FAREWELL 2021

This blog post brings everyone who reads it my very best wishes for whichever holiday you and/or your family celebrate or celebrated as well as for 2022. May Covid stop learning the Greek alphabet, at least at such a fast pace (to steal a quote from a Christmas card I received). Of course, what we’d all like to see is for it to completely disappear or have us all develop a complete immunity as we did to smallpox and polio. And, yes, if wishes were horses (or electric cars) beggars would all ride.  

In my last post in early October, I mentioned my carpel tunnel problem. Well, once they did the nerve conduction study, the pain in my fingers (especially the fuck-you one) became almost unbearable. Some nights I went through two ice packs just to be able to drift off to sleep for a couple of hours. But, that’s all behind me now because I had surgery on 12/23, and it was the best Christmas present I could have received. The pain in my fingers has gone although some numbness remains and there was very little pain involved with the surgery. I get the stiches out on 1/3/22, and will proceed with therapy to strengthen not only my left, but my right hand as well. 

I’ve also decided that 2022 will be (knock wood) illness and physical problem free. I’m thinking positively about not seeing my doctor, not developing any new challenges, and staying as healthy as possible. To do that, I’m going to continue my fitness classes three times a week as well as my daily physical therapy exercises and stretches as well as walking with my neighbor as often as possible. If being positive about how my body feels and works and treating it as well as possible is what is needed, you can bet I’ll be just fine in 2022.   

October, November and December were fairly boring months. I didn’t do anything exciting enough to type about, and typing was a challenge after the nerve conduction test because I couldn’t feel my fingers at all. It’s still a bit of a challenge and I’ll be writing this over a few days because typing causes a bit of pain in my left hand. 

As most of you know, I had to have Kaizer euthanized in October. I still miss him every single day…his dancing on his hind legs as I carry his breakfast/dinner to where he ate, the silly smile he was able to give me because his lower chin stuck out, his enthusiasm when it was time to go outside, the way he’d nestle between my thighs, heave a big sigh and look at me with a smile as if to say, “It sure don’t get much better than this.”

 Karma has stepped up to fill in and spends a lot of time on the couch with me. She doesn’t have the enthusiasm her son had unless she gets a chance to dash out the front door and explore the neighborhood. Then she’s way enthusiastic and runs like a gazelle. I bought two beds, one for the car and try to take her on errands so she learns to like being in the car. The other one is in my bedroom and I allow her to sleep in there. She’s not allowed on my new bed though.  

I do have to admit it is much easier and less expensive with just one doggie. I’ve also come to the realization that some of the “accidents” I blamed on Karma were most likely made by Kaizer. There’s also so much less dog hair, and other detritus that comes in on their paws. Still, I miss my little snuggle bug Kaizer. 

Speaking of bedrooms, I am finally almost finished with what was the marital bedroom.  Going forward, it’s going to be known as my Revitalization Room and I absolutely love it. I painted the ceiling and walls a silvery gray and one wall is purple as is the blind and valance. It was the first time I’ve ever painted a room, so it’s not the great job a professional would do, but I’m happy with it, plus it’s not like I’m going to have visitors come share the space with me. Not only that, it is the last time I’ll do any painting…professional painter is the only way to go in my opinion.   

The furniture finally arrived the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and the mattress on Wednesday. Then, it was time to wash all the linen and place it on the bed. I think it was another 10 days or so before I actually slept on my new mattress, surrounded by the treasures, pictures and shadow box displays I imported from my old bedroom or other parts of the house. I love, love, love my new bed and its linen, comforter, duvet and new pillows feel thick, comfy and wonderful. I also really enjoy raising and lowering the head so I can read or watch TV. 

Somehow or another, my name has been noticed by whoever or whatever in the ether. First, my bank account was hacked, but not by a lot, so the card wasn’t cancelled. Then, a few weeks later, it was hacked again, this time by crypto.com for quite a bit of money. This time, my card was cancelled while the fraudulent changes were cancelled. When I reported this to AJ and his wife, you would have thought I’d completely lost all my brains. They didn’t even wait to hear my story before chastising me about how I handled everything. They finally listened to what I did and agreed I did the right thing, but now I’m supposed to have a family conference if something like this happens again. 

I switched to another bank account while the first was cancelled and a new card issued, but then I got a message about that one. This bank immediately cancelled the card, subtracted the fraudulent charge and issued a new card. Not long after I got the new card for the first bank, I got another email about a fraudulent change, but checked and it was just plain bullshit. I seriously hope 2022 doesn’t bring me any further difficulties with the various cards I have. 

Finally, I decided to give up Facebook for a while, and wouldn’t you know that the first time I went back on, I was hacked and new friend requests were sent out. I immediately changed my password and notified FB friends that I’d been hacked. Again, I hope that’s it with FB, but I’m not spending any time there, so it doesn’t really matter. And, it’s not that I don’t miss some of the friends I have on FB, it’s more I just can’t stand the bullshit that keeps on coming whether I want it or not. 

I haven’t seen my Snohomish son and his family since the end of August. Only his wife is immunized and with three auto-immune diseases under my belt, I haven’t had the courage to just go there and take my chances. However, with people getting the delta or omicron variant even when fully immunized, perhaps I just need to take a chance and figure if I get it, I get it and it won’t be too bad. This damn Covid has certainly fucked up my life for the last almost two years…yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, you’re all thinking, “So, what’s so special about you??? ALL our lives were/are fucked up. Get over yourself.” 

AJ and his family are all totally vaccinated, so I do see them and am so grateful to both AJ and Angie and Haley for their assistance with various things. I sometimes think maybe Thor and his family aren’t vaccinated so they don’t have to deal with me. Anyway, AJ has spent many hours here working on the various “honey-dew” lists I email him. I try very hard not to be too demanding or ask for too much. I’m always surprised that what I think is a huge list only takes him an hour or two to complete. 

Angie, of course, was of great assistance when it came time for surgery on my wrist. I’d originally told Thor it was his turn, but since he’s not vaccinated, he couldn’t accompany me. She did a swell job of taking me and returning me home with my meds and fresh pizza. It’s very comforting to know I can call on her when needed. 

For the last couple of years, I’ve had someone who came to mow and edge my yard. This also included cleaning up the tons of leaves that fell in the fall. I don’t know what happened to him, but I finally called someone else who came and did the last mow, rake and put my garden in winter mode. It was way more expensive than the original person, but it’s done and looks great when not covered by snow. I’ll have to figure out what I’m going to do come spring and investigate hiring another firm to mow and edge every other week or so. 

A new erotic fiction book was begun and so far, four chapters are complete. Once my wrist heals and I can type again, I plan on working on Merciless Madeleine. I also researched agents and publishers of erotic fiction and will be emailing off submissions by the end of January. I seriously hope there is an agent or publisher who’d love to read my work and publish it as well. If that doesn’t work, I’m going to investigate self-publishing, first through Amazon, but there are other ways that will need some research as well. 

So, that pretty much brings y’all up to date for the rest of 2021. As I said in the beginning of this blog post, I wish you all the best 2022 has to offer. I also wish myself the best for 2022 as well with the goal of getting published and planning a river trip from Budapest to Amsterdam in 2023.

