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roswelldetails · 5 years ago

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Episode 203: Good Mother

Sorry so late this week!! I had a deadline for work that kept me away from this early in the week, and Tumblr has been mean tonight. Kudos to @tasyfa for helping me with some of the transcripts while I was stuck working!!

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Determined to regain control of her life in the aftermath of Noah’s death, Isobel (Lily Cowles) makes a risky choice despite its potential consequences. Meanwhile, Alex (Tyler Blackburn) and Michael (Michael Vlamis) work together to unravel the mystery surrounding the night Nora’s (guest star Kayla Ewell) spaceship crashed in 1947. Elsewhere, Liz (Jeanine Mason) makes a surprising confession when Cameron (guest star Riley Voelkel) shows up looking for answers about Max (Nathan Dean). Heather Hemmens, Amber Midthunder and Trevor St. John also star. Jeffrey Hunt directed the episode written by Deirdre Mangan & Carina Adly MacKenzie (#203.) Original airdate 3/30/2020.

DETAILS:

Aliens in the crash are always portrayed as wearing all white.

There's also a silvery gleam on the faces of Nora and Louise following the crash.

Harlan Manes (first introduced in the alien autopsy scene in 1x07) and Hector Valenti (first mentioned in the pilot by Jesse Manes, but visually introduced here) are shown as having both a partnership and a difference in perspective, with Hector being more sympathetic to the aliens from the start - it mirrors what we know about Jim and Jesse's relationship.

Mysterious alien figure in white hood (probably played by Nathan Parsons, but unlikely to actually be Max (see @latessitrice meta) touches Nora's shoulder and she looks pained, then attacks and burns Hector alive, before disappearing into thin air.

Nora is shot in her shoulder.

Liz sent Alex to find Michael at the cave.

The pods "regenerate cells at the same rate as they degrade" keeping them in stasis. The theory of the electrical current is that it will speed up the regeneration so instead of stasis, Max might improve.

Searching for info about Nora led Alex to a sophisticated firewall, which meant that someone was trying to hide information about her.

Jenna's fake energy drinks are called "Speed Demon"

Mimi DeLuca says she was "nowhere" (and then she looks up at the stars). She was wearing the same nightgown and robe as when she disappeared (white...like the aliens in 1947), but instead of bare feet, she had on a pair of elaborate blue and white cowboy boots

Jenna told Sheriff Valenti that Mimi recited the plot from the film Starship Troopers during the car ride into town "like she lived it", with all the voices, but did not provide any information about where she’d been. Sheriff Valenti implies that this is typical behavior from Mimi.

Michael says he's been parked at the pony for a few weeks. Maria says that Mimi was gone for a month. That means that another 2 weeks have passed. (I.e., Max has been dead for 6 weeks now.)

Maria says that they found her mom on I-40 (by the Roswell sign). Also in 2x01 Rosa indicated that she and Liz were on I-40 when they saw Flint - Rosa put together that it was the most direct route to Area 51...however, I-40 does not go through Roswell. In fact, it is over 100 miles from Roswell to I-40 (north on 285). However, it is the most direct route to Area 51 from Roswell.

Isobel points out that Mimi DeLuca waking up in the desert with no memory is similar to what happened to her when Noah took over her body. Michael doesn't believe that they are the same situation though.

Rosa is about to drink spiked coffee when Liz brings her the art supplies. After Liz leaves, she pours it out without drinking it.

Isobel is packing up all of the photos of her and Noah (most look like vacation photos). She hesitates on the photo of them with Max at the wedding that we previously saw in 2x01 at Noah's funeral.

Isobel's baby is now 7 weeks (consistent with the other time frames) and is now the size of a blueberry.

Isobel drinks the rest of the alien death serum and immediately gets cramps/pain in her womb. And then Max's hallucination appears.

Isobel tells not!Max that she has been microdosing with the serum for weeks (2 weeks, based on the timeline) and it hasn't worked.

Not!Max does tell her to call Kyle (i.e, her subconscious knows she should, but she's not listening).

Michael tells Jenna that Max is in Mexico (at first).

Mimi is "hydrated and healthy" and she never felt unsafe.

She thinks she was only gone for a night, coming to see Maria when Jenna found her.

Maria asked Mimi whether Jenna lent the boots to her and Mimi declared they were hers

Liz is surrounded by monitors with alienesque symbols on them (or maybe just The Science!) See photo:

When the alarm sounds Liz looks at her computer screen and reacts - likely a security camera.

When Alex arrives at the Bunker and sees the binder left for him, the computers are on and there is a map showing. See photo:

I tried to figure out what city it is on his computer screen, but no luck. If anyone figures it out, send me an ask & let me know & I'll blast it out!

The 3-ring binder left for Alex, which looked approx. ¾ full with paper documents, was marked on the front:

CAULFIELD * A4N

352-6553 NMG

The text was white on a dark green background that appeared to be a printed label that had been affixed to the front of the binder. The body of the binder was light grey, with a partially shaded circular diagram in the lower center of the front that appeared to be part of the binder itself rather than a later addition like the label.

The Post-It note left on the binder for Alex said, "What side of history do you want to be on?"

There was also a marking on the spine of the binder: CF-143-3453-C78. This is probably a file or record reference, with CF standing for Caulfield. The reference would be visible when the binder was housed on a shelf, allowing easy identification.

When Alex flipped open the binder, the visible portion of the top page read as follows:

HEADQUARTERS

509th BOMB GP (NH)

ROSWELL ARMY AIR FIELD

ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Forwarded.

A07-06 (95) 8 JULY 1947

AFTER ACTION REPORT

Serial

[blacked out text with underscoring] [TOP SECRET stamp]

From: Lt. Colonel Payne Jennings, Roswell Army Air Field

Subject: Engagement with enemy combatants, recovery of unidentified craft, night of 14-15 June, 1947, twelve casualties.

[offscreen] is a fine that concerns the events and

[offscreen] following the discovery of a flying saucer,

To: Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force

[offscreen] dentified rancher notified

[offscreen] [blacked out text] that he found the instrument on

[offscreen] operations were coordinated with

[offscreen] with the intent of detaining or

[offscreen] while assisting in the inves-

[offscreen] reached the crash site

[offscreen] ing object’s entan-

[offscreen] balloon. Ship

[offscreen] of foreign

[offscreen] place

Liz explains The Science to Jenna:

"3 years ago I hypothesized that if I introduced a rare protein to destroyed stem cells they'd regenerate. And I was right. My team in Denver brought dead cells back to life. Rat cells, but, I mean, still, the applications are immeasurable… until our study got shut down. They said it's for ethics reasons, but I think it's because it threatened big pharma. Then a few weeks ago, Kyle found that the pods contain a sort of alien cousin to my regenerative protein. When Max healed Rosa, his electric charge amplified the process. If we can replicate that, then, we can accelerate his recovery, so, I am testing out pig hearts to see…" discussion about pig hearts/human hearts/different kinds of smart…

Liz says she has a few hours before she has to "record the electromagnetic charge interval"

Jenna says that Liz reminds her of Charlie.

Charlie used to rant about gene therapy

Jesse says he requested no visitors until "his brain starts to follow his orders".

He keeps periodically hitting the morphine drip with Alex in the room, though he was ignoring it before Alex got there.

Jesse describes the opening scene of the episode. And then tells Alex "Tripp was never the same".

Rosa's art:

Among the quotes on her collage are:

Body drie up from ...

What did she say

You're no listening

Control her Take her power

I am the Mesa the mighty

Nothing but a muddy trickle

You can't hold us

Sandia

Between them... Damn... One day she'll…

East

Rosa hears Max call out to her (while awake) "Rosa! Help! You're the only one!"

Jenna says that her dad brought her and Charlie to Roswell when they were kids. That they were obsessed with the crash and aliens and the X-Files and it was the perfect trip. It's why she came to Roswell after leaving the military. "It was like trying to go back in time, somehow."

"Time Travel really messed with you. I am eight years older than my older sister. She used to be my hero. She was kinetic, disruptive, cool. Now that I'm an adult I'm pretty sure she's bipolar, and she needs help. And if I try to save Max I'm letting Rosa twist in the wind, so, hence the wine ready in my drawer."

Maria is going through a box labeled "Mom's Stuff" in the Pony when she sees Rosa.

"I'm turning into my mom. I lost time at the gala...Michael's hand...I'm seeing things!"

What Valenti says about Noah's death:

"The M.E., Dr. Holden, listed Noah's cause of death as cardiac arrest due to lightning strike. (note: cardiac arrest = heart attack. Same way Max died.). No other abnormalities were listed. But that's not consistent with the crime scene photos. You see these ligature marks on his wrists and ankles. …. These marks are consistent with zip ties. And these with struggling against police-issue handcuffs. Like Max's.".

Isobel blames it on their sex toys.

What Max said to the grocery clerk "¿Tienes carne sin preservativos?" (Meat without a condom).

About Max's nightmare:

"You remember when I used to come in and sleep on your floor?"

"You used to have a nightmare. You were alone in a cold, dark room and there was something… You couldn't get up. You were…"

"Chained to the floor. I'd wake up all freaked out and run to your room."

Rosa's nightmare:

"I need your help, Rosa."

"Look, I'm not gonna help you die. I have been drinking so that I don't dream."

"I know that."

"It's like you're getting stronger. I hear you now when I'm awake."

"You're right. Something is making me stronger. I feel things. That's why I'm calling for you. Something is wrong with Isobel. Even in the pod I sense it. She's dying. Please."

Liz thinks that Max was able to reach out to save Isobel because the electricity is making him stronger in the pod.

Maria confessed to her mother that she had thought she might be getting sick too, Mimi said Maria would not get lost because she was protected, and reached for the resin pendant with the anti-alien pollen flower that Maria was wearing as usual. When Mimi seemed to go to sleep, Maria removed the necklace and placed it on her mother.

Flashing back to the night of the crash, Nora seems to be tying down the tarp on the back of the truck when Tripp approaches her. He feigns an offer to assist her and then grabs her and orders his men to move in so that they can take her and the truck back to base. Louise appears and black-canary-screams to push them away (sound waves, I presume). She is shot in the stomach/chest. Nora pulls her into the truck and drives them away.

The newspaper clip Michael found is dated October 12, 1948, two days before Nora was captured.

Newspaper transcript:

Last scene - Nora is clearly driving the truck with her powers, as she has both her arms around Louise. They approach a cabin and we're introduced to Roy Bronson, who offers to help.

Roswell Town Fair Charms Locals and Tourists

Photo caption: Smiles abound demonstrate a good time had by all.

Saturday Festivities Drew Healthy Crowds

Second column under photo:

...well as celebrated hometown war heroes, and, of course, Mrs. Benjamin Booker (Carol) whose strawberry Chile pie has won the Roswell Pie Contest four seasons in a row.

Children delighted in activities such as sack races.......

Top of 3rd column:

...ice creams.

Meanwhile the annual pumpkin chunking contest was the main attraction as expected! Pumpkin chunkers arrived from far and wide with their pumpkins and their pumpkin-lurching apparatuses. The prize for best pumpkin chunked went to the Long Family. Their farm foreman Roy Bronson credited his friend and neighbor, a young woman who declined to be named, for the Long's pumpkin chunking victory.

When asked what he'd do with the prize money, Bronson declared that he would "purchase ingredients (for his lady friend) to cook up a nice pumpkin pie".

MUSIC:

Dame - Holy Moly

Tommee Profitt feat. Fleurie - Hurricane

#roswell new mexico #rnm season 2 #good mother #rnm 203 #long post #episode details

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smallmediumproblems · 5 years ago

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Summary: The Magnus Institute budget waits for no eldritch entity, and there are only two archival staff with enough patience left to answer Elias' questions.

Note: I missed the deadline to submit this to a contest ages ago, and kinda forgot about it...? but, it’s finished now, so, here y’go! Takes place sometime mid-season-3.

. . .

BASIRA: Do you think he's going to notice?

MARTIN (tense): I think there's not a whole lot we can do if he does. Not much he can do to us, either. I mean, who else is willing to put up with paperwork for him?

BASIRA: I'm a little surprised he still trusts you. With anything.

MARTIN (more tense, looking for an excuse to lash out): It's almost like I try to be helpful and cooperative all the time so people know they can rely on me.

BASIRA (not sure about the method, but approves of the results): Huh. Sneaky.

MARTIN (has snapped): Nothing about this is sneaky! We're literally asking him to finance his own-

MARTIN (CONT'D, lowers his voice, reminds himself that they’re not supposed to talk about Secret Plans): You know.

BASIRA: Fun, right?

MARTIN: You're totally sure we got everything on the list?

BASIRA: I checked with Daisy just this morning. She’s not happy about it, but she was very thorough. Melanie's, erm, needs , are pretty straightforward. Tim is being actively unhelpful.

MARTIN: He seemed pretty enthusiastic.

BASIRA: Doesn’t make him helpful. Anyway, you said it yourself. It’s too late to worry about it now. What’s the worst he’s gonna do to us for a little light subterfuge?

