A Tag Along Traveler

teen years

2011-03-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

Some days I wonder how in the world I got where I am. What chain of events, pivotal points, shaped my life into what it is today. I realize that a lot of it is the way I grew up; sadly, I have to admit that there were/are a lot of strong women in my life. Always sticking their noses in and giving their 2 cents on everything from the way I wear my hair to how late I could be out and with whom. It is their views on god, relationships, fashion, and health that made my teen years an absolute nightmare.

God was something that my grandmother pushed by the mouthfuls down our throats with a wooden spoon. The rest of my family had no time for church, prayer or religion. My mother would tell me that before I was born they would go to church every Sunday….therefore, in my young mind, it was my fault that they lost their religion. Stupid to think, yes, but as a child it still felt like an unspoken accusation.

Relationships were considered taboo so all that knowledge came from observations and peers. Rarely were my parents affectionate in front of me except maybe a quick peck on the mouth. Mind you, I was glad for this, because what kid wants to see their parent make out but I also realized that it was not normal…at least I hope it’s not normal. Hearing stories about my peers having wild parties where they got so drunk they fucked anyone was not what I would hope for a normal relationship either. It was all about status and looks, very superficial. Those few that weren’t were all about the heartbreak and the he said she said, living for the next emotional rollercoaster.

Fashion, well, the 90’s were not the most fashionable, especially for an overweight four eyes. My family couldn’t afford name brands so the nike, wrangler, lees, and other cool clothes were out of my range. Also, my mother is a skinny person in a fat body….she has no idea how to dress her body shape and therefore neither did I.

Health, health was a 4 letter word. My parents would try fad diets which would work for a few pounds and then they would give up. I did get to a strange liking for grapefruit juice and green tea because of them but I did lose my liking for tuna. Mom always thought that walking 3 miles a day was enough exercise to counter ice cream, peanut butter, chocolate and extra butter let alone what else she was eating. Not finishing your plate was an offence that left you sitting at the table for an hour but finishing your plate meant you could reward yourself with a treat. Said treat was always a sweat, sugary, caloric filled bowl or plate.

Makes me appricate how I have lost weight, held a long term relationship and have a good job.

a day in the life....

2011-03-04T14:38:00.001-08:00

So yesterday I started some sad drivel about how boring my life is and that work sucked and ….blah blah blah….

Today, after a great night’s sleep and feeling a little bit better (I say this as I sneeze), life is seeming so much sweeter. I think someone snuck in late last night and did something to my coffee…..because it is a gloomy gloomy day in Washington! The hills in the distance have a fresh white powder and the air is crisp. I want to get in my little red rocket and just drive but with gas being a low (hahaha) $3.37 I hesitated after my errands and find myself instead looking longingly out the window as I type this….I have half a mind to bundle up and go finish this on the back stoop.

I got in a great chat with my best friend over coffee this morning, my wonderful workout after made me aware that I was not as healthy as first thought (I was wheezing at one point) and then I had shopping to do! I went first to the post office to grab some stamps and mail off a long overdue package. There I had this very sweet guy fluster over having to share the counter as I loaded my flat rate box, it was cute but he was way too young. Next I went on to Big R, where I was told had the biggest selection of workboots in the area for reasonable prices. There I found and purchased my first pair of steel toed boots….with pink trim…. *grin* I followed this quick foot purchase by heading to payless to see if they had any cheap cute summery shoes…they had nothing!!!! Black chunky slip resistant work shoes…. Yuck!

Last on my list was a stop at the VC to grab a post card of the area because I haven’t found a single one anywhere else….and I wanted to pick up some Vivacious Vicky to drink and send out. Well, they have stopped carrying Vivacious Vicky but the lady convinced me to pick up this Dark Star that she called “truth serum”. “Let it breath if you think it’s a little strong, that will bring out the berry flavor more”….lady you’re talking to the wrong person…and then I stated that one of the girls at work had married the guy that owned one of the wines….and she told me no….um I happen to know the girl didn’t lie….whatever…

After grabbing the postcard I needed to send off to a 3^rd grade class I decided it was time to hit up the Ortho people for some more supplies. I am sitting at a light, singing along to Leanne Rimes, tapping the steering wheel, lost in my own little world when I look over to my left and this guy in the turn lane smiles at me….I just kept on singing….glad I made your day buddy. I missed my chance at the ortho place, they had all gone for the day, which means I get to struggle with the wire brushes that they gave me last time….that suck! Oh well. Anyways, that is the end of my small little story.

*** Years roll by and all things change/but there is always someone that the heart never forgets/***

Try Again Tomorrow....

2011-03-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I logged on thinking about 3 WW, but I seem to be still recovering from my cold. I am no longer coughing uncontrollably but my nose won’t stop running and my head aches. Just not quite up to par yet and focusing on a story is beyond me. I have a feeling that it may take me a while to get back in the swing of having a blog again. I have ideas rattling around in my head but nothing will form a readable thought.

Things I learned on My Trip Back to Wisconsin

2011-02-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

1. Even with thousands of miles between us, my parents can only be handled in small doses. This time is even shorter when locked in a house due to bad weather, unless cookies or such are being made.

2. My mother only hears what she wants to hear. I may say that I will lose my job in October and she hears my daughter is moving home. I may say that she doesn’t need to buy a lot of cheese because my brother and I will be going to the cheese factories. She hears, buy plenty cause you don’t know what flavor she will want. These are just a few examples.

3. I will never be thin enough for my mother. She asked if I was in another Biggest Loser completion at work and when I told her no she got upset with me. I am only 15 lbs away from my ideal weight and all I hear is how she was smaller at one time…

4. My father will never be able to calmly drive in the “big” city. The garmin that he got over a year ago will never be used again….after he tried to follow the directions and got in a lane that ended couldn’t figure out how to get over….almost got hit 3 times….scary.

5. C&J will always be able to pick up a relationship like time has not been ticking away. It’s great to know that some things don’t change. A day with them is always full of surprises and food and drink. They even gave me a recipe for Butter Beer (the drink in Harry Potter).

6. My brother, he always tries so hard to make everything work when the world is against him. Too much planned, bad weather or people/businesses.

7. My extended family, the dynamic is changing. The older crowd may think they are in charge but it’s just an illusion. The mind games and petty “my horse is bigger than your horse” is only in the older generation and I am glad that it has stopped there.

8. I am completely outdated in my clothing again. Spring clothing is just not my specialty. Those cute little flats in bright colors. Cashmere sweaters, leggings, Ugg boots, ponchos and scarves. *sigh*

9. Shoveling snow is a great workout that will never be replaced by any other kind. I only shoveled a few inches but my goodness my body ached when I was done.

10. You can’t visit your parents without gaining weight. When they want you to always have a drink or food in your hand you are bound to gain weight. You would think after note 3 that this would not be the case but it was. Not only that but the only healthy thing in the frig was a head of wilty lettuce. This is not to say that I wasn’t to blame for some of the weight gain but still….

I'm Back....

2011-02-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

....I'm back....I dont know how long I'll stay, but I am back....for now. I am not the same person that started this blog but I'm sure to keep you entertained just as I did before.

I need to do some maintenance and then I will go from there. :)

My Coastal Story

2009-10-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

As I have been reminded that my last post is dated quite some time ago and I have a few avid readers I will try to entertain both the “what’s happening in my life” people and the short story lovers. ; p

Last weekend I took a trip over to the other side. I started with a stop in Naches to get some gas. I pulled up and went to pay with a credit card so I wouldn’t have to go inside or pay the stupid fee. Well unlike most of the other credit card sliders this one doesn’t like it when you “remove rapidly”. It told me to head inside for assistance. I waited in line for my turn. Constantly trying to move out of the coca-cola delivery guy’s ways. A hard feat when the store there is small. In my attempt I said excuse me to the guy in front of me in line.

I got back in my little red rocket and headed down the road. A little ways, about a half hour, I was stopped in road construction. As I was jamming away to Taylor Swift I saw this guy hop out of his SUV behind me. He jogged forward holding a cd. I thought nothing of this and took a moment to enjoy the trees that were attempting to grow from a very steep hill. This man takes that moment to stop at my window, as he hesitated in tapping on my car, I rolled the window down for him. I know I gave him the strangest look and he responded with. “Hey, I just wanted to give this cd to you. I saw you at the gas station and thought you might like it but you left before I could give it to you.” He continues on when he realizes that I’m not going to roll the window back up. “My nephew is in a band, they just won a contest and are down recording in California.” He goes on about how great they are and that the band is just getting on its feet and how he was really sorry that he didn’t have a case for the cd he handed me.

He headed back to his car and the light turned green. The first song began. I thought “what was this guy smoking! It’s ‘earthy’….so not me!” Then the rap starts. :) No, I’m not much of a rap fan….but it’s good so I listen on and the song changes again.

I had just listened to song 6 or so when I noticed that he turned off. Somewhere around Packwood. I waved. I continued on listening to my new tunes, it’s kinda got this ‘old school’ feel, something from the 90’s but with a newer twist. Hard with soft edges. Smooth with some bite. A great cd that I never would have picked up. The cd you ask? Battlegrounds by Chase and the Reach. My favorite song, track 3, Devil’s own Daughter.

***Find our way up to the northern lights, I will storm those iron gates, and I will free you from your chains, just to hear you say my name….find our way up to the pearly gates, where we’ll make it even hotter….

My trip continued. I followed 12 to 5 to 4. 4 is beautiful. Amazing. A lot like the back roads back home, except this was paved better. :) From there I hit 101. Just as beautiful as 4. I then headed toward the coast on 109 to OceanShores…which happens to be under construction.

Having accomplished the purpose of my drive, to get away and unwind…ponder things in my life…and become stress-free, I turned and headed home. I stopped at Spiffy’s, where I-5 and 12 meet, listened to some new patrons complain about everything from the temperature to the prices and the salad bar….I hate people like that. I wanted to go over and tell them if they didn’t like it they could always leave!

I headed out and had a fairly easy drive. Had a deer/elk scare the crap out of me but that was about it.

Anyways, I think I’m done rambling about my trip. However I didn’t get to my short story….hopefully another night soon I will. Requests will be considered…

Making a Difference

2009-08-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

I went grocery shopping today. Since it was just a few things I walked to my corner store. I had noticed on my walk that there were two high school girls standing on the street with signs. Since I was walking I had my music tuned in and couldn’t hear their plea. Well, two hours later I am walking this same trek to get groceries. I find out that they aren’t trying to get you to stop in for a car wash or any other fundraiser for their benefit. They weren’t trying to get you to go to church or change your beliefs either. I still didn’t stop since I was cutting across the grass. I was greeted at the door anyway, which I half expected.

I was tentatively approached and ask if I wouldn’t mind taking a pamphlet on child hunger. The earnest looking teenager handed me an orange slip of paper. Upon my asking what it was that they were doing she responded by stating “We are just raising people’s awareness of child hunger.” I was perplexed that she didn’t just ask me to open my wallet so I asked again. What is it that you want?” She replied, “Nothing, we are just handing out information. If you’d like to donate anything would be welcome but it’s not why we are here.” She pointed to a girl they had put in a “cage” (a couple of 2x4’s housing a lawn chair).

I said thank you and that I would stop by after I was finished shopping. I hate trying to dig out change when there other shoppers zipping by. So I went in and shopped, reading the sheet they had given me while I waited in line. I got change from my purchase to give to the girls outside. I walked back out and while it was obvious the girl knew it was me she didn’t approach. I walked over to her and handed her the cash. “Told you I’d stop by,” I said.

She looked shocked and pleased. I could tell that these were the same girls that had been there at least 3 hours ago now. I surmised that most of the patrons that they approached did not actually return after having been stopped or had not given at entering. It made me glad that I had returned and given them something. It is hard enough to ask a community to help their school or church functions but to ask them to just be informed is another story. Hunger is an ugly truth that seems to get pushed under the rug and in these tight times some don’t remember that even a little goes a long way when there was none before.

I give props to the girls for not having called it quits, they believed in something enough to let others turn them down over and over. They believe that knowledge is power and in informing their community change can happen. The pamphlet that I had read while shopping even stated that the money donated is going to go to the community. Not one cent is leaving the area.

I don’t know about you but I don’t know many teenagers anymore that would take time out of their summer Saturday and get nothing (for themselves) in return. They were buoyant and optimistic. Making a positive difference, if not in someone else’s lives, in their own. It was great to know that that energy still exists in the younger generations yet, I had begun to doubt it.

A Wedding, A Golden Birthday & Green Trucks!

2009-08-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Since I have not blogged and given my 2 faithful readers anything to ponder in some time I will give 3 short stories that happened this last month (Today is Aug 1st : )).

Near the middle of July I hopped on a plane, or three, and headed to Wisconsin. There I got my now traditional welcome at the airport from TC. We hurried through the streets of Madison as our stomachs grumbled in anticipation of Uno’s Pizza and Long Islands! As always there was a wait at Uno’s, not that any of us minded when the bar was open and we could order there so that the food was ready when we had a table. While the checkered table clothes hadn’t changed all of the waitresses had. It was comforting to know that they still used the menus from when my brother was there in college.

After eating cheese bread and pizza with a chaser of long island we headed toward the bars. We dodged cars and started up the sidewalk toward our evening of memory lane. We headed toward Steve’s Pizza for poppers and mixed drinks. What we found was windows painted white and plywood, darkened and abandoned. Disappointed and sad we sat on a bench and contemplated the rest of our evening. In sour spirits we eventually headed to Second St to see what else had changed. After making a sweep of the street we head into Boondocks for a drink, not wanting to give up on the night. We were again shocked and dismayed by the stainless steel bar that had replaced the wooden one. There was also a tailgate of a truck along one wall. Only a few people lingered over drinks and darts on this lively Friday night. We sat and ordered, after having gotten our drinks we inquired as to when Steve’s Pizza had closed. “It didn’t close, it moved into the old mattress store at the top of Main.” Our moods boosted we quickly drank our drinks and headed toward our once favorite bar. Not only had the location of Steve’s changed but the look and clientele as well. Not for the better. The waitresses were rude and slow, the sleazy guys were annoying and the décor had a lot to be desired. No longer did it look like an Irish pub but a sleek modern pick up bar. We held out and ate poppers and a drink while playing trivia before heading back to the hotel.

The next day was the wedding for which I had flown to Wisconsin. I got to watch as the bride glided down the isle to the little gazebo and finally be married to the never changing groom. I’ve known these two for over 12 years, was there when the groom proposed….the reason for needing to stop by the college. He proposed under the oldest tree on campus. Lets just leave it with, It’s About Damn Time! :) The wedding went with much fanfare and well wishes. My gift was a great success, or so I’m told. Favorite restaurants will do that. :) Thanks again TC for picking that up for me!!!

My family was there but I’m not going to get into that. I refuse! Pleasant thoughts for this post, well, mostly. I ended this trip by getting stuck at my second airport for 2 hours. They said it was a mixture of their computers being down and a scheduling problem. Well, their scheduling problem caused me to miss my last plane, THE last plane of the day to my home. This meant that at 11:45 pm in Seattle as I waited for the free hotel shuttle to take me to comp’ed room I had to call my boss and tell them I was going to be late for work the next day. I left a very short message, and to my great surprise did not get any grief for the call. My guess is that my boss got that I was extremely upset and sincere with staying late to make up my time missed. I finally got to work at a 10:45 am the next day, not having been able to get fresh clothes since my bag somehow made it home before me…hum…..

Anyways, moving on. Happier times, My golden birthday was this month. No, I will not state what day that occurred on! :P After getting over the fact that I was now another year closer to thirty and working for the first time ever on my birthday it wasn’t so bad. Someone sent my flowers and a balloon. I got a gift certificate to a day spa (wow you say), my car windows tinted (yay), and dark chocolates (yum). I also received a few cards as well as many well wishes on facebooks. My mother being my mother though had to put my picture in the paper, now that I’ve lost some weight again so that I look “halfway decent”.

Finally, the sprinkles on top, the man in the green truck. Having gotten back from the wedding I had nothing in my apartment so I needed to hit the grocery store. It’s right around the corner so I walk instead of drive. I had decided to wear one of my new dresses that I had purchased in Wisconsin (the black one). Well, walking up my block with a bag in either hand this truck starts honking, and I start thinking “oh great, he’s going to come up to me and whistle”. How mature. Well, he doesn’t stop honking. As he has gotten closer I see that it’s a young guy with his baseball cap on backwards. Thinking that it is a guy from work (he drives a green truck) I wave back. After I wave he grins and I realize that it’s not my colleague at all. Just some cute random guy. : )

***I wanted her to say she couldn’t live without the life I had to offer….Out there, anywhere, she just up and left….

Tag's Online Dating Adventure Continues...

2009-07-28T18:05:00.001-07:00

The Do's and Don't's of online dating.

Do
-email, asking questions about how they spend their free time and what they like to do (I like to take long walks and hang out with friends.)
-be honest and ask questions (What made you move to Washington?)
-state food allergies and pet allergies (It's me or Muffy, Buddy!)
-be on time when dating (Ahh, right on time.)

Don't
-ask what their favorite sexual position is in your second email (I love exploring in the bedroom. What's your favorite position?)
-ask weather they match their bra and panties (Do you buy from Victoria Secret? I love black, those teddies are hot!)
-talk about your ex (She would just lay around and be beautiful. I expect nothing more.)
-ask for their address (Hi, yes, I would like to stalk you. Then rob you blind.)

Just a small smattering of tidbits to wet your whistle until I update this more later.

***"Keep a calender so this way you'll always know..."

Tag's Online Dating Adventure....

2009-05-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

How does a girl that hasn’t dated much get into online dating? It’s a disaster in the making. You are told to fork over a couple greenbacks and matches that are compatible to you will be sent to your inbox. Just click click click click….filling out questions, likes/dislikes, habits, physical features and ta da, your match is found. Because you know every habit you want him to have, every goal he should strive to achieve.

The best is the introspective questions they ask. What do people notice about you first? What do you wish more people would notice about you? How the f should I know! I haven’t ever met me for the first time. I have no abnormalities to call out, nothing striking, and nothing to call attention and if I did I wouldn’t want to say that in an online profile!

The second one, everyone says the same dang thing. I’m really shy but once you get to know me I’m a great guy. No shit, is that why you’re on here!? Why not just ask, “If you’re shy, what else should we notice?”

Just like asking what are the top 5 most important things you couldn’t live without? If I read one more saying the same 5…. Cant we come up with some questions that make us think and sets people apart from others? No, we have to wait until we go through the mundane process before we can use a secure email to chat. There you can actually get to know someone and find out if you’ve been wasting your time.

Anyways, here is Online dating at its finest! Watch world here I come!

Ode to Washington's Spring

2009-03-27T10:28:00.001-07:00

Fear of snow and ice have fled,
It is the silence of spring I hear instead,
The birds are chirping in all their glory,
They won’t stop and they’re not sorry.

Sprinklers soak the land,
Washing away the deicer and sand,
The officials say,
No more studded tires as of today.

Time for studded tires and 4 wheel drives has passed,
Spring is here at last,
The rumbling and roaring are gone,
The sounds of engines are the new spring song.

The soft growl and quiet purr,
Are all the men need for a lure,
They stand and stare,
At the newest version of a prized mare.

Corvettes, BMWs, Mustangs, Porshes,
The newest breed of horses,
They park together in the work lot,
The breed apart need their spot.

It is here that age matters not,
Make and model delineate your spot,
Break finds the hoods all up,
A gaggle of men all talking it up.

Shiny and sleek are not for the meek,
Muscle cars are what men seek,
The ride is low and very fast,
Is that a cop you just passed?

Spring is here at last.

MIA: Tits and Ass....

2009-03-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

My Tits and Ass are missing….I’d like to put out an alert! My work is doing their own small idea “weekly weigh in’s” biggest loser thing. Well it was all find and dandy to me, I had an ass for a while, where one had never resided….I lost it again. Ok Ok so I am fine with again having no ass. BUT no Tits!!!

