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From: "Jay Alexander" <yawn@angelic.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} Amelia  Part 04  Mg*, Fb, bg*, ped, oral, anal
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Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2015 05:10:47 -0400
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This is fiction, a product of a mind warped since childhood by
dealings with devious adults with their own agendas.
If erotic stories are not allowed where you are, close this or
change countries.
Story codes: Mg*, Fb, bg*, ped, oral, anal
Our hero is gentle with the children but deals harshly with
adults when needed. If crushed elbows or bleeding bodies on the
sidewalk bother you, move on.
My inspiration was a child I never spoke with and only saw at a
distance. I had a face, a name and an age - the story was built
on that foundation.
 =============================
Tuesday, 15 September, 6:05AM
"Good morning, Mister Jack."
"I like this alarm clock, Alicia."
"Can I just snuggle and go back to sleep?"
"If you can be still, I think we can do that - at least until you
mother starts the school morning wake up calls."
"Not 'til 6:30."
"Snuggle in."
"Hold my butt. You don't hafta rub it. I just want more of me
touching you."
---
"You awake, Jack?"
"Have been for a while."
"One of the girls bothering you?"
"No bother. A very sweet wake up and she wanted to snuggle. How
could I say 'no'?"
"You could but you won't. She looks so happy. They're discovering
what a daddy should be like and they can't get enough of it. You
weren't around them before Carl wound up in jail, but my three
had a hard time getting along - arguing over what little
attention Carl gave to them. Now they get attention that matches
their needs, punishment that fits the crime - and sometimes
leaves them smiling - and the occasional bit of extra attention
that makes them so happy I could cry. Jack, thank you for taking
my girls as your own."
"You're welcome, Mindy, but I think they laid claim on me."
"Huh? What?"
"Good morning, Alicia."
"Hi, Mister Jack. Thank you for the snuggle."
"You're welcome, sweet girl."
"Hi, Momma. I woke Mister Jack 'cause he goes to work today and
asked if I could snuggle. He said 'yes'. I guess I went back to
sleep."
"I think your snuggle was good for you. You seem very happy."
"I know I'm loved very, very much. He doesn't have to do
anything; it just covers me all over when I snuggle with him."
"Something in your eye, Mindy?"
"I think it's the ragweed."
"Are the other girls up?"
"I planned to wake them after I knew you were awake so the noise
wouldn't be as annoying."
"I'll go wake them."
"They'll like that, Mister Jack."
---
"Good morning, Paige."
"I like this alarm clock!"
"Get ready like a school day."
"School hasn't started yet."
"You're on the school schedule early."
"OK."
Good morning, Rachel."
"I heard. But I kept my eyes closed so I'd get the 'good morning'
kiss."
"Devious little girl."
"What's 'devious'?"
"Ask your mother."
"Good morning, Celia."
"Good morning, favorite alarm clock."
"Get ready like a school day."
"I know."
"Good morning, Leah."
"I like this alarm clock, too!"
"Get ready like for school."
"I'm going."
"Good morning, Amelia."
"Good morning, Uncle Jack! I love being kissed asleep and awake!"
"Get ready like a school day."
"I know, but I'd rather learn more about making love."
"I'd rather one of my favorite people not be too sore to walk, so
not today and probably not tomorrow."
"Where's Alicia?"
"She woke up early and then woke me up to ask if she could
snuggle. She went back to sleep as soon as her head was on my
shoulder."
"That's a very good place to sleep."
"Get up and get ready."
"Yes, Uncle Jack."
---
"Mindy, how is it that it's not quite 7AM and all the girls are
up and dressed and helping with breakfast?"
"That would be the handiwork of our resident magician. He goes
into their rooms in the morning and they come out dressed and
smiling a couple of minutes later."
"Mister Jack wakes us up in the nicest way."
"Un huh!"
'Sometimes he kisses my lips, but sometimes he starts on my eyes,
then my nose, then my lips. It's fun and I feel loved!"
"If he thinks we're already awake, he nibbles our earlobes and
that tickles!"
"How do you know which approach to use, Jack?"
"Depends on the girl, what I know of how her day went yesterday,
what I know or can guess about how well she slept and whether
she's asleep or just hiding behind her eyelids."
"How can you tell if we sleep good?"
"If the sheets are all twisted or your head is under the sheets
or under your pillow or if someone is holding her bear so tightly
that he can't breathe…"
"You're silly, Mister Jack!"
"Leah, how did Teddy get the tear in his neck?"
"In my dream I was holding him really tight and when I rolled
over on him it went 'rip'. Oh - you can tell."
"So you read us before you tell us 'good morning'?"
"Yes, Leah. So I know whether you'll be happy a lip kiss or I
need to start with an eyelid kiss so you don't start fighting
with your bad dream again or an earlobe nibble because you're
trying to fool me into a lip kiss."
"That's not fair!"
"What's not fair, Celia?"
"The nibble."
"Would you rather be punished for not being truthful?"
"Truthful?"
"About whether you're awake or not. You could say 'good morning'
and pucker up for a kiss."
"Oh. I'll do that next time."
"Me, too!"
---
"You have your shopping lists, Jack?"
"Yes…"
"Can we go?"
"Sorry, girls. There are some things we need to clean the pool
water so we can use it for drinking, cooking and washing. I'll be
picking some of those things up on my way to a meeting today and
I'll get other things on the way back. There isn't room in the
truck for all of you and you weren't invited to the meeting, so
I'll be going alone. There will be some things you can help with
when I start building the filter system."
"You'll be going armed, Jack?"
"Yes, Sarah. I'll be armed any time I'm outside the house and
much of the time when I'm inside. After the events of the last 24
hours, you ladies should also be armed at all times."
"I am."
"Me, too. I sound like one of the kids."
"Kiss me 'bye', Uncle Jack?"
"Not yet, Celia. There are some things I need to do before I
leave. It's mostly reading, so I plan to test each of you to see
if you can be still for an hour with me while I work. I'm doing
it by age, so Amelia has had her hour. Now I'll take Alicia with
me if she wants to go."
"Yes!"
"If there's time this morning, I'll do one more. If not, the
testing will start again after the water filter is working."
"We get an hour with you?"
"An hour of being quiet and still, Paige - or as long as you can
manage. Come with me, Alicia."
"Yes!"
---
"Remember, this is snuggle, be quiet and be still. I have some
books you haven't read if you want one. If you just want to
snuggle in and nap, that's fine."
"Just snuggle."
---
This has been another productive hour. Wonder what it is about
having one of them asleep in my lap that calms and focuses me and
make me more productive? Guess the 'what' or 'how' doesn't
matter. It seems to be good for both of us. Time to wake her and
get myself out the door.
---
"Alicia?"
"Hi, Mister Jack. I sleep so good in your lap!"
"Glad you do. I work better with you curled up in my lap. Same
for Amelia. I'll test the others later. Back to your house. Time
for me to go."
"Kiss me 'bye'?"
"And then again when I leave your house?"
"I'm busted."
"No, you get the extra kiss but it's just a little one."
"It's a kiss from you. It's always good!"
---
"You're leaving, Uncle Jack?"
"Yes, Amelia. You all look as though you might want a good bye
kiss, so line up."
"OK."
"Hurry back so we can kiss you 'hello'."
"I have errands to run. Depending on how long the meeting runs,
it may be close to 5 when I get back. They wanted to know about
my family, so all of you get together and I'll take a picture to
show them."
"OK."
---
Tuesday, 15 September, 10:10AM
Wally World does have large pots with lids I can use and this
grate for a fire pit will work to support the pot. LP tanks are a
little cheaper here than at the home center so I'll get them plus
the long LP hose and regulator here. A small fan to help cool the
condensing coil and an outdoor extension cord for it. Their
aquarium charcoal is probably cheaper than the pet store and will
make for one less stop I'll need to make today. Checkout isn't
too bad at this hour. I'll check the Bridges warehouse for that
delivery and plan to stop at the home center for sand, gravel and
other things on the way home.
---
"Hi, I'm Jack Wilson and there should be some packages here for
me."
"Just need your ID."
"Here."
"You're you and the packages are down at door 3. There's a two
wheel dolly by the door."
"Thanks."
Cameras, B/G/N/A wireless router, CAT 6 cable, connectors,
crimping tool, UPS units, quad core motherboard and chips, SSD's,
computer case, miscellaneous bits and pieces. Looks like it's all
here.
"All here, Mr. Wilson?"
"Yes, Don. Thanks for your help."
---
Still have time to get to the group lunch and probably a few
minutes early. I see the Crazy Dog sign - that dog looks like one
of the mutts I had when I was a kid. Parking in the back. Sign
for the meeting room. Turn my digital audio recorder on. There
might be more people talking than I can monitor at once plus I'll
have the opportunity to learn put names with voices when I play
it back.
"Jack, glad you could make it!"
"I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of the team, Bob."
"You have all the equipment you need?"
"All but the 3D printer."
"I thought the Computer Cave has those in stock?"
"They have a couple of models, but not what I think will be
needed. My preferred model is cheaper and faster than their top
of the line model. Faster because it's intended for production
line use and cheaper because the cabinet is utilitarian instead
of pretty. Dave will be in their warehouse city this week for a
meeting and he'll bring one back Friday."
"I do like having organized people around me! Have a seat here.
Is that a gun?"
"Yes, Bob. I have a concealed carry permit and after the events
of this week I'm armed whenever I'm out of the house."
"But guns kill people! If you need help, you call the police!"
"No, Bob. People kill people. And when seconds count, the police
are only minutes away. Did you ever hear of Cain and Abel?"
"In the Bible. Cain killed Abel."
"Did he have a gun?"
"I guess guns weren't invented then."
"Have you heard of David and Goliath?"
"David killed him."
"With a gun?"
"With a slingshot."
"Have you heard the poem about Lizzie Borden?"
"Lizzie Borden took an axe… She didn't have a gun either."
"So, people kill people?"
"You're right. I think I've heard too much Politically Correct
crap."
 "Probably. I'm armed because in the past seven days I've
disabled three people, wounded two and killed four. And all to
protect my family and near neighbors. With the exception of the
person who grabbed one of my nieces at her father's graveside
service, all of this was within a quarter mile or less of where
we live."
"All because of the water being off?"
"Water related were the two that I wounded while they were trying
to break into the house to get to the water in the swimming pool
in the wee hours of Monday morning and the one impersonating a
member of the National Guard so he could kidnap women and girls -
he was dead as soon as he touched a member of my family. The
others were related to a neighbor and his brothers who planned to
beat his wife and children - one of them punching a nine year old
girl in my presence."
"I'll guess he didn't fare well."
"Dislocated elbow and knee. Had I known then what I found out
later about him mistreating his kids, the clean up would have
been with a shovel and a trash bag,"
"Remind me to never get you angry at me."
"I rarely get angry. I do get resolved to seeing things set
right."
"That's even scarier. I see Jerry Z's van so the others are here.
It's OK if you don't get all the names and faces the first day -
most of us didn't."
"I'm covered for voices, with a digital audio recorder so I can
put names and voices together when I review the meeting. There's
also the possibility that someone might put out an idea that
could be useful. That's too easy to miss if you only take paper
or tablet notes. The recorder makes the name to voice learning
easier and I'm sure we'll be doing more by phone and video
conferencing that in person."
"You may be better prepared for this meeting than I am. The team
will introduce themselves and give a one-liner about what they
do. Then grab a chair - there are place cards you can see the
spelling of each name. Details will come out as we eat. If you
have electronic images of your family, the podium has a
connection panel for the ceiling mounted projector."
"I only brought one picture, but it was made this morning."
"Use it if someone asks about your family."
---
"Jack, do you have family in the area?"
"Yes, Jerry Z. My cousin David Pope was killed when a truck hit
their van last Monday. I'm staying in the apartment over the
garage to help with details and help care for his kids."
"You have pictures?"
"Only one, but it was made this morning. On the left is David's
wife Sarah Pope and their kids Amelia, Celia and Paige. On the
right is the neighbor two houses down - and also best friends.
Mindy Davis and her kids Alicia, Leah and Rachel. We've been
staying at their house so there's always someone on watch to
protect the pool."
"You've had problems?"
"Three armed men tried to break down the front door in the wee
hours of Monday morning."
"The police stopped them?"
"No, Jerry Z. We're out in the county and the Sheriff's response
time is slow. I stopped them."
"How?"
"Warned them to drop the log they planned to use on the door.
When they dropped the log and pulled guns, I shot their hands."
