Pregnancy brings about a whole host of financial worries. How much will childcare cost? What will we be spending each month on diapers and formula? How can babies need so grand equipment? As if all of the baby expenses aren’t enough, you also have to purchase an entire wardrobe to accommodate your ever-changing body shape. Maternity clothing is a necessity for the mom-to-be, but it does not have to be a financial burden. Follow these tips for creating a great maternity wardrobe without spending a lot of money.
Don’t Start Too Early. If this is your first pregnancy you are no doubt extremely furious. This excitement may tempt you to run out and capture a whole new maternity wardrobe at the first hint of a pregnancy bump. Don’t let the temptation glean the best of you! The truth is, you’ll be able to fit into many of your regular clothes for the first several months. Milk your original wardrobe for all it’s worth before you make any maternity clothing purchases.
Get a Belly Belt. There are products on the market created to expand your own pants and jeans to accommodate a growing belly. Purchasing one of these “belly belts” will allow you to wear the pants you already own for quite some time. You will get tired of your limited maternity wardrobe pretty quickly, so one of these products is a wise investment. When your stomach just begins to expand, you may even be able to use a rubber band to increase your pants’ waist size just a little.
Shop Non-Maternity Clothing. Long, flowing shirts are very popular right now. Many of the shirts can accommodate a pregnant belly just as well as maternity clothing. You will have many more choices as well. Shop the juniors section in particular since this style of shirt is very popular with younger women. Also check out similarly styled dresses, such as flowing sundresses.
Avoid the Specialty Stores. While you may be able to accept some deals on maternity clothes at specific maternity clothing stores, they are generally more expensive than department stores. Most major department stores such as J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, and Target have maternity sections. You can often find great maternity clothes at these stores for less cash than the specialty stores.
Check Out Consignment Stores. Many consignment stores carry maternity clothing. You can find titanic maternity clothes at inexpensive prices and in great condition. Most women only wear maternity clothes for a maximum of 6 months so consignment store options are likely to be in like-new condition. Many consignment stores that offer clothing for babies and children have maternity sections as well.
Don’t Be Too Proud to Borrow. If a friend or family member offers to let you borrow some maternity clothes, take her up on it. You will want to own a few pieces of your gain, but with such a limited wardrobe, you will be thankful for as many different items as you can get your hands on, especially near the end of your pregnancy.
Don’t Purchase What You Don’t Need. There are some maternity items, such as maternity underwear and pantyhose, which you may find you don’t need at all. Before spending a lot of money on these items, purchase a cheap non-maternity version in a larger size. Maternity clothing is a niche market that can charge higher prices. Finding inexpensive alternatives will allow you to set money for important baby items.
Do Buy a Few Special Pieces. Be definite to pick a few special pieces of maternity clothing that you really love. With your hormones raging as they have never raged before, you will need a few items in your maternity wardrobe that you really love and feel good wearing. When you are 9 months pregnant you’ll be thankful for something that makes you feel exceptionally comfortable.
Your maternity wardrobe does not have to cost hundreds of dollars. Follow these simple tips and you’ll be styling your way to saving money.
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Filed under Stomach Band by on Aug 24th, 2011. 
Chapter 1
Seleste studied the judge’s left jawbone. It appeared to be sunken in, teeth included. With his pale skin, thinning gray hair, and cerulean eyes, she wondered why he chose to be a mediate instead of a haunted house employee. She glanced down at her watch before curious her hand back into its recent position, twirling a chunk of hair in the back of her head.
“Did you hear my speech about speeding? ” he asked the disheveled redhead at the podium.
“Yeah…but…I was only going sixty-eight miles per hour,” she whined and rested her weight on her left foot.
Seleste watched the judge grit the right side of his jaw and noticed his dentures looked slightly yellow as his top lip curled. He spit on the podium when he said “Eighty-five dollars! Do you have the money? ”
Ms. Gracin sighed. “No.”
“If you don’t have the money by September 19th, come back to court.” He slammed the gavel and Seleste slid further down in her seat. She’d marked the ‘Not Guilty’ box when the police officer handed her a ticket for going ninety miles per hour on the Dan Ryan expressway. After making a quick stop at home, she ran back out the door with the designate in hand, not even looking at the cost of it until she entered the courtroom twenty minutes before Ms. Gracin stepped to the front. The speed limit on the Dan Ryan was fifty-five. Seleste’s eyes widened as her name was called and she glanced at Ms. Gracin crying and leaving the courtroom.
* * *
“I’m guessing you didn’t get out of the ticket,” Cara said to Seleste, as her best friend stormed past her and out of the building. Cara followed behind her and both headed to the bus stop in silence.
“I owe $3,000 on my credit card bill, $8,000 in student loans, and I can barely afford my books for class. Where am I gonna net money for a speeding ticket?
Seleste threw the bailiff’s memo to the ground. She remembered how the high school driving instructors would warn her about her heavy foot on the accelerator. Seleste’s mother had nicknamed her Leadfoot for speeding all the time, but she could’ve cared less. She’d been in three car accidents: one hitting a pole while going through a bank drive-thru, the second time she hit a telephone pole trying to brake her car on a sheet of black ice, and the third time she hit a car on another sheet of black ice. In the last accident, the lady who Seleste hit got out of the car, looked to see if there were damages, and said she’d just been in another car accident. All that lady wanted to do was go home, so they both got back in their cars and nothing ever happened. The biggest catastrophe Seleste ever had was this speeding imprint, the reason she was in court.
Chicago’s weather and her driving didn’t match well together, but she’d made the decision to stay in one of her hometown’s colleges, once the city started building it. Most Historically Black Colleges were in the south, but Seleste liked the catastrophic nature of big cities. On Chicago’s southside, no matter what time she went outside, there were always a bunch of guys hanging out and talking loud. She’d hear the distinctive calls to get someone’s attention from inside their house or on the next block. Although her traditional neighborhood was known for gang violence, it never bothered her because she grew up with a lot of those guys. Half of them didn’t want to join, but after being harassed repeatedly through elementary school, they finally gave in. The other half were a different anecdote, but those weren’t the guys who neighbors would see sitting on her parent’s porch stoop. She’d sit outside and chitchat with a select few repeatedly.
Her block was also a car show. She’d watch Impalas, BMWs, Explorers, and Lamborginis unimaginative down past her house, even when they weren’t picking someone up. She could remember many nights when she sat on her front porch playing the “That’s my car!” game.
While she and Cara stood at the busstop, both young ladies watched a black Dodge Ram pull in front of them.
Seleste rolled her eyes. “Here we go again,” she mumbled.
The window rolled down and a male voice yelled “Eh, Speed Racer. Did you find out of the ticket? ”
“What’s up, Arnez? ” Cara greeted the driver. “Long time, no peep. Where have you been? ” Cara stood on tiptoe to contemplate into the truck.
I wonder how he knew we were here, Seleste wondered. She took a well-behaved leer at Cara’s outfit for the first time. Cara was wearing snug blue jean capris and a baby tee that barely covered her stomach. The words “What are you gonna do with all this? ” blazed across the front of her shirt, in crimson letters matching the thread in her shorts. Seleste looked down at her hold velour jogging suit with matching Timberlands. She watched Cara walk around to the driver’s side of the truck. From the sidewalk, Seleste could see Arnez inaugurate his door and lean down. Before she could see what they were doing, Seleste saw the bus out of the corner of her eye.
“Cara, here comes the bus.”
“Huh? ” she heard Cara say in a muffled voice.
“The bus is here. Are you getting on with me? ”
Arnez looked behind him and saw the bus a couple blocks back. He told Cara to get in, she climbed over him to scoot into the passenger seat, but not before Arnez could palm her butt. Cara giggled. “Seleste, get in.” She opened the passenger door, but Seleste shook her head.
