#ashland car show
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1965 Corvette featuring 327 Turbo Fire Engine and 330 HP.
At the Ashland Car Show, Sep. 10, 2023.
#yzshot#classic cars#america#corvette#chevy#chevrolet#sports car#bowtie#vette#classic car#american car#super car#muscle car#ashland car show#engine#turbofire#fujifilm#fujifilm xt20
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When The Levee Breaks- Ch2
Pairing: Kimberly Hart X Tommy Oliver
Summary: A tornado appears in Oklahoma, unlike any tornado this world has ever seen. The Winchesters go to investigate what is causing this phenomenon and find a world that is completely different from their own. Supernatural/Power Rangers Mash Up.
"Agent Holt, Agent Wilson, follow me," a nurse said as Sam and Dean walked behind her and they took in the extra security. The only reason they were ahead of the real FBI was Bobby's tip off and they needed to get these two beings out of here. With the war in heaven, there was no telling what side these beings were on and it was best to neutralize them until they knew where they fell.
"What can you tell us about their condition?" Dean asked as they paused in the doorway and the nurse looked back at them.
"Unconscious, but surprisingly healthy and stable. If they hadn't been in that field, I would just say that they were sleeping," the nurse admitted as they nodded. That certainly made things a lot easier for them and the plan they had. "Their identifications were weird though."
"Weird how?" Sam asked as Dean walked further into the room and glanced at the medicine that they were attached to. It was nothing that was really keeping them alive. Bobby was meeting them at a safehouse he had outside Ashland, Nebraska, but it was up to them to talk the doctors and nurses into letting them walk out with these two beings. They looked human, but they had been around too many monsters that appeared human to the average joe as well. Until they knew for sure, this was a new kind of monster that no one had ever run into before.
"Their ids aren't from real places. Reefside, California. Briarwood, Oregon. We can't find them on any map and Google isn't helping either. The best we got were some tv show references," the nurse said as Sam took the evidence bag from her and nodded.
"We have authorization to move them to a federal facility. We're not sure if they are a danger to this world," Dean said as he passed them some paperwork that they had hastily forged and the nurse nodded. "We will require an ambulance, but since they are stable- no need for medical personnel."
"That's unorthodox," the nurse responded as Sam turned on the charm and Dean motioned to the other medical personnel who were willing to move them onto ambulance gurneys. It was obvious to the both of them that they did not want them in this hospital any longer than they needed to be. The circumstances that got them here freaked out even the most experienced medical personnel.
They put them into the ambulance and Dean let out a sigh of relief. As they pulled out of the ambulance bay they saw government plated cars pull into the parking lot and turned on the sirens. The impala was parked a few streets over and it was not going to take long for the hospital personnel to realize that they had let fake federal agents take the only people that might know what had happened in that field. Dean switched on the lights and sirens and floored it, every second was going to count.
"They are not on the angels' side," Cas said as he landed in the passenger's seat and Dean jerked the wheel before quickly correcting back into his lane. No matter how many times Cas dropped in, he would never get used to the sudden appearances.
"Thanks, Cas. You could have just answered the text Sam sent you," Dean pointed out as Sam glanced up into the front of the ambulance. "Sammy?"
"He's starting to come around. I'll knock him back out if he wakes up," Sam stated as Cas and Dean exchanged a glance, but didn't argue with him. They didn't know what they were up against and if they could be unconscious- that was the easiest way to keep them until they got to the safehouse.
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"Where…where am I?" the woman murmured as she blinked her eyes open and felt that she was secured to a chair. She glanced around the room and saw three men watching her and Tommy attached to a similar chair. She had water thrown in her face and she sputtered as she stared up at the tallest man who had pulled out a knife and he quickly slashed her arm and then pulled out another one and slashed the other. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Huh. Doesn't react to holy water, silver, or iron," Sam said as she wondered what the hell the man was talking about. Why would she react to any of those? Was there some sort of allergy she would suddenly develop?
"Dead man's blood did nothing. Ashes of a phoenix did nothing. Goopher dust did nothing," Bobby remarked as she glanced down to see several syringe marks on her arms. What had they injected her with? "What are you?"
"Human," she sassed as she pulled against the restraints, testing them. She was feeling her strength come back and if Tommy didn't wake up soon- she was going to have to get them out of this and then she would cuss Tommy up one side and down the other for pulling her into this mess, again. "Where am I?"
"We're asking the questions here," Dean said as he leaned in close to her and she met him head on. This man didn't scare her. She had had real things in her life that were terrifying. He was not terrifying by any means. "How did you get here?"
"It looks like you kidnapped me. How about you enlighten me then?" she quipped as Dean smirked. That smart mouth would be attractive if she was actually human, but he highly doubted it. The man started to come around and Sam repeated the tests on him. They were concerned about testing him while he was conscious, there was something about him that made them all think he could be dangerous. "Do you work for Lipretere?"
"Sorry who?" Bobby asked as he watched the man test the bonds and for the first time felt a jolt of fear. They could control her, but there was something in his eyes that made him think the man was not controllable. There was something that made him think that they were going to be hunted if these beings weren't on their side.
"Lipretere. The being that attacked her to get to me," the man said as they all shook their heads. They had never heard of a Lipretere before. "Where are we?"
"No idea. Best guess- still on Earth," the woman replied as she flexed her hands and they watched as something appeared. Sam wrestled it out of her hands and they all stared at it. They moved away from them and studied the item as she let out a groan. She hadn't even meant to summon her morpher, she was just trying to see how much give they had left her. "I'd like my morpher back!"
The men retreated even further out of the room and she looked over at Tommy again. He flicked his hands and his morpher appeared. He muttered his morphing sequence and a light filled the cabin as he morphed. It broke the ropes that held him, but also called the attention of the three men. They charged back into the room, but froze as they watched the man rise to his feet. He ignored them as he walked over to the women and quickly checked her over.
"No way. Sam- didn't you watch some kung fu shit when you were a kid where…" Dean trailed off as the masked man went about untying the woman's ropes. "Oh what was it… Super Soldiers? Galactic Gurus?"
"Power Rangers?" Sam suggested as they watched the beings freeze. They both exchanged a glance as the men smiled. "What was the girl you had a major crush on?"
The two groups studied each other. The more the Winchesters examined the foreign beings, the more they realized that they looked exactly like a couple of characters from one of Sam's favorite shows as a kid. They were older, but there was no denying who the woman was and they both had a sinking feeling about who the man was as well. They'd been really smart to test his reaction when he was unconscious.
"Smooth, Sammy. Real smooth," Dean muttered as the woman rose to her feet and she moved towards him. "Kimberly Hart?"
"And Tommy Oliver. I'll take that," Tommy said as he grabbed her morpher and tossed it over to her as she turned her glare to him. "Can we agree that we're human now that you have some idea who we are?"
"You asshole," Kimberly growled as she charged at Tommy and sparks flew up as she punched him. "You were awake and you let them torture me!"
