FINISHING UP... the year (Part 124c)

FINISHING UP... the year (Part 124c)

By the time I got home Elle had already put the kids to bed and was coming down the stairs. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her make the turn at the bottom of the stairs as she was in just panties and her blouse. It’d been a while since she’d been that “open”. In the past it indicated that she was “ready” and I immediately felt the bulge start. She came up to me and started to take off my suit jacket while rubbing up against my privates. I couldn’t do much of anything as my arms were still encased by the jacket. She left them like that while taking one of her hands and started to rub my now fully engorged bulge. After a few seconds I began to plead for her to finish stripping off the jacket. But, before doing that she unbuckled my belt and started to undo the button for my pants. I was certainly enjoying the attention but she was the one who was getting the most pleasure. About the time she had my pants down under my backside I was able to fling the jacket off and to the floor. I grabbed her bottom and found her panties to be wet... the ultimate pleasure for me. But I stopped long enough to get my pants free from my feet. Then, still the aggressor, she pushed me into the den and backwards onto my reclining chair.

We’d been married for just over eight years at that time. Before the kids were born we used to do a lot of this sort of thing but with me being the instigator. I certainly don’t remember how many times Elle started it but it wasn’t very often.   Caught by surprise I certainly wasn’t going to do anything to slow things down. Once in the chair Elle climbed up and straddled me. We began kissing back like we did when we were dating and it was exciting. Before I knew it I felt warmth flowing onto and around my groin area. Her crotch was pressed right up against my penis and I started thrusting as best I could. That only lasted for a few seconds before she jumped up and stripped off her panties. While watching her do that I freed my penis from my underpants. I’d barely finished when she was back up and on me.

The only thing I really remember other than the pleasure of the moment was that it was a shock to have Elle so “amorous”. I had no idea what had brought it on. I also remember having to clean ourselves up after we both calmed down. That was more fun. The clean up also included the recliner and under it. Elle was still in a good mood and as we mopped up asked if I’d noticed anything about Sandy at the game. I told her the thing that stood out was how excited she got, standing up and yelling for a good part of the game. Elle had a smirky look on her face when I gave her that answer. Then she asked if I was sure that was all I noticed, still with that same look. The only other thing that I could remember was that she’d put her coat on before the end of the game. I remember being on my knees and looking up at Elle when she asked if I had any idea why she’d done that. I didn’t and asked if she knew the reason. When she told me that Sandy had wet herself I didn’t believe it and accused her of lying. She shook her head and said that was why Sandy had put her coat on and asked for a ride home. She didn’t want anyone to see her like that and didn't want to have to wait for Johnny. Then Elle sort of laughed and said that she couldn’t believe that I’d missed a wetting. On hearing that I couldn’t believe it myself.

Wednesday was a Board of Trustees meeting and Hobie told me he’d planned to ask for permission from them to put up some limited Christmas decorations. I’d gotten the estimate for them and it was for around $200. When I asked him how he thought it would be received he just smiled and told me he'd run it by a couple of the members and to go ahead with it. With just a little over two weeks until Christmas there wasn’t much time so I got Bret to stay to lock up the vault and took off for the garden center. As I pulled into the parking lot I remember hoping that Hanna, the daughter, would be there. No such luck... she was on the basketball team and at practice. But I did get to see where her good looks came from. It was her mother, a tall blonde woman with beautiful blue eyes. Definitely Swedish, she went to find her husband for me leaving me to admire her own beauty. Ole had a surprise for me and that was he’d actually reduced the price being that Christmas was so close. He promised that he’d have a crew to the bank the next day right at 3pm when the doors closed to the public. It was a little past 4:30pm and I was on my way home.  I liked it!

When I dove up the hill to the garage I thought it a bit funny that the station wagon was out and not in the garage. Elle was usually very good about putting it away. Walking up the path I could see my kids through the windows playing on the floor of the den. The lights were on in the kitchen but Elle wasn’t there. I saw a light coming from the dining room so headed in that direction. Peering into the room I saw Elle sitting at the table with Sandy standing a bit behind her looking over her shoulder at what Elle was doing. There were some things on the table and it only took a few seconds to recognize some panties, a pair of plastic panties and some sanitary napkins (pads). I was puzzled, for sure, but when Sandy saw me she was somewhat shocked. She backed away from where she was standing and headed down the hallway. I could hear her call Elle to say that she had to get going. I hadn’t seen her car but before I could say anything Elle got up and followed her down the hall. Within a minute the two were out the door.

I went back into the dining room and took a close look at what was on the table. There were a few stained Carters heavy cotton panties and a few miscellaneous nylon panties. There was also a couple of sanitary panties, a pair of plastic panties, a pile of sanitary napkins and... one of Kaye’s footed sleepers. It made no sense to me. I couldn’t wait for Elle to return to explain it all to me. I knew it would be a good one.

To be continued...    

FINISHING UP... the year (Part 124b)

FINISHING UP... the year (Part 124b)

Elle had finally caught up with Pat (the PTA lady) and gotten the Sans Soucie catalogs back. They were waiting for me at my place at the table when I got home. Elle felt that the details of her meeting with her could wait until after we’d eaten. What was did discuss was that Celia had called to find out if I’d given the keys to her house to Vic, the real estate agent. I had but hadn’t followed up with him to know the status, if any, on the listing. My first thought was that she, Celia, should be talking to Vic, not me. However, from a curiosity standpoint the thing I was interested in was who the new neighbors might be and I knew it was far too early to be contemplating that. That subject did generate some dinner conversation though. Naturally, I wanted a young couple to buy the place... and you know the reason(s) why. Elle said she’d like an older couple that would just be quiet neighbors.

The story with Pat was that she wasn’t interested in starting an account with the Sans Soucie company. She had left some markers in the catalogs on some things she might be interested in along with a note that if I could elicit samples of them she’d be interested in looking at them. That left me in an awkward position because I didn’t want to ”tread“ on the friendship I had with Willie. I knew that any request I made at this point would be considered a purchase. First off, I (Elle) had no use for some of the items Pat had selected. In fact, the only things Elle could or would use were slips and panties. She still had a few unused slips from when Willie was running the Evette lingerie company and even though the panties Pat had selected were all ”fancy panties“ (three different styles with six pair in each box)  I/we didn’t need an additional 15 pair (which would be what was left over after giving Pat a single pair from each). At that point I gave up on that idea. I’d had about enough of Pat anyway.

Johnnie’s first game with his junior varsity players was the following Tuesday and I told him that I’d be there. Because it was a school night and the varsity had a game to follow it was scheduled for 6pm. That meant I wouldn't get there until right before tip off and wouldn’t have any idea what skills, if any, the kids had. And, it meant that I wouldn’t get any supper. When I walked in there were only about 20 people in attendance. I saw Sandy because she was standing in the row right behind the team bench. I also saw Jonesie, the carpenter/handyman who’d done some work for me and who was one of the members of the now defunct town basketball team that Johnnie had attempted to start. He was exhorting the kids who were on the bench to cheer their teammates on. There were only ten of them on the team and I could see from their size that Johnnie had a big job ahead of him.

I made my way to a row behind Sandy and just as I was about to say ”Hi“ I heard a little squeal from behind me. I turned to see Elle and my two older girls walking down the aisle. Sandy had convinced Elle to come and to bring the girls and Elle had been thoughtful enough to fix me a sandwich. I missed the tip off while trying to get the girls settled. I really didn’t miss anything. They were only playing ten minute quarters (that’s the way they played back then) and I think it was almost to that point before Johnnie’s team scored their first points. What was funny though was watching Sandy every time one of Johnnie’s players had the ball. She would jump up off her seat and when they attempted a shot she was like a wild woman.

