#she's practically saying 'you know he's full of hot air' 😂

[mustardyellowsunshine]

He likes to hide it, but our boy cares a lot about what Kagome thinks. 😁

[every-aj-needs-an-angel]

Chapter 9!! I genuinely cannot believe I've actually kept up with this 😅 honestly I'm the worst ask every teacher who ever wanted coursework from me 😂 the love and support I've received from everyone who's enjoyed this has been mind-blowing and I'm so grateful to each and every one of you 💖

Betting It All On Love

Robin, surprisingly, took him shopping, which was only surprising because of how much she truly hated it. She hated the crowds and the trends the masses felt a weird compulsion for, and that was before she got on to the whole thing about consumerism. But she knew how much he loved it, knew how a new outfit could bolster his mood, how the hum of voices echoing through the space soothed something deep in his soul.

The one advantage to still having anything to do with his biological parents was that they still paid off the credit card they'd given him when he had gone on a class trip to the zoo in middle school, so on the rare occasion he felt the need to go wild in the aisles, he didn't feel like he had to feel too guilty about using it. Especially when that meant he could buy Robin the plaid coat she hadn't been able to take her eyes off of from the moment they'd walked into the mall.

Especially when she grinned like that at her every reflection as she wore it around the air-conditioned space, which was far too chilly for the tee and shorts combo she'd chosen for the day. Not that Steve was quite sure why there was a surf and ski clothing store in the middle of Nevada, but it didn't matter, he knew the coat would be perfect for when winter came to Indy. It hadn't been quite perfect in the moment, of course, and he was seriously considering giving in and just going into the nearest store to buy her yet another hoodie.

"Steve, I'm hot!" Robin whined as she wandered listlessly by his side.

"So take the coat off," Steve reasoned calmly, shifting the shopping bags in his hands to take some of the pressure off of his tattoo.

"But then I'll be cold!" she countered.

"Truly a cross to bear," Steve muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes to himself as he steered them back towards the souvenir stand; because no way we're they ever going to own another average hoodie, it was going to be the most disgustingly gaudy 'I heart Vegas' glaringly obviously touristy hoodie humanly possible. 

Except as they continued to stroll along their new route, it took them right past the food court, Robin enthusiastically exclaiming "Ice cream!" That was how they ended up crammed into a booth, the amount of bags they'd acquired practically pushing them off their seats, a giant bowl of banana split sitting between them as they both picked their favourite parts out of the dessert.

"So, how's things going with Chris?" Steve asked as he shoved a spoonful of strawberry ice cream into his mouth.

Robin nodded, chewing thoughtfully on the caramel coated banana, "Good," she admitted, blushing deeply and ducking her head. "She's amazing, Steve, I've never met anyone like her. She's like a ray of fucking sunshine, you know? Like the kind cats curl up in. Just joy and warmth and, I don't know, magic, or something," she gushed, waving her hands and her empty spoon around as she talked, saying more about her feelings than what was actually coming out of her mouth.

She bit the inside of her cheek but couldn't keep the lovesick grin off of her face as she stared into the distance, gazing vaguely at the lime green vinyl of the booth seat just over Steve's shoulder, "I swear to God, at Charlie's last night, I was this close," she pinches her finger and thumb together so there's only the tiniest sliver of light between them, "to asking her to marry me! And not just drunken Vegas marrying, like full on, come home and meet my folks, months of planning and white dresses, marrying. That's insane, right?" she asked, finally looking at his face.

Steve wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to respond, part of him was insulted that she thought his marriage was less than because of how it had happened. Part of him was just incredibly proud of her. It was crazy, and it also wasn't crazy at all. Sometimes when you know you just know and given how long they'd all actually spent together, it wasn't like she was just jumping in feet first. Robin had probably spent more hours with Chrissy than she had ever spent with Sammi and that relationship had felt like it was never ending.

Luckily, he was saved from actually answering when, after swallowing another mouthful of partially melted chocolate ice cream, she jabbed her spoon at him and exclaimed, "And oh my god, Steve! In bed! The best I've ever had!" And Robin might've continued to elaborate on that, but Steve had unceremoniously dropped his spoon to cover his ears and “la la la” loudly until her lips stopped moving.

It was a running joke between the two of them, the first guy he'd been on a date with after Billy had been phenomenal. Alex had blown Steve's tiny small-town mind, and even though they’d both agreed that their relationship would only ever be a casual hookup, it hadn’t stopped him from wandering around for three whole days like he was on an actual cloud. Robin had quickly become sick of his permanent grin and had asked him "what the fuck he had to be so happy about?" She hadn't liked the answer and ever since whenever either one of them went into specifics about their love life that was what the other one did.