I have always had big boobs! I wore a shirt (Cheese in the window) shirt at work last week. A female coworker of mine, after a walk during one of our breaks comments. “You don’t have any boobs anymore.” You know its bad when it makes the rounds at the office….and even one of the guys at work, not one of the younger ones, said “its great losing weight, but sometimes you look down and wonder where it was you lost it from…”

So it’s all great and fine….for a girl with a shopping buddy, in the STATE, to lose weight….when you have to go shopping. Yes, we are girls and love to shop…but rarely alone. Kind of like the bathroom thing; always in packs. I would go with the one that made the comment about my boobs but she doesn’t have any fashion sense at all, yes T.C. worse than me!....The 80’s never died…and professional is what grown ups do…

In putting on dress pants one morning, to go with my new top, I went through 6 pairs of dress pants. Yes, it took me 6 pairs to find one that would fit! A pair, sadly enough, that I bought my second year of college! I wore the coral colored one…as no other dress pants fit but the gray ones. Or I thought they did, until I got told that I really shouldn’t wear them anymore either….:(

Now that I’m done placing my alert…I’m going to actively go and find them! Dominos how I love thee!!!

Airing Dirty Laundry

2009-03-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Pictures as requested!!!! :)

****

No this isn't about your neighbor getting it on with the whore down the street when his wife is out. This is about the simple joy of doing laundry! What the F**k is she talking about, your thinking, laundry sucks! I agreed, until this last weekend.

For the last 10 months I have been using "other" washers. For a month while I looked for an apartment I used the one in the basement of the hotel. It was nice, if there wasn't anyone using it. There was only one washer and one dryer. It was expensive and took a long time!

After moving into my apartment I got to go around the corner to a laundry mat, the only boon was that it was REALLY close. But as with all laundry mats, there were the creepy old men, the screaming children, and strange odors.

It was mostly the time constraints and the creepy men that finally pushed me past my limit. On Tuesday of last week I decided to buy! As TC can attest just because I am dedicated to buying doesn't mean I will buy anything in the next 2 months if I cant find what I'm looking for.

Thankfully, after research, I headed to a local store on Friday morning. The store was quite, I love having Fridays off, its a great time to shop. There was a lady standing nervously at the appliances. She fidgeted as I smiled and headed toward her. Poor woman.

We talked for about 45 minutes, I took a call from TC and made up my mind which pair I wanted. Space was a major concern! I'm very glad I went with the smallest out of my top 3, I don't think that the others would have fit!

I patiently waited as the woman, must be new to the section, tried again and again to get everything typed in and ordered correctly. She freaked when she saw that the delivery date was the next day, she thought she had typed in something wrong. It was great! I was so excited! I hadn't done laundry for 2 weeks in preparation for this very day!

She had it all checked by a more experience associate and I handed her my credit card! It was strange, knowing that going into the store that my balance had been zero and walking back out with $2000 of debit. One fell swoop!

I'm sure when I buy a new car I will feel that frantic pulse beating again. More exciting, though was my impending delivery. I needed to rush out and buy front loader high efficiency laundry detergent and somehow figure out what to do with everything that was being stored in my laundry closet!

Crap! I still haven't figured it out, a woman at work suggested that I have a washer and dryer party so that I can get rid of the 7 bottles of dad's homemade wine. I told her I didn't know that many people that I hated. Explaining that you needed a strong stomach and no taste buds for dads wine. She laughed, until I didn't laugh with her. She said it was still a good idea and everyone could bring their own. :)

Back to Saturday, the men arrived graciously at mid time block and quickly set up my washer and dryer! I got to do 3 loads. I have to say that it was great! I sorted my clothes without worry of some old guy checking out my underthings and none of my clothes have that "other" dryer smell. That smell of sweat and burned motor kind of smell. It also plays a fun little tune when its done! And best of all I didn't have to test the clothes in the dryer to see if they were really dry, it has a sensor, so I never have to worry that my jeans or sweatshirts wont be all the way dry!

Ok, I think I have gushed enough. I am off to do something "green" for st patties day!

Robin and His Library Adventures...

2009-03-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

He ran to the shelf today, it was a sunny bright day out so he didn’t have to worry about others in the library. This summer day was rare and everyone would be making the most of it. He slid to a stop in front of the s’s in the adventure section, looking for Treasure Island. He only had 30 pages left, he had to know what happened next. He looked to the third shelf from the bottom, right were he had left it yesterday afternoon. It wasn’t there. He stared in disbelief. Frantic, he searched the nearby shelves, knowing that some never put the books back where they found them. It wasn’t there. What would he do! He couldn’t wait a month to find out what had happened. How could someone have checked out his book? He knew it was a great book, but that didn’t mean that anyone else had to know. Why hadn’t he hidden it behind other books, on the back of the self.

Robin sat, leaning against the bookshelf at his back, what would he do? Should he start another? He felt as if he would be cheating on his best friend if he did that. Maybe he should ask his mother how the story ends? No, it wouldn’t be the same.

He sat there. Wondering what to do as the story slowly slid back into his minds eye. The sound of the seagulls as they soared above. The crash of the waves as they broke against the side of the ship. The blue sky spattered with light fluffy clouds.

The story took over, Blackbeard stood at the helm in all his glory, as Robin swabbed the deck.

“Robin.” A voice called. “Honey. Where are you?”

Quickly, Robin stood and brushed off his jeans. “I’m here mom.” He responded, waving the book she had seen him with this morning. He may not have found out what really happened with Blackbeard but at least he had come up with a few ideas on his own. That would have to be what tied him over until the book was returned.

Robin and his Library Adventures

2009-02-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

He peeked around the corner of the bookcase. His nose sliding along the cool polished wood, his hair brushing the preserved rings as his fingers glided on the smooth surface. Growth rings that once proved the vitality of the cedar tree and passage of time now only gave a unique pattern that was overlooked by many.

Satisfied that no one was in this section of the library, he let go of the bookcase and dashed across the main aisle for his adventure fix. There on the shelves, were stories of pirates and treasure, sword fights and hangings, deep blue seas and dangerous storms, small cutters and great ships. He would lose himself in a grand adventure on a ship as a cabin boy of some great captain while his mother thought he was passing time reading about a rabbit that had gotten into someone’s garden.

His mother always took him to the children’s section at the beginning of her shift at the library. Kneeling before him she would give him the same speech every day.

“Oh, honey, I wish you could be outside playing with the other boys.” She would say as she pushed his dark curls out of his eyes.

“I know you hate it when I leave you here, but you will be a good boy, wont you?” She would give him a hug then, the smell of light spring flowers and peppermint would waft to his nose. “I’ll come get you for lunch.”

As she backed away, he would go over to the bookshelf that was built for his height and pull out a book. His mother would be watching and later at lunch she would ask about whichever book he pulled out. It didn’t bother him, as he always picked a book that he could quickly read and was light enough for him to carry around the library. He had once gotten caught with a book not found in the children’s section; he pretended to be looking at the pictures in Treasure Island. It had cost him minutes as his mother had placed the book back on the shelf and ushered him back to the children’s books.

After that, he began to carry the children’s book with him so that he could hide the one he was really reading. It had taken him 25 minutes to get back to the adventure section, find Treasure Island, and his page. He learned to listen for the soft glide of his mother’s shoes and the sounding of the town bell pronouncing the time, the only two noises that could bring him out of his adventure. The rest of the day would be spent on a ship deck or a sandy beach.

Airplanes and Cars

2009-01-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

So, since today was my day off I slept in and then didn't end up showering until noon. I set the temp and stepped in. Made sure my hair was wet. Grabbed the shampoo and lanthered. Went to step back under the spray....strange noise.

Bursting pipes? Nope.

Rumbling thunder? Nah.

Earth Quake? No.

Airplane? Yes.

I had never been in my shower when a plane had gone over. It is an experience I wish to avoid in the future. I had not thought that I would be able to hear them in the shower. If I have anything making noise on downstairs I can barely hear them go over. Upstairs I hear them better but not enough to have thought to hear them in the shower.

After that I made some lunch and headed out to do some shopping. It must be stupid slow driver day today. If it's a national holiday why didn't I get a warning? Not only did we have some real winners driving, 2 cars had died and caused issues as the got pushed off the main road. I saw an "almost" accident in every parking lot I was in....that would have been 4. What, may you ask, was the reason for this behavior? I have no idea. The roads were clear, the visibility good and it was daylight. Those are usually three things you look at for stupidity....

sigh....

I'm home now....

Listening to new music that I bought with Christmas money!!! I actually went to the store and bought the cd! I'm not buying itunes anylonger! I like burning mixed cd's and I don't want someone telling me how many times I can loose or scratch a cd! Or get sick of every other song on said burnt cd!

Little Bits of Nothing

2009-01-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

So to catch everyone up on what I've been doing for the last little bit of time....well I got to go grocery shopping. I'm still looking for pasta...I will find it, I know I will.

I also went to check why my little coolant light wasn't going off after I had gotten it flushed. Well, after a REAL mechanic looked at it, I hadn't a leak but the type of car I have can cause major air pockets and one worked itself out. That was the good news, the bad news is that the noise I described to my dad over the phone and he said not to worry...well I should have worried. Not to be to concerned, I cant leave town, cause when that air pump clutch thingy goes so does my power steering and anti-lock breaks and a few other things!!! Sigh....I'm at the point that I need to look for a new car or if I get it fixed I need to drive this one for about 2 yrs to get my moneys worth. I talked it out with dad and we both agree that waiting may not be pleasant but necessary and wise choice.

I need to wash my car badly, I mean it looks like its a brown red or a burnt red....not in a good way either.

I did get to make a few other thing out of my new cookbook....did I mention how much I love my new cookbook.... I tried the eggs bene-chick. It was good and something new. I also tried the corn cake desert with the coolwhip. Good but not very filling for the amount of calories you consume.

I didn't do much other than clean my apartment (very little), laundry and read. Altough to be fair by the time I went shopping and got my car checked out and did laundry, as well as talked to they guy that owns the half priced book store (he overheard my phone convos to both T.C. and my mom) I had put in 7 hrs.

I got to talk to my brother today too. He seems to be doing better than when I saw him at Christmas. He still hasn't bought his Christmas money so I don't feel bad for not having spent mine yet. I think I keep looking for something very specific and I don't think I will ever find it. Yes T.C. I'm at the point of shopping that you hate. I cant find what I want and I'm behaving like a very spoiled 3 yr old. :) At least this time its online shopping so it's not quite as bad....?

Anyways, if I am to get everything I want/need to get done before I head out for the day I had better get cracking!

Little Bits of Nothing

2009-01-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Today is my Friday and I totally have my first weekend back in Washington packed full! What, might you ask, will I be doing? I have about 4 loads of laundry, 2 new grocery stores to try out, 1 bookstore (that is only open during the week from 9-5), 1 girls night out and a possible coffee with a friend. On top of all that I will finish the book I'm reading, try a few new recipes, workout, and enjoy that the shortest day of the year has passed us by!

I have to say that by the end of my work day my brain is usually feeling a little fried. I don't mind this, as I find work challenging and fun....not fun enough to enjoy getting up quite as early as I do....So it wasn't until my carpool buddy pointed out after the last turn that it was great that it was still light out now when we got home. I had been staring out at the moon for a few blocks and had engaged him in a convo about it. Would it be waxing or waning since it is past the full moon? I couldn't remember for sure just then but I was right and its waning.

I had noticed that the sky was lighter, you have to give me some slack, we have been having a lot of storms/bad weather/clouds as of late. It was a great way to end the day that started with 60 roads in Washington closed. Yup, 60! (fyi that doesn't mean that they were all state roads either)

So there are the ramblings of my day and I will leave you to this end as I go to spend my evening relaxing and reading.

Little Bits of Nothing

2009-01-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

For the sake of having a post to write.....Yes, if you are one that cannot stand the going ons of absolutely nothing....don't continue.

Today's high was 60 degrees. This may not be headliner news in say Florida at about this time but it is here. There is so much snow melting that flooding is happening all over the state. All passes are closed. A mudslide occurred at one of the ski hills on Snoqualmie Pass filling a few homes at the bottom.

I found out that my work friends LOVE Seinfeld....!que triste!

The guy I carpool with asked if I would mind if we stopped by BestBuy so he could pick up Pineapple Express. He also wanted to get the blueray version of Transformers but that was on sale and sold out....

I had a paranoid worker ask me repeatedly if one of the girls had tried to go over the pass with 3 small children...it's been closed all day...was she going to fly her minivan over it? No her car was not in the mudslide!

More later.

The end of the Beginning

2008-12-09T20:49:00.000-08:00

Milly looked down at the edge of the strange forest, she and the coven had not had time to really explore their new surroundings since the men had led them here. It was just a regular forest, no enchantments but it was still bringing her the peace that she needed. The peace that she craved. She let her head fall back as a gust of wind blew through the night. In letting the wind know that it was greater than her it then wrapped its warm gusts around her in a protective shield. The land and sky here craved nurturing that the wizards had not thought or took the time to do. A land grew in power just by having magical being on it but could be a protective barrier if it was nurtured. That is why the enchanted forest embraced the coven and let them pass smoothly while giving others hours of frustrations.

Milly circled the forest and placed a small budding spell of growth by pushing some of her own power into the very trees. She didn’t want to make the spell overly extensive or it would become like the enchanted forest and would only let her and the coven pass through. After the last circle she turned back to a clearing near the center of the forest to land. A few moments staring at the stars while leaning against the old fallen tree would top the night off wonderfully. The headache that had promised to invade her head had cleared after a few moments in the cool night air. She knew why her temperature rose with every passing night but had not realized that a ride around the forest would be able to do more work than a brew.

She landed with an ease that she only had when she was totally relaxed. Milly rested her broom against the fallen log and then slowly settled beside it. The soft moss cushioned her back as she looked up at the twinkling night sky. She found Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Pegasus and Lacerta. She had almost found Pieces when she heard a rustling in the bushes across the clearing. Milly let her head slowly drift down, she wasn’t worried with the way the forest had welcomed her. If it was someone or thing that the forest thought might do her harm was coming, it would protect or warn her.

***
That’s how he found her, she was laying against a fallen log, looking like a fairy princess with her hair decorated with moss. He scowled at her as he pushed the last tree limb out of his way. His eyes were so fixed that he tripped over the last root, sending him stumbling to her feet. It was fitting really, he had no idea why but he felt that she had that power over him. It had caused him great mental turmoil as he examined this feeling.

He didn’t feel as if he was being trapped but he was sure that he was being controlled even though he could not feel it. He could not find any way that she had broken down his barriers or any other measure. This didn’t sit well with Brian, he was a man of actions and reactions. He was damn sure that he had not acted on anything and Milly had not acted in any new way either.

***
Milly sighed. It just had to be Brian didn’t it? Every time she turned around. Every time she closed her eyes. Every time her thoughts would stray.

Brian.

Brain.

Brian.

Inescapable. Although he did seem to be in a fine mood, she judged as he let out a stream of curses after having tripped into the clearing. She waited, in silence, she had nothing to say that would not make him mad and she didn’t want this conversation to last all night.

He righted himself and adjusted his cape around him before he looked her in the eyes. “I had not expected to find you in this clearing. To what purpose have you come here? It isn’t safe.”

Milly just looked up at him. How could she explain. There were no words to describe the security and peace, the sense of belonging. She was just about to tell him this when he was hit in the head by a green apple. It wasn’t overly hard, just enough to get his attention, and to make him mad.

Milly laughed, she couldn’t stop the sensation from bubbling out of her. She had seen the old tree select a fallen apple and toss it at Brian. The tree now had his branches shaking with all of the other trees.

“You think I’m in danger? The only thing I am in danger of is falling asleep in this peaceful bed.”

He stared at her.

“The forest protects me Brian. There is no formula or theory that you can explore to understand that. It just is.”

The trees silenced at her head nod. She smiled up to Brian. “See! It worked wonderfully, you presented yourself as a possible threat and they warned you.”

The apple tree shook again, causing Milly to laugh. “I dare say that if you try anything else tonight they will not be merciful.”

Brain neared and sat next to her. “Well then, lets hope that we can both keep our heads. I really must talk to you about this power you have over me.”

He leaned against the fallen tree and crossed his long legs out in front of him.

“Power I have?”

“Yes. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Ever since I have met you, you seem to have this control over me. I want to be better, I want to be whatever it is you need, be able to get whatever it is you want.”

“That doesn’t sound all that bad.”

“That isn’t. The bad part is, well, I just can’t stop thinking about you. About how your hair slides around you as if it had a mind of its own. About how your eyes light up when you laugh.”

Brian let out a groan and clutched his head.

“I don’t know what to do, Milly.”

“Oh, Brian. Don’t you realize?” Milly asked as she shook her head. “You have fallen in love.”

"Love? I can't be in love." Brian said as he looked at Milly again.

"I would know if I was in love." he whispered.

Brian closed his eyes, for moments he sat there facing her with his eyes closed.

When he opened them they were filled with an emotion she had never seen coming from them.

"I'm in love....with you." he whispered.

The Nights Of The Waning Moon I

2008-11-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

One Week Later

Milly stared out the open window, the night sky was lit with millions of stars and the great waning moon. Below, Derk and Max walked hand in hand. So, Milly thought, Derk had won Max over. It had been obvious to the coven that Derk had lusted after Max after having seen them together. Max hadn’t wanted the distraction, “all I am to him is a distraction, something to chase, nothing more.” She had seemed so sad at that realization, that she thought he was her love was evident in her eyes. Her eyes and hands are where her heart shows and the reason the coven call her their heart.

A tapping sounded on Milly’s door, she sighed as she let her head drop. While the others were spending the nights with their true loves she was spending hers with Brian the brain. She had a feeling that if she asked him what he thought love was she would be told it was some foolish emotion connected with a bodily response. Brian didn’t have time for emotions, he rarely even smiled and never got the jokes. She had always thought of herself as dull and nerdy, but he put her to shame. She was thankful she had the coven, they had confirmed her suspicion that there was much more to life than books and science. They had reminded her that there was a life worth living and not everything could be proven with a formula.

Milly glided across her room and turned the knob. One last deep breath expelled as she opened the old ornate wooden door. Milly’s worry was for nothing, instead of Brian a guard, Colton, she had come to know stood waiting.

“I’m sorry to have disturbed you so late Milly.”

“That’s alright, Colton, I was merely writing. I’m just so glad that it’s you and not Brian.” Milly said, making a face while saying Brian’s name.

Colton froze, “I’m afraid I bring bad news then, for it was Brian that sent me to fetch you.” Seeing Milly’s face go red Colton spoke quickly, “I could tell him that I could not find you Milly. I would gladly do that for you.”

Milly looked at the earnest expression on Colton’s face, he would truly do that for her even though he might get reprimanded if it was ever found out. She couldn’t do that to him, there were to few in this world like Colton, and she refused to be his end. Milly stepped forward and placed her hands on Colton’s face, making him bend down so she could kiss his cheek.

“You are too sweet.” Milly said.

“So this is why neither of you had returned.” Brian’s voice sounded to Milly’s right. She had released Colton upon hearing a voice, now she turned toward Brian.

****

Her fists were clenching and unclenching at her sides, her face was red and her eyes flashed the very embodiment of a storm. She stalked toward him and all he could do was watch her coming. He had never felt the sensations running through his bloodstream. He had been tongue tied upon finding the two in the hall, it was only when a warmth had scalded his entire body that he had found his voice. That heat was still riding him, a slow simmer that didn’t seem to dissipate.

“How dare you.” Milly said as she pushed herself through his personal bubble. “Colton has never done anything to you. How could you be so rude and conniving?”

Brian could barely breath and every time he managed to find air it was saturated with her smell, of midnight flowers and dusty books. Not understanding the why, he acted on his instinct. He took her by surprise, his mind registered as her breath went out of her as he hugged her to him. He placed a soul searing kiss on her lips, surprisingly he found his mind clearing until she rubbed up against him. A throat clearing behind Milly reminded him that they were not alone and that there was no reason for his behavior. He unlocked their lips and set Milly away from him, no reason for his behavior? There had to be a logical reason he thought, frowning, why had he done that?

***

Milly saw the frown through her still dazed eyes. She had been thinking that Mr. Reserved did have a heart and was human before those very kissable lips turned into a frown. His eyes turned puzzled and clued Milly in that he still didn’t understand. He felt for her but he didn’t understand what those feelings were. Her heart sank. She placed a hand on her forehead under her long brown bangs.