"They tortured you?" Tommy asked as he demorphed and wrapped his arms around her as she struggled against him. He looked down at her arms and saw multiple cuts and he felt that she was soaked. "You tortured her?"
"Just doing our job- we had to check," Sam said as he held his hands up and Tommy glared over at him as Kimberly bucked in his arms. "You could have been anything- from vampires to werewolves to demons. So yeah- we had to check."
"Those aren't real," Kim said as she finally pulled out of Tommy's arms and glared over at him. He let out a sigh. Now that their lives were not immediately in danger, she was going to go back to hating him. "How the fuck did you get us into this?"
"I warned you that Lipretere was going to come after you and that you should get back to Reefside or go into hiding. You ignored me," Tommy ground out as the Winchesters continued to watch them. This was definitely not the couple that had been portrayed in the tv show, that couple had been wildly in love.
"Why would he use me to get to you?" Kim asked as he just gave her a look and she snorted. "Not that shit again. You don't cheat on your fiancee with multiple people and still be desperately in love with her."
"I was evil," Tommy clarified to the room as she laughed.
"Oh yeah, evil enough to fuck your way through Katherine, Renee, Jasmine, Michelle- who else?" Kim growled as he let out a groan. It had been over ten years and she still could not forgive him for what he had done when he was evil. She had forgiven basically everything but the infidelity and that was something he understood, but he still cared about her. He still cared about her enough that every evil in the universe knew that she was his achilles' heel. She tolerated him when she was in danger, she craved him when she was terrified, but mostly he was her safe place and he was fine if that was all he ever was again. She seemed to hate herself and him for the fact that she felt safest with a man who had hurt her heart so much. "How far are we from Briarwood, Oregon?"
"See- that's the problem- there's no Briarwood, Oregon or Reefside, California. You got dropped in that field by a tornado that hovered there for over a day- your lives- were a kids tv show," Dean said as Sam pulled up an episode and began playing a clip. Kim and Tommy huddled around the screen and they watched their mortified stares. "Yeah…we know. Similar thing happened to us, but that involved angels and our friend Cas said you weren't part of an angel thing."
"And they certainly aren't part of any deal I would make for hell," Crowley said as they all jerked around to him. "Hello boys…and girl. A little birdie said that you picked up what fell out of that storm- I guess they were right."
"Seriously? Did I ever look like that?" Kim shrieked as Tommy looked back at the computer and shook his head no. She might have been the pink ranger, but she had never dressed that way. "Ignoring that- different universe?"
"Looks like it and looks like Lipretere brought us here," Tommy stated as he let out a sigh. He wanted to go after Lipretere, but they owed the people that had saved them from all the questioning. "Who are you?"
"I'm Dean and this is my brother Sam. We're hunters," Dean said as he watched them carefully as they studied him. He was not sure that he wanted them as an ally, but he had a feeling he definitely didn't want them as an enemy. "We hunt ghosts and werewolves and vampires and demons. And sometimes angels. You are now our problem."
"We can take care of ourselves. We've been down this road before and once we can get Lipretere, we should get back to our world," Tommy said as Kim nodded. The two of them had had this happen more times than they wanted to admit and they knew best how to track down Lipretere. They also knew that anyone that was with them, was in danger. "Thanks for getting us out of any awkward questions."
"I don't think it's going to be that easy," Bobby said as they all turned to him. "What can you do? Really do. I mean you muttered a few words and were powered up to take us on and anything that got in your way. Both sides are going to want you as a weapon."
"We're no one's weapon," Kim ground out as Sam and Dean grimaced. They had both said that before, but it didn't matter- they were turned into weapons anyway. "What?"
"Allow me," Crowley said as smoke poured out of his mouth and he took over Kimberly's body. Her eyes blinked open and Tommy jumped back as he saw they were pitch black.
"Get out of her," Tommy ordered and to all of their surprise black smoke immediately poured out of her mouth. She collapsed into Tommy's arms and he watched the man stand back up. Crowley stared at him as he shook his head. He'd never had that happen before.
"Well I'll be damned," Bobby muttered as Tommy gave them a confused look before Kimberly leaned over to the side and threw up. She batted his hands away as he ignored her and continued to care for her. The rest of the room stared at them in awe. Yeah, they definitely had some powers that all sides would want.
#powerrangers#power rangers#supernatural#crossover#kimberly hart x tommy oliver#sam winchester#dean winchester#tommy oliver#kimberly hart
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Oregon Again Welcomes PCT Thru-hikers
Janet Eastman, who lives in the Ashland area, periodically writes a piece about the PCT. Again this year she has documented the annual migration of PCT hikers through Oregon. This is an excerpt of her story that appeared in the August 21st issue of The Oregonian.
To me, the key comment included in this article is that of the PCTA's Scott Wilkinson who observed that, "uninterrupted end-to-end hikes may continue to be more difficult.” Although there will still be plenty who attempt the uninterrupted thru-hike, more and more hikers may be forced to consider section hiking the PCT.
By Janet Eastman
Ashland’s stars of summer arrive slowly, on sturdy legs hefting carefully stuffed backpacks, and introducing themselves by their trail names like Butters and Giggles.
By the time northbound Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers cross into Oregon, they have forged 1,720 miles from the bottom of California, through deserts, over mountains and out of unexpected situations, despite years of planning.
The majority of hikers who depart from the trail’s southern terminus, near Campo, California, and move through steep, snowy, soggy, windy and hot conditions at about 25 miles a day, show up in Ashland in August.
This year, many of these hikers were stopped in their tracks by the 55,500-acre McKinney fire in California’s northern Siskiyou County.
On July 30, around 60 hikers in the Red Buttes Wilderness were taken to safety by Oregon’s Jackson County sheriff search and rescue team and bus drivers with the Rogue Valley Transportation District while others gathered 100 miles south in tiny Etna, where they camped in the Johnson-Joss Park and pondered their future.
Their goal of entering the green tunnel of Oregon on foot was over.
Many were shuttled 66 miles on I-5 from Etna to Ashland in buses or by police driving vans, or in the back of cars driven by volunteers.
The endurance hikers, who are miserly with their few days off the trail — called “zero days” — were greeted by smoke and ash, red flag fire risk conditions and lightning, and frantic innkeepers at booked hostels and budget motels.
Thru-hikers Craig Marshall of upstate New York (trail name Butters) and Nadine Osterloh (trail name Giggles) of Bonn, Germany, said they had a mix of emotions.
They were grateful to be safe at the shelter, but they felt guilty taking one of the beds.
And like other long-distance hikers on a schedule to weave through the West Coast when the weather is in their favor were eager to get going.
“We are used to hiking and walking, and now we’re on hold,” said Osterloh.
Where to go?
On Aug. 2, the pack was ready to move again. But in which direction?
Dave (“Floppy”) Kim of Philadelphia started at Campo, steps north of the Mexican border, on May 4 and about 13 weeks later he was in Ashland, which is between exits 11 and 19 off of I-5. Here, he heard options from other thru-hikers.
