Podcasts about big events

Bridge Engineering: Part 2 Why is my mom here? Based on a post by Architect 23 94, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected. I awoke to the sound of Lizzie's bathroom door opening and closing, and the girls' footsteps moving around her bedroom. I laid there for a minute then reluctantly pulled myself out of bed to splash some water on my face and slip on a pair of flannel lounge pants and a t-shirt. I emerged from my bedroom and looked down in the great room to see the girls standing by the sofa looking at Stefani as she slept. Toni heard me coming down the stairs and asked, "Why is my mom here?" Lizzie followed that with the accurate but impolite assessment, "Her makeup is all smeared." Before I could say anything, Toni shook her mom's shoulder and loudly inquired, "Mom! Mom! Are you ok?!" Stefani stirred, stretched her legs under the blankets, and drowsily answered, "Yes honey, I'm fine. Mom just had a really rough night." Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Toni and Lizzie went into the pantry and started lining up cereal boxes while debating the merits of each selection. By that time, I was also downstairs and gently offered, "Good morning" to Stefani as I went about rekindling the hearth. She moaned as she sat up on the sofa and said, "I'm so embarrassed. I can't believe I came here like that last night." "I'm glad you did. I don't know what that was all about, but I was happy to know you were here and safe." She gave a muffled "Thank you." while she hung her head and cradled it in her hands, then mumbled to herself, "I can't believe I thought he would be any different." Toni must have had one ear tuned into our conversation and interjected in an annoyed tone of voice, "Is this about a man?" Lizzie looked at Toni, then at me and matter-of-factly said, "She should go sit on the bridge." It was an unquestionable truth in Lizzie's mind that time sitting on the bridge would fix whatever was bothering Toni's mom. I smiled and said, "Lizzie, I think that is a great idea." She puffed her chest proudly and went about pouring a bowl of cereal. I finished adding logs to the fire and suggested to Stefani, "There's a half-bath by the kitchen, or you're welcome to use my bathroom upstairs if you would like a shower. I'll pull together some fresh clothes for you. When you are ready, I think we should go for a walk;” then in a slightly louder voice added, "away from little eavesdroppers." "You really wouldn't mind if I took a shower?" "Not at all. I'll get you some towels and toiletries." The corners of her mouth turned upward in a small smile of gratitude and, for the first time that morning, Stefani looked me directly in the eyes and offered a very heart-felt, "Thank you." She stood up, pulled the hem of her dress down, and followed me up the stairs in her black legging covered feet. At the top of the stairs, I reached in the linen closet and handed her a stack of two bath towels, a hand towel, and a washcloth. My hands then sorted through some of the miscellaneous toiletries stored in the same closet and added a toothbrush, toothpaste, and stick of pre-teen girly deodorant. I apologized as I set the brightly patterned container on top of the towels, "Sorry, you're stuck with this unless you want to use men's deodorant." Returning to our inventory of toiletries, I started checking labels on bottles of Lizzie's 2-in-1 bodywash and shampoo, "Ok, looks like your choices are strawberry, cotton candy, or bubble gum." She chuckled and said, "I think I'll go with strawberry." "Good call." We proceeded into my bedroom where I motioned her toward the ensuite bathroom and said, "Make yourself at home and use whatever you need in there. I'm pretty sure the door locks. To be honest, I've never used it." She surveyed the bedroom and its contents on her way to the bathroom and I walked the opposite direction toward my walk-in closet. "I'll find some clothes while you are in the shower and set them on the corner of the bed." She softly said, "Thank you." while walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. I proceeded to rummage through my closet looking for things that might work. I knew my clothes made for a 6'-3" tall man wouldn't fit her properly, but they were the only option available. My hands methodically moved across the wall rack, sliding each hanger a bit so I could examine the respective article. After a few minutes, I heard the sounds of Stefani turning on the shower, opening the glass shower door, and then water sporadically splashing against the tile and glass enclosure. My mind came to the awareness that there was a completely naked woman in my shower, just on the other side of the door. I couldn't help but think of how her intimate features must look as the steaming spray trickled down her body. Realizing I was standing there inappropriately fantasizing about a woman in a questionable emotional condition, I snapped myself out of it and continued thumbing through hangers to arrive at a pair of heavy flannel lounge pants. They were a much too small Christmas gift from years past, but I figured they would work for Stefani if she rolled the pant legs up a little. A t-shirt and sweatshirt seemed like the obvious choices for her upper half given a lot of women like relaxing in oversized men's clothes anyway. Organizing my selections, I noticed there weren't any undergarments and shrugged it off thinking she would just have to re-use what she had on, or go commando, but then had a last-second thought to grab a pair of boxer shorts. I folded everything neatly, set the items in a pyramiding stack on the corner of the bed, and closed the bedroom door behind me on the way out. About 30-minutes later, the girls were in Lizzie's room and I was sitting in the great room when Stefani padded down the stairs in bare feet wearing the lounge pants and the oversized t-shirt that was slightly moist around the collar from her damp curls. The t-shirt clung a little to her moist torso and gave evidence of her unrestrained tits jiggling under the fabric. She smiled as she reached the main floor and softly said, "Thank you. I really needed that." "You're welcome. Are you hungry?" "Not really, my stomach is still turning a little from last night." she said as she sat next to me on the sofa and folded her legs beneath her. "I'm so sorry for the drama. I wasn't thinking clearly and I'm thoroughly embarrassed I showed up here like that." "Please don't be. Like I said earlier, I'm just happy to know you're safe. You seemed pretty traumatized." Stefani replied, "Traumatized is probably a little strong." before seemingly pausing to consider if she wanted to offer any more information. She exhaled loudly and hesitantly continued, "I've had some; let's call them; rocky roads in my personal life, and last night was just the latest example." I sympathetically offered, "I'm sorry." She shrugged her shoulders and introspectively recapped, "I've worked with him for several years and thought he was a nice guy; and he was until he started drinking. Dinner was enjoyable, but by the time we all got to the dance club he was pretty buzzed and started getting handsy. When I rebuffed his advances, he got belligerent and more forceful." Stefani's eyes were beginning to swell as she recounted the previous evening's events in her head. My own head was filled with questions and concerns, but I sensed she had more to say and didn't want to hinder her in getting it out. "Thankfully, my coworkers saw what was happening and interceded. He took off and that was the end of it." She paused for a moment then tearily continued, "It's not just him. Last night wasn't the first time something like this happened. I seem to be a magnet for jerks and losers. At least this one wasn't married; that I know of." "I'm sorry." She quietly repeated to herself something she had said the previous night, "Why can't I escape it?" I couldn't hold back my curiosity, "You said that last night too. What do you mean you can't escape 'it'?" She answered coldly through her tears, "Alcohol," before pausing for a few quick moments to gather herself and continuing, "It ruined my marriage. It robbed Toni of a father. It turned my coworker into a creep last night. Etc, etc;” I took her hand in mine and said, "I'm sorry. I understand." She abruptly pulled her hand from mine and argued, "I appreciate your compassion, but please don't say you understand." I stood up and said, "I think we should go for a walk outside." I didn't really give her an opportunity to say no and walked to the mudroom to get a jacket. I put mine on, then handed one to Stefani as she followed me. We both slipped on a pair of my fleece lined muck boots. The boots and jacket were both too large for her, but they would suffice. I shouted to the girls that Stefani and I were going on a walk, then we stepped outside. As we strolled away from the house and into the woods, I inquired, "Please tell me about your ex-husband." "Well, we met in college and he was wonderful. I thought he was everything I wanted in life. His drinking wasn't an issue then. I mean we both went to the typical college parties and had too much to drink, but it wasn't a problem. We married the summer after we graduated and started a typical newlywed life." Our boots crunched through fall leaves on the forest floor as Stefani continued, "After we were married, he occasionally went out with friends or old college buddies and came home drunk. Again, it wasn't frequent and wasn't anything concerning." We reached Lizzie's bridge and both sat on the edge dangling our feet over the water below. "Over time, and after Toni came along, his occasional nights out evolved into several times a week and he became defensive whenever I would say anything about it. Eventually, alcoholism; let's call it what it was; completely overtook him. It wasn't just going out with friends anymore. He always had a drink in his hand. Commitments were meaningless to him and he would show up hours late, if at all. Toni's birthday parties, family holidays, dates with me; it didn't matter." "By the time Toni was three, he lost his job, which only gave him an excuse to be drunk all day. I constantly begged him to get help, but that would only agitate him and cause a fight. That continued for about a year until his agitation turned into physical abuse. That was my breaking point and I told him I wanted a divorce." Stefani was now talking through streaming tears and I took her hand in mine as a show of support. "The night I told him, he went out to the bar and never came back. After a couple weeks, I realized he was never coming back and I hired a divorce attorney who, in turn, hired a private investigator to track him down. It took a few months, but they eventually found him in Key West where he could find work as a day laborer on fishing charters and beg enough money and free drinks from tourists to get by. He demanded a healthy ransom to sign the divorce papers but, at that point, I would have paid anything." With that, she fell silent and leaned to rest her head on my shoulder. We sat quietly listening to the gentle breeze in the trees, punctuated occasionally by Stefani's sniffles. After a few minutes of building courage, I sighed and started talking, "I think I told you that Lizzie and I lived in Indiana before moving here, right?" Stefani answered softly with her head still on my shoulder, "Yes." "Well, I grew up there, in a very small town in the southern part of the state. When I was younger, my dad was a functional alcoholic. He was the best heavy equipment mechanic in the area and ran a very successful business, but came home and drank himself to blackout every night." Stefani raised her head to look at me as I continued talking, "He wasn't an angry or abusive drunk, and was never drunk in public. He was just basically an absent parent. He worked all day then came home, sat in front of the television and drank until he passed out." "My mom did everything for us and held the family together until she got sick when I was in 8th grade. The ovarian cancer had already metastasized throughout her abdomen when she was diagnosed, and she was gone a few months later." My hand had held Stefani's while she was talking and now she reciprocated by interlacing her slender fingers with mine. "Even though he didn't show it, my dad loved her deeply and her death sent him into a tailspin. He turned into a full-time drunk and lost everything; the business, the house, the cars. There were many mornings that I would wake up for school and find him passed out in the living room or, worse yet, already starting the new day with a drink in his hand. When I was in high school, it was common for me to get a call from the Sheriff saying he was drunk or passed out somewhere around town. The Sheriff was a family friend and just called me to come get him rather than arresting him. Looking back on it, he was just an enabler by letting him go." Stefani squeezed my hand in hers as I spoke, "I worked odd jobs around town and managed to earn enough money for my dad and I to survive in a tiny apartment above the hardware store. Between poverty status and my good school grades, I managed to get a full scholarship at IU in Bloomington." "I was concerned about how my dad would take me leaving for school, but it turned out I didn't need to worry. His only question was if I would have a job and keep paying the bills. I did and continued doing so even after Julie and I were married." Stefani leaned against me as we sat on the bridge and offered, "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. You do understand." "Yes, unfortunately I do." She cautiously probed further, "If I may ask, is your dad still around?" I had repressed this part of my past for years and wasn't sure I wanted to dredge up those memories. My head hung and watched the bubbling water below. After several minutes without a response, Stefani squeezed my hand and prompted, "David?" "He's in prison." She dug deeper when she realized I wasn't going to elaborate on my own, "Why?" I continued looking into the moving water and softly said, "Julie and Lizzie were hit by a drunk driver." It took a second to register in her mind, "Oh my God, it was him." "Yes." She took her hand from mine and, instead, wrapped both arms around me in a sympathetic and understanding hug. We sat in each other's arms for quite some time before I said, "We should probably go back inside and see what the girls are doing." Stefani agreed and we slowly made our way back through the woods toward the house. As we walked, I said, "Lizzie doesn't know any of that stuff about her grandfather. I'll tell her someday, but probably not anytime soon." "I understand. Toni was young enough that she doesn't remember her dad and didn't know why he left. I avoided the topic for a long time, but eventually I had to tell her." "Lizzie knows that she and Julie were in a car accident. She just doesn't know the part about my dad." Stefani stopped walking and pulled on my arm for me to stop with her. She pulled me into an embrace and said, "Thank you." I returned her hug, then kept one arm around her back as we finished walking to the house. Stefani, Toni, Lizzie and I spent most of the afternoon playing board games by the fireplace and enjoying the time together. As we did, I found myself becoming attracted to Stefani, both mentally and physically. The cold, guarded person I knew faded away and a new sunny, alluring personality emerged as she smiled and laughed. I stole glances while she wasn't looking, enjoying the simple way she sat with one leg folded beneath her and the other pulled up so she could rest her chin on her knee, the way she twisted curls of hair in her slender fingers when she thought, the way her neatly-painted toes flexed when she reached for the board game pieces, and the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. Later in the evening, Stefani and I collaborated on preparation of an impromptu taco dinner, before we all said our goodbyes. Still in my borrowed clothes as they left, Stefani gave me one more hug and whispered in my ear, "Thank you again for taking me in." before giving me a soft kiss on the cheek. Uniting. Play dates continued frequently for Lizzie and Toni over the following weeks, both at Stefani's house and at mine. However, unlike before, Stefani would invite me to stay and I would do the same when at my house. Sometimes we would simply sit quietly in each other's company working on our laptops. Other times we would chat casually about a wide range of topics, getting to know each other and exploring our commonalities and differences. During one of those discussions, we found ourselves talking about balancing life demands as a single parent; children, work, cooking, cleaning, etc., and how it left very little time for personal interests and pursuits. I joked, "Ha, sharing the work is definitely a strong argument for having a partner!" Stefani looked at me and very seriously asked, "Have you dated since Julie passed?" "I've been on a few dates, but I wouldn't say I've dated. A couple years after we moved here, some of my friends started trying to set me up with people. The ladies were nice enough, but I wasn't ready yet and it just didn't feel right. After a few dates, I decided it was best to just decline their attempts" She probed further, "How long ago was that?" "The last one was maybe 4 years ago." I answered before returning the question, "How about you? Have you dated?" She groaned, "Hmm, my dating history isn't any better than what happened with that guy from my office. I've met a few guys, but they've all turned out to be jerks. I tell you, I'm a magnet for them. One guy that I really liked and went out with for about a month, turned out to be married. The others weren't that much different than the guy from work, and it became obvious on the first dates that they were only looking for sex, not a relationship." "I'm sorry." Neither one of us said anything more on the topic and we moved on to other subjects, but there was an unspoken understanding that we were both exploring the other person's openness to a relationship. Friendsgiving. The week after Thanksgiving, Stefani and I sat on stools at my kitchen island tapping away on our laptop keyboards while Toni and Lizzie played upstairs. I was answering emails, and Stefani was