“I’m not feeling well.” She stated before turning back to her room. She didn’t spare either of the men a glance. Knowing that Colton would give her pity and Brian would give her a blank stare. She had had enough for one night, knowing she had to stay here, her wings clipped did not help matters. She leaned against the closed door with her eyes closed. A midnight ride was what she needed, a chance to feel the cool wind upon her face. Just the thought of it made her spirits rise.

The Meeting

2008-11-21T16:09:00.001-08:00

It was a few minutes until true dusk. Max’s stomach was in knots. Derk had spent part of the day explaining what he knew and telling her the rest of the prophesy. The other half of the day he had part packing her things while she contacted her sisters. They stood behind her and Derk now. Maggy with Jackson, Mel with Andrew (Wink), and Milly. So much had happened in little over 24 hours. Lives had changed and continued to spiral in a configuration that only the spirits knew where. That twisting seemed to be reflected in her stomach right now, thought Max.

***

Derk gave Max’s hand a squeeze, she was looking pale again, it was too late to do anything about it now he thought. It was then that his father appeared with five other wizards. They each wore a brightly colored robe and held staffs in their left hands except for his childhood friend Brian he held his in his right.

“Who are all these people?” Demanded his father.

Max’s face went red, but before Derk could say anything she had stepped forward.

“They are my friends, my coven. You will accept us all or none. They go with me.”

Derk beamed as she stepped back beside him. He was so proud of her, there was the witch that he had seen before. The witch he had been drawn to. He glanced back at his father and saw the old man’s eyes narrow. Again, before he could speak another voice broke out.

“Remember, My King, that she is our hope. Do not take that away from us.” This had come from Brian. A man that the king himself had called “wise beyond his years,” the kings most trusted advisor. The old mans face softened, “I hope that you have enough room for us all in that small cottage of yours my dear.”

They spent the night at the great table drinking coffee and going over the prophesy. Slowly the other wizards left, saying that they expected to see the eight in a few days. The coven, their men, Derk and Brian would stay and ready further for their journey to the small mansion that the king resided in. There the women would learn to fight and further their craft. They would spend two weeks, two very short weeks, learning all they could before starting out on their quest.

Milly looked out the window behind Brian’s head. “Dawn approaches. It may be wise for us to get some rest.” The women mumbled in agreement as the men nodded. They would meet again in a day to travel together through the woods, over the mountains and up the great river.

“Is there anything I may stay and help do?” asked Brian.

Mel quickly answered, “Yes Brian, if you could stay and help Milly prepare for the journey that would be a great help.”

Milly blushed, she knew what Mel was up to and was not happy. She didn’t have time to worry about a man when she needed to research all she could about where they were going and what they were expected to do. She stayed silent as Brian agreed and the others stood. There was no way to get out of his help without seeming childish and she knew it. Mel knew it too, and it was this fact that made Milly so mad at her best friend.

“Well, now that that is settled I do believe that Andrew and I will head out. Maggy, are you and Jackson ready to leave too?”

Milly fumed even more, Mel didn’t trust her! She thought that she would even plead to a smaller group to get out of having Brian there. She pushed back her chair and stood, accidentally grinding her heal into her best friends toes.

“Lets go Brian.” She said before heading to the door. She didn’t even look back to see if he was following, wishing he wouldn’t.

The Prophesy

2008-11-20T17:57:00.001-08:00

“We have dined. You have washed the dishes. Will you tell me now what it was that your father was talking about?” She asked as she took a last sip of her coffee.

Derk sat across from her. Placed his elbows on the table and ran his hands through his hair. With his head down he said, “Will you promise to hear me out, fully, before turning me away?” He lifted his head and met Max’s eyes.

“Turn you away?” Max said. “Is it really that awful?”

“Others have thought so. It’s a binding promise that will last lifetimes.”

“Lifetimes?”

“Yes, ours. For as long as we both live.”

Max cocked her head and wrapped her quickly chilling hands around the empty mug in a vain hope of warmth.

Letting out a sigh, Derk began.

“It is foretold in the history of my people that a great hardship will come and the people will scatter in order to survive. The people will hide in fear and desperation. In this foretelling a certain wizard will find a witch that will be able to once again solidify the people. Together this wizard and witch will make the people strong again.”

Derk stopped the telling. He waited for Max to comment, knowing by the look on her face that she was about to.

“That doesn’t sound so bad. Who is this wizard? Who is the witch? How can I help you find them? Do you suppose she is one of my sisters?”

Shocked that she had encouraged him to continue instead of end there, Derk sat back in his chair. Out of all the witches that he had found over the year, only two had heard the second part of this prophesy. Most had shooed him away, wanting nothing more to do with a prophesy or helping a people not their own.

“I am the wizard, as far as we can tell. The prophesy says that he is the shifting prince of the people. As for the witch, the prophesy says….” Here Derk stalled as he leaned forward. He stared directly into Max’s eyes. “She will be the heart and hand of her sisters.”

Max went white. “Why, why would you think that would be me?” she stuttered.

Derks face never changed, it took all of his will to not shout in triumph her reaction was proof that she was the one. “I have heard your sisters talking; they call you the heart of the coven.” He reached out with one hand, “And. You are a healer, sometimes phrased in prophesies as hand or heart and hand.”

Max nodded, she couldn’t deny either statement even though she wished she could.

“So does the prophesy say how we are to do this?”

Derk jumped from the table. Max shrank back as he rounded the woodened monstrosity. Startled by his whoop and the fierce hug he wrapped her in. Her squeak finally registered and Derk slowly released and settled Max onto her feet.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that not one witch I have met in the last year has even let me tell the whole of the prophesy and here you are willing to help.”

“I can’t guarantee that I can help much Derk.” Max said softly. She watched as the light in his eyes faded. “You saw what happened with the town folk. I’m still very much learning all that I can. This prophesy must have meant someone else, with more training.”

Cautiously Derk reached for Max’s hand, he gave it a light squeeze. “But don’t you see? You have the will to at least try, I know you do. That is half of the battle. If we don’t know what we need to know, we will learn as we go or find someone to teach us.”

Derk watched Max’s face. He hoped that he had not pushed to hard, she was a strong witch he just had to convince her to find that strength. He hoped that she would at least give him the chance to try.

Max looked at the hand the enfolded hers. It was strong and sure, so full of stength and confidence. She looked back into Derk's eyes.

"Lets try."

The Old Man

2008-11-17T18:11:00.001-08:00

Max stared, she had stopped screaming when he clothed himself. The man had been curled up beside her in bed, naked as the day he was born. He was looking at her accusingly, how dare he she thought, he was the one that scared her.

Max frowned, “Who are you and where is my wolf!” She watched while he rubbed his hands up and down his face. His hair was dark brown and he mussed it even more with every rub.

“Well deary, he would be the wolf you call your own.”

Max whorled around at the voice coming from behind her, pressing her back against the side of the bed. What a wonderful morning for unexpected guests. There was an old man leaning on her window sill. He had a long white beard and held a cane that was as knarled as he was. His soft eyes were hidden behind big bushy eyebrows and thick framed glasses.

“Well, I see that she trusts you. That is a drastic improvement from your last assignment.” As the old man leaned his boney frail arm against the sill he added. “But I would wager that you have yet to tell her what you really are, let alone why you are here.”

“Go away old man. I will tell her over breakfast. Return in a few hours and you will be singing a different tune. I have not failed yet and I demand my chance to win her over.”

“I will do better than that, I am that sure that you will fail my boy. I will give you until night fall.” The old man cocked his head, nodded once. “Yes, that will be plenty of time.”

The man in the window disappeared without further warning. Max was left to stare blankly at her window and wonder at the old mans words, most especially his deadline. She sat that way until she felt the bed move behind her. At that one movement she was scrambling across the bedroom floor on hands and knees to the corner of the room. There she turned, staring out into the now lit room, her arms wrapped around her knees.

***

She looked so small and frightened, he thought, so unlike the woman she had shown his father and the angry mob. He slid to the edge of the bed and slowly stood. From there he moved across the wooden floor and sat cross legged in front of her.

“There is no reason to be frightened of me now. You weren’t really before my old man showed up so there is no reason to be now.” He nodded toward her bedroom door. “Why don’t you let me make you some breakfast and we will talk. I had hoped to present myself in a better light, maybe a full stomach will help.” He stood and offered a smile with his hand. “It’s Derk by the way.”

***

She reached for his hand and was promptly sat on her feet. He quickly left her room, asking that she take her time in dressing while he made their meal. In a daze she fumblingly dressed and headed out the door. She didn’t give herself time to really think, afraid that if she did she would never leave her room. She walked with a sure stride, hiding her nerves.

“I’ve just poured you a cup of coffee. You have no idea how thankful I am that you drink the stuff.” Derk said as he flipped the omelet he was making. “Should I begin the telling now or shall I wait until we have dined?”

Max took a sip of the steamy milky sugary brew and sighed as the cup left her lips. Her eyes closed for a moment in total bliss. A sharp clank of a pan had her opening one eye but not lowering her mug. She looked over at Derk to find his eyes blazing and him licking his lips.

“We’ll wait.” He said in a deep voice. “If its all the same to you?”

The Morning After...

2008-11-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

He circled the little stone cottage sinking into the shadows. Something or someone had been there. The scent had already begun to fade, but it was there by the tree that gave a perfect view to the back window. Lifting his leg the great wolf marked his territory, his scent overpowering that of what had been there. Wasting no more time he circled to the front of the cottage and up to the door. Hopefully the female had not given up on him, he would resort to scratching the door if he had to, but he hoped she would be waiting for him. He pressed against the door and was delighted but worried that he could open it himself.

He saw her standing over the fire stirring something in a small pot, the smells wafting through the room making his stomach growl. She turned as he came forward, smiled and set down the spoon.

“Wait just a few minutes while I shut the door and serve it up.” She headed toward the door, he was grateful to see that a heavy board was dropped across securing it.

***

Max secured the door and turned toward the great black wolf. He was so large, he had to be twice her size. While he had been saving her she had not minded one bit, his great strength had sent the villagers fleeing faster than any spell. Now though she worried that if he ever chose to attack her she wouldn’t have a chance against him. That thought flitted through her mind before she dismissed it, he was her savoir and she would take it one day at a time.

Moving to the table she grabbed a bigger bowl she had set out and moved toward the fire to dish up his dinner. He sat in front of the fire, his tail swishing softly back and forth behind him. His ears twitched as she served him, she was thankful that she had merely rewarmed her dinner for him because she didn’t think he would wait for it to cool.

***

He filled his belly with a wonderful stew and then laid down by the fire as Max began cleaning his dish. She filled it with water and placed it by his head. Then she headed for the small room in the back of the cottage. He gave her a few minutes before he got up and drank some of the water. After drinking his fill he headed back to her. There he found her as a long white nightie fell to her toes.

“You decided to come join me.” She said as she gave his head a pat. “I suppose you can sleep with me, as long as you promise not to steal all of the covers.” With that she stood by the bed and patted the quilt that lay there. He waited for no further invitation, in one small leap he landed in the middle of the small bed.

“Oh no you don’t, you have to share.” Max said as she rounded to the side farthest from the door. As she pulled back the blankets he moved over, allowing her enough room to lay on her side facing him. He liked this he thought, I could stare into her eyes forever.

***

Sun was streaming through the small little window, the light blue curtains moved softly with the morning breeze. Max stretched, wanting nothing more to stay in her very warm bed. As she stretched she hit something with her foot and a soft growl issued from near her ear.

Max’s eyes popped open and she let out a scream as she fell off the bed.

***

He woke up to a scream. Instantly alert he lifted his head to look for the danger. What he found was the woman, she was lying on the floor clutching the quilt in front of her. The night came back to him as well as the dream that had occupied his sleeping mind. The dream had been of the woman, he had dreamed that he had known her in his human shape. He had dreamed that she had still let him sleep beside her.

He pushed up with his hands to get a better look of the room and then realized why she was screaming. It was him, he had changed into human form. The dream had been so real to him that he had changed back.

He cursed, “Woman, I will not hurt you. Please stop your screaming, if I had wanted to hurt you I would have done it by now.”

He started to raise from the bed to find that not only had he dreamed himself into human form but he had dreamed himself into his naked human form. Again he cursed, what a way to start the morning. So much for snuggling and a steaming hot breakfast he thought as he clothed himself with a single thought.

Howling

2008-11-14T12:08:00.001-08:00

Howling

She landed softly in front of her door. She stood there a moment and looked up at the moon. It was wonderfully big and bright. Holding her hand in front of her she cupped it in the palm of her hand. After a moment she bounced her hand, so that the moon bounced in her palm, nothing but a small ball. Giving a big sigh Max dropped her hand, still staring at the giant orb. In the distance she heard a wolf howl in pure celebration of the night. Wanting to feel that joy herself she tipped back her head and let out a howl of her own.

***

He started running through the forest again, he had lost his way. The forest was playing tricks on him, he knew it, but could do little to stop it. The howl that spurred his step had sounded close but forlorn. He knew it was the jasmine and rosemary scented female, her scent still drifted across the sky. Quickly he found a clearing, in which he found the female and a small cottage. Her back was turned so he approached at a trot until he was sure she would hear him.

***

A sound from behind her had her turning on her heal as she sucked in her breath. She found eyes, yellow eyes staring at her. She saw the big wolf and froze, was this her friendly black wolf or another. She had no way of knowing and fear slide down her spine as the great creature glided toward her. Seeming to sense her fear the wolf stopped, his great head lowered while his eyes never left her as he let out a soft whine.

Max let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding and dropped to her knees in front of the wolf. Max brought her arms around the great black wolfs head and buried her face at its neck.

“It’s, you! My wolf. Thank you.” She said as she drew back, settling on her heals. “I didn’t think I would ever see you again. You saved my life.”

***

The wolf stared at her in wonder, tears slid down her face and her fear had disappeared. Her welcome was instant and heartwarming, more so than any he had ever gotten in this shape. He nuzzled her neck, wanting to sniff that scent that would draw him anywhere. She laughed and pushed him back, making a whine escape him.

“It’s cold out here. Will you stay the night? I’m making you something warm to eat.” She said as she stood.

He let out a snort and shook his head. He sniffed the air and growled, then took his head and gave her a push toward the door. Something else had followed her scent home.

***

“I guess you’re hungry huh.” Max said as the big wolf gave her another push toward the door. She went gladly, happy to have the great wolf with her. Upon opening the door she looked back to wait for him to enter but he was no where to be found. She sighed and stepped in alone. Deciding that he may come back she left the latch up and simply shut the door. There was no wind tonight, it wouldn’t blow open. After she readied for bed she would latch it, just in case, but would give him a few hours to join her.

Watching

2008-11-13T18:38:00.001-08:00

Max picked up her broom, knowing that soon she would not be able to find it on the inky black floor of the forest once the last amber died. She let out a sigh as she watched the remaining flames flounder, she loved sitting in the still night with nothing but her thoughts. The thought of going back to the small cottage made her heart sink. She knew that she was safe there but the feeling of being trapped and totally alone kept creeping into her thoughts. She wished for the black wolf that had saved her last week. He would be her protector, not that she would admit to anyone that she was tired of always needing to be strong.

***

Golden eyes stared into the clearing from their place outside. The fire had almost died but the moon was round and brilliant in the sky, casting shadows into the darkness. He had been sitting for some time now; having watched the sisters arrive, talk to the spirit and leave. He had watched as they interacted, the one that smelled of jasmine and rosemary moved with soft sure steps and drew his attention again and again. The others, they were not a bad bunch as far as the two-legged kind went. He was sure that if he slowly made himself known that he would have been given table scraps or his own meal. He seemed to have that affect on females no matter what species or his state.

***

Max sighed softly before standing, the last ember had died and the cold was closing in around her with a tight fist. She had put off the inevitable long enough, she could wait no more without turning into a human icicle. She gripped her broom and lifted off with a practiced ease which she didn’t feel. Simple everyday things were beginning to take so much more effort lately, as if every move she made was like walking through molasses. This last week had been very hard, ever since her attack.

***

He watched as the lone female sat, the one that smelled of jasmine and rosemary, waiting for movement. When she stood he rose and shook himself, glad for movement. He was not cold, his thick black fur kept him warm, but his nose had been twitching since he had seen her. A scent that promised change and adventure, sure to lure any wild beast like himself. He stood and moved forward, the shadows having grown deep and thick, hiding him perfectly. Feet away, his eyes glowing, he watched as she mounted her broomstick. He watched her speed across the sky, sure of her course before making tracks of his own.

Max

2008-11-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

Sister III

Max sat by the cauldron on a piece of fire wood waiting for their fire to go out. Milly had volunteered to stay and wait with Max but Max had wanted time with her own thoughts. She found the still night a comfort and the small fire a good focal point. She could stare into the dancing flames and have her thoughts come and go. It was the most relaxing time Max found. She had a lot to think on after her last trip to town. It wouldn’t be safe for her, she would need to stay in the enchanted forest.

She knew it had been a careless move. What hurt worst was not her pride but the knowledge that she could have put her sisters in danger. There were very few that understood what being a witch meant and fewer yet that were willing to “suffer a witch to live.”

Thankfully Milly, the bookworm of the group, had found a spell to make those that had attacked her feel more unnerved than usual about entering the enchanted forest. Few entered as it was, the trees themselves would protect them. The added spell was more for comfort and ease of mind for Max than anything. None of the sisters had been worried over their safety, only Max. Max had gone directly to Milly’s, she was the closest to town and the most vulnerable. Milly had called to the others using ashes from the fire before Max could get through the door.

By the time the other two had gotten to Milly’s, Max had gotten cleaned up. She had a few bruises and a cut above her left eye. That one woman had thrown her book at Max, slicing the skin as if it were paper. The coven had gathered around the table as Max told her story. Sipping on the tea that Milly had brewed, they listened in silence until Max finished. Max had never had others to share with, to talk to, and to protect. She liked them all, even spacey Maggy.

They each had their places within the coven, making them a unit. Mel was the leader, Maggy was the klutz but had great potential, Milly was the bookworm that could remember anything and often came up with her own spells. Then there was Max, she really didn’t see why they had all labeled her as the heart of the group. Max was the healer of the coven but she also believed in fighting back. That streak had somehow failed her when the mob had formed if it had not been for the black wolf she would be hanging by some sturdy rope about now.

One Heart

2008-11-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

This is the last part of Maggy's story. Another sister may appear soon.... :)

She sat on the back porch step, the one that she had found the stranger on last night. Her hands rested in her lap and played with the end of her freshly braided hair. She had taken the bath and than had found herself here, waiting for him to finish. Taking a deep sigh, Maggy looked up into the oak tree where her table still sat. “Sir Jackson.” She whispered, “What have I done to you… I miss you so much.”

***

Sir Jackson stood in the doorway, stunned, did she not recognize him? He decided to wait a few moments before joining her, hoping to find out more.

“I don’t know what to do with this stranger. He is quite handsome but if I can only have one of you it would be you.” Maggy said as she shook her head. “You don’t have a pulse, but I know your heart beats. It’s in everything you do.”

This last was whispered and Sir Jackson stepped forward to catch it. The board under foot squeaked in protest giving him away. Maggy turned, she didn’t jump this time or shy away, but sat and waited.

He sat before he spoke, wanting to be as close to Maggy as possible. Sir Jackson stared out across the back yard, taking in the caldron and then lastly the table in the oak tree.

He pointed, “I’ll try to get that down tomorrow morning.”

Maggy answered quickly, before any more could be said. “That’s not necessary, Sir Jackson will get it down for me.”

Sir Jackson ignored her statement, not sure how to tell her they were one and the same. He decided another route may be the way to broach the subject. “I thought you said the spell Max gave you was fool proof. What happened?”

“I don’t know, I have gone over the spell and the steps I took over and over and I still don’t know….” Maggy’s head shot up. “How do you know that Max gave me a spell? For that matter, how do you know that I did a spell?”

He just sat there as Maggy stared at him. She ran her gaze over him so slowly he thought he would burst into flames. Confusion clouded her eyes as she met his ice blue eyes.