The truth of the matter was that the players were basically inept. Of course it didn’t help that the tallest player was about 5’9” and there was only one of him. The one positive thing that I did note was that, on defense, Johnnie had all the players keep their hands up and in the faces of their opponents. I’d not seen that tactic used before and it was quite effective. I don’t remember the half time score but neither team had 10 points.

In the second half the opposing players became frustrated with hands constantly in their faces and started to foul. The problem for Johnnie’s team was that they couldn’t make their foul shots with one kid not even able to hit the rim from the foul line. However, just before the end of the game they did get two baskets and I thought Sandy would hurt herself jumping up and down. By then my girls had become bored and were looking to go home. The game was just about over and I was helping Elle to get their coats on when I noticed Sandy putting on her coat. I thought that was strange but then she just stood there until the final buzzer. The final score was something like 16 to 11. I told Elle I wanted to stay and talk with Johnnie for a minute or so as she went towards the doors. It was easy to catch up with Johnnie because no one else wanted to. As I approached I saw him waving and turned around to see Sandy walking out with Elle.

Johnnie (and Jonesie) explained the reason for the poor showing of the kids telling me that only a few had ever played organized basketball. There were no programs for it (or any other sport) in the elementary school. They’d only had a week of practice and the two of them spent it teaching fundamentals.  I remember Jonesie shrugging his shoulders and rolling his eyes. His comment was all telling as he half heartedly praised the boys varsity coach for his tireless effort on behalf of the school for over 25 years. But, he had the school board’s “ear” and they’d allowed him the autonomy to do as he pleased. His unwillingness to change was now hurting it. He said that the coach had fought the hiring of Johnnie and wasn’t cooperating with him even now. There was no interaction between the varsity and JV at all. While Jonesie was speaking Johnnie just stood there with a resigned smiled look on his face. Then he said he had to get into the locker room. As I headed for my car I remembered my first meeting with Pat where she said that the school was living in the dark ages and had to change. The first step had been in getting Jon (the milkman) elected to the board. Now, first hand, I could see some of what she was talking about.

To be continued...   

FINISHING UP... the year (Part 124a)

FINISHING UP... the year (Part 124a)

Moving the furniture from Celia’s house over to John’s “bunk house” was the easy part. Cleaning out all the rest was a “bear”. It was dark by the time we made our last trip to the landfill. All the rugs, curtains, Sophie’s furniture, odds and ends and the clothes Elle and I’d persuaded Celia to leave behind took most of the afternoon to move. I was physically beat when we were done. Elle was waiting for me with a double treat... a cherry pie and just a short robe on. I appreciated both but was only able to enjoy the pie. I remember sitting in my recliner hoping that my days messing with the house next door were over.

Sunday, after church, I got a call from Johnnie apologizing for hanging up on me the previous week. Because Elle and Sandy were such good friends Sandy had intervened. He asked if we could come over that afternoon. I told Elle and she said she’d call her mother to see if she would watch the kids for a few hours. The answer was a “yes”, primarily because the fishing season was over and Elle’s father was home. He didn’t get to see much of the kids during the Summer so this was a  good time for them to visit.

Johnnie had the football game on for which I was glad. However, Sandy made him turn it off soon after we arrived. I remember it being a bit “uncomfortable” for a short time but Sandy sort of took the situation over. She explained that Johnnie was under a bit of pressure at school. I already knew that he was the first Junior Varsity coach hired by the school. Up to his hiring all boys sports were coached by the same man and it had been that way since before WWII. The population of the school had grown exponentially since then and had doubled since Elle had graduated. There had been pressure to hire additional coaches to assist the man but he’d resisted until the end of the previous basketball season.  Up to then the school, because of it’s small size, had only fielded a Varsity basketball team. But now, because of the total number of kids in the High School, were required to have a JV team. Johnnie was already teaching at the school when the job was posted. The old coach lobbied to be able to coach both teams but, in part due to Pat (the PTA lady), was told “No” and he hadn’t taken the decision well. It seemed like he was going out of his way to make things difficult for Johnnie and the kids who had come out for the team. Practices for the JV had started at about the same time that the Town team that Johnnie had tried to put together started their practices (if you could call it that...). The guys on the Town team seemed to not take it seriously and then I called to “bail” on the last practice, he’d had it. I was the “last straw” and he’d taken it out on me.

We didn’t stay all that long but before we left Elle and Sandy got together leaving Johnnie and I alone. I asked if there was anything I could do to help him with his JV team. He surprised me by saying that Jonesie (the carpenter handyman I’d hired a while back and who had been on the Town team) had volunteered. Before we left I told him I’d stop by on my way home a couple of nights to see how it was going. I think he appreciated that. As we said our good nights I overheard Elle and Sandy setting up a date for them to get together. On our way to pick up the kids I asked what it was about but she wouldn’t tell me.

Speaking of Pat, I’d been after Elle to get to her and get the Sans Soucie lingerie catalogs back. The night I’d shown them to her and given her a pair of their panties to try out she’d walked out without saying anything about them or even offering to pay for them. I wasn’t concerned about the money... they hadn’t cost me anything... it was the superior (nasty) attitude that she exhibited towards me that made me upset. Elle had a meeting scheduled that next week that included Pat and promised she’d speak to her.

At work, I’d hired three new people, all female at the very end of November. With year end coming up and all the new business that had been generated it was felt that it would be wise to have some extra help if only on a temporary basis. None of the three offered all that much in the way of “looks” but one definitely had a nice “shape”. On her interview she wore a cream colored sheath dress that was appealing especially to me and to Bret. I thought he was going to lose his eyeballs right out of his head when she bent over to pick up her coat after the interview was over. J J, up in the mortgage department, had sat in on two of the interviews and made a specific request for one of them, Marla. I’d gotten to know his preferences when it came to females and as soon as the girl walked in the door I just knew she’d be his choice.

This was to be my second Christmas season with the bank and, remembering the lack of seasonal decorations from the previous year, met with Hobie to see if that couldn’t be remedied. I didn’t like the look on his face when I brought it up but got him to say he’d approach the Board of Trustees about it. On that basis I contacted one of the bank’s customers that owned a garden center and asked that he come in to make some suggestions as well as give me an estimate of what it would cost. Naturally, he was thrilled. He told me he’d be in late that Friday evening.

It was about 5:30pm when I saw this tall (6’5“) balding man ambling across the lobby. But what really caught my attention was the girl walking beside him. She was flat out beautiful! I couldn’t really tell how old (or young) she was but I know my jaw had to be hanging open as they approached Trish’s desk. Ole was the man’s name and I think Hanna was his daughter’s. I could hear Ole speaking but all I saw was Hanna. I told them what I was looking for and then they got up and walked around the lobby, surveying the possibilities. As they did I kept watching Hanna. As far as VPL’s were concerned there wasn’t anything to see. It was just her beauty. When they got the information they came for and were leaving I can remember standing by my desk hoping that the next time I saw Ole that Hanna would be with him. 

To be continued...

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123g)

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123g)

Elle left me to babysit Kaye, not wanting to have to drag her around. I wouldn’t have minded if I hadn’t been doing a tune up on my car. Upon their return they went right to Celia’s. It was mid afternoon by the time she and the kids finally pulled up our driveway. Of course she had to tell me all about their trip even though I wasn’t all that interested. Sophie had been very pleased with all the attention she got. The ”hi-light“ was after the luncheon when they all shared a banana split. When the waitress heard it was Sophie’s birthday she found a candle and put it on the top. As far as the shopping part went Elle didn’t want to go into detail but I prevailed. It was obvious her heart had been in control. I prevailed and she gave me the total dollars spent. It was around $80 to $85 dollars. To be truthful I thought it would be more but the one item(s) that got my attention was the panties.