filling out what looked to be a very complicated accounting spreadsheet on her screen. After an hour or so, Stefani sighed and announced, "I need a break from these numbers." She extended her arms straight above her head and arched her back as she stretched. The motion served to thrust her tits outward, stretching the fabric of her thin button-up blouse and revealing the intricate texture of a lace bra beneath. It also caused the bottom of the untucked blouse to rise upward, exposing a flat, toned midriff and cute belly button. Having been caught looking, she just smiled knowingly and asked "How was your Thanksgiving?" "It was good. Lizzie and I went over to George and Linda's house for a 'Friendsgiving'. There were about ten people there, plus a few kids. We stayed for most of the day, then came home and roasted some marshmallows in the fireplace. How was yours?" "It was stereotypical," she replied as she continued in a mock monotonous tone, "We went to my parents' house, ate dinner, and all the men fell asleep watching football while my mom and sisters harassed me to find a husband. You know, all the usual things." I said sarcastically, "Sounds delightful." then asked seriously, "I take it that is a topic of conversation at every family gathering?" "Yes, they think they are being funny about it, joking about how they should set me up with this guy or that guy, but it gets annoying really fast. Especially since I know they really aren't joking. At least I won't have to hear it at Christmas. My parents decided to go on a Caribbean cruise over the holidays, so my sisters are all going to their husbands' sides of their families." I processed that for a few seconds, then asked, "Have you made any other plans? Would you and Toni like to spend Christmas here with us?" Stefani sincerely replied, "I would love that. I know Toni will too." We went on to plan out the details and decided that Stefani would bring their gifts over on Christmas Eve so she didn't have to transport them Christmas morning. That discussion evolved into Stefani bringing some of her family's traditional Italian dishes for dinner, then further into a more formal Christmas Eve dining event. She thought it would be fun for the girls, and I certainly didn't object to the idea of seeing Stefani in a nice dress. Holidays. On the Saturday two weeks before Christmas, Lizzie and I went to the local Rotary Club tree sale. Lizzie carefully inspected every tree on the lot before running back to one of the first trees near the entrance and declaring, "This is it! This is the perfect tree!" The Frazier Fir was a little big and a little expensive for my preference, but I acquiesced and paid the man standing next to me with a perceptive grin on his face. After strapping the tree on top of my Jeep, we climbed in and I asked Lizzie, "Should we see if Toni wants to come help decorate it?" Lizzie bounced in her seat and squealed, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Stefani, "Just bought tree. U2 want to decorate tonight?" She replied back almost immediately, "Yes, I'll bring chili." When we got home, I untied the tree in the gravel driveway and did my best to shake out any loose needles. Before taking it in the house, Lizzie and I decided on a location off to the side of the great room fireplace and shifted furniture around to accommodate the tree. I then dug the tree stand and some boxes of decorations out of the basement. After all the preparations were made, I brought the tree inside. Lizzie steadied the empty stand while I placed the base of the tree and held it upright while Lizzie tightened the stand's handscrews to secure it in place. With it tightened as much as Lizzie's little fingers could muster, I crawled under the tree and made little adjustments while Lizzie gave me left or right straightening instructions. When she was satisfied, I gave each of the handscrews a final tightening. We stood together admiring our work and congratulated each other on the job well done before she went get a container of water for the tree. I spent the next couple hours on household tasks that I hadn't accomplished during the week, then decided to get cleaned up a little before Stefani and Toni arrived. I washed up, applied some fresh deodorant and cologne, then changed into a pair of casual khakis and an ugly but festive Christmas sweater. Decorating. Stefani and Toni arrived soon after I changed. Stefani carrying a crockpot of chili and Toni carrying a bag full of accompaniments. Lizzie and I greeted them at the door and unloaded their hands as they shed their coats and shoes. Stefani laughed at my sweater as she slid her coat off her shoulders, "Seriously?" I feigned ignorance and replied sarcastically, "What?!" With coats hung up and the crock pot plugged in, the four of us found our way over to the unadorned tree and began discussing how to decorate it. I opened the box containing light strands and said, "We have some multi-color lights and some white lights, which should we use ladies?" The two girls discussed it for a moment then answered in unison, "All of them!" I chuckled and started untangling the light strands and stringing them around the tree as Stefani and the girls explored the other boxes of decorations I had brought up from the basement. I couldn't help but admire Stefani as she picked through the boxes and watched me wrap lights around the tree. She was wearing a loose-fitting cream color corded sweater, black leggings, and cream color fuzzy socks that matched her sweater. I'm sure she intended it as a comfortable lounging outfit, but it complimented her long, toned body very well. I finished the last strand of lights and took a seat on the sofa while Toni and Lizzie continued unwrapping ornaments and laying them out on the floor. Stefani had found a tree skirt in one of the boxes and asked, "Should I put it on?" I answered, "Sure. There should be another one somewhere in the boxes if you want to see it, but I think the one you have is the best." She said, "This one is nice." then crawled over to the tree. She unfolded the skirt and reached under the tree while on her hands and knees to pull it around the trunk. Gravity slid the bottom of her oversize sweater above her hips and a few inches up her back as she leaned and stretched to adjust the skirt, presenting a wonderful view of her perfect heart-shaped rear. My gaze was fixed on the sensual, womanly curves that were only slightly veiled by the form-fitting legging fabric. Stefani pulled the skirt edges outward and tried her best to smooth any wrinkles before asking, "How does that look?" Still staring at her ass, I rallied courage to suggestively answer, "It looks incredible." Curious about the overly enthusiastic response, Stefani looked back over her shoulder and saw me looking at her rear, not the tree skirt. She smiled mischievously, subtly wiggled her ass, then spent a couple more minutes unnecessarily straightening imaginary wrinkles in the skirt. The girls were unaware of the adult exchanges and Lizzie innocently asked, "Can we start putting ornaments on now?" I came back to reality and answered, "Sure, go for it!" as Stefani moved to sit next to me on the sofa. The girls formulated a plan for shorter Lizzie to decorate the bottom of the tree, taller Toni to hang ornaments on the middle section, and Stefani and me to get whatever they couldn't reach. Stefani nestled against my side as we watched the girls make trips back and forth between selecting ornaments laid on the floor and choosing the perfect location for each on the tree. Their happiness being together and sharing in the festive atmosphere was infectious, and I sat there feeling emotions I hadn't felt in a very long time. It was very comfortable to have Toni and Stefani there with us. It just felt right. With those thoughts swirling in my head, my hand reached to find Stefani's and our fingers intuitively interlaced. My heart swelled as Stefani snuggled further into me. When the girls had their portions of the tree sufficiently loaded, Stefani and I finished decorating the upper portion and I added the crowning star. We all stood back to admire our work and I flipped the switch for the grand lighting finale. The girls cheered with delight while Stefani and I each put an arm around the other's back and shared a side-hug while appreciating the tree. After sharing a few moments, Stefani moved on to serve dinner while I cleaned up the empty decoration boxes. We all shared conversation over the meal at the dining room table, then played some after-dinner card games. I felt a pang of emptiness when it was time for Stefani and Toni to leave, and really didn't want them to go. That evening I felt a sense of family that I hadn't felt since Julie died. I didn't want to scare Stefani with the heaviness of my thoughts, and understatedly said, "I really enjoyed spending the day with you. I hope we can all spend more evenings like this together." Stefani wasn't as subtle. As they were putting their coats on and heading out the door, she gave me a goodbye hug with the girls looking on, and whispered in my ear, "I didn't see mistletoe hung anywhere. You should get some." Holiday Break. The week before Christmas was a whirlwind, filled with school holiday activities, Christmas shopping, and end-of-the-year accounting for my business. There wasn't time for play dates, but we did all see each other at the school holiday play and concert. Both girls had parts in the play, Toni as an ice skater and Lizzie tending a chestnut roasting cart. Stefani and I found each other in the crowd of parents entering the auditorium and enjoyed the show side-by-side. I didn't know how she felt about the two of us being friendly in public, so I sat next to her playing the part of a plutonic acquaintance. It was Stefani who reached over and placed her hand on the top of my thigh, which I covered with mine and gave a squeeze of affection. We all went to the downtown sweet shop after the concert where the girls both ate mountainous ice cream sundaes while Stefani and I sipped on decaf coffee. We shared another goodbye hug when we parted ways at the end of the evening. This time it was my turn to whisper in Stefani's ear, "We need to find some time alone." She inhaled sharply and shuddered a little when I discreetly placed a kiss just under her ear. The Big Event. On the morning of Christmas Eve, Lizzie and I made some final preparations for the big event, including retrieval of a formal set of china and crystal stemware packed away in the basement. We washed all the china and stemware before turning our attention to the table by spreading a white linen tablecloth, arranging the china and crystal place settings, and creating a centerpiece with some fir boughs and velvet ribbon. The crowning element was a forest of candles randomly spaced along the center of the table. After finishing, I steered Lizzie up to her room to change clothes before doing a quick final clean of the kitchen and great room, then heading upstairs to freshen up and change. I opted for a slightly casual look with a sport coat and open collar button-down shirt. Lizzie went for an all-out, over-the-top look in a way only a third-grade girl can, with a long lace dress, heels, and an abundance of costume jewelry. I heard gravel crunching under tires as I was complimenting Lizzie on her dress and looked out the window to see Stefani and Toni's car coming to a stop outside. Lizzie and I greeted them at the door. Lizzie with squeals of excitement for Toni, and me with a hug for Stefani. With a long overcoat still on, Stefani said, "Presents and dinner are in the trunk of my car. Would you mind?" "Of course not." I didn't bother putting on a coat and swiftly walked out to retrieve hot trays of food covered in aluminum foil and packed in boxes. Toni held the door open upon my return to the house and I complimented her attire, which was on par with Lizzie's style for the evening. I entered to see Stefani standing in the kitchen wearing a floor-length, deep burgundy satin evening gown. The off-the-shoulder cut drew attention to her lithe neck and sensually exposed collar bones and shoulders, while the deep-V bust line and her pendant necklace pointed directly to the shallow valley between her modest tits. The torso of the dress was neatly fitted to her narrow waist then flared outward over her hips into the pleated A-line gown. It was the perfect dress for her body and she looked absolutely amazing. My admiration grew even more when she shifted position to purposefully reveal a long, toned leg through the full length slit in the side. "You look incredible!" I praised while placing the boxes of food on the kitchen island and making a show of looking at her from head to toe. She feigned a shy, "Aww, thank you." and humbly said, "I wear it once a year for the company holiday party." I turned to make another trip to her car and on the way out the door, I replied, "You should wear it more often. You make that dress look really good." I made several trips schlepping boxes of food and Christmas presents. When I returned and put the last couple boxes on the kitchen counter, Stefani had begun unpacking an assortment of homemade Italian dishes, including chicken piccata, fettucine with clam sauce, an antipasto salad, and an assortment of other side dishes. I exclaimed, "Wow, this looks and smells fantastic!" as I moved to steal a small clam off the top of the fettucine. She swatted my hand and playfully disciplined, "You need to wait, mister!" The girls tasked themselves with lighting the numerous candles on the table as I dimmed the house lights. Meanwhile, Stefani finished plating the last few items and carried them to the table. We dined by the soft glow of candlelight talking about good memories of Christmas, with Stefani and I temporarily ignoring the painful ones from our respective pasts. At one point, as the girls were consumed with a conversation of their own, Stefani commented, "This china is beautiful. You have good tastes." I didn't want to kill the mood, but I also wanted to be honest. "Julie picked it out for our wedding registry. She had an eye for the finer things in life." "Oh my gosh, I'm so, so sorry! I should have known!" "Please, it's okay. I wouldn't have used it if I wasn't ready to talk about it. I figured it was time to dust it off for a special occasion." She meekly asked, "Is this the first time you've used it since?" "Yes." Her beautiful blue eyes looked warmly into mine as her long slender fingers mindlessly twirled a lock of hair above her right ear. She spoke with layers of meaning, "I'm understanding more and more that Julie knew how to choose the finer things." We shared an extended gaze across the table that was only interrupted by Toni asking, "Can we have dessert now?" Stefani and I chuckled and she answered, "Yes, you may." before standing up to clear the table of dirty plates. I offered in my best butler voice, "I will service the table, madam, if you would like to prepare the next course for the Ladies of the Court." The girls thought that was hilarious and started practicing their own stuffy accents, which only intensified as consequences of the sugary tiramisu and cannoli took hold. When we had all finished, I announced in my Lordship voice, "Thank you Ladies, the food was remarkable and so was the company. Shall we retire to the parlor for after-dinner amusements?" The girls looked confused, so Stefani clarified, "He means games." after which they scrambled out of their chairs to explore the cabinet housing our selection of card and board games. Stefani and I cleared the table and generally tidied up the kitchen while the girls debated which games to play. We worked efficiently as a team, sharing a lot of unnecessary and 'accidental' touches as we moved about. The girls finished their game selections and we played several games of 'Chutes 'N Ladders' before moving on to 'Sorry' and, finally, a very long game of 'Monopoly' in which they eventually lost interest and asked if they could go watch a movie in the basement. Stefani started to object, "It's getting late. We should probably be going." before I gestured for the girls to go on downstairs. They didn't wait for Stefani's response and took off down the stairs. She looked at me quizzically as I stood up and motioned for her to follow me. We trailed the girls down the stairs where Stefani silently absorbed what was before her. I had set up two twin beds in front of the downstairs television and created a makeshift tent out of some decorative tree branches, tulle fabric, and twinkle lights. It was a perfect sleepover paradise for two third-grade girls. I put my arm around Stefani and whispered in her ear, "You're right, it is getting late. Maybe you should just spend the night." She put her arm around my back and whispered back, "Umm; sounds nice, but;” as she nodded toward the girls. I responded not to her, but to Lizzie and Toni who were sitting on one of the beds scrolling through movie options on the DVR. "Girls?" When they both raised their heads to look at me, I announced, "We've decided to let you have a sleepover tonight so that we can all be here together for Christmas morning;” They cheered and hugged each other before I continued, "; but there are a couple rules; first, you can watch a movie, then you need to get ready for bed in the bathroom down here and go right to sleep. The pink gift bags on your beds are special Christmas Eve sleepover kits with pajamas, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a few other things." Lizzie and Toni scurried to check out the gift bags, but I interceded, "Wait a minute; the second rule is that you can't come upstairs until 7:00 tomorrow morning;” I said motioning to Stefani and I, "; we need a decent night's sleep. Do you both agree to the rules?" They eagerly shouted in unison, "Yes, Yes, Yes!" "Ok, we'll see you on Christmas morning!" Before we could turn to leave, Toni asked, "Mom, where will you sleep?" I anticipated the question and interceded with a little white lie, "She'll sleep in my bed. I'm going to sleep on the great room sofa so I can make sure you two don't try to sneak upstairs to look at the presents." Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Toni simply said, "Okay, goodnight mom." To be continued in part 3. Based on a post by Architect 23 94, in 3 parts, for Literotica.