[Cut to several minutes later. BASIRA and MARTIN are sitting in ELIAS' office. BASIRA has her game face on, and her confidence is infectious. MARTIN has calmed down a bit. But only a bit.]

ELIAS: First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for meeting with me today. I know that our working relationship is a bit… strained, at the moment, and I appreciate the degree of professionalism this demonstrates in both of you.

MARTIN: That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me.

BASIRA: I just didn't want to leave him alone with you.

ELIAS: I believe you two were in charge of drafting the archive’s most recent budget request, is that correct?

BASIRA: That’s right.

ELIAS: I had some concerns to discuss with you before I filed everything.

BASIRA (somewhat defensive): This is the pared down version. We had to make some hard choices for what to cut.

ELIAS: I would be interested to hear what you decided to forego in favor of…

[Very brief beat as ELIAS flips through the budget, which he has printed out for the express purpose of quoting at them disapprovingly]

ELIAS (CONT’D): ...four dozen assorted hunting knives.

MARTIN: Mostly, it was just more knives.

BASIRA: Daisy goes through them pretty quickly these days. We figured it might be good to have a few stashed around the archive. For safety.

ELIAS: I hardly feel safe giving you easy access to weaponry, considering Melanie’s new hobby. Not to mention your collective history of emotional outbursts.

BASIRA (trying to pretend that she cares, not trying very hard): Oh, your safety. Yeah, that makes sense.

ELIAS: On the subject of safety, I see that you've opted to restock with what I can only call an excess of fire extinguishers. Hardly necessary now that Jane Prentiss is deceased, but I understand your concern.

MARTIN (eagerly): No, you’d think that, but they’re really good for a lot of things. I mean, we ARE dealing with a fire cult. The archive’s enough of a hazard already. Loose paper, old electrical sockets...

BASIRA (supportive): They’re great for self-defense.

ELIAS: I suppose it is a better alternative to knives.

ELIAS (CONT’D, continuing to flip through papers): Speaking of excess, you appear to have ordered twice as many supplies as you normally need for the breakroom. Would you care to explain why?

MARTIN: We’re not the ones who hired a bunch more people. We barely had enough for four of us, and now we've got five! Six if you count Daisy. She’s mostly in and out, but I’m not going to tell her she can’t have a cup of tea while she’s waiting for Basira.

ELIAS: You’re certain it has nothing to do with stocking a second meeting space that you’ve decided to assemble at without my knowledge?

MARTIN (carefully): ...no?

BASIRA (more casually; no plans here, Vader, just a diplomatic mission to Alderaan): Sounds kind of far-fetched.

MARTIN (deciding to roll with it): Should we do that? It could be a good team-builder.

ELIAS: My main concern is that you’ve listed a frozen margarita machine among the requested furnishings.

MARTIN (oh! that’s all it was): Oh-

BASIRA (to Martin, confused but not upset): I thought you took that out.

MARTIN (annoyed): Tim must have snuck it back in. That- that’s an honest mistake, we didn’t mean to submit that.

ELIAS: Then we’re in agreement that it doesn’t constitute a reasonable business expense?

[MARTIN makes a doubtful noise.]

BASIRA (also doubtful): I mean...

MARTIN: I wouldn't say that.

BASIRA: Have you talked to Tim lately?

ELIAS: Hmm. Point taken. Still, I can't spend Institute funds on it in good conscience.

[ELIAS scratches out the line item and continues to page through the budget intermittently as he talks.]

ELIAS (CONT'D): Let's move on to some of the miscellanea. Cassette tapes are entirely understandable, but are you certain you need this many?

BASIRA: The tape recorders follow Jon around, yeah? I figure, if he doesn’t come back, they’re going to stop showing up on their own. We need to plan ahead.

MARTIN (angrily; clearly they have argued about this before.): That is not why.

BASIRA (conceding, more amused than apologetic): And it makes more sense for each of us to have our own supply instead of ransacking Jon's office whenever we run out. That’s what Martin keeps telling me.

MARTIN: She won't stop stealing his pens!

BASIRA (frustrated. This is also something they've argued about before.): I need them. You never gave me any office supplies.

MARTIN: You were supposed to put that in with the budget.

BASIRA: Hard choices, Martin. This was one of them.

ELIAS: Is that why you’ve ordered nearly a gross of glow sticks?

BASIRA: Oh, no. That’s for research.

[Beat as ELIAS waits for BASIRA to elaborate. She does not.]

ELIAS (forcing a patient tone): What kind of research?

BASIRA (condescending, as if this should be obvious): Spooky research.

BASIRA (CONT’D): I’m not convinced the People’s Church is as dormant as we thought. I’m toying around with defensive strategies- redundant light sources, stuff like that.

MARTIN: It’s been very festive!

ELIAS: Would that also explain the assorted sports equipment?

BASIRA (it would not): Research.

ELIAS: The smart-home device and speaker system.

BASIRA (definitely not research): Research.

ELIAS: And is this a miniature zeppelin?

MARTIN (pleased with himself for contributing): Ooh, that one's me. Er, yeah. Research.

ELIAS: Is it meant to resemble a shark?

MARTIN (yes, it is): I… hadn't noticed.

ELIAS: What about the petrol?

BASIRA (Smugly. She knows that ELIAS knows exactly what she wants to use petrol for.): Definitely research.

ELIAS: I think not. I already cannot trust you with sharp objects. I don’t see how accelerants are a possibility.

MARTIN: We did also ask for a lot of fire extinguishers. You've got to look at the whole thing in context. There's a system here.

ELIAS (crossing out several lines): Regardless. That will also not be making the final list. One other item in particular drew my attention simply because of the price. What do you need a GPS tracker for?

BASIRA (immediately): Jon.

MARTIN (disappointed): Yeah.

ELIAS: Out of the question.

MARTIN: What if he goes missing again?

ELIAS: A tracker is an optimistic but unfeasible solution. The things that have an interest in Jon are likely to take him somewhere he cannot be tracked.

BASIRA: Plan A was to give him a bunch of knives, but you shot that one down.

ELIAS: In any case, the only way this would work is if he wore it every minute he was outside the Institute. Don’t you think that’s a bit invasive of his privacy?

[MARTIN begins trying not to laugh, and is quite unable to do anything else for a few seconds as the conversation continues.]

ELIAS (icy): Something you'd like to share with us?

MARTIN: I’m sorry, I- I can’t tell if you’re being serious.

BASIRA (trying to ignore him): We did talk to Jon about it. It’s not like we were going to stalk him.

MARTIN (would be sarcastic if he wasn’t still laughing): Who would do such a thing?

ELIAS: Do we need to postpone this?

MARTIN (managing to calm down): Nope, yep. I’m good. Hmmmmmkay. Where- where were we?

ELIAS: I believe we were at the start of a very serious human resources inquiry.

MARTIN (feigning interest): Ohh! Whose is that?

BASIRA (tired): GPS unit is a no, that’s fine. I’ll get him one of those kid-leashes out of pocket. Elias, was there anything else?

ELIAS: The rest of the budget looks to be in order. If I could discuss one other issue with you, I have some similar concerns with your reimbursement requests. I take it this list is similarly ‘pared down’?

BASIRA: Yeah, I didn’t do that.

MARTIN (alarmed): What?!

BASIRA (unmoved): Yep. Just put everything in a list and printed it out.

MARTIN (rapidly cycling through the five stages of grief): Why??

BASIRA: Because we all have massively more important things to do.

ELIAS: Perhaps if you had taken the time to edit the list, this meeting would have been much shorter.

BASIRA (smug that she’s managed to make this ELIAS’ problem, not hers): Misery loves company.

ELIAS: Indeed. You mentioned Tim’s instability earlier. He’s put down several months of a gym membership and listed the explanation as ‘vengeance’.

MARTIN (uncomfortable, unhappy about TIM’s state in general but unwilling to show it here, of all places): Yeah, that’s… been a thing.

ELIAS (dismissive): I don’t suppose he’s intending to punch the Unknowing out of existence?

BASIRA: We haven’t actually sorted out who he’s planning vengeance against. Could be Jon. I don’t think he’d punch you, but I don’t know him too well.

MARTIN: Honestly, it’s been a good way to keep him busy. I won’t say it puts him in a better mood, exactly? He’s not less angry, just, erm, distracted. I think it helps. He thinks it helps, that’s what matters.

ELIAS: It is at least easier to rationalize than the margarita machine.

ELIAS (CONT'D, flips a couple more pages): One last thing… Ah. I also wanted to discuss some of Jon's travel expenses.

BASIRA: Is this from when you framed him for murder?

ELIAS: I think you’ll find that my involvement led to him being found innocent, but yes. This would be his absence during your investigation with Officer Tonner.

BASIRA (resigned): Alright. What’d he do, now?

[ELIAS slides a piece of paper across the table.]

ELIAS: Is this a typographical error, or did he really try to request this much compensation for ‘emotional damages’?

[BASIRA makes an interested noise as she reads the figure.]

BASIRA: Sounds about right.

ELIAS (stern, disapproving): We have an entirely separate form for that. It hardly counts as a travel expense.

MARTIN (did not know this. stunned, distant, half to himself): We have a whole form for emotional damages…

BASIRA: I think he just wanted to pay back his friend. Rent, groceries- I think Orsinov did some property damage, even?

ELIAS: Ahh. I see. We should be able to provide for that, if he can acquire some itemized receipts.

MARTIN (muttering to himself): What else do we have forms for?

ELIAS (darkly): A great many things, Mr Blackwood. Let us hope that you never find yourself in a position to discover them.

MARTIN (refuses to be disturbed by whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean): So, like, a sabbatical program? Have we got educational incentives?

ELIAS (perhaps a bit annoyed that Martin isn’t playing along): Don’t you already have a degree?

MARTIN (defensively): Maybe I want another one.

ELIAS: Then I suggest we have that discussion in a separate meeting. I doubt that Basira needs to know the details of your plans for personal growth.

BASIRA: Depends on the kind. Daisy might be in the market for a new gym partner.

MARTIN (terrified, dead sure that’s a euphemism for something violent): Oh wow! That’s. Great, Basira!

ELIAS: If you two are quite finished, I have other things I need to accomplish today.

BASIRA (sarcastically): Good luck with that!

BASIRA (CONT'D): I’m heading out, see you two on Monday.

MARTIN: Basira, it’s not even lunchtime. On Wednesday.

BASIRA (referring to Elias): What, is he gonna fire me?

[beat]

ELIAS (disgruntled): Enjoy your weekend, detective.

[Door opens and closes as BASIRA leaves.]

ELIAS (ominous): ...while you still can.

MARTIN: Do you do that every time someone leaves the room?

ELIAS (oh for- what now , MARTIN): Do what?

MARTIN: Say ominous stuff while no one's listening.

ELIAS (chuckles. If there was a camera, he'd be grinning directly at it): I can assure you, Martin, someone is always listening.

#the magnus archives #tma spoilers #fanfiction #smallsays

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kurtchristenson · 8 years ago

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TWENTYSIX: The Kinetic Kid Blues A THRUSTisHere Short Story

