ANOTHER YEAR... new adventures (Part 151d)
It took a little
effort to calm down the other customers who’d heard her rant but we did.
The only ‘casualty’ was Alice, the newest teller, who had taken the
initial thrust of the woman’s anger. Crying, she headed for the ladies
room. Trish went to check on her and had reported back that she was in
no shape to return to the teller line. With a lobby full of people there
was no way we could afford to be a teller short. I saw Peggy returning
from the signature card file and told her to finish up with her customer
and then bring her cash drawer out to Alice’s window. She gave me a
puzzled look and, a bit ‘frazzled’ at the moment, told her to ”get a
move on“. While she was in the process I found Jaz and told her she
would be 'running' the drive-up transactions out to the the lobby teller
line like she’d done from time to time in the past. It took maybe five
minutes to get Peggy set up and running because we had to get Liz, the auditor, to lock up Alice’s cash
box.
When I had gathered myself back up I apologized to Peggy and
explained what had happened. She, totally out of sight from the lobby,
had no idea of what had just happened. I told her to just take her time
and if a customer had a question about the new on-line process to get
either Bret, Gracie or me. I was trying to keep it as simple as possible
for her. I, unfortunately, didn’t notice when one of the
announcers/reporters from the radio station showed up in the lobby. I
knew who he was because he handled MC duties at a number of local
charity affairs. However, as I saw him at Peggy’s window I was somewhat
puzzled as I’d never seen him actually in the lobby before. When I saw
him I went over near her window to listen in on the conversation. He was
interviewing Peggy and was asking what kind of problems we’d been faced
with since making the change. That’s all I needed to hear and jumped in
front of Peggy and told him that if he had any questions they would
have to be directed to an officer of the bank. He was obviously miffed
and stood there for a few seconds before he moved. At my desk he
identified himself and as soon as he did I asked him why he was there.
He didn’t answer but, remembering the confrontation with station owner’s
wife a short time prior to that, I asked if he’d been sent over by her.
Again, no answer but his facial look gave me the answer.
I
decided to give him a bit of a ‘break’ hoping that he would actually
listen. I went through the whole routine with him. Just as I was
finishing up Gracie appeared. I decided to give him a ‘test’ and asked
him to tell her what I’d just gone over with him. On a school test
grading scale I would’ve given him a 70, just barely passing. I
emphasized that, as a reporter, he was supposed to report using only facts
and not perceptions. He agreed and before he left my desk I’d gotten him
to promise that he would stick to the facts. I didn’t want to bring the
station owner’s wife back up so left it at that. I think I remember a
handshake as well.
By 3pm there were maybe eight or so people
left in the lobby to be waited on. Gracie came up to me and said she really wanted to be on
her way so she could be home by dark. I remember looking at her and
wondering what the bank would’ve done without her help. With the last
window transactions seeming to be going smoothly I walked Gracie to the
coat room. We were falling all over each other with ”thank yous’ when I
remembered that I wanted to ask her to return Elle’s panties to me, at the bank, and not to my house. Earlier, I’d decided that it was probably best that Elle
not be told of the loan of her panties to Gracie. When I broached the
subject with her I was completely caught off guard when I saw her eyes start to
pop out and I heard her exclaim “Oh, my god!”
I had no idea what
was wrong. I remember grabbing her arm and asking if she was OK. Her
answer blew me away. When I mentioned the panties it had reminded her
that after she’d washed out hers that morning she’d left them on the sink. I remember
her telling me exactly where they were (just behind the cold water
faucet). Her face was as red as a tomato. Her next words were some sort
of apology but I didn’t grasp them at all. Then she went to
wondering what Elle was going to think of her. I really didn’t know what
to say as I was worried more about what Elle was going to think of me
because when she’d left for school Gracie wasn’t yet showered and dressed. I do
remember standing there feeling somewhat flushed. I also remember trying
to figure out just what routine Elle would follow upon arriving home. I was trying
to figure out what the chances of her finding the panties were before I got
home. I couldn’t come up with an answer.
I have no memory of
how long it was before Gracie finally left. What I do remember was telling
her I’d try to find her panties before Elle did and that if I didn’t...
well, I’d let her know what happened. Leaving it like that I told her to
hold off returning Elle’s panties until she heard from me. I had an
idea of what to say if Elle had found them but I didn’t share it with Gracie. To say
that from that moment on was filled with anxiety is putting it mildly.
If it wasn’t for the ‘busy period’ and if it wasn’t for the newness of
working with the data center I would’ve taken off for home right at the moment Gracie left... but I couldn’t. It was a long afternoon and I will
admit my concentration wasn’t on bank business.
My trip
home was filled with thinking of all kinds of things to say to Elle if she’d
found the panties. By the time I pulled in the driveway I was convinced
that she had found them. I was positive that the first thing she’d do
upon arriving home was to change her clothes. I was also positive that
with this being her first day teaching that she would have needed her
‘package’... and if she did she’d need to get washed up. Walking in
through the kitchen door I felt like I was walking into an execution.
To be continued...
Friday, September 30, 2016
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Thanks... 100,000 plus views!
When I started this blog I had no expectations for it. Here it is, ten years & three months later, and it's hard to believe when I look at that number. So... a THANK YOU goes out to those who've followed this for some, part or all of it. I'm not done and some good 'stuff' with pictures will be coming up in the not too distant future. See you there!
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
ANOTHER YEAR... new adventures (Part 151c)
ANOTHER YEAR... new adventures (Part 151c)
From that point on my focus was on Kaye. Still super shy, I knew that leaving her off with Phyllis at her day care would be tricky. She had become familiar with both Ginger and Sandy but had only been to the day care a few times. As we pulled into the church parking lot I pointed towards a small delicatessen and suggested that while I deposited Kaye that Gracie run over to get coffee and a couple of rum buns. I emphasized the buns as the wife of the owner made them daily but only a dozen and would only sell one to a customer. While Gracie was doing that I made my way to the basement of the church with Kaye in my arms.
Sometimes you get lucky. This was one of those times. I hadn’t said anything to her about the day care until we got to the door. As soon as I opened it she grabbed me around the neck. Phyllis was right there and immediately pointed to a somewhat realistic toy horse on the floor. Kaye had been on one when Ginger would have her for the day. Elle had been told that it was hard to get her off it to let others have a chance. We had discussed getting one for her but had decided against it. When Kaye saw it she let go of me and ran right to it. Phyllis nodded for me to head for the door.
Gracie had the coffee and buns waiting when I got in the car. She said the lady was reluctant to sell her two buns but she told her the other one was for me and pointed towards my car. She said it took a little persuasion but she was successful. I could’ve done without the coffee but was trying to be sociable while reducing Gracie’s embarrassment. We were about halfway to the bank when I decided to speak and chose what I thought was an innocent topic to start. I told her I’d heard her sneezing somewhat violently and asked what caused it. She, without hesitation, said it was allergies. I, first hand knew about them from when I was a teenager and pollen from the blossoming oak trees gave me fits. But we were in January so I asked if she knew, specifically, what it might have been to trigger it. Her answer was quick... in the Winter it was animal dander. As soon as she said it I knew the cause.
We’d gotten a kitten the first Summer we owned the house. Anne had monopolized it and the other girls each wanted their own kitten. We gave in but with one major caveat... they were only to be in the house when they were there with them. I built a ‘cat house’, complete with a light bulb for heat in the Winter, for them and we’d not had any problems. However... with the girls being home on the holiday break the cats had been in the house a lot more than usual. And... Anne liked to take all three up to her room. I’d seen all three asleep on the bed that Gracie had slept in a couple of times but didn’t think anything of it... until Gracie mentioned her allergy to dander.
I was apologizing to Gracie before she knew why. I told her it was probably the cats and when I did she said she hadn’t seen any. So, I explained that when we’d gotten there the night before the cats were already put out for the night. She thought about it for a bit and said she didn’t remember seeing cats the last time she’d stayed over and I couldn’t give her an answer as to why. She went on to say that she’d gotten up to use the toilet during the night and could feel that her head was ”stuffy“ but didn’t dwell on it. Then, when it was daylight she got up to go into the bathroom but the door was closed. She said she had only opened the bedroom door and was in the process of closing it when she started to sneeze. And... after a few felt ”something’. She said she saw the towels Elle had laid out on the end of the bed for her and grabbed one and stuffed it between her legs. At this point she turned towards me and emphatically stated that nothing had gotten on the bed or the rug.
In writing this I’m smiling because I remember it was about that moment Gracie realized she might’ve said too much. She turned away from me and after a few seconds apologized for talking about a “taboo subject“. I had to glance down in my lap to see just how obvious my bulge was. I honestly don’t remember my response to that or if I even did say anything. By then we were on the outskirts of town and I knew we’d be later than I’d planned. I mentioned that to her which was a good way to ease her discomfort. From that point on we talked about how we’d handle the customers as I told her it would probably be as busy as it had been the day before. By the time we walked in the back door we had a ‘plan’.
As far as problems with the ‘system’ of on-line telephone transmission was concerned, the first day went well. There were only a few minutes where connection between the bank and the data center was interrupted. With all the other stuff going on with the customers it was transparent. But... by mid morning we had a major disruption... and thankfully Gracie was there. Since she fully understood the whole process she was able to explain it. By not using data processing ‘buzz words’ she managed to control most of the customers concerns. I used the word ”most“ because one of my least favorite customers happened to be there when the system went down.
I could write a whole section just on the ‘town diva’. Her husband owned the local radio station and the offices and studio were right across the street. Because of that she decided that, as a depositor, she could park her big Cadillac convertible in the bank parking lot, all day. We had limited parking and very prominent signs saying that parking was for those doing business in the bank. We’d tried subtle ways to get her attention with no appreciable results. Hobie, who was a Chamber of Commerce officer along with her husband, had about the same luck. In a meeting with Bert, the president, we proposed towing her car like we did others that were illegally parked but he told us to hold off. It didn’t make me very happy at the time but on this day I was especially upset. She wanted the interest her accounts had earned posted into her passbook. When told that we ”couldn’t“ she went ballistic. Even with Gracie trying to explain the situation, she just ignored her.
To be continued...
From that point on my focus was on Kaye. Still super shy, I knew that leaving her off with Phyllis at her day care would be tricky. She had become familiar with both Ginger and Sandy but had only been to the day care a few times. As we pulled into the church parking lot I pointed towards a small delicatessen and suggested that while I deposited Kaye that Gracie run over to get coffee and a couple of rum buns. I emphasized the buns as the wife of the owner made them daily but only a dozen and would only sell one to a customer. While Gracie was doing that I made my way to the basement of the church with Kaye in my arms.
Sometimes you get lucky. This was one of those times. I hadn’t said anything to her about the day care until we got to the door. As soon as I opened it she grabbed me around the neck. Phyllis was right there and immediately pointed to a somewhat realistic toy horse on the floor. Kaye had been on one when Ginger would have her for the day. Elle had been told that it was hard to get her off it to let others have a chance. We had discussed getting one for her but had decided against it. When Kaye saw it she let go of me and ran right to it. Phyllis nodded for me to head for the door.
Gracie had the coffee and buns waiting when I got in the car. She said the lady was reluctant to sell her two buns but she told her the other one was for me and pointed towards my car. She said it took a little persuasion but she was successful. I could’ve done without the coffee but was trying to be sociable while reducing Gracie’s embarrassment. We were about halfway to the bank when I decided to speak and chose what I thought was an innocent topic to start. I told her I’d heard her sneezing somewhat violently and asked what caused it. She, without hesitation, said it was allergies. I, first hand knew about them from when I was a teenager and pollen from the blossoming oak trees gave me fits. But we were in January so I asked if she knew, specifically, what it might have been to trigger it. Her answer was quick... in the Winter it was animal dander. As soon as she said it I knew the cause.
We’d gotten a kitten the first Summer we owned the house. Anne had monopolized it and the other girls each wanted their own kitten. We gave in but with one major caveat... they were only to be in the house when they were there with them. I built a ‘cat house’, complete with a light bulb for heat in the Winter, for them and we’d not had any problems. However... with the girls being home on the holiday break the cats had been in the house a lot more than usual. And... Anne liked to take all three up to her room. I’d seen all three asleep on the bed that Gracie had slept in a couple of times but didn’t think anything of it... until Gracie mentioned her allergy to dander.
I was apologizing to Gracie before she knew why. I told her it was probably the cats and when I did she said she hadn’t seen any. So, I explained that when we’d gotten there the night before the cats were already put out for the night. She thought about it for a bit and said she didn’t remember seeing cats the last time she’d stayed over and I couldn’t give her an answer as to why. She went on to say that she’d gotten up to use the toilet during the night and could feel that her head was ”stuffy“ but didn’t dwell on it. Then, when it was daylight she got up to go into the bathroom but the door was closed. She said she had only opened the bedroom door and was in the process of closing it when she started to sneeze. And... after a few felt ”something’. She said she saw the towels Elle had laid out on the end of the bed for her and grabbed one and stuffed it between her legs. At this point she turned towards me and emphatically stated that nothing had gotten on the bed or the rug.
In writing this I’m smiling because I remember it was about that moment Gracie realized she might’ve said too much. She turned away from me and after a few seconds apologized for talking about a “taboo subject“. I had to glance down in my lap to see just how obvious my bulge was. I honestly don’t remember my response to that or if I even did say anything. By then we were on the outskirts of town and I knew we’d be later than I’d planned. I mentioned that to her which was a good way to ease her discomfort. From that point on we talked about how we’d handle the customers as I told her it would probably be as busy as it had been the day before. By the time we walked in the back door we had a ‘plan’.
As far as problems with the ‘system’ of on-line telephone transmission was concerned, the first day went well. There were only a few minutes where connection between the bank and the data center was interrupted. With all the other stuff going on with the customers it was transparent. But... by mid morning we had a major disruption... and thankfully Gracie was there. Since she fully understood the whole process she was able to explain it. By not using data processing ‘buzz words’ she managed to control most of the customers concerns. I used the word ”most“ because one of my least favorite customers happened to be there when the system went down.
I could write a whole section just on the ‘town diva’. Her husband owned the local radio station and the offices and studio were right across the street. Because of that she decided that, as a depositor, she could park her big Cadillac convertible in the bank parking lot, all day. We had limited parking and very prominent signs saying that parking was for those doing business in the bank. We’d tried subtle ways to get her attention with no appreciable results. Hobie, who was a Chamber of Commerce officer along with her husband, had about the same luck. In a meeting with Bert, the president, we proposed towing her car like we did others that were illegally parked but he told us to hold off. It didn’t make me very happy at the time but on this day I was especially upset. She wanted the interest her accounts had earned posted into her passbook. When told that we ”couldn’t“ she went ballistic. Even with Gracie trying to explain the situation, she just ignored her.
To be continued...
Monday, September 26, 2016
ANOTHER YEAR... with new adventures (Part 151b)
ANOTHER YEAR... new adventures (Part 151b)
The call to Elle was ‘interesting’, if you call silence interesting. When she finally did speak it was to say, rather curtly, don’t expect me to feed either of us. With that as a warning I suggested that we eat at one of the restaurants that the driver of my first racecars owned and ran. I chose the one right down the street from the bank so it was on the way home. Cliff had pictures of those racecars in the vestibule and when I showed them to Gracie she admitted to having gone to races right near where she grew up. It was a nice diversion to talk about things other than bank related.
We got to the house a little after 8pm. I noticed that the lights were on in the girl’s bedrooms so once inside I knew where to go to find Elle. She’d just finished overseeing the older girls baths and was laying out their school clothes for the next day. I could see that the spare bed in Anne’s room had been turned down. When Gracie had stayed the last time that was where she slept with Anne moving back into Jean’s room for the night. The girls were just about ready to climb in so I went to give them kisses goodnight. When I bent down to kiss jean she whispered to me ”Mommy is really mad at you.“ I didn’t need to be told because the silent treatment was in full force.
I’d left Gracie downstairs in the den when I went looking for Elle. I was able to get her to look at me so I could plead with her to be nice to Gracie. She wouldn’t let me explain but I did get it out that it was really, really important. Returning downstairs, I explained how the next day was Elle’s first day in an extended substitute teaching job and that she would be going to bed early. I apologized for her in advance. That’s when Gracie looked at me as if to say ”You lied!“. I don’t remember if I said anything but I do remember Elle coming downstairs and sitting with us for a few minutes. She explained to Gracie that she and the girls would be leaving the next morning around 7:45am and asked if she could hold off on her shower until they were all done using the bathrooms. She went on to say that towels would be on the end of the bed she slept in the last time. As Elle got up to leave Gracie, sheepishly, asked if Elle would let her borrow a nightie to sleep in. Elle didn’t say anything as she got up to leave the room but I heard her call from the stairs that it would be on the bed.
Gracie was upset that Elle was upset but I assured her that it would pass. I told her that she was nervous about the teaching job because she’d had little time to prepare for it. All Gracie would say was that I should’ve told her that it wasn’t really a good time for her to be staying over. We watched some TV and after a while Gracie said she’d be turning in. I told her we’d try to leave around 8:15am so as to be at the bank by 8:45am. I also told her I’d knock on her door when the bathrooms were free and said ”Good night.“ She gave me a ‘knowing’ look that said she was appreciative but not pleased.
