Podcasts about Bent

Lost At Christmas: Part 1 His First Christmas away from home, & His best gift ever. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at My First time. After my first semester in College, I was eager to go home for the holidays. I was going to school in Rochester, New York, and anybody who'd experienced the lake-effect winters on the Great Lakes would understand my desire to get to somewhere warmer. For me, that somewhere warmer was a long ways away. As a military brat, home was often a moving target, and that winter it was Santiago, Chile, where my father was stationed and where I'd graduated high-school. It was summer in Santiago, and I was looking forward to a pool-party with my old school mates for the Holidays. We didn't have a lot of money, but I was allowed to travel space available on a military flight as a Navy ROTC student. I had to get down to Charleston, South Carolina, and catch an international C1 41 flight that made a loop through Latin America. After finagling a ride to Virginia followed by a very long bus trip down the coast, I finally made it to Charleston AFB. ROTC travel orders in hand, I checked in at the desk, and verified I was on the standby list for the flight leaving on the 23rd. I wouldn't get home until Christmas Day, but better late than never. With pockets nearly empty, a hotel room was out of the question so I slept in the terminal and snacked on the cheapest eats I could get away with. There was a festive mood in the terminal, so many people rushing to get home for the holidays, and I was getting caught up in the feeling, eagerly looking forward to that very long plane ride, first to Panama, then Lima, and finally Santiago. After what seemed an interminable wait, we were an hour away from boarding when I got bumped off the flight by a group of Marines headed to Panama on Active Duty travel orders. I was devastated. The next flight left early the morning of the 26th. At least that one was a huge plane, and nearly empty so I was virtually guaranteed to get aboard, but what was I going to do for Christmas? Looking up at the outgoing flight schedules, I saw a flight listed for Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida. "When is the flight to Tyndall headed out?" I asked the airman behind the desk. "In an hour-and-a-half, and it's all but empty. You want on?" He asked, offering some recompense for my last minute bump. I'd lived in Panama City during 9th and 10th grade, and still had some close friends there, many I still kept in touch with. Maybe I could find someone to spend Christmas with there. It had to be better than sleeping in the terminal for 2 more days. "Please," I told him, "but hold my space for Santiago. I'll be back for that flight." I recalled there being a pretty big Greyhound station in Panama City, so I called Greyhound and checked on a bus being able to get me back in time for the flight. They had one, a 7:30 am bus on Christmas morning would get me back before midnight on Christmas. I could easily make the flight the next morning, even if it were delay a few hours. I bought a ticket, using the emergency Am Ex card my parents had given me when I headed off to college. I'd explain the $67.00 to my parents. I called my family in Santiago with the news. It had to be short call because of the expense, so I let them know I had been bumped but would be there on the 28th. I told them I was headed to Panama City, and would be taking a bus back in plenty of time for my flight. My mother cried, and my father told me to go ahead and use the credit card, but to try to keep the expenses reasonable. By the time I hung up I was pretty depressed, but at least I had a plan. Before I could try to contact anyone in Panama City, an announcement was made and suddenly I was on my way to Florida for Christmas, with no place lined up to stay, and practically broke. I was feeling a bit melancholy, but was determined to make the best of it. So there I was, at Tyndall Air Force Base, at 11:20 pm on December 23rd. I was debating who to try first. I had several close friends nearby and I expected they'd all be home for Christmas. After a short internal debate, I had narrowed it down to two. I had always gotten along well with their entire families, and I was still in pretty regular contact with both of them. Mike lived the nearest to me in the old days. He came from a big family, with 6 siblings, including Peggy, who'd been one of my first real deep infatuations. When I had been in 9th grade she'd been a senior, and was pretty and sophisticated. My yearning for her was unrequited, but I relished the idea of seeing her again after four years. She was a college senior, and would probably be home. I knew they'd welcome me, but I was concerned it would be an inconvenience. They did not have a large house, and it was bound to be crowded, particularly with three college kids home for the holiday. On top of that who knew if they had anyone else in tow? Tommy on the other hand came from a relatively well-off family who always lived well within their means. He had an older brother, who was working in Japan and unlikely to be home, a sister, Sheri, just a year behind us in school, and two much younger siblings, who I guessed would be around 9 and 10 by now. They had a spacious house, each kid had their own room, and I wouldn't be putting anybody out if I stayed there. I'd always had a crush on Sheri, but although I'd dated her best friend, I'd never gone out with her. Getting a chance to see her again would be an extra bonus. Feeling nervous and awkward, I dialed Tommy's number from memory, and luckily got him on the first call. If I'd gotten somebody else, I would have really felt uncomfortable. Tommy's answer was unmistakable. He had a funny way of saying hello when he answered the phone, and the sound of his voice took me straight back down memory lane. "Hee-ello," he answered. "Tommy! Guess who?" I asked. I guess my voice must have been similarly recognizable, since he didn't hesitate a second. "Steve-o! What are you up to? Where're you at?" He answered eagerly. It put a smile on my face. Nice to hear a happy, upbeat voice that seemed genuinely pleased to hear from me. "Funny you should ask. It's a long story, but I'm in a bit of a bind. I'm at Tyndall, and stuck here until Christmas Day." I told him. "What happened to Chile, and Rochester?" He asked. "I was on my way home to Chile, when I lost my seat on the plane in Charleston. I couldn't get out again until the 26th, so when I saw an empty plane headed this way, I just hopped on and hoped for the best." I explained. "That's Great!" He almost shouted. "Not great that you couldn't get home, but great that you're here. You want to stay with us? You can have Greg's room, he won't be here, and I'm sure Sheri and Mom would love to see you. The place is kind of 'down' with Greg canceling his trip home at the last minute. Having you here should cheer things up a bit." He did sound enthused, and I couldn't help grinning in reply. "Don't you think you should check?" I laughed. A scream in my ear was the answer, as I heard half of a shouted conversation. "Mom! Guess Who's In Town." "No, Not Greg." "No, Go Ahead Guess." "Guess Again." "Ok, Ok - Steve." "Yeah, Steve Pelland. He's Stuck Here In Town 'Til Christmas Day." "Of Course I Told Him He Should Come Here, I'll Go Get Him." "I Will." "Yes Mom; Yes; I Won't; I Will." I was holding the phone a little away from my head, and almost missed it when he came back on. "Where should I pick you up?" He asked. "The Main Terminal, you know where that is right?" I answered. "Sure - be there in about 30 minutes. Man, this is Great!" I hung up with a big smile on my face, feeling 100% better than I had just 10 minutes earlier. I stood outside waiting for him, and about 20 minutes later the strings of Christmas lights shut off one at a time, as the place closed up for the night. It was dark and quiet, and I started to get nervous again, wondering if this had been such a good idea. I was 500 miles from my flight home and completely at the mercy of old friends. But as far as friends go, I couldn't do much better than mine, and figured at the least I wouldn't be sleeping in a lonely terminal in Charleston for two days, slowly eating my way through my meager funds. When Bob pulled up around midnight, I could see he'd gotten rid of the VW Bug he'd inherited from his mother upon turning 16, and was now driving his brother's old Two-tone Cougar. We spent a minute saying hi, and loading my gear into the trunk, and then we headed back into town, catching each other up on history. When I had first moved to Santiago, I used to write about once every couple of months, as well as call a couple of times a year. In the beginning I'd written Sheri a lot as well. She was one of the most prolific writers among my old friends, and would typically write twice to me for every one I wrote to her. Over the years, that had degenerated into holiday cards and a surprise call maybe once a year. I knew he was attending Florida State, and that Greg had graduated from Georgetown, and had moved to Japan on business. That was about it. Tommy told me all about the old gang, who was in town, who was going to what schools, what people had been up to. I told him a lot more detail about what I'd been up to. "So," he asked, "Got a girl?" "Not now. Thought I had one after the ROTC Christmas ball, but that seems to have been my mistake." I admitted. "Hard to believe. You always had someone. Every letter, every phone-call, just seems like they didn't stay the same all that long." He teased. "I don't know. I had several relationships last pretty long. Two were more than 6 months long." I argued. "Oh! Six Months!" He laughed. "How about you then," I asked in defense. "Still Erin. Almost two years now." He asked. "Shit. What does she see in you? She could do so much better." I teased. "Oh really? Like how?" "Like me!" I laughed. "Right, like that would ever happen! Don't even think about it, or you'll be sleeping in the street." He was laughing as well. "Not if I called Erin I wouldn't," I shot back. I thought it was a great comeback, but it earned me a sock in the arm. We pulled up to his house, which still looked exactly the same, and things were pretty quiet. They used the same window lights, same roof lights, same bush trimmings year after year. It was just as I remembered. Who says you can't go back? "Mom's got to work tomorrow, so I'm sure she's in bed, and you know Dave crashes early, so we better keep it down. We've got lots to do tomorrow anyway." We entered quietly and put my bag in Greg's old room. Tommy stayed and chatted for a few minutes then bid me good night, telling me to sleep in as long as I wanted, as long as it wasn't past 9:00 am, and left me to get settled. Past 9:00? Now I remembered, they'd always been an early-bird household. For me 9:00 am Was the crack of dawn. Tommy and I had breakfast at about 9:30. He was already chiding me for sleeping in and missing the whole family. We had the house to ourselves. He'd been on the phone arranging our day, and once we'd finished the pancakes, we were off to see Mike and his family. Entering Mike's house was the same as it had ever been, but more-so. People everywhere, noise, laughter, roughhousing, it was all taken in stride by Mrs. Frey. We spent a few hours visiting, and getting fed again before we could leave. Mike's older sister Peggy still looked cute to me, but not the amazing creature my memory had somehow stored away. I had to tease her about the Christmas gift she'd given me three years earlier. She'd bought me a Richard Pryor tape, thinking it was Bill Cosby. When I played it for her in my car, she exploded, calling me names and accusing me of vile intent. At the time I had felt bad, confused, angry and a host of other feelings, now thankfully we could laugh at it. When I'd been 16 I'd been somewhat in awe of her, now things were comfortable. Mike's older brother was home as well, with his live-in girlfriend who seemed awfully ill-at-ease, and must have been at least 5 years older than Dan, maybe more. That was a story I'd have to hear more about. The biggest surprise was Alice. She'd been a few years younger than us. I wasn't sure if she was 16 or 17 now, but she was a bombshell. And she was coming on to me like gangbusters. I was really nervous, with her acting all touchy-feely with her mother and Peggy there. I was suddenly glad I had chosen to stay over with Tommy. With a pretty, stacked girl that seemed so infatuated with me around, I'm afraid I might have gotten into a whole lot more trouble than I needed. When we left there Mike joined us, and it was off to see Jack and Russ. They were a year apart in age. Russ had been in our class, and we'd been friendly with him, but Jack, although a year younger was our buddy. We played on the basketball team together, and when Tommy and I formed our first band, Jack was our bassist. At the Chambers house, we once again reminisced, and had to relive our first 'gig'. We had decided to play in the school talent show. With Tommy on piano and Jack on bass, I played guitar. We had a fourth guy on drums we'd all lost contact with. We had played Elton John, Deep Purple, The Eagles, and The Beatles. We had opened with the opening riff of "Smoke on the Water", and had been a hit. We were pretty lousy, but the audience was our friends, our parents and the parents of our friends, and at the end the parents even took up a collection for us. Pretty heady stuff. We'd called ourselves Bronze Myth, and had already designed our first three album covers before we had our first birthday party gig. Jack had been tall then, and had not stopped growing; he was now 6'7" and was attending University of Florida, playing basketball. He reminded me of the time when we went on our first dates together. I had gone with Kathryn Best, easily the most lusted after girl in the whole school, who was in Jack's class a year behind me. Jack, on the other hand, had gone out with our "Valentine's Day Queen", Anne, who was in my class and almost two full years older than Jack. He was always precocious. There had been a third couple with us, Dennis and Suzanne, and Jack broke the news that Suzanne had gotten knocked up, just before I left to go overseas, and she and Dennis had gotten married. There was a huge scandal, but they stuck together, and had the baby. They lived with Suzanne's parents. Dennis was doing alright, working for Suzanne's father. While we were visiting, several friends dropped in, including the aforementioned Kathryn who lived one street over. Kathryn, the stunning brunette who had the body of a 20 year old when she was 15, and had a beautiful face with features that just slayed me. Kathryn, the very first girl I had gotten to Third Base with. She was as pretty as I remembered, and I found out she was going to be attending Mt. Holyoke the following year, which was an odd coincidence since my girlfriend from High School was a sophomore there. Going out with Kathryn, a year younger than me had been a total fiasco. We'd sat together on an out-of-town bus trip and ranked high enough in the pecking order that we got the right hand seat second from the back. These trips were our biggest dates back then. Ours was a small parochial school, and on the bus trips, the athletes, cheerleaders and student fans all rode the same bug. The 30-90 minute trips were like pep rallies on the way out, and like the back of movie theatres on the way back. There were frequent "hand-checks" and the lights would come one as our coaches would walk the aisle, but it seemed like after our wins, the checks would be a little less frequent. Our win at Pensacola was my first real 'make-out' session, as we cuddled and kissed the whole trip home. I even got a chance to play with her breast through her sweater. Less than a week later I asked her to the movies, and we sat in the back with the two other couples, probably both scared spitless and nervous as goldfish in a blender. We'd started necking, which got more and more intense, and my hands boldly went where no hands had gone before. An hour into the movie I