"He's robbing the world of its magic!", the protester cried out one sunny morning outside the McAllister building. "Don't believe his lies!" I took a few seconds to gawk before unfolding my trusty spiral notebook from my back pocket. I jotted down, 'There's never a dull moment in this city of improbable possibilities', before zipping on down Forty-Second Street in a blur. I hit my last few deliveries and blew by the main office. I needed some cash and the bossman owed me big time. I looked over the cover story on the Post as I sat patiently for my pay to be scrounged together. The headline read: 'MILLIONAIRE MASTER OF MACHINES' and showed the slick image of Jordan McAllister unveiling his newest gizmo. Some useless wad of tech that could do everything from capturing audio and video to doing your taxes. Sure, it'd be nice to store every song I've ever heard into the same device that I make my monthly phone call to my mom with, but there should be some limit to these things. I was interrupted mid-ponder by the slapping of bills into my palm. "This should make us square kid. By the way, nice rush job on that McAllister drop off this afternoon. Not sure how you did forty blocks in fifteen minutes, but I admire that hustle Chuck." Joe Medley was the kind of boss people would follow into battle. A square jawed hombre hardened by a lifetime in the delivery business. If he would just shave that ridiculous moustache. I step outside and the thunder begins to pound on the grey skies above. An ominous smearing of the day's blue enormity. I slid on my glasses, retied my bandana and adjusted my cap before leaping off into the swirlling cityscape. A gentle flip off of a ledge and a swift pounce from a nearby flagpole and I was sent gliding along the metro-magnetic pulse. My mind caught hold as I soared through the streets, surfing the city's invisible veins faster than any pedestrian's eyes could follow. But not faster than hers. Helena, or Ms. Mercury as she refers to herself these days, came floating by as if I were swimming in slo-motion. Her faux innocence seeped from her sly stare. "Hey Charles." That damn slight curling up at the corner of her mouth. "Hey Helena." "Did you forget about tonight?" "Not yet. I'd remember open bar." "We have to see the exhibit this time. And try not to throw up on the V train again." "I'm not making any promises...are they going to have the little sandwiches this time?" "I'm not sure sweetie. Gotta run. See you at 7!" and with that, in a blink of an eye, she kisses my cheek and dissappears down 23rd St. I'm not sure if it's jealousy but I liked it better when she didn't have superpowers. We met outside the museum that night at 7:10. It's hard to believe any respectable superhero can make it on time to date, let alone two of them. We walked the exhibit arm in arm, and headed out for a drink. "It's great the things you can get free.", I shouted over the music at the lush Midtown bar. Some company or another had sent her a card for two complimentary drinks. Her sliver sandals shone brilliantly in the blurred cityscape light as it danced among the flapping of her black skirt. Her earrings sparkled as we blazed across town. Afterwards we zipped over to Jersey City where my friend's band were playing at a local bar. The sound rocked our internal organs and the cheap booze made us stumbly, so we decided to hoof it home like regular folk and leave the superpowers out of it for a night. The wait for the train is usually a panic inducing, claustrophobic, nightmare of a wait for one with speedy powers such as mine. But tonight I hardly noticed the thirty-nine minutes it took to finally come. We were finally Manhattan bound, when, after a few sloppy kisses and through slurred speech, she presented me with a gift. "It's an iWorld." She smiled up at me expectantly. My confused look elicited a further explanation. "It's the cell phone, instant messenger, mp3 player with GPS and a digital camera that also records video and audio." That druken haze in her eyes didn't match the tone of her voice. Suddenly, when discussing this gadget, a company salesman had taken control of my girlfriend. "Thanks baby." Something felt off, but I accepted the gift. I hugged my appreciation as we fumbled to the side nearly falling from our seats as the train screeched to a halt. As I activated the camera function on my new toy, I turned and snapped a picture of her as we ascended the subway stairs. The LCD screen caught the dramatic lighting of the moon as we stepped outside, illuminating her hair, draped alongside an inebriated smirk. As the days passed I tinkered with my new gizmo. Seems it truly does it all, which kicked in my suspicious nature. If this thing catches on like McAllister's numerous other expensive junk, available worldwide, then everyone will be capturing everything everywhere. Recording life around them and going back to it later to confirm it. Rather than just live our lives, we'd all just be directing a slideshow of images complete with soundtrack and then emailed off to family and friends. Isolated in our heads, viewing the world instead of interacting with it. Television is only the beginning. My head started to pound and my nose began to bleed. "Whoa, I gotta remember to watch the crazy talk.", I said to myself. The following Saturday Helena and I danced through the ballroom they call New York, spinning and leaping as we soared along with the city night frozen in an instant below us. I spun her out, but as she pounced from a traffic light, I saw a misstep. She began to arc too far as she twirled about like a whirling dervish, spinning wildly towards a display window. Instincts drove my body forward, letting my mind figure out the plan for itself. Two kicks had launched me towards the light post, and pausing horizontally for just a millisecond, I supercharged my next leap. I rocketed across the street, rotated as I skimmed across the hood of a taxi, and ricocheted off a mailbox, just catching her in my arms as she swooned and fainted. My feet grinded to a halt on the pavement, and instantly time popped all around me as my sneakers exploded into shrapnel. "What's happened to you Helena?" I cradled her in my arms as we glided home across the Williamsburg Bridge. She didn't wake until she was tucked in her bed. I applied the cold compress to her forehead and smiled down at her. She smiled back but it felt sad somehow. "How you doing kiddo?" I held her hand. "I'm fine. I just need some waffles..." she hoarsely whispered. "And OJ, and toast..." I kissed her hand as she drifted to sleep. I went to look for my iWorld to see what I could do. Once I found it, I couldn't imagine who to call, who would know how to help a sick superhero. She tossed and turned the whole night and despite her wishes, I decided to bring her to the emergency room. On the run there, she looked up at me with hopeless eyes. I never felt so useless. The doctors took her from me and told me not to worry and to get some rest. I couldn't sleep so I paced around the neighborhood, then jogged around the city and eventually ran the entire state. This wasn't something I could outrun. I grabbed a coffee at a rest stop somewhere in Pennsylvania. The caffeine wore off somewhere in Ohio and I slept on a bench in the lounge for an hour or two. I popped a caffeine pill and made it to Lake Michigan as the sun rose up behind me. My mind began to decompress as the tension drained from my body. Why was I running? What had happened to Helena? Why did I feel such overwhelming guilt? I took out my iWorld and began recording. I went over the details I could remember. Seemed as if I was stuck in a high gear for the past week. Oddly enough I wasn't able to produce many memories since that delivery to the McAllister building. I began to think of Helena and scrolled through the pictures I had taken of her. Over four hundred digital images were stored on the small piece of plastic in my hands. And as I flipped through I began to notice something. She was fading away. That very first picture showed Helena for the true beauty I knew her as. In each consecutive picture she looked weaker, her skin growing more pale, and that lovely smile never extending quite as far as it did that night. Was it this device? Was it me? I sprinted back to New York City, hit the library and began searching for anything related to the iWorld or Jordan McAllister. As the newsites popped up, everything seemed straightforward. Budding inventor brings together a team of other brilliant minds to make a great leap using the technology of the times. Each year their device had evolved, from the iHear mp3 device, to the iDrive multimedia player, to the iDream cell phone/PDA. The iWorld was the most highly advertised and therefore, desired, electronic device in the history of modern society. From billboards to rap videos to coffee chain tie-ins, the presence of this gadget had surrounded us before we even had it resting in our hungry palms. I guess I just wasn't paying attention as I blew through the city each day. Probably missed the TV commercials due to having only an old 13" b&w set at home with barely functioning rabbit ears. I was just having too much fun and, well, I suppose I was a bit out of touch with reality these days. I left the library more than a little distraught. Where could I turn now? I couldn't head home. I'd just wind up feeling sorry for myself. I couldn't just burst into McAllister's office and demand that he tell me the connection between Helena's collapse and his damned toy. "Why not?" The voice came over my headphones and I spun around. I checked out the iWorld expecting to have accidentally called someone from my address book once again. But it was off. "Drop on by the office. I've been expecting you." I remembered moments like this when, as a kid I'd ride my bike around the neighborhood listening to cassette tapes. The ambient background noise would make me suspiciously glance over my shoulders every few seconds, really implanting that paranoia. Tucked into the shadows of the East Village, I questioned my sanity as the voice kept creeping out of the headphones. I ripped them out and began to hyperventilate. The random soundtrack of the city funneled into my ears and grounded my brain for the moment. But I could still hear the tinny tone of the voice as it crept from out of the tiny pieces of plastic and wires in my hands. I tossed the device into my ski cap and stuffed the whole thing deep into the pocket of my army jacket. I closed my eyes and imagined myself outside McAllister's office, smashing through the front doors, leaping through the lobby, and slamming floor by floor up to his lush penthouse suite. I imagined myself destroying his happy and rich life, starting with his art deco decor and ending with his throat in my grip, suspending him outside the center floor-to-ceiling window of his decimated office. "Do it. Kill me son." I hesitated and came to my senses. I dropped to my knees. With several long, deep, drawn breaths in I could see that my momentary wish had become a reality. The entire span of McAllister's multi-million dollar chunk of real estate, with that spectacular view, was now leveled completely. The windows were all blown out, and the remaining shards of his luxurious lifestyle spread around me in a ring as if a bomb had been detonated in the center of the room. "It's so disappointing that you're such a failure." McAllister, mere inches from a two hundred story drop, looked severely sad. He took off his blazer and tossed it out the window. Unbuttoning his cuffs, he rolls up his sleeves, before kicking me clear across the room with an Italian loafer to the chest. "I only ask that you end my life and you can't even imagine that." McAllister began to pace around the room, the splinters and shards crackling under his steps. He brushes his hand through his hair and walks towards the last of the standing walls. With his other hand, he gently waves as the wall begins to disappear, replaced with a large metal womb. "Okay Chuck, here's how it goes. I'm the villain of this piece. I know, how post modern of me to mention it straight up like this. So clever, right?" McAllister grabs the womb and drags it closer. "Fuck clever. I'm your goddamn devil, child." I had finally caught my breath and my threw myself across the room into a defensive position. My arms crossed before me in an 'X', my front foot thrust forward, and my back foot at a 90 degree angle, bracing for impact or prepared to launch. My Quasar vision dazzled around the scene absorbing all the light in the room in nothing more than an instant. "Let's finish this." I couldn't believe the cliched battlecries I heard coming from my mouth. McAllister's hand is on the womb, gently raising it's liquid metal covering. His eyes are locked onto mine, and he holds me there with his magnetic-repulsion-rays. A smile is lifting the corners of his mouth as I shake my sight free. A small mob of young men, trapped beneath the next generation iWorld, the iSoul, roar into the room. Their eyes are blank, their ears full, and their minds empty. In their hands runs the current of power emanating from the womb. The surging fractal lightning pulsed around their fists as the iZombies stomped forward, bloody screams of battle on their breaths. I strained my crossed arms against the paralyzing effect McAllister was emanating upon me, and at the very last second, mere millimeters from the wildly swung punch of an iZombie, just then did I snap out and into action. I was like a breeze between the pack, darting low beneath their grasp. The burning edges of searing raw cosmos nipped at my hair as I slid behind them. My fist rockets right and throws half the bunch down and out. I whip my right around again and fire it like a piston into the back of another, before unleashing a southpaw shot to two more. My fists pumped forward, the muscles acting almost on their own behalf, and by the time I slowed them down the room was a bloody cocoon. "Perfect. And now the for the kicker." I swung around mad-eyed and frayed, tachyon fire streaming from my mind. McAllister had raised the womb's cover and inside I saw that it was her. The quicksilver shine blinded me and forced out tears. Before my eyesight returned though I knew who it was that lie there naked and fetal. And I knew it was my fault. It was the silvery scorched body of Velocity Girl. I had stripped her of her form somehow, weakened her. I was the one that charged after her, trapped her, gave Helena her powers. Helena?! My god. Where was Helena? "You hit every cue my boy. Brilliant!" Ms. Mercury smashed into the office with the force of a thousand furies. The glass and twisted metal danced and glittered all around her as she just absolutely dazzled with that golden glow. Her furrowed brow was so cute, and she was making that angry face. My god. This is why he had loved her. The way she looks right now is everything I saw in her and everything I had ever loved about any woman ever. I'm not sure if her fist hit me or if it was the shockwave of compressed air that hairline fractured my cheekbone. I was sent sailing to the floor in a one knock out punch. I don't even know if her skin touched me. And I don't even have time to hit the ground, cause as I drift down her foot comes up under my rib cage and fires me straight through the roof of the building and high into the night sky. It's beautiful out. The air is warm and mild. Just enough wind to carry you about. And the city is out and lit up and alive. It's a stage with lights, camera, and action abound. But it's all getting further away. Ms. Mercury glides upwards past me and I gaze at her amazing figure as it caresses the edges of a moonlit Central Park. Her leg stretches straight up to her chin and down across mine. Plummeting so fast, thinking isn't possible. Until I slam into time and space expands into my mind like blood into cracks of concrete. It's beautiful inside this silence. Crackling into my psychic ear, snow like fuzz of memories brushed aside to make room for McAllister's thoughts. I try to squeeze him out of my mind. But it's no use. He has a hold and he places in his reality. "I want you to realize that you must defeat her and stop me. I'm not sure if that's clear by now. Everything I do, I do for you." I felt him crying. Then I felt like a sack of mail snatched by a speeding train. A sack of potatoes dragged from a cropduster. The parachute behind a dragracer. Then spinning in a circular spin somehow elliptically spun until I was mentally undone and then I vomited as I was pitched full speed into and through the offices of fine and hard working individuals, that actually enjoy their jobs. She caught me on the other side and my vision had now returned. Sight smacked back into me, I now saw blood streaming behind us as the city blurred away. My face felt wet and sticky and syrupy. I was groggy and attempted to turn around. My stomach lurched and I dry heaved myself into a coughing fit, nearly letting my lungs collapse. I drew into myself and coiled up in my body. Tightly wound stone charging of my internal thrust. Fired aloud, I popped free from Ms. Mercury's grip and carved myself through the undercurrents towards Wall Street. I grasped my forehead, hoping to close the gash across my third eye. I was karma blinded and without a guidance system now. And the bleeding's stopped. Bouncing across the ledges and pouncing from the empty office views of Downtown Manhattan, I was ricocheting to a safe haven, where ever that was. It was then that my senses were finally coming back to me and I saw how aura destroyed I really was. I couldn't outrun her. I couldn't outpower her. I couldn't out fight her. I was screwed. So I tried to run anyways, skipping along the tops of the West side. But she was always more familiar with this side of town. Damn! She taps me with an uppercut I don't see coming. I try to brace for impact and curl into a fetal position. A million swats dribble me down to Canal St. before she kicks me into the Holland Tunnel at a hundred miles an hour. My body is broken as it rattles against the tiled walls of the tunnel. Ms. Mercury cascades up next to me as she prepares to bounce me off the walls. I have only one thought as she unleashes her venomous Valkyrie vengeance, only one solitary things crosses my mind at that exact moment. She looks so happy. I catch glimpses of dirt, and water and metal, and garbage and smoke before finally hitting something that catches me in it's warm embrace. I can't feel anything beyond my mind. My body must be shattered, along with my spirit, but my brain hasn't died yet. But consciousness fades and before it does I see a single sentence that seems so odd, yet so familiar set before the apocalyptic background around him. 'Welcome to New Jersey.'