"What did the police do to you when they got there?"
"County, not city. Sheriff's jurisdiction. The Deputy that
responded spotlighted them and told them he'd use his shotgun if
they didn't get on their knees. They were all cuffed and taken
away."
"But what did they do to you? You shot someone!"
"Sherry, 'they' didn't 'do' anything to me. The Deputy heard most
of the exchange. I was protecting two women and six girls under
age ten. I wounded two of the three armed men who were attempting
a home invasion. I chose not to kill them."
"How can you 'choose not to kill them'? Guns kill people!"
"No, Ed. People kill people. Any of you ever hear of Cain and
Abel? Or David and Goliath? Or Lizzie Borden? How many of them
had guns?"
"But…"
"Jerry A, I expected better of you. I know that you and Zeus
hunted together and…"
"You know Dad?"
"I named him 'Zombie Abercrombie' when he was reluctant to tell
us what the 'Z' stood for."
"Oh, Jeez! He'll hate that the world knows that nickname."
"SEALs are tough, Jerry. He'll survive."
"I'll tell him to blame you."
---
"Jack, I have a question about your family."
"Yes, Sherry?"
"Those girls seem very happy for children who just lost their
father. Where do you take them for therapy?"
"Not taking them anywhere. They get lap and shoulder time when
they need to cry or just be held and time to talk when they need
to talk. Grief must be worked out, but it's much easier in an
atmosphere of love. The children whose fathers were lost in the
American Revolution didn't have a degreed therapist at the end of
the block. They did have a loving, caring extended family. That
treatment is still available and it still works. It's probably
better than the therapist because therapists are only available 9
to 5 and a kid may need to be comforted in the middle of the
night. Saying 'You can talk to Doctor Bill at 4PM on Friday'
doesn't help a crying child at 2AM on Monday."
"Are you sure it works?"
"You saw their faces."
"Isn't that a mess with runny noses and all?"
"Kids are a mess that starts with the process of making them. If
you want small creatures that don't make a mess, get some wind-up
canaries. The evening of the accident, I had the older two lying
beside me with a towel across my shoulders and a head on each
shoulder. They cried and wailed and the towel was a snotty mess,
but they were starting their grieving process. We did that a
second time that evening and then I had to wash some very dirty
faces. They've had more opportunities since then. Not nice and
neat and clinical, but it's working for them."
"You and their mother have that much free time?"
"Sarah works at home, doing editing for a book publisher. I will
be working from home most of the time. Amelia has times when she
just needs physical contact. She wanted to be with me one
afternoon and I told her only if she could be still when I was
working - so she got in my lap and went to sleep with her head on
my shoulder while I read the HR paperwork. She awoke smiling
about an hour later. No degreed therapist; no questions to
explore her psyche. Just the type of care she needed to make her
feel safe and loved - and provided when she needed it."
"You do love those kids, don't you?"
"Just a little."
---
"Jack, Dad will want to at least speak to you."
"My cell number is on the card, Jerry."
"Thanks."
---
"Jack, this was one of our more interesting meetings. I had no
idea our corporate culture was so 'Politically Correct' about
guns. We sounded like a group from the Chicago Mayor's office.
One of the things you said finally got through to me: when
seconds count, the police are only minutes away. Had you not been
armed and watching, there's no telling what harm might have come
to those women and their children. I just got a wake up call
about being responsible for myself and my family. How do you know
Pete Connors?"
"Just from seeing him in action on the job. He's been the
responding officer for each of the neighborhood incidents."
"You think he'd be good as the head of security?"
"I've only seen him a few times, so my evaluation is based on
limited information, but from what I've seen he's calm under
pressure and can adapt his approach to whoever he's working with
- from a frightened child to a belligerent drunk to an armed home
invader. I know that he has four kids and the recent unrest has
him thinking that he should be spending his evenings with his
kids."
"Even with the conditions you put in your evaluation, he's head
and shoulders above the others who have applied. I hope he's as
interested in Bridges Data as I am in him."
"You may not want to comment about him being armed - it's part of
the uniform."
"You are bad, Jack, but it's good to have someone who isn't
afraid to poke fun at the boss. You mentioned the swimming pool.
Other than flushing toilets, what can you do with 5,000 gallons
of chlorinated and possibly peed in water?"
"Clean it up and use it for drinking, cooking and bathing."
"How?"
"Here's a list of sites that have info on water purification. The
ones that have checkmarks can have their ideas put together to
produce drinkable water from most sources. Most of the parts are
available at Wally World and the home centers. I picked up most
of the things on the way in today and I'll stop for some home
center things on the way home. I told the girls they could help
with building it. That's important to the older ones as they want
showers again."
"Showers with the water off?"
"Using the solar heated shower bags. There's an art to showering
with only five gallons of water, but we're getting close. There's
a 30 gallon barrel by the pool that we've used for solar heated
water, just refilling the shower bags as needed. Showers stopped
yesterday as the water level in the bathtubs is critical with no
word on when the 'repairs' will be completed. You could put up
bigger barrels and real shower heads, but you need a very sturdy
structure - water weighs a little over 8lbs a gallon so a filled
55 gallon barrel is approaching 500lb. It would also be harder to
fill a barrel mounted that high with just buckets. A pump would
be nice to have in that case. The 30 gallon barrel sits in the
sun on a concrete bench near the pool. It is easy to fill - using
a hose with a funnel in the bathroom and a large pitcher, plus it
warms to an acceptable temperature in a few hours. Using pool
water has an advantage at the moment. The pool is in the sun so
the water warms a little from that. If you have a pool cover, you
can retain some of that heat overnight. If you plan to distill
the water, those few degrees are energy you don't have to get
from wood or gas to heat the water to boiling. Boiling also
eliminates almost all micro-organisms and you pipe the steam to
the condenser and then to the sand, gravel and charcoal filter
which gets everything else and improves the taste."
"When I get back to the office, I'll check all those sites and
print out the instructions that I have the tools to use. My
fifteen year old daughter won't be getting her usual four showers
a day, but even one should make a major improvement in her
attitude. Thanks, Jack."
"You're welcome, Bob."
---
I did make the right choice of places to stop. All right turns
getting in and out. Enough supplies to make a second water filter
and some barrels and piece parts to harvest the rain that's
promised for Wednesday. I need to check the other girls to see
who calms me - I'll get more job-related work done in less time
that way and those girls will be happier. If I start having one
'snuggler' at night, I may be able to cut back on sleep without
affecting work performance. Just have to try adjusting my
schedule one hour at a time.
---
Tuesday, 15 September, 3:30PM
"Uncle Jack, you're back!"
"I think you made a rhyme, Paige."
"Can I sit in your lap while you work like Amelia and Alicia
did?"
"I'm doing that by age, so Celia, then Leah, then you, then
Rachel. I have things to do outside at both houses while the sun
is shining so lap time won't be until after that. Your turn might
be tomorrow."
"OK. If you say it, it'll happen that way. I'll get my turn."
"Yes, you will."
"What that kiss for?"
"For trusting me."
"Good things happen when I do."
---
"You're building what, Jack?"
"Rain barrels, Sarah, and at both houses. What have you heard
about the 'repairs' on the water system?"
"Some gobbledygook that they're passing off as technical terms
but even Celia is saying 'They said that yesterday'."
"So I want there to be an alternate water source at each house.
Rain is forecast for Wednesday through Friday. Based in the
predicted rainfall and the size of the roof, we can collect about
200 gallons from that much rain. We've managed a while on that
much and we'll be able to treat the pool water if we must use it.
The metal roofs on the houses will provide cleaner water than
what can be caught in the pool because animals will be in the
pool at night if we leave it uncovered to catch the rain. I can
also run the captured rainwater into the houses so our water
storage isn't obvious."
"Why the little barrels?"
"They will eventually be mounted high and plumbed directly to the
toilets. We'll still flush by color, but the older girls can be
in charge of flushing instead of one of us being needed to manage
a bucket."
"And I guess the flush water doesn't need treating?"
"Enough filtering to keep out trash that might affect the valves
in the toilet tanks."
"Amelia, Alicia."
"Yes, Uncle Jack?"
"Remember watching Alicia drill the hole for the faucet in the
solar shower barrel?"
"Un huh."
"I'm building some rain barrels. They will need similar faucets.
I'll mark and drill the pilot holes, then you two can drill the
big holes. Remember that the drill may grab when it goes through
so you must have a tight grip on it."
"I remember it twisting away from me."
"You'll need to be ready for that twist."
"What else can we do?"
"I've marked where the barrels will be with a white 'X'. I'll
need 8 of the concrete stepping stones close to each 'X'. If you
put 8 of the stepping stones in the yard cart or a red wagon,
you'll find it easier to move them than trying to carry one at a
time to each place. Here are some kid size work gloves. The
concrete can really scrape your hands so wear the gloves. When
you finish with delivering the stones, I'll have two drills here
for you to drill the barrels."
"What can we do, Mister Jack"
"Each barrel will need a hose to take care of the water that runs
out when it's full. Put one of these hoses and a couple of the
tie wraps near each 'X''. When we finish here, we'll go to Miss
Sarah's house and do the same thing there."
---
"Jack, why are there long hoses at each 'X'?"
"The outside barrels will be the first filter. The water that
comes out the overflow on each outside barrel will be brought to
the basement at the window in the back. Those hoses will then go
to the sand, gravel and charcoal filter that feeds the barrels in
the basement. With four barrels, you'll have 200 gallons of ready
to use water in the basement and another 200 in the outside
barrels that you can use for garden watering or do more
processing and have drinking water."
"But what if the water comes back on tomorrow?"
"You'll have something in case of future need."
"Well, Sarah, at least your crazy survivalist family member is
good with the kids."
"And he can cook."
---
"Are we done, Uncle Jack? I'm hungry."
"I thought you were Amelia."
"Uncle Jack!"
"Yes, we're done here for tonight. Help me gather the tools and
we'll put them in the wagon. When we're back at Miss Mindy's,
I'll fill the pot on the still with water from the pool and light
the burner. That will have to be checked every 30 minutes or so
and water added as needed. After I get things going, we can eat
and after we eat I'll check the pot again and can estimate how
soon it will need checking again."
"Does someone have a test time with me after supper?"
"Me, Uncle Jack. Then Leah."
"OK, Celia. Think about what will help you be quiet and still and
I'll see if it's something you can take."
"Yes, Uncle Jack."
---
"Thank you to the cooks. Since I was outside and so were some of
the kids from time to time, I don't know who made supper."
"Joint effort. Sarah and I each had a few things so we put them
together. We both need to go grocery shopping. The news did
mention 'some store damage in limited areas' so we may need to
plan on trying multiple stores until we find all we need."
"I think I should go with each of you separately. My corporate
credit card is also an ID at Costco so we can buy some things in
bulk. I'd suggest, rice, beans, sugar, flour, corn meal, coconut
oil, toilet paper, OTC medications for adults and kids, vitamins
for all, female supplies, pencils, pens, paper, books, batteries,
spices, oatmeal and probably a lot of things that are on one of
my computer lists but they're back in the apartment. I'll bring a
copy when I come back with Celia. I hate to spread gloom, but I
have a bad feeling about whatever is going on with the water
supply. I'll feel better if we have staples for several months."
"You're scaring me, Jack."
"Me, too, Jack."
"Sorry. It's that same nagging feeling that I had before the fake
Guard unit showed up."
"Based on that incident, I'll take your 'nagging feeling' and
work on a long term grocery list. When I was a kid, my
grandparents had a farm out in the middle of nowhere. They always
had lots of food put back because the winter snows were sometimes
measured in feet instead of inches and the roads out where they
lived might not be passable for a month or two. Grandma kept her
inventory on paper and I still remember reading it. Let me add to
the list."
"I'm going with you now, Uncle Jack?"
"Yes, Celia. Did you think about being quiet and still for a long
time?"
"Yes. I got three books I can read and if I get sleepy I have
Susie Bear to sleep with."
"Very good choices. Let's go."
"Hold my hand?"
"Of course."
"Can I sit in your lap?"
"Yes, you may."
"I said 'can'. You said 'may'. What's the difference?"
"'Can' is being able to. Can you climb up into my lap?"
"Yes."
"'May' is permission. Do you have permission to climb up?"
"Yes, you said 'may'."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"I'm up!"
"I'll be sitting here either reading or using the computer. How
will you sit so I can do that?"
"Like this?"
"Very good. Can you reach your books and your bear?"