 

 

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO BESIDES NOT WRITING -- PART III

 It’s been so long since I posted anything to my blog, I had to look back to see what I said the last time. Could not believe that post was dated 7/5/21…that’s three months today provided I get this posted. Wish I could report I’ve been travelling the world or lazing about eating chocolates, reading books and watching movies, but, nope…well, except for reading and watching Yellowstone. This is likely to be a looooooooong report. 

I began the last report talking about my health. Well, it’s improved somewhat and I learned the recurrent shingles diagnosis was wrong, wrong, wrong. The red marks and itching returned in July and one afternoon, I was so miserable I called Kaiser and told them I wanted someone to look at them in person and I didn’t care if it was the devil in hell. I got an appointment the next day and that MD (not my PCP) told me unequivocally it was not shingles. What’s interesting is that my body’s inflammation level was high according to the blood test that MD ordered. So, there may be a correlation between the itching and the inflammation and most like due to some form of allergy. The allergy quite possibly may be to the nightshade family, tomatoes in particular. I ate a whole bunch two nights in a row this week and have been trying not to scratch myself raw since. I LOVE tomatoes, especially the ones I grow myself. 

Of course, at my age, there’s always something new with the body that demands attention. I knew I had carpel tunnel in my left wrist (surgery on right in 1989), and have been damning the L&I MD who convinced me to not have the surgery on my left about 15 years ago. I made an appointment to see my MD in October to talk about surgery because the numbness and pain were increasing, even with wearing a brace. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I spent over two hours on the freeway which was the longest time I’d spent behind the wheel of a car since early 2020. I did wear my brace and didn’t think anything of the time I spent holding the steering wheel. Early the next morning, I woke feeling as though I held a grapefruit-sized ball of fire in my left hand. Long story short is the Consulting RN moved up my MD appointment and I now have a date for an EMG test and a consultation, both in November. I’ll most likely have surgery in December or January. Meanwhile, my middle finger is pretty much numb with first finger and thumb running a close second. And, even though they are “numb,” they all feel as though they are electrified. 

Meanwhile, through all this I’ve continued to walk and go to my fitness classes and seem to be getting stronger although there are some days when that doesn’t seem true. I saw a physical therapist and learned that my right shoulder pain was mainly due to my sleeping position…on my tummy with my arm up above my head. I couldn’t believe how much better it felt the first morning I kept my arm down, but it’s still a struggle to keep it down. And, like my MD, the physical therapist encouraged me to remain as active as possible. 

Not long after I wrote the above, I received a call about the mammogram I had last week…they wanted me to return. I spent almost 24 hours totally terrified because it brought the year 2000 back full bore and my experience then was what I went through again except this time the radiologist came in and said, “Everything’s just fine.”, rather than “We want to do a biopsy. Part of the terror, okay a huge part of the terror was facing the fact that if the diagnosis came back as breast cancer, this time I wouldn’t have anyone who would hold my hand for each and every MD appointment, chemo treatment, etc. This time I would have to do it alone which led me to think about how absolutely wonderful John was during that time and how alone I’m going to be no matter what the future brings with regard to health problems. Still, I’m feeling pretty good about my boob being just fine. 

And, my final health/body whine is that I’ve gained weight. It’s between six and ten pounds and that’s not a lot, but it’s all around my middle. I can barely button some of my jeans. Time to give in and just wear sweats or whatever has an elastic  waist. 

After all this, you know what?  I think I’m just about ready to give up all physical activity and become a couch/bed potato. There’s really been no big reward for all the toil and sweat so far. I feel a lot like Sisyphus rolling the rock up the hill day after day. Doesn’t there come a time when you just leave the rock where it is and use it as a chair or pillow??? Anyway, enough whining…on to better stories (I hope). 

My five fuchsia pots have outdone themselves with growth and blossoms. They are gorgeous and I forgot I had different ones, but I like the combinations I made without realizing what I was doing. I’m going to hate cutting them back and storing them away, but they should do well again next year. 

 

My dahlias did not do well this year. I have one plant that barely flowered. It’s probably because they need to be dug up and divided. I’m planning to dig them all up, divide and store them in the garage. I don’t think the garage freezes and I’ll winter them in boxes filled with paper shreds…cross your fingers and let me know if you want any tubers. I’m bound to have a lot. 

Claudia gave me a whole bunch of zinnia starts and I didn’t plant them immediately, so they were all rooted together. I pulled them apart and planted them in various places and they did absolutely wonderful. I’ve never had such luck with zinnias before and think I could plant them in every single location in the garden and not be disappointed. Now trying to collect zinnia seeds which I plan to mix with cosmos and poppy seeds and sprinkle all over the place. If they all come up in the spring, it should be glorious. 

Since I’m staying here, I went ahead and ordered some bulbs from Michigan Bulb. I don’t remember now what I ordered, but I’ll add them to what I’ve already established when they arrive. 

The really hot weather in June fried a lot of the tomato blossoms, but they finally began to produce tomatoes. I’m not too fond of the big yellow heritage ones because they seem to have very little taste. That plant produced a lot of largish tomatoes but they just weren’t very tasty. The chocolate cherry tomatoes finally began to produce and neighbors and family members were recipients of the surplus. I also had red cherry tomatoes, but they didn’t do well and were small but tasty. The yellow small pear tomatoes were fairly tasteless as well. Peas and beans didn’t survive the hundred-degree temps. Pumpkin plants were a bust, but zucchini and delicata squash produced. Also had some home-grown lettuce and may still get another serving depending on the weather. 

There’s lots of fall work waiting in the garden and I’m not looking forward to it, especially as my best helper, Haley, has gone east to school. I’ll just have to do what I can when I can. Of course, I strongly wish I’d been able to find something smaller without much of a yard and move, but oh well, it is what it is. 

By now, you probably figure I’ve updated the marital bedroom and moved in. Well, you’ve figured wrong. I found and bought a duvet cover I loved and took one of the pillow shams to Home Depot and purchased two colors…a sort of silvery gray and a lightish purple. As of today, I’ve painted the ceiling and walls the gray, but haven’t returned to paint the purple wall nor have I painted the closet doors. This was, of course, before my left wrist started acting up. I’m hoping to finish by the end of this month, but if you’ve stuck with my updates, you know that can change practically overnight. 

What’s really holding me up now is there is no rush to finish because the bedroom furniture I went out and ordered won’t reach the warehouse until 11/27 and who knows how soon they’ll deliver and set up in my room. I also ordered a mattress which could have been delivered immediately, but they’re holding it until the furniture arrives. Now I need to order bed linen as well as window coverings. Spend, spend, spend...that's me.

I believe I wrote about ordering new glass for the windows where the seal had failed and the fact, I was told the current frame for the huge front window might not keep the glass from falling out. So, a new frame was ordered some time the beginning of June. I finally followed up the middle of August and was told the frame is due to be delivered on 12/11.  

The side shed didn’t get removed during the summer because everyone’s schedules couldn’t be matched up. It’s fine and I’ll hire someone to do it after the first of the year. That’s also when I’ll get bids and hire (maybe the same person) to replace the deck roof. So, I’m moving, although very slowly, on getting stuff done around here. 

Besides seeing Haley about once a week when she came to help me out, I also got to spend time with Arayli and Xander this summer. Now that school’s started, I’m not going to see them as often, but they say it’s not the frequency but the quality of time I’ll spend with them that counts. I’ve promised them both something absolutely wonderful in January if their report cards are outstanding as well. Between now and then I’ll give them gentle reminders about how great it is to learn and receive good grades. Also, between now and then, I’ll be looking for something wonderful to give each of them, i.e., some kind of experiences that a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy would be totally blown away by. Suggestions extremely welcome.