Wanting to be frugal, Elle started at W T Grant, an upscale 5 & 10 cent store and then went to Woolworth’s. While there she happened to see some ribbed cotton band leg panties on the table with all the other ones Woolworth’s sold. Curious, because they looked so much like the Carters Spanky Pants she wore, she saw the price was only 59 cents. Over the Summer months she’d seen the somewhat raggedy nylon panties that Sophie wore and thought that these would be a good buy. I’m smiling as I write this because up to that point I don’t think Elle had ever bought a pair of panties. In any case, there were only a few in the bin so she asked a salesperson if they had any more. The lady came back with a box and Elle told her she’d take all twelve of them. It was at about this point I asked if Sophie had ”missed“ and wet herself. That brought a big smile to Elle’s face.

Before leaving, and thinking ahead, she’d spoken to Celia and asked her if she’d ever used the ”package“ that Elle had put on Sophie when she’d stayed overnight with us. Elle had explained her own incontinence at the time and the purpose of the combination of multiple cotton panties, sanitary pads and the plastic panty. Celia said she hadn’t and Elle asked why. It was plain and simple... she didn’t have the money for the sanitary pads. Elle than asked if it would be OK to have Sophie wear the ”package“ for their trip and that way there wouldn’t be a worry about an ”accident“. She did and there wasn’t which was the main reason Elle bought the panties. She also added a whole box of sanitary pads as well as a brand new pair of plastic panties for Sophie. Sitting there listening to Elle go over her day and purchases I couldn’t help but be proud of her.

Tuesday night was to be the third practice for the basketball team that Johnnie had put together. We’d gotten together the previous Tuesday with about the same results as for the first meeting... not good. I walked in the door and Elle greeted me with an instruction for me to go over the Celia’s. I knew she was leaving in the morning and had planned on stopping over to say my good byes before going to work. I asked if she had any idea of why she wanted to see me. Elle kind of wrinkled up her face when she told me that she needed help in packing her car. I just knew it wasn’t going to be good.

After grabbing a bite to eat I made my way through the hedge and saw a pile of boxes next to Celia’s car. It was a 1948 Packard... a ”boat“ if there ever was one. I saw the first problem and it was the boxes were too big to fit in the car. The next was that there were too many of them. I asked if she had any smaller boxes and she motioned for me to follow her inside. There were about seven or eight and they were filled as well. I knew Celia wasn’t going to like what I had to ask... ”Do you need all of these things?“ I remember clearly that there was no hesitation in her answer when she said ”Yes!“ I knew then I needed help in dealing with Celia on this and the only person I could think of was Elle. I went home to call Johnnie to let him know I couldn’t make the practice and to also try and persuade Elle to come over and reason with her.

Long story short... Elle called Susan (from the ”panty house”) to come over and watch the kids and then came over to help me out. Celia listened to Elle and culled out almost all of her husband’s old things as well as more than half her own. When it came to Sophie’s things it was even easier because of the new clothes Elle had bought for her. Most were pants and blouses and with the promise that Celia would keep Sophie in a “package“ there was no need to save the faded and stained dresses that she normally wore. By around 10:30pm I had repacked all the smaller boxes and had them safely into the car. What was left was mostly kitchen items and we finally got her to agree that her sister probably had all the same ones at her house. I wasn’t physically tired but mentally... it was a different story. It was another reminder that the mind of a female is totally different than that of a male.

Celia and Sophie were on their way to a new life at around 9am the next morning. Celia had given me the keys so John (my farmer neighbor) and I could get the furniture he’d bought out of the house. When we were done we were to give them to Vic so he could start showing the house. I called John and we agreed to do it after Thanksgiving. That was fine by me. I’d seen far too much of the house over the past week.

When I called Johnnie and told him I couldn’t make the practice I could tell he was upset. I tried to explain but he just hung up the phone. I called him Wednesday night and was told that there was no more team. I tried to get an explanation but all I got was the click of the disconnect. I was more concerned about the way Johnnie felt towards me at that moment than about the team. After the second practice I had a feeling that he’d bitten off more than he could handle. I enjoyed the exercise and being around the guys but it was obvious that we all had different agendas. Thinking about it for a while I was glad that it was over.

Thanksgiving was probably the most laid back one we’d experienced since moving back to the area. Elle’s parents went to visit her father’s only living relative which meant all we had to do was watch the parade on TV and then go and eat turkey at my parents house. My mother told Elle to ”take a day off’ and wouldn’t let her in the kitchen. I remember her sitting and watching the waves break on the shore and saying that’s what her dream life would be like.   
 
To be continued...   
 

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123f)

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123f)

I had to wait until the next morning to get answers. Elle called to say that the auctioneer had stopped by to see Celia and basically told her that to stage an auction for just her things wasn’t worth the effort. He was looking for antiques and the only one’s he found were the pieces she’d picked out to keep. She told Elle that she’d hoped to get some money from them but her sister was urging her to just get rid of the stuff any way she could. Elle didn’t come right out and say it but hinted that Celia wanted me to do it for her. The good news was that she was going to leave for New Jersey the following Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.

At least I was forewarned before I got to Celia’s that night. Her sister and nephew had loaded up the things she wanted to take with her (basically, her bedroom suite) and had left just before dark. No sooner had I entered the kitchen when she asked if there was anything in the house that I wanted. There wasn’t but, to be kind, said I’d take a close look. When we got to the second floor I could smell the stale urine emanating from Sophie’s room. The master bedroom was empty except for piles of clothing and empty cardboard boxes. I didn’t even want to go into Sophie’s room but followed her in. Sophie hadn’t come upstairs with us so, to make conversation, I asked how she was taking the situation. Celia shrugged but admitted that when it came time to pack up her things it would probably get ”messy“.

Right across from Sophie’s room there was a closed door. I’d opened it the day I’d gone into the house to get clean clothes for Celia when she was at the hospital with her husband but had no memory of what was inside. When Celia opened the door and turned on the ceiling light I saw a very sparsely furnished room... twin beds and a chest of drawers with no mattresses on the beds. I asked what she’d used the room for and she didn’t really give me an answer. I hated to tell her that there really wasn’t anything of interest.

At that point she turned to me and asked what should she do with everything. In the back of my mind I was waiting for just that question. Because it was only a matter of days until she planned to leave the big questions were how it would be moved and who would do it. The obvious answer of what to do with it was to take it to the landfill. John (my farmer neighbor) had helped out when I’d been involved with the yard clean up. He was the only one I could think of because I knew he had a truck to get it moved. Even though I hated to do it I gave him a call from Celia’s house. Almost unbelievably he said he’d come right over. I don’t think it took him five minutes.

As soon as he walked in the kitchen door he looked at the table and chairs and asked Celia how much she wanted for it. I remember a similar table and chairs in the apartment I lived in during and right after WWII. It had a baked enamel top and had round chrome legs. The chairs sort of matched the chrome on the table but they had red plastic seats. Celia didn’t have an answer for him. John explained that he needed them for his new ”bunkhouse“.

Back in that period of time farmers would hire migrant workers to harvest the crops. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 there were rules established as to the housing provided for these workers. John and his father, having one of the larger farms in the township, were picked to create the standard for smaller farmers to follow. He’d built a cement block building that contained a bathroom and kitchen as well as space for 10 beds. It had cost way more than expected and it hadn’t been a particularly profitable year on the farm so they hadn’t purchased much in the way of furnishings. I’d seen the inside after the roof was on and even though it was new it was stark and not very appealing. I’d never seen the inside of what had preceded it but the outside was dilapidated so I could only imagine how bad the inside was. John had purchased ten Army surplus beds for the migrants but that was all. He’d been cited by the local civil rights group for failing to live up to the code that had been established and they were demanding that he provide additional ”comforts“ including tables, chairs and lamps. When he saw Celia’s table and chairs he knew he had solved a bit of his problem.