She laughed, and he did too knowing full well she'd tell him, in intricate and unnecessary detail, all about Chrissy's skills in the bedroom as they finished their shopping spree; they still had to find Dustin’s book after all, and they both knew he would listen while she gushed about what an incredible lover she'd snagged, and he'd try desperately not to be green with envy that she'd found the love of her life and was actually going to get to keep her.

They didn't talk about Eddie, he could tell she wanted to, she kept opening her mouth to ask questions and then just snapping her jaw shut and carrying on, distracting him with pretty things and tasty foods. Part of him was glad. Part of him wanted to talk it through with her. Part of him just wanted to enjoy time spent with his best friend and live in the delusion that everything was fine. He had no doubt there'd be plenty of time to talk about it when they got home, even if Robin and Chrissy immediately moved in together, and he had to learn to talk to Chrissy the same way he talked to Robin (which he honestly didn't think would be that difficult) he had no doubt that they’d make space and time for him to mourn his loss, and maybe even mourn it with him.

At least with Chrissy across the hall, he'd finally have someone to watch sports with again. Chris' taste in sport had so far been Robin's only complaint. She'd been excited to finally find someone she was attracted to who actually liked sports but had been quickly disappointed to find out that Chris preferred watching basketball and the NFL like Steve, which meant that Robin still wouldn't have anyone to watch soccer with.

Even though Steve was always happy to watch it with her, he just didn't share her enthusiasm for it. That was the thing that apparently baffled Robin, because “how could any self-respecting bisexual not enjoy a field full of men in tiny shorts chasing a ball?” And honestly, it was the chasing the ball part that seemed to be the off-putting bit. It kinda felt more like watching golden retrievers in the dog park, and although the whole point of football and basketball was to get a ball in a goal, he was proud that neither were a game a dog could play.

As he was ambling around the bookstore looking for the fantasy section, it occurred to him that it would probably be the last time he’d be asked to do anything like this for the kids. Not that you could really class a bunch of twenty-somethings as kids anymore, but it occured to him somewhat horrifyingly that all of them were about to start going out into the real world. They’d all soon be grown-ups and would soon have to deal with all the problems that came with being an adult that were coming for them thick and fast. Real relationships and jobs and rent, for most of them this summer would probably be their last one at home with their parents.

It might even be the last summer he had a chance to see some of them ever again. Max still wanted to go home to her dad and the chances of him getting an invitation to California were probably slimmer than he’d like to admit. As he picked up the copy of Earthshaker he’d been searching for, he vowed to himself to spend more than one weekend back home before they all headed back to college. Take his camera home, organise a big party, and tell them all how much he loved them. It’d be fine, the summer wasn’t over yet. 

Robin interrupted his rapidly derailing train of thought when she came bounding around the bookshelf, a stack of books cradled to her chest like a newborn. He purposefully didn’t ask, especially when he could see that the one on the top of the stack read ‘Nuclear Medicine In Tropical And Infectious Diseases’. He just grinned knowingly and waved Dustin’s book in the direction of the register, mainly because they both knew full well that given the opportunity, Robin could and would happily spend the rest of their vacation immersed in the endless racks and shelves. 

He did, however, self indulgently snag the latest Jackie Collins novel to add to his growing collection as he passed by the display. Sweet old Mrs Johnson had been the one to get him hooked. She used to read them when she would babysit, at first to herself, but then there’d been a bad storm one weekend when he was six and the electricity had gone out for hours. It was winter so although it had been early in the evening, it was dark and he was scared. But Mrs Johnson had just pulled him into her lap and let him curl into her while she read by candlelight.

He hadn’t really understand the story itself, but she had had a nice voice, and he had liked listening to her read. From then on it had been what they had done on rainy days. In fact, the weekend before she had died, it had been stormy, and they’d spent two whole days curled up in her favourite armchair in his living room while she read to him.

The books had made him mad for a while, after she’d left him, but then when he was older and trying to navigate high school he quickly realised he preferred the salacious crime novels to Shakespeare or Chaucer that were, as far as he was concerned, basically the same thing but written in another language. It hadn’t been until he was older still that he realised that some of the characters in those books had also been vital in helping him create the King Steve persona that kept him safe for four years.

 

Steve hadn’t realised how quickly the day had disappeared until they made it back to the hotel. Not that he minded, his stomach full from the tacos they’d been unable to resist, and he’d had a wonderful day with his best friend.