“No thanks. Y’all get out of the way though,” Seleste said when the bus came closer.
Cara shrugged. “Okay, I’ll call you later.” Arnez started the truck up when the bus driver honked. He gave the bus driver the finger and sped off.
“And I’m the one with the ticket,” she mumbled, before she climbed the steps of the bus. A caramel-complexioned driver, with eyes the color of pine trees, grinned at her. Seleste sighed loudly and slid two dollars into the coin machine.
“No smile? ” the driver asked. His eyes traced the slight raise in her 36C cup chest and wide hips as she walked past him.
“I smile when I have a reason,” she muttered and sat down in the first two-seater. Before she lifted her legs up onto the seat facing perpendicular to her, the driver screamed out the next stop.
“Why can’t this fool just play the intercom voice? ” Seleste complained. “Nobody wants to hear his ass scream.” She leaned her head against the window, but before she’d had five minutes of sleep, she heard a beeping noise. The bus stopped and the driver mumbled about an engine into his walkie-talkie. She heard the driver talk to the dispatcher for a couple more minutes and her eyelids slowly started to droop again.
“Please board the bus behind you. Ladies and gentlemen, please board the bus behind you. This bus is having engine failure,” the driver said, standing up to face the passengers. Seleste’s eyes lazily opened, she yawned, and stood up. Slowly the passengers got off the bus.
“Damn, I should’ve smiled,” she muttered as she got off the bus. She looked around at the familiar surroundings and realized how close her parent’s house was, so she walked the rest of the diagram there.
* diagram diagram
“Why do females always say they don’t want a serious relationship and the first time we fuck ‘em, they’re at the jewelry store looking for a ring? ” Arnez shouted over Q-tip’s rhyme about Bonita Applebum.
“You already know, kid,” Memo said from the passenger seat. He scratched the Scorpion tattoo on his left arm. “I need to get this one redone.”
“You know what? I sustain messing with ol’ girl and she gone want me to get her name tattooed on my ass,” Arnez said. He swerved to avoid a car he’d prick off as he exited the I-57 expressway.
“Not all females are like that,” Arnez’s younger sister, Corleen, yelled from the backseat. Memo turned around to give her a condescending look.
“It’s obliging to know my sister is still a virgin,” Arnez said with a laugh. He made a face at her in his rearview mirror.
“Without a doubt,” Memo agreed. He checked out the baby tee she was wearing with bunnies in the shape of a heart and the word ‘boy’ written in glitter.
Not for long though, Memo thought. She’s getting enthralling.
Corleen returned his glance with a wide smile. She pushed her chest out to show off the design and he looked at her disapprovingly.
“I don’t understand how brothas my age get with girls your sister’s age,” Memo said.
“Excuse me, I’m just. I’m eighteen,” Corleen said defensively.
“Eighteen ain’t grown,” Arnez said with a sneer. “You better be dating eighteen-year-olds, no older.”
“Some brothas like them younger,” she mumbled. “Cause I know some sistas like them older.” She smiled at the back of Memo’s head.
Arnez looked in the rearview mirror at his little sister and turned the radio off. The two cars on Arnez’s just side cursed at him when he swerved by them to illegally park in front of a bus stop. Arnez calmly turned and stared at Corleen.
“If you get a ticket, I’m not paying for it,” Corleen snapped. Arnez blinked.
“Would you get off the bus stop? ” she snapped.
He shook his head and pointed to her door. “If I ever catch you with some lame ass who’s over twenty-one, I’ll get on one of those buses and run you over.”
“I thought he had to be exactly eighteen,” she said snidely. “And what difference does it make anyway? You’re never around lately. Plus we don’t even go to the same school.”
Memo shook his head. Damn, women never know when to shut up.
Arnez stared at Corleen until she looked out the window. He smiled when she made eye contact again. “What? You miss me or something? ” Arnez grinned.
“Hell no,” Corleen sang.
“Yeah, you miss me.” He chuckled.
“Whatever.” She flapped her arm dismissively.
“Anyway, whether I’m around or not doesn’t make a difference.” Arnez turned attend around. “You know and I know that if I say I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it. Don’t test me out, Corleen.” He turned up the radio.
“You should test out playing music from this decade,” Corleen mumbled under her breath. Arnez turned the radio up louder and rapped along.
Chapter 2
Seleste groaned the next morning as she slid her CTA card into the card machine. She was headed to the Harold Washington Library for a school assignment. The boosters on the train dressed in sports shirts and blue jeans. They announced their merchandise of t-shirts, hats, batteries, socks, and chew candy when they stormed through each car of the train. Seleste dozed off from 95th street’s stop to 35th street’s stop, where three boys got on the train.
“Damn, it smells like nookie in here,” the youngest of the pack yelled, and flopped down in the vertical seat in front of her.
Seleste opened one eye to examine at them. Only three more stops until Harrison.
“Hey nigga, what you lookin’ at? ” the oldest of the trio shouted. Seleste shifted her sunglass-covered eyes in the direction that the oldest one yelled. A pre-teenage boy sat in the two-seater next to her.
She turned a little more to get a good look at the hazel-eyed boy with shoulder-length dreads. He wore a black t-shirt, black windbreaker pants, and fumbled with a red, sunless, and green wristband.
“Look at this mophead motherfucka,” the youngest one yelled and laughed.
“Hey, where the Pine Sol at? ” the second one co-signed. He looked at the hazel-eyed boy but swatted the third boy. The latter boy hit the second one back, which turned into a wrestling match. Seleste jumped up to avoid a footprint on her khaki dress pants.
“And then folks wonder why I don’t want kids,” she mumbled. She sat down next to the boy with the dreadlocks and glanced at his profile in the window on the opposite side of her seat. He fumbled with his wristband.
“You’re going to develop a lot of people proud of you one day.” He turned to see who was talking to him at the same time she turned to look at him. He blinked a couple of times and she took off her sunglasses.
“Huh? ” he said. He stopped messing with his wristband.
“Don’t listen to them.” She shifted her head in the direction of the three boys, who still wrestled and yelled obscenities. “There’s nothing wrong with locks. They look really nice on you.”
The boy looked at Seleste’s layered, freshly-permed hairstyle.
“I didn’t say they’d look good on me,” she said. He smirked, looked down at his wristband, took one off to hand to her, and pulled another one out of his bookbag.
“Harrison is next. Doors open on the left at Harrison,” the overhead announcement blared. Seleste put the band on her wrist, smiled at the boy, and followed the three wrestlers off the train. She glanced in the window to peep the boy grin wider.
* * *
“I want you to meet somebody,” Cara said, and tapped Seleste’s arms.
“You made me mess up,” Seleste complained, and erased the math problem she’d been working on.
“Sorry.” Cara shot a quick study at Professor Alberts to beget sure he didn’t eye them talking.
“Lemme shut up before I have to take this class for a third time. But after class, I want you to meet somebody.”
“Who? ” Seleste mumbled.
“Arnez’s friend, Travis.”
“Why? Is he a math tutor? ”
“No. He used to be on the football team. But he is definitely your type. Hardheaded, thuggish, with a pretty boy face.”
Professor Alberts cleared his throat and looked at them.
“Play matchmaker after class, please,” he said. He returned to the work on his desk.
“I’ll talk to you after class,” Cara whispered. Seleste shrugged and went back to her math problem.
* quandary quandary
Before Cara could originate playing Cupid again, she saw Memo headed in their direction.
“Travis,” she sang to him and walked in his direction.
“Cara,” Memo sang in the same tone, and gave her a Why-are-you-so-happy-to-see-me? expression.
