SETTLING IN ... still more changes (part 61e)

I was really looking forward to the weekend and the racing. On Friday I only worked at the trailer park long enough to get the daily chores done, telling Ben that I had personal business to take care of. Of course he reminded me that I only got paid for the hours I worked as I signed out. There were to be four races over a three day period with only three counting. That was done so people who couldn’t get off from work on Friday still had a chance to win or get a prize. For those of us racing all three days we could ”drop“ our worst race.

It was a beautiful sunny day as Elle and I dropped the kids off at her mother’s and picked up the boat. Since the host club itself was located on an island we had to take a ferry over to it. When we got to the ferry slip I asked the deck hands for the times of the tide changes because it was very important to know when racing. As I asked I noticed something that was relatively strange about the wind. It was blowing from the Southeast. Normally wind from the Southeast meant stormy weather like we’d had just two weekends earlier, But there was bright sunshine, blue skies and only a few big white clouds. I could feel there was a good breeze and looked forward to a fun day of racing.

There were eleven different classes of sailboats racing and the larger ones started first and then worked down in size to the smaller ones. My class of boat (Comet) was the third one scheduled to start. The race officials always sent the bigger boats on a different course than the smaller ones and because there was a good amount of wind they decided to send us on to the ”long course“. In all the years I’d raced there I’d only sailed it once. Rather than use temporary bouys to mark the course they used the government markers that were permanently placed to show the main channel for large power boats. At the meeting before we left shore the race officials told us the wind was about 12 miles per hour, something that I felt Elle and I could handle. All in all I felt it was an easy course and felt comfortable even though it would be a longer distance than we normally sailed.

What I and the race officials had failed to realize was that the clubhouse and the harbor where we started from was in the ”lee“ of the island... the lee meaning that the waters were protected from the real wind. I had a good start and was leading when I reached the first government marker which was at the East end of the island. It was a rude awakening as I broke free of the protection that it had offered. Not only was the wind a factor but the waves were a lot bigger than we were used to seeing. With the wind blowing from the Southeast they were actually coming all the way in from the ocean with nothing much to break them up. We only sailed for a few minutes when Elle turned to me and asked if I was really going to continue. My father, who had taught me how to sail and race, had always impressed upon me to finish what I started. He had less of a problem if I chose not to go out (like two weekends before) than if I dropped out. I guess I’m using that as an excuse but I told her that we were going to go on and to try and finish.

It was brutal! The pounding from the waves and the spray that was put up actually hurt as it hit you. I knew exactly where the next marker was and as we rounded it I made a critical decision. If we were to follow the instructions of the race officials we should have rounded that mark and then headed straight back with the wind directly behind us. One thing I’d learned at an early age when sailing this class of boat was that a strong wind directly behind the boat combined with big waves was TROUBLE! To avoid what I felt was certain disaster I chose not to head back but kept on sailing the direction I’d been going in so that, after a while, I could head for the next marker with the wind coming across ”my quarter“. (Picture, if you will, a clock... with the wind directly behind us it would be blowing from six o’clock directly to twelve o’clock. With the wind coming across my quarter it would be blowing from about 4’oclock.) There was another government marker out there and I, arbitrarily, chose to head for it and then round it and head for the next official marker. As we sailed back (very, very fast I might add) I was amazed to see so many capsized sailboats. I’d really not paid attention to my competition with my focus on keeping my own boat upright and Elle somewhat calm. Seeing the carnage I became concerned for Buddy, Rex and Jimbo, my clubmates. There were two other sails way behind me from my class of boat but I couldn’t see the sail numbers or the color of their hulls. When we rounded the East end of the island it was more of the same... boats turned on their sides or sunken down to their decklines and even some with broken masts. When we crossed the finish line the gun went off signifying that we’d won. Normally, that would’ve elicited a display of excitement from me but, having seen all the boats in distress and looking at Elle who was almost in shock, I couldn’t muster any of it up.

Back at the dock where we hoisted the boats in and out with a mechanical winch there was little wait. Because of the large number of boats (about 30) who needed to use the one lift you could expect to wait almost an hour for your turn. As I pulled the boat up to the lifting area Buddy was there to help. Elle scampered up the ladder and Buddy jumped in the boat to help me bail it out before we tried to use the lift. I asked if he and Carol were OK and he laughed. He said that once Carol saw the waves at the end of the island it was all over and they headed back. He said that out of the ten or so Comets that started five turned around and came back in including Rex and Jimbo who, he said, had gone back home. I told him that I only saw two other Comets behind me as we were heading for the finish line. We both wondered who the missing sailors were.

It wasn’t until the boat was up and on the trailer and the sails were off that it really hit me. I guess the adrenaline wore off because, in spite of the temperature being in the 80’s I started shivering as if I were cold. My hands started burning and as I looked at them I saw they were almost raw from holding on to the main sheet (a line {rope} used to pull the sail in and out and that depended on the direction the boat was heading and where the wind was coming from.) I remember having to sit on the grass next to the boat for quite a while to compose myself. It was quite a while before I actually missed Elle. I was a bit embarrassed when I realized it. Carol had taken Elle into the ladies locker room and helped her get changed into dry clothes.

To be continued...

SETTLING IN... still more changes (Part 61d)

After we got the boats ready and hitched to our cars most of us went back to the clubhouse. I’d borrowed a special tool from Frank (his wife being the ex beauty queen) and had forgotten to bring it back. When he reminded me I ran back to the boat to get it. As I walked past Jimbo’s boat I saw someone standing by the driver’s door with it open. I came to a stop and saw it was Ruthie. As I watched I saw her start to step out of of her shorts. Her white panties against the dark material of her shorts seemed to make them stand out even more. As tempted as I was to stay and see the rest of the “show’‘ I moved on not wanting to get caught peeking. Rather than even give her an idea that I’d seen her undressing I chose to go back to the clubhouse by going across the front of the cars. As I walked back I wondered if she’d taken the panties off or left them on. I chose to believe that she’d left them on.

The next week went especially well for me with work and, surprisingly, with the Nutri Bio stuff. Someone had heard there was a Nutri Bio distributor living in the park and had gone to the office to ask if they knew who it was. The lady went to the trailer and Elle sold her what she wanted. But the best part was that she wanted some brochures to give to her friends. I even had the idea of following up to see if she wanted to be a distributor.

It was mid week before I got my first good ”peek“. Mac’s neighbor’s were middle aged with two teen aged children. The husband worked for a local aerospace company and was on a temporary assignment in Texas. They had become good friends with Mac and his wife and whenever the husband was away would call Mac if they needed help. Mac was on duty when the wife called and Mac’s wife, knowing I was working for the park, suggested that she call Elle. Elle told me about it at lunch and I decided to stop on my way back to the office. As I walked in the yard there was a teen aged girl lying on a chaise lounge, asleep. I’d heard Mac talk about this ”sweet young thing“ who lived next door and I assumed that she was the object of his attention. I couldn’t see her face but I had a great peek up both legs of her shorts.

I called the office and Dick told me to go ahead with the job. The problem was that the washing machine drain was clogged. With the washing machine filled with water it was almost impossible to move it so that I could get to the drain. It was jammed into a very tight spot and I wasn’t liking the looks of it. The woman had left to pick up the other daughter so I was on my own. The only thing I could think of was to bail the water out of the machine. I wasn’t happy, at all. I started by pulling the clothes out and piling then into the sink. I’d gotten two or three handfuls out when I saw a ”trophy“... a pair of panties. The wife was a heavy set woman and I knew that one of the teens was supposedly a spitting image of her mother. The size of the panties told me that they belonged to the girl on the chaise. I set them somewhat aside as I continued pulling the wet clothes out. When I was almost done I counted up about a half dozen white panties with a label reading Isis size 4. They weren’t anything special but they did have a nice feel to them. I’m not sure they were nylon but they were made of a synthetic material. They also felt heavier than most of the nylon panties that I’d handled. Thank goodness that I’d probably spent no more than two minutes looking them over as the wife returned with the other teen and I quickly mixed the panties back in with the other wash.

I had to bail the water out with a pot. All in all I spent about three hours and didn’t leave until I was done. It was close to six and I wondered if I’d get paid for the extra time I'd put in. Ben had indicated that when it was 5pm I was to quit and to come back the next day. But I couldn’t leave with the machine in the middle of the bathroom floor. Plus I wanted to see just what the ”sweet young thing“ looked like so I could put the panties to a face... and it was a pretty face. I was about to push the machine back in place when she appeared and was shocked to find the toilet was blocked. She quickly disappeared and I thought no more about it other than I wished I'd seen more of her. The mother thanked me profusely as I left. I was happy just having had the opportunity to see and handle the panties and to see the person who wore them. It was a good day.

One of the realities of working in the trailer park was that there wasn't much money to be made. Fifty dollars a week, even in 1961, didn't go all that far. I was getting low on the Nutri Bio supplies but I just didn't have the cash to replenish in the amount required. Because I was going to be away racing on the weekend I ended up taking my grandfather to the hospital to visit my grandmother. He wasn't pressing me for the return of the money he loaned me to get started but was concerned that I had this college degree and wasn't using it. He stressed that I needed to get looking for a "real" job. He also indicated that he would make some "calls" on my behalf. There wasn't much I could say or do but to nod in agreement.

To be continued...

SETTLING IN... still more changes (Part 61c)

Seven couples showed up at the alleys. The two female “snobs” were not among them which pleased me. The ex beauty queen was there which also pleased me. She was wearing a pair of pink “clam diggers” for pants and a sleeveless white blouse. It was hard not to stare at her because she really was very pretty. But, as I’ve previously mentioned, she seemed to have a drinking problem. It continued to be a puzzlement for me in that her husband didn’t drink at all. We had two lanes for 14 people and the most that could bowl on each lane was five so some people had to sit out. The beauty queen was one of the first to opt out. I observed her sitting on one of the benches just to the rear of where the bowlers were. She had her feet up on the seat and her knees tucked up under her chin looking bored. I walked to the very back and as I did I could see the top of her panties sticking out from the waistband of her pants. That sighting insured that I’d be keeping an eye on her the rest of the night.