"Yes. I am able to."
"Very good, smart girl."
---
She's been very good. Putting the books where she can reach them
with minimal movement and the bear in her lap under the book
she's reading. Better than I expected. More movement?
---
"Kiss me goodnight? Just a little one on the lips."
"Good night, Celia."
---
I should get the LDS worksheet for computing how much of what
type food for how many people for how long. Under 'preps'? Yes.
I'll put it on a thumb drive and print a copy to have the list of
foods. Also a list of other consumables. Back to work stuff.
---
I think this one is a keeper. I expected to be on this database
design for at least two hours but the draft is finished in an
hour and a half. Celia's been so still.
"Celia, wake up?"
"Wake up for bed time? It's dark outside."
"Not bed time yet. You did good job of being still."
"It was easy 'cause I sleep so good in your lap!"
"I enjoyed having you with me."
"Back to Miss Mindy's now?"
"Yes."
"I wanted some bedroom time."
"Remember when you did it two nights in a row before?"
"It hurt to sit. Can I just get some kissy-face?"
"I think some kisses and a butt rub."
"I'd like that. Give me your tongue!"
The little vacuum cleaner is at it again. Slip my hand down into
her underwear and gently rub and firmly squeeze that pretty
little butt.
 "I like that! Do me some more!"
"Take your shorts off and I'll kiss your pretty little butt."
"And put your tongue in my pussy?"
"For just a few minutes. They're expecting us back soon and I
don't think you want other people seeing your bare butt."
"No. Just you. Put a finger in me?"
"Sorry, but we must go. One more lick…"
"I love that!"
"And here's my tongue."
And the little vacuum would swallow it if she could. Hate to stop
her but we must.
"Why'd you tickle me?"
"Time to stop and I couldn't talk. A vacuum cleaner had my
tongue."
"I'm not a vacuum cleaner, but I guess I do suck it kinda hard."
"I think you might try to swallow it if it were longer."
"I tried but couldn't get it back far enough."
"One more kiss on this pretty little butt. Now cover it and we'll
go."
"Carry me?"
"This time."
"But maybe not next time?"
"Correct. It's only two houses and you run back and forth a lot
when you're swimming with Leah."
"So the carry is part of the reward for being quiet and still?"
"Yes. I'm working on another reward …"
"Tell me!"
"When I have the reward all worked out. In a few days. We're
here. Time to get down. Don't scrape your leg on the pistol
again."
"I remember. Left leg way out."
"Did she pass the test, Mister Jack?"
"Yes, Leah. You, Paige and Rachel get to try it tomorrow."
"Goody! I wanna do whatever Celia does with you."
"We'll talk more tomorrow."
"OK."
---
"Mindy, here's a food list from the LDS. I have the interactive
form on a thumb drive if you want to plug in some values and play
'what if'. There's also a 'consumables' list for non-food items."
"I'll take both. Celia seemed happy. Did she do OK?"
"Better than OK. Very good with handling her books. Very still
when sleeping and she also calms and focuses me. I accomplished
more than I expected to in the time allotted."
"I hope Leah does as well. They all want so much to have
one-on-one time with you."
"As much as I can manage."
"Compared to Carl, you're already well into their time allotment
for their teenage years."
"They are a joy to have around."
"That would never have come out of Carl's mouth. You have no idea
how happy you've made my girls. And how happy that makes me."
---
"Sarah, anything new and believable on the news?"
"'Slight unrest in limited areas'. Cindy Poole across the street
has a sister who's a nurse at County General. She said they have
patients lined up in the hallways."
"Sounds as though the county's water system has been contaminated
by some water-borne problem. At best, maybe stockyard runoff or a
tanker of some chemical wrecked somewhere that feeds the aquifer?
At worst, there's been some deliberate contamination. I think
we're fortunate that you live so far out from the water tower
that provides storage and pressure for this section of the
system. The water in the mains this far out was likely still
clean when we filled the tubs and other containers. Those closer
to the water tower would have gotten the contaminated water
faster. If that's the case, being truthful about the situation
and issuing an emergency 'boil water' order would have caused
fewer problems."
"How long would it take them to fix something like that?"
"That depends on what type of contamination and its source. For
stockyard runoff or a chemical spill up-river, they locate the
problem and ensure that more contaminant can't get into the
aquifer. The water processing plant should have been able to
handle most things but a tanker of some industrial chemical being
dumped in would require shutting down the system for disassembly
and cleaning of all the processing equipment, the quarter million
gallon tank that locals call 'the water tower' and flushing all
the distribution lines. And then waiting for the aquifer to
cleanse itself. It could be a contamination problem in the water
processing plant or something got into the water after processing
- a cracked pipe that let in who knows what. The solution is to
find the source, fix it and flush everything downstream of the
problem. Several days in any case."
"But it's been almost a week!"
"They may still be searching for the source of contamination or
it's taking them longer to control it. Or they don't have the
money to fix it and have had to go begging to the State or the
Feds.. There was an article in the paper the other day that
mentioned the last three rate increase requests had been denied.
If you don't want the local water and sewer systems to fall into
disrepair like the City of Atlanta, you must have funding to
maintain it. Telling the public the truth would keep down rumors
and might help control the 'slight unrest'."
"Jack, how much of the things on this list will fit in your
truck?"
"Let me separate it into 'bed' versus 'cab'. Quick guess: most of
it. Plan to go early and be armed."
"Multiple stores?"
"Yes. If the bed is full, it'll be a target, so one of us will
watch the truck while the other shops. I have a tarp to cover it,
but it doesn't hide the fact that something is there. Ideally,
Costco on the way out and these stores on the other side on the
way back. The first stop at Costco because the more of the list
we can cover there, the fewer stops we must make on the way
back."
"You may need the tarp. Wednesday's rain is now Tuesday rain -
accumulations of 1 to 2 inches."
"Then the work on the rain barrels was time well spent. We'll
have a good short term supply of water at both houses. Speaking
of water, has anyone been checking the still?"
"Yes, Mister Jack. I checked it twice and Amelia helped me get
another bucket of water in the pot each time. The gauge thingie
on the little LP tank was still in the green. The blue barrel has
a couple of inches of water in it."
"Thank you, girls. I'll go shut it down and we'll restart it in
the morning. Did anyone smell the water in the barrel?"
"I didn't smell anything, Uncle Jack."
"Thank you, Amelia. I'll do a one drop taste test while I'm out
there."
---
"Girls, bedtime."
"Yes, Momma."
"Mister Jack, do we get a bedtime story?"
"Yes. You were all good helpers today so you get two stories. You
can pick from these books. I'll hold up each book and you hold up
your hand if you want that one. The two books with the most votes
win."
---
"Sarah, he's teaching them how government works."
"Mindy, he rarely misses an opportunity for them to learn."
"But that's high school stuff!"
"No, most people don't understand how to introduce the process to
younger children."
"These kids are so lucky to have him for a teacher."
---
"Jammies and brush your teeth, girls. Then the stories you
chose."
"Mister Jack, do we hafta wear jammies?"
"For the stories, Alicia. You can sleep however you want, but I
don't want a lapful of naked little girls getting sidetracked
about things other than the stories."
"Yes, Mister Jack. Where do we sit?"
"Same as last time."
"OK."
"Once upon a time…"
---
"'And they lived sourly ever after'. I think you like the books I
picked out."
"They're fun!"
"Fun's over. To your beds. I'll check each room. Pucker up if you
want a goodnight kiss."
"OK."
"Paige?"
"Look what I can do with my boobie! If I squeeze it like this, it
sticks out almost as much as Celia's! It's puckered up too. Kiss
it!""
"OK."
"Now the other one!"
"OK."
"Now my lips!"
"OK, horny little girl."
"Put a finger in me?"
"Not tonight."
"Rachel?"
"My boobie won't squeeze up as big as Paige's but will you kiss
it anyway?"
"Yes."
"Now the other one?"
"Yes."
"Now my lips."
"Celia?"
"Put a finger in me while we kiss?"
"Not tonight."
"OK. Big pucker."
"Leah?"
"I heard. Just a kiss. Big pucker."
"Amelia?"
"Always! And rub my boobies and put a finger in me?"
"Just a kiss tonight."
"Alicia?"
"Always!"
---
Wednesday, 16 September, 3:30AM
Gunshots? No, more like artillery with flashes. The rain is early
and is a serious thunderstorm. Better check out the windows.
Already some small limbs down in the yard. Looks like there's a
tree across the street about a block up. Well that explains the
nightlight in the bathroom being off. Get my little Fenix
flashlight and click it to its lowest light setting while I check
the girls. Sniffling under the covers?
"Rachel?"
"M-M-Mister J-J-Jack?"
"What's wrong little one?"
"D-D-Daddy hit m-m-me if I c-c-cried when the th-th-thunder
sc-sc-scared me."
"Sweetie, it's OK to be scared and you know I won't hit you. You
want to snuggle up with Paige?"
"No, with you."
"I'm checking on all my girls and I can't do that if I'm carrying
you. You stay with Paige and I'll be back after I check the
others."
"OK."
"Paige?"
"It's dark, Uncle Jack."
Yes, the power is off. The storm blew a tree down and it landed
in the wires that bring us electricity. Rachel is scared of the
storm. Will you hold her?"
"Sure. Rachel, you can hold my bear and I'll hold you."
"OK."
---
More sniffling under the covers?
"Leah?"
"M-M-Mister J-J -Jack?"
"Yes. I know you're afraid of the storm and Rachel told me what
your Daddy did when you cried. Would you like for Celia to hold
you?"
"No, you hold me."
"I can't carry you and check on Amelia and Alicia. You stay with
Celia and I'll be back."
"OK."
"Celia?"
"It's dark, Uncle Jack."
"The storm knocked out the power. Leah's afraid of the storm.
Will you hold her while I check on Amelia and Alicia?"
"Yes. Here, Leah. You can hold Susie Bear and I'll hold you."
"Alicia?"
"I'm holding her, Uncle Jack. The storm scared her."
"And her Daddy hit them if they cried. Thank you, sweet girl."
"I'm just doing what you would do."
"The little ones want me to be with them. You OK to stay here and
hold Alicia or you want to come, too?"
"I can?"
"Of course. You two come with me and we'll get the others.
Remember when I had all of you on me or beside me?"
"I liked that!"
"Me, too!"
"We'll do that again. Paige and Rachel on top of me. Celia and
Leah beside me - remember which way Celia's cast need to be. You
two on the outside of your sisters."
"OK."
"Celia, Leah. Come with me."
"Yes, Uncle Jack."
"Paige, Rachel. Come with me."
"Yes, Uncle Jack."
"We all sleep with you?"
"Yes. Remember how you all got stacked on me before?"
"Un huh."
"Then we'll do that again."
"Paige, your butt is cold where it touches my butt."
"So's yours, Rachel."
"Maybe you two should have stayed in your jammies?"
"Un huh."
"Amelia, Alicia. Pull that blanket up over these cold butts when
you get in bed."
"OK. We're cold, too."
"The house cooled down rapidly when the storm came in. There's
another blanket at the foot of the bed if you need it."
---
Wednesday, 16 September, 6:00AM
"You awake, Jack?"
"Yes, Sarah, but I could use a little help with the girls."
"You slept like this all night?"
"No, just since I was awakened at 3:30 by thunder, lightning and
a falling tree. I checked on the girls and heard some sniffling
from covered heads…"
"Rachel and Leah."
"Yes. They wanted to be held so I had Paige hold Rachel and Celia
hold Leah while I checked on Amelia and Alicia. Amelia was
already awake and holding Alicia so I just brought them all to
this bigger bed. I could also provide a nightlight for one room
so they'd be less scared if the storm woke them again."
"They all went to bed naked?"
"I think they were hoping for 'other things' with their goodnight
kisses. They were all cold when they got in here so Amelia and
Alicia pulled up the blankets."
"Yeah, it is cold in the house. The storm must have dropped the
temperature 20 degrees. How do we cook? The stove is LP but has
electric igniters."
"Just click my Bic."
"You don't smoke."
"No, but I do occasionally need fire. I got the lighter out of
the little pack that's always on my belt before I checked on the
girls. Having been awakened rather scarily, they'll probably
sleep late unless you plan to enforce the school schedule."
"Considering how long it takes them to get back in 'school mode'
I'll be 'mean Mommy' and wake them near the usual time. On second
thought, I'll let you wake them so they'll all be in a better
mood."
"I see that no good deed goes unpunished."