“What’s up? ” she asked. Her eyes darted between Seleste, who looked at her curiously, and Memo, who was peaceful looking at Cara with a distrustful glance.
“Nah, a better question is what’s up with you? ” he asked.
“This is Seleste.” She ignored his comment and pointed to her best friend since first grade. “Seleste, this is Travis.” She grinned at Memo.
“You’re the only person I know who doesn’t call me Memo,” he said to Cara before he looked at Seleste. “Call me Memo.”
Seleste sized him up. 5’11, bow-legged, tattoos on his muscular arms, curly, low-cut hair, dark brown eyes, chiseled jaw line, and skin the color of Trefoil Girl Scout cookies. Seleste looked straight ahead and walked towards the parking lot in the direction of her next class. It didn’t start for an hour.
“Or just ignore me.” He eyed her butt before he shot a glance at Cara, who shrugged.
“Seleste, what’s the rush? ” Cara shouted to her friend, who was now a few feet away.
“Gotta get to class,” she said over her shoulder. Memo and Cara watched Seleste dart around parked cars until she disappeared from their understanding.
“She worried? ”
“Not really.”
“She like girls? ”
“No!” Cara’s mouth dropped. “But y’all are meant to be together. Two of the vainest people I’ve ever met in my life.” She shook her head and walked in the opposite direction of Seleste.
* * *
“Seleste Yvette Venton, why did you play him like that? ” Cara screamed into the phone later that night.
“Who are you talking about? ” Seleste asked innocently.
“And why is she talking so loud? ” C.C. mumbled in the background, and glared at the phone her roommate held.
“Travis stood there like a lost puppy after you left,” Cara said.
“I doubt that.”
“Okay, well maybe not. But did you think he was cute? ”
“Cara, you’ve known me forever. You already know my answer.” Seleste glared at C.C., who played with the kittens she’d brought home a couple weeks ago. Cara’s two current pets hissed occasionally at her two guinea pigs.
“Don’t you like animals? ” C.C. cooed when she petted one of the grey and white cats the first day she brought them home. Seleste despised cats. She thought they were peevish and sneaky. Mice terrified her and she viewed guinea pigs as overweight mice. But C.C. paid half of the rent in their off-campus apartment so Seleste compromised. The agreement was that the pets must pause in C.C.’s room, but the computer was also in C.C.’s room. Since Seleste needed to finish her research, she was stuck with C.C.’s four pets whenever she had homework.
“You’re always playing so hard to get,” Cara complained.
“The girls who play easy to get slay up with babies,” Seleste stated. Silence. Seleste thought about the abortion that Cara had gotten an abortion during their senior year of high school.
“I collected don’t understand why you mess with Arnez anyway. All he wants to do is crush you.”
“Well, that’s all I’m looking for too,” Cara said defensively.
“Welcome to the Women’s World of Denial, where all women have the same slogan until the man gets serious. Next you’ll say, ‘Well I’m not looking for a relationship either.’ Yeah right. You’re looking to get knocked up again if you retain letting him get it raw.”
“I’m on the pill.” Cara smacked her lips.
“Taking those things every few days doesn’t count.”
“Look, I handle mine. It impartial feels better without it.”
“Labor pains feel great too!”
“Okay, Ms. Virgin. You wouldn’t know what I’m talking about regardless.”
Seleste raised an eyebrow. She could show a person how to design nails, do hair, play the saxophone, the piano, and earned an A-average, but sex was the one thing she knew nothing about.
Her line beeped. “My other line. Gotta go,” Seleste mumbled. She clicked over, listened to Jacob, C.C.’s boyfriend, when he greeted her, and handed the phone to C.C.
“Aren’t you on the other…? ” C.C. said, but was chop short as Seleste walked out the door. She heard a click when she held the phone to her ear. Cara hung up.
Chapter 3
“I’m not playing this game with you no more,” Arnez complained after he saw Memo hit the 8-ball in the corner pocket. Memo reached out his hand to collect the ten dollars that Arnez bet him.
“I’m from Brooklyn, son. We excel at everything,” Memo said, with a grin on his face.
“Here we go again. Every time you talk about Modern York, you come outta nowhere with the sons and the mas.”
“That’s how we talk, son,” Memo said, overdoing his already noticeable accent.
Arnez shook his head.
“Chicago people say ‘juke’ and ‘on my momma’, so how come I can’t say son? ”
“You can, because St. Louis niggas ain’t gone ever stop saying soda instead of pop,” Arnez said. He shot a glance at Ovirus, nicknamed O, who gave him the finger.
“You know what though? ” O said. He stood up to grab a pool stick and pointed it at Memo. “I been to New York three times, Dirty, and every time I went, some girl was wearing boots with skirts. I’m used to girls wearing them long ass heels. Why do they wear boots with everything? ”
Memo shrugged. “I don’t know. I never thought about it really. Did the legs look a’ight? ”
O nodded his head slowly, with a reminiscent look in his eyes.
“Okay then.” Both laughed. Memo looked at Arnez. “Loser racks.”
“But I ain’t even playing pool this round,” Arnez complained.
“It don’t matter. You know the rules, kid,” Memo said with a smile on his face.
When Arnez gathered the balls into the triangle rack, Memo said, “I saw ya girl today.”
“Who? ” Arnez asked, with his eyes focused on the pool tables.
“Cara.”
“What did she want? ”
“I don’t know. I think she was trying to hook me up with her girl.”
“Who? ” Arnez looked up.
“I forgot her name. Ass like a peach though. Brown hair. Kinda short.”
“Oh yeah…her,” O said sarcastically. Like that ain’t every girl on campus, O thought. Memo shot O an I-wasn’t-talking-to-you ogle but O looked back indignantly before he proceeded with his shot. Neither one of the guys noticed the glare on Arnez’s face.
Arnez was thinking back two years ago during his sophomore year of college. He’d tried to pursue Seleste, his ex-girlfriend Sue’s traditional roommate, at that time. Sue was a pretty white girl with a basketball-sized rear end. He passe to always tell her it must be something in Michigan’s water because he’d never seen a white girl with a murky girl’s booty before. When Sue and Arnez broke up and Sue went back to Grand Rapids that same year, Arnez decided to go after Seleste.
“I never see you with a boyfriend,” Arnez whispered to Seleste, who he sat next to for the first time in the ninth week of their psychology class.
“Don’t have one.” In the two months that Sue and Arnez had been together, Arnez had never said more than ‘hi’ or ‘bye’ to Seleste.
“Well, what do you do for fun then? ”
“Read. Listen to music. Write. Dance. I do a lot of stuff.” She shrugged.
“How do you like college so far? ”
“It’s cool.”
“I remember my freshman year was crazy.”
“Oh yeah. What was so crazy about it? ”
“You know Sue and I broke up, suitable? ”
Smooth, Arnez, real smooth. Not! Seleste turned to look at the teacher and avoid sight contact with him. Arnez was a sophomore when we were freshman, so what does that have to do with his freshman year anyway?
“No. I didn’t know that.”
“She was too clingy. We broke up like thirteen times in a couple months.”
Seleste nodded and continued to stare ahead.
“Eh, would you ever go out with a guy who looked like this? ” he asked. She turned to look at him cross his eyes and blow his checks up like a fish. Seleste laughed out loud and covered her mouth when she noticed Dr. Henson, their psychology teacher, look up at her from the third level. The only time she ever saw Arnez was when he laid on Sue’s bed watching DVDs. Sue would rest against his 220 lb., 5’9 stature comfortably resting on her sheets, his head rested on the wall, and his eyes appeared to be bored with the world. With no money and constant access to Sue’s car, Arnez visited often but left unbiased as quickly. They’d never get through a full movie before he’d ask to borrow Sue’s car. Seleste considered him a user, and never paid attention to his good looks.