They’d bought so many things that even in the short walk from the lobby, his fingers had started to take on that distinctive claw shape as the handles had dug into his skin. Sighing heavily in relief as he finally released the bags onto his bed, and again in frustration as Robin cheerfully tried and failed to check their voicemails, nearly making a collect call by accident. He used his one still fully functioning finger to press the necessary buttons, flopping down next to his best friend on her bed.

Beep. “Hi. It’s me. Chrissy,” she paused giggling to herself, “I hope you two are free tonight! Meet by the creepy looking goat statue at six?” she sounded so happy and hopeful, Steve couldn’t keep the endeared smile off of his face. Robin almost cut the message off before Chris had had chance to finish, and he couldn’t help feeling like a bit of a hero when he stopped her movements just in time to hear “Okay, see you soon. I love you!” Beep. 

Robin’s eyes immediately bugged out, if she wasn’t careful it was likely they’d fall out of her head altogether. She glanced franticly between Steve and the phone, her whole demeanour screaming “You heard that, right?” Steve grinned and jostled her playfully, enjoying the deep blush on her cheeks and her silent fluster as she processed what she’d heard.

Not that they really had time for an emotional crisis, “Come on, blushy! If we’re meeting at six, that only gives us half hour,” he reasoned, flipping himself off the bed and heading to his wardrobe to find his black pinstripe shirt and dark jeans. He had no idea what they would be doing, but it’d be a fine outfit for an evening in Vegas.

He was standing over the sink adding some serum to his hair when he heard her mumble from the doorway, “Isn’t it a bit early for ‘I love you’?” She sounded so small and hesitant, he dropped his hands immediately, stepping over to her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, being extra careful not to get sticky fingers on her fancy blazer.

“Is it ever too early to say how you feel?” he asked, pressing his cheek against the top of her head.

“I don’t know” Robin muttered glumly, grabbing two fistfuls of the back of his shirt and scrunching it between her fingers anxiously. “There’s no way she meant “I love you” right? I mean, she can’t be in love with me, Evie. It doesn’t make any sense! We’ve known each other for what? A few days! There’s no way she could… She must’ve meant “love you” you know? Like in a friend way,” she rambled frenetically; whether she was trying to convince him or herself, he really couldn’t say.

Steve hummed thoughtfully, “Does it feel like love in a friend way?” he asked evenly.

She scoffed harshly like he expected her to, “No! But she wasn’t just talking to me, she was inviting both of us,” she pointed out.

It frustrated him how easily she could convince herself that people couldn’t possibly love her. He sighed heavily trying really hard not to roll his eyes, “She was talking to you,” he affirmed, because he had heard that message, and contrary to popular belief he wasn’t actually stupid, and he’d witnessed with his own eyes how crazy Chrissy was about her, how crazy she was about Chrissy.

Huffing loudly, she removed herself from his hold, so she could look him in the eye “But it’s been days!” she whined, still trying to convince someone that the facts weren’t the facts, probably because she was actually just kinda scared.

Steve just shrugged his shoulders, “Yeah, but how many hours has it been? How many hours did you spend with Mickey? You were in love with her. How is this different?” he asked, rather reasonably considering she was driving him up the wall because how could she not know by now how easy she was to love.

“Does sleep count?” she asked, wincing even as the words fell out of her mouth.

He laughed dryly, “No, Robbie, you can’t count hours you weren’t conscious for!” he deadpanned, tugging her back into his chest before she could start pacing like a caged tiger.

She made a pained sound in the back of her throat as she leaned heavily into him, gripping the sides of his shirt, moving her fingers around as she counted against his ribs. Eventually, after at least three recounts, she huffed the way she always did when he was right for a change.

“Do you think maybe you’re freaking out because you feel that way too?” he asked calmly.

“Maybe,” she muttered sighing heavily like she was holding the weight of the whole world. He knew he’d hit the nail on the head when she huffed a frustrated breath through her teeth and pushed him off, “How would you feel if Eddie said that to you!” she accused, pointing a finger at him.

Steve snorted derisively, too tired to be anything but honest, “Honestly, I’d be fucking delighted. I’m so fucking in love with him, it’s insane!” he admitted, trying desperately to ignore how whiney and pathetic he sounded.

All the fight dissipated out of her as he spoke, her eyebrows scrunching together in sympathy, “Really?” she asked softly, a pained look taking over her face when he nodded solemnly, “Have you told him that?”

Steve snorted a humourless laugh, “No! Jesus, Bobs, I’m not a complete fucking idiot!”

