#we have a grill and fire pit too but it’s supposed to rain like the next three days 😂

[skyward-floored]

My parents ordered a new oven and it’s supposed to come in a... week. Which means we will be eating a lot of sandwiches in the meantime I’m thinking

[mldrgrl]

How Stella Got Her Groove Back

by: mldrgrl Rating: PG-13 Summary: Just a little something to celebrate spring...and Stella’s birthday!

They left Connecticut in September, with a fair amount of reluctance to go, but they needed to return to the city.  Becca had already gone and though both Karen and Fish insisted they were welcome to stay longer, stay forever if they had to, at a certain point, Hank and Stella had just been missing their loft and their life in New York too much.  Of course, they knew that what they were returning to was not the life they were accustomed to, but they would have to learn to adapt to the new normal.

Winter was long and brutal.  They did spend two weeks over Christmas and New Years back in Connecticut again and that was the first time they’d seen Becca since July, and the last time they would see her until spring.  Karen had tried to coerce them all to stay again and Hank and Stella nearly gave in.  If not for the fact that Stella left a project behind she’d been working on for her classes and if Hank had brought the pages he’d been working on for his new novel, they just might have done it.

When they got back to New York, and in a cabin fever-induced moment of weakness, they hired a landscape architect to design their rooftop terrace and though the noise of construction aggravated the hell out of both of them, they were both pleased with the results.  They now had an artificial lawn of soft green turf, an outdoor patio daybed in the shape of a cube with canvas shades on all four sides, a wet bar, strategically placed heating lamps, and a wood burning fire pit.  Unbeknownst to them, when Fish had heard their plans, he’d called the company they hired, ordered them a charcoal grill, and told the contractor to keep it a surprise.  They were very surprised by the barbeque that was suddenly part of the design, but it looked nice, even if it wouldn’t get any use.

Finding ways to fill the time with nowhere to go and no one to see was extremely difficult.  Neither of them were very much into television or movies.  The terrace, as welcome as it was, wasn’t finished until the end of February.  Stella had the classes she was teaching and the child psychology classes she was enrolled in to keep her fairly busy during the days, but Hank could only write for so many hours at a time and he found that he actually missed helping Fish with the guitar lessons.  He grumbled to Stella that ‘that damn Trout’ bewitched him somehow and then begrudgingly called him up and asked if he could still help out remotely.  Fish was delighted by the request and sent him an iPad and a teaching schedule.  

The close quarters had caused a few squabbles, though nothing major.  They took a few online cooking classes together which produced some mediocre meals and a testy exchange on the appropriate amount that constituted a ‘pinch of salt.’  Beyond that, they managed not to take out any frustrations on each other.

It was April 1st when Stella wandered from the bathroom to the bedroom in her t-shirt and sweatpants, rubbing lotion into her hands and arms.  Hank was in bed, perhaps naked, or perhaps wearing jockey shorts, she couldn’t be sure.  He had his guitar across his lap and his head back so that he gazed at the ceiling while he plucked lightly at the strings.

“Hank,” she said, leaning into the foot of the bed with slightly bended knees.

“Do you think ‘oral’ actually rhymes with ‘clorital’ or is it cheating?” he replied.

“You know that next week is my birthday.”

Hank splayed his hand out on the guitar and looked at her.  “Is this a trick question?”

“Not at all.”

“So, if I say ‘yes, of course, your birthday is April 7th and I already know I’m not to mention it to anyone,’ is that the wrong answer because I’m not supposed to acknowledge it in the first place?”

“I am aware that in the past I have requested that my birthday be treated as any other day.”

“Mmhm.”

“I’ve been thinking that perhaps...I might like to celebrate this year after all.”

“Oh, I get it.  April fools.  You could’ve just put plastic wrap on the toilet or secretly replaced my regular coffee with Folgers.”

“I’m serious.”

“Ah, so the one year it’s impossible to throw a party, you want to have a party?”

“God, no.  Parties are awful.”

“Well, what then?”

“Brunch?  With Becca?  This weekend, or the next, perhaps.  There are more places opening up now.  We could-”

“Absolutely, Sherlock.  Whatever the suggestion, I am all in.”  He pushed his guitar aside and she was mildly disappointed to discover that he was in his jockey shorts after all and not naked. He scooted forward to the end of the bed and wrapped his arms around her hips.

“A walk in the park, maybe?”

“Not sure if my legs remember what walking is at this point, so it’ll be good to remind them.”  He moved his hands down to the backs of her thighs and gave them a squeeze and then cupped her ass.  “Why the sudden change of heart, Sherlock?”

“I’ve just been thinking lately that it’s perfectly acceptable to want to celebrate being alive.  After the year we’ve had.”

“I agree, but as long as I get to have my breakfast in bed in bed that day, I’ll be happy.”

“It’s my birthday, I’m not bringing you breakfast in bed.”

“Oh, honey, you are the breakfast,” he growled, wrapping his arms around her again and pulling her into him as he fell back onto the bed.

*****

The Saturday before her birthday was Easter weekend.  There was no rain in the forecast and Becca was available, so it was perfect.  They took a Lyft to the upper west side and met her at a French bistro that had outdoor seating.  Stella could tell right away that something was bothering Becca, that she was putting on a false front of cheerfulness, which was very unlike her, but if she did know her stepdaughter, she knew the girl could not keep up pretenses for long.

They ordered and waited for their food over bottomless mimosas and miniature ham and cheese croissants served as an appetizer.  It wasn’t cold, but a cool breeze would drift by every so often and Stella was glad she had left her hair down so that her ears were covered.  She wished she’d been a bit more practical though and worn pants.  She’d just felt like dressing up and at the last minute, put on an olive-colored dress with small printed white flowers on it, but at least it was long-sleeved and she had a white sweater.  Becca and Hank were like twins in their matching leather jackets and dark jeans.

“Are you working on anything?” Becca asked Hank.

“Almost finished,” he answered.

“Oh.  What’s it about?”

“A couple that’s been married for fifteen years, but they’re on the brink of the divorce when the pandemic hits and then they go from spending almost no time together to all of their time together and it’s disastrous at first, but then they end up learning a lot about each other.”

“So, they save their marriage?”

“No, they end up getting divorced anyway.”

“That’s fucked up.”

“It’s fiction, sweetheart.”

“People like happy endings.”

“People are stupid.  I didn’t say it didn’t have a happy ending though.  Are you working on anything, Daughter?”

Becca sighed and picked at her nails.  Stella put a hand on Hank’s knee under the table.

“Is something bothering you, Darling?” Stella asked.

“No.  Yeah.  No.  I don’t wanna ruin your birthday or anything when it’s the first birthday we’ve ever celebrated together.”

Stella gave Becca a brief smile.  “I don’t know if your father has told you why I’ve always been rather reluctant to celebrate my birthday.”

Becca shook her head.  Hank stretched his arm out behind Stella’s chair and put his hand on her back.  She gave his knee a squeeze of appreciation.

“My father passed away on my fourteenth birthday,” Stella said.  “So, Darling, you have a high bar to overcome if you think being in a low mood will ruin my birthday.”

“That sucks about your dad, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”  Stella looked to Hank for a moment and then back to Becca.  “I’ve spent many years trying to ignore the date as though if I didn’t acknowledge it, it’s like it had never happened.  I don’t think I really understood until quite recently that one is capable of being sad and grateful at the same time.  And that life should be celebrated.  Especially now.”

“I guess I’m just...when we were up at Mom’s house, everything was so easy and nice and I had a really hard time writing.  That’s why I wanted to leave.  It was way too peaceful.”

“You know if I had a dollar for every time Becca claimed my shit was fucking her up, I’d be richer than that fucking Amazon guy, and now it sounds like she wants to file a grievance that we’re not fucking her up enough.”

“Am not.”  Becca rolled her eyes.

“Don’t listen to him,” Stella said.  “He’s been so mired with boredom lately he has regular calls with Fish.”

“No!”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Hank protested, putting his hands up in defense.  “There was and will only be one bromance in my life and that’s with one Mr. Charles Runkle, that follically challenged motherfucker.  No better pairing existed except for maybe Bert and Ernie, or Sid and Nancy.”

“I think we should let Becca continue with what she was trying to say.”

“Thank you.”  Becca put her hand up as though she was blocking Hank from her view and he reached over and slapped her palm away.  “As I was saying, I left because I thought the serenity was blocking me in some way, but since I’ve been back, it’s like the opposite.  It felt so apocalyptic at first and desperate.  It was like impossible to sit down and put words together when there were so many shitty things happening outside.  What if...what if the next thing I finish, people will be like oh, she was just sitting inside writing while everyone else was dying?”

“There will always be shitty things happening outside,” Hank said.  

“Great advice, Dad.”

“I don’t mean to bitchslap you with reality, but the world being shitty isn’t a reason to give up.”

“I’m not giving up.”

“Good, because you are way more fucking talented than I could ever even hope to be.”

“I just don’t know if it matters.  If anyone should care.”

“Why should you concern yourself with that?”

Becca glared at Hank, clearly annoyed with the answer.

“I know you think I’m being facetious,” Hank said, quickly.  “But, I’m not.  If all anyone wanted to read was about things that ‘mattered’ that 50 Shades of Hot Garbage would never have sold a single copy.  You don’t know why people read what you write.  Maybe they want to escape the shitty things happening in the world.  Maybe they want to laugh or cry or be turned on.  Maybe they just need something to pass the time.”

“Five minutes ago you just said people were stupid for wanting happy endings, now you’re saying I should just give them garbage, if that’s what they want.”

“Yeah, I’m a fucking hypocrite, what else is new, but I just want you to be happy with what you’re doing.  You want me to buy you a new laptop?”

“I’m not twelve anymore.  You can’t just buy my happiness.”

“Worth a shot.”

“Becca,” Stella finally interjected.  “I think it’s obvious by now that your father may possibly be the world’s worst motivational speaker.”

“Or the world’s best unmotivational speaker,” Hank said.  “You see what I did there?  I turned a negative into a positive.”

Both Stella and Becca ignored the comment.

“I think I may understand what he’s trying to say though,” Stella said.  “I’m not a creator, but I’ve been a consumer.  When I was reading for pleasure, I certainly wasn’t reaching for mystery novels.  And I think that...popularity and quality are two different things.  Certainly, one would hope for both, but it isn’t always the case.  I know you and I know that quality is important to you, so perhaps you should only focus on if what you’re working on is the best that it can be and not on whether or not it matters.”

“Can I add something to that?” Hank asked.

“Not if you plan on fucking up everything Stella just said,” Becca answered.

“I’ve done at least a dozen online events this year and at every single one, someone has asked me when the next Rebecca Moody novel is going to be released or they want to know what you’re working on.  I’m not even entirely sure all of them are there to hear my Q&A or if they just showed up because they know I’m your dad and they think you might make a guest appearance.  And if one person takes umbrage with you for creating something during a time of utter hell, fuck them.”

“Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable,” Stella quoted.

“That sounds so much hotter when you say it than George Bernard Shaw,” Hank replied, rubbing his hand across Stella’s upper back.

“Okay, I don’t want to spend this day being miserable,” Becca said, shaking her head and shoulders like she was trying to rid herself of negativity.  “Thank you, Stella.”

“You’re welcome, darling girl.”

“Hey, what about me?” Hank asked.

“There is this jacket I saw online that I want,” Becca answered, cheekily raising one of her eyebrows and tilting her head.

“I’ll text you my credit card number later.”

“Thank you, Father.”

*****

Brunch was followed by a stroll in Central Park and it seemed that at least half of the city had the same idea.  It was interesting being in a place so crowded and yet also so open.  The decent weather and the cherry blossoms in full bloom probably had something to do with it.  What also would have felt strange a year ago, seeing everyone wearing face masks and wearing them as well, was oddly comforting.  When Stella had put hers on that morning before they walked out the door, Hank told her she looked like a sexy brain surgeon or cardiologist, whichever one was smarter or made more money.

When they came upon Bethesda Fountain, there was a small band playing salsa music and a few couples dancing.  Hank tried to imitate the steps and then grabbed Becca’s hand and spun her around under his arm.  She laughed and tried to break free of him, but he pulled her back in and tried to get her to dance.

“Da-ad,” Becca protested.

“Dance with me, Daughter.”

“I don’t dance.”

“You’re no fun.”  Hank let go of Becca’s hand and then grabbed Stella’s.

“Oh, no,” she said.

“Come on, Sherlock.  I know you’ve probably got some moves I’ve never seen.”

“I assure you that’s not true,” she answered, letting him spin her away though and then laughed as he gyrated his hips dramatically as he stepped back towards her.  “Whatever it is that you’re doing does not resemble the salsa in any way.”

“Let me see you do better.”

Stella looked past Hank to the other dancers and mimicked the forward and back steps.  She put a hand on Hank’s chest to keep him at arm’s length and prevent their knees from colliding as he tried to fall into the same step with her, moving forward when she stepped back, and back when she stepped forward.  What he lacked in grace, he made up for with enthusiasm.  As soon as they fell into sync, he grabbed her hand and lifted her other arm in a more formal dance frame like the other dancers had.

What followed was probably the worst and most amateurish version of a salsa that had ever been danced, but Stella laughed so hard it brought tears to her eyes.  When the music ended, Hank stopped and pulled Stella’s face mask down under her chin before lowering his own and then kissing her through both of their laughter.

The dancing couples broke apart and drifted back into the crowd.  Becca went over and dropped some money into the cup on the ground in front of the band and thanked them for playing.  Stella took Hank’s hand and then Becca linked her arm with Stella’s as they continued on.

Later that night, when Stella came out of the bathroom as she rubbed lotion into her hands and arms, she stopped at the foot of the bed and watched Hank read over the latest pages of his novel.  When she was finished, she climbed onto the bed and walked over to Hank on her knees until she was straddling his lap.  He threw his pages down, took his reading glasses off, and pulled her close with his hands on her ass.

“Thank you,” Stella said, as Hank kissed the side of her neck.

“For what?”

“This truly was the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

“Your birthday’s not until Wednesday.”

“Perhaps next year we’ll even be able to invite Karen and Fish to town.”

“We’ll make The Trout christen that barbeque he forced on us.”

“It does look nice though.”

“It really does.  You want your present now, or should I wait until Wednesday?”

“I might be interested in a preview,” she said, sliding her hand down his chest and then into his shorts.  “A little peak at the package ahead of time.”

“You just assumed I was talking about fucking when I said I had something for you?”

“Weren’t you?”

Hank paused and then grinned.  “Yeah, I was.”

The End

[thistreasurehunter]

Something New

A/N: Set in the After the Rain timeline (1 - After the Rain; 2 - Testing the Waters; 3 - Reflection; 4 - Comes the Rainbow; 5 - And So the Wind Blows; 6 - And Blows Again; 7 - Something New). All characters are aged 18+.

Summary: Pope wants to experiment. Or: The One With the Rimming

Requested: Yes, by multiple anons.

Genre: Smut (with a side helping of fluff)

Word length: 3.9k

Warning: Adult content – including explicit descriptions of an M/M sexual relationship. (Over 18s only please.)

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Outer Banks characters or settings.

**************************************************************

It was the weekend. JJ and Pope had spent the day hanging out with John B and Kie. They’d taken the HMS Pogue out in the morning, done a bit of fishing, then returned to The Chateau to chill. They lazed in the hammocks and cooked up the fish they’d caught that morning in the fire-pit; laughing and joking over cold drinks and fresh, grilled fish.

Late in the afternoon, Kie left to go help her dad prepare for the evening rush at The Wreck. The other three stayed where they were, caught up in a game JJ had come up with that involved passing random objects between them without letting them touch the floor, using only their feet.

They’d been passing Pope’s snapback between them for a solid twenty minutes when John B’s phone pinged and he missed the pass from JJ, letting the hat fall to the floor.

“Dude!” JJ exclaimed, hands raised.

John B shrugged and checked his phone.

“It’s Sarah inviting me over,” he said. “She’s got the house to herself.”

“Booty call,” JJ grinned. “Sounds like you’re in there, mate.”

John B grimaced back. “You know, I’m not even sure. To be quite honest, things have felt a little off between us recently. I can’t quite put my finger on it. She just seems a little… distant, I suppose. She’s been hanging out with Kie a lot. So, yeah, who knows what it means.”

“Women. Just so complicated, man,” JJ let out a sigh of mock exasperation. “Yeah, tits are nice and everything, but cock is far superior. You should just level up and find yourself a nice guy to date instead.” He winked at Pope. “Just not this one, ‘cos he’s taken.”

Pope grinned, rolling his eyes.

“Guys!” John B shook his head frowning.

“Oh, quit whining,” Pope chuckled. “We all know you ship us hard.”

“So hard,” JJ added. “So, very, very hard. As hard as we make each other.”

“Oh, dear god!” John B cringed, covering his ears with his hands. “Mental images! Forcing their way into my brain. Cannot un-think!”

JJ and Pope both laughed.

“Well, on that note, I’m off.” John B patted himself down looking for the keys to the van and started towards the door. “You kids stay safe now. And for God’s sake, don’t cum on anything, please!”

“Don’t worry,” JJ called after him. “We swallow.”

“NOT LISTENING!” John B called back, hands over his ears again as he left, the front door clicking shut behind him.

JJ caught Pope’s eye and Pope raised an eyebrow and asked simply, “So, shall we?”

And JJ barked a laugh. “Hell, yes!” he said, pulling Pope to his feet.

They stumbled towards the spare room, which by this point had basically become JJ’s room, laughing and kissing and fumbling, hands pulling off clothes and blindly knocking into furniture in their haste.

“John B’s really going to appreciate the trail of discarded clothing leading to your room,” Pope smiled, glancing over JJ’s shoulder.

“Don’t care,” JJ breathed, his lips pressing kisses along Pope’s jaw. He took the lobe of Pope’s ear into his mouth and sucked. Pope shivered and JJ grinned, grazing his teeth along the flesh.

The door was barely shut behind them before JJ was sinking to his knees in front of Pope, hands scrambling to unbuckle his shorts.

Pope rested his head back against the door and allowed JJ to pull his shorts and boxers down, but before Pope had chance to step out of them, JJ was leaning forwards eagerly and taking Pope into his mouth.

Pope groaned, long and low, both his hands going to JJ’s head, fingers carding through the hair, fingernails raking slowly and seductively along the scalp. He then tugged gently, in just the way he knew JJ loved and JJ hummed in delight. The vibrations sent a wave of pleasure through Pope and he sighed out JJ’s name. JJ hummed again, then started sucking and bobbing his head in earnest, his hands steadying Pope’s hips.

Pope closed his eyes and let the feelings overtake him. JJ was setting a delicious rhythm, with just the right level of suction. His mouth was hot and wet and perfect. Pope could feel JJ breathe out as he relaxed his throat and took Pope down deeper.

“Oh, JJ…” Pope moaned, gently tugging on his hair again. “That’s so good.”

JJ hummed again and, fighting the impulse to gag, took him down ever further.

“Oh, yes!” Pope sighed. “Your mouth feels so good, babe.” The praises spilled off his lips, “Oh, you’re so good at that. It feels amazing. You’re amazing.” Pope could feel the pressure building, the knot tightening. JJ kept bobbing and sucking. “Oh yes, there, like that. JJ! Oh yes, yes.” He twitched his hips slightly and JJ squeezed his fingers, signalling that Pope could thrust forwards. Pope let out a strangled little sound and – ever so gently – started fucking JJ’s mouth. JJ moaned, his pupil’s blown and his chin wet. Pope could feel himself tensing, his pleasure cresting. “J!” he choked out.

JJ pulled back and off with a wet pop, a line of saliva still connecting them. He began fisting Pope’s length and opened his mouth wide, stuck out his tongue and rested Pope’s tip on the wet, pink muscle. He looked up: open and willing and eager. Ready to be claimed, though Pope.

Eyelids heavy and eyes dark with lust, JJ gazed up at Pope through his lashes. And staring down into JJ’s eyes, Pope’s pleasure crested and his orgasm crashed over him like a tidal surge. He came undone; pulsing and releasing, thick creamy ropes of cum landing over JJ’s tongue and his lips and his chin and his cheek. JJ closed his eyes and took it, hand still working Pope’s shaft, helping him ride out his high. And Pope just kept cumming, all over his boyfriend’s face and tongue and a bit in his hair. And it felt so dirty, but also so brilliant. And his brain thrummed: mine, mine, mine…

Pope’s cock gave a final weak pulse and JJ licked the small trickle of cum off the tip.

Pope looked down and blushed at the sight of JJ on his knees before him, his cheeks flushed, chin wet, face splattered with cum and his hair sticking up wildly from where Pope had been gripping the silky blond strands.

“Oh, J” he whispered reverently. And JJ smiled and kissed the tip one last time before getting to his feet.

Pope’s thumb came up to JJ’s bottom lip and smeared a spot of cum across the skin. JJ’s tongue came out to taste it, but Pope leaned forwards quickly and caught JJ’s lips in a kiss, tasting himself on JJ’s skin and in the slow slide of their lips and tongues.

“So, I guess we didn’t do what John B asked after all,” Pope smiled.

“Pretty sure he meant the sofa, or in the kitchen or something,” JJ grinned. “I don’t think it counts if the thing you’re cumming on is me.” Pope groaned again. Then reached blindly, grabbed a tissue and lightly wiped the mess off JJ’s face. Then he brought their faces close until the tips of their noses were touching and brushed them together in an Eskimo kiss.

Pope stepped forwards, trying to walk JJ back to the bed but, forgetting about his shorts still pooled around his ankles, he almost overbalanced. JJ laughed and held his arms steady while Pope toed off his high tops and socks and stepped out of his shorts. JJ’s shorts had been abandoned somewhere on the trip from the hammocks to the bedroom.

Pope placed his hands on JJ’s immaculate chest and walked him back to the bed, pushing him down gently onto his back. JJ shuffled backwards, laying his head back on the pillow. He was toned and sun-golden and glorious, his erection a prominent bulge tenting his underwear. He’s gorgeous, Pope thought. Completely gorgeous and all mine. And a thrill ran through him.

Pope got onto the bed and pulled JJ’s underwear off. And then JJ was spread out before him, waiting: standing big and stiff and proud.