Elle hadn’t bowled since high school and I hadn’t bowled since the Winter we spent in North Carolina. I remember being somewhat embarrassed when Elle beat me in the very first game we bowled. We sat out the next one and I watched with rapt attention as the beauty queen made her first attempts. The first thing I noticed was that every time she released the ball her panties would appear above the waist of her pants. I made note of it so that I might be able to find a seat right behind her so that I could get a glimpse of the elastic. I’d become somewhat of an expert on recognizing certain brands and, for whatever reason, I still enjoyed knowing just what brand of panties a woman wore. It took a while but I was back to back with her when she was bowling in the next lane over. I had my eyes glued to her backside when she bent over to tie her shoe. I saw what I wanted. It was approximately two inches of panty from the waist elastic down and approximately six inches across. But I didn’t recognize the elastic. It was clearly different than any I’d seen and, as always in that situation, I wanted to know who made them.

Elle, just to be safe, had worn a “package”. I could see the bulge between her legs when she bent over to release the ball onto the ally but I was sure that no one else would so I didn’t tell her. Actually, it was a bit of a turn on for me. By the time we finished up the beauty queen was tipsy, but not obnoxiously so. Some of the others were going to someone’s house for a “nightcap” and since I’d not been drinking anything, had no desire to go. Elle and I headed home and as the kids were with Elle’s parents it was another incentive to go.

Once there we both stripped off our clothes down to our underwear. Elle was still dry due to making frequent visits to the rest room. After taking her plastic panties off I pulled out the sanitary pads and left her with the two pair of heavy cotton panties on. Something that I’d thought about any number of times was for me to be sitting on a chair and then to have her sit on my lap, in her panties, straddling me and then for her to pee. I’d not pursued it because I thought she’d be upset. She’d do somewhat the same thing in bed but it was only to give me a squirt and then to lay down on top of me. I wanted to feel her hot pee flooding over my privates. She was in a jovial mood, somewhat enhanced by the fact that she had beaten me two out of three in bowling, when I proposed the idea to her. I told her we could go outside and I’d sit on the steps and she could then straddle me that way. Our location wasn't near the street lights so our yard was about as dark as you could find. It took some persuading but after I allowed her to put something over her shoulders she said she’d try. The straddling didn’t work because of the steps so I had her sit on my lap facing the same way that I was. I had my arms wrapped around her breasts which somewhat distracted her. After a short wait I felt something very warm tickling my privates. It didn’t last long as she had a small bladder but it was unbelievably exciting. I was in a great position to use my fingers to make it more exciting for her. It only took a minute before she hopped up, grabbed my hand and we were in bed.
Things were good!

The only thing I really remember about that Sunday was that when the races were over there were a number of us who had to get their boats off the beach and into the parking lot. We were planning to race in the area championships the following weekend at a sailing club about 15 miles away. I, when living at home, had raced in them and had won three times. Even though I hadn’t been doing all that well in the recent club races I still wanted to go. The “knock” on the races was their location. Because of strong tidal currents some of the guys felt that it wasn’t “pure” racing so opted not to compete. I was happy that Buddy would be racing so he was one who helped get the boats moved. Another was Jimbo whose wife I thought was a “dark haired Elle”. Our local boat builder, Rex was the fourth. As we derigged the boats to get them ready to trail them to the race site we also got to talking. I remember we were all wet but the sun was out and it was hot. Carol and Ruthie came over to talk with Elle and with Ruthie standing next to Elle I was amazed at how similar their facial features were. The color of their hair and the style of the cut was what really made them different. I’d tried a number of times to position myself near to Ruthie when her clothes were wet hoping to get a VPL but without much success. She was wearing a pair of dark colored shorts which doesn’t lend itself to good VPLs unless the light is just right. I remember thinking that since there were only four of us racing that weekend we’d probably spend some time together. I just hoped that I’d get to see something.

To be continued...

SETTLING IN... but still more changes (Part 61b)

I was on the job bright and early the next morning. The park chores seemed to take forever. I soon had a good idea why the previous guy had been fired. It was late afternoon before I was ready to start on my first resident job. I’d asked Dick if he could be a ”buffer“ between Ben and I as I definitely had the feeling that he didn’t like me. Everytime he spoke to me his voice had a 'bite" to it. Dick gave me a job ticket for one of the ”transients“. They were people who trailed their units behind their vehicles and traveled from trailer park to trailer park usually during the Summer. In this case it was a woman in an old Airstream (a very expensive travel trailer) who was spending the month there. However, there were all sorts of rumors about her with the one that the men tried to promote that she was a ”hooker“ holding forth in first place. Mac had helped perpetuate the rumor by saying he’d seen her in the bar just outside the airbase gate. One thing was for sure and that was that no one ever saw her before 5 pm. I’d taken notice of her unit because one morning I’d seen both black and red lingerie hanging from her clothes line. It was somewhat funny because in spite of the fact that I’d been in dozens of stores that sold lingerie I’d never seen red or black things displayed.

My job ticket said that the drain for her ice box (yes... you read it right) was plugged up and that no one was to knock until after 4pm. As I approached I thought of Mac. He probably would have s**t himself if had to walk up to her door. I didn’t have a clue as to what she looked like. I’d heard everything from ”hard“ to ”common“ and anywhere from 50 to 70 in age. The woman who answered my knock was none of those things. The first thing I noticed was that her skin was snowy white like it had never seen sunshine. I was never good with guessing the age of middle aged women but as I introduced myself I was sure she wasn’t 50. I also took notice that she was wearing a nylon see through robe and there was no bra under it. I know my eyes had to have bulged out of my head seeing that. Because the trailer was so small and had few windows it was fairly dark and I couldn’t make out if she was wearing panties or a panty girdle. I’d become a little familiar with that item while I was still at the racetrack and had made that one shopping trip to the mall. In any case it was certainly an eye opening visit.

I was only there for maybe 15 minutes. Of the time I was there I only got to see her for a few minutes as she disappeared to the back of the trailer. I, somewhat naively, asked why she didn’t want anyone working there until after 4pm. She, haughtily, stated that she was a singer at one of the nightclubs out on the South shore. By the time she finished up and got back to the trailer it was usually 3 to 4 am and that she needed her ”beauty rest“. She never even came out when I was finished. But I left with a feeling that I knew more about her than anybody else did.

When I got home I found Elle in her new skirt. I thought she might’ve been a little bit excited about me earning money but she wanted to show off her handywork. It was made of a very light cotton material with a really muted floral pattern. When she walked out of the bedroom she stopped right in front of the door. Without a slip I could see the outline of her panties. I thought it was pretty sexy. I followed her into the bedroom and when she took the skirt off I grabbed her and kissed her with my right hand between her legs. They were just a bit damp and as warm as it was out it well could’ve been sweat. I chose to think not and wiggled my fingers which was my signal to have her give me a squirt. Thankfully we didn’t have a rug on the floor where we were standing. She didn’t get upset when I wiggled a finger inside both pair of panties. I could’ve taken her right there but the two year old walked in saying she was hungry. I persuaded Elle to leave the wet panties on but she wanted a dry pair of cotton ones over the top. I was really surprised at how willing she was to make supper without shorts or a skirt especially with the windows open and the curtains pulled back. I sat there all through supper with a bulge in my pants. As soon as the kids were in bed... so were we. After we finished I remember lying there and thinking that it was a pretty good day. The end showed how well we reacted to each other when we each had a good day. I was looking for more of them to come.

I suppose it was naive of me to think I was going to get daily ”free shows“ but I did. When it came time for doing work for the residents that next day it had started to rain. That precluded any wash line ogling and severely limited my personal viewing. When I logged out for the night I was somewhat surprised to have Dick waiting with a pay envelope for me. He asked if I was willing to be put ”on call“ for emergencies within the park. I’d be paid $2 and hour when I responded. I explained that on the weekends we were often away visiting our parents but that if I was home I’d be willing to do it. Then he really surprised me by saying that if I wanted the ”skirt“ for under the trailer he’d give it to me for his cost... and I could work the cost of it off over time. Of course I said ”yes“.

When I got back to the trailer I was pleasantly surprised to find Carol, my sailing friend Buddy’s wife, there. She was about to leave and after she did Elle told me that she'd made a special trip just to make sure Elle wasn’t still upset about her ”accident“ from the previous Sunday at the clubhouse. I’d avoided any mention of it hoping that Elle’s embarrassment would have waned by the weekend. When Elle told me about the reason for the visit I was a little leery of the outcome. However, Carol had made some good points and convinced Elle that she was not an ”outcast“ and hoped that we would join in a bowling party that had been planned for Saturday night. The first thing I thought of was money. It would cost money to bowl and eat and drink. Elle volunteered that she thought it would be fun and since we wouldn’t be at or in the clubhouse that the memory of her ”accident” would be diminished. I hadn’t yet looked at the envelope that Dick had given me. When I pulled it out of my pocket I saw a $20 bill and a $10 bill. I’d figured on $25 at the most. Pleased with what I saw I told her that we’d go. More importantly I knew I had a crew for Sunday’s races.

To be continued...

SETTLING IN... but still more change (Part 61a)

With the camera “adjustment” info stored in my brain I finished up taking pictures of the kids. I did save a couple of exposures just for me. I have to tell you that Elle's new short set had become my instant favorite outfit. All she had to do was bend just slightly at the waist and, voila, an instant panty peek. Even though I saw her in just her panties all time it always excited me to see a peek when not expecting it.