After John fully explained his situation Celia showed him the rest of the furniture. He was almost beside himself saying that he’d take most of it and wanting to know how much money Celia wanted. I stood there afraid to say anything. I was happy that she was going to get some money but I didn’t know how to advise her and I certainly didn’t want my neighbor to pay too much. Because Celia kept shrugging her shoulders I finally spoke up to say that regardless of the amount decided upon there was still the problem of getting all the stuff out of the house. That did it. John offered $100 for everything on the first floor and would remove everything else. I didn’t know if it was a good deal or bad deal but the look on Celia’s face told me that she was satisfied. Because she wasn’t leaving until the following Wednesday it was left that John would clean out the house right after that. I chimed in that I’d help him move the stuff.

With that hurdle cleared, packing up both hers and Sophie’s clothes plus their personal things was next on Celia’s agenda. That Saturday morning Elle got a call from her asking if she could watch Sophie. She’d started to go through Sophie’s things and she’d become very upset. She didn't want to tell Sophie that they were moving away quite yet. On top of that it was Sophie’s birthday. Hearing that, Elle asked if she could take her out to lunch as a way to celebrate. Celia, true to her nature, didn’t want Elle to go out of her way but Elle finally wore her down.

I was out in the garage when Elle approached me about her plan. I had no problem until she asked if she could spend some of the money we’d put aside for Christmas for new clothes for Sophie. I gave her a ”look“ and she explained that all of Sophie’s clothes were not only well worn but were also very stained and none were suited for Winter. I couldn’t disagree but my first thoughts were selfish... how benevolent did we want to be? I’d put a lot of effort into Celia and her problems but, on the other hand, they hadn’t cost anything but time. But, we were still living on a tight budget and the kids were due for a nice Christmas. Elle pretty much knew what I was thinking so volunteered to bypass her own Christmas presents. What could I say to that but ”OK“.

To be continued...
   

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123e)

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123e)

The kids, Pat’s daughter included, had been quietly entertaining themselves while we were discussing the San Soucie catalogs. During the lull when Pat went into the bathroom to try on the panties they suddenly appeared wanting to know when they were going to eat. When Pat reappeared that was the subject being discussed and Pat was put upon by her daughter to go home. I didn’t know what to say or do. Still upset with Pat’s attitude, I wanted to know what she thought about the panties but I also knew it was not a subject to be brought up with the kids present... so I didn’t say or do anything. Without saying a word to Elle or I, or even giving a hint about the panties, Pat proceeded to gather up her coat and to shepherd her daughter to the door. The only words she spoke were to Elle and that was to say that she’d be ”in touch“.

I had to wait until supper was done and the dishes washed before I could express my thoughts about what had happened. Elle, not wanting to do or say anything to upset Pat because of the help she offered with the Brownie troop as well the potential to make money doing alterations for her, just shrugged it off. That made me even madder. The woman had walked off wearing a pair of panties that didn’t belong to her without mentioning anything about them. I went into the den to calm down and to watch some TV and realized I didn’t know where the catalogs were. I went back into the kitchen and asked Elle where they were and she didn’t know. The only place they could be was with Pat. Now I was really mad. I headed for the phone but Elle pretty much knew what I was going to do and pleaded with me not to make the call. She promised that she’d get it all sorted out the next day. I did start to dial Pat’s number but backed off before dialing the last digit.

As if all that wasn’t enough for one day, the phone rang just before 10pm. Expecting that it was bad news of some sort, since normal people didn’t make casual calls at that time of night, I was right... but it was a different type of bad news. It was Celia. A few days after her yard had been cleaned up she called Vic, the real estate agent, and told him she was ready for him to list the property for sale. Like all good agents, he wanted to see for himself and had come over that day. What he’d told her wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Yes, the grounds (and garage) had been addressed but the house itself wasn’t ready to be shown. She proceeded to tell me, almost word for word, what he’d told her and it was clear to me that she didn’t agree. She admitted that she’d been so mad after he left that she had decided to stay put and not move. However, as she calmed down she realized that that was not possible and had called to ask my advice. I wanted to ask her if she realized just what time it was.

I sat and listened to her for over a half hour. Elle gave up on me and went to bed by herself. Basically, Vic told her that it would be a waste of time to show the house as it was. The most important thing to address was the stale cigarette smoke smell. She told me that she didn’t think it was all that bad but I reminded her that she’d lived in that atmosphere for over twenty years and had grown used to it. Then she told me that Vic had suggested getting rid of the upholstered furniture, rugs and curtains since the smell was embedded into the material. Before she could editorialize on that I interrupted her to ask just what were her plans for the furniture since she had told me she was going to live with her sister. All I got was dead silence. I had to ask if she was still on the line at least twice. When she finally acknowledged me I told her to sleep on it and that I would call the next night after I’d had my supper.

I really wasn’t looking forward to going over there that next day but I’d said I would. It was dark out and as I pushed my way through the hedge I stopped and looked at the lights on in her house. In a weird sort of way I knew I’d miss the two of them. Celia was waiting at the kitchen door and appeared to be in much better control of her emotions than when I’d last talked with her. She opened with the news that her sister and nephew would be out the next day. She told me that, between the two of them, they would decide what furniture would be going with her when she made the move. To me, that was great news. Then she asked if I had any idea what to do with what they decided not to take. I knew... but didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. I hemmed and hawed for a few minutes and then thought of the auctioneer that my father had used when my grandparents furniture was sold. That seemed to satisfy her. She still couldn’t accept what Vic had told her about first impressions when it came to showing houses. Without knowing just what Vic had told her I tried to reinforce the concept. There wasn’t much more to say but when I was about to leave she grabbed my arm and asked if I really could notice the stale smell of cigarettes. I smiled and nodded my head affirmatively. Then she let me out the door.

I took the initiative and contacted the auctioneer the next morning. He told me he had an auction scheduled for the weekend at his barn and was more than willing to stop by at Celia’s to see what was there. Excited, I called her right up. I thought she’d be excited too but I definitely didn’t get the response I’d hoped for. I gave her his name and told her that he’d be stopping by late that day. Because she didn’t seem all that receptive I called the auctioneer back to give him the background of the situation. As I hung up the phone I wondered if I hadn’t gone just a bit too far.

Even though I wanted to know if Celia and her sister had made any decisions and what the auctioneer had told her, I was determined not to call. I was spending way too much time on her problems and I wasn’t sure that she wasn’t using me as a crutch. In the last situation with Vic she’d asked me for advice and I gave it to her. The thing was after I gave it to her she wanted to argue with me. I came close to telling her that if she wanted to argue, do it with Vic, not me but I recognized that it had been a tough time for her and kept my mouth shut.

To be continued...
      
        
 

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123d)

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123d)

We quit around 3pm. All the beer was gone and even though there was a small heater in the cabin we were all chilled to the bone. After securing and cleaning the boat we headed for the marina. I don’t remember how many fish we ended up with but “B” had put them in a sack and was going to take them home to his mother. At my house he did come in to say “Hi” to Elle. She, like me, had believed that it was a fishing “excursion” and wanted to know how many fish we’d caught and what was going to happen to them. I caught “B’s” eyes and gave him a nod to let him know to be careful what he said. The last thing I wanted her to know was that I’d pretty much spent the day playing poker (and had lost money). “B” saved the day when he offered Elle "some" of the fish and really won some “points” when he volunteered to clean and filet them. Then she asked him to stay for dinner.