Return to the trail, either near Callahan’s Mountain Lodge at exit 6 or head east on Oregon Highway 66 for 20 miles to the Pacific Crest-Green Springs Mountain Connector Trail, or about 35 miles northeast to Fish Lake in the Cascade Range to connect to OR-140 north to Crater Lake.
A trail north of Crater Lake is closed for roughly 60 miles due to the Windigo Pass and Tolo Mountain fires, and there was another closure near Mount Jefferson, which burned in the 2020 Lionshead fire.
The closures mean “this season’s thru-hikers will definitely get mixed up and even more spread out along the trail,” said Scott Wilkinson of the Pacific Crest Trail Association.
“Given climate change-driven drought, wildfires and other extreme weather events over the past few years, this could be characterized as the new normal and not unusual,” he added.
Trail closures are also caused by flooding and erosion, and used for habitat protection of endangered species, Wilkinson said.
Uninterrupted end-to-end hikes “may continue to be more difficult,” Wilkinson said, but “the PCT is still a spectacular wild and scenic experience” for day outings, weekend trips and multi-day section trips.
Some thru-hikers in Ashland are throwing up their hands over the road blocks, and heading north on the Oregon Coast Trail. Or they are taking a Greyhound bus to Portland to cross the Columbia River on the Bridge of the Gods and continue on the PCT to the Canadian border.
“This will affect us,” said Candy Boerwinkle of the Ashland Commons hostel on Tuesday. For days, she said her phone was ringing off the hook, with calls from stranded hikers.
Her hostel is typically booked all of July and August, and she didn’t know how she could accommodate everyone.
Then she started receiving cancellations from hikers who decided to skip Oregon.
“There are 27 people checking out today, and only four are checking in,” she said.
The iconic Callahan’s Lodge, in the shadow of Mount Ashland and a short walk from the Pacific Crest Trail, is forwarding some thru-hikers’ mailed care packages to their new destination, said employee Forrest Eldred.
“We’re sending the care packages to towns near Crater Lake or to Bend, or returning them to the sender,” said Eldred on Tuesday. “Some hikers hope to circle back here.”
Callahan’s is still offering lodging, all-you-can eat pancake and egg breakfasts and spaghetti dinners, as well as $16-a-night camping; $25 for backpackers who want to shower and use the laundry.
“Floppy” Kim hopes to come back, to hike the 170-mile gap from Shasta to Ashland.
On Tuesday afternoon, he and Johannes (“Coach”) Popp of Frankfurt, Germany, returned to hiking at the Pacific Crest-Green Springs Mountain Connector Trail, elevation 4,940 feet.
“This hike is 90% mental and 10% physical,” said Kim, who averages 22 miles a day and has worn out two pairs of boots.
More than boots needed
Hiking 2,663 miles on narrow dirt trails from California to Canada takes more than stamina. Success relies on strategizing and adapting when reality dashes best laid plans, said Lauren (“Grandpa”) Schuster, 24, of Atlanta.
She made it from Campo to Etna before forest infernos instantly upended her goal to complete the entire Pacific Crest Trail on foot.
On Sunday, Schuster rode into Ashland and confessed she has been “obsessed” with the PCT even before she read Portland author Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.”
Schuster’s months-long trek was made possible by another dashed dream. She was unable to travel in the Peace Corps after she graduated from college in 2020 because of COVID-19. Hiking the PCT became her Plan B.
Two zero days in Ashland had Schuster and a dozen of her closest trail friends pacing around the city and their Airbnb rental, and considering their rerouting options.
Their decision: to reach Crater Lake in four days, then hitch past the Windigo Pass and Tolo Mountain fires closure and keep going north.
“It’s up in the air” how the group will eventually reach Washington state, Schuster said. Then she paused and added the traditional PCT mantra: “The trail provides.”
On Tuesday morning, she and Steve (“Funfact”) Jacobs of Salt Lake City, waited for the rest of their trail family, who started on this journey as strangers on April 5.
Jacobs will celebrate his 35th birthday on the trail Thursday and the tradition for this group is to receive a pastry with a candle, a golden paper crown and a Happy Birthday card drawn by Schuster.
The trail is about give and take, said Jacobs, who contributes “fun facts” to conversation such as mayonnaise can’t emulsify in a lightning storm.
PCT hikers’ star appeal
By the time northbound PCT hikers reach Oregon, they have faced daunting challenges and have succeeded, said John Kerr, who is one of the leaders of day hikes organized by the all-volunteer Ashland Hiking Group.
“PCT hikers know by now they will complete the journey of a lifetime,” he continued. “They are full of smiles despite what lies ahead of them, another 900 miles. And they are universally friendly, even when we break their stride as they step aside.”
PCT thru-hikers are mostly in their 20s and 30s.
“What I love most is seeing people, especially the young, who have gained the confidence in themselves to succeed in whatever else they may dream of doing,” said Kerr, who lives outside of Ashland. “They have no fear of what lies ahead. Last week we met a hiker who had done the journey wearing a prosthesis. Now that was inspiring.”
To Ashland residents, thru-hikers represent hard-earned athleticism, a deep appreciation of nature and the value of taking time off.
People often give thru-hikers a place to stay and rides to the trailhead, and even offer to pick up the tab for a meal or beer.
“They treat us like we’re heroes,” said “Coach” Popp. “But we’re just hikers.”
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The death of OJ Simpson
The death of OJ is a little bizarre.. old faces like the Goldmans .. the jurors.. Marsha Clark.. they are all back on TV again tonight.
That 1990s moment when the entire world came together to watch a slow speed car chase on a beautiful summer day.. when America came together to collectively watch a trial in the court room on television, in class rooms.. workplaces..
And when the world fell apart and was clearly divided at a jury decision with an acquit because it didn't fit..
Old 90s things came back to me--I was just a kid. But watching adult things from a distance.
When TIME magazine showcased a darkened photo of the Juice while Newsweek shows the real deal--it was controversial at the time. When the jury partially was making a statement about Rodney King.. when OJ went on a slow speed chase so he could finish listening to the Knick's finals' game on radio..
I was watching that slow speed chase sitting on my mom's bedroom floor watching it with her while eating a deep dish Devito's pizza from Ashland PA. Devito's is a memory.. sadly now is my mom, too. All of this is a rush of emotion...
A rush of nostalgia mixed with anger.. mixed with confusion.
How did so many years go by.. and how, after all these years, did OJ keep on just golfing and Tweeting like there no care in the world...
Except there was a care.
The creepy creeping moment when death began to place his hands on Orenthal James. When care made its way through his body.. when he was breathing his final bits of air..
An atheist friend of mine texted today that he wishes there was really a hell so OJ could be there now.. I am a little more hopeful in an afterlife--good or bad. I'd rather think that OJ's trial on earth was a large waste of our time. And now, as he meets his fate, Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman are sitting in a celestial court room watching OJ's REAL trial begin...
We would normally say may he rest in peace.. we are not sure what to say on this one.