Religion specialist Noel Debien with a preview of religious stories in 2026 - including the consistory in Rome in first week of January, plus the installation of Dr Sarah Mullally as the Archbishop of CanterburyGUEST:Noel Debien is the new editor of the Religion and Ethics Unit at Radio National

Bridge Engineering: Part 2 Why is my mom here? Based on a post by Architect 23 94, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected. I awoke to the sound of Lizzie's bathroom door opening and closing, and the girls' footsteps moving around her bedroom. I laid there for a minute then reluctantly pulled myself out of bed to splash some water on my face and slip on a pair of flannel lounge pants and a t-shirt. I emerged from my bedroom and looked down in the great room to see the girls standing by the sofa looking at Stefani as she slept. Toni heard me coming down the stairs and asked, "Why is my mom here?" Lizzie followed that with the accurate but impolite assessment, "Her makeup is all smeared." Before I could say anything, Toni shook her mom's shoulder and loudly inquired, "Mom! Mom! Are you ok?!" Stefani stirred, stretched her legs under the blankets, and drowsily answered, "Yes honey, I'm fine. Mom just had a really rough night." Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Toni and Lizzie went into the pantry and started lining up cereal boxes while debating the merits of each selection. By that time, I was also downstairs and gently offered, "Good morning" to Stefani as I went about rekindling the hearth. She moaned as she sat up on the sofa and said, "I'm so embarrassed. I can't believe I came here like that last night." "I'm glad you did. I don't know what that was all about, but I was happy to know you were here and safe." She gave a muffled "Thank you." while she hung her head and cradled it in her hands, then mumbled to herself, "I can't believe I thought he would be any different." Toni must have had one ear tuned into our conversation and interjected in an annoyed tone of voice, "Is this about a man?" Lizzie looked at Toni, then at me and matter-of-factly said, "She should go sit on the bridge." It was an unquestionable truth in Lizzie's mind that time sitting on the bridge would fix whatever was bothering Toni's mom. I smiled and said, "Lizzie, I think that is a great idea." She puffed her chest proudly and went about pouring a bowl of cereal. I finished adding logs to the fire and suggested to Stefani, "There's a half-bath by the kitchen, or you're welcome to use my bathroom upstairs if you would like a shower. I'll pull together some fresh clothes for you. When you are ready, I think we should go for a walk;” then in a slightly louder voice added, "away from little eavesdroppers." "You really wouldn't mind if I took a shower?" "Not at all. I'll get you some towels and toiletries." The corners of her mouth turned upward in a small smile of gratitude and, for the first time that morning, Stefani looked me directly in the eyes and offered a very heart-felt, "Thank you." She stood up, pulled the hem of her dress down, and followed me up the stairs in her black legging covered feet. At the top of the stairs, I reached in the linen closet and handed her a stack of two bath towels, a hand towel, and a washcloth. My hands then sorted through some of the miscellaneous toiletries stored in the same closet and added a toothbrush, toothpaste, and stick of pre-teen girly deodorant. I apologized as I set the brightly patterned container on top of the towels, "Sorry, you're stuck with this unless you want to use men's deodorant." Returning to our inventory of toiletries, I started checking labels on bottles of Lizzie's 2-in-1 bodywash and shampoo, "Ok, looks like your choices are strawberry, cotton candy, or bubble gum." She chuckled and said, "I think I'll go with strawberry." "Good call." We proceeded into my bedroom where I motioned her toward the ensuite bathroom and said, "Make yourself at home and use whatever you need in there. I'm pretty sure the door locks. To be honest, I've never used it." She surveyed the bedroom and its contents on her way to the bathroom and I walked the opposite direction toward my walk-in closet. "I'll find some clothes while you are in the shower and set them on the corner of the bed." She softly said, "Thank you." while walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. I proceeded to rummage through my closet looking for things that might work. I knew my clothes made for a 6'-3" tall man wouldn't fit her properly, but they were the only option available. My hands methodically moved across the wall rack, sliding each hanger a bit so I could examine the respective article. After a few minutes, I heard the sounds of Stefani turning on the shower, opening the glass shower door, and then water sporadically splashing against the tile and glass enclosure. My mind came to the awareness that there was a completely naked woman in my shower, just on the other side of the door. I couldn't help but think of how her intimate features must look as the steaming spray trickled down her body. Realizing I was standing there inappropriately fantasizing about a woman in a questionable emotional condition, I snapped myself out of it and continued thumbing through hangers to arrive at a pair of heavy flannel lounge pants. They were a much too small Christmas gift from years past, but I figured they would work for Stefani if she rolled the pant legs up a little. A t-shirt and sweatshirt seemed like the obvious choices for her upper half given a lot of women like relaxing in oversized men's clothes anyway. Organizing my selections, I noticed there weren't any undergarments and shrugged it off thinking she would just have to re-use what she had on, or go commando, but then had a last-second thought to grab a pair of boxer shorts. I folded everything neatly, set the items in a pyramiding stack on the corner of the bed, and closed the bedroom door behind me on the way out. About 30-minutes later, the girls were in Lizzie's room and I was sitting in the great room when Stefani padded down the stairs in bare feet wearing the lounge pants and the oversized t-shirt that was slightly moist around the collar from her damp curls. The t-shirt clung a little to her moist torso and gave evidence of her unrestrained tits jiggling under the fabric. She smiled as she reached the main floor and softly said, "Thank you. I really needed that." "You're welcome. Are you hungry?" "Not really, my stomach is still turning a little from last night." she said as she sat next to me on the sofa and folded her legs beneath her. "I'm so sorry for the drama. I wasn't thinking clearly and I'm thoroughly embarrassed I showed up here like that." "Please don't be. Like I said earlier, I'm just happy to know you're safe. You seemed pretty traumatized." Stefani replied, "Traumatized is probably a little strong." before seemingly pausing to consider if she wanted to offer any more information. She exhaled loudly and hesitantly continued, "I've had some; let's call them; rocky roads in my personal life, and last night was just the latest example." I sympathetically offered, "I'm sorry." She shrugged her shoulders and introspectively recapped, "I've worked with him for several years and thought he was a nice guy; and he was until he started drinking. Dinner was enjoyable, but by the time we all got to the dance club he was pretty buzzed and started getting handsy. When I rebuffed his advances, he got belligerent and more forceful." Stefani's eyes were beginning to swell as she recounted the previous evening's events in her head. My own head was filled with questions and concerns, but I sensed she had more to say and didn't want to hinder her in getting it out. "Thankfully, my coworkers saw what was happening and interceded. He took off and that was the end of it." She paused for a moment then tearily continued, "It's not just him. Last night wasn't the first time something like this happened. I seem to be a magnet for jerks and losers. At least this one wasn't married; that I know of." "I'm sorry." She quietly repeated to herself something she had said the previous night, "Why can't I escape it?" I couldn't hold back my curiosity, "You said that last night too. What do you mean you can't escape 'it'?" She answered coldly through her tears, "Alcohol," before pausing for a few quick moments to gather herself and continuing, "It ruined my marriage. It robbed Toni of a father. It turned my coworker into a creep last night. Etc, etc;” I took her hand in mine and said, "I'm sorry. I understand." She abruptly pulled her hand from mine and argued, "I appreciate your compassion, but please don't say you understand." I stood up and said, "I think we should go for a walk outside." I didn't really give her an opportunity to say no and walked to the mudroom to get a jacket. I put mine on, then handed one to Stefani as she followed me. We both slipped on a pair of my fleece lined muck boots. The boots and jacket were both too large for her, but they would suffice. I shouted to the girls that Stefani and I were going on a walk, then we stepped outside. As we strolled away from the house and into the woods, I inquired, "Please tell me about your ex-husband." "Well, we met in college and he was wonderful. I thought he was everything I wanted in life. His drinking wasn't an issue then. I mean we both went to the typical college parties and had too much to drink, but it wasn't a problem. We married the summer after we graduated and started a typical newlywed life." Our boots crunched through fall leaves on the forest floor as Stefani continued, "After we were married, he occasionally went out with friends or old college buddies and came home drunk. Again, it wasn't frequent and wasn't anything concerning." We reached Lizzie's bridge and both sat on the edge dangling our feet over the water below. "Over time, and after Toni came along, his occasional nights out evolved into several times a week and he became defensive whenever I would say anything about it. Eventually, alcoholism; let's call it what it was; completely overtook him. It wasn't just going out with friends anymore. He always had a drink in his hand. Commitments were meaningless to him and he would show up hours late, if at all. Toni's birthday parties, family holidays, dates with me; it didn't matter." "By the time Toni was three, he lost his job, which only gave him an excuse to be drunk all day. I constantly begged him to get help, but that would only agitate him and cause a fight. That continued for about a year until his agitation turned into physical abuse. That was my breaking point and I told him I wanted a divorce." Stefani was now talking through streaming tears and I took her hand in mine as a show of support. "The night I told him, he went out to the bar and never came back. After a couple weeks, I realized he was never coming back and I hired a divorce attorney who, in turn, hired a private investigator to track him down. It took a few months, but they eventually found him in Key West where he could find work as a day laborer on fishing charters and beg enough money and free drinks from tourists to get by. He demanded a healthy ransom to sign the divorce papers but, at that point, I would have paid anything." With that, she fell silent and leaned to rest her head on my shoulder. We sat quietly listening to the gentle breeze in the trees, punctuated occasionally by Stefani's sniffles. After a few minutes of building courage, I sighed and started talking, "I think I told you that Lizzie and I lived in Indiana before moving here, right?" Stefani answered softly with her head still on my shoulder, "Yes." "Well, I grew up there, in a very small town in the southern part of the state. When I was younger, my dad was a functional alcoholic. He was the best heavy equipment mechanic in the area and ran a very successful business, but came home and drank himself to blackout every night." Stefani raised her head to look at me as I continued talking, "He wasn't an angry or abusive drunk, and was never drunk in public. He was just basically an absent parent. He worked all day then came home, sat in front of the television and drank until he passed out." "My mom did everything for us and held the family together until she got sick when I was in 8th grade. The ovarian cancer had already metastasized throughout her abdomen when she was diagnosed, and she was gone a few months later." My hand had held Stefani's while she was talking and now she reciprocated by interlacing her slender fingers with mine. "Even though he didn't show it, my dad loved her deeply and her death sent him into a tailspin. He turned into a full-time drunk and lost everything; the business, the house, the cars. There were many mornings that I would wake up for school and find him passed out in the living room or, worse yet, already starting the new day with a drink in his hand. When I was in high school, it was common for me to get a call from the Sheriff saying he was drunk or passed out somewhere around town. The Sheriff was a family friend and just called me to come get him rather than arresting him. Looking back on it, he was just an enabler by letting him go." Stefani squeezed my hand in hers as I spoke, "I worked odd jobs around town and managed to earn enough money for my dad and I to survive in a tiny apartment above the hardware store. Between poverty status and my good school grades, I managed to get a full scholarship at IU in Bloomington." "I was concerned about how my dad would take me leaving for school, but it turned out I didn't need to worry. His only question was if I would have a job and keep paying the bills. I did and continued doing so even after Julie and I were married." Stefani leaned against me as we sat on the bridge and offered, "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. You do understand." "Yes, unfortunately I do." She cautiously probed further, "If I may ask, is your dad still around?" I had repressed this part of my past for years and wasn't sure I wanted to dredge up those memories. My head hung and watched the bubbling water below. After several minutes without a response, Stefani squeezed my hand and prompted, "David?" "He's in prison." She dug deeper when she realized I wasn't going to elaborate on my own, "Why?" I continued looking into the moving water and softly said, "Julie and Lizzie were hit by a drunk driver." It took a second to register in her mind, "Oh my God, it was him." "Yes." She took her hand from mine and, instead, wrapped both arms around me in a sympathetic and understanding hug. We sat in each other's arms for quite some time before I said, "We should probably go back inside and see what the girls are doing." Stefani agreed and we slowly made our way back through the woods toward the house. As we walked, I said, "Lizzie doesn't know any of that stuff about her grandfather. I'll tell her someday, but probably not anytime soon." "I understand. Toni was young enough that she doesn't remember her dad and didn't know why he left. I avoided the topic for a long time, but eventually I had to tell her." "Lizzie knows that she and Julie were in a car accident. She just doesn't know the part about my dad." Stefani stopped walking and pulled on my arm for me to stop with her. She pulled me into an embrace and said, "Thank you." I returned her hug, then kept one arm around her back as we finished walking to the house. Stefani, Toni, Lizzie and I spent most of the afternoon playing board games by the fireplace and enjoying the time together. As we did, I found myself becoming attracted to Stefani, both mentally and physically. The cold, guarded person I knew faded away and a new sunny, alluring personality emerged as she smiled and laughed. I stole glances while she wasn't looking, enjoying the simple way she sat with one leg folded beneath her and the other pulled up so she could rest her chin on her knee, the way she twisted curls of hair in her slender fingers when she thought, the way her neatly-painted toes flexed when she reached for the board game pieces, and the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. Later in the evening, Stefani and I collaborated on preparation of an impromptu taco dinner, before we all said our goodbyes. Still in my borrowed clothes as they left, Stefani gave me one more hug and whispered in my ear, "Thank you again for taking me in." before giving me a soft kiss on the cheek. Uniting. Play dates continued frequently for Lizzie and Toni over the following weeks, both at Stefani's house and at mine. However, unlike before, Stefani would invite me to stay and I would do the same when at my house. Sometimes we would simply sit quietly in each other's company working on our laptops. Other times we would chat casually about a wide range of topics, getting to know each other and exploring our commonalities and differences. During one of those discussions, we found ourselves talking about balancing life demands as a single parent; children, work, cooking, cleaning, etc., and how it left very little time for personal interests and pursuits. I joked, "Ha, sharing the work is definitely a strong argument for having a partner!" Stefani looked at me and very seriously asked, "Have you dated since Julie passed?" "I've been on a few dates, but I wouldn't say I've dated. A couple years after we moved here, some of my friends started trying to set me up with people. The ladies were nice enough, but I wasn't ready yet and it just didn't feel right. After a few dates, I decided it was best to just decline their attempts" She probed further, "How long ago was that?" "The last one was maybe 4 years ago." I answered before returning the question, "How about you? Have you dated?" She groaned, "Hmm, my dating history isn't any better than what happened with that guy from my office. I've met a few guys, but they've all turned out to be jerks. I tell you, I'm a magnet for them. One guy that I really liked and went out with for about a month, turned out to be married. The others weren't that much different than the guy from work, and it became obvious on the first dates that they were only looking for sex, not a relationship." "I'm sorry." Neither one of us said anything more on the topic and we moved on to other subjects, but there was an unspoken understanding that we were both exploring the other person's openness to a relationship. Friendsgiving. The week after Thanksgiving, Stefani and I sat on stools at