“B” was incredible with our kids. He was able to overcome their fear of his size and, in the case of the two oldest, fabricated stories that had them mesmerized. To be truthful, I was too. By the time dinner was ready “Uncle B” was almost a member of the family. After the kids were in bed he told us more about himself and it was hard to believe that a man of his size (300+ pounds) was able to do so much. We continued to be impressed with each tale (which, in time, he was able to back up).

I’d left off in telling about the “samples” of the Sans Soucie panties that my friend Willie had shipped to me and saying I was going to try and slip a couple of the size 4 into Elle’s panty drawer without saying anything. It took a few days until she grabbed a pair of panties without looking at them. When she went to put them on they were tighter than usual which caused her to look at them closely. I’d already left for work so didn’t hear about it until I got home. She greeted me as I walked in by lifting her skirt and asking where the panties had come from. I didn’t have much choice so, after supper, told her the whole story of Willie's new company and how he'd offered to send me some "samples". I reminded her that some of the panties she regularly wore were from him but from his “old” company. The conversation allowed me to bring up the comment Pat (the PTA lady) had made at our last party about how nice Elle’s panties were and then how I got the idea that maybe she might want to establish an account with him. I told her about the catalogs he’d sent and as soon as I did she wanted to see them. As she perused them I heard her say, quietly, “Christmas is coming...” Knowing that I was in somewhat of a good position at that point I took advantage by saying that it would depend on her being a good girl. She was still wearing the brand new panties which was a good sign. I told her about the two sizes and that she was wearing a pair of size 4. She knew that she had some size 4 panties in her drawer but because everything in the drawer fit she never pair any attention until she put this pair on. She said they were comfortable enough but I wanted to see how much difference the size 5 made. I got a pair of the brand new size 5’s and slid them up. As I tried to asses the difference I pretty much determined that the sizing of the Sans Soucie panties was just a little off. The size 5 VanRaalte panties fit Elle like they were made just for her... no wrinkles or bagginess and these size 5’s were just a bit bigger. All in all I was pleased and hoped Elle would continue to wear them. When we finished with that we made a visit to the bathroom together which really made me happy!       

Elle’s Brownie troop met that week. Two mothers of members served as Elle’s assistants on a rotating basis. Usually, by the time I got home from work, everyone would be gone, but not this week. I recognized the car in the driveway as belonging to Pat (the PTA lady). Her daughter was a member of the troop but with her still there I wondered if she had some alteration work for Elle. With Christmas on the horizon the money would surely come in handy. However, I found them at the kitchen table looking at the Sans Soucie catalogs. I hadn’t wanted to be the one to propose the idea of an account to Pat hoping that Elle would do it. But she put it all on me. Of all the women who were a part of the group she’d assembled to get Jon (the milkman) elected to the school board she was probably the most prudish. As I took a seat and started talking I couldn’t help but think that she was looking at me as some sort of a pervert. She had some questions but before I was through she asked if Elle had anything made by the company. After I’d told Elle about Willie and the new panties I'd gone out to my car,  retrieved both boxes and put them in our bedroom closet. When Pat asked, Elle jumped up and headed up the stairs. I was hoping that all she’d bring down was just one pair. She brought both boxes.

I just sat back and watched Pat. She took a pair and rubbed the material between her fingers. Then, in typical Pat fashion, she said she wanted to try a pair on. She didn’t ask... just stated that she was going to do. I’ve made a point of not commenting on Pat’s demeanor up to now because it really didn’t come in to play in the situations I was writing about. However, on this particular occasion she really annoyed me. I wasn’t expecting her to state that she wanted to try a pair on but but it was the way she said it that caused me to react. Elle and I had just discussed the sizing difference in the San Soucie panties as to other brands and when Pat reached into one of the boxes to grab a pair I blurted out something along the lines of “Wait! What size do you wear?” The look on her face was of shock. I’m not sure if it was my tone of voice or the fact that a male had asked what size panties she wore. I never looked at Elle. Pat hesitated and sort of stammered out “Six.” By then I was sort of “possessed“ and quickly asked what brand. She must’ve still been in shock because she shot right back ”Vanity Fair“.

It’s funny to me now as I write this... I’d pegged her as a Vanity Fair woman sometime right after I met her. Her semi superior attitude and aggressive nature seemed to fall in line with some other females that I’d discovered wore Vanity Fair panties. In any case, after she spit out ”Vanity Fair“ I went into the sizing thing and remember telling her that the Sans Soucie should fit and why. She hesitated before getting up but she took the panties and headed for the bathroom. As soon as she did Elle was all over me, asking what had gotten into me. I didn’t respond knowing that it wouldn’t do any good. What was done was done and we had to live with it. I remember thinking that the situation couldn’t be too bad since she did take the panties to try them on.

To be continued...       
        
 

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123c)

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123c)

Elle got a call to come into the local school to teach the next morning which meant there was a bit of panic as we started our day. The panties we’d made up the night before were forgotten for the time being. I was on my way to work when I thought about them again. I liked the feel of them and that was because the nylon satin material was on the outside. However, the “test” of them that we'd wanted hadn’t been performed. I knew Elle would want to wash them before the next test and I tried to think forward to when that might be. I also wondered if Elle would tell Sandy about them.

With all the focus on panties over the previous few days (the Sans Soucie panties from Willy and making the “dribble” panties) I was almost constantly reminded that I still had to hide my “stash” up in the attic. There was one big reason that I’d put it off... getting into the attic was a hassle. The previous owner had added a “trap door” at the top of the stairs into the attic. He’d made it himself and hadn’t put a lot of thought into it. He’d made it from a 4’ X 8’ sheet of half inch sheet of plywood which was very heavy. Then he added two hinges so that it could be opened. However... because of the weight it was very hard for me to get open and there was no way Elle could. I won’t go into the physics of it but in the almost year that we owned the house I’d only been up there twice. When the trap door was opened past half way it would then flop all the way over and crash onto the attic floor. The “crash” would reverberate throughout the house which meant there was no way I could ever go up there without Elle knowing. Periodically I’d thought about how to remedy the problem but wasn’t confident enough about my solution to pursue it. It was "Big B" who, quite by accident, got me headed in the right direction.

The previous owner had left various things behind when moving. I’d found them ferreted away in different places in and around the house. When built, it was heated with a coal furnace. That meant there was a coal bin in the cellar. For some unknown reason it had been sealed off with a partial partition. With Winter coming on Elle had been after me to create a play area for the kids down there where they could leave their things and not have to hide them away like when they would play in the living room. When I tore the partition down I found a lot of pure junk along with a few lumps of coal. I was particularly intrigued with a pail filled with what looked like solid tubes of cast iron and with a small hole in one end. I found there were three distinct lengths when I laid them out on the floor. I didn’t have the faintest idea what they were or what they were for. “B” had stopped by with some racing parts catalogs for me to look at and while he was there I ran down into the cellar and fetched a few of the mysterious items. He laughed when I emerged with them in my hands. They were sash weights.

I remember looking at him and it must’ve been a blank stare because he continued to laugh. Finally, he pointed to a window and explained that they were counter weights that allowed windows to remain open. I won’t say that the “lights“ went on at that moment but it did give me an idea on how to fix the attic trap door. The following weekend I bought some cheap pulleys, clothes line and some miscellaneous hardware and headed to the attic with a bunch of the old sash weights. I spent a whole morning up there but when I came down for lunch I’d made it so it was no longer an ordeal to get up there. Then I made a "stop” so that  it wouldn’t fall all the way over and crash to the floor. I was pleased with myself.