was almost out of control, and feverish with desire, and it seemed she was willing to let me do whatever I wanted. If I'd had a little more confidence, or a little more knowledge, who knows what might have happened? As it is, I went pretty far, probably too far, and I was scared to death afterwards. She was the first girl whose flesh I'd touched underneath her clothing. I didn't call her for several days, and even avoided her at school, not knowing what to say. In short I was a total jerk. Everyone thought we should be together, she was the pretty captain of the cheerleaders, with the big boobs, and I was the Big Jock, playing all the sports, while at the same time excelling in school. She was voted "Most Popular." I was "Most Likely to Succeed." However, in this case it turned out she was "Most Slighted", and I was definitely "Most Inept." After waiting several days, amazingly patient in retrospect, she had tasked her best friend Sheri, Tommy's sister, with letting me know that she thought we shouldn't go out. Next thing you know, she was going out with some geeky looking kid, and she dated him for the rest of the school year. I'd changed schools at the end of that year, and had seen her only infrequently the following year, before moving to Santiago. Outside in the backyard, Kathryn and I walked off together and finally had a few minutes alone. "You know Kat, I don't think I ever apologized for being such an idiot, after our first date. I really am sorry." She was quiet for a while. She had a sad little look. "You know, I waited by that phone night after night, crying myself to sleep. I saw you dodging me at school and it broke my heart." "I was young and stupid. I'd never done Anything with a girl before, and could hardly even believe I was with the hottest girl in school. After all the stuff I did, God, I was so embarrassed that I'd overstepped the boundaries, and I had no idea what to say." She sat down underneath the big tree in the backyard and I sat beside her on the circular bench around it. "You could have said something to Jack maybe, or Tommy, and let them tell me. At least let me know that you liked me, or had fun. Something." She looked on the verge of tears, even 3 years later, and I felt even worse. "I know. I kept kicking myself over it. I was so angry with myself and jealous when you went out with Ricky." I admitted. "He was nice to me when I needed it." "But it seemed such an odd fit. He was a nobody; the only thing he ever did noteworthy was date you." I told her. "He lived two houses down. We'd grown up together, and when my heart was broken he picked up the pieces. He could tell something was wrong, and really made me feel a lot better." She confessed. That brought on a short period of silence. It did let me think better of Ricky, who wasn't just lucky or an opportunist. "You know, that was one of the most memorable moments in my life. Touching a girl like that for the first time. I had no idea what I should do, or what I could do, but I kept looking down the row at Dennis and Suzanne, and figured I should be able to do that too. I was in heaven; you were so amazing to be with." I told her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine. Her palm was moist. "You're telling me? You were the big 9th grader with the learner's permit and motorcycle. Big Man on Campus. The guy every girl wanted. And you wanted me. I had no idea what we should or shouldn't do on a date. I was hoping you knew." We laughed at that, remembering the intensity of those feelings. "Given a chance to do it over, I'd have camped out on your doorstep and professed my undying, eternal love the moment you walked out the door." I told her, half serious. "As I recall, you professed your love for me that evening, just before opening the top of my pants." She said with a wicked grin. I'm sure I blushed mightily. "I can't really ask forgiveness, but I really am sorry. Sorry now and sorry then. I fantasized about you for years afterwards, thinking of what could have happened if I hadn't been such a jerk. You have no idea how many of my fantasies you starred in back then." "If only you'd have let me know. Ricky was my first. It could have been you. Given half a chance, it would have been you." She had moved close and was speaking softly. "And this is my punishment. Knowing how bad I fucked up. Seeing you here, as beautiful as in my dreams, and knowing I've screwed up any chance of being with you." I placed my hand behind her head, stroking her hair. "I wouldn't say you'd screwed up Any chance, but you certainly blew that one." We were looking deeply in each other's eyes, recalling strong, painful feelings. I wanted her now, as I'd wanted her then, with a deep burning need, and I leaned forward those last two inches, and captured her lips with mine. She slid forward and melted against me, kissing me with every emotion boiling to the surface. She took my hand and placed it on her incredible chest, and I squeezed her breast, my thumb reliving that first caress of her nipple from so many years earlier. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, and then broke apart. Her eyes glistened. "I've got a boyfriend." She confessed. I nodded understanding. "If I didn't?" I reached forward pressing my index finger to her lips. "I know. I missed my chance. It's my loss." We just sat side by side a minute, in silence. "You know," she said softly, "what you did to me that night, that was part of the problem." "I know. I'm sorry if I stepped over the line." I said, even now embarrassed at the liberties I'd taken. "No, not anything wrong. What you did to me, how you made me feel. You made me cream my jeans more than once that night. It was the first time I'd ever come. I'd heard about it, but it was almost unreal. Your fingers just drove me wild. It was over a year before another guy was able to do the same." She put her hand between her legs, seemingly remembering that first night. "That makes two of us. I don't know if you knew, but I came in my pants too, and you never even touched me there. By the time I got home I was a terrible sticky mess. I snuck out and threw that underwear away before my mother could find them and ask uncomfortable questions." I told her, laughing. She gave me an odd little look, and then slid around the tree, placing its 3 foot wide trunk between us and the house. She reached out for me, and of course I followed. "Could I, I mean would you mind?" She seemed lost for words. "What? Just ask. I certainly owe you one." I told her. She didn't ask, she just started unbuckling my belt. "I always wondered, and never really had a chance to find out." With the belt open she unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. "I mean, that night, you got to find out pretty much ALL about me, but I didn't; " I lifted my hips and let her pull my pants down a short ways, and then she reached up and pulled my underwear down exposing my fully erect monument to her sexiness. "I knew it, you bastard. Look at that." I didn't have to look. I knew it pretty well. And it was certainly standing tall and making me proud. She took me in hand and stroked me up and down, which after all the discussion and reminiscing was almost enough to get me off. "I just knew it. This should have been my first." She slowly stroked me up and down, and then she leaned over and took me in her mouth for just a second, sucking me deep and then releasing me. That was it. It was too much for me, and I stood up and shot my wad a good two feet out from where we were sitting. She giggled, as she helped me through my release, then pulled my underwear up back over my still dripping cock, and wiped her hand on the front of my briefs, before helping me pull my jeans back up. "If I wasn't tied up, I'd have you paying reparations," she told me as we both stood, and she slapped my hands away from my belt and finished straightening me out herself. "Let's consider it a delayed payoff. If things don't work out for you, maybe we can try it again. Rochester isn't That far from Amherst." Little did I know what the future held in store for us, but that's a different story. We walked back to the house hand-in-hand, laughing at the folly of youth, from the wizened experience of our 18 and 19 years. She had to leave shortly after, as did we, and I kissed her goodbye at the door. Once the door was closed I heard an exclamation from behind me. I turned to Tommy who said, "Now I've seen everything." "Amen," said Jack. "What?" I asked. "After how you treated her after our first date, I was certain you were on her shit-list for life." Jack explained. "Absolutely." Tommy chimed in. "Sheri said that Kathryn fantasized about doing mean and nasty things to you for years. I mean, hell, you did use her pretty bad." "I was a dope. I did some things I'd never done before, and was so embarrassed I didn't know how to even face her. So I screwed up and avoided her. I just made my apologies and we worked things out. I think she understands that I didn't try to be mean; I was just young and stupid. I didn't know what I was doing, and regretted it for years." I told them. "Geez. I always wondered how you could pass on that, when she was so available to you. You really did fuck up, didn't you?" Tommy pointed out. "Yep, not the first time, and I'm certain not the last. But we've buried the hatchet it seems." I answered "I'm just astounded that hatchet isn't in your back." Jack added. We left just a short while after that. We had one last visit to make. Teri Branson was passing through town, and wanted to see us if she could. She was just there for the day, and none of us wanted to miss out on that chance. The summer before 10th grade, I'd practically lived at Teri's. It was football time, and we were doing twice-a-days. We'd have morning practice, then a break so we wouldn't be out all day in the noon-time Florida summer sun. After the break it was afternoon practice. Teri was at our school and I never really knew her until that summer. She lived only a block from Mike, and we had run into her one day out washing the family car. We struck up a conversation, and the rest was history. I spent every football break at her house that summer. Mike didn't play football, but I'd pick him up on the way over there, and we'd hang out. She had a pool table, and a private rec-room with a stand-up arcade game. Her mother would always bring us snacks and drinks. Teri had not been popular, and was new to the school as well. But in a period of just a few months she went from a boyish figured tom-boy, to a devastatingly beautiful teen. Her breasts seemed to almost explode outwards, and once we'd met her mom, we knew where she got it from. She lost some weight, traded glasses for contacts, grew tits, lost the braces, and suddenly this beauty was in our midst, and nobody even knew about her but us. She was our secret. Tommy was going to a different high-school from me and Mike, but we still hung together most of the summer, and we had to let him in on our secret. The closest we'd come to having anything happen was a bizarre game of spin-the-bottle underneath the pool table. Mike, Tommy, me and Teri. Just an excuse for us to take turns kissing her. Her father was being transferred again at the end of the summer. I told her I was going to have a birthday party, and that we were going to play spin-the-bottle, I had hoped she'd be there, but now she was leaving. We were all upset. Tommy suggested we play now, since she couldn't make it then, and we did. It was strange but wonderful. Two weeks later she was gone. We met Teri at the mall, our planned rendezvous. We couldn't miss her; she was the center of a lot of attention. And still gorgeous. We ran up to her and had hugs all around. "I can only stay about 20 minutes," she told us with a pout. "Damn," was all I could say. So the three of us toured the mall, observing all the changes. It had been brand new the year we had been together. We grabbed some drinks, and wandered back outside, our time almost up, and barely even caught up. "Teri, I have a confession." I told her. "I know we acted pretty much like friends, but I was crazy about you. That summer I went home every evening and dreamed of you." "Hell, we all did." Tommy admitted. "We were such idiots," she said. She reached up to my collar and pulled me down for a kiss. Teri stood maybe 5 foot 1, so I had at least a foot on her in height. Bent over I let her kiss me, and I returned it eagerly. Finally she released me. "I was so confused. One day I'd like you, and then the next day you," she said nodding around the group, "and then you. I kept wondering who was going to be my first real boyfriend. I just knew it was going to be one of you. And then it was all over." She looked up at me. "I Still dream about you sometimes." All we could do was laugh it off, and say we'd get together sometime. She was living in Phoenix now, finishing high school, and it looked like she'd be going to Stanford. It was going to be hard to ever make that commute work out, not that she didn't seem like it would be worth the effort. Then her parents drove up. We said hi to her mom (who had been a secret fantasy of mine back then) and then with a last set of hugs it was goodbye to Teri. It was getting late so we dropped Mike back off at his house, driving mostly in quiet. I imagine we were all lost in thought over the quirks of fate and what might have been. For me, it was thoughts of Kathryn and Teri, two incredible opportunities that any teen would kill for, and I'd let them slip through my fingers. We dropped Mike off, but didn't go inside. As it was we were running late, and knew that if we went in, it would be a while before we got out of there. From Mike's it was a 5 minute drive back to Tommy's, but we drove past Teri's old house, just for nostalgia's sake. At Tommy's we were running late. Dinner was going to be at 6:00 pm, and somehow we'd burned the whole day. It was 5:45 before we even walked in the door, and we both wanted to clean up before dinner. The kid's rooms were served by two separate bathrooms, one at the end of the hall, and one off of Greg's room. So I stripped down to my shorts, and went to take my shower. I hadn't expected the bathroom to be full. Sheri was in their, applying the last of her makeup. Fortunately (or unfortunately) she was dressed. When I walked in, she gave a squeal, and came over and gave me a big hug. "I can't believe you're here! You're looking good." She said, stepping back and giving me the once over. "Wow, Sheri, you look great!" was all I could say. She had always been pretty. But the difference between a 15 year old Sheri and this one was night and day. The more mature Sheri was a beautiful young woman. "Thanks," she said, "I'll be out of here in a second, and you can have the place to yourself. I'm dying to talk to you." "I'll be here all night." I joked, stepping back into the room I was using, before my underwear had to undergo any more strain. I sat on the bed waiting, and after just a minute or so she poked her head in and said "It's all yours." She left the door open and walked out the other side of the bathroom. So that was one change at least that I hadn't noticed. Back in the day, this was Greg's bathroom. But since then someone had taken out the linen closet, and the old closet door now opened into Sheri's room. In retrospect it should have been obvious. With Greg away, the bathroom had a lot of stuff in it, although very neat. If I'd opened a cabinet or drawer, I would have seen all the makeup and girl's things. I was using Sheri's bathroom. I rapidly cleaned up and dressed. I was in a bit of a hurry, wanting to still wrap a couple of small presents for my hosts. I had bought several music tapes for my sister as a Christmas present, and decided to gift Tommy with one of them. I also had a photo in a frame for my mom, and decided to make the frame a family gift. It was simple, hand-made by yours truly from apple-wood. After borrowing some paper, tape, and scissors, I was ready to join everyone else just a few minutes later. To be continued in part 2. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts, for Literotica