#short story #Kinetic Kid #THRUSTisHere #THRUST!!#superhero #NYC #villain #VELOCITYGIRL #Ms.MERCURY #fiction

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twilighteve-writes · 4 years ago

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Feather One Divided -- Chapter 2: The Arrival

Fic Summary:

Feather one divided, fate’s ties frayed, Fractured and wedged, scattered and gone.

After sharing an unsettling dream of Felldrake, the Three Caballeros decided to join back together with Xandra to form a stronghold in case the sorcerer returned. But Felldrake’s plans proved to be bigger than they expected, and when he struck so close to home, it was all Donald could do to keep his family – and himself – together.

(Also available in AO3)

(Chapter 1)

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Feather one divided to three,

The emerald, the sapphire, and the ruby.

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Panchito and José came like a storm, like they always did. Donald had told them to contact him if they’d reach Duckburg, but apparently they decided to just show up unannounced at the manor three days before their estimated arrival time, bowling Donald over in an excitable tumble of feathers and giggles, sweeping him into their signature secret handshake and leaving Donald breathless with it.

For a moment, the problem with the dream and his suspected Sheldgoose sighting was forgotten.

“Oh, geez,” Della spoke up, breaking the euphoria that swept over Donald whenever he reunited with Panchito and José. “Last time the handshake wasn’t that long. That seems to get more and more elaborate every time you boys meet up.”

“Della!” José greeted in delight, walking over to her and taking her hand to kiss, causing Della to bark out a surprised laughter. “It’s good to see you, you’re as beautiful as ever – “

Donald dragged him away by the collar. “I told you not to hit on my sister, you big palooka.”

Panchito took his chance and swooped in, hugging Della and getting a surprised squeal. He held Della by the shoulders and asked, “Della! Long time no see, mi amiga! How was the moon?”

“I told you both not to hit on her!” This time, Donald grabbed Panchito and dragged.

“That was not hitting on her! That was greeting her!” José protested. The grin betrayed the hurt his tone would indicate.

“Oh, so I’m not pretty enough for you to hit on, José? Is that it?” Della teased.

“Of course not, Della, minha querida. You are prettier than any white rose – “

“José, oh my god. I will drown you in the pool, I swear.”

“I thought Uncle Donald being put together with Panchito and José is the definition of chaos, but it turns out throwing Mom in makes things even more chaotic,” Dewey commented above the din.

“Oh no, no. If you want chaos, you throw Scrooge in, too,” Panchito told them. “You see, Scrooge – “

Uncle Scrooge stomped down the stairs angrily, yelling, “What is with the ruckus?! Tone it down, you kids!”

“ – is like that,” Panchito continued with a laugh.

Donald sighed. “Sorry, Uncle Scrooge.”

“And I thought you two were coming later this week?” Uncle Scrooge accused.

Donald scratched his cheek. “Uh, about that. I forgot to tell you that they might arrive sooner. Sorry, Uncle Scrooge.”

Uncle Scrooge huffed. “Fine, just keep it down. Gyro’s coming soon to show me some progress on something I asked him to make. I wanted you to see it too.” He glanced to Panchito and José. “I suppose you two can join as well.”

“When is he coming?” Della snatched Donald’s phone from his pocket to check the time.

“Now, if he’s on time,” Uncle Scrooge answered. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. “Oh look, the lad’s on time. Louie, will you open the door for me?”

“Sure, but when Gyro’s around the manor weird things usually happen, so…” Louie shrugged and went to the door. Sure enough, when he opened it, Gyro was there, with Fenton right behind him with a case. Fenton waved at Louie with a cheerful smile, and Louie waved back with a hint of hesitation.

“Hello!” Fenton greeted. “I didn’t think it would be this crowded in the demonstration today. Is the bracelet meant for all of them, Mr. McDuck?”

“Not for these two, but yes,” Uncle Scrooge answered as he pointed at Panchito and José. “Do you have them?”

“And are you sure it’s safe? Because Gyro’s inventions have a weird tendency of getting weird.” Dewey squinted his eyes at the briefcase Fenton held.

“And that’s why we have the beta testing phase, blue nephew,” Gyro told him. He turned to Panchito and José. “Anyway, who are you?”

Panchito snatched his hand and shook it vigorously. “Hola, Donald’s friend! I am Panchito, a good friend of Donald’s, and this is our good friend José!”

José tipped his hat. “We are just visiting. Don’t mind us.”

Fenton’s eyes went wide. “Wait, was that Spanish?”

Panchito turned to him slowly. “…si…?”

Fenton practically lit up and greeted them in Spanish, and Panchito and José both perked up and responded in kind. Donald strained to listen to them; he could understand Spanish and bits of Portuguese that José threw in the conversation, but he wasn’t fluent enough to follow the rapid-fire back-and-forth the three was engaged in. He was pretty sure they’d moved from introduction to… talking about telenovelas? What?

His hunch was proven true when Panchito gasped and turned to Donald. “Donald, you need to drive me to Fenton’s house! I need to meet his m’ma and discuss her excellent taste in telenovelas!”

José gasped dramatically. “I have to argue that! Patos de la Pasión dims in comparison to Las Gemelas and I will fight you on that.”

“Hey, that’s my M’ma’s favorite telenovela you’re dragging through the mud there,” Fenton interjected with a smile.

“My friend, I am not saying Patos is bad. I’m simply saying Gemelas is better.”

Donald rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. Telenovelas are basically all about a sexy woman seducing a rich man and having the man’s mom or sister or something arrange the woman to have an accident or poisoning or whatever. Throw in amnesia and getting put in the asylum and you’re gold. You just have to choose to have the sexy woman be an innocent woman who knows basically nothing about real life or a bad one who would do anything for cash, including ditching her perfectly fine and hot but poor boyfriend and seducing a wrinkly old man. It’s just a trope bingo.”

Panchito, José, and Fenton let out an offended gasp at the same time.

“How dare you – “

“Listen here – “

“Okay, first of all – “

Donald rolled his eyes at the onslaught the three directed at him. The edge of his beak pulled into a smile. Panchito and José were always so easy to rile up when it came to telenovelas, but he hadn’t expected Fenton to share that.

“How do you even know so much about telenovelas?” Dewey asked, visibly confused.

“They kept sitting me down to watch them,” Donald answered with a shrug.

Uncle Scrooge cleared his throat loudly, and the chatter ceased. He levelled an unamused stare at them. “As interesting as this thread of conversation is, I would like to see the invention, if you please.”

“Right!” Fenton grimaced in embarrassment and rushed to Gyro’s side, offering a sheepish smile when he glared. “Right, the bracelets are here.” He lifted the briefcase he had been holding and opened it to reveal three bracelets. The metallic material gleamed under the light that seeped into the manor, glinting off the small round glass at the middle of the interconnected metal squares.

“They’re only samples, and they’re all still in testing,” Gyro added. He took a bracelet and handed it to Uncle Scrooge. “As you requested, it has a built-in GPS system and can be used for communication as well as showing maps. It’s powered up by motion and body warmth and is heat proof, water proof, break proof, and can sustain deep sea pressures. I can assure you that this is a very strong bracelet.”

“And it also works as a way to provide light!” Fenton took another bracelet, shook it, and tapped at the glass twice. It lit up brightly, and he tapped it twice again. The light died. “I took liberty to put in the map of Duckburg here for demonstration, and – “ he pinched at the glass and flicked it to the air. Said map hovered brightly in bluish hologram. Fenton reached out and zoomed in and out of the map, turning expectantly to Uncle Scrooge.

Uncle Scrooge hummed in thought, weighing the bracelet in his hand. His gaze met Donald’s, and he gestured lightly. Understanding immediately, Donald walked closer to him and took the bracelet when Uncle Scrooge handed it to him.

“You’re probably the one with the best control among all of you. Can you try raising your magic a little?” Uncle Scrooge requested. When Donald gave him a look, he scoffed. “Oh, these are Gyro and Fenton. They’re not going to do anything with that information. And I know how you are with your friends, they probably already know what you can do.”

Donald glanced at the two scientists, who at this point was staring in confusion. He shrugged and called to the familiar push and pull that rested at the back of his mind and called it forth until his vision was overtaken by the sea blue. The soothing rush of his magic filled him to the brim, and he let out a breath.

In his hand, the bracelet fizzled painfully. He let go of it in reflex, squawking in surprise at the sudden sting of electricity it let out. The bracelet fell, already smoking before it even hit the floor, and the surge of magic receded.

“So it can’t handle magic, after all,” Scrooge mused.

“Well, yeah, tech and magic generally don’t mix,” Donald said.

Fenton let out a laugh. “Good one! Now let me check what was wrong with that bracelet, it shouldn’t have exploded like that.”

“It was magic, Fenton,” Donald deadpanned.

Fenton blinked at him, then laughed again, a little uncomfortably this time. When he realized no one else was laughing, he stopped abruptly. “Wait, was that not a joke?”

“No?”

“But… magic?” Fenton turned to Gyro. “Dr. Gearloose? Is this for real?”

Gyro just shrugged. “I learned early on that anything’s possible with this family. You either accept and adapt or you don’t.”

Fenton blinked at him, then looked down at the fallen bracelet. “…okay,” he hedged, taking the fallen bracelet. “Okay. Um, so we should make the bracelet… resistant? To magic?” he grimaced when he said magic, and at this point Donald couldn’t blame him; he probably found the concept too foreign at this point.

Uncle Scrooge nodded. “And this is why I had you two come here. I don’t know how badly magic can damage your – “ he twirled his hand by his head as he searched for words “ – knick-knacks down at your lab. Here is likely safer.”

Gyro stared at the fried bracelet for a moment, clearly thinking. “We’ll need to record the magic, somehow. Try to measure it. Put a number on it somehow.”

“Oh, I can help,” Huey offered. “I’m pretty much free this afternoon, I can definitely help.”

“Yeah, I want to see how you measure magic, too,” Dewey added.

“Same. Wouldn’t it be kinda boring, though?” Louie glanced at Dewey in question.

“What? No! Magic stuff is never boring.”

“Oh, can I watch?” Webby asked. “I’ve wondered about that, too. How do you measure magic?”

“Wait, you kids have it too?” Fenton asked. Judging from his face, he was clearly overwhelmed.

“Webby doesn’t, we three do,” Huey explained. “We just never showed it to anyone. Mostly because there’s no reason to. Webby’s charms are super effective, though.” He looked around. “Can we do the measuring thing outside? Louie can probably risk doing stuff inside, but Dewey and I really shouldn’t use magic indoors. Something will catch fire.”

“…why?”

“Oh, I have fire, Dewey can make lightning, and Louie can control gold.”

Poor Fenton looked like he was had been blindfolded, spun, and told to hit a watermelon that turned out to be a hornet’s nest by then. “…what?”

“We’ll show you outside, it’ll be easier,” Dewey said, bouncing on his heels. His fingers were already twined with white-blue light, and Donald could see Fenton’s eyes zooming in to his hands.

He smiled and took Panchito and José’s hands. “You kids have fun! I’m going to catch up with Panchito and José. We’ll me in the houseboat if you need us.”

“Have fun, boys,” Della called out as she sent a teasing question through their bond, more or less asking if them catching up would also consist of them discussing steamy details. Donald sent her the mental equivalent of telling her to shove off and ignored her amusement.

The three of them entered the houseboat and settled at the dining table, and Donald stared at them. “Did your amulets suddenly appeared?”

José’s gaze went grim. “It did,” he answered, pulling out the square amulet, the green gemstone gleaming in the sunlight. Panchito mirrored the motion and pulled out his, a triangular amulet with red gemstone. “Where is yours, Donal’?”

Donald stood and went to his bedroom to retrieve the amulet. “Left it in my bedroom. It appeared the night we had that dream under my pillow.” He brought the amulet out and put it on the dining table, the circular blue gem glinting almost innocently. “I still don’t get why this just appeared.”

“The worst thing is that we couldn’t find Xandra,” Panchito huffed. “We tried going to places she might be in, but she wasn’t there.”

“The dream, the amulet appearing… I thought the power of the amulet infused with us when we got into that wizard puddle,” José said with a frown. “And the fact that Sheldgoose might be around in Duckburg is unsettling.”

“I tried looking for him, but I couldn’t find him.” Donald tapped the blue amulet absently, feeling the boost of power it gave his magic. “I don’t like that he went for Louie, too. I guess we’re lucky Funso’s manager got him out of there.”

“You can’t find him, Donal’,” José reminded.

“Well that creep’s nowhere near my kids. That’s a win,” Donald retorted. José hummed and nodded, acknowledging his words.

Panchito frowned. “Tell me what happened again.”