The next day (Tuesday) brought more of the same nasty weather. A true 3 day Nor’Easter. Elle was all caught up with her sewing so I ended up playing with my older daughter during the morning again. After lunch, when the kids went down for their naps, I “escaped“. I thought I’d pretty much finished up everything for and around the trailer but Elle discovered that our oldest was fascinated with what was under the trailer. I’d temporarily put lawn chairs and what was left over from the fence against the trailer as a deterrent but it didn’t stop her and at the age of two, ”NO!“ was not very effective. A lot of the trailers in the park had a ”skirt“ around the base of their units. It was not only attractive but, as my elderly neighbor to the South told me, it helped keep the floors of the trailer cooler in Summer and warmer in Winter. I sort of knew about that at Dan’s farm where we’d packed bales of straw under the unit. By the time I left the trailer the rain had pretty much stopped so I walked to the office to get some information. As I walked in the door the younger of the two brothers (Ben) who owned and ran the park almost screamed at me ”Do you want a job!“ It came out as more of a statement than a question. Certainly not expecting that I shot back a quick ”No!“. The older brother Dick, appeared from another room and very nicely asked what he could do for me.

Right from the time I first saw the park I couldn’t believe the two were brothers. Ben was tall and blond and certainly didn’t have a ”bedside manner“ when dealing with the public. Dick, on the other hand was shorter and had dark hair and seemed to enjoy dealing with the public. I told Dick that I needed to know how much it would cost to partially close off under my trailer. He asked if I wanted to do it myself or did I want to have them do it. As soon as he said that Ben screamed at him that they didn’t have anyone to do the work, reminding him that he had just fired their handyman.

Hearing that was like a bolt of lightning had struck me. I remembered that I’d been sort of a handyman for Harry after I bought the trailer from him. I remember sort of whispering to Dick asking if they really were looking for a handyman. I was pretty much fed up with the whole Nutri Bio thing being totally uncomfortable ”selling“ one on one. I’d used the weather to avoid going out for the past two days so, even though I wasn’t sure what working for Ben would be like, it was worth asking about.

I felt Dick was very honest saying that the position was ”beneath me“. I told him that at that moment I was willing to do just about anything to bring in some cash. He said the job paid minimum wage (the law creating the first minimum wage had just been passed) which was $1.25 an hour. The way the job was structured I’d do work around the park in the mornings and the afternoons I be working on residents trailers or setting up demo trailers in their show lot. If there wasn’t any work to be done for the residents I was free (and wouldn’t get paid). The hours were 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday with an hour for lunch. I didn’t hesitate and told him I was ready to start. He told Ben, who gave me a strange look (one of many I had to endure from him), and then took me on a walk around the park describing the things I’d be doing. I came away from it feeling I could handle it without a problem.

My very first job came right after we did the tour. An older 8’ wide had a sewer backup. Dick showed me the tool shed and suggested some tools for he job. I don’t think I was there for more than 10 minutes and the lady, in her 40’s asked how much. I didn’t know and told her she’d be billed by the office. She insisted on giving me something which turned out to be a $1 bill. My first tip. On my way back to the office I ran into my friend Mac who had just gotten off his 12 hour duty tour at the airbase. I brought him up to date on my new position and told him of my first job. He, excitedly, asked if I saw the girl with the big ”knockers“ who lived there. I conjured up the image of the woman who gave me the dollar and she certainly didn’t fit that description. I asked Mac if he had the right trailer and he pointed to the one I’d just left. I felt like I’d missed out on something big.

I was so excited that I had neglected to tell Elle of my new job. Talking to Mac reminded me that I needed to let her know where I was. I’m still not sure that she was too thrilled about it but I remember emphasizing the fact that it would be cash money coming in on a regular basis. Back at the office I got my next job ticket. One of the older residents had tried to put metal shed together and somehow had run out of nuts and bolts. He was so upset that when I showed up his wife wouldn’t let him come outside to ”supervise“ me. As I finished it up I noticed a lady in the trailer right behind him hanging laundry. I couldn’t see her face as she stood in one place and spun the clothes line around as she filled up each side. But I could see that she had a nice butt and each time she bent over to pull out more clothes from her wash basket I got a nice little peek of white which showed nicely against her tan legs and red shorts. I remember thinking how happy I was that shorts were getting shorter and shorter... especially Elle’s new ones.

To be continued...

MOVING ON... a change of pace (Part 60h)

It took at least an hour and probably more by the time we got that situation under control. When we got back to the clubhouse we found the tide was now up around both the trailers and the clubhouse. We decided it was best to move the trailers (and the boats that were on them) up and into the parking lot. All the guys were soaked and cold as we finally headed into the clubhouse. I know I expected Elle to be there and I’m pretty sure the others expected to find their wives as well. But the room was empty. Some of the guys went outside to check to see if their cars were still there and they were. We were all puzzled.

As I mentioned earlier, the clubhouse was built out on the sand. Whenever there was an exceptional high tide like on that day the septic system flooded. Because, in the past, members had ignored signs not to use the toilets in conditions like that the manager was told to lock the rest room doors... and he had. After a while some of the ladies needed a toilet. With Carol’s in laws living up on the bluff behind the clubhouse she took them all up there. It was Buddy who figured it out and who went up to get them to return. When Elle walked in I could see she wasn’t all that happy. I’d had all the conversation I could handle for the day and all I wanted was to get in a warm shower and into dry clothes. I waved goodbye and grabbed Elle’s hand and headed out the door. As we walked towards the parking lot the water was now up to my ankles. The rain was pounding both of us and as we got into the car I asked what was bothering her. She had this look of disgust on her face and told me that she’d wet herself in the clubhouse in front of all the other women who were there. She then said that she would never be able to face them again and was never going back there to race.

I couldn’t believe how stiff and sore I was on Monday morning. Trying to save Chuck’s boat from being destroyed had been a real test of strength and will and I had the bruises to prove it. The weather was the same as the day before: rain, wind and cool. It,on top of the way I felt, was not conducive to my selling Nutri Bio. Elle was all keyed up to start making her new clothes. Once I told her I wasn’t about to go out and make calls she told me that I could ”entertain“ our oldest while she sewed. I really couldn’t say much so, after going next door to get the elderly ladies sewing machine, I was my daughter’s playmate.

If there was one good thing about the arrangement it was that Elle found it easier to work in just her panties so that it would be easier to try on her new shorts. I spent more time watching her than I did my daughter. The shorts were for sure, short. I loved them. The material was a relatively thin cotton in a pink check. She was a bit concerned about just how short they were but I assured her that they were in style. It was a short set with a matching top and she wanted to finish it up after lunch. Since the older daughter took a nap in the afternoon I decided it would be a good time to go visit my grandmother. By early afternoon the weather had let up a bit so I called my grandfather to ask if he wanted to go with me. Of course he said ”yes“. We were both surprised to find my grandmother much improved to the extent that she could speak (sort of) a few words. She seemed to respond well to my grandfather which made him happy. When I was driving him back to his house he reminded me of the Polaroid instant camera that he had bought for me to take pictures of his horses. Because the cost of film was so high and he no longer had horses I had forgotten about it. Seeing that my grandmother was much more alert he came up with the idea for me to take pictures of my kids so he could show them to her. What could I say? We stopped at the photo shop and he bought me two packs of film. Now I had to find the camera.

Back at the trailer I found Elle wearing the new outfit. It really had my attention. I knew she was wearing a pair of cotton panties with a pair of the nylon satin Plymouth panties over them. As she did a pirouette to model it for me I could see a bit of the panties peeking out under the material in back. I was hard in a second. Of course I didn’t tell her what I’d seen choosing to enjoy the view for as long as I could.

I told her about taking pictures of the kids and after a few anxious moments of trying to locate the camera we started in. The baby was easy as we just set her down on the floor on a big towel. The early Polaroids required that you put a protective coating on them as soon as the picture developed. So, it was a fairly long process. Take a picture... wait for it to develop... coat it and then do it all over again. Because I was on the floor I would set the camera on the edge of the sofa as the picture developed. My oldest daughter was jealous of the attention we'd been giving her sister and had started running around. All of a sudden I heard a crash as saw the camera on the floor. It had an extended bellows for the lens and the bellows was locked into place by two thin metal arms. As I picked it up I saw that one of the two was bent. I tried to straighten it as best I could and then took another picture. The sighting mechanism was external to the bellows and when I developed the picture I found I only had half the baby. The lens was no longer lined up with the sight.

By then the baby was getting restless and wanted to crawl around. I worked on the camera some more and decided to use Elle as the subject. She was sitting on the floor with her legs out in front of her, spread apart. My eyes were popping out of my head with what I saw. Still wanting to get a handle on the sighting problem I gave her a spatula to hold so I had something specific to focus on. The idea being that I would be able to know just how much I would have to compensate for the misalignment. (See the pictures)

To be continued...

MOVING ON... a change of pace (Part 60g)

The party with the people from the sailing club that night turned out to be just OK. When I’d last sailed with these people I was the youngest and now, three years later, I still was. Of the women, the only one Elle really knew at all was Carol, Buddy’s wife. Of the eleven sailors there three were in their early 30’s and with the exception of Buddy and me, the others were in their mid to late 20’s. Eight of them lived in the suburbs of the city and commuted in to work there. The parents of all eight had Summer homes in the immediate area and they had spent all their youthful Summers there. In other words... they had money! The only thing I had in common with them was the love of sailboat racing. They tended to be very close and the wives were the same. I did know one from before and was amused to find that she now considered herself to be ”elite“, having married into money. Her family was truly ”blue collar“, the same as Elle’s family but now it seemed like it was beneath her to associate with Elle and I. What made it even stranger was that the wife of one of the older guys came from really big money with her family owning one of the larger coffee companies of the day and she was as humble and nice as anyone that I knew.