"Come get a couple of burners lit and I'll get out the old coffee
pot and start on breakfast. Guess we'll be doing the backstroke
from the truck to each store."
"It is really coming down. I should check the barrels in the
basement."
"We could use more water."
---
"We already have more than 100 gallons down there and the rain is
coming down faster than the filter can handle it. As I can barely
see across the street and it's apparently been that way since the
wee hours, I'm not surprised that the filter doesn't have enough
capacity to keep up."
"And I have coffee for you."
"Thanks, Sarah. You didn't wake Mindy?"
"She's also afraid of storms. Possibly more afraid of what would
happen to her kids. She heard you with the girls and knew they
would be OK. I held her while she cried herself to sleep because
she couldn't fix that for them before."
"So you now have a younger sister to go with my six children?"
"Seemed that way last night. How can you tell it's been raining
that much?"
"The runoff down the street. It's a couple of inches of running
water in places. I'm guessing that there'll be flooding in
low-lying areas."
"How will we know? The power is off so no radio or TV."
"I may have to swim to my apartment, but I have a battery plus
wind-up AM/FM/weather radio there. Also a battery plus wind-up
lantern and a couple of squeeze flashlights. When we know how bad
and widespread the damage is from the storm, we may have an idea
of how long the power will be off. There's one tree down on the
next block that I'm sure is the nearest problem for us, but the
substation that feeds this area is almost two miles away."
"Go ahead. I'll have hot food waiting when you return."
---
"Jack, there are towels by the door and dry clothes and shoes in
the bathroom."
"Thanks. I'll go change. Even with the rain suit, the wind gets
water in every opening. I'll get the things out of my backpack
while I'm there. The pack is waterproof but there's a small flood
coming off it."
---
"You brought light!"
"Yes. And sound."
'This is the National Weather Service Forecast Office…'
"The lights are back on?"
"No, Mindy. More of Jack's portable magic. Battery radio and
wind-up lantern."
"What's the weather?"
"On now."
'Rain is expected to continue past midnight, with additional
accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. Flash flood watches are in effect
for the following counties…"
"Anything we can do about the rain?"
"Be well covered when you go out. Find things to keep the girls
busy because they will be inside all day. As much as they will
beg to, they won't be playing in the rain: too much lightning and
it's too cold, especially with the wind."
"Any ideas, Jack?"
"A couple. I picked these games up when I bought the books. One's
a little young for Amelia and Alicia but there's one that's 'ages
9 and up' so they should be OK with playing a 'little kid' game
if they get time to play their own."
"And they'll want you with them. Will the rain affect your
working from home?"
"Not the rain, but the power being out. The important equipment
is fed by a high-capacity UPS but it's only good for an hour or
so - it's been a long time since the falling tree woke me at
3:30. The laptop battery is good for something over an hour and I
have a 4G modem so I will have internet access for a while if the
cell towers are up. Guess I should have added 'backup power' to
my home office list. The rental shops, hardware stores and home
center stores are probably already out of generators. The gas
stations can't pump gas without power, which is their situation
unless they have a backup generator. I'll stop at the auto parts
place on the way to Costco and check into some big deep cycle
batteries and an inverter. At least keep the laptop and cell
phones charged and maybe power up the DSL modem and router for
email and some brief web browsing. I may try that if there's a
break in the rain. Leah can come with me. If she doesn't have
rain gear, a large trash bag makes a quick substitute."
"My phone's been 'searching' since I woke up."
"So no cell phones or cell-connected internet, either. The laptop
can handle DVD and Blu-ray video. We could let the kids have
'movie time' later - as long as it's a short movie. Not a big
screen, but for our media-addicted children a 17 inch screen
beats not having any TV. Should I wake the girls?"
"They're 30 minutes past the school schedule, so go ahead. We'll
work on breakfast."
---
"Good morning, Paige."
"Good morning, Uncle Jack. Was there a storm last night? Rachel's
holding me like crazy and I know she's afraid of thunder."
"Yes. A big storm. Some trees are down and the electricity is
off. Breakfast is in progress."
"I'll go when you get Rachel off me."
"Thank you for taking care of her."
"Good morning, Rachel."
"Good morning, Mister Jack. Is it still stormy?"
"Lots of rain but no thunder or lightning for a while. You can
let go of Paige now."
"Sorry, Paige. Storms scare me."
"And the things that happened during the storms scared you."
"Yes, but you and Paige made it better."
"Both of you get dressed and go down to breakfast. It's a little
cool for naked butts, even the pretty ones."
"You're silly, Mister Jack."
"Maybe, but I made you smile."
"Good morning, Celia."
"Good morning, Uncle Jack. Leah mumbled some but she did go back
to sleep. I'm glad I had my nap in your lap yesterday."
"Me, too, sweetie."
"Good morning, Leah."
"Good morning, Mister Jack. You didn't tease me about being
afraid of the storm. Why?"
"Almost everyone is afraid of something. Kids don't know as much
about the world around them as adults do, so there are more
things that scare them."
"You're nice. Celia, thank you for letting me use Susie Bear."
"You're welcome."
"Get up and dressed. It's too cool in the house for naked butts,
even these pretty ones."
"You're silly, Uncle Jack."
"Good morning, Amelia."
"Good morning, Uncle Jack."
"Good morning, Mister Jack. Do I get a kiss, too?"
"But you're already awake."
"I can pretend or I can snuggle on your shoulder and really go
back to sleep."
"Pretend."
"That was nice!"
"Get up and dressed. It's too cool in the house for naked butts,
even pretty ones."
"I'm glad you like my butt."
"Me, too."
---
"It's still raining?"
"Probably most of the day, Paige."
"Momma, the light in the fridge is out again."
"No, Alicia. The power is off. A tree fell on the power lines and
you can see it if you look out that window."
"So no TV?'
"No TV, no computers, handheld games only until the battery is
gone."
"What'll we do?"
"Maybe play one of these games? There are two that all of you can
play and one that's labeled 'ages 9 and up'. I also have some
other ideas."
"Can I get a shower?"
"Alicia, is there sunshine to warm the bag or barrel?"
"No, Mister Jack. We wash with cold water?"
"Just as your great-great grandparents did many years ago."
"We have water for washing now?"
"Remember helping me put the rain barrels together yesterday?"
"Un huh."
"The barrels in the basement are now half full of clean water.
That's the positive thing about this storm - the rain keeps
coming down and we keep collecting it. If I can find a small
drill-powered pump somewhere, I can get some of that water up to
the kitchen and bathrooms with much less work and mess than
carrying buckets up the stairs."
"I'm all for not using the buckets, Jack. Another errand while
we're out today?"
"Mindy, I planned to stop at an auto parts store and they might
have what I'm looking for. If not, there's at least one other
option at the auto parts store and there's also a hardware store
on the way back. I should check the garage for one of those
things. Be back in a minute."
---
"Find what you need?"
"A windshield washer pump. I thought I'd seen one on a low shelf.
If I take the battery from one of the vehicles, it can run the
pump to move the water. For washing, it'll be OK as is. For
drinking or cooking, run the water through the filter pitcher to
get the rubber taste out of it. The hoses aren't for drinking
water but I can look for that while I'm out."
"How does it work, Uncle Jack?"
"This hose connects to one of the barrels in the basement. The
hose will come over to the bottom of the stairs. The pump pushes
the water through the hose that comes up the stairs and into the
big pot. When this pot is full, you move the hose to the next pot
and so forth. For the drinking and cooking water, fill the filter
pitcher with the hose. There's not much flow here so this pump
won't get water to the bathroom upstairs. Is there an RV place
close by?"
"About a half mile beyond the Costco."
"I think an RV water pump would work to get water upstairs. Some
models have a 'demand' switch so they turn on when you turn the
faucet on and they turn off when you turn the faucet off. That
will be simpler than yelling up and down stairs to connect this
little pump to the battery or disconnect it. The RV shop will
also have hoses for potable water."
"What kind of water, Uncle Jack?"
"Potable. It's one word that means water that's OK to drink. In
this case, the water won't pick up a bad taste from the hose like
it does the garden hose."
"The water from the garden hose isn't bad when it's cold but it's
yucky when the hose is hot."
"Celia, that hose isn't intended for potable water so it can
affect the flavor of the water."
---
"Jack, I'm ready. Complete with list, firearm and rain gear."
"We want you to play the game with us, Da.. Mister Jack."
"Later, girls. We're going to get groceries so you'll have food
tomorrow."
"OK. That's important. You can go."
"Thank you, Rachel."
---
"Jack, do you realize that Rachel almost said 'Daddy'?"
"Yes, Sarah. That's scary. I want to care for these girls, but I
don't know that I can be a daddy to them."
"You already are. You're there when they need you."
"It's scary."
"You'll do great. Just keep loving each of them in the way that
she needs."
"I'll try."
---
"May I help you, sir?"
"If you have some golf cart batteries and interconnecting cables
and a selection of inverters. Also a couple of good used or
rebuilt GM S10 alternators."
"What vehicle?"
"Doesn't matter, just one that uses a V-belt. I'll be using it to
make a battery charger."
"Oh - you must be on the side of town where power is off. I heard
there were a lot of trees down."
"At least two on our street. And who knows how many in the two
miles to the substation."
"I also heard there were no generators for sale or rent 10
minutes after the stores opened up this morning. Your idea is a
good one. I'd suggest at least a 2000 watt inverter with a low
idle current, such as this one. There's less loss if you run 110
volt extension cords from a common inverter than trying to locate
multiple inverters where you need the power and running 0 gauge
cables to each inverter. 0 gauge cable is expensive.. If you plan
on running sophisticated electronics, you may need a sine wave
inverter. If that's the case, I'd suggest a sine wave inverter
sized for your electronics and a less expensive square wave
inverter for other things. Don't try to run large heating
appliances or things with motors from an inverter. They really
chew through the charge on the batteries."
"If this storm stays with us, we'll need some heat for the kids
tonight."
"Use an electric blanket. They don't use much power and they'll
keep the entire bed warm. Put multiple kids in one bed and
combine their body heat as well. For space heating, see Simon
down at the hardware store. He has kerosene heaters …."
"But they stink!"
"Not if you use them correctly, Ma'am. Take them outside to fill
and light. Let the flame stabilize before you bring it in Don't
let it run out of fuel - take it outside to extinguish it. Simon
still has an old-fashioned pump on an in-ground tank for his
kerosene so you can get the old red stuff for half the price of
the pretty clear stuff. If you handle the heaters properly, you
can't smell the difference. If you need cans for the kero, Simon
has those, too."
"How many of the batteries do you have?"
"I think twelve. Let me check. Junior, go count how many of the
big golf cart batteries we have."
"Yes, Pop."
---
"Fourteen of 'em."
"I'll take all of them and the cables to make three 12 volt sets
of four batteries in series-parallel and one 12 volt set of two
batteries in series plus three of the 2000 watt inverters and two
of the 500 watt sine wave inverters. And a couple of V-belts
about 38 to 40 inches circumference."
"And you let me run on about what type of inverter you needed."
"Just checking to see if you know what you're selling. I prefer
to do business with informed people."
"Company purchase?"
"Personal, but some for a home office."
"Then you get the corporate discount. You need delivery? It's
free with a purchase this size."
"I'll take the inverters, the alternators and the belts with me.
Delivery on the batteries."
"Good choice. Better that Junior moves those batteries than you
or me. These are dry charge batteries. You want us to add the
acid or would you prefer to do that after everything is in
place?"
"Probably best if I do it later. I'm not looking forward to
moving the batteries, but I'll have to put them in the intended
space and see how I can vent it. I may wind up moving them at
each location."
"Multiple delivery locations?"
"Houses two doors apart and a garage apartment behind one of the
houses."
"Then I'll call that one no-charge delivery. Thank you for the
business, Mr. Wilson."
"Call me Jack."
"OK, Jack. I'm Mike. Call if you need anything else. What time do
you need the batteries?"
"After we finish with today's errands. Does 3PM work?"
"He'll be there with a cart."
---
"Jack, my grandparents had kerosene heat and the house always
smelled. Can you actually control the smell?"
"Sarah, if you do what Mike said about lighting and extinguishing
it outside and you open a window just a little so you get some
fresh air in."
"OK, I'll try it. I don't want my kids cold and as much as they
might want to, they can't sleep piled up on you every night."
"There's the Costco. When we come out, I'll have the flat dolly
and you watch around us while I load the truck. Anyone buying
this much food is a potential target."
