The Writer's Block Discussions - TBD2024-03-28T22:42:26Zhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/group/thewritersblock/forum?feed=yes&xn_auth=noWhat's Up Doc?tag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-07-14:1991841:Topic:15714562013-07-14T00:14:29.397ZMark Joel Lanehttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/MarkJoelLane
<p> </p>
<br />
<div><font size="4"> It has been over 5 months now that I've had pain and discomfort in my pelvic area. A CT scan, sonogram, cystoscopy, several specific blood tests, and being seen by 3 urologists, a nephrologist, and a gastroenterologist,have eased my worries a tad since nothing alarming has been detected. But the discomfort still persists. Muscle relaxers called alpha blockers and medication to help control my stress and anxiety as a possible cause of my pelvic…</font></div>
<p> </p>
<br />
<div><font size="4"> It has been over 5 months now that I've had pain and discomfort in my pelvic area. A CT scan, sonogram, cystoscopy, several specific blood tests, and being seen by 3 urologists, a nephrologist, and a gastroenterologist,have eased my worries a tad since nothing alarming has been detected. But the discomfort still persists. Muscle relaxers called alpha blockers and medication to help control my stress and anxiety as a possible cause of my pelvic discomfort have provided almost no relief. </font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4">Though my wife and family doctor both do not approve of my latest decision, I have made up my mind to see an exorcist. Linda Blair, eat your heart out. Yes..I know it is unconventional and defies logic and common sense.My therapist and psychiatrist now both think I've totally lost my mind. My wife says I'm nuts. That's just the point. My nuts are sore and nothing and nobody seems to be helping this discomfort I've lived with for so many months. </font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4"> Since medicine and diagnostic techniques have proved worthless,I've contacted a former witch doctor and voo doologist in Haiti. I'm using most of my personal savings and missing a week from work to see Dr. Toussaint Schlong, the most renowned exorcist my research could find. Dr. Schlong has helped such celebrities as Lindsay Lohan,Eliot Spitzer, Edward Snowden, and Justin Bieber. </font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4"> I know what you are thinking but desperate times call for desperate measures. What the devil is wrong with me? I don't know... which is precisely why the devil I am seeing an exorcist. I'll keep you informed as to how the hell I am doing once the exorcism ritual is over. Dr. Schlong informed me this 24 hour battle will leave me drained physically when he's done but I'm confident he will help me. I plan on buying some voo doo dolls during my stay in Haiti at the Haiti Hilton ,one for all my physicians and sample some criollo cooking during my stay in Haiti.</font></div> MY FAIR PROSTATEtag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-07-13:1991841:Topic:15712922013-07-13T16:55:07.172ZMark Joel Lanehttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/MarkJoelLane
<div><font size="4">In the tune of " I Could Have Danced All Night"</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4">I could have peed all night</font></div>
<div><font size="4">or block the urge and fight.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">I chose to stay in bed.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">I've totally stained my sheets</font></div>
<div><font size="4">worse than a jar of beets</font></div>
<div><font size="4">and now I'm soaked instead.</font></div>
<div> …</div>
<div><font size="4">In the tune of " I Could Have Danced All Night"</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4">I could have peed all night</font></div>
<div><font size="4">or block the urge and fight.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">I chose to stay in bed.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">I've totally stained my sheets</font></div>
<div><font size="4">worse than a jar of beets</font></div>
<div><font size="4">and now I'm soaked instead.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4">I've got my wife all agitated</font></div>
<div><font size="4">and my pajamas reek of pee.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">I should have gotten up</font></div>
<div><font size="4">and used a urine cup</font></div>
<div><font size="4">instead of saturating me.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4">It should have been my goal</font></div>
<div><font size="4">to use the toilet bowl.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">Don't come near my bedroom.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">Ammonia fills the air.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">It's more than I can bear.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">I'd rather breathe perfume.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="4">I hope my wife will do my laundry.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">I know my sheets might not get white.</font></div>
<div><font size="4">Now when I have to go</font></div>
<div><font size="4">I won't resist the flow,</font></div>