“But you just said--”

“Yeah! Because it’s obvious you feel the same way!” he yelled, not entirely sure why he was shouting. It wasn’t her fault he’d got himself all tangled up in infatuation again, “Sorry,” he muttered.

Robin wasn't fazed though just waved off his apology and raised a singular eyebrow at him, “And it’s not with Eddie?!” she asked condescendingly, folding her arms over her chest.

“No!” Steve exclaimed, because it was very unobvious, thank you very much! Robin didn’t argue with him, just threw her arms in the air like he was being the frustrating one, tutting and heading back into the bedroom to finish getting ready, leaving Steve to deal with the silence and his half serumed hair.

Chrissy, as it turned out, had procured tickets for a boxing match of all things. It wasn't something neither he nor Robin ever would've chosen, but apparently Chris' best friend from her cheerleading days, Beth, was now a ring girl, and she had pulled some strings and got them into a private box. They had their own bar and a balcony view over the proceedings, meaning they could see everything without getting coated in blood, it was different but once-in-a-lifetime experiences were kinda what Vegas was all about.

Robin was leaning with her back against the bar, Chrissy curled into her running her hands up and down the lapels of Robin's jacket, both of them giggling and whispering like schoolgirls. As much as he was glad Robin seemed to have overcome her earlier conflict, he was starting to find it all a bit sickening. It wasn’t their fault, and he wasn't really mad with them at all, he'd just been in a terrible mood since bickering with Robin and the dark cloud hanging over his head had only worsened when Eddie hadn't been waiting with Chrissy in the lobby like he had hoped.

He'd offered to go back to the room, part of him wanting to let them have a night to be together, the other part just wanting to be alone so he could sulk some more, but neither of them would let him. They’d giddily pulled him into their hold, linking their arms with his and practically frog marching him out the front door of the hotel and into the waiting taxi. 

In the seclusion of the private space, however, and with two or three shots in each of them, both girls had dropped all their inhibitions and seemed to have forgotten all about him. Honestly, he’d never been a third wheel before, not even with Tommy and Carol but he was seriously starting to feel like he should go home and call Barb and apologise for every time he and Nancy had made her feel how he was feeling because maybe he was technically married, but he’d never felt more single or more alone.

He sighed heavily, snagging a beer from the bartender and heading out onto the balcony, leaning heavily against the railing surveying the crowd below him. The venue was packed, not a single empty seat to be seen anywhere, which struck him as odd because the match wasn't due to start for at least another twenty minutes, and he'd been to enough ball games in his life to know that normally there was a mad dash to grab your seats before the game actually kicked off; but apparently the ring girls were supposed to be their entertainment, like some sick warm-up act.

The last time he'd seen a crowd as rowdy was at the strip club when he'd been inexplicably invited to Mark's stag do. Mark was his dad's number two, the guy being lined up to take over the company when his old man finally bit the dust. The bloke had spent the whole night weirdly trying to rub it in Steve's face how close he and his dad were, only finally shutting his mouth when after four beers Steve had lost his temper and had casually asked: "So are you sucking his dick, or--?" Mark had blushed furiously, started stuttering and stammering and had quickly disappeared. Steve had just downed the rest of his beer and hailed a cab, heading home to Robin to bemoan a wasted Saturday night.

Robin had whined about how it hadn't been fair that he'd been invited, but she hadn't. Everyone at the company had assumed they were a couple and after their first few jobs together they'd learned to just stop correcting people. Mainly because if they didn't their coworkers wanted to know why there weren't dating and usually "because we're like siblings" wasn't a good enough answer and then they had to deal with months of constant badgering and peer pressure to hook up. Robin had been right, of course, she would have enjoyed the strip club far more than he had. Personally, he thought grown men drooling over a half-naked woman, especially ones young enough to be their daughter, was a little grim.

A petite brunette who he assumed was Beth when she'd bounced up and down waving excitedly to him as she had headed into the ring, and her friend, who were both dressed in nothing but a metallic bikini and high heels, seemed to be enjoying themselves, however, especially when Beth's friend caught the attention of a stag do sitting in the front row. 

The groom-to-be was obviously a high school jock surrounded by his "bros" and by the looks of things, either his father or the father-in-law-to-be who was glancing anywhere but at the ring, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. It made Steve shudder to think that if his life had gone a little differently, if he and Nancy had stayed together, if he'd stuck with Tommy and the team, would that be him now? Would that be his dad? Or worse, poor Ted? 

Thankfully he didn't have more time to dwell on it when Robin appeared next to him bumping purposefully into his side, swapping his empty beer for a cold one with a gentle smile. Chrissy quickly joined them on the balcony carrying a beer and a tray of nachos to share, shouting over the noise of the crowd to explain the rules to Robin when she had asked how they'd know who won.