"You're scaring me again, Jack."
"Just trying to keep you aware."
---
"How do you spend $700 on food at Costco?"
"Buying staples, OTC medications, toilet paper and other
consumables for many months."
"Oh. Why ten metal trash cans with lids?"
"To keep the vermin out of those staples for many months."
"I'd have been looking on the Rubbermaid aisle."
"And paid ten times as much for the same volume of less durable
storage."
"You always have an answer."
"RV City looks more like a ghost town. The lights are on so let's
hope someone is home."
"May I help you?"
"Need three 12 volt water pumps. 60 psi demand. And some potable
water hoses - about 200 feet, plus a half dozen male and female
connectors."
"You're running your collected water to the second floor?"
"Yes."
"Did the same thing from our rain barrels. Better than the mess
of carrying buckets of water up the stairs."
"Also looking for some solar panels but your stock seems rather
limited."
"Overtaken by events. The newer motor homes and fifth wheel
trailers have at least some solar power factory installed. The
smaller campers don't have the roof wind load rating to handle
highway speeds with the panels in place. Very few want to go to
the trouble of removing and replacing the panels as part of
takedown and setup. If you'll take all of the solar gear -
panels, mounting brackets, cables, connectors, charge
controllers, spare parts - I'll let you have them for forty
percent of the last marked price. I have a mortgage payment due
and I need the cash."
"What happened? The size of the lot tells me you were doing well
at one time."
"Had major difficulties with the inventory software I was using.
They did an 'upgrade' that was hell on wheels wrong. I didn't
know how many of what was on hand and couldn't provide what the
customers wanted in a timely manner. The 'just in time' ordering
was always a week or two late and sometimes ordered such big lots
that the suppliers called to ask 'Do you really need 10,000 '. I
finally put together an Excel package that did what I needed and
did it correctly and on time, but then the bottom fell out of the
economy and recreational vehicles have been very slow to come
back. I am keeping my head above water with aftermarket sales and
repair work - just barely."
"I'm Jack Wilson. I work for Bridges Data and am always
interested in how other people manage inventory. Would you show
me what you created?"
"Certainly, Jack. I'm Leo Black."
---
"That works well, Leo. You a programmer by trade?"
"No, just picked things up as I needed them."
"This is good work. I'd like to show my boss some of your ideas."
"If you have a thumb drive, I'll give you a copy."
"Never leave home without it. And thank you."
"It is a thumb! Where'd you find this?"
"A promotional item from a Chinese vendor. It usually matches a
fellow geek's sense of humor. We'll be launching a new inventory
program, probably in less than a year. Would you be willing to be
a beta tester? I'll make sure that it can read your Excel files
and NOT modify them unless you force it to."
"Sounds interesting."
"Would you be interested in a customer support job where you find
what they need and translate people terms into 'geek speak'?"
"If things don't pick up here. My wife could probably handle most
of the things I'm doing now, so I could be available."
"You have an email address, Leo?"
"On my card and my cell number is on the back."
"I can't promise anything, but I'm sure my boss will at least be
interested in what you've accomplished."
"I appreciate it, Jack."
---
"Is all solar stuff that expensive?"
"That was a great deal for almost 3000 watts of solar panels and
accessories. Something less than one third of MSRP."
"Enough to run the house?"
"Only bits and pieces. The water pumps as needed. The TV and DVD
player for a movie a couple of times a week. The igniter on the
stove. Charge your cell phone when/if service is restored. Charge
a laptop. You'll find the charge controller display is helpful -
giving battery charge state, current charge rate, and hours to
full charge. Also the inverter panel - current load, hours to
shutdown…"
"Shutdown?"
"The inverter monitors the battery charge level and shuts down at
a programmed level. There are tradeoffs between how much you
discharge the battery and its useful lifetime. Many small
discharges do not age the battery as fast as a few large
discharges. Basically, if the inverter starts beeping, you need
to start shutting things down or you'll need to start the battery
charger I'll be building out of the old tiller I saw in the
garage."
"Mindy told me all about that tiller. It was part of Carl's
'gotta have a garden' project. The guy at Tractor Supply told him
it was too small for the kind of dirt we have here and that a
used unit didn't have a warranty. Carl started bulling his way
through the back yard with the tiller and made maybe ten feet
before it quit."
"The drive gear on the output of the gear reduction unit broke.
That older design used a V-belt and pulleys from the engine to
the reduction unit so the parts I need should still be OK."
"You think you have room in the truck for a kerosene heater and
fuel cans?"
"Sure do. I'll let the tailgate down and tie everything to the
rings in the bed and stake pockets on the sides."
"Better you than me."
---
"May I help you?"
"Mike at the auto parts store said I should ask for Simon if I
wanted kerosene heat."
"I'm Simon."
"I'm Jack. We're looking at a little heat in two houses and a
garage apartment."
"Any children?"
"Between the two houses, six and all under age ten."
"In the houses you'll want the accessory fiberglass cages that
keep little hands at least a foot away and the base extender that
makes the heater almost impossible to overturn. Did Mike tell you
how to keep the smell down?"
"He did."
"How much space will you be heating and for how long?"
---
"Two 28,000 BTU heaters, one 10,000BTU heater. Two cages. How
much kerosene?"
"I think I can fit three five gallon cans in with the heaters. If
the temperature predictions hold, that should last for a couple
of weeks."
 "Your estimate is good. Here's the total. Any of this for
business?"
 "I have an office in the apartment."
"Then you get the corporate discount. Here's the new total."
"That's very generous, Simon."
"I'm thinking ahead. Someday those little kids that stayed warm
will need other things."
"Excellent business philosophy."
"It's been working for our family for over a hundred years. If
you need more kero, come see me. The discount will still apply."
"Thank you, Simon."
---
"You estimated things well, Jack. We should be back ten minutes
before your delivery."
"I'll just have time to mark the locations of each group of
batteries. After they're in place, we'll enlist everyone to
unload the truck. Things will need to be staged so the trash cans
are in place before the bags and boxes to be stored in them and
the items split between the two houses - hopefully we won't be
doing 'pool watch' forever. We'll also need labels for the cans
so we know what the contents are. And they should be numbered.
The number will go under 'location' on the inventory list. Even
Paige and Rachel know their numbers and a few words so they can
retrieve oatmeal from can 3."
"You plan to make them feel as though they are helping."
"They will be helping if they save someone else a trip down and
back up - especially if you have other things going on - such as
food cooking."
"You're right. I've never been around anyone who thinks things
through like that."
"If your chances of being alive in the next minute may depend on
your choices an hour or a day or a week ago, it becomes a habit."
---
I hate working in the rain, but the batteries are all on their
pressure-treated wood platforms and enclosed with fiber glass
roofing panels on the top and sides. The top and one side are
hinged for easy access. They're all wired and the acid is in.
They're about 80 per cent charged so we can run the pumps to move
water as soon as I get the potable water hoses and the pumps in
place. The batteries will need to be moved to a vented inside
location at some point because they don't do well in freezing
temperatures but for a month or two they can stay where they are
and we can have a little power. I'll wait for a sunny day to
mount the solar panels - no ladder work in the rain for me. The
charge controllers are in place as are the inverters. The first
gas engine plus car alternator for charging the batteries can be
put together in the garage tomorrow if the rain continues. I
think we'll be OK on power tonight. I'll plug in the laptop and
run the movie for the kids on it - much less power than the big
screen TV. If the charger gets done tomorrow, they can get a
movie on the big screen but that will only be once or twice a
week while the power is off - the nearest gas station with power
is at Costco on the far side of town. I filled the truck while we
were there today, but I didn't think to get some cans for
additional gas. There's a couple of gallons in a can by the
garage so I'll use that for the charger..
I think Alicia and her sisters will want much more than good
night kisses tonight. They've been hugging me and rubbing body
parts against me at every opportunity. Leah did get her hour
while I worked on the laptop using the inverter to keep it
charged. She did very well and my hour was very productive. I
hope to get Paige and Rachel through that test tomorrow. Maybe
after the first gas engine charger is completed - I'll want to
check how quickly it can charge a set of batteries.
---
Wednesday, 16 September, 7:00PM
"You still working down there, Uncle Jack?"
"Yes, Amelia."
"Supper's ready."
"Be right up."
 "So we get running water tonight?"
"After a fashion. There'll be on demand cold water at the kitchen
sink and the sink in the big bathroom upstairs. It should be OK
for all uses - drinking, cooking, washing. Do NOT use it for
flushing. We'll bring in pool water for that or we might make
washing hands in a pan the only choice and dump that water in a
bucket for flushing.. And we'll continue to flush by color."
"Can we see TV tonight?"
"Paige, a movie on my laptop…"
"Not the big TV?"
"No, Celia. We have limited power available from the big
batteries that were delivered today and we must be very careful
with what we have, just as we are careful with the water."
"OK. Better than not having any TV."
 "There are three movies for you to choose from. You'll vote as
you did for the books last night."
"We get to choose?"
"Yes, Leah."
"I like having choices. You're nice. I wish you were my daddy."
"Thank you, Leah."
"Why did you thank me?"
"Because what you said made me feel very good."
"You make me feel good, too."
"Clear the table, girls.. Then you can pick the movie."
"Yes, Momma."
---
"Jack, did Leah flash you when she said you made her feel good?"
"Yes, Mindy, but don't say anything to her about it. All three of
them have found excuses to hug me or rub some body part against
me multiple times today. Remember that they slept naked either on
or next to me for part of the night. They were scared when I
collected them from their rooms and had reason to be holding on
to me tightly. Had I thought about it, I would have gotten them
back in their jammies. Since I didn't, we have a group of horny
little girls and I think they've chosen me to 'help' them with
that."
"As the only man that's ever truly cared for them as people,
you've been elected by a landslide. Do whatever they need. I know
you won't hurt them; you'll just make them feel safe and loved.
Meanwhile, go watch the movie with them and let them crawl all
over you."
"Yes, Ma'am."
---
"Can I be in your lap?"
"Put you arm around me."
"Me, too."
"OK."
"Lean over so I can whisper to you."
'I love you, Mister Jack. Will you put your thing in me tonight?'
"I gotta tell you something, too."
'I love you, Mister Jack. Will you put your thing in me tonight?'
"I want my head on your shoulder."
'I love you, Mister Jack. Will you put your thing in me tonight?'
'We'll talk more when I kiss each of you goodnight.'
'Is that a 'yes'?'
'Think about it.'
---
"Hi there, upside down girl."
'I couldn't get to you because of the others so I came around
behind the sofa. Are you gonna do all of them tonight, Uncle
Jack?'
'What happens when you need me, Amelia?'
'You'll make them very happy.'
"What's with all the whispering, Jack?"
"Mindy, you don't think I'd tell a pretty girl's secrets, do
you?"
"I don't think you'd kiss and tell."
---
'Alicia, Momma just said she didn't think Mister Jack would kiss
and tell. Do you think she knows?'
'Leah, does she look mad?'
'No.'
'Then I guess she doesn't know. Remember to whisper and to not
get loud when he makes you feel good. It's not like we'll be in
his apartment where Momma can't hear us.'
'That'll be hard. He makes me feel so good!'
'You're too loud.'
'Sorry. But it's so hard to keep it inside and he only has his
arm around me.'
'I know. Bite your tongue or something.'
---
Wednesday, 16 September, 10:00PM
"Time for bed, girls. Remember that you will need your jammies to
stay warm."
"Yes, Momma."
"The bathroom's too dark to brush my teeth."
"Alicia, Amelia. I have a squeeze flashlight for each of you.
Five squeezes will give about a minute of light, so twenty
squeezes should be enough for your sisters to brush, then a few
more squeezes so you have light to brush. Keep the flashlights
near you in case anyone needs to be up during the night. Remember
that the power is off so we don't have little conveniences like
nightlights. You don't want to break a toe by walking into
something in the dark. Other girls, if you need something during
the night ask your big sister."
"Yes, Uncle Jack."
"Yes, Mister Jack."
"Read us a story?"
"You got a movie tonight instead of a bedtime story. I'll still
do goodnight kisses. When I come into your room, pucker up if you
want a kiss."
"Paige?"
"Big pucker."
'I think Rachel needs you up her butt.'
'I think so, too."
"Rachel?"
"Big pucker."
'Take me to your bedroom and do me in the butt?'
'After I kiss the others.'
"Celia?"
"Bigger pucker."
'I think Leah needs you inside her.'
'I do, too."
"Leah?"