Elle wanted no part of conversation from me when she got up. As usual, the older girls dallied when using the bathroom. Because of that when Elle headed down the stairs she told me it would be up to me to get Kaye washed up and dressed to go to Phyliss’ day care. I concentrated on that and didn’t get to see her or the girls leave. While in the bathroom with Kaye I heard Gracie sneezing... a lot. When I came out I knocked on her door and asked if she was OK. I got a muffled reply that I didn’t understand and continued down the hall to dress Kaye. While doing that I got a glimpse of Gracie headed down the stairs for her shower. I’d taken mine as soon as I got up and while Elle was rousing the girls so I was dressed. I looked at my watch and saw there was time for a quick breakfast for us and while I was getting it ready I saw Gracie, a towel wrapped around her, heading across the kitchen floor towards me. I asked if everything was OK and she shook her head. With time running out that wasn't what I needed to hear.
Her face was all red but I thought it was from the hot water in the shower. As she started to speak I could hear from her hesitating voice that it was more from embarrassment. She started to ask a question but stopped. Looking aside, she asked if I’d do her a BIG favor. By now Kaye was eating her pop tart and not paying attention to us. I had no idea what kind of a favor Gracie would be asking draped in only a towel. The exact words are long gone but what she asked was if I could find a pair of panties for her to wear. I’d love to see a picture of the look on my face after I’d heard that.
It took a few seconds for me to fully comprehend her request and to answer. The reason for the hesitation was two fold... not believing what I just heard and... the desire to ask why. Of course I said I’d find a pair for her but told her I’d be upstairs in just a minute as I had to adjust a part of my anatomy first. On my way up I was trying to decide which panties I should give her. When I got to Elle’s panty drawer I knew I had to give her a fairly new pair. Opening the drawer a couple of things jumped out at me. Elle kept her cotton panties on the left hand side with the Carter’s Spanky Pants with the band legs that she wore at night right in front. They were stacked two wide and two deep with the newer and pretty much unstained ones in the back. All the others were nylon with the fancy panties that she wouldn’t wear stacked in the back on the right hand side. As I looked in I remembered the panties I’d taken from Gracie’s cellar. They were like no others I’d ever seen because they were lightly puckerd and seemed like they were cotton. I stood there and wondered if I should ask her if she preferred cotton to nylon. I hesitated for a few seconds before stepping out in the hall and calling to her. By the time she answered I pretty much figured she’d choose cotton and I was right.
Back at the panty drawer I went through the newer cotton ones looking for an unstained pair. I found a pair of the last Carter’s Spanky Pants I’d bought. They were different than most of the ones Elle had as the crotch was longer from front to back. They looked like they hadn’t been worn and grabbed them and headed for Gracie’s door. She was dressed and had the door open. I handed them to her but she didn’t look at me. As she shut the door I asked if she wanted anything to eat. I heard her say she’d rather have coffee which was something neither Elle nor I drank. I called back that we could stop on the way and made my way back to Kaye. Needless to say I was excited and hopeful I’d find out why she needed them.
To be continued...
The call to Elle was ‘interesting’, if you call silence interesting. When she finally did speak it was to say, rather curtly, don’t expect me to feed either of us. With that as a warning I suggested that we eat at one of the restaurants that the driver of my first racecars owned and ran. I chose the one right down the street from the bank so it was on the way home. Cliff had pictures of those racecars in the vestibule and when I showed them to Gracie she admitted to having gone to races right near where she grew up. It was a nice diversion to talk about things other than bank related.
We got to the house a little after 8pm. I noticed that the lights were on in the girl’s bedrooms so once inside I knew where to go to find Elle. She’d just finished overseeing the older girls baths and was laying out their school clothes for the next day. I could see that the spare bed in Anne’s room had been turned down. When Gracie had stayed the last time that was where she slept with Anne moving back into Jean’s room for the night. The girls were just about ready to climb in so I went to give them kisses goodnight. When I bent down to kiss jean she whispered to me ”Mommy is really mad at you.“ I didn’t need to be told because the silent treatment was in full force.
I’d left Gracie downstairs in the den when I went looking for Elle. I was able to get her to look at me so I could plead with her to be nice to Gracie. She wouldn’t let me explain but I did get it out that it was really, really important. Returning downstairs, I explained how the next day was Elle’s first day in an extended substitute teaching job and that she would be going to bed early. I apologized for her in advance. That’s when Gracie looked at me as if to say ”You lied!“. I don’t remember if I said anything but I do remember Elle coming downstairs and sitting with us for a few minutes. She explained to Gracie that she and the girls would be leaving the next morning around 7:45am and asked if she could hold off on her shower until they were all done using the bathrooms. She went on to say that towels would be on the end of the bed she slept in the last time. As Elle got up to leave Gracie, sheepishly, asked if Elle would let her borrow a nightie to sleep in. Elle didn’t say anything as she got up to leave the room but I heard her call from the stairs that it would be on the bed.
Gracie was upset that Elle was upset but I assured her that it would pass. I told her that she was nervous about the teaching job because she’d had little time to prepare for it. All Gracie would say was that I should’ve told her that it wasn’t really a good time for her to be staying over. We watched some TV and after a while Gracie said she’d be turning in. I told her we’d try to leave around 8:15am so as to be at the bank by 8:45am. I also told her I’d knock on her door when the bathrooms were free and said ”Good night.“ She gave me a ‘knowing’ look that said she was appreciative but not pleased.
Elle wanted no part of conversation from me when she got up. As usual, the older girls dallied when using the bathroom. Because of that when Elle headed down the stairs she told me it would be up to me to get Kaye washed up and dressed to go to Phyliss’ day care. I concentrated on that and didn’t get to see her or the girls leave. While in the bathroom with Kaye I heard Gracie sneezing... a lot. When I came out I knocked on her door and asked if she was OK. I got a muffled reply that I didn’t understand and continued down the hall to dress Kaye. While doing that I got a glimpse of Gracie headed down the stairs for her shower. I’d taken mine as soon as I got up and while Elle was rousing the girls so I was dressed. I looked at my watch and saw there was time for a quick breakfast for us and while I was getting it ready I saw Gracie, a towel wrapped around her, heading across the kitchen floor towards me. I asked if everything was OK and she shook her head. With time running out that wasn't what I needed to hear.
Her face was all red but I thought it was from the hot water in the shower. As she started to speak I could hear from her hesitating voice that it was more from embarrassment. She started to ask a question but stopped. Looking aside, she asked if I’d do her a BIG favor. By now Kaye was eating her pop tart and not paying attention to us. I had no idea what kind of a favor Gracie would be asking draped in only a towel. The exact words are long gone but what she asked was if I could find a pair of panties for her to wear. I’d love to see a picture of the look on my face after I’d heard that.
It took a few seconds for me to fully comprehend her request and to answer. The reason for the hesitation was two fold... not believing what I just heard and... the desire to ask why. Of course I said I’d find a pair for her but told her I’d be upstairs in just a minute as I had to adjust a part of my anatomy first. On my way up I was trying to decide which panties I should give her. When I got to Elle’s panty drawer I knew I had to give her a fairly new pair. Opening the drawer a couple of things jumped out at me. Elle kept her cotton panties on the left hand side with the Carter’s Spanky Pants with the band legs that she wore at night right in front. They were stacked two wide and two deep with the newer and pretty much unstained ones in the back. All the others were nylon with the fancy panties that she wouldn’t wear stacked in the back on the right hand side. As I looked in I remembered the panties I’d taken from Gracie’s cellar. They were like no others I’d ever seen because they were lightly puckerd and seemed like they were cotton. I stood there and wondered if I should ask her if she preferred cotton to nylon. I hesitated for a few seconds before stepping out in the hall and calling to her. By the time she answered I pretty much figured she’d choose cotton and I was right.
Back at the panty drawer I went through the newer cotton ones looking for an unstained pair. I found a pair of the last Carter’s Spanky Pants I’d bought. They were different than most of the ones Elle had as the crotch was longer from front to back. They looked like they hadn’t been worn and grabbed them and headed for Gracie’s door. She was dressed and had the door open. I handed them to her but she didn’t look at me. As she shut the door I asked if she wanted anything to eat. I heard her say she’d rather have coffee which was something neither Elle nor I drank. I called back that we could stop on the way and made my way back to Kaye. Needless to say I was excited and hopeful I’d find out why she needed them.
 |
| Like the panties I gave to Gracie |
To be continued...
Saturday, September 24, 2016
ANOTHER YEAR... with new adventures (Part 151a)
ANOTHER YEAR... with new adventures (Part 151a)
The offer for Elle to teach for a few weeks was certainly a surprise and exciting for her. However, my focus was on the next morning as it would be the real test for all the planning and work that had gone into the conversion of all the deposit records over to the service bureau. I’d requested that the staff report to me arrive at 8:30am. I wanted to review all the training that we’d all done and to answer any questions that they had. Also, at the suggestion of Albie at the data center I’d made up what he called a “cheat sheet’ with answers to some questions that customers might ask. As I reviewed it with them I felt a bit more confident and dismissed them to get ready for the customers. Albie had also given me a direct line to his office should we have any problems. Now it was ”show time“.
My most vivid memory of those first few minutes was of disappointment. In my mind I’d figured on being able to wait on customers in half the time as when we were still using ledger cards. I’d based that on how fast we’d been able to download the data to the center. I’d forgotten that it was now a two way transaction and not just the one I’d gotten used to during the conversion. Now, when we sent information to the computer it would have to do the calculation and sent the result back. There was no doubt it was faster but not as fast as I’d expected.
We’d been processing transactions for about a half hour when I realized that our customers were more astute than I’d given them credit for. My guess is that over half of them had questions about the changes. Some were far beyond Bret, Hobie and my ability to answer. One or the other of us had been on the direct line to the data center almost from the time the doors opened. I happened to be talking with George in the computer room when all of a sudden Albie cut in. He told me he was sending help and then I was back with George. I had no idea who it might be but I didn’t care. By that time any help would be welcomed.
As I impatiently waited (Bret and Hobie included) we found the questions ranging from mundane to profound. One common complaint was that since the tellers weren’t using ledger cards to make the entries they didn’t believe the information printed in their passbooks. I found myself getting ‘short’ with customers when they couldn’t grasp the idea that their information was stored in a computer some sixty five miles away and that we were using telephone lines to transmit it.
When I saw Gracie, the lady who’d trained me and had spent a couple of days with our tellers, walking across the lobby I let out an audible sigh. It was about 11am and the lines were still about eight to ten people deep at all teller stations. It was time for the tellers to start their lunch hours and I made a decision to cut them short. It was not a popular one but I took the time to speak to each one separately and that helped. I also had the tellers stop trying to answer questions and had them directed to the ‘platform’ where Bret, Hobie and I had our desks. Gracie was to be the ‘traffic cop’, making a determination as to how difficult the question was and then directing the customer to one of the three of us. She was exactly what was needed. Knowledgeable and pleasant, she managed to keep the customers calm (as well as the three of us) and by around mid afternoon the lines had been cut in half.
It was after 3:30pm when the last customer left. Right after that Bert, the president, appeared at the foot of the stairs and called for everybody to listen up. Bert was not an emotional person and sometimes it was hard to hear him. But he wanted to thank everyone for going ”the extra mile“. Then the tellers went back to doing their proof. I fully expected that there would be problems and I was right. While the problems were being researched and solved Gracie came up to me. I thought it was to say she was leaving but I was totally surprised when she said she was going to be back the next day. It was her opinion that it would be a repeat of the one that we’d just experienced. I, without thinking, offered to have her stay with Elle and I, like she’d done when she was doing the teller training. She thought about it for a few seconds but told me she didn’t have a change of clothes. I don’t remember what my response was but I did make a plea about the fact that wouldn’t have an hour and half drive in the dark and would be able to get a good night of sleep. I could see her wavering but decided not to push her and went to help in the proofing process.
Gracie could’ve left at that point but didn’t. I saw her talking with Lorie who had been in her first day as chief clerk. Because Lori had to continue to post deposit and withdrawal transactions to the ledger cards we used prior to the conversion there had been little time to partake in any training. She was pretty much ‘lost’ all day. She couldn’t answer most of the questions and had tried, as best she could, to keep customers calm. Gracie didn’t have to do that but I’d been impressed with her right from our first meeting. She had a way about her to get the best out of people and I was excited that she’d taken to helping Lorie. It was almost 6pm when she came up to me and made me promise that Elle wouldn’t be upset if I did bring her home. It really wasn’t until then that I remembered that the next day was to be Elle’s first teaching day. I think I took a deep breath before I answered. Standing there and thinking about it I just knew Elle wouldn't be happy. I'd told her not to wait for me for supper so that wasn't the issue. It was that the house wouldn't be "perfect". Sooooo... I lied to her and said it wouldn't be a problem. But I knew I had to get on the phone to warn Elle and to plead with her not to "make a fuss". I also knew that I'd pay for it sometime in the future.
To be continued...
The offer for Elle to teach for a few weeks was certainly a surprise and exciting for her. However, my focus was on the next morning as it would be the real test for all the planning and work that had gone into the conversion of all the deposit records over to the service bureau. I’d requested that the staff report to me arrive at 8:30am. I wanted to review all the training that we’d all done and to answer any questions that they had. Also, at the suggestion of Albie at the data center I’d made up what he called a “cheat sheet’ with answers to some questions that customers might ask. As I reviewed it with them I felt a bit more confident and dismissed them to get ready for the customers. Albie had also given me a direct line to his office should we have any problems. Now it was ”show time“.
My most vivid memory of those first few minutes was of disappointment. In my mind I’d figured on being able to wait on customers in half the time as when we were still using ledger cards. I’d based that on how fast we’d been able to download the data to the center. I’d forgotten that it was now a two way transaction and not just the one I’d gotten used to during the conversion. Now, when we sent information to the computer it would have to do the calculation and sent the result back. There was no doubt it was faster but not as fast as I’d expected.
We’d been processing transactions for about a half hour when I realized that our customers were more astute than I’d given them credit for. My guess is that over half of them had questions about the changes. Some were far beyond Bret, Hobie and my ability to answer. One or the other of us had been on the direct line to the data center almost from the time the doors opened. I happened to be talking with George in the computer room when all of a sudden Albie cut in. He told me he was sending help and then I was back with George. I had no idea who it might be but I didn’t care. By that time any help would be welcomed.
As I impatiently waited (Bret and Hobie included) we found the questions ranging from mundane to profound. One common complaint was that since the tellers weren’t using ledger cards to make the entries they didn’t believe the information printed in their passbooks. I found myself getting ‘short’ with customers when they couldn’t grasp the idea that their information was stored in a computer some sixty five miles away and that we were using telephone lines to transmit it.
When I saw Gracie, the lady who’d trained me and had spent a couple of days with our tellers, walking across the lobby I let out an audible sigh. It was about 11am and the lines were still about eight to ten people deep at all teller stations. It was time for the tellers to start their lunch hours and I made a decision to cut them short. It was not a popular one but I took the time to speak to each one separately and that helped. I also had the tellers stop trying to answer questions and had them directed to the ‘platform’ where Bret, Hobie and I had our desks. Gracie was to be the ‘traffic cop’, making a determination as to how difficult the question was and then directing the customer to one of the three of us. She was exactly what was needed. Knowledgeable and pleasant, she managed to keep the customers calm (as well as the three of us) and by around mid afternoon the lines had been cut in half.
It was after 3:30pm when the last customer left. Right after that Bert, the president, appeared at the foot of the stairs and called for everybody to listen up. Bert was not an emotional person and sometimes it was hard to hear him. But he wanted to thank everyone for going ”the extra mile“. Then the tellers went back to doing their proof. I fully expected that there would be problems and I was right. While the problems were being researched and solved Gracie came up to me. I thought it was to say she was leaving but I was totally surprised when she said she was going to be back the next day. It was her opinion that it would be a repeat of the one that we’d just experienced. I, without thinking, offered to have her stay with Elle and I, like she’d done when she was doing the teller training. She thought about it for a few seconds but told me she didn’t have a change of clothes. I don’t remember what my response was but I did make a plea about the fact that wouldn’t have an hour and half drive in the dark and would be able to get a good night of sleep. I could see her wavering but decided not to push her and went to help in the proofing process.
Gracie could’ve left at that point but didn’t. I saw her talking with Lorie who had been in her first day as chief clerk. Because Lori had to continue to post deposit and withdrawal transactions to the ledger cards we used prior to the conversion there had been little time to partake in any training. She was pretty much ‘lost’ all day. She couldn’t answer most of the questions and had tried, as best she could, to keep customers calm. Gracie didn’t have to do that but I’d been impressed with her right from our first meeting. She had a way about her to get the best out of people and I was excited that she’d taken to helping Lorie. It was almost 6pm when she came up to me and made me promise that Elle wouldn’t be upset if I did bring her home. It really wasn’t until then that I remembered that the next day was to be Elle’s first teaching day. I think I took a deep breath before I answered. Standing there and thinking about it I just knew Elle wouldn't be happy. I'd told her not to wait for me for supper so that wasn't the issue. It was that the house wouldn't be "perfect". Sooooo... I lied to her and said it wouldn't be a problem. But I knew I had to get on the phone to warn Elle and to plead with her not to "make a fuss". I also knew that I'd pay for it sometime in the future.