He started to speak then, softly. “You know who I am Maggy.” Maggy closed her eyes and sat perfectly still, waiting for him to continue.

“I was here when you came home, to House. I was here when you blew up the kitchen. I’ve always been here with you.”

Maggy opened her eyes and asked hesitantly. “Sir Jackson?”

“Yes my little witch. Now that we have that cleared up I expect…” He never got the chance to finish. She pounced, bridging the gap between them, embracing him in a hug.

“You’ll never leave again. You said always Sir Jackson. You promised.” she whispered into his ear.

He let out a laugh, startled, thankful to be alive.

The Morning

2008-11-09T17:33:00.001-08:00

Maggy paced, she was becoming quite good at it. For a while she had sat next to the man on the floor, but after his color had returned she had grown restless. She paced around the big oval braided rug that covered much of the floor, slowing as she neared him and speeding up as she walked away. Thoughts of the day’s events rattled in her mind like buttons in a glass jar. Dawn was approaching and she knew no more than she had after the man’s arrival.

Sir Jackson had yet to show himself. The man that House liked was still asleep. There had been no word from Meg, not that she had really expected any quite yet. Maggy was at a loss of what to do. She had never been good at waiting, especially when waiting was all you could do. She wasn’t strong enough to get the table out of the tree and that would have to wait for daylight anyway.

******
With a contented sigh Sir Jackson rolled to his side, closer to the warmth that engulfed his very real body. His eyes fluttered for a moment at the fire, spurring it to rise even higher.

*****
Maggy quickly crossed the floor over to the sleeping man as he moved. Her heart rate sped, maybe he would wake so she could find out what he was doing in the enchanted forest and why House had let him in. As she neared she realized that the man had merely rolled in his sleep and had no intentions of waking. House supplied a pillow, near his head, as Maggy knelt to check on her man. She placed the pillow under his head as she thought about that statement. Her man. She had never thought of a person as hers. Yes, her father was “Her father.” and Sir Jackson had slowly become “Her Ghost.” but never that was different.

Satisfied that the man, yes that was better, was still asleep Maggy headed to her rocker. She angled the rocker toward the fire and sat. She kept a distance from the man, not wanting to wake but close enough to the fire to keep herself warm.

*****
Sir Jackson opened his eyes and stared into the flames. He felt an unbelievable warmth and sense of homecoming unlike he had ever felt before. Sir Jackson took a moment to feel, to feel the soft feather pillow beneath his head, the warm quilts cocooning him in a weighted warmth, and fires blaze. He slowly turned his head, seeing the room lit by the morning sun. Not knowing where his witch was, he slowly stretched out on his back with a soft groan of contentment.

He rose, much smoother than last eve, and found his witch. She sat, there, in the rocker he had made for her last All Hollows. He walked toward her and knelt by the arm of her chair. She must have been up all night, worried over him he decided. Knowing his little witch, she would be quite sore having slept like that and he himself could use a bit of soap, he headed toward the tub. She kept the big copper tub under the stair, it took 6 gallons of hot water and 4 gallons of cold to make a bath.

After having placed the tub in front of the fireplace Sir Jackson headed outside to get the water. He really wished he had gotten around to putting a pump over by her window so she wouldn’t have to go outside to the well.

******
Maggy awoke to clanging. Startled she opened her eyes and jumped back in her seat. Since she was in a rocker she tipped the thing over onto its back, cursing as her skirts flew up. The man came quickly. “Are you alright?” he said as he looked down at her. “Here, let me help you.”

Flustered beyond belief, Maggy did the only thing she could think of. She quickly rolled to the side that he was not standing at and stood, very ungracefully, almost tripping on her long skirts. When she was certain that she had firm footing she turned toward the man.

*****
Sir Jackson grinned, he couldn’t help it. She was so cute. There she stood with her back to him. Her hands out to her sides, as if saying “I’ve got it, just back off!” Her long hair trailed down her back in a messy waterfall, slowly swishing back and forth right above her hips. He gave her the moment she needed before speaking again. “Good morning.” He said. He had tried to school his voice, not wanting her to be mad at his mirth but it seeped through his good intentions.

Their Meeting

2008-11-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

Sir Jackson stumbled yet again over a root he could have sworn that wasn’t there moments ago. He had wrapped his cape around his as tightly as he could to ward off the fall chill but his clothing was better suited for summer.

Sir Jackson leaned against the next big tree after having been whipped by the wind. “I don’t remember it being so difficult and exhausting to walk a short distance through the woods.” He pushed off from the tree and began to walk again. “If I don’t get there soon…”

What Sir Jackson had been about to say died on his lips as he stumbled into the clearing and saw the beautiful table stuck in the old walnut tree. Sighing heavily he stumbled across the lawn, to weak to even vocalize the worry he felt for his witch. His pace quickened as thoughts of her mangled body flashed through his mind. She had been standing right next to the cauldron while he had been a good distance away.

By the time Sir Jackson had reached the steps of the back porch he was certain that Maggy was hurt. He should have walked faster, he should have been dead, he could have helped her then, he berated himself as he took the first step.

*******
Maggy jumped as the back door slammed open. The house had never opened its door for anyone else. Maggy rushed over as she tried to sooth the house, “I wont ever try making another potion without the coven, House. I wont ever do even the simplest of spells. Please don’t tell me to go!”

Maggy knocked over the chair that sat at the base of the curving stair in her haste. She had her hand on the door and was trying to shut it when a noise from outside made her freeze.

*******
A groan escaped his lips as his right foot landed on the second step and he saw Maggy. She was alive, by the sound of her voice he knew she was perfectly fine. That last thought was the last function his body agreed to do. Sir Jackson could feel his body falling but could not make his arms move to catch himself before his world went back.

******
Maggy screamed as the man crumbled on the back porch. She hesitated for only a moment before she dashed out of the house. He had fallen face first, just a few steps more and he would have been to the door. As Maggy knelt at his head she wondered at the brief glimpse of the big strong body she had seen standing on the steps. She calmed her shaking hands as she tried to find his pulse, praying that he wasn’t dead.

A breath went out of Maggy as she found the strong sure pulse beneath the ice cold skin. She had to get the man inside, she stood quickly and headed toward the door of the house. The door slammed shut as she reached it, trying the handle was no use.

Maggy let out a frustrated howl, “House!” she cried as she lifted her fist to its smooth dark surface. “You cannot refuse him help, you must let me in!”

Maggy leaned against the door and looked back at the fallen man. “I cannot lift him myself, I must find a way to get him inside.” She whispered.

The door opened so suddenly that Maggy nearly fell into the house. She turned to enter the house only to find two quilts lying on the floor at her feet. She snatched them as she thanked the house and hurried back to the man.

Again she knelt, but this time to lay the blanket beside the man. She gently rolled him onto one quilt and gently tucked the other as best she could around him. Quickly she jumped to her feet and grabbed the corners of the quilt on either side of his head. She pulled with all her might, dragging him slowly into the house.

It took all her strength to pull the man across the porch, into the house and over to the fireplace. There the house had a large fire burning and more blankets. Maggy gently lowered the corners of the quilt and quickly sat. Her arms ached but worry crowded out the pain. She leaned over the man she had drug in, wanting to get a better look at the man the House would welcome. She studied his face, the strong plains, the dark eyebrows and the hollowed cheeks. His hair was a little longer than the other men’s she had seen, but wavy and a deep brown.

She pushed back his hair from his face as she whispered, “Sir Jackson, I wish you were here. You would know what to do.”

The Wayward Spell

2008-11-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

Sir Jackson coughed again. The pain brought a groan to his lips as he fought not to cough. That little witch, she was in such big trouble after he got his hands on her. Sir Jackson let his head fall back as his body relaxed. He smiled to himself, ok he would hug her first and make her tell him at least three times that she herself wasn’t hurt first. She was a witch that could try any mans patience even a ghostly one like himself. That thought took the smile from his face and expelled a sigh from his lips.

He was a ghost, he needed to remember that, a man that had been given a chance and had chosen his country over love. What had that gotten him, dead, that’s what. He had been dead for so long now that he had forgotten the name of his country, the country and the king that he had given his life for. He could still remember his mother’s smiling face and his father’s silent pride of all that he had become, thank goodness. It was what he remembered that made him swear that if he was ever given another chance that he would choose love. Love lasted, love made life worth living, love was the strongest force on heaven and earth.

Another deep sigh escaped into the silent night. It was time to quit feeling sorry for himself he thought as he focused his energy on shooting into the sky. After a moment, Sir Jackson realized that something was wrong. He was not floating up about the trees but still down below on the floor of the forest.

An owl hooted in the distance. Strange, that sounded odd, different some how. He focused on his hearing, straining for another sound. Again it came, louder now, closer. It was unlike any sound he remembered hearing; loud, pure and sure. He opened his eyes and quickly closed them again. The darkness was oppressive. A sound, close by, encouraged Sir Jackson to quickly open his eyes again. The noise was close and loud, he strained his ears while his eyes adjusted.

Oh, his sweet little witch was going to get a good talking to when he got back. What the heck had she done to him? His eyes focused on the white orb high in the sky as other sensations bombarded him. He could now feel the twigs that poked at his back, the leaves that cushioned his head and the mud that his hand rested in. Feelings and awareness he hadn’t felt for centuries. One sensation that pushed itself to the forefront was how bitterly cold he felt.

Spurred on by the chill settling into his bones he lifted his head. Looking down his body, a body he had not seen in the flesh for so long, brought tears to his eyes. He looked past the black shiny boots and into the forest, seeing nothing but darkness he shifted his gaze upward toward the treetops looking for any indication to where he was. Finding no clues, he attempted to move his body into a sitting position. It took a few tries, much to his dismay, but finally he was sitting on the forest floor.

After a long pause, in which he used to try and see into the forest and regain his spent strength, he attempted to rise to his feet. When he finally had planted his feet firmly, he looked up once more at the brilliant moon. A few moments had passed by when a dark shape floated in front of his only light.

Sir Jackson blinked, no it couldn’t have been, not his little witch! He had been out cold for that long? He cursed and then began his slow trek through the forest in the direction of his flying witch hoping he would have the strength to strangle her when he reached her.

A Witch and Her Thoughts

2008-11-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Story II Part II

Hours had passed since Maggy had left and she was quite reluctant to be scolded again. She circled the old house once again, looking for any sign of Sir Jackson, the more time he had to cool off the better. She understood that it was her safety and that she had put herself in harms way that got him riled so. What she wasn’t able to do is make him understand that she never did so intentionally.

This will have been the 5th explosion since she had moved her caldron outside and the most explosive. How was she to know that adding wolfbane to a bubbling stew of a powerful spell would cause such a mess? The simple spell, a binding spell, should not have been such a task. Max had given the spell to Maggy because she had thought that it was fool proof. The spell was meant to simply bind Maggy’s broom to her so that it would come if she called for it.

The girls had decided, since Max’s attack that having their brooms come to them when they were in need was a priority. Poor Max had gone into the little village at the edge of the enchanted forest and having wanted to blend in, had left her broom at home. Max has somewhat a black thumb, unable to grow some of the most basic herbs and spices. Knowing that the other sisters had recently come to the enchanted forest, had not bothered to ask the sisters if they had any to spare yet.

Maggy brought her attention back to her task at hand and landed in the back yard. There was no point in circling her home like a dog Sir Jackson was no where to be found. She new she needn’t worry about him at the moment because her table was still firmly in the walnut tree. Sir Jackson would never leave it there where he around. It would be a simple task for the ghost.

Maggy paced back and forth along the porch, searching the edges of the wood, worried about Sir Jackson. With a huff of irritation, Maggy realized the stupidity in that, what harm could become of a ghost! She stepped to the door and it opened as it always did. A fire leaped to life in the fireplace and the candles placed around the room lit at her entrance. She neared the fireplace, as she always did after having met with the coven, and found the tea that was always there upon her return. A tear slid down her check as she took a sip, she had no idea what she would do if this house ever decided that she was no longer welcome.

The thought always made her cry, Sir Jackson usually came and wrapped his ghostly self around her and tell her that she worried for nothing. His absence now made the tears fall faster. He was always waiting for her after a blunder like today’s and she was worried that she may have run him off for good this time.

The Ghost and The House

2008-10-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Story II Part I

Maggy grabbed her broom, she waved once more to the other sisters and lifted off. They were all worried about Mel, she was the strongest witch of the sisters almost to strong. Maggy on the other hand, seemed to flounder in her search for a place within the coven. Her sisters promised her that her powers would get stronger and that she would always be a part of their coven. As Maggy sped through the sky, watching as she passed over the forbidden forest, she thought about her most recent blunder.

The sisters didn’t know about the last and greatest failure. She had sweeped up the last of the ashes before flying out to join the coven this evening. At the setting of the sun she had added the final ingredient into the caldron. Her caldron, the one she used for spells sat in the back yard, a good 75 feet away from the house and any trees. Maggy’s last attempt at using the caldron in the house had started a fire that had destroyed her kitchen. The ghost, Sir Jackson, had been finishing her new kitchen table when the last spell backfired. She was immensely glad that Sir Jackson was a ghost, she would have killed him trice over it he hadn’t been.

Flames and sparks had lit the sky in deep blues and vibrant greens. It would have been beautiful if Maggy hadn’t been running for cover. Sir Jackson had disappeared from the edge of the lawn that he had been using to stain her table…the beautiful table was stuck in the walnut tree, a good 45 feet up. Amazingly, Maggy believed it to still be in one piece, thank the spirits. Sir Jackson would have left for a good week again if she had destroyed his hard work.

He had gone when she had burnt down her kitchen, after having made sure that she was alright and having scolded her. Maggy had missed him dearly, she hated being alone in that big house. She had met Sir Jackson in this house that sat deep in the enchanted forest, she had been walking along a path hoping that she would find whatever it was that was drawing her. For weeks before she had left she had felt restless, as if she were going to be late for something, so much so that she felt compelled to tell her father. He had been to busy to listen, as always, but had given her money and told her not to get into to much trouble. After having left a note Maggy had headed out, knowing that she was never going to see her father again.

The gate to the yard had opened when she had reached it, being that it was getting extremely late and the sky looked as if it would rain at any moment, she hurried to the front steps. Again the door soundlessly opened as she made her way to it, being the witch that she was, she had stopped at the entrance. She had called out, afraid to enter even as her feet seemed to push her through. The door had closed behind her and a fire had started in the fireplace as she called out again for the resident of the house.

A shadow had formed on the stair toward the back of the room, causing Maggy to grip her broom and sack even tighter. The dark shape got bigger and bigger as the air went out of Maggy.

The next thing Maggy remembered was waking up in a strange bed with a pale man standing over her. She had screamed and nearly fainted yet again. It had been his voice that had calmed her.

“Now there is no reason to go into a faint again miss. I will not hurt you. I give you my word.” His voice had been deep and slow, soothing.

She had believed him instantly, ever since they had been good friends. Keeping each other company in a house that strangely had drawn them both from their previous lives.

The Enchantment

2008-10-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

***Part IV

“Tonight the spell can be performed to reverse the enchantment placed on the king. The king will have until the next full moon to be accepted by his true love. If he is not accepted by his true love his wounds will live again.” Marjorie waited.

She wanted to make sure that Meldrid thought that if she said no that the king might live. She didn’t want Meldrid to perform the true love ritual only to save his life. She knew her great-great-granddaughter was selfless and would bind herself to a man just to save him. Marjorie knew she had taken a gamble after reading the king’s hand, she had seen a possible future. She didn’t know the outcome of her actions any more than another living soul. She hoped for the best and let the fates decide.

“But Gran, who is his true love? And where is the king?” asked Mel. Marjorie smiled. She hadn’t told Meldrid what she had enchanted the king into, just that he was enchanted.

“I can’t stay much longer dear. Quickly, before I go. Once you get back to the house look to your cat and to the broom, they will help you. Repeat the ritual I gave you.” Marjorie gave the girl a hug. “Goodbye dear. Good luck. Remember that I love you.”

Max crumbled against Mel as Gran left her. Mel grabbed Max and helped her gain her feet. Being possessed by a spirit was always tiring and disorientating. She cursed herself as she waited for Max to stand back. She couldn’t fight the feeling that she had to hurry.

Mel waved to her sisters as she took off toward home. She knew that her sisters were just as worried as she was. Of course, she could have been projecting her feelings as she often did around those three. They all did and none of them made the other explain until they were ready to, most of the time….

Mel thought about what Gran had told her as she flew up and over the enchanted forest. Why had she been so vague? She knew spirits could be that way but she had never thought that Gran would act so. True love, if only Gran had been talking about her. Mel was tired of being alone. She loved Wink but he was a cat. While he was a great listener the hugs were always one sided. Her time for thinking came to a close as the broom took her lower and into the yard.

She made quick steps across the sagging porch and burst through the door. She hesitated in the doorway. Magic stirred the air, a dark powerful spell. Her gaze slid around the room trying to find the source. She found the power concentrated over her spell table. Stepping further into the room she saw Wink. He was sitting with his front paws on the spell book that she had borrowed from Maggy. She frowned, and then heard her Gran’s voice echo in her head. “Quickly child….or it may be too late.”

The door closed with a simple movement of her hand. She grabbed the broom in both hands and angled it across her body. She stared into Wink’s green eyes as she slowly walked forward repeating the spell over and over again. When she finally reached Wink she took the end of the broom and brushed the bristles over the cat.

He had looked up, so startled by Mel that he stopped reciting the spell he had found. He had been nearly done, only a few more words, he had read the warning at the bottom that if the spell was not read in its entirety that the spell wouldn’t work. It was a long spell and he had already tried and failed to recite it once already. When he had seen Mel standing there he had first been so frustrated that he didn’t realize that she was talking and moving forward with that enchanted broom of hers.

Frustration had turned to worry. She looked extremely upset and he was afraid that she would do something they might both regret. As the broom came down he finally found his voice and gave a tentative meow.

Mel stood there as she said the last word over Wink as the bristles of the broom slid over his tail. As he meowed the broom sparkled and disappeared. Mel blinked in horror. What had she done? Her Gran’s broom, she had loved that broom. She had thought that she was closer to her mother and her Gran when she rode that broom, it had been her last link to them both.

Mel had closed her eyes but quickly opened at the sound of a chair sliding back from the table. There, in front of her, was a man. Her mouth fell open when she realized that not only was there a man in front over her but he was a very good looking man and that she knew this because he was naked.

He groaned as he heard Mel let out a squeak. Wow he felt strange….and cold. He decided to try and lift his head up when he heard no other sound. Slowly, he opened his eyes as he lifted his head. He looked down as he did so and found that he had hands not paws. A grin caught on his face as he lifted his hands. Satisfied that they were as they had been the last time he had seen them he turned toward Mel.

“It’s about time you did that.” Wink said to her, at least she thought it was Wink.

The Spirit

2008-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

***Part III

She looked down at her great-great-granddaughter with pride. Oh, she was a good one. Meldrid may be only 20 but she had been through so much. Her parents had died years ago, leaving Meldrid to find her own way. The old rambling house of Meldrid’s Aunt Jillian was too isolated for a girl so young, thought Marjorie.

She wavered above the four sisters as they started the ritual that would allow Marjorie to interact with Meldrid. Marjorie would possess one of the sisters and continue the story she had been telling every full moon for the last six months. It was time to end it and Marjorie was concerned how her sweet little Meldrid was going to take the ending of the tale.

She knew that fate could only take a soul so far and the rest was up to faith. She had faith in Meldrid and believed that she was now ready. She had been telling the sisters her story. How she had grown up in a foreign land and how she had been forced to flee after saving a young man’s life. She had been worried after last moons telling that Meldrid would figure out the end before tonight but view of below put her mind at ease.

The girls were all about the same age, all alone in this world but surrounded by a fierce magic that none of them seemed to realize. It had taken Marjorie until the second moon to unravel that mystery but finally she was satisfied with her answer. The girls were surrounded by a magic forged with love. It was protection a witch could have. These girls held the love of their families and the love of their true loves around them like a shield. None of the girls knew that they had met their true loves yet and some of the true loves didn’t know they had met theirs yet either. A person destined to find a true love knew their one and only was out there and loved them even before they met.