my kitchen island tapping away on our laptop keyboards while Toni and Lizzie played upstairs. I was answering emails, and Stefani was filling out what looked to be a very complicated accounting spreadsheet on her screen. After an hour or so, Stefani sighed and announced, "I need a break from these numbers." She extended her arms straight above her head and arched her back as she stretched. The motion served to thrust her tits outward, stretching the fabric of her thin button-up blouse and revealing the intricate texture of a lace bra beneath. It also caused the bottom of the untucked blouse to rise upward, exposing a flat, toned midriff and cute belly button. Having been caught looking, she just smiled knowingly and asked "How was your Thanksgiving?" "It was good. Lizzie and I went over to George and Linda's house for a 'Friendsgiving'. There were about ten people there, plus a few kids. We stayed for most of the day, then came home and roasted some marshmallows in the fireplace. How was yours?" "It was stereotypical," she replied as she continued in a mock monotonous tone, "We went to my parents' house, ate dinner, and all the men fell asleep watching football while my mom and sisters harassed me to find a husband. You know, all the usual things." I said sarcastically, "Sounds delightful." then asked seriously, "I take it that is a topic of conversation at every family gathering?" "Yes, they think they are being funny about it, joking about how they should set me up with this guy or that guy, but it gets annoying really fast. Especially since I know they really aren't joking. At least I won't have to hear it at Christmas. My parents decided to go on a Caribbean cruise over the holidays, so my sisters are all going to their husbands' sides of their families." I processed that for a few seconds, then asked, "Have you made any other plans? Would you and Toni like to spend Christmas here with us?" Stefani sincerely replied, "I would love that. I know Toni will too." We went on to plan out the details and decided that Stefani would bring their gifts over on Christmas Eve so she didn't have to transport them Christmas morning. That discussion evolved into Stefani bringing some of her family's traditional Italian dishes for dinner, then further into a more formal Christmas Eve dining event. She thought it would be fun for the girls, and I certainly didn't object to the idea of seeing Stefani in a nice dress. Holidays. On the Saturday two weeks before Christmas, Lizzie and I went to the local Rotary Club tree sale. Lizzie carefully inspected every tree on the lot before running back to one of the first trees near the entrance and declaring, "This is it! This is the perfect tree!" The Frazier Fir was a little big and a little expensive for my preference, but I acquiesced and paid the man standing next to me with a perceptive grin on his face. After strapping the tree on top of my Jeep, we climbed in and I asked Lizzie, "Should we see if Toni wants to come help decorate it?" Lizzie bounced in her seat and squealed, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Stefani, "Just bought tree. U2 want to decorate tonight?" She replied back almost immediately, "Yes, I'll bring chili." When we got home, I untied the tree in the gravel driveway and did my best to shake out any loose needles. Before taking it in the house, Lizzie and I decided on a location off to the side of the great room fireplace and shifted furniture around to accommodate the tree. I then dug the tree stand and some boxes of decorations out of the basement. After all the preparations were made, I brought the tree inside. Lizzie steadied the empty stand while I placed the base of the tree and held it upright while Lizzie tightened the stand's handscrews to secure it in place. With it tightened as much as Lizzie's little fingers could muster, I crawled under the tree and made little adjustments while Lizzie gave me left or right straightening instructions. When she was satisfied, I gave each of the handscrews a final tightening. We stood together admiring our work and congratulated each other on the job well done before she went get a container of water for the tree. I spent the next couple hours on household tasks that I hadn't accomplished during the week, then decided to get cleaned up a little before Stefani and Toni arrived. I washed up, applied some fresh deodorant and cologne, then changed into a pair of casual khakis and an ugly but festive Christmas sweater. Decorating. Stefani and Toni arrived soon after I changed. Stefani carrying a crockpot of chili and Toni carrying a bag full of accompaniments. Lizzie and I greeted them at the door and unloaded their hands as they shed their coats and shoes. Stefani laughed at my sweater as she slid her coat off her shoulders, "Seriously?" I feigned ignorance and replied sarcastically, "What?!" With coats hung up and the crock pot plugged in, the four of us found our way over to the unadorned tree and began discussing how to decorate it. I opened the box containing light strands and said, "We have some multi-color lights and some white lights, which should we use ladies?" The two girls discussed it for a moment then answered in unison, "All of them!" I chuckled and started untangling the light strands and stringing them around the tree as Stefani and the girls explored the other boxes of decorations I had brought up from the basement. I couldn't help but admire Stefani as she picked through the boxes and watched me wrap lights around the tree. She was wearing a loose-fitting cream color corded sweater, black leggings, and cream color fuzzy socks that matched her sweater. I'm sure she intended it as a comfortable lounging outfit, but it complimented her long, toned body very well. I finished the last strand of lights and took a seat on the sofa while Toni and Lizzie continued unwrapping ornaments and laying them out on the floor. Stefani had found a tree skirt in one of the boxes and asked, "Should I put it on?" I answered, "Sure. There should be another one somewhere in the boxes if you want to see it, but I think the one you have is the best." She said, "This one is nice." then crawled over to the tree. She unfolded the skirt and reached under the tree while on her hands and knees to pull it around the trunk. Gravity slid the bottom of her oversize sweater above her hips and a few inches up her back as she leaned and stretched to adjust the skirt, presenting a wonderful view of her perfect heart-shaped rear. My gaze was fixed on the sensual, womanly curves that were only slightly veiled by the form-fitting legging fabric. Stefani pulled the skirt edges outward and tried her best to smooth any wrinkles before asking, "How does that look?" Still staring at her ass, I rallied courage to suggestively answer, "It looks incredible." Curious about the overly enthusiastic response, Stefani looked back over her shoulder and saw me looking at her rear, not the tree skirt. She smiled mischievously, subtly wiggled her ass, then spent a couple more minutes unnecessarily straightening imaginary wrinkles in the skirt. The girls were unaware of the adult exchanges and Lizzie innocently asked, "Can we start putting ornaments on now?" I came back to reality and answered, "Sure, go for it!" as Stefani moved to sit next to me on the sofa. The girls formulated a plan for shorter Lizzie to decorate the bottom of the tree, taller Toni to hang ornaments on the middle section, and Stefani and me to get whatever they couldn't reach. Stefani nestled against my side as we watched the girls make trips back and forth between selecting ornaments laid on the floor and choosing the perfect location for each on the tree. Their happiness being together and sharing in the festive atmosphere was infectious, and I sat there feeling emotions I hadn't felt in a very long time. It was very comfortable to have Toni and Stefani there with us. It just felt right. With those thoughts swirling in my head, my hand reached to find Stefani's and our fingers intuitively interlaced. My heart swelled as Stefani snuggled further into me. When the girls had their portions of the tree sufficiently loaded, Stefani and I finished decorating the upper portion and I added the crowning star. We all stood back to admire our work and I flipped the switch for the grand lighting finale. The girls cheered with delight while Stefani and I each put an arm around the other's back and shared a side-hug while appreciating the tree. After sharing a few moments, Stefani moved on to serve dinner while I cleaned up the empty decoration boxes. We all shared conversation over the meal at the dining room table, then played some after-dinner card games. I felt a pang of emptiness when it was time for Stefani and Toni to leave, and really didn't want them to go. That evening I felt a sense of family that I hadn't felt since Julie died. I didn't want to scare Stefani with the heaviness of my thoughts, and understatedly said, "I really enjoyed spending the day with you. I hope we can all spend more evenings like this together." Stefani wasn't as subtle. As they were putting their coats on and heading out the door, she gave me a goodbye hug with the girls looking on, and whispered in my ear, "I didn't see mistletoe hung anywhere. You should get some." Holiday Break. The week before Christmas was a whirlwind, filled with school holiday activities, Christmas shopping, and end-of-the-year accounting for my business. There wasn't time for play dates, but we did all see each other at the school holiday play and concert. Both girls had parts in the play, Toni as an ice skater and Lizzie tending a chestnut roasting cart. Stefani and I found each other in the crowd of parents entering the auditorium and enjoyed the show side-by-side. I didn't know how she felt about the two of us being friendly in public, so I sat next to her playing the part of a plutonic acquaintance. It was Stefani who reached over and placed her hand on the top of my thigh, which I covered with mine and gave a squeeze of affection. We all went to the downtown sweet shop after the concert where the girls both ate mountainous ice cream sundaes while Stefani and I sipped on decaf coffee. We shared another goodbye hug when we parted ways at the end of the evening. This time it was my turn to whisper in Stefani's ear, "We need to find some time alone." She inhaled sharply and shuddered a little when I discreetly placed a kiss just under her ear. The Big Event. On the morning of Christmas Eve, Lizzie and I made some final preparations for the big event, including retrieval of a formal set of china and crystal stemware packed away in the basement. We washed all the china and stemware before turning our attention to the table by spreading a white linen tablecloth, arranging the china and crystal place settings, and creating a centerpiece with some fir boughs and velvet ribbon. The crowning element was a forest of candles randomly spaced along the center of the table. After finishing, I steered Lizzie up to her room to change clothes before doing a quick final clean of the kitchen and great room, then heading upstairs to freshen up and change. I opted for a slightly casual look with a sport coat and open collar button-down shirt. Lizzie went for an all-out, over-the-top look in a way only a third-grade girl can, with a long lace dress, heels, and an abundance of costume jewelry. I heard gravel crunching under tires as I was complimenting Lizzie on her dress and looked out the window to see Stefani and Toni's car coming to a stop outside. Lizzie and I greeted them at the door. Lizzie with squeals of excitement for Toni, and me with a hug for Stefani. With a long overcoat still on, Stefani said, "Presents and dinner are in the trunk of my car. Would you mind?" "Of course not." I didn't bother putting on a coat and swiftly walked out to retrieve hot trays of food covered in aluminum foil and packed in boxes. Toni held the door open upon my return to the house and I complimented her attire, which was on par with Lizzie's style for the evening. I entered to see Stefani standing in the kitchen wearing a floor-length, deep burgundy satin evening gown. The off-the-shoulder cut drew attention to her lithe neck and sensually exposed collar bones and shoulders, while the deep-V bust line and her pendant necklace pointed directly to the shallow valley between her modest tits. The torso of the dress was neatly fitted to her narrow waist then flared outward over her hips into the pleated A-line gown. It was the perfect dress for her body and she looked absolutely amazing. My admiration grew even more when she shifted position to purposefully reveal a long, toned leg through the full length slit in the side. "You look incredible!" I praised while placing the boxes of food on the kitchen island and making a show of looking at her from head to toe. She feigned a shy, "Aww, thank you." and humbly said, "I wear it once a year for the company holiday party." I turned to make another trip to her car and on the way out the door, I replied, "You should wear it more often. You make that dress look really good." I made several trips schlepping boxes of food and Christmas presents. When I returned and put the last couple boxes on the kitchen counter, Stefani had begun unpacking an assortment of homemade Italian dishes, including chicken piccata, fettucine with clam sauce, an antipasto salad, and an assortment of other side dishes. I exclaimed, "Wow, this looks and smells fantastic!" as I moved to steal a small clam off the top of the fettucine. She swatted my hand and playfully disciplined, "You need to wait, mister!" The girls tasked themselves with lighting the numerous candles on the table as I dimmed the house lights. Meanwhile, Stefani finished plating the last few items and carried them to the table. We dined by the soft glow of candlelight talking about good memories of Christmas, with Stefani and I temporarily ignoring the painful ones from our respective pasts. At one point, as the girls were consumed with a conversation of their own, Stefani commented, "This china is beautiful. You have good tastes." I didn't want to kill the mood, but I also wanted to be honest. "Julie picked it out for our wedding registry. She had an eye for the finer things in life." "Oh my gosh, I'm so, so sorry! I should have known!" "Please, it's okay. I wouldn't have used it if I wasn't ready to talk about it. I figured it was time to dust it off for a special occasion." She meekly asked, "Is this the first time you've used it since?" "Yes." Her beautiful blue eyes looked warmly into mine as her long slender fingers mindlessly twirled a lock of hair above her right ear. She spoke with layers of meaning, "I'm understanding more and more that Julie knew how to choose the finer things." We shared an extended gaze across the table that was only interrupted by Toni asking, "Can we have dessert now?" Stefani and I chuckled and she answered, "Yes, you may." before standing up to clear the table of dirty plates. I offered in my best butler voice, "I will service the table, madam, if you would like to prepare the next course for the Ladies of the Court." The girls thought that was hilarious and started practicing their own stuffy accents, which only intensified as consequences of the sugary tiramisu and cannoli took hold. When we had all finished, I announced in my Lordship voice, "Thank you Ladies, the food was remarkable and so was the company. Shall we retire to the parlor for after-dinner amusements?" The girls looked confused, so Stefani clarified, "He means games." after which they scrambled out of their chairs to explore the cabinet housing our selection of card and board games. Stefani and I cleared the table and generally tidied up the kitchen while the girls debated which games to play. We worked efficiently as a team, sharing a lot of unnecessary and 'accidental' touches as we moved about. The girls finished their game selections and we played several games of 'Chutes 'N Ladders' before moving on to 'Sorry' and, finally, a very long game of 'Monopoly' in which they eventually lost interest and asked if they could go watch a movie in the basement. Stefani started to object, "It's getting late. We should probably be going." before I gestured for the girls to go on downstairs. They didn't wait for Stefani's response and took off down the stairs. She looked at me quizzically as I stood up and motioned for her to follow me. We trailed the girls down the stairs where Stefani silently absorbed what was before her. I had set up two twin beds in front of the downstairs television and created a makeshift tent out of some decorative tree branches, tulle fabric, and twinkle lights. It was a perfect sleepover paradise for two third-grade girls. I put my arm around Stefani and whispered in her ear, "You're right, it is getting late. Maybe you should just spend the night." She put her arm around my back and whispered back, "Umm; sounds nice, but;” as she nodded toward the girls. I responded not to her, but to Lizzie and Toni who were sitting on one of the beds scrolling through movie options on the DVR. "Girls?" When they both raised their heads to look at me, I announced, "We've decided to let you have a sleepover tonight so that we can all be here together for Christmas morning;” They cheered and hugged each other before I continued, "; but there are a couple rules; first, you can watch a movie, then you need to get ready for bed in the bathroom down here and go right to sleep. The pink gift bags on your beds are special Christmas Eve sleepover kits with pajamas, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a few other things." Lizzie and Toni scurried to check out the gift bags, but I interceded, "Wait a minute; the second rule is that you can't come upstairs until 7:00 tomorrow morning;” I said motioning to Stefani and I, "; we need a decent night's sleep. Do you both agree to the rules?" They eagerly shouted in unison, "Yes, Yes, Yes!" "Ok, we'll see you on Christmas morning!" Before we could turn to leave, Toni asked, "Mom, where will you sleep?" I anticipated the question and interceded with a little white lie, "She'll sleep in my bed. I'm going to sleep on the great room sofa so I can make sure you two don't try to sneak upstairs to look at the presents." Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Toni simply said, "Okay, goodnight mom." To be continued in part 3. Based on a post by Architect 23 94, in 3 parts, for Literotica.