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Don't understand social media, because
I'm not from any of the self promoter classes; not a journalist, or a photographer, or advertiser, not a model agency associated person, *certainly not the sex trade*.
Solitary, I tend to be solitary. Some years ago, after Alameda had passed though I was watching telemundo at what remained of my mom's neighborhood. All the local stations were jammed up with politicians decreeing "I'm XYZ, and fire is scary" for a few months after that. Social media is for direct self promotion. This was television though and as though it was a long time ago when television could reasonably be expected to get you elected.
So I went to telemundo for a little bit, to watch a kung fu panda short (could be a movie; could've been legends of awesomeness) and the plot point of the thing is that there's a threat to po. And in the form of an ox or something, and the *only way for the legendary warrior* to overcome his green-is-evil cartoony villain, is all the people of "chinaland" we'll call it, to pray to him; like he's going to throw a genki dama or something. So *who* po is, becomes important with these things; as this is in Spanish language. Is the legendary panda kung fu guy...his Spanish voiceover? Is he Jack Black who is built like a Mexican, who quickly recovered from having his arm shot off by Bruce Willis in the forgettable Jackal?
Is he a white Chinese? Is he Mexican because pandas are built like them? When po speaks Spanish *are they* white? Or Chinese?
It's like being a comedian, any social media user. And I don't get it. Not from Twitter or livejournal (which I've been flirting with what tumblr calls "nightblogging" which are really livejournal posts showing their age, stylistically) or Facebook which really continues the myspace format with more information.
And I think this is all very interesting, because what was considered among the "whitest communities in America" has been nearly mexicanized without anyone really noticing. Classrooms full of kids started working as collectives back in the 80s. Hate groups are here and *they act like Mexicans*. White and affluent Americans with all that same baggage and yet, functioning an awful lot like latinos.
They're not integrated, a lot of latino self segregated communities. Around Ashland, Spanish is not the thing. Notice all the rotting fences around town that rich people regularly replace; because there's no paint or stain, ever.
Too many choices to form a top down consensus, which is what it would take to get them painted and stained or water resistance treated in an inclusive latino community. Affluent white people. Around the region, I've been followed around by cars by make and model (they vary but the precise location and near term time of day never do, consistent with where I'm walking) and even people upstream downstream like any ant colony. As though I'm going to talk to randos (see; not understanding social media) about my specific interests, and while I'm out walking around. (There's an international drug production hub down the road). And it approximates a self training neural network, the latino social organization. So and, white people *gained the tools* to network like Mexicans already had been for thousands of years, just a few decades ago. Po becomes like an aztec priestking when he speaks Spanish among latinos.
And so social media culture and comics by webcomic people and all that, tend toward an "everyone is ugly/poor/objectionable/concerning/villainous/neurotic" because it's emotionally "leveling the playing field" whether or not they realize that. Which is fine, but it takes the softness out of people and replaces it with abrasiveness and sarcasm, and a degree of callousness about the human condition that *we* (meaning most other people on earth), reserve for war veterans and such. Also, we tend to associate that exclusively with men.
(So I feel like my drawing breath is supposed to benefit *whoever the local mano duro is*, someone in or from the drug trade and their descendants I'm guessing)
Takes all the conspiratorial stuff and contrivance right out of that end, on the basis of the interest it serves.
All those "fag hags", ma beagle types, and/or women who can't seem to stop getting pregnant; those are the new one eyed people in the land of the blind. Social media influencer this and that, but they have countless children say and are pooling their resources as a family.
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https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRWfPUhG/
PLEASE REBLOG AND BOOST
Two days ago the Ashland Kentucky Police Department killed a family friend, all over a little bit of weed. He had been showing signs of a massive heart attack before and after they arrested him. He begged for water, said he could not breathe, and had to crawl into the police car. The cops did absolutely nothing for him, and he passed within two hours of being arrested.
The cops are already trying to cover this up, but my dad's girlfriend has this video. Please spread it around, we're just a small-town and no one cares. Please don't let my Dad's friend die without justice.
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Eulogy for Mom
Author Jamie Anderson said:
“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”
My mom was love. A kind of love that is difficult to describe and totally unique. A mother’s love without falter.
So when my mom told me in October last year how sick she was I wept. I knew. She knew. We cried over the phone together.
Her illness and treatment was not fair, or kind, or easy. She endured it though, to try and steal time from death, to try and slow the plow. She wanted only more time with her kids, her husband - all of us.
Her family was cobbled together over a lifetime, like her many collections of copper cookware, hair accessories, trinket boxes, and blue and white dinner plates; she collected her family members in many ways and loved them all. Even the difficult ones, especially the difficult ones.
My mother worried she was never a good enough mother, she worried about Mickey’s health and about the well being of her friends. She worried about others because of her deeply rooted compassion and empathy. She worked at the local Senior Center in Escondido as a way to pay back life for her fortunate outcome, and to serve others and her faith in a direct and positive way. She was not a saint, she’d complain about all manner of office politics to me when we’d chat, we’d laugh at most of it, even the most irksome things. But she went every day she was needed and often even when she wasn’t just to be there.
My mom gave so much. She wasn’t always perfect, but she never stopped trying to be better. She raised her three kids and then gained three more kids whom she loved and tried to be there for and we all gave her in-laws and grand kids and eventually great grand kids. She was mom, Nancy, Gigi and Grandma, and she was strong, stubborn, funny and smart.
Two short years ago I moved with my husband and kids and cats from North Carolina to Oregon. We decided driving the car from coast to coast was the most cost effective way to get it there. So, not wanting her baby to drive alone, mom insisted on coming with me.
I took the opportunity to make it a road trip to remember. Finding things to do and try and see that made it more than a perfunctory transport of our car, and instead made it a cross-country adventure. We had a fancy steak dinner in West Virginia coal country, we went on a zip-line tour of the Mega Cavern in Louisville, Kentucky.
We stopped at roadside shops and attractions in Virginia and Indiana.
We visited family and friends in Chicago and stopped at a museum in Iowa and stumbled upon one of mom’s favorite places, the origin store for American Picker’s.
We had an odd night in Sioux City Iowa at a Howard Johnson that seemed run by the inept and apathetic and then a wonderful breakfast with one of my friends in Vermillion South Dakota. Then we went antique-ing, because why not?
We saw the badlands, Wall Drug, Mt. Rushmore, Bison, Custer State Park, the Black Hills, and the most extraordinary sunset. I took her up in a helicopter and down a 2000 ft slide.
We visited friends in Denver and Utah and she made the trip more interesting by forgetting small bits of her diabetic supplies in a few different states. We took a drive out onto the Bonneville salt flats and did a few donuts just because we could.
In Reno we relaxed at a spa and stopped in Tahoe to reminisce about my wedding before rendezvousing with family in San Francisco for sushi and shopping in Little Tokyo.
Lastly, before we headed to Portland to finally see my new house, we had a night in Ashland and saw a performance of the Odyssey by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She had done a paper on it her senior year in high school and had a love for the story and deep understanding of all the parts. I had no idea. She truly loved the show and it made her so happy.