“So what’s your type? ” he asked her.
“Why do you ask? Matter of fact, where are all these questions coming from? ”
“I’m just curious.”
“Why were you never curious before? ”
“Who said I wasn’t? ”
She licked her teeth and turned to study down at Dr. Henson, who continued to look up at them, and snappy brainstormed on a guy who looked nothing like Arnez: her platonic high school friend and Cara’s ex-boyfriend, Jermaine. “Real dark guys. Tremendous. Slim build.”
She turned to look at Arnez again. She noticed his complexion was like butter and even with his straight posture, he still didn’t tower over her the way Jermaine did at 6’3. Sue and Seleste didn’t accept along well as roommates, but Seleste had never been a boyfriend stealer. After that day, Seleste sat in the three-seater piece of the lecture hall and made sure someone was always on the end. That way it would be awkward for Arnez to sit next to her. He didn’t. Two weeks after Arnez approached Seleste, Cara was giggling about how she had browsed through a website for college students and come across the username Longstroke.
“Girl, it was like the size of a remote control!” Cara exclaimed to Seleste.
Seleste looked at Cara in disgust. “I don’t understand what your fixation is with those crazy websites. I see you looking at them and I’m trying to figure out what do you get out of them. A bunch of twisted people who think putting their naked ass on the Internet is big fun.”
“Hey, hey, hey! It is big fun for me.” Cara pointed to her chest.
Seleste frowned. “You know you look really desperate going on those sites, proper? Next you’re gonna bellow me you’re dating people from the Internet.”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s like meeting people in a mall. Either way, you don’t know them.”
“The people on the Internet could be crazy.”
“No crazier than the people you sit next to on the train, on the bus, or pass on the expressway.”
“Yeah, but I got a chance to race if they turn out to be nutcases.”
“Not if they’re really a nutcase, you don’t!”
“Whatever. Only desperate people date people they meet off the Internet.”
“Seleste, it’s the same thing. When you meet a guy at the mall, you don’t know anything about him but you give him your phone number. Next thing you know, you all are dating. The same thing could happen with someone online. Plus, you gather the opportunity to really know what they’re about because there is no physical bias.”
“Physical bias? Didn’t you just tell me that you saw his dick? ”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
“So what if it was a picture of a small one? Would you have been so excited to tell me about him then? ”
Cara laughed. “You got me there.”
“Exactly.”
“Watch out for those knuckleheads. When people do stuff like that, they’re trying to get attention and you definitely don’t want that kind of attention attached to you.”
“Seleste, I will be so glad when you finally have sex. You are way too rigid.”
“Rigid? Because I’m not pumping pillows over a dick I saw on the Internet!”
“Pumping pillows? Who said I did all that? ”
“So did you do anything when you saw it? ”
Cara leaned close and made a buzzing noise. Seleste made a face. “You are so bad sometimes.”
“Whatever.” Cara chuckled. “Anyway, I want to meet Longstroke.”
“Girl! What for? That’s like asking for rape!”
“Rape! Unbiased because of the size of his…”
“If he’s posting it on the Internet, that man is a pervert. You better stop being so quick to chase after sex.”
“I wish you’d start chasing it.”
Seleste turned her lip up. “I have better things to do with my time than wander men all day. I don’t need a man.”
“Everybody needs a man, Seleste. Don’t fool yourself.”
“No, everybody does not. I hate it when people say that everybody needs a man. The only thing you need to do is breathe. The rest is secondary.”
“Speak for yourself!”
“You ain’t gotta worry about me ever speaking for you. I don’t even understand you! You probably put your real relate on your profile, didn’t you? ”
“Yes, I did. Why wouldn’t I? ”
“So now this nasty dude knows what you look like? You better hope you never peer him in person.”
Cara grinned. “He goes to our school.”
Seleste’s mouth dropped open. “Ugh, when you find out who he is, form sure you tell me so I can stay as far away from his perverted ass as possible.”
“Don’t you want to leer a photo of what you’re running from? ” Before she could pull a piece of paper out with a printed picture of Longstroke’s penis, Seleste stormed away. A week after this debate, Cara boarded the Metra train headed to her parent’s house for Christmas break and squeezed into the only available seat left in the set of four.
“Champagne? ” Arnez asked Cara.
“Shit, if you got some, sure I want some.” Cara looked at his empty hands.
“Not that kind.” He smiled. Cara looked confused, then remembered her computer username and looked in Arnez’s lap.
“Oh my god! It’s you!” she exclaimed. A few passengers glared at the outburst and Cara apologized. After that train slip, Arnez and Cara met
everyday over the full four weeks of Christmas break to pick up completely acquainted with his photograph. Cara told Seleste about the guy she’d been seeing and when she mentioned his name, Seleste hung up the phone and refused to hear any details. Cara had never met Sue’s ex-boyfriend until that train ride because Arnez was in Sue’s car so much. But every time Seleste saw him, they were distant and Cara believed it was because Seleste didn’t agree with his naked photo on the Internet. The distant nature turned into arguments, Seleste never clarified the situation, and Cara seemed content with her Christmas fling. But when the girls came back to school and Cara was still with Arnez, Seleste couldn’t work up the nerve to tell Cara the full story. She had to beget her tongue when he came benefit with a brand unusual truck, wondering if Sue bought it for him even though the two had broken up.
“Yo, you there man? ” Memo asked. Arnez saw Memo wave his hand in front of Arnez’s face. He looked around and remembered he was playing pool with O and Memo. He stared at his curly-headed friend for a moment and smiled when he remembered Seleste’s description of her type of guy.
“You’re not her type,” Arnez finally said. Memo looked confused.
He’s a pretty boy, Arnez thought. Even with the chipped tooth, he’s peaceful a pretty boy. But Seleste is looking for somebody like that singer Tyrese, not Memo.
“You try to holla at her or sum’thin? ” O asked.
“Was anybody talking to you? ” Arnez snapped.
“Stop acting like a bitch, Dirty. I just asked you a question. Why you actin’ so sensitive? ”
“You call me a bitch and then ask me why I’m acting sensitive? ” Arnez walked in O’s direction but Memo slid between them. He looked at his two best friends and shook his head.
“I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with you, but you need to relax,” Memo said to Arnez.
“This dude just called me a bitch like I’m supposed to stand here and take that shit, and you ask me what’s wrong with me.”
When Arnez moved from Atlanta to Chicago, he learned very posthaste that fighting was a necessity. He lived in the Wild 100s in an area where gangs were looking desperately for recruitment and Arnez was forced to spend his first year of high school dodging GDs, Vice Lords, and BDs. He took his exasperate out on the football field during his sophomore year. Claiming to be neutral towards gangs was like claiming to be a fly. When they wanted you in their clique, they harassed people until they gave in. Arnez’s mother realized this problem quickly and the two of them moved to the Beverly area of Chicago. Beverly still had a couple gangs to worry about, but nowhere near the peril that he had endured his first two years in high school. In his junior year of high school, he visited an old friend he’d had in Atlanta. O had moved to Chicago to go to school, and was on the football team. After talking to O, he decided to try to get a scholarship to go to this school as well. The two stayed close into their college years where they met Memo during their junior year.
Two months after Memo joined the football team and met Arnez and O, he was kicked off. Arnez and O had gotten into an argument-turned-brawl with an opposing team and the coaches were involved. Memo jumped into the fight when one of the coaches punched Arnez in the back of the head. Memo’s fist met the coach’s mouth, knocked out his false tooth, and got him kicked off the football team before he could blink. The coach apologized to Arnez, who accepted his apology to make sure his scholarship money was still rolling in, and Arnez asked if Memo could be put relieve on the team.