To be continued...
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... The neighbors (Part 150b)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... the neighbors (Part 150b)
After the discovery of the purchase of the property it wasn't until the day after Christmas before I had contact with any member of the family. That was when Barbara brought over the gifts for the kids and the cake she’d baked for us. I knew Elle was just ‘itching’ to ask about the projected new house and the move but I kept a close eye on her, cutting her off when she’d make a casual hint about it. It was my feeling that Barbara wasn’t the one to be the ‘messenger’ or to be queried about it. However, we (the whole family) were invited over to Barbara’s house to view their tree and visit with her parents and nothing was mentioned about it, even then. I can’t explain why but I was a bit miffed.
The next contact with any of them was on New Year’s day. The conversion of all the bank deposit records over to the service bureau had been completed earlier in the day and we’d beaten the deadline quite comfortably. I was pleased to be home just as it got dark. My thoughts were focused on a nice meal and a chance to relax, although I knew the kids would have something to say about that. I’d called ahead to Elle so she had supper ready and we all ate together, a rarity for sure. After finishing up I headed for my reclining chair hoping to get a few minutes to relax but not for long. The phone rang and, as usual, there was mad dash to answer it by Jean and Anne with Jean the winner. I heard her call to Elle who was finishing up in the kitchen and who, in turn, called for me to take the call. It was Phyllis from next door. She wanted to know if she and her husband could stop over for a few minutes. I held her off for a few seconds as I called to Elle to make sure she was ‘presentable’. She came to the hall and had a puzzled look on her face when I told her who was on the line. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say it was OK and I passed that on to Phyllis. She said they’d be there shortly. All I could think was “What now?”
At the door, seeing them together it seemed very strange. Elle and I were very aware that Bill was not a ‘social’ person and Phyllis was only a shade better. After opening the door for them and being greeted by a somewhat jovial Bill, I wondered if he was drunk. We ushered them in to the living room and the girls, seeing the school principal in our house, kind of shrunk into the background of the den. Bill continued to be talkative, complimenting Elle on the Christmas decorations. He mentioned that theirs were always down and stored before school reopened. We told them we usually left them up until the second weekend after Christmas. With so much effort going into putting them up it seemed a shame to take them down.
After a few minutes of ‘pleasantries’ Bill’s body language changed perceptibly. Sitting on the sofa he moved forward, almost to the point of almost being off of it. Looking straight at Elle he asked if she could come in and teach for at least three weeks starting Wednesday. The question caught both Elle and I completely by surprise. The question wasn’t directed at me so I just sat and waited for Elle to respond.
Even though the holidays were over, school didn’t start up again until Wednesday for the kids. Elle had only been working as a substitute teacher but she still was in the ‘loop’ as far as scheduling was concerned. Full time teachers were to report the next day but Elle, as an ‘on-call’ substitute didn’t and I could see Elle trying to process what had been laid out before her. When she didn’t answer right away Bill started in with his ‘sales pitch’ telling her that she was his first choice. It was obvious that he was in a bind and wanted to get an answer quickly. Knowing Elle as well as I did (and do) I know she was overwhelmed. She loved teaching and had enjoyed her stints where she had the same class for a week or more. We’d both talked about her teaching full time and only had a little over two years until Kaye would be in school full days.
When Elle finally opened her mouth it was to thank him for thinking of her in that light. Once she started speaking it seemed like she had control of the situation. She had a list of concerns with most of them having to do with Kaye. Elle’s mother was a pretty good bet for a few days but as she would remind Elle, she had a life to lead as well. Ginger was always available for an emergency but that was about it. After going over those options Elle kind of shrugged her shoulders and said she didn’t think it would work. She said she hated the thought of passing Kaye from baby sitter to baby sitter. The first words we heard from Phyllis were a real shock. She, looking from Elle to Bill and back said that she’d take Kaye in at her day care facility at no cost to us. I knew I heard the words but somehow almost didn’t believe what I’d heard. Elle couldn’t respond right away and then Bill spoke and said that he really, really wanted her for the position. Even though there were a lot of ‘nitty gritty’ details to work out, that just about did it for Elle. In looking back on it now, what was somewhat amazing was that Elle never asked what grade it was or who the teacher was that she’d be filling in for. She just wanted to teach and Bill’s ego stroking certainly helped.
After Elle agreed to do it they got up to leave. At the door Bill stopped, and I can’t remember his exact words, but it was to tell us that they’d bought property and would be building a house. I’m not a good actor and neither is Elle but I think we did a good job in pretending to be surprised. I embellished it a bit when I asked where it was located but Bill, still not familiar with the area, couldn’t describe it except to say that the property was “on the water”. As soon as I heard him say that I wanted to say “It’s IN the water!” as I knew exactly where it was and the problems they would soon be facing... but I didn’t.
To be continued...
After the discovery of the purchase of the property it wasn't until the day after Christmas before I had contact with any member of the family. That was when Barbara brought over the gifts for the kids and the cake she’d baked for us. I knew Elle was just ‘itching’ to ask about the projected new house and the move but I kept a close eye on her, cutting her off when she’d make a casual hint about it. It was my feeling that Barbara wasn’t the one to be the ‘messenger’ or to be queried about it. However, we (the whole family) were invited over to Barbara’s house to view their tree and visit with her parents and nothing was mentioned about it, even then. I can’t explain why but I was a bit miffed.
The next contact with any of them was on New Year’s day. The conversion of all the bank deposit records over to the service bureau had been completed earlier in the day and we’d beaten the deadline quite comfortably. I was pleased to be home just as it got dark. My thoughts were focused on a nice meal and a chance to relax, although I knew the kids would have something to say about that. I’d called ahead to Elle so she had supper ready and we all ate together, a rarity for sure. After finishing up I headed for my reclining chair hoping to get a few minutes to relax but not for long. The phone rang and, as usual, there was mad dash to answer it by Jean and Anne with Jean the winner. I heard her call to Elle who was finishing up in the kitchen and who, in turn, called for me to take the call. It was Phyllis from next door. She wanted to know if she and her husband could stop over for a few minutes. I held her off for a few seconds as I called to Elle to make sure she was ‘presentable’. She came to the hall and had a puzzled look on her face when I told her who was on the line. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say it was OK and I passed that on to Phyllis. She said they’d be there shortly. All I could think was “What now?”
At the door, seeing them together it seemed very strange. Elle and I were very aware that Bill was not a ‘social’ person and Phyllis was only a shade better. After opening the door for them and being greeted by a somewhat jovial Bill, I wondered if he was drunk. We ushered them in to the living room and the girls, seeing the school principal in our house, kind of shrunk into the background of the den. Bill continued to be talkative, complimenting Elle on the Christmas decorations. He mentioned that theirs were always down and stored before school reopened. We told them we usually left them up until the second weekend after Christmas. With so much effort going into putting them up it seemed a shame to take them down.
After a few minutes of ‘pleasantries’ Bill’s body language changed perceptibly. Sitting on the sofa he moved forward, almost to the point of almost being off of it. Looking straight at Elle he asked if she could come in and teach for at least three weeks starting Wednesday. The question caught both Elle and I completely by surprise. The question wasn’t directed at me so I just sat and waited for Elle to respond.
Even though the holidays were over, school didn’t start up again until Wednesday for the kids. Elle had only been working as a substitute teacher but she still was in the ‘loop’ as far as scheduling was concerned. Full time teachers were to report the next day but Elle, as an ‘on-call’ substitute didn’t and I could see Elle trying to process what had been laid out before her. When she didn’t answer right away Bill started in with his ‘sales pitch’ telling her that she was his first choice. It was obvious that he was in a bind and wanted to get an answer quickly. Knowing Elle as well as I did (and do) I know she was overwhelmed. She loved teaching and had enjoyed her stints where she had the same class for a week or more. We’d both talked about her teaching full time and only had a little over two years until Kaye would be in school full days.
When Elle finally opened her mouth it was to thank him for thinking of her in that light. Once she started speaking it seemed like she had control of the situation. She had a list of concerns with most of them having to do with Kaye. Elle’s mother was a pretty good bet for a few days but as she would remind Elle, she had a life to lead as well. Ginger was always available for an emergency but that was about it. After going over those options Elle kind of shrugged her shoulders and said she didn’t think it would work. She said she hated the thought of passing Kaye from baby sitter to baby sitter. The first words we heard from Phyllis were a real shock. She, looking from Elle to Bill and back said that she’d take Kaye in at her day care facility at no cost to us. I knew I heard the words but somehow almost didn’t believe what I’d heard. Elle couldn’t respond right away and then Bill spoke and said that he really, really wanted her for the position. Even though there were a lot of ‘nitty gritty’ details to work out, that just about did it for Elle. In looking back on it now, what was somewhat amazing was that Elle never asked what grade it was or who the teacher was that she’d be filling in for. She just wanted to teach and Bill’s ego stroking certainly helped.
After Elle agreed to do it they got up to leave. At the door Bill stopped, and I can’t remember his exact words, but it was to tell us that they’d bought property and would be building a house. I’m not a good actor and neither is Elle but I think we did a good job in pretending to be surprised. I embellished it a bit when I asked where it was located but Bill, still not familiar with the area, couldn’t describe it except to say that the property was “on the water”. As soon as I heard him say that I wanted to say “It’s IN the water!” as I knew exactly where it was and the problems they would soon be facing... but I didn’t.
To be continued...
Monday, September 19, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... the neighbors (Part 150a)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... the neighbors (Part 150a)
After a somewhat ‘rocky’ start to our relationship upon their arrival in the Summer we’d reached a point of almost being friends as Winter approached. It was mostly because of the kids... theirs and ours... that it had evolved. Their girls, Mo and Barbara, seemed to have ‘adopted’ our girls and through that, over time, Elle got to know and accept their mother, Phyllis. I say “accept” because she was a hard woman to get to know and/or like. She ran her day care out of the basement of our church and was seldom home before 6pm. Bill, the father/husband, was the new principal at the school and spent most of his time working there. I made a couple of attempts at getting to know him by offering help when there had been some problems on and around the property but he never followed up. Elle would sometimes see Phyllis on weekends and very occasionally in the evenings after supper. When we were asked to house Barbara for a weekend while the rest of the family visited relatives and Mo made some college visits it was quite a surprise but, after doing it things became a lot more friendly. That’s why, when Lisa’s father told us about them moving by July, we were so surprised. In spite of Elle’s curiosity as to the reason, I prevailed upon her to let it be and told her that when they were comfortable in telling us, they would.
At work, traditionally the day before the busy period was slow. But with the conversion due to take place on that upcoming weekend and all the chaos I had to deal with having both the old and new teller machines on the banking floor... it wasn’t. I distinctly remember spending a lot time on the phone with the service bureau talking to Albie or George, their computer room manager. The last person I wanted to see was J J, from upstairs. Whenever he wanted to talk with me during banking hours I could count on him wanting something that could wait until the doors closed. I tried to wave him away but he just hung by my desk. As soon as I hung the phone up he asked if I’d been looking at the lobby traffic over the past 15 or so minutes. I remember answering in a less than cordial manner that I didn’t have time to survey lobby traffic. I’m sure he was waiting for me to ask why but I didn’t. Then, rather smugly, he told me that the principal of our school and his wife had just applied for a mortgage. Because I wan’t in the mood for his ‘games’ I didn’t pick up on it right away. I was about to tell him I had more important things to do at that moment when it was like a light bulb went on in my brain. It took me back to the wedding reception and when Lisa’s father told me they would be moving. THAT, got my attention!
My first question to him was where the property was located. When I did, J J got a big smile across his Irish face. His answer was that I’d go by it every time I’d go to visit Elle’s or my parents. I knew there was only one housing development on the way there so that narrowed it down by a lot. I responded by naming the development and he nodded affirmatively. When the roads were cut to start the project Elle and I were still in high school. Here it was some fifteen years later and it still hadn’t been built out. One of the reasons was that the developer was rather unscrupulous. He’d been sued many times over misrepresentations he made concerning the lots in the development. He’d made ‘adjustments’ after the court ruled against him on any number of cases but one family wouldn’t accept his offer and wanted their money back as well as ‘damages’. He had no money so, with a plea to the court, had agreed to sell the three remaining lots at an “Absolute Auction”. That's when the seller has to take the highest bid and can’t bid on the property to increase the value. I had no interest so hadn’t followed it all that closely relying on Elle’s mother to give an update from time to time.
From what J J told me, Bill and Phyllis made a bid on one of the properties and had won. I knew the location of all three so asked J J which one it was. All he could give me was the lot number from back when the property was subdivided. That was of no use to me. I do remember taking a deep breath and questioning my judgement when I asked if I could see the plot plan. Up in his office the plans for the house were rolled up against J J’s desk but the plot plan was right on top of it. I know I laughed when I saw it.
As kids, Elle, I, her brother and many of our friends played in the woods that made up the majority of the property in the development so I pretty much knew the topography of the land. That parcel was in what would be considered “lowlands” in many parts of the South. In fact, in today's world, the EPA would never have allowed a building to be erected on it. That was one negative. Another had to do with the road that intersected the one the house would be located on. At night, every car that would be leaving from the bay front community where Elle’s and my parents lived plus all those who lived on the road leading to it would be coming to a stop right across from it. And... their headlights would be trained right on the front of the house. The third was that for water everyone had to drill a well. The plumber I used after buying my house lived just down the road from that property and he’d told me that it was a good thing he had well driving equipment.
I don’t know how long I spent talking with J J but I know it was too long. I gave him all the background on the property I had wanting to make sure the bank was protected should it decide to give the mortgage to Bill and Phyllis. As I left his office I didn’t know what to do about telling them since they were now the owners of the property. They should’ve known all that prior to the auction but, because the property came with no guarantees, it was a ‘buyer beware’ situation. Even though I was busy for the rest of the day I couldn’t erase the thought of the bad situation the neighbors were in. It was not a good feeling.
To be continued...
After a somewhat ‘rocky’ start to our relationship upon their arrival in the Summer we’d reached a point of almost being friends as Winter approached. It was mostly because of the kids... theirs and ours... that it had evolved. Their girls, Mo and Barbara, seemed to have ‘adopted’ our girls and through that, over time, Elle got to know and accept their mother, Phyllis. I say “accept” because she was a hard woman to get to know and/or like. She ran her day care out of the basement of our church and was seldom home before 6pm. Bill, the father/husband, was the new principal at the school and spent most of his time working there. I made a couple of attempts at getting to know him by offering help when there had been some problems on and around the property but he never followed up. Elle would sometimes see Phyllis on weekends and very occasionally in the evenings after supper. When we were asked to house Barbara for a weekend while the rest of the family visited relatives and Mo made some college visits it was quite a surprise but, after doing it things became a lot more friendly. That’s why, when Lisa’s father told us about them moving by July, we were so surprised. In spite of Elle’s curiosity as to the reason, I prevailed upon her to let it be and told her that when they were comfortable in telling us, they would.
At work, traditionally the day before the busy period was slow. But with the conversion due to take place on that upcoming weekend and all the chaos I had to deal with having both the old and new teller machines on the banking floor... it wasn’t. I distinctly remember spending a lot time on the phone with the service bureau talking to Albie or George, their computer room manager. The last person I wanted to see was J J, from upstairs. Whenever he wanted to talk with me during banking hours I could count on him wanting something that could wait until the doors closed. I tried to wave him away but he just hung by my desk. As soon as I hung the phone up he asked if I’d been looking at the lobby traffic over the past 15 or so minutes. I remember answering in a less than cordial manner that I didn’t have time to survey lobby traffic. I’m sure he was waiting for me to ask why but I didn’t. Then, rather smugly, he told me that the principal of our school and his wife had just applied for a mortgage. Because I wan’t in the mood for his ‘games’ I didn’t pick up on it right away. I was about to tell him I had more important things to do at that moment when it was like a light bulb went on in my brain. It took me back to the wedding reception and when Lisa’s father told me they would be moving. THAT, got my attention!
My first question to him was where the property was located. When I did, J J got a big smile across his Irish face. His answer was that I’d go by it every time I’d go to visit Elle’s or my parents. I knew there was only one housing development on the way there so that narrowed it down by a lot. I responded by naming the development and he nodded affirmatively. When the roads were cut to start the project Elle and I were still in high school. Here it was some fifteen years later and it still hadn’t been built out. One of the reasons was that the developer was rather unscrupulous. He’d been sued many times over misrepresentations he made concerning the lots in the development. He’d made ‘adjustments’ after the court ruled against him on any number of cases but one family wouldn’t accept his offer and wanted their money back as well as ‘damages’. He had no money so, with a plea to the court, had agreed to sell the three remaining lots at an “Absolute Auction”. That's when the seller has to take the highest bid and can’t bid on the property to increase the value. I had no interest so hadn’t followed it all that closely relying on Elle’s mother to give an update from time to time.