<div><font size="4">and I will Pee Pee Pee All NIGHT</font></div> Angel without Wings-No.5tag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-05-08:1991841:Topic:15369412013-05-08T21:11:37.944ZZochitlhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/Zochitl
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>David stood in front of the computer and realized <b><i>how</i></b> was he going to research the murdered woman’s past when he had nothing on her for starters?</p>
<p>“She’s trying to make me look like a fool.” He was beginning to get furious now. “This is the last time she pulls that on me. One of these days she won’t know what hit her.” Walking out of the computer room he heads for where Terri had gone to process the film.</p>
<p>Terri was busy looking at the developed…</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>David stood in front of the computer and realized <b><i>how</i></b> was he going to research the murdered woman’s past when he had nothing on her for starters?</p>
<p>“She’s trying to make me look like a fool.” He was beginning to get furious now. “This is the last time she pulls that on me. One of these days she won’t know what hit her.” Walking out of the computer room he heads for where Terri had gone to process the film.</p>
<p>Terri was busy looking at the developed roll with some other experts as Dave walks inside.</p>
<p>“Ah there you are. We’re trying to find out the person’s name but now I have to put it through the police record’s file because we didn’t have a chance to find out her name or get and I.D. there.” Seeing how aggravated he looked, Terri knew he finally realized she had sent him on a wild goose chase and she knew he was going to sail into her.</p>
<p>“You tried to get rid of me so you would find out before me but I see it back-fired on you. If you want me to keep taking pictures with you then you better come clean with me from now on or else go find yourself another photographer, you got it? I don’t care to be playing your little games anymore.” He snapped.</p>
<p>Oh wow, I didn’t know you had it in you. Can’t you take a joke?” She laughed. The kid is growing out of his cocoon.” Terri sneered. “Okay from now on gags are out, okay?” she agreed, even though it won’t be much fun anymore.” She continued under her breath.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Now let’s concentrate how we’re gonna solve this unsolvable mystery.” She continued. “I’ll place this picture into the system and see what come out. Are you with me?”</p>
<p>“Go ahead chief. I’m with you.” David nodded.</p>
<p>Terri began to send the pictures through the special machine the goes straight into the Materials and Resources Department of the local police station in River Falls and from there it would be canalized to one of the big cities in the East coast. Now all they had to do is to wait until the results would come back.</p>
<p>“Let’s go back to the main newsroom. I want to write something about it at my desk, even if it’s just something to start the ball rolling and give the cops something to talk about. It will be a while before we get some kind of an answer back from the M and R department. Maybe by now someone else over there must have heard something about this case.” Terri said to Dave.</p>
<p>They headed down the long hall to where the newsroom was located. Terri headed for her desk and sat down while Dave began to chat with other photographers in the room to see what work they had gotten.</p>
<p>“Say Terri. What’s the deal with you? Have you finally found something to write about lately?” One of the reporters sitting next to her desk sneered at her.</p>
<p>“You never know Gary. Why don’t you stick to getting subscriptions for the paper and let me do the reporting?” Terri smiles unflinching looking blatantly at him. Gary turns his chair around showing a pout on his face. Then she began to type on her typewriter.</p> Angel Without Wings No.4tag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-04-29:1991841:Topic:15317252013-04-29T19:35:49.447ZZochitlhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/Zochitl
<p>George Mervin settled about the same time in River Falls as Allen C. Foster’s grandfather. He was a hard working young man, having made his money fur trading. He had bought most of the land that took up the vast forest beyond the town. He would do his own cutting and take the logs close to the river nearby. Then he would go to the East coast and make contracts with the saw mills and pulp mills there. Taking the logs down the river was a very hard job and sometimes big amounts would be…</p>
<p>George Mervin settled about the same time in River Falls as Allen C. Foster’s grandfather. He was a hard working young man, having made his money fur trading. He had bought most of the land that took up the vast forest beyond the town. He would do his own cutting and take the logs close to the river nearby. Then he would go to the East coast and make contracts with the saw mills and pulp mills there. Taking the logs down the river was a very hard job and sometimes big amounts would be stuck going down the river and you needed expert loggers, which he hired to guide them. </p>
<p> Once George Mervin was established and his log company was running smoothly, he married a local girl from River Falls by the name of Merilee Sanders. Her father was a doctor at the hospital in town and he mostly took care of all the loggers as they became sick or were in accidents. They had three children. There were two boys; Tom, Henry, and their young sister; Marilynn<b>.</b></p>