“Accidents happen, son. But your friend hitting me was no accident. I was trying to stop a fight and accidentally hit you. He walked up and hit me in the mouth on purpose. If I let a teammate hit me, then how can I be respected? ” Coach Allen asked Arnez. Memo hadn’t been on the team during the rest of their junior year and didn’t try out at the beginning of their senior year. Although Arnez was a really good player, O was one of the best. The only plight was that O liked football more than school and had been in college for almost six years to prove it.
“I’m not trying to deal with your attitude today, dawg,” O said. He walked backwards, grabbed his bookbag from a nearby couch in their dormitory lobby, and left.
To recall the rest of this fresh, please visit www.lulu.com/shamontiel or www.geocities.com/
maroondiva/ChangeforaTwenty.html, B&N online & retail stores, or Heritage Books (1135 W. Granville – Chicago) to buy my novel “Change for a Twenty”. Thank you for your purchase.
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Filed under Stomach Band by on Aug 13th, 2011.
For the past ten years, the practice of ear stapling to lose weight has become a very lucrative business. For the cost of $35 to $60 per ear, a practitioner will use a special gun to put a staple on a little piece of cartilage on the outside of your ear. Placing the staple in a strategic place on your ear is supposed to suppress your appetite. The staple remains in the same position for about six to eight weeks. After that, it has to be repositioned, because, by then your body has gotten used to it. Of course, this will cost you another $30 to $60 per ear to have the procedure repeated. Most of the practitioners will tell you it works beautifully along with a proper diet and use. Exactly how it works is not really for certain.
Ear stapling is derived mostly from the Chinese practice of acupuncture. For some it is believed that this particular part of the ear releases the endorphins from the brain that design you feel good. Since the staple always stays in the ear, the carry out from the endorphins is constant and you will therefore reducing your stress and anxiety levels. Stress and scare are the major reason why people over-eat.
Those that believe in the practice of ear stapling, say that placing the staples on the Zero point or the Stomach point on the ear will not only cause a decrease in stress and anxiety, but will also increase your metabolism as well as curb your appetite. Others have reported they have been able to eliminate migraine headaches, cravings for nicotine, and insomnia.
In a scientific study done at the University of Adelaide in Australia, two groups were studied. One group had their Stomach point stimulated, while the other group had stimulation another piece of the ear called the Shen Men. Those who had the Stomach point stimulated proved to be the group with the decreased appetite and more weight loss.
Other skeptics have a different kind of reasoning about the results. The skeptics stated that anyone could lose weight with their cartilage stapled. You tend to lose your appetite when you have that much pain.
The most important thing for the client to remember is to find someone who is qualified and has sterile equipment. Your risk of infection increases when you pierce cartilage. An unqualified person can also hit a nerve, causing even more damage.
If you are in doubt, acquire off on the ear stapling. Try eating healthier and increasing your activity. You may be able to lose the weight without your ears being stapled. Good luck.
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Filed under Stomach Stapling Risks by on Aug 12th, 2011.
Chapter Eighteen:
New Beginnings
The winter is cold and long and some died in the area as they were not ready for what a loyal winter without heat and clear roads meant. But spring comes as it always does. It is a muddy mess as the snow melts and the river rises creating almost more trouble traveling into town then the snow drifts did during the winter. But it is on one such early spring morning where there is still a nip of winter in the air that Mike makes ready for town with an conception and a mission. He has discussed it with Tony and he is hesitant but in agreement and is willing to help Mike procure what he needs. Tony also helps Mike think through the logistics of the thing he needs to do.
Mike saddles up early and bundles well against the early spring morning chill and is off to town. It is a big day and he needs to start early and has to have the time to work up his nerve. Which of course he has spent the weeks working on since the decision he made that cold winter night. Mike makes the regular maneuvers in order to derive into town but the ground is no better than a lake of mud in some places and it greatly impedes his progress in getting to town. As luck would have it he is unable to avoid the town guard as he hoped to do and as he is about a quarter mile from town he sees them coming. They are having as considerable trouble with the mud as he is but they are going to catch up to him. There is no way around that and Mike slides his special package as far under the saddle of the horse as it will go. Despite the protests from the horse that is not too enthusiastic to have a foreign object under the saddle. Mike keeps it in place as best he can and as the guard approaches he notices he is going to have a special visitor this morning.
“Why,” he thinks to himself, “On today of all days. Why do I have to run into this friger.”
But it is Ryan, he looks leaner, even with heavier dress on, and at first he does not recognize Mike. Mike has definitely changed over the last months. Mike is much leaner and holds himself with greater poise. His shadowy brown hair almost reaches his shoulders which he regularly wears in a pony tail. While doing chores or working out to keep it out of the way and also because it looks darn cool. His pudgy beard also looks very cool but Claire is not quite as sure. He also looks distinguished, he knows it and so do others around him.
Ryan calls out in a loud commanding direct, “Halt and dismount rider! We do not take kindly to strangers around here.”
Mike responds even more loudly and as sarcastically and he can, “I am no stranger you stupid section of crap.” Mike reaches down to both his blades as he stares down Ryan. Mike thinks to himself, ” Give me any friging excuse today witch and I will cut you up.”
Ryan rides up close to Mike and commands, “Dismount before I cut you down where you are.”
Mike laughs openly at this use of grammar and responds, “Where I are. What the frig is wrong with you jack ass, learn how to talk.”
Ryan then knows who he is talking to, the express and level of hostility gives Mike, pompous little frig he is. Ryan replies snidely, “So on our arrangement to see our girlfriend I presume dumb crap.”
Mike becomes much more serious as he stares down Ryan saying, “What I am doing here is my believe business and you can stay the heck out of it. You have no right to detain me, you know the deal.”
Ryan does know the deal. Mike’s Grandfather had “bought” the favor of the town government with a generous donation and a supply of goods from the farm.
Ryan knows that he cannot win this battle and Mike’s presence and determination quite frankly scare him a little. Ryan answers, “Get out of my face, crap for brains and I do not want to hear of any worry from you.”
Mike has thought of another witty comeback such as, it’s hard to hear with all that crap in your ears. Or that pile of crap in your head hears what it wants to anyway. But he thinks it wise not to piss on Ryan too remarkable, he doesn’t need today ruined for any reason. Mike rides through town and directly to Claire’s house. By now it is mid-morning, it has taken much longer to get into town than usual and much longer than Mike has anticipated. But he is here and that is what is important. Mike is pretty definite that Claire’s folks will both be at work. He rides up to the door and as he dismounts he hears the door initiate.
Claire says very seductively from the front door of her house, “Well to what do I owe this wonderful surprise from this handsome stranger? ”
As she casual walks toward him with a very sly smile on her face. Her aesthetic brown hair blowing in the cool spring air.
“Darn, she is beautiful,” Mike thinks to himself. “I am the luckiest guy in the world.”
As she meets him they wrap their arms around each other and engage in a deep kiss of greeting.
After the kiss Claire says in an extremely please mumble, “This is certainly a surprise I did not expect to see you.”
Mike smiles at his fancy and says in a purposely serious tone, “Well I had something on my mind that I really wanted to talk to you about.”
Mike had not planned on asking her moral away. He wanted to spend some time together catching up on the last few weeks they have been apart. But he is much too excited to wait and it really just comes pouring out of his mouth.
Claire still being very flirtatious asks, “And what would that be my appreciate? ”
Mike cannot help himself, tears start to form in the corners of his eyes. He hates to admit it but he has always been a crier. He never cries in front of anyone and if anyone found out he would be mortified but again he cannot serve it and of course Claire becomes very concerned, very quickly.