Donald sighed impatiently. “The kids went to Funso’s with their friends and split up there. Louie was alone and apparently Sheldgoose cornered him. I asked the kids again if anything happened, and they said he grabbed Louie by the elbow and he felt magic from him. Something that reminded Louie to space, he said something like it being big and dark and cold.” He leaned back at the chair. “And Dewey mentioned something about it feeling paralyzing.”

Panchito blinked, and in one of the rare moments in his life, he seemed truly disturbed. “That… sounds like Felldrake.”

“See why I’m glad he’s not near my kids?” Donald lifted a brow.

Panchito nodded. “I don’t want him anywhere near, either.”

“In any case, this only makes finding Xandra even more crucial.” José shifted in his seat. “Should we check the cabana? Do you think the girls know how to contact Xandra?”

“April, May, and June?” Donald asked. “I don’t think so. If we can’t contact her, I don’t think they do.”

Panchito let out a string of rapid-fire cursing in Spanish.

“Don’t let me catch you talk like that in front of the kids,” Donald threatened immediately.

“Aw, but I want to be the fun uncle who teaches them the things the straight-laced Uncle Donald would never tell them,” Panchito teased.

“And come on, Donal’, you’re the one with the worst vocabulary out of us three,” José added. “Ah, the things you had me hear when you were really angry…”

“Trust me, I’m tame compared to the others in the Navy,” Donald said dryly. “They meant it when they said sailors have potty mouths.”

“And Xandra taught you several words in multiple dead languages to add to your collection, too,” Panchito sighed. “Your kids will be livid once they start swearing if they know.”

“If they’re smart they will never do it in front of any of us,” Donald said. “But, back to the matter at hand…”

The three of them fell into thoughtful silence, the gears in their brains turning. They were resourceful on their own rights, but Xandra had always been the best one when it came to assembling a plan, unless it was something that needed out-of-the-box thinking like José and Panchito’s telenovela ploy. It probably came with the territory, with her being an immortal and the goddess of adventure and all.

“What if we wear the amulets and activate the magic?” José ventured. “Would that signal to her that we need her help?”

“That will tell Felldrake where we are, too,” Panchito pointed out. “If he’s near and we don’t have Xandra around, we’re finished.”

“But… we can seal him again, with the amulets here. Right?” Donald asked uncertainly. “Last time, it was us who did the sealing.”

“Felldrake would know we’ll want to do that,” Panchito said, shaking his head.

“But we need Xandra and we need her soon,” José argued grimly. “Do you have any other idea? Because if you do, I’m listening.”

Panchito fell silent, and eventually he sighed. “No,” he admitted reluctantly. “Should we do it now then?”

“Yeah.” Donald reached to his amulet, but paused. “Um, I think I should tell you that the triplets and Della all can sense magic, sort of. So we’ll have to be ready to explain about the magic, later. Plus Caballero stuff, if Xandra appeared.”

“That’s okay, I’m fine with them knowing.” Panchito took his amulet, and José did the same. When Donald didn’t, they both stared at him.

“Donal’?” José prodded.

Donald frowned. “Shut up, I’m trying to think about how I’m going to explain the Caballero stuff to my family.”

José blinked. “They don’t know yet?”

“No? Look, I didn’t think there was any chance of us having to face Felldrake again.”

“We’ll help you explain later,” Panchito assured, and let the amulet dangle around his neck before Donald could say anything else. José followed suit, as did Donald, with a sigh.

The amulet had always provided a boost to his magic. The push and pull of the sea rose to a roar, and the magic grew lighter and heavier and the same time, expanding its reach – Donald could feel the pool water starting to respond to his magic the way seawater did, but he knew it would never be the same.

But with all three Caballeros wearing the amulet, the change was visible. Soft light enveloped them – red with Panchito, blue with Donald, and green with José, corresponding with the colors of the gemstones adoring their respective amulets. The hum of something powerful that could almost contain supernovas and black holes breathed power into their feathers, and something inside them stirred. It had been so long that they’d almost forgotten how connected they were to one another, how in sync.

It wasn’t the borderline telepathic bond Donald shared with Della. It wasn’t even the way the triplets’ magic linked so closely to each others’. It was more subtle, but it was undeniably there, with the way they could think so similarly and feed off each others’ energy ever since they first laid eyes on one another[GHL1] .

They only needed to share a glance to understand each other. With barely any effort at all, they raised their magic. Donald’s deep-and-waves mixed with Panchito’s exuberant music and whistles and chatter and laughter and José’s soft guitar plucks among distant jazz and whispered words, growing louder and louder in a crescendo as their magic was amplified by the amulet.

They held the chaotic symphony for a moment, hoping it was enough of a signal to get Xandra’s attention. Then something touched the swirling magic, something big and cold and twined with whispers of a million dying stars, giddy and greedy and hungry. The three of them pulled back on their magic in reflex, eyes blown wide as they stared at each other.

“Felldrake,” Donald breathed.

Panchito nodded as he swallowed. “He found us.” He grimaced. “And so soon, too.”

“It was a risk we took.” José took a deep breath. “If our gamble worked, Xandra would be here at any – “

His words was cut off when something landed on the foredeck of the boat with enough force to sent all three of them tumbling. Donald scrambled to his feet and ran up to the deck, ignoring the sway of the boat, his friends hot on his heels. He skidded to a halt at the top of the stairs, getting himself bowled over as the three of them fell and fell on top of one another. He ignored the pain in favor of looking up to see the familiar raven locks and golden armor.

Xandra, obviously having just landed on the deck, huffed. “There you are!” she exclaimed. “Do you know how hard it is to find you guys? I’ve been trying to reach you for days!”

#ducktales #ducktales 17 #donald duck #della duck #josé carioca #panchito pistoles #scrooge mcduck #Gyro Gearloose #Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera #huey duck #dewey duck #louie duck #webby vanderquack #xandra #dt17 magic au #magic au #feather one divided

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eprocurenet1 · 5 years ago

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Are Forest And Savannah Elephants Of The Same Species?

There is a lot of discussion on whether the woodland and savannah elephant are two unique species. The catalyst of the excursion to Ghana was to evaluate if the timberland elephant - Loxodonta Cyclotis otherwise called the Pygmy Elephant speaks to an unmistakable anatomical or hereditary structure from different elephants. The integral factor will have significant ramifications for their preservation. Working with Professor Adrian Lister a specialist in elephants and the Scientific Exploration Society we set out on our central goal. Elephant volunteer

Having landed in Accra the capital of Ghana, we made a beeline for Kakum rainforest, where under 100 backwoods elephants exist. In our set number of days it would be an uncommon site to see one of these superb elephants. Be that as it may, we were lucky enough to find new elephant tracks and manure, from this we could assess the size of this little elephant, 2-2.5m at the shoulder.

Kakum is a great rainforest to visit with it lavish vegetation, never shy of a grapefruit, banana or cocoa unit on our trek. The shade walk is one of a couple on the planet and allowed us the chance to see the woodland from the radiant tree tops. The natural air was brilliant and the encompassing sounds that resounded the woodland made an enchanted evenings rest nearby a glass of chardonney.

Stocking up with saves for the following piece of the outing, our group headed up north to Mole National Park where rainforest becomes savannah. Mole NP is one of the universal locales for observing the illicit executing of elephants. Unfortunately local people are sick prepared to get rid of poachers and to screen the elephant numbers.

On appearance we set up camp on the bluff top over looking an amazing all encompassing perspective on the savannah. The following are two huge pools. Every day, with two outfitted watchmen, we would plunged the precipice side to study, photo and record the elephants which delighted in washing there. I felt honored to have the option to photo them tussling, playing and inviting other elephant gatherings to the pool. It worked out that every one of the elephants at the pool were male. The female gatherings were progressively mysterious. On one specific day we were lucky enough to watch two matings when a grown-up female in oestrus showed up at the pool, ardently pressed together by the guys. This was very unprecedented as regularly the male goes looking for the females.

Another piece of our day was to traverse certain zones of the savannah to record elephant manure heaps! Utilizing GPS hardware to outline the transects and the situation of the droppings, a fairly butt-centric interest we could ascertain the quantity of elephants in a given zone. This was significant particularly in the denser territories between the woodland and savannah where it was hard for flying reviews to be led. Our information will be examined as a team with partners of Adrian Lister at the University of California and Ougandougou (capital of Burkina Faso). The reports will likewise go to Ghana Wildlife Service to help with their protection endeavors.

Range discoverers, joined with exact photographic techniques, we had the option to appraise the shoulder statures of people, on our treks. The elephants at Mole were of halfway size that proposes that the elephants on the geological limit among backwoods and savannah might be of crossover birthplace. Subsequently, the two kinds of elephants could be viewed as sub-types of a solitary African elephant animal types, instead of two unmistakable sub-species (non interbreeding) as some ongoing investigations have proposed. Save the elephants volunteer

Our experiences through the savannah gave us an incredible chance to see watch other untamed life, from lion and hyaena tracks, aardvark tunnels, kobs and flying creatures... Around the camp were warthogs, reptiles that appear to go through their days doing great push ups to draw in females (a great commercial for a lager, I think) and insidious primates and vervet monkeys whose solitary desire was working out various approaches to take our lunch, on occasion there were some very warmed minutes. One of out colleagues tossed a stone to frighten the primates off but the mandrill got the stone, driving the remark that next they will apply for identifications - an unnerving idea.

Close to Mole in Larabanga we visited a fifteenth Century Mosque made of mud, which in my psyche looks like that of an enormous termite hill. It was incredible to meet the neighborhood head of the town and watch the kids going around so uninhibitedly. Their chalkboard was the side of a mud house and the floor their work area. I felt somewhat dismal, that in our western culture, we are so adapted by the media inclusion of youngster snatching that our kids can’t live so generously. One night the younger students from Damanko, came to engage us at the camp with their ancestral melodies and move, straightforward yet, completely trancelike. They truly realize how to party. Elephant volunteers

I recorded the hints of the wilderness around evening time and day, through to local people moving. While trekking I met and videoed my gatekeeper, to hear a portion of his wonderful tales about the idea of elephants and local people conviction. One specific elephant called people groups companion, a great and agile male elephant very pale in shading would visit the campground every night to take in the aroma of the fresh debuts. He would discreetly stroll around putting his trunk up to the windows of the chalets and tents. An elephant can hold a fragrance for up 16 years. They reckonise the poachers when they return just from following the aroma in the breeze.

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alouckylog · 6 years ago

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Day/Night #1

I tend to process events just a little differently than the average person. Overthinking, analyzing and reflection until I’m passed out is usually what happens. The reason this happens is because I’m not mentally or emotionally equipped to do so in the moment. So the processing usually happens in that last hour of the countdown to the end of the event or in the long car ride back home. In this case, it was a little of both.

Where I live is a small black-hole in terms of encountering a gay community or finding gay men that are into the fetish and kink world. This usually results in me searching outside of my current state with a mixed bag of successes and failures. Though I’ll admit, the majority have been failures. So I had mixed feelings about finally meeting a daddy I had been speaking with the past two months on a daily basis. The positive being that I felt like I may have found someone who was a serious potential match for me, and the negative being he was over three hours away. Hence: The long car ride of reflection.

Making the drive there, the nerves didn’t hit me until about half an hour until my GPS said I’d be there. I was excited, nervous, anxious, just a bundle of emotions that I can’t always categorize or explain. It was the awkward stage of meeting in person that was what worried me. As much as I felt like I understood him and felt comfortable talking with him, it’s a bit different when standing face to face at his house.

My initial instincts didn’t fail me this time though. He was courteous, sweet and calm while we finally interacted for the first time. I remember feeling a wave of relief the first time I was able to hug him and touch him. To me, I felt that if he allowed that kind of contact, it’ll all be ok. That I wasn’t a disappointment in comparison to what he was expecting. Even after all the pictures we shared and all the texts, it was hard for me to feel utter confidence in that realm during that first hour of interaction.

We bonded over food downtown, with me trying hummus for the first time. We talked, we joked, we walked the square and he showed me the things he promised he would over the phone. I enjoyed it because it allowed me to get a feel for him, to listen to him, take in his body language, see how he reacted to my ramblings and personal quirks. By the time we headed back, I felt comfortable enough still going out with him to the bar we had spoken of prior to me coming down.

To establish a baseline, it was made clear that I had never truly been to a bar (normal, gay or otherwise) and I have never been drunk. Which both of those things were established to be corrected by the end of the night. The bar we were going to was a gay bar and it was hosting bear night. The daddy helped dress me in a shirt of his own and a chest harness, something I have always wanted to try out, before heading out.

He is popular among the community that was there and like a little kid, I was tagging along and saying hello to new faces with a drink in my hand. I was thankful it wasn’t completely packed, but every new face I seemed to forget the name to. I appreciated though that he took the time to introduce me as if I was special. I’m not used to that and it threw me off guard, enough so that I had to consistently reassure that Yes - I was ok. At the bar, we eventually met up with his partner, previous boy and the previous boy’s current partner. This was all new to me, and I was just thankful for a base group of people I knew I could try to stay close to.