Pope crawled over JJ, propping himself up on his forearms so he could bring their lips together again. JJ sighed and ran one hand down Pope’s spine, resting the other on his backside and squeezing.

“Ass man,” Pope breathed into JJ’s mouth.

“Bite me,” JJ smiled back, and Pope caught his bottom lip between his teeth and nipped lightly. JJ groaned and pushed his hips up against Pope.

Pope grinned and rolled them over. He slotted his leg between JJ’s, presenting his thigh for JJ to ride. JJ propped himself up on his arms and pushed his hips down, grinding his erection into Pope’s thigh. He breathed out a sigh and leaned down to continue their kiss, his hips pressing forwards rhythmically. Pope pushed his tongue into JJ’s mouth and let the kiss get dirty, his hands kneading JJ’s ass cheeks as JJ humped his leg. The room was filled with the sound of JJ panting and grunting and the dull thunk of the headboard against the wall as JJ increased the pace and vigour of his thrusts.

“Look at you,” Pope breathed, eyeing JJ’s slack mouth and flushed cheeks. “So needy.”

“I wouldn’t be so needy,” JJ gritted out, “if you did something.”

“Oh, you want me to do something?” Pope teased.

“Yes,” JJ panted, a little frustrated and desperate to get off.

“Maybe you should ask nicely?”

JJ’s eyes went wide. For a heart stopping moment, Pope thought he might have gone too far, might have misread the vibe, might have killed the moment.

But then JJ flushed and whispered, “Yes, please.” Pope squeezed his ass cheeks and JJ whined and clamped his thighs around Pope’s leg, grinding his erection down harder. “Please,” he repeated in a small broken voice, “please do something to get me off.” He brought his lips to Pope’s ear, so close Pope could feel his lips moving, and murmured, “please, Sir…”

Pope swallowed hard. A rush of adrenaline, and also something else – something deeper and more primal – ran through him. He could feel the soft, warm weight of his partner, writhing and rutting against him. Needy and desperate. Needy, for him. Pope was suddenly overwhelmed by an instinctive, primal urge to give and please and provide. Mine, Pope thought again. He’s mine.

Pope hooked his leg around JJ’s and flipped them over again. He pressed one final searing kiss to JJ’s lips and then worked his way down JJ’s body, trailing kisses down his neck and chest, his tongue flicking over the hardened nub of a nipple, then kissed his way down the faint trail of fair hairs that started just below his navel and ended at the base of JJ’s cock. Pope could feel JJ breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling in anticipation. But rather than turning his attention to JJ’s erection. Pope dipped his head lower, and pressed kisses and teasing licks into the delicate skin surrounding JJ’s cock. He pressed his nose against JJ’s balls, nuzzling them slightly, then opened his mouth and sucked as much as he could into his mouth, applying delicious pressure and working the skin with his tongue. JJ whined above him. Pope repeated the action, then moved onto JJ’s other ball.

“Pope,” JJ panted. “Please.”

Pope smiled and rose onto his knees. His hands went to JJ’s hips. “Roll over,” he said.

“What?” JJ’s head came up, eyes slightly unfocussed.

“Roll over,” Pope repeated.

“Pope? What’re you…” JJ looked confused.

“I want to try something,” Pope smiled. “Something new. Something with my mouth. You’re not the only ass man in the room. Now turn over like a good boy.”

JJ’s eyes got wide again, but he obliged, rolling onto his front. Pope encouraged him to spread his legs and lift onto his knees and elbows. Pope sat back for a second and just took in the sight before him: his boyfriend bent over on his bed, flushed and hard and slightly bewildered, but presenting himself so beautifully for Pope. Pope licked his lips and smiled. He was going to enjoy this.

JJ’s head hung between his arms and he craned around to look at Pope admiring him and felt a spike of self-conscious embarrassment. He shifted and started to get up, “Pope, what’s… what’re you doing…?”

“Shhh,” Pope reassured, his hand rubbing soothing circles into JJ’s lower back and encouraging him back down. “It’s okay. I’m gonna make you feel so good. If you don’t like it though, just say and we can stop. But I just wanted to remember this moment.”

JJ narrowed his eyes slightly but relaxed back down.

Pope positioned himself between JJ’s legs and ran his hands over JJ’s ass cheeks, giving the right one a quick pat and squeeze. He leaned forwards and pressed a kiss into the middle of each. Then, using his thumbs, he spread the cheeks apart, revealing JJ’s pink, furled hole.

“Pope…?” He heard JJ choke out.

Pope blew a soft stream of warm air onto JJ’s little rosebud and watched as it clenched slightly.

Then, leaning forwards, he brought his face in close and slowly licked across JJ’s tight hole.

“Fuck!” He heard JJ exclaim.

Pope smiled and, tongue soft and wet and wide, he repeated the action.

“Oh, Pope! Oh, fuck!” JJ panted again.

Pope pointed his tongue and flicked it up and down, and left to right, brushing it quickly over the delicate skin. Pope could feel JJ’s hole fluttering under his tongue.

“Pope! Oh god, yes, oh yes!” JJ panted. He shifted his hips and repositioned his arm to take his weight and brought the other down to his cock, which was hanging thick and heavy and neglected between his legs. But before he could take hold of it, however, Pope caught his wrist and stopped him.

“Not yet,” he said. And his face was still so close to JJ’s most private area that JJ could feel the huff of air against his skin when Pope spoke.

JJ groaned, but brought his elbow back down to the bed, resigning himself to the sweet torture.

Pope put his tongue to work again and soon JJ was panting and sighing and pushing back against him, needy little whines escaping his throat.

Pope switched up the movement of his tongue from strong licks and fast little flicks, and instead covered JJ’s hole with his lips and sucked lightly.

JJ groaned under him, pushing back, his legs trembling. “Oh, fuuuuuck!” he whimpered.

Pope gave the furled hole another slow lick, then pointed his tongue and – ever so slowly – pushed it against JJ’s entrance. JJ’s breath hitched. At first JJ’s muscles resisted, but then as Pope wiggled his tongue slightly, he felt the tight ring of muscles begin to relax, allowing him to push his tongue in slightly. Pope pressed his tongue forwards in tight circular motions, then slowly pulled back and pressed in again, fucking JJ’s hole with the tip of his tongue.

“Oh, fuck me!” JJ wailed. “Fuck, Pope. Yes! Oh, fuck I need to come!”

Pope could feel JJ trembling under his hands, the erratic twitch of his hips, the desperate, broken edge to his voice.

“Please, Pope,” he pleaded. “Please…”

And Pope, his face still buried in JJ’s ass, finally reached around and gripped his leaking erection and started pumping.

And JJ keened, caught between thrusting his painfully hard cock forward into Pope’s fist and pressing back into the delicious wet flicks of Pope’s tongue against his quivering hole. He was so desperately, painfully hard; the desire to cum so strong. And the feeling of Pope finally touching his rock-hard cock was toe-curlingly amazing. And Pope’s tongue, pressing and licking and sucking him – there – was beyond amazing. And for JJ, time seemed to be caught in one delicious, shining moment of wet, hot, hard, fast, urgent, pleasure, clenching, tensing… and then he was cumming. Hard.

Thick creamy ropes spurted onto the bed and over Pope’s fist and Pope could feel JJ’s hole twitching and clenching under his tongue, and JJ was moaning Pope’s name wildly, then breathlessly, then a little brokenly as his trembling legs gave way and he collapsed onto the bed.

Pope lay down next to him and ran his fingers through JJ’s hair, studying his face, his closed eyes and blissed out expression.

JJ opened his eyes and looked at Pope.

“Pope,” he whispered. Pope smiled.

“Pope,” JJ tried again, “That was just so… thank you. Just, wow! Like really. I’ve never felt anything like that before. It was just,” he screwed up his face, trying to find the right words and failing, ending instead on just a low grunt of consonants. “Nngggh,” he finished.

Pope smiled, eyes fond and affectionate. “Well if I’ve rendered you speechless, I guess it must have been good,” he teased lightly. JJ blinked. Pope brought his lips down and tenderly kissed JJ’s forehead and whispered, “I’m glad you thought so. It felt pretty incredible to do it for you too.” JJ hummed and his eyes drifted closed.

“Hey,” Pope squeezed his shoulder. “You should have a quick shower before you sleep.”

“Don’t wanna,” JJ mumbled. “Tired and comfy and no energy.”

“Come on, up you get.” Pope encouraged. “You’re sticky and sweaty and smell like sex. You’re laying in the wet spot and you’ve got cum in your hair. Shower, now.”

JJ groaned and with great effort pulled himself up and moved towards the bathroom.

“Aren’t you coming?” JJ asked in a small voice.

“You get in, I’ll be there in a sec,” Pope said. JJ nodded and padded off.

Pope quickly stripped the bed and put on clean sheets from the cupboard, putting the dirty ones in the machine to wash. He then went into the bathroom to join JJ.

When they were showered and dry, wearing clean boxers and a couple of the soft old tees that JJ kept at The Chateau, they crawled into bed and JJ rested his head on Pope’s chest.

“Good call,” JJ admitted, running his hands over the crisp sheets.

Pope hummed in response. JJ closed his eyes, listening to the rumble of it against his ear.

“So, power kink, huh?” JJ smiled into Pope’s chest.

“I guess so,” Pope replied. “Believe me, I took me by surprise a bit too.”

“It was good,” JJ said. “Different. I’ve never experienced that dynamic before. With girls, even when they’re on top, you’re still the one fucking them. This was something completely new. Not just the act itself, but the dynamic too. I liked it. I like the idea that we can switch stuff up like that sometimes.”

“Me too,” Pope agreed. “Give and take, assertive and submissive, top and bottom… there’s so much we can try together. And that’s just power stuff. Then there’s, well, everything else as well.” He felt JJ hum his agreement into the skin over his heart.

“How’s the research going?” JJ asked tentatively.

“Still a work in progress,” Pope said. “But I think we might be ready to progress from theory to the practical part soon.”

“An Introduction to Anal with Professor Heyward,” JJ laughed. “Sign me up for that class! Also, don’t you mean ‘continue the practical part’? Surely rimming counts?”

“Thanks for your input Mr Maybank, but in my classroom we raise our hands when we want to talk, I’d thank you to remember that.”

JJ laughed. “Sorry, Sir…” he drawled out playfully.

Pope cleared his throat. “Anyway class,” he continued in a mock stern voice. “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, next week we will be moving onto a new topic: fingering.” JJ laughed against Pope’s chest.

They both fell quiet. After a beat, Pope grinned and said, “I don’t know whether I should be a little bit offended, you know? About not being complicated, I mean.”

“What?” JJ frowned, opening his eyes.

“That thing you said to JB earlier, about girls being complicated, so you said he should date a guy instead.”

“Oh,” JJ settled back down. “That.” He paused then added. “You might be deep, Pope, but you’re not complicated. I mean, not complicated complicated.” Pope ran his fingers soothingly up and down JJ’s arm. “It’s not like do you confusing things that I can’t work out. You’re easy.”

Pope laughed.

“I don’t mean easy.” JJ corrected himself. “I mean…”

“I know what you mean,” Pope cut in. He pressed a kiss to the top of JJ’s head. “I think you’re easy, too.” JJ huffed a small laugh. “Although, you know that probably has more to do with us, specifically, right?” Pope carried on. “Our dynamic. Rather than our gender.”

“Yeah!” JJ agreed, peering up at him. “I mean, we just talk about the hard stuff, right? The emotional stuff. We look it in the eye. We don’t keep it bottled up. Really, what’s the point of that? We both care about each other, and from where I’m standing it seems like we’re on the same page about stuff.”

“Yeah, it probably feels like that because we click so well,” Pope said. “It might be just as complicated dating a guy as it is dating a girl if you don’t get each other the way we do. Or talk about the hard stuff, or the embarrassing stuff like we do. But then, I suppose we trust each other, so that helps.”

JJ blinked and swallowed hard.

“We do click, don’t we?”

“Yeah,” Pope breathed out.

“This really is something special, isn’t it?” JJ said quietly. He wants confirmation, Pope thought. He’s a little insecure and wants confirmation.

“Yes,” Pope said, giving it to him. “For me, right from the very first moment, this just felt right.”

“For me too,” JJ admitted.

JJ rolled over and settled on his side, pulling Pope flush behind him; the big spoon to JJ’s little spoon. Pope’s knees tucked into the crook of JJ’s legs, his arm coming over, fingers interlacing and hands curled close to JJ’s chest. Pope’s groin pressed against JJ’s backside, but in this moment, Pope felt nothing more than tenderness and affection. He pressed a kiss to the back of JJ’s neck, the spot right between his shoulders, and shifted slightly, snuggling them even closer.

“After everything,” JJ mumbled into the pillow, voice drowsy and muffled slightly. “After all this time, and everything we’ve been through to get here.” He paused, let out a breath and then carried on. “It’s hard to believe that this is how it could be from now on.”

Pope thought back to how he used to feel about his relationship with JJ – like his life had turned into a series of moments as precious and delicate and fragile as champagne flutes on a tray in the wind. He wondered when he had stopped feeling like the tiniest wrong move or misstep could bring his happiness crashing down in a shower of irreparable shards of shattered crystal.

“Believe it,” Pope replied, and JJ sighed and relaxed further into his arms. Pope shut his eyes and held him close, his heart beating a rhythm against JJ’s back: this, just this, just this, just this, just this…

[myaekingheart]

121. The Double Date

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3 index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

              The one thing Rei hated more than social situations was people who remembered halfhearted invititations to social situations. Unfortunately, on a Friday night, such was the case. Apparently Mikazuki had taken her careless offer for barbecue to heart. So now here Rei was in a dress that was all too tight for her comfort sitting in Yakiniku Q forced to smile and laugh over sake on the worst thing imaginable: a double date.

              “Come on, everything is going to be fine” Kakashi reassured her as she got ready. She turned to glare at him and the tip of her lipstick smeared across her cheek, a sharp red line like a warning. Kakashi smiled sheepishly, reaching for a tissue and tenderly wiping her face clean. “Really, Rei, there’s nothing to worry about” he assured her. “It’s just four friends going out for food. That’s all.”

              “That’s not all, Kakashi” Rei muttered. She capped her lipstick and raked her fingers through her tangled hair. “Anything can happen when four friends go out for food.” Truthfully, she wasn’t even sure if Tenzo and Mikazuki qualified as friends. Her and Tenzo didn’t know each other well enough. Mikazuki was kind and familiar but also strange and sometimes even suspicious. It was that same suspicion that was taking root in her stomach right now.

              “It didn’t seem to be a problem on your birthday” Kakashi reminded her. “That was four friends going out for food.”

              Shaking her head, Rei turned to color-correct the red splotch on her cheek in the mirror. “Yeah, but that was Guy and Sekkachi. That’s different. They’re practically family.”

              “Then this should be a good change of pace” Kakashi mused.

               Rei scoffed and shook her head. “You don’t know me very well, do you, Kakashi?” she jested. A sigh broke past her lips as she attempted to gather her fluffy hair up into the signature ponytail. “Maybe we should just call the whole thing off. Tell them we’ll do this some other time. For what it’s worth, I didn’t even mean it when I invited them to dinner.”

“But they took it seriously” Kakashi continued. “We’re supposed to meet them in less than a half an hour. It’s a little too late to back out now, don’t you think?”  

               Rei glanced to the clock and knew that her fiancé was right. She fastened her ponytail tightly at the crown and muttered, “At least there should be plenty of alcohol.” Heaven only knew she was going to need it.

               Yakiniku Q seemed quiet for a Friday night. The usual drunkards huddled around the bar mumbling inaudible nonsense to one another but the dining tables stood fairly empty. The sight of it only further heightened the eerie paranoia pulsing through Rei’s veins. Where were all the people? A clap of thunder roared in the distance, the sky overhead threatening rain. Rei squeezed Kakashi’s hand a little tighter.

               Mikazuki and Tenzo had already stolen a table at the back of the restaurant, chatting quietly with one another between sips of sake. A rising feeling struck Rei’s chest at the sight of them, a red flag urging her to run. Anxiety and embarrassment firmly rooted themselves in the pit of her stomach, overwhelming her with each step nearer.

               Kakashi and Rei settled in side by side at the other end of the table. Kakashi eyed her curiously as she sucked in her gut and shimmied her skirt down her thighs in an effort to get comfortable. In the back of her mind, Rei cursed herself for choosing something she had evidently outgrown—a dress that Naru had picked from the Kawakubo dress shop so many years ago. It had been so long since Rei had gone out on a Friday night, she thought it was only appropriate to dress for the occasion. As she stared at her bland closet, she tried to envision what Naru would choose. Unfortunately, Naru’s tastes were five years outdated for Rei’s body. Her stomach squeezed tight against the fabric and her breasts were borderline spilling out of the already low-cut neckline. Mikazuki shot her a cautious glance as she took another sip of her sake. The tension mounted.

               “So, congratulations on making captain” Tenzo commented, but it was clear that he was distracted. Rei shifted as she willed his line of sight to rise. Kakashi regretted not bringing her a jacket. “It’s definitely, a, uh…” Tenzo stammered. “A big endowment.”

               Mikazuki’s face turned bright red, a pathetic yelp escaping her lips. She dropped her eyes and took an anxious sip of her sake. “I’m sure you’re very proud” she murmured.

               Tenzo spluttered, stumbling over the words he couldn’t form in his mouth, as he met Kakashi’s brief but warning gaze. Truthfully, Kakashi didn’t understand why Rei felt obligated to squeeze herself into something so small and risqué in the first place. Her nervous laughter, the way she shifted in her seat, only further emphasized her anxiety. Kakashi took her hand under the table and gave it a tight squeeze, a sign of solidarity, a prayer to calm down. When words failed him, Tenzo sighed in defeat and took a long, desperate swig of his drink.

               A painful stretch of silence passed between the four of them, interrupted only by the sizzle of beef on the grill and clink of ice in their glasses. I knew this was a bad idea, Rei thought to herself. She peered out the window to the hazy street below, watching passerby rush into the nearest shops to beat the rain. The bellows of drunks at the bar blurred into an incomprehensible white noise. Raindrops raced each other against the glass. Streelights flickered in the distance.

               When Mikazuki finally broke the silence, Rei initially did not hear her. It wasn’t until Kakashi tapped her shoulder lightly that Rei snapped out of her daze. She had no idea how much time had passed but it somehow simultaneously felt fleeting and eternal.

               “I just said h-how are the new recruits?” Mikazuki repeated. The uncertainty in her voice, the restraint, made it clear that she regretted having to ask again. That a part of her had hoped that they could just sweep her inquiry under the rug, forget she had ever said anything.

               “Fine” Rei croaked in response. Her vision refused to refocus. “Th-they’re fine.” She cleared her throat, readjusted her dress yet again. Her skirt kept riding up as if hellbent on flashing everyone. She glanced down at her thighs and suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Her gaze snapped back up to the beef grilling in the center of the table, to Mikazuki sliding strips onto her plate, to the smell and the texture and the color and the flames. Rei pinched the skin of her thigh between thumb and forefinger, focusing on the sting of her nails, tried not to linger on thoughts of flesh. “They’ll need a lot of work but they have potential” she added.

               Tenzo chuckled as he poured himself another drink. “Well, if that one kid of yours is any indication, you certainly have your hands full” he commented. Rei arched a brow. Truthfully, they were all going to be handfuls. Squinting, Tenzo thumbed through the index of names and faces in his brain. A few moments passed before he finally mused, “Sukui, I think his name was?”

               “Oh. Him” Rei sighed. She could only imagine what Sukui Yukio must be like in the men’s locker room. But then the thought of the men’s locker room at all—sweaty men, barbaric men, naked men—caused her stomach to lurch yet again.

               “Yeah” Tenzo laughed. “He’s a real exhibitionist in the locker room. If I have to hear him mention his resemblance to—”

               “Keihaku Goman, I know” Rei interrupted, shaking her head. She lifted her glass to her lips, took a delicate sip. The sake burned her throat but in a good way. In a numbing way.

               Blank and confused, Mikazuki searched their faces for a hint before quietly asking, “W-Who’s Keihaku Goman?” She tried to remain composed but with every passing moment, she was beginning to feel more and more outcasted in the conversation.

               “He was the main actor in the Icha Icha film adaptation” Kakashi explained. “At least until he got fired and recast for Makeout Violence.”

               “Oh…” Mikazuki gave a minute nod, taking another sip of her drink.

               Rei took a long swig of her own, reveling in the warmth radiating through her body. She felt like a tiny little flame growing ever stronger, ever more invincible to the rushing rain surrounding. The knot in her stomach began to loosen. “I’m sure with time they’ll get better, but their teamwork needs a lot of improvement” she continued.

               “Well, you’ve certainly learned from the best” Tenzo mused, motioning to Kakashi. His arm swayed as if the hinges in his shoulder were coming undone. He lifted his drink almost as if in salute before finishing off his second glass.

               Kakashi shook his head, swatting at the air dismissively. “I didn’t come here to be praised” he remarked. Though his voice was stern and steady, there was an undertone of humble delight in his words. He wrapped an arm gently around Rei’s waist as he added, “I’m sure Rei will be a far better captain than I ever was.”

               Rei blushed and shook her head, swirling the sake in her glass. “I didn’t come here to be praised, either” she countered. “This is a learning experience for me, too.”

                “Have a little more faith in your abilities, Rei” Kakashi replied. “Everything will fall into place eventually.”

               Mikazuki nodded in agreement. “Remember when we first joined the ANBU? Things felt so chaotic and intense but with time, we got used to things. And now you’re a captain.”

               “I hope you’re right” Rei sighed, taking another sip of her drink. “Because right now, it feels a whole hell of a lot like wrangling cattle.”

               “Or babysitting” Tenzo offered.

               Rei laughed softly as she nodded in agreement. “I’m just glad I don’t have to do it all on my own” she replied. “Yugao has been a great help so far.”

               “I’m sure” Mikazuki said softly. On her face was a smile that was both polite but forced. Generous. Tense. Rei tried to brush it off as she drained her glass and poured herself another. Mikazuki took a delicate bite of her beef then as she added, “It’s certainly a big responsibility. You’re practically in charge of everything. Do you even have time to sleep? Your complexion looks awful.”