Steve knew Robin knew the rules of boxing. Mainly because her grandpa had been an Olympic boxer, but he wasn't about to call her out on it. Plus, he liked how patient Chris was with her, he thought it was sweet when he wasn’t busy being a grumpy bastard.

The ring girls left the ring, Beth waving enthusiastically, shooting Chrissy a few hand gestures that Steve didn't understand but made Chrissy belly laugh as she headed out of sight. Then it was time for the match to get started; two gigantic blokes followed by a team of helpers charging into the ring, bouncing on their toes next to the smallest ref Steve had ever seen.

There was a bit of chatter and then the bell dinged, the ref moved, and the giants started to dance around one another, sizing each other up and dodging a few hits before the real action started. One hit, two. The excitement of the crowd and the anticipation were getting Steve's adrenaline pumping. 

That was why he jumped three feet in the air when he felt hands land on his waist (that's what he told himself anyway).

Eddie laughed brightly as Steve spun around, his hands raised placatingly, "It's only me!" he yelled, giggling adorably. He smiled, placing a careful hand on Steve's shoulder and squeezing some of the tension out of his shoulder blade with gentle fingers. Slipping Robin a placating smile as she no doubt glared at him over Steve's shoulder. He elbowed her absentmindedly, giving her a look that said "eyes on your own date!" before turning his full attention to Eddie.

Steve was honestly kind of dumbfounded by Eddie's presence, when Chrissy had been alone in the lobby, he'd just assumed that Eddie wouldn't be joining them at all any more. He wouldn't have been at all surprised to find out that Eddie had packed up and gone back to Indy with Dan, even if he had spent the past half an hour trying desperately not to think about the implications of that. Especially when Chris had deliberately not said anything when Robin had asked the only question that had been on Steve's mind, “Where’s Eddie?” 

Even a foot away Steve could tell something was off, Eddie’s eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and he’d done a terrible job of trying to hide it behind a thick layer of eyeliner. There was a permanent red patch down the side of his nose, like he’d scratched or rubbed at it too many times, bursting the tiny blood vessels. His hair was overly oily at the roots like he’d spent the day running his fingers over his scalp and his fingernails were bitten down to the quick; the skin looked painful to even look at and Steve had no idea how he’d dealt with acetone and nail polish to repaint his nails.

It was the gasp of the crowd reacting to the first real punch landing that brought him back to himself. Steve glanced behind him in time to see blood pour from the slightly taller one's mouth, followed by cheers and screams as the smaller of the two landed a second punch.

Steve shook his head, immediately turning back to Eddie, "Hi," he mumbled in astonishment.

Eddie smiled cautiously, "Hi," he greeted, stepping closer and reaching up to tuck a loose strand behind Steve's ear, "I'm sorry I'm late," Eddie yelled over the roar of the crowd, "Can we talk? After the match?" he asked nervously.

Steve's brain very obviously and very quickly went to the worst case scenario, that Eddie was here to officially ask for a divorce, but his poker face must not be what it once was because Eddie cupped his cheek gently forcing Steve to meet his gaze, "No! Nothing bad, I promise. I just want to tell you about my day, maybe we could go for that dinner we talked about?" he asked hopefully, pulling Steve’s SuperEl shirt out from behind his back and offering it to him.

Steve blinked at the shirt for a second and felt the smile tugging at his cheeks threatening to split his face in two. Hope starting to bloom unchecked in his chest, making his heart skip out of beat. Eddie's hopeful little smile had been the most adorable thing he'd seen since he'd seen him drooling into his pillow that morning.

Eddie beaming back at him when Steve nodded bashfully, nervously tugging the collar of his shirt through his fingers, came in a close third. Eddie’s hand got dislodged from his face when his head automatically flicked back to the action when the crowd let out an elongated "ooh!" as one of the boxers went down hard. 

Steve took the opportunity to take Eddie by the hand and lead him out onto the balcony, leaning against the railing to face the action, waiting for Eddie to mirror him and get absorbed in the match, then turning to watch Eddie react with the most adorable second-hand winces as the smaller boxer tried and failed to get up.

Steve quickly found himself wanting to watch Eddie more than the fight. He tried to stealthily turn his whole body so he was leaning sideways against the railing. The metal bar digging into his ribs a painful reminder that he was here and this was real. That Eddie was with him, and he wanted to go to dinner and talk. That he wanted to tell Steve about his day! Wanted to take him on a proper bonafide date! Because he’d brought Steve his shirt. Honestly, he’d forgotten that he’d even left it in Eddie’s room. The thought that he must’ve hung it up in the closet for him, so it wouldn’t get wrinkled was so sweet it was making his heart want to burst out through his chest. 