My weekly visits with Haley have come to a halt. She left for Wyoming and school and won’t be home until Christmas and then for only a week. I’m so thankful for cell phones, my I-pad and her I-phone because I’ll be reaching out at least once a week to see how she’s doing. Plus, her birthday is next month and it will be the first one since the day I saw her come into the world that I won’t be able to give her a birthday spanking, hug and kiss. Still, I’m very proud of her drive and initiative and know whatever the future might bring her, it’s going to be rock solid. 

Speaking of spending money, my puppy Kaizer has developed a horrible cough.
Aside from the cough, he's eating well, doesn't have a temperature an seems just fine otherwise. I thought it was kennel cough, but where he could have gotten it, I have no idea. I checked in with the groomer because it started the day after he was there. Even so, it takes 5-7 days for it to appear, so it couldn't have been that. When we talked, she told me that for some small dogs, coughing can be a sign of a heart problem. I ordered some cough medicine and if it isn't better in another day, I'll be making an appointment with the vet and you know just how expensive those can be, especially if they have to do a lot of tests. 

Of course, while you’ve enjoyed the hell out of this missive, I know you’re wondering when I’m going to begin writing again and posting chapters on a daily basis. I have to say I don’t know. I’ve updated and finalized SHE as well as written a submission letter. Now all I have to do is send them off to an agent. Meanwhile, when I can I need to finalize and update WATER RIGHTS and UNDER CONSTRUCTION so they can be sent out into the world as well. 

I have written one chapter of a book that might be called Merciless (thank you Claudia for the M word) Madeleine and have kind of outlined a few additional chapters. As the weather brings us more gray and wet, I’ll have and/or take the time to sit here at the computer and write more. It’s something I really do enjoy and something that makes me feel good. 

Finally, as I posted in Facebook on the anniversary of Joh’s death and our wedding anniversary, enough time has passed the anger I felt has dissipated and the good memories surfaced. In fact, just recently, I’ll be driving and see something that makes me think of him and my entire body feels a huge pang of loss. Or, I’m busy around here, see something, hear a song, watch something on TV and the same thing happens. While I’m grateful for the good memories, those pangs bring a moment of sadness that he’s not here so we can make more memories together like that. I also have come to believe that he’d be proud of me for how I’ve moved on and ahead with my life, the pets, house and garden. Still, I think I miss him more with each day that passes than I did initially. It is very lonely. Those of you who still have a partner, please cherish your time together. 

Okay, that’s pretty much it for this missive. I’ll try to do better with regard to writing something new and posting for your reading pleasure. Meanwhile, y’all take care, get your vaccinations, wear your masks, be positive and upbeat as well as careful when you venture out into the world.

WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO BESIDES NOT WRITING – Part Two

 

          Since I began the last update with a health report, I’ll do the same here. Had another MD appointment because my right shoulder was/is so sore and I thought perhaps she’d send me to physical therapy before I totally screw it up and need shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, between the time of making the appointment and getting there, my entire body decided to revolt. Waking up in the morning sucks because the pain throughout my body is so dreadful, I don’t want to get out of bed. Everything hurts, but as the day progresses, the pain diminishes until by evening I feel more or less fine.

So, at the MD, we talked of various possibilities and she ordered labs again which all came back normal. I’ve begun keeping a daily journal to see if there’s any kind of pattern. I’ve also decided to not eat any nightshade plants, i.e., potatoes, tomatoes (and I’ve five pots growing), peppers, eggplants and various other stuff which I don’t normally eat. The reason for this is itching and the other night, I had ten cherry tomatoes in my salad and almost scratched myself raw the following day. If it is a new allergy to these plants, then that’s an easy fix.

After the labs came back, I emailed my MD and asked her if I could have fibromyalgia. Her response was that it is possible, that or some other central nervous problem, but I’m already taking two of the meds they prescribe for fibromyalgia, so if I have that, the meds should be helping with the symptoms, but don’t seem to be doing much.

My MD also encouraged me to return to my morning exercises, fitness class and walking because exercise helps with fibromyalgia. I am back in the fitness class but haven’t begun a daily walk. I’ve also tried the morning exercises and the second time, ended up with a huge cramp that made me stop.

Folks talk about the quality of life as being a reason for continuing. It’s not that I would ever do anything to hurt myself, it’s just that when it comes to my physical health, the quality of my life sucks at this point in time.

Okay, enough of that. So, as I said in my pervious update, I do try to do stuff and look at the accomplishments achieved. The three fuchsia pots that became five are doing well and should soon be blossoming. That pleases me a lot. I’ve managed to keep the huge hanging pot and huge deck pot of flowers Angie picked up for me at Costco going as well. Was even smart enough to move it out of full sun (the deck pot) so those really HOT days didn’t cook it.

And, speaking of those really hot days. I’m assuming everyone survived it as did I and now live in the hope nothing like that ever returns to the Pacific Northwest. A friend who is usually optimistic told me, “Just wait until August.” Personally, I’m hoping we just had our August weather and that when August arrives, fall comes with it. As for the garden, that hot sun did a real number on so many of my plants and trees, i.e., apple and tulip trees have burned leaves, alstroemeria was cooked, lots of leaves on nasturtium burned, hostas terribly burned, most likely peas and beans won’t be producing and, of course, my lovely green grass is now brown. I also planted some more lettuce and spinach and it’s come up, but seriously doubt anything will be harvestable for another month or more.

Besides all that, my lilies are blooming way too early and will probably be completely done by the middle of July.  But, that’s okay because by the looks of things, the dahlias should begin to flower just about then. I’m not looking forward to my water bill, but I can’t not water and simply let everything I’ve worked so hard on just die. Plus, there’s the new plants I purchased or was given that haven’t taken complete hold quite yet.

The lean-to on the side of the house remains because the day AJ and Alex were going to come take it down, the weather was way too hot. Haley wouldn’t have been able to join in as planned because she has a new job and would have worked that day. Maybe some time in the next month they can all figure out a cooler day when they’re all available and come remove it.

I did finally, just this past week install the indoor-outdoor carpet at the entrance to my house. It looks great except I’m not happy with myself because I absolutely knew better. I have sewn most of my life and know that material goes in a certain way and you need to cut your pattern so it doesn’t look odd. You think I thought of that when I prepared the second piece to be glued down??? NOPE, I didn’t give it a thought, so the second piece goes in the opposite direction of the first. Haley told me she notices the seam, but not the direction. I still need to cut a small piece to place adjacent the first piece (it’s about an inch or so wide) to cover up the concrete that shows.

I still haven’t finished cleaning out the marital bedroom, but I have made some progress.  By the end of July, I hope to have it emptied, painted and a new bed purchased. We’ll see how I’ve done in the next update.

          I did pick up Xander, but unfortunately, it was a rainy day so we couldn’t do much. We just came back here and ordered pizza, played games and watched some television. Even though we didn’t do anything special, it was wonderful to have him here and by the way he was telling his dad what we did, I think he had fun.        