<p> When the Mervin boys became old enough, and with the guidance of their father, they immediately were placed to learn the business and they all helped their father prosper and grow. His daughter Marilynn was sent to a private school on the East coast, where she learned to be a refined young lady enjoying the finer things of life. She rarely wanted to come back to River Falls and would always have some excuse to come home. Her brothers would tell their parents that she had become very spoiled. After she finished her schooling she met a young financier from a very wealthy family in New York and decided to marry him. Her parents were disappointed knowing they would not see her often but complied with her wishes giving her one of the finest weddings in River Falls. Many of the New York society came to the wedding and were amazed that in such a backwoods country her father brought in caterers from the best restaurants in New York and gave her a lavish wedding party in their big mansion that he had built on his five acre estate. Mervin was a down-to-earth man and invited several of the townspeople including the Foster family who brought their best photographers and reporters writing a wonderful article in their paper. Marilyn was very upset about that but her father finally put his foot down and reminded her that this is where he had made his fortune and would never shun the townsfolk that had helped him through the years.</p>
<p> Some years went by and everything began to change. Mervin's log business was changing as the new generation of newspaper business was also changing. Things had become more technical for both companies through the years. The Sentinel had flourished from a one room plant on Maine Street where 300 newspapers were printed on a hand press to a big conglomerate that spread to neighboring towns and cities. The logging business had expanded so much that it even had places in neighboring Canada. They had both of them become more modernized and there wasn’t time for squabbling anymore.</p>
<p>The Foster boys, James and Kevin, after finishing in a private Journalism school, were now running their father’s business. Even though Allen C. still had his “fingers in the dough” in the paper, as the elder Foster would tell them. Their great-grandfather had long passed on and Allan C. Foster had run the paper until the boys finished their schooling. Now the young Fosters had remodeled and built more extensions to the building and there were 150 reporters and 300 more personnel while also acquiring radio stations and television stations. James married a young lady from California and had a girl naming her Beth, while Kevin married a local town girl and they had twins. A boy and a girl. Their names were Allan and Angela. The town had gown.</p>
<p>Tom Mervin and his brother Henry both worked hard in the lumber business of their father and eventually they also got married and each had one son; They also went to the best schools and then they took over their father’s business. Running it with modern machinery and remodeling the plant with better equipment it continued to be one of the top logging companies in the country.</p>
<p>The young men in both families tried to keep a distance between them but in reality they had become friends when they were growing up starting in the same schools in town together. To keep appearances for the sake of their parents, they would not see each other very much. Only when they would go horse-back riding in the woods they would get together and enjoy each other’s company comparing notes about each other’s lives. The girls stayed further apart but were decent to each other when they met. They knew that the Foster boys would not say anything in their newspaper to hurt the business because times had changed and their ideas had also changed about the feud their great grandparents and parents still held. Besides were so many other things more important now to take care of. The third generation was getting over that so it seemed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> Angel wthout Wings-3tag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-04-25:1991841:Topic:15294972013-04-25T19:54:02.722ZZochitlhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/Zochitl
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, you goofed again!” Terri turned angrily to David as she tried to straighten her blouse from the tugging Donnelly had done to it. In the meantime David’s shoe had gotten untied and he was kneeling a few feet away trying to tie it.</p>
<p>“You took too long and the cops had time to look your way, you dummy!” Terri continued. “I gave you enough time to get the camera and hide it from them, but no, I don’t understand why you didn’t react faster.” She continued overexcited.…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, you goofed again!” Terri turned angrily to David as she tried to straighten her blouse from the tugging Donnelly had done to it. In the meantime David’s shoe had gotten untied and he was kneeling a few feet away trying to tie it.</p>
<p>“You took too long and the cops had time to look your way, you dummy!” Terri continued. “I gave you enough time to get the camera and hide it from them, but no, I don’t understand why you didn’t react faster.” She continued overexcited. “Now how are we going to prove what we saw huh?</p>