The girls had been armored by this magic for so long that they thought the magic was a part of them and always had been. If one of them did not accept their true love when he presented himself the magic would lessen but if they accepted their true love the magic would grow even stronger for them both.

Marjorie was brought back to the present at Maggy’s exclamation.

“Eeewww!” the girl complained. “I hate bat wings! They never want to come out of the jar and they smell so bad.” The young witch had the jar suspended over the caldron and was attempting to use a spell in order to get the bat wings to come out. Her nose was twitching and her eyes watered.

“It’s your turn Maggy! We’ve each taken a turn, you are not getting out of it.” Milly said as she read from the book of spells.

The Black Cat

2008-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

****Part II

He jumped from the porch and ran toward the metal gate knowing it was useless. Meldrid never took him with her and traveled to fast for his paws to keep up. The one time that he had thought he would finally see where she met her sisters ended with him landing in streambed face first. He had lost his footing as he jumped over a protruding root that he could have sworn had not been there moments before. He had voiced his frustration with a high pitched yowl toward the enchanted tree that had merely sunk its root back into the ground. Having encountered the enchanted forests quirky humor before, he quickly returned to the edge of the forest and the old rambling house. He never felt welcome in the forest without Mel.

With her, he could walk safely throughout without any mishaps. No puddles of mud followed by a patch of dried leaves. No roots tripped him. No branches moved when he attempted to jump on one. Yes, you laugh now but wait until you have to come back to Mel covered in mud and looking like a turkey with all those dried leaves stuck to you.

She had laughed, it had rankled him sorely that she had laughed but worse was what she had said, “Oh, you poor dear Wink. Has the Enchanted forest been playing tricks on you again?” He had nearly ran off the porch to attempt once more to find even the smallest stream in the enchanted forest to clean himself. He may still be stuck in cat form but he still had his dignity. She had sensed his mood and had quickly scooped him up, unconcerned with her dress and had hugged him close. “I’m sorry, Wink. I don’t know why the old forest picks on you so badly.” she had murmured by his ear as she ran a hand over his back.

He paced by the metal gate until he could no longer see her and then returned to the house. He knew he had a few hours and he would spend that time going through Mel’s newest spell book. He had been trying for years to find a spell to reverse the one that Marjorie had put on him. When she had cast the spell she never said he would have to wait four generations for him to be turned back into a man. He was getting impatient, even with her spell to make the time seem to speed by.

He opened the big dusty book that Mel had borrowed from one of her sisters and thought back on the night that his life had changes so drastically. He had been lying on what most, including himself, had thought would be his death bed. He had been out with a hunting party, like he did every fall before the night of the harvest moon. They had been tracking the buck far into the forest when an arrow had pierces his side. The coward had shot at him from behind and under the cover of the great trees. His comrades seeing him fall forward in his saddle had stopped his horse and they had quickly returned to the castle. Marjorie had been sent for by a rider and was waiting for him in his room. She had looked at him for only a moment before she had demanded that she was left alone with him. He would never forget what followed.

“You are about to die my lord so you best listen hard and quick. I can save you but not as you are.” She had paused but had held up her hand so that she could continue without interruptions. “I have read your palm. I know three paths that you may choose from. You can die here, a great king that will be remembered throughout the ages for your bravery and kindness. You can bargain with the devil to save you.” She paused again, looking him over before once again meeting his eyes. He remembered feeling as if she had passed judgment as he tried to protest that the last option wasn’t really an option. “Or…” she said quietly, “I can enchant you by turning you into a cat so that you may live. You would live as a cat until your true love was ready. A daughter of mine.”

“You haven’t much time King. You must make your choice now if you wish to have one.” she said as she leaned over me. Sweat was pouring off me as I attempted to voice my answer. “Well?”

“Love” I had whispered before the darkness overpowered me. I had thought that it was too late until I had awakened in a cloth sack as we were flying across what I would later learn, was to have been the Atlantic.

The Witch

2008-10-17T19:38:00.001-07:00

***This will be a group of stories that are linked....to help you enjoy the coming holiday!

The young witch laughed softly to herself as she rocked gently in her rocker. On a night like tonight Meldrid was glad that her sisters were meeting. The stars were small and unsure as the powerful full moon slowly tracked across the ink black sky. A cool wind tentatively played with the hem of her skirt. The old oak trees by the stone fence rattled their dried leaves as the metal gate clanked softly within its latched prison. An owl hooted softly in the distance.

A perfect night, a powerful night, she thought as she got to her feet. Her pointy black boots tapped gleefully as she stepped across the old sagging porch to grab her favorite broom.

Her broom was old, passed from witch to witch since her great-great-grandmother. It was said that the crazy old goat had flown across the Atlantic in one night on this very broom. She had been fleeing the lynching mob that craved to watch her hang. The old goat had been summoned to heal the kings fatal wound and after her visit he was never seen again.

The broom had scars that blackened its handle, a history of battles, victories and defeats. A reminder that nothing came without a price. Sword gouges, fire burns, cobble dents and blood stains marred the hand smoothed cedar. The bristles had been replaced again this last week and bound with a new leather thong and binding spell. Meldrid only used the broom on special nights or nights that she attempted to speak with her great-great-grandmother from beyond the grave.

The broom itself had been used in so many rituals that it contained its own power and sometimes seemed to have a mind of its own. Some witches placed spells on their brooms. Spells that made the broom come to them or fly without needing commands. Spells to keep the broom from being stolen or to keep it looking new.

This broom had none. This broom would not be bound by simple spells. The very air around it was said to dissuade anyone from touching it. The broom passed hands in the family only when the broom was willing. It would one day place itself where your previous broom had leaned, the other broom would be lying at its bristles on the floor like a fallen warrior.

Having gripped the well worn handle and readied herself for flight she toed off into the night sky, waving back at Wink as she passed over the old oak trees. The black cat let out a plaintive mew as it was once again left behind.

where i am....

2008-09-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

It’s raining. It never seems to rain here. But it is today.

Not the pouring you get during a Wisconsin summer rain. Just a gentle rain that will be good for all the plants, enough to wet the ground and make you want to stay inside. A perfect day to catch up on blogs, read some stories, and think about writing. I say think because while I would love to write today...

...Something to keep my very very few readers entertained, my fingers just don’t seem to want to dance over the keys. My thoughts aren’t all that helpful either. They are jumping from place to place after catching up with T.C.’s blog, not that her blog is the cause, I had hoped that they would settle after reading but it just got worse. Thinking about my life, the sorry excuse that it is at the moment, and where I would rather be than here.

Here isn’t all bad, especially when I get the reminders of my student loans. Here is just here, I feel like I’m in limbo waiting for my life to really start. Waiting at the airport for the flight that seems to never be boarding. My life slowly slipping by, one grain of sand at a time.

A reflective mood that shows the laugh lines, the mature look of those that take part in the daily grind. The passion that is hidden, not by the energetic open faced persona of my younger self but by a grown up self. I have a feeling that if I were to go out in public with my current mood, I would get sympathetic “she so needs to get laid” comments.

Maybe that was what the guy at the laundry mat saw last weekend. The sleazy guy that stares at the young lone woman. He backed off when I didn’t do more than hand him the quarters he asked me for. I have perfected the little girl look, the look of being completely out of my element and very naive….oh wait, other than the vary young part…I am. Moving out here by myself, that has been my biggest confirmation. I am not the woman that has all the answers, this I did know quite early on, but the amount of knowledge that I don’t know seems to be growing every day.

Well, I’m signing off, I am not going to spend this rainy day with rainy thoughts, to the mall I go! Retail therapy is the best kind when old friends are far away. Sitting here drinking 3 cups of coffee and staring out my back door as the rain floats down will get me exactly where I am. While here is ok, I would rather be somewhere else.

Back in the memories I’ve already put in the box, that’s where I would love to be today.

***These are the day you will remember, for the rest of your life, these are the memories you will pack in a box and pull out some times…

A Good Understanding

2008-09-12T15:57:00.001-07:00

If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a hundred times. I have big feet. Not only do I have big feet but I have strange feet. Long skinny toes that I love to paint in odd colors.

Women, we all know that one of the reasons that we love shoes is that shoes are not concerned if you over indulged on a piece of cake like your jeans. Shoes will not protest in your loosing weight like your favorite shirt. They will always fit you, just as the day they were bought. They may sit in the back of your closet waiting for their season with great anticipation but they know that you will wear them again. When you do pull them out and slide, zip or buckle them on it’s like seeing an old friend that you’ve missed dearly. You step back from the mirror looking down at those shoes and twist back and forth. Perfect every time.

Heels are great for lengthening your legs, adding some extra swing to your hips and accenting that outfit.

Boots are great for saying “I’ve got sass”, “fuck me”, or “shit kicking attitude”.

Sandals from the heeled to the flats, from the flip flops to the strapped give a feeling of youth, daring or care-freeness.

Flats say comfort and maturity, like wrapping a wool cardigan around you in the winter.

Sneakers or tennis shoes give a youthful invigorating tap to your step.

No matter your style or your preference for shoe wear there are shoes out there for you. They fit the quirky, the flirty, the young and the old. We wear them for comfort, for sex appeal, and many other reasons including for the love of shoes.

***these boots were made for walking….and that’s just what they’ll do, one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you…

Warning....

2008-09-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

Warning: Cliff Hangers can be detrimental to you’re ability to work, drive, or accomplish simple tasks. Cliff Hangers should only be read if you have the control not to click back to the website to see if a new chapter has magically appeared. Cliff Hangers are known to make your mind repeat the story in order to figure out what is going to happen next. This may cause extreme mood swings and the need for chocolate and/or tissues.

Warning: Tag Blog Readers are known to get frustrated by Tag’s sporadic blogging. Tag Blog Readers are known to starve for new material for a month. Tag Blog Readers may get frustrated at the cliff hangers* (see warning above), sappy stories, confusing lines, writing like she talks, and abruptly ending stories or weekly posts. The need for tissues, chocolate and coffee may ensue from reading a post.

Keep up the reading….and I’ll putz behind.

Birthday Idea Questioning for T.C.

2008-09-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

“Do you know what T.C. would want for her bday?” I send to Southern Twang.

“You’re her best friend. You’re supposed to know.” Replies Southern Twang.

"You talk to her too. I thought she might have hinted at something." I type back to Southern Twang.

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

“You have any ideas for your daughter?” I send to T.C.’s mom and dad.

“No, I was hoping you did.” T.C.’s dad replies.

“Um, I was just checking….” Phone rings, it’s T.C.’s dad.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Tag (this was actually a nick name of mine…not that one T.C…..he wanted info from me…). I was hoping you had some ideas.”

I laugh, “But what do you get her? I need it to fit in a packed suitcase! Gift cards don’t cut it.”

“Well….I was thinking gift cards. One for gas. Maybe one for B&K….but I usually do that for Christmas.”

“Yeah you do, I’m sure we can think of something. Let me think on it and I’ll get back to you, we have time.”

“Yeah. So how’s it going out there in Washington? Had a load the other day out that way, sent a picture of snow to T.C. from Colorado.”

“Good. Things are good. Work is keeping me busy.”

“You designing any of those *&$@ roundabouts? $%@$%ing things!”

“No not me, but they are going to be putting some in on _____ave. three in a row.”

“$%@$% me!”

I laugh at this, knowing his extreme hatred. I furthered my cause by explaining that trucks are supposed to go over onto the raised curbs…if the roundabouts have been designed correctly.

We ended with a let me know and take care.

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

Two days later….

Phone rings. T.C.’s mom.

“Hey Hon! How are you doing?”

“Good Mom, how are you?”

“I just got your text message. I’m at work but I wanted to let you know I got it. I have no idea what to get T.C. for her birthday.”

“Well, I have kinda been mulling it over. I’ve come up with a list of potential ideas. Tell me what you think….” I list the ideas.

One of the things on the end of that list was a bookshelf.

“Yes, she got one for me for Christmas because I liked hers so well. She needs another one, huh. I remember her saying she wanted a few things but darn if I can remember them. Let me see if I can find that list.”

I think silently that this is like the Christmas list I had asked for about three years ago or more….that I never got but she claims she found sometime in February the following year.

I chatted for a few more minutes about how she was and what was new with her before I told her I would let her get back to work. We ended with a take care and I’ll here from you soon.

******

My mulling over was the day I talked to her dad and happened something like this. After talking to T.C., explaining that I was early Christmas shopping for my want list….my parents are hopeless….it started out as being a shoe/cookbook/movie check and turned into quite the list.

I asked T.C. for some help, cause she knows more about digital picture frames than I as well as Ipods. I still don’t know if I want a digital picture frame or not. I would never change the pictures and get annoyed with them just like my screen saver. I think that, as far as Ipods go, the small one is plenty. Taylor Swift cd…well, I like what I’ve got but not sure on a whole cd, T.C. on the other hand would have loved getting that for her birthday….me, I’m still waiting to get to the store to by the new Theory of a Deadman cd.

****I hear its your Birthday....

3WW

2008-09-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

As a Birthday Request....Here you are!

Awry…Blame…Hiatus…

Bang! Bang! Bang!

What the….Bang! Bang!

I groaned as my eyes slid to the clock that joyfully announced the hour as two am. Someone had better be dead, I thought as I forced my still sleeping mind to make my body move from the warm cocoon I had strived to make. I grabbed the lacy, pointless, robe that matched my silky blood red nightie as I headed out my bedroom door. Flipping the switch I momentarily blinded myself as I stumbled down the first few stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs I pushed my hand through my hair, making the tangled mess go even more awry. A deep sigh had my hand twisting the dead bolt and listening to the voice on the other side of the door.

“Jane, let me in. Please. Please, let this be the right place.”

I flung the door open at last to a sight I had never thought to see. There stood Patrik, garbed in something that had once passed as clothing. I rubbed my eyes as he stood there, mouth agape.

“Jane?!”

“You coming in?” I asked around a big yawn. “Shut the door and lock it would you?”

I turned around without another word and headed back up the stairs. Half way up I turned and said “The shower is straight ahead, towels are in the opened closet. Use them before you find a place to sleep. I’ll be up in two hours.”

I left Patrik standing there but by the time my head hit the pillow the light in the bathroom was on. I was asleep in minutes, those wonderful hours are the only blame I have for my odd behavior. Any sane friend of mine would ask when my brain would be back from its hiatus.

In a time that was not near long enough I was again awakened. This time by the fresh smell of my shampoo mixed with man and the sinking of the mattress. Heat engulfed me as a strong body and sure arms slid around me. Smartly, I was able to drift again into my dream. A dream about how he had come back to me. A dream where the truck had not rolled leaving the man I love safe to come home.

***I have a picture pinned to my wall. An image of you and of me, and we’re laughing, loving it all….look at our life now…you say I’m a dreamer, we’re two of a kind….

A Striking View

2008-08-24T18:03:00.003-07:00

I was out and about yesterday, doing that totally girl thing and shopping everywhere for nothing. I came home with some groceries but those were needed and nothing else. For some reason they always say that I have big feet, that they are abnormal or something, but every time I go shopping they are out of my size. I know they order them, so where do they go? Do I horde them all? I don’t think so!!!

The real amazing thing that occurred happened on the way home, as I was rounding a corner in the highway. I saw a view, one that I had been told about but had never really seen. Like those people tell you they saw big foot, for real! Ok so it’s not quite that bad but almost….

The view, the view was of Mt. Rainier. That glorious mountain, that every time I go I get snowed on, it’s foggy and cold. I saw it today and yesterday bright and beautiful. It was so obvious I wondered how I had never seen it before. I got to thinking, well I never go home this way, and this would be the only road in the area that you can see it on. I felt better but not totally appeased. I have this wonderful view, sometimes, and I never see it. I know I wouldn’t take it for granted, at least not the first 3 months, because of all the different parks I’ve worked at. I also know that I wouldn’t see it every day either. It is clouded in a lot. The clear view I had was a rarity.

Silly me, my camera was in my purse. I was also going 65 and the on ramp at the next exit is closed….and I needed to continue on my way. So there is no use asking for pictures!!! ;)

As all great mountains loom over the many so it is with this one.

***who's never left home, who's never struck out, to find a place of their own...it takes a shape of a place out west....she needs wide open spaces....

3 ww

2008-08-22T16:15:00.002-07:00

This is for my most favorite reader... the only reader....my 3ww....

Bored…Habit…Settle…

I settled in, snuggling down further into the couch. My fuzzy bright pink socks stared back at me over the top of the book I had propped in my lap. Steam rose in a curling vortex above the mug on the end table. Christmas music clung to the candles soft dancing glow. The flames danced in time with the merry tune as the snow fell outside the window missed every beat. The demanding race to the ground escaped any form or grace while the beauty of the white flakes melted on the coldest heart.

I thumbed the corner of the page, moving my eyes faster and faster as the door opened on a cold rainy night in April. Shadows moved and lightning flashed, showing the….I flip the page with a trembling hand knowing that no matter how fast the page is flipped the words will forever be played out the same. I cross my fingers, wishing for the best, and read on. My nose no longer twitching from the smell of ink as fresh rain enters my lungs on a sharp inhalation. …outline of a large man. He entered, demanding space that was never his as he dripped over the threshold. He carried a large…

Bang, Bang, Bang….my head snapped up as the loud thrumming issued on my door. I jumped to my feet, the book forgotten on the floor. Heart pounding, I stepped the short distance to the knob. My hands shook as I tried to unlock the deadbolt that I was in the habit of throwing when I got home. After a deep breath I turned the knob with steady hands.

“Oh, good! Ms. May? I thought I would have to leave this package here in the snow.” Said the UPS man as he handed me the box to sign. “Here you are. Have a great holiday.”

“Thanks” I said weakly as I took the small box he pulled out of thin air. “You too.” I finished as I shut the door while staring at the sent address. I ripped open the box and picked up the plain unmarked envelope already knowing what it said. Dread filled me as I flipped the ghost of a card open.

Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you that Merry Knight: A Christmas Murder has been published….I read further, the official paper proclaiming me as a writer and my works worth. At the bottom of the page, written in a sloppy fast hand, was another message. “P.S. If you get bored of the holiday season you could always work on book 3, maybe the murder could use red hots as her calling card. Happy Holidays!”

I picked up the forgotten book off the floor and placed it next to the new book, book 2. “Huh, a book 3? Not this bloody season!”

***when you find me in the morning, hanging on a warning...here's to a happy ending.

For the love of Roses

2008-08-16T11:08:00.001-07:00

My great aunt called me again today. She is a motivated inspiration in her late 70’s. Her whole life has been driven by good deeds and a caring heart. She traveled the world with my great uncle after he came back from the war. They helped establish more churches in this country and out then most people have changed jobs. They traveled to places that are not on any vacationers list of places to see but they did see wonders that would take anyone’s breath away. Yes, they have been to tourist traps of England and “visited their roots” as well, not that she would ever say so. The glorious architecture, the rolling hills, and the quaint villages get no more than a page in a dusty buried photo album while the third world countries hang in her everyday thoughts.

My uncle could paint and the walls are full of people and places they discovered together. Not one of them was recognized by me. They were from places the travel world shoves into the back of the closet for fear that the beauty is known by some fool not smart enough to get vaccines before exploring. Of course there aren’t any toilets, no paved roads, very few cars, and good food is hard to find. Did I mention that the only way to get there is to walk, about 4 days?

Why would my aunt and uncle want to do this? Because God told them to. They scraped every penny they had to go help others. They never ask for anything more than a hug in return. She was telling stories when I was last visiting about the car that they had bought after arriving on one journey and how they traveled for long hours. They had to keep the windows up since the mosquitoes were so bad (and dangerous) and how the air condition had no chance of working. It was normal to have to spend hours pushing the car through areas that it got stuck, making what would have been a 5 hour trip on the interstate a 3 day journey.

And yet, what did she have to say about the experience? She talked about the people and the animals but mostly the people. On occasion she would say something about a spot that they had happened across in the muddy dangerous wild that was beautiful or unique.

Would she do it again? In a heartbeat! I think of all the lives that she and my uncle have touched and the positive influence they have had on them. She can look at any situation and see the silver lining. I’m sure my aunt would say “Now just look at this, look at what God has created. Here, a place where heartache and suffering is so familiar, is a reminder of Him.”