From what J J told me, Bill and Phyllis made a bid on one of the properties and had won. I knew the location of all three so asked J J which one it was. All he could give me was the lot number from back when the property was subdivided. That was of no use to me. I do remember taking a deep breath and questioning my judgement when I asked if I could see the plot plan. Up in his office the plans for the house were rolled up against J J’s desk but the plot plan was right on top of it. I know I laughed when I saw it.
As kids, Elle, I, her brother and many of our friends played in the woods that made up the majority of the property in the development so I pretty much knew the topography of the land. That parcel was in what would be considered “lowlands” in many parts of the South. In fact, in today's world, the EPA would never have allowed a building to be erected on it. That was one negative. Another had to do with the road that intersected the one the house would be located on. At night, every car that would be leaving from the bay front community where Elle’s and my parents lived plus all those who lived on the road leading to it would be coming to a stop right across from it. And... their headlights would be trained right on the front of the house. The third was that for water everyone had to drill a well. The plumber I used after buying my house lived just down the road from that property and he’d told me that it was a good thing he had well driving equipment.
I don’t know how long I spent talking with J J but I know it was too long. I gave him all the background on the property I had wanting to make sure the bank was protected should it decide to give the mortgage to Bill and Phyllis. As I left his office I didn’t know what to do about telling them since they were now the owners of the property. They should’ve known all that prior to the auction but, because the property came with no guarantees, it was a ‘buyer beware’ situation. Even though I was busy for the rest of the day I couldn’t erase the thought of the bad situation the neighbors were in. It was not a good feeling.
To be continued...
Saturday, September 17, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149e)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149e)
Carol had to reintroduce her mother to Elle as it had been a while since they’d seen each other. Once past that the doctor asked Elle how she was doing noting that she hadn’t heard anything from Elle since the follow-up after the procedure she’d done for her. Elle acknowledged that she’d seen improvement in her incontinence and that her continuing problem was more of time management rather than physical. I just sat there looking at my watch, wanting to get on the road home. Then I heard Elle ask the doctor if she could ask a question and wondered if it was proper to do so in a social situation. When Carol’s mother said it was OK I wanted to hear just what it was as she’d not complained at home.
As soon as I heard it I was a bit surprised as it had to do with her ’dribbles’. Since we’d made up the ‘dribble panties’ I couldn’t remember hearing her complain. It turned out that it was more of a ‘technical’ question than a ”what can I do about it?“ question. She wanted to know why, after she used the toilet and had pulled up her panties, she would ‘dribble’. The doctor, without hesitating, explained that some of the scar tissue from when Elle had her serious bladder infection was also in her urethra and had been impossible to get out. When Elle was sitting on the toilet the tube that is the urethra isn’t really fully vertical but is at an angle. When standing up it would then become fully vertical and the pee caught in the folds of the scar tissue would make it’s way down and into her panties. Then it got interesting when she asked what Elle did about it. She was obviously a bit embarrassed and only half heartedly answered. I still can’t tell you why I jumped in and said that Elle had made up special panties to hold it. I definitely remember the doctor leaning forward and asking Elle about them.
I knew Elle was wearing a pair of them but also knew she wasn’t going to show them to the doctor. Elle explained that she (she was nice and didn’t include me) added some thick cotton to the crotch area of some of her panties. I thought she was going to stop there but, after hesitating for a few seconds, did add that she wore a pair of sanitary panties over them to protect her clothes if the dribble turned out to be substantial. I thought the conversation would end there but the doctor asked if Elle could send her a pair so she could understand what she was talking about. Before Elle could answer I spoke up and said there was a pair out in our vehicle. Elle shot me a look that if it was knives would’ve carved me up in little pieces. I hesitated before getting up and heading for the door.
I was about to open it when in walked Buddy. He didn’t recognize the station wagon and had no idea who it belonged to. He was excited to see me and wanted to know what brought me (us) to visit. I told him I had to get something and would be right back. The panties were still in the bag now on the front seat. I grabbed it and headed back only to meet Buddy headed back outside. He’d gotten their Christmas tree and had the tree stand in his hands. He invited me to give him a hand in getting it set up so all I did was hand the bag to Elle and went on back out. In a way I didn’t want to because I really wanted to hear what the doctor thought about the ‘dribble panties’.
By the time Buddy and I came inside it was almost dark. As much as I would’ve liked to have stayed (Carol invited us for supper) I’d wanted to be home by then. We absolutely had to to pick the kids up from Elle’s mother by 8pm. I made the usual promise that we’d get together sometime later in the Winter as we headed out the door. The problem with that was we’d said it a number of times in the past and still hadn’t followed through on it.
There was a lot to talk about on the trip home. Of course I wanted to hear what Carol’s mother had to say about the panties. When Elle told me that she thought it was a good idea I remember getting a bit upset when I thought back to when I showed them to my friend Willy (who also knew Buddy from our sailing Summers) and he’d showed no interest. It wasn’t to rub it in but Elle added that the doctor thought that if the plastic panel from the crotch of the sanitary panties could be added it would make a useful product.
To change the subject I brought up what Lisa’s father had told me about the house next door and that the family hadn’t picked up the option to buy it. She had the same reaction I did when I’d heard it and she wondered why they hadn’t mentioned it to us. She was all set to go over the next day to ask but I told her that it wasn’t a good idea. Technically, Bill, the principal at the school (and Barbara’s father), was not Elle’s boss as the school board was her employer. But, Bill did control when Elle was called in to substitute teach. So, I told her to hold off and wait until they thought it was time to tell us. I told her they probably had a good reason for not saying anything.
We also talked about the wedding and reception we’d just attended, laughing (again) about the bouquet toss. I remember Elle saying that she’d never been involved in one. The one thing we both wondered about was just how long the marriage would last. Martin was almost the exact opposite of Lisa. In the time I’d spent with him working on and about ”Big B’s“ racecar I found him to be pretty much level headed. If you’ve been reading this for any amount of time you know I felt Lisa was an ”air head“. The most recent example, the screw up with the reservation for the reception that caused the wedding to be postponed for three weeks... and having the reception being at a mundane meeting hall in place of an elegant banquet facility. The change in the wedding date also caused them to cancel their original honeymoon plans and... because the new wedding date was so close to Christmas they were unable to re-book for the same place or to get a similar type hotel where they wanted to go. So, they decided to wait until after the holiday season and to go to the city for a few days. We both felt it had to be a disappointment for them both. We didn’t have a honeymoon but this year would be our tenth anniversary and our plan was to celebrate it with a ”delayed honeymoon”.
To be continued...
Carol had to reintroduce her mother to Elle as it had been a while since they’d seen each other. Once past that the doctor asked Elle how she was doing noting that she hadn’t heard anything from Elle since the follow-up after the procedure she’d done for her. Elle acknowledged that she’d seen improvement in her incontinence and that her continuing problem was more of time management rather than physical. I just sat there looking at my watch, wanting to get on the road home. Then I heard Elle ask the doctor if she could ask a question and wondered if it was proper to do so in a social situation. When Carol’s mother said it was OK I wanted to hear just what it was as she’d not complained at home.
As soon as I heard it I was a bit surprised as it had to do with her ’dribbles’. Since we’d made up the ‘dribble panties’ I couldn’t remember hearing her complain. It turned out that it was more of a ‘technical’ question than a ”what can I do about it?“ question. She wanted to know why, after she used the toilet and had pulled up her panties, she would ‘dribble’. The doctor, without hesitating, explained that some of the scar tissue from when Elle had her serious bladder infection was also in her urethra and had been impossible to get out. When Elle was sitting on the toilet the tube that is the urethra isn’t really fully vertical but is at an angle. When standing up it would then become fully vertical and the pee caught in the folds of the scar tissue would make it’s way down and into her panties. Then it got interesting when she asked what Elle did about it. She was obviously a bit embarrassed and only half heartedly answered. I still can’t tell you why I jumped in and said that Elle had made up special panties to hold it. I definitely remember the doctor leaning forward and asking Elle about them.
I knew Elle was wearing a pair of them but also knew she wasn’t going to show them to the doctor. Elle explained that she (she was nice and didn’t include me) added some thick cotton to the crotch area of some of her panties. I thought she was going to stop there but, after hesitating for a few seconds, did add that she wore a pair of sanitary panties over them to protect her clothes if the dribble turned out to be substantial. I thought the conversation would end there but the doctor asked if Elle could send her a pair so she could understand what she was talking about. Before Elle could answer I spoke up and said there was a pair out in our vehicle. Elle shot me a look that if it was knives would’ve carved me up in little pieces. I hesitated before getting up and heading for the door.
I was about to open it when in walked Buddy. He didn’t recognize the station wagon and had no idea who it belonged to. He was excited to see me and wanted to know what brought me (us) to visit. I told him I had to get something and would be right back. The panties were still in the bag now on the front seat. I grabbed it and headed back only to meet Buddy headed back outside. He’d gotten their Christmas tree and had the tree stand in his hands. He invited me to give him a hand in getting it set up so all I did was hand the bag to Elle and went on back out. In a way I didn’t want to because I really wanted to hear what the doctor thought about the ‘dribble panties’.
By the time Buddy and I came inside it was almost dark. As much as I would’ve liked to have stayed (Carol invited us for supper) I’d wanted to be home by then. We absolutely had to to pick the kids up from Elle’s mother by 8pm. I made the usual promise that we’d get together sometime later in the Winter as we headed out the door. The problem with that was we’d said it a number of times in the past and still hadn’t followed through on it.
There was a lot to talk about on the trip home. Of course I wanted to hear what Carol’s mother had to say about the panties. When Elle told me that she thought it was a good idea I remember getting a bit upset when I thought back to when I showed them to my friend Willy (who also knew Buddy from our sailing Summers) and he’d showed no interest. It wasn’t to rub it in but Elle added that the doctor thought that if the plastic panel from the crotch of the sanitary panties could be added it would make a useful product.
To change the subject I brought up what Lisa’s father had told me about the house next door and that the family hadn’t picked up the option to buy it. She had the same reaction I did when I’d heard it and she wondered why they hadn’t mentioned it to us. She was all set to go over the next day to ask but I told her that it wasn’t a good idea. Technically, Bill, the principal at the school (and Barbara’s father), was not Elle’s boss as the school board was her employer. But, Bill did control when Elle was called in to substitute teach. So, I told her to hold off and wait until they thought it was time to tell us. I told her they probably had a good reason for not saying anything.
We also talked about the wedding and reception we’d just attended, laughing (again) about the bouquet toss. I remember Elle saying that she’d never been involved in one. The one thing we both wondered about was just how long the marriage would last. Martin was almost the exact opposite of Lisa. In the time I’d spent with him working on and about ”Big B’s“ racecar I found him to be pretty much level headed. If you’ve been reading this for any amount of time you know I felt Lisa was an ”air head“. The most recent example, the screw up with the reservation for the reception that caused the wedding to be postponed for three weeks... and having the reception being at a mundane meeting hall in place of an elegant banquet facility. The change in the wedding date also caused them to cancel their original honeymoon plans and... because the new wedding date was so close to Christmas they were unable to re-book for the same place or to get a similar type hotel where they wanted to go. So, they decided to wait until after the holiday season and to go to the city for a few days. We both felt it had to be a disappointment for them both. We didn’t have a honeymoon but this year would be our tenth anniversary and our plan was to celebrate it with a ”delayed honeymoon”.
To be continued...
Thursday, September 15, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149d)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149d)
In writing this part I have a big smile on my face remembering the scene. I’ve asked Elle what the big interest in the bouquet toss was all about and all she could say was that it was tradition along with an ‘old wives tale’ about the one to catch it being the next to get married. Be that as it may... lined up, the biggest girl was right in front. When I say biggest I’m not kidding. She was about 5’9“ tall and at least 225 pounds. Even wearing a dress she reminded me of a football player as her shoulders were huge. In any case, there she was right in front and pretty much blocking three or four of the others when Lisa made her toss. And... it was quite a toss... right over all of their heads with only the big girl getting a couple of fingers on it. It passed over their heads and ended up on the floor behind them. As it did they all turned and made a dive for the flowers lying on the floor. Think of a fumble in football where only the guys on the bottom have a realistic chance to get their hands on the ball but still they pile on, one of top of the other. That’s what it looked like with the big girl right on top. She literally pushed two of the smaller girls aside and onto the floor. There was a lot of yelling and screaming and it took a few seconds for them to start to disengage from each other. A couple of the girls were mad and as they were able to sit up started swinging at the one(s) who had been on top.The most vivid thing I remember from the scene was that no guy jumped in to help. They (me included) just stood by in amazement and watched. With some of the females bent on getting back at some of the others, modesty went out the window. In less than a minute there were at least seven of them rolling around on the floor, pulling hair and anything they could grab on to. I saw pink, white, black and red panties... but for only seconds at a time. It took the manager of the facility to break it up. There was one girl who continued to just sit on the floor with her head down on her chest and her legs spread apart. When someone went over to her and she looked up she had a blank look on her face like she didn’t know where she was. Finally, two guys went over and helped her up. When they did I could see that the bodice of her dress had been pulled down exposing her bra. I could also see that she was crying.
With order somewhat regained, the dancing began. I’ve never been fond of dancing but knew the basics. Elle loved to dance so I asked her if she’d like to. When she shook her head in a negative fashion I wondered if she felt OK. I sat down next to her and asked and what I got for a reply was ”You were right!“ I didn’t know what she was talking about and asked for a hint. She pointed to her lap and it only took a second for me to connect the dots. I asked her what happened and she made a face saying that the hall was geared for men and there were only two stalls in the ladies room. By the time she made it to the toilet it was too late. I looked down at the way she was sitting and could see she’d pulled the rear hem of her dress up and it was stuffed between her and the back of the chair. She said she didn’t know if it was wet or not so didn’t want to chance it.
I was about to tell her that I’d brought ‘dribble panties’ as Lisa’s father made his way to the table to thank us for coming. While there he noted that most of those at the table where we were at had traveled quite a distance to attend. I made mention that we’d met before as I was the owner of the neighboring house to the one that Lisa had spent most of the Summer in. He smiled and told me that by the next Summer I’d have a new neighbor. That was a surprise because we’d not heard from Barbara or her family that they were moving. The father said that he’d sold the house, subject to the lease in place, as the tenants (Barbara’s parents) had not picked up the option to buy. It just seemed strange that with all the recent interaction between our two houses nothing had been said. As he walked away I wondered aloud to Elle if maybe the new school principal had found another job. There had been some 'rumblings' that he was not really liked.
After Lisa's father walked away I told Elle about the panties I'd brought. It was around 3pm and we were both pretty bored. Elle said she'd stay in her wet panties rather than chance being seen changing in the ladies room. That suited me just fine. I got Elle’s coat and we said our ”good byes“. I’d set a goal to be home in daylight and leaving then would almost guarantee it. However, when we’d been riding around trying to find the hall we noticed that we weren’t all that far from our old Summer (and sailing) friends, Buddy and Carol. It had been over a year since we’d last seen them as I knew their Summer place had been sold. I told Elle that we’d drive by and take a chance on stopping to wish them a merry Christmas. She didn’t think that was a good idea what with her in wet panties but I pulled out the bag with the dribble panties from under the front seat. It had been over an hour since her ‘accident’ so I told her she was probably just damp and to pull on a pair over them and, to be sure I told her I had a pair of sanitary panties as well. The look she gave me was not what could be called ‘friendly’ but she took the bag. I watched her, as best I could, struggling to pull both pair of panties up. I remember her saying she was only doing it because she wanted to see Carol and her kids. I didn’t care. She hated to admit that I’d been right when I told her what to wear before we left and it showed.
The door was answered by a young boy who looked just like Buddy... round face, freckles and an orange tint to his hair. Even without DNA Buddy would be hard pressed to deny paternity. Carol had followed the boy to the open door and we could see she was pregnant. They, like us, had three kids but theirs were spaced fairly evenly apart. Buddy was off purchasing their Christmas tree so it was only Carol and her kids at home. She was happy to see us but disappointed that we didn’t have our kids with us. I told her we were trying to make it home before dark and apologized for making it just a quick visit. Carol protested saying Buddy would be unhappy that he missed us but I pushed on. We were about to go out the door when the door bell rang and in walked Carol’s mother... the urologist who had done one of the procedures on Elle’s bladder a few years earlier. I knew it would be a while before we’d be leaving.
To be continued...