               Rei sucked her teeth as she carelessly threw a few strips of beef onto the grill herself. Truthfully, though, she wasn’t very hungry. “I sleep…” she muttered in offense. “Balancing work and our personal lives has gotten a little bit tougher and we’ve had to make some sacrifices but, I mean, that’s life. There’s nothing we can really do about it.” Kakashi was taken by the sharp undercurrent in her voice and his heart ached for her. He knew exactly what she was referring to.

               “Tell me about it!” Tenzo exclaimed. He tilted the bottle of sake against the rim of his glass but when nothing poured out, he paused, squinted, shook the bottle, peered inside, then shrugged in defeat and tossed it over his shoulder. The bottle shattered with a crash behind him. Kakashi winced. “I mean, being in the ANBU at all is overbearing enough. Mikazuki and I barely get to spend time together as it is! I can only imagine how much less free time you have as a captain.” A waitress passed by their table, quizzically trying to decipher the origin of the bottle behind their booth. Tenzo stretched himself across the table and flagged her down, dutifully requesting another bottle of sake for the group. The waitress glanced to the others as if searching for their approval before giving a single nod and scurrying back to the kitchen. Satisfied, Tenzo flopped back into his seat and continued. “You know, I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed when I didn’t make captain! Spent my whole life in the ANBU and this is how they treat me? I think I deserve a little recognition, you know? But the more I started thinking about it, the more I realized everything I’d be giving up. After all, I need the free time to…sit. And exist. Like a tree! Like a big, beautiful tree! Rei, I don’t envy you one bit.”

               Rei forced a polite, panicked smile. “Well, uh, thanks for that, Tenzo” she muttered. Kakashi leaned forward and slid some freshly cooked beef onto a plate for the both of them, encouraging Rei to take a bite but she simply shook her head and took another sip of her drink. “I’m not really hungry” she whispered.

               The moment the waitress turned the corner, Tenzo’s eyes lit up and he reached across the table for the bottle of booze. He poured himself another glass sloppily, spilling sake around the immediate area. “You know, this is nice!” he exclaimed. “We should go out like this more often. If only Mikazuki and I could find the time!” Turning to his girlfriend then, he drunkenly pondered, “When was the last time we even went on a date? February? It’s like we never have time for each other anymore! What is that about?!”

               “T-Tenzo, please…” Mikazuki whispered. They were beginning to attract attention. She took an anxious sip of her drink as she glanced apologetically to the patrons eyeing their table. Never before had she so strongly wished to be invisible.

               “You know” Tenzo continued loudly, “How you two are managing to plan a wedding with all of this, I will never understand! Can you even plan a wedding with work like this? Is that even possible?” He chuckled to himself then as he gazed at his sake longingly. “If you ask me, I bet it’d be so much easier to just elope! What do you think, Mikazuki? Do you think we should elope?”

               Mikazuki yelped in shock at the prospect. “T-Tenzo!” she exclaimed, burying her face in her hands. “Please, restrain yourself!”

               Clearing her throat, Rei replied curtly, “We’re, uh, we’re making it work.”

               In a show of great enthusiasm, Tenzo slammed his fist against the table and wailed, “I’m just so happy for you guys!” His eyes teared up momentarily but Rei was unsure whether it was due to his overwhelming emotion or if he was simply too drunk to function. “You’ll invite us to the wedding, right? I mean, we’ll have to check our calendar, obviously”—here, he drunkenly smirked at his girlfriend as if their conflicting schedules were an inside joke they were both in on—“but how could I miss the wedding of the century? Kakashi Hatake, renowned ninja, getting married!”

               Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

               Rei hummed in agreement as she brought her glass up to her lips. Just as she was mid-sip, however, Tenzo blurted out, “When are you guys going to have kids?!” and Rei immediately spluttered her sake across the table, coughing and gasping for breath.

               “I-I’m sorry, what?” she croaked. She glanced to Mikazuki who sat there stone-still and mortified. Her cheeks burned bright red.

               “Kids!” Tenzo repeated. “You know, babies!” He sighed and rested his head on the table, whining, “Kakashi would make such a great dad.”

               “I-I don’t know about that” Kakashi replied anxiously. Now he was the one feeling uneasy. He glanced to Rei, searching her face for signs of the inner turmoil he was sure was spiralling in the pit of her stomach now.

               Shaking his head, Tenzo insisted, “No, he really would! I mean it!” He turned to Mikazuki with bloodshot eyes and added, “It’s like he was made to make babies! You know?” With a groan, he dropped his face onto the tabletop and muffled, “I bet you guys would have so many babies.”

               Nervous laughter broke past Rei’s lips as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Let’s just, uh…take one thing at a time.”

               Tenzo laughed as if something about that was funny, hoisting his head up off the table. As he did so, his eyes landed on the karaoke machine at the other end of the restaurant and once again, his eyes lit up. “Hey, look, the mic’s open!” he exclaimed. Before any of the others could react, he catapulted over Mikazuki in the booth and stumbled toward the modest little stage. With each step, he willed himself to move faster, faster, faster as if the mic was at risk of being snatched up by someone else.

               “Is he always this eager?” Rei asked, wide eyes watching Tenzo trip over the wires as he clutched the microphone tightly.

               “Whenever sake is involved, apparently” Mikazuki sighed.

               Chuckling, Kakashi turned to his fiancée and mused, “Remind me not to let Tenzo drink at our wedding.” Rei shook her head and nestled herself warmly against Kakashi. In the back of her mind, she wondered at what point in the night it would be reasonable to leave.

               The karaoke machine switched on with an electric whir. Bright neon visuals pulsed on the screen behind him as he scrutinized his options. A static suspense hung in the air as he flipped through the song list until finally, he made his choice. The upbeat intro of none other than “Build Me Up, Buttercup” blared through the speakers. He made eye contact with Mikazuki as he belted out a verse about being let down by a lover, passionate and out of tune. Mikazuki’s face grew even redder as she sunk down in the booth. The other patrons in the restaurant seemed to pay no mind to her and for that, she was grateful.

               “You know, he’s not half bad” Kakashi commented, tapping his fingers rhymically against the table.

               Rei snorted and tilted her head back so as to better view him. “I didn’t realize you were deaf.”

               Kakashi clinked the ice in his glass and replied, “It sounds better after a few drinks.” The irony was that he was hardly even drinking at all.

               By the time Tenzo reached the chorus, Mikazuki had finally cracked. She excused herself and hurried to the bathroom, weaving through the crowd that had formed up and down the walkways of the restaurant. “How much do you want to bet she’s going to escape through the bathroom window?” Rei joked.

               Kakashi shook his head. “I don’t think she’d do that.”

               “You never know” Rei replied. “After a night like this, I’d be desperate for the nearest exit.” And deep down, she had to admit that she was.

               “We’ll leave soon” Kakashi assured her. “After all, you have work in the morning, anyway, don’t you?”

               Rei scoffed. “We all do.” She wouldn’t be surprised if Tenzo called out sick the next day. Heaven only knew he was going to be nursing a monstrous hangover. As the chorus swelled, Tenzo clenched his fist in a moment of power ballad passion and swayed his hips to the tune. The mic screeched but he didn’t seem to notice.

               “I didn’t know he could get his voice that high” Rei laughed.

               “I didn’t want to know he could get his voice that high” Kakashi replied. In the privacy of their little booth, he tugged his mask down to take a discrete bite of food before holding out a piece to Rei but yet again she shook her head. “Are you sure you’re not hungry?” he asked.

               “Yeah, positive” Rei replied. She kept her eyes locked on Tenzo’s performance in an effort to avoid Kakashi’s scrutinizing gaze.

               “You really should eat something” Kakashi urged.

               “In this dress?” Rei laughed. “I’ll bust open like a can of biscuits. I’ll just grab a snack when I get home. Besides, I’m not really a huge fan of beef tongue.” Kakashi pursed his lips, displeased but not willing to fight with her on the matter. If she wasn’t hungry then she wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t going to force food down her throat. He only hoped she’d stick to her word about eating at home.

               As the song faded out, Mikazuki slipped out of the bathroom and crawled back into her seat. Tenzo rushed to the table, his adrenaline rushing and a massive grin on his face. “Do you think they’d be pissed if I sang another song?” he asked. Before anyone could answer, he swatted at the air and exclaimed, “Ah, fuck it! I’m gonna go again! But first, refreshments!” He reached across the table for his glass and the bottle of sake, smirking confidently as he attempted to pour himself another glass. He had grossly miscalculated his aim, however, and spilled alcohol right into the tabletop grill. The flames flared with a roar of heat, licking at the ceiling maliciously. Tenzo immediately jumped back, dropping both his glass and the bottle, and releasing a clipped shriek.

               Fuck. Rei immediately leapt to her feet before the flames could caress her cheek, but their heat was enough to make her lightheaded. Kakashi pulled her back as an extra precaution, holding fast in defense. Channeling all of her chakra into her mouth, Rei shot a sharp jet of water at the flame, effectively extinguishing it in a matter of moments. It was quick thinking like that, she supposed, that got her promoted to captain in the first place.

               The door to the kitchens burst open as the restaurant owner came running to their table, shrieking profanities at them about burning down his dining room. Kakashi quickly dug in his pocket for some cash, slamming it on the table, before grabbing Tenzo by the arm and ushering the four of them out into the night air.

               “I guess we’ll have to cross Yakiniku off the list of available places to eat” Rei huffed once outside. She smoothed her bangs back as she attempted to catch her breath.

               “Unfortunately” Mikazuki sighed. She toed the dirt and muttered, “Their food wasn’t that great, anyway.”

               Tenzo bellowed from the street about how he’d be back for an encore next week before spinning on his heel and accidentally walking straight into a wall. “Do you think he’ll be alright?” Kakashi asked, glancing to Mikazuki.

               Shaking her head, Mikazuki replied, “I better walk him home just to make sure.” She readjusted her purse on her shoulder as she approached her boyfriend, taking his forearm gently and guiding him in the direction of his apartment. Kakashi and Rei waited until they turned the corner before glancing to one another with stifled laughter. If there was ever a reason as to why they never went out, this would be it. And to think, a disaster like this could’ve been easily avoided if they just hadn’t bothered with trying to be social. Chuckling in disbelief, Kakashi wrapped an arm around his fiancée and together they returned home.

               The following morning, Rei stood in front of the full-length mirror in the ANBU locker rooms as she changed into her uniform. She pinched at her belly fat and poked at her thick thighs. If anything, this is just proof I need to go on a diet, she thought to herself. She couldn’t even comprehend how she had gained so much weight in the first place. Getting back in shape was going to be a hassle that she was not looking forward to facing. It was bad enough that the previous night had taken a far greater toll on her than she expected. She slept through three alarms and was forced to skip breakfast. She may have outgrown her dress, but her bad habits were evidently one size fits all. Groaning, Rei pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets and fell back onto the nearest bench.

               “Rough night?” a voice then asked. Rei peered up through the gaps between her fingers to find none other than Arai looming over her. A smug grin painted her face.

               “Why are you always in my business?” Rei asked, sitting up. “Don’t you have anything better to do than stalk me?”

               “I’m not stalking you” Arai countered. “If I was, I would’ve already known why you were so damn tired.”

               Rolling her eyes, Rei muttered, “Fair point.” She strained her arm so as to scratch her upper back and yawned widely, feeling pathetic. Not as pathetic, however, as Mikazuki. As Rei opened her eyes, she caught sight of the doe-eyed ninja skirting around the wall of lockers, a wad of dirty civilian clothes clutched close to her chest. Without even bidding Arai a simple see you later, Rei slid into Mikazuki’s path with a devilish grin. “So, how about Tenzo, huh?” she asked, raising a brow.

               Mikazuki yelped in surprise, tossing her clothes in the process. Pastel tunics and cotton leggings cascaded to the dirty tile floor. “W-w-what about him?” she stammered.

               “Oh, nothing” Rei replied, shrugging. “I just didn’t know he was such a party animal.”

               Sighing, Mikazuki dropped to her knees and began gathering up her clothes. “He puked in a bush on the way home and I had to crash on his couch to make sure nothing happened in the middle of the night” she explained quietly, eyes downcast and embarrassed. She rubbed the tension out of her neck with a soft whimper, proving that perhaps Tenzo’s furniture was not the comfiest.

               The one thing that stood out to Rei, however, was that Mikazuki slept on the couch. Her and Tenzo had been dating for quite some time now. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for her to sleep in his bed with him? For a moment, Rei was suddenly struck with the horrifying possibility that Mikazuki truly was as virginal as she appeared to be. But no, that couldn’t have been the case. There had to be another explanation. Maybe it was simply more convenient to give Tenzo space while he was sick. Maybe Mikazuki didn’t want to impose, or for Tenzo to get the wrong idea while under the influence. Rei was sure there were scores of valid explanations but she supposed she had just grown so accustomed to her very intimate relationship with Kakashi that none of them seemed to make any real sense.

               “Sounds like quite a party” Arai interrupted from across the room. “If you ask me, it’s no fun unless someone barfs their brains out.”

               “That’s disgusting” Rei cringed. Arai shrugged, seeing no fault in her comment, before skirting around to help scoop up the rest of Mikazuki’s clothes. Mikazuki thanked her quietly before scurrying off to drop her laundry in the bin. Before any more could be said, the dull alarm in headquarters sounded to signify the start of the morning briefing. For once, Rei was grateful for the interruption.

               She skirted around the crowds to find her team, rambunctious as always for an early morning shift. As she took her seat, she briefly scanned the room. It came as no surprise that Tenzo was nowhere to be seen.  

[thefivecalls]

Things I associate with each of the sides for no reason

Logan:

I understand he's supposed to be dark blue or indigo. Regardless, he will always be teal. This teal:

For some reason when I got detention that one time I got a Logan vibe so yeah theres that

"Space... The final frontier..." But uhhh just the opening has his vibes

Why is he always whereing a neck tie and not a bow tie? If anyone has necktie vibes its Janus not Logan

Logan also has chaos incarnate vibes that are only in check because of his last shreds of humanity one of these days he'll break and when he does thomas can and will set something on fire using bill nye the science guy tactics

He is waking up early and going to bed late

He is framing posters

He is dancing in your bedroom to awesome music that has never been such a vibe before that moment and will never be again.

Broken clocks

Beaker from the muppets? I don't quite get it but yeah

Rock of ages

Getting a pitcher of soda or tea or whatever and setting it on his desk, then getting 23 straws and taping them together so he can lay in bed on his phone and safely drink it without spilling

Grilled cheese

Kahoot music

Remus:

Death waltz. Not the synthesia no the one that takes 14 people to play.

Canoeing

Obviously he has close combat weapons but have you thought about giving him a bow and arrow? I have and yes thats a vibe because he is one of three people I've ever met with those vibes ok

Portable speakers

He is bonfires and fireworks.

He is hyperfixating on something and writing a story until 4 in the morning.

Potions!

The fact that witches ingredients are actually just named strange things but are edible somethings? Like mustard seeds being newts eyes and the like

Acid

In my human anatomy class we dissected deer hearts and when we found the blood clots we called them the Forbidden Jellies.

The county fair

The circus that comes around at fall festival time

Homecoming game in football/rugby

I feel like if he played an instrument he'd be a baritone

The lime green smoke Disney villians have

Roman:

Zootopia the movie

Hopping. Or bouncing in place.

My family's crest?? I think its because of his crest but he had those vibes before the outift upgrade???? Idk

The ponytail thing that give you a unicorn horn when you've got short hair but bangs that are beginning to grow out

He is picnics at the park

He is also going shopping

He is also dancing in the rain at four in the morning with the outside lights on and the music blaring but its ok the neigbors are four acres away and they sleep like the dead.

When I went to my first metal concert and I saw the mosh pit? The exhilaration that comes with wanting to join but not wanting to get crushed is a Roman thing.

Pancakes

Cold pizza at midnight

Succulents!

Fire and cane whiskey

The warm smiles that the bearer never gets to see because they don't get the chance to see it in a reflection

Butterscotch

Janus:

Springtime showers that makes snowmelt rivers

Prom. Dont ask this is just a him vibe ok

He seems like the guy that would make a blanket cacoon/nest when his bedsheets are in the wash and can I say mood

Sunlight

Looking off my back porch and seeing the feilds of corn beginning to dry out in late fall every three years.

Pumpkin soup

Apple cider

Lemonade

Not only is he snowmelt rivers he is also the first thunderstorm of summertime

Sun tea. Not the brand the stuff that you make via harnessing the suns power

Cucumber facemasks

Wildflower honey

The person who youd never guess goes to comic con but is actually the one who wins first place in the costume contest every year

Oversized sweaters

German Sheppards and yellow labs sunbathing after playing for hours

Antique mirrors

Burlap canvas bags

Oil paint

Espressos at ten at night

Late night chinese food runs

Dragons

Spice. Not the average spice either I'm talking could eat a carolina reaper and yes he'll be more red but he could still talk and thats more than I can say for myself

Virgil:

The red rubber balls from kick ball in elementary. By god I can smell the plastic just thinking about it

Flappy stims! Almost every time I flap he comes to mind I never really questioned it

The weighted blanket my dad got that I steal from him all the time

'He's a Mary poppins in a world of hasselhoffs" my friend once said that not even talking about Virgil but like. Come on.

Basically all of Star Lord's vibes are Virgils

Deadpool

Jack Skellington (kinda obvs)

Sample perfumes that are like the size of a pinky

Telescopes

Not writing an essay but instead learning all about world history or astronomy or psychology

Earings. Specifically hoops

Black pearls

Boardwalks that have tiny shops along them with a bunch of food.

Going to a club or a party with flashing lights and even though you're kinda nervous you have fun and live like tomorrow is still a dream away.

Ripped movie posters that the theater is selling

Tying ropes together to make nets.

Fairy lights

Taping movie theater tickets to your wall after you've gone and seen it

Scarecrows sitting on bales of hay at sunset next to my willow tree and the cicadas are on their 13th year so they're the loudest they'll ve until another 13 years have passed

The glint in someone's eye when they think of something mischievous

Bang by AJR

The corpse bride's tale/song

Patton:

The lazer eye meme. This one

Graham Crackers. Not smores, not candy crack-just the cracker ok

Pep rallies

The pet store??

Sugar sculptures

Corn pits (strictly midwestern thing)

Driving for hours upon hours and seeing the strange statues some towns have as you pass them by

Silver sparkles

Art herpes glitter

Photo booths

Riding in the back of a pickup truck on the county's main road

Wedding crystals cabinet where you put the fancy china you're going to give to your children that never gets used once but is probably worth half your house

The chubby bunny challenge

The moment when you tip your chair back too far and you know it but you can't do anything because you'll be on the floor in a second anyway

The thing maya did from Girl Meets World when she slammed lockers closed and caused the chalkboard to let its dust fly

Dusk.

That moment when everything is going by so quickly so you step back and watch the world go by for only a few seconds but then you're back in the present laughing with your friends

Snow cones melting and getting the syrup all over your hands

Orange Side:

All things citrus but especially lemons no not oranges lemons

Sunglasses

Men in black 1 not the rest just the first

Pineapple too hes got a lot of pineapple vibes

Combat boots but with spikes

Also lace?

And tea. Like, all kinds of tea but especially the really expensive stuff that I've only tasted like twice thats imported from Ireland

Himalayan salt lamps.

Sensies. the wax melting things

Candles too

Once we meet him I'll have more but this is it for him for now

Thats it! If this gets notes I might do emile remy and thomas but I think I'll leave this be for the moment. Have a great day y'all!

[sticks-and-stone]

Potts Preserve

September 21, 2019 - September 22, 2019

This was my first time camping since February when I went with my roommate and the dog we had at the time. Before that it was just camping with my father as a kid or drunk with my friends in high school (trips I almost don’t remember at all). So this trip was a pretty big deal with very few expectations or preparedness. I wanted to find a hobby that would not cost much, but would require significant planning and time out of my life before, during, and after. So camping seemed like a good fit. I decided to start planning monthly trips. So this was the first one!

When I first decided to go on this trip, I had next to no supplies. I wanted to go with whatever I had or could improvise as a way to get started on a list of things I wanted to add to my kit. What better way to figure out what I needed than to realize it in the moment! 

This trip was only going to be a quick overnight so that in the event that we realized we had too little, we wouldn’t be stuck out there for days. I found a site that was owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and was free to use with a reservation. So I booked the site and called up an old friend, Jenna. Jenna and I did a lot of drunk camping together in high school and she had a foundation of camping with her own father as a child, so I knew she would be right for the job. She and I had also gone a long period of time without hanging out, so it was a good opportunity for us to catch up! 

When we began planning this trip, I had a tent, and some other small stuff, but not a whole lot of anything else. We borrowed a cooler from my roommate, a chair from my parents, and just bought beer on our way out to the campsite.

I wanted to get a good night’s sleep before getting up midmorning on Saturday to meet Jenna and go, but I ended up staying up late. Like a child before her first trip to Disney World, I was restless, excited, and hyperactive. When I woke up (too early) the next day, all that excitement was squashed when I realized I had started my period. I was worried this would happen, but I was hoping my Day One would be on Sunday, but alas, I was going to have to go camping on my period. And not just any camping trip, a camping trip that I wasn’t totally sure I was prepared for. As it turned out, the portable toilets were close and clean enough for me. YAY!

Jenna showed up exactly on time - I really have to give her props for that. She helped me load up the car and then we took off! We stopped at my parents' house (they were out of town) for a little firewood and one of their camping chairs (Jenna did not have one) and also at a gas station for beer and snacks. Then we were on the road for real; it was about midday.

The drive down was quicker and easier than we expected. After not seeing each other  for a few years, we had PLENTY to talk about and catch up on. She told me about all of her drama, I told her about all of mine. It was lovely. We arrived at the campground without getting lost or even a little turned around at all. There were about 4 other groups there already set up and as it was late afternoon on a Saturday, everyone seemed to be pretty settled in. 

We found our spot. Unlike the other spots that people had set up around us, we did not have a fire pit, a picnic table, or a grill. Everyone else seemed to have all three. We didn’t mind and we found a nice flat place to lay our tent out. We found out later that what we chose was not a spot at all and that we were not even supposed to be back there. 