12 - We kick off this very special Tuesday with our very special guest: CNN's Scott Jennings! Why does he drink Pellegrino with an orange? Have Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones contacted him recently? What makes Scott a great debater? What would Scott advise Trump to say about prices? What about healthcare and its costs? Should he attack insurance companies? Does Trump get what he has to do for Republicans to maintain office? 1220 - Why did 8 Philadelphia kids decide to steal from a Dick's Sporting Goods in Florida? Why isn't this being covered better? Side - an addition that makes something better 1235 - Do we have a name for our thieves in Florida? 1240 - Your calls. 1250 - What are you going to do for the Army-Navy game?

Dom And Mike Chitwood Jr. Discuss These 8 Kids Charged With Robbery, We Are Wondering Where Bruce From The North East Has Been, Chris Tremoglie And Dom On The Philadelphia Christmas Tree Lighting And Scott Jennings Is In The House As We Prepare For Tonight's Big Event

Hello, you. We're here to talk about Warhammer, and things of that nature. This time, Laura and Rich have both been to Mercia Madness III, a 2 day GT in Worcester!We have a cool new logo which hopefully you've seen by now. Huge thanks to James of Alone Music for doing the design for us.Thanks to Thomas Harding for his sterling effort in editing the pod!We have a Bluesky, @ThreeTwoAoS.bsky.social! You can email us at ThreeTwoPodcast@gmail.com with comments and questions!Laura's blog is available here: https://themagmahold.blogspot.com/You can read Matthew and Rich's deranged ramblings on https://www.goonhammer.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The show opens with a tribute to the great announcer Bob Caudle who sadly passed away earlier this week. Phil breaks down all things current including his trip to the “Big Event” convention and meeting The Great Muta! If that wasn't enough for ya, Phil is then joined by friend and game creator S.T. Patrick who talks about an amazing wrestling game he created “The Square Circle” A Sports Simulation... The post Turnbuckle Throwbacks 516: Giving Thanks In “The Squared Circle” appeared first on Shining Wizards Network.

In this episode: Sheamus pulled from John Cena's The Last Time is Now tournament due to injury, The Big Event issues statement following incident where fan published an altered video with AJ Lee, Three potential buyers emerge for AEW's media partner Warner Bros. Discovery, and Betting odds favorites to win at the 2025 AEW Full Gear PPV eventSupport Ridge Holland: https://gofund.me/4494299e3Kerr County Flood Relief Fund: https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201Support Katie: https://gofund.me/cb2cdcb5Support Eastern Kentucky: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/stormreliefAmerican Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/wlky32-pub.html/The Dream Center: https://www.ekdc.info/donateKCTCS Disaster Relief: https://kctcs.edu/disasterrelief.aspxUniversity of Kentucky Flood Relief: https://philanthropy.uky.edu/kentuckyfloodreliefIf you like what you hear on the podcast, consider helping me out a little bit financially at: https://www.patreon.com/jamminjon

Jessica Gangl, Executive Director of the Brainerd Public Schools Foundation, joins us to share the impact of their fall grant cycle and the many students, classrooms, and programs supported through donor generosity. She also walks us through the Foundation's annual partnership model, explaining how local sponsors can get involved and make a meaningful difference throughout the school year. Jessica wraps up with a preview of their Big Event coming in February, one of the community's most anticipated celebrations of education and philanthropy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have a question? Click here. In this episode, we'll discuss the often-overlooked phenomenon of post-stress crashes—the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that follows high-intensity seasons like work deadlines, book launches, caregiving, weddings, or major life transitions.Key Topics Covered:What qualifies as a stressful seasonHow crashes manifestThe science behind itChronic vs. acute stressBiblical perspective on restPractical recovery strategies*** Have you had a season of high stress then the recalibration was rough? Hit reply and let me know!Links Mentioned:Protein PlaybookHow I Heard From God Without Spending Time in Prayer or WorshipB.COMPLETEStrong and Vibrant at Home: Strength Training and Wellness for Christian Women in Perimenopause and BeyondMy latest recommended ways to nourish and move your body, mind and spirit: Nourished Notes Bi-Weekly Newsletter 30+ Non-Gym Ways to Improve Your Health (free download)Connect with Amy: GracedHealth.com Instagram: @GracedHealthYouTube: @AmyConnell

Guest Host Lyndon Radchenka takes the reins of the podcast in Gregory's absence to lead a postmortem discussion about Winnipeg Comiccon 2025 with Justin, Dan, and Dr. Jonathan Ball of Writing the Wrong Way.Pick up Gregory's new book ⁠Blood Letters⁠, wherever books are sold: ⁠https://www.amazon.ca/Blood-Letters-Ariel-Gordon/dp/1773371436Transition clips are from Ghostbusters 2: https://youtu.be/weIqC-oUGmA?si=nd-6RVoje1gBsJluFollow the gang online:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gmbchomichuk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chasingartwork/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lradchenka/⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@danwatchesmovies⁠⁠GMB Chomichuk's online store: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gmbchomichuk.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chasing Artwork's online store: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chasingartwork.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Production: Dan VadeboncoeurTitles: Jesse Hamel & Nick Smalley

Wall St staged a recovery from opening lows to finish near flat in another volatile session. S&P 500 flat on average volume. Nasdaq up 0.13%. Dow underperformed. Down 310 points and down 1100 in two sessions after hitting record highs earlier in the week. Short-term rotation from growth to value didn't last long. The weak open coming from the same narrative as yesterday – odds of a Fed December rate cut falling due to inflation concerns (no official economic data released). 50% to 45% this time (again, yawn). The drop was attributed to Jeffrey Schmid, saying inflation was too hot and is being driven by broader factors other than tariffs. Schmid was the only Fed member to dissent in favour of no change in October (Miran was the only one to dissent in favour of a 50bp cut). Nasdaq was down 1.9% at worst before the precipitous moment was again avoided and the dip bought. Volatility remains high. Above 20 points.SPI down 17 - ELD results.Want to invest with Marcus Today? Our MT20 portfolio is designed for investors seeking exposure to our strategy while we do the hard work for you.If you're looking for personal financial advice, our friends at Clime Investment Management can help. Their team of licensed advisers operates across most states, offering tailored financial planning services.  Why not sign up for a free trial? Gain access to expert insights, research, and analysis to become a better investor.

Ep.77: Our London live show at Cheerful Earful Podcast Festival in October. The gang determines what was their first Big Event memory and yap about Pierre's gig at Butlins, when Quebec Quemained and the reality of when you have to cooka de pasta. Get the Patron-exclusive second part of this episode (30 mins of bonus content) on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-77-what-was-2-143324731 Follow us online to get Glue-related clips and updates: https://linktr.ee/gluefactorypod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Derek and Steve discuss a variety of topics including seasonal changes, unexpected podcast shoutouts, Derek's upcoming fatherhood, the recent World Series and its implications for baseball, gambling scandals in sports, and a midseason check-in on the NFL. They also engage with fan questions, reflecting on personal experiences and the excitement of new beginnings. In this conversation, the hosts explore various themes including teaching methods, career choices in the age of AI, the current state of streaming services, the integrity of sports in relation to gambling, and recommendations for pop culture, including TV shows and books. They also discuss personal experiences with espresso machines and home theater systems, providing insights and recommendations for listeners.01:42 The Other Derek & Steve08:22 Derek's Upcoming Fatherhood12:50 World Series Recap and Dodgers' Dominance22:38 Gambling Scandals in Sports28:37 Baseball and Gambling Insights29:41 Patriots vs. Buccaneers33:29 Midseason NFL Check-In41:00 Slide into the DMs01:03:15 TV/Movie Recs01:09:18 Cozy Book Corner01:14:10 Final Drive

It's the beginning of Veterans Week and I've got news for vets, RTD is trying to do better with large events, and is the shutdown finally over?  

RTD IS TRYING TO DO BETTER FOR BIG EVENTS And I've got RTD Board member Kathleen Chandler on today to talk about how you can weigh in. Kathleen joins me at 12:30 to talk about this initiative, which you can find more about here, and how you can participate in making the system better when there are big events downtown.

THE WES BUCK SHOW – EPISODE 407“ANNOUNCEMENTS, RECORDS & RADIO ROUNDUP”THIS WEEK WE'RE LOCKED IN ON THREE MASSIVE STORIES IN DRAG RACING.BIG MOVES. BIG NUMBERS. BIG EVENTS.First up we've got Keith Haney on the mic after his major announcement at SEMA Show that he is teaming up with KB Titan Racing, the legendary NHRA Pro Stock team. The buzz says they might be bringing Pro Mod into the mix too. We'll dig into what that alliance means and how it could shake up the sport.Then we're checking in with Jimmy Taylor, fresh off his record‑setting run in a door car. His new eighth‑mile world record has people talking and wondering what's coming next. We're gonna break down the numbers, the machine, the mindset.And to round it out we have Barrett Green and Michael Hollis dropping in ahead of their upcoming event the Texas Radial Roundup this weekend. These guys are friends of the show, friends of the sport, and they never come to play, they come to show. We're giving them the mic and helping spread the word.Three segments. Three unstoppable guests.Wes Buck, JT “Murder T” Hudson and Mike Carpenter are on deck.DON'T MISS IT. LET'S GOOOOO!⸻

Navigating the ups and downs after big events? We're diving into the emotional landscape of post big events life, and how to cope with the feelings. We discuss practical ways to manage anxiety, promote positive mental health, and prioritize your health and wellness during these transitions.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Suzanne Struglinski, seasoned communications and PR practitioner, to talk about what it really takes to plan a successful event when it's not your full-time job.From coordinating the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) conference to helping with the all-volunteer Women of the Year Awards with Washington Women in Public Relations, Suzanne brings candid, field-tested insights for association and nonprofit professionals who are balancing event planning on top of everything else.

Join us May 1-3, 2026 in Florida for our biggest in-person event ever! Check out the Relationship Recess webpage and get your ticket here! Check out the launch video here!

Learn how to get and read your free credit reports and spot red flags so you can protect your score and money. How do you set a realistic budget for a big life event without guilt? What's the foolproof way to get and read your free credit reports? In this episode, hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss wedding budgeting and credit monitoring to help you protect your finances. They open by discussing trip and wedding budgeting trade-offs, like how to prioritize comfort, set spending caps, and decide when to splurge. They share tactics for separating wedding and honeymoon costs, using cash gifts and registries wisely, and staying flexible when real prices blow past early estimates. Then, NerdWallet lead writer Amanda Barroso joins Sean and Elizabeth to answer listeners' questions about how to access and monitor their credit reports. They explain the difference between reports and scores and do a live read-through of Sean's Experian report. They cover how to get free weekly credit reports, how to spot hard vs. soft inquiries, what truly matters to your score, what to ignore, and step-by-step moves to dispute errors with the right bureau(s) fast. NerdWallet's list of the best high-yield savings accounts: https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/best/high-yield-online-savings-accounts  Standout high-yield CDs: https://www.nerdwallet.com/m/banking/standout-cd-rates-2  Enter your deposit, CD term and APY to see what interest you would earn on a certificate of deposit with NerdWallet's free CD calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/calculators/cd-calculator  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: free credit report, credit score, FICO vs VantageScore, how to read a credit report, dispute credit report errors, credit freeze vs lock, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, hard vs soft inquiry, identity theft credit report, free weekly credit reports, adverse action notice, credit utilization, bank app credit score, frozen credit report, collections on credit report, mortgage on credit report, mixed credit files, verify identity for credit report, step by step read credit report, remove errors from credit report, how to check credit score for free, VantageScore 3.0, FICO score 10T, credit bureau upsell, lock vs freeze security, and travel budget planning. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I do a review of all the big things at races/events and what I wish I did different at Ironman WC last week. 1. Marketing: Photos/B Roll to take2. Conversation goals3. How to social media the raceAnd then when a big result happens, my experience as one of my athlete's "publicists" and some of the wild things that have happened since Natalie's historic race. Interested in getting your coaching business started? Join the Dream Launcher waitlist HERE: https://coachmichellelake.kit.com/dlwaitlistAnd lastly, Dream to 6 is opening to just a handful of coaches in November: Learn more here: https://coachmichellelake.lpages.co/dt6waitlist/Website | Follow Michelle on IG