While chatting and getting to know them, the drinks kept coming. I tried shots and a different drink every time. By the fourth one, I was doubting I would ever get drunk. Then the world shifting happened. I described it like I was having a vertigo episode. I felt like I would fall over if I closed my eyes or walked around. It’s a feeling that was both unsettling because I felt out of control and didn’t know how to react, and another wave of relief that I could do something deemed ‘normal’ for once.

Eventually, four of us (me, the daddy, the former boy and the former boy’s partner) ended up hopping over to a different bar. More drinks and more chatting ensued with most of it being fuzzy to remember. At one point I went to get the daddy another beer but by the time I came back, it was just me, the partner and two random guys. It was a little unnerving to not know where the daddy was for me, mostly due to me feeling so out of my element. He was my security blanket and with me being on the beginning stages of being drunk, it was a little bit of feeling lost.

When he came back though, he was immediately back by my side, more tipsy than I had seen him the whole night but with a serious look in his eye. I was seated in the dark corner with him leaning in, my stomach in knots as I took in what he was saying to me. “You know you’re mine, if you’re my boy, then you’re mine. You are mine. I want you to understand that. I want you to think about that tonight and tomorrow. I want you to think because I’ll ask you again tomorrow.”

By the end of him speaking, I had tears in my eyes. I know it was assumed I was drunk crying but it wasn’t. My default response to any serious internal emotion is crying and I both hate and am embarrassed by it. I wasn’t crying because I was afraid if his words, or that I wasn’t uncomfortable, or I was drunk. That... was the first time I had someone speak to me in a way that I felt really valued for who I was as a boy. As a boy for a potential serious role and as a boy in body and soul. The tomorrow question never came, but I half expected it not to. We had already discussed such an arrangement would be a future decision and I knew it was very possibly a lot of drunk talking that was happening. My tears were met with disbelief from him to which I tried to brush off my eyes as more shots arrived. I was afraid he would think I was overwhelmed or not ready for such a thing. Maybe I was overwhelmed, but it was more that my mind hadn’t quite caught up and I couldn’t make my brain think of the right words to say.

So more drinks were had and the drunker everyone got. That was the only section of the night that I felt uneasy. I didn’t feel uneasy because the daddy I was with was drunk. I felt uneasy because I was getting verbally mixed signals. See, before we went to the bar, I was warned that if he gets drunk and keeps trying to order shots, to not let him. He got to that point. And because I follow the rules, I had to pause like a deer in headlights when he ordered me to go get him another beer and another shot. He tried to order me again, ignoring the former boy’s interjections, to the point where I felt like I was in a place I didn’t want to be. I’m a “good boy”. I like making people happy and following orders, but I didn’t know what was real anymore. Was him saying what he said earlier didn’t matter the truth? Was I really going to be punished later for refusing the order and for trying to pull away while he was biting me to a point where I was tearing up from the pain? I finally agreed to at least get him a new pack of cigarettes, but I felt like a failure. I didn’t tell him that, but I felt that sagging sense of disappointment and anger at myself that I’m not sure was just a part of me being drunk or not.

Finally, it was agreed we’d head home. I luckily felt level-headed enough while sitting to drive us back rather than uber. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my car at the bar and I didn’t know how to handle the drunk daddy for an extended period of time by myself. There was no rule-book or previous instructions for that so all I could do was try to get us home in one piece.

I managed to drive us back and get us both into bed, both of us almost immediately crashing with all our clothes still on. I managed to get his shoes off and my harness but that was the extent of it as the room kept spinning until I was laying on the bed and closing my eyes.

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morrisbrokaw · 6 years ago

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My Favorite Books and Podcasts for Making (and Keeping) Better Relationships

It may or may not be true that one of my go-to wedding gifts—before I may or may not have heard the gasps and witnessed the expressions of horror by newlyweds upon unwrapping—was the book “What Predicts Divorce.” I mean, hey: If you’re going to be in a successful, until-death-do-us-you-know-what type of relationship, you should want to know the science of divorce, amiright? In my defense, I’m pretty sure I am right about the (unscientific) fact that 80% of the time it’s more important to know what you should not do than what you should do in a situation if you hope to survive. Example? Is that a tasty chanterelle mushroom growing there… or perhaps a Deadly Dapperling? Literally, deadly—hence its name. And, to be fair (more to my defense?): With the divorce book I’d also include a hefty gift card or cash tucked behind front cover with a witty (I thought) set of instructions, something about heading to their favorite café or bar for a cliché date-night to be executed expertly with a ritual of reading about/discussing divorce—so you don’t end up as one. Good luck.

Okay, to be honest: I didn’t actually write “good luck.” Too snarky. But mostly because relationships aren’t luck. They’re work. And as a social scientist who studies these human systems we call marriage, family and friendship, I’m of the mind that we mindfully should arm ourselves with some mind-rich knowledge about how to both make our relationships—all of them, no matter if they’re of the chosen or biological variety—awesome. Okay, at least good. But, hopefully awesomely awesome! One thing we researchers know for sure: relationships are a little bit art and a little bit science. And yes, for sure, you can increase your chances of success by knowing more your own contributions to and choices in them (aka, did the way I just roll my eyes move us a notch closer to divorce, or did it serve as a humor-moment and thus worked in our favor?). To help you with all of that and more, I’ve picked my favorite books and podcasts for making and keeping better relationships. It should be noted: Some have been on my list for a long time, my go-to relationship 911 classics (and now my chosen wedding or engagement gifts). Some are newer to my favorites list because either they’re just newer in publication date and/or (yay) they finally came across my radar—usually thanks to a geeky friend/therapist and/or fellow relationship researcher.

BOOKS

So, if you want better, wiser, and/or more delightful relationships of many varieties, you’re wise to keep these five titles by your bedside:

What Shamu Taught me about Life, Love, Marriage by Amy Sutherland.

Trust me, it’ll change not only your current marriage and/or future marriage, but every encounter with every other human being in every context—as in forever more. ABSOLUTELY. FREAKIN’. BRILLIANT! And practical. And so obviously simple that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of eye-opener about our own and others’ behavior. It’s also one you can read in a couple of hours, although if you’re like me you’ll re-read chapters every few months so refine your thinking and techniques. (Oh, and please don’t tell my kids or husband about the book; I’ve been secretly shamuing them and want to continue the experiment for another year or so before giving each of them a copy in their holiday stocking.)

The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships by John Gottman and Joan DeClaire. Any book by the relationship guru John Gottman is a book you’ll want to read. As I’ve written/said/shouted/preached before and will again now: his longitudinal research on marriage is the gold standard. He and his research team can predict divorce with over 90% accuracy based on just a few key communication behaviors. In this book, he’s applied those observations—in practical, smart, easy-to-apply lessons—to help all of your relationships. It’s one of my all-time favorites. Never loan your copy to someone; you won’t get it back.

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman. See above comments about Gottman and his landmark work and relationship brilliance. Copy/paste here. Then buy a case of these books and gift to everyone you know—keeping one for yourself and one for your spouse/future spouse/significant other… and maybe a spare in your purse for those my-head-is-about-to-explode-because-he-forgot-to-_____-again moments. You won’t find more credible advice about how to shift, often just slightly, your tone of voice, word choices, or even facial expressions to make your marriage those among the masters (and not the disasters). Oh, and if you suddenly become obsessed with how the principles are changing your relationship, you might take it to the next level with the Gottman’s “DIY marriage repair” kit: The Art and Science of Love: Home Couples Workshop DVD box set. It’s a little pricey at $175, but trust me: priceless! And about .02% the cost of divorce court. And they even have done research on the effectiveness of their workshops. Spoiler alert: for many couples, it’s proven as or more effective than therapy.

I Only Say This Because I Love You: Talking to your Parent, Partners, Kids and Sibs When You’re all Adults by Deborah Tannen. This is one of my all-time favorites. Okay, almost all of Tannen’s in her series are faves, including the first “You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation” and its offspring, born a few years later: “That’s Not What I Meant! How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships.” Why so much Tannen-love? She’s a Georgetown Professor of Sociolinguistics who has been able to—with her witty writing and rich, profound examples—explain exactly how it’s almost always how we say something, not what we say, that will make or break our relationships. It’s possible you’ll garner the concern of everyone around you while reading; most of us nod like bobble-heads as we consume her examples and explanations. These are the perfect companion pieces to Gottman’s books.

If You’re in My Office, It’s Already Too Late: A Divorce Lawyer’s Guide to Staying Together by James Sexton. Just out, this has become a new favorite! So much so, it might be making its way into future wedding gift boxes. Many who know me would say “really?” Are you promoting the advice of a divorce lawyer? Here’s what I like and why I highly recommend: Sexton reverse engineers marriage success. He’s seen the worst of the worst (the unthinkable WORST and then some) of couples—literally a thousand and then some of them. And after being on the front lines of those marriage disasters, he’s been able to capture here—with sharp writing, hard-hitting advice and heart-warming clarity—exactly what the relationship researchers are suggesting. And, he does so in a way that I think will resonate with a lot of people in a way that we (ugh, it’s hard to admit) researchers and professorly-types sometimes don’t. As such, I give this book my stamp of credible-relationship-self-help approval.

PODCASTS

Maybe you’re not an avid reader? I’ve got you covered—and so does the world of podcasters. (Remind me: what did we do before the invention of the podcast? Seriously.) If you want better, wiser, and/or more delightful relationships of many varieties, you’d be wise to subscribe to these four of my fave relationship-enhancing podcasts:

Where Should We Begin? Hosted by Esther Perel. Wow. WOW. Wowwowowo. Someone said it better than I ever could: “This podcast is free therapy.” Yes, Perel is a brilliant couples therapist. And yes, she essentially—in funny, heartwarming, powerful and heart-opening ways—invites us into her therapy sessions to (and these are her words) “learn, explore, and experience alongside the couples who have been gracious enough to let us in.” Begin your next hour with a listen to “Where should we begin?” If you don’t learn something and think about your own intimacy and relationship in a new way, you weren’t actually paying attention.

Dear Sugars hosted by Cherly Strayed and Steve Almond. If I had added a sixth book to my five-favorites above it would have been “Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar” by Strayed. No one does radical empathy about life and relationships better than Strayed. Together with Steve Almond—growing out of their advice column that gave way to Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful book—their Dear Sugars Podcast brings to your ears and heart that same fundamental and formidable logic found in the book and in their earlier advice columns: that of making raw sense of human emotion and our often nonsensical, illogical, complex relationship experiences. You. Will. LOVE. And learn. And their advice will seep into your consciousness—often when you least expect it.

Modern Love, a weekly Podcast based on the weekly and crazy-popular New York Times column by the same name. I mean, of course, this is one of my faves. And I’ll be surprised if it isn’t one of yours soon too. These are “Stories of love, loss and redemption,” and while hosts Meghna Chakrabarti and Daniel Jones don’t know it yet, I consider them friends. Because they’re with me as I fold laundry, drive between the two states I currently call homes, and even as I bathe. I mean who doesn’t want to listen to, for example (recent episodes): “Single Woman Seeking Manwich,” “When Mothers Bully Back,” and “GPS For my Lost Identity.” You do. And you will keep coming back for next week’s episode once you binge-listen to all in the archives.

Hidden Brain, an NPR Podcast hosted by Shankar Vedantam. Yes, this is a less obvious choice. But holy moly, I cannot stop listening to Hidden Brain, I once listened to more than a dozen episodes back-to-back on an overseas flight. The intersection of neuroscience and social science is not only absolutely fascinating, I find that every episode teaches me something—if not immediately obvious—about human relationships. In their own words, this is a Podcast using a combination of “science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.” I mean, hey: who doesn’t want to know more about that?! #RelationshipGeeksUnite

BONUS recommendation: A DOCUMENTARY So, maybe you’re neither a podcast nor book-lover. I’m here for you too. How about an award-winning, lighthearted documentary about the “crazy concept” of marriage? The 2017 documentary “I Do?” is one that I found so fascinating and insightful—with no easy answers and no stock advice, just an intimate look at the question “when we say ‘I Do’, what exactly do we say ‘yes’ to?”—I hosted this documentary shortly after its launch at the university where I taught. The post-viewing discussion with the producer/director and a panel of marriage and family therapists was so robust and interesting we struggled to get everyone out of the auditorium; they wanted to know/discuss more! My Rx to you and yours: no matter if you’re newly dating or been married 58 years, watch it together and talk about what marriage and commitment and the long-haul means (and doesn’t) to you. I guarantee you’ll have a LOT to talk about. And that’s really the goal, because even the research shows that when couples even watch a fictional movie about relationship dynamics and then discuss it, it has positive benefits for their own relationship. If you don’t want to have a book-club-date-night with your partner, then please do make some popcorn, turn off those damn phones, and watch this film: I Do? Documentary – A Lighthearted Documentary About the “Crazy” Concept of Marriage

Carol Bruess, a professor emeritus at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, studies and writes about relationships, is highly fluent in emoji, loves parentheticals, and is preparing her best happy-dance for empty-nest-time next year (but shhhh—don’t tell her kids because they think she’s going to be all weepy). Check out her research, books and sewing/design shenanigans over at carolbruess.com.