Lost At Christmas: Part 1 His First Christmas away from home, & His best gift ever. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at My First time. After my first semester in College, I was eager to go home for the holidays. I was going to school in Rochester, New York, and anybody who'd experienced the lake-effect winters on the Great Lakes would understand my desire to get to somewhere warmer. For me, that somewhere warmer was a long ways away. As a military brat, home was often a moving target, and that winter it was Santiago, Chile, where my father was stationed and where I'd graduated high-school. It was summer in Santiago, and I was looking forward to a pool-party with my old school mates for the Holidays. We didn't have a lot of money, but I was allowed to travel space available on a military flight as a Navy ROTC student. I had to get down to Charleston, South Carolina, and catch an international C1 41 flight that made a loop through Latin America. After finagling a ride to Virginia followed by a very long bus trip down the coast, I finally made it to Charleston AFB. ROTC travel orders in hand, I checked in at the desk, and verified I was on the standby list for the flight leaving on the 23rd. I wouldn't get home until Christmas Day, but better late than never. With pockets nearly empty, a hotel room was out of the question so I slept in the terminal and snacked on the cheapest eats I could get away with. There was a festive mood in the terminal, so many people rushing to get home for the holidays, and I was getting caught up in the feeling, eagerly looking forward to that very long plane ride, first to Panama, then Lima, and finally Santiago. After what seemed an interminable wait, we were an hour away from boarding when I got bumped off the flight by a group of Marines headed to Panama on Active Duty travel orders. I was devastated. The next flight left early the morning of the 26th. At least that one was a huge plane, and nearly empty so I was virtually guaranteed to get aboard, but what was I going to do for Christmas? Looking up at the outgoing flight schedules, I saw a flight listed for Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida. "When is the flight to Tyndall headed out?" I asked the airman behind the desk. "In an hour-and-a-half, and it's all but empty. You want on?" He asked, offering some recompense for my last minute bump. I'd lived in Panama City during 9th and 10th grade, and still had some close friends there, many I still kept in touch with. Maybe I could find someone to spend Christmas with there. It had to be better than sleeping in the terminal for 2 more days. "Please," I told him, "but hold my space for Santiago. I'll be back for that flight." I recalled there being a pretty big Greyhound station in Panama City, so I called Greyhound and checked on a bus being able to get me back in time for the flight. They had one, a 7:30 am bus on Christmas morning would get me back before midnight on Christmas. I could easily make the flight the next morning, even if it were delay a few hours. I bought a ticket, using the emergency Am Ex card my parents had given me when I headed off to college. I'd explain the $67.00 to my parents. I called my family in Santiago with the news. It had to be short call because of the expense, so I let them know I had been bumped but would be there on the 28th. I told them I was headed to Panama City, and would be taking a bus back in plenty of time for my flight. My mother cried, and my father told me to go ahead and use the credit card, but to try to keep the expenses reasonable. By the time I hung up I was pretty depressed, but at least I had a plan. Before I could try to contact anyone in Panama City, an announcement was made and suddenly I was on my way to Florida for Christmas, with no place lined up to stay, and practically broke. I was feeling a bit melancholy, but was determined to make the best of it. So there I was, at Tyndall Air Force Base, at 11:20 pm on December 23rd. I was debating who to try first. I had several close friends nearby and I expected they'd all be home for Christmas. After a short internal debate, I had narrowed it down to two. I had always gotten along well with their entire families, and I was still in pretty regular contact with both of them. Mike lived the nearest to me in the old days. He came from a big family, with 6 siblings, including Peggy, who'd been one of my first real deep infatuations. When I had been in 9th grade she'd been a senior, and was pretty and sophisticated. My yearning for her was unrequited, but I relished the idea of seeing her again after four years. She was a college senior, and would probably be home. I knew they'd welcome me, but I was concerned it would be an inconvenience. They did not have a large house, and it was bound to be crowded, particularly with three college kids home for the holiday. On top of that who knew if they had anyone else in tow? Tommy on the other hand came from a relatively well-off family who always lived well within their means. He had an older brother, who was working in Japan and unlikely to be home, a sister, Sheri, just a year behind us in school, and two much younger siblings, who I guessed would be around 9 and 10 by now. They had a spacious house, each kid had their own room, and I wouldn't be putting anybody out if I stayed there. I'd always had a crush on Sheri, but although I'd dated her best friend, I'd never gone out with her. Getting a chance to see her again would be an extra bonus. Feeling nervous and awkward, I dialed Tommy's number from memory, and luckily got him on the first call. If I'd gotten somebody else, I would have really felt uncomfortable. Tommy's answer was unmistakable. He had a funny way of saying hello when he answered the phone, and the sound of his voice took me straight back down memory lane. "Hee-ello," he answered. "Tommy! Guess who?" I asked. I guess my voice must have been similarly recognizable, since he didn't hesitate a second. "Steve-o! What are you up to? Where're you at?" He answered eagerly. It put a smile on my face. Nice to hear a happy, upbeat voice that seemed genuinely pleased to hear from me. "Funny you should ask. It's a long story, but I'm in a bit of a bind. I'm at Tyndall, and stuck here until Christmas Day." I told him. "What happened to Chile, and Rochester?" He asked. "I was on my way home to Chile, when I lost my seat on the plane in Charleston. I couldn't get out again until the 26th, so when I saw an empty plane headed this way, I just hopped on and hoped for the best." I explained. "That's Great!" He almost shouted. "Not great that you couldn't get home, but great that you're here. You want to stay with us? You can have Greg's room, he won't be here, and I'm sure Sheri and Mom would love to see you. The place is kind of 'down' with Greg canceling his trip home at the last minute. Having you here should cheer things up a bit." He did sound enthused, and I couldn't help grinning in reply. "Don't you think you should check?" I laughed. A scream in my ear was the answer, as I heard half of a shouted conversation. "Mom! Guess Who's In Town." "No, Not Greg." "No, Go Ahead Guess." "Guess Again." "Ok, Ok - Steve." "Yeah, Steve Pelland. He's Stuck Here In Town 'Til Christmas Day." "Of Course I Told Him He Should Come Here, I'll Go Get Him." "I Will." "Yes Mom; Yes; I Won't; I Will." I was holding the phone a little away from my head, and almost missed it when he came back on. "Where should I pick you up?" He asked. "The Main Terminal, you know where that is right?" I answered. "Sure - be there in about 30 minutes. Man, this is Great!" I hung up with a big smile on my face, feeling 100% better than I had just 10 minutes earlier. I stood outside waiting for him, and about 20 minutes later the strings of Christmas lights shut off one at a time, as the place closed up for the night. It was dark and quiet, and I started to get nervous again, wondering if this had been such a good idea. I was 500 miles from my flight home and completely at the mercy of old friends. But as far as friends go, I couldn't do much better than mine, and figured at the least I wouldn't be sleeping in a lonely terminal in Charleston for two days, slowly eating my way through my meager funds. When Bob pulled up around midnight, I could see he'd gotten rid of the VW Bug he'd inherited from his mother upon turning 16, and was now driving his brother's old Two-tone Cougar. We spent a minute saying hi, and loading my gear into the trunk, and then we headed back into town, catching each other up on history. When I had first moved to Santiago, I used to write about once every couple of months, as well as call a couple of times a year. In the beginning I'd written Sheri a lot as well. She was one of the most prolific writers among my old friends, and would typically write twice to me for every one I wrote to her. Over the years, that had degenerated into holiday cards and a surprise call maybe once a year. I knew he was attending Florida State, and that Greg had graduated from Georgetown, and had moved to Japan on business. That was about it. Tommy told me all about the old gang, who was in town, who was going to what schools, what people had been up to. I told him a lot more detail about what I'd been up to. "So," he asked, "Got a girl?" "Not now. Thought I had one after the ROTC Christmas ball, but that seems to have been my mistake." I admitted. "Hard to believe. You always had someone. Every letter, every phone-call, just seems like they didn't stay the same all that long." He teased. "I don't know. I had several relationships last pretty long. Two were more than 6 months long." I argued. "Oh! Six Months!" He laughed. "How about you then," I asked in defense. "Still Erin. Almost two years now." He asked. "Shit. What does she see in you? She could do so much better." I teased. "Oh really? Like how?" "Like me!" I laughed. "Right, like that would ever happen! Don't even think about it, or you'll be sleeping in the street." He was laughing as well. "Not if I called Erin I wouldn't," I shot back. I thought it was a great comeback, but it earned me a sock in the arm. We pulled up to his house, which still looked exactly the same, and things were pretty quiet. They used the same window lights, same roof lights, same bush trimmings year after year. It was just as I remembered. Who says you can't go back? "Mom's got to work tomorrow, so I'm sure she's in bed, and you know Dave crashes early, so we better keep it down. We've got lots to do tomorrow anyway." We entered quietly and put my bag in Greg's old room. Tommy stayed and chatted for a few minutes then bid me good night, telling me to sleep in as long as I wanted, as long as it wasn't past 9:00 am, and left me to get settled. Past 9:00? Now I remembered, they'd always been an early-bird household. For me 9:00 am Was the crack of dawn. Tommy and I had breakfast at about 9:30. He was already chiding me for sleeping in and missing the whole family. We had the house to ourselves. He'd been on the phone arranging our day, and once we'd finished the pancakes, we were off to see Mike and his family. Entering Mike's house was the same as it had ever been, but more-so. People everywhere, noise, laughter, roughhousing, it was all taken in stride by Mrs. Frey. We spent a few hours visiting, and getting fed again before we could leave. Mike's older sister Peggy still looked cute to me, but not the amazing creature my memory had somehow stored away. I had to tease her about the Christmas gift she'd given me three years earlier. She'd bought me a Richard Pryor tape, thinking it was Bill Cosby. When I played it for her in my car, she exploded, calling me names and accusing me of vile intent. At the time I had felt bad, confused, angry and a host of other feelings, now thankfully we could laugh at it. When I'd been 16 I'd been somewhat in awe of her, now things were comfortable. Mike's older brother was home as well, with his live-in girlfriend who seemed awfully ill-at-ease, and must have been at least 5 years older than Dan, maybe more. That was a story I'd have to hear more about. The biggest surprise was Alice. She'd been a few years younger than us. I wasn't sure if she was 16 or 17 now, but she was a bombshell. And she was coming on to me like gangbusters. I was really nervous, with her acting all touchy-feely with her mother and Peggy there. I was suddenly glad I had chosen to stay over with Tommy. With a pretty, stacked girl that seemed so infatuated with me around, I'm afraid I might have gotten into a whole lot more trouble than I needed. When we left there Mike joined us, and it was off to see Jack and Russ. They were a year apart in age. Russ had been in our class, and we'd been friendly with him, but Jack, although a year younger was our buddy. We played on the basketball team together, and when Tommy and I formed our first band, Jack was our bassist. At the Chambers house, we once again reminisced, and had to relive our first 'gig'. We had decided to play in the school talent show. With Tommy on piano and Jack on bass, I played guitar. We had a fourth guy on drums we'd all lost contact with. We had played Elton John, Deep Purple, The Eagles, and The Beatles. We had opened with the opening riff of "Smoke on the Water", and had been a hit. We were pretty lousy, but the audience was our friends, our parents and the parents of our friends, and at the end the parents even took up a collection for us. Pretty heady stuff. We'd called ourselves Bronze Myth, and had already designed our first three album covers before we had our first birthday party gig. Jack had been tall then, and had not stopped growing; he was now 6'7" and was attending University of Florida, playing basketball. He reminded me of the time when we went on our first dates together. I had gone with Kathryn Best, easily the most lusted after girl in the whole school, who was in Jack's class a year behind me. Jack, on the other hand, had gone out with our "Valentine's Day Queen", Anne, who was in my class and almost two full years older than Jack. He was always precocious. There had been a third couple with us, Dennis and Suzanne, and Jack broke the news that Suzanne had gotten knocked up, just before I left to go overseas, and she and Dennis had gotten married. There was a huge scandal, but they stuck together, and had the baby. They lived with Suzanne's parents. Dennis was doing alright, working for Suzanne's father. While we were visiting, several friends dropped in, including the aforementioned Kathryn who lived one street over. Kathryn, the stunning brunette who had the body of a 20 year old when she was 15, and had a beautiful face with features that just slayed me. Kathryn, the very first girl I had gotten to Third Base with. She was as pretty as I remembered, and I found out she was going to be attending Mt. Holyoke the following year, which was an odd coincidence since my girlfriend from High School was a sophomore there. Going out with Kathryn, a year younger than me had been a total fiasco. We'd sat together on an out-of-town bus trip and ranked high enough in the pecking order that we got the right hand seat second from the back. These trips were our biggest dates back then. Ours was a small parochial school, and on the bus trips, the athletes, cheerleaders and student fans all rode the same bug. The 30-90 minute trips were like pep rallies on the way out, and like the back of movie theatres on the way back. There were frequent "hand-checks" and the lights would come one as our coaches would walk the aisle, but it seemed like after our wins, the checks would be a little less frequent. Our win at Pensacola was my first real 'make-out' session, as we cuddled and kissed the whole trip home. I even got a chance to play with her breast through her sweater. Less than a week later I asked her to the movies, and we sat in the back with the two other couples, probably both scared spitless and nervous as goldfish in a blender. We'd started necking, which got more and more intense, and my hands boldly went where no hands had gone before. An hour into the movie I was almost out of control, and feverish with desire, and it seemed she was willing to let me do whatever I wanted. If I'd had a little more confidence, or a little more knowledge, who knows what might have happened? As it is, I went pretty far, probably too far, and I was scared to death afterwards. She was the first girl whose flesh I'd touched underneath her clothing. I didn't call her for several days, and even avoided her at school, not knowing what to say. In short I was a total jerk. Everyone thought we should be together, she was the pretty captain of the cheerleaders, with the big boobs, and I was the Big Jock, playing all the sports, while at the same time excelling in school. She was voted "Most Popular." I was "Most Likely to Succeed." However, in this case it turned out she was "Most Slighted", and I was definitely "Most Inept." After waiting several days, amazingly patient in retrospect, she had tasked her best friend Sheri, Tommy's sister, with letting me know that she thought we shouldn't go out. Next thing you know, she was going out with some geeky looking kid, and she dated him for the rest of the school year. I'd changed schools at the end of that year, and had seen her only infrequently the following year, before moving to Santiago. Outside in the backyard, Kathryn and I walked off together and finally had a few minutes alone. "You know Kat, I don't think I ever apologized for being such an idiot, after our first date. I really am sorry." She was quiet for a while. She had a sad little look. "You know, I waited by that phone night after night, crying myself to sleep. I saw you dodging me at school and it broke my heart." "I was young and stupid. I'd never done Anything with a girl before, and could hardly even believe I was with the hottest girl in school. After all the stuff I did, God, I was so embarrassed that I'd overstepped the boundaries, and I had no idea what to say." She sat down underneath the big tree in the backyard and I sat beside her on the circular bench around it. "You could have said something to Jack maybe, or Tommy, and let them tell me. At least let me know that you liked me, or had fun. Something." She looked on the verge of tears, even 3 years later, and I felt even worse. "I know. I kept kicking myself over it. I was so angry with myself and jealous when you went out with Ricky." I admitted. "He was nice to me when I needed it." "But it seemed such an odd fit. He was a nobody; the only thing he ever did noteworthy was date you." I told her. "He lived two houses down. We'd grown up together, and when my heart was broken he picked up the pieces. He could tell something was wrong, and really made me feel a lot better." She confessed. That brought on a short period of silence. It did let me think better of Ricky, who wasn't just lucky or an opportunist. "You know, that was one of the most memorable moments in my life. Touching a girl like that for the first time. I had no idea what I should do, or what I could do, but I kept looking down the row at Dennis and Suzanne, and figured I should be able to do that too. I was in heaven; you were so amazing to be with." I told her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine. Her palm was moist. "You're telling me? You were the big 9th grader with the learner's permit and motorcycle. Big Man on Campus. The guy every girl wanted. And you wanted me. I had no idea what we should or shouldn't do on a date. I was hoping you knew." We laughed at that, remembering the intensity of those feelings. "Given a chance to do it over, I'd have camped out on your doorstep and professed my undying, eternal love the moment you walked out the door." I told her, half serious. "As I recall, you professed your love for me that evening, just before opening the top of my pants." She said with a wicked grin. I'm sure I blushed mightily. "I can't really ask forgiveness, but I really am sorry. Sorry now and sorry then. I fantasized about you for years afterwards, thinking of what could have happened if I hadn't been such a jerk. You have no idea how many of my fantasies you starred in back then." "If only you'd have let me know. Ricky was my first. It could have been you. Given half a chance, it would have been you." She had moved close and was speaking softly. "And this is my punishment. Knowing how bad I fucked up. Seeing you here, as beautiful as in my dreams, and knowing I've screwed up any chance of being with you." I placed my hand behind her head, stroking her hair. "I wouldn't say you'd screwed up Any chance, but you certainly blew that one." We were looking deeply in each other's eyes, recalling strong, painful feelings. I wanted her now, as I'd wanted her then, with a deep burning need, and I leaned forward those last two inches, and captured her lips with mine. She slid forward and melted against me, kissing me with every emotion boiling to the surface. She took my hand and placed it on her incredible chest, and I squeezed her breast, my thumb reliving that first caress of her nipple from so many years earlier. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, and then broke apart. Her eyes glistened. "I've got a boyfriend." She confessed. I nodded understanding. "If I didn't?" I reached forward pressing my index finger to her lips. "I know. I missed my chance. It's my loss." We just sat side by side a minute, in silence. "You know," she said softly, "what you did to me that night, that was part of the problem." "I know. I'm sorry if I stepped over the line." I said, even now embarrassed at the liberties I'd taken. "No, not anything wrong. What you did to me, how you made me feel. You made me cream my jeans more than once that night. It was the first time I'd ever come. I'd heard about it, but it was almost unreal. Your fingers just drove me wild. It was over a year before another guy was able to do the same." She put her hand between her legs, seemingly remembering that first night. "That makes two of us. I don't know if you knew, but I came in my pants too, and you never even touched me there. By the time I got home I was a terrible sticky mess. I snuck out and threw that underwear away before my mother could find them and ask uncomfortable questions." I told her, laughing. She gave me an odd little look, and then slid around the tree, placing its 3 foot wide trunk between us and the house. She reached out for me, and of course I followed. "Could I, I mean would you mind?" She seemed lost for words. "What? Just ask. I certainly owe you one." I told her. She didn't ask, she just started unbuckling my belt. "I always wondered, and never really had a chance to find out." With the belt open she unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. "I mean, that night, you got to find out pretty much ALL about me, but I didn't; " I lifted my hips and let her pull my pants down a short ways, and then she reached up and pulled my underwear down exposing my fully erect monument to her sexiness. "I knew it, you bastard. Look at that." I didn't have to look. I knew it pretty well. And it was certainly standing tall and making me proud. She took me in hand and stroked me up and down, which after all the discussion and reminiscing was almost enough to get me off. "I just knew it. This should have been my first." She slowly stroked me up and down, and then she leaned over and took me in her mouth for just a second, sucking me deep and then releasing me. That was it. It was too much for me, and I stood up and shot my wad a good two feet out from where we were sitting. She giggled, as she helped me through my release, then pulled my underwear up back over my still dripping cock, and wiped her hand on the front of my briefs, before helping me pull my jeans back up. "If I wasn't tied up, I'd have you paying reparations," she told me as we both stood, and she slapped my hands away from my belt and finished straightening me out herself. "Let's consider it a delayed payoff. If things don't work out for you, maybe we can try it again. Rochester isn't That far from Amherst." Little did I know what the future held in store for us, but that's a different story. We walked back to the house hand-in-hand, laughing at the folly of youth, from the wizened experience of our 18 and 19 years. She had to leave shortly after, as did we, and I kissed her goodbye at the door. Once the door was closed I heard an exclamation from behind me. I turned to Tommy who said, "Now I've seen everything." "Amen," said Jack. "What?" I asked. "After how you treated her after our first date, I was certain you were on her shit-list for life." Jack explained. "Absolutely." Tommy chimed in. "Sheri said that Kathryn fantasized about doing mean and nasty things to you for years. I mean, hell, you did use her pretty bad." "I was a dope. I did some things I'd never done before, and was so embarrassed I didn't know how to even face her. So I screwed up and avoided her. I just made my apologies and we worked things out. I think she understands that I didn't try to be mean; I was just young and stupid. I didn't know what I was doing, and regretted it for years." I told them. "Geez. I always wondered how you could pass on that, when she was so available to you. You really did fuck up, didn't you?" Tommy pointed out. "Yep, not the first time, and I'm certain not the last. But we've buried the hatchet it seems." I answered "I'm just astounded that hatchet isn't in your back." Jack added. We left just a short while after that. We had one last visit to make. Teri Branson was passing through town, and wanted to see us if she could. She was just there for the day, and none of us wanted to miss out on that chance. The summer before 10th grade, I'd practically lived at Teri's. It was football time, and we were doing twice-a-days. We'd have morning practice, then a break so we wouldn't be out all day in the noon-time Florida summer sun. After the break it was afternoon practice. Teri was at our school and I never really knew her until that summer. She lived only a block from Mike, and we had run into her one day out washing the family car. We struck up a conversation, and the rest was history. I spent every football break at her house that summer. Mike didn't play football, but I'd pick him up on the way over there, and we'd hang out. She had a pool table, and a private rec-room with a stand-up arcade game. Her mother would always bring us snacks and drinks. Teri had not been popular, and was new to the school as well. But in a period of just a few months she went from a boyish figured tom-boy, to a devastatingly beautiful teen. Her breasts seemed to almost explode outwards, and once we'd met her mom, we knew where she got it from. She lost some weight, traded glasses for contacts, grew tits, lost the braces, and suddenly this beauty was in our midst, and nobody even knew about her but us. She was our secret. Tommy was going to a different high-school from me and Mike, but we still hung together most of the summer, and we had to let him in on our secret. The closest we'd come to having anything happen was a bizarre game of spin-the-bottle underneath the pool table. Mike, Tommy, me and Teri. Just an excuse for us to take turns kissing her. Her father was being transferred again at the end of the summer. I told her I was going to have a birthday party, and that we were going to play spin-the-bottle, I had hoped she'd be there, but now she was leaving. We were all upset. Tommy suggested we play now, since she couldn't make it then, and we did. It was strange but wonderful. Two weeks later she was gone. We met Teri at the mall, our planned rendezvous. We couldn't miss her; she was the center of a lot of attention. And still gorgeous. We ran up to her and had hugs all around. "I can only stay about 20 minutes," she told us with a pout. "Damn," was all I could say. So the three of us toured the mall, observing all the changes. It had been brand new the year we had been together. We grabbed some drinks, and wandered back outside, our time almost up, and barely even caught up. "Teri, I have a confession." I told her. "I know we acted pretty much like friends, but I was crazy about you. That summer I went home every evening and dreamed of you." "Hell, we all did." Tommy admitted. "We were such idiots," she said. She reached up to my collar and pulled me down for a kiss. Teri stood maybe 5 foot 1, so I had at least a foot on her in height. Bent over I let her kiss me, and I returned it eagerly. Finally she released me. "I was so confused. One day I'd like you, and then the next day you," she said nodding around the group, "and then you. I kept wondering who was going to be my first real boyfriend. I just knew it was going to be one of you. And then it was all over." She looked up at me. "I Still dream about you sometimes." All we could do was laugh it off, and say we'd get together sometime. She was living in Phoenix now, finishing high school, and it looked like she'd be going to Stanford. It was going to be hard to ever make that commute work out, not that she didn't seem like it would be worth the effort. Then her parents drove up. We said hi to her mom (who had been a secret fantasy of mine back then) and then with a last set of hugs it was goodbye to Teri. It was getting late so we dropped Mike back off at his house, driving mostly in quiet. I imagine we were all lost in thought over the quirks of fate and what might have been. For me, it was thoughts of Kathryn and Teri, two incredible opportunities that any teen would kill for, and I'd let them slip through my fingers. We dropped Mike off, but didn't go inside. As it was we were running late, and knew that if we went in, it would be a while before we got out of there. From Mike's it was a 5 minute drive back to Tommy's, but we drove past Teri's old house, just for nostalgia's sake. At Tommy's we were running late. Dinner was going to be at 6:00 pm, and somehow we'd burned the whole day. It was 5:45 before we even walked in the door, and we both wanted to clean up before dinner. The kid's rooms were served by two separate bathrooms, one at the end of the hall, and one off of Greg's room. So I stripped down to my shorts, and went to take my shower. I hadn't expected the bathroom to be full. Sheri was in their, applying the last of her makeup. Fortunately (or unfortunately) she was dressed. When I walked in, she gave a squeal, and came over and gave me a big hug. "I can't believe you're here! You're looking good." She said, stepping back and giving me the once over. "Wow, Sheri, you look great!" was all I could say. She had always been pretty. But the difference between a 15 year old Sheri and this one was night and day. The more mature Sheri was a beautiful young woman. "Thanks," she said, "I'll be out of here in a second, and you can have the place to yourself. I'm dying to talk to you." "I'll be here all night." I joked, stepping back into the room I was using, before my underwear had to undergo any more strain. I sat on the bed waiting, and after just a minute or so she poked her head in and said "It's all yours." She left the door open and walked out the other side of the bathroom. So that was one change at least that I hadn't noticed. Back in the day, this was Greg's bathroom. But since then someone had taken out the linen closet, and the old closet door now opened into Sheri's room. In retrospect it should have been obvious. With Greg away, the bathroom had a lot of stuff in it, although very neat. If I'd opened a cabinet or drawer, I would have seen all the makeup and girl's things. I was using Sheri's bathroom. I rapidly cleaned up and dressed. I was in a bit of a hurry, wanting to still wrap a couple of small presents for my hosts. I had bought several music tapes for my sister as a Christmas present, and decided to gift Tommy with one of them. I also had a photo in a frame for my mom, and decided to make the frame a family gift. It was simple, hand-made by yours truly from apple-wood. After borrowing some paper, tape, and scissors, I was ready to join everyone else just a few minutes later. To be continued in part 2. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts, for Literotica