We got the tent set up and I began to work on the air pump that I had borrowed from my roommate. I needed to strip the wire so that I could split it and plug it into the car battery that dad gave me to run the fan. We had no other form of electricity and no other way to pump the air mattresses up. I broke it. I ended up strippping the wires too much and the whole contraption became non-functional. We were only there for one night, though, and what’s sleeping on the ground other than the authenticity of a camping trip? 

From the time of arrival until just before dusk (about 3 hours) we thought it would be nice to open up the tent to allow the breeze and light to enter it. Well, neither did and what did enter our tent was about 10,000 love bugs. So I went in there with our one bottle of bug spray and closed myself in. I held my breath and sprayed the shit out of the aerosol canister until I was sure everyone was dead and I could not hold my breath any longer. 

To give the homemade bug bomb a chance to work, we decided to explore the area and go on a hike. We made it about a mile away from camp and it started raining. The trail seemed to come to a dead end so we just turned around and went back. I have a terrible sense of direction and would have honestly gotten completely lost if it hadn’t been for Jenna to guide us. 

We got back to camp after our hike and I checked on our tent - no more living love bugs, but piles of dead ones on the ground. It was gross. I got Jenna and the broom and we got rid of as many of the dead bodies as we could. We would shake the rest out the next day when we packed up to leave. 

We sat around the fire and played the guitar for a bit when suddenly I realized that we were going to get bored. We had been drinking beer since we arrived and we'd been going through it pretty fast. I never really thought about how to pass the time.  

I went walking around looking for firewood. I had nothing to chop it with or nothing to cut the large limbs, but I could use leverage and my body weight for most of the work I needed to do. 

The entire time we were there, I made sure to keep a list of all the things I thought about having that we didn’t have. The first being string, the next, an air pump that plugged into the car. Then a sponge. I started to realize that we had enough to survive in the woods, but we did not have enough to THRIVE. This trip was rough supplies-wise, but we made do. Thankfully we brought enough beer to ward off TOO much boredom.

As the sun went down and the alcohol made its way further into our bloodstreams, we decided we were hungry and wanted to eat the food I had brought for us. What I had brought was really simple. It was two pre-made PB&J sandwiches, pre-made mac and cheese, and PB&J crackers. 

Dinner was a disaster. The sandwiches I made got soggy from the ice melting and the container failing to do its job in the cooler. The mac and cheese was attempted cold, but then it was decided that we would put it in the pot in the fire and see if we could heat it up. That actually worked out pretty well - but was all we had. Luckily, Jenna came armed with hummus and crackers and had bought some beef jerky at the gas station. 

We went to sleep soon after dinner and made sure we got nice and drunk first because we had forgotten that we were sleeping on the ground that night. After all the alcohol, I was ready to crash. My body temp was high though so I put on the fan and slept on top of my blankets. 

About halfway through the night I was woken up by the feeling of my bones turning to ice and cracking. I was violently shivering in my bed and wasn’t sure my toes were still attached to my body. I had to pee too. So I stood up clumsily in our little tent and put on my shoes. I looked over and Jenna was fast asleep but now wearing more clothes than she went to bed in - I guess she woke up the same way I did.  

I walked to the bathroom and peed. I took comfort in the smelly plastic bin as it seemed to have held on to the day’s heat and trapped it inside. I was suddenly disgusted with myself for enjoying a port a potty, so I walked back to the tent. 

When I got inside I turned off the fan. I looked through my suitcase - nothing but more short sleeved shirts and shorts. I took my shoes off but left my socks on and covered them with a second pair. I took the folded king-sized sheet off of my deflated twin size mattress and used that as extra cover in addition to the small throw blanket I had.  I was able to make it a few more hours like that until the urge to pee woke me up again. 

This time, it seemed warmer outside the tent so I took my double pair of socks off and slipped on flip flops. Jenna was still asleep so I stumbled out of the tent toward the bathroom. I handled my business and came back to the tent - this time, no lingering in the port-a-potty for warmth. 

As I approached the site, I saw Jenna moving around outside the tent with her flashlight. I assumed she was doing the same thing I was - taking a midnight pee - but as I got closer I could see that she was in fact setting up the fire. As I got close enough I asked if she was trying to warm up so she could sleep, and she looked at me confused and said “No, this is today’s fire, it’s 6:30”. I was shocked and confused, but proud that we had made it to morning.

We had no breakfast. So we drank more beer. We were out of water, so I decided it was time to leave. We packed up quickly and cleaned the tent and tarps and then we were on our way out. 

As we tried to exit the gate, our code wouldn’t work and we had to wait for a forest cop to show up and let us out. We probably waited an hour or so, but when he finally did arrive, he was super nice and as it turns out, from Jacksonville! We chatted with him for a while until a car pulled up behind us. We were finally on our way home! 

The ride home was a bit different than the ride there. We double and triple checked my list and talked about all of the things we HAD to get for next time, which things I already had at home, and which things needed to be purchased. Overall the trip was fine, we decided, but we could do WAY better. 

Observations: 

SO MANY LOVE BUGS - they literally covered everything 

We needed to pack the car more strategically - we had to pull everything out to get to the tent and table that we needed to set up first 

We needed rope/string

More stakes for the tarp and the tent would not be a bad idea 

A table or some platform to unpack on would be handy 

Our air pump broke - we needed one that plugged into the car. 

It's super important to keep the tent closed completely. 

We needed a shovel to dig out the fire pit 

We needed more lights around the site - the fire was not enough 

Citronella candles would not be a bad idea either 

Should have brought extra bug spray

We didn’t have much to do beyond sitting and drinking beer. We vowed to bring at least some books and crafts for next time. I want to learn to whittle. 

I needed to stay more organized with the supplies as we unpacked. Things got messy.

Get Outside, 

Stone.

[homeimprovementcontractors]

How to Prepare Your Deck for Spring?

They say that home is where the heart lives. A home reflects you as a person. It tells others a lot about your personality, likes, character, and as an individual. In this post, we will be discussing preparing your deck for spring. That is correct. One of the areas of any home that does not get the attention it deserves is the deck area. Everything must be in order when you want to make an impression on yourself, your neighbors, friends, your boss, and others. It is always nice to have a well-made deck for spring. You can spend time in the backyard seated with your partner, kids, parents, and friends, sipping over a hot tea & snacks. It is a bonus when you have an attractive-looking garden to view and unwind yourself.

Tips on how to prepare your deck for spring

The long winter season must have wrecked your patio or deck. It could do with some warmth and love now. Perhaps it is the right time to bring back some life back to how it is supposed to be.

To prepare the deck for spring, you might require a new paint coating, replacing the wood (if it is a few years old), and hiring a contractor. We will be reading about each of these ideas briefly below.

You need to clean the deck

The first step would be to clean the deck. You need to clean the deck to get rid of all the dirt, mud, and debris that is present on it. The best way to begin would be to use a broom or a sturdy brush.

You may want to make sure that the gaps between the wood are also cleaned well. You do not want to wash it with water as it could ruin or soften the wood. As it is, the wood might be slightly damp due to the winter snow and cold.

You need to stain the deck

Now, it is time to stain the deck. That means you need to apply a coating of paint or polish. The snow and dampness would have caused the paint or polish to weaken. You can do that to ensure that it is well-protected from the harmful UV rays of the sunlight.

They can cause the wood to become damaged soon. Besides, it also gives your deck a pleasant look and appeal. It makes the area look beautiful and elegant. You will want to spend some time with your family & friends there.

You can use a different style of deck

If you want, you can use another style of deck. This calls for remodeling your deck. You can choose from the wide range of decks that are available in the market. When you are short on budget, you can do it for a minor change in your area.

Like, you can use an additional shade with the help of an umbrella. However, when you can spend more, you can get yourself solar deck lights. They provide you with proper security at nighttime.

You may want to clean the grill

Since you will be spending time outdoors during the spring season, you may want to make sure that you clean the grill. You can clean, scrub, and rinse it nicely. Then you can place it back together.

Those of you who have an existing fire pit might want to clean them too. It is quite simple. You can take the help of your partner or kids during a weekend. The consumption of food outside can cause the area to become slightly dirty.

You can replace the deck if it has become unusable

You can replace the deck when it has become unusable. Due to the snow, wind, and rain, your deck might have had significant damage on it. When that is the case, you might want to consider replacing it.

When you are not sure about getting it, all done yourself, then you can always connect with deck pro.

How to choose the deck services of a reliable contractor?

Choosing a reliable contractor who provides deck services in great Vancouver does not have to be that difficult if you know how to do it. To help you out, we have provided you with some ideas to go about things.

The best way to do that is to take references from your family members, friends, or colleagues. Then you might want to narrow your search using online tools. You can visit their website and learn more about their services and quote.

A reliable contractor or deck servicing firm will have its own professional website. You can spend some time on their website and learn more about them. If you are alright with their services & quote, you can contact them.

Moreover, you can have a conversation with them at your home or visit them in their office. They won’t shy away from showing your pictures, images, and slides of the previously worked projects.

Another tip that most of you avoid checking in hindsight is the location of the contractor or firm. Now, you do not want to choose a firm or contractor who is based in another city or town.

Worse still, if he is based on the other end of the town or city you reside in, it can be tedious to get things done on time. So, choose a reliable contractor or firm based near your residence. Now, you can sign on the dotted lines.

Get your desk for spring ready

We hope that you enjoyed reading the post. The spring is going to come down before you think of it. The ideal way to enjoy the season would be to prepare your deck for spring. We have given you some simple ideas and tips to ensure that your deck is ready for the season.

Besides, we have also mentioned how you can choose the best deck builder. Just make sure to follow the pointers, and you are good to go.

What are you waiting for?

Source By: This article has been originally published on allquotes.ca

[travelingtheusa]

KENTUCKY

2020 Oct 8 (Thu) – We spent the day in the campground.  We drove over to the laundry room and did the wash.  Paul tried playing with his drone but it was acting up.  He’ll have to look at that.  I spent the afternoon looking at attractions in Pigeon Forge for our next stop. We move to Tennessee tomorrow where we will meet up with other SMART members for a non-muster.

2020 Oct 7 (Wed) – We sat around the campground this morning and gave the animals a chance to play outside.  At 10:30 a.m., we left for Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Daniel Boone National Forest.  Within the park is Cumberland Falls.  Rarely, an event that takes place there only occurs in the Western Hemisphere once in a while. It’s called a moonbow.  We see rainbows all the time.  All you need is sunlight and water droplets in the air.  This happens very frequently after rainstorms. Rainbows occur at the base of waterfalls a lot.  A moonbow is when the conditions are right at nighttime.  Rather than sunshine, it is moonshine reflecting on the water.  It’s supposed to be very beautiful to see and open happens when the conditions are just right with a full moon and no clouds.

     After we hiked along the falls and river, we drove to the lodge for lunch.  The food was very good.

 2020 Oct 6 (Tue) – We packed up and left Dry Ridge at 9:35 a.m. The weather was good and the drive was easy.  We arrived in three and a half hours at Laurel Lake Camping Resort in Corbin. After the crowded environment with the constant noise, this campground is heavenly.  It is maybe one-quarter full with lots of space with all the empty sites.  It is a very long, spread out campground with trees and a lake.  

     We drove into town to the Harland Sanders Café and Museum.  It is supposed to be the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant Colonel Sanders opened (before he became known as Colonel Sanders) with a small museum attached to it.  The café and museum were closed for renovations; the drive-through was open for take-out.  We didn’t want that so we drove back into town to look for a restaurant.  The Depot on Main was a bar and café.  Paul had a pasta dish and I had their special - Hawaiian Chicken.   Our waitress had such a heavy accent, we could only understand about every third word.  She was new and slow.  I left the restaurant annoyed.

     After we finished our meal, we walked down to Sanders Park.  There was a small area with a life size statue of Harland Sanders with plaques and bricks honoring donors.  Storyboards told the story of Sanders rise to prominence. He had quite a storied life with lots of failures before his chicken franchise made him a millionaire.  

 2020 Oct 5 (Mon) – We went out to lunch to Beans Café.  The food was excellent.  Paul had a hot ham and cheese with potato soup.  I had a hot turkey melt with bean and ham soup. After lunch, we went to the post office so I could mail off the letter I wrote for the American Legion fund raiser. I called a bus tour company today to complete reservations for our caravan next year.  The agent I had spoken with before is working from home so the office had to take the message, then call her, and then she called me.  She took all the information and promised to send me an email with the final price quote.  

 2020 Oct 4 (Sun) – We went food shopping this afternoon.  It was hard to find a restaurant for lunch. We finally went to the Waffle House and had breakfast for lunch.  The food was good.  Afterward, we went food shopping at Kroeger.  The store was big.  Next door, Kroeger had a liquor store and we stopped there next to get wine and booze. After putting the groceries in our portable cooler, we drove to a winery and did a tasting.  It was on the high side - $8 for a flight of 3 wines, $8 each for a glass of wine, and $28 for a bottle of wine to take home.

     I called the commander of Rusy Bohm Post back home.  They are running a fund-raiser that I just happened to come across on Facebook.  I offered to write a letter for him to send out to the membership.  He agreed and I spent the afternoon composing a letter. I will send it out to him tomorrow.

 2020 Oct 3 (Sat) – I finally got through to the Niagara Falls campground only to find they have raised their rates.  We budgeted $113 a night and they said it would be $117.50 – and that’s with a military discount!  That’s just too much.  So I called a state campground about 15 miles away.  They have available sites but we have to make the reservations through Reserve America.  The clerk at that site had to make the reservations in groups of 6.  They also require the name and phone number of each individual.  We have 20 people signed up so far with 2 more spaces available.  So I gave the names and numbers of those folks who have signed up for the caravan to date, then gave 2 fake names.  We’ll see that goes.  As a result, we will save almost $7,000.  With that kind of savings, we can hire a bus to take the group to Niagara Falls.

     We drove to Williamstown to The Ark Encounter this afternoon.  We got $10 off the admission price as senior citizens. In addition, the price included a free dinner, which cost $15 each.  It was a pretty good deal.  The ark was huge!  It is the largest wooden timber structure in the world.  It was built to show what the ark was like. There were 3 stories with lots of plaques to read.  There were cages with mock animals in them.  Most of the animals were extinct as they imagined those were the types of animals they would have had back then.  The place was packed!  We couldn’t believe all the people who were there.  Almost everyone wore a mask in the ark but less than half wore one outside.

 2020 Oct 2 (Fri) – We packed up and left Olive Hill at 9:40 a.m. We were third in line for the dump station (a short stop before hitting the road).  The drive was pleasant.  The weather was good.  We arrived at the Northern Kentucky RV Park in Dry Ridge at 1 p.m.  This used to be a KOA campground.  It is old and heavily treed.  The sites are too close together and very uneven.  The campground is between a train track and the interstate. There is constant noise.  I don’t think we would come back to this place. The wifi is good.  We have full hook ups.  The pool has been closed for a couple of years.  There is a lake with some paddle boats on the shore but they don’t look like they’ve been used for a while.

 2020 Oct 1 (Thu) – A transformer blew in the campground this morning so Paul took me out for breakfast.  That turned out to be quite an adventure.  All the restaurants in Olive Hill (of which there are few) were closed.  A donut shop was open but we didn’t like the choices so we drove 20 miles over to the next town to have a meal at Biscuit World.  The biscuits were large and flaky – delicious!  The rest of the meal was not so good but it did what it was supposed to.

     We returned to campground and did the laundry.  During a walk this afternoon, Paul stumbled on a site with wood targets where people can throw their knives.  He came back to get me and I gathered up my throwing knife set then we went to the site and threw knives at the targets for 15 or 20 minutes.  It was fun and very challenging.  Afterward, we walked over to the horse stables and fed 3 horses and 2 donkeys some apples.

     The campground has been steadily filling up with RVs and tenters coming in.  It looks like they will be full this weekend.  The maintenance in this campground is minimal.  They put papers at each campsite with the name and dates when the site is reserved.  Many sites have dates that have passed but the papers are still at the sites.  Some sites have garbage piled in the fire pit. I don’t know if the staff is just lazy or if they are operating with minimal staff.  

 2020 Sep 30 (Wed) – We took a tour of the Cascade Cave this morning. It is a living cave with lots of water activity.  That made it kind of exciting.  We had to go out of the cave and back in another entrance twice to see everything. There were parts of the wall that had been bricked up by the cave’s owners to prevent unauthorized entry.  We enjoyed both cave tours (yesterday and today) very much.

 2020 Sep 29 (Tue) – We took a tour of X Cave today.  It was a very interesting cave in that it had two rivers running alongside each other, separated by a cave wall.  Over time, the wall collapsed and became one cave making an X-intersection with 4 passageways.  The cave is still an active one.

     I have heard the term “Caveland” used around here.  I don’t know if it refers to this area or to the entire state itself.  There are over 200 caves in Kentucky; 25 in Carter Caves State Park alone.  Only 4 caves are open to exploration over the year – 2 are closed right now because of the hibernating bats.

     We had lunch at the lodge.  The park is old and all the buildings and facilities show that.  The lodge is typical – made of dark wood and beams. The waitress was very slow although we told her we were in a hurry.  We ordered vegetable soup and grilled cheese.  We got something more like chili with lots of meat in it and the cheese sandwich was barely toasted.  I didn’t even eat my sandwich.

     We drove into town to mail off some things at the post office.  We drove around the area, exploring some of the back roads.  The buildings were mostly old and run down.  It looked like this might have been a well-to-do area years ago but has fallen on hard times.  Probably when the caves stopped being primary tourist attractions.

 2020 Sep 28 (Mon) – We packed up and left Meadow Bridge, WV at 9:55 a.m.  It was very foggy and overcast and we had rain on and off during the 5 hour drive to Carter Cave State Park campground in Olive Hill, KY.  We stopped about 15 miles from the WV-KY border at a Walmart to pick up a few groceries and have lunch.  The new campground is not near stores so it is better to get what we need before setting up.  Getting into the campground was a little hairy.  The road was narrow and had several hairpin turns as we drove through heavy trees.  When we arrived at the office, the clerk said we were already checked in and gave us our site number.

     The weather was crappy so we stayed in the campground.  There are several caves in the area that we will be exploring in the next few days.

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

One of the things that has made us a successful species is our ability to wield fire. Getting a fire started and variations to make them efficiently and specific to purpose have huge benefits in survival settings and off-grid, no- or low-power scenarios.

Some of the information out there gets used and passed along without a lot of consideration to the conditions, though. I think sometimes we’re just looking for a DIY or a “craft”, especially if we’re on a tight budget, and don’t really test or think it through before we go whole hog. Sometimes we’re overlooking something even more compact or versatile. Sometimes, having two parts to a whole still separated has a lot of value.  And sometimes, I rarely even see the most effective helpers mentioned.

Candles v. Waxed Dryer Lint

One of the things I see constantly is using dryer lint (and makeup pads) for fire starting. It regularly makes me crazy. It’s just that it’s not the be-all fire starter – alone, or with the addition of wax – that it’s made out to be.

Hey, I have some. Bags, front seat of truck, grill kits. Plain lint can be enormously helpful for catching a spark … if you also have other tinder ready and waiting.

The lint (and cardboard) catch first. Lint is a smoldery or flare-up catch, depending on your laundry. The amount and type of cardboard used around the lint extends the burn time a little.

They don’t actually burn long enough to “catch” charcoal, arctic stove bricks, or most kindling sticks, especially in wet or windy weather. You still largely need a feather stick, twisted wads of paper or cardboard, dry grasses, or hen-of-the-woods innards – the same tinder sources you’d use to nurture a spark or match if you didn’t have any handy fire starters.

It’s largely a waste of wax and time to make the “better” versions – where you pack an egg carton or muffin cups with your dryer lint and then pour melted candles, paraffin, or beeswax over them. Those versions are actually even tougher to get started with strikers, paper matches, and Bics, too.

You’ll have a lot more success getting fire helpers like wax cakes and the wax-dipped makeup pads started if you scuff them up good before lighting, even if they’re in cupcake wrappers or egg cartons or combined with cotton strings trimmed from clothing or used garden twine that are supposed to be helping you there.

I guess if you used a big chunk of the egg carton, not just one lobe, it would catch kindling directly. That’s not exactly portable and it requires a big stash of egg cartons for your doomsday or autumn-spring wood stove.

You can improve them – enormously, into something that will burn longer and hotter. Just add some wood shavings, fine chips, sawdust, or some pine cone bracts to the dryer lint. The thin wood is tinder, and dry pine cones are some of the best tinder-kindling to be had.

Even so, skip the wax. You don’t actually need it and it can get messy. Just smoosh it all into TP rolls or egg carton sections with your dryer lint, or snag small pine cones and wedge dryer lint into the gaps.

If you’re dead set on waxed versions, make doubly sure they’re in tight-sealing plastic baggies if they’re in your vehicle.

I carry un-waxed versions, but I also use tea lights and birthday candles a lot for campfires and bonfires. Those “gag” candles that don’t actually go out are a goldmine for a backpack and pill bottle kit.

My candles will typically burn long enough to dry out even damp tinders and kindling without issue. If it’s particularly damp and wet, if I’m particularly rushed to get a fire going, I’ll use both, a candle and a backup or emergency fire starter.

It’s just faster and easier. Plus, they’re a more versatile option.

If I need to be under a quickie shelter, I can still use my candles inside a can or a jar – for cooking, to very effectively take the damp or chill off a small space, for light. I can also use a match to light a tea light or birthday candle, and then light others from that stronger flame.

You lose those options when you melt your candles or paraffin into disks of tinder helpers.

Cotton, Vaseline & Foil

I like “foil fire nuggets” a lot. Again, it has to do with versatility. The petroleum jelly dipped cotton doesn’t run in our heat, and it doesn’t evaporate as fast or as much as hand sanitizer or stove alcohol. You can control how big a hole you create, and how much you pinch out, which affects how big of a flame you have – which impacts how long each burns for.

The foil provides “handles” for moving them, and can be shaped to help protect them from a draft or to reflect light one way or another. The foil also gives you a somewhat “safe” zone around your “candle” that increases the times and places it can be used.

They’re nice for starting fires, and they’re also nice as “candles”. Because they’re small and contained, they’re suitable for times you’re in a small shelter without a lot of room. Stick them in a metal or glass bowl or cup, and you can have light for 3-5 minutes.