Besides Elle and Carol, of the women there only three (in my humble opinion) were truly attractive. Of course you have to realize I tend to like ”the girl next door“ type. One was truly pretty, having been a runner up in the Miss Florida beauty pageant. Another looked somewhat like Gail Storm, a very popular TV star of the day. Cute and perky. The third was a dark haired ”Elle“ in both looks and temperament. Ruthie had no ”airs“ and always seemed to be happy. I was looking forward to seeing any or all in wet clothes, for sure.

There were only a few things that happened during the party that I remember. One was that I was pretty drunk after only two gin and tonics. I’d not done much of any drinking since leaving college so that was my excuse. Another was that the ex beauty queen got so drunk that she passed out. I also remember one of the older guys telling some really funny jokes. Elle wasn’t happy with my ”condition“ which made me upset in that it was the first time since we’d had kids that we would be alone and it came to naught.

Besides waking up with a hangover on Sunday morning I wasn’t very happy with the weather. The wind was blowing hard enough out of the East so that we could feel it in the close confines of the trailer park. It was a gray day and much cooler than it had been since we moved in. I could only imagine what the bay looked like. Elle didn’t seem concerned until we got to her parent’s house and could see the white caps on the water. Seeing the bay was a mass of white had her saying there was no way she was going out there. It was still early so we spent a few hours playing with the kids and then headed for the sailing club. Elle didn’t want to go but I insisted.

Because the clubhouse was actually built out on the sand and totally unprotected the force of the wind was even greater. The East wind had blown a lot of water into the bay and the tide was way up on the beach almost to the trailers where out boats were stored. There were six or seven of the other sailors already there. They were standing on the porch and as I approached them the rain started. The women immediately headed inside. The general consensus was that the wind was blowing over 20 miles an hour. The class of sailboat that we raced (Comet) had the reputation of being somewhat fragile in winds over 15 to 18 mph. We called it ”boat breaking weather“. A quick vote of those present only had two voting to sail so, as far as racing was concerned there would be none. When it was announced inside the clubhouse the women raised a loud cheer. However, the two who had wanted to race decided that they would to go out and test the conditions. They flipped a coin to see who’s boat would be used with the other acting as crew. The rest of us looked on with amusement.

It took five guys to get the boat floated and then under way. It was wild. Under normal conditions the preferred weight for a skipper and crew was around 300 pounds and that was one of the reasons why wives were used as crew. The two guys, Chuck and Don, probably weighed close to 400 pounds and as they were both tall they felt they could hike out over the side of the boat and be able to offset the high winds. Once they were under way the rest of us retreated to the porch. I’m not sure why as the rain was pelting us even up there. I have to admit that it was exciting to watch the guys perform. One of the sailing techniques that was especially fun was to get the boat up onto a plane (similar to a surf board on the curl of a wave) and as they did they went screaming across the water. That is, until they fell off the wave. It’s a shame there were no video cameras in those days because I can tell you that what happened would’ve been an instant YouTube hit.

As I said, the boat fell off the wave and when it did the bow (front) of the boat buried itself into the water, coming to a stop. I have no idea just how fast they were going but for a sailboat it was fast! The boat stopped but the mast, boom and sails kept right on going... for about another 50 or so feet before falling into the water. When the boat stopped it catapulted both Chuck and Don into the air. They probably flew through the air for close to 20 feet. I know I stood there not believing what I’d just seen. It took a few seconds for us all to grasp the situation. It was Buddy who took the lead telling us that he needed a couple of us to go out in his outboard to rescue the guys. I didn’t respond quick enough so those of us who were left headed down the beach to try and corral the hull of the boat and to try and keep it from being pounded to pieces on the shore. It was high drama.

To be continued...

MOVING ON... a change of pace (Part 60f)

As promised, I headed out on Wednesday looking for just about any kind of work. With Summer in full force all the seasonal jobs were taken. I looked up as many people that I could remember with no success. Cliff, who had owned the gas station where I’d worked for a few Summers (and also drove my racecar) had sold it and bought a small restaurant. On my way home that evening I stopped in to see him. I hadn’t been there for more that few minutes when he started in with a sales pitch for a ”sure fire moneymaker!” for me. Cliff had always had an ability to “sell” and he seemed so sure of what he was talking about I fell for it. He was a distributor for Nutri-Bio, a company that manufactured nutritional supplements, and convinced me that I could make money selling the stuff. He had product, brochures and a bunch of testimonials right there in the restaurant. He used all the right words... you’re your own boss... work as hard or as little as you want... product sells itself... 20% profit margin... backed by Bob Cummings (a former movie actor who was then on TV)... you can get people to work for you... etc. I was sold. All I needed was $250 to get started.

I’d promised to stop and see my grandmother and when I arrived at the hospital I ran into my grandfather who was leaving. Still excited about what Cliff had told me I asked him if he’d loan me the money to get started. He wanted to know more about it and told me to stop by his house that night (and to bring the kids) and he’d consider it. My grandmother had improved, somewhat, in that her eyes were open and she could follow movements around the hospital room. The nurse said that she was now trying to talk but it was just mumbling that came out. I gave her a kiss and headed home to tell Elle the news.

My grandfather was skeptical but gave me the money anyway. I promised to stop by and show him the products the next day. I was at the restaurant at 11am and Cliff gave me some training and a free lunch and sent me on my way with a supply of product and promotional material. I had to “register“ with the company and some other stuff that took up most of the afternoon. As soon as Elle fed me supper I was off to my grandfather’s house. I’m sure it was just to give me some encouragement but he did buy some stuff. Flush with success, I headed for my neighbor’s as soon as I got home. The elderly neighbors just to the South of us were sitting in their yard and I walked up to them thinking how easy it was going to be. Not so! I won’t say they ran me off but they let it be known that they weren’t interested in my ”junk“. Somewhat taken aback I decided that it would be best to make an appointment before calling on any other of my neighbors.

The sale to my grandfather gave me the cash to buy groceries to take us through the weekend. On Friday, after doing the shopping I made a few calls to the neighbors and received basically the same reply... ”No. I don’t think we’d be interested.“ I was pretty discouraged by then. I decided I’d take my sales kit down to my mother, hoping she’d do the same as my grandfather did. She was very polite but I could sense that she was less than overwhelmed. While I was going through my dog and pony show the next door neighbor walked in. It was like a bolt of lightning when she proclaimed ”I’ve been looking to buy some of those things ever since I saw Bob Cummings on TV with them". From that point on I just stood and listened to was a much better ”pitch“ than I’d been making. In the end she bought a whole bunch of stuff. I don’t remember the dollar amount but it was cash money I had in my hand. Not to be outdone, my mother also bought some things as well. I ended up leaving some of the brochures with my name and telephone number with the neighbor and left feeling really good.

Back at the trailer I found that Elle had actually sold a few items as well. The elderly lady next door came over to apologize for the ”rude“ way I was treated by her husband the night before and bought a few items she saw that I’d left on the table. Lois, the neighbor on the other side, had come over to see Elle and had also seen the product on the table and purchased some. I’m not sure but I think the total for the day was about $75 or so. Even with that modicum of success I still had some lingering doubts as to just how easy it was going to be to move the product. I found it increasingly uncomfortable to ”sell“ people when it was clear that they weren’t really interested. It was a lot different than in a store where people walked in because you had something they wanted.

On Saturday Elle was still suffering from the sunburn and was issuing ”warnings“ that she probably wouldn’t crew for me on Sunday. She was also complaining that she really didn’t have much in the way of clothes to wear as she had been pregnant the previous Summer and all that she had were worn and old. With a few dollars in my pocket I went into my ”bartering“ mode and told her I’d buy her a few things if she would crew. That’s all it took. As soon as I agreed to that she got the kids dressed and by 10am we were downtown. It didn’t take her long to find some things she liked. I agreed to a short set and got her out of there as soon as possible. I really didn’t want to spend the money but I really did want to race.

As soon as she got back to the trailer she had the outfit on. I didn’t realize how excited she would be. The elderly lady came over to see the kids and Elle was gushing about her new clothes and how much she wished she could have more. The lady came right back and told her to start making her own... that Elle could use her sewing machine and she’d help. I overheard the conversation and shook my head knowing that we still needed money to buy the cloth. But... what I hadn’t heard was that the fabric store in town was owned by her daughter. It turned out to be a ”bartering chip“ for my pocket.

To be continued...

MOVING ON... a change of pace (Part 60d)

We had breakfast sitting on the front lawn looking out at the bay. The conversation was dominated by JT and me reminiscing. I remember the look on my father’s face after a few stories were told. He had a nickname for JT... ”mischief“, as JT had a way of ”pushing the envelope” without dire consequences. When my mother took control of the conversation I excused myself. There was something I really wanted to do before JT left. The clothes were still out on the line but I didn’t want to take a chance being seen giving the panties a close look. The alternative was to run quickly upstairs and hope their suitcase was still open. The “guest” room was always a sore spot with me. My parents reserved it for their guests, invited or not, and I had had to share the smallest bedroom with my brother. In any case, as I reached the top of the stairs the room was at the equivalent of two o’clock. I took the five of so steps to get in the room and right on the bed was an open suitcase. I went up to it and took a chance that I might find something on the right hand side, sliding my hand inside. I squeezed my hand on as much as I could and slowly pulled it up and out not wanting to dislodge anything. I laid it all on the bed and right in the middle I saw what I was sure was a waist elastic for panties. I carefully flipped everything above it off and there before me was what was looking for. It was a pair of heavy cotton panties but there was something definitely different from any that Elle had. They had elastic around the leg openings. My heart was pounding by then. I spread them out and was impressed that the cotton material wasn’t the ribbed type like in the Carter’s Spanky pants or the Nazareth ones that Elle wore. I opened them up to find the label and saw a name I was unfamiliar with, Carol Brent. I knew that somehow I wanted to find some that were like them but there was no way I was going to be able to ask her where she’d gotten them. She was from the mid West and I wondered if she'd bought them out there. I put everything back as close to where it was and went back downstairs as quickly as possible.