Have you ever walked away from a conversation wondering if you imagined what just happened? In this episode of Whinypaluza, host Rebecca Greene welcomes author, advocate, and survivor Deborah Griffiths for an honest conversation about gaslighting and emotional manipulation. Deborah, author of Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter, explains how gaslighting works slowly and quietly, chipping away at self esteem, confidence, and self trust over time. Drawing from her lived experience and healing journey, Deborah shares how red flags are often missed, why victims question themselves instead of the behavior, and how clarity begins when we listen to our bodies and instincts. This episode offers validation, language, and hope for anyone beginning to see the fog lift.  Key Takeaways → Gaslighting is emotional manipulation that causes self doubt over time → Confusion is often the first red flag → Love bombing can disguise manipulation → Healthy conflict leaves you feeling heard → Your body often recognizes truth before your mind → Clarity begins when the fog starts to lift Deborah Griffiths is an author, advocate, and survivor whose novel Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter draws from lived experience to illuminate the subtle and damaging effects of emotional manipulation. She hosts the podcast Bent, Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce and supports women navigating healing, boundaries, and rebuilding their lives after trauma.  Connect with Deborah Website: https://www.brokentoboldness.com Book: Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter Podcast: Bent, Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who may need language for what they are experiencing. Subscribe to Whinypaluza for honest conversations that validate, educate, and empower. https://linktr.ee/whinypaluzamom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ball x Pit is een game die een meervoud van genres (waaronder actie, roguelite en flipperen) combineert tot een iets wat je niet gauw kunt loslaten. In deze aflevering van 12 Games of Christmas bespreekt Joe van Burik de game met BNR-collega en videoproducer Najib Tarahbi. Vragen of opmerkingen? Mail ons op allinthegame@bnr.nl Over All in the GameAll in the Game is de podcast over games voor iedereen. Wanneer er iets speelt in de wereld van games, hoor je dat hier: spannende ontwikkelingen, boeiende onderzoeken en natuurlijk de nieuwste releases om te spelen op je PlayStation, Xbox, pc of welk platform dan ook. Onder leiding van BNR's techredacteur Joe van Burik hoor je gesprekken met andere gamekenners, zoals beursnerd Jochem Visser, techredacteurs Niels Kooloos en Daniël Mol én popcultuurkenners Donner Bakker en Sam van Zuilen. Ook hoogleraar computerwetenschappen Felienne Herman en universiteit docent Laura van der Lubbe schuiven geregeld aan, en je hoort bijdragen van audioproducers André Dortmont en Wesley Schouwenaars, Elke week hoor je minimaal één aflevering van All in the Game. Of juist meerdere, wanneer er veel speelt in de wereld van games. Soms met impressies en analyses over actuele ontwikkelingen en nieuwe games. Andere keren kun je luisteren naar interviews met makers van bijzondere games, van Grand Theft Auto (GTA) tot Baldur's Gate 3 - zowel Nederlandse als internationale ontwikkelaars. Of we praten met e-sport-atleten, onderzoekers en andere experts in de wereld van videogames, in onze rubriek Main Game. En regelmatig laten we iemand van BNR Nieuwsradio aanschuiven om te vertelen over diens favoriete game van vroeger in de Retro-rubriek. In deze podcast kijken we verder dan alleen wat een game leuk maakt: we bespreken juist ook in de culturele, maatschappelijke, economische en technologische impact ervan. Jaarlijks gaat er immers zo'n 200 miljard euro om in de wereldwijde game-industrie, dat is al (vele jaren zelfs) daadwerkelijk meer dan de muziek- en filmindustrie bij elkaar opgeteld. Zo hoor je bij All in the Game niet alleen wat je moet spelen - en op welk nieuwe (game)platform - maar kun je daar nog bewuster mee bezig zijn, over praten en natuurlijk van genieten. Of het nou gaat om Super Mario of Sonic the Hedgehog, Fortnite of Roblox, voetbalgames van EA Sports FC of de FIFA, Call of Duty of Battlefield, League of Legends of Dota,of goude oude titels zoals Tetris, Rollercoaster Tycoon, The Sims of zelfs Snake. En we hebben ook aandacht voor liefhebberijen die dicht op games zitten, zoals Dungeons & Dragons, Lego en de films, series en strips rond reeksen zoals Star Wars en Marvel. Het komt allemaal aan bod in All in the Game. All in the Game werd als podcast al in 2022 opgenomen in het archief van Het Nederlands instituut voor Beeld & Geluid in Hilversum - als eerste podcast van BNR Nieuwsradio en één van de eerste gamepodcasts van allemaal. Gezamenlijk met talloze Nederlandse televisieprogramma’s, radioshows, games, websites, webvideo’s en podcast vormt dit materiaal de Nederlandse mediageschiedenis. Over Joe van BurikJoe van Burik is presentator, podcastmaker en techredacteur bij BNR Nieuwsradio. Je hoort hem bijna dagelijks in de Tech Update met het laatste nieuws over digitale technologie, en gaat daar in BNR Digitaal (samen met Ben van der Burg) elke woensdag dieper op in met gasten uit de techwereld. Daarnaast maakt hij onder meer de podcast All in the Game, voor iedereen die meer wil horen over videogames.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Je hebt de kerstdagen weer overleefd.  Als je veel verantwoordelijkheid draagt en uit een drukke periode komt op je werk en thuis, dan is de kans groot dat je snakt naar vrij zijn. Even niets moeten.  Om te ontdekken dat als je vertraagt en eindelijk vrij bent, je vooral innerlijke onrust voelt.  Je merkt nu pas hoe moe je eigenlijk bent. Je baalt ervan dat je prikkelbaar en gespannen reageert tegen de mensen van wie je houdt. Je voelt innerlijke onrust omdat je lijf nog ‘aan' staat'. De kans is groot dat je voor de vakantie een romantisch beeld had waar je eindelijk tijd voor zou hebben als je vrij bent: die stapel boeken die al tijden op je ligt te wachten. Tijd doorbrengen met je dierbaren. Een creatief project. Om je vervolgens gefrustreerd te voelen omdat je de innerlijke rust niet hebt om met een boek op de bank te gaan zitten. Dat je je als je vrij bent niet meteen ontspannen en goed voelt. Toe aan een volgende stap? Vraag nu een persoonlijk gesprek aan via: https://oudstedochter.com/gesprek/  Nieuwsgierig geworden? Boek             : ⁠⁠Het verborgen leiderschap van oudste dochters⁠⁠ Website           : ⁠⁠www.oudstedochter.com⁠⁠ Mail            : info@oudstedochter.com Carddeck        : ⁠⁠Het oudste dochter carddeck⁠⁠ Masterclass : ⁠Doorbreek de oudste dochter dynamiek   Cadeautje: Vraag nu het Leef jouw leven Reflectie, droom- en doeboek aan via deze link ⁠: https://oudstedochter.com/reflectie-droom-en-doeboek-voor-oudste-dochters/ 