After I finished cleaning up the mess I’d made, drilling holes and the like, I took a good look around. There was flooring that went from one end to the other and it was about 6’ wide. At the West (chimney) end there was a pile of material. I went over to explore it and found it was a couple of feather mattresses. I remembered the ones at my grandparents house when I was a very young boy and the fun my brother and I had jumping into them. As I looked at them I wondered if they had any value. What I was really looking for a place to hide the box that held my “stash” of panties. Back when the house was built (early 30’s) the wood measured what it said it was (a 2 x 4 was, indeed, a 2“ by 4” piece of wood). I was looking down at the open beams and suddenly realized that with 8 inch beams I could hide the box under the flooring I was standing on. I grabbed the box and it slid, easily, under the floor. At that point I was really pleased with myself. I’d made the attic useable AND found a place to hide my “stash”.

I’d been convinced to join "Big B" and his friends, “the unmarrieds“ on their ”excursion“. ”B“ had cleared the way with Elle but, in spite of my best efforts, all he would tell me was that we’d be fishing and it was a really good time. Pete. one of the group, would get to use his father’s power boat a few times each year and the ”excursion“ signaled the end of the boating season. It was election day so I was off and ”B“ picked me up. At the marina the others were already gathered. I saw multiple fishing rods, a couple of cases of beer, a cooler and, most puzzling, a card table and some folding chairs. We loaded the stuff on the boat and headed out. At the mouth of the creek was a fairly long jetty that had been constructed to protect it from Easterly storms. Pete took the boat around the end of it and promptly anchored. I was puzzled. Not big into fishing, I’d been out with Elle’s father enough times to know where the fish were usually found and this spot certainly wasn’t it. The guys baited their hooks and dropped their lines overboard. I just stood and watched. After that was done they secured the rods to the handrails and then disappeared into the cabin.

What the ”excursion” really was was a floating card game. Yes, there was some fishing, if you stretched your imagination. There were six of us and only room for five to play. There would be a rotation about every half hour where the guy who was sitting out would go outside and monitor the fishing rods. By noon we had about six small flounder. When it became my turn to go out and get cold (it was in the 30’s) I noticed that there was now a small fleet of boats all around us all with fishing rods over the side. I’d heard Elle’s father say that weekend fishermen were nothing more than copycats. choosing to follow rather than to go out and find fish themselves. I went back inside and told the others about our “guests” and they all laughed.

To be continued...

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123b)

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123b)

The gym was ours for two hours but we didn’t make it to even one. It was pretty discouraging for Johnnie. The two of us talked in the parking lot for a while and, in spite of the promises from the other guys to get into shape, it was obvious to me that he had serious doubts. So that his wife, Sandy, wasn’t alone while he was at practice he’d dropped her off to be with Elle so had to stop by to pick her up. It was after 8pm so I knew the kids would be in bed when we walked in. However, the women weren’t anywhere to be see or heard. I went to the cellar door and called down there with no response. Next was to call upstairs. I hadn’t noticed that our bedroom door was closed so when it opened and Elle stepped out it was a surprise. Sandy followed right behind her. I asked what they were doing and it was obvious that they were embarrassed but I didn’t get a direct answer. With all of us in the kitchen, Johnnie voiced his disappointment with the results of the practice. The women had nothing to offer in the way of comments or suggestions so Johnnie and Sandy then left. I was glad because it meant I’d be able to find out what had been going on up in our bedroom.

Elle was very coy as she led the way up the stairs. The door was ajar and when I walked in I could see a bunch of panties lying across the bedspread. My first reaction concerned the fact that among them were a few of Elle’s very stained Carter’s Spanky Pants. The first question was asking why she had them out and allowing Sandy to see them. I distinctly remember her standing there and telling me that she had nothing to hide from her. That didn’t answer the underlying question which came out next... what were they doing with them... all of them?

Long story short... Elle reminded me that the two of us had discussed the desire that Sandy and she had for just one panty that would catch and hold their “dribbles”. When she mentioned it I did remember and that, at that immediate time, I was excited about exploring the concept but there were too many other things going at that time to dwell on it. Elle went on that Sandy had just experienced an embarrassing incident at her new job. She was now a part-timer at the local hardware store and the owner was showing her around the store. They were in the store room when she had a sneezing attack and had leaked enough to make a small puddle. When she told her story Elle decided to “take the bull by the horns” and tell Sandy about her (our) basic idea. Once past that and with the kids in bed, Elle took her into our bedroom and dug out some old panties that could be used in a trial and error way. She'd gone over the basic idea with Sandy and was in the process of showing her with the panties when Johnnie and I arrived. At that point my only question was to ask about how Sandy reacted to the idea. Elle smiled in a good way as her answer.

Back during the Summer when she and Johnnie were at the Community Picnic with us she’d had an “accident” (actually two) and had ended up wearing a spare “package” that Elle always kept in the station wagon for emergencies. Elle had talked, in depth, about her “problem” with Sandy who, in turn, shared her “puddle problems” with her. When Elle had suggested Sandy wear a “partial’ package“ Sandy had told her she didn’t like cotton panties. It was after that when Elle and I had briefly talked about the idea of putting a cotton crotch inside the two layers of a nylon crotch. Basically, that was where they were at when Johnnie and I had interrupted them.

Because the Carter’s Spanky Pants were made of a heavy ribbed cotton Elle thought the crotch from a pair of them might be good to use. I grabbed a pair and then looked through the nylon panties on the bed. I looked at the width of the cotton crotch and found a pair of stained Evette panties that was about the same. We headed downstairs and started in on our project. The first thing was cutting the crotch out from the Carter’s panties and then cutting the band leg portion off. I hated the idea of cutting through the inner layer of the nylon panties but didn’t know any other way. Then I slid the cotton crotch inside the nylon panties and flattened them out. Actually, it was pretty simple.

You know I couldn’t wait to get them on Elle. She obliged by taking off her skirt and slip and changed into the panties we’d just put together. As I walked up to her and put my hand on her crotch I could feel the bulk of the cotton between the layers of nylon satin. Of course, I also wanted for Elle to ”test“ them out. However, she convinced me that for it to be a ”real“ test she didn’t want to just give me a squirt. She wanted it to be "natural" to see if our idea worked and didn't allow a drip (or more) to get to the ground. I suggested that she go use the toilet and then hope for her to ”dribble“ on her own. It didn’t happen. So we went into the den and watched some TV. I pushed her to use the toilet again as soon as the show we were watching was over. Still no luck. I got up and, again, put my hand between her legs. She finally relented and gave me what I was looking for, a small squirt. As I felt the wet warmness reach my fingers the one thing I noticed was that it all stayed in the panties. It was the same as when Elle would wear the cotton panties along with a pair of nylon satin ones over them. The big difference was that when I put my free hand on her fanny there was just the one layer of satiny material. I liked it!

After we went upstairs and got ready for bed I persuaded her to let me ”play” with her still in the “test” panties. With me lying on my back she climbed on me straddling my groin area. She gave me another “squirt” to fully lubricate the crotch of the panties and then I was off and thrusting. I’d always liked the combination of the wet cotton panties with a pair of nylon satin ones over them to “play” in and with and I enjoyed myself but not so much that I spoiled Elle's night. At this point it's needless to say that we finished off the night the right way.

To be continued...        
 

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123a)

CATCHING UP... a bit (Part 123a)

With all that took place in October I couldn’t bring some of the “threads“ that were started to conclusion. I hope to remedy that in this part.
===============================

My old sailing friend, Willie, had moved to New Orleans to run the lingerie company his father had bought at the end of September. He’d forwarded a couple of the catalogs (Sans Soucie) for me to peruse. When I called him he was up to his eyeballs in trying to get settled and his arms wrapped around the way the company had been run. I’d wanted to order some of the things from the catalog but he couldn’t take the order at the time and had told me that he’d pick out some things and send them to me. But, he didn’t say when and, not wanting to be a PITA (pain in the ass), didn’t call him back to find out.