"Even bigger pucker."
'Put your thing in all my holes tonight?'
'After I kiss the others and take care of Rachel.'
"Amelia?"
"Always!"
'Alicia needs you to do her good.'
'I think so, too.'
"Alicia?"
"Always!"
'Do me everywhere tonight?'
'After I take care of Rachel and Leah.'
'Remind them not to get loud.'
'I will. Remind you, too?'
'Just keep your mouth over mine.'
'That might work.'
---
"Are you up to this much activity, Jack? These kids seem to have
almost unlimited energy for some things."
"I'm fine, Mindy. These kids also have almost unlimited needs in
some areas."
"You may an unconventional parent, but you're exactly what they
need."
 "I hope to be."
---
'Rachel?'
'Carry me?'
'Yes.'
'And rub my butt while you walk?'
'Yes.'
'Alicia said not to get so loud that Momma hears us. How do I do
that?'
'Like this.'
'But I can't reach your mouth like that when your dick is in my
butt.'
 'You can try sucking on my tongue. I don't think you can breathe
if I put my hand over your face.'
'That would be scary. That's what cousin Seth did so nobody could
hear me yell when we were all watching TV and I was in his lap.
He put it in really deep and it hurt a lot and I don't remember
anything else until I woke up and saw the blood. Uncle Edgar saw
what Seth did and he did it, too. Only he's bigger and it hurt
more and when I woke up that time there was more blood. Would
duct tape work?'
'It would work but it hurts when you pull it off. I'll just
remind you and put my finger on your lips if you get too loud.'
'I get naked now?'
'No. I undress you now'
'And suck my toes and stuff?'
'Yes toes and stuff.'
'I like that! Do the other foot!'
'Shh."
'Sorry, but it's been a long time.'
'Not that long, Rachel. You've only known me a week.'
'After doing it with you and knowing how good it can be, not
doing it for a day seems like a long time. Lick it again! Do the
other one!'
'Shh.'
'Sorry, Mister Jack. It's just so hard to be quiet when something
feels this good! Sorry again'
'Now your jammie bottoms.'
'Hold me between your legs so the hair tickles my butt and pussy
and nibble my ear.'
'Nibble your earlobes?'
'Yes! Sorry, it's too good to be quiet.'
'Let me put the KY on me and on and in you and you come do
liplock if you need help staying quiet then scoot back and take
me in just a little. You may not get as deep but it will be
quieter.'
'I'll try without the liplock so I can get it deeper. So big.'
'You said that before.'
'But it doesn't hurt when you do it.'
'We talked about that, too.'
'You let me choose how much and how fast. I like doing this with
you! Sorry.'
'Scoot back a little more and suck my tongue.'
'Gmph'
I think that was good. A little more and I'll rub one of her
dirty spots.
'Ymfs'
I think that was a yes. Now the other dirty spot. And some in and
out.
'GMPH'
I think that was a bigger good. Now some KY and a finger in your
pretty little pussy.
"GM...'
And she's out of it. Wipe off the KY. Dress this limp doll. Kiss
these pretty lips. Back to her bed.
---
"Uncle Jack?"
"Paige, I'm just tucking Rachel in."
"Did you make her feel good?"
"You don't ask and I don't tell."
"You don't hafta. She only smiles like that when she's had
special time with you."
"Are you sure you're only four?"
"Un huh. But you've been teaching us about ob-serv-ant."
"You are learning quickly."
"You're a good teacher and my lips like your rewards."
"Goodnight, Paige."
"Kiss me goodnight again? And rub my butt?"
"Since you've been waiting with your butt naked since I took
Rachel with me, I can do that."
"You kissed my other lips. And rubbed my butt. Can we do more?"
"Not tonight."
'Leah?'
'I've been waiting.'
'I can tell, naked girl. Your butt will get cold if it's not
covered so I'll take your jammies to put on you after you faint.'
'You're not doing it extra long so I don't faint?'
'Not tonight. It's been a long day for me and Alicia is waiting
for me after I take care of you.'
'Alicia said not to get loud.'
'What if we did this?'
'I like that way of being quiet.'
'Toes first.'
'Yes!'
'Shh.'
'Sorry. I know you can't kiss me and suck my toes at the same
time. You'd need another mouth.'
'What if I sucked your toes and Alicia kissed you at the same
time?'
'You think she would?'
'Ask her tomorrow.'
'That sounds like fun! Sorry. Kiss me and put your dick in me so
I can get the really good feeling and not be too loud.'
'First the KY on me and on and in you. Now scoot back on me.'
'So big. So good.'
'Kiss me and I'll do the in and out.'
'Dpr.'
I think that was deeper and I know she's OK until I hit bottom. A
little more and she's humping with me. A little deeper this
stroke and I've bottomed out. Such a willing - no, eager -
partner. She's straining for it. Wish I could let her know how it
feels to be squirted in when she's this close - but at least I'm
now able to do this much. She's so close and moving so fast. I
think she'll be sore in the morning but I think she needs this. A
little KY on my finger and put it in her pretty little butt…
'GM…'
She's done. Wipe off the KY. Put the jammies back on. Carry her
back to her bed.
"Uncle Jack?"
"Celia, I'm just tucking Leah in."
"You did her good, Uncle Jack. She's limp like a sock but she's
got a big smile."
"Where'd you learn all this?"
"Watching you with Amelia the other night."
---
'Alicia?'
'I'm ready, Mister Jack. Put it in me.'
'Not here. Bring your jammies. Next time let me undress you.'
'Why?'
'Jammies because your butt will get cold without them when I
carry you back to bed. Stay dressed because I'll suck your toes
and lick your thighs when I undress you.'
'I don't get to stay awake tonight?'
'It's late, so I won't work on that, just on the good feeling. If
you can stay awake, it'll be a reward for extra effort.'
'OK. But walk faster. I can't wait!'
'Shh.'
'Sorry.'
'Lips. Bee stings. Pussy.'
'It's so good when you kiss me all over.'
'As wet as your pussy is, I think you're ready but let's use a
little KY. On me. On and in you.'
'I like your touch.'
'Sit down and take me in.'
'So big. So good.'
'Now lean forward and kiss me. If we stay in liplock you won't be
as loud.'
'Dpr.'
I think that was deeper but she's on top so I'll let her do most
of the deeper and faster although I'll add to it from time to
time. She didn't expect that and is trying to get that deep
again. I'll hump her again and hold it so she can stay bottomed
out. She's getting faster and more desperate. If I didn't have my
arms behind her I think she'd be off me - and maybe off the bed.
She's trying so hard. I'll add an incentive. A little KY on my
finger and put it all the way in her butt on her next down
stroke.
'GMP...'
She's done. I'm not but that just means that I could care for all
three of them tonight. Pump her slowly for as long as I can stand
the tingle without the release of ejaculation. This is so good! A
beautiful and willing partner - actually, three of them tonight -
and they asked me! Nothing like being wanted by a beautiful
female or three or six to make you feel incredibly alive. Time to
stop. Wipe off the KY. Put this limp beauty back in her jammies.
Carry her back to her bed - I might not be doing 'back to her
bed' in a few days.
"Uncle Jack?"
"Amelia, I'm just tucking Alicia in."
'She looks all fucked out."
"Where are you learning words like that?"
"Some from you; some from Amelia and her sisters. They've been
telling me a lot that happened to them. Can we talk?"
"Yes, sweet girl. Come with me. We can talk and you can get some
lap and shoulder time if you need it."
"I need it. Uncle Jack, what happened to them was awful!"
"I know."
"You do?"
"Remember the papers I was reading the other day? The ones with
Alicia's name on them?"
"You said they were transpires or something."
"Transcripts - a paper copy of what someone said. All that they
told the detectives in their interviews."
"But it was awful! And they were hurt! And…"
"Shh. I know. It hurts to know that someone you care about has
been hurt."
"It sure does!"
"It's OK to cry it out."
"I'll get your shirt all snotty!"
"And that's important?"
"It's not important to you. I'm important to you. And so are all
us girls."
"I might like you a little bit."
"You love us more than I can measure!"
"I might."
"No. You do. Can I sleep on your shoulder?"
"Yes. I think you need some time being held."
"Un huh!"
---
Thursday, 17 September, 4:00AM
Something sounds different. It's not sound - it's the lack of
sound. The rain has stopped. When things dry out enough, I can
put up the solar panels.
I'm very rested for no longer than I've slept. Having my shoulder
decoration has worked its magic again. How beautiful she is!
"Uncle Jack?"
"Yes?"
"It sounds different?"
"The rain has stopped, at least for a while."
"There's a drop on my face. Is the roof leaking?"
"No. Just my eyes."
"You're crying? Why?"
"I was watching this incredible, beautiful, caring girl sleep and
the love just ran out my eyes."
"You say the nicest things, Uncle Jack! I love you, too, but I
don't know if I love you that much."
"Maybe when you're bigger you'll have room for more love."
"Maybe. I hope I have room for something else, too. Kiss me
goodnight again?"
"Yes, sweet girl."
---
Thursday, 17 September, 6:20AM
"Jack, you awake yet?"
"Yes, Sarah. Shall I go wake the other girls?"
"Other girls?"
"One has been with me most of the night. She needed to talk about
what Alicia and her sisters had told her and she needed some lap
and shoulder time."
"I guess she did need lap and shoulder time. But you didn't need
to let her have your shoulder for the night."
"We both did. She's sleeps better on my shoulder. I sleep better
when she's with me. Remember that I've been testing the other
girls for that calming effect?"
"I should remember it. Celia was happy that she 'did good' on the
test. You 'do good' with waking these kids, so go do your morning
chores."
"It's a terrible job but someone must do it."
"On the positive side, you and they all enjoy it. Mindy's till
amazed that what seems like a little thing - a good morning kiss
- has her girls up and pleasant every day."
"Just the type of caring needed, when it's needed."
"And the right man to do it. You go do this terrible chore and
I'll start coffee."
"Good morning, Amelia."
"Good morning, Uncle Jack! I got to sleep on your shoulder last
night. And we talked when the rain stopped. And you love me more
than I can imagine. It makes me feel good just thinking about
being loved that much!"
"And some of the love just leaked out of your eye?"
"Un huh. I'm so glad you're here."
"Me, too."
---
"Good morning, Paige."
"Good morning, Uncle Jack. Rachel slept real good. I woke up when
the rain stopped but that's not scary so I went back to sleep.
Rachel never knew."
"Good morning, Rachel."
"Good morning, Daddy."
"Do you know that you just called me 'Daddy'?"
"Un huh. You're the best Daddy in the world and you're here so
you're my Daddy now. What was that kiss for?"
"For being such a loving, caring person. I think your should ask
your Mommy before you call me anything other than 'Mister Jack'."
"I'll ask, but I don't care what she says. In my head you'll
always be 'Daddy'."
"Good morning, Celia."
"Good morning, Uncle Jack. Leah slept real good. She said 'Daddy'
a lot but she was hugging and kissing in her dream. She musta
been dreaming of someone else."
"Good morning, Leah."
"Good morning, Da... Mister Jack."
"Good morning, Alicia."
"Good morning, Mister Jack. Where's Amelia?"
"She wanted to talk with me when I brought you back to bed and
she spent the rest of the night snuggled on my shoulder."
"Talk about what?"
"You and your sisters and what you'd told her about what happened
to all of you."
"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry! "Pl-Pl-Please d-d-don't hit m-m-me!"
"Alicia, look at me."
"Yes, M-M-Mister J-J-Jack?"
"Have I ever hit you?"
"No."
"Is there any reason I should hit you now?"
"I t-t-told her wh-wh-what happened and she t-t-told you. You're
m-m-mad at m-m-me!"
"Do I look mad?"
"No."
"Do I sound mad?"
"No."
"Do you need a hug?"
"Yes!"
"Better now?"
Un huh. You're not m-m-mad at m-m-me for sc-sc-scaring Amelia?"
"She asked you questions and you answered, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"So it can't be your fault if you didn't start it?"
"I guess not - now you'll be m-m-mad at Amelia!"
"Why would I be mad at Amelia for being a loving, caring friend
to someone?"
"Y-Y-You're n-n-not m-m-mad?"
"Do I look mad?"
"You said that before."
"Does 'mad' give you hugs?"
"No."
"So all I did was answer your question about where Amelia was and
that started this long discussion?"
"Yes. I wasn't in trouble?"
"No."
"You were just answering my question?"
"Yes."
"You always take good care of us. You listen and let us explain.