In writing this part I have a big smile on my face remembering the scene. I’ve asked Elle what the big interest in the bouquet toss was all about and all she could say was that it was tradition along with an ‘old wives tale’ about the one to catch it being the next to get married. Be that as it may... lined up, the biggest girl was right in front. When I say biggest I’m not kidding. She was about 5’9“ tall and at least 225 pounds. Even wearing a dress she reminded me of a football player as her shoulders were huge. In any case, there she was right in front and pretty much blocking three or four of the others when Lisa made her toss. And... it was quite a toss... right over all of their heads with only the big girl getting a couple of fingers on it. It passed over their heads and ended up on the floor behind them. As it did they all turned and made a dive for the flowers lying on the floor. Think of a fumble in football where only the guys on the bottom have a realistic chance to get their hands on the ball but still they pile on, one of top of the other. That’s what it looked like with the big girl right on top. She literally pushed two of the smaller girls aside and onto the floor. There was a lot of yelling and screaming and it took a few seconds for them to start to disengage from each other. A couple of the girls were mad and as they were able to sit up started swinging at the one(s) who had been on top.The most vivid thing I remember from the scene was that no guy jumped in to help. They (me included) just stood by in amazement and watched. With some of the females bent on getting back at some of the others, modesty went out the window. In less than a minute there were at least seven of them rolling around on the floor, pulling hair and anything they could grab on to. I saw pink, white, black and red panties... but for only seconds at a time. It took the manager of the facility to break it up. There was one girl who continued to just sit on the floor with her head down on her chest and her legs spread apart. When someone went over to her and she looked up she had a blank look on her face like she didn’t know where she was. Finally, two guys went over and helped her up. When they did I could see that the bodice of her dress had been pulled down exposing her bra. I could also see that she was crying.
With order somewhat regained, the dancing began. I’ve never been fond of dancing but knew the basics. Elle loved to dance so I asked her if she’d like to. When she shook her head in a negative fashion I wondered if she felt OK. I sat down next to her and asked and what I got for a reply was ”You were right!“ I didn’t know what she was talking about and asked for a hint. She pointed to her lap and it only took a second for me to connect the dots. I asked her what happened and she made a face saying that the hall was geared for men and there were only two stalls in the ladies room. By the time she made it to the toilet it was too late. I looked down at the way she was sitting and could see she’d pulled the rear hem of her dress up and it was stuffed between her and the back of the chair. She said she didn’t know if it was wet or not so didn’t want to chance it.
I was about to tell her that I’d brought ‘dribble panties’ as Lisa’s father made his way to the table to thank us for coming. While there he noted that most of those at the table where we were at had traveled quite a distance to attend. I made mention that we’d met before as I was the owner of the neighboring house to the one that Lisa had spent most of the Summer in. He smiled and told me that by the next Summer I’d have a new neighbor. That was a surprise because we’d not heard from Barbara or her family that they were moving. The father said that he’d sold the house, subject to the lease in place, as the tenants (Barbara’s parents) had not picked up the option to buy. It just seemed strange that with all the recent interaction between our two houses nothing had been said. As he walked away I wondered aloud to Elle if maybe the new school principal had found another job. There had been some 'rumblings' that he was not really liked.
After Lisa's father walked away I told Elle about the panties I'd brought. It was around 3pm and we were both pretty bored. Elle said she'd stay in her wet panties rather than chance being seen changing in the ladies room. That suited me just fine. I got Elle’s coat and we said our ”good byes“. I’d set a goal to be home in daylight and leaving then would almost guarantee it. However, when we’d been riding around trying to find the hall we noticed that we weren’t all that far from our old Summer (and sailing) friends, Buddy and Carol. It had been over a year since we’d last seen them as I knew their Summer place had been sold. I told Elle that we’d drive by and take a chance on stopping to wish them a merry Christmas. She didn’t think that was a good idea what with her in wet panties but I pulled out the bag with the dribble panties from under the front seat. It had been over an hour since her ‘accident’ so I told her she was probably just damp and to pull on a pair over them and, to be sure I told her I had a pair of sanitary panties as well. The look she gave me was not what could be called ‘friendly’ but she took the bag. I watched her, as best I could, struggling to pull both pair of panties up. I remember her saying she was only doing it because she wanted to see Carol and her kids. I didn’t care. She hated to admit that I’d been right when I told her what to wear before we left and it showed.
The door was answered by a young boy who looked just like Buddy... round face, freckles and an orange tint to his hair. Even without DNA Buddy would be hard pressed to deny paternity. Carol had followed the boy to the open door and we could see she was pregnant. They, like us, had three kids but theirs were spaced fairly evenly apart. Buddy was off purchasing their Christmas tree so it was only Carol and her kids at home. She was happy to see us but disappointed that we didn’t have our kids with us. I told her we were trying to make it home before dark and apologized for making it just a quick visit. Carol protested saying Buddy would be unhappy that he missed us but I pushed on. We were about to go out the door when the door bell rang and in walked Carol’s mother... the urologist who had done one of the procedures on Elle’s bladder a few years earlier. I knew it would be a while before we’d be leaving.
To be continued...
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149c)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149c)
Going to a Saturday wedding in the morning was certainly different. The church was about an hour and a half away and getting all dressed up, especially for Elle, at 9:30am was weird. Our girls wanted to know why and when Elle told them we were going to Sabrina’s (Lisa) wedding they wanted to go too which added to the stress. Elle didn’t want to wear a “package”. In her mind it would distract from the happy, gleeful mood that weddings put her in. Other than to suggest it I was silent. However, she did pick out a pair of her “fancy panties’ to wear which was a bit of a consolation for me. But, unknown to her I managed to put a couple of her ‘dribble panties’ and a sanitary panty aside to take with us. To me, with all the unknowns she’d be facing with the various places we’d be going was taking a big risk. I will grant you this... she looked great!
West bound traffic on a Saturday morning was always good. We were early but couldn’t get into the church as the choir was practicing for some sort of performance later that day. It was too cold to stand outside so we retreated to the station wagon. We saw a couple of people we didn’t really know but recognized them from back when Sabrina (Lisa) was living next door to us during the Summer. We invited them in with us and then were entertained as they told stories of growing up with Sabrina (Lisa). By the time they opened the doors to the church there had to have been at least 30 people shivering outside.
The church was beautifully decorated for Christmas. It only served to remind me that time was really flying by and the next weekend it would be there. Sabrina (Lisa) was a little more than fashionably late and the minister was noticeably upset. When the ceremony began I looked around and it appeared there were over 100 people there. The church could hold at least three times that number. The ushers (including Pete) pushed us to sit close to the front. I ended up having an aisle seat so could see Sabrina (Lisa) walk down the aisle with her father. I’d seen him a few times when he'd come out to see how the work on the house was progressing. In this situation he didn’t look like I remembered him. My memory was of a gruff, no nonsense man. Here, he was completely at ease. (As Elle mentioned a bit later it was probably because he would finally be rid of Sabrina (Lisa) ) Like most females, Elle’s concentration was on the dress. I was taken by it as well. It was short in front (above the knees) but there was a traditional train flowing behind it. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was still wearing the cotton band leg panties of hers that I’d seen any number of times. One thing I remember from the service was that she was married using her birth name of Lisa. I wondered if that also meant the end of her dream of being a writer.
As an aside... the Maid of Honor and the bridesmaids wore short burgundy dresses. Of the five only two were worth any attention. What got my attention was that the dresses all flared out from the waist to the hem. I remembered back to when we were in high school and almost all the girls wore crinolines to create a circle effect around them and I mentioned it to Elle. She pretty much confirmed that was what they were wearing and I remember her saying that she’d never seen such short ones.
Everybody had to be out of the church by 1:30pm so it could be readied for another wedding. We’d been told how to get to the reception, the local American Legion hall, but none of our group had ever been there and didn’t know the area at all. ”Big B“ said he thought he knew where it was located so a parade of six cars set out to find the place. An hour later we finally arrived... just before Sabrina... oops, Lisa, and Martin. The hall was pretty pedestrian even with an effort to decorate it with things pertaining to a wedding on the walls and tables. The original plan had been for it to be held at the area’s most elegant (and expensive) hotel with the food to be provided by them. The hall had a kitchen but they didn’t do any cooking there. That meant it had to be catered and they were late in arriving. That meant there was a fair amount of alcohol being consumed while we all waited around. At least the band was good although a bit loud for such a small venue.
The bride’s table with all the bridesmaids and ushers was on a raised platform at the front of the hall. They had placed small steps at the rear of it for easy access. With the delay (and the drinking) any number of the guys were just taking a big step to get up onto the platform. I remember hearing a collective ”Ooohhhh“ and turned around to see one of the bridesmaids on her back with one of her legs still up on the platform. The platform was probably 18 inches high, not a lot if you’re 5 feet tall, but a big step for a female only 5’5” or so with a few drinks in her. In any case she’d hit her head. By the time I got there her leg was placed on the floor and she was asking what had happened. The usher who had been escorting her suggested that they take her to the lobby area where there were a couple of couches. When they tried to get her up she bent her knees and reached out her hands for people to pull her up. I would’ve loved to have been one of them but I had to settle for a brief peek of her panties as she arose. They were black and it was a bit of a shock being used to white and pastels. I also remember wondering if they were bikinis.
The food was, at best, palatable. We had a choice of beef or chicken and the usual fare of veggies. By the time we’d eaten and it was time for cutting of the cake there were more than just a few people who were feeling more than a little ‘happy’ including a number of the females. The bridal bouquet throw was quite comical. I’ve often wondered how that tradition got started. In any case there were at least a dozen females, all ages and sizes, lined up as Lisa (I got it right!) turned her back and prepared to launch it over her shoulder. I’m sure she would’ve gotten a laugh watching the melee that followed.
To be continued...
Going to a Saturday wedding in the morning was certainly different. The church was about an hour and a half away and getting all dressed up, especially for Elle, at 9:30am was weird. Our girls wanted to know why and when Elle told them we were going to Sabrina’s (Lisa) wedding they wanted to go too which added to the stress. Elle didn’t want to wear a “package”. In her mind it would distract from the happy, gleeful mood that weddings put her in. Other than to suggest it I was silent. However, she did pick out a pair of her “fancy panties’ to wear which was a bit of a consolation for me. But, unknown to her I managed to put a couple of her ‘dribble panties’ and a sanitary panty aside to take with us. To me, with all the unknowns she’d be facing with the various places we’d be going was taking a big risk. I will grant you this... she looked great!
West bound traffic on a Saturday morning was always good. We were early but couldn’t get into the church as the choir was practicing for some sort of performance later that day. It was too cold to stand outside so we retreated to the station wagon. We saw a couple of people we didn’t really know but recognized them from back when Sabrina (Lisa) was living next door to us during the Summer. We invited them in with us and then were entertained as they told stories of growing up with Sabrina (Lisa). By the time they opened the doors to the church there had to have been at least 30 people shivering outside.
The church was beautifully decorated for Christmas. It only served to remind me that time was really flying by and the next weekend it would be there. Sabrina (Lisa) was a little more than fashionably late and the minister was noticeably upset. When the ceremony began I looked around and it appeared there were over 100 people there. The church could hold at least three times that number. The ushers (including Pete) pushed us to sit close to the front. I ended up having an aisle seat so could see Sabrina (Lisa) walk down the aisle with her father. I’d seen him a few times when he'd come out to see how the work on the house was progressing. In this situation he didn’t look like I remembered him. My memory was of a gruff, no nonsense man. Here, he was completely at ease. (As Elle mentioned a bit later it was probably because he would finally be rid of Sabrina (Lisa) ) Like most females, Elle’s concentration was on the dress. I was taken by it as well. It was short in front (above the knees) but there was a traditional train flowing behind it. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was still wearing the cotton band leg panties of hers that I’d seen any number of times. One thing I remember from the service was that she was married using her birth name of Lisa. I wondered if that also meant the end of her dream of being a writer.
As an aside... the Maid of Honor and the bridesmaids wore short burgundy dresses. Of the five only two were worth any attention. What got my attention was that the dresses all flared out from the waist to the hem. I remembered back to when we were in high school and almost all the girls wore crinolines to create a circle effect around them and I mentioned it to Elle. She pretty much confirmed that was what they were wearing and I remember her saying that she’d never seen such short ones.
Everybody had to be out of the church by 1:30pm so it could be readied for another wedding. We’d been told how to get to the reception, the local American Legion hall, but none of our group had ever been there and didn’t know the area at all. ”Big B“ said he thought he knew where it was located so a parade of six cars set out to find the place. An hour later we finally arrived... just before Sabrina... oops, Lisa, and Martin. The hall was pretty pedestrian even with an effort to decorate it with things pertaining to a wedding on the walls and tables. The original plan had been for it to be held at the area’s most elegant (and expensive) hotel with the food to be provided by them. The hall had a kitchen but they didn’t do any cooking there. That meant it had to be catered and they were late in arriving. That meant there was a fair amount of alcohol being consumed while we all waited around. At least the band was good although a bit loud for such a small venue.
The bride’s table with all the bridesmaids and ushers was on a raised platform at the front of the hall. They had placed small steps at the rear of it for easy access. With the delay (and the drinking) any number of the guys were just taking a big step to get up onto the platform. I remember hearing a collective ”Ooohhhh“ and turned around to see one of the bridesmaids on her back with one of her legs still up on the platform. The platform was probably 18 inches high, not a lot if you’re 5 feet tall, but a big step for a female only 5’5” or so with a few drinks in her. In any case she’d hit her head. By the time I got there her leg was placed on the floor and she was asking what had happened. The usher who had been escorting her suggested that they take her to the lobby area where there were a couple of couches. When they tried to get her up she bent her knees and reached out her hands for people to pull her up. I would’ve loved to have been one of them but I had to settle for a brief peek of her panties as she arose. They were black and it was a bit of a shock being used to white and pastels. I also remember wondering if they were bikinis.
The food was, at best, palatable. We had a choice of beef or chicken and the usual fare of veggies. By the time we’d eaten and it was time for cutting of the cake there were more than just a few people who were feeling more than a little ‘happy’ including a number of the females. The bridal bouquet throw was quite comical. I’ve often wondered how that tradition got started. In any case there were at least a dozen females, all ages and sizes, lined up as Lisa (I got it right!) turned her back and prepared to launch it over her shoulder. I’m sure she would’ve gotten a laugh watching the melee that followed.
To be continued...
Sunday, September 11, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149b)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149b)
Because the location of the restaurant was ‘off the beaten path’, some of the guys had a hard time finding the place. The start time was set for 7:30pm to allow those coming from and near the city enough time... and that included Martin. By the time he arrived it was after 8pm. The owners of the place had expected us to eat somewhere around 8pm and they wanted us to eat right away so they could clean up the kitchen and be able to put on the ‘show’. “Big B” and I convinced them to hold off a while so everybody could have a few drinks and start in ‘ragging on’ Martin. “B” had purchased a few gag gifts for Martin that he wanted to give him before we ate but, with time a factor, I convinced him to wait. It appeared to me that Martin, in a naive sort of way, was completely unaware of what was about to happen. No one had said or did anything to indicate that there was something special to come. He thought it was just a bunch of his friends wanting to spend one of his last ‘free’ nights with him.
I’d never eaten Greek food before but the lady (I just remembered her name... Ione.) convinced most of us to try something called Kalamaki (I had to look up the spelling) which were kabaobs. Not one to be daring with food I chose mine to be chicken but there were other choices. Only a few of the guys wouldn’t try them and, after eating a couple decided they were really good. While we were eating the ‘roast’ of Martin began with people telling stories about him and girls.
About a half dozen did and I remember two of them... One was told by a guy who used to be his neighbor from when he was around 6 years old. Martin was invited to a birthday party given by a girl who was the daughter of his mother’s best friend. He didn’t want to go because he would be the only boy at the party but his mother made him go and he cried all the way there. I watched Martin’s face as the story was told and all he could do was smile. The second was from a friend in college. It had to do with a proposed blind date that Martin didn’t want to go on. His friends had to pay him to do it. I remember someone asking about the date and, smiling, Martin admitted that he had a good time.
I was familiar with what was put out for dessert... Baklava as I’d had some a few times. It was just put on the tables as they were cleared. When Ione signaled that she was about to change into her costume “Big B” brought out his gifts. One was a dog collar with a leash attached. They were both pink. It got the desired result from the guys and I could see Martin was a bit uncomfortable. The next really embarrassed him. It was called a ‘penis extender’. The concept was to keep the penis engorged (and engaged) for a longer period of time. When Martin opened it up “Big B” read what was printed on the box which brought out a pretty good laugh from the others. Martin definitely didn’t see the humor in that one.
It was close to 10pm when I saw Ione, in costume, at the door to the kitchen. Martin had his back to it so when she walked in he was pretty much the last to see her. The reaction of the guys was quite robust with some of them jumping out of their seats and cheering. When Martin finally saw her I swear his jaw dropped. She sidled up to him in a very sexy way reaching out to touch his face. When she spoke it was in Greek. No one knew what she was saying but just listening to tone of her utterings I could hear the sexiness to it. She was standing right in front of Martin with her hips undulating from side to side. Ione was partially blocking me from seeing Martin’s whole face but I swear he was perspiring. She focused on Martin for at least five minutes and then started to go around the table. When she did, believe it or not, a couple of the guys got up and left the room. “B” was not about to let Martin ‘off the hook’ and started teasing him about his “new life” while Ione made her way around the room. When she got to me I concentrated on her navel trying to figure out how that sparkling thing stayed put. There wasn’t anything like a string or elastic to hold it in place. I still don’t know why I was so intrigued. In any case, my ‘inspection’ was made difficult by her swaying hips and the thrusting of her belly towards me. She was still speaking Greek as she did her ‘thing’ in front of me and just as she was was about to move away I noticed something I often saw on Elle... the marks that the waist elastic of her panties would leave. Seeing her the in the costume the very first time I immediately pictured her as wearing bikinis for panties. But that thin red line right under the thing in her navel told me something different. I’m not sure why it made me happy to have noticed it but it did.