          This coming Sunday I’ll be giving my niece a bridal shower. A number of invitees will be joining by ZOOM, so the total folks in attendance will probably be less than 15. Still, it’s the first event I’ve had in more than a year and I’m looking forward to it, not to mention, my house will be CLEAN for the first time in more than a year. Arayli’s 13^th birthday is also this coming week. We’re going to go to Sprouts and pick up sushi, then walk aboard the Kingston ferry for a ride back and forth. Then, on Thursday, Arayli’s actual birthday, I’ll join the family for cake and ice cream in the evening. What fun things I have to look forward to this week.

          I got through John’s birthday and Father’s Day without too much difficulty and AJ helped in that regard. He took the glass orb that includes John’s ashes for a ride in the ‘57 Chevy pick-up. He sent me photos of the orb in the front window, but for safety’s sake, he put his dad in the seat while they were driving. That definitely made me smile.

As most of you who read my blog know, I did finish Under Construction, and have begun thinking/planning the next book. So far, I’ve the basic idea, the names of the man and woman and a few other things figured out. But, since I’ve now finished three novels, I really should get them in order and submit to an agent and/or publisher.

So, there’s my update.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION, CHAPTER 31

 

         The first two months of the new year seemed to move a bit more slowly than the ones at the end of the year. Charlie’s body continued to change and she was finally feeling hugely fat and pregnant. She still had a hard time believing there was only one baby in there, but Sandi assured her that being pregnant the last two months had always made her feel as though she must be having twins or triplets. They agreed they couldn’t understand how any woman could have huge multiple births and remain sane in their own bodies.

If Charlie had felt like she needed to move into the bathroom because she had to pee so often, as each and every day went by, the water she took in seemed to pass right through her. If she hadn’t been so thirsty most of the time, she swore she’d have given up drinking anything. Sandi also suggested she try Depends or begin wearing menstrual pads, but that seemed disgusting, although she wondered what was more disgusting panties with pee in them or something to catch the pee. And, it only got worse when the baby turned head down. She was sure her bladder was incapable of holding more than a tablespoon of fluid.

Charlie was looking forward to beginning her maternity leave the beginning of March. She was looking forward to spending some time nesting and just lazing about the house for a week or two, but the baby had other plans. She was holding her final meeting with Stephanie and Dennis before beginning her leave when her water broke. And, it didn’t just begin to leak out, but gushed, wetting her from the crotch down. By the looks of what ended up on the floor, Charlie thought there must have been gallons in there. She was horribly embarrassed, but Steph and Dennis, both parents, immediately took over.

          “Dennis, while I call Adam, go get my car. We’re gonna need to get her to the hospital ASAP.”

          “Adam, this is Stephanie. Charlie’s water just broke and I’m taking her to the hospital now. We’ll meet you there.”

          Just then, Charlie felt the first contraction and it hurt. Once it passed, she looked at Stephanie and said, “Jesus, but that hurt like a bitch.”

          “They do sometimes Charlie, but you’ll be fine. Now, let’s walk you out to my car.”

          On the way out, Charlie had to stop as another contraction rolled through her. When she could walk again, she asked, “How long is this gonna last. It’s horrible.”

          “You won’t even remember once the baby arrives.” Stephanie reassured her as she grabbed a blanket from the backseat and placed it on the passenger seat. “Now, climb in there and let’s get you buckled up. I’ve a feeling I need to drive faster than the speed limit because your contractions are strong and so close together. This is amazing for a first baby.”

          While Stephanie drove, Charlie tried to concentrate on what she’d learned in the birthing classes. The next time a contraction arrived, her breathing was her entire focus. She had additional contractions before Stephanie pulled into the hospital ER and jumped from the car.

          In the midst of another contraction, Charlie barely realized the car had stopped or Stephanie had left until her car door opened and a white-clad person reached in to help her out and into a wheelchair. She was barely pushed through the entrance when Adam appeared by her side. “Oh baby. You okay? What can I do?”

          “Excuse me sir, but you need to get out of the way. We need to take her to the maternity ward right now.”

          Charlie didn’t pay attention to anyone. Another contraction was coming and this time she wanted to do something about it. She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath only to have her concentration broken by a voice in her ear, “Don’t bear down, don’t bear down. Pant, that’s it, pant. Just pant, don’t push.”

          When the pain began to leave, she heard the voice yell, “We don’t have time for a labor room. We need to get her into delivery STAT.”

          Before another pain arrived, most of her clothes were gone, she’d been moved onto a gurney, and there was someone, her doctor she realized, between her thighs. “She’s fully dilated and I can see the head crowning. Okay Charlie, the next contraction, I want you to push. I want you to push as hard as you can.”

          While they waited, Charlie realized that somehow Adam had managed to get behind her and as the next contraction began, he raised her to an almost sitting position. She grabbed hold of the arm he’d placed around her chest and squeezed so hard he thought she’d break his bone. Teeth gritted, grunting and groaning, Charlie pushed before the pain left and she slumped back against Adam. It wasn’t much of a rest because almost immediately, the pain began to resume. Again, Adam propped her up as she grunted and pushed with every muscle she had. Before the pain totally diminished, there was the sound of a newborn cry in the delivery room.

          Charlie sank back against Adam as an ugly little thing was placed on her abdomen. Oh my god, there’s something wrong with my baby she thought as Adam moved away to cut the baby’s umbilical cord.

          “You have a beautiful, healthy boy Charlie. Congratulations.” Her doctor said.

          Charlie shook her head and crying, asked, “What’s wrong with it? It looks so bad.”

          “Charlie, there’s nothing wrong. He’s just covered with birthing material. Once he’s been cleaned up, he’ll be pink and lovely. Here.” And her doctor placed it on her chest.

          Charlie looked down into a pair of dark blue eyes that seemed to know her down to her very soul. His forehead wrinkled and his mouth seemed to form a smile before opening wide in a yawn, as if to say, “Getting born’s hard work.”

          Then, he was taken away while they tended to Charlie. The doctor told Adam how surprised she was to have Charlie’s water break and the birth happen so closely together. “She’s a lucky woman. It may have been painful, but it didn’t last long. She’s a natural breeder.”

          Charlie, still conscious of the horrendous pain snorted. Natural breeder my ass she thought. I won’t ever be doing this again in my life.

          Once she was ensconced in her room, all clean and tidy, the nurse brought in the baby bucket on wheels in which her son was all bound up tight and sound asleep.

          “Do you want to hold him?” The nurse asked.

          “Yes, please.”

          Once he was in her arms, with Adam beside the bed, Charlie undid the snug blankets. She knew it was important to keep the baby tightly wrapped, but she had to see him. “Oh, Adam, look at those toes. Look at his little fingers. Oh, Adam, isn’t he the most beautiful baby you’ve ever seen?”

          Adam agreed and helped her re-wrap the baby as he began to cry. “Maybe he’s hungry.” Adam suggested.

          It was as if she’d been doing it her whole life. Charlie moved her gown aside and lifted him to nestle against her bare chest. She used her hand to direct his mouth to her nipple. He looked like a little bird as his head flopped back and forth, looking for a way to get the nipple. Then, he latched on and Charlie felt such a connection with her child, she wasn’t sure she could explain it or identify it. Such contentment. Such peace. Such love.

          Charlie looked at Adam with tears in her eyes. “Thank you for this Adam. Thank you for him.”

          Adam responded with the gentlest of kisses as his huge hand cupped the baby’s head.