They’re not as effective as something like a votive or 4-6” emergency candle for burning off some of the damp and warming a tiny space, but if you make them with two or three balls instead of just one, or set up a couple more, they have applications for getting inside and set up or drying out tinder and kindling.

Now, if you’re inclined to soak them in hand sanitizer, I’d say hold off. You can carry the two parts separately and just combine when ready. I’m also not high on waxed versions of cotton balls or tampons – again, unnecessary steps (and mess), more costly ingredients, single-purpose items, and the scuffing-up step before you use them. Without the foil, they also burn too fast to dry or ignite many kindling.

Oddball Fire Starters

If you’re looking for something else to help your fires along, check out your kitchen cabinets and the packets available at fast food restaurants and hotels when you get coffee.

I by total accident discovered that grits are enormously flammable when I sneezed and spilled half a tub across a flat-top electric stove. The grits hit the still-hot stove, and while the little isolated and single-layer bits just glowed and cindered and extinguished super fast, the grits that landed in lines and lumps went up like I’d been scraping magnesium. Some of the dials were actually deformed from the heat

(The glass stovetop recovered from this misadventure like a champ.)

The other oddball I pretty much never see is powdered coffee creamer. It comes courtesy of Mythbusters.

The “B” (better) team were doing one of their tests of viral videos, seeing if you really could create an enormous mushroom cloud with a sawdust cannon, and tested other whoosh! options. Carrie (I believe) tested coffee creamer.

Wow.

Creamer has benefits. It’s also a little scary. (Test this after it rains, peeps.) Like the magnesium rods we can scrape to add oomph to our sparks, powdered creamer is a flare-up kind of helper.

To say that a little goes a long way is an understatement. You only need a little bit at a time to help you – like, fractions of teaspoons amounts, especially if this is getting added to the surface of dryer lint.

Upside: This means a little jug goes a very long way. You won’t need much in each various kit, which makes it suitable for even tiny pill bottle or Altoids kits. It’s even less-expensive than grits, and even more resistant to damp surfaces while you’re making fires.

I cannot overstate the need to not have this blowing around dry grassy/leafy areas, your bag and tent, your hair if you use alcohol-containing products, or if the air is swirling and this might end up back in your face. Also, add fire to your creamer; do not be the many morons on YouTube who light fires and then pour the creamer on.

If you’re inclined to make those drinking straw kits, please be very conscientious of the fact that you use fire to melt the straw ends closed.

Feather Stick

One skill absolutely worth mastering, that will save an enormous amount of time and effort in starting a fire – and reviving it if it falters – is a feather stick. By peeling up curls of wood, you create kindling and tinder with excellent “catchability” and oxygen flow. You can also benefit by exposing the inner wood, which can be much dryer than small kindling sources after days of rain or snow melt.

You can make them out of whole raw sticks and branches, batoned branches, split logs, or pieces of junk timber and dimensional lumber. They’re pretty easy. Just remember the general safety rule of cutting away from yourself.

Parting Tip: Bring a Briquette

Keep 2-4 charcoal briquettes in your car kit, camping and kayaking kits, and your packs. Keep a tin of them handy for your rocket stove or fire pit. They weigh nearly nothing and they take up less space than those egg carton sections people love.

To use, stash one under your kindling with your tinder, inside your teepee or frame. You’ll need the tinder and kindling to get them going, but once you have, they generate a great deal of heat, and stay hot for a while.

Combined with a tin can, they can also help us carry fire from one location to another, or through part of a day. They can be used to help dry out kindling and smaller fuel wood, or to revive a fire without striking more sparks or matches. That’s especially useful if we’re out-out and we need that fire, when our hands are shaking (or mittened), in wet and windy conditions, and while we learn the nuances of banking a fire for the night.

Fire Starters

Getting a fire started can be a big advantage, but it’s really only the tip of the iceberg. How we build and feed that fire, where we position it, and what we combine it with impacts its effectiveness for heat, for cooking, and for signaling. Changes affect how long that fire will last, how much smoke it produces – and where that’s blowing – and how high the flames are reaching. In some situations, we’re also controlling how much light it gives off; looking for brightness, or limiting the visibility of the flames and-or the smoke.

Especially if we’re counting on fires when we take to the hills or for wilderness accidents, we need to know what is and isn’t actually going to work. So practice the whole process, dusk to dawn, not just sparking tinder.

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from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[tyson-berry-blog]

James van Riemsdyk #1 - Camping

@carey-pricemas mentioned liking JVR and Freddie Andersen so I just picked one and ran with it. I honestly have no idea where this plot line came from but somehow I managed to squeeze out a whole story. I think maybe this was an excuse to write a bunch of the Leafs together since it heavily features five more. Oops? 

When the Leafs lost in the first round of the playoffs you along with the rest of Toronto had been devastated. The boys had fought hard and it was weird to imagine them having time off when it seemed that hockey was the only thing they ever did. In the midst of all of the sadness and moping you found yourself agreeing to what would end up being a huge mistake.

Your boyfriend, James van Riemsdyk seemed to be inconsolable. He preferred to stay in bed and brushed off any idea you threw at him to take his mind off of the loss. He kept talking about wanting to get away from it all and in a last ditch effort you suggested that he do just that. Somehow the idea for camping had been born and now instead of binging series on end on his laptop he used it to search for the best tents and electricity free coffeemakers.

You convinced yourself that it was good he had found something else to focus on until of course you showed up to his apartment after he left a voicemail saying he needed help only to find he needed help packing the seemingly endless camping supplies into the trunk of his car. You had rolled your eyes but helped him just like any good girlfriend would and let him explain the reasoning behind every little thing he had bought. You had assumed he would be going with the boys camping, the rookies especially would need the time away and in some form you were right. He was going with a few members of the team but also you.

“Wait. Me?” you found yourself asking incredulously, hoping you had misheard.

“Yes you,” he looked at you expectantly, his eyes practically begging.

There was no room to argue and you called into work to confirm that you could use some vacation time for this. James convinced you to go home and pack right then and there so you could spend the night and be up bright and early to start the trip. Again the sad eyes left no room for argument and you found yourself running out to the store to buy any of the appropriate gear that you didn’t own. When you woke up in James’ apartment the next morning you had hoped it was all some very intense dream but when you walked out into the living room to see five of his teammates all wearing brand new hiking boots you knew it wasn’t. James had agreed to be the luggage car so that the other five could ride together and give the two of you some privacy. That small insight made you feel slightly better. While you loved the team you weren’t sure if you could sit in an enclosed space with Auston, Mitch, Matt, William and Morgan for any extended period of time. With all of their stuff transferred into James’ car you were off.

The camp ground decided upon was a good two-hour drive outside of the city. James it seemed had even put together a playlist, all of the songs were about nature or the wilderness. You didn’t even know there could be that many songs about trees or how he managed to find them. The other car was first to arrive and to no surprise Mitch and Auston were climbing on anything they could. William was down at the base of the tree filming while Morgan and Matt looked on. When they saw you approached they followed you back to the car to help unpack the things. There were three tents total. You and James got one, Matt and Mo got the second and the other three would share the third. When the younger boys finally joined, the work went quickly and soon enough a little makeshift community had been set up. The tree tents surrounded a fire pit put in place by the campgrounds and allowed for a nice place to sit and talk. The food would stay in the car until needed, to keep any animals from getting into it.

After a quick dinner of hotdogs everyone retired to their respective tents and you couldn’t have been more glad. This would likely be the mildest of the days to come but you were still exhausted. Your theory was proved right when you woke up to find James had vanished. A rustle outside of your tent had you nervous until his head popped in the small opening, “good morning.”

“Shit James I thought you were an animal or something.”

“Nope,” he stepped fully into the tent, “nothing too scary out here unless you’re afraid of rabbits. You aren’t are you?”

You sat up in your sleeping bag and shot him a look, “no James I am not.”

“Great! Here I saved you some breakfast.”

The paper plate he handed you had a few small, slightly burnt pancakes on it.

“Did you make these?”

“No. Auston did. The kid is surprising good with the griddle. He says it’s just like a miniature grill and grilling is all he knows how to do.”

You scraped off the burnt bits with a plastic fork and dipped it into the small lake of syrup JVR had poured for you. You looked back over at him and he was awkwardly standing near the entrance of the tent. You patted the spot the next to you and he crossed over the small space to sit down.

You leaned into him, “so what is the plan for today?”

“Well when I was researching for places I saw this one had a cool looking creek. You have to hike to is somewhat but it’s supposed to be amazing.”

You nodded and continued eating. You knew you’d be doing whatever he wanted as long as he kept smiling. When you changed and left the tent you saw the three youngest gathered around the dying fire.

“Where are the two others?” you asked.

“Matts and Mo went to go gather more wood for later,” Auston answered.

Mitch piped up, “they figured it’d be best to get it now so we don’t have to worry about it when we get back from the hike just incase it’s dark.”

James filed out behind you in a frankly ridiculously colored jacket. It was bright red and nearly blinding to your eyes.

“James. You know I love you but sometimes I don’t trust your judgement.”

He looked down at his coat, “the color is called Firefly and I think you’re just jealous because you know you couldn’t pull this off.”

You looked at him, “it takes a certain something to pull that off that look you’re absolutely right.”

The fact he was teasing was a good sign and you pulled him into a hug as he walked by. He turned to kiss you and the three teammates sitting by the fire pit groaned in fake disgust.

He pulled away and turned to them, “you’re just mad that your girlfriends weren’t willing to risk the wilderness for you.”

“Wilderness? James you said so yourself that the worst thing out here was rabbits.”

He looked sheepish, “well rabbits and black bears.”

Your eyes widened, “James! If I get eaten by a bear, I swear I will come back and kill you myself.”

Morgan and Matt returned with large stacks of wood each and stowed it in Matt’s car on the off chance there was rain.

Morgan brushed his hands off, “so what’d we miss?”

“JVR here neglected to tell us what kind of animals lurked in the shadows,” Mitch said not looking up from poking the dying flames with a stick.

Matt clapped his hands together, “great. If anything it’ll make for a hell of a news story ‘Toronto Maple Leafs annihilated by Eagles. Twice.’”

Willy laughed, “I want to say too soon but I have to admit, that was a good one.”

The group stood up and packed away their things before setting off on the long hike to the creek.

James hung back with you, “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course. You wanted me to come so I’m here.”

He settled you with a look, “I know you’re doing this for my benefit. Camping isn’t really your thing but you came anyway.”

“That’s what you do when you care about someone. You suck it up and deal with it if it makes them happy.”

He squeezed your hand, “you’d tell me if something was really wrong right?”

You squeezed his hand back, “yes I would. You can go run ahead to join them if you want.”

You indicated towards the hollering coming from the trees in front of you.

He shook his head, “I’m good here.”

[singlebecauseofthechocobros]

Eyes Wide Open Chapter 2

Since I am going to be taking a different approach to this fict, I went ahead and updated the text. So yes it is completely different from the original. I’ll update chapter 3 soon, but I hope you all enjoy this!

Previous Chapter

Word Count: 2,640

“Noctis,” You questioned in astonishment.  

“Hey Y/N,”the young prince replied, “It’s been awhile.” The look on your face contorted into one of utter confusion. Your eyebrows and nose scrunched up and you squinted your eyes as if you needed to somehow make the man in front of you clearer. Shaking your head you turned and began walking back to your camp.

“Y/N wait up!” Noctis shouted after you.

“Look I need to tend to my side, so if you don’t mind leave me alone.” You said sharply, but you could hear the shuffle of footsteps in the sand behind you.

“C’mon it’s been what 6 or 7 years? And you’re just going to walk off?”

“Yep.”  

“We came all this way searching for you!” Spoke camera boy. You didn’t have to see his face to recognize which one of Noct’s companions that echo belonged to so you continued walking.

“Well sorry to let you all down, but that’s not my problem.”

“My father sent us to find you,” Noctis blurted out.

You stopped in your tracks and turned to face the prince. “Why in the world would your father want me to be found?”

“It’s kind of a long story,” the prince said. He obviously wanted to sit down and talk and to your dismay he had made you curious. The prince stood looking completely solemn. In all honesty he looked just as he did when you were both children, except now he looked drained of energy, a bit taller and with wider shoulders.

“Fine,” you said shortly, “We can talk at camp and after I heal my wounds.”  The prince nodded his head and the boys fell in line behind you. You were amazed that you had so easily agreed to listen to your long forgotten friend.  

Your campsite was pretty close and was set up on top of a haven that overlooked the beach. There was a rolled up sleeping bag next to the extinguished fire pit, along with a small backpack that contained the rest of your things. You shot a ball of fire at the logs and created a little light to illuminate the area. Crouching down, you opened your backpack and pulled out a potion so you could push it into your side. The affected area instantly began to feel better, but there was still a faint soreness to your skin.

“Where is the tent?” Muscles asked.

“I don’t have one.”

“You don’t have a tent? Chairs?” replied specs.

“If I don’t have a tent what makes you ponder I would have a chair,” you questioned coldly.

The man replied with a “hmph” noise and snapped his fingers as if he had a revelation.

“Prompto,” he called.

The blonde one responded,“Yo!”

“Let us go to the Regalia and grab the camping gear,” he spoke majestically.

Nodding his head and kind of jumping around, Prompto, let out and “Okay” and turned to head back to the car. However you weren’t having that.  

“I’m sorry your camping gear? That doesn’t mean your implying that you all are going to be staying the night right?”

“Well that’s exactly what we mean,” replied Specs, “It’s just that a haven is a safe place to stay and it is not as though you need the entire campsite for yourself. Plus we have food and a tent you can use if you would allow us to visit.”  You had to admit that a decent meal sounded really good. You had been eating cup of noodles for the past week. While instant may be convenient, it was not always as good as a fresh cooked meal. And although you loved sleeping under the stars, it looked as though it was going to rain in a few.

“Fine,” you finally replied. Specs nodded his head and smiled a little, turning to follow Prompto back towards the car.

Noctis was over whispering something to the big guy but they both didn’t seem to be revealing any sort of negative emotions. You turned away and reached behind your back to untie your corset.  Extending your arms that far caused you to wince in pain but you continued on. Once off you let out a breath; you didn’t mind the garment but you definitely enjoyed being able to freely breathe.  Laying the article and the weapons on the ground you started to lift your shirt, revealing your toned stomach to the world. From the corner of your eye you could see Mr. Muscles scanning his eyes over you, almost as if he was summing you up, Noctis however was doing something on his phone.

“Why don’t you borrow your friend’s camera and take a picture,” you spoke tauntingly.

Turning to face him, you could see the big guy scratch his head and let out a chuckle. “Not a bad idea, but Prompto took his camera with him. What a shame,” he replied just as teasingly.

You looked down at your right side and could see the purple bruising around your ribcage. You touched it and there was an instant pain. The potion had taken the swelling down but you would have to do the rest. Bringing your hand just above the inflicted area, you closed your eyes focusing your energy again. Your palm began to warm and glow and the discomfort began to subside in your side. You could almost feel your bones forming back together which was uncomfortable for the most part but it was a better feeling than the hurt you felt just moments before. Unlike the woman on the beach, healing this wound was taking a lot more energy and time than hers did. A couple minutes past before you removed your hand and felt no more pain in your side. Rolling your shirt back down you sat down next to the fire.

You watched the flames swaying back in fourth, dancing with one another. It was mesmerizing.  Coming from behind, you could hear Prompto’s voice getting closer and closer. You did not get up though. Noctis and the giant went towards the other two and grabbed some of the gear. When they arrived back they made fast work of setting everything up. The tents popped up in a matter of seconds and they even seemed to have a portable cooking station. Four foldable chairs were placed around the fire and one by one, each took their seat except for the tall skinny one. He began to cook something and whatever it was had an aroma that began to make your stomach growl.

Everyone sat in silence for a while until Prompto broke the quiet.

“I’m Prompto by the way,” he waved.

“I know. I heard the cook say your name earlier,” uou said.

“The cook,” Prompto questioned, looking over to the tall guy standing over the stove, “Oh you mean Ignis?”

“Um. Yeah him, or Ignis, whatever,” you nodded.

“Well you know Noctis,” Prompto said pointing at the crown Prince, “And the tall beast over there is Gladiolus.” At the sound of his name the burly man looked up.  You met his eyes momentarily and he gave you a casual wink followed by a smirk which spread across his face.  You rolled your eyes and focused back on the fire.

“Hey Iggy! How long till dinner,” Gladiolus inquired.

“Not too much longer! Perfection takes time boys,” Ignis replied.  

Looking over to Noctis, who was slouching in his seat playing on his phone you, spoke up, “You said the story is long, don’t you think that you should probably get started.”

Noctis glanced up from his phone to look at you, “How about after we eat? Dinner is almost ready anyway. We can catch up in the meantime.”

“Catch up,” you replied incredulously, “Why are you acting as if were pals or buddies who haven’t seen each other in a while? Last time I checked we aren’t friends.”

“Well we were at one time,” the prince replied kindly. You locked eyes with him. He was right, maybe at one time the two of you were inseparable, but that was at a time when things were simple and innocent.  

“Yeah well we both know that time is long gone,” you shot back. Everything was quiet after that. Ignis began prepping the dinner plates and passed out a dinner to each of you.

On the menu was fried fish with rice and vegetables.  It didn’t look like much but when the food hit your pallet you found yourself thanking the gods for this meal. It was seasoned and cooked to absolute perfection. The veggies were grilled flawlessly and the fish almost melted in your mouth. It definitely beat Cup of Noodles.

You must have been starving because you wound up being the first one done, with the boys all watching you scarf down your plate. Prompto and Gladiolus were silently laughing while a look of satisfaction spread across Ignis’s face, obviously satisfied with the food he had prepared. Most of the boys had a good bit left on their plates so you decided to take the time to go and change into some cleaner clothes. You didn’t explain yourself; you simply got up and took your backpack with you into the tent. If they were going to make themselves right at home so where you.

Opening your backpack you took out another pair of black pants and a green t-shirt. Changing only took you a couple minutes and once you were done you had to admit it felt nice to be wearing clean garments. Bringing your hands up to your head, you untied your hair and unraveled your braid. Your (H/C) hair cascaded down a little past your shoulders and your scalp felt instant relief since it was no longer tightly pulled back anymore. Rolling up your dirty clothes, you shoved them into your bag and exited the tent. The boys looked over as you made your way back to the fire pit. Noctis looked up and away just as fast, not fazed by your appearance. Prompto gave you a warm grin and went back to devouring his plate of food. Gladiolus sent you a grin while Ignis watched you, seeming to evaluate you.

You sat back on the ground and waited for all the guys to finish their meals. Once Ignis stood and began collecting plates, you decided to speak up, “So do you want to go ahead and tell me what you’re doing here?”

Everyone turned their gazes to you. Sitting forward in his seat Noctis cleared his throat.

“Yeah, I probably owe you that much,” he replied.

“Ya think?”

Noctis smirked to himself, quite enjoying your demeanor, “I suppose I should,” he started, “I’m not sure if you are aware, but I am on the way to Altissa to marry Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.”

You nodded your head in understanding. Noct’s engagement to the princess was the talk of the whole continent. The thought of lasting peace was something everyone hoped for, and if that could be achieved by uniting two countries, everyone was all for it.

“We’re hoping to catch the next boat from here to Altissa which is why we are here, but we weren’t lying when we said we were looking for you.”

“So you all just happened to get lucky finding me,” you questioned.

“Yeah you could say that.” The prince replied coolly, “We may have gotten a tip from someone in Hammerhead that you headed this way.” You remembered making a pit stop at the local garage and figured someone there must have hinted to the boys about your whereabouts. “Conveniently you wound up being where we were going so it worked out well for us,” the prince continued after a brief pause, “But before we left Insomnia my father sat us down and told us something was coming.”

“What? What’s coming,” you asked suspiciously.

“We don’t know,” he shook his head, “But he said while Gladio could teach me all I need to know about combat, my magic skills still needed work. He said I needed a teacher and he told us to seek you out.” You tried to process the words that Noctis just spoke, the ones claiming that the royal King of Lucis told his son to find you and ask for your help. “And that brings us up to present time,” finished Noctis.

“That wasn’t long at all,” you spoke, crossing your arms and giving him a look.

He shrugged, “Yeah, I may have exaggerated about the length so we could set up camp. I was also kind of hungry and wanted to eat before talking.”

You narrowed your eyes at him and stood up, walking back and forth, rubbing your necklace in between your fingers. Regis wants me, of all people, to help train Noctis? That thought replaying over and over in your mind. “I know it’s a lot to process,” Noctis spoke, his voice interjecting into your thoughts. His head following your movement, “But there’s a reason you still have your magic and why my father never took it away.”

You stopped and turned to him, “So I got to keep my magic solely for your benefit?”

“Maybe so,” he replied, leaning forward in his chair and locking his gaze with yours, “I’m not my father, nor do I know why he does what he does. But you’ve always had a talent when it came to magic, even when we were children. Maybe he knew this day would come or maybe he was just being generous. Beats me.”

There was a hint of aggravation in his voice. You knew you shouldn’t be so difficult with him, but after everything, you couldn’t just fake nice.

“Listen,” he began again, standing up across from you, “You can say no. Ultimately this is your decision, but I would be grateful if you continued the rest of this journey with us and trained me.” He started to babbled on about compensation and other minor things, but you had turned your attention out to the water.

You could only see the whitecaps from the haven, but the sound of the waves crashing against the shore filled your mind, allowing you to clear your thoughts for a moment and tune out the prince. Should you go with your old friend? Could you really gain anything from this? Will it be dangerous? Probably. Would it be easy? Probably not. But you thought about how long you’d been wandering around. Even though you had steady jobs, drifting was all you did. Never really feeling like you had a purpose, and maybe this was your time. Maybe this is was part of your cosmic plan in some sick ironic way. Maybe this could help you feel whole again.

“Y/N are you even listening,” Noctis called out to you.

You spun around and nodded to the group, “Okay.”

“Okay?” Prompto asked.

“Okay,” you repeated, wondering if this was the right thing to do, but before you could question yourself again you gave Noctis his answer, “I’ll do it. I’ll go with you.”

Everyone stared at you, their faces in complete shock. Noctis nodded his head and took his seat, “Thank you Y/N.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” you replied coldly, picking your backpack up off the ground and slinging it over your shoulder, “We start in the morning at first light. Don’t make me wake you up.”