<p>David stood up and stared at Terri with a calm face. “Did I say I didn’t get the film? Did I?” Dipping into his coat jacket he grabs something small and then turns his palm over slowly opening it. A roll of film was sitting there. “Maybe I didn’t get the camera but I sure as hell got what was inside of it.” A smile begins to creep on his lips.</p>
<p>“You sweet and adorable twit. How did you do it? When did you have the time to yank it out of the camera?” Terri squealed surprised with delight . </p>
<p>“Well, this twit’s hands are quicker than the eye, for your information.” Dave answered with some pride in his voice.</p>
<p>“Great! Now let’s head for the Sentinel and give it to the Processing Department so’s we can look at it better. Then we can also find out who that dead woman is and where she’s from.” Terri got excited again as she continued.</p>
<p>“And who killed her right?” Dave added.</p>
<p>Yeah, yeah.” Terri said giving Dave a sly look. Then hurried to reach their SUV and climbed inside while Dave got into the driver’s seat and started the car stepping on the accelerator all the way down. A loud screech was heard from the back wheels as he took off with a jolt.</p>
<p>“Hey kid slow down a bit. We don’t want the cops to stop us now and give us a ticket right when we have some good proof in our hands to get our investigating going.” Terri called out at Dave.</p>
<p>“Listen, don’t ever call me kid again or I’ll never help you anymore. I'm a grown man and older than you for your information. You hear me?” David turned to Terri with an angry look.</p>
<p>“Fine if that’s what you want. and you're only two years older anyway." She said under her breath. "Just get us to the Office so we can see these pictures.” Terri answered a little disturbed. David kept driving and mumbling under his breath until finally they reached the Morning Sentinel. Terri climbed down from the SUV and headed straight for the door.</p>
<p>“So who’s chasing us now? Man, are you in a hurry.” David shouted from his side.</p>
<p>“I just have to get this developed so we can go from there. In the meantime why don’t you head for the computer dept. and look for something that might give us a lead on the case?” Terri answered as she continued inside.</p>
<p>“Now I’m not only the one that takes the pictures but she’s got me investigating at the same time?” Dave began to mumble again as he walked away. “On the other hand, this can get me to learn more about reporting since that’s what I originally want to be.” He smiled and headed for the investigation room.</p>
<p>Terri reached the Processing Department and went inside. The room was big. Twenty by thirty square feet and filled with all kinds of machines to process pictures faster than any other place in town. Many people were busy working and developing pictures getting them ready for the activities in the newspaper.</p>
<p>The Sentinel was the oldest newspaper in River Falls, and it was still owned privately by Allen P. Foster. His great grandfather had started it way back in the 1800’s when the town was beginning to grow with the cutting of trees that George Mervin began. That brought a lot of new settlers into town. Then he became very successful and built a lumber company and more stores. Finally a school and a hospital was also built. The various accidents that kept happening when his workers got hurt sending the logs down the river now could be treated there instead of going down the river to a far away town. Doctors and nurses also began to move in making their homes in River Falls and other professionals also joined in the process.</p>
<p>The Sentinel was busy writing stories of the new people coming into town and more reporting to be done just to keep up with the accidents that would take place at the plant. Finally the government stepped in and better working conditions were made for the workers. But accidents were always present, even though George Mervin kept a tight ship at his lumber centers.</p>
<p> </p> Angel without Wings cont.-2tag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-04-21:1991841:Topic:15273572013-04-21T17:10:25.495ZZochitlhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/Zochitl
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look David he placed the camera on that side table. Ya’ think you can nab it without him noticing you?” Terri whispered in excitement to him. “ I’ll make some sort of hullabaloo that I lost my earring and keep them busy with me while you reach the table, okay?”</p>
<p>Yeah yeah. Just make it long enough so’s I can get to the camera.” David said.</p>
<p>Terri entered the room shouting. ‘I know it dropped here when that lug grabbed my arm and I lost it. David look for it…</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look David he placed the camera on that side table. Ya’ think you can nab it without him noticing you?” Terri whispered in excitement to him. “ I’ll make some sort of hullabaloo that I lost my earring and keep them busy with me while you reach the table, okay?”</p>
<p>Yeah yeah. Just make it long enough so’s I can get to the camera.” David said.</p>
<p>Terri entered the room shouting. ‘I know it dropped here when that lug grabbed my arm and I lost it. David look for it around where you were standing….</p>