          Since Charlie was already breastfeeding successfully and since her labor and delivery had no complications, her doctor allowed her to go home late evening. Before the birth, Charlie had thought she’d be terrified to bring the baby home all on her own. She’d thought she’d need her mamma and maybe even Sandi with her for reassurance, but that wasn’t the case. 

          The birth had happened so quickly, there hadn’t been any time to call the various family and friends who were going to be involved at the hospital and when she went home. Once Adam got her settled into their bed, the bassinet with the little guy in it adjacent, he began calling everyone to share the news. Of course, most people wanted to come visit, but realized it was much too late. He even managed to hold Ruth Ann off until late morning the next day. He also hoped there wouldn’t be a deluge of visitors because he really wanted some time for just the three of them to adjust to each other. 

          As if the fast labor and delivery had been a gift, the new baby made his presence known almost immediately. Adam was still making phone calls when he began to cry. Charlie scooped him up and offered him her nipple, but he ignored it, continuing to cry to the point he was all red. Charlie was sure there was something wrong. She tried jiggling him against her chest and that didn’t help. She checked his diaper and he was dry. She didn’t know what to do and joined her baby in crying. While she wasn’t screeching like he was, the tears were flowing fast and hard down her face when Adam came back in the bedroom.

          “Something’s wrong Adam. We have to go back to the hospital. Something’s the matter with our baby. Oh my God, I don’t know what to do.”

          Adam took the little guy from Charlie and began to hum a tune he’d hummed against Charlie’s tummy throughout the pregnancy. He, too, jiggled the baby but walked around as he did so. Soon, the cries had turned into little whimpers and hiccoughs and he was again sleep.

          Charlie smiled through her tears, “Well, look at you, the baby whisperer. Oh Adam, I’m so glad you knew what to do. This just scared the hell out of me. What’s going to happen when you’re not here? I can’t believe I thought I could be a mom and raise a child. I’m going to be horrible at this.”

          “Honey, you forget I have nieces and nephews and was around when most of them were born. I babysat for every single one of them when I was needed and mom wasn’t available. I’ve had crying babies in my life before, but this one is the most special. As for you being a mom, you’ll be great and I’ll be here to help always.”

          Adam put the baby back into his bassinet and climbed on the bed with Charlie. She carefully snuggled up against him because her bottom was sore from the birth. She didn’t know if she’d had to have stitches and hadn’t asked, but very much pressure caused pain.

          “So, what are we going to name the little guy?” Adam asked Charlie. I know we talked about several male names, but we never did make a decision. Now that he’s here, what do you think will best fit our boy? My siblings have already used my parent’s names, so we don’t have to think about that. You want to name him after your dad?”

          Charlie was silent for a bit, reviewing the various names they’d sort of put on their list before suggesting, “Maybe daddy’s name as a middle name, but I’ve never really liked the name Simon. How about Charles Adam and we could call him Chase?”

          “Using both our names doesn’t leave much for any other kid we have.”

          “Speak for yourself buddy. Your bottom doesn’t hurt when you plop down on it. I seriously doubt I’ll want to do this again…EVER.”

          “I heard that’s what most women who just gave birth say, but I’ve also heard that you’ll soon forget the pain and difficulty.”

          “Yeah, well I’m not most women, I’m me and don’t plan to do this EVER again.” Both times, Charlie had emphasized the word ever, but Adam didn’t seem to hear it.

          “Okay, well, how about the name that was at the top of the boy’s list? I really did like Jacob Rowan so we could call him JR. What do you think? I like that better than Charles Adam.”

          Charlie heaved a big sigh and yawned. “Okay, fine. JR it is then. I think I brought the paper home that we’re supposed to fill out and send in. You’ll have to find it. Geeze, but I’m tired.”

          Adam lay there for a while as Charlie slept. He was sure they’d have more children than just JR, but he didn’t plan to push the idea for at least a year. Surely by then Charlie would be like all the other women he’d known and have forgotten the trauma of JR’s birth.

          Adam was almost asleep too when JR began to fuss. Adam pulled away from Charlie who didn’t wake and picked up the baby. He changed his diaper and could tell the baby wanted to suck, so he woke Charlie up. Her milk wasn’t in yet, but what the baby did get now was full of good stuff.

          He hummed and jostled JR until Charlie returned from the bathroom, complaining loudly about how much it hurt to pee. She plumped her pillows and carefully got back in bed. When she was ready, Adam handed JR to her and watched as Charlie exposed her nipple to the baby and the small grimace she made as he latched on.

          Charlie leaned back against the pillows and looked down at her son. His little mouth worked hard sucking on her nipple. His eyes gazed into hers and again, she felt such a close connection with him. She continued to stare, as if hypnotized, until JR’s eyes began to lose focus and close. She was sorry to lose that connection but knew she would have it again and looked forward to the experience.

          Her own eyes began to drift closed too and she thought about the big changes that had occurred in her life in such a short time. Her little house, Adam’s entry into her life, his importance to her, the wedding, the pregnancy, and now the little mite whose weight gently rested against her.

          Charlie’s last thought as she joined her baby in sleep was that she’d never ever expected her life to be this good. Her lips curved up in a smile as she realized she had a whole lifetime ahead that included Adam and JR and maybe, someday, a sibling for JR.

finis 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION, CHAPTER 30

 

Charlie was amazed at how quickly the days and months passed. She’d been sure the time would move at the pace of a snail as her body grew big and fat and ungainly. She had also thought there would be plenty of time for her to complete everything she needed to complete before the baby arrived. She’d been both right and wrong.

Once Charlie and Adam had returned from the honeymoon, their first appointment was with the ob-gyn to have the pregnancy officially confirmed as well as to set up future appointments and verify the delivery date. They’d also spent time showing everyone photos and talking about the wonderful safari, especially Charlie. And as soon as the first trimester was past, they began to tell everyone they knew about the forthcoming happy event. Everybody was thrilled to learn the news although Sandi told Charlie that if she spent as much time and energy showing off baby photos once it arrived as she had the Safari photos, her friendship list would surely dwindle down to almost nothing.

Adam’s remodel was also close to being complete upon their return, so he was busy for the first month or so with the punch list, making sure a secure but lovely fence was installed to keep kids from getting into the lake and drowning before if they didn’t know how to swim. There was also the landscaping he pretty much managed on his own with only some minimal help when it came to dump loads of gravel and soil. He did consult Charlie and Ruth Ann about some of the plants he wanted to include because they’d lived their whole lives in the area. He also wanted to make sure he didn’t plant anything that would be poisonous to children or pets.

The one thing Adam had done in early spring before the wedding and honeymoon was to plan out and install the raised planting beds he wanted so Charlie and her mamma could plant their garden. He’d never had a garden so he hung out with them during the time they worked on it and helped as much as possible because the very idea of a garden at this point in time annoyed the hell out of Charlie…”Plant a garden with everything else that’s going on in our lives?” she’d exploded when she found the planting beds. But they’d gotten it planted and her mamma looked after them while they were gone. Adam looked forward to learning how to freeze and can the harvested vegetables. He counted on Ruth Ann because he knew Charlie wouldn’t be amenable to the process.

The one thing he insisted Charlie help with was the selection of furnishings for the remodeled house. There were certain things of his he would keep and certain things of hers that would come over from her little house. They planned to rent out her little house, at least for a while before deciding if they should sell or keep it.