(0:00) Hardy rubbed elbows with all of golf's movers and shakers yesterday.(21:18) What Happened Last Night? The Blue Jays are headed to the World Series plus a Monday Night Football double header.(35:37) Has LeBron James seen The Godfather yet?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest tonight is Caleb Gilbert of White Glove Protection Group www.whitegloveprotection.com , and we are going to talk to him about the day to day responsibilities for someone whose work is protecting VIPs and doing high-risk even security. Plenty of reasons to be interested in this from the last couple of years of following the news alone! Unleash Your Brain w/ Keto Brainz Nootropic Promo code FRANKLY: https://tinyurl.com/2cess6y7 Mollee's Peptides: https://mindthymitochondria.com/ Sponsor The Show and Get VIP Perks: https://www.quitefrankly.tv/sponsor One-Time Tip: http://www.paypal.me/QuiteFranklyLive Elevation Blend Coffee & Official QF Mugs: https://www.coffeerevolution.shop/category/quite-frankly Official QF MERCH: https://tinyurl.com/f3kbkr4s Gold & Silver: https://quitefrankly.gold Send Holiday cards, Letters, and other small gifts, to the Quite Frankly P.O. Box! Quite Frankly 222 Purchase Street, #105 Rye, NY, 10580 Tip w/ Crypto: BTC: bc1q97w5aazjf7pjjl50n42kdmj9pqyn5zndwh3lng XRP: rnES2vQV6d2jLpavzf7y97XD4AfK1MjePu Leave a Voice Mail: https://www.speakpipe.com/QuiteFrankly Quite Frankly Socials: Twitter/X: @QuiteFranklyTV Instagram: @QuiteFranklyOfficial Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/u5RutUcSMJ Official Forum: https://tinyurl.com/k89p88s8 Telegram: https://t.me/quitefranklytv Truth: https://tinyurl.com/5n8x9s6f GETTR: https://tinyurl.com/2fprkyn4 Gab: https://tinyurl.com/mr42m2au Streaming Live On: QuiteFrankly.tv (Powered by Foxhole) Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yc2cn395 BitChute: https://tinyurl.com/46dfca5c Rumble: https://tinyurl.com/yeytwwyz Kick: https://kick.com/quitefranklytv Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/quitefranklylive Audio On Demand: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/301gcES iTunes: http://apple.co/2dMURMq SoundCloud: https://tinyurl.com/yc44m474

From building beds for children in need and making sandwiches for hungry neighbors to spreading holiday cheer through handwritten cards, hundreds of Syracuse University students give back to their community every year through their involvement with their Recognized Student Organizations.Now, it's time to honor the passion of these student leaders through the Fall 2025 Student Organization Challenge, which awards valuable funds to the student groups with the most unique donors and the most social media interaction during October. Last year, the Syracuse University Volunteer Organization (SUVO) captured the Fall 2024 Challenge, while OrangeSeeds claimed the Spring 2025 Challenge. Every child should have access to a bed when they go to sleep. That's the driving force behind the SUVO's annual bed-building project. Student leaders like Ryan Edwards '26 have helped build 132 beds over the past two years, partnering with the local Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter to get them to Central New York children who need them.On Service Saturdays, Nolan Singh '28 and his OrangeSeeds peers partner with nonprofits like We Rise Above The Streets Recovery Outreach, the Salvation Army and the Nottingham. These efforts culminate in “The Big Event,” the University's largest student-run community service project.With the Fall 2025 Challenge in full swing, Edwards and Singh stopped by the "'Cuse Conversations" podcast to share why they give back, how volunteering has shaped them as leaders and why every student should volunteer.

Links & ResourcesFollow us on social media for updates: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠Check out our recommended tool: ⁠⁠Prop Stream⁠⁠Thank you for listening!

We catch up again with Negro Leagues museum President Bob Kendrick as the museum gets set to welcome Rush frontman Geddy Lee for a book signing for his just released “72Stories”, and pair it with our wonderful sitdown interview with Bob from a few years back. Double the fun!

Your out of body loved ones are with you and sharing life events. Knowing this can help allow you to share the joy with them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In-person events offer priceless visibility offline. But without a strategic social media runway, many founders lose the chance to translate those moments into online growth and conversions. Your next big event is closer than you think, and how you prepare on social media could make or break its success. In this episode, Emma shares a proven framework to ensure your audience is engaged, your content reaches more people, and your event delivers impact long after the doors close. Emma breaks down the power of a 90-day content plan, why consistency matters more than quick bursts, and how pairing organic posts with paid campaigns can skyrocket reach. She also shares real client examples that prove how showing up intentionally on social media transforms dormant accounts into engagement powerhouses. Don't leave your results to chance. Discover how to prep, engage, and amplify your event for lasting impact. Listen in as Emma explains: The ideal amount of runway to prep event-focused social media marketing The role of paid ads in accelerating event momentum How to keep engagement and conversions flowing after your event And so much more!   Connect with Ninety Five Media: Website Instagram  Need Support with Your Podcast? We've got you covered  Book a Strategy Intensive Call with Emma for a custom marketing plan for your brand: strategyintensivecall.co   Book a call to explore our social media management services for your business! ninetyfivemedia.co/book-a-call  

In 3 STRIKES!!! Rusty and Abe want to know what the best big event host city is, outside of Atlanta of course, and the obvious best answer is only 500 miles away.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY! NO FRILLS VERSION (No commercials, no theme songs)! If you enjoy the NO FRILLS version of the podcast, subscribe to our PATREON! Subscribe now ! www.patreon.com/c/shootintheshiznit Join us for our monthly series in the STS family, “Was It Really THAT Good?” for Episode #298! Long time wrestling fans always talk fondly of the old days in professional wrestling. Brian Tramel is joined by Gene Jackson for this episode. This month they review WWE's The Big Event 8.28.1986 from the WWE Network and answer the question, “Was It Really THAT Good?”. Vitality Chiropractic in Jonesboro and Newport, Arkansas, is a trusted haven for individuals seeking comprehensive chiropractic care. With a dedicated team of professionals, they prioritize spinal health and overall well-being. If you're looking for personalized and effective chiropractic services, reach out to them at (870) 523-2225 to experience their commitment to enhancing your health and vitality. Meal prep in Northeast Arkansas! 15% Off with our code STSPODCLUB at bare870.com. That's 15% off and use our code STSPODCLUB Go to bare870.com Trust Bare for your meal prep needs in Northeast Arkansas. Eat Better. Live Better. Paypal LINK ! py.pl/15aeX0 Link of all links: linktr.ee/STSPOD Search “Cool Kids Wrestling & MMA Talk” on Facebook to join us ! Search “Shooting The Shiznit” to LIKE the STSPOD FB page !! Follow Lance LeVine on Twitter: @chocolatierLL Sponsored by Spunklube is the perfect blend of water and silicone. It is an all purpose personal lubricant that can be used for any occasion. You will love the natural feeling and look of it. It is safe for sensitive skin. Go to spunklube DOT com and tell them shootin the shiznit sent you ! Follow them on Twitter @SpunkLube Have you used the UBER Eats app? If not, you can download it & get $7 off your first order by using this code: eats-briant24790ue Did you love this week's episode?? Was it worth a $1 ? $2? $100?? Donate to STS by using the Cash app and sending $$$$ to: $BTSTS In partnership with Championship Wrestling on CW30! Every Saturday at Noon on YouTube. Follow them on Twitter: @cw30wrestling Do you wanna be a pro wrestler ? Go to championshipwrestlingmemphis.com and apply for classes that start soon !! LIVE MEMPHIS WRESTLING: EVENTS: tinyurl.com/Upcoming-Live-Event

Send us a textIn this episode, Andrew Dalton — along with Momma Dalton — joins us to share exactly what the Big Event at McNeese is and how we can all take part in this wonderful experience! Stay tuned for more inspiring conversations on living out your faith and growing in virtue. Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review. Together, let's continue our journey toward sainthood!