A box arrived at work for me in the middle of the week the first week of November. It’d been almost a month since I’d talked with Willy so I’d somewhat forgotten about his promise to send samples. I looked at the return label and I saw ”U S Manufacturing“ on it. I had no knowledge of that company and wondered if it wasn’t a mistake. I was about to put the box on the floor when I saw, in very small print, ”New Orleans, LA“ underneath the company name. That gave me the answer. Now, the problem was the how and where to see what was inside. I took the box to my car during lunch break and broke one end open. What I saw was two boxes standing on end with the words ”Sans Soucie“ in gold script and some numbers. I wanted to pull them out to see what was inside but, being in the public parking lot, I didn’t want to take the chance. It made for a long afternoon.

You might’ve thought I just got in my car at the end of the day and popped the boxes open. But I didn’t. Being dark out and with he dome light in my car out I knew I wouldn’t see much. I drove out to the Chevy dealership on the outskirts of town. The lights for their display lot made it almost as bright as day. I pulled up in front of the used cars and pulled one of the boxes out. There were six pair of bright white nylon satin panties inside. I sat there in disbelief. There were two batches with a paper band around them. I pulled one batch out and and as soon as I touched the panties realized they were nylon satin, my absolute favorite pantie material. Then I separated one pair and went right for the label. It was printed in blue with Sans Soucie, in script, and the size, 4, printed on it. I held them up and saw the diamond shape of the crotch and was very happy. The other box held six pair of size five panties. I’d thought I was going to get a mix of products but what he’d sent was absolutely perfect. I wasn’t sure just why he’d sent both a box of size 4 and size 5 so I held a pair of each up to see the difference. I couldn’t remember what size the two pair that I’d bought in the city were but since most of her panties were size 5 I figured that was what they were. The size 4 panties didn't look that much smaller and, on my way home, I began to wonder if they would fit Elle and then how I could get a pair on her to see. However, I just didn’t know if I should tell her about them. I finally decided to just slip a few pair into her panty drawer and on the weekend, where I got to pick out what she wore, I’d try to get her in a new pair. It was something to look forward to.
           

Speaking of the Sans Soucie catalogs, when I’d looked through them I saw some things that I thought Pat (the PTA lady) might be interested in for her hoped for bridal shop. At our last party she’d taken a look at the panties Elle had used when she was dared to show everyone her panties and had complimented her on them. Putting the two thoughts together I felt that I had to come up with a way to get the catalogs to Pat and then, to propose that she open an account with Willie’s company... but how to do it was the question.

I’d committed to joining the basketball team that my friend Johnnie was putting together. He’d given out some information about who was going to be on the team but by the first of November we hadn’t yet met nor had we had a practice. That all ended the first week in November. Being a teacher at the school he was able to get permission to use the gym, but only the gym. All doors into the school, including the locker room(s) were locked. Our ingress and egress was through a fire door that led out to the parking lot. It had been over ten years since I’d played any organized basketball and I was very nervous as I walked into the gym. The first face I recognized was that of Jonesie, the guy who’d recently done the work in my kitchen. At first I though I was in the wrong place. He was around 40 years old and I hadn’t taken him for being into athletics when I met him. But, he was an absolute sports junkie. He had on sneakers and was wearing shorts so was dressed properly. I just walked over to him and said ”Hi.“ Johnnie walked in with three other guys, one being about 6’5”. He looked like a basketball player but the other two... I had my doubts. Both were definitely under 6 feet and looked to be somewhere around 200 pounds each and about five or six months pregnant. Then two others made their way through the door and all I could think was that we were, at best, a motley crew.

Johnnie introduced everyone and in so doing identified the two “round guys” as holding a number of the high school’s records for scoring. I looked at them and thought “No way!”. The tall guy, Dave, had played a year of college ball at a major school. (We weren’t told why it was just one year.) At least there was some basketball background among the group. Johnnie had played in college although it was at a small teacher’s school. Actually, at that point, I felt a bit intimidated.

Johnnie, to get an idea of where we all were situated as far as current skills were concerned, suggested we play a bit of half court ball. It was the two “round guys, one of the latecomers and I versus Dave, Johnnie, Jonesie and the other latecomer. What a joke! After ten or so minutes the only two who weren’t winded were Johnnie and I. The only positive was that both the ”round guys“ still had an eye for the basket and a soft touch. We took a break and then made some player switches and went back at it. The only thing I could offer was ”quick hands”. I was able to deflect passes and stole a few as well. Dave, the “skyscraper”,  got most of the missed shots but didn’t (or couldn’t) run. He pretty much just stood in around under the backboard. During the next break Johnnie had us go through some drills, all of them requiring running. If I’d been a spectator I would’ve been laughing.

To be continued... 

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122l)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122l)

What a weekend! I’d made a number of attempts to reach the guy who owned the local factory to see if he’d come take a look at the machinery in Celia’s garage but with no luck. Early Saturday morning he finally called and said he’d be over around 10am. I wanted to be there when he arrived so went over to Celia’s yard a bit early. Waiting, I took a good look around the sides of her house. It was truly a mess. It was a mix of weeds, decaying leaves as well as the current crop of them. I decided to go get my rake and do something positive with my time while waiting. It was close to 11am when this big Cadddy pulled up the driveway. As I’d written, I sort of knew him a bit from when I was much younger. I couldn’t believe he was the same person I remembered working in his father’s store. Fat, balding and looking somewhat hung over, he walked up to me announcing that Cage was here. (Explanation: As I’d written, he was a local sports hero going back to high school. He went to college in the city and had played basketball in his freshman year. In a big game he scored the winning basket and the local weekly paper picked up on it and ran a headline “Local cager scores big!” When he returned home his buddies teased him by calling him “Cager”. Over time it got reduced to Cage.) If nothing else he was surely full of himself.

I steeled myself for a bout of self promotion but he didn’t waste much time saying that the equipment was obsolete. However, he said he’d give Celia $500 for them. I didn’t know how to respond. I’d hoped that Celia would’ve come out when he arrived. I knew that if he didn’t take the stuff Celia would have to pay to have it hauled away. I took a look to see if Celia was on her way and when the guy started for his car I told him it was a deal. As he backed down the drive Celia finally made her way outside. I told her what I’d done and she seemed happy. I hoped she was telling the truth.

I’d raked up a sizable pile of stuff and now wondered what to do with it. As I stared at it Big “B” made his way through the hedge opening. He’d come over to tell me he’d found someone willing to sell a motor for the racecar. We talked a bit and then he asked what I was doing. I gave him the whole story about Celia and, much to my surprise, he told me he’d be back in a little while, with help. I didn’t protest but, at the same time I hadn’t planned on spending my day working over at Celia’s.

About an hour later he returned with two of the “unmarrieds” that he hung out with, Pete and Martin, along with some rakes. He also brought some beer. Before we really got started another car showed up. It was Babs, Pete’s girlfriend. Pete was short for a man, about 5’3“ and Babs was even shorter. Over the next three or so hours the five of us had created a huge pile of leaves and debris. When we got over to the garage I showed ”B“ the scrap metal that was stacked behind it. ”B” took a good look and said he’d take care of it. His father was a “tinkerer” and liked to make all sorts of things from junk. By the time they all left most of Celia’s yard problems had been solved but there was still the big pile of leaves to be addressed. The shrubs around the house still needed to be cut back but, to me, it was a very positive day.

Sunday morning I ached just about everywhere. I begged out of going to church and Elle gave me a “pass“ provided that I babysit Kaye. It was an easy choice. Just before Elle returned I saw John (the neighbor farmer) pull into his driveway. He’d allowed me to rake my leaves into his farm but I was reluctant to do the same with Celia’s. I gave him a call and explained the situation. John, as usual, stepped right up and said he’d get his bucket loader and a farm wagon and be there in about a half hour. Elle arrived a short time later and right after she did I saw John driving his tractor down the road. It only took him a short time to clean it all up and, as he drove back down the driveway, I stood there and looked at Celia’s house again. Not being able to see some of the windows, I knew I’d have to trim the shrubs to complete the job I'd started.