1. Week 16 Takeaways-DKrom: Week 16 delivered the extra layer of chaos to the playoff picture that the NFL wanted...and it couldn't have happened in more dramatic fashion-Hal: NFL officiating is making my head explode2. Week 16 Honors-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Sam Darnold/Zach Charbonnet, Hal: Young QB's and their coaches)-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Sean Payton, Hal: John Harbaugh/Todd Monken)3. Head Coach Hot Seat Meter (Warm, Hot, Inferno)-Pete Carroll -Kevin Stefanski -Todd Bowles-Raheem Morris-John Harbaugh 4. Rating the Playoff Teams (One-And-Done, Dancers, Championship Caliber)-Rams-Seahawks-49ers-Eagles-Bears-Jaguars-Bills-Broncos-Chargers-Patriots 5. Week 17 Game Picks-Lock of the Week (DKrom: Jaguars over Colts, Hal: Broncos over Chiefs)-Upset Special (DKrom: Chiefs over Broncos, Hal: Bears over 49ers)-Cowboys at Commanders -Lions at Vikings -Texans at Chargers-Ravens at Packers -Steelers at Browns -Patriots at Jets -Saints at Titans-Bucs at Dolphins -Seahawks at Panthers -Cardinals at Bengals -Giants at Raiders-Eagles at Bills -Rams at Falcons 6. Week 17 Bold Predictions-DKrom: Colts surrender a 40-burger for the second consecutive week and Trevor Lawrence scores 7 total TD (5 pass, 2 rush) along with 370 total yards (335 passing, 35 rushing)-Hal: Bears force the 49ers to punt late in the game down 24-20, and Devin Duvernay returns it all the way for the game-winning TD7. Challenge Flags-DKrom: Seahawks…beware a potential let-down in Carolina and DON'T GET CAUGHT LOOKING AHEAD! -Hal: Bills, Texans, Chargers, 49ers, Rams, Bucs, Packers...strange things always happen in the NFL so take care of business this week!