Turing back away, you headed into the spare tent Gladio had set up for you. It was smaller than the others, but it would keep you roofed. Disappearing into the tent, Prompto turned to Noctis, “Dude, you are in for it big time.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Noctis just leaned back in his seat and stared up at the sky wondering just how badly he was going to get his ass kicked in the morning.

[3one3]

The Sequel - 865

A Joint Thing

André Schürrle, Juan Mata, other Chelsea/BVB players, and random awesome OC’s (okay they’re less random now but they’re still pretty awesome)

original epic tale

all chapters of The Sequel

“Stop. You don’t even have to give the speech. I don’t want to talk about it. Tomorrow, yes. Not now.”

“Okay. Whatever you want.”

“What are you doing?”

“Figuring out how to send hay and grain for the horses and livestock affected by the hurricane in Texas. The flooding is so bad. Did you eat? I had a strip steak because I was starving. I got one for you too though. If you want it. It only takes a few minutes on the grill.”

I want 20 things and none are a strip steak, no matter how superbly she could probably cook it, André rued after Christina nodded at the mostly empty plate beside her Macbook in the study. There was one piece of broccoli left on it alongside some discarded fat. It was Saturday night, and he just got home from the match, and he pretty much hated everything until that very moment. How sweet is she. Does her two hours at the stadium to see me play like the Invisible Man for 55 minutes and then makes herself dinner for one, to eat while she works on helping abandoned or homeless animals. And she has that face like her mind is going hundreds of kilometers a minute to figure out what to do or say to me to erase that I am currently useless on the football pitch and hurt all the time.

“I had dinner in the ice bath. Who are we helping? One organization or a bunch of little ones?” The player walked the rest of the way into the cozy study decorated primarily with books, and pushed the back of his chair from one side of the partners’ desk to the other so that he could sit beside his girl and see what was on her screen. She slid over a bit to her left, and then leaned back over to the right to kiss his cheek. If not for the distraction of the coverage of the hurricane drowning greater Houston under an unprecedented tonnage of water, Christina would have been totally consumed by her sympathy for her partner and his frustrating struggle to show his quality and worth at the Westfalenstadion. He was simply a body to bounce the ball off now and then during his minutes that evening. The whole team was rather slow on the ball, and one-dimensional. André couldn’t make or take any chances, and he seldom even had the opportunity for nice interplay with his black and yellow teammates. The three points were secured for the home side, and their #21 didn’t do anything costly or embarrassing, so it wasn’t a complete loss, but he looked and felt irrelevant and disappointing. His girl wished she knew how to help him turn it on again, or even just how to get on the right path to it. Injuries and good form by others meant it had been nearly a year since he enjoyed an uninterrupted spell in which to build and flourish. His struggle was breaking her heart, and demolishing his spirit. Her instinct was to make him talk about it instead of brush it off for “tomorrow”, but she knew what it was like to be in his shoes too, and knew he needed a cool-down period before it was worth encouraging him to share his burden with her.

“That’s what I’m trying to decide. The ASPCA is doing a lot but I’m not sure if they’re doing livestock or just pets. USEF has a fund going just for horses. I’m looking for, like, if some group is taking in otherwise homeless horses and caring for them while their owners can’t. I’d like to send supplies. I don’t like just giving money to those big groups because I don’t know how much of it actually helps the animals, or how long it takes.” The horsewoman moved her dinner plate aside so that she could lean on her elbow on the desk and sigh while André scrolled through the pictures she found on Twitter.

“Why don’t you make a post saying that you’d like to help, and see who responds? It shouldn’t be too hard to verify and not get scammed. Your Twitter has a big reach,” he reminded her. “I’m sure people will tell you who is doing what.”

“Yeah, I guess. I’m going to need someone who knows what’s going on and where I can even get hay and grain sent from, and how to get it to whoever needs it. I emailed someone I know at USEF to find out what they can tell me. I’ll wait to post until I hear back from her. Hey, are you sure you don’t want anything?” Christina watched him watch a rescue video on the screen, and reached for his fuzzy cheek with the back of her hand. He turned and offered a small but reassuring smile.

“We had pasta and chicken. I’m not hungry, Prinzessin.”

“Do you want anything else? Couch? Bed? Fire pit? Movie downstairs?”

“Didn’t you want to begin your Game of Thrones education tonight?” the footballer yawned.

“Yes but actually I want to save that for tomorrow because it’s supposed to rain aaaaalllllllll day and Lukas has a playdate at Nuri’s- all the kids do- I think it’s someone’s birthday but I forget- and so it’s the perfect afternoon for us to get embedded on the couch and watch a bunch of episodes at once. I even made watermelon salsa for the whole grain tortilla chips.” Christina blinked at him with big, round, welcoming blue eyes, and just that little hint of hopefulness in them- her hope for him to be into her plans- was enough to help him feel just that little bit better about everything. Instead of expressing excitement about her Sunday agenda, he decided to tease her.

“You’re sending him to a birthday without a gift?” he asked with mock incredulity.

“Tugba only just told me about it at the game!”

“Did you get to tuck him in?”

“No,” she frowned. “Espen said he watched most of the match though. He made you something today,” Lukas’ mom smiled back. “It’s upstairs. Want to see?”

His dad nodded and followed her to the master bath, to check out the little platinum blonde’s art project. It all started when Espen arrived for work with a tie-dye kit and some cheap t-shirts. She was joining some new friends from her apartment block on a sort of bar crawl/drinking scavenger hunt that would stretch from brunch into the evening. It was a team competition, and her team was all going to wear tie-dye shirts. The others were getting together on Saturday to make theirs but since she had to work she just got her own supplies and made it into a fun activity to do with Lukas. Christina couldn’t resist joining in. They filled horse buckets with the water and dye and taught Lukas how to bunch up the shirt and add the rubber bands. After he saw the results on a his-size shirt, he wanted to make one for Daddy. It had to be yellow, because his “Daddy shirt” was yellow. Espen showed him how to draw on the adult-size white tee with fabric markers before they prepped it for the dye. He attempted a dinosaur and several humans of varying sizes and proportions. They weren’t all entirely recognizable as people. The finished product looked like a terrible children’s doodle made into a shirt instead of refrigerator art. He wanted to put it in the dye twice to deepen the yellow hue per Espen’s recommendation, so Christina hung it in her shower to dry because the dark tiles wouldn’t get stained.

“I think you should let him give it to you in the morning,” she explained to the lucky recipient of the haute couture piece. “He’ll be so proud and happy.”

“You think? Wouldn’t he like it if I just wear it?” André loved his ugly shirt. He loved that his son thought of him when he wasn’t around, and wanted to make him something.

“You can wear it after he gives it to you. I think you’ll look sexy in it, babe.”

“For some reason yellow doesn’t do for my eyes what it does for yours.” He pointed a cheeky smirk at his girl while holding the shirt up to his body.

“It’s really not your color.” She wrinkled one side of her nose and shook her head, and inadvertently reminded him of the things he didn’t want to talk about. I never look good in yellow. That’s the truth, he huffed inside. BVB shirt on, all talent, composure, and intelligence, gone. I just look like a jackass. “We tried to make it a darker, more flattering shade for you.”

“Mhm. Should I put it back in the shower? It seems dry.”

“I think it’s fine. Why don’t you put your bag away and stay awhile?” The rider winked at the dejected player and then wandered out of the bathroom and onto their bed. It was freshly made in clean linens, and too inviting to simply be walked past. There was nothing else to do in the house besides hover around André anyway.

“Where is your tie-dye shirt?” he asked her from his closet.

“In a drawer. It’s rainbow colored. I’m like a tie-dye pro.”

“Are we going downstairs, or outside, or bed, or what? What should I put on right now?”

“I dunno I don’t care.” Hola Juanin, Christina thought as her sweatpants pocket vibrated. It wouldn’t have been anyone other than the Spaniard. He played 74 minutes and assisted the match-winning goal, and she was waiting for him to respond to her congratulations text.

“Thanks. We played well. Who is it going to be with this time?” he wrote back. Her message also mentioned her desire to do another Dirk video, with a new artist, whose music she discovered only that afternoon, sort of.

“You know the song I played for you that sounds like its straight out of 1983 and I said I thought it might actually be brand new and not from Miami Vice? The featured artist on it is two guys called Oliver, because they’re both Olivers, and they’re DJ’s and producers and I heard their album that just came out and it’s AMAZING. You’ll prob love it. Add it on Apple. “Electrify” is my fave,” the rider told him with several dancing girl emojis.

“Why can’t you pick someone I already know personally and have a relationship with? Don’t you like any Kygo songs?” Juan’s feigned exasperation was audible in his digital words.

“Who says I want you to produce the video again?”

“Your mom.”

“We’re invited to a nightclub party in Milan on Saturday night with Rafa people. It’s not all night tho. Do you wanna?”

“I don’t know. That’s a week from now.”

“What are you doing tonight?”

“I had dinner with Paula. I’m home now. Bedtime for Juan.”

“Are you still hanging out with Taylor tomorrow?”

“I put sweatpants on because you have sweatpants on,” André shrugged on his way over to join his girl on the nicely made bed. She was upside down and tapping away on her phone. “Watcha doin?”

“Nothing.” Christina barely got the word out before the other player’s next message arrived.

“Yes.”

“Coming in hot.” The BVB midfielder crawled over her and literally just collapsed on her body, trapping the phone and her hand under his shoulder. “Ahh, yeah. Comfy.”

“Ugh, you weigh a ton. Why are your bones so heavy? There’s no fat on you to weigh this much.”

“Stop complaining,” he ordered before reluctantly scooting down some so that their parts lined up slightly better. He took the phone from her hand and set it on the bed, and then put both of her hands down at her side, out of the way of his elbows. Then he dropped his head down for a quick smooch. “Thanks for coming to the match.”

“Why do you still thank me?” Christina laughed. “I will never get that. I’ve been going to your games for almost 7 years. I was going to them even before that too. You just didn’t know it.”

“Because I’m still thankful that you support me. And that you support me at home too even after I play like crap.”

“You’re a hero to me and your son whether you score a hat trick, an own goal, or an award for doing absolutely nothing of note for an hour.” She couldn’t help but tease a little. It was totally fine with him because her teasing smile was very nice to look at. He bent down to kiss her again, a little slower, and then petted her forehead and some of her hair.

“I guess you weren’t paying attention when I gave the ball away and we almost lost a goal.”

“No I was, but you didn’t even do that well enough for them to actually score, so...doesn’t count.”

“Nice.”

“In all seriousness, was something hurting? You weren’t moving so good.” Christina held onto his waist and enjoyed his freshly showered smell. It was clean and manly and evoked all of the things inside a female that tell her to notice a male.

“Not really, but you’re right. By the end I wasn’t moving well.”

“Do you need a butt massage?” She slid her hands down over his behind and gave it a demonstrative double squeeze.

“You mean you have time for an ass that isn’t Jon Snow’s? You’ve found a way to include it in every other conversation for two days. Who is that?” His attention was diverted before he could list all the times she managed to work Kit Harington’s perfect ass into conversations. Her phone vibrated again, and lit up.

“How should I know? I can’t see it. Duuhhhhh.”

“Duhhhhhhh.”

“You’re crushing my liver or something. So you’re lucky you smell good.” And...meh. As the Olympic medalist inhaled some more eau du manly man, several threads converged in her head and dampened her mood. She spent much of the pre-match festivities with Zoe, and Nuri’s wife Tugba, talking about her new interest in Game of Thrones, and how it spawned from “that love scene” everybody was on about. The girls had so much to say and not just about Jon Snow’s wonderful, Fibonacci sequence-aligned bum. The other two knew more than the rider about the series, so they had more perspective on the significance of the love scene, but she could still testify to the powerful and meaningful emotions that were fueling it. It was obvious. The scene was about love, not sex. Zoe told her it was one of the few sex scenes in the whole story that portrayed the act as something loving instead of brutal and animalistic.

She also got wistful and fanciful and longing in talking about “that kind of love”. Marco’s girl asked, rhetorically, how amazing it is to have sex like that- to be so enamored, and so deeply in love, and so “so”. It was a struggle for her to even put a label on it. Tugba was all about it too. Nuri’s wife knew exactly what Zoe meant, and so did Christina. Unfortunately, thinking about the “oh my god, star-crossed lovers finally together, they need each other, they need to make love to fully experience it” sort of love just made her realize that she never had that with André anymore.

As Juan’s texts piled up on the phone next to her head, she felt uneasy inside. He was the one with whom she experienced that sort of love. He was the one she longed to be with that way. The girls also talked about other kinds of love, which they deemed good but not as singularly rewarding, satisfying, and special. André ticked the boxes for her for “when he’s so hot or handsome and you just need him” love and “casual, flirty” love, and “when you wake up Sunday morning and love each other” love. The player’s wives called the rarity of the other sort of love bittersweet, because they wanted to experience that encounter more often but recognized that it would be diminished with greater frequency. Zoe even said it was a “two handful” life experience, meaning one would only experience it maybe 10 times in a lifetime. So Christina logically shouldn’t have been that alarmed by the realization that she and her partner hadn’t had a night like that in some time, or that she wasn’t feeling that way about him. But she wasn’t sure that Zoe was right. It seemed like she thought of Juan that way all the time, and they had “Jonerys-level” sex multiple times just that summer. Sniffing her husband and feeling attracted to him on that most basic level of desire was disappointing for her, because it just reinforced everything she thought of in hospitality with the girls.

“Do you want me to move?” André offered when he noticed that her expression went flat for too long for her just to be kidding when she said he was lucky to smell good. It was like she frowned to go along with the banter but then just never smiled again or re-engaged.

“No. But...do you still...do you ever feel like you love me so much that you need to love me, like, physically? I mean- Not- Like- Like when you want to literally make love. You want to be together because of just...love. Not because you want to get off, or because I look good or whatever, or even like when you’re obsessed with being with my body for a while. I mean make love like the night before you went to Brazil, and our wedding night, and the first time we were together post-separation when it wasn’t weird anymore. When you look at me and I actually look back.” Christina regretted opening her mouth with every additional word she piled on to try to make herself clear. Her face was pink by the end, and she was hoping to disappear into the mattress somehow.  

“How many times did you watch the scene with his butt? You are so obsessed. Let it go, Prinzessin,” André chuckled. “You get so hung up on films and shows. Life doesn’t have to be that dramatic!”

“Never mind the show. Do you know what I’m talking about? Don’t you-“

“I wanted to be with you like that yesterday and you didn’t feel the same.” Why is she asking me this, he wondered. Why does she fool around when I want to be serious, and get serious when I’m just whatever. Why does she watch and read love stories and then have to live them the same?

“No that’s not the same, babe.” The rider shook her head and peered up at him with almost something like urgency. “I’m talking about when we’re both feeling exactly the same way. It’s a joint thing. It can’t happen to just one.”

“Well wouldn’t you know then? If it has to be both of us then you know all the times,” the player sighed. He just didn’t want to be having that conversation. He wanted to go back to enjoying her face and her casual conversation. She sighed too, but inaudibly, and nodded. His answer illustrated a good point. There was no point in asking him if he experienced something recently that she didn’t when the experience was dependent on them both. So it wasn’t just Christina that wasn’t feeling it. It wasn’t just that she had Juan as an alternative. The other half of the equation was messed up too. She wanted to know why, but didn’t know how to find out. He lifted his head to look at nothing across the room- an inadvertent but indicative gesture that put more space between their faces. His girl didn’t know how to even go about finding out her answer without aggravating him further.

“Okay.”

“Has anyone told you the guy with the ass and the girl with the braids are brother and sister? And that he’s a bitch? He would be the guy who listens to Drake and cries over girls. It’s just a TV show, Chris. Real life isn’t supposed to be comparable.” He was still aggravated anyway.

“Can you get off me if you’re going to talk to me like I’m an idiot?” So was she. He flipped over onto his back next to her for a second and then did a sit up and shifted around to lean against the headboard. She rolled onto her stomach and picked up her mobile.

“Goodnight baby girl.” He says with a red heart. Honestly, why do I fight to be in love with a man I love dearly when it’s no struggle at all to be in love with the other man I love? Seriously. Why? Why do I do this? Schü and I treat our relationship like it’s a project we’re working on, or like a patient with a whole bunch of problems and we don’t even know if he’s going to make it. I just love Juan. That’s it. That’s all there is to say. I don’t have to try. He doesn’t talk about us like we’re a work in progress. He realistically COULD do that, because I know he sees us being together in the future and it must seem like we take steps toward and away from that at times, but he doesn’t. Why do we do this? I don’t even know anymore. The old answer was that I wanted us to be together, and I wanted to keep our family together. I used to say that just because something is hard doesn’t make it not worth it. I need a drink before I get upset.

“Where you going?”

“Water.”

[travelingtheusa]

KENTUCKY

2020 Oct 4 (Sun) – We went food shopping this afternoon.  It was hard to find a restaurant for lunch. We finally went to the Waffle House and had breakfast for lunch.  The food was good.  Afterward, we went food shopping at Kroeger.  The store was big.  Next door, Kroeger had a liquor store and we stopped there next to get wine and booze. After putting the groceries in our portable cooler, we drove to a winery and did a tasting.  It was on the high side - $8 for a flight of 3 wines, $8 each for a glass of wine, and $28 for a bottle of wine to take home.

     I called the commander of Rusy Bohm Post back home.  They are running a fund-raiser that I just happened to come across on Facebook.  I offered to write a letter for him to send out to the membership.  He agreed and I spent the afternoon composing a letter. I will send it out to him tomorrow.

2020 Oct 3 (Sat) – I finally got through to the Niagara Falls campground only to find they have raised their rates.  We budgeted $113 a night and they said it would be $117.50 – and that’s with a military discount!  That’s just too much.  So I called a state campground about 15 miles away.  They have available sites but we have to make the reservations through Reserve America.  The clerk at that site had to make the reservations in groups of 6.  They also require the name and phone number of each individual.  We have 20 people signed up so far with 2 more spaces available.  So I gave the names and numbers of those folks who have signed up for the caravan to date, then gave 2 fake names.  We’ll see that goes.  As a result, we will save almost $7,000.  With that kind of savings, we can hire a bus to take the group to Niagara Falls.

     We drove to Williamstown to The Ark Encounter this afternoon.  We got $10 off the admission price as senior citizens. In addition, the price included a free dinner, which cost $15 each.  It was a pretty good deal.  The ark was huge!  It is the largest wooden timber structure in the world.  It was built to show what the ark was like. There were 3 stories with lots of plaques to read.  There were cages with mock animals in them.  Most of the animals were extinct as they imagined those were the types of animals they would have had back then.  The place was packed!  We couldn’t believe all the people who were there.  Almost everyone wore a mask in the ark but less than half wore one outside.

2020 Oct 2 (Fri) – We packed up and left Olive Hill at 9:40 a.m. We were third in line for the dump station (a short stop before hitting the road).  The drive was pleasant.  The weather was good.  We arrived at the Northern Kentucky RV Park in Dry Ridge at 1 p.m.  This used to be a KOA campground.  It is old and heavily treed.  The sites are too close together and very uneven.  The campground is between a train track and the interstate. There is constant noise.  I don’t think we would come back to this place. The wifi is good.  We have full hook ups.  The pool has been closed for a couple of years.  There is a lake with some paddle boats on the shore but they don’t look like they’ve been used for a while.

2020 Oct 1 (Thu) – A transformer blew in the campground this morning so Paul took me out for breakfast.  That turned out to be quite an adventure.  All the restaurants in Olive Hill (of which there are few) were closed. A donut shop was open but we didn’t like the choices so we drove 20 miles over to the next town to have a meal at Biscuit World.  The biscuits were large and flaky – delicious!  The rest of the meal was not so good but it did what it was supposed to.

     We returned to campground and did the laundry.  During a walk this afternoon, Paul stumbled on a site with wood targets where people can throw their knives.  He came back to get me and I gathered up my throwing knife set then we went to the site and threw knives at the targets for 15 or 20 minutes.  It was fun and very challenging.  Afterward, we walked over to the horse stables and fed 3 horses and 2 donkeys some apples.

     The campground has been steadily filling up with RVs and tenters coming in.  It looks like they will be full this weekend.  The maintenance in this campground is minimal.  They put papers at each campsite with the name and dates when the site is reserved.  Many sites have dates that have passed but the papers are still at the sites.  Some sites have garbage piled in the fire pit. I don’t know if the staff is just lazy or if they are operating with minimal staff.  

2020 Sep 30 (Wed) – We took a tour of the Cascade Cave this morning. It is a living cave with lots of water activity.  That made it kind of exciting.  We had to go out of the cave and back in another entrance twice to see everything. There were parts of the wall that had been bricked up by the cave’s owners to prevent unauthorized entry.  We enjoyed both cave tours (yesterday and today) very much.

 2020 Sep 29 (Tue) – We took a tour of X Cave today.  It was a very interesting cave in that it had two rivers running alongside each other, separated by a cave wall.  Over time, the wall collapsed and became one cave making an X-intersection with 4 passageways.  The cave is still an active one.

     I have heard the term “Caveland” used around here.  I don’t know if it refers to this area or to the entire state itself.  There are over 200 caves in Kentucky; 25 in Carter Caves State Park alone.  Only 4 caves are open to exploration over the year – 2 are closed right now because of the hibernating bats.

     We had lunch at the lodge.  The park is old and all the buildings and facilities show that.  The lodge is typical – made of dark wood and beams. The waitress was very slow although we told her we were in a hurry.  We ordered vegetable soup and grilled cheese.  We got something more like chili with lots of meat in it and the cheese sandwich was barely toasted.  I didn’t even eat my sandwich.

     We drove into town to mail off some things at the post office.  We drove around the area, exploring some of the back roads.  The buildings were mostly old and run down.  It looked like this might have been a well-to-do area years ago but has fallen on hard times.  Probably when the caves stopped being primary tourist attractions.

 2020 Sep 28 (Mon) – We packed up and left Meadow Bridge, WV at 9:55 a.m.  It was very foggy and overcast and we had rain on and off during the 5 hour drive to Carter Cave State Park campground in Olive Hill, KY.  We stopped about 15 miles from the WV-KY border at a Walmart to pick up a few groceries and have lunch.  The new campground is not near stores so it is better to get what we need before setting up.  Getting into the campground was a little hairy.  The road was narrow and had several hairpin turns as we drove through heavy trees.  When we arrived at the office, the clerk said we were already checked in and gave us our site number.