She was my first house guest in my first house. She was my friend, my hero, my champion, my partner-in-crime. She was mom, and the best one I could have hoped for.
I would like to end with a poem I wrote:
You’re still here
In my heart and mind
My thoughts and words
My actions and memories
You’re still here
In all I do and think
With my kids and friends
At home and while I work
You’re still here
Keeping me safe
Laughing with me
Smiling with me
You no longer wipe away my tears
Because I cry for you
You no longer hug away my fears
Because I miss you
Yet when I feel loved
When I see the silly we used to enjoy
As I wander a garage sale
You’re still here
With me in songs we loved
In times we shared
In memories we made
You’ll always be right here
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Poki com water bottle flip
Flip diving poki games.
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How to Do the Water Bottle Flipping Challenge: 10 Steps.
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Flip Diving Game on Lagged. Jump off of the cliff and try to dive into the water with perfect form. As you progress each level will get more and more difficult. The better your splash and form the more coins you will earn for your dive. Keep jumping into the water as you try to successfully complete all 12 levels. Fancy Force 4.5 863,216 votes. Happy Wheels is a ragdoll physics web game created by Fancy Force. Happy Wheels features countless characters and vehicles to unlock, each Happy Wheels level is a new experience. Survive deadly gauntlets of traps, hazards and your own bike turning against you as you battle to reach the finish line of each stage.
Poki com bottle flip.
Bottle Flip. Flip the Bottle est un jeu où vous devez retourner une bouteille et la faire atterrir parfaitement sur la table. Ce jeu d'adresse super cool vous met au défi de devenir un maître. Après avoir retourné et gagné, vous pouvez tamponner pour M. Panda. Trois victoires consécutives vous rapporteront une nouvelle cruche dans Bottle. De plus, chez les joueurs Poki, il existe de nombreux jeux similaires a Bottle Flip 2 ou jeux du genre Jeux d#x27;arcade, joueurs de moto, de voiture, jeux de tir, jeux de minecraft, jeux , jeux de maquillage. Contigo Ashland Autospout Water Bottle with Flip Straw, Large BPA Free Drinking Bottle, Sports Flask, Leakproof Gym Bottle, Ideal for Sports, Bike, Running, Hiking, 720 ml,.
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We've carefully selected for you varieties of addictive free online games to play, including Car, Puzzle, Physics, Fighting, Running, Parking, Racing, Driving, Cartoon, Zombie, Bike, Stickman, Defense, Strategy, Clicker, Minecraft, Monster, Drawing, Logic, Math games etc. Not only that, the editors add the latest games to the "New Games" page.
How to Do the Water Bottle Flipping Challenge: 10 Steps.
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Question: How To Do Water Bottle Challenge - BikeHike.
Bottle Flip 3D - click to play online. Bottle Flip 3D is an arcade game which it needs good reaction and skill. You are allowed to jump 2 times continuously at most. So it is very important for you to choose the proper timing of jumping. There is no timing limitation! A huge number of levels are waiting for you. Help the bottle jump to the final destination. Bottle Flip Challenge - Poki Unblocked. Bottle Flip Challenge is an online skill game that we hand picked for L This is one of our favorite mobile skill games that we have to play. Simply click the big play button to start having fun. If you want more titles like this, then check out Bottle Flip 3D or Bottle Flip 2. Popular Free Games. Flip Games. Jul 05, 2022 · FLIP THE BOTTLE - Play Flip the Bottle on Poki. Bottle Flip Challenge 2019 - Best Pictures and Decription Forwardset.Com. Bottle Flip 3D - Play Bottle Flip 3D Game Online - Lagged. Bottle Flip 3D - Play Bottle Flip 3D Game - MaxG. Bottle Flip 3D! on the App Store. Bottle Flip - UnspeakableGaming. Bottle Flip - Poki Unblocked - Google.
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Shift into full throttle mode, and spin, flip, and catch big air in your very own ship! Our boat games are full of exciting action, featuring high speeds and tons of stunts. You can even power a boat through tracks reminiscent of the Hyrdo Thunder arcade classics. The sights, sounds, and gameplay will keep you coming back for more!. Bottle Flip Challenge está de moda, ¡Ya 223.329 partidas! Juega gratis a este juego de Lanzar y demuestra lo que vales. ¡Disfruta ahora de Bottle Flip Challenge!. Jul 05, 2022 · Poki com water bottle flip - Wakelet. Take the Advanced Challenge on Pokemon TV. Ash, Pikachu, and friends continue their journey through the Hoenn region as the seventh season of Pokemon the Series arrives on Pokemon TV this Friday. June 27, 2022. Trading Card Game. A Online Official.
Poki com water bottle flip.
May 08, 2018 · In this game, you will have to flip the water bottle in order to gain a lot of points. All the boys and girls are playing this fun ability game, so we are sure that you will have a great time, because you will have to make sure that you will be able to gain points by flipping the water bottles, because you will have ot make sure that you can.
Question: Where Did Bottle Flipping Start - BikeHike.
Creative Puzzle is both a coloring game as a puzzle game! Choose to either color in the images with the right colors, lay the tiles in the right places, or choose for freestyle mode! Earn stars by completing puzzles, and unlock even more levels. Can you complete every level? About the creator: Creative Puzzle was created by Go Panda Games. How do you do the POKI bottle flip? Flip the Bottle is the digital version of the real-life classic game of "stick the landing". The premise is very simple: Swipe up to throw the bottle up in the air and watch it land properly -or not, depending on the quality of your aim. Möchten Sie Eugene's Life spielen? Spielen Sie dieses Spiel kostenlos online unter Poki. Viel Spaß beim Spielen zu Hause oder in der Schule. Eugene's Life ist eine unserer Lieblingskategorien abenteuer spiele.
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Valikoimamme sisältää myös vähemmän tavanomaisia pelejä, jotka ovat aivan yhtä viihdyttäviä. Pelaa Final Fantasy -muunnelmia, WALL-E-teemaisia pelejä ja paljon muuta. Halusit millaista seikkailua tahansa, nämä arcade pelit ovat opittavissa helposti. Käytä hiirtä ja näppäimistöäsi laserin ampumiseen, hahmojen liikuttamiseen. Casual. ». One Button. 45,988. ratings. 8.4. Flip Bottle is a simple but challenging one-button game. Flip the bottle and make it jump from object to object to reach the final platform.
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Flipping Your Water Bottle 1 Grip the bottle between your fingertips and thumb on its neck near the cap. Place your fingertips and thumb around the top of the neck of the bottle so that your hand is hovering over, but not touching, the cap. Grip it tightly so when you flip it, the bottom of the bottle goes up into the air. (4). 1564011 Plays. In Flip Bottle, join the latest internet craze! Flipping bottles took social media by storm, and many people tried their hand at this fun activity. If you don't have a bottle to flip at home, stop worrying because we got you covered. Can you pass all the levels in this game?. The water bottle flipping challenge is a fun party game that became an Internet sensation in 2016. To do the challenge and impress your friends, you'll need to prepare your bottle correctly and flip your bottle using a certain technique. Above all, you should practice the game and have fun seeing if you can get it right.