<p>“What th’ tarnations? You back again? Who let you in?” Sargeant O’Malley looking up to where Terri had bent over and seems to be looking at the floor. “Donnelley! Didn’t I tell you to get rid of them? Why the hell are they back in here? Can’t you follow orders , you blockhead,or do I have to demote you down to walking the beat once more?” O’Malley continued to shout at his co-hort.</p>
<p>“Sarge I kicked them out. I dunno where the gal came from? I saw her go down the first flight of stairs. She must’ve sneaked past me when you called me to help the coroner turn the body. I swear she wasn’t there before.” Donnelly looked at him scratching his head underneath his cap. Then O’Malley turned and saw David at the table fidgeting with the camera.</p>
<p>“Hey you over there. What the hell are you doing? Put that down right now.” Now O’Malley was burning up. Donnelly let go of Terri’s arm that he had gone and picked her up from the floor next to the body and moved quickly to where David was standing before O’Malley got a chance to get there.</p>
<p>“I got ‘im boss. Gimme that thing.” Donnelly yelled grabbing the camera trying to force it from David’s hand. The camera slipped and fell to the floor as both Donnelly and David dove down for it. Donnelly grabbed it first but David followed. Losing his balance Donnelly landed on his stomach on top of David. David hollered a piercing: “Ugh! Shit ! You fat cow! I can't breath.” As they both hit the floor at the same time practically crushing David, who only weighed 165 pounds next to Donnelly's 210.</p>
<p> “You dumb ox!” O’Malley shouted at the top of his lungs. “I don’t need two murders today. You almost crushed that poor kid. Get up and let him breath.” He ordered him. Donnelly tried to get up but being so heavy around the belly he couldn’t get his balance and David finally used his legs to push him to one side making him roll over. Then he just lay there exhausted panting.</p>
<p> “Gimme that camera!” O’Malley continued crazed with anger grabbing the camera from Donnelly’s hand. “Get up and act like a cop. Take those two all the way downstairs right this minute and kick them out into the street... <strong>now</strong>. And be sure they don’t get back in here, you got that?”</p>
<p>“Yes sir, right now. I will, Sir. Cm’on you two. Get the lead out. Stand up.” He lifts David making him fly in the air like a weightless feather off the floor and heads over to grab Terri’s arm pushing them both towards the main door like two lifeless rags. O’Malley kept looking at the scene while he shook his head. “Why do I have to get such ninkompoops every time?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> FLY, FLY AWAY Little Brothertag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-04-17:1991841:Topic:15245782013-04-17T18:12:29.589ZZochitlhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/Zochitl
<p> </p>
<p>I loved my bedroom. Mom had made such a lovely place for me to live in. the bed was a double bed with a Louis XV headboard in a cream and gold penciled-in design all around the edges and I had a little commode to match and a dressing table with a mirror to boot. I didn’t allow my brother to come inside because he was reckless and loved to investigate what I had. He would sneak in and look at all the nice things that I had on my dressing table like my little perfume bottles and…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I loved my bedroom. Mom had made such a lovely place for me to live in. the bed was a double bed with a Louis XV headboard in a cream and gold penciled-in design all around the edges and I had a little commode to match and a dressing table with a mirror to boot. I didn’t allow my brother to come inside because he was reckless and loved to investigate what I had. He would sneak in and look at all the nice things that I had on my dressing table like my little perfume bottles and hand cream and would open them all up and throw them on my lovely pink carpet making me shout and scream until mother would come and scold me for allowing him to come inside my room. I was always to blame. </p>
<p>He was the youngest and supposedly so delicate, since she suffered in his delivery and almost lost him giving him birth. I was constantly told that he was a miracle baby and he loved to lavish about himself in that story all the time. I was always the bully because Jack was born when there weren’t any incubators yet and was only a mere 2lbs. having to be placed in a box surrounded by warm cotton that they had to keep warming up and feeding him with an eye dropper every two hours.</p>
<p>I was a born a very healthy baby and two years his senior. I was a very strong little girl, always trying to be good, so I never had any problems whatsoever. Mother was always worrying about him. Watching every move he made and making me always have to take care of him. I couldn’t go out to play or be with my friends because he had to come with me and my girlfriends and I didn’t care to have a pipsqueak listening to what we would say or do. He was such a tattletale and would go tell mother. He would sometimes even making stories up just to get me in trouble.</p>
<p>Well, why did I have to put up with that? Well I wanted to please my mother so I would not say anything. I don’t know why he had to be treated so special? He was a monster in disguise! He was strong and could run like the wind with those skinny legs of his when he wanted to disappear. </p>