When it came to furniture, they were amazingly on the same page. Both liked bright colors as well as comfortable. As a result, the area rugs were very abstract in design and colorful. The furniture was large with big comfy cushions in a couple of colors drawn from the rugs. The various wedding gifts, once removed from their boxes went into cupboards, were placed around the home or returned if it was a duplicate item or they agreed they didn’t particularly like it. And, when it came to the wedding gifts, Adam didn’t just rely on Charlie to do all the thank-you cards. While she wrote what they decided to say, he addressed and stamped the envelopes. Charlie was very grateful for that since she’d heard most other brides complain about having to do it all.

Adam’s remodel had included three bedrooms as well as two small offices, one for each of them, so they decorated one for the baby. Since they didn’t want to know the sex before the birth, they’d stayed away from blue and pink. The creamy yellow walls, decorated with baby animal photos, a big dark wood crib and matching changing table were complemented by the bright yellow cushions on the rocker and footstool.

Meanwhile, Charlie’s mamma had decided to convert her old room into the baby’s room. Ruth Ann was annoyed by their decision to not know the baby’s sex. How was she supposed to decorate anything? If she did blue and boy stuff, it would be a girl and vice versa. Charlie told her to do what she’d done when pregnant with her…”Make it up so it will fit either sex.” That still didn’t make Ruth Ann happy, but she went ahead with pale white walls and decorated with both touches of pink and blue as well as toys that would delight the baby no matter the sex. Charlie was sure her mamma was counting on babysitting on a daily basis while Charlie worked in her office and Adam wrote. So far, Charlie had avoided talking about Adam keeping the baby while she worked and vice versa. That would not make granny the least bit happy.

Since Charlie knew she would have to take time off, not necessarily want to take time off, but have to, she worked toward that goal. First, she talked to Stephanie about becoming the office manager which would make her responsible for all the daily chores which Charlie normally handled. She would work with human resources and the accountants as well as all the project managers to direct and oversee the various projects for which the company was responsible while Charlie was out of the office.

Next, she talked to Dennis about him becoming the company’s representative with new clients and projects. While he hadn’t been with the company as long as some of her folks, she knew he would be perfect for the job. She also knew the other company employees would see that as well. Dennis was delighted to take on those responsibilities while Charlie was out.

Charlie also talked to her daddy about maybe spending one day a week in the office as a resource for both Stephanie and Dennis. He was agreeable, actually delighted, to return and would have signed on for five-day weeks, but Charlie told him he needed to let Stephanie and Dennis grow into their new roles. He agreed, but he would have preferred to be there full-time.

For the last couple of months, Charlie worked with both Stephanie and Dennis so they would be comfortable in their positions when she left to give birth. As both individuals moved up to take on more responsibilities, Charlie was actually happy about their enthusiasm and abilities to take over. She really didn’t want to admit it, but being pregnant wasn’t the easiest task she’d ever undertook.

Charlie didn’t get hugely fat or ungainly as she’d assumed she would. She was still fairly slim except for the large protrusion in front. As time progressed and the baby grew, Charlie began to believe she had more than one in there because of the amount of her body it seemed to occupy. Even when she questioned the doctor, she was assured there was only one. Still, when she had to sit or stand up as tall as possible because the hands or feet were pushing her lungs into her throat, she couldn’t believe one small baby could possibly make her so uncomfortable. And that didn’t take into account the bladder issue. Charlie drank a lot of water, always had, and over time, it looked as though she should just move into a bathroom because it seemed like she spent more than half her time in one.

For the last couple of months, the baby decided awake time had to coincide with Charlie’s sleep time. Even Adam was amazed at how the baby kicked hard enough for him to feel it when Charlie’s belly was up against his back. Then, there were the swollen ankles rivaled only by her swollen boobs. Adam, of course, loved the fact her breasts had increased so much in size, but Charlie was used to much smaller ones that didn’t get in the way. The new boobs seemed to bump into almost anything and anyone, sometimes much to Charlie’s embarrassment. Her mamma and Sandi, and any other woman who’d given birth and had the opportunity to weigh in told her that was nothing, that just “…wait until that milk comes in honey. You think them things are big now, you just wait.”

On the other hand, Charlie had feelings she’d never had before. She felt so tender and loving toward the lump in the front of her body. Her hands seemed to caress it often and of their own accord. Sometimes she didn’t even realize she was rubbing her belly until the baby kicked or punched her hand. She hadn’t expected to feel motherly, at least not until the baby was born, but she found herself fantasizing about a little boy or a little girl and the various things they’d do together.

Charlie, and Adam for that matter, had expected her sexual drive and desire to disappear as her body changed, but it was just the opposite right up until almost the last month. She couldn’t get enough sex and there was times Adam did what he could to bring her to orgasm rather than engage in mutual sex and satisfaction. Initially, Charlie was chagrined. “You don’t find me attractive any more. I look like a cow with these big jugs and this big belly. No wonder you don’t desire me.”

Adam would do his best to reassure his weepy, and sometimes almost hysterical wife with a variation of, “You’re beautiful Charlie. I love you. I do want you, but I’m just so exhausted from moving that pile of rocks.” Or whatever excuse he could muster.

Most of the time Adam was as eager as Charlie and he was amazed at how frequently she wanted sex as well as the various locations and positions she initiated. There was even a part of him that was sure the baby was being affected, but when he asked Charlie’s doctor, the doc just laughed and said, “Adam, honey, you just enjoy it every chance you get. Once that baby arrives and begins making demands, it’s gonna be a whole different story. You’ll be lucky if Charlie has enough energy to even look at you let alone have sex.”

Even though this baby wasn’t Adam’s parent’s first grandchild, they planned to come down for a visit right around her due date. Meanwhile, Charlie and Adam had gone north again for Thanksgiving and spent Christmas with Charlie’s folks. Adam’s siblings kidded the two of them about becoming parents and shared some of the most horrific and amazing stories. Charlie wasn’t sure if they’d scared her half to death on purpose or if some of the stories were actually true. She thanked Adam’s brother and sister and their mates for being so sincere in their encouragement which made them all howl.

At Christmas, Charlie’s mamma talked for almost the entire meal about how much fun it would be to have a little one in the house for the next Christmas. Charlie tried to convince her a nine-month-old wouldn’t be all that enthused about opening packages and pulling down the tree, but Ruth Ann was convinced her first grandchild was going to be a genius and would be absolutely delightful and delighted with Santa and all the Christmas trimmings. The very idea made Charlie feel exhausted.

Adam and Charlie spent a quiet new year at home. It was what they wanted although they did drop in at Sandi’s and Les’ for a glass of punch early in the evening. They were very aware of the fact their two-person partnership would be ending in just a couple of months and decided, almost without discussion, that they wanted to spend as much time just the two of them as possible. They’d partaken of the food Sandi had put out for her guests, so dinner wasn’t an issue. Instead, when they returned home, Adam built a fire and poured them glasses of bubbly, not the alcoholic kind, but the nonalcoholic. They cuddled in front of the fire and toasted each other and the future.

For a while, they lay there, content to be warm and close. Charlie was almost nodding off when Adam’s hand found her breast and began to rub the nipple through her sweater. He’d barely begun when the feeling went directly to Charlie’s clit which stood up and almost demanded immediate sex. Charlie turned to face Adam and reached between them to grasp the hard length of him through his jeans. He kissed her passionately, pushing his tongue in and out of her mouth while she tried to do the same to him. Both of them sat up and Charlie pulled her sweater off over her head. Adam reached out and unclasped her bra which was now several sizes larger than it had ever been. The weight he’d come to know and love now rested in his hands and he gently massaged while rubbing his thumb on her nipple. She moaned and pushed her chest toward him, wanting more, needing more.