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andersonpreece-blog · 7 years ago

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What Gay Guys Want In A Partnership

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mnranger5 · 8 years ago

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Spring Break Jackpot 2017, Phoenix & Sedona, AZ, 3/17/17 - 3/21/17

Trip #1 of 2017 is in the books, and this one goes down in the Hall of Fame for trips that we’ve been fortunate enough to experience. From the get-go, this trip had extraordinary written all over it – sun, fun and relaxation. A perfect spring break trifecta!

The Arizona trip kicked off on the first Friday of March Madness weekend – my most favorite sporting event of the year. Therefore, before we could start the vacation, we met Jeremy, Scott and Dave at the bar for some basketball and brews. We hung out at Lone Oak Grill for about 3 hours catching up and watching some hoops. Around 3:00, Dyan whisked me away to the airport so that we could get checked in for our 6PM flight.

At 5:30, we boarded the gigantic 767-300, the first wide body plane I have been on since my Dad took Josh and I to Las Vegas for my 21st birthday. Our seats were in the middle of the aircraft, so I didn’t get the window seat I had hoped for, but holy cow, this plan had freaking tv’s streaming live broadcasts! JACKPOT! As the jet taxied down the tarmac, I found the TNT feed, and tuned into the Jayhawks, UC Davis game, which at the time was a nail biter.

Two hours into the flight (from 32,000 feet) I watched the Jayhawks finish up a dominant performance! Best. Flight. Ever.

I was amazed at the technology inside the airplane. As if the in-flight tv broadcast wasn’t cool enough, the flight also had a real-time flight tracker which showed plane location, speed, altitude and arrival time among a whole bunch of other data. For the remaining 80 minutes of the flight, I geeked out on the gps mapping software. Such a cool feature for somebody like me who likes to find landmarks 30-some thousand feet below to find out exactly where I am in the sky! But all good things must come to an end, and we landed just after sunset in Phoenix.

Going into this trip, we knew the average temp in the Phoenix for this time of year was 77 degrees. When we walked out of the airport (in jeans and sweatshirts), we were greeted by what felt like a furnace! It was 92 degrees, and it was nighttime. But, coming from 30 degree Minnesota weather, it felt heavenly. We quickly made our way over to the car rental HQ and found out it was our lucky day.

About 3 months ago, I scoured the net looking for a reasonable price on a convertible Mustang or Camaro. I figured if we were going to be in a warm climate doing some road-tripping, we needed a fun car. Basically everybody going to Phoenix over spring break must have had the same idea, because convertible sports cars were running $500-1,000 for the 4 day rental. Geez! Feeling defeated, I tried a last ditch effort by downloading an app on my phone called “Carla.” The app claims to offer the best car rental rates available. After a quick 1 minute search for my specific trip, I found a deal through Alamo for a “Convertible Mustang, or SIMILAR” at $237. What? That can’t be right. Why is it so cheap? It seemed way too good to be true, but I had nothing to lose. JACKPOT! I booked by putting 10% down and the rest due at the rental counter. But we had a few headwinds working against us. In doing some research, I found that Alamo is notorious for giving people the “SIMILAR” car in the convertible class, which happens to be a Chrysler 200….not exactly a fun sports car.

I also came to the conclusion that since we were getting in late on a Friday evening, the good cars would be sold out from people upgrading their weekend rides. It was kind of like picking teams on the playground in elementary school. Everybody wanted the good looking sporty kids – they were always picked first. Nobody wanted the unsporty clunkers. I was keeping my fingers crossed I wouldn’t get stuck with a clunker.

While at the rental counter, there was some systems problems, which meant we got to bypass the line of customers and go to a special check-in counter. I must say, Alamo was fabulous, and check-in was a breeze. When I asked the representative if there was any Mustangs left, she opened the door to the lot and barked some orders to some of the guys working the lot. She came back over to the desk and said, “It’s your lucky day!” They had one more convertible Mustang left, but it was a 2017 Mustang GT with the 5.0L V8. JACKPOT! My reservation had been for a standard V6 Mustang convertible. Dyan and I threw our bags in the car as quick as we could. We wanted to get out of there before anybody realized they accidentally put us in an upgraded convertible! Maybe it wasn’t accidental, but the fact that they did not boast to us about an upgrade made us think we were getting away with a steal! The downside of the car is that it had a heavy cigarette smell from the previous driver. No worries for us though. We put the top down before we even got on the road – which rectified the problem immediately. We were driving in paradise!

Around 9PM we pulled into the Sheraton Grand Wild Horse Pass Resort. This resort is way on the south end of Phoenix, in the booming suburb of Chandler. This would be a one night base camp only – which was unfortunate, because the property was amazing. The entire resort is decked out in Native American themed décor complete with flute & percussion inspired soft music and a four story waterfall. The moment we walked into the lobby, my blood pressure dropped. It was so peaceful and serene.

Being SPG Platinum members, we were upgraded to a mountain-view suite which also overlooked the amazing pool complex, golf course and lagoon. We enjoyed some southwestern tortilla soup around the outdoor bonfire before calling it quits for the night.

With our internal clocks still on central time, we woke up around 5AM local time. We made a few errands to Walmart, Starbucks and Krispy Kreme, and by 7:00 we decided to hit the Wild Horse Pass Casino before it got too smoky. It was here I got up close and personal with a gigantic cactus.

While standing by the cactus, I could hear the buffalo calling from inside!

Unfortunately, it was not our lucky day, but we always have fun playing Buffalo Stampede!

It was getting hot, so we headed back to the resort and spent a couple of hours wandering the resort’s nature trails and cooling off with a swim. The pool complex is amazing.

Perfect for families – multiple huge pools, a water slide, hot tubs and an outdoor restaurant. We discussed at length how this would make an amazing spring break resort for all seven of us.

The next leg of our trip was the one I had been most looking forward to! After checking out from the hotel, we took a 45 minute drive northwest to Surprise Arizona.

Dyan bought me 5th row tickets to the Royals/Indians spring training game. A few of the big name players were off playing in the World Baseball Classic (Duffy, Hosmer & Perez), but we did get to see Gordon, Moustakas and Cain.

The environment was so much different than watching a regular season game. The players were joking around on field and interacting with the fans during the game. Being that our seats were so close to the action, we could listen to the coaches talking to the players in the on-deck circle. It is such an amazing experience for a baseball enthusiast.

We had foot long hotdogs and peanuts for lunch and tried our hardest to buy some spring training souvenir hats, but they unfortunately were out of our sizes at all the shops in the stadium.

I am so lucky to have Dyan in my life. She treats me better than I ever thought was imaginable. She basically is the ultimate JACKPOT! It was so much fun sharing an experience like this with her – and having her seemingly enjoy it as much as I did! By the 8th inning, the Royals were losing 4-3, and the sun was blazing at 97 degrees. We had a long drive to Sedona ahead of us, so we bailed out of the game an inning early to beat the traffic. The Royals ended up hitting a game tying home run in the bottom of the 9th sending the game to an extra inning tie, 4-4.

The 2.5 hour drive north to Sedona was pretty as we transitioned from the desert (1,000 feet above sea level) into the mountains (4,000 feet). The best part of the drive is the final 15 minutes after exiting the interstate. The drive into Oak Creek (town just south of Sedona) was spectacular. Literally, the mountains changed from “normal mountains” to exquisite “red rock mountains” in a matter of a couple of miles. It is an area everybody should drive through once in their lifetime.

We were staying at the Hilton Red Rock Resort in Oak Creek. While the hotel is beautiful and the setting is amazing, the check-in process was a sign of the not-so-great experience that was yet to come.

For context, my work has a vacation saving program called Adestinn whereby Blue Cross will match 50% of the dollars I contribute to my vacation account. The account can then be used to book (Hilton/Hyatt) properties through the Adestinn website. To make a long story short, I had booked two separate reservations for Saturday and Sunday night because we wanted a room with a view of the red rock mountains, but that room was only available on Sunday. When checking in that Saturday night, Corbin informed us that the hotel was 100% full, and that he could not get us into the red rock view room for Saturday – which was okay with us since we had not pre-paid for the nicer room. Corbin did inform us we would need to change rooms the following day to the nicer room. We told Corbin we had a busy day the following day and would not be able to check into the new room until late in the day. Corbin and his manager confirmed our two night stay and got us all checked in to room 1020, which included a fantastic view of the parking lot. They assured us our view would be so much much better the following day.

After settling in, Dyan and I hit up the outdoor Jacuzzi for a quick soak before dinner. I was craving protein, so we headed into downtown Sedona to the Silver Saddle Cowboy Club, which is supposedly the best steakhouse in town. Dyan and I got seated and browsed the menu. Another couple was seated five minutes later adjacent to our table. After 20 minutes, we still had not had a server come by our table, although the table seated after us already had their drinks. We were famished, so we walked out of the restaurant in search of a restaurant we could get some service!

Right across the street was 89 Agave, a highly rated Latin inspired restaurant. We were seated immediately in the back of the restaurant in front of an 80” tv that was showing the UMD Bulldogs vs. UND Fighting Sioux playoff hockey game! Who would have thought? A Mexican restaurant 1,500 miles from home showing playoff college hockey. JACKPOT! We enjoyed a great meal of bottomless warm tortilla chips/salsa, chicken tortilla soup and beef enchiladas. I imagine it was as authentic as being in Mexico – minus the college hockey.

At dinner we also formalized our roadtrip for the following day. At the beginning of the conversation Dyan said she wasn’t very interested in visiting the Grand Canyon. But then the wind shifted directions. After a quick Google search of the canyon on her phone, she caught the idea of seeing the Grand Canyon at sunrise. Suddenly you’d think that was the entire reason for us coming to the area! Our drive was originally going to take us about 8 hours through northern Arizona. Now, not only were we going to be driving 8 hours, but three of those hours were going to come starting at 3AM so that we could get to the Grand Canyon in time for the sunrise…… We quickly departed dinner so we could get back to the hotel for some sleep.

3AM came quick. Too quick… We packed up, checked out of the room, and were on the road by 3:30. The drive should have been uneventful being that it was in the wee hours of the morning. However, it ended up being one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. Experience you say? Yes, experience.

The GPS backtracked us toward the interstate before heading north to Flagstaff. It’s not too difficult getting carried away with a Mustang GT and before I knew it, we were pushing 80+ on I-17. About 10 miles outside of Flagstaff, we noticed a police car driving southbound with his spotlight pointed into the trees off of the highway. Clearly he was looking for something. About 1 mile later, I swerved to avoid hitting glass and plastic fragments all over the road. It was then I noticed a car had crashed into a shear rock wall on the right side of the road. The car was smoking badly, and I assume it had rolled on the highway leaving a trail of debris before careening into the rock wall. This crash had just happened, and it certainly looked like there could have been major injuries. We slowed so that we could call 911 to report the accident. As Dyan was dialing the phone, I noticed two elk on the shoulder of the interstate. As I began pointing it out to Dyan, she said, “it’s an entire heard of elk!” There must have been 30-40 elk just loitering in the field dimly lit by the moonlight. I had to wonder if the car hit or swerved to avoid hitting one of the elk. The 911 dispatcher got on the line and we reported the crash. She told me to maintain a safe distance from the crash because emergency responders were already nearing the scene - we relayed that the police car we had seen a mile back was looking in the wrong lane of traffic and needed to look on the northbound lane just before exit 322 at Munds Park.

That was a definite mood killer, and a wakeup call to a reality that we are in elk country, and should be driving much more cautious. Yikes. And little did we know, the drive would only get trickier from here. I am usually one to study maps, but since we only planned this excursion/route less than 8 hours ago, I never really had the chance to see what kind of terrain we’d be navigating. I assumed it was pretty much flat desert from Sedona to The Grand Canyon. Boy, was I wrong...

After passing through Flagstaff, the GPS put us on a little two lane highway in the middle of Cococino National Forrest. We continued seeing deer, and elk as the white knuckle drive took us unknowingly up the Kachina Peaks. Humpherys Peak (located within Kachina), an extinct volcano, is the tallest mountain in Arizona, topping out at almost 13,000 feet. While the mountains flanking Humpherys are not as tall, they certainly aren’t a cake walk to navigate - especially in the middle of the night. Since it was pitch black, we drove seemingly blind as we followed the winding mountain highway north. The elevation signs began at 5,000 feet, then 6,000 feet, then 7,000 feet, and 8,000 feet. We were climbing in the dark and finally reached a sign that said 8,046 feet. A sign that specific must indicate the highest elevation we would get to. As such, we began our descent down the back side of the mountain range. On the north side of the mountain range, there is a clearing in the trees and a long straightway. It was at this moment Dyan looked back from where we came from and noticed the moon-lit snow-capped Humphreys peak just a few miles away. We pulled off on the shoulder, shut the car off and got out to take in that moment. Not a sound in the air or a cloud in the sky. The moon and stars shined brightly on Humphery’s. At that moment, I had two mother’s, and one was called Nature.