<p> At six years old he was worse than Dennis the Menace! Always on the sly doing things around the house and having somebody else take the blame for it. I, being the strong one, supposedly, always took the brunt of things! Being that he was such a sneak, nobody would see when he broke something. I would go to pick up the pieces and then I would get blamed for what he broke.</p>
<p>Well one day I decided to play a little trick on him. His nanny has just combed his golden locks and was getting him ready for kindergarten but he loved to feel he was Superman.</p>
<p>“Hey why don’t we go up to the roof and play?” I said smiling. “We could play Batman and Robin and I’ll lend you my cape so if you want to fly you will look exactly like him.”</p>
<p>He was all excited and we sneaked up to the top of the roof. He began to chase me all around the tiled roof playing Tag as we kept running all around laughing and me pretending to catch him.</p>
<p>“Now I want to fly” Jack shouted suddenly.</p>
<p>“What? You want to fly? ”Okay let me go downstairs and get ready to catch you when you come down in case you forget the right words to start you off” I answered.</p>
<p>He began to button the cape. He wasn’t a tall boy but instead he was thin and lanky and the black cape was longer than his small three foot frame.</p>
<p>I ran downstairs and stood watching Jack get on the small ledge of the roof as he kept flapping the cape up and down, back and forth, like it were the wings of a small bird. Most of the time his small arms would get tangled in the heavy cloth and he had to wave them the opposite way trying to untangle them.</p>
<p>There was a canopy just below him and as he finally decided to take the plunge I quickly ran and began to roll the canopy to make a sort of bend on the heavy canvas material. I had realized that if he hit the stairs below it, he would become a flat pancake and then I would get the blame and would never hear the end of it for sure.</p>
<p>He came down like a piece of lead; so fast that I was happy I had begun to roll the canopy sooner, as he hit it. I quickly began to roll it inwardly covering him completely. I just couldn’t stop his screaming and I saw my mother and his Nanny come out of the kitchen door. Hearing his screams and the ruckus that we were doing they knew something was wrong. Jack kept struggling to get out of the canopy screaming at the top of his lungs but I had rolled it nice and tight.</p>
<p>“What is going on?” My mother began showing a troubled look on her face shouting at me. Then she heard the muffled screams of my brother from above. “You better let him out of there, right this minute.” She screamed at me now with an angry look on her face.</p>
<p>I let go of the rope that had been holding my little brother prisoner, wishing he could just stay all rolled up forever in the canopy. It slowly began to unroll and Jack fell to the ground. He began to cry but I knew he had not gotten hurt. All he wanted was mother to get angry at me and not punish him for falling off the roof.</p>
<p>Well, he convinced mother that it was my fault, even though I didn’t touch him and he wanted to do this. Except of course I did coax him a little. But still, I didn’t push him. He did it himself.</p>
<p>I got punished and sent to my room where I could only get out just to go to the bathroom or to the dining room to have my meals. Jack would constantly walk by smiling as he passed my room and moving his body from side to side and then sticking his tongue out at me. I just smiled back. He didn’t know how happy I really felt that I didn’t have to watch over him.</p>
<p> </p> Angel without Wingstag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-04-16:1991841:Topic:15237172013-04-16T22:42:05.209ZZochitlhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/Zochitl
<p> </p>
<p>The paramedics hurried up the three flights of stairs carrying the small cot and their bags. As they finally arrived at number <b>306</b> they saw a policeman standing in front of the doorway. Looking at the paramedics he just shook his head."You don't have to hurry boys. She's gone anyway." he muttered.</p>
<p>I was right behind them huffing to catch my breath with my photographer. Entering the room, I could see that the detective was kneeling beside a small woman. She had just…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The paramedics hurried up the three flights of stairs carrying the small cot and their bags. As they finally arrived at number <b>306</b> they saw a policeman standing in front of the doorway. Looking at the paramedics he just shook his head."You don't have to hurry boys. She's gone anyway." he muttered.</p>
<p>I was right behind them huffing to catch my breath with my photographer. Entering the room, I could see that the detective was kneeling beside a small woman. She had just been pronounced dead by the coroner. The warm blood was still oozing from her head as the coroner finally stood up. My photographer was taking pictures right and left until the detective, Sgt. Tim O’Malley told him to stop.</p>
<p>“Hey. You’re not a forensic photographer so give me that camera before I nab it from you. Who told you to take pictures? Don’t you know this is a murder scene? Get ‘atta here.” he shouted angrily at him.</p>