Claire’s tone changes to very serious, very quickly. “Baby what’s wrong, is everything OK? ”
Mike cannot fight the tears as they come running down his cheeks.
He nods to her as he begins to blab through his tears, “Baby this winter has just sucked. I hate to be away from you, it was like there was this pain in my stomach. Something so dear to me was missing and it just physically afflict. I don’t, ever, never frigin again want to go through this.”
And with that Claire starts to bawl too, “I know love, I missed you so much. I couldn’t eat or sleep. It was so hard Mikey but I love you and would do anything for you.”
She is scared to ask but she has to, she is fearful of what he has in mind. “So what do you want to do about it,” she asks looking at his face through her own tears.
She is petrified that it is all too grand and he wants a atomize but then her reaches into his pocket and pulls out a miniature box. The rush of emotions that overtakes her almost makes her faint. The tears came faster now as Mike opens the box and pulls out an antique looking ring. It has a gold band with etchings of some sort around it and a single diamond flanked by two small pearls. It is a ring that his Grandfather had bought for his Grandmother when they were first married and they have agreed to give it to Mike until he can get something better for his young bride.
“Claire,” Mike starts as the tears continue to pour down his face, “I never want to be without you. If you will have me I want you to be my wife.”
Claire is completely blown away. She is sure she is dreaming. She has wanted this more than anything, since their first kiss she wanted to be with Mike, and only with Mike. She has to pinch herself to make sure she is not dreaming. Yeah so I know that is a dumb ass thing to say and Claire knows it’s a slow ass thing to do but this is one of those cases she is in such shock she has to do it just to check. She has wanted this, yes but never dreamed of even mentioning it seriously to Mike. He seems so preoccupied with helping his family and friends. He seems so driven on his mission and she loves him for it. But she did not mediate he was ready to commit to her. It seems he has something to finish before they were going to get to this part of their lives.
Claire impartial begins to weep her answer, “Oh Mike, oh Mike of course! Of frigin course, I love you and want nothing more than to be your wife.”
With that she begins to sob uncontrollably as does Mike and they embraced each other. After what seems like an hour of hugging, kissing and crying, Claire pulls away and asks, “So what now? ”
Mike takes a deep breath before he explains this, he has given it a great deal of understanding, and answers, “Well, I was thinking of talking to your folks and then talking to my folks and going from there. I guess I do not see the point of a long engagement.
Claire laughs and hits Mike saying, “You just want to get laid.”
Mike laughs, nods and responds, “That is kinda beside the point but yeah that will be nice too.” He embraces her again and kisses her.
The rest of the day they spend talking and working in the house. Claire has complete responsibility for the home as both parents are working. She cooks and cleans and makes positive the family has stored provisions and does any marketing that needs to be done. She also makes clothes for herself and her folks and basically keeps things running. When Claire’s folks came home Mike helps get the meal ready and serves it. It is no surprise that Mike is around, Claire’s folks, Tom and Lisa, have becomes very accustomed to him. Before they began to court Mike had hung out there with their group of friends on many different occasions. They eat and make small talk. Mike asks about the work in town and Tom asks about Mike’s family and how things are on the farm. Then comes the end of the meal and Mike speaks up more than he has already saying in a commanding voice, “If I may, Tom and Lisa, I would like to discuss something with the both of you? ”
Tom is taken back by the sudden change in Mike’s attitude. “Yes Michael,” he says with a rather condescending tone as he leans forward in his chair and concentrates on Mike.
All at once Mike begins to lose his nerve and confidence and says weakly, “Well sir, Claire and I, that is, I would like to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
With that Mike sits back in his chair, and then the soft voice comes into his head very clearly saying, “Sit up jack ass, if you want to be a man then act like one. You are not a child that sulks in his chair!” Mike then sits up as straight as he can carrying himself as he does into battle, determined and mettlesome.
This change is very apparent to Tom and Lisa. Mike with one motion seems to take charge of the situation. Tom then looks at Lisa and Lisa returns the look seeming rather concerned.
Tom breaks the silence, “Well Michael, I cannot say that I am completely surprised. Lisa and I have noticed how your two are together and I will be honest with you. If you would have asked us this before this world of ours changed I would have laughed at you. I would have called you fool hearty and most certainly not ready for marriage. I have always liked you Michael even before you and Claire started to court. You were always very polite and had a firm handshake. You can determine a lot about a man from his handshake and yes I do believe you are a fine young man. I also have a great deal of respect for your father and Grandfather both good men, intellectual determined men. And the world has changed. We had dreams for our baby girl. Of course we wanted love and a strong family for her but we also wanted college and a career. She is smart, sure and tough, but you know that. It is what attracts you to her. But I know now that she will not go to college and have a career. You see Mike, right now all we want for our little girl is to survive and I believe she will have the best chance of survival with a strong husband and dedicated family. I know you can offer her that, what do you think Lis? ”
Lisa, who has been looking fondly at her contain husband now turns her attention to Mike. She says in a very soft and concerned tone, “I do not know Tom. We have talked about this and I agree with where we want our daughter. And Mike you are a fine young man but I am concerned. You are both very young and you have not been together that long. I am not sure if you are ready to face our new world, and if you can handle it, being newly married. It’s no picnic you know. It is hard work and takes time and dedication. I must ask how you plan to live and take care of our daughter.”
This was one question that Mike had anticipated and practiced over the past weeks. He begins, “Yes mame, I have spent all winter thinking about just such things. You both know I am now living on the family farm and I work every day, dusk till dawn doing what needs to be done of the farm. The farm is doing great. We have more than enough food for ourselves and we sell surplus at the town market. My plan is, if everyone can agree, to live on the farm with Claire and take care of her. She will of course work with us. There is more than enough work to do and I will have no problems providing for her.”
Lisa nods and smiles at Mike and continues, “You have always been a very thoughtful young man. I have no doubt that you can care for our daughter and that you do adore her. Are your parents in agreement on this Michael? ”
Mike was also jumpy of this question, insecure they may think he would play them again his own parents, and answers as firmly as possible, “I have not spoken to them mame, I did not want to put the cart before the horse. I wanted your blessing first and then I would speak to my parents.”
Lisa gives Mike a sly shiny inspect, nods again, and responds, “Very well said, and thought out, young man. This way if you get us to agree you can use it as leverage aginst you own parents. But don’t worry I am not chastising you, I am applauding you, well played. So I guess if your parents agree I believe Tom and I will serve this conception. Now I want to ask that you wait three months before we plan for the wedding. This will give yourselves more time, and the rest of us more time, to get used to the idea. We reserve the right to withdraw our blessing should your parents not agree or we notice something happen we are not in encourage of, OK? ”
Claire has started to cry during the last piece and gets up to hug her mother saying, “Of course mom. Thank you so much, you cannot know what this means to us.”
Mike also begins to get tears in his eyes and he agrees, “Yes, thank you both so much. I will not disappoint you.”
Tom answers, “If we thought you would Mike we not agree to this, welcome to the family son,” and he gets up and gives Mike a big hug.
“One down, and one to go,” Mike thinks to himself.
He was scared to ask Claire folks but not as scared to ask his gain. If Claire’s folks had said no then they would have been the dreadful guys. But if his folks say no then they were the bad guys and he did not want to have to live with the bad guys. Mike could have lived with the fact that Claire’s folks may not like him. Frig um, but if it turns out his folks don’t like Claire. Well, then he will be really frigin mad, frigin mad indeed.
After this discussion Mike needs to get going. It is dark already as the days have not yet grown long enough to eat supper and unruffled have light left. He needs to get back to the farm. Grandpa can only cover for him so long. But he and Claire have one errand left to run, they take off for base. All the boys are there finishing up a training session.
