A Conversation With A Girl – The End

Kyle flicked the bill of his baseball cap. “I have a feeling, correct me if I’m wrong, but there isn’t much about you that gets old,” he said, as he pointed a finger in her direction.

Andy’s mouth gapped open. Kyle’s eyes darted around her lips. Her eyes flared with surprise. His fingers flinched with a need to touch her bottom lip.

“What…?” She was speechless for about a second. Then the sound that came out next made everything right with the world.

Kyle’s eyes never left her face, that laugh, the best part was that she was giving it away for free.

********** Continue reading

A Conversation With A Girl – Part Two

Kyle sized up his surroundings and walked towards the bar. There were two older gentlemen, deep in conversation, and sitting at the end. One was drinking black coffee. Kyle watched the steam float up as the bartender placed a cup down in front of a man. A man she obviously new well. It was the reassuring way she touched his swollen and aging hand. The man’s confidant was holding a short class with mostly ice inside. Kyle had seen his father’s associates holding glasses like that one. Typically, while in deep discussion, as well. The bottom of the glass had once held a layer of whiskey, he’d bet. The man looked to have had a few of them. Continue reading

A Conversation With A Girl

“Well, it could have gone differently, I believe, but seeing how well it’s turned out, I’d say she dodged a bullet.”

Idiot. What did he know anyway, ‘how well it’s turned out’, give me a break!

His tires barked as he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal. Requesting the song, he shouted out to his car and flipped the volume way up. He wanted that song now! The music quickly started and everything his father had said began to drown out. Finally, now it didn’t matter where his car took him. His pulse began to lessen.

Turning left or right wasn’t his concern, frankly he couldn’t give a damn, as long as he put distance between them. Continue reading

Who Said The Word Snow? I’m Coming To Find You…

I’m quite upset this morning, don’t you see?

We were supposed to wake up screaming something like, “IT’S SNOWING!”

They let us know 19 hours too early, that school would be canceled today without thinking.

Whoopie! I’ll spend my day writing and baking. It’s just the weather to write of love-making.

I’ll keep the kettle hot for coffee, cocoa and tea, all the while children watch something on T.V.

No, I’m not up North and I haven’t moved back to the middle of this country.

You see, we’re still down here in cowboy country, but the snow apparently isn’t coming.

Texas had a winter warning, snow and ice it seemed, and me without my equipment for sledding.

I guess we’ll read and eat those muffins over there cooling.

Yes, eat them all day long, it seems.

We won’t get out of our jammies, I don’t care what you think.

Who closes school for a snow day 19 hours too early?

That would be Texas, we don’t have the road clearing means…

But please, wait until you see something happening.

Today, life was canceled for snow and ice.

I have two confused children who await explaining!

I Hope This Never Ends

Galveston, TX

Galveston, TX

I wondered the quiet beach and imagined you today

Seemingly embodied in each crystal clear blue wave

I searched for your words as you twisted us closer

Roughly escorting me deeper into that vast ocean

Pull me under and into your strong current, I plea

Might as well, around you I can’t seem to breathe

Feel us spin effortlessly in the morning water, too

Again I stumble, beating my head against the sand

Maybe I’ll learn and these feelings can finally end

Again, what my mind does for you…

College Life: The Jokes Just Keep On Comin’

There was this place not far from campus that served the best drunk pizza ever…ever…ever…

Oh! You caught that?

No, the pizza wasn’t drunk, the people consuming it on the other hand were drunk and most of the time. It was college. What did you expect? Our college town pizza place was called Pizza Shuttle. Spring Break Dormitory had a resident named Joke Guy. This older non-traditional gentleman made up the best joke one day about Pizza Shuttle. It went like this:  Continue reading

College Life: I Could Live in a Cardboard Box For You

“Then, this one time, in College…”

Once upon a time I wanted to fall in love with a sociology major. I blame Bearded Jake for this romantic idea. He probably ended up living in a cardboard box. He talked so fondly about one the year we lived in Spring Break Dormitory. He may be the richest man in world now, but we’ll never know.

We called him Bearded Jake. His name was way better than Bearded Jake, but I can’t use it.

You know sometimes nicknames just click without any type of fuss. I always loved that about his name. Jake’s nickname was original, if nothing else. The reason we had to nickname him Bearded Jake was because, as you know, in college for every Jennifer you meet there are at least four boys named Jake.