Can you be my new Daddy?"
"Thank you for the compliment, Alicia, but you should check with
your mother before you call me anything other than 'Mister
Jack'."
"Yes, Da… Mister Jack."
---
"Mindy, there's a delegation to see you."
"Yes, girls?"
"Momma, we want Mister Jack to be our new Daddy."
"He'd have to be married to me for you to have him for a Daddy
and he's not interested in being married."
"But, Momma…"
"However, he might look old enough to be a grandfather so what if
you call him 'Poppa', which is what I called my grandfather?"
"We can?"
"If he's OK with it."
"Mister Jack! Mister Jack! Momma says you'd have to be married to
her for us to call you 'Daddy' but you might be old enough to be
a grandfather and we could call you 'Poppa' like she called her
grandfather. Can we?"
"Please?"
"Pretty please?"
"I think that might work."
"I love you, Poppa."
"Me, too, Poppa."
"Me, three, Poppa."
"I might like you just a little…"
"Just a lot!"
"Big lot!"
"No, I'm not a store."
"Bad pun, Mi… Poppa!"
"Granddaughters…"
"That's nice."
"You, too, Rachel."
"I get a special name, Leah?"
"Yes. He's the grandfather and you're a granddaughter."
"Yes, Poppa?
"Let's not tell anyone outside the family until you always
remember to say 'Poppa'. They'll wonder what's going on if you
switch between 'Mister Jack' and 'Poppa'."
"Like all of Daddy's friends that we called 'uncle' because he'd
hit us if we didn't? But we want to call you 'Poppa'. We got to
choose."
 "Correct, granddaughters."
"I like that, too."
---
"You did it again, Uncle Jack."
"Did what, Amelia?"
"Became family to some little girls that needed you. You're nice.
I like you and I love you. I'm glad we found you."
"I rather like being with my new family."
"We know."
---
"What's the ladder for, Jack?"
"Solar panel installation, Sarah. I can manage the mounting
brackets and the smaller panels, but I'll need help with the
larger panels. I'll get the brackets in place, then you or Mindy
can bring a panel up the ladder and hand it to me."
"I thought the panels were flat on the roof?"
"The best angle for the panels varies during the year, but
there's a compromise angle that works OK all year. That angle
depends on where you are on the planet. These brackets are
adjustable, so if there's a need to get every possible electron
out of the panels we can make that adjustment. Remember that I'm
doing this as an expedient source of limited power, not as the
primary source. To use solar as a primary source, we'd need many
more panels and batteries and much larger inverters."
"The connectors only go one way, Uncle Jack?"
"Yes, Celia. They're designed so you can't easily connect the
panels the wrong way."
"So it'll still work if you don't read the instructions?"
"Yes, Amelia. Or if you're in a hurry or you're tired and not
thinking about what you're doing."
"Idiot proof?"
"Close, but idiots can be very creative."
---
"It's your house, Mindy. You want to make the last connection?"
"Yes."
"Momma, the light on the panel just went from red to green!"
"That's good, Alicia. Can you read the words on the display?"
"Charging. 17 amps. 12.7 volts."
"That's one working.. I'll need helpers at the other house and my
apartment."
"Me, Uncle Jack."
"Yes, Amelia."
"Me, Poppa."
"Yes, Alicia."
"I wanna swim."
"Me, too."
"Me."
"Me, too."
"Help Mindy with the sun shower bags and filling the sun water
heater barrel so you can get showers after you swim."
"Can we swim after we finish, Uncle Jack?"
"Yes, Amelia. I need some helpers but my kids also need some fun
time."
"You said 'my kids' again."
"I know."
"I like that."
---
"Last connection, Sarah. You want to do the honors?"
"Certainly."
"Momma, the light is green and it has 'charging'."
---
"Two more systems and one of them is very small."
"Two more, Poppa?"
"One for my apartment and one for the surveillance system."
"Surveillance?"
"Yes, Alicia. Monitoring the cameras and other sensors set up
around the houses and yards so we'll know if someone is trying to
get where they shouldn't be."
"Like the people trying to get to the pool?"
"Yes. We don't have enough people to be watching two houses, the
apartment, the yards and the pool all day and all night. The
computer that all the cameras and sensors go to will be 'awake'
all the time and can tell if someone moves in front of a camera
or shakes the gate or tries to open a window."
"And that's what the small system powers?"
"The solar system is the backup for the surveillance system. We
still expect to get power back in a few days, so the solar
systems are also for backup the next time the power is off."
"That's been about three times every year, Jack. Usually for just
a few hours but sometimes for a day or longer."
"Have you heard anything 'new' on the news today?"
"National Guard will be at the park with water at 2PM each day
this week. Nothing more on the 'repairs'."
"I should turn off the water heaters at both houses and the
apartment. No point in burning LP gas to heat water we can't
easily use. Anything else?"
"Line crews are coming from several states to work on downed
lines and should be in this area Friday."
"'Should be'. I think we'll finish the solar installations and I
could use some help building the charger."
"Me, Uncle Jack."
"Me, Poppa."
"Check with your mothers for clothes that you can get greasy and
grubby dirty. The engine on that old tiller still runs but it has
at least ten years of grease and dirt on it. Not just your jeans
and shirt and socks and shoes - old underwear, too. I don't know
how careful you might be in watching where you sit on the garage
floor."
---
"Jack, will you be finished by supper time?"
"Yes, Sarah. I'll have Amelia and Alicia show me that they know
how to connect and start the charger and then you and Mindy."
"OK."
"So I turn the key to 'Run' and flip the switch to 'Start' and
then pull the cord."
"It'll start easier if you remember to move the throttle to
'Fast' and the choke to 'Start'. Now put your foot here and pull
hard with both hands."
"It's hard!"
"I think I said that. You may not be strong enough yet to do
this. Try again?"
"Yes. Alicia, put your foot here to hold it and I'll pull like
this."
 "It's going, but not very good."
"Move the choke back to 'Run'."
"That sounds better."
"Now connect the cables."
"They have to one-way connectors on them, too."
"Isn't it easier that way?"
"Un huh. Now flip the switch from 'Start/Stop' to 'Charge'?"
"Correct."
"It slowed down."
"It's charging the batteries, so the engine is working harder.
Think about running. What happens when you start up a hill."
"I go slower 'cause it's harder. Oh - this is the same thing."
"How long does it run?"
"Until the display on the charge controller shows 14.2 volts."
"The thingie with the red and green lights?"
"Yes. It also has the words 'Solar Charge Controller' on it."
"Then we just turn the key to 'Stop'?"
"No. Flip the switch from 'Charge' to 'Start/Stop'. Then
disconnect the cables. Then turn the key to 'Off'."
"Does it matter whether you do the cables or the key first?"
"It matters for the 'Charge' switch because you could get a big
spark if you disconnect them while it's in 'Charge' position.
Electrically, the sequence of engine off and cable disconnect
doesn't matter but someone might turn off the engine and forget
to disconnect the cables. What would happen if someone else tried
to move the charger?"
"They might break the cables?"
"Yes. Do you think you would disconnect the cables and then
forget to turn off the engine?"
"No. It's too noisy."
"Is there a good reason that the instructions are in the order
that they are?"
"So you can't forget to do things."
"Very good, smart girl."
"It works the same at all the places there are batteries?"
"Yes, granddaughter. It's easier if they all work the same way."
"I like being called 'granddaughter'"
"Uncle Jack is good about doing things we like."
"Un huh!"
"What's the battery voltage on the charge controller?"
"13.8 It's getting closer. How much longer?"
"I don't know. That's why I've been making notes of the battery
voltage, the solar panel current and the time the charger has
been running so I can make good estimates in the future."
"But couldn't we just look at the battery voltage?"
"Maybe you need to know how much gasoline you'll need for how
many hours of charging?"
"I guess that's important. No gas means no charge and that means
no TV."
"And 'no' to some other things you might like to have."
"You charged the tablets!"
"Don't touch until you've washed you hands thoroughly. You start
with this hand cleaner. Rub it harder on the dirtiest spots. Get
some under your fingernails. Under your toenails if you used your
feet…"
"You're silly, Uncle Jack!"
"But he makes stuff fun, Amelia!"
"He sure does!."
"Now this brush. Knuckles. Fingertips. Fingernails. Heels of your
hands…"
"Poppa, feet have heels, not hands!"
"What else would you call the part of your hand here?"
"I guess it's kinda in the same place as the heel of your foot."
"He knows so much stuff."
"Rinse. Use your fingers then the brush. If there are still
greasy spots, I'll help you with the hand cleaner so you don't
get water in it."
"Why?"
"Because water in this type hand cleaner causes it to change from
the cream to this greasy feeling liquid."
"That's yucky!"
"It still works OK but I didn't think you'd like the feel."
"OK, Poppa. You put more on the dirty spots."
"Would it take off Paige and Rachel's 'dirty spots'?"
"Amelia, you're awful!"
"No, she's just sounding like a teenager. I think we'll put her
in the doghouse next door tonight. If you snuggle up with the
dog, you might not be too cold."
"That's mean, Uncle Jack!"
"Any meaner than what you said, Amelia?"
"No. I'm sorry, Uncle Jack. It's OK to tease a little but I
shouldn't be mean."
"OK. Back to your hands. Some lather from the lather dispenser
because it's easier to use than a bar of soap and won't leave the
bar dirty if you forget to rinse it off."
"You're smart, Poppa."
"Some of the smarts rub off one of my smart girls when she hugs
me."
"You're silly."
"And you're both smiling. Go get your mothers and you can show
them how to connect, start, stop and disconnect the charger."
"OK."
---
"Momma, Uncle Jack wants you outside."
"OK, Amelia. How did you get those clothes so dirty?"
"Working."
"You too, Momma."
"OK, Alicia. Your clothes are as bad as Amelia's. I guess you
were working too?"
"Yes, Momma."
"What now, Jack?"
"You daughters want to show you how to use the battery charger
they helped build."
"Are you sure that's the same tiller that was out here?"
"Very sure. My assistants worked hard to have their creation look
as good as it works."
"It looks almost new! No wonder you got so dirty, Alicia. That
thing was dirty when your Daddy bought it and it's been out here
for several years. Now what are you going to show us?"
"First read the instruction sheet Poppa helped us make."
"Line drawings and everything. This is good!"
"There's a reason I call them my smart girls."
"Girls, Mindy and I would like to try this from the instruction
sheet. Stop us if we miss a step or do it wrong."
"I see where my girls get their independent streak."
"You said 'my girls' again, Uncle Jack - twice."
"I know. I do claim all of you."
"You sure know how to make them happy, Jack. Alicia hasn't ever
heard that from a man."
"David loved them but he didn't say 'my girls' very often. Mostly
'the girls'. There is so much difference between those two
phrases."
"Go ahead, Momma."
---
"Other than forgetting the choke - which just might run in the
family - the two of you did well. Just be sure to check the stock
of gas regularly if the power outage continues."
"I think we could probably use the100 or so gallons from the
three tanks on Carl's truck. He won't be using it any time soon
and I won't be making payments on it. The repo guys can have it."
"Then there's gas for a while, just need cans to put it in."
"Look up in the shelves at the top of the garage. Before Carl got
the extra tanks installed, he always had three or four cans of
gas in the bed of the truck."
"Then we should transfer the gas to the cans for future use."
"Momma, somebody's at the back gate!"
"Sarah, you back there?"
"Coming, Dad."
"Grandpa Joe!"
"I love being mobbed by all these smiling children!"
"We got running water upstairs."
"We got a movie on the big TV last night."
"Someone explain things to me? I know the water isn't on. I saw a
tree in the power lines a block away so I doubt that normal power
is on in this block."
"Poppa is real smart."
"Poppa?"
"We've been calling him 'Mister Jack' but we decided he's the
best Daddy in the world so wanted to call him 'Daddy' but Momma
said they'd have to married before we could call him 'Daddy' and
he's not interested in being married but he's old enough to be a
grandfather and we could call him 'Poppa' like she did her
grandfather if it was OK with him. And he said 'yes'."
"Young lady, you should be a lawyer when you grow up. Anyone that
can run that much wordage with that much excitement is either
lawyer or infomercial material."
"C'mon and I'll show you what we built."
"We?"
"Yes, Dad. Jack has had the girls - and occasionally Mindy and me
- working on all these things."
"Lead on, Alicia."