It was noontime before we realized it. JT had promised to be back at his parents for a Sunday meal with some relatives. We all got up and said our good byes and were out at his car when my mother noticed the clothes on the line. I was by the trunk of his car with him and asked what the story was with the clothes. He laughed and said that they didn’t have bathing suits and that my mother had suggested a “midnight swim”. He was all for a “skinny dip” but his wife wouldn’t hear of it. After my parents had gone to bed he had finally persuaded Sherri to take a swim in their underwear. He was rolling his eyes as he told me about it.

After they left we had to make a visit over to Elle’s mother. We knew she’d be “stewing“ since we’d gone to my parents house first. I stayed for a few minutes not wanting to have a nice day ruined by my mother in law's complaining. Back at my house I walked back out to the bay. I looked towards the sailing club as there seemed to be a lot of sailboats out on the water. My father had a war surplus spyglass mounted on a tripod and I fetched it to see if I recognized any of the boats. There were only a few of the sail numbers that registered with me. It only took a few minutes to have my interest piqued. I went over to the garage and my boat was still there on it’s trailer. My father, as usual, had a lot of junk piled on top of it but it looked basically the same as it did when I had left it after my big Championship disappointment a few years back. I stood there, somewhat amazed, that I’d forgotten all about the boat. Seeing it again had me all excited.

I went over to tell Elle that I was going to drive over to the sailing club. The kids were napping so that worked. When I got there all the boats were out and racing. I saw a few people that I recognized but didn’t really know. I counted 12 trailers on the beach which meant the class of boat that I raced had grown. That in itself was exciting. Just being there at the club and on the beach had me psyched to get out on the water again. I headed back to my parents and started trying to find all the pieces I’d need to go racing again. Although it may sound silly, it was exhilarating. My father came looking for me and, seeing how excited I was, helped clean off all the stuff that was stored on it. Within a half hour I had the boat outside and had located about 95% of the running gear. I really think that if I’d tried I could’ve gotten the boat over to the club, rigged and in the water for the second race. The problem... no crew.

Elle came looking for me saying it was time to go home to the trailer. I put the boat and equipment away but as I did I was working on a plan to get back to racing again. I persuaded her to let me stop at the sailing club just to see who was there and found they were still out racing. I did find out that there would be races on Tuesday, the 4th of July. I didn’t say anything to Elle as we drove away but the "wheels" were turning.

To be continued...

MOVING ON... a change of pace (Part 60e)
===
As we drove back to the trailer the primary thing on Elle’s mind was me getting a job. I knew the subject had to be addressed but getting back into my sailboat was what was on my mind at that moment. It wasn’t that I was putting off looking for a job but with a holiday on Tuesday I just didn’t think that Monday was a good day to start. Another problem for me was in convincing Elle to crew for me. I knew she’d have a whole raft of reasons why she couldn’t. It was not a good night for love making!

Compromise is a critical part of a good marriage. I call it ”bartering“. I managed to talk her into it with a promise that I’d have some sort of a job by the next weekend. Once she agreed to crew for me I couldn’t wait to get back out on the water. Her mother was more than willing to watch the kids so that wasn’t a hurdle. It was her lack of experience (having crewed only once in a race) that had her really concerned. She didn’t have a bathing suit and there was definitely no money to buy one so she had to pick out some clothes to wear. She was worried about her wetting problem being noticed. I just sidestepped that subject and continued loading the car with all the kids stuff. She wasn’t convinced but she did get in the car. I was psyched!

After dropping the kids off we were the first to get to the sailing club. All the other boats had their masts and booms in place. I still had to do that. I remember wondering what some of the ”old timers“ that I had raced against in the past would think seeing me back. The first one was my good friend, Buddy and his wife, Carol. It helped Elle’s frame of mind since she knew them both. They were happy to see us and Carol was great with Elle telling her just how she transitioned into being Buddy’s crew. As others arrived I was somewhat surprised at just who some of the ”new“ people were. I recognized them as members of another sailing club that raced a different class of sailboat. Buddy introduced me to the ones I didn’t really know. One thing that I noticed right off was that most seemed to have a female crew. Buddy cleared that up for me telling me that all but one was married to the skipper. That was a BIG change from the last time I’d raced at the club. Only a few had been married at that time. Out of the eleven boats that were to race that day, ten of them were husbands and wives. I had a hard time concentrating on getting my boat ready to race with all of these young (and shapely) females wandering about.

Elle knew that Carol was aware of her ”problem“ what with her parents having done a medical procedure on her so was comfortable asking how she (Carol) handled a ”bathroom emergency“. I remember Carol sort of laughing and pointing out to the bay. Once Carol understood what Elle was concerned about (the very noticeable wet stain that would appear if she peed in her clothes) Carol took her aside. I concentrated on getting the boat into the water as they talked.

We had to lift the boats into the water from their trailers. It took three guys to do it. Once in the water the crew would then stand and hold it until all the boats were launched. As soon as my boat was in the water I noticed Elle walk it out into deeper water, about waist deep. As I helped lift other boats I noticed a number of the women doing the same as Elle had done. I was a bit puzzled. When I climbed in I asked her why she’d gone so far out. She ”shusshed“ me which only puzzled me more. With Elle aboard and under sail I pursued the matter again. I’m not sure but knowing Elle I think she was embarrassed when she told me that the women would do that so they could pee before they got in their respective boats and then their clothes would be wet when they had to pee again and it wouldn’t be as noticeable. I found it to be somewhat erotic.

There are only a few memories of racing that day. One was that we had little wind and another was that we got very sunburned. I also remember being surprisingly comfortable with my hand on the tiller having not been in a boat for almost three years. Elle performed well and because there were no ”panic“ moments was actually looking forward to the weekend where we’d do it all again. Once on shore there was time for renewing old friendships. We were invited to a party at one of their houses the following Saturday night. I was excited about it but Elle wouldn’t let me commit to it without talking to her mother first as she would have to be the baby sitter.

As we drove back to my in laws house to pick up the kids I remember trying to go through the names of the people we’d met. There were a couple of the wives I did remember but not their names. I had noticed that there were few who had, like Elle, worn clothes rather than a bathing suit. I remember trying to see if I could get a view of some VPL’s with them in their wet clothes. Because everybody was moving here and there, trying to put their boats away, I don’t have anything specific in my memory bank. However, I was certainly looking forward to the following weekend.

I remember that Elle and I were very uncomfortable that night with washcloths soaked in vinegar trying to sooth our sunburns. Mine was on my legs since my head, arms and neck were well tanned from training the horses. Elle had spent little time in the sun so was as red as a cooked lobster. Any ”funny business“ was out, for sure.

To be continued...

MOVING ON... a change of pace (Part 60c)

Once Tom and I started in on the fence two other people showed up to help. Tom, of course, was ”in charge“, having built his only a few months before and was familiar with the process. One was the guy stationed at the Air Force base and he wanted to be called Mac. The other, Jim, was an Army veteran who worked in the maintenance department of the local highway department. I couldn’t believe how quickly it all went. By lunchtime we were all through with the exception of putting the left over supplies under the trailer. The wives of all three had gotten together and made up lunch so we ended up with a picnic in our newly fenced in yard. I’d met Mac’s wife, Elise, and had enjoyed a panty peek at the time. She didn’t disappoint as she wore equally short shorts and I got quite a few views as she chased her little one around the yard. Jim’s wife was a tall, solidly built (not fat by any means) girl from Germany who he had met and married while stationed there. Dina had a round, friendly face but her clothes were almost matronly in comparison to Elle and the other two women. Tom’s wife, Lois, wore a pair of white shorts and although I didn’t get to see her panties I got a number of very good VPL’s (visible panty lines). As we sat around and chatted I had a very good feeling about our new location.

After everybody went back to their respective trailers I set up the wash line and Elle took off for the Community Hall where the washing machines were located. She had two days of diapers to get done and our little washing machine wasn’t up to the task. Before she left she put our underwear in it and told me to watch it. I knew that with my being around it meant there were more of Elle’s panties than usual. I had assumed that she’d use the dryers for the diapers so when the underwear was done I took it outside and started hanging them on the line. I don’t remember how many pair of Elle’s there were but I know I was surprised by the number. I knew if things stayed like they had for the past few days there would be a lot in the days to come.

With the heat of Summer all windows were open all the time. Jalousie windows were the ”rage“ at the time and if there was one advantage it was that if it rained you could just tilt them a bit and still have open windows. That evening we had a thunder storm which upset our oldest. Elle took her into our bed to comfort her and I sat in the living room with the lights out. The lights in Tom and Lois’s trailer had been dimmed all evening and as I sat there I noticed them get brighter. I could see Tom carrying their older child and then Lois carrying the other through the living room. I sat and watched for a while and then I saw Lois walk back into the living room in just her bra and panties. I could only see to about mid hip but it still was ”stimulating“. The lights went out a short time later. I went to check on how Elle was doing with her charge and found them both sound asleep. As much as I would’ve liked to carry on with the ”stimulus“ that Lois had awakened in me I decided to let them sleep and make up for it in the morning.