I had no idea what the proper procedure for cutting them back was. All I knew was that they were going to look a lot different when I got done. I spent about three hours on it and had only gotten the front of the house done. The house definitely looked better although I can’t say the same for the bushes. Celia came out to see what I was doing and I was somewhat disappointed in her reaction. She seemed even more ”down“ than she’d been since her husband’s death. I tried to cheer her up by saying that it wouldn’t be long until she could list the house. As soon as I said it she started crying and went back inside. I was completely confused. Here I and my friends had put two days effort into trying to help her and it seemed like it had made the situation worse.

Monday was the ”real“ Halloween and the kids were excited. On the way to work I fantasized about what ”peeks“ I might get to see from the costumed employees with my hopes high for Netta, the switchboard operator who had worn her high school cheerleader outfit on Friday. It didn’t take long for my bubble to burst as Netta didn’t wear her uniform. Jerena, Jaz and Katy were the only ones who had worn or brought their costumes. At lunch time Jerena had to go to the Chamber of Commerce office for the final judging of the individual winners. She’d asked if Laura could go with her to help her into the hoop that I’d helped her with on Friday. I offered to drive them. There was no way Jerena could ride in a car with the hoop and said it was even too difficult to wear the skirt because there was just so much material. So, since my car was a coupe with only two doors I had Laura get in back and then we handed her Jerena’s skirt. Jerena was concerned that it might get too wrinkled if it was folded so Laura said it would be OK to have it lay across her lap. I was the closest to Laura as we fed it in to her. We’d gotten some of it in when Jerena suggested that Laura sort of drape the waist of it up and over the back of the seat. To do it Laura had to turn sideways and as she did I got my hoped for ”peek“. As she had pulled the material up and over her lap it got caught on Laura’s skirt. I watched as more and more skin appeared and when she really turned she opened her legs and it was a most beautiful sight. Jerena had gone over to the drivers side door and was trying to pull her costume skirt up and onto the back window shelf. She was totally unaware of what I could see of Laura.

In truth, I have no idea how long my ”peek“ was. All I knew was that Laura’s legs were apart at about a 45 degree angle and I could see the crotch of her panties from where her bottom touched the car seat to above the crotch line. I had an instantaneous bulge. Luckily, I still was holding some of Jerena’s skirt to hide it. I was positive that neither of them knew what I’d seen because they never paid any attention to me. What I remember the most was how tight the panties were pulled across her privates... nary a wrinkle. A great memory!

Oh, by the way... Jerena won third prize.

To be continued...    
 

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122k)

TIME MARCHES ON... changes (Part 122k)

The reaction to my costume ranged from outright hilarity to snide remarks. I was pleased to see that two more employees showed up in costume making a total of five, not including me. Katie made her own. She came as a black cat. The body of it was one of her grandfather’s old union suits, dyed black, complete with a buttoned ”trap door“. She pulled a pair of black panty hose over her head. She cut off most of the legs using them to make a tail that she attached to the ”trap door“. With the little that was left of the legs she made ears. Some bristles from a broom made whiskers and that completed the outfit. Netta, the new switchboard operator, showed up in her high school cheerleader outfit. Bret almost choked when he saw her in it. Jaz, the new bookkeeping machine operator, came as a clown, or so she claimed. It was mix and match outfit that made no sense to me. One of the women in the mortgage department dressed as a flapper, using some of her mother’s old (and I mean OLD!) clothes. I could smell the mothballs as I took a look at her. All in all I was pleased.

To encourage participation the Chamber offered a chance for prizes to those who did dress up. I was not eligible as I had been designated as one of five judges. I was out of my costume by 10am. I was to meet the other judges for a quick lunch at Chamber headquarters but before I left I got another ”treat“. I was headed to the coat room and saw Katie walking through the work area. Her tail was dragging and as I watched her walk by I saw why. the buttons that were supposed to hold her ”trap door“ closed seemed to be gone and the flap was all the way down. White panties surrounded by black make for a startling contrast. My first thought was to turn around to see if Bret was at his desk. He was and I was able to get his attention and pointed towards Katie who was now out behind the tellers area retrieving a ledger card. I knew it wasn’t very nice but I knew he was a bit of a ”panty man“. He didn’t know what I was trying to tell him so came over to me. I told him to watch Katie as she went back to the drive up window. I was going to be late so continued towards the back room but did turn around to get a glimpse of Bret’s face. It was priceless.

Each of the five judges had around nine members to visit. None could vote on their own shop and I ended up on the east end of town. Almost all of the businesses were ”Mom and Pop“ type with few employees. It wasn’t all that hard for me because there were only about 25 people in costume. My choice was fairly easy and in a way was somewhat unfair. The lady owned a fabric store that also sold patterns and sewing machines. She had made her costume in the form of a butterfly. It was truly outstanding. By the time I got back to the bank it was mid afternoon. I’d barely walked in the door when Trish told me to go over to the public restroom. It was located somewhat under the stairs. Hank, the messenger custodian, was standing guard just outside the door. The problem was that the toilet was stopped up and he’d tried to unclog and was unsuccessful. In the process water had flooded the room. He’d had Bret contact the plumber but wanted me to replace him for a minute so he could go get the mop and pail to soak up the water. I’d just walked in so wasn’t involved in anything so said I would.

I mentioned the stairway... which was curved and was ”open“ on the lobby side. Over time I’d had an occasional upskirt look but, because there was no reason for employees to be over there, it was rare. The intention would’ve been fairly obvious if anyone went over and just stood there. But, with Hank walking away and the flooding problem known, I did have a reason. It didn’t take long for me to hear voices above me. I knew I had to be careful with my ”glances“. When I took my first look it was Netta and another person. Netta was right up against the handrail and when I looked up it about took my breath away. I’d forgotten that she’d worn her high school cheerleader outfit and when I saw her whole bare leg... well, it was a shock. I probably looked up at her long enough for her to go down at least six or so steps. The local high school colors were were grey and red and what broke my ”trance“ was the bright red panties I was looking at. But it was the white that was peeking out from under the red leg elastics that finished me off. After looking away for a quick second or so I went right back again. It became readily apparent that the uniform panties were too small and her regular panties had worked out from under the leg elastics. I won’t say I was drooling but it was close. I didn’t know if anyone in the lobby or any of the tellers had seem me leering up at her but as Netta walked by, still talking to the person who’d accompanied her down the stairs, it was obvious that she hadn’t caught me. WHEW!

Jerena had won the prize for the category we (the bank) had been put in. Those Chamber members who did not deal in merchandise were lumped together. Her prize was a $10 gift certificate to be used at any member store. But, as the prize winner she was still eligible for the grand prize which was to be decided on Monday, Halloween. All the winners from Friday were to gather at the Chamber offices at 3pm and the three officers would make the final determination. First prize was a $20 gift certificate with second getting one for $15 and third $10. (For 1966, that was real money!) As she left for the night she walked by my desk, smiled and whispered ”Thanks“. I know my face turned red.

I was stuck with the Friday night duty and when Bret stopped to stay goodnight he also had a ‘Thank you” for me. It was for putting him on to Katie’s “trap door” mishap. I was tempted to tell him about Netta but didn’t, knowing his past history with her. When I finally left for home I couldn’t help but wonder if Monday would bring forth the same good fortune. It had been quite a while since there had been any “activity” in that vein. It seemed like they came in bunches. I knew, for sure, I’d be much more aware of Netta, even if her work area was upstairs.

To be continued...