He knew he must look like the worlds most lovesick fool stood staring at Eddie's profile like he was the most beautiful man on the planet (which he was) and like he was the luckiest man alive to even be in Eddie’s presence (which he was) but he just couldn't find it in himself to care, he was going to take this moment while he could and store it in his heart forever.

The bell dinged again and Eddie looked over, flicking his eyes down noticing Steve's posture and smirking to himself. Steve felt the blush creeping up his neck and turned back to the action, forcing himself to not push himself too far into Eddie's personal space, but he needn't have worried. As soon as Steve was settled against the railing again, Eddie threw his arm around his shoulders, jostling him lightly and smiling joyfully at him, pressing a gentle kiss into his shoulder.

As the match went on Eddie's arm slowly slipped down his side holding onto his waist, then slipped further down to his hip where Eddie gave up and just hooked his thumb through Steve's belt loop, tucking his chin over his shoulder and pressing the odd kiss to any bit he could reach but just staying as close as he could, curled tightly into Steve side for the rest of the night; until the bigger of the two boxers had been knocked down for the final time, and it was time for the masses to disperse.

-------------------------

Part 10

tag list my beloveds @estrellami-1 @gregre369 @adhdsummer @nerdfighteratheart @anaibis @dolphincliffs @hbyrde36 @marinarasarah @deadflowercollector @lunabookworm @a-couchpotato @wonderland-girl143-blog @ddharrington @abstractnaturaldisaster @lololol-1234 @bestwifehaver @steviejeebiez

[theretirementstory]

Bonjour et bienvenue, it’s an hour before sunrise and I am wide awake (thanks to the alarm for my first tablets of the day) preparing this entertaining (?) blog for you. It’s currently 2c outside but as I am still “abed” it is warm and cosy.

We have had rain, fog,wind and sunshine this week. I have just read an article which said that people will say “we didn’t have a summer, it was wet and windy” but it wouldn’t be wet and windy for the full three months of the summer season. It’s all about subtle changes which I have come to appreciate since 1) retiring and 2) living here in France. Retirement has given me the time to choose when I take a walk, which day/s I go shopping, to do things on the spur of the moment and generally just slow down. Moving to France meant everyday there was something new to discover and that included the weather.

Around the 22January the confrères of the Champagne villages gather to thank Saint-Vincent for the past harvest and to place the next one under his protection.

The head of the procession carries the baton of Saint-Vincent, followed by the banner or statue of the patron saint of winegrowers.

This took place in town yesterday, I have promised myself every year I would go to witness this ancient tradition and of course I failed again yesterday! I think it will have to be placed in my diary for 2025.

My combi boiler has not been providing the constant hot water I had come to expect, it has been a gradual thing (I think) but on Monday evening I could not get any hot water at all. I was going to message the plumber but then buried my head in the sand until Tuesday morning when there was no hot water for washing 😱. I messaged and told him the problem but said I would ring him on Tuesday evening. I was assured he would come out on Wednesday, which he did, after checking this, draining that still no hot water which he said was “bizarre”. Upshot is, I need a new boiler! In fact I would rather have a new boiler than cope with problems on a regular basis. He prepared the “devis” I signed and dated it and he will ring and let me know when the boiler is received and he can fit it. I also got him to check out the upstairs loo which had started trickling water from the cistern down into the toilet, this is caused by limescale coating parts of the flushing mechanism. He cleaned one part and I thought it had stopped but no it has just reduced. 😩 there is always something.

I am still waiting for an appointment for my PET scan and on Tuesday I received a letter from the hospital. It was an appointment with the oncologist for Monday 29th January. I rang to book a taxi, it wasn’t one of the usual people who took the call, she practically wanted to know what I had eaten for breakfast that morning! She seemed to have difficulty with my accent and kept asking me for information I had already given. When I put the phone down I did wonder who I had spoken too. Rang the next day to check the taxi was booked.

The cleaner had a weekend break in Alsace and I put her off coming on Thursday as I didn’t have hot water, that meant that the jigsaw has managed to stay out. Is it finished? 🤔 it’s driving me nuts! Funnily the other morning I was sat at the other side of the table and spotted a number of pieces which fit in. Now maybe that’s the way forward, do the jigsaw upside down? I had looked at those pieces time and time again when looking at it right way up and didn’t know where they went 😂😂.