Send us a textJe kunt stoppen met zoeken op apps.Want ware liefde, ontmoet je op een hele soepele manier, zodra je er klaar voor bent. Beetje cliche, maar is echt zo.Alleen klaar zijn voor echte liefde ziet er vaak anders uit dan we denken.Dus in deze aflevering deel ik 5 heldere signalen dat je daadwerkelijk klaar bent er voor.En als je niet meer nodig hebt, kijk dan hier voor mijn membership The Cherished Woman (als je wel meer nodig hebt, de sales pagina met informatie komt eraan! hahah)The Cherished Woman per maand The Cherished Woman 1 jaar membershipNu nog eindejaarsaanbod tm 5 januari Support the show

Today we talk about our latest project and how people think our trike is AI

Today Ernie and Robo talk about the shocking development in the Disney OpenAI situation, and celebrate 100 episodes of Nerds of Culture!

Ontdek dat God nog beter is dan jij je kunt voorstellen! Hij geeft jou voorspoed en geluk in alles wat je doet. Kom naar de Blessed Conference 2025 en leer denken vanuit jouw identiteit en erfenis als kind van GodBen je opgebouwd door het onderwijs van Frontrunners en wil je samen met ons Gods Koninkrijk bouwen? Word dan partner van Frontrunners via https://frontrunners.nl/gevenSchrijf je in op ons YouTubekanaal en mis niets van onze nieuwste video's: https://www.youtube.com/frontrunnersm...Blijf verbonden:Instagram | www.instagram.com/frontrunners_ministriesFacebook | www.facebook.com/frontrunnersministriesSpotify | http://bit.ly/frontrunnersministriesFM Website | https://frontrunners.nlFM Webshop | https://frontrunners.nl/shop

1. Week 15 Takeaways-DKrom: The AFC truly is wide open this year -Hal: Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons' ACL injuries changed the trajectory for the 2025 season...and maybe the 2026 season as well2. Week 15 Honors-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Trevor Lawrence/Bo Nix, Hal: Chargers OL)-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Lathan Ransom, Hal: Shane Steichen)3. On Monday night in Pittsburgh, the Dolphins were officially eliminated from playoff contention due in large part to another atrocious performance by Tua Tagovailoa. Today, Miami benched Tua and rookie Quinn Ewers is slated to start the final three games. Is this the end of Tua Time in South Florida? It's possible, but very complicated from a financial perspective. Keep in mind, Tua already has $54M of his 2026 salary guaranteed and $3M of his 2027 salary fully vests on March 15. Releasing Tua Tagovailoa in 2026 would result in a gargantuan $99M dead money charge. And a post-June 1 release would result in $67.4M in dead money in 2026, and another $31.8 million in 2027. Many are going to naturally point to the Broncos swallowing $85M in dead money over these last two years by releasing Russell Wilson, but Dolphins ownership doesn't nearly have half the cash Denver's ownership does. So my question to you Hal is this: If you are the Dolphins next GM, would you be willing to release Tua Tagovailoa before March 15 and eat $99M over the next two seasons?4. Panic Meter -Packers Super Bowl chances without Micah Parsons-Baker Mayfield-Seahawks offensive struggles -Rams offense minus Davante Adams on a short week against the Seahawks on the road-Patrick Mahomes not being 100% for the entirety of 2026-Bengals fans on the chances Joe Burrow wants out of Cincinnati -Patriots run defense-Broncos defense 5. Truth or Exaggeration-If the Seahawks beat the Rams on Thursday, the 49ers will be the NFC's eventual #1 seed-The Steelers will be one-and-done in the playoffs again regardless of who they end up hosting in the Wild Card round-Should the Bucs not make the playoffs, Todd Bowles will be fired as head coach -Unless the Jets can trade up into the top 2 to take Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore, Kyler Murray will be their starting QB in 2026 -The Bears should trade WR D.J. Moore and release TE Cole Kmet and use the cap savings from both moves to sign Trey Hendrickson in free agency-The Chiefs will re-hire Eric Bieniemy as OC and he will bring along with him the run game scheme the Bears have run this season -Raheem Morris will get a third season as Falcons head coach-If the road to Super Bowl LX in the AFC does not run through Denver, and IF the Patriots lose to the Ravens on Sunday night, the road to Super Bowl LX in the AFC will go through…Jacksonville 6. Week 16 Game Picks-Lock of the Week (DKrom: Texans over Raiders, Hal: Bills over Browns)-Upset Special (DKrom: Titans over Chiefs, Hal: Giants over Vikings)-Rams at Seahawks-Eagles at Commanders-Packers at Bears-Jets at Saints-Chargers at Cowboys-Bucs at Panthers -Bengals at Dolphins-Jaguars at Broncos-Falcons at Cardinals-Steelers at Lions-Patriots at Ravens-49ers at Colts7. Week 16 Bold Predictions-DKrom: Broncos are up 24-20 at the two minute warning and have 4th-and-1 at the 39 of the Jaguars. Broncos go for it and the Jags stuff them for no gain. Trevor Lawrence then leads the Jaguars on a 61 yard, 1:42 drive culminating in the game-winning TD pass on 3rd-and-Goal from the 8...to former Bronco Tim Patrick! -Hal: Ravens, Jaguars, and Bucs will all win their divisions despite losing in Week 16...and the Giants will still end up the #1 overall pick in the 2026 draft despite winning in Week 168. Challenge Flags-DKrom: Sam Darnold...just take care of the football and stay ahead of the sticks against the Rams!-Hal: Shane Steichen...BENCH PHILIP RIVERS!!!

In deze uitzending: - Huishoudelijke mededeling - Presidentieel rapport VS schetst somber beeld over Europa - Muziek ⁠Comment puis-je oublier cette dance? ⁠by ⁠Natali Lyon⁠ - Boer Bart moet nevenactiviteiten staken - Bent u een complotdenker? Dit is de laatste uitzending in de huidige vorm en frequentie. Meer informatie in deze uitzending.

In deze uitzending: - Huishoudelijke mededeling - Presidentieel rapport VS schetst somber beeld over Europa - Muziek ⁠Comment puis-je oublier cette dance? ⁠by ⁠Natali Lyon⁠ - Boer Bart moet nevenactiviteiten staken - Bent u een complotdenker? Dit is de laatste uitzending in de huidige vorm en frequentie. Meer informatie in deze uitzending.

In deze aflevering neem ik je mee in een thema dat ik bij zóveel wijze, intuïtieve vrouwen zie terugkomen. Je bent zichtbaar. Je deelt. Je creëert. Je bent aanwezig. Maar datgene waar je écht het verschil mee maakt, je afstemming, je intuïtieve gaves, je manier van voelen, zien en lezen, blijft vaak onzichtbaar. We verstoppen ons achter methodes. Achter titels. Achter werkwijzes.  Achter woorden die veilig voelen, maar niet volledig waar zijn. In deze podcast deel ik waarom juist dát wat je misschien het moeilijkst vindt om te benoemen, het goud is waar anderen naar zoeken. Ik spreek over: • afgestemd en intuïtief werken • waarom vrouwen hun gaves niet volledig claimen • de angst voor afwijzing (en waar die werkelijk vandaan komt) • het innemen van je positie als wijze vrouw, priesteres en mystica Deze aflevering is een uitnodiging. Om je goud niet langer verborgen te houden. Om zichtbaar te worden in waarheid. En om te herinneren waarom jij hier bent. Luister en voel wat er bij jou wordt aangeraakt. Mystica In deze podcast heb ik het over mijn jaaropleiding Mystica. Een jaar waarin je jezelf uitlijnt met jouw pad, jouw gaves, jouw medicijn en wat er door jou heen mag ontstaan. In een veld van divine feminine energy. Samen met andere vrouwen die ook dit pad bewandelen. En die ook voelen dat het tijd is om de wijze vrouw, mystica en priesteres in zichzelf te omarmen.  Via deze link vind je meer info. Ieder pad en iedere deelname aan Mystica is uniek, daarom nodig ik je uit voor een gesprek om hier samen op te af te stemmen. 

Max Verstappen benadrukt nogmaals dat het feit dat hij het wereldkampioenschap op slechts twee punten is misgelopen, het voor hem op geen enkele manier extra pijnlijk maakt. Je bent immers zwanger, of je bent het niet.

Als je een paar nachten slecht geslapen hebt, dan is de kans groot dat je de een emotioneel wrak bent. Er hoeft maar het minste te gebeuren en je kan in tranen uitbarsten. Maar waarom is dat nou eigenlijk zo? Slaapneurowetenschapper Els van der Helm helpt ons bij het antwoord!

Today we're chatting about the specifics of Ethan's backyard power station and we discuss why snowmobiling is so hard

“If you have opportunities to have them take over the work, you can engage them in a way with chaos circles. I love doing chaos circles when they're teaching themselves the music. Sometimes you see students who are usually very shy really step up to the challenge of becoming leaders, You get to see students in a way that they don't always present themselves if you can get them moving around and engaging the brain that way.”Dr. Jenny Bent is Professor of Music and Director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Sonoma State University. With degrees from Boston University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Bent's expertise spans voice performance, choral conducting, and choral literature. Described by the San Francisco Classical Voice as “superb” with “excellent diction and well-controlled dynamics,” Dr. Bent's choirs have earned unanimous superior ratings and command performances at festivals throughout California and have performed under her baton at such venues as Carnegie Hall in New York City and Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Her ensemble SonoVoce was recently honored to perform at the CA All-State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC).Recognized for her achievements as a choral educator, Dr. Bent received the 2019 CMEA Bay Section Outstanding Choral Educator Award and the 2023 CMEA Pearson/Scott Foresman/Silver Burdett Choral Educator Award. She brings over a decade of high school teaching experience, notably at the Marin School of the Arts.Beyond her academic work, Dr. Bent contributes to the choral music community as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and conference presenter for organizations including CMEA, ACDA, and Golden State. From 2016-2023, she served on the board of the California Choral Directors Association (CCDA), and she currently holds the positions of Repertoire & Resources Collegiate Choirs Coordinator for National ACDA and Western Region Representative for the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO). From 2007-2014, Dr. Bent shared her passion for choral music as a host of "The Choir Loft" on KRCB-FM. She is also a proud (and semi-obnoxious) baseball mom whose favorite moments are watching her two sons do what they love.To get in touch with Jenny, you can email her at bentje@sonoma.edu or find her on Facebook (@jenny.bent.5)Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Vandaag in de basis: Suse van Kleef, Henk Spaan, Hugo Borst en Frans Thomése. Op het programma: de Klassieker, de positieve impact van Infantino en hoekvoorkeur bij keepers. Deze podcast wordt mogelijk gemaakt door Staatsloterij. Bekijk de podcast ook op ons YouTube-kanaal.

Het Zaterdagochtendmagazine van Omroep MAX. Elke zaterdag van 8u30 tot 11u00.

Zooooheeeeeee, we maakten een aflevering over borstvoeding en jullie lieten van je horen! Onze mailbox stroomde vol met de meest uiteenlopende reacties. Van ‘ik voel me gezien’ tot ‘ik heb de aflevering afgezet want wat een teleurstelling’. We lezen een paar van jullie reacties voor in podcast en pruttelen nog een beetje na over het voeden der baby’s. Verder brak ML’s klomp toen ze lucht kreeg van een NO van jewelste: dakloze moeders met kinderen die bij de gemeente aankloppen voor opvang krijgen te horen ‘je regelt het zelf maar, anders bellen we Veilig Thuis’. Het systeem dat is opgezet voor de kwetsbaarste groep, faalt. En Nydia doet haar best om Anja Meulenbelt geen icoon te noemen. Maar ja, ze is het. Sue us! Ga voor de shownotes en het transcript naar damnhoney.nl/aflevering-260DAMN, HONEY wordt gemaakt door Marie Lotte Hagen en Nydia van VoorthuizenIn deze aflevering hoor je advertenties voor Theater Rotterdam en Scapino Ballet Rotterdam- Heartbeats, een documentaire performance van Nastaran Razawi Khorasani, is werk dat raakt, troost biedt en je meeneemt in een wereld die zowel persoonlijk als groter is dan jezelf. T/m 15 februari 2026 op tournee door Nederland en België. Meer informatie tr.nl/heartbeats- Vanaf januari is Origin; the future is Femine te zien in de theaters! Tickets & info via: scapinoballet.nl/origin editwerk: Daniël van de Poppe jingles: Lucas de Gier website: Liesbeth Smit DAMN, HONEY is onderdeel van Dag & Nacht Media. Heb je interesse om te adverteren in deze podcast? Neem dan contact op met Dag en Nacht Media via adverteren@dagennacht.nlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Je laat gemakkelijk over je heen lopen, ben altijd "de stille", verdwijnt naar de achtergrond en durft je niet echt uit te spreken. In deze podcast graven we samen naar de oorzaak, duiken we in je gezin van herkomst en maken we het in 1 klap logisch waarom je hier last van hebt. LETS GO!Gelijk starten met Master Your Life? Klik hier! Meer weten?!1. Volg mij via Instagram!2. Volg mijn gratis Masterclass over emotioneel afwezige ouders.3. Luister hier de podcast speciaal voor ondernemers.4. Op Facebook vind je mij hier. 5. Op Youtube vind je mij hier. Samenwerken of meer leren?6. Start met de cursus over Emotioneel afwezige ouders. 7. Start met het programma Master Your Life. 8. Start met de cursus over narcisme hier. 9. Start met de cursus over hechtingsstijlen. 10. Volg hier de gratis cursus over je eigen kinderen emotioneel zien.