<p>Two burly policemen grabbed our arms and were escorted, more like pushed out the door of the apartment.</p>
<p>“I didn’t tell you to start snapping so fast, Dave. You should have waited for me to get there. Now you botched things up but good, and with no story to take back. How many times have I told you to wait for me?” Terry gnarled at him.</p>
<p>Dave just kept looking at Terry with a grimace on his young face. <br/> “I just wanted you to tell me I was doing a good job. That’s all.” He mumbled looking down at his shoes.</p>
<p>“Oh shut-up. This is not a pat-on-the–back contest we’re in. Don’t be stupid and next time wait for my orders before doing things on your own. You’re just a rookie and you have to take orders until you get better. I gave you this opportunity to be with me on assignments not to make things worse for me, got it?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Dave replied and kept walking.</p>
<p>“Okay okay. Let’s try and see if we can find out what’s going on with that murder now.”</p>
<p>Terry began to edge closer to the door and looked as the policeman was standing to one side while the coroner was kneeling down turning the body over.</p>
<p>She was a young woman in her forties, with a good looking face and body. One leg was twisted and Terry right away knew it was broken.</p>
<p>“She didn’t die here. I bet that they just put her there after she fell somewhere else. How could she break that leg like that in this apartment? “Terri whispered to David as he tried to look over her and see what was going on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> TIMEtag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-04-13:1991841:Topic:15215732013-04-13T14:18:52.335ZZochitlhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/Zochitl
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I had to make time to have that coffee before I got dressed. Can’t think without having my first sip in the morning. I’m leaving and have to be at the airport three hours ahead of the time that the plane leaves. International rules, I guess. What a drag. I don’t want to go but I must. I guess that’s been the story of my life. Hurry, hurry, hurry. No time to waste. Can’t have everything you want, I guess.</p>
<p>Life has…</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I had to make time to have that coffee before I got dressed. Can’t think without having my first sip in the morning. I’m leaving and have to be at the airport three hours ahead of the time that the plane leaves. International rules, I guess. What a drag. I don’t want to go but I must. I guess that’s been the story of my life. Hurry, hurry, hurry. No time to waste. Can’t have everything you want, I guess.</p>
<p>Life has been always a series of time gatherings for me. Yes, time to study and time to get married, and time to raise kids and time to suffer alone. Time, Time, Time! Now, time to grow old? How much time is left before I die?</p>
<p> Everything moves so fast when you look back. The clock is always ticking away and what have I done for myself ? Always worrying about others but never had time to see what I wanted to do for me. Too late? </p>
<p>Now, I’m stuck in a place where I can’t leave because the world has turned upside down at this time…. And I’m in the middle of it ? So the time to get out of here is not the right time either? How much time will I be stuck here waiting for something to happen that will be the right time to go? Or to do? Will that time ever come for me? But will I have enough time to wait? </p>
<p>Oh my, where has the time gone and I haven’t gotten dressed yet? </p> The Day After Christmastag:teebeedee.ning.com,2013-04-04:1991841:Topic:15158152013-04-04T22:58:09.157ZZochitlhttps://teebeedee.ning.com/profile/Zochitl
<p> </p>
<p> I was invited to join this family on a trip to the beach one year the day after Christmas.</p>
<p> Every year, at the beginning of the year, this very unusual family has made a pact to go camping on that special day since their father used to take them all from the time they were children. Their father and mother, who are now in their 80's, began this tradition with their nine daughters and five sons twenty years ago. As the daughters and sons grew up and got married, the…</p>
<p> </p>
<p> I was invited to join this family on a trip to the beach one year the day after Christmas.</p>
<p> Every year, at the beginning of the year, this very unusual family has made a pact to go camping on that special day since their father used to take them all from the time they were children. Their father and mother, who are now in their 80's, began this tradition with their nine daughters and five sons twenty years ago. As the daughters and sons grew up and got married, the tradition continued every 26th day of December until at the present time their numbers have grown to a total of 60 people in the family. They are such a very united family that they never wanted to break the tradition.</p>
<p> During the year, they get together and have a meeting between all the couples and agree on who will be in charge of the various tasks like, the camping gear that they must take. Starting with the entire kitchen supplies, the tables and chairs for the entire group or the electrical equipment or who will be in charge of the "garbage detail" or who will take the fishing equipment. They all sit down together one evening to discuss everything that has to be done for the trip.</p>