It wasn’t a very ‘rowdy’ group but there were a few guys who overdid the libations. “B”, in anticipation of just such a thing happening, had made arrangements for them. Pete (of Pete and Bebe from earlier posts) took a couple home with him and “B” covered the rest. Even though I didn’t know Martin all that well I wasn’t surprised that he was in good shape when we were leaving. I checked with “B” on how Martin had taken the ‘show’ and he seemed pleased with the result. I wasn’t sure that it would’ve been any better if I had been able to get a stripper. The next stop... the wedding.
To be continued...
Because the location of the restaurant was ‘off the beaten path’, some of the guys had a hard time finding the place. The start time was set for 7:30pm to allow those coming from and near the city enough time... and that included Martin. By the time he arrived it was after 8pm. The owners of the place had expected us to eat somewhere around 8pm and they wanted us to eat right away so they could clean up the kitchen and be able to put on the ‘show’. “Big B” and I convinced them to hold off a while so everybody could have a few drinks and start in ‘ragging on’ Martin. “B” had purchased a few gag gifts for Martin that he wanted to give him before we ate but, with time a factor, I convinced him to wait. It appeared to me that Martin, in a naive sort of way, was completely unaware of what was about to happen. No one had said or did anything to indicate that there was something special to come. He thought it was just a bunch of his friends wanting to spend one of his last ‘free’ nights with him.
I’d never eaten Greek food before but the lady (I just remembered her name... Ione.) convinced most of us to try something called Kalamaki (I had to look up the spelling) which were kabaobs. Not one to be daring with food I chose mine to be chicken but there were other choices. Only a few of the guys wouldn’t try them and, after eating a couple decided they were really good. While we were eating the ‘roast’ of Martin began with people telling stories about him and girls.
About a half dozen did and I remember two of them... One was told by a guy who used to be his neighbor from when he was around 6 years old. Martin was invited to a birthday party given by a girl who was the daughter of his mother’s best friend. He didn’t want to go because he would be the only boy at the party but his mother made him go and he cried all the way there. I watched Martin’s face as the story was told and all he could do was smile. The second was from a friend in college. It had to do with a proposed blind date that Martin didn’t want to go on. His friends had to pay him to do it. I remember someone asking about the date and, smiling, Martin admitted that he had a good time.
I was familiar with what was put out for dessert... Baklava as I’d had some a few times. It was just put on the tables as they were cleared. When Ione signaled that she was about to change into her costume “Big B” brought out his gifts. One was a dog collar with a leash attached. They were both pink. It got the desired result from the guys and I could see Martin was a bit uncomfortable. The next really embarrassed him. It was called a ‘penis extender’. The concept was to keep the penis engorged (and engaged) for a longer period of time. When Martin opened it up “Big B” read what was printed on the box which brought out a pretty good laugh from the others. Martin definitely didn’t see the humor in that one.
It was close to 10pm when I saw Ione, in costume, at the door to the kitchen. Martin had his back to it so when she walked in he was pretty much the last to see her. The reaction of the guys was quite robust with some of them jumping out of their seats and cheering. When Martin finally saw her I swear his jaw dropped. She sidled up to him in a very sexy way reaching out to touch his face. When she spoke it was in Greek. No one knew what she was saying but just listening to tone of her utterings I could hear the sexiness to it. She was standing right in front of Martin with her hips undulating from side to side. Ione was partially blocking me from seeing Martin’s whole face but I swear he was perspiring. She focused on Martin for at least five minutes and then started to go around the table. When she did, believe it or not, a couple of the guys got up and left the room. “B” was not about to let Martin ‘off the hook’ and started teasing him about his “new life” while Ione made her way around the room. When she got to me I concentrated on her navel trying to figure out how that sparkling thing stayed put. There wasn’t anything like a string or elastic to hold it in place. I still don’t know why I was so intrigued. In any case, my ‘inspection’ was made difficult by her swaying hips and the thrusting of her belly towards me. She was still speaking Greek as she did her ‘thing’ in front of me and just as she was was about to move away I noticed something I often saw on Elle... the marks that the waist elastic of her panties would leave. Seeing her the in the costume the very first time I immediately pictured her as wearing bikinis for panties. But that thin red line right under the thing in her navel told me something different. I’m not sure why it made me happy to have noticed it but it did.
It wasn’t a very ‘rowdy’ group but there were a few guys who overdid the libations. “B”, in anticipation of just such a thing happening, had made arrangements for them. Pete (of Pete and Bebe from earlier posts) took a couple home with him and “B” covered the rest. Even though I didn’t know Martin all that well I wasn’t surprised that he was in good shape when we were leaving. I checked with “B” on how Martin had taken the ‘show’ and he seemed pleased with the result. I wasn’t sure that it would’ve been any better if I had been able to get a stripper. The next stop... the wedding.
To be continued...
Friday, September 09, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149a)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Sabrina/Martin (Part 149a)
A while back I wrote how my friend “Big B” had asked me to work on putting together a bachelor party for his friend (and mine) Martin, but with one special request... a stripper to be included. Martin and my one time neighbor, Sabrina (Lisa), were to be married the Saturday after Thanksgiving with the party to be held the night before. “B”, knowing how ‘straight laced’ Martin was, thought the stripper would really shake him up. It didn’t take long for me to find that it was going to be impossible to get a stripper and to have food served. The County where we lived didn’t out law strippers, per se, but had a law that prohibited nudity where food was served. That was one problem but another was Sabrina (lisa) had to postpone the wedding when she screwed up the dates for the reception. I wasn’t too pleased as I’d arranged for the party (without a stripper) and then had to do it all over again. My problem was that the restaurant couldn’t accommodate the party because it was already booked for Christmas functions. So, it was back to the ‘drawing board’. In talking to my father about it he suggested a seasonal restaurant that after November 1 was only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He and my mother had become friends with the owners and he offered to see if they would host our party. I was too busy to get too involved so welcomed the offer.
I could write a whole post on just the building that housed the place. It was called “Skipper’s” to honor the sea captain who built the house at the turn of the century. The couple who owned and ran the place were Greek and, as could be expected, featured Greek cuisine but also offered standard entree’s. Victorian in style, it had five different dining areas. When my father reported the owners would consider it I stopped on my way home. The lady was one of those people who wanted to know everything about everybody and all about why the party had to be rescheduled. I don’t remember just how the subject came up but I did mention the original idea was to have a stripper. When the lady heard that she let out a shriek. It actually startled me. The reason... she had been a belly dancer before moving to the area and opening the restaurant and thought she could fill the need.
I’d heard the term and read some books that had belly dancers within the plot line but had never actually seen one. Hearing that, the lady left the room and then I heard her running up the stairs. About five minutes later she reappeared wearing this really weird outfit that definitely showed her belly. Right in the middle of it was something that seemed to sparkle. It was in her belly button and I couldn’t figure out what kept it there. The lady was probably in her mid to late 40’s but had a decent figure, As she approached I scanned her outfit from head to toe. Starting at the top she had on a black headband that was embellished by what looked like gold coins. There was a very sheer black veil covering her face. Over her shoulders she had a shawl like thing that was also black and very sheer. I remember her holding on to the ends of it as she moved towards me. I could see a very ornate bra, gold in color with black tassels hanging from it. At the bottom of the tassels were more of the coin like things that were on the headband. I could see through the material to see that her bottom was a gold and black panty like creation but starting at her hip bones it went into a “V” leading to her pubic area. Nothing but flesh showed but it was an attention getter! Attached to the backside of the panty was more of the sheer black material that was somehow attached to her legs just below her knees. I was stunned! (in a positive way) I immediately asked if that was the way she’d look if we agreed that she’d perform for us. Not answering, she proceeded to do some ‘moves’ and said she was sure she could put on a show to get Martin’s attention. Watching her swivel her hips and move her pelvis I felt sure they guys would be happy even without stripping. To me, it seemed like a good alternative so asked how much more it would cost. The husband said they’d throw it in for free if we guaranteed 18 meals. I remember smiling as I pictured the look on Martin’s face when she would make her entrance.
We shook hands but I had to get a deposit back to them the next day. I still had the money that was returned (less 20% for canceling) from the other place but not on my person. I was smiling all the way home. I wasn’t sure what Elle’s reaction would be if I told her about the belly dancer so decided to let it go. I was able to get in touch with “Big B” and he seemed pleased even if the cost was higher that at the first place.
Sabrina (Lisa) had to make some sacrifices in her plans because of her ‘screw-up’. Instead of the reception being at the most prestigious venue in the area, she had to settle for the local American Legion hall. Instead of the wedding taking place in mid afternoon it had to happen at noon as the church was booked solid for the holiday season. Being only nine days before Christmas, trying to re-book their honeymoon plans was an added problem. The bachelor party was originally scheduled for a Friday night so it wouldn’t interfere with working and now it was on a Thursday night and that caused some of the invitees to cancel out. Since we (I) had guaranteed 18 meals to the restaurant it increased the cost for those who did come. To put it in simple terms... it was a typical Sabrina (Lisa) SNAFU. The only hope was that the lady at the restaurant would put on a really good show for us.
To be continued...
A while back I wrote how my friend “Big B” had asked me to work on putting together a bachelor party for his friend (and mine) Martin, but with one special request... a stripper to be included. Martin and my one time neighbor, Sabrina (Lisa), were to be married the Saturday after Thanksgiving with the party to be held the night before. “B”, knowing how ‘straight laced’ Martin was, thought the stripper would really shake him up. It didn’t take long for me to find that it was going to be impossible to get a stripper and to have food served. The County where we lived didn’t out law strippers, per se, but had a law that prohibited nudity where food was served. That was one problem but another was Sabrina (lisa) had to postpone the wedding when she screwed up the dates for the reception. I wasn’t too pleased as I’d arranged for the party (without a stripper) and then had to do it all over again. My problem was that the restaurant couldn’t accommodate the party because it was already booked for Christmas functions. So, it was back to the ‘drawing board’. In talking to my father about it he suggested a seasonal restaurant that after November 1 was only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He and my mother had become friends with the owners and he offered to see if they would host our party. I was too busy to get too involved so welcomed the offer.
I could write a whole post on just the building that housed the place. It was called “Skipper’s” to honor the sea captain who built the house at the turn of the century. The couple who owned and ran the place were Greek and, as could be expected, featured Greek cuisine but also offered standard entree’s. Victorian in style, it had five different dining areas. When my father reported the owners would consider it I stopped on my way home. The lady was one of those people who wanted to know everything about everybody and all about why the party had to be rescheduled. I don’t remember just how the subject came up but I did mention the original idea was to have a stripper. When the lady heard that she let out a shriek. It actually startled me. The reason... she had been a belly dancer before moving to the area and opening the restaurant and thought she could fill the need.
I’d heard the term and read some books that had belly dancers within the plot line but had never actually seen one. Hearing that, the lady left the room and then I heard her running up the stairs. About five minutes later she reappeared wearing this really weird outfit that definitely showed her belly. Right in the middle of it was something that seemed to sparkle. It was in her belly button and I couldn’t figure out what kept it there. The lady was probably in her mid to late 40’s but had a decent figure, As she approached I scanned her outfit from head to toe. Starting at the top she had on a black headband that was embellished by what looked like gold coins. There was a very sheer black veil covering her face. Over her shoulders she had a shawl like thing that was also black and very sheer. I remember her holding on to the ends of it as she moved towards me. I could see a very ornate bra, gold in color with black tassels hanging from it. At the bottom of the tassels were more of the coin like things that were on the headband. I could see through the material to see that her bottom was a gold and black panty like creation but starting at her hip bones it went into a “V” leading to her pubic area. Nothing but flesh showed but it was an attention getter! Attached to the backside of the panty was more of the sheer black material that was somehow attached to her legs just below her knees. I was stunned! (in a positive way) I immediately asked if that was the way she’d look if we agreed that she’d perform for us. Not answering, she proceeded to do some ‘moves’ and said she was sure she could put on a show to get Martin’s attention. Watching her swivel her hips and move her pelvis I felt sure they guys would be happy even without stripping. To me, it seemed like a good alternative so asked how much more it would cost. The husband said they’d throw it in for free if we guaranteed 18 meals. I remember smiling as I pictured the look on Martin’s face when she would make her entrance.
We shook hands but I had to get a deposit back to them the next day. I still had the money that was returned (less 20% for canceling) from the other place but not on my person. I was smiling all the way home. I wasn’t sure what Elle’s reaction would be if I told her about the belly dancer so decided to let it go. I was able to get in touch with “Big B” and he seemed pleased even if the cost was higher that at the first place.
Sabrina (Lisa) had to make some sacrifices in her plans because of her ‘screw-up’. Instead of the reception being at the most prestigious venue in the area, she had to settle for the local American Legion hall. Instead of the wedding taking place in mid afternoon it had to happen at noon as the church was booked solid for the holiday season. Being only nine days before Christmas, trying to re-book their honeymoon plans was an added problem. The bachelor party was originally scheduled for a Friday night so it wouldn’t interfere with working and now it was on a Thursday night and that caused some of the invitees to cancel out. Since we (I) had guaranteed 18 meals to the restaurant it increased the cost for those who did come. To put it in simple terms... it was a typical Sabrina (Lisa) SNAFU. The only hope was that the lady at the restaurant would put on a really good show for us.
To be continued...
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Christmas (Part 148e)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Christmas (Part 148e)
To be truthful. I’d not given much thought to that resort area even though my parents had continued to visit. When we (my whole family) first went there it was for an extended period of time but recently my parents had cut back to just a few weeks. I asked some questions about how the facilities looked and my mother said she’d show us some pictures from recent visits to let me judge for myself. I was immediately taken back in time to when I’d been there and started reprising those times in my mind.
When my parents left I started telling her about the good times I’d experienced there. Even though we (especially me) hadn’t played much tennis during the Summer I focused on the beautiful courts that were there and promised that we’d play every day. Elle, as much as she loved tennis, seemed more interested in the heated outdoor swimming pool and the beach cabanas that I described. We’d gotten so involved in talking about the place we’d pretty much forgotten about the kids and it was Kaye who brought us back to reality when we heard her crying. Crocodile tears, at best, because Anne wouldn’t let her touch one of her gifts. We decided to head them up the stairs for bed. It had been my hope, long before my parents arrival, for Elle and I to enjoy some ‘amour’. I don’t remember how long it had been since our last conjugal visit but I was certainly ready. Now, with the excitement of the pending trip I thought would be perfect timing.
As Elle finished up with the girls I turned the covers of our bed down. When Elle walked in she wanted to know why as it was only around 9pm. One thing I do remember when I told her was the answer was an emphatic “No!“ She didn’t want to start with the kids still awake. (Remember, she insisted that all bedroom doors remain open) So, we retreated to the den where she started in planning for the trip. As a teacher her life evolved around plans... daily... weekly and monthly. In spite of the fact that we had three and a half months until we’d be leaving she had her yellow pad out. I knew there was no way to short circuit it so, wearily, went along with her. I won’t burden you with it but suffice it to say she was still at it at 11pm when I turned the TV on for the news.
When I did she said she was tired and would see me upstairs. At that point I knew my ‘plan’ was pretty much dead in the water. I stayed only for the headlines and then decided to make one last stab at it and made my way up the stairs. Between the ‘busy period’ and the conversion I knew work for the next two weeks would be brutal so I made a plea for some love making consideration. She said she just didn’t feel like it, something I’d been hearing a lot of over recent weeks. I won’t say I was mad but did try using the fact that it was Christmas and I’d appreciate some Christmas spirit from her.
She was still in the panties she’d worn all day and hadn’t yet put her night time ‘package’ on. Hoping against hope I asked if she’d let me at least ‘play’. (‘Play’ was when she’d straddle me, pee a little and then drop down on me so my penis would be nestled between her thighs and cradled by the wet panties.) The answer was still ”No“ ... but she offered up a ‘crumb’. She agreed to let me have a picture but, as usual told me to hurry up. Beggars can’t be choosy so I headed down the stairs for the camera once again.
Normally, a picture would be exciting for me. As I picked up the camera and headed back up the stairs I was trying to remember the last time we’d actually had full blown sex... and I couldn’t. Back in the bedroom Elle was standing by the bed and had a small towel in her hand. I asked why and she said she’d ‘leaked’ but hadn’t ”made a mess“. She, again, admonished me to ”hurry up“ before she did. I hated to be pressured like that but knew if I didn’t I’d not have any picture. I told her to put the towel on the bed and then get up on the bed and squat over it. I heard somewhat of a moan and saw a ‘resigned’ look on her face as she climbed up. I had the camera ready and I pointed it at her crotch. I was literally two seconds early when I pushed the button. The picture ejected and as I looked at Elle could see her pee starting to pour from her panties. She grabbed at the towel and stuffed it between her legs, jumped off the bed and headed down the hall. I started after her but even in the dim light I could see her head shaking from side to side telling me not to bother. I went back to the bedroom to see what I did manage to capture. As I just said, I was just seconds from getting an ‘action’ wetting shot but it was still good.