Before I could even think about following through with that idea the phone rang. It was my mother... and it was only 7am and on a Sunday to boot. She wanted me to bring Elle and the kids right down to their house as JT, one of my old childhood friends from when we lived in the city, had stopped by, unexpectedly, the night before. He had gotten secretly married and was finishing up a whirlwind tour to New England to introduce his brothers to his new wife. He had taken the ferry across the sound and had to go right through the town where my parents lived. JT had always been a favorite of my parents and he decided to stop by and see them. When told that I was only 10 miles away he wanted to see me as well. He’d had no intention of staying over but my mother, persuasive as ever, won and they did.

I certainly wanted to see him and was tempted to go without Elle and the kids. But I knew my mother would have a ”fit“ if she couldn’t show off her grandchildren. With a lot of hustle and bustle we got everybody ready and arrived around 8:30am. Walking up the path I could see three items hanging from the clothes line... a bra, pair of panties and a pair of men's briefs. My father wore boxers and my mother wore one of those one piece things that kept her all together and had snaps in the crotch so I knew they must belong to JT and his wife. Because Elle was right next to me I couldn’t concentrate on the panties like I would’ve liked. I was sure they weren’t nylon because with the early morning sun behind them they were just too opaque. As usual, I was somewhat puzzled.

I have to say that I was impressed with JT’s new wife. Sherri was very much like Elle... a ”girl next door type“. She was about the same height as Elle but her hair was light brown with just a hint of red. Her eyes were a bright blue and even though it was obvious she was nervous she had a nice smile. Just a bit more ”solid“ than Elle, she had a nice figure. I approved of JT’s choice.

To be continued...

MOVING ON... a change of pace (Part 60b)

I have to admit I didn’t last all that long... which was, in a way, a good thing. Both of us had forgotten that we were expecting the telephone guy to come and connect us. I heard a knock at the open living room door. I jumped out of bed and pulled on my pants. Elle, who had this look of panic on her face, went straight for her panty drawer even though the new Plymout panties were still strewn about the bed. All that were in there were her old, very stained cotton panties. All the newer ones were at her parents house so she just grabbed the first pair she could get her hands on. As I left the room she was pulling them on. I’m pretty sure the telephone guy knew what was going on as he had a s__t eating grin as I greeted him. He’d already connected us and just wanted us to try the phone. As I turned to reach for the phone Elle walked in. I remember her having on a pair of khaki shorts that I didn’t recognize. We signed off for the phone guy and I turned my attention back to Elle. Even though I’d come early I still missed my “snuggle time“ with her so went up and hugged her. My right hand went right for her crotch and I was initially surprised that it was wet. My fingers reached up her leg opening and started rubbing her panties. I knew immediately that they were a pair of her Carter’s heavy cotton panties. As soon as I did I also realized where the wetness originated... it was me! I knew I hadn’t satisfied Elle so fished around to get inside her panties and she didn’t resist. I was never known for my ”recovery“ ability but I could feel some ”stirring“ down there. I led her back to the bedroom and as we walked in I saw the new Plymouth panties on the bed. I undid her shorts and slid them down. On the spur of the moment I grabbed a pair of the new panties and held them down to the floor so she could step into them. She hesitated for a second and without looking up at her I said one word... ”please“. It only took a second for me to slide them up and on. We then lay back down. I know it sounds weird but the satin feel of the Plymouth panties over the cotton ones really got me going. The ”recovery“ was well underway.

It had never much mattered that I was slow to recover as Elle was never one for ”twofers“. But on this afternoon it was different. She never deferred from whatever it was that I wanted to do. I wanted her to sit on my groin and pee a little but she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop. I convinced her to go and pee through her cotton panties only and then pull the new ones up over them. Because they were new she didn’t want to but I prevailed. By the time she returned I’d stripped the covers off the bed and was waiting for her... fully recovered. After some ”plug in“ fun with her wet panties we got serious and I do remember... it was good! I was so glad to be home!!!

We got our electricity on Friday and I spent the whole day moving Elle and the kids in. I had decided to not even think about looking for a job until we were settled. One thing that I knew had to be done was to fence in the yard because of the kids. Looking at the neighbor’s yard to the North of us I decided I’d try to match their fence. I’d met the lady (she of the pale lavender panties) but he never seemed to be around when I was there. That night I saw him for the first time and went over to introduce myself. His name was Tom and was an aerospace engineer. As such he didn’t always work normal hours. I asked him about the fence and he said he still had the leftover components and offered to help me the next day. I left the yard liking him a lot.

None of the trailers made back in those day came with air conditioning. It made for some warm conditions. It hadn't been too bad our first Summer in the trailer because, at the track, there was a wide open field behind us and a prevailing Southerly breeze. In this place there were trees to block the air as well as the fact that the trailers were quite packed in. Our neighbors to the South were an older couple. The lady was a ”grandma type“ who just gushed over the kids. As I talked with the man he gave me suggestion for helping to cool the trailer. We both had trees in the rear of the yard that shaded the back ends of our units. He told me that the best way to take advantage of that was to get a fan and put it in the front window but to have it suck the air from the house and to blow it out the front. I went right out and bought a fan that I could attach to the window and that night Elle, I and the kids benefitted from the suggestion. Another positive feeling about our neighbors!

We were both dog tired but not so tired that I couldn’t persuade Elle to let me have some ”fun“. She’d worn cotton panties all day and I got her to add a pair of the new Plymouth nylon panties. I remember falling asleep with my hands rubbing the satin finish of the panties. In a way I wished that I didn’t have the offer of help to build the fence the next morning. It was there before I knew it. I heard some noise from next door (all the windows were open) and got up to see Tom pulling things out from under his trailer. I also saw a pair of panties on their wash line. I was over there in a flash.

I positioned myself to get the best possible view of the panties... light blue with an applique. Tom quickly took measure of what he had and, being an engineer, had kept a record of what he needed to complete his fence. Some quick calculations and we were off to the lumber yard. Having seen the panties on his wash line reminded me that I needed one as well. I’d lost track of the one we had when we were first in the trailer. The only kind we were allowed were the pole type with four folding arms that had multiple lines connecting them. I knew Elle hated them because it took forever for things to dry on them but I had no choice. As I paid for the materials and wash line I noted that I’d depleted most of my cash. It reminded me that Mr S still owed me for a few days work as well as that fact that I had to find a job and quickly.

To be continued...

MOVING ON... a change of pace (Part 60a)

Once the decision was made I focused my attention on getting the house trailer moved from Dan's farm. My grandmother was stabilized over that weekend which allowed everyone to resume some semblance of normal activity. I’d already spoken to my trailer moving friend (Ray) and he, to save me money, had been holding off until he had a Southbound delivery so he could bring my unit back without a "deadhead" charge. With what I’d just gone through I didn’t want to wait any longer. I wanted to be with my own family, in my own quarters and as soon as possible and although short of cash, was willing to pay the extra. I volunteered to ride “shotgun”, a job his wife somewhat reluctantly held, which helped reduce the cost a little.

There were travel restrictions for going through the city with over sized trailers. It was a 500 mile round trip and Roy felt that if we left around 3pm we’d get to the farm around 9pm. I’d already prepared the trailer to be moved so that all we had to do was to remove the cement blocks that stabilized it and then we’d be on our way. Ray wanted to go through the city around 3am and arrive at the trailer park around 6am. Everything went well and we met all the targets he had set. We had to wait until 8am for the owners of the park to show up before placing it. I pretty much knew where it was going. As the park was developed trailers kept getting longer and longer. When it was opened a 35 footer was considered “big”. Mine was 41 feet in length and I’d been told that the owners wanted me in with the 40 footers. That’s pretty much why we had to wait. They wanted to see if they could “shoehorn” my unit into that area. Once we started it was obvious that Ray knew what he was doing. As we started backing the unit into the designated space the only question was would the back end fit. All units were placed at an angle to make it easier to get them in and out. I was designated the “watcher” which meant I had to go into the neighbor’s yard to make sure my unit didn’t hit the unit that was behind mine. As I started into the yard I saw something that made me excited. On the washline was a single pair of what looked like white panties. I made sure I took a circuitous route to make an inspection. A much closer view showed they were actually pale lavender and had a lace cutout in the front. The sight of them made me want to know what the owner of them looked like.

The trailer fit. It couldn’t have gone back 6 inches more. The problem was actually the front of the unit. The tongue of every trailer had to fit behind this invisible line. It had to do with the width of the streets and the Fire Department. In any case, my unit was right on the line and the back end wasn’t touching anything. The trailer was “in place” and, with the exception of having the electric meter installed, ready for occupancy. I was ready right then and there but I knew there was a lot of work yet to be done.

Elle and I unpacked everything that afternoon. We had any number of visitors coming by to welcome us. We actually had two invitations for supper that night but Elle had to get back to the baby. I got to see the lady from next door whose panties I’d viewed in the morning. Not to be critical but the panties looked better than she did. Her name was Louise and she did have a nice figure. Her husband, Tom, worked at the local aerospace company and she was a stay at home mom taking care of her two boys who were just a bit older than our kids. One of the other couples who had invited us to eat with them was rather interesting and I looked forward to getting to know them. The man was stationed at the Air Force base just eight miles down the road. His wife, also a stay at home mom, was a little on the heavy side but she was also very cute. She was wearing short shorts and when she bent over to see what one of her kids wanted I got a very good panty peek as the shorts rode up over her butt cheeks exposing a nice pair of pale pink panties. I was looking forward to seeing more of them!