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Flip Bottle is a cool game where you need to flip the bottle and move it onward in order to get the highest score. Remember that if you drop the bottle anywhere on the floor you will lose. That#x27;s why you will need to use sofas, tables, chairs and a variety of items to land your bottle and go on to reach the score you want. 26,285. ratings. 9.1.
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Fireboy and Watergirl 6: Fairy Tales Agent P: Rebel Spy Fireboy and Watergirl 5: Elements Ultimate Hero Clash 2 Super Stickman Hook Star Wars Rebels: Special Ops Ben 10: Savage Persuit Jump Jousts - Teen Titans Go! Finn & Bones - Adventure Time Unikitty Save the Kingdom Princess E-girl Fashion Super Dino Fighter The Floor is Lava! Apple & Onion Princesses VS Epidemic Gumball Water Sons Age Of. Google Sites: Sign-in. Water bottle flip challenge poki. Sep 25, 2018 · The secret lies in the water in the partly filled bottle. As the liquid sloshes around during the toss and flip, the water redistribute. No items have been added yet!.
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Aug 30, 2021 · Fill a plastic water bottle about one quarter to one third full with water and put the cap on tightly. Hold the bottle loosely by the neck, and toss it forward (so the bottom rotates away from you). Try to throw the bottle so that it does one complete flip and lands upright without falling over.
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Pupgam Studios 3.6 146,991 votes Flip the bottle is a game where you have to flip a bottle, and have it land on the table perfectly. This super-cool skill game dares you to become a master. After flipping and winning, you can dab for Mr. Panda. Three victories in. Online 3d games poki. Get your free tools and play to earn now! Shell shockers shell shockers farm clash 3d farm clash 3d uno online uno online getaway shootout getaway shootout smash karts smash karts rocket clash 3d rocket clash 3d panda: You can find many of the best and latest games in the category friv 2021 online. Jul 05, 2022 · FLIP THE BOTTLE - Play Flip the Bottle on Poki. Play Water Bottle Flip Game Online - S. Bottle Flip - Play Now Free Games - PokiFun. Backflip game poki. Aug 29, 2021 How much water does it take to flip a bottle? Fill the bottle 14 1/3 full of water.
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The Benefits of Installing Quality Car Window Film in Ashland KY
So you have just bought a brand new vehicle in Ashland KY. If the vehicle didn’t come with tinted windows, then you need to consider investing in high quality car window film in Ashland KY before you start using it on the road. This is an improvement that will not cost you a lot of money, so there is no excuse not to do it. The following are some of the benefits that you will get if the tinting work is done properly.
One of the things that car window tinting in Ashland KY will do is block harmful UV rays of the sun. If you install the best car window tint, it can block up to 99 percent of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays that can accelerate skin aging and cause skin cancer. Ultraviolet rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation. Prolonged exposure to these rays results in damage to the skin such as skin burns, darkening of the skin, premature aging as well as skin cancer.
Installing even clear window film or a light tint offers ultraviolet ray protection that can block out both damaging UVA and UVB rays. Findings from research show that 53 percent of the skin cancers in the United States of America occur on the left side of the body, which correlates to the driver’s side of a car. If you will be driving your car for extended periods of time, window film protection, such as clear UV car window tint, can provide a critical advantage to safeguard against this risk. The tint will cost you some money to install, but the benefits that you will get from having it on your car make it worth it.
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1969 Camaro RS Convertible. 8-track included.
Ashland Car Show, September 2023.
#chevy#chevrolet#camaro#camaro rs#convertible#detroit#gm#bowtie#general motors#classic car#sports car#american#muscle car#american muscle#fujifilm#fujifilm xt20#fujinon xf 18-55#yzshot#ashland car show#rallyesport
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🧡🏍️COVER REVEAL🏍️🧡
DEAD TO RIGHTS by Jessica Prince
Check out the gorgeous covers for Dead to Rights, a small-town romance from Jessica Prince coming April 8th!
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🏍️SYNOPSIS:
When I caught my husband having an affair, I picked up what remained of my tattered pride and broken heart and left the city behind, heading for a small town where motorcycles outnumbered cars three to one.
Ashland, Tennessee was where I planned to start over and become the woman I wanted to be; a woman who was fun and just a little bit reckless. The need to break out of my shell led to one wild night with a man I never planned on seeing again. But when the tattooed stranger showed up unexpectedly at my new job, he made it clear that once wasn't going to be enough for him.
As the president of a motorcycle club with a checkered past, Courtland Pope should have scared me, but no matter how hard I tried to stay away, the pull to him was too strong to ignore.
However, when old rivalries breach the surface and the line between good and bad begins to blur, I find myself stuck in the middle. And as much as Pope wants me, he might not be able to protect me from the past.
**𝐴𝑠ℎ𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝐵𝑅𝐴𝑁𝐷-𝑁𝐸𝑊 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒, 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠.
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“You’re awake! Dad! She’s awake!” She was confused, who was talking? She didn’t recognize the room nor the very excited girl in front of her. “Hi, I’m Violet. What’s your name? I found you in the middle of the road. What happened to you?”
She blinked as she tried to remember how she got there. Wait, where was she?
“Violet, do you like it when people ask you a lot of questions after waking up?”
“No.”
“Then neither does she, give her some space.” The other voice came from an older guy, probably the dad Violet mentioned before? “Sorry, she insisted of bringing you here, the hospital is too far.”
“You don’t talk a lot, do you?” The girl was curious, ever since she woke up the woman hasn’t said a word, not that she had the chance with how chatty Violet was.
“I uh…” She cleared her throat. “Where am I?”
“Just a little outside of Ashland, Kansas.” She looked at them scared, she didn’t know where she was supposed to be but she knew she was far away.
“I’ll bring you some water.” And Violet ran to the kitchen to get the woman some water.
“Hey, I really don’t want to sound like asshole.” He said the moment the little girl was out of the room to get the water. “I really don’t want my kid to be involved in whatever you are. I saw some weird cars driving around the neighborhood and they showed up exactly when Violet brought you here.” She tensed when he mentioned the cars, and now he felt bad. “I can drive you to the hospital. I tried my best to patch you up but I’m pretty sure there’s something broken.” Not to mention the terrible bruises on the woman’s face. “We can call someone or maybe go to the police? To file a report.”
“I… I can call someone.” She just needed to remember who. He was about to say something else when Violet came back with the water.
“Here’s your water, I added some ice cubes because it tastes better that way.”
She smiled at the girl and muttered a thank you. The dad then rested his hands on his daughter’s shoulders.
“Well, I think we need to let our guest rest. If you need to use the phone or anything, let us know. What’s your name again?”
“Uh…I don’t know.”
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Read this book in the talent library forever ago
Columbia professor now, I guess. They couldn't figure out how to classify him from the segregation by race that the Chicago gangs use and that part, I thought, was really interesting. He's from Madras.