"We have four rain barrels under the downspouts. They go to the
filter barrels with sand and gravel and charcoal in them to clean
the water. Water from a metal roof is pretty clean so the filters
work good.. These hoses from the filter barrels go to the four
barrels in the basement 'cause water goes downhill on its own and
you don't need a pump. This hose goes from these barrels to the
pump. Then up the stairs to the kitchen. There's a faucet in the
kitchen and one in the big bathroom upstairs. That's where this
hose goes. The hoses have a 'K' if they go to the kitchen and a
'B' if they go to the bathroom. The pump runs on the big
batteries on the patio. We helped Poppa build the stand and the
cover but Momma and Miss Sarah had to help him move the
batteries. Each one weighs more than me! The batteries are wired
to the inverter for the TV and DVD and things like charging
phones and laptop computers and our tablets! The inverter is on
the basement wall close to the window by the batteries. That's
where the wires for the batteries and the solar panels get into
the basement. There's also where wires from the batteries go to
connect to the charger we helped Poppa build - that's how Amelia
and me got our clothes so dirty."
"You are definitely lawyer material. You said all that and drug
us through the house almost without stopping for breath. Anything
else I should know about?"
"One of the little things that the cooks like - the spark
igniters on the stove are also working."
"And the charger they helped build is out back."
"I'd like to see that."
"We can show you how it works!"
"Go ahead, Amelia."
"You read, Alicia."
---
"I need your foot on here."
---
"Connected?"
"Yes."
"Charge switch on."
---
"They're good, Jack."
"They're also very good helpers, Joe."
"I came to ask if Sarah and Mindy and their kids needed anything,
but you may be set up better than I am. How much of this was
already here?"
"Just the broken tiller. We've been accumulating and building the
last few days."
"Can you run the furnace from that inverter? It was cool last
night but the forecast is for tonight's low to be ten degrees
colder."
"Could run the furnace, but not for long - that batteries aren't
big enough and I don't want the noise of the charger running at
night if I can avoid it. We have kerosene heaters and enough
kerosene for a week or more. There are also some electric
blankets in storage. One of those can warm a bed and multiple
kids in one bed can share body heat. They'll be grabbing clothes
as soon as they're out of bed, but they'll sleep warm. Think
1850's when the kitchen stove or the wood stove in the living
room was the center of family activity in cold weather and
bedrooms were just for sleeping because they were too cold for
anything else."
"You OK on food?"
"Did you notice the metal trash cans in the basement?"
"Yes, but they didn't register as 'food'."
"Think wagon train and staples in wooden barrels. We're just
using metal because they were available and are almost
vermin-proof storage for rice, beans, corn meal, flour, sugar,
etc."
"What's the buy-in?"
"What?"
"What would it cost me to buy into this prepared community?"
"Sarah? Mindy?"
"Bring your own food, Dad - I don't remember if you have any
dietary restrictions. Maybe reimburse Jack for some of what he
spent getting all this together. His corporate credit card is
probably maxed out and I saw him pulling the last few bills out
of his wallet to ensure that 'his girls' had what they needed."
"'His girls'? I think I see what's driving him. Since the primary
thing I can bring is money, I think his generosity should at
least be reimbursed if not rewarded. I can't provide for them
this well, as generators aren't available, the nearest gas
station with power is at Costco and I have no idea how to make
rainwater drinkable."
"Grandpa Joe, we also get warm showers. We fill the shower bags
and leave them in the sun to warm then fill the sun water heater
barrel and let it get warm. We can get showers for almost all of
us."
"Anything else that works?"
"We flush the toilets with water from the pool. And Uncle Jack
has a still and filters for the pool water so we can use it for
washing us and our clothes. And a wind-up radio and a wind-up
lantern and squeeze flashlights for me and Alicia to help the
little ones because we don't have nightlights any more."
"Having the older children care for the younger children -
responsibility that makes them feel needed and helps them to
grow. Glad you're family, Jack. How are you running the pool pump
for the filter?"
"Not running that pump - not enough capacity in the batteries.
All the checking is manual and it gets stirred with a boat oar
when we add chemicals. After 30 minutes, it's usually OK for the
kids to use and they stir it the rest of the way as they splash.
Still doing the proper things, just dropped back a few
generations of technology. If the power is back on in less than a
week, it will probably be OK as there are only a few kids using
the pool. Not like the need for filtering that you get from
having wall to wall people in a pool. If the power isn't back on,
we'll be closing the pool."
"Jack, ladies. If I can use the guest room at Sarah's house, I'll
bring my contributions back with my clothes. Anything else?"
"We've all been staying here to keep watch over the pool, as we
did have a group that wanted to take it. For convenience, having
a few more of the sun shower bags would allow anyone at Sarah's
to shower there. There's an RV dealer about a half mile beyond
Costco. Check with Leo and tell him I sent you. If you want to
add to the kerosene stock, Simon at the hardware store has the
best price. Also tell him that I sent you. We could use a couple
of five gallon gas cans and a siphon pump. There's plenty of gas
in Carl's truck and he isn't likely to need it any time soon."
"And I note that nothing in that list is for you, Jack."
"I'm loved by six beautiful young ladies so I'm richer than
Solomon. What more do I need?"
"Perhaps some time to apply to your job? Bob Bridges is already
singing your praises for things you suggested at that
meet-and-greet lunch. Things he had no idea you knew about. I
think his words were something like 'Where did you find this
century's reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci.'? I'm sure you
could coast for weeks before he noticed you weren't around, but I
think you'll be happier if you feel you're being productive."
"I've done a little in email and I did find some ideas he'll want
to examine, a potential beta tester for the new software and a
possible future field-level customer support person. All of that
while out looking for things yesterday and today."
"That would probably a good week's work, let alone a couple of
days. I can take care of the girls if you need a break."
"Three I can handle. Six are beginning to wear on me. I'm no
longer 20-something but I do enjoy each unique personality. I
have discovered something about the older girls. If they are with
me and quiet - in my lap reading or taking a nap, I'm calmer and
more focused and I get more work done in a given amount of time.
I haven't yet tested whether that works with Paige and Rachel,
but they're on my list for tomorrow. Amelia makes my sleep more
restful, having had her want head-on-shoulder time after the
upsetting events of a couple of recent days and nights. She told
me she also sleeps better. If the other girls provide the same
sleep improvement as Amelia, I'll let one sleep on my shoulder
each night. If they want other things, I'll try to take care of
them."
"I'm amazed at how your 'granddaughters' have blossomed in your
care. It may be unconventional but it works better than any other
'therapy' I've seen. I'm still laughing at the image of Amelia
and Alicia with greasy faces and clothes and their big grins
proudly showing me what they'd worked on. I know that tiller is
old - I had one like it years ago - but they did a great job of
cleaning it up. Their Uncle and Poppa did a damned fine job on
their self esteem as well. I noticed all the girls' smiles when
Sarah mentioned 'his girls'. They feel that they belong but to
someone they chose who has now also claimed them."
"I might like them a little bit."
"'Little' as in one of the atomic bombs that ended World War Two
was 'Little Boy'. They know how much you care."
"Dad, you want to eat with us? It's ready to be put on the
table."
"Please stay, Grandpa Joe."
"How could I say 'no'?"
---
"What kind of light is this in the kitchen?"
"It's a battery plus wind-up LED lantern. The hook lets it hang
from almost anything and the stand is adjustable to direct the
light when it's on a table or the floor. Setting it upside down
and pointing it at the ceiling gives good light for watching TV -
that's not likely to be more than a short movie for the girls
once or twice a week. Same type power for the AM/FM/weather
radio."
"What about the fridge and freezer?"
"Thought there might be a problem when the storm prediction
changed so quickly, so the freezer compartment of the fridge and
all the empty space in the chest freezer in the basement were
filled with gallon jugs of water - I think it was distilled water
not used in the humidifiers in the girls' bedrooms last winter.
Anyway, lots of eight pound blocks of ice and they stay frozen
for a while if the fridge door stays shut. The chest freezer is
wrapped in blankets and we've removed a couple of jugs a day to
keep the fridge cool. We picked up some dry ice while we were out
today. It's in the chest freezer refreezing some of the jugs and
that'll extend the cooling for a few days. If we had a spring on
the property, we could build a springhouse. Not as cold as a
modern fridge but cool enough to extend the life of foodstuffs by
a day or two."
"We have a regular Daniel Boone here."
"More like something from Little House on the Prairie."
"Do you have those books, Poppa?"
"Sarah or Mindy?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
"Sarah, your copy of Little House is probably still in the attic.
I can bring it back."
"Thank you, Grandpa Joe!"
"What are your plans, Joe?"
"It's a little late to be shopping tonight. Things are not going
well with the water staying off and you don't want to be out
after dark. I'll be back with my things and what's on the short
list you gave me before lunch tomorrow."
"You gonna stay with us, Grandpa Joe?"
"Yes. I don't have running water or a working TV at my house and
you have both plus a pool."
"Uncle Jack is smart."
"I think someone said that earlier."
"Tell your Grandpa bye and it'll be time for bed."
"Movie tonight?"
"No. Movie only once or twice a week until we know how much power
we are using and can budget things day-by-day. You will get a
story - a new one."
"Goody!"
"Jack, do you ever pass a bookstore or a book table in a store
without buying another book?"
"Sarah, that depends on the circumstances and the books
available."
"I think that probably translates to 'no' most of the time."
"Jammies and teeth brushed if you want your story. You will want
jammies tonight and there are extra blankets for the beds."
---
"We're done."
"I need to stick a finger in the middle to see if it's done."
"That tickles!"
"Then maybe you're done."
"We sit like before?"
"Yes. Once upon a time…"
---
"'The end'."
"You didn't say 'ever after'."
"Paige, this book doesn't have 'ever after'."
"You got another book that's different."
"Did you like it?"
"Yes!"
"Then it's OK to not have 'ever after'?"
"Except about us. We want to be happily ever after."
"I'll do my best on that, Rachel."
"I know."
"To bed. Goodnight kisses as usual."
"Paige?"
"Big pucker."
"Rachel?"
"Big pucker."
"I love you, Poppa."
"I love you, granddaughter."
"'Granddaughter' makes me feel good all over."
"Celia?"
"Big pucker?"
"Leah?"
"Big pucker."
"I love you, Poppa."
"I love you, granddaughter."
"'Granddaughter' makes me feel good all over."
"Amelia?"
"You don't hafta ask. I'm always gonna say 'always'."
"Not everyone has always had choices, so I'll ask each of you."
"I know. You're nice like that."
"Alicia?"
"You don't hafta ask, but I'm glad you do. I love you, Poppa."
"I love you, granddaughter."
"'Granddaughter' makes me feel good all over."
---
"Jack, do you plan on working at your job at least some this
week?"
"Sarah, the time I spent with Leo is job-related and probably
would have been worth the trip and the time had we not gotten any
supplies from him. I want to get the batteries at each location
topped off with the charger tomorrow. That means I'll wheel it to
your house and charge the batteries for the house, the apartment
and the surveillance system. I'll take Paige with me for an hour
and when I bring her back I'll take Rachel for an hour. You might
give them some suggestions that would help them be quiet and
still for an hour - or that helps them get to sleep for a nap.
Naps are also 'quiet and still'. That should give me two good
hours of work time and while I'm there I'll be available to help
Joe move in. With just Joe at your house, the solar panels may be
enough to keep the batteries charged. If I'm not using a printer,
the solar panels may provide all the power the apartment needs.
Speaking of printers, the 3D printer I ordered should arrive
today. They should call from the Computer Cave when it's
available. That's another errand to run. This time I might take
Amelia and Alicia because they've been so willing to help with
the work we've done."
"I think they liked spending time with you where the other girls
wouldn't interrupt them. I can't see the younger ones getting
into the greasy mess Amelia and Alicia worked on."
"I was very proud of them for getting past the 'Yuck!' comments
and getting the work done. These kids have become a big part of
my life."
 "I can tell that and they can tell that. I'm not surprised that
Mindy's girls asked for you to be 'Daddy' when the difference
between you and all the other men they've known finally sank in.
You care. You let them choose. Voting on which book or which
movie is a big deal for kids who've never had options like that.
I know; you're getting them ready for making bigger and harder
choices later. But your way of doing it has them fully engaged. I
know; you like them a little. Go to bed, Jack. You've been
working on something all day today and you'll have a busy day
tomorrow, starting with the 'chore' of waking six kids - who
absolutely adore your idea of what an 'alarm clock' should be
like."
---

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Moderation Team due to inadequate formatting.

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