Has it changed her? My uncle? Yes, it has, but today when she called she talked about her roses. We both love to watch things grow and it is a common ground to start our rebudding family connection again. They were brought out here from Wisconsin when my uncle and her had moved as a gift from my family over 30 years ago. They hadn’t been doing well lately but after trying the stuff my mom suggested they are blooming just as strong and sure as years ago.

Graduation....and After

2008-07-08T18:09:00.008-07:00

Yes, its a little late. I'm being told that people need an update so I am starting with Graduation....Since some people are camera shy I will post a picture that is ...people-less....:)

Yup this would be the oldest tree on campus! Crazy! Also the place that Rabbit proposed to Bean!

Moving on from explaining about the two long boring ceremonies that I made my friends and family suffer through....or the GREAT PIZZA and LONG ISLAND's that we had at UNO's, because I really need a fix! yum!

Well, I finished finals, jumped in the very loaded car and headed west! Got here and camped out at the Holiday Inn Express (very nice, just redone) for a looooonnnggg time. The workers were considering dusting ME! I finally moved into my apartment, one of the few two bedroom apartments available. Don't get me wrong, I'm making it my own. I have furniture now so it has greatly improved! it has a small cozy feel. I have lots yet to do but it's good enough for people to see now ;)

This holiday, the 4th, was great. I got to meet some family I have up in the Seattle area and my parents came to visit. They brought me everything that wouldn't fit into my car. I missed the fireworks but I got to see a parade and we grilled out, bbq ribs and fresh crab!

Well this is my update for now, hopefully I will get better at this and keep it up like I did last summer!! Cant believe that I've already been here over a month!!!

***help me leave behind some reasons to be missed....when you're feeling empty keep me in your memory...leave out all the rest....I cant be who you are....

3 WW

2008-06-05T19:51:00.004-07:00

Deny…Smile…Uncomfortable…

Not wanting to feel uncomfortable she snuggled farther down on the couch. The soft afghan was tugged once again over her sock clad foot that had somehow escaped. The plump pillow continued to cushion her head as she let out a contented sigh. She quietly listened to the crescendo of the symphony as she closed her eyes. The sound crashed over her, each note crisp and vibrant. She let a smile linger as the lightning tore across the sky, striking with finality. She loved storms, she couldn’t deny it. She found them full of passion, strength, and hope.

***somethings been creeping into my head, turning my thoughts into a dizzy red, somethings been messing up my bed, stealing my dreams and now im getting no rest...

3WW

2008-05-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

Blurred…Illegal…Match…

The parking lot was brightly lit and packed on a Saturday night. The tables outside caught the overflow of young hormones. Curfew had been extended until 11 since it was the weekend. The waitresses carried shakes, burgers, and fries as they glided around the masses on skates.

Sally Parker sat at an outside table near the front of the Shake N’ Go, absently munching on Troy Cunningham’s fries. She half listened to the crazy story Terry was telling about a camping trip with his father. She knew what had really happened that weekend. His father had gotten himself thrown in jail that Friday night for drunk driving again and spent the weekend in a drunken stupor after his wife had come to bail him out. Sally never said a word about Terry’s stories for there was no harm in them. She did that a lot with Terry and more than a few others of her school mates. Stan Parker would never stand for his daughter putting anyone down like that, they didn’t have a choice in their family and should never be blamed for it. Sally would never tell her father that she wished that she didn’t know of all the evils that lay hidden behind closed doors in this small little town.

She was proud of her father and the job that he did as sheriff. She helped out anyway she could, gladly, be it with a cheery smile for old man Nates as she left him off at a home that he no longer remembered having or a casserole dish for Mrs. Hanning so that her children wouldn’t know that their father had spent the day beating her badly enough that the neighbors had called the cops.

“Hey Sal, where is that pretty little head of yours at?” Troy asked as he hugged her to him. Sally hated when he did that. He never just walked beside her or held her hand either. He had to put his arm around her, as if he was steering her through life safely by his side. She wasn’t fooled into thinking that he actually liked her or that she was safe. Her father had approved of him and that made him even cooler than his money and football stardom.

“Jayme and Terry are headed up to Widows Peak. What do you think, should we join them this time?”

He moved in even closer and kissed Sally, reminding her of a slobbering dog.

Sally blinked and tried to look stunned. “You know daddy would skin me alive if he caught me up there Troy.” Which was exactly why Troy was dating her. He could say that they couldn’t join his friends up at the make out spot because of her and they wouldn’t be any wiser to the other reason. Sally was, after all, extremely good at keeping secrets and Troy’s could get him kicked off the football team. You can’t have the quarterback of your team lusting after the center.

“Come on baby. You know you want some of this.” He said as he ran a hand through his carefully disheveled hair. It should be illegal for a guy to spend that much time on his hair, Sally thought as she waited for him to continue before she said her line.

After the scene was finished, Sally slowly stood, her vision blurred with unshed tears. “I’ll find my own way home Troy!”

She ran through the parked cars to the edge of the lot. Slowing as she saw Zach at the far corner. He looked cool in his leather jacket, faded jeans and scuffed boots. His arms and legs were crossed in an unmistakable warning. He stood there leaning against a 65’ mustang convertible that was the exact blue of his eyes.

“Zach, you finished it!” Sally said as she walked slowly around the car, her index finger slowly gliding along the shiny waxed surface. “It looks great.”

Sally stopped once she got back to where Zach stood; she looked up at him to see his eyes filled pride. “I knew you could do it, Zach. To think that this is the same car that Jimmy wrapped around that tree. You’re amazing.”

“You were the only one that thought I could do it Sally.” He said as he slid his hand along the top of the door, a nervous gesture that did not match the composed expression on his face.

Sally stepped up to Zach and quickly gave into her impulse to hug him. He froze and Sally started to pull back, knowing she had pushed him too far. They had always walked that fine line of almost being friends. Sally would think that she had gotten closer to Zach and then he would take two giant steps back, erecting a wall between them. She never understood it. She sighed and dropped her hands back to her sides.

“Where is Troy?” He asked as he continued to look at his hand as it continued to slide back and forth along the top of the door.

“I don’t know. I left him sitting at the table with Jayme and Terry. We broke up. Again.” I said wearily. “For the last time. I know it’s pointless and I’m sick of lying. We don’t even really like each other.”

Sally sighed, took a deep breath and took another chance. “How about you give me a ride home.”

Zach silently let his hand slide to the handle and opened the door as he watched her. Sally, quickly got in, fearing he would change his mind.

“Put on your seatbelt.” He said softly as he shut the door. “This will be a ride you’ll never forget.”

***I’m in love and you don’t care, turn your anger into lust, I’m still here but you don’t trust at all. And I’ll be waiting, love and sex and loneliness, take what’s yours and leave the rest…

Hotel life...

2008-05-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

I’m sure it’s going to take a bit for me to get used to this. Having time to write. The question is “what will I write?” It’s a great time to start something new, having just moved and graduated. A new chapter.

But what do you write about when you’re stuck in a hotel!

The service? It’s good. Maria doesn’t speak English, except “yeah” and “you going out?” but I haven’t really needed to say anything except “Yes, give me an hour.” She’s cool, listens to Spanish music while she cleans, always smiles.

The amenities? I have the work out room to myself, the pool and the hot tub as well. While the hotel as been full this weekend, nobody seems to use it. The free hot breakfast every morning is a bit rowdy for my coffee lacking body but expected for the three day weekend. The normal crowd, at 5:30 am is a little bit more my speed. 4 construction workers with the mindset that saying “good morning” and “have a good day at work” are all the convo besides a head nod that we need.

The restaurants? I am not one of those people that can go to a restaurant and order a salad, unless I get it with something. So this week has been hell for food and my body. I have hit a different restaurant every day but that doesn’t seem to help. It’s all beginning to taste the same. Taco Bell, Olive Garden, Mongolian Grill, The Wok, El Porton, Subway, Starbucks, etc.

I want to cook my own food. And I don’t want to have to use only a microwave to do it! While I know you can actually do a lot with a microwave, I did that last summer and don’t really want to do it again.

How soon until I get to move out of this hotel hell?!?!?! 3 more weeks or so!!!! I will have insurance before I have a place to live! Great huh! It does give me time to order my furniture and get a few paychecks but still! Guess I have 3 weeks to figure out what I want to do about this blog.

There’s my update. I am going to try, yet again, to get in to see a movie. Hopefully this time the movie theater parking lot will at least have a spot to park! Why did everyone stay in town this weekend!!!! Don’t they know they are suppose to GO somewhere this weekend!!!!

***…isn’t she long gone by now. I heard she was living in a west coast town….on the other side of the Rockies…

3 WW

2008-05-21T18:34:00.004-07:00

yup, I'm back....I wont probably get a chance to read others until this weekend but here is mine.

Delayed…Edge…Focus…

She looked down over the edge. There was a straight drop and then it leveled into something steep, until finally it ended in a gradual rush to flat land. Brave determined trees shot out of the rock face; the roots clinging like desperate fingers, scratching for purchase. They were gnarled and twisted, looking seasons older than the proclaimed life boldly given by the rings within.

She remembered seeing the older trees, once young and straight and sure. Those same trees were the gnarled hands that she now watched as they gave way. They had been slowly loosing their tenacious hold for some time. She had watched at first with little concern, certain that the unwavering strength would always hold. As time passed she watched the delayed death progress to its final stages. Yesterday, on her walk, she had sensed the impending loss of strength.

Her eyes lost focus to a point in the distant future, as she thought on the hardships and pain that those trees had endured throughout the life they have been given. It may not have been a long life but it was full of wonders.

The view was breathtaking.

The air crisp and fresh.

The fragrances deep and stirring.

It was those little pleasures that she had found here that she could not live without. As a young girl, in a world of rushing demands, she had found this place. It had been unwanted and neglected much as she had been. Kindred spirits, they had shaped each other as they grew and tended their friendship.

The rush of noise, a final voice to the pain held within, signaled its end. It was joined by the old woman’s cry as the cliff gave out beneath her. Friends through the end.

***well she seemed alright by dawns early light, though she looked a little worried and weak...

3 Years of Men

2008-05-09T21:28:00.003-07:00

Write a post. She bluntly states. As if it is really that easy. Like flipping a switch and having the light instantly go on. No, this took longer. By the time I finish writing this post it will probably be the day I graduate from college.

It was no easy feat. Not the classes. Not the transferring. Not the loss of belonging.

I have always been blessed with a feeling of home no matter where I have traveled. Until I moved here, even in a foreign country where English was never spoken I felt more at home. I had heard great things, “hook up” central, “best years of my life”, and “I moved here and I will die here”.

Well, not me. It has been the most trying 3 years of my life. The only good things about my having moved here, besides the slip of paper I will have to wait 3 or more months for and the proximity of my best friend, is that I am finally secure in who I am. I am perfectly fine with not being everyone’s friend. I’m fine with being single when men surround and overwhelm me every single second of every single day. I can now tell when a guy meets me and just wants to be friends.

I look at the geeky looking guy and see the potential. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the single well dressed, well mannered, great looking guys. Lately though, I find that those 4 traits coming in one well wrapped package is as mythical as a unicorn. Seeing the brains, caring and manners of a guy is so much more of a turn on anymore. If you would have asked me 3 years ago about the possibility of that well wrapped package, I would have told you it was possible and that I saw them around me all the time. I’m not sure if it is because I have grown up in these last 3 years or if it is my pessimistic attitude or the company I have been keeping. (hoping its the latter)

Some of the guys that I have worked with here have PhD.s in Asshole. There is a time for a guy to be a guy, but there are also manners and self image that goes with that. I know that I walk that strange fine line, being in engineering, as to be considered one of the guys but still…when I do decide to roll with it, more than usual, I get the “wow, you actually said that?” look. I dont like hearing it constantly fall from your lips either.

Some people think that I’m a prude or uptight. Well, being in a profession of men, it’s either uptight or slut. There is no in between, and just as those are just labels so is the view of the person I show to most of them.

I really love hearing about your roommate finally getting laid after 3 months. I love hearing you were so drunk that you hadn’t realized that you had hurt yourself last night. I love hearing that you have gone out 13 of the last 14 days drinking. I love hearing how my offer of a ride to the bar so that you won’t drive home drunk is mother-ish. (Remember, I hear your partying EVERY night on Second St.)

So there are my thoughts on my time here. That is what I have learned in my time here. The life lessons that I missed at my former college. Why don’t they ever ask you these types of questions on an exit survey? I'm sure tomorrow, like every other day I have this pessimistic view, one of them will try to tempt me into thinking I'm wrong, that I need to write a new post on what I have learned in my last 3 years.

***I was drinkin and talkin and you know how that goes. Time just slipped away from me, by the time I knew what time it was, it was too late to call home. Stop carrying on, acting like a child. I wasn't doing anything wrong, guys do it all the time...

Spring...will it stay in Wisconsin?

2008-04-15T18:33:00.001-07:00

I thought it was time to take a break and write a post. So the topic is spring…as famous Dr. N says, “There are two signs of spring, flowers and orange barrels.” Many of you have already seen signs of spring for a while now. I know I have been fooled by a few. The first birds chirping in the cool morning. The sound tires make on clear roads. Yes, there is a different sound!

Yesterday I noticed the fresh fragile green buds of a bush by the library. So hesitant, but fearless, to push forth even with the threat of snow and frost. It was this hope and determination that had me adding a bit of a bounce to my step. If a bush could survive on hope and determination alone, so could I. I know, I know, there is quite a bit more to it than that but still, it sounds so simple. I finished my semester paper and wrapped up three other projects. Finishing on a sigh of contentment, a weight lifted off of burdened shoulders. Humming to myself and in a better mood than I had been in for weeks, I thought how easy it seemed now that it was done. That whole, oh, it really wasn’t that bad, I survived didn’t I?

It doesn’t matter that I had to schedule in time to do my laundry or that my shortest day (at school not including anything off campus) started at 8 am and ended at 5 pm. in the last two weeks. Today I was done at noon, what did I do with my time? Not much, I was so flabbergasted at having time for myself that I really didn’t spend it as wisely as I could have. I did study for the test I have tomorrow but I feel like I wasted my afternoon. I know I didn’t, but since I didn’t finish an assignment, work on a report or project I feel decadent.

On that short and wonderful note that lasted as briefly as summer seems to….I’m heading to the couch for some serious bonding time with my notes! Study Study!

BTW, Cappy is home...and luvin' it! :) I think he missed me as much as I missed him!

***… loosing myself just to find a place in your mind, changing myself just to stand alone in your eyes, pull me in, take me out, make me over…

Sparky….Sunburn…Drinks…Beach…Wind…

2008-03-30T16:37:00.001-07:00

So TC has given you our wonderful return trip surprise and great pictures to remind us that we would like to be anywhere, ok almost anywhere, other than Wisconsin. It is my pleasure to give you the juicy, sticky, windblown bulk of our vacation.

I might remind you that TC and I rarely Vacation. Alone or together, we travel, we explore, we go go go…but never have we really taken a VACATION. It was an experience knowing that we would be going back to the same hotel room every night and that over the whole trip we might put on about 500 miles.

We didn’t get a “swift” but the rental car was not the wonder that we got in Alaska. Of course we weren’t told not to put fish in our rental car either. Anyways, Im sidetracking, back to the purpose of this post. The juicy, sticky, windblown parts of our stay in Florida.

We got to our hotel and on TC’s insistence we got up that next morning for sunrise. If it had been up to her we would have been on the beach the night before at about 10 pm. One thing you must know, TC and I are the best-est of friends but we are different in so many ways. She loves the ocean; it calls to her with a voice as teasing and coaxing as I find the forest and small streams. I love seeing the water, the beach, but it doesn’t whisper to me to run in its surf. It doesn’t call to me or tug at me. I know she feels the same about the forest, streams and rivers. We both enjoy our time in the others element, but sometimes we shake our heads at the other not understanding the draw. That having been said, it’s the same with driving in a car, music, and sometimes even the guys….;)

This brings us to day one…don’t ask me what happened each day, for again it seemed but a blur to me not the crisp pictures TC presented. A fun, colorful blur of days. We went to the Donut Hole (I’m still praying that my coffee mug made it home…) twice. We hit Peg Leg Pete’s, Flounders and the list continues on. We had fresh seafood, hearty meals and strange wait staff. The wait staff will wait, as it is its own story.

We hit the beach even with the wind blowing so bad that our whole bodies got a wonderful sea scrub…something that would have cost a pretty penny back here at home ;) We made sand castles…or bugs…worked on our tans, caught up on our reading materials and our drinking. Now I have to say that our night of drinking was not up to Wisconsin people standards and it was a few days late…but it was fun.

We learned what a “dirty matt” was, “Diesel Fuel”, “Sun Stroke”, and the list continues. As with every place TC and I go, we made friends extremely easy and end up hitting the next bar with “friends”. Our cab driver had no idea what to think when we crawled back into the same taxi to go back to the hotel. First off, we had given him a tip upon getting out of the cab when he dropped us off and secondly we weren’t asking him to pull over on the way home…;)

That night was a great night. With new friends, drinks and our accents (which we don’t have!!!). The next day we went back to Flounders, we had started our drinking there the night before, for lunch. This would be where Sparky comes in. Sparky, not his real name obviously, was our waiter. He started out by telling me I had great boobs and ended with a pep talk….I know I am leaving a lot out but it was his mannerisms and his words that stuck with me. Just so you know, TC and I have these signs hanging around or necks proclaiming “good girls”, “feel free to talk to us”, “~~bitch~~”. We attract people; random people will start talking to us, for no reason except these signs that we wear.

I should explain our encounter with Sparky, because an encounter is what it was. lol….picturing the UFO shaped house we went by….groan…Anyways, I had worn a lower clinging tank top that has a tendency not to keep its shape after a few hours (it dips more with every hour). Sparky, being the 6ft man he was took total advantage of getting a show as we were seated in a very open (old hanger?) room. It was even cute that he closed his eyes as he sat our soup in front of us (although I was afraid of it landing in my lap instead of on the table) and decided to squat next to the table to talk to us rather than stand. Texans do tend to be gentlemen that way….;)

He talked to us for a while and then decided he could freely complain to us as we did tell him about how much we traveled and our dislike for the “classic sorority” girl. Mind you this is just the stereotypical sorority girl we are talking about, the ones with a perfect tan, bleached highlighted hair, dripping money and their noses in the air. The song Barbie Girl comes to mind…plastic, stick figure, fake, lacking in substance. He explained to us how he got so used to seeing the Barbie girl look and the mean glimmer in their eyes that it was totally refreshing to meet us.

In the end, he told us how special he thought we were and slyly asked what we were up to for the night. Looking back, I wish we would have invited him along on that nights plan. Just because it’s always nice to be that refreshing breeze that someone needs. We again spread the good warm feeling when people think of Wisconsinites.

As I have already gone past two typed pages in word, I am going to stop. It is not an end in what went on and not even close to explaining the words across the top. I will leave you with the thoughts of the beach. The sun warming you. The red glow behind closed eyelids. And the promise of a good burn.

***"She was sure impressed with you", well I ain’t first class but I ain’t white trash, I’m wild and a little crazy too, some girls don’t like boys like me, oh, but some girls do

Adding another postcard to my wall

2008-03-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

What to write…What to write…
I find myself leaving for spring break and having written nothing on my blog since the last big snowfall. How sad it is that my time has been overrun by school. It is not just that the homework, tests, and labs keep barreling at me but the extras as well. Organizations, friends, and family have filled the cracks in my time. Friends, of course, are always welcome to take my time. They fill our lives with that sticky glue that keeps us together and able to continue on. As for the others, they fill your time and sometimes fill those cracks but they are never as reliable as true friends.

So as I sit here, pale and melancholy with the weight of all the pressures of the last 8 weeks, knowing that when I return in just a few days (ok 7), I will be taller and stronger. I will also be shades darker if I have my say. This break is not just about hitting the beach, getting the perfect tan, being warm for the first time in 4 months and saying goodbye to Wisconsin. This break is about getting to spend time with my best friend, TC, and having an opportunity of “letting our hair down”. For one week, we will not have to type, text, or call the other to find out what’s going on.