Justin is very happy to see his good friend and greets both Mike and Claire heartily as they scurry in, “Well frig me sideways. What the heck are you doing here son? Long time no see brother, long time no see.” The others shout their greetings to Mike and Claire but Mike cuts them short.
Mike says with a slight hint of nervousness in his roar, “Sorry boys, I need to roll but first I have news and then a large favor to ask.”
Tim looks at him curiously and says, “Shoot brother, what’s going on? ”
Mike is almost more nervous to tell his friends than his parents as he answers as the words tumble out of his mouth at break neck speed, “Ahh yeah, I have asked Claire to marry me and she has said yes and her folks have conditionally agreed to it.”
Nick recoils in shock, at the news and also at the speed that Mike can talk, “Well no crap. Our little boy is growing up,” as he sniffles with a fake yell.
Pete walks over to Mike, pats him on the back and says sarcastically, “And now you can get laid, good for you brother.”
Justin breaks in trying to defend the happy couple saying, “Well I deem there will be time for the crap giving later but in all seriousness brother, and sister, congratulations. No two people deserve this more.” The rest of the boys add their approval and congratulations.
Mike begins to salvage teary eyed again but there has been enough crying for one day and he tries to suck it up as he continues, “Well, we have to ask my folks about it yet and that’s where I need the favor.”
Tim cuts in immediately happy to help out where he can and responds, “We will give Claire a proper escort to the farm, not a problem.”
Mike is always impressed at how well his boys know him and he replies thankfully, “Can you have her out as soon as possible, before noon tomorrow if it works? ”
Justin adds reassuringly, “Of course brother she will be there.”
Mike smiles again at his friends and concludes, “Thanks boys, gotta roll.” With that Mike and Claire make their way back to her house, say their goodbyes and Mike makes his way back to the farm.
As Mike finally makes his way back from the horse shed to the main house Tony is on the porch having his usual night cap smoke.
“Smoke boy? ” Tony asks he extends Mike one of his hand rolled cigarettes.
Mike smiles as he takes the cigarette and answers, “Of course, thank you my good man.” Mike takes a match and lights the smoke.
Tony takes a long drag on his cigarette and asks, “How did that go for ya boy? ”
Mike also takes a long drag and replies, “Better than expected Grandpa, they said yes. As long as my folks say yes and we wait three months to make obvious we are committed to the thing. They will go along with it.”
Tony smiles and pats Mike on the relieve saying, “Well, congratulations boy. She is a great girl and you two are very lucky to have each other.”
Mike puts his hand on Tony’s shoulder and answers, “Thanks Grandpa that means a lot to me.”
The two finish their smokes and move off to bed. Mike does not sleep easy that night. First off, he has a lot on his mind obviously, in regards to Claire. But after he finally does fall off to sleep the dream comes back. It has been awhile since the dream has reoccurred and Mike has not even thought about it in some time. But it comes as it always does but this time it is Tim and Claire that are trying to occupy Mike from falling over the cliff. It is both that cannot save him. This time Mike does hit the bottom but opens his eyes and again there is someone there unbiased before he wakes with a scream from the dream. After that Mike tosses and turns until it is time to get up. Just before dawn he gets up, heads downstairs and grabs some food before starting chores for the day. Mike walks through his morning with a very nervous anticipation. His mind is not completely on what he is doing and a small pain in the pit of his stomach grows more intense as the morning moves along.
By dinner it is so intense that he simply cannot eat. Mike e tries to accept a couple of bites down but excuses himself early. He goes outside for a accelerate to the north property to examine for his friends and to sneak in a smoke. He hasn’t long finished his smoke when he sees riders in the distance and his heart leaps. He knows it is his friends. He forces the horse at full gallop toward them and as he comes upon them Justin greets him first very officially, “Your caravan has arrived good sir in delivery of your lady.”
Tim, Nick and Pete have also made the accelerate with Claire and all greet Mike. Claire dismounts and walks over to Mike and his horse. She asks flirtatiously, “How about a ride good looking? ”
Mike laughs and answers as he reaches out his hand to her, “How could I ever say no to that face? ”
Claire responds as she mounts the horse behind Mike, “Yeah you catch used to that. You have years of that in front of you.”
Mike could not be happier about that as he answers, “Sounds good to me, can’t wait.”
Pete takes up the reigns of Claire’s horse and leads it to the farm place with the rest of the group. Tony is the first to notice the visitors to the farm and meets them half draw to the main farm house. Tony raises a hand in greeting and shots out, “Well met young folks. How are we doing today? ”
Justin also raises a hand in greeting and replies, “Very well sir and yourself Tony? ”
Tony answer heartily, “Very well young man. Good to see you all, and marvelous morning to you Claire my dear.”
Claire answer shyly, her nervousness at entering Mike’s family is evident, “Morning Grandpa, good to see you.”
Tony turns to address Mike, “Your folks are level-headed in the main house with Grandma. I grasp you want to talk to them son.”
“Thanks Grandpa. You know I have taken on guards, weird creatures and uncommon men in black but I have never been this scared.” Mike responds as he tries to muster his courage.
Tony nods and smiles replying, “As you should be young man. But don’t worry, things will turn out the way they are supposed to, they always do. I will be there to help if you need it.”
Mike exhales slowly and says, “Thanks Grandpa.”
Tony then turns to the rest of the group and instructs, “Well my young friends why don’t you take the horses to the back shed. I will have some sandwiches brought to you as I take you have not had any lunch.”
Pete interjects excitedly at the chance to get some food, “Yeah starving is about accurate. Thanks Tony.”
Mike, Claire and Tony make their way to the main house. They leave the horses out front and enter the main house. Mike’s folks and Grandma are cleaning up after the noon meal and Grandma turns around when she hears the door open. Grandma greets them warmly, “Well Claire, it’s very good to see you. How are you dear? ”
Claire answer in the most polite voice she can muster, “Very good, thanks Grandma.”
Grandma begins to scuttle around saying, “Well let me get out some pie and milk so we can have a snack. How would that be? ”
Mike answer his Grandmother kindly, “Colossal, thanks Grandma.”
Larry also greets Claire asking, “So what do we owe this visit too Claire? ”
Mike then interjects, his nerves beginning to get the better of him saying, “Well dad there is something Claire and I wanted to talk to you and mom about.”
Mike’s folks compose their way to the table and Mike’s mom, Deborah, notices the ring on Claire’s finger.
“Oh,” she says and brings her left hand to her mouth, “I gaze.”
Mike really had not wanted them to find out this way but fair goes with it saying, “Yeah, mom and dad, I have asked Claire to marry me and she has said yes. I wanted to glean your blessing.”
Mike’s folks have sat down. Mike and Claire are level-headed standing holding hands tightly and Grandpa and Grandma are listening in the kitchen getting the pie ready to serve.
Deborah at once begins blabber on saying, “Oh Michael, you are both too young. I don’t know, Larry? ”
Larry at once takes over in “dad” mode beginning to dictate to his son, “Michael I know you two have been apart much of the winter and absence makes the heart grow fonder. I assume this is slightly rash on both your parts. I can’t allow this legal now, give it a couple of years if it’s worth having its worth waiting for.”
Mike immediately goes on the defensive as the blood begins to rush to his face and he instinctively reaches for his blade that are not there, “Dad, this is not something I haven’t thought about or am jumping into. I work hard here every day and can take care of myself and Claire. We work together as a family here and we are more accumulate than most the people around us or in town. If you haven’t noticed dad I have grown up a lot in the last few months and think I can make this decision.”
Deborah tries to calm, the location a microscopic saying, “Sit down the both of you and do not raise your voice Michael.” With that Mike and Claire do both sit down.