A few miles down the road and we saw huge purple caution signs for an active wildfire. The wildfire was burning in the Kendrick Peaks just 2 miles west of us. The fire had scorched over 220 acres and was 75% contained. Fortunately, we never encountered any issues with the fire.

We slowly wandered north as the eastern sky turned from black to navy. We were getting close. But we, or I rather, was still on lookout for wild animals on the highway. Dyan, decided an hour long nap was priority. The terrain changed from mountainous to desert like and then to forest as we approached Tusayan, the gateway to the Grand Canyon.

We pulled into the visitor’s center at 6:00AM. We had 31 minutes to find the perfect sunrise location. Lucky for us, that perfect spot was a 5 minute walk from where we parked the car. It’s called Mather Point. Photographers and tourists jockeyed for position as everybody anxiously waited. We avoided the masses when Dyan found a huge boulder that rose about 10 feet over the crowds. We climbed the boulder and waited in the 30 degree air. As usual, Dyan dressed in her cutesy-tootsey hiking wear. She looked great, but she looked cold. As usual, I was prepared for the elements, with a warm jacket. You know how this story goes. Guy gives girl jacket. Girl stays warm. Guy freezes his butt off. It never changes…

The sun came up as advertised at 6:31 AM. Not even gonna lie, it was way more spectacular than I imagined.

I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, but I kind of always thought it would be overrated. Just a river running through the middle of a canyon. But seeing it up close and personal changed my outlook on this national park. It was stunning. There is a reason it is called “Grand” Canyon. I could not believe how gigantic the canyon actually is. The length to the other side must have been as long as it was deep. It’s so massive. Even more impressive is that it actually stretches about 300 total miles in distance, and a width of 18 miles across at its widest point. I am at a loss for adjectives on how to best describe something so incredibly scenic – that is my best indicator of how beautiful it must be.

We spent about an hour at various look-outs creating one postcard after another.

With every passing minute, the sun painted a new scene on the tops of the canyon walls and jagged rock formations.

After getting our fill of the canyon, we then continued the roadtrip traveling east on Desert View Drive (the frontage road to the canyon) stopping at several scenic lookouts along the way.

It was at one of these lookouts an elk decided to get up close and personal with us! At another lookout, Dyan decided to jump the safety railing and hike down onto one of the peninsulas that jets out into the canyon.

Another two hours into the desert drive and we finally arrived at Horseshoe Bend. Horsehoe Bend is a geological phenomenon created by a winding river perfectly wrapped around a peninsula of rock that just happens to be a thousand feet deep in a canyon. The result is a teal colored river making a perfect horseshoe bend. Again, I am at a loss for words on how to describe something so magnificent to the eye.

The difference in this scenario is that there was no guard rails on the cliff edge like there had been at the Grand Canyon. I was amazed at the tourists’ lack of caution. The kids running around and teens dangling their legs over the edge were enough to send me into a mini panic attack. So when Dyan wanted to get closer for pictures, I was not a happy camper.

We had a quick lunch in the Utah/Arizona border town of Page, before beginning the 3.5 hour drive back to Sedona. The drive was uneventful compared to our pitch black morning commute, but the sun was out and it had warmed enough (80 degrees) to put the top down.

About 30 minutes outside of Sedona, Dyan hatched a new plan. She had seen ATV rentals when we drove through Sedona the previous day, and wanted to rent an ATV to tour the back country. Forty five minutes later, we were strapped into an indestructible-mud-rocket that could take hairpin turns at 55mph. JACKPOT! Funny enough, you have to drive this through town (among traffic) in order to get to the back country. Once in the back country, we were free to explore. And explore we did!

When we picked up the ATV, they asked us if we wanted a scenic route, or a fun route. We chose FUN! Our route took us though the Ancient Hokanani Ruins.

We didn’t stop to see what the ruins looked like because driving that little hell-machine was too much fun. We blazed down the dirt straightaways at nearly 60mph. We climbed rock steps and crossed rocky creeks. We went airborn on jumps and two-wheeled uneven climbs. It was everything you could imagine an off-road course being. The only downside was the insane amount of dust that gets kicked up. At times, it was almost like driving through a thick fog, and we had a couple of close calls with some oncoming traffic! Crazy how an unplanned activity ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. When we finished, we were both covered in red dust from head to toe.

We needed a shower bad, but a cold beer even worse. It was now 4:00 and happy hour was going on at the Old Sedona Bar and Grill which was across the street from the ATV rental. As we cooled off from the heat, we watched Kansas destroy Michigan State 90-70, punching their ticket to the Sweet 16. It was also during this brief bit of downtime that Dyan decided it would be a great idea to do a sunset hike to Devil’s Bridge. She assured me it was 2 miles roundtrip….

At 4:30, we arrived at Devil’s Bridge trailhead with a couple of beers in the tank.

About a mile into the hike, I began realizing we weren’t even close to Devil’s. That is when Dyan let the truth be told. The hike is actually about 5 total miles. She knew if she told me it was 5 that I would have never agreed to go on the hike. So, there we were, in the middle of a desert forest dressed for the beach and tipsy as a tugboat. We were too far into the hike to just turnaround, but far enough away from the bridge that solicited some unpleasantries under my breath. So we hiked further. The easy hike turned into a moderate hike with akward steps. The moderate hike turned into full blown mountain expedition as we neared Devil’s Bridge. Glad I have two good knees. Oh wait, nevermind…

I will say, the view from the top of Devil’s is pretty spectacular, and is well worth the challenging hike to get there. JACKPOT!.

The red and gold mountains in the distance provide the perfect backdrop to the bridge carved into the rocks. Dyan and I posed for a few pics before heading back down the mountain.

I had feared we’d get caught out in the dark and be unprepared and cold, but my sidekick assured me the entire hike that we would get back to the car in time. And she was right. We walked up to the car right at sunset.

We were beat. We spent 9 hours on the road, 2 hours in an ATV and 2 hours hiking. All we wanted was a relaxing evening on our balcony overlooking the Red Rock mountains of Sedona . Unfortunately, Corbin at the Hilton had other plans for us. Around 6:30 we arrived at the hotel and Dyan stepped into the lobby to check-in while I fetched the bags from the car. As I approached the lobby entrance, Dyan met me and said, “You are never going to believe this. They don’t have our reservation for tonight.” I was floored. Time for a pow wow with management. We provided our confirmation number to the manager and she indicated she did not know what happened, but she no longer had our room available. We explained the situation to her that Corbin and his manager had confirmed us for the upgraded room a day earlier, so we couldn’t understand how they did not have our room. After all, it was pre-paid! The Hilton apologized profusely, and said they were overbooked and there was nothing they could do since all the premium rooms were already taken. They put us in a standard room and provided a $100 dinner voucher as a consolation. We were really ticked off, because we had spent $425 for the premium room.

We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, which was really good, but the service was awful. Our server Pauli was completely absent the entire meal. The manager, chef and host did all of the work at our table. After dinner, we made a quick stop to the Jacuzzi, but it was crowded with guests, so we didn’t last long. We needed sleep.

On Monday morning, we got out of the Hilton as soon as we could and headed south toward Phoenix to begin our pool day at the Westin Kierland Resort. About 30 minutes into the drive, Dyan and I both noticed a casino along the interstate. I sensed a pit stop coming.....

Cliff Castle Casino was not very large, but they had the two things Dyan loves. Buffalo Stampede and a High Stakes Slots room! After losing most of her daily allowance I suggested we get VIP Club cards to the casino. Each card gets a lottery chance at free slots play. I won $5 free (which I lost to the Buffalos immediately) and Dyan won $10. With her remaining money and VIP $, Dyan ventured into the High Stakes area where she sat down at the African Diamond machine. She was losing bad and was down to $6 left of her VIP money. That’s when she max bet and hit the free spins bonus. What came next was a game changer. On the first 9 (out of 10) free spins, she won NOTHING. On her 10th and final spin, she hit a JACKPOT and won $340!! We cashed out immediately and continued the trek to Phoenix.

We LOVE SPG properties, especially Westin branded hotels. They treat us SO well, and constantly give us upgrades. We arrived at the Kierland resort around 10AM. They indicated we were being upgraded to a large suite overlooking the mountains to the east of Scotsdale.

The room was not ready yet, but they offered us complimentary access to the guest lounge on the 9th floor to enjoy sodas, hors d’oeuvres and snacks while we waited. They also provided us with complementary access to the spa/locker rooms so that we could change and use the pool facilities for the day. They were absolutely accommodating.

The Westin pool did not leave much to be desired. There is a family pool, complete with lazy river and water slides which we spent some time at, however, our favorite amenity was the adult pool, where children under the age of 18 were not allowed. For 4 hours, we alternated between the pool and the sun chairs as we sipped Pina and Key Lime Coladas. Around 3, we checked into the room and got ready for the evening.

We headed toward Old Scottsdale for dinner, but neither of us were all that hungry…so, we started looking for things to do in the area. Well, well, well, there was a casino just a few miles away! Dyan looked at me and said, “It is your call, but I feel lucky.” I can’t say no to that, can I? We ventured into the casino, and immediately spotted two machines – Willy Wonka and you guessed it, Buffalos! Unfortunately both were occupied. We played lightly at several machines as we kept a close eye on our honey holes. About 30 minutes into gambling, one of the Willy Wonka’s opened up and Dyan sat down immediately. Within 5 minutes, Dyan produced a free spin bonus on a big bet. The Oompa Loompa’s were in her favor as they gave her wilds across the board. It was a JACKPOT win dishing out $308. A sign came up on the machine that said “Call Attendant” for a hand pay. The attendant was there instantaneously and paid Dyan for the win. It was also interesting that she shut the machine down and restarted it. She said they restart the machine after every jackpot win. Before leaving she made a point to say this Wonka machine had hit jackpot wins all day long! My guess is that was a canned statement trying to get gamblers to keep feeding the machine. Dyan was not hooked by the attendant’s statement and said, it’s time for a steak dinner!

We headed back toward the hotel and decided on Capitol Grill for dinner. Dyan had the filet, I had the aged NY Strip, and we shared mashed potatoes. We sat alone out on the patio for nearly two hours enjoying amazing food, each other’s company and the perfect evening. JACKPOT!

Our final day in Phoenix started off with a couple’s Rollerssage at the Agave Spa located inside the resort. The rollerssage was amazing. The spa’s description was spot on: The massage combines the deep healing power of a Swedish massage with radiating heat using a roll of smooth semiprecious stones to create relaxation and relieve tight muscles. After the massage, we utilized the spa facilities which included hottubs, saunas and steam rooms among other things.

After the spa, we laid out at the adult pool all day sipping frozen cocktails and snacking on chips and salsa. Every day we were in Phoenix, the temperature was well over 90 degrees and all sunshine. It was the most perfect spring break weather we could have asked for. Phoenix set records for high temps on multiple days. Our timing of this vacation and the extreme heat was perfect. The week before we arrived, Phoenix had temps in the 70’s, and two days after we left, it was only in the 60’s, with rain. We were so fortunate to have the weather we did.

Around 1:00, we packed up the Stang and headed to the airport. The amazing luck we had on this trip just kept rolling for us. As we drove into the car rental return, a young man looked over the car and asked us how it handled. I got pretty chatty with him telling him how awesome the car was, but did point out that the previous driver smoked heavily in the car (I didn’t want Alamo to think we were smoking in the car). As I was talking to the Alamo representative, Dyan was checking under the seats to see if we had left anything in the car. Dyan popped up holding a half package of cigarettes indicating they must have been left by the previous driver. The rep looked at the package and began profusely apologizing saying he was going to take care of the problem. He handed me a receipt for the rental that showed he took $100 off of the car rental! I told him it was not necessary and that we already got a great deal on the car. He looked at me and said, “Smoking is not allowed in our cars and I am sorry you had to deal with the smell. That is not how we do business, so hopefully this credit makes things better.” Wow! JACKPOT!

We shuttled over to the airport and checked in for what was sure to be a long flight home. Flights home are never a happy time!

Fortunately for me, we were on a brand new 757 aircraft which had the same entertainment package as our other flight. Dyan and I watched Office Holiday Party for the first couple of hours, and I geeked out again on the flight tracker software the rest of the way home.

I was even able to spot our Apple Valley neighborhood on our approach into MSP.

A couple days after getting back home, I received a survey from Adestinn on how I would rate my travel experience booking through them. I provided some honest feedback about the disappointment we had at the Oak Creek Hilton. I wasn’t really expecting anything to come from that feedback, but Adestinn circled back with me in the following week to let me know that they and the Hilton property were very sorry for the experience Dyan and I had at their hotel. Along with an apology, they offered a full refund ($425) for our stay because they were not able to give us the room we had paid for. Wow again! I feel like I won the jackpot for all the credits we received - first Alamo, and now this!

All in all, this trip was amazing at every single turn. While basking in the sun at Westin, Dyan and I were trying to rank all the trips we have taken. It was a consensus that Spring Break 2017 in Arizona at least has a share of the top spot, if not holding it outright! JACKPOT!

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