We will not have to wonder if we should leave with this outfit on. Do these pants really make my butt look THAT big? Do I look that pale? Does this shirt really make my boobs look bigger? Cheese in the window?

We will not have to wonder who is on the other line. We will not have to wonder if the other is getting everything done that they need to do in a day. We will not have to wonder if the other is having a bad day. It is all of these and more that make this break the break that is needed, that will allow for the weight to ease and the paleness to disappear.

So here is my spring break wish. That this next week is a week that we can put in the scrapbook. That we can have a car that is not a “swift”. That we have sun when both of us are at the beach. That we can look back on this and laugh.

***Vamos a la playa ….oh oh oh oh oh…Vamos a la playa….oh oh oh….

pictures of the snow....

2008-02-09T16:36:00.001-08:00

So some of the pictures are from P-ville and others are from the area....12-15 inches.

***I know this isn't what you want to hear...we both lit the match that burned the bridge....we both lit the match and watched our bridges burn down...

You cannot avoid the inevitable

2008-02-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

Grab your sled! Grab your wallet! Grab your mittens and your coat! School is canceled, school is finished, school is out!

The snow may be still falling, the wind may be blowing… as our tires spin and spin, but it wasn’t until 2 that the day was at an end. We would be the last to close as reports came through “…UW-Madison closed. UW-White Water closed. University of Dubuque closed. Southwest closed.”

Walking home I saw tradition, as the boys in blue (not THE boys in blue) pulled off their mission….A sled full of beer and liquor, guarded by 4 and pulled by one. Tradition they cried, hooting and hollering as they slowly made their way. Just what we were trying to avoid say UWP, inevitable the students say….If it happened once it will happen again, it will become a tradition in the end.

So tomorrow you may hear that the town did run dry. That the profs and students sat side by side…at the bar. Were studies discussed? Were notes taken? Was wisdom passed? It’s all about fluids. It’s all about physics. It’s all about fitness. It’s all about chemistry, meteorology, and more.

As the officials look on, shaking their heads and declaring never again…the students will be clinking plastic cups, sledding, making snow *art*, and snow angels.

Unfortunately I will not be joining the others in their frolic but doing homework....

***how long have i been in this storm...If I could just see you, everything would be alright...If I could see you, this darkness would turn to light....

The Last Crazy Semester As An Engineering Student

2008-02-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

Hello all! So I know that I have not really been in the Blog-o-sphere all that much these last two weeks or so but I wanted you to know that I am alive! :) My last semester has started and the Prof's are in fine form as they dish out papers, assignments, group projects and presentations. It used to be that Prof's too, needed a gradual induction back into the world of the University, but I think they are taking "Mid-Term week" pills now! Instead of having little to no homework I have been swamped.

It is with this sad news that I say "too much!" and am planning on not making 3WW a major priority. Hopefully I will jump back on the wagon train in May.

This also is a warning that I will not be stopping by other people’s blogs and will shed many a tear at the thought of missing out on the great and wonderful talent that has become part of 3WW. While I might find the time to write I will most likely not get a chance to read others in kind. This seems totally unfair to me.

Since this is Saturday and I have just decided 9-5 on the weekend is quite enough of expanding my brains I find little hope in having a life this semester.

If the Prof's start taking sleeping pills instead of "Mid-Term" pills I might get a chance to catch up and visit with old friends and a few newer ones. TB had cautioned me on how fast the last semester would fly. She didn't tell me that I would wake up on Friday and think that it just couldn't be because Monday felt so freshly past, as in yesterday.

Well, here is to the hope of the snow not falling on your car. The wind not howling at your door. The temperatures not freezing your bits off (in less than 20 min). And that your friends put a smile on your face.

***Hey man I don’t want to hear about love no more...I've been lookin' for something, something I've never seen, we're all lookin' for something, something to be...

3WW

2008-01-26T14:52:00.000-08:00

Here is fair warning...I have again tried my hand at a poem....

Breath…Scattered…Tomorrow…

The sun a distant thought,
The night a cool breath,
A passion ever sought,
Discontinued only by death.

A simple touch,
A sigh sounds,
To much,
Our skin bounds.

The stars are scattered,
Great and vast above,
We only wish this night mattered,
To the one we love.

Tomorrow we will be two,
A failed attempt at one,
Our lives we tried to sew,
But it simply cannot be done.

Hearts beat fast,
But quickly slow,
A wish to make it last,
To keep and make it grow.

Continue on,
The search,
What a con,
That leaves the heart in a lurch.

With morning rays,
Hope renew,
Pursuit never strays,
For love is ever new.

***and the clouds above move closer, looking so dissatisfied, but the heartless wind kept blowing…

3ww

2008-01-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

ok so this is something different...it starts and ends here.... :) enjoy!!!

Awkward…Kitchen…Obsessed…

They sat there in rows.

A silent plea that was rarely answered. Thrown together, origins and breeding of no matter.

They told stories while they waited and discussed this Dewy person. Smart chap they said, brilliant. Too bad there weren’t more obsessed with order.

The silence was always awkward when someone new would wander by. The Major would always shake in rage at being passed by for some kitchen redecorating Nancy at the end of the aisle.

Feelings were hurt, they all took their own turn at sulking. Hope and pride made them stay. They were not stick-in-the-muds or boring. Some of them may be quite old but were fairly easy to read. More often than not they were merely misunderstood by this generation.

Just a brush of a fingertip, a second glance, a chance to stretch their legs. Someone to blow off the layers of dust and crack a spine. To be held gently, with care and passion.

***I've never felt such emptyness, I've had it made, I must confess...this is all new to me, but I'm learning as you go...

3WW

2008-01-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

This is post number 7 and the last of this story...:) This is fair warning...don't like it? Use your imagination ;) BTW this would be my 50th 3ww...THANKS BONE!!!

Gossip…Naïve…Station…

As Bryan stepped back he cursed himself. He knew he couldn’t rush Becca. He didn’t just want a short heated romance, he wanted forever. What was that hokey jewelry commercial? “Tell her you don’t just love her today. Tell her you love her forever with….” Or the Valentine’s Day one, where it changed to “Tell her you don’t just love her. Tell her you love her with all your heart this Valentine’s Day with…”

Becca gave him a push as soon as she returned to planet earth and heard him curse. How could she have been so naïve!? He didn’t care about her, just wanted a good fuck. And after that kiss she knew it would be steamy, she couldn’t believe that she had ignored the gossip that swam in circles around him like sharks. They had told her then and now about how he never did more than an endless stream of one night stands. The girl was considered a goddess by the male population if he went back for a second bite.

The press of her palm to his heart brought him out of his thoughts with a confusing rush. Her sleepily look of contentment had somehow transformed into a rage that lit her eyes with a passion he’d never seen before. He stepped back, giving her room but kept in mind to stand between her and her only exit.

“I am not another one of your whores!” She seethed as she attempted to brush by him. “I thought you knew that.”

He stopped her easily, his arms coming around her waist. He gently placed her on the counter as he said “I do. And of course your not.” With a sigh he backed up as she swatted at his hands that had rested on her hips.

“This is so not going right.” Bryan murmured as he shoved a hand through his still damp hair. What was he suppose to do? There she sat on his counter, arms crossed and glaring. At least it seemed that she was giving him a chance to explain himself. But how did he explain himself in such a way as to not make her run any faster than she already wanted to.

“I. Am. Not. that bad. Of a kisser.” She huffed into the silence that had stretched way to thin for her comfort. He had been passing back and forth in front of her, deep in thought, and she had needed to pull him back before she did something totally stupid. Like jump from the counter and proving that she could kiss.

He spun and faced her, eyes wide with disbelief. She knew that she hadn’t had that many boyfriends but she couldn’t have been bad enough to warrant that look. His eyes narrowed and she had to fight to keep eye contact. Finally he spoke. “What makes you think that I think you’re a bad kisser?”

She blushed and looked down, seeing the coffee cup she grabbed it up, trying to buy some time. After taking a sip, all the while looking over the rim at Bryan as he patiently waited for her answer, she sighed. “You were the one that broke the kiss and started swearing.” She pointed out after he had come forward and took the mug from her hands. He had just taken a sip as she stated her case and promptly coughed while tears streamed down his face. The heat that had finally subsided, rose again up her cheeks. Gosh, if this had been on the radio she would have changed the station, she so didn’t want to hear what she knew was coming next. But she didn’t really have a choice, so she took the mug from him and set it on the counter as he wiped at his eyes.

He glared at her again as she sat there twisting her hands in her lap. Would he just get on with it already! Finally he shook his head and sighed as he came back toward her. Again he placed his hands on her hips but the expression on his face made think twice about swatting him a second time. He got right up in her face and then softly said, “I swore because I knew that you would think exactly what you did think. I swore because I didn’t want you to think that you were just another woman to me.” He backed off, all the while staring at her with his warm chocolate eyes. “I swore because I had just blown my chance with you.”

He kept backing up until she had a clear shot for the door, held out his left hand with a gallant sweeping gesture showing her she was free to go. She sat there, dumbfounded, mouth agape. Slowly she slid off the counter but then froze with her eyebrows creating a sharp v. She went to go past him but stopped and turned. He looked so lost, she thought. Not giving herself time to think she did the only thing that she could think of. She took the one step back toward him, pressed herself along his body and wrapped one arm around his neck as the other sought out his hand that was still showing her the wrong way. She pressed her lips to his as she took in the look of surprise that flickered in his eyes. Moments later when she stepped back she said, “Now that is how a girl likes to be kissed.”

***I’d do anything for you, and I wanted for you to know, that you mean everything to me…and once more, I love you just because, of who you are and what you are to me…

A Rainbow of color...

2008-01-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

A rainbow of color took shape on this day. Among the drizzle and cold, it found its way...

LOL ok so it totally didn't get made in one day...not in one week...8 days or a little more...and the picture doesn't show it to its best advantage... :)

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This would be the extremely warm, thick, bright and cheerful afghan I have made for TC. Who is always saying that I need to expand my color scope...especially when it comes to clothing....lol my favorite colors are blue and green....and you can tell by looking in my closet that green wins out.

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Oh, I like orange too....but unlike most of my schoolmates, I know that blazing hunter orange does nothing for me! :)

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When I started this afghan I had a whole post written in my head about colors and textures. Colors some peoples significant others should never allow them out of the house in or the cat or best friend that went shopping...WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!! should have come out strong and clear on a few of the styles and combinations I have seen in the last two weeks.

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My family, unfortunately, can be those people. It's like you turn around, about to head for the door, and realize that they have changed into something when your back was turned because they knew you would never be seen with them wearing it!!! Attempting to hid said tragedy under a big, bulky, winter coat!

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2007-08-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Burning…Quietly…Taxi…

Ok Bone…that just so isn’t fair! I’m sitting here in the lobby of the village hotel and you want a story about burning…quietly…taxi!!!!

We didn’t start the fire…

Ok now back to attempting to tune out EVERYONE!!!

His first burning breath as he surfaced the water had him saying a quick silent prayer. The slide down the crevasse had been thought as his untimely end until the water had quickly and quietly slipped over him. Using his elbows to grip the sides of the crevasse he slowly pulled his body free of the deadly water. He could still see a slit of sky at the end of the tunnel and he focused his mind on the warm taxi he would enjoy after reaching the end. The hole had been just slightly bigger then his body but slick and wet, all attempts to stop had only seemed to speed his descent. Bracing feet and hands he slowly climbed with a focus that would save his life. His rescuers and the paramedics would stare in wonder that the will of this man had kept him alive.

When we get back to the lower 48 a longer story might get written!!! Breakfast calls!!!

Finger Flying Friday

2007-08-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

or Tuesday as it may be...

He stared out at the gloomy landscape and tapped the window in time with the song playing on the radio. He really should finish his coffee before he grabbed his charcoal. This always happened when he followed Tamera’s advice, he would go where she recommended and be out of his funk seconds after the sun rose.

She had sent him all over the world, the view was never the same, but the uniqueness of every spot had him holding his breath and clutching his cup. As always he had found the coffee brewing in his room this morning and plenty of trail information and area dinner flyers resting on the big table that had been shoved to the side for his easel.

The hell with it, he thought to himself as he set his steaming mug on the window sill and picked up his travel set. Six hours later found James putting the final touches to the backdrop of his first charcoal painting in 4 months. The cup of now frozen coffee still sat in the window sill and a crink had formed in his neck. Carefully placing his last bit of gray charcoal next to his coffee James sat back and looked at his work. It always stunned him, he never saw the whole picture as he worked on the blank canvas and seeing what his mind and hands had transferred to paper always astounded him.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath James knew that the grumblings of his stomach would not go unheeded much longer. He could even smell the rich creamy soup that would ward off the winter chill and the fresh bread that would be slathered in butter. He opened his eyes and glared at the table, then he squinted at the table, stared in disbelief. Tamera had always thought of everything but this was a new development. The hot soup and bread had not been his imagination going wild but the gentle aroma wafting from the real deal.

“Wow Tamera, wow.” He said as he sauntered over to the table. “It’s even my favorite soup and bread. This is just too much.”

He tucked into the meal with an appetite that always followed a morning with his charcoal. It wasn’t until he was moving his plate to the side that he saw the letter. A light blue envelope had his name scrawled across it in a familiar slant.

You never did take proper care of yourself. The mini frig that I had them place next to your bed has drinks and snacks. By now you have polished off the soup and bread. There is a piece of cheese cake under the lidded platter behind the flowers. It’s extremely yummy and goes down really well with the container of milk that is in the frig. Enjoy the day, there is a small hike that will be the relaxing reprieve that you need for a few hours. The clouds should be parting by now anyways. Take the backpack by the door and head on out.

Yours,
Tamera

***Well the world just loves two lonely people...in our own little place in our own little corner...

3 WW

2007-08-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

ok so here you go...

Determined…Pajamas…Yield…

I padded over to the closet and swung the door open. Grabbed the pull chain with a vengeance and blinked at the bright light that I had called forth. Placing my foot in the only open spot that would put me in the back right corner had me scrapping my leg over a cardboard box and jamming my toes to fit the tiny carpeted area. In this position I could grab the second shelf to shift my balance to the trapped foot. The move required talent, for my nose would yield to the unforgiving fourth shelf quite quickly, if the required precision was not met.

After sniffing the shelf and grabbing a new hold on the third shelf I leaned back to take inventory of the very top shelf. My bloodshot eyes scanned to the right, finding nothing they continued back across for one last check before cruising over to the far left. Ah ha! There it was, sitting all the way to the left when I had picked the carpet spot on the right.

Giving a great sigh of frustration and grabbing yet another bit of shelf had me holding one leg over the mound of boxes in a movement usually saved for the ballet. I reached, with all my might, determined not to unpack the closet floor for a simple book. Grabbing quickly with one more move from the ballet, had me clutching the treasure to my chest as my balance shifted back to my buried foot.

Carefully I placed my free foot back and attempted to pull the other from captivity. My pajamas snagged on the already beaten box corner, causing me to lose my balance. I gracefully hopped backwards, ramming my butt into the doorknob and slamming the door against the wall. Cursing, I fought gravity as I clawed at the unyielding door before I quickly sank to the floor.

It was there, hours later that I was found, the previously captured foot twitching to silent music on the top of a box. The spotlight from the ballet casting shadows on my focused face, absorbed in reacquainting the friends I had found in a book, my treasure.

***Then I crashed into you like a runaway train...your face, your eyes are burned into me...you saved me, gave me, just what I need...

Random Thoughts

2007-08-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

So I thought about blogging today...with nothing on my mind. Crazy how all those thoughts are running through your head but never stop to take root.

Did I get everything done? What am I forgetting? Only 4 more days of work! Ride to the airport. Cash. Ticket. Should I pack this or that? Do I want this? Will it fit in my already stuffed suitcase?

What a blur! time is going so fast! I know that I will wake up and be waiting at the airport for my boarding call...

You know that song by Ozzy..."I'm like a junky without an addiction...I don't know what I'm doing but I don't want to stop..." I feel like that's my life....waiting for this plane, wanting life to hurry up and get me out of here. I want to explore! I want to leave my cares behind! I want to sing at the top of my lungs and know that no one is listening!
My addiction...travel...I bet we have a support group somewhere...

***What I want and what I need has now become the same thing...as days go by, I've finally become what you want me to be...

Flinger Flying Friday

2007-08-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

This most likely will be the end of this specific story...but as promised the next will somehow be tied to this one...

The torture of the silent ride down the elevator did nothing but give Ivy time to think. What did he mean when he said that that’s how he got here? She had known that they had asked him to take the position but he had told her that he wouldn’t take it “unless hell froze over.”

Her frown creased her brow. Mark watched her face as her thoughts flitted across, the ding signaling their arrival brought her back to him. She looked over, adjusting her purse on her shoulder, and headed out the door. If it had been back when they worked together he would have put his hand on her back and guided her to the limo. Just an innocent touch he had been allowed. He flexed his right and shoved it in his pocket.

Slipping ahead as they neared the door, Mark opened it wide and ushered her through. She had totally misread him, not even 8 months and he couldn’t even stand to touch her. She had missed the solid weight of his hand right above the curve of her backside.

Mark stared at Ivy as she smoothly got into the limo. If they had been in New York they would have headed around the corner on foot, no one would try to get across town for lunch or dinner. Besides their favorite restaurant was there, always open and knowing their orders even when they changed it everyday.

Mark’s butt had just settled into the seat before Ivy turned on him. Her eyes focused solely on his face, searching as she spouted out questions.

“What are you doing here? You told me you wouldn’t take this job unless hell froze over. What did you mean that that’s how you got here? Why do you think I ran… and from what?”

Mark just looked at Ivy, what could he do, she always fired him up fast when she had that determined glint in her eye. “How long will it take to get to The Tower?”

She glowered for a moment until she realized that he wanted to finish this before they ate. “About 30 minutes.” She answered as she twisted her hands in her lap.

Mark closed his eyes and gave a nod. Giving a big sigh he started in, best to have the truth and fast right?

“I’m here because of you. I didn’t know you where here, I needed to get away from you…before I did something you would regret. I ran because I thought you deserved someone better. You ran because you thought I didn’t want you and refused to work with me any longer. Well, you were wrong, for once.”

Ivy stared, her mouth had dropped open again, she was wondering if she had become a guppy, her mouth on a hinge. Her mind raced as she tried to wrap her mind around what he was trying to say. It wasn’t helping that he was staring at her, like he could eat the guppy for lunch.

Her mind stuck on one idea, she whispered it, “Deserved someone better? Regrets?”

She looked up at him with a puzzled frown. “I have regrets about you. You are the reason I ran.”

“Regrets?” he croaked, leaning his head back against the seat. “You haunt me every night. Your sweetness, your innocence, your beauty.”

Before she could think Ivy straddled his thighs and grabbed his shirt in both hands. “I haunt you? I haunt you! You have haunted me ever since I started working at Watchman and Carter!” She stopped when she saw the look of wonder, trapped silent on his face. He hadn’t known, she thought. All those torturous day, he was the only one that hadn’t known.

He grabbed her around the waist to seat her on his lap. Her skirt, he realized when he looked down in frustration, had given its last inch to allow her to straddle him. Looking up with frustration burning his eyes, he met Ivy’s and stared as his hands kneading her waist. She let out a little laugh when she realized, in his attempt to be a gentlemen, he was stuck.

Running her hands down her legs and grabbing the hem of her skirt up, she sank down until she was seated. Mark’s head snapped back up from having watched her hands, a look of wonder on his.

“Are you a ghost?” he whispered.

“No, I’m real. And yours.” Ivy replied before she kissed him.

***I think you can do much better than me...the gilt kicks in....I told myself I wouldn't miss you...

3 WW

2007-08-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

so its not really a poem but its not my normal prose...

Gray…Fathom…Memphis…

But still they sat, skeletons, frail images of the beauty they once held. Vibrant colors reduced to gray ashes. Silky soft petals turned brittle. Drooping heads lolling on weak stems. To drink, fathomless depths of a murky liquid. They lean hard against the green glass, never to escape their gilded confinement. Simply tied, with a jovial ribbon reflecting the colors of a sunset in Memphis. They cannot fathom their crime, for they are simply flowers.