     The weather was crappy so we stayed in the campground.  There are several caves in the area that we will be exploring in the next few days.

[travelingtheusa]

NEW YORK

17 Aug 2020 (Mon) – I went to the neurologist this morning and was wired up for a 24-hour EEG.  They attached 23 electrodes to my head and 3 to my chest.  I have to wear a machine to register brain activity for 24 hours. All this just to reassure Paul that I am OK and can go hiking in the woods again.

     When I got home, Paul went food shopping.  I was NOT going out with all the wires hanging off my head.  When he got back, we had lunch, then went to work on getting rid of old files and boxes.  I have tons of old military books and material that has to be burned.  It can’t just be thrown in the garbage.  I sat in front of the fire pit for 2 hours and only got through 1 box.  I have 5 more to go.  

     Ford called to say they replaced the fuel pump on the truck and everything seems to be alright.  I took the rental car, drove Paul to Sayville Ford to drop him off, drove to Islip Airport to drop off the rental car where Paul picked me up and we drove back home.

 16 Aug 2020 (Sun) – We borrowed Kenny’s truck and drove to church this morning. It rained all day.  We spent most of the day inside watching TV or working on the computer.

 15 Aug 2020 (Sat) – Spent the day working around the property.  Kenny went to work at 4 and I went into the house to watch Caiden.  He came out to the camper and had dinner with us, then we went back inside and I gave him a bath.  We had a pillow fight and played with his transformers.  He finally went to bed at 9 p.m.  I think that is too late for a 6 year old but his parents are night owls and I guess he’s becoming one also.

 14 Aug 2020 (Fri) – The tech from Sayville Ford called and said the diagnostics was telling him the truck needs a fuel pump.  No amount of arguing that the last service station messed something up. We finally authorized the part. Maybe they can get to it on Monday. Ugh.  

     Miranda’s truck was finished at 4 p.m.  Turned out to be the alternator.  I was going to take the rental car since we have no vehicle but I let her take the truck to Philly given the cruddy condition of her truck.  We weren’t sure it would make it there and back.  It really is on its last legs.

     We were supposed to ride out to Indian Island to join the Long Islanders for camping this weekend.  Since we don’t have the truck to pull the camper, we will miss the campout.  This was very disappointing.

 13 Aug 2020 (Thu) – Miranda’s car suddenly gave up the ghost today.  It was clicking, wouldn’t start, and all kind of diagnostic warnings were flashing on her dashboard.  She was able to drop it off at the service station.  This is really bad timing because she is preparing to go to Philly this weekend to coordinate a concert for her camp.   We looked around and was able to reserve a rental car just in case the car isn’t back tomorrow.

     Paul and I rode our bicycles to Best Buy this afternoon.  It’s been giving me trouble and there’s some kind of program on there that we didn’t load in but keeps trying to update drivers.  I had them take it off.  They were very understaffed and the tech wasn’t really interested in working with me on anything else.  I had wanted help in getting videos off the computer.  I’ll have to wait until things get back to normal.

     Paul took an Uber to the cardiologist this afternoon for a stress test.  They injected him with something and then put him in an MRI machine.  He said it was quick and easy.

 12 Aug 2020 (Wed) – It was a quiet day all around.  Paul picked up the truck.  Not only was it making the humming noise, but the dashboard was lighting up like a Christmas tree!  Low fuel pressure!  Low engine pressure!  The service station told us they couldn’t find anything wrong and the noise was gone. Boy, were they wrong.  Paul called Sayville Ford and we were able to get it into the service bay today.  Hope they didn’t break the engine.  L

 11 Aug 2020 (Tue) – I went to the radiologist today for an MRI of my right foot. We worked around the property, cleaning out old files and boxes.  Sent out for pizza for dinner.

 10 Aug 2020 (Mon) – Paul brought the truck back to the service station this morning. They kept the truck and dropped him off back at home.  At 1 p.m. I went to the doctor for an echo cardiogram.  I had to borrow Miranda’s car to get there and back.

     We called the service station at 3:30 p.m.  The tech told us that they had to call a friend at Ford to ask about the fuel pump.  The guy told them they had to replace the entire assembly, not just the fuel pump. Paul was annoyed!  I think we will have to make sure in the future that (1) only Ford does the work and, (2) that the mechanic is a certified diesel mechanic. Hopefully, we will get the truck back tomorrow.  They were going to send out for the item, which will cost us over $400.  This is after already being charged $170 to put the fuel pump on before they broke it.

 9 Aug 2020 (Sun) – We went to church this morning.  I think it was the most people we’ve seen there since we came back. Everyone is still wearing masks and there are seats roped off.  Hand sanitizer stations have been set up around the building.   They announce that the thrift shop will open for 2 hours on Sunday afternoon in an outdoor setting.  That means folks attending the service will be asked to help bring things outside and set up, then take it back downstairs when done.  I hope it works.  The thrift shop is a major revenue source for the church and it has really been hurt with the closure.

     After church, we went to the Clamside Bar & Grill at the East Islip Marina. The waitress was soooooo slow. Paul ordered Belgian waffles and they came out cold.  My food was lukewarm.  He sent his waffles back.  The next service was also cool.  Paul wound up not eating his meal.  It was a disappointing experience and we probably won’t go back there for a while.

 8 Aug 2020 (Sat) – We gathered up Caiden and drove to Sue & Bill’s for the day.  The day started out overcast but the clouds soon cleared away and we had a delightful day in the pool.

 7 Aug 2020 (Fri) – I went to the neurologist this morning.  The first test was a Neurotrax.  It was a cognitive test to see if I’ve had any brain damage from the TGA back in March.  Following that, I had an EEG.  A technician glues 23 nodes to your head and then has you sit in a chair with your eyes closed most of the time.  He flashes a light on your closed eyes, then says “Open Your Eyes” for like 30 seconds then close them again.  Weird.

     Paul has been working hard in the yard, cleaning up after the storm.   The oblivious neighbor did a stupid thing.  A tree in his yard came down into our yard.  It was straddling the fence with the root ball in the neighbor’s yard and the tree branches supporting the tree in our yard.  The neighbor brought his chain saw out and cut the tree.  No longer balanced between the tree branches and the root ball, the tree crushed our fence.  

     I went to the podiatrist today to check out the painful lump on my Achilles tendon. The doctor took an x-ray and said I have a bone spur that could be causing the problem.  She also criticized my flip flops, saying I needed more support for my feet.  She gave me some heel inserts to wear in a closed shoe.  She also sent me to the radiologist to get an MRI.  I made an appointment for Tuesday.  

6 Aug 2020 (Thu) – Paul brought the truck to the service station to get it inspected.  When he got back, he complained that he could hear a humming from the fuel pump.  That happened to us once before.  A non-qualified mechanic had tried to mount the fuel pump on the rail and broke it.  Apparently, a certified diesel mechanic needs to do the job.  Paul called and was told to bring the truck back in on Monday.

     We brought Bonnie to the vet at 2 p.m.  The ultrasound shows she has some abnormal liver issues.  The vet wants to do a biopsy but Bonnie has to get a blood test first to see if she has a clotting factor.  If so, then she can have the biopsy.  If not, then we can’t do it.

 5 Aug 2020 (Wed) – I had a check with the nurse at the cardiologist’s office today.  They wanted to check and make sure there were no problems with the loop recorder.  She said I had a bit of a reaction to the medical tape but everything looked OK.  I should just let the tape fall off when it wants.

     After the doctor, I brought some containers to Travis.  He is now in contract on his house and beginning to pack things up.  I brought him 9 containers.  Then I drove to Sayville and met my sister, Susan, and her daughter, Shay, for lunch at Cornucopia.  It is a kind of health food supermarket with a great deli counter where we all ordered lunch.  We then sat outside to enjoy our meal.  Following that, we took a walk along Main Street, looking in the shop windows. When we came upon an India shop, we went in.  Susan & Bill follow the religion of Ashananda and the shop owner had been to one of their meetings out in the Hamptons.  She spoke for a while with the clerks (the shop owner wasn’t there).

     We went over Trap’s tonight to sign the contract for the sale of their house.  Since we are listed as co-owners on the house, we have to sign the contract as well. While there, Trap dug out the chain saw for Paul.

4 August 2020 (Tue) – Things have been so busy and technology has been so challenging that I have not been able to keep up with the blog.  I have an appointment with Best Buy on the 13th. Hopefully, that will get things back on the road.

    Let’s see. I have been to the cardiologist and had an internal cardiac monitor (ICM) installed in my chest.  It is a device that tracks heart activity and at night, when I am sleeping, it uploads the day’s activities to the doctor’s office. It’s been 5 days and the site still itches like crazy.  Ugh.

    I had to go to the lab and get a COVID test before getting the ICM installed. The nurse stuck a Cutip so far up my nose that my eyes teared.  And I had an earache for the rest of the day.  That dam thing was painful!  I will not do that again.

     We took Caiden to Sue & Bill’s last Wednesday.  Their daughter, Shay, and her boyfriend, Pat, are up from South Carolina. We all swam and munched on delicious vegan foods.  It was fun.

     I went to the doctor’s office to see what is wrong with my heel.  The PA saw me (the doctor was busy).  He thinks I have a cyst on my Achilles tendon and referred me to a podiatrist.

      Miranda was back in Pennsylvania this weekend so we watched Caiden a good part of the time when Kenny wasn’t working.

     We got to visit with Travis & Sam yesterday.  The baby is walking pretty good now.  He’s always so happy.  He immediately lights up when he sees you and waves his little hand hello.  Trap got an offer on the house and we signed the contract with the realtor.  He’s a little freaked out.  They have now signed a contract to sell their house.  They have to be out in a month.  They want to move to South Carolina but neither of them has a job or a place to stay.  In addition, they’re not going to be able to keep as much of the money from the sale of the house that they had counted on.  The realtor gets $16,400 alone!  Wow!

     Today, Paul had an appointment with the dentist.  This was a follow up to checkups we had two weeks ago where the dentist found a cavity.  He went in to day to get it filled.  Afterward, we went to WalMart to pick up a few items.  Later in the day, Tropical Storm Isaias blew through.  Another tree from the neighbor’s yard came down across our fence.  Also, one of our trees came down and landed on the deck.  It just missed the roof and back doors.  This was dejavu!  Same thing happened last year when we were here.  Paul will have to dig out the chain saw.  The entire neighborhood is digging out.  Two trees went down on Saxon Avenue, the next block over, and the road was closed.  Thousands of people were without power.  We lost power on and off all day long but not for very long.  Our neighbor a few doors down had a tree go down and take all his electrical lines with it.  The fire department came and cut up the tree and pulled it out into the road.

 25 July 2020 (Sat) – We went to Nicky’s on the Bay for lunch.  The tables were spaced apart.  Lots of them were out on the deck.  All the wait staff was wearing face masks.  Our waitress was very slow and unsure about herself.  She might have been new.  While we were eating, a waitress came running through the restaurant asking if there was a doctor, an EMT, or a nurse in the place. Apparently, something happened at the marine fuel site out on the deck.  We couldn’t see what happened but an ambulance did roll up.

     The cost of the meal was very high.  It don’t know if it is because Nicky’s is a seasonal place and is trying to make its money during the summer or if they jacked the prices up because they can’t have as many people in the place. Either way, it was over $60 for a wrap and a sandwich.  Ouch!

24 July 2020 (Fri) – Finally!  A day with no doctors.  Whew!  Paul got up early and took the truck to WalMart to get an oil change.  He said it looks like WalMart is going out of business.  The shelves are all half stocked.  If you stop to think about it, they get most of their products from China. The pandemic has affected shipments worldwide.  In addition, the U.S. is angry with China for keeping the Coronavirus a secret and has instituted sanctions against them.  WalMart must really be hurting.

     After Paul got home, we went to Home Depot to get a container.  One of our two batteries went bad and Paul bought two new ones.  Now he wants a container to put them in to keep the area more organized.  Home Depot didn’t have much of a selection at all. On the way out, we stopped by the tile area and picked out a tile to do a backsplash in the bathroom.  We couldn’t decide, so we picked up three samples to see which we would like best.

     When I was entering the costs into the budget, Paul discovered that WalMart charged him for the oil that he actually provided.  So he got in the truck and drove back to WalMart to get his $12.47 refunded.

     Miranda is teaching in Pennsylvania again this weekend.  They took Caiden into Queens to stay with his grandmother.  Kenny borrows his mother’s car so Miranda can take their car.  I will miss Caiden.

 23 July 2020 (Thu) – Today was my visit with the oncologist.  It was so disheartening!  My appointment was at 4:15 p.m.  I checked in then after a brief wait, a tech brought me into an exam room and took my vitals.  Thank goodness; no blood draw.  Then I went upstairs and checked in with the receptionist.  I waited about a half hour before the doctor’s admin assistant came and led me to the exam room. I sat there for another half hour before the nurse came in and went over my case.  He spent a lot of time complaining about patients calling and asking for visits or pain medication when they should be going to their primary care physicians. Then he asked me who my PCP was. I felt like it was some kind of criticism.  Was I supposed to be going to a different doctor?

     The nurse left and it was another 20 minutes before the doctor came in wearing a face mask and a full face shield.  He seemed detached and didn’t really hear my complaints.  He said the medication sometimes causes blisters on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.  Was I having any of those?  He also said the medication can cause AFIB and that the cardiologist should check me for that.  It seems like every visit to the oncologist results in him telling me something else that can happen with this chemo therapy.  He seemed preoccupied and in a hurry to get out.  I felt like I got the bum’s rush.  I came home and started crying.  Which is kind of stupid because the CT scan shows that I am responding to the medication very well.  All the lymph nodes are continuing to shrink.  So what’s my problem?

 22 July 2020 (Wed) – I went to the Good Sam Sleep Center this morning.  I had to sit in the parking lot and call the office to tell them I was waiting.  They called me when the previous patient was done.  When I walked into the doctor’s office after checking in, he excused himself and began to dictate the results of his visit with the previous patient. He stated the patient’s name, the issue, and his diagnosis, all in front of me.  Hasn’t he been briefed on this whole patient privacy thing?  I thought that I should probably step out of the room but with the whole COVID thing, they don’t want people wandering around unsupervised.  When he was done, I told him that I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in 15 years.  The cardiologist recommended I do a sleep study because poor sleep can affect heart function and weight.  The doctor said we probably wouldn’t find anything but said he would do the study anyway.  How encouraging is that???

 21 July 2020 (Tue) – I went to the eye doctor today.  I arrived at 9:30 a.m.  When I checked in, I found my appointment was for 10:45 a.m.  It looks like I made the appointment while we were in Alabama and my calendar recorded the appointment as central time, not eastern time.  So the clerk sent me to sit out in my car till it was my turn or the doctor became available sooner.  They called me at 9:50 to come in and brought me right to a test station where they blew air into my eye.  Then she took me to an exam room where I sat for over a half hour.  The doctor came in, put drops in my eyes, and said I am developing glaucoma.  Come back in six months.  Then he was gone.  No discussion, no explanation, no anything.  I complained about some eye discharge and irritation so he prescribed an ointment to put in my eye at bedtime but, again, no explanation or discussion of what the problem is.  It was a very annoying visit.  The doctor was very dismissive.

     Paul put together a 3-minute video of upstate New York.  I posted it on You Tube then contacted SMART with the link. They posted it on the website next to the description of our New York caravan.  

     I went in at 4 p.m. to keep an eye on Caiden while Miranda went to the store. Paul is still grousing about yesterday’s argument.  I have to find a way to get him to lighten up.  Ugh.

20 July 2020 (Mon) – I had a CT Scan with contrast today.  I dropped off a urine sample for Sheba at the vet, then drove to Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  I checked in at the front desk and asked if my doctor or his nurse was available to see me.  The receptionist said she would contact Dr. Rodriguez and see what he said.  I then went into the imaging area and had the CT scan. That’s such a weird test.  They inject an iodine based solution and it gives a flushed, very warm feeling in the back of the throat and in the crotch. It feels like I wet myself.  The test isn’t very long and I was out of the machine within 10 minutes.

     I returned to the front desk to see about the doctor.  The receptionist said Dr. Rodriguez would change my telehealth appointment for Thursday to an in-person appointment or I could see someone in triage today.  I said I would meet with the doctor on Thursday.

     I got home to find Paul working around the RV.  He was installing a switch for the water pump in the bathroom.  The switch on the main panel stopped working some time ago and Paul installed a switch down in the basement.  That has turned out to be somewhat inconvenient so he moved the switch up into the bathroom.  That should work better for when we have to use the onboard tank for fresh water.

     While we were outside, Paul and Miranda got into a nasty fight.  That was very upsetting for me.  Then we left and went over Travis’ house to help him with some projects.  He has finally gotten an offer for his house and the inspector will be over on Thursday. He wants to clear up a few little things before the inspector arrives.  Paul and Travis worked on repairing a leak in the kitchen sink and on the thermostat for his burner.  I played with the boys then we all enjoyed a meal that Sam prepared.  It was a pleasant evening.

 19 July 2020 (Sun) – We didn’t think Caiden would be able to sit for an hour in church with a mask on so we didn’t go.  At 11:30 a.m. we drove to the Bayside Clam Bar for brunch.  Afterward, we walked along the boardwalk and looked at all the boats in the marina.  There was a dog at one end that the owner let go down on a little spit of sand.  Caiden climbed down and followed the dog around. We took his shoes off so he could step in the water.  The dog was an older black lab and very friendly.  Her name was Sandy.

      After our meal and walk, we returned to the house and I watched Caiden while Paul worked around the house and yard.  Kenny got home at 7:30 p.m.

 18 July 2020 (Sat) – We got Caiden at 10:30 a.m. and then drove to Sue & Bill’s house in the Hamptons for a day of swimming in the pool and barbecuing. Despite the fact that I put sunscreen on Caiden twice, he still burned.  So did I.  His mother will never let me take him to the beach again.  Aaarrgghh!

     After we got back, I stayed with Caiden until his father came home at 10:30 p.m.

17 July 2020 (Fri) – We both went to the dentist today.  The chairs in the office were taped off to ensure adequate spacing between patients.  It only left 4 chairs to use.  The secretary took our temperature and went through a checklist (like the tech did yesterday).  Then we had our teeth cleaned and xrays taken.  I got an excellent rating; Paul has a cavity and has to come back to get it filled.

     We went over Trap’s to visit.  We picked up dinner at Chili’s and brought it to the house.  Travis was working on painting the counter top in the upstairs bathroom.  They are trying everything they can think of to sell their house.  They’ve had lots of lookers but no buyers.  The real estate market is so hot today, I can’t figure out why the house hasn’t gone.  His in-laws put their house on the market and the first visitor bought the house for $5,000 more than they were asking.  The only stipulation was that they had to be out in 30 days.

     Miranda’s cat was showing some kind of neurological issue today.  It was walking against the side of cabinets like its left side was weak and it couldn’t stand by itself.  Miranda contacted us while at Trap’s and asked about bringing her cat, Liath, to the vet.  We hurried home to help but the vet said it was not life threatening and to wait until Monday to bring her in.  Miranda was concerned because she is leaving tonight for Pennsylvania and will not be back until late Sunday.  I promised to keep an eye on the cat.

 16 July 2020 (Thu) – We both went to the cardiologist today.  I was doing a follow-up to my “incident” in March. Paul went because he has hypertension and should be seen by a cardiologist.

     When we arrived, we were met at the door by a tech who asked us a bunch of questions about where we’ve been and who we’ve been near.  He took our temperature and then let us pass.  We walked in and was processed by a clerk.  Then we were brought back to the exam room.  The PA came in, went over our medical histories, took our blood pressure, and did EKGs on both of us.

     Then the doctor came in.  I liked him instantly.  He is young – in his late 20s/early 30s.  He was upbeat and very friendly, touching elbows as a form of hello.  He thinks I had a TIA and felt the neurologist was wrong to think I had a TGA.  He recommended I get an EEG, an ambulatory EEG, and have a loop recorder inserted in my chest.  He feels it is possible that I have atrial fibrillation (AFib) and the recorder will measure my heartbeat and send messages to the office.  I would wear it for 3 or 4 years!  I said I had to check that one with my oncologist.

      Then it was Paul’s turn.  The doctor referred him for a nuclear stress test.  He also recommended that Paul resume taking the baby aspirin every day (he stopped a year ago because of a medical report that said baby aspirin didn’t help to prevent strokes.  

 15 July 2020 (Wed) – We worked around the RV until 11:30 a.m. then we took Sheba to the vet.  It was over an hour in which the vet’s office displayed confusion and chaos.  First, I called to say we were outside for our appointment.  About 20 minutes later, one of the vets came out to gather information then went inside. Ten minutes later he came out to get Sheba.  Again, the office was not able to get through to my phone and the vet came out to tell me to call them.  I called and spoke with Dr. Thode.  She took blood and gave Sheba shots.  Dr. Thode also said the blood results were back for Bonnie.  She has round worm and a low liver value.  She prescribed medicine for the worms and recommended an ultrasound for the liver.  After waiting 10 minutes, I called the office to see what was happening.  They were just finishing up and would send Sheba out. The vet brought Sheba out, went over the highlights of her exam, and said the office would call to get payment. After another 15 or 20 minutes, I called to make the payment.  The clerk took my card number three times because the machine wasn’t working properly. Then the vet tech came out with the paperwork.  Paul asked about the medicine for Bonnie.  They forgot it so she went back in to get it.  She brought it out but stated they had forgotten to charge us for the medicine so I had to call again to give the credit card number.  They brought the receipt out along with the stuff to get a urine sample from Sheba.  We left but I got a phone call about 10 minutes later saying they forgot to charge us for the bloodwork they did on Sheba so I had to call back again and give the card number again.  What a debacle!

     Late this afternoon, Caiden came knocking on the door.  He came in and played for a while then I made dinner for the three of us. He ate a small part of his meal but seemed to enjoy it.  I brought the left overs into the house for Miranda and Kenny, or to keep and reheat for Caiden tomorrow.