Because we still had to stay with Elle’s parents I had to be on my “best behavior” that night because Elle was fearful that her parents would hear us. It was kind of funny as I remembered what we used to do on the day bed on their front porch. But I was patient knowing that in a day or two we’d be alone in our own place. We went back again the next day to finish up unpacking and to do some grocery shopping. Now I haven’t said much about Elle’s “problem” mostly because I hadn’t spent much time with her since mid April. Sticking close to her parents house she had ready access to a bathroom so it wasn’t that much of a concern and she got used to not wearing a “package”. When we left to go shopping she neglected to wear one and I wasn’t thinking of it either. We’d been told to go to the brand new Safeway supermarket as they had a greater variety of choices than the old A&P store had. Neither of us had ever seen one as big and we went up and down each and every aisle just looking. Because we were so intrigued neither of us thought about time and how long it’d been since we'd left the trailer. We had our shopping cart just about filled with household supplies and food that didn’t need refrigeration when I heard Elle let out a little squeal and stop walking. I immediately knew what was happening... she was wetting herself. There was no way for her to hide it even though she got as close to the cart as she could. The puddle was about six inches in circumference and her light blue shorts had a much darker hue between her legs. As much as I enjoyed her wetting I only liked it when we were all alone. She was embarrassed and I was embarrassed for her. There wasn’t anything she could do to hide it so I told her to go to the car. At least there were clothes at the trailer. As we headed there I remembered the new Plymouth panties that I still hadn't given her and got a bit excited thinking about them. Actually, the incident made me all the more anxious for us to get moved back into the trailer.

The water was turned on so Elle was able to get washed up although it was with cold water. While she was doing that I went into my “stash” and pulled the panties out. When she walked into the bedroom I had them all (5) laid out on the bed. She stopped... looked at them and then at me and had a big smile on her face. It’s kind of funny to write about this now because my focus was on the panties and Elle’s was on something MUCH more interesting. Needless to say I succumbed to what she was thinking about.

To be continued...

THE END OF A DREAM... Epilogue (Part 59c)

I’m one of those people who can make a decision and stick with it and I did in this situation. I’ll give a quick synopsis about the end of my harness racing career so I can get on with the next segment that, I promise, will have much to do with panties.

The following Monday I finally received formal notification of my suspension. The only thing in it was that I had supposedly taken actions that were ”detrimental to the integrity“ of harness racing without list anything specific. I continued to be at a loss for the exact reason having gone over all my actions from the time I arrived at the city track. Long story short... without my being called to a commission office to testify I was notified about two weeks later that I had been reinstated. It coincided with a newspaper release that Antney, his brother and the owner were exonerated from any wrongdoing. It was a tiny little blurb that showed up buried in the sports section. Even though my name had never been mentioned in the newspapers I still felt that I had been smeared by the press and my reputation was tarnished by the headlines (THE FIX IS ON!) that first day. I was happy to know I was ”free“ but I still wanted to know what it was that I, myself, had done to warrant the suspension. Calls to the commission office were never returned. During a Summer visit to my parents, an attorney friend of my father’s heard about my situation and said that he’d contact them by letter. He did get a reply and in spite of his experience as an attorney, was unable to decipher their answer telling me that it was pure doublespeak. As much as I wanted to go speak with Antney I just wouldn’t go visit the track. It took about a week before he finally returned my calls. In his eyes the sum and substance of my involvement was that I had been listed to drive one of the horses trained by him and was deemed guilty by association. Upon hearing Antney tell me that I knew I’d made the right decision to walk away from the business.

I kept my subscription to the trade magazine for no other reason than to try and keep up with some of my friends and, in Dan’s case, I wanted to know how the horses that had been my responsibility made out during the season. The one thing that really got my attention was when I saw that the horse that had gotten me in trouble with him, ”Goldy“ was, indeed, racing as a pacer and not a trotter. I remember seeing that and giving an unseen ”finger“ to Dan. I also remember saying to myself something along the lines of ”Dan... you’re NOT the smartest f___ing trainer in the world!“ And, speaking of Dan, I also wanted to see what happened to my grandfather’s last horse who Dan had ”claimed” from him. Dan actually continued to race him in claiming races and won a couple before he was claimed away from him. After that I lost track of him as there were just too many racetracks open in the Summer to be able to read all the results.

I also saw that AJ was out of the training/driving business and had accepted an associate judgeship with the track where I had primarily worked for him. Eugene was off on his own and had done very well while racing at the Wilmington, Delaware track. I also discovered that Levi, the nephew of Harry and Vi who had sold me the trailers, was not only driving in races but was also winning. I recognized the name of a couple of Harry’s horses and it took a bit for me to realize that the driver was his nephew. I had never learned his last name. I also saw that Clyde, who had stood up for Elle and I at our wedding, ended up working for Dan. All I could do was smile when I saw his name. I just couldn’t see Clyde and Dan getting along. I was curious as to how the two of them hooked up but I made no effort to find out. Another discovery was that the top yearling that AJ had picked out at the sales in the Fall and had been subsequently taken away from him and to another trainer appeared to be as good as they had expected. In spite of the way AJ had treated me at the end of our working relationship I felt badly that he never had a chance to race her. It actually reinforced my dislike for the business. It, to me, was too cutthroat. I'd been raised to be fair and what had happened to AJ was anything but fair.

In spite of the temptation that reading the magazine could've provided I never wavered and never once returned to the track. It was now a part of my past. I was ready for my next "adventure", whatever it was going to be.

To be continued...

THE END OF A DREAM... sad but true (Part 59b)

My first stop was at the Commission office where I was greeted (?) by the lady with the personality of a rock. I asked if there was anybody there who could meet with me to explain why I was suspended. As soon as I asked she got up and walked out of the office without saying a word. To put it mildly, I was pissed! I went over to the door to the inner office and turned the knob and found it was open. I peeked in and saw a man sitting there reading a newspaper. There was a name plate on the desk and I recognized it as one of the race Judges. He gave me a ”look“ as if to say, without words, ”What the **** do you want?“ Having his attention I walked up to the desk and identified myself and told him I was one of the people on the now infamous ”list“ and wanted to know exactly why. I was not discourteous nor did I raise my voice. He stood up and staring at me face to face told me to get out of his office. I stood there for I don’t know how long. He started to move around the end of the desk towards me and that’s when I took my cue and backed out of the door. I couldn’t believe what had just happened.

Before leaving the track I stopped to see Norm at the barn gate, hoping that he’d have some ”inside information“. He was glad to see me but really didn’t have anything but more rumors. I asked if he knew how my horses were doing but he said he didn’t have that kind of information. As I drove back home I formulated a plan to try and come back on Saturday and meet with Mr S to see if there was anything he could do to help me. It was all I had to go on.

My grandfather, satisfied that everything possible was being done to help my grandmother, had made a call to another harness horse owner from town to see if he could get some clarification of my situation. A few years earlier he had owned one of the premier trotting mares in the country and had achieved some notoriety from it. He had ”connections“ and my grandfather hoped that he could at least get an official explanation to help me out. When I arrived back at the hospital he had just called back but my grandfather really didn’t grasp all that he was being told. All it did for me was to make me more anxious. I immediately called the man back and what he told me was VERY interesting.

Supposedly, a trainer/driver who was also working for Antney’s primary owner had been fired by the owner. I knew of him by reputation only as a loudmouth and a drunk. Right after he got fired he went to a bar where, after the races, some of the racetrack judges frequented. Drunk, he claimed he got fired because the owner wanted him to ”not try to win“ so that the odds would go up and then would pay off at a high price when they did. He said he wouldn’t do it and got fired because he disobeyed the owner’s orders. What was worse was that he claimed that the owner had the same ”orders“ out to his other trainer/driver, Antney, and that’s what caused the suspensions.

I heard what he told me but had a hard time digesting it. (This was the capsule version) I thanked him and then started thinking about the situation with Antney. I had no idea how many races he’d won since I’d arrived but I knew that the odds on those horses were not all that long. It just didn’t add up. I remember being mad at how the whole thing had come down... and still wondered how I’d become implicated in it.

It was right about that time when my brother arrived. He’d been doing his Summer training for his ROTC unit and it’d taken a few days to secure his release from it and get transportation home. For me it meant that someone else could stand that night’s vigil and I’d be able to spend time with Elle and the kids (and, oh yeah, the inlaws). With my mind still wrestling with that last information I’d been given I was not good company. My mother in law was pressing me for what I was going to do as she kept reminding me I had a wife and two children to support. I wasn’t in the mood for ”what ifs“. I wanted to know about the present and didn’t know how to get the answer. Because my father in law had to leave so early for his work he and Elle’s mother, thankfully, went to bed around 9pm. I decided that I’d also go to bed early hoping that I’d get some decent sleep. It wasn’t to be. I was wide awake for most of the night. I remember being hung up on the American concept of innocent until proven guilty. I felt that I (and Antney, his brother and the owner) had already been tried and pronounced guilty by the newspapers. I remember thinking that even if we were all told that we were innocent of any wrongdoing the betting public would always remember what they had read. An article in one of the evening newspapers (yes, they still had them back in those days) carried a ”blurb“ that had obviously been planted by the Commission office. It stated that this ”probe“ would guarantee that all harness racing done within the State was on ”the up and up“. I immediately thought about the gas station owner where my little trailer was "stored". I hadn't seen him since the story first hit the newspapers but I knew he was in his glory among his friends. He was one who was totally convinced that they were "fixed".

When I heard my father in law pulling out of the driveway I got up deciding to take a walk on the beach. It was just getting light and I’d always wanted to watch a sunrise from that location. I walked as far to the East as I could. It was a place that Elle and I had been many, many times before but it was the first time for me, alone. I sat on the last jetty and watched it get lighter and lighter. Finally, I saw the first glimpse of the sun. It was a still morning with not even a ripple on the water. As the sun rose higher and higher its image was duplicated in the water. I don’t know how long I was there but when I started back I began a self analysis of my career. By the time I was in front of my parents house I had pretty much decided that maybe harness racing wasn’t really for me. I’d used the excuse that the majority of the horses that I’d driven were ”misfits“ in one way or another to explain the lack of positive results. I did feel that I had a good head for the training aspect of the business but all the focus at that time was on driving (and winning) races. At that period in time, I would have guessed it was probably 85 to 90 percent of the trainers drove there own horses. By the time I got back to Elle’s house I had pretty much made up my mind that even if I were ”cleared“ and got my license back I was done with the horses.