So he got to hear about "loaner girlfriends" that gang members use to spy on enemy gangs, from a member leader of the Black Kings. He got to hear about cars with no papers because black people get redlined out of those, too. Driving things they can't afford borrowed from people who can.
He got to hear about "she stuck the knife into his stomach over and over while he slept" so he woke up and had a friend take him to the hospital. A stark difference between the latino gangs and the black ones. Neither really claimed him or rejected him because they didn't know what to make of him as an ethnic Indian where there weren't any.
So they treat him somewhere between a non combatant advisor and a dumb journalist between the gangs. The drive-by terrorism turned out to be different from the murder rates. Around the turn of the century (cannot to this day believe I'm saying this), I got on at a grocery store off I-5 in my hometown, and back then the place might as well have been fort knox; we're a secured border crossing with California "the golden gate to the golden state" as the mob of the 1920s called it during prohibition. We *had gangs* and had drug problems, armed highschool kids outnumbered unarmed ones back in the 1980s. But *their parents* out parents I guess you'd say, were all doctors or lawyers, city council people, business owners, big fish corporate types retired to small ponds and such.
(We were so called little Chicago in the 1920s)
So we get "retirees" from there, gangs and otherwise predominantly white but not always and near homogenized back in the 80s. They're not tough, the gang members from Ashland. They *did* have parents that fought it wars and stuff, owning a block because "they stepped on it", having all the connections one would expect of those kinds of lives. They're not college educated and their wives are models and they own businesses that they don't really run in the traditional sense, because they don't know how.
The kids they knew from their own kids in school formed up into these pools around tourist targeting businesses overlapping with the drug trade.
The *parents though* are the real thing or were before they retired. Affluent though they may have been, these kids go off to cut their teeth on sex work or violence or drug peddling like they went to a boarding school; coming home worthy of their parents who have *defined* their cushy lives on the absence of what they were doing. Fortified against it with homogenized white affluence. These are, in a word, the people *running* the activity in Chicago, "phoning it in" they like to call it.
A house costs *millions* of dollars, it's Timbuktu by any city like Chicago's estimate, there are no amenities, full of deadheads who never left the sixties and drug tourists from liberal enclaves from California. So their past shouldn't even want to come here let alone live long enough to turn up here anyway.
When you administrate endemic poverty in a metropolitan area segregated by race, this is the kind of a place you turn up and/or retire to.
"Can't take the jungle out of the tiger" right?
As such, the decades piled on and the *kids had kids* whose *grandparents* were now "somebodies", so *real* gang bangers started to show up from the biggest and most dangerous gangs here, to see and check in on how "the bosses were living" because social media is twenty years old. We get foreigners from Asia and and India, Latin America, Africa, people who live in a house for a few days per year.
There's a dollar general store down the interstate across from where a Walmart supercenter sat since the 90s, "where even Walmart won't go" was their Tennessee tagline. That giant building sat empty for a *very long time* implying cartel or mob juice and on a level completely out of profile for the region. Talent had an estimated population of like 2000 when it went in, the Walmart. So now, ms13 has come in since a series of downturns to represent a whole organization of chickens coming home to roost.
And thinking this was some kind of fortress or something because redlining had created an appearance of impregnability from minorites. So affluent kids could go off and make street names for themselves and return to safety without giving that a second thought.
We *had* harmless homeless around Ashland like out of work actors and people cut loose by san francisco and such. Now we have the illusion that a transnational drug production hub is not down the road, not urbanized and not racially integrated, some ten or fifteen miles from our city center.
Dad had the courtesy (and insight) to move out where they didn't have so much as volunteers; biker land of sorts where people regularly *resolve disputes by shooting into each other's houses* from within their own homes. After my parents divorced. "You bring it with you" whatever you really are "because it always comes through". So and, after you get on somewhere *people like you are going to show up* whether they're soldiers, thugs, amish people, mobsters whatever.
They call it "the game" alternately "being about that life" in the writing there, but Chicago was *doing good* when he wrote his study. Ashland feels it here, after crashes, where they're not.
Japan takes over the world made them seem really driven and overpowered. They're outnumbered by China, outproduced by Americans, outfought by everybody with an army. It looks that way in the 1980s though; like they were running the world. Chicago. Is a borough of New York. It might have eight to ten million in the Illinois metropolitan area. Chicago university. It's pretty well landlocked. It's the same as Japan. You guys aren't leaving North America and progress is a highly educated people *who aren't gang members* and who don't live in the United States.
It's your time to shine, between about 1870s to 1930s Chicago. Citizens were as bad as the worst excesses of any gang today. Have a nice day.
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do it again - clay spenser x reader
To say you were surprised when Clay showed up at your door was an understatement. He was dressed casually in a black tee shirt and blue jeans. A nervous look covered his face, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth. His eyes scanned the length of your body and you were suddenly self conscious of the shorts and sweatshirt that you had chosen to wear that day. It had been a minute since the last time you two had seen each other. It was a right person, wrong time type of situation that left you both empty and alone. That was almost six months ago. Since then the two of you had only spoken a few times when he was leaving for deployment. In complete honesty, you missed Clay, but you wanted the timing to be right. You wanted to be able to support him fully while he was serving. When you first met, you were finishing school, trying to move out of your parents house, in the process of getting a job. Life was...busy, too busy for a relationship. Now, things had finally began to settle down allowing you catch a breath and take a break.
“Clay, hi.” Your voice was soft as you greeted the seal. Your familiar smile caused Clay’s heart to skip a beat as he sent you a soft smile back. “You, uh, you wanna come in?”
He nodded and you opened the door a little wider allowing him to step inside. His eyes raked over your apartment. The dark blue pillows complimented the light gray couch in the middle of the living room. Your computer and a notebook sat on the glass coffee table next to a cold cup of tea. You had always gotten too caught up in work to eat, something that Clay was constantly reminding you of. He followed you into the kitchen where he sat down at the island, taking the bottle of water you handed to him.
“So, what’s the latest with Clay Spenser?” you asked tugging on your hoodie strings. It was a habit you had when you were nervous or anxious.
“Nothing much. I got about three months off before my next deployment, thought I’d come see my favorite girl.” The light blush covering your cheeks didn’t go unnoticed by the blonde. “What about you? How’s your family? How’s work?”
You sighed hopping onto the granite counter top. “I’ve been doing alright. Work is good, keeping me busy though...but at least I’m not bored.” Clay let out a soft laugh, nodding for you to continue. “My family is doing good too. They ask about you from time to time.” Your family had loved Clay and your mom was almost positive he was going to put a ring on your finger one day, but you guys never made anything official.
“I miss seeing them.”
“They miss seeing you. You should come over for dinner sometime. They’d love to have you there.” You had missed Clay more than anyone, except maybe your mom. You swore she would drop your dad in a heartbeat for Clay’s baby blue eyes. You watched as Clay remained silent, his hands rubbing the material of his jeans. “What’s wrong, pretty boy?”