Mike does try to quiet himself for his mother’s sake saying, “I am sorry mom. I don’t mean any disrespect but I feel like you’re treating me like a child.”
Larry has yet to try and calm down and comes back again condescendingly, “You are still young Michael.”
Mike tries to remain calm but again feels the anger rise within him answering, “Yes dad, but I am not a child anymore. Things have changed and two are better than one proper. We love each other and can remove care of each other.”
Larry turns to Claire trying to get some more ammunition and asks, “What did your folks say Claire? ”
Claire answer softly not wanting to further upset her possible future father-in-law, “They agreed with some stipulations. The first was that you both agree and then we wait three months before we get married.”
Deborah is still obviously flustered and says quietly, “I see.” She sits support thinking very hard about something.
Larry shakes his head replying, “Three months is not long enough. Give it some time, the both of you, a couple of years.”
Mike’s anger was now approaching boiling point again, “What if one of us, or both of us, are not here in a couple of years dad. Things have changed, people die for no good reason other than pissing off the wrong people. I think we have the moral to live our lives while we can.”
Larry has to stay at that for a second and comes back with, “You have been dating, what, five, six months. You barely know each other, you need more time.”
Mike is now getting very irate and he sits up very straight with his chest out. He glares with a look in his green eyes that only those that he has faced in battle have ever seen. For a split second Mike’s folks are taken back by their son, he is no boy any more. In fact, he looks very much like a dangerous man.
Mike begins to lecture his parents, “Claire and I have been worthy friends for at least three years and knew each other before that. You and mom knew each other what, a couple of months before you got married? ”
That is the last straw for Larry as his face becomes very flush he begins to raise his voice at his son saying, “This is not about your mother and me. Times were different, circumstances were different.”
Both Mike and his father are standing now, staring at each other. Claire and Mike’s mother are trying to calm their respective men. That’s when Tony steps into the fray.
Tony says very sternly to the two men, “Now you will both sit down and you will both use respectful voices in my house.”
Both Mike and his father look very surprised and both sit down slowly.
Tony continues, “Mike will take Claire outside for a moment. Please, your Grandmother and I need to have a word with your parents.”
Mike looks at Tony and then at his parents and he takes Claire by the hand and walks outside. After the door closes Grandpa and Grandma sit down in the chairs vacated by Mike and Claire.
Tony is not overjoyed at this turn of events and becomes uncharacteristically harsh saying, “Do I really need to remind you of what happened when you and my daughter got married. You had been dating for two months and then discovered my daughter was pregnant. Then you decided to elope quickly and plunge out of college to get jobs to take care of the coming baby. Then after you lost the baby and your jobs, your mother and I allowed you both to move in with us until you got your lives together. Now I know the loss of the child was hard. We went through the same thing and I am so very proud of the both of you for getting back to school and staying together. But I was so mad at both of you and so ashamed for so long. You both know I love you very much and I love Michael. You need to understand that he is more of an adult right now than the both of you were when you got married. Now both of you are too young to remember, and I was very young too, but when WWII started many young people, Mike’s age and younger were getting married at an alarming rate. Many parents objected but you have to understand these young men did not know if they were coming back and many of them didn’t. They took one chance at love and marriage even if it was just for a short time. Now whether you two like it or not we are at war. Yes things are OK now. We are relatively safe but that could change in a heartbeat and you both know it. For goodness sake, let these young people have a chance at appreciate. How would you feel if Mike were to die in six months, a year, and never had that chance? I gave you both a chance when I didn’t want to and I really think you should give Mike a chance too.”
After that lecture Deborah is crying and Larry looks utterly embarrassed and he gets up and walks into the kitchen and Deborah follows him. Placing a loving hand on her husband’s shoulder Deborah says, “You know he’s right hon. We did a favorable job raising Michael and we have to start to trust his judgment sometime.”
Larry shakes his head and answers, “I know hon, and yes I now he’s honest. I am sorry that I forgot what we went through. I would not change those years for anything but it was so hard hon. Remember how hard it was for us and I don’t want it to be hard for my son. I want better for him.”
Deborah puts her chin on her husband’s shoulder and continues, “I think it would be hard to find better than Claire. We know her, we know her family, they’re good people. Michael will be here, we can still protect him. I know that is what you are afraid of.”
Larry nods then walks out of the kitchen and to the front door. He opens it and asks for Mike and Claire. They advance in holding hands and looking very apprehensive.
Larry’s tone has changed significantly and he quietly asks, “Sit down, the both of you please. Mike, I am sorry son, I did not mean to yell. You caught me off guard and you know how much I love surprises.” He smiles and Mike smiles back at him. Remembering a surprise birthday party they threw thrown for him almost five years earlier where Larry had actually punched his brother Dean he was so mad about the surprise.
Larry continues remorsefully, “Your Grandfather, in all his wisdom, reminded your mom and myself of some things we had forgotten. Claire please forgive me also. Deborah and I think very highly of you and could not ask for better for our son. We also will agree with this union with some stipulations. You will wait the three months and your mother and I will have to give this some more view to make definite it is best for you both. If your Grandfather can agree, we will have some sort of living space here on the farm for your home. You will both have to work for your withhold here. I know I don’t need to say it, Mike you work harder than two men here. I just want to make sure you know what is expected and with that, Claire, welcome to our family. It is a pleasure to have you.”
Claire, with tears running down her cheeks gets up and hugs Larry and Deborah. Mike is now crying too and walks over and joins in the group hug.
Grandma, with tears running down her face, turns to her husband and says, “You did a good thing Tony. They remind me so much of us. We did top-notch hon, we did real reliable.”
Tony nods and smiles putting his arms around his wife saying, “We sure did hon, we distinct did.”
The rest of the boys rejoin the group and they all socialize for most the early fragment of the afternoon until it is time for the group to get back to town. It is also time for Mike and his family to finish up chores. Mike and Claire say their goodbyes and Mike and the Parade agree to meet in three days to do some more training and honest discuss what is going on after the long winter hiatus.
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Filed under Stomach Band by on Mar 31st, 2011.
If you are significantly over weight and have not been able put off and keep off the weight with diet or exercise, you may want to consider the Lap-Band surgery. The Lap-Band is an object that is surgically placed around your stomach. This will significantly limit the amount of food it takes for you to feel full and in turn leads to rapid weight loss. However, the procedure can be expensive (the real price varies but is around $7,000-$10,000) so you may need to find a way to raise money for the costly procedure.
Contact your insurance company. Many insurance companies will cover portion of the cost of the procedure if it is deemed your weight is life threatening. The actual amount the insurance company covers can very from the insurance provider to your actual conception. You may actually want your doctor to talk to your insurance company. The doctor can explain how you need the Lap-Band and that it isn’t just a cosmetic procedure.
Ask friends and family for donations. They will have known for some time abut your weight problems and will most likely offer some sort of financial assistance. Even just a little bit of money hear and there can end up adding to a large sum of money after donations from a variety of sources.
Have a garage sale. This will be not only a enormous way to get rid of some old stuff taking up room in your home but make some money for your procedure as well. Originate signs stating why you are having the garage sale. People may be more inclined to buy more or pay more if they know the money is going towards a good cause.
Ask a local hangout you frequent (such as a restaurant, club or bar) if they would sponsor a donation drive for you. This often will just be a dollar is given to your cause for every drink purchased, or a cover is charged to enter the facility on a specific night and they may ask people to make donations for you as well. If you are a regular at the hang out and the staff knows you this may be a great way to raise the money.
Organize a charitable golf outing at a local golf course (especially if you are a huge fan of the sport). People may be more willing to donate money if they receive something back in return.
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Filed under Stomach Band by on Feb 21st, 2011.