1. Week 14 Takeaways-DKrom: Lane Johnson just might be the most valuable OL in NFL history-Hal: Is Indianapolis cursed?2. Week 14 Honors-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: DeMeco Ryans and Texans D, Hal: Rams OL and OL coach Ryan Wendell)-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Andy Reid, Hal: Travis Kelce)3. 2026 NFL Draft Sweepstakes -IF the Giants get the #1 overall pick, should their top priority be trading it? Should the Giants have the top pick, and both Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore declare for the draft, should they be inclined to trade back twice?-Is Pete Carroll the right guy to develop the Raiders QB of choice if they get the top pick? 4. Truth or Exaggeration (DKrom's Playoff Picture Analysis & Predictions)-The two most dangerous AFC playoff teams are the Texans and Jaguars-Neither the Chiefs nor Ravens will make the playoffs-The Broncos will lose AT LEAST three of their final four games and the Chargers will win the AFC West^^-If the Patriots beat the Bills on Sunday, they are unlikely to beat them a third time in the playoffs should they meet then-Whoever wins the Rams/Seahawks game next Thursday will be the NFC's #1 seed-The Panthers will win the NFC South -Whoever wins the Lions/Bears game in Week 18 will be the NFC's #7 playoff seed-The Packers are even better-equipped to beat the Rams in the playoffs than the Seahawks are 5. Week 15 Game Picks-Lock of the Week (DKrom: 49ers over Titans, Hal: Seahawks over Colts)-Upset Special (DKrom: Chargers over Chiefs, Hal: Cardinals over Texans)-Falcons at Bucs-Bills at Patriots-Ravens at Bengals-Jets at Jaguars-Browns at Bears -Commanders at Giants-Raiders at Eagles-Packers at Broncos -Panthers at Saints-Lions at Rams-Vikings at Cowboys-Dolphins at Steelers6. Week 15 Bold Predictions-DKrom: Matthew Stafford strengthens his case for MVP by throwing for 500-plus yards and 5 TD in a shoot-out against his former team, including the game-winner to Davante Adams from 5 yards out on 3rd-and-Goal in the final minute -Hal: Despite being sacked 9 times, Jacoby Brissett throws 3 TD passes to Michael Wilson, including the game-winner in the final minute7. Challenge Flags-DKrom: Eagles, Panthers, Bears, Texans, and Jaguars...BEWARE THE TRAP!!!-Hal: Patriots...make me look like an idiot for picking against you and beat the Bills!

Wat zegt nieuw Gronings onderzoek over het verband tussen de ruggenprik en spoedbevallingen? Jop spreekt met promovenda Esmée Tabernee-Heijtmeijer. Ook: dermatoloog Sebastiaan van der Bent over de risico's van steeds uitgebreidere skin-care routines bij jonge meiden. De warme douche gaat naar Judith Akkerman voor de glossy Alle mooie borsten.Gerelateerde artikelen:De skincare routine: hype of huidprobleem?Pijnstilling tijdens de baringStoma opheffen kan poliklinischJichtprofylaxe: gebruik colchicine eenmaal daagsPublicaties Groningse onderzoekers over epiduralen en spoedbevallingen:Intrapartum epidural analgesia and emergency delivery for presumed fetal compromiseEpidural analgesia and emergency delivery for presumed fetal compromise: post-hoc analysis of RAVEL multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Waarom jij bent wie je volgt.Over de impact van de mensen waar jij je door laat leiden en wat dit betekent voor je leven en je business. En over hoe je als high performer hier bewuste keuzes in maakt.Wil jij leven en ondernemen zoals je werkelijk bent bedoeld? Ga dan naar maartenvogelaar.nl/maarten en plan een call in. 

Een vrouw klaagt haar Tinderdate aan voor verkrachting omdat hij loog over zijn uiterlijk. Een studente dient een klacht in tegen een docent nadat die hun relatie heeft verbroken. En een vader word... Uitgegeven door SAGA Egmont Spreker: Lot van Lunteren

You don't need to know yoga to practice this. Learn how to change your perspective and roll with it. #ThePitch #INICIVOX #VirtualMentorship

USA er i krig mod narko for at redde amerikanske liv – og den skal føres med alle midler. Det er budskabet fra USA's præsident Donald Trump. Og når præsidenten siger det, så adlyder krigsminister Pete Hegseth. De seneste måneder har amerikanske soldater derfor igen og igen angrebet fiskerbåde ud for Venezuelas kyst, fordi de er mistænkt for at sejle narkotika mod USA. Angrebene har allerede kostet mere end 80 mennesker livet. Men er Pete Hegseth og hans chef gået for langt? Nye detaljer om et af angrebene er nemlig begyndt og sive ud – og i værste fald ligner det pludselig en krigsforbrydelse. Det hjælper dagens gæst, USA-korrespondent i Washington, Jacob Fuglsang, os med at forstå.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1. Week 13 Takeaways-DKrom: Bears and Patriots being the two #1 playoff seeds with five weeks to go perfectly symbolizes the 2025 NFL season-Hal: The Witching Hour has arrived...this is when playoff spots are won and lost 2. Week 13 Honors-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Bears and Bills OL, Hal: Joe Burrow)-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Hal: Omar Khan)3. Panic Meter-Eagles chances of getting leap-frogged by the Cowboys in the NFC East-Lions playoff chances-Bears passing game struggles costing them a playoff spot-Broncos defense costing them the AFC West (were they exposed by the Commanders?)-Colts playoff chances4. Truth or Exaggeration-The Rams will NOT win the NFC West-The Bengals defensive improvements are legit -At minimum, the Cowboys will place the franchise tag on George Pickens in March-The winners of Sunday night's Texans/Chiefs game will make the playoffs...and the loser will not-The Lions best chance to win a Super Bowl with their current core has officially passed them by -The Jaguars will do everything in their power to re-sign Jakobi Meyers-Christian McCaffrey will get a lot of votes for 2025 OPOY-The Ravens offensive struggles will cost them the AFC North title5. Week 14 Game Picks-Lock of the Week (DKrom: Bucs over Saints, Hal: Rams over Cardinals)-Upset Special (DKrom: Raiders over Broncos, Hal: Jets over Dolphins)-Cowboys at Lions -Steelers at Ravens -Colts at Jaguars-Titans at Browns -Commanders at Vikings -Seahawks at Falcons-Bengals at Bills-Bears at Packers-Texans at Chiefs-Eagles at Chargers6. Week 14 Bold Predictions-DKrom: Eagles D will allow two 100+ yard rushers for the second consecutive week as Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal combine for 280 yards on the ground (170 for Hampton, 110 for Vidal) and 1 TD each-Hal: Cam Ward throws first half INT's...and responds with multiple TD drives in the second half, including the last minute game-winner plus two-point conversion to win 22-217. Challenge Flags-DKrom: Texans...make me look like an idiot and SLAY THE DRAGON!!!!-Hal: Bengals...make me look like an idiot and UPSET THE BILLS!!!

1. Week 12 Takeaways-DKrom: Regardless of what happens down the stretch, the 2025 season has to be considered a success for the Bears-Hal: Too many offensive and defensive coordinators are being too conservative while playing with a lead2. Week 12 Honors-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Emmanuel Forbes, Hal: Matt Eberflus)-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Mark Davis, Hal: Shane Steichen)3. Race for the 2025 AFC South Crown -In your view, what level is the Panic Meter at (on a scale of 1-10) in terms of the play of Daniel Jones costing the Colts the 2025 AFC South title, if not a playoff berth altogether? -If the Jaguars snatch just 1 win in those latter three games (vs. Colts 2x, at Broncos) and win the former three that they're expected to (vs. Titans 2x, vs. Jets), would you say they win the AFC South?-Whether the Texans win the AFC South for a third straight year or get into the playoffs as a Wild Card seed, are they a team absolutely nobody will want to play in January? 4. Truth or Exaggeration-The Los Angeles Rams are currently the favorite to win Super Bowl 50***-Myles Garrett will break the all-time single-season sack record by a considerable margin -J.J. McCarthy will permanently lose the Vikings starting QB job at some point next season^-It is time for the Steelers to at least consider moving on from Mike Tomlin-Hiring Vance Joseph as head coach (plus him bringing along Davis Webb as his OC) would be the best possible move for the Giants-Multiple 10-win AFC teams will miss the playoffs 5. Week 13 Game Picks-Lock of the Week (DKrom: Jaguars over Titans, Hal: Seahawks over Vikings)-Upset Special (DKrom: Texans over Colts, Hal: Titans over Jaguars/Steelers over Bills)-Packers at Lions -Chiefs at Cowboys -Bengals at Ravens -Bears at Eagles-49ers at Browns -Saints at Dolphins -Falcons at Jets -Rams at Panthers-Cardinals at Bucs-Raiders at Chargers-Broncos at Commanders-Giants at Patriots 6. Week 13 Bold Predictions-DKrom: Texans D sacks Daniel Jones 7 times and intercepts him 3 times...including a pick-six by Calen Bullock in the fourth quarter that turns out to be the game-winner-Hal: Steelers intercept Josh Allen and force two fumbles, including one in the final two minutes to set up a Chris Boswell 60-yard game-winning FG7. Challenge Flags-DKrom: Trevor Lawrence...FIND CONSISTENCY-Hal: Jonathan Gannon...GET SOME WINS DOWN THE STRETCH!!!

Pickle returns, again! The depths of Bent's cruelty are revealed before he faces the consequences. Orry saves the day. Ashton finally breaks

We recap Ethan's race at the Freedom Factory along side with Cleetus McFarland, Travis Pastrana and other legends

Send us a textI'm delighted to welcome Professor Paul Crawford to the podcast today. We are talking about his novel, The Wonders of Dr Bent, described in the publisher's blurb as "a twisted tale of murder, revenge and abandonment."It is sort of a crime thriller, but there's so much more to this novel. There are some beautiful characters. There are two main protagonists who skirt on the edges of health and and illness.  We see characters who are thriving professionally whilst battling with demons of their own. In the background, we have fabulous supporting cast and a real sense of what could be and what could be better if only our mental health services were not designed with the idea that people are either mad or bad or perhaps both or completely well.Paul enables us to experience that area in between and the value of allowing people to survive and function within their own lives and be of value. It's a really interesting, gripping, thought-provoking novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Paul about it.