<p>It also includes the boats that they plan to take and how they will be positioned in the caravan of cars. The only thing that they don't have to agree on is that each family will take whatever refreshments they like and their own plates and utensils. They will also discussed how they will set up the tents since this is a united effort of every person in the group except of course, the grandparents and the smallest children, who happen to be two great-great grandchildren. </p>
<p> Once they have arrived at a total agreement, they begin to gather everything for their trip during the year. They have a whole year to plan and get ready for the day when they will start for the beach grounds as they accomplish with fervor all the tasks that they have been assigned. You can see the excitement in their faces as they wait the final day.</p>
<p> Finally, the day comes and the caravan is ready to take off with their entire equipment ready and in working order. Everyone from the father and mother who are on their 60th wedding anniversary to the last two great grandchildren who are 2 and 3 years old, set off for the 3 hour drive to their special place, that is about 112 miles from their city to the ocean.</p>
<p>I rode with the grandparents, which was the first of the 10 cars on the Caravan. The oldest son took the responsibility of driving the lead car. It was so enjoyable to see the countryside as we drove thru the hills on this twisted winding road that went around the mountain. Everything was so green in this part of the country and so enjoyable looking at the different places that we were going by. The joyful singing of the young adults in the Van, made the three hour trip go by very fast. </p>
<p> Arriving at their favorite spot, they turn into a spacious lot that a friend of theirs, for a small fee, allowed them to park all their cars and boats every year and then begin to unpack their belongings.</p>
<p> The men and their older sons begin to set up the tents. The women of the group start setting up the kitchen, which will be the main tent where they will all gather to eat. Chairs and tables are set in place next. Then the one in charge of connecting the gas stoves, water supply, and garbage detail gets into action making sure that everything is in working order while some of the women of the group get their pots and pans and everything necessary for cooking, placing them in the cabinets that the men have set up for them.</p>
<p> In the meantime, the rest of the women are arranging the sleeping quarters and making the beds in each tent. Each family brought their own tent. The ones in charge of the bathroom details get busy to build the showers for bathing and the toilets which they have carefully constructed placing the organic materials necessary for avoiding septic conditions.</p>
<p>The "garbage detail" makes sure that all the garbage is gathered daily and taken to the nearby village garbage dump. After so many years of practice, they are experts in performing their duties. Everything is done with such precision. I kept admiring them how quickly these things were accomplished.</p>
<p> Now the second phase begins. This consists of drawing straws to find out what day which couple and their children will be assigned to the cooking and serving, and who will go to the market and buy the provisions for the day. Each cluster family is responsible to wash their dishes and pots and pans and put them away except that they all take turns serving their parents and washing <i>their</i> dishes and utensils. It is so amazing to see this family be so united and cooperate together so well.</p>
<p> After the main chores are done, the fun begins. Some of the men take their boats and go fishing for the day bringing back a good supply for the cook, while others go water skiing with their wives, and the children enjoy the pleasures of swimming or running on the sand playing the games that they have brought, like volley ball, soccer, and the likes while the younger set build their castles in the wet sand under the watchful eyes of some of the parents.</p>
<p>The older couple just enjoy sitting in their lawn chairs watching every one of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren enjoy themselves. They enjoy going for their morning walk; or sit to read a good book and later, after their lunch they retire for their afternoon siesta.</p>
<p> After all, being together for 60 years and raising 14 wonderful children they are now enjoying the fruits of their labor. Every evening around nine, everyone gathers to pray together and then lights out and any noise is forbidden after midnight.</p>
<p> After two wonderful weeks have gone by, they pick up everything from the beach and they start for home being so content that they had a good relaxing and enjoyable time together. Once everything gets picked up, there isn't a sign that 60 people were in that spot because everything looks like no one had been there. </p>
<p>I was honored to have been invited to this wonderful family and been number 61 on the group and treated with so much warmth.</p>
<p> It's so wonderful to be a part of a family like this with so much union and love amongst themselves. With the examples they see from their grandparents and parents, there is no doubt that the young generation will follow this tradition forever.</p>