Our Jake was much cooler than the other Jakes, so we up’d his coolness with a fantastic name.  Continue reading

College Life: She Follows Accents

College life became exciting fast after a few days of settling into a routine. One day, I walked into my dormitory just in time to see a man carrying his mountain bike across the lawn. He wore his backpack, or maybe it was a business bag, across his body. He had a long plastic tube strapped to his back and runner’s legs. I liked that a whole lot.

What kind of cowboy is he? I remember thinking, as I watched him more closely. No not really, but time did stop for a brief moment. I walked away with the realization I’d be back for him one day. Poor guy. He didn’t even see me coming.  Continue reading

College Life: Audrey, Meet The British

The Day that changed my life: Thank God for the British!

It wasn’t the women themselves that my father seemed taken aback by, it was the Doc Martens and long flowy skirts. I have to say, for me, it was the hats that they were wearing. They blew me away. I had fallen in love. It was like me; the aspiring vagabond was looking into her future just watching the two of them walk by.

When I was dropped off for my first semester away at college I remember thinking that I’d be lonely, and definitely afraid. I’m not sure why I thought I’d be lonely, as history had already proven that making friends was easy for me, once I agreed to open my mouth, of course. It was the fear of city living that I worried about, mostly. I hadn’t much experience with the codes of city life. One thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t like feeling afraid.  Continue reading

College Life: Day One – Hippies Do Not Eat People, Audrey

Our family vehicle was full of my life’s possessions and it had been driven for over five hours by my father. We were cruising down the interstate talking, and car shopping. All the important father daughter conversations being prompted by anything found beside the road. I was trying pretty hard to make it a memorable trip. This was our last weekend together living as a family. It was fun, well until we ran out of gas.

“What happened? This is a brand new truck! It must be a computer chip!” he’d said

I remember him turning and looking at me confused, possibly bewildered, if a cowboy can feel that way. He and I looked at each other at about the same time and realized what we’d done. We’d forgotten to fuel up after lunch. The day had been a bit distracting, I’m quite sure, and we returned to the interstate without the fuel we’d known was needed in order to make it all the way into the city. The city that was to be my new home.  Continue reading

Push Me

Push Me!
Demand, I push you back
Open Me Up!
Force, my feelings out
Hold my arms down
Seize my eyes, as they attack yours

Feel it?
Feel that powerful tension
Don’t turn away
I need you to stay

Letting me win
Well, that’s often his way

Push Me, my whispered plea
Make me push you back
Open Me Up, I silently beg
Force my lack of feelings out

The Journey

. . . So it matters to me . . .

. . . A deliberate path . . .

. . . Time taken, care advised . . .

. . . Focus the journey and stay alive . . .

. . . Mustn’t allow my weakness to flow . . .

. . . It’s all a game, don’t you know . . .

. . . Scratch that, it isn’t you see . . .

. . . My past crushed me . . .

. . . My present a healing hell . . .

. . . My future deliberate, one only I can tell . . .

A Story From The Truck Diaries

You have to know that the three sisters, Oldest, Baby and Middle, love Big Brother’s truck. It doesn’t matter which truck he has at the time, whether he’s found one that’s bright red or brown. We adore the significance behind them. They are the epitome of Big Brother and many, if not most, of our memories include him with one.

Can we back track a second? I feel like I should explain something.

Is it important? You’ve updated us on a few things along this path that haven’t been relevant, if we’re being honest.

I actually do find this important, because it explains why…just listen.  Continue reading

Grow Up, Audrey Dawn, Geez!

Yeah, I said it. They should be ashamed of themselves. Big Brother, Baby and Middle had me visiting them in a whole new way. Somehow, we’d begun more of a physical visit than a typical mental visit. I suppose that’s what happens when one of us moves too far away.

I’m processing the fact that I didn’t capture the meaningful time with my siblings over Christmas that I had travelled so far to get. I mean, if anyone’s due for getting what she’d wanted it was me.

You should just be happy that you had a chance to see them.

I am, I assure you.  Continue reading

Change Is Good

I know, the holidays are offically over now. Sad? Shall we take a moment? Better? Me, too. Let’s hug it out. Okay, great!

I’m processing the much anticipated visit that I had with my three siblings, in Nebraska, a few weeks ago. In retrospect, I’m very disappointed in Big Brother, Baby and Middle. Actually, they should be ashamed of themselves. Their behavior was out of line. I believe I was suckered into being made to look like a clown, but I’ll let you be the judge.

Continue reading