***I want your eyes to see. I want you to notice me. I want to be your new victim.

Finger Flying Friday

2007-07-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

A little late but hey....It was my birthday! :)

The meeting had progressed until lunch when an hour break was given. The moment she had been dreading with growing anxiety approached. She was to take him for lunch, had already made reservations for two at one of her favorite restaurants. Now the idea seemed too personal, an infringement on her new turf. She had promised herself that she would be more direct with men, allow herself to take more chances.

He looked over as she stood from her chair, there was a slight tremble to her hands as she placed them on the table. Had he blown it with her? The one woman that could make him think of giving permanence a try.

“If you’ll allow me to grab my purse we will head to lunch. I made reservations for us at The Tower.” She turned to leave the room but stopped upon reaching the door. He was right behind her.

“I’ll just come with if that’s alright? Not like we haven’t done this routine before.” He gave her a shrug with the smile that played at his lips.

She gave him a quick nod and continued out the door so that he could join her in the hallway. She quickly navigated through the sea of cubicles to her corner office. She pushed open the door and went to her desk as he headed for her windows. He had carefully closed the door behind him, knowing that before they suffered through a lunch together they had to hash this out. Preferably not in public since he had a feeling it was going to be messy.

He leaned against the glass, left arm above his head, his brow resting on his hand. He was facing the view but had a reflected show of what she was doing.

“Why are you here?”

She paused. She finished placing her purse on the desk, giving herself time to formulate an answer. She had been expecting them to dish it out but had thought it would be over lunch. Righting herself she looked at him standing there just as she had seen him do time and time again in his own office. He was worried. He never stood like that unless he was unsure of what was going to happen, when something was weighing on his mind.

“They offered me job.” She said, thinking that the simplest answer was the best.

He turned then, leaving the glass behind. “It can’t be the only reason. You loved New York. Your job.”

He ran his hands over his face a few times and then ran them through his hair. “You ran. Why?”

Ivy paled, he couldn’t know.

“How did I guess?” He asked as he seared. “Because that’s how I got here.”

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting the tailspin the conversation was heading in. Taylor stuck her head in the crack of the door.

“Um, the limo is still waiting outside and just called to see if you were still coming down.”

“We’ll be right down.” Mark answered, his eyes never leaving Ivy’s.

***Know all about, about your reputation. And how its bound to be a heartbreak situation. But I cant help it if I'm helpless every time that I am where you are...

3WW

2007-07-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Is it bad...when you have to start saving your 3WW with the date after 3ww to keep them straight? *sigh*

Reality…Fan…Mind…

The landscape kept changing. Every time I looked up at the whirl outside my window a new backdrop amazed me. The only thing that seemed to stay the same was the white line. Even the sky seemed to change, the blue a different hue, the clouds coming and going, the sun on its steady unvarying path.

The seat beneath me grew more uncomfortable as the hours droned on and on, just like the oldies station blaring from the speakers. The windows were all rolled down, letting the hot wind whip and whirl in a maze from window to window. On a course that was always eager to enter but frantic to leave, never settling, never gentle, like my life. The reality of my fate had yet to hit me. The shock was affecting my mind, closing it down and allowing me to deny the existence, leaving me in a peaceful lull.

Every time I tried to think of the friends I would never see again. Every time I thought of the room that I had made mine. Every time I thought of the house that had become our home. Every time I thought of the man that had become my father.

These thoughts did nothing but fan the hatred I held for my mother. It was her that had told me not to go to school today. It was her that told me to pack after my father left for work. It was her that pulled out of the drive. It was her that had ruined my life. Again.

***What’s all this talk about love? I’m gonna be ready this time. I’ll buy a ticket to anywhere…

F Cubed

2007-07-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

As per my first post warning here is the story on another day...

Sighing once more she slid her chair back from the desk and stood. Grabbing an arm full of papers in one hand and a coffee cup and pen in the other she headed for the door. The door that had altered her reality more than she could have ever imagined. When they had told her about the promotion she should have said no, shouldn’t have accepted the key to that corner office with the big floor to ceiling windows overlooking Chicago. Six months and three weeks ago her life had changed, there wasn’t even time for her to barely do her own laundry let alone have a life. Not that she had had much of one anyways, but the promise had always been there. If she had just reached out and grabbed at life instead of an empty thankless job.

Squaring her shoulders she entered the conference room. Smile firmly in place she scanned the room. Tylor was to have picked the client up from his hotel to bring him here. Normally she would have met the man and gotten a feel for him during the limo ride but another morning meeting had detained her. She was going in cold, something she hated doing.

Her eyes roved over fellow colleagues and landed on the unknown man’s face, his eyes were closed as he carefully sipped from a tall lidded paper cup. The pile of papers slid from her arm and splashed onto the carpeted floor. It was all she could do not to spill her coffee. That was not an unknown face. She knew before he opened his eyes that they would be the deepest clear blue eyes she had ever seen. She knew that he was sipping on a flavored green tea. She knew that she was in trouble.

Tylor rushing forward to help her moved her into motion. She set the coffee on the edge of the table and knelt to stack the files. Tylor gave her a curious, worried glance as she carefully handed over the final stack.

As two heads popped above the table his heart beat faster. It couldn’t be! It couldn’t be her, the face that had haunted him on every cold lonely night. She was supposed to be in New York, where he had left her, untouched. She was part of the reason that he was here, doing this job. He had needed to be away from her. They had worked so closely for the month before he left, to closely. He knew that she had wanted to attempt a relationship, she had never said it aloud but it had been there in every move she made, every glance that sliced through him.

He had ran, what else was he to have done? She was perfect. Nice. Sweet. Way to good for a player like him. All he would have done was made it into her bed, set the sheets on fire then leave nothing but ashes. She deserved better than that. Much better. But what was she doing here? Because it was her.

Recovering she strode to the last empty seat on shaky legs and set the shambled sliding stack down. Her coffee cup had been passed around the table until he held it. Waiting for her to sit, he stared into the cup as if it held the answers to all of life’s questions.

“Still drinking flavored coffee.” He stated as he inhaled deeply over the cup before handing it to her. He knew that the flavor of the day would cling to her like a dark rich perfume. She obviously was feeling extremely stressed since the flavor seemed to be Cherry Mocha Madness, a flavor she kept in the back of her desk drawer for days that promised to be overwhelming.

***she knows he likes it sweet...I can love a man like you. Oh, how I wish you knew...

3WW

2007-07-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

ok ok I know Im late damn wireless!!! anyways its up now and here is all that I promised...the END of the story!!!!

Cope…Revealed…Stick…

Hesitating on the door step in the dark looking in on the wonderful scene before him, Warren took it all in. Elizabeth was being hugged again by her mother and her little sister enfolded her from the side. Shouts of glee erupted over and over as more people entered the great hall. Her brother, the King, stood back and beamed with his hands placed on his hips and a smile playing on his lips.

Knowing that a clean cut was needed for Elizabeth, and yourself said a little voice, Warren turned to head to the stables. No one was expected to take care of the horses this late, he would need to care for them himself. They deserved great care, the grooming and feeding would help him cope with having to leave Elizabeth behind once more. There was no way that he could stand by and watch her live her life without him, it would kill something inside him.

Set on his purpose and deep in his thoughts Warren did not hear the King call after him or follow him into the stables.

“Another long journey over my friend. Nothing but oats and a warm stable for you tonight on this Yule.” Said Warren as he patted his horse and began to remove the saddle.

The King watched from the shadows, intrigued about his friend’s behavior. Warren had always cared for his own horse but he always insisted on a short audience when arriving at night before doing so.

Suddenly Warren collapsed to the floor, alarmed the King rushed over to the stall. He found Warren kneeling in the hay with tears streaming down his face. Murmuring over and over again, “I cant do this. I cant do this.”

The doubts had rushed in on Warren. If he left would the Princess be alright? Who would guide her brother on picking a husband for her? What if she had left something important at the cottage? These and many more questions bombarded him in quick succession.

The King knelt near Warren and hugged his most faithful friend. It hurt him to watch his bravest knight reduced to such a state.

“Whatever is the matter? Is there something wrong with Elizabeth? Was there trouble on your journey? What happened?”

At the King’s rising voice Warren came back to himself and slowly raised his head.

“What? What happened to Elizabeth? She was fine moments ago. No no, trouble on our journey that was not dealt with. I realized I love her.” He spouted out his answers without thinking. Realizing too late that he had revealed too much of himself in that simple declaration. He looked into the King’s eyes with fear.

His voice gentle and low, his eyes shining, the King gave his sentence.

“Why do you think I gave you the responsibility of keeping Elizabeth safe? I’ve known that for years. I had always assumed that if she felt the same way that you would be asking for an audience with my father and I about the matter.”

“I cant marry her!” Warren declared as he rose to his feet.

“Why not!?” Yelled the King.

“Knights don’t marry princesses, Majesty.” Warren breathed as he bowed.

“What is this? You have never been this formal in private. What? Do you not think that you’re good enough for her?” the King reflected.

“I never will be.”

“I suppose you were never good enough to be true friends with a King either?!”

Warren’s eyes locked with the King’s and the horror in their depths appeased the King. There was but one more question he must have answered.

“She loves you still, does she not?” He asked as he put an arm around Warren who had started weaving on his feet. The King knew this was a perfect time to ask, Warren would be honest and forthcoming since he was dead on his feet. The journey had been a long and hard one for them to have arrived for Yule.

With his head lowered once more as his friend lead him toward the stable doors Warren uttered his response with so much exhaustion that the King knew at once that it was truth.

“Well then, looks like tomorrow morning I will be making an announcement for your wedding. If what you’ve said is confirmed with Elizabeth.” The King knew he was talking to thin air. Warren had gotten steadily heavier as they walked toward the great hall. The weight of Warren’s worries had surely robbed him of his sleep.

Next morning….

Warren awoke with a start. Had James really told him that he would be announcing his engagement to Elizabeth this morning? Or had he merely dreamed it.

Not being able to take the torture, Warren jumped from his bed. He was out the door and down the hall before his pants were buttoned. He only noticed that the hour was way before dawn when he screeched to a halt in front of the Kings doors. The two guards there would stick to their posts until the King left his chambers and these were looking much too awake for dawn.

To his surprise the door was opened by a guard and he was told that the King was expecting him. Knowing that James knew him that well put his heart back into his chest. He entered the sitting room and kept going with sure footing, pausing only briefly to lightly knock after hearing no noise from the bedchamber. A caution learned in error that happened only once, and right after James had married. Tabitha was much more comfortable with Warren and James’s behaviors now, years later.

Warren would have smiled at the thought if his nerves weren’t jumping so high. He strode to the side of the bed and shook his friend awake then turned and headed back to the sitting room.

James found him there, pacing back and forth in front of the massive fireplace.

A smile battled with a yawn as James fastened the robe around him. He had known that this early morning visit would happen. Had expected it about an hour earlier, he realized as he looked to the clock. Warren must have been more exhausted then he had thought. Turning back to his friend confirmed the James’s suspicions. Dark circles still showed beneath Warrens eyes.

“What could be so urgent that you didn’t even dress before coming to me?” James said, trying to keep the false aggravation in his tone.

Warren looked up with a crazed look in his face. James recognized it immediately, he had had the same look on his face when it finally sunk in that he might be able to win Tabitha’s heart.

“What did you tell me last night?” Warren slowly came to a stop, running his hands through his hair he tossed a tortured look at James.

Knowing that Warren had been through enough, having gotten a few snippets from Elizabeth, James stated again what he had said last night.

Continuing on as if Warren were not even in the room, James told him even more impossible news.

“I am making you my official advisor. This position comes with lands and moneys that will allow you to care for my sister. Don’t think you’re getting off easy either. You will still have some duties as a knight. My father was quite distressed when he learned that you had left this last time without my having announced this.”

James paused for a breath and plunged on before Warren could speak.

“There is no reason to argue. There is no reason for you to still be standing here. I do believe that my sister was given her old room and is probably wondering why you have not stolen some time with her before sunrise as I said that you likely would.”

It was at this last statement that Warren’s face lit with wonder and he bolted once more from the room. He had about two hours before the sun would rise. Not much time, but enough to ease Elizabeth’s worries and his tortured heart.

*** Just as long as I have you right here by me. I can’t take another day without you. Cause baby I could never make it on my own. I’ve been waiting so long just to hold you. And to be back in your arms where I belong.

Finger Flying Friday

2007-07-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Now! Now! …Minds out of the gutter…The flying fingers are over the keyboard and nothing else! ;) I’ve decided to try something new…Every Friday I will let my fingers roam over the keyboard to their own music. In having tried to write a continuing story for 3WW I have noticed that I’m not a stop and go, fling in some words, continuous story type. So to fill that wonderful void I have decided to ADD (I will continue to participate in 3WW and the current story) another writing exercise to the blogging sphere. You may join in if you wish, read along or take a stab. Just so we understand…I’m not as soft and kind hearted as our wonderful Bone. I reserve the right to not participate for a week, be late on posting or to cancel the whole deal at any time. Holidays will be observed and depending on my mood F^3 may or may not be moved to another day.

Now onto the idea behind Finger Flying Friday! Let your mind wander, crank the music and fall into that writing mind space. Write as much or as little as you want BUT tie each entry together some how…it can be as simple as the two separate characters humming the same song or wearing red shoes but somehow they have to tie together. You don’t have to use the same tie each time, spice it up, try something new. That’s it, it’s that simple…or hard depending on those fingers…but sometimes you need to post those shit stories so that when your brilliance shines through its blinding…sun glasses on!

Story I

He threw his duffel onto the bed and watched it bounce once. That’s what happened when you lived out of a suitcase. Turning back through the open double doors to survey the living room he took in the dark shades over the window and the single door that graced the small hallway that he had passed. With a heavy sigh he strode to the window. Just as well enjoy the only view he was going to get of this wonderful city.

The city skyline lit with the pounding life that made the city sour with energy intruded into his quiet room. How had this become his life? He floated from conference room to conference room. City to city and country to country. When he had taken this temporary position he had never thought that it would destroy his life. Never being in his little confining apartment had sounded wonderful 8 months ago. Now he did nothing but drift from place to place wondering when he could unlock his own door and cook his own meals.

He hadn’t seen his friends longer than he cared to remember. The last football game that wasn’t tied to work was a distant memory. Good thing this was only a year gig. He had already started mentally counting down the days. There was no way that he was going to continue this. When he had first started this one man show he had lived it up. Maybe he had grown up in the last 7 months.

Traveling from city to city. Hitting it hard with the night life crowd and then getting up at the butt crack of dawn to be in meetings, give speeches and do company tours. It had gotten old really quick…he had never missed an appointment but it had been a close call a few times. Giving a presentation with a throbbing head and a dry throat was not something that had to be repeated more than once. That lesson was quickly learned. It did make the pay-per-view company extremely rich and happy with his continuing service. It got to the point that he carried his laptop around and had Best Buy on speed dial.

Having seen enough of the Chicago landscape he headed over to the only door he had yet to open. It was the one place that he was constantly surprised by. The hotels were always high quality but the bathrooms were a constant change. It totally depended on the designer’s idea of extravagance. Would he have his own hot tub? Would the shower have more jets then he had body parts? What amenities did they stock the room with? Would the colors match those in the other two rooms?

Walking in he flipped the switch and closed the door behind him. He whistled softly to himself and it echoed in the cavernous room. It was everything he ever wanted. Turning slowly he took in the deep blue tiling of the floor. The light and dark small blue tiles of the small pieces of wall that weren’t covered by mirrors or in the shower. The hot tub was big enough for two. The candles around the edge were new and wafted gentle relaxing scents to his nose. He instantly relaxed. The muscles unclenching in his back and shoulders. He finished the 360 tour and ended facing the sink with all the bubble bath, aftershave and soup he could possibly want in three top brand names.

Oh, if he only had someone to share that wonderful paradise with! A face took shape in his mind at that thought and took roots fast and deep. What a fool he had been!

***If this keeps me away much longer I don't know what I will do...And when the night falls in around me I don't think I'll make it through...

The Rant and Rave about Roundabouts

2007-07-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

As most of my avid readers know, I am out here in WA doing an internship. On Wednesday our area held a roundabout test drive…yup, it is how it sounds…there is one roundabout within about an hours drive from here. So we held a test drive so that the public could drive one. It came off sounding this dumb and demeaning through the media as well. Although the one camera guy was having tons of fun leaning out a SUV window with his 25 lb + camera the media put the spin on it that we were doing this because we didn’t think the general public could figure out how to drive a roundabout by themselves.

This was not the case. We held the roundabout because according to other research 80% of the people that were against roundabouts before driving them don’t mind them after driving one. Since they want to put three consecutive roundabouts in a major area, they were hoping to sway the public into at least not outright hating them.

Here is my plug about roundabouts. They don’t solve everything. Those that think that they will are delusional, the world is not perfect. The purpose of a roundabout is to slow massive amounts of traffic but keep it constantly going. This allows for better commuting time and less pollution as well as less gas being used then on those wonderful stop and go lights. They are also known to cut down on FATAL accidents, since you can only take a roundabout at 20 mph…(this would be the maximum posted speed)…and in the event of a collision you would be hit from behind or from the side. These are the least damaging of collision possibilities and the speeds at which they happen in a roundabout makes walking away a higher possibility.

A few tid-bits that most roundabout users don’t always know.
1. When driving in a one-lane roundabout (this usually means there is a lane going all the way around and a lane that allows you to make a right turn directly out of it) Semi-Trucks are to take up BOTH lanes and no one is to pass or ride beside a Semi.
2. Once you are in a roundabout you should never need to change lanes. You may merge with another lane but you should avoid changing lanes.

So this was my Wednesday. I was out in a parking lot at 6:30 am helping set up for this grand occasion. In my way of thinking it was a total bust. We had less then 50 vehicles that were not planned. This could be because of the lack of getting the word on the street. They totally did everything that TC and I learned NOT to do in high school.

1. They put out flyers 3 weeks in advance at local businesses. It was at this time that the busses and Semis were asked to be available sometime that day.
2. The called the media. Which was the whole problem anyways…because someone leaked that they were designing roundabouts and someone that didn’t want to use it as a way to beautify the city decided to growl and hiss.
3. The flyers had a big picture the words announcing the event and what it was were small. They didn’t put anything on there that said anything about asking questions about roundabouts. It was extremely official…if I would have seen it in a window I would have maybe looked at it but would have probably seen it as a warning not to head to the mall that day…
4. They didn’t put up any signs directing traffic and reminding people about the roundabout during the test.
5. They didn’t use the one media that people listen to…the RADIO!!! They wanted truckers…truckers might stop at the truck stop but they aren’t going to stop at local businesses!!! Everything should be announced on the radio…(obviously not everything, and talk shows should have their own damn stations!!! Especially in the mornings. I don’t want to listen to someone else talk that early!!! Give me hard rock!)

It was extremely cool to see three school buses using a roundabout at the same time and I feel like shooting myself in the foot for forgetting to check my camera batteries! We also threw a low-boy (with the longest regulation trailer) in there with the buses along with a van and a truck.

The highlight of my day was moving the orange barrels to the side so that a Semi could exit the test and be on his way. Did I mention that it hit 110 that day…I drank water like it was going out of style! I did get to know some of the other employees during this, found out the other jobs available and what they do all day.

This is getting a little longer then I expected…and part of this was to be on yesterday…the day we de-taped the roundabout. As some of you already know, I have a great fear of duck tape. If you don’t know the story of why…to bad so sad! I am getting better about it…since its been over 6 years…well the temporary paint lines for our roundabout were a version of duck tape…except it had paint on one side and stick tape on the other…you guessed it…I hurt myself. First yank of the tape! Yup, I gripped and pulled (at 110 the asphalt gets to the re-melting point and had decided to make the tape part of the mix) twisting the tape and cutting my thumb with the razor sharp edges. Think paper cut but extremely deep and with the wonderful added fun of asphalt and other gunk found in a parking lot. Bled like crazy but is looking like the paper cut it feels like…and yes TC I will be watching it extremely close for infection and all…I did bring a few first aid supplies. J Although I never imagined having to use it on something this little…sigh

***or-ange bar-rels….or-ange bar-rels…