WWIII Enabled by Internal Revolution (audio) David Eells, 9/24/25 The man-child reformers are coming out of their tribulation wilderness, but at this time they lead the Church into their tribulation wilderness. Rev.12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. (Some have seen this in dreams thinking it to be a pre-trib rapture but it is not.) 6 And the woman (Church) fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (The Man-child) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (That's 3 ½ years, just as Jesus nourished the woman, Israel, for 3 ½ years in their tribulation under the beast. So where is our wilderness going to come from? Probably 30+ years ago I shared that when the US divides Israel, the US would be divided at the New Madrid Fault Quakes. Brandon Biggs recently shared that he was shown: When the US and the world divide Israel, (which happened today on Sep 23, 2025) at the Abrahamic Accord there are three days until the New Madrid divides the U.S. going off on Sep 26th. I and others told President Trump of this prophecy so he and the U.S. abstained so the New Madrid punishment will not come now. I was previously shown that the New Madrid would go off when the Man-child reformers are anointed at their spiritual resurrection to the throne. The only thing deleted, at this time, is the New Madrid quakes, for God is true to His Word. The restoration begins now and the Bride is prepared for the Man-child reformers. In a vision, I was standing before Jesus who was marrying me, as a type of the Man-child body, to the Bride in heaven, with the Father watching from His throne when I saw a huge room next to us with the 144,000 Man-child body there. This was all in type when Jesus the Man-child sowed the word in the body of those John the Baptist said was the bride. This is according to Mat 13, the parable of the Sower. This is the time the Man-child reformers are caught up to the throne. The Bride is in all white and submitted to the Lord. And the Woman Church is led by the Man-child into the wilderness tribulation when the world is divided. Rev.6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. (Jesus in the Man-child reformers conquering His enemies.) 3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. 4 And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Notice that when Jesus comes in the Man-child Body he starts conquering the Beast of all nations with war.)   Marie Kelton – 9-1-25 (David's notes in red) I had a vision before the heavenly one of sitting at the Sequoia museum by the hill where the Native Americans are buried. (Death is about to come to the new native Americans.) It was sunny. I was sitting next to the Lord on a bench, and He had a Bible in His hand. I looked over and was reading it with Him. As I was reading, I said the name Abraham. I knew we were reading about Abraham. (I thought it fit with the Abrahamic Accord just now.) (Dividing Israel with the Palestinians on Sep 23, 2025, the Abrahamic Accord will bring death to Americans and the world. We have heard from the Alliance that there will be a fake WWIII. The nations will pull out their weapons as if to go to war with each other but will instead jump on the D.S.. I felt a long time ago that the D.S. would then turn this fake WWIII into a real WWlll. This is now happening; pay attention.)   Mena Lee Grebin - 01/29/2014 (David's notes in red) At 2:41 this morning, the Lord Jesus came to me. He said, “Death to the finances”. He then said, “A recession behind the recession”. (We have been told in dreams and visions for years there would be a recession followed by a short period of calm and then much worse collapse.) I asked, “Lord, what are You talking about?” He continued, “Tell My children that a recession is coming behind the recession. Many companies will close; small businesses will crumble and more jobs will be lost”. A calendar appeared in front of me, with the last four months of the year listed (i.e. September through December). (This is the period of the initial collapse, not the duration of the collapse which will continue for years.) I then saw a rider on a black horse ride across the pages. I said, “Lord, You said death to the finances; the rider on the black horse means death!” The Lord responded, “No, daughter, that is the rider on the pale horse”. I thought to myself, “What was the black horse again?” Then the Holy Spirit interjected, “A days wages for a loaf of bread!” (If the black horse rides in the last third of a year, when do the white horse Man-child and red horse war ride? The answer would be at the beginning of that. We must abide in Christ for His provision, which has already been prepared.) The presence of the Lord grew stronger and stronger on me. I felt completely paralyzed. I said, “Lord, if this is You giving this to me, I need a scripture to back up what You are saying”. Then, I heard loud and clear, “Psalm 9”. I started to cry, “Lord, You're showing me the end of the year! That means we will be here! Lord, when are You coming to get us? (Mena believed in a pre-trib rapture, so this was a surprise to her. This is given to the pre-tribbers to help prepare them for the times to come.) It's getting so bad here. Please help us to endure”. The Lord responded with a calming voice. He said, “Soon, My daughter. Very, very soon. Do not be afraid. Tell My children they MUST put their trust in Me, not the government, jobs, bank accounts, stocks, public assistance or retirement. These things will fail them! Only I will see them through. Persecution will increase and the time will come when many will go underground, but only for a very short season. (And then ...) I am coming!”   Saints, Psalm 9 is a psalm of judgment on the nations. (It is a psalm of tribulation.) It is also a psalm of refuge and protection for those who trust Him. I got up to read it as soon as the presence of God lifted enough for me to move. The title of the psalm in the NLT is “Death of a Son”. I thought this was interesting. I was not familiar with the psalm and did not memorize it; therefore, it was shocking to find out what it spoke of. I want to encourage everyone to read this scripture. It tells what is ahead. I don't know if the Lord did this in contrary to the State of the Union address last night (I didn't watch it because my mind can't comprehend habitual liars) or if it's just time for judgment to be executed upon this nation. I don't know; maybe both. But I was told to share this with the body of Christ. We must prepare. Please share.   “Chaos Is Coming” Mena Lee Grebin - 06/27/2016 (David's notes in red) At 1:45 AM this morning, I received a visitation from the Lord. I first found myself at a press conference. The conference contained about 50 people. We were all sitting at long tables in horizontal rows. I was located at the second seat in the last row, on the right. I saw Donald Trump sitting among the people; he was the only person in the crowd I recognized from behind. I only saw everyone's back from my view. In the front, I saw Obama pacing the floor. He seemed very agitated. He started saying, “They're pushing me ... they're pushing me to cause drama!” He then walked over to a man seated three rows ahead of me. Obama looked at the man and said, “Kevin, they're pushing me to give them what they deserve! I will give them the chaos that they deserve!” The man, who seemed to go by the name “Kevin”, frantically grabbed his notepad and began to write on it. It was then that I looked at Obama's forehead and noticed that there was writing on it. It looked as though someone had taken a black Sharpie and written across his forehead; it said, “Chaos is coming”. (Internal rebellion and pandemic with external war?) The scene changed and I next found myself in a room. Ahead of me, about 30 feet, stood Jesus. He was clothed in a simple white robe that illuminated a soft white glow. His face was so clear, clearer than I had ever seen it in all the years He's visited me. It was like I zoomed in on His face. I studied His thick, dark-brown hair that rested on His shoulders, and the fullness of His beard. The expression on His face was that of sadness, yet stern. I noticed that there were tears streaming from His left eye. Within each tear, there was a fetus. (Their vax is causing many still births.) The Lord spoke to me, but without moving His lips. He said, “They are constantly stealing the life that I have given”. He paused for a moment, then continued, “There are those who are even unaware of their murder. (Some are still taking it.) Doctors have convinced some that this is their only choice -- that the child is deformed, or will be born with abnormalities, so they steal the life that I have given”. I noticed that angels began to stand in formation behind Jesus. They were tall; between nine and 10 feet in height. They were all golden -- clothes, body and hair. There were 14 of them. I inquired about the position they were taking. Jesus responded, “They are taking their positions for the 21 judgments, for they are about to begin. Time is short. I will not delay ... I will not delay ... I will not delay! My Bride is preparing herself and I will soon call her to me”. (And the Bride is mature; taken from the Church but is not the Church as in Esther, Song of Solomon, Psalm 45, etc.) I thought to myself, “But there are only 14 angels”. The Key to the Timing of These Things: Then Jesus quickly reminded me that the first seven seals are opened by Him. (This sequence of events doesn't start until the first seal is opened by Jesus beginning the tribulation.) Jesus then looked at me and with a stern voice said, “Within three to six months (After the seal is opened), total chaos will envelop America and a pandemic will spread across the world”. He then gave me understanding that the two events are separate and I wasn't given a time frame for the pandemic. Mena had already received a dream of this same time period in the spring of 2014, which speaks of the economic collapse. The Lord woke her up at about 2:45 AM, saying, “Death to the finances!” He said it so strongly it startled her. She asked, “Death to the finances?” Then the Lord said, “A recession within a recession is coming”. Then He showed her a vision of the rider on a black horse. He was riding across a calendar and started in September (Beginning the death of finances) and rode through December. She asked the Lord, “Is it for this year (2014)?” He answered, “No”. Then He continued, “Small businesses will fail. Those who depend on the government to sustain them will fail. The housing market is going to crash again. I want you to warn the people. (Wilderness) Tell them what is coming because those who are in Me will be sustained, but not everyone who says they belong to Me belongs to Me”. When the economy collapses, the Man-child reformers bring the revival through the Bride, as a repeat of history. I began to pray for the Bride. I prayed for wisdom and boldness. The Lord then spoke and said, “Psalm 12 for the chosen, for the obedient and for the faithful”. This is a warning for the Church, the Bride and the nation. We need to prepare spiritually and physically for what's about to be unleashed. David: Now I want to share these verses with you and a revelation (from UBM livestream 9/19/25 The Bride Exalted and Full of Light) {Jer.6:10} To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of Jehovah is become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. {11} Therefore I am full of the wrath of Jehovah; I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. {12} And their houses shall be turned unto others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah. {13} For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. {14} They have healed also the hurt of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. (Like Now) {15} Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them (meaning: In the Man-child.) they shall be cast down, saith Jehovah. (What could cause this wilderness the Church is about to enter? Earthquakes, economic collapse, democratic saboteurs and assassins in the government and from the invaders, bringing down the grid before Tesla energy is fully up, persecution of Christians, plague, food shortage, war, etc. After Jesus comes in the Man-child reformers by Word and Spirit will come war. Rev.6:2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. (Jesus in the Man-child reformers anointed)... 4 And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. I asked the Lord when this World War would come and He said, “November.”) Then I got a confirmation. Brandon Biggs saw that Putin will call President Trump's bluff, but Putin is not bluffing; he is creating strong alliances for this major war ahead. war  I then asked Brandon if he knew when this war would happen, and he said, November. I said to him, “Thats my confirmation.” Brandon: So in the last two videos, I saw this right here. He's holding his cards close to him today. That's Putin as he's in this meeting (in Alaska). He doesn't trust no one. He doesn't trust him and he doesn't trust what's being said. It's a game. I hear, “Play the game, buy time. They want the whole thing. (The Russians don't want to share the world.) I just have to outlast you.” It's almost like you're playing poker, you're playing cards. You call my bluff. You all hear what I'm saying? You call my bluff. It's like, you're gonna move, you're gonna move things and you're gonna try to do things in this poker game on Friday. You hold your cards close, and you're playing; you're calling my bluff. That's what the Lord says. “You call my bluff.” It's just a card game. But the Lord warned me that Putin is not bluffing. Remember, I've tried to tell you all, Putin is not bluffing, but he will call Trump on what he calls his bluff of what Trump's saying; he's gonna do in the meetings ahead. Trump is strongarming the bear. The Lord said, “Handle the bear with care because Putin is not bluffing.” What he's doing in the background with Kim Jong Un, Cuba, Venezuela, he's creating alliances, strong alliances for a major war ahead. Remember this. The enemy within should be conquered before that war. Dumitru Duduman dreamed that the US would be busy with internal rebellion when Russia would use this to strike from without. In Dumitru Duduman's revelation below, he shares how Russia will hit the US when it is distracted with an internal revolution (As the Democrats are declaring now.) These communists have alliances with the American communists and Chinese communists.). Here is a portion of Dumitru's revelation called:   Russians Bomb the United States! The light surrounded me. Out of the light I heard the same voice (that was with me in jail and in my house in Italy). It said, "Dumitru, why are you so despaired?" I said, "Why did you punish me? What did I do that was so rotten that you brought me to the United States? I have nowhere to lie my head down upon. I can't understand anybody". He said, "Dumitru, didn't I tell you that I am here with you also? I brought you here to this country because this country will burn". "Then why did you bring me here to burn? Why didn't you let me die in my own country?" "Dumitru, have patience, and I will tell you. Get beside me". … I got beside the angel. He showed me all of California. He showed me all the cities of California. Then he showed me Las Vegas. "You see what I have shown you. This is Sodom and Gomorrah. In one day it will burn". He said, "Its sin has reached the Holy One". He showed me another great city. He said, "Do you know what city this is?" I said, "No". He said, "This is New York City. This is Sodom and Gomorrah. In one day it will burn". He showed me Florida. He said, "This is Florida. This is Sodom and Gomorrah. In one day it will burn". He didn't let me say a word until he brought me back to the place we had left. He said, "Now, Dumitru, you can talk to me". He said, "I brought you to this country, Dumitru. I want to wake up a lot of people. I love this country. I love the people. I want to save them. America will burn". And I said, "How can I save them? I can't even speak their language. Who knows me here? How will they call me?" He said, "Don't worry. I will be ahead of you. I will make great healings amongst the American people. You will go to television stations, radio stations, and churches. (And He did) Tell them everything I tell you. Don't hide anything. If you try to hide anything, I will punish you. America will burn". I said, "How will America burn? It is so powerful". He said, "The Russian spies have discovered where the most powerful nuclear missiles are in America. "It will start with the world calling for 'peace, peace'. (Like now.) Then there will be an internal revolution in America, started by the Communists. (Like now.) Some of the people will start fighting against the government. (Like now.) The government will be busy with internal problems. Then, from the oceans, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Central America, Mexico, and two other countries (which I cannot remember) will attack! The Russians will bombard the nuclear missile silos in America. America will burn". I said, "What will you do with the church?" He said, "The church has left me". I said, "How? Don't you have people here?" He said, "People honor people. The honor that should be given to God, they give to other people. Americans think high of themselves. They say, 'I work', but they don't. In the church there is divorce. In the church there is adultery and fornication. In the church there is sodomy. In the church there is abortion and all kinds of sin. Jesus Christ doesn't live in sin. He lives in HOLINESS. I brought you here so you could cry out loud. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Tell them to stop sinning. God never stops forgiving. Tell them to repent. He will forgive them. Tell them to start preparing themselves so I can save them in the day of trouble". Brothers, these aren't fairy tales. I didn't come here to ask you for money. I didn't ask God for money. I came here to tell you the message of God. If you ask me, God loves you. That's what the angel of God told me. "Whoever I love, I want to wake up. I will put on their hearts to call you. Don't hide anything, or I will punish you". So stop sinning and repent. He will forgive us, and we will have salvation. I said, "How will you save the church if America will burn?" He said, "Tell them as I tell you. As he saved the three young men from the oven of fire and Daniel from the mouth of the lion, that is how I will save them. Tell them to stop sinning and repent. I have blessed this country because of the Jews that are here. I have seven million Jews here. (more now) They haven't tasted war or persecution. God blessed them more than anyone else. Instead of thanking God, they started sinning and doing wickedly. Their sins have reached the Holy One. God will punish them with fire". Israel doesn't recognize the Messiah because they place their trust on the power of the Jews in America. When God will hit America, all the nations will be terrified. God will raise up China, Japan, and many other nations, and they will beat the Russians. They will push them back to the gates of Paris. There they will make a peace treaty, but they will make the Russians their leader. All the nations with the Russians as their leader will go against Israel. It's not that they want to; God makes them. Israel doesn't have the help of the Jews in America anymore. In their terror, when they see what is coming, they call upon the Messiah. The Messiah will come to help Israel. Then the Church of God will meet him in the clouds". (1 Thes 4:16) Are you ready to meet Jesus Christ? Are your wedding clothes clean? If there are still spots on the clothes of your soul, then the blood of Jesus Christ still has power to cleanse sins. Jesus Christ will live with the church on the Mount of Olives. He himself will fight against all the nations. I said, "If you are the angel of God, everything you tell me has to be written in the Bible. If it is not, then I can't tell the Americans". "Tell them to read Jeremiah 51:8-15. He named it THE MYSTERY BABYLON, THE GREAT ADULTERESS. Also read Revelations Chapter 18, the whole chapter. There it says clearly what will happen to America". "Why did He name it THE MYSTERY BABYLON?" "Tell them because all the nations of the world immigrated into America, and America accepted them. America accepted Buddha, the Devil Church, the Sodomite church, the Mormon Church, and all kinds of wickedness. America was a Christian nation. Instead of stopping them, they went after their gods. Because of this, He named them THE MYSTERY BABYLON…   The Eagle and the Serpents Michael Boldea (notes in red) (The Angel said, "This has been revealed to you, that you may know, the first bite has been, the second is yet to come, and the third will be its destruction".) Psalm 34:7-8, "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him". Upon my return to the United States in late August, I had a very vivid and troubling dream. I dreamt I was walking through a sparsely wooded forest, and suddenly my attention was drawn to an eagle (the U.S.) flying high above the tree line. It was a beautiful sight to behold as the eagle rode the thermals, flying in slow lazy arks across the blue sky. I began to quicken my pace, and keep up with the eagle's flight, all the while keeping an eye on it, noticing that it was slowly descending toward the earth. (Becoming more corrupt)  I followed it for a long time, its descend not being sudden but very gradual. Finally I came upon a small clearing, where there were no trees, just some bushes on the edges of the green grass. The eagle landed in the clearing, and began to look around not seeming to notice me. As I began to wonder what the relevance of this was, a man dressed in white, hands clasped in front of him, appeared beside me, and said, "Be patient, in due time you will see the purpose". I was silent as I watched the eagle, and was beginning to grow somewhat impatient, when suddenly (9/11 happened suddenly), it seemed out of nowhere a brown snake (the Muslims are a brown people and the Nazis wore brown shirts) lunged at the eagle, and bit down on its left wing. (In effect, 9/11 devastated the left wing and brought about a short-lived swing to the right as this nation prayed out to their God to save them.) The snake's strike was very quick and very precise. The eagle reacted without delay, clawing and pecking at the snake cutting deep wounds in its underbelly, trying to defend itself and ward off the serpent. (USA, the great eagle of Babylon, is still over there pecking away at their enemies.) Just as it seemed the eagle was winning the battle, and the serpent was retreating, another serpent appeared, red and black diagonal stripes covering its body. (Red and white were the 0bama's colors of choice for the election victory speech. Why red and black? Obama's associate for 20 years and mentor was Bill Ayers, who is an unrepentant terrorist, anarchist and Marxist who bombed his own country to bring about "change", which is Obama's chief motto. Red and black are the colors of anarchists, socialists, left-wingers, communists, etc. Ayers told the New York Times on 9/11/01, "I don't regret setting bombs... I feel we didn't do enough".)  This serpent without hesitation struck out at the eagle's right wing, biting down, and refusing to release. (Many strikes have come from the left, false flags, plagues, assassinations, etc. These Satanists have never slowed down.) After a momentary tug of war the serpent tore off flesh and feathers, leaving a large wound on the eagle's right wing. (Obama is purely a left-wing socialist who will use anything to tear a huge wound in the religious right of this land. Cheri Watson saw a vision of the Statue of Liberty sliced in two by a huge knife from right to left and the top half, or government, began to slide to the left and fall into the water. A line of leftist governments did much damage that President Trump has worked to reverse.) The second bite was much worse than the first, and for an instant the eagle was stunned. Then a serpent much larger than the previous two, made up of many colors,(Leftist revolutionaries internally join with many nations led by Russia and China) slithered toward the eagle, opened its jaws and lunged, taking the whole of the eagle's head in its mouth before biting down. (The enemies take down the government and devastate the U.S. which brings revival.) The serpents retreated and the man (Jesus) who had been standing beside me, walked to the eagle, knelt down, picked it up, and held it in his cupped hands. The look of grief on his face was beyond any I have seen in my life. Just seeing the look on the man's face broke your heart. The man continued to look down at the eagle, and with a pained voice said, "The true tragedy, is that at any moment it could have sought the safety of the above, it could have soared toward the heavens and would have found its protection. This has been revealed to you, that you may know, the first bite has been (9/11), the second is yet to come (leftist governments), and the third will be its destruction". (Fall of the U.S. into wilderness tribulation.)   An Angry Bear Awakens Excerpt from Dumitru Duduman's Prophecies April 1997 I knelt by my bed to pray, as I do every night before going to sleep. After finishing my prayer, I opened my eyes, but I was no longer in my room. Instead, I found myself in a forest. I looked around, and to my right I saw a man dressed in white who pointed his finger and said, "See and remember". It took me a while to find what he was pointing at. It was a small bear who seemed half dead lying on the ground. As I continued to watch this bear, it began to breathe deeper. With every passing minute it seemed to revive itself, and, as I watched, it also became angrier. It then began to grow. Soon it was larger than the forest floor, and as it grew larger, it continued to become angrier. It then began to paw the ground, so that when its paw would hit the ground, the earth would shudder. The bear continued to devastate all that stood in its path until it came upon some men with sticks trying to fend it off. (Don't pay any attention to the lies, they have won this war in Ukraine but the DS needs a bigger war that hurts the US. The Russians have taken down the Nazi's, the bio-labs, the organ labs, the tunnels and dungeons with the captive children, and the evidence of DS crimes, etc.) By this time the bear had grown so large that it simply crushed the men underfoot and continued its rampage. I was stunned by what I saw and asked the man standing beside me, "What does this mean?" "At first they thought the great bear was dead,” the man said. (If you listen to MSM.) "As it will begin to stir once again, they will consider it harmless. Suddenly, it will grow strong once more with purpose and violence. (They have made tremendous advances in weaponry.) God will blind the eyes of those that continue to trample on the sacrifice of Christ's blood, until the day the bear will strike swiftly. This day will catch them unprepared, and it will be just as you saw". The man then said, "Tell my people the days are numbered and the sentence has been passed. If they will seek My face and walk in righteousness before Me, I will open their eyes that they may see the danger approach. If they only look to the approaching danger, they, too, will be caught up and trampled underfoot. Only in righteousness will they find safety". Suddenly, I was once again by myself in my room, on my knees, with sweat covering my face. Now let me share a few articles that have been in the recent news:   Artic Frost See: Grassley-Artic Frost BREAKING: Senator Chuck Grassley just announced that an FBI whistleblower revealed to him an FBI project called "Artic Frost" that targeted groups like Charlie Kirk's TPUSA and all republicans and their establihments! This is a BOMBSHELL! He says that they are releasing those documents TODAY! "In total, 92 Republican targets, including Republican groups and Republican linked individuals, were placed under investigative scope of Arctic Frost." (Obviously leftists are at the bottom of this.) "On that political list was one of Charlie Kirk‘s groups, Turning Point USA. In other words, Arctic Frost wasn‘t just a case to politically investigate Trump." "It was the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus." "So, today Senator Johnson and I are making these records public for the entire country to see. I hope a lot of people are interested in seeing what government can do when various agencies have a political agenda." This isn't law enforcement. This is persecution. Arctic Frost revived the general warrants our Founders outlawed in the 4th Amendment. It weaponized the DOJ and FBI to punish political enemies, chill free speech, and destroy trust in government.   "Trump Faces World War III As Armed American Socialists Proclaim “The Revolution Is Here”" https://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=259670 September 20, 2025, By: Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers.  Shown in part… A forewarning new Security Council (SC) report circulating in the Kremlin today first noting President Putin revealed yesterday: “Russia's military industry has enjoyed remarkable growth over the past two years...For certain types of weapons and some products, our production has increased not by a few percentage points, but almost 30-fold”, says this revelation was followed by President Donald Trump proclaiming about the Russia-Ukraine conflict: “We are actually making money on that war”—and was a proclamation joined by NATO-American Ambassador Matthew Whitaker declaring: “President Trump is going to continue to find the leverage and to find the conditions where he can bring both sides and mediate a resolution, but he's not going to set the conditions...Both sides are going to have to agree to a peace deal”. Contributing to the remarkable growth of the Russian military industrial complex, this report notes, Bloomberg revealed: “Indian refiners intend to continue purchasing Russian crude to meet rising fuel demand, even as New Delhi restarts trade talks with the US for a bilateral deal”—a revelation joined by the German Economic Institute announcing: “EU member states imported $10.2 billion worth of Russian goods in the first three months of 2025 alone”. The EU member states graciously contributing billions-of-dollars to support the Russian military industrial complex, this report continues, completely surround the Russian enclave Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea—… “In a vote that exposed the dark side of the majority of Democrats, the House on Friday passed a resolution honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and rejecting the political violence of recent years...The vote was 310-58, with 95 Democrats joining all 215 Republicans in voting yes on the nonbinding resolution...The 58 no votes all came from Democrats, but another 38 Democrats voted present (would not take an open side) and another 22 Democrats did not vote...In other words, 118 Democrats in Congress refused to support the resolution”… As President Trump faces the fake news socialist narrative clamoring for World War III, this report concludes, he also faces growing leftists protests caused by the fake news socialist narrative branding him a fascist, and it was just warned: “The Socialist Rifle Association has 52 local chapters across 33 U.S. states, and claims to have 10,000 members...Considering they are the armed wing of the anti-American revolution, people should be more concerned about what is going on with the growing militant left...Earlier this year, the Democratic Socialist of America held a meeting to debate merging with the SRA, and afterward, many DSA members went online to voice their opinions about the decision not to do it...Regardless, the discourse was still highly alarming...Some DSA members tweeted that the revolution is here”.   Official Warnings: Threat to Large Crowds or Big Events, Multi-City Attack, Hospitals Targeted Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gm5jd4wra9g Get Ready! NCTC Warns of Threat to Large Crowds or Big Events, Multi-City Attack, Hospitals Targeted Posted By: George Eaton - Sep 20, 2025 – in part https://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=259682 The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center said on Friday that recent calls by al Qaeda for attacks against the United States showed the group's enduring threat to the country. A report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued late last year that evaluated different types of threats to the United States, said al Qaeda was committed to striking the U.S. and had "reinvigorated its outreach" to Western audiences. https://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=259690   World War III Is on the Horizon: As we all saw on the news, the first direct clash between NATO and Russia has already happened. This is how world wars begin—small sparks in places most Americans can't even find on a map. What's unfolding isn't a misunderstanding, and it sure isn't a string of “accidents.” It is deliberate. A methodical test. A calculated push to measure NATO's reflexes, its unity, its red lines—driven by Russia and China, both determined to corner the West until one mistake means annihilation... Intelligence whispers say China is preparing something massive. The war for Taiwan is already alive inside Beijing's planning rooms. This won't be a small conflict. The plan is simultaneous, far-reaching, meant to blind and cripple not only Taiwan but the entire U.S. Indo-Pacific command. They're not aiming only at Taipei. They're aiming straight into INDOPACOM itself—leadership, infrastructure, defenses—one lightning strike to take it all down. Beijing knows hesitation equals defeat. They won't hesitate. Meanwhile, Russia has wrapped up massive military drills—simulating missile strikes against NATO. This isn't theater. It's rehearsal. Each maneuver a message: “We are ready. Are you?” Putin doesn't bluff when he warns NATO won't intimidate Russia. (Truly they are no threat to Russia) The headlines grow darker every day...“Trump warns Ukraine could ignite a global war.” UK officials whisper that the West could collapse within days if nuclear war ignites. NATO generals warn the clock is running out—that war could come next month. These aren't fringe ravings. These are voices from the rooms where nuclear options are weighed. China and Russia aren't moving separately. They're moving in sync. Russia pushes NATO's borders while China gets ready to strike across the Pacific. Together they stretch the West thin, forcing it to fight in two theaters at once... Washington, arrogant and blind, still thinks it can dictate terms to both adversaries. But the truth is brutal. America no longer holds military or industrial supremacy. Its defense factories can barely keep up. Its arsenals are drained into Ukraine. Its people are fractured, distracted, unready for the storm that's gathering. … Do not imagine this will be a slow buildup like past wars. There will be no declaration. World War III will erupt with a flash, with a mushroom cloud. With satellites blinded, command centers silenced, and cities burning before dawn. And once the fire starts, it will not be contained. The fantasy of a “limited” nuclear war is the deadliest lie of all. Once the first strike lands, the chain is unbreakable. The world's armies are preparing for a war... …Face what's coming. Because World War III isn't far off anymore—it's already here, waiting for the single spark that will paint the sky red. (excerpts)       