In bed all she wanted to do was talk about Florida asking about touristy things to do. She’d only been once and that was when she was 17. She’d been invited to her best friend Nan’s home and other than swimming all they’d done was hang around the house. So... the idea of going to Florida and actually seeing and doing things had her excited. When she’d ask a question I had to rely on what I remembered from 15 years earlier. I tried my best to humor her but by midnight was falling asleep in mid sentence.
So... that pretty much ended Christmas for me. There would be no time for family for at least two weeks what with the ‘busy period’ and the conversion. I do remember wishing that the Florida trip was in the middle of January and not April. Just thinking about what I’d be facing at work for the next few weeks wore me out.
To be continued...
To be truthful. I’d not given much thought to that resort area even though my parents had continued to visit. When we (my whole family) first went there it was for an extended period of time but recently my parents had cut back to just a few weeks. I asked some questions about how the facilities looked and my mother said she’d show us some pictures from recent visits to let me judge for myself. I was immediately taken back in time to when I’d been there and started reprising those times in my mind.
When my parents left I started telling her about the good times I’d experienced there. Even though we (especially me) hadn’t played much tennis during the Summer I focused on the beautiful courts that were there and promised that we’d play every day. Elle, as much as she loved tennis, seemed more interested in the heated outdoor swimming pool and the beach cabanas that I described. We’d gotten so involved in talking about the place we’d pretty much forgotten about the kids and it was Kaye who brought us back to reality when we heard her crying. Crocodile tears, at best, because Anne wouldn’t let her touch one of her gifts. We decided to head them up the stairs for bed. It had been my hope, long before my parents arrival, for Elle and I to enjoy some ‘amour’. I don’t remember how long it had been since our last conjugal visit but I was certainly ready. Now, with the excitement of the pending trip I thought would be perfect timing.
As Elle finished up with the girls I turned the covers of our bed down. When Elle walked in she wanted to know why as it was only around 9pm. One thing I do remember when I told her was the answer was an emphatic “No!“ She didn’t want to start with the kids still awake. (Remember, she insisted that all bedroom doors remain open) So, we retreated to the den where she started in planning for the trip. As a teacher her life evolved around plans... daily... weekly and monthly. In spite of the fact that we had three and a half months until we’d be leaving she had her yellow pad out. I knew there was no way to short circuit it so, wearily, went along with her. I won’t burden you with it but suffice it to say she was still at it at 11pm when I turned the TV on for the news.
When I did she said she was tired and would see me upstairs. At that point I knew my ‘plan’ was pretty much dead in the water. I stayed only for the headlines and then decided to make one last stab at it and made my way up the stairs. Between the ‘busy period’ and the conversion I knew work for the next two weeks would be brutal so I made a plea for some love making consideration. She said she just didn’t feel like it, something I’d been hearing a lot of over recent weeks. I won’t say I was mad but did try using the fact that it was Christmas and I’d appreciate some Christmas spirit from her.
She was still in the panties she’d worn all day and hadn’t yet put her night time ‘package’ on. Hoping against hope I asked if she’d let me at least ‘play’. (‘Play’ was when she’d straddle me, pee a little and then drop down on me so my penis would be nestled between her thighs and cradled by the wet panties.) The answer was still ”No“ ... but she offered up a ‘crumb’. She agreed to let me have a picture but, as usual told me to hurry up. Beggars can’t be choosy so I headed down the stairs for the camera once again.
Normally, a picture would be exciting for me. As I picked up the camera and headed back up the stairs I was trying to remember the last time we’d actually had full blown sex... and I couldn’t. Back in the bedroom Elle was standing by the bed and had a small towel in her hand. I asked why and she said she’d ‘leaked’ but hadn’t ”made a mess“. She, again, admonished me to ”hurry up“ before she did. I hated to be pressured like that but knew if I didn’t I’d not have any picture. I told her to put the towel on the bed and then get up on the bed and squat over it. I heard somewhat of a moan and saw a ‘resigned’ look on her face as she climbed up. I had the camera ready and I pointed it at her crotch. I was literally two seconds early when I pushed the button. The picture ejected and as I looked at Elle could see her pee starting to pour from her panties. She grabbed at the towel and stuffed it between her legs, jumped off the bed and headed down the hall. I started after her but even in the dim light I could see her head shaking from side to side telling me not to bother. I went back to the bedroom to see what I did manage to capture. As I just said, I was just seconds from getting an ‘action’ wetting shot but it was still good.
In bed all she wanted to do was talk about Florida asking about touristy things to do. She’d only been once and that was when she was 17. She’d been invited to her best friend Nan’s home and other than swimming all they’d done was hang around the house. So... the idea of going to Florida and actually seeing and doing things had her excited. When she’d ask a question I had to rely on what I remembered from 15 years earlier. I tried my best to humor her but by midnight was falling asleep in mid sentence.
So... that pretty much ended Christmas for me. There would be no time for family for at least two weeks what with the ‘busy period’ and the conversion. I do remember wishing that the Florida trip was in the middle of January and not April. Just thinking about what I’d be facing at work for the next few weeks wore me out.
To be continued...
Monday, September 05, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Christmas (Part 148d)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Christmas (Part 148d)
Back at home Elle and I had a ‘talk’ with the Anne about playing the Situation Four game. We decided that we’d play in teams until Anne could accept the fact the the game was not hers but was for the family. The first teams were Jean and Elle against Anne and I. I’ll admit that I didn’t try very hard with the idea being to teach Anne a lesson. She thought she was going to win every game of Situation Four she played. It was somewhat funny to see her reaction to loosing but it did get her attention. All of a sudden she didn’t want to play anymore so Elle played against Jean. Watching them I saw I could get a nice ‘double’ (VPL and a DP) so I got the camera.
Elle was so engrossed in the game she didn’t realize what I was doing until the flash bulb went off. I got a ‘look’ from her but that was all. Then I got to play against Elle and, to make her feel good, let her win. At that point we decided to put the game away for a while.
We were deciding what games to play next that would include the whole family when the phone rang. It was my mother. She wanted to know if she and my father could stop over after we’d eaten. I was puzzled because that was something that they NEVER did. I wanted to know if something was wrong but she assured me that everything was fine. The call left me scratching my head and anxious for them to get there.
Another tradition that we’d started was to reprise the Christmas dinner on the day after as our supper. It wasn’t very good for the waistline but it tasted almost as good as the original. Even though there was still some pie left over from the previous day the vote was unanimous for eating the rest of Barbara’s cream filled bundt cake. After the dishes were cleared and washed and with my parents due to arrive, Elle decided that it was time for some individual play for the girls. As they were still playing on the floor I was able to view continued VPL’s and DP’s as Elle set them up. It kept my attention for a while as I waited for my parents.
It turned out to be something very good. In a way, I guess it could’ve been considered a Christmas present... a day late. It’s going to take a bit to explain it so I beg for your indulgence...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you go back to some of my early posts I told of my mother’s poor health and that her doctor had suggested that she go to a warmer climate during the heart of Winter. Starting when I was 11 years old the whole family headed for Florida in January and returned North around Easter. We started out on the West coast but gravitated to the Northeast part when I was 13. After some searching for the ideal spot they settled on a motel like place that was affiliated with a large resort. The last Winter I was able to do it I was 16. After that I was shipped off to boarding school and that ended that. However, my parents (and brother) continued to go back to the same place. My parents, who were very social, had become good friends with many of the ‘regulars’ (the people who returned Winter after Winter) as well as the owner and his wife. So much so for the latter that they would visit my parents during the Summer. Over time, the resort business changed and the owners were forced to rethink their business plan. They found that more and more visitors weren’t satisfied with just a room so bought the property just North of the existing complex and built two, two story buildings with four small apartments on each floor. They turned out to be an immediate success. With that success business at the original place continued to fall off and a decision was made to tear it down and build three more small apartment buildings. However, the wife wanted to do something special for the ‘regulars’ that had supported them for those many years. Traditionally, the Winter season was considered over as of April 15th. It was followed by what they called the ‘transitional’ season which continued until June 1 when they would close for the Summer. Once the decision was made to convert to all apartments they sent out an invitation to all the long time ‘regulars’ to come for a week long ‘Farewell Celebration’, on them.
My parents signed up as soon as they got their invitation. My mother had been in contact with the the owners to find out just who had indicated would be attending. It was then that she found that it appeared there would be less than a ‘full house’ and for some unknown reason, asked if they could bring Elle and I with them. My mother said she’d gotten a call from the owners earlier that day and the answer was “Yes.” The reason being that my parents had been there every year for eighteen years, without fail, and they’d be glad to accommodate us. I sat there, totally flabbergasted.
Without going back into family ‘skeletons’, since our marriage my parents had chosen to limit their gifts to our girls. Yes, they’d helped out when we bought the house by giving us some of their stored and unused furniture but had never spent any money directly on or for us. That’s why I was so shocked. The temptation to ask was there but reason ruled and I kept my mouth shut. My mother explained that our room and two meals a day would be provided for five days but that we were responsible for getting there and back. Without even asking about the dates I was all for it. Then my mother told us it was from April 16 to the 20th and I knew, as far as work was concerned, I was home free. Elle was a little more reserved because she knew she’d have to ask her mother to take the kids. But, all in all we were both really excited. Our 10th wedding anniversary was in October and we’d tentatively planned to go someplace to celebrate it. I was already thinking that this could be it and it wouldn’t cost all that much. Little did I know...
To be continued...
Back at home Elle and I had a ‘talk’ with the Anne about playing the Situation Four game. We decided that we’d play in teams until Anne could accept the fact the the game was not hers but was for the family. The first teams were Jean and Elle against Anne and I. I’ll admit that I didn’t try very hard with the idea being to teach Anne a lesson. She thought she was going to win every game of Situation Four she played. It was somewhat funny to see her reaction to loosing but it did get her attention. All of a sudden she didn’t want to play anymore so Elle played against Jean. Watching them I saw I could get a nice ‘double’ (VPL and a DP) so I got the camera.
 |
| A 'double'... DP and VPL |
Elle was so engrossed in the game she didn’t realize what I was doing until the flash bulb went off. I got a ‘look’ from her but that was all. Then I got to play against Elle and, to make her feel good, let her win. At that point we decided to put the game away for a while.
We were deciding what games to play next that would include the whole family when the phone rang. It was my mother. She wanted to know if she and my father could stop over after we’d eaten. I was puzzled because that was something that they NEVER did. I wanted to know if something was wrong but she assured me that everything was fine. The call left me scratching my head and anxious for them to get there.
Another tradition that we’d started was to reprise the Christmas dinner on the day after as our supper. It wasn’t very good for the waistline but it tasted almost as good as the original. Even though there was still some pie left over from the previous day the vote was unanimous for eating the rest of Barbara’s cream filled bundt cake. After the dishes were cleared and washed and with my parents due to arrive, Elle decided that it was time for some individual play for the girls. As they were still playing on the floor I was able to view continued VPL’s and DP’s as Elle set them up. It kept my attention for a while as I waited for my parents.
It turned out to be something very good. In a way, I guess it could’ve been considered a Christmas present... a day late. It’s going to take a bit to explain it so I beg for your indulgence...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you go back to some of my early posts I told of my mother’s poor health and that her doctor had suggested that she go to a warmer climate during the heart of Winter. Starting when I was 11 years old the whole family headed for Florida in January and returned North around Easter. We started out on the West coast but gravitated to the Northeast part when I was 13. After some searching for the ideal spot they settled on a motel like place that was affiliated with a large resort. The last Winter I was able to do it I was 16. After that I was shipped off to boarding school and that ended that. However, my parents (and brother) continued to go back to the same place. My parents, who were very social, had become good friends with many of the ‘regulars’ (the people who returned Winter after Winter) as well as the owner and his wife. So much so for the latter that they would visit my parents during the Summer. Over time, the resort business changed and the owners were forced to rethink their business plan. They found that more and more visitors weren’t satisfied with just a room so bought the property just North of the existing complex and built two, two story buildings with four small apartments on each floor. They turned out to be an immediate success. With that success business at the original place continued to fall off and a decision was made to tear it down and build three more small apartment buildings. However, the wife wanted to do something special for the ‘regulars’ that had supported them for those many years. Traditionally, the Winter season was considered over as of April 15th. It was followed by what they called the ‘transitional’ season which continued until June 1 when they would close for the Summer. Once the decision was made to convert to all apartments they sent out an invitation to all the long time ‘regulars’ to come for a week long ‘Farewell Celebration’, on them.
My parents signed up as soon as they got their invitation. My mother had been in contact with the the owners to find out just who had indicated would be attending. It was then that she found that it appeared there would be less than a ‘full house’ and for some unknown reason, asked if they could bring Elle and I with them. My mother said she’d gotten a call from the owners earlier that day and the answer was “Yes.” The reason being that my parents had been there every year for eighteen years, without fail, and they’d be glad to accommodate us. I sat there, totally flabbergasted.
Without going back into family ‘skeletons’, since our marriage my parents had chosen to limit their gifts to our girls. Yes, they’d helped out when we bought the house by giving us some of their stored and unused furniture but had never spent any money directly on or for us. That’s why I was so shocked. The temptation to ask was there but reason ruled and I kept my mouth shut. My mother explained that our room and two meals a day would be provided for five days but that we were responsible for getting there and back. Without even asking about the dates I was all for it. Then my mother told us it was from April 16 to the 20th and I knew, as far as work was concerned, I was home free. Elle was a little more reserved because she knew she’d have to ask her mother to take the kids. But, all in all we were both really excited. Our 10th wedding anniversary was in October and we’d tentatively planned to go someplace to celebrate it. I was already thinking that this could be it and it wouldn’t cost all that much. Little did I know...
To be continued...
Saturday, September 03, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Christmas (Part 148c)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Christmas (Part 148c)
I swear that the game was my only thought as we marched into the living room... but it became secondary as soon as Barbara settled down on the floor in front of it. She was wearing a pair of off white (ivory) polished cotton slacks and they were tailored so fit tight all the way around. The first thing I saw was flesh just below her sweater and then a nice band of white. Sitting on the sofa I was no more than three feet away. The elastic was, for sure, the style that Lollipop used. As I’ve said before, it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen the same female and the same panties... it was still a thrill... and it was. Thankfully, the loose fitting robe held my secret.
Needless to say Barbara was beaten quite handily by Anne so a follow up challenge was thrown out. This time Barbara really got into it. Not only on her knees but she positioned herself so that she could sort of rise up from sitting on her calves and reach across to Anne’s side to place her pieces. All I can say is that if I’d had an iPhone back then I would’ve ended up with a fantastic collection of VPL’s. The bands of her band leg panties just jumped out and the crotch line almost seemed highlighted.
The results of the game were the same with Barbara beaten badly, again. Elle appeared about then and suggested that Jean be given a chance to play against Barbara. Anne didn’t take to that idea very well and, as a result, was relegated to her room to think about it. That next game was fairly even and Barbara eked out a win. It was obvious that Barbara really like the game and asked where we’d gotten it. She’d forgotten that all our kids were still Santa believers so when Elle answered “Santa”. Barbara blurted out something like “No... which store?” Elle somehow salvaged the situation and I still remember Barbara being totally embarrassed. It was about then that the phone rang. It was Phyllis, Barbara’s mother, wanting to know where she was. Surprisingly, it was almost 2pm. In the course of the conversation she invited all of us over to see their tree. Knowing Elle’s mother was from Germany her ‘hook’ to get us to come over was that their tree was decorated in the traditional German style and with antique ornaments to boot. What made it funny was that all the girls were still in their pajamas and I was still in my robe.
Begging off for some time for us to get washed and dressed, Barbara headed home. We followed about a half hour later with Anne still in a ‘snit’ about being sent to her room. As we climbed the steps to their kitchen door I realized that we’d made real progress in the relationship with Phyllis since their arrival. She was still the ‘BOSS’ but had toned it down quite a bit. Inside, I could hear noise coming from the basement and the unmistakable sound of ping pong. It had been their boys big present. Phyllis noted that it was designed to keep them occupied and, so far, it was working. Barbara then interjected her observation about the new game we’d gotten... Situation Four... and proceeded to try and explain it. As it totally overwhelmed Phyllis she led us into the living room. I looked around and was amazed by the transformation since they’d moved in. The tree was spectacular. They had candles on the branches (but not lit) along with some really intricate glass ornaments. What they’d done was to string white lights around the trunk of the tree to give some illumination and a nice effect.