On this week's show, D00mwake stops by to talk about the recent bans in Standard and (technically) Pioneer. Then we look at some of our favorite cards from Magic's new Avatar expansion, plus some Standard testing! Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen of The Dive Down Nation with some merch from the store: https://www.thedivedown.com/store Upgrade your gameplay and your gameday with Heavy Play accessories. Use code THEDIVEDOWN2025 for 10% off your first order at https://www.heavyplay.com Get 25% Cashback after 3 months of service with ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use coupon code THEDIVEDOWN And now receive 8% off your order of paper cards from Nerd Rage Gaming with code DIVE8 at https://www.nerdragegaming.com/ Timestamps: 1:40 — Stan's Beverage Corner 3:23 — What's Your Favorite Slime? 6:30 — Show Intro: Devon's Here!! 9:20 — This Week's Show: Bans & Magic: Avatar TLA 11:40 — Ban Discussion: Standard First 21:51 — Pioneer 29:39 — Modern 32:05 — ATLA Cards 32:27 — Badgermole Cub 37:31 — Aang, Swift Savior 42:06 — Accumulate Wisdom 44:04 — Phoenix Fleet Airship 45:36 — Wan Shi Tong, Librarian 48:39 — Day of the Black Sun 50:08 — Mai, Scornful Striker 51:38 — Firebending Student 54:21 — Firebender Ascension 55:37 — Standard Deck 1: UR Lessons 59:11 — Standard Deck 2: Mono-Green Badgerm ole Cub 1:02:44 — Standard Deck 3: Bant Appa Combo 1:05:17 — Standard Deck 4: UW Tempo Appa/Aang 1:08:26 — How does this set look compared to Spider-Man? 1:09:15 — Closing Thoughts Devon's decks from this week's episode: * Izzet Lessons: https://moxfield.com/decks/GHhFeJTqUEaufQWMTGtycg * Mono-Green: https://moxfield.com/decks/7zTnFXMYm0GZjJHEFwnpbg * Bant Appa Combo: https://moxfield.com/decks/CkERHmQdIESYMwMlZjd-aQ * Aang Tempo: https://moxfield.com/decks/rDa7AZpIQUG0yahP2N994w Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name? email us: thedivedown@gmail.com (mailto:thedivedown@gmail.com)

1. Week 11 Takeaways-DKrom: Raiders 2025 offensive struggles is the ultimate lesson that you build your offensive line BEFORE using premium draft capital on luxury offensive skill positions-Hal: Bears, Broncos and Patriots fans need to embrace the magic. Their sophomore QB's are getting it done2. Week 11 Honors-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Vance Joseph, Hal: Josh Allen)-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Ja'Marr Chase, Hal: Ja'Marr Chase/Jalen Ramsey)3. PANIC METER (Scale of 1-10)-Chiefs playoff chances-Eagles offense without Lane Johnson-Broncos offense without J.K. Dobbins-Sam Darnold vs. the Rams D in Week 16 and potentially playoffs4. Truth or Exaggeration-The 2026 first-round pick the Rams received from the Falcons will be a top-7 pick...or higher -The Tennessee Titans will have the #1 overall pick in the draft for the second consecutive year-With the addition of Quinnen Williams, the Cowboys defense is turning a corner-Mike McDaniel WILL get at least one more season as Dolphins head coach-Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan is a strong 2025 NFL OROY candidate -Pete Carroll SHOULD only get one more season maximum as Raiders head coach-Christian Watson is emerging as the go-to guy for the Packers in the passing game in Tucker Kraft's absence-A.J. Brown will be a New England Patriot in 20265. Week 12 Game Picks-Lock of the Week (DKrom: Seahawks over Titans, Hal: Ravens over Jets)-Upset Special (DKrom: Cowboys over Eagles, Hal: Colts over Chiefs)-Bills at Texans -Steelers at Bears-Patriots at Bengals-Vikings at Packers-Giants at Lions-Jaguars at Cardinals-Browns at Raiders-Falcons at Saints-Bucs at Rams-Panthers at 49ers6. Week 12 Bold Predictions-DKrom: Patriots score 56 points on 8 drives for 600-plus total yards, punt 0 times, and Drake Maye breaks the all-time single game record for TD passes with 8-Hal: Brandon Aubrey kicks a 70-yard FG at the gun to give the Cowboys a 24-22 win over the Eagles7. Challenge Flags-DKrom: Super Bowl contenders (even the dark-horse ones)...don't get caught looking ahead! ONE GAME AT A TIME!-Hal: Colts and Chiefs remaining 2025 opponenta....KEEP THE CHIEFS ON THE MAT!!!

In today's episode, we recap the longest, most uncertain road trip yet: our quest to buy our two MTVs.

You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!Christopher Walken, Larry Fishburne, and Abel Ferrara's moral abyss of a movie. This week, the dads descend into King of New York, the neon-slick crime drama that turns Manhattan into a fever dream of violence, power, and warped justice.Walken plays Frank White, a freshly released drug lord who wants to “give back” — but only by murdering every rival and funding a hospital with blood money. His crew? Mostly Black. His moral compass? Bent beyond repair. His dance moves? Still pure Walken.What we coverCrime and capitalism: Frank's twisted logic — kill the competition, save the city.The Walken mystique: Dead eyes, slick hair, spontaneous robot dances.Larry Fishburne's “Jimmy Jump”: One of the great chaotic sidekicks — all swagger, coke, and AK-47s.Cops vs crooks: Caruso and Snipes as furious detectives who decide to skip due process and go full vigilante.Ferrara's vision: A New York that's nihilistic, sweaty, and corrupt from top to bottom.The politics of power: Race, class, loyalty, and the delusion of doing “good” through evil.The ending: Blood, subways, and one of Walken's best death scenes — calm, eerie, inevitable.Why listen?Because it's peak Bad Dads territory: a film that's stylish, sleazy, and morally bankrupt, yet impossible to look away from. We argue about whether Frank's warped Robin Hood act has any truth to it, trade notes on 1990s cop-movie chaos, and try to work out how this didn't end every actor's career.

1. Week 10 Takeaways-DKrom: Patriots should be favorites to win the AFC East and have an excellent chance at the AFC's #1 playoff seed -Hal: Bears are headed in the right direction. The growth out of Caleb Williams is real and Ben Johnson is a legitimate head coach2. Week 10 Honors-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Jaelan Phillips, Hal: Jonathan Taylor)-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Brian Daboll, Hal: John Mara)3. HEAD COACH HOT SEAT METER (Warm, Hot, Inferno)-Mike McDaniel -Zac Taylor-Sean McDermott-Jonathan Gannon-Matt LaFleur 4. If you're the Bengals and Commanders, do you bring Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels back for Week 13 no matter what…or only if you win over the next two weeks? 5. Seahawks/Rams Preview6. Week 11 Game Picks-Lock of the Week (DKrom: Patriots over Jets, Hal: Ravens over Browns)-Upset Special (DKrom: Bucs over Bills, Hal: Broncos over Chiefs)-Commanders at Dolphins -Bengals at Steelers-Chargers at Jaguars-Bears at Vikings-Texans at Titans-Panthers at Falcons-Packers at Giants-49ers at Cardinals-Lions at Eagles-Cowboys at Raiders7. Week 11 Bold Predictions-DKrom: Bucs re-discover late-game magic as Baker Mayfield leads 70-yard game-winning drive in final 90 seconds culminating in a 7-yard TD pass to Emeka Egbuka at the gun-Hal: Late in the fourth quarter, Brock Bowers takes a short-pass to the house for his 4th TD of the game and the win8. Challenge Flags-DKrom: Patriots OC Josh McDaniels...FEED TRE'VEYON HENDERSON MORE!!!-Hal: Teams on the cusp of the playoffs...it's do-or-die time, so REV UP YOUR ENGINES NOW!!!

The demise of central coast news stations KION News Channel 46 & Telemundo Series 23 as told by Managing Editor and News Anchor Jeanette Bent, and consequently the gaining of “The831* An internet news collaboration for the Central Coast.

Jouw inzichten zijn goud waard om de podcast nóg beter te maken. We zijn benieuwd naar jouw mening over de onderwerpen, de presentatie en alles daartussenin. Het invullen van ons korte onderzoek kost je slechts 8 minuten van je tijd. Een kleine moeite, een groot verschil! Vul in via deze link: ⁠https://survey.msi-aci.com/dotdata/start?u=D882C4F5A0644A438BE07D9B055F09D4&ExtID=NCG Er bestaat een wereld waar jouw wachtwoorden, accounts en digitale identiteit worden verhandeld alsof het concertkaartjes zijn. Daniël Verlaan duikt in de schimmige markt van infostealers – virussen die ongemerkt alles van je computer stelen – en ontdekt hoe miljoenen gehackte apparaten wereldwijd onderdeel zijn van een bloeiende cybereconomie. Om te controleren of jij slachtoffer bent geworden van een infostealer, ga naar: www.politie.nl/checkjehack. KPN is partner van Ik Weet Je Wachtwoord. Blijf veilig in een digitale wereld die continu verandert. Activeer vandaag nog F-Secure en Veilig Browsen via kpn.com/superveilig. Zakelijke klant? Ga naar kpn.com/beterwerken en maak jouw organisatie digitaal weerbaarder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris is back on Sent and bent and Edwin and Ethan pick his mind on anything and everything: from best trucks and vans, to how to properly recycle cardboard. 

Listen to CrabDiving radio podcast Monday!

Brett Sanner Luke 13:10-17

1. Week 9 Takeaways-DKrom: The Seahawks are bona fide Super Bowl contenders*-Hal: Week 9 was a bad week for parlays2. Week 9 Honors-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Bobby Babich**, Hal: Mike Tomlin/Teryl Austin)-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Bengals organization, Hal: Raheem Morris)3. GRADING THE TRADES-Sauce Gardner Trade (Colts [DKrom: B+, Hal: A-], Jets [DKrom: A+, Hal: B-])-Quinnen Williams Trade (Cowboys [DKrom: C, Hal: D], Jets [DKrom: A+, Hal: A-])-Rashid Shaheed Trade (Seahawks [DKrom: A+. Hal: A+], Saints [DKrom: C, Hal: B])-Collective Grade For Eagles Trades (DKrom: A, Hal: A-)4. Midseason Awards-MVP (DKrom: Matthew Stafford, Hal: Sam Darnold)-OPOY (DKrom: Jonathan Taylor, Hal: Jaxon Smith-Njigba)-DPOY (DKrom: Myles Garrett, Hal: Myles Garrett)-OROY (DKrom: Emeka Egbuka, Hal: Tyler Warren)-DROY (DKrom: Will Johnson, Hal: Carson Schwesinger)-Protector of the Year (DKrom: Joe Alt, Hal: Penei Sewell)-Comeback POY (DKrom: Aidan Hutchinson, Hal: Aidan Hutchinson)-Coach of the Year (DKrom: Shane Steichen, Hal: Mike Vrabel)-Assistant Coach of the Year (DKrom: Klint Kubiak, Hal: Lou Anarumo)5. Week 10 Game Picks-Lock of the Week (DKrom: Panthers over Saints, Hal: Bills over Dolphins)-Upset Special (DKrom: Raiders over Broncos/Cardinals over Seahawks%, Hal: 49ers over Rams)-Falcons at Colts -Browns at Jets -Jaguars at Texans -Patriots at Bucs-Giants at Bears-Ravens at Vikings-Lions at Commanders-Steelers at Chargers-Eagles at Packers6. Week 10 Bold Predictions-DKrom: Brock Bowers sets the NFL single game record for receptions (22) AND receiving yardage (340) along with 4 TD-Hal: Mac Jones breaks the all-time NFL record by completing all 25 of his passes along with 325 yards and 4 TD7. Challenge Flags-DKrom: Rest of NFL...DO NOT SLEEP ON THE CHIEFS!!!!-Hal: Eagles and Colts...capitalize on your trade deadline investments and get W's this week!!!

This week we talk about Ethan's latest obsession: taking backyard science to the next level and building his own power station. Edwin talks about his latest purchases and plans for his  @EdwinOlding  channel

It's important to hear both sides of a story. Although the outcome isn't what we expected, it's clear that some dads have been put in a compromising position.

Show Features: Fast Food Freakout, The Redneck Report and Pop TrashSocials: @DaveandMahoney Voice Mail: 833-Yo-Dummy https://www.twitch.tv/daveandmahoney Additional Content: daveandmahoney.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For five decades, I believed I was a member of the Graham family, from a lower middle-class neighborhood, several miles east of Buffalo, NY. The revelation that I was not, shocked me. To make my story more intriguing, I was not adopted, Truth can be stranger than fiction. I quickly realized I was a pawn in a scheme to protect the Catholic Church from a public scandal. Kathryn Graham, who I believed to be my aunt and was not, unsympathetically told me, "It had to be this way." She went on to say, "We are all dealt a hand in life, it comes down to how we play it." The hand that I was dealt was seven card stud, with only one card turned up. Over the following 25 years, I perservered, putting together the pieces of my life I was denied. My story is compelling and poignant. A true page turner.https://amzn.to/3L0MVqoBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.