I went to see Maud, in her official capacity as podiatrist, so I feel as if I am walking on air. Then we arranged to go out for lunch on February 11th, it’s my treat. We are going to “The Belvedere” again and so I have been scanning the menu, I think it might be steak with pepper sauce and dauphinois potatoes for me. May change my mind before then though.

Monique left hospital on Tuesday but is still on intravenous antibiotics. She is seeing the oncologist on Monday, her appointment is the same time as mine 🤔.

Let’s look at the music spot for today, both songs are back to the 80’s. The first is a “foot tapper” and the second just had that “something” in the music that “speaks” to me. So number one is “Together in Electric Dreams” by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder this is back to 1984. The second is “Tempted” by Squeeze released in 1981.

My family are all well, looking forward to brighter days and hopefully seeing me before springtime is finished. 🤞for that 😊. After speaking with the oncologist on Monday, I hope to be planning my trip.

It has been the Assemblée Générale for the association of which the knitting group forms part. It’s a time I normally enjoy due to the champagne and galette at the end 😉, however, I did find it hard going on Friday. I prepared a short piece which thanked everyone for having confidence in me to run the group (when I wasn’t in hospital) and also for their support throughout my treatment. I was given a round of applause which was a bit embarrassing. I enjoyed the champagne (which I maybe should not have had, but the galette (which I normally love) didn’t “hit the spot” this time.

My grandchildren are with “The Photographer” this weekend. I had expected a FaceTime call but nothing yet, perhaps they are having a sleep in this morning.

The little cardigan I am knitting from the the French pattern is proving difficult for me now! I had knit the back and a front got the pattern done perfectly then cast on the second front did so much then left it to concentrate on the jigsaw. Picked it up on Friday evening and I just could not get the pattern correct. Oh my goodness what am I going to do, I really wanted to master this.

As we are due 12c this afternoon it may be a good time to have a little wander around the garden, see if I can remove some of the iris to fill out an empty area and also move some of the violas too. That would be a really good job done, then I can make something enjoyable for lunch and dinner this evening. I am tired of thinking that I would enjoy a certain meal only to find it has little taste and makes me feel 🤢.

Once again, Bar-sur-Aube will be a checkpoint for this historic rallye. Will I get out to see the cars this week? Find out next week.

[considermadness]

Goku and Chichi meeting as teens (Part 1)

Okay, but imagine this. Goku's just chillin' with his friends and then he gets tapped on the shoulder. He turns around and this girl just gives him the brightest smile. She's standing close so he gets a good full view of her face and he's curious at how such a sweet gesture was randomly directed at him.

So he opens his mouth and asks who she is, but his words end up erasing the smile. He sees her face change from shock to anger in a few seconds.

She screams her rage at him and he finds himself floored? confused? curious? because what did he do? It doesn't help that his friends keep insisting that he probably knows her from before. Because wha- he bet he'd remember if he'd met her before. She obviously would leave an impression.

Goku tries to jog his memory - on top of thinking about Piccolo and winning his matches. It doesn't help that his friends keep noticing the girl and saying she's pretty and hot. It makes him feel sorta bad because what did he do to make her angry? Especially when she could be smiling like how he saw her first, ya know? She specifically smiled at him, too. That felt nice. But also, was it really his fault? Was it really something he did?

She makes it into the top 8. He doesn't expect much from her though because he honestly hasn't encountered a girl who practiced proper martial arts. There was a girl in the 21st Budokai but she just distracted her opponents with her body. Bulma uses her in inventions. Lunch uses weapons. Chichi, Gyu-mao's daughter, kicked him off Nimbus, but she uses a helmet for a weapon, too.

He continues to wonder throughout the tournament and finds himself matched with her to fight. He's sorta relieved and happy 'cause he'll get a chance to ask her why she's mad, then maybe clear things up 'cause he doesn't want to continue feeling bad about something he didn't do nor does he want to be the reason she stays mad like that. He'd rather she smiled. He decides to ask her about it during the match.

He's also confident the match will be easy for him. Inventions and weapons aren't allowed and if she tries something like distracting him with her body, well that stuff didn't work on him. Even if she was pretty and hot, like his friends say.

Well guess what? The moment the match begins, Chichi immediately delivers a proper kick his way. 😂 He's surprised at her proper martial arts form. Because let's be real, Goku is not whoa-ing because he's surprised of the attacks, he's quick and way stronger than her. No, he's surprised because she's a girl who's actually fighting properly. Well, except for the shouting - but that is his fault 'cause he started asking questions.