I was the one who asked about Mo. Phyllis laughed. She told us that Mo had “discovered boys” and was visiting her “boyfriend”. I looked over at Barbara and could see her trying to hide a smile. Elle, trying to get out of an awkward situation, asked Barbara what she’d gotten for Christmas. One of the traditions I’d brought to Christmas from my family was to display the gifts under the tree for a few days. Elle had thought it silly but to humor me had gone along with it. Looking under their tree I could see they’d done something similar. Barbara, somewhat embarrassed by Elle's question, muttered that all she’d gotten was clothes. Just standing there I scanned the area that she pointed to. I really wasn’t interested and was actually looking forward to heading home. As I moved away from the tree I saw a pile of white. I stopped and tried to discern just what made up the pile. Kaye had insisted upon bringing one of her wind up animals and was totally bored with the proceedings so she put it down on the floor. It immediately headed for the back of the tree. I could see it would be difficult to retrieve it so stuck out my foot to divert it. As I did I reached down to try and pick it up. That got me close to the pile of white... and the answer as to what made it up.
There was no way to tell if under the now familiar elastic that Lollipop used for the waists of their cotton panties there was the double back that was on the panties that I’d confirmed Barbara wore back during the Summer. But, there was no doubt that she had a batch of fresh, white, cotton Lollipop panties to start out the new year. Encouraged by my ‘find’, I made an effort to see if there was a somewhat similar pile in the area where Mo’s presents were located. I knew I had to be careful as I made my way across the front of the tree. Kaye was pleading for her animal but I paid her little mind. Mo’s presents were on the side of the tree closest to the kitchen door and I wanted to get Kaye out of harms way and into the kitchen. Once there I squatted down with the toy telling her not to bring it back by the tree. As I did I looked back into the room and across the display of what I surmised as Mo’s clothes. I was about to stand up when I saw a box with a picture of a female on the top. I saw the word “Campus” and immediately remembered that they were the company that made the “Days of the Week” panties that I’d determined Mo wore while checking out their wash line. I was pleased and glad we’d come over.
To be continued...
I swear that the game was my only thought as we marched into the living room... but it became secondary as soon as Barbara settled down on the floor in front of it. She was wearing a pair of off white (ivory) polished cotton slacks and they were tailored so fit tight all the way around. The first thing I saw was flesh just below her sweater and then a nice band of white. Sitting on the sofa I was no more than three feet away. The elastic was, for sure, the style that Lollipop used. As I’ve said before, it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen the same female and the same panties... it was still a thrill... and it was. Thankfully, the loose fitting robe held my secret.
Needless to say Barbara was beaten quite handily by Anne so a follow up challenge was thrown out. This time Barbara really got into it. Not only on her knees but she positioned herself so that she could sort of rise up from sitting on her calves and reach across to Anne’s side to place her pieces. All I can say is that if I’d had an iPhone back then I would’ve ended up with a fantastic collection of VPL’s. The bands of her band leg panties just jumped out and the crotch line almost seemed highlighted.
The results of the game were the same with Barbara beaten badly, again. Elle appeared about then and suggested that Jean be given a chance to play against Barbara. Anne didn’t take to that idea very well and, as a result, was relegated to her room to think about it. That next game was fairly even and Barbara eked out a win. It was obvious that Barbara really like the game and asked where we’d gotten it. She’d forgotten that all our kids were still Santa believers so when Elle answered “Santa”. Barbara blurted out something like “No... which store?” Elle somehow salvaged the situation and I still remember Barbara being totally embarrassed. It was about then that the phone rang. It was Phyllis, Barbara’s mother, wanting to know where she was. Surprisingly, it was almost 2pm. In the course of the conversation she invited all of us over to see their tree. Knowing Elle’s mother was from Germany her ‘hook’ to get us to come over was that their tree was decorated in the traditional German style and with antique ornaments to boot. What made it funny was that all the girls were still in their pajamas and I was still in my robe.
Begging off for some time for us to get washed and dressed, Barbara headed home. We followed about a half hour later with Anne still in a ‘snit’ about being sent to her room. As we climbed the steps to their kitchen door I realized that we’d made real progress in the relationship with Phyllis since their arrival. She was still the ‘BOSS’ but had toned it down quite a bit. Inside, I could hear noise coming from the basement and the unmistakable sound of ping pong. It had been their boys big present. Phyllis noted that it was designed to keep them occupied and, so far, it was working. Barbara then interjected her observation about the new game we’d gotten... Situation Four... and proceeded to try and explain it. As it totally overwhelmed Phyllis she led us into the living room. I looked around and was amazed by the transformation since they’d moved in. The tree was spectacular. They had candles on the branches (but not lit) along with some really intricate glass ornaments. What they’d done was to string white lights around the trunk of the tree to give some illumination and a nice effect.
I was the one who asked about Mo. Phyllis laughed. She told us that Mo had “discovered boys” and was visiting her “boyfriend”. I looked over at Barbara and could see her trying to hide a smile. Elle, trying to get out of an awkward situation, asked Barbara what she’d gotten for Christmas. One of the traditions I’d brought to Christmas from my family was to display the gifts under the tree for a few days. Elle had thought it silly but to humor me had gone along with it. Looking under their tree I could see they’d done something similar. Barbara, somewhat embarrassed by Elle's question, muttered that all she’d gotten was clothes. Just standing there I scanned the area that she pointed to. I really wasn’t interested and was actually looking forward to heading home. As I moved away from the tree I saw a pile of white. I stopped and tried to discern just what made up the pile. Kaye had insisted upon bringing one of her wind up animals and was totally bored with the proceedings so she put it down on the floor. It immediately headed for the back of the tree. I could see it would be difficult to retrieve it so stuck out my foot to divert it. As I did I reached down to try and pick it up. That got me close to the pile of white... and the answer as to what made it up.
There was no way to tell if under the now familiar elastic that Lollipop used for the waists of their cotton panties there was the double back that was on the panties that I’d confirmed Barbara wore back during the Summer. But, there was no doubt that she had a batch of fresh, white, cotton Lollipop panties to start out the new year. Encouraged by my ‘find’, I made an effort to see if there was a somewhat similar pile in the area where Mo’s presents were located. I knew I had to be careful as I made my way across the front of the tree. Kaye was pleading for her animal but I paid her little mind. Mo’s presents were on the side of the tree closest to the kitchen door and I wanted to get Kaye out of harms way and into the kitchen. Once there I squatted down with the toy telling her not to bring it back by the tree. As I did I looked back into the room and across the display of what I surmised as Mo’s clothes. I was about to stand up when I saw a box with a picture of a female on the top. I saw the word “Campus” and immediately remembered that they were the company that made the “Days of the Week” panties that I’d determined Mo wore while checking out their wash line. I was pleased and glad we’d come over.
To be continued...
Thursday, September 01, 2016
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Christmas (Part 148b)
FINISHING OUT THE YEAR... Christmas (Part 148b)
Having the day after Christmas off was a blessing in any number of ways. When we turned the light off we’d had only about 3 hours sleep since getting up at 7am Saturday. It was readily obvious that we needed sleep. Elle slept through two of her bathroom alarms and both she and the bed were wet when she woke up. I was so ‘out’ that I hadn’t felt the wet sheets. Somewhat amazing was that all three of the girls were still asleep and it was almost 9am. Elle headed for the shower leaving me to strip the wet things off the bed. By the time she returned I’d picked out the panties I wanted her to wear. Both pair were ‘fancy’ but before she could protest I reminded her that it was Christmas and she should show some “Christmas Spirit” and indulge me. That got me a smile and the panties went on just as I wanted. I had one other request and that was for her to wait to get dressed in clothes. I picked out a filmy short nightie that was basically like tissue paper and once she had it on her panties were clearly visible. Because we knew the kids would be on the floor with their presents on Christmas day I turned the heat up and hadn’t turned it back down. That meant she couldn’t use being cold as an excuse. Reluctantly, she agreed to wear it through breakfast.
We had nothing planned for the whole day. I was looking forward to playing games with the kids while Elle finished getting the house back in order. However, there was one thing that both Elle and I looked forward to and that was having turkey club sandwiches for lunch. Right from the time we moved back home we’d had a Christmas dinner at her parents house and we got left over turkey to go home with. For some unremembered reason we started what had become somewhat of a tradition by having turkey club sandwiches the following day and this was to be no different.
Even though Elle had only promised to wear her nightie until after breakfast she was still wearing it as lunchtime approached. One of the games we’d gotten was kind of a war game for two people (or four if you played in teams). It was called Situation Four and used a jig saw puzzle concept as it’s basis. Each player had a complete set of pieces to complete the whole puzzle with each set being a slightly different color. The idea was for each player to start building the puzzle while situated opposite the other and to see who could get the most pieces when it was completed. Even though Anne was only seven she immediately grasped the concept and after only a few times was quite good at it. I’d watched her beat her older sister a couple of time so challenged her. That was a mistake! Elle got involved and the next thing we knew it was early afternoon. It was decided to call a truce and to eat. Elle had all the fixings ready and was putting them out on the counter while I set the table. I thought I heard a knock at the kitchen door. I took a look and saw it was Barbara and with a stack of boxes in her arms. When I told Elle she was shocked and looked down at her gown. As I said, it was tissue paper thin and she was obviously embarrassed even though Barbara was still outside. When she knocked again Jean heard it and came running in from the living room and almost without stopping opened the door. As Barbara stepped in I glanced over at Elle. You’ve heard the statement “Like a deer in the headlights...” Well, that was Elle.
The girls saw the presents and could almost smell that they were mostly for them. With Barbara’s attention being given to the girls Elle tried to slip past them to head up the stairs but Barbara saw her and thrust the biggest package towards her. As I stood watching it came to me that Barbara had no idea what Elle was wearing. Elle had to stop and as as soon as she took the box Barbara insisted that she needed to open it. When Elle didn’t move I called to her to go ahead and open the package. She had to move to the counter to do it. The girls had taken their packages and dropped to the floor to open them leaving nothing to block Elle’s now embarrassed plight. But Barbara was concentrating on the box now on the counter. By then I was really curious.
It turned out to be a whipped cream filled bundt cake that Barbara had made. Because of the whipped cream it needed to be refrigerated and that was the cause for the immediacy of opening the package. As soon as I saw it I wanted some even though I hadn’t eaten my sandwich. As soon as Elle had the cake in the refrigerator Barbara explained that the pan that she cooked it in had come from Germany and had belonged to her mother’s grandmother. Back in her day the cake was known as Gugelhupf. (The reason I remember this is that Elle’s mother, also from Germany, after seeing Barbara’s creation was determined not to be outdone by a teenager and would make a Gugelhupf for us about once a month after that.) The pan had survived WWII and had been shipped to Phyllis by her mother. This was the first cake made in it by Barbara and she was really proud of it.
Elle was ‘taken’ by Barbara’s thoughtfulness and, forgetting about her embarrassment, invited her to have a club sandwich with us. She initially declined but the girls just overwhelmed her and she agreed by taking her coat off. I honestly think that was when Barbara recognized that Elle was still in her nightie as I caught the look on her face. Picking up on it I tried to explain that we’d all slept in and then had gotten involved in playing games. That got Barbara’s attention and she asked what they’d all gotten in the way of presents. Situation Four was all they wanted to talk about and made Barbara promise that she’d stay and play after we ate.
After getting everybody seated and food on their plates Elle disappeared upstairs to change. The girls were still in their pajamas and I was in a robe with only t-shirt and boxer shorts. Sitting there like that I tried to think back when Barbara spent the weekend with us and trying to remember if we’d ever gotten that ‘casual’ with her around. She didn’t seem to mind and didn’t say anything so I stayed the way I was.
As soon as the club sandwiches were devoured the cry went out for Barbara’s cake. It was chocolate with only a sprinkling of powdered sugar for icing. However, the whipped cream inside was what made it. (It was something like a Devil Dog but with real whipped cream inside.) By the time we finished half the cake was gone. After that the girls prevailed upon Barbara to go play Situation Four. I followed because I wanted to see her reaction to having a seven year old beat her.
To be continued...
Having the day after Christmas off was a blessing in any number of ways. When we turned the light off we’d had only about 3 hours sleep since getting up at 7am Saturday. It was readily obvious that we needed sleep. Elle slept through two of her bathroom alarms and both she and the bed were wet when she woke up. I was so ‘out’ that I hadn’t felt the wet sheets. Somewhat amazing was that all three of the girls were still asleep and it was almost 9am. Elle headed for the shower leaving me to strip the wet things off the bed. By the time she returned I’d picked out the panties I wanted her to wear. Both pair were ‘fancy’ but before she could protest I reminded her that it was Christmas and she should show some “Christmas Spirit” and indulge me. That got me a smile and the panties went on just as I wanted. I had one other request and that was for her to wait to get dressed in clothes. I picked out a filmy short nightie that was basically like tissue paper and once she had it on her panties were clearly visible. Because we knew the kids would be on the floor with their presents on Christmas day I turned the heat up and hadn’t turned it back down. That meant she couldn’t use being cold as an excuse. Reluctantly, she agreed to wear it through breakfast.
 |
| Filmy nightie |
We had nothing planned for the whole day. I was looking forward to playing games with the kids while Elle finished getting the house back in order. However, there was one thing that both Elle and I looked forward to and that was having turkey club sandwiches for lunch. Right from the time we moved back home we’d had a Christmas dinner at her parents house and we got left over turkey to go home with. For some unremembered reason we started what had become somewhat of a tradition by having turkey club sandwiches the following day and this was to be no different.
Even though Elle had only promised to wear her nightie until after breakfast she was still wearing it as lunchtime approached. One of the games we’d gotten was kind of a war game for two people (or four if you played in teams). It was called Situation Four and used a jig saw puzzle concept as it’s basis. Each player had a complete set of pieces to complete the whole puzzle with each set being a slightly different color. The idea was for each player to start building the puzzle while situated opposite the other and to see who could get the most pieces when it was completed. Even though Anne was only seven she immediately grasped the concept and after only a few times was quite good at it. I’d watched her beat her older sister a couple of time so challenged her. That was a mistake! Elle got involved and the next thing we knew it was early afternoon. It was decided to call a truce and to eat. Elle had all the fixings ready and was putting them out on the counter while I set the table. I thought I heard a knock at the kitchen door. I took a look and saw it was Barbara and with a stack of boxes in her arms. When I told Elle she was shocked and looked down at her gown. As I said, it was tissue paper thin and she was obviously embarrassed even though Barbara was still outside. When she knocked again Jean heard it and came running in from the living room and almost without stopping opened the door. As Barbara stepped in I glanced over at Elle. You’ve heard the statement “Like a deer in the headlights...” Well, that was Elle.
The girls saw the presents and could almost smell that they were mostly for them. With Barbara’s attention being given to the girls Elle tried to slip past them to head up the stairs but Barbara saw her and thrust the biggest package towards her. As I stood watching it came to me that Barbara had no idea what Elle was wearing. Elle had to stop and as as soon as she took the box Barbara insisted that she needed to open it. When Elle didn’t move I called to her to go ahead and open the package. She had to move to the counter to do it. The girls had taken their packages and dropped to the floor to open them leaving nothing to block Elle’s now embarrassed plight. But Barbara was concentrating on the box now on the counter. By then I was really curious.
It turned out to be a whipped cream filled bundt cake that Barbara had made. Because of the whipped cream it needed to be refrigerated and that was the cause for the immediacy of opening the package. As soon as I saw it I wanted some even though I hadn’t eaten my sandwich. As soon as Elle had the cake in the refrigerator Barbara explained that the pan that she cooked it in had come from Germany and had belonged to her mother’s grandmother. Back in her day the cake was known as Gugelhupf. (The reason I remember this is that Elle’s mother, also from Germany, after seeing Barbara’s creation was determined not to be outdone by a teenager and would make a Gugelhupf for us about once a month after that.) The pan had survived WWII and had been shipped to Phyllis by her mother. This was the first cake made in it by Barbara and she was really proud of it.
Elle was ‘taken’ by Barbara’s thoughtfulness and, forgetting about her embarrassment, invited her to have a club sandwich with us. She initially declined but the girls just overwhelmed her and she agreed by taking her coat off. I honestly think that was when Barbara recognized that Elle was still in her nightie as I caught the look on her face. Picking up on it I tried to explain that we’d all slept in and then had gotten involved in playing games. That got Barbara’s attention and she asked what they’d all gotten in the way of presents. Situation Four was all they wanted to talk about and made Barbara promise that she’d stay and play after we ate.
After getting everybody seated and food on their plates Elle disappeared upstairs to change. The girls were still in their pajamas and I was in a robe with only t-shirt and boxer shorts. Sitting there like that I tried to think back when Barbara spent the weekend with us and trying to remember if we’d ever gotten that ‘casual’ with her around. She didn’t seem to mind and didn’t say anything so I stayed the way I was.
As soon as the club sandwiches were devoured the cry went out for Barbara’s cake. It was chocolate with only a sprinkling of powdered sugar for icing. However, the whipped cream inside was what made it. (It was something like a Devil Dog but with real whipped cream inside.) By the time we finished half the cake was gone. After that the girls prevailed upon Barbara to go play Situation Four. I followed because I wanted to see her reaction to having a seven year old beat her.
To be continued...
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