Adam watched her heavy breasts sag as he pulled his own shirt off. Then, he lay Charlie back on the blanket and laved her breasts with his tongue and mouth. While that was happening, he pushed the stretchy front of her maternity pants down below her belly and used one hand to rub it gently before moving further down. Adam came back to her mouth and murmured, “We need to get completely naked.” While Adam stood up to remove his pants and boxers, Charlie wiggled around until her pants were around just one ankle. She didn’t care if they came off or not.

Then Adam was back beside her, kissing and loving and making her want and need him to give her more. His hand went down to clasp her sex and as he squeezed, she began to come, so he continued to massage and squeeze until she was panting in completion. He’d held himself back because the one thing he’d learned with his sexually demanding wife, at least during her pregnancy, was that one orgasm was almost always followed by another one or more if he was patient enough.

Adam returned to kissing and stroking Charlie, sucking her nipples into his mouth as hard as he could. He’d learned in birthing class the nipples had to be toughened up or they’d become very sore once the baby began to nurse. He figured he was only doing his part in helping with the preparation. His hard sucks soon sent Charlie right back to almost where she’d been when he’d clutched her pussy just a short time before. Since her belly was starting to get in the way, Adam helped her turn so her ass was presented to him and she was leaning on her forearms.

Charlie was wet and so ready, but Adam teased her by pushing his cock barely inside and then pulling it back. She was moaning and pleading when he took hold of her hips and rammed himself all the way in. His hands left her hips and moved to Charlie’s front where he could stimulate her clit as he increased his thrusts. He moved faster and faster and when he began to feel Charlie’s orgasm begin, he moved even faster, pushing himself deeper until he exploded inside her as she came.

Charlie could barely move beyond allowing her legs to straighten out, but her belly prevented her from lying completely on her tummy. Adam moved with her, still inside until they were spooning in front of the fire which was drying down. He thought perhaps he should get up and add some more wood, but it was so comfortable and he could tell Charlie had already fallen asleep. It was much later when Adam opened his eyes and realized they were still on the floor in front of the fire which was almost out.

He woke Charlie and helped her up and together they made their way in to their bed. They were both almost back to sleep when Adam looked at the clock and found the new year had come. He hugged Charlie and said, “Happy New Year Charlie. Here’s to what’s going to be the best year of our lives.”

Charlie rubbed her ass against him, reached back to pat his bottom and murmured, “G’nite honey. Happy New Year to you too.”

The next sound Adam heard was Charlie’s snore. He smiled as he, too, went to sleep.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION, CHAPTER 29

 

          The next morning the group was given breakfast by the river and it seemed like something right out of an old film where the actors and actresses had porters that carted a multitude of stuff through the jungle and then set up a very comfortable camp. The tables were covered in white tablecloths with china, silver and glass ware. Most of the offerings were served buffet style, but there was a chef who would make you an omelet just the way you wanted it. Of course, it was all started off with mimosas for those who wanted them.

Then, it was on to the small plane bound for Nairobi. Charlie sat by the window and looked down on Kenya below her. At first, she thought what she was seeing were game trails, but then she realized what she was seeing were pathways which Kenyan feet had made over the years, decades or maybe even centuries. It was certainly different than anything she’d ever seen in the states.

As soon as they were aboard the jet, it took off, bound for Amsterdam. That was when Adam told Charlie they were going to spend a few days touring that city, in particular the Red-Light District. Adam had already looked up information on this part of Amsterdam and once they arrived at their hotel, Charlie went online to look for herself. She couldn’t wait to get started the next morning.

Since their hotel was just a couple blocks from that particular district, they decided to walk about and look at everything. They had read how there were lots of coffee shops in the district and that marijuana could be obtained in practically each one. Adam had tried it in college, but Charlie had never bothered with it. Alcohol was crazy enough for her when she was underage. So, in the coffee shop they stopped at, she bought some small fudge-like candies. The nice young man told her to try just one at first because the high can sneak up on you, especially if you’re not a regular user.

They wandered around the district and visited the Amsterdam Dungeon. They weren’t sure what to expect and were surprised to find the tour led in an almost black atmosphere. As they moved along, various actors portrayed scenes of torture and some of it looked, sounded and smelled like the real thing was actually happening. Charlie was quite relieved to come to the end of the tour.

From there, they walked to Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Both Adam and Charlie knew of this museum but thought it was only in London. Charlie had even read a book called Little, which was the story of Madam Tussaud based on fact. A large animatronic figure greeted them when they entered; and once they purchased tickets, an elevator took them up several floors. They were surprised to find the wax statues were much larger than expected, but it did make them more impressive. A number of times they had to check the signage to figure out exactly who the wax statue was supposed to be. Adam laughed to see Einstein looking as though he were a rock star. They were also offered the opportunity to dress as one of the famous people but declined. Later on, they thought perhaps they’d gotten lost because the last two floors were accessible only by a small gray staircase.

The afternoon was winding down and Charlie’s feet were tired and sore plus she was starving. They’d been so busy being sightseers, they’d never bothered with lunch. They made their way back to the hotel and Adam asked the concierge for an early dinner recommendation. They were directed to a restaurant they’d walked past as they moved through the Red-Light District. It was located in an historic old building that included a hotel and both Adam and Charlie rather wished they’d had reservations there.

Once in the restaurant the wait staff were unbelievable, treating them as though they were the most important people in the room. Encouraged to take their time before ordering their meal, they both ordered a drink and asked their waiter to bring them his choice of an appetizer with them. Charlie had never tried oysters on the half-shell and was sure they’d make her throw up, but Adam had eaten them all his life and showed Charlie how to pick the oyster up with the little fork, dunk it into the sauce of her choice and swallow. “You can chew if you want, but these are very small, so you could simply swallow whole. Then, have a small bite of this fresh sourdough bread before you sample another one with a different sauce.”

Charlie was amazed at the taste. Aside from the peppery sauce, there was the fresh taste of the ocean. Now an oyster lover, she ate her fair share and kidded Adam about how she expected his libido to increase as a result.

After they’d reviewed the menu, they decided to go with the seven-course tasting choice. They would be brought seven different dishes, including a dessert at the end. Most of the choices were foods Charlie and Adam had never eaten before but as the meal progressed, they didn’t find a single dish that wasn’t absolutely delicious and beautifully presented.

Charlie didn’t expect to be totally satisfied because the portions were small, but once her dessert plate was empty, she found her tummy was very comfortable. Adam paid the bill and left a generous tip because the service had been superb and they returned to the hotel for a brief respite.

It was after 10:00 pm when they headed out again, but the information on line indicated the Red-Light District didn’t really get going until 11:00 pm or after. Charlie left her purse in the hotel safe, carrying only her passport inside her pants and Adam had done the same although he did add some cash to his pants pocket. Apparently, pickpockets were very busy in such a small and very busy place. There wouldn’t be any way one of those folks could lift anything from either Adam or Charlie.