“There’s nothing wrong, Y/n.”
You shook your head, knowing that the blonde was lying. “Clay, you don’t have to lie to me. You’re doing that thing with your hands and biting your lip which you only do when you’re nervous.” You made your way over to the other side of the counter, sitting down next to the seal. “You can talk to me.”
The blonde sighed. The last week had been tough and the last thing he wanted was to be a burden. “I- um, I kinda need a place to stay...until I can get back on my feet. You’re the only person here that I could think of. I’d ask one of my teammates but they all have families. Living with my dad is not an option and neither is living in a crappy apartment 30 minutes away from base. I understand if-“
You placed a hand on Clay’s shoulders grabbing his attention. “You can stay here for as long as you need to.” You had a spare bedroom and if you needed a place to stay, you knew Clay would be the first to offer up his home. “Let’s get you settled in, yeah?” The blonde followed you down the hall to the room across from yours. It was simple and clean, just like Clay liked it. A flatscreen sat ontop of the dresser across from the bed. “Everything is empty. There’s towels, soap...pretty much anything you could possibly need in the bathroom and closet.”
“Thank you for doing this, Y/n.”
“Anything for you, Clay.”
The first two weeks of Clay staying with you was spent with you tiptoeing around each other. You both wanted to give the other space, not be a bother. Clay spent a lot of time trying to figure out your routine. You woke up between nine and ten every morning, made yourself a cup of coffee, watched the news, before making breakfast for both Clay and yourself if he wasn’t gone. You’d start your work day around eleven, answering emails. You were a travel nurse recruiter which required you to be on the phone almost 24/7. When Clay left, you were on the phone and when he got back you were on the phone. He admired you for being such a hard worker. You just wanted to make the lives of your travel nurses easier.
After the first couple of weeks, you two became more comfortable around each other.
“How was work?” Clay asked, shutting your front door. He noticed that your computer was shut and your eyes were glued to whatever Netflix show was playing on the TV.
“Exhausting,” you sighed. “What about you?”
“Have you eaten?” You rolled your eyes giving Clay your answer. “Y/n, if you’re going to overwork yourself, you have to at least promise me that you’ll eat.” He walked over to you placing a kiss on your forehead. “What do you want to eat? I’ll go pick you something up.”
“I’m alright, Clay.”
“Burgers it is. C’mon. You’re coming with me.” The blonde grabbed your hands pulling you to your feet. A small smile tugged at your lips. Clay was so kind and his love for people was so great. Despite everything that had happened to him, his heart was still so full. Slipping on your shoes, you let Clay drag you to the car your fingers intertwined with his. Even after you had gotten into the car, his hand found yours. You were kinda surprised. Over the past few weeks neither of you had engaged in physical contact, not knowing where the line crossed. However, you didn’t mind. In fact, you couldn’t lie and say that you didn’t love the way Clay’s hand felt in yours.
The burger joint in downtown Virginia Beach was pretty busy, but the wait allowed you to take in the beauty around you. You hadn’t left your apartment much lately and it wasn’t until now that you realized you needed to get out more. The sun was just beginning to set, painting the sky a fast canvas of pinks, oranges, and blues. The sight nearly took your breath away. As more and more people crowded the downtown area, Clay had made his way behind you, his front pressed against your back. His arms hung over your shoulders, your hands playing with his as you waited for your names to be called.
“Thank you for getting me out of the house. I needed that,” you said softly sliding into the passenger seat. You had decided to stay and eat outside of the burger shack instead of taking it back to the apartment. The two of you talked about everything you could think of, from family to high school memories.
“You’re welcome,” Clay replied. “Um, hey, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“My dad is on his book tour and he’s stopping here tomorrow night. He wants me to go, but I- I can’t go alone.” You knew how broken Clay’s relationship was with his dad. His family had always been a touchy subject.
“I’ll be there.”
You hadn’t met Clay’s dad until that day. The amazing Ashland Spenser didn’t seem to be all that amazing. The intro that was given portrayed the former seal as someone to be worshipped. No wonder all the guys gave Clay a hard time.
“Well, who do we have here?” Ash asked, extending his hand to you. “Clay didn’t tell me had a girlfriend.”
“Oh..we’re not dating. I’m Y/n, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.” You shook the older man’s hand gently, sending him a small smile. Clay was quick to wrap his arm around your waist, tugging you into his side.
“She’s a beauty, son. Thanks for coming out tonight. Dinner soon?” Clay nodded and Ash offered him a pat on the back before excusing himself.
The blonde was quiet most of the way home. He had given you the keys to drive, so you knew that he just needed sometime to think. After you had gotten to the apartment, he silently made his way to his room and shut the door. You respected that Clay needed his space. He hadn’t seen his father in months and you knew it probably opened up old wounds. Ones that Clay thought he would have to stitch up on his own. It was over an hour later when you heard the door to Clay’s room open. You were busy over the stove cooking Clay’s favorite meal in hopes that it would cheer him up.
“It smells good in here,” the blonde complimented, his arms wrapping around your waist from behind, chin resting on your shoulder. The action made your heart skip a beat as you relished in Clay’s warmth.
“I’d hope so. I made it for you.”
“You’re the best.”
“I know,” you said cheekily turning around in Clay’s arms.
He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “And the guys call me cocky.”
“You do come off as very self-obsorbed,” you said, as a matter of factly. Clay let out a soft laugh before letting his eyes settle on yours. “You alright?”
He knew you were referring to his dad. “Yeah, I just- seeing my dad leave just reminds me that he didn’t even try to mend things when I was younger. Now, it feels forced...like he’s doing it because it looks good.”
“I’m sorry that you have to go through that, Clay.”
“Don’t apologize for something you can’t control. I’m better of without him. Besides, I’ve got everything I need right here.” The blonde squeezed your waist, tugging you closer. You two were so close that you could see the specks of greens laced in Clay’s blue eyes. You raised your head slightly, your lips brushing over the blondes. Your breath hitched in your throat as Clay’s fanned out over your face. “I- um, I’m gonna kiss you now,” Clay informed, his voice deeper than normal.
Before you could get out a reply, Clay’s lips were pressed against yours. Your lips moved together in sync, your head hazy, the feeling of Clay’s body pressed against yours clouding your mind. His hands ran the length of your torso before they settled underneath your shirt, fingers digging into your hips. You let out a groan as he pulled away, pulling his face to yours again. He laughed against your lips, placing a few pecks on the swollen skin before resting his forehead on yours. Yours eyes fluttered shut as he trailed a few kisses down your neck before meeting your lips again.
“What the hell?” Your voice was shaky as you spoke.
“What?”
“You just kissed me,” you replied.
“And I will do it again,” Clay shot back quickly, a smug smile playing on his lips.
“Please do.”
And he did.
••••
taglist! @lotsoflovefromlea @tvseriesimagine @dilangleywritesfanfic
if you were tagged it’s because i was looking for seal team fics and you guys were all that i could find! i figured i would share the love. i hope you all enjoyed this!!
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