 14 July 2020 (Tue) – I had an appointment with the neurologist this morning. This was the same doctor that found the tumor in my mother’s brain 36 years ago.  He has gotten very personable over the years.  I liked him very much.  He said the incident I experienced in March was most likely Transient Global Amnesia (TGA).  Just to be careful, he recommended three different tests but stated that he doesn’t expect to find anything.  Apparently, a TGA can happen at any time and never happen again.  Or, it can happen again once or multiple times.  If it happens many times then you would have to get checked for seizure activity in the brain.  Luckily, I have not had any problems since that one time.

     I played with Caiden a little tonight.  We didn’t get much time together but it was still fun.  He loves battle sequences.

13 July 2020 (Mon) – We took Bonnie to the vet this morning.  She needed a refill on her flea and tick medicine. She got a checkup and a couple of shots. It was so weird.  When we arrived, we called the office and were instructed to stay in the truck.  After about 20 minutes, a vet tech came out.  He took down Bonnie’s information and reason for her visit then went back inside. He came back about 10 minutes later and took her inside.  We sat in the car until the doctor called.  We discussed our concerns and what the doctor found and recommended.  Five minutes later, the clerk called to get our credit card number for the bill.  A whopping $950!!!  After about another 15 minutes, Bonnie was brought back out to us.  Then we waited ANOTHER 15 minutes for the clerk to bring out medicine and the bill.  What a pain in the butt.  And we will have to do it again with Sheba.

     Kenny was off of work today, so Caiden stayed in the house nursing his sunburn and playing with his parents.  Paul worked around the yard and I did paperwork.

 12 July 2020 (Sun) – We went to church this morning.  They just reopened after holding services digitally on You Tube and FaceBook for months.  There were about 30 people in church.  We had to wear our masks the entire time and still try to maintain 6’ distance from each other.  They didn’t pass the collection plate.  Instead, it sat in the back of the church and the minister asked everyone to drop their donation in the plate when they left.

     After church, Paul and I drove to the Clamside Bar & Grill at the East Islip Marina.  We both enjoyed a salad.  The day was lovely – sunny, but not too hot, with a soft, balmy breeze blowing in off the water.  The sun glittering on the bay was beautiful.

       When we came home, I gathered up Caiden and he and I went to Heckscher State Park. I figured the beach would be closed but we could walk along the shore, throw stones in the water, build sand castles, and wiggle our toes in the water.  Boy, was I surprised to find the beach open, complete with lifeguards. There were many people on the beach and in the water but they still were all keeping a decent distance between each other.  The water was so warm; like a bathtub.  There was lots of wave action and a delightful breeze kept the heat away.  I did not have a bathing suit so I stood on the shore with my feet in the water, getting splashed well up the legs. Caiden went in and had a great time. Unfortunately, I forgot to put sunscreen on him and he got burned.  His mother yelled at me.  

     When we left the beach, I stopped at Carvel and got Caiden some ice cream. The perfect end to a perfect day.

 11 July 2020 (Sat) – Paul worked in the yard most of the day.  I entertained Caiden a good part of the day.  At 4:30 pm, we went over Travis’ house.  We shared a salad and pizza then spent two hours playing with Noah and Hudson.  The baby is on the verge of walking.  He has very good balance.

10 July 2020 (Fri) – It was an overcast day with rain on and off. Tropical Storm Fay was pummeling the Jersey coast today but we didn’t get it too badly.  Paul and I went shopping at PetCo for pet food and ShopRite for some groceries.  Boy. Was the grocery store crowded!  And we forgot to bring our own bags so the cashier charged us for 3 bags.  Glad we didn’t buy a lot.

     Caiden wanted to come into the trailer so badly today but the weather was lousy and I wasn’t going to put Bonnie out.  Caiden came out and we stood outside in the drizzle talking for about an hour. Later, I went into the house and we played for about 2 hours.

 9 July 2020 (Thu) – We packed up and left Newburgh at 10:45 am.  It took almost 4 hours to drive down to Long Island. We were surprised with all the traffic on the road.  We came through the boroughs and had traffic and construction that caused us to creep along through congested spots.    

      Caiden was so happy to see us!  He ran out and gave me a hug, then ran back to the porch to watch us park the rig in the driveway.  When Paul had the RV positioned well, I had Caiden help finish the set up by pushing buttons to open the slides.  After we were set up, we visited for a bit and watched him swimming in his little pool. After dinner, I took Caiden to Carvel and picked up ice cream for him and Miranda (Kenny was working and Paul and I are on a diet).  We brought it back home and they enjoyed the treat out on the back deck.

 8 July 2020 (Wed) – Just hung around the campground most of the day.  We did run out to fuel the truck and get ready for tomorrow’s move.

 7 July 2020 (Tue) – We visited with the sales manager here at the campground. We had interviewed him last year and reconfirmed the amenities and costs.  The nightly fee actually went down.  He also promised to coordinate a bus tour into New York City for us.  He offered to pick up our order for bagels and juice and even stated he could arrange a catered meal right here in the campground.

     We came back and did laundry then just hung out for the day.

 6 July 2020 (Mon) – We started out for West Point but would up sidetracked to the Historic Huguenot District.  It was two blocks of old stone houses built in the late 1600s/early 1700s by early French settlers.  The visitor’s center was closed and none of the buildings were open.  We walked up and down the street, admiring the architecture from the street.

     We then continued on to the West Point Military Academy.  The visitor’s center was closed, as well as the tour operations office.  There was no one to ask anything of.  The day was a loss in that regard.    

 5 July 2020 (Sun) – We drove over to the Mohonk Mountain House today.  Thought we’d check them out for the farewell dinner and then take a hike around the area.  Unfortunately, they now have a gatehouse to control access to the place. They have us a brochure to look at and a telephone number to call but wouldn’t let us go in.  

     Then we drove by another restaurant but they were closed.  No signs on the door.  We couldn’t tell if they were just closed or if they had gone out of business. Cross them off the list.

     We made a quick stop at the grocery store so Paul could pick up milk for his coffee then returned to the campground.  We got to enjoy another campfire tonight.  Two in a row. Wow.!

     We drove into Newburgh and took a stroll on the Walkway Over the Hudson.  It was an old railroad trestle over the Hudson River built back in the late 1800s.  It was repurposed into a level concrete walkway that stretched for more than a mile and a third.  We walked out to the middle, took a selfie, and walked back.  The day was lovely.  There were lots of people on the bridge – strolling, biking, walking the dog. Almost everyone obeyed the signs and wore a mask.  Some people didn’t.  It was very warm and my mask was wet from sweat by the time we finished our walk. It was a good time.

     We drove to the FDR National Historic Site to look over the presidential library and home.  The visitor’s center was closed.

4 July 2020 (Sat) – We were going to drive to the Mohonk Mountain House today but stayed in the campground instead.  We had a small BBQ and sat before a delightful campfire.  The campground is pretty full with lots of kids.  Bonnie is barking at bicycles, skaters, and walkers. The staff came by yesterday passing out flyers about the pool.  It was going to be open today from 10 to 4.  They were having people sign up for a one-hour block of time.  The pool is limited to 25 people but they were thinking they wouldn’t be able to do that and still have people maintain their distance. We didn’t sign up.  It seemed better to leave the time slots to the kids. Normally, they would spend the whole day in the pool.  This is like a tease.  But I suppose it’s better than nothing.

 3 July 2020 (Fri) – Things have been quiet.  We have been running around trying to line up restaurants for the caravan next year.  We are now at the KOA in Newburgh for a week.  

 30 Jun 2020 (Tue) – We pulled stakes at 9:25 am.  It was a white knuckle exercise in getting out of our site. Paul had to ask the guy behind us to move then he backed up the RV to get out.  Trees and other RVs and yard “stuff” in the area made it impossible to pull out from our pull-through site.  Paul did it perfectly!  He is so good in moving our big monster.  It’s almost like it’s an extension of his physical being.  Just imagine maneuvering 54’ of truck and trailer.  I can’t do it!

     We arrived at Shadowbrook RV Resort at a little past 11:30 am (it was a very short drive).  This campground only has 18 campsites for transients.  Again, we’ve been undone by the seasonal campers.  After set up, we drove to four separate campgrounds and all gave the same answer – no room at the inn!  The last campground we stopped at recommended the KOA up on Route 20. We’ll try them tomorrow.

     We drove by the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  They are on a limited opening.  I left a business card and someone will call me back.  I also sent emails to the tour director for the NY Capitol in Albany and the USS Slater.  Communications continue with other venues as well.

 29 Jun 2020 (Mon) – We drove to another campground this morning to check it out.  It turned out to only have 4 available campsites for transients.  The rest are filled with seasonals.  Too bad.  It was a really nice campground right on Saratoga Lake.

     On the way back to the campground, we refueled for tomorrow’s trip and picked up chicken and water.  Bonnie has diarrhea again.  It just seems to be something that she’s going to go through on a regular basis no matter what we give her.

 28 Jun 2020 (Sun) – We left Ticonderoga at 9:20 a.m.  It rained a little in the three hours it took us to arrive at Adventure Bound RV Resorts & Campground.  The campsite we got was very tight while Paul had to maneuver around a parked van, trees, and lawn decorations.  This campground, although very large (over 300 campsites), would not suit our group and many campers are seasonal.  The RV next to us hasn’t been moved in years.

     As soon as we were set up, we headed out.  First stop was at Chili’s for lunch.  We both had a grilled chicken salad.  Tummies full, we drove to four different campgrounds.  Two wouldn’t fit the group, one had no one in the office, and the other took our phone number to give to the owner.  It was not a very productive day.  Hope things get better tomorrow.

     On the way back to the campground, we stopped at Hannaford to pick up groceries. It was a nice supermarket.  Why can’t we get any of these grocery stores on Long Island?

 27 Jun 2020 (Sat) – It was a light day.  We just hung out around the campground today.  I made some calls and updated the files on what we’ve collected so far.  The poor wifi service here is maddening!  Even the cell service is poor.  I’m glad we won’t be staying here as a group but I worry the other campground might be just as bad.  After all, we are now in the mountains.

 26 Jun 2020 (Fri) – We drove into Lake Placid today.  It is a small town.  The Olympics Museum was closed.  We decided to have the group explore the museum then go out about the town on their own.  There is a lot to see in this little tourist town.  

     We then drove to Whiteface Mountain.  We wanted to drive up the Veterans Memorial Highway to the peak.  Unfortunately, it was $25 per car to drive up.  I thought that was too much money to go up there and find everything closed (not that there is that much up there to see other than the view).  We turned around and left.  

     Right next to the entrance for Whiteface Mountain is Santa’s North Pole Workshop. We came up here twice with the kids when they were little.  The workshop is still there with the post office that will send off a letter or postcard with the North Pole return address.  The park was also closed.

     We drove to Ausable Chasm, the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks.  It was beautiful.  We spoke with the sales manager and got information on a walking tour, float trip, and lunch at the center.  It will be a nice touch for the group.  Up the hill right next to the chasm center is the Underground RR Museum. It is in a beautiful old stone building. It was closed but a woman stepped out of the building to speak with us.  The cost to explore the museum is free and the place is very small.  Guess we’ll have the group break up into smaller groups to tour the museum.

     We also checked out two other campgrounds.  The KOA seems like the best option at this point.  It would have been nice to stay at the North Pole Hundred Acre Woods Campground but they don’t take groups of more than six rigs.  Oh, pooh!

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

 25 Jun 2020 (Thu) – Well, we learned today why a scouting trip is so important. We left 1000 Islands CG and headed out to Ticonderoga, 170 miles away.  The GPS in the truck tried to route us though Canada.  It would have added 100 miles to our trip!  Instead, we followed the route on my phone.  The trip went through Adirondack Park.  We saw mountains but the elevation never got much over 2,000’.  The roads were narrow and winding and the driving was slow but we got here safe and sound.  The scenery is beautiful with occasional glimpses of the lakes and rivers beside the road.

     It turns out that this campground does not have enough campsites for our group – they are mostly for seasonal campers.  Paul went through a list and found an alternative campground.  In fact, he changed two campgrounds for one and we now have another stop on our itinerary.

    After set up, we drove to Brookwood RV Resort and interviewed the owner for a possible stay there.  They are a very popular campground and she suggested we get our reservations in ASAP. The only thing we don’t like is that we wouldn’t all be together.  Everyone would be spread around the campground.

     We drove down the road to another campground owned by the U.S. Forest Service but it was closed.  We then drove into the town of Ticonderoga.  The Star Trek Museum and Fort Ticonderoga were both closed due to the pandemic.  We walked into a luncheonette across the street from the Star Trek Museum to see about a lunch for the group.  Our group could go to the museum at 10, go to lunch at 11 (it’s a little early but that’s what they want), then take a tour of the fort. The other option is to wait on lunch until 2 pm, which is kind of late.  I don’t like either option.

     As we were driving around, we spotted an old stone chapel in a graveyard.  We parked and went in to explore it.  It reminded me of the Viking church on display in DisneyWorld.

 24 Jun 2020 (Wed) – We drove over to Alexandria Bay this morning.  We stopped at U.S. Boat Tours which I had emailed to ask about a tour of the Singer and Boldt Castles.  We checked at the window to find out what time the shuttles and tours ran.  After getting the times, we decided to have the group go to the Boldt Castle at 10 a.m., come back to town, wander the shops, and have lunch.  At 2 p.m., we’ll have everyone come back and take the tour to the Singer Castle.

     Afterward, we drove around the area, checking out different places.  We also drove over to Wellesly Island and looked at the state parks and golf courses there.  We also stopped by the ice cream shoppe in front of the campground to find out about an ice cream social.  They sell 3-gallon containers of ice cream for $45.  The lady suggested butter pecan as an older person’s favorite flavor.

23 Jun 2020 (Tue) – We packed up and left Stow at 9:15 a.m.  The drive was easy but took almost 4 hours.  When we arrived, the office was closed (we had checked in online), and a note on the door told campers to proceed to their assigned site.  After set up, we left a message for the campground manager asking for a meeting.

     We drove to Clayton where Main Street was under construction and closed to traffic. We had seen a delightful hotel with a restaurant years ago that boasted the original Thousand Islands dressing had been invented there.  Unfortunately, the restaurant went out of business.  We spoke with a manager at Bella’s.  The restaurant was pleasant but she said they did not want to have a large group in to dine during their peak season.  She preferred to cater a meal of assorted wraps, salads and desert and suggested we eat at the Antique Boating Museum.

     We drove past both the Thousand Islands Museum and the Antique Boating Museum. They were both closed.  I sent emails asking about admission and meals. This is becoming very frustrating. Many of the businesses that I have sent emails to have not answered.

     When we got back to the campground, we met with the campground camp host.  Whe was very chatty and gave us lots of information about the area.  I have to follow up with an email so she can share it with the owner.

 22 Jun 2020 (Mon) – We drove to Seneca Falls today, noting the mileage to various areas along the way.  Everything we wanted to see was closed.  The National Women’s Hall of Fame, although the name was displayed on the front of the building on Main Street, is no longer there.  A woman in the visitor center told us it was relocated to a mill across the bridge but the coronavirus had stopped the set-up and opening of the center in its new location.  We drove over and saw that it will be 3 stories high and promises to be a good stop. There is also a National Women’s Rights Museum on Main Street and a couple of houses around Seneca Falls that people could tour if they wanted.

     Waterloo, birthplace of Memorial Day, is next to Seneca Falls.  There is an American Civil War Museum and memorial graveyard in town.  I think it would be appropriate to include it in our itinerary but Paul thinks it is too much.  If so, we will certainly have to suggest it as a stop on their own.

     We stopped at Ventosa Vineyards to see about a group lunch after the Seneca Falls tour.  There is a lovely deck area outside overlooking the lake.  The woman we spoke with suggested we send an email to the catering manager.

     We then stopped at Belhurst Castle.  They have a very attractive stone room with an intimate setting for lunch that also looks out at the lake.  The man we spoke with gave us a menu and suggested we coordinate with the catering manager.  I sent emails out to both managers.

 21 Jun 2020 (Sun) – We packed up and left Bath at 9:50 a.m.  It was only 95 miles to Red’s Twilight on the Erie RV Resort in Macedon, near Rochester.  We arrived about noon.  The office was closed.  Our registration packet was sitting on a table.  As we were preparing to drive to our campsite, the owner pulled up and led us to our place.  She was very friendly and gladly agreed to meet with us later.

     After set up, we cased the campground while walking the dog (it was too hot to let Sheba out – 90 degrees!) then went to the office and sat down with Barb. She said they would give us 10 percent off for military discount.  We were all sitting around the table with our masks on and it got very hot.  I was sweating like crazy.  I sure was glad when the meeting was over.

    We drove into Rochester to the George Eastman Museum.  It was closed.  We then drove to The Strong Museum of Play.  That was also closed.  It is a very large museum and looks like it will be fun.  We then drove to a restaurant recommended by Barb.  It was too far from The Strong to have people walk to it so we will have lunch in the museum then explore the museum.  There is a restaurant inside.

     On the way back to the campground, we stopped at Wegmans Supermarket.  What a huge store!  It had to be the largest supermarket we’ve ever been in.  And it was neat and clean and attractive. Everyone in the store was wearing a mask and the staff was actively wiping things down and making sure everything was sanitized.  

 20 Jun 2020 (Sat) – We drove to the Finger Lakes Boating Museum to meet the Administration Assistant and see the wine cellar where they host catered meals.  It is a lovely room and we are sure the group would like it.  We would probably have the tour of the museum first (there are 3 floors in the museum) then go to the bottom floor for a lunch.  

     After meeting with Nancy Wightman, we drove back to the KOA to meet with the Office Manager.  We sat outside at a picnic table, all in our masks, and discussed what they could offer the caravan next year.  Elaine is pregnant and will be out on maternity leave for a while.  This could cause a problem with coordination but we will see how it shakes out.

     While driving out and about, we stopped at a nearby fish hatchery.  It was closed but they had an observation pool with three kinds of trout in it – brown trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout.  What is weird is that the brook trout is the only native species to the area, yet the hatchery doesn’t raise them – only the other two species.

     We drove around to check out some other places.  There is a VA Center and National Cemetery a couple of miles down the road.  We rode around the cemetery looking at the gravestones.  We also gathered information about other services in the area – RV dealers, hospital, clinic, vets, foodstore, etc.

     We had a campfire tonight.  There is nothing more intoxicating that the smell of a campfire.

 19 Jun 2020 (Fri) – We packed up and left Chautauqua at 9:30.  The weather was good and the drive was pleasant.  We arrived at the Bath-Hammondsport KOA around noon.  They had sent an email asking us to pre-register/check-in.  I did that.  When we arrived, Paul stayed in the truck while I went in.  The clerk confirmed our information and gave us our map and paperwork. This is a lovely campground.  We have been here before and am sure the caravan will enjoy the place.

     We drove around town, trying to find a restaurant to have a welcome dinner in. The three restaurants we chose were all too small and two of them were still closed.  The thirde, the Stone Timber Inn, does catering.  We took the chef’s card and left.  On the way back to the campground, we stopped at an American Legion post and took a look at their hall.  We asked about renting the hall and the bartender gave us the rental agent’s phone number along with the commander’s number.  

     The campground is working hard to ensure people are having a good time, despite the spacing restriction from the coronavirus.  They delivered a packet to make s’mores with.  Folks were invited to make s’mores and post pictures on the facebook page. They also gave us free firewood. It made a delightful fire.  They also had a cornhole contest where people who had the game in their rig wee encouraged to play and report their results.

 18 Jun 2020 (Thu) – We went to the office at 9:30 a.m. to speak with the campground owner.  The doors were locked.  Some guy came out in to the hall, looked at us at the door then went back into his office. How rude!  I then called the office and the owner answered.  We sat at the table outside on the deck and interviewed the guy about the facilities and what he would do for the group. Satisfied, we told him we would send a check and wanted to leave him a book.  He said he was in his office.  When we told him the door was locked, he laughed and said he forgot to open it then stepped out and took the book.

    We drove 20 minutes to the Grape Discovery Center to see what it looked like.  It was closed.  We parked and walked around, peeking in the windows.  It looks like it would be a nice experience for our group next year, so we will include it in the itinerary.

     We found a laundromat in a house (ah, country life).  We put the clothes in the washer then drove to a Mazza’s Winery and had a flight of wines.  Then we returned to the laundromat house and put the clothes in the dryer.  We walked around the town of Mayville while our clothes tumbled.

     After we collected the clothes, we drove to Jamestown to check out the Lucy-Desi Museum and the National Comedy Center.  Unfortunately, they, too, were both closed because of the pandemic. This situation is going to make it hard to develop a budget for the caravan.

     Paul located a WalMart and we did some food shopping.  We are starting a diet and needed to pick up all the right kinds of foods.  I just planned 4 days and the frig is chocked full.  I will not be able to shop a week at a time, that’s for sure.

     The check-in time for this campground is 6 p.m. (check-out is 5 p.m.).  We’ve never seen such a late time for check-in. We asked if the owner would put that aside for us when our group comes next year.  

17 Jun 2020 (Wed) – We left Marblehead, Ohio, at 8:20 a.m.  It was a long drive today so we left early.  The drive was over 4 hours and took us along the lakeshore of Lake Erie, through Pennsylvania and into New York.  The campground looks like it was a KOA at one time. Our campsite is a pull through with a concrete surface.  The campground is on Chautauqua Lake.  The pool, the store, and all group centered places are closed due to the pandemic. You have to wear a mask in the office.

     After set up, we drove into Mayville to meet with the operations manager of the Chautauqua Belle paddlewheeler.  He was a young man who seemed to be coordinating a group tour for the first time. We went over is suggested schedule and agreed on an itinerary.  He will draw up a contract and send it to us.

     Then we drove down the road to the Chautauqua Institution.  It is one of the stops on the itinerary Mike put together and we wanted to look at it.  It’s not very clear why we should take a tour of the place.  It seems like a private community with very lovely homes on the lake. The roads are very narrow and seem to wind aimlessly around the neighborhood.  There is a beautiful old hotel where he suggested we have lunch. We wanted to get some information about the place but the visitor’s center was closed.  I’ll have to send an email.

     We drove to Jamestown and picked up food at Pet Smart.  Then Paul drove up the other side of the lake to the center where the interstate crossed the lake.  We got back to the campground at 5 p.m.