3 ways to join the CASA Sovereign space: CASAccelerator - For Coaches Who Want More Clients & More Freedom Without a Business That Drains Your Time, Energy or Health CASAcademy - the only membership on the internet with this level of weekly high-touch support; where strategy meets sovereignty, and women stop hustling for growth and start living it. Access to over $10,000 of trainings for FREE when you join! CASA Retreat - I have no words for how insane this retreat is.  Come to Mallorca - May 2026! Come say Hi to me on Instagram my DM's are always open for you xx

FLASHBACK FRIDAY! NO FRILLS VERSION (No commercials, no theme songs)! If you enjoy the NO FRILLS version of the podcast, subscribe to our PATREON! Subscribe now ! www.patreon.com/c/shootintheshiznit Join us for our monthly series in the STS family, “Was It Really THAT Good?” for Episode #298! Long time wrestling fans always talk fondly of the old days in professional wrestling. Brian Tramel is joined by Gene Jackson for this episode. This month they review WWE's The Big Event 8.28.1986 from the WWE Network and answer the question, “Was It Really THAT Good?”. Vitality Chiropractic in Jonesboro and Newport, Arkansas, is a trusted haven for individuals seeking comprehensive chiropractic care. With a dedicated team of professionals, they prioritize spinal health and overall well-being. If you're looking for personalized and effective chiropractic services, reach out to them at (870) 523-2225 to experience their commitment to enhancing your health and vitality. Meal prep in Northeast Arkansas! 15% Off with our code STSPODCLUB at bare870.com. That's 15% off and use our code STSPODCLUB Go to bare870.com Trust Bare for your meal prep needs in Northeast Arkansas. Eat Better. Live Better. Paypal LINK ! py.pl/15aeX0 Link of all links: linktr.ee/STSPOD Search “Cool Kids Wrestling & MMA Talk” on Facebook to join us ! Search “Shooting The Shiznit” to LIKE the STSPOD FB page !! Follow Lance LeVine on Twitter: @chocolatierLL Sponsored by Spunklube is the perfect blend of water and silicone. It is an all purpose personal lubricant that can be used for any occasion. You will love the natural feeling and look of it. It is safe for sensitive skin. Go to spunklube DOT com and tell them shootin the shiznit sent you ! Follow them on Twitter @SpunkLube Have you used the UBER Eats app? If not, you can download it & get $7 off your first order by using this code: eats-briant24790ue Did you love this week's episode?? Was it worth a $1 ? $2? $100?? Donate to STS by using the Cash app and sending $$$$ to: $BTSTS In partnership with Championship Wrestling on CW30! Every Saturday at Noon on YouTube. Follow them on Twitter: @cw30wrestling Do you wanna be a pro wrestler ? Go to championshipwrestlingmemphis.com and apply for classes that start soon !! LIVE MEMPHIS WRESTLING: EVENTS: tinyurl.com/Upcoming-Live-Event

The greatest eater in history & an American hero, Joey Chestnut joins Murph & Markus to recap the Impossible Foods challenge at Oracle Park on Friday night, his preparation for these big events, & his love for the gameSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The greatest eater in history & an American hero, Joey Chestnut joins Murph & Markus to recap the Impossible Foods challenge at Oracle Park on Friday night, his preparation for these big events, & his love for the gameSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carl Quintanilla, Jim Cramer and David Faber explored what to expect from Apple's product launch event on Tuesday. The company is expected to unveil its new iPhone 17 lineup. Where does AI fit into the picture? M&A also in the spotlight: Shares of Nebius soar after the Dutch company struck a multibillion-dollar AI Infrastructure deal with Microsoft.Anglo American and Teck Resources agree to merge and create a $53 billion copper mining giant. "Squawk Box" celebrates its 30th anniversary by ringing the Nasdaq opening bell. Don't miss the flashback montage featuring David, Jim and Carl. Also in focus: What Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol told CNBC about his turnaround plan one year after taking the top job. Squawk on the Street Disclaimer

PJ takes calls on hotel charges for big events, the dilemmas school principals now face with secretaries and caretakers on strike, what the moon is up to this weekend. And more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minister for Arts, Culture and Sport Patrick O'Donovan has accused hoteliers of "robbing people up to their eyeballs" and has warned the industry that a promised cut in the hospitality VAT rate in October's Budget is not guaranteed.Paul Gallagher, chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, and Eoghan Corry, travel journalist with travelextra.ie, join The Last Word to discuss the Minister's claim that hotels are price gouging consumers.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Hogan Era podcast episode 210 is all about WWF The Big EventThe most significant name in professional wrestler history is Hulk Hogan. Hulk was not only the greatest star in his era but also one of the greatest ever to grace the WWE ring. Hulk was the face of WWE in the 1980s as well as early 1990s until he departed for WCW.Follow us on Twitter and IG @TwoManPowerTripStore - https://twomanpowertrip.dashery.com/

This week, it's a Labour Day Weekend special here in Canada and the US, as our old friend Dan "The Mouth" Lovranski joins for a special look back at one of the most significant wrestling events of the past - which he was at! In addition to a look at the week's news, join Mike McGuire and Dan as they walk through 1986's "Hulkamania" event, which would go on to become "The BIG EVENT".  Long before the internet, sing-along entrances and pyro, over 61,000 people (and THOUSANDS more for reasons you'll hear about in the show), packed the CNE Stadium for this precursor to WrestleMania 3! We'll be talking all about WWE Clash in Paris in a bonus pod coming later this week, but hope you enjoy this special look back with The Mouth!

New Orleans isn't just about beignets and brass bands—it's a test case for how hotels handle unpredictable demand. I spoke with Ken Jacques, GM of Le Meridien New Orleans, which is operated by Stonebridge, about how he's planning for 2026 and what it really takes to run a hotel in a city built on events. Here's what stood out: Hotels can't just copy last year's budget — they're recalibrating daily Events like Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and UFC change everything for revenue planning Instinct plays as big a role as spreadsheets when forecasting demand International travel remains a wild card that could shake up results New Orleans is seeing its cleanest, safest stretch in decades—and that's great for business Ken pulls back the curtain on hotel strategy giving me new perspective on how leaders adapt in real time. Special thanks to Actabl: Actabl gives you the power profit. Visit them at Actabl.com. #NoVacancyNews #Hospitality

We got a special treat at the end of this episode as Sooner, Bryan, and myself recap Nashcon, Lone Star Open, and Summer Slaughter, some of the biggest summer events of the MCP season, one of which we all went to!f you would like to further support the channel go here to find out more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/Thegamersguild⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Please join us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Or find us on Facebook here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you are in the US, shop at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://gamechefs.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help support the guild and use code: GamersGuild to save an additional 15% on your order!  

p 203 -Big events coming so mark your calendars! Also coaches join us to discuss jamborees! If you like what your listening too, please subscribe and if don't mind, leave a positive review on your podcast app! We do not own the rights to any music used but sure enjoy the great sounds! Social Media : X @utwpod FB @utwpodcast email: underthewatertowerinfo@gmail.com Sponsors that make show happen: Brian Couch of Team Couch of Burch Realty - Cell 901-461-7653 Alley Ejlali Alfa Insurance - Office number 662-893-0928, Cell 1-843-324-0930  Skinner Tech Group - 662-399-2400  Rodman Properties- Ibuydesoto.com

GameFair in Ramsey wraps up this weekend. Ron Hustvedt has all the details on why you need to be there. Plus we talk a little fishing as along as we have him on the line.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Greg ROberts from Rogue Weather with the Outdoor report, later a talk with Doug Gould from ROC Recovery, BIg Event coming coming Sept. 6 and we talk about that and also the state of recovery in southern Oregon.