They slowly wandered down a street and Charlie was amazed to see practically naked women standing in windows, talking and flirting and inviting people to come on in and enjoy what she or other residents had to offer. What Charlie found even more amazing was the fact the majority of the women had good bodies and were very attractive. She’d always thought prostitutes were slovenly, unclean and unattractive. Well, except for high-priced call girls. She said as much to Adam and his response was to tell her, “The women you see here are not considered tramps or sluts. Selling yourself in Amsterdam isn’t against the law and people don’t necessarily look down on the women who are in the profession. They are in business just like anyone else, say for instance a woman with a bakery. They pay taxes, have lives just like other women with husbands and children.”

“I just cannot imagine doing something like this though. What happens when you get a nasty old man who stinks? Can you just say no and send him away?”

Adam said he didn’t know as they moved on down the street. Besides women offering themselves, there were other places where transvestites or gay men and women offered other kinds of sex.

It had been a long day and Charlie was ready to call it a night when Adam suggested they return to the hotel. They had another day and night in Amsterdam and there would be more to see tomorrow.

Adam conferred with the concierge again the following morning. Once they had breakfast in the hotel, they headed out for the Rembrandt House Museum. The famous artist had lived there between 1639 and 1659 and the couple found it amazing the house still stood after all that time. The tour was interesting and they decided to wander through the various city canals until they got hungry and found a place for lunch.

After lunch, they looked for and found Body World which contained over 200 human bodies. A German, Gunther von Hagens, had found a way to preserve human bodies by replacing water and fat with various polymers. Charlie and Adam had both taken Human Health in school, but the bodies in this attraction had been dissected to show all the various systems that make up a human body. Charlie expected it to be quite gross, but it was very interesting.

Charlie then found out what Adam had been consulting with the concierge about. He’d made reservations for them to attend a live sex show. Reservations had been made for them at Casa Rosso whose claim to fame is as the oldest sex theater in the Red-Light District. Adam told her the concierge said this venue was friendlier to women than the others available.

Inside, they were seated just before the show or shows began. There were strip tease acts performed by both males and females, various adult tricks that involved props such as bananas and pens. The main performances were the life sex acts. Charlie was amazed to be so close to the stage she could smell the make-up as well as the smell of sex. The sex acts were very well choreographed and acrobatic and performed by men and women, women with women and men with men. In between the couple sex acts, there was a single performer who did something utilizing only his or her own body or some kind of prop. It was pretty intense and amazing and slightly erotic. Charlie felt her panties getting damp and leaned over to whisper something to Adam but what she really wanted was to see if his cock was hard. It was and she laughingly whispered in his ear, “I think I may have learned some new tricks or at least ideas for new tricks here.”

“That makes two of us Darling. Next intermission, why don’t we head back and get in some practice?”

As they walked back toward their hotel Charlie said, “I don’t think we’re gonna be able to tell many folks about our experience tonight. I know I can tell Sandi and maybe my mamma because I think she and daddy have been here. I can’t imagine they’d visit Amsterdam and forego something like this.”

“Well, it’s certainly going to be something for me to talk about at the poker meetings I plan to set up once we get back home.”
          “Oh poker, is it? Where’d that idea come from?”

“Talking to some of the guys working on the house. They play once a week, usually on Tuesday nights but it never goes late. It’s more to just hand out, have a few beers, toss some cards around and tell lies.”

“So, I’m gonna be a Tuesday night widow, huh? But, that’s okay, I’m sure I can keep myself occupied.”

Back in their room, Charlie used the bathroom first and climbed into bed naked. She figured they’d have a great time after seeing all that naughty stuff. She was completely surprised when she woke up the next morning. What the heck happened she wondered and turned to find Adam looking at her with a smile. “I thought we were gonna try some new sex stuff last night. What happened?”

“Well, when I came out of the bathroom, you were snoring so loud I thought I might need to get another room so I could sleep.”

Charlie gave a huge yawn and responded, “I don’t snore. So there.”

“Yes, you do snore and you looked so peaceful all sound asleep, I thought perhaps I should let you and the wee one have a restful night. But, it’s morning now and I thought perhaps I could try doing this to you.”

While Adam had been talking, he’d moved his hand to her hip and now he slid it down behind her and pressed her close against him. Charlie could feel he was already aroused and ready to go. She tried to move her leg over Adam, but he held her in place. “Remember what that really great looking man did to that blond last night?” 

Charlie felt her eyes widen as Adam’s fingers slid between the cheeks of her ass. Slowly he stroked up and down what was normally hidden there. For some reason, Charlie found it extremely sensual, especially since Adam’s leg was holding her in place and her arms had been pinned between their two bodies.

Adam began to kiss and nip at her lips as he stroked her butthole. First slowly down, almost to the entrance of her vagina and then all the way back up.

“I can’t do it right now because we need a lubricant, but I’m going to fuck you in the ass one of these times. I bet you’d like that a lot.”

Charlie wasn’t sure she would like that, but what Adam was doing at the moment did give her cause to wonder.

Adam pulled his hand back around and rolled over on top of Charlie. Her arms were remained pinned until Adam raised up and brought one of her legs over his shoulder before bringing the second leg over the other side.

“You’re completely open to me right now and look absolutely beautiful. The next time we do this, I’m going to make sure both your pussy and your ass are as wet as possible. You’re not going to know which space I’m going to invade until I do.”

As Adam was saying that, he straightened just enough to bring one hand down to her pussy. “Oh, my goodness, but my words and ideas seem to have made you wetter than usual. Maybe there’s more than enough to wet your asshole.”

Charlie felt Adam’s fingers enter her vagina and pull back out before sliding down toward her bottom. As she felt his fingers rub her butt hole, she moaned loudly.

“I knew you’d love this. I just knew it.”

Adam continued to put his fingers in her and then massage her ass. She didn’t know how long he kept doing that, but eventually, as his fingers entered her, his thumb stroked her clit. Charlie squirmed and moaned and pleaded when his hand moved back. Soon, Adam’s thumb was rubbing her clit and she was totally unaware his penis was poised at her bottom until she felt it begin to stretch her asshole.

Charlie wasn’t sure how this was going to end, but she was game to give it a try. She squirmed a bit, trying to give Adam a chance to push further. Slowly, he did push until she could feel his balls against the top of her ass. He was fully engulfed in her ass and it felt incredible.

“Charlie, I’m sure if I stroke just once, I’m going to come inside your ass. I’m so ready.”

“So am I Adam, so am I. Just put your fingers in me and stroke m y clit.”

Adam did so and said, “Oh my God, I can feel myself through your pussy wall. I don’t think I can hold back another second.”

Adam pulled and pushed once as his thumb rubbed Charlie’s clit hard. Simultaneously, they came. There were still some aftershocks as Adam collapsed on Charlie and she lowered her legs.

All she could say was, “Oh my lord, oh my lord, oh my lord.”

“Nope just Adam here.”

“Oh, you know what I meant. That was amazing for me. How about you?”

“I’m not sure there’s a word that would do my orgasm in your ass justice. I’m afraid we’re going to have to do this again so I can see if I can find one.”

“I know what you mean Adam. I thought it would hurt, but it didn’t and I think my orgasm was the best one I’ve ever had.”

Adam heaved a big sigh and pushed up off Charlie. “I’d really like to just lay here and go back to sleep, but we need to get ourselves ready to go to the airport. Honeymoon’s over babe.”

Charlie looked up at Adam, smiled and said, “No it’s not babe. With sex like what we just had, our honeymoon’s going to last the rest of our lives.”