He continues to dodge and realizes that this girl could actually hurt him if he let his guard down. She's actually fighting similar to his martial arts style, a style which his master Roshi and his grandpa used. And she's doing it well. Now, Goku's convinced that he's never met her before. If he did, he definitely would remember. So he asks her again, "are you sure we've met before?"

She answers accordingly... with anger and he keeps asking. Uh, he thinks, might as well ask, so he can make it right, if he really did do something to make her mad. She's probably not a liar, at least he hoped so.

Then she mentions a promise and Goku starts to panic. Has he made a promise that he forgot? That would've been horrible of him to do, he could kinda understand why she's mad. He jumps high up in the air, hoping to get a little breather and think and maybe figure out what promise he could've possibly forgotten. She surprises him again though. She jumps right after him and continues attacking - still in good martial arts form. He's impressed and finds himself having to dodge quickly again, being caught off guard that this girl just followed him into the air and hasn't once stopped sending hits since their match started.

He knew he had to make things right if he made a promise so he asks her what this promise is.

Part 2: here.

[theretirementstory]

It was the week of the “Grand Depart”, no not cycling, just me returning home. I had done so much on my “holiday” and my chauffeur had taken me to some wonderful places. As we were driving through Hutton Rudby, we stopped at the church and found the grave of Sir Rex Hunt. He was born in Redcar, died in Stockton-on-Tees and is best remembered as the Governor of the Falkland Islands at the time of the Argentinian invasion. We also paid a visit to my grandchildren so that I could see them one more time before I left for home. It was a lovely surprise for them to not only see me but their Uncle.

I was apprehensive, to say the least, about my journey home. Would I have delays as I had when coming over? No, everything went smoothly, and before I knew it I was at my home station awaiting Anie to drive me home. Where was Anie? She didn’t answer her phone, wasn’t at her home, I walked up there to check, and in the end I walked home, wheeling my suitcase beside me. It was a lovely evening, 14c so it wasn’t a problem to walk. When Anie contacted me later and found out I had walked home she was very apologetic, I said, not to worry it was good for my health 😁.

My garden (which I had missed more than anything) had been well looked after by my neighbours and I had a smile on my face when I saw it. The violas on the new patch of garden had spread rapidly and the kalanchoe must like being outside as they had grown and looked so healthy.

Lots of washing done, letters to be opened, appointments to be made and kept, grass to be cut etc etc. I managed to get such a lot done including meeting my refugee ladies at the knitting workshop, yes I am back into my life very quickly.

This weekend it is the Bulles et Gastronomie in town, opened by the Mayors of Bar-sur-Aube and Troyes, I didn’t go up on Saturday, it rained, I may have a look there today. Sadly it was the last day for the Cinema in town, I am sad about this, I have enjoyed my visits there and have been going since I first arrived. I really feel that the loss of the cinema will leave a big void in this town.

My neighbour made me laugh, he always tells me how good my French is and I always wait for him to snigger but he said to me this time, you must have spoken French before you came here. Well if I did, it would be in a previous life 😂, I tried lots of different courses, Linguaphone, where I didn’t get any further than meeting Guy at the airport. I went to a class back in the 1980’s but found it difficult to practice when I had no-one to practice with. I bought Hugo’s book “French in 3 months” again only managed about 25 pages. However, since I arrived back I have been happy to talk in French and have surprised myself with how much I actually understand. If I could only get the thought and speech bit to work faster!

Pauline has been in touch, I am hoping that she settles at the university in Tours. She sent me a video of the “montgolfières” (hot air balloons) and said when I go over to Tours perhaps we could go up in one. Now I know I am game for a lot of things BUT getting in and out of a basket may just be a step too far! I met her grandmother in the supermarket the other day and we had a little chat, I didn’t mention the montgolfières 😂😂.

Yet again another month is almost over, the season of “mists and mellow fruitfulness” is upon us. I found this poem by Helen Hunt Jackson, titled September

“The golden-rod is yellow

The corn is turning brown

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down”

It reminded me of being in Monique’s orchard in August, with all the trees full of apples, which her and Jean Claude were unable to pick and windfall apples were just rotting on the ground. When they were younger it was great to have the orchard but as they got older it was becoming more difficult and now that they are not in the best of health it is just too much.

I have to admit that I don’t like the dark mornings, so last night I set the sunrise alarm, I woke when the clock was just starting up it’s pale orange glow and by the time it reached its peak the room was so brightly lit. Did I 1) leap out of bed 2) rise more leisurely or 3) go back to sleep? Well I actually…….. went back to sleep 😂😂.

Can I just say, to anyone celebrating a birthday this coming week, have a great day!

See you next time!