Elle was up and was feeding the baby out in the back yard. I sat down next to them and told her my thoughts. I don’t know if I was hoping she’d try to persuade me not to quit but she didn’t. She just sat there and listened to me go over all the points I’d made to myself on my walk back. Hearing the words actually reinforced my decision. I remember the trip to the hospital and actually being excited about the decision. The first person I told was my father. He wanted to hear all the reasons and when I was done the only thing he stressed was that I still needed to get my name cleared by the Commission. He also told me to wait to tell my grandfather until that time as he was sure it would be a disappointment to him. I agreed and almost immediately felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from me. I had no job or job prospects but I did have my college degree and I was ready to start looking!

To be continued...

THE END OF A DREAM?... sad times (Part 59a)

No one answered, which didn’t surprise me. Whenever my parents went to the races they would always eat in the clubhouse so it made sense that they would’ve already left. I was about to go back to the barn gate when I decided to call Elle’s house and I don’t know why. It was a complete shock to hear Elle’s voice. Right from her very first words I knew something was wrong. “Where are you? Your father's been trying to reach you!” she almost screamed into the phone. I told her I was still at the track and then I innocently asked “Why?” She then told me that my grandmother had had a stroke and was in the hospital and that everybody wanted me home as soon as possible. Back then I really didn’t know what a stroke was but I knew it wasn’t good. My head was now spinning with how to prioritize all my responsibilities... job... horses... family. I told her to try and let my parents know I’d be there as soon as I could. I remember standing there next to the phone trying to figure out just what had to be done. As I stood there I saw a trainer that I barely knew headed into the cook house. I asked him if he had any “news” as to why there was so much security at the barn gate. He told me that the rumor was that Antney and his brother had been suspended for cheating and that all the horses under their care were barred from racing. Even though it was just a rumor it had credibility as I knew that Antney and his brother, like me, were on the "list" and weren’t being allowed into the barn area. What he told me pretty much finalized the fact that I wouldn’t be racing that night.

Back at the barn gate Will showed up and I tried to explain what I knew about the situation. I told him that I hadn’t been formerly notified but that my name was on the “list” that the guard had and that Mr S was going to have to make some kind of arrangement for the two horses that I was caring for. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and retrieved a card from it. He gave me the telephone number of the racetrack that was just outside the city as well a man's name and for me to have this man paged. That was all he told me. I wanted to smack him up side his head. Here I am trying to do the right thing under very trying circumstances and he’s being a pompous ass. I also needed to get going towards home and the hospital as well. However, I did call the track and after about a half hour got the person I was looking for on the phone. It turned out that it was Mr S’s son. I didn’t even know he had a son and what was more puzzling was that he was also a trainer/driver. I explained what I knew about my situation and he told me he’d take care of everything. As I drove away from the racetrack I realized how little I knew about my employer and was puzzled beyond belief that he hadn't told me about his son.

Both my parents and my grandfather were at the hospital when I arrived. My grandmother was in intensive care and they didn’t think she’d survive the night. She’d actually had two separate strokes with one partially paralyzing her and the other pretty much taking her mind. It was not very good news.

I did get to tell my parents and grandfather about the situation at the track. They all thought it was strange that I had not received any formal notification of the suspension of my license. I told them of the “rumor” but I also told them that I didn’t believe it. In all the time I’d been at the track I’d not heard anything that would give credence to it. I’d found Antney and his brother to be fair and honest and I just didn’t believe it. I told them that, over time, I’d become leery of some of the things the Racing Commission was doing and this just added to it. I told them that I still couldn’t figure out how I was involved since I was not employed by Antney. It truly was a mystery.

By 11pm everyone was pretty much out of it due to the stress of the situation. There was talk of getting some sleep and coming back in the morning but my grandfather was afraid that my grandmother might not make it through the night and wanted a family member to be there so that she wouldn’t die alone. I was still “keyed up” from the situation at the track so I volunteered to stay.

My father returned around 6am to find no change in my grandmother’s condition. He was worried about my grandfather’s state of mind so, seeing that everything was quiet at the hospital, left to go look after him. They arrived back around 9am or so and had a newspaper with them. Right on the front page was a headline “THE FIX IS ON!” with a picture of Antney and one of his horses racing at the track. It was like a dagger through my heart. Here was the profession I’d chosen being exposed on the front page of a city newspaper. I felt betrayed by Antney as well as the whole harness racing industry.

After reading the article I still didn’t have all the information that I needed. All I found out was that an unnamed trainer/driver at the track outside the city (where Mr S's son was racing) was supposedly involved in some race “fixing” and had implicated Antney and his brother. There was no detail at all other than all Antney’s horses were barred from racing and that he and his brother were suspended indefinitely. I continued to wonder how I was involved.

I left around 10am and went to see Elle and the kids. I was still worked up about my suspension but was able to get a nap before going back to the hospital. Another all night vigil found no appreciable change in my grandmother’s condition. The next morning’s newspaper had a few more details but it was written for the “masses” and not for someone involved so it wasn’t very satisfying. Since my grandmother’s condition was “stable“ my father told me to head for the track to see if I could get clarification.

To be continued...

ANOTHER DOSE OF REALITY... uh oh! (Part 58g)

Things went well at work for the next two weeks although Steve was nosed out for the wins. Mr S continued to show his generosity giving me extra money even though there were no wins. Antney was also generous giving me opportunities for extra money on nights when Mr S’s horses weren’t racing. One afternoon he told me that if I were a betting man I should bet one of his horses that night. There was no mention of a “fix” or anything like it and I decided to pass it on to the gas station owner where my trailer was parked. He was appreciative of it even though I told him there were no guarantees. The horse won and I was kicking myself for not betting. In any case I was a “hero” in the eyes of the gas station owner.

I actually found a little free time and there was a mall, supposedly one of the largest in the country, just a short distance from the track. I decided to check it out and, of course, managed to find my way into the lingerie departments of the larger stores. It brought back memories of when I was still going to school in the city and would walk through some of the department stores and visit the lingerie areas. I still hadn't given Elle the new Plymouth panties that were more her size but that didn't deter me when I saw some "interesting " panties on display. There were a couple that really caught my eye. One had a floral print and when I picked it up I found the material to be different. It was cotton but more like the kind you would find in a shirt or blouse. I knew I had to buy one of them. Another had a very different crotch area in that instead of a "half moon" in the rear part it went all the way up to the waist band in an inverted "V". The material was very much like the Plymouth panties in that it had a satin like feel to it. The tag read "Be Free" and I had to have a pair of them as well. I know the price was less than a dollar so it wasn't a hard decision.

By then I had accumulated enough money to pay my trailer moving friend to bring the house trailer North. Elle and I couldn’t wait but there was one thing that was more important coming up. Antney had put me down to drive in my first race at the city track. The horse’s name was Calumet Frisco. He warned me that I'd have my hands full with her in that she was a “puller” meaning that as soon as the starting gate pulled away she was going to want to chase it. Almost all the horses I’d driven up to that time had some sort of quirk so that didn’t really bother me. My parents were going to drive in with Elle to see me make my big time debut. It was on a Wednesday and I remember being more nervous than I’d ever been before. At lunch time I left the barn area to get something to eat and to buy a “proof” of the racing program for that night. I wanted to see the past performances of my competition to get an idea of what the other horses liked to do. When returning to the barn area I had my head buried in the program as I came to the gate. I heard Norm, the guard, call my name and I thought he was going to wish me luck that night. But no... he told me that I couldn’t re-enter the barn area.

My first reaction was that he was just joking as he always had a smile on his face and, if you let him, he’d tell you the latest joke going around. But as i looked at his face I could see that he was dead serious. As I walked over to him two other people were walking through the gate and he called them over and asked to see their licenses. In the almost month that I’d been there I’d never seen him do that before. He had a photographic like memory and once you showed him your license he didn’t need to see it again. I watched as he scanned the cards and then looked at the clipboard he was holding. He waved them through and as I walked up to him asked what was going on. He said he’d been given a list of people who were no longer allowed into the barn area and my name was on it. He turned the clipboard towards me and as my surname started with one of the first letters of the alphabet I could see it right near the top. I also saw Antney’s name as well as that of his brother. I asked Norm what was going on and he pleaded that he didn’t have any idea. I was able to find out that the list originated at the office of the Harness Racing Commission. I headed in that direction knowing that I’d probably have to deal with the surly bitch who had processed my license application. I remember it being around 2pm and walking into the office to find no one there. At first I thought she might be out for a late lunch but when it turned 3pm I walked up to the office door of the presiding judge and knocked. I knocked a few more times and then tried the door. It was locked. By then I was a mess. I had the responsibility of two race horses that I couldn’t get to. I was supposed to be driving in a race that night. My parents and Elle were coming and I didn’t know anything about my situation other than I was on “the list”. I had no idea of where to go to get clarification of the situation. The only place I could think of was the racing directors office.

By the time I got there it was after 4pm and that’s when they closed for the day. I headed back to the barn area gate and found Norm had been relieved and the guy who was there didn’t know anything either. Now I was worried about getting my horses fed and, luckily, saw one of Antney’s grooms going by. I asked him to get a message to Will to ask him to feed and water my horses and then to come to the gate. It wasn’t until then that it came to me that I wouldn’t be racing that night. I didn’t want my father to drive all that way for nothing so ran over to the cook house to call home.

To be continued...