister before, we came to this country last year as part of our honeymoon (we went to three countries: a country I always wanted to visit, religious pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, and we visited another state in my husband's home country with his sister and parents). But they all had to pretend they didn't know who I was and had never seen my daughter.

It was a culture shock starting with no AC and only having electricity for 10 hours a day. This wasn't too bad as there was a small AC unit in our room (but if the power is off, it won't work). The weather is very similar to Texas so it wasn't too bad, it's the humidity that made things uncomfortable. Toilet and showering were the major shocks. The toilet is a squat toilet which is annoying because you have to undress everytime you use it. Also it's a wet bathroom (the entire bathroom is the shower basically) there is no "shower head" your draw (cold) water in a bucket and shower that way. This take a really long time. Also the bed is basically a board with some thin cushions on it with a cover over them. I wake up multiple times a night because my bones hurt from laying in one position too long. Lastly, bugs everywhere. I decided to hang up my clothes and the next time I went to fold them there was a huge spider that came out. Leave any food out and it will have ants all over it within the hour.

It has been nice to not have to take care of my daughter 24/7 with no help, I only have to feed her or change her, the rest of the time she's with grand parents, aunts, uncles, or cousins (this is 20 people). She has enjoyed being the centre of attention. My husband spends 80% of the time with his parents or brothers.

This is a very small town, my husband is a well know person here since he lives in the US and is a multimillionaire (in the local currency). Since we got here we have been the talk of the town, his family has a maid who comes and she has been trying to get glimpses of me and my daughter. Since I'm American, the assumption is I'm very dumb and can't cook or anything. Now that everyone knows they've been interested in seeing how I look (when you say American here everyone expects blond, blue eyed etc., I'm not that but I'm clearly different from the local population and it's stands out. The culture is for Muslim women to go outside in full niqab and I've been no exception the few times I've been allowed to go out, mainly to keep people from being nosy and staring at me.

We had Eid here and it was uneventful because I can't go anywhere or do anything, as women going out, even to the mosque isn't appropriate. I did try goat organs for the first time..... without knowing it, they were surprisingly good.

I've spend time talking with my sisters in law, they asked more in depth how we met and if I am happy etc. One of them did catch my husband cussing me out in the local language because I was extremely jetlaged and tired, my daughter was super hot as the power was off and I kept trying to put her to sleep but she kept waking up (he was also trying to sleep) then got upset at me calling me a bad mother and cussed my out right when his sister came in to try to help. My husband is known for his temper obviously they grew up with him and know better than I do, but he's a man and as he is so influential he will get away with anything with his family. One of his sisters may be coming to stay with us as she has gotten accepted into a local college near us for her masters, she asked me what the US was like etc.

We have one day left. I'm not looking forward to plane travel again. I used to love it until last year when we traveled for our honeymoon (I was pregnant with my daughter at the time) plus it was one of the worst travel times and everywhere was short staffed. Hopefully on the way back we will not have a kid screaming next to us every 20 minutes. Also for anyone that travels, never, ever go through London Heathrow airport if you can't help it. I've developed such a out right hatred for that airport after the 3 times I've been through it and had them have no clue what's going on, lose our luggage, give us the wrong information, out right lie and tell us we need something we don't actually need, make me throw out formula claiming we were carrying "too much" before my husband complained and they acted like there wasn't a baby sitting right in front of them and we hadn't said anything.