Postby Alex95 » Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:42 pm
SATURDAY
Saturday morning began the way that it always did on the farm for
Norma. She got up a little before 6 and made her way to the bathroom.
Her husband was already gone out to work and more than likely took
Robbie along with him for the morning milking. Today was going to be
a typical Saturday on her end of things. She still had some
reservations about sending Zac over to Tammy's house for the day.
However, her son was insistent on it. Zac had seen Tammy at school a
few short times in passing the previous week. She was a year his
junior and a grade behind him in school because of it. He saw here a
couple of times in passing through the hallway. The only time they
got a chance to meet up and talk was during the second recess of the
day,. The children at his school got two recesses a day. The first
was after their respective lunch hours and the second was towards the
end of the day where each teacher took the children out to play for
around 20 minutes or so. Tammy's class and Zac's shared this time of
the day.
Originally, the plan for the day had been open, but after talking with
Zac, Tammy and he were going to meet up at her house part way through
the morning and do some skating. She had managed to get her skates
unpacked and was eager to join her new friend in his favorite hobby.
Although Zac assumed that Tammy would share a bus route with him.
There was only one bus that came out this far into the country, she
didn't. She either took a different bus, or maybe she teleported to
school. Either way, Zac didn't see her on the school bus. It was
certainly too far to walk, Nearly 20 miles, although his father had
done it barefoot through the snow uphill both ways in his youth. Well
at least his great grandfather had. Zac had relayed all that
information to his mother over the past couple of days in preparation
for the coming of this visit. He had most of the details worked out.
Still, Norma had her concerns with the matter. She slipped out of her
robe and into a hot shower. It was still early and she liked to take
advantage of this small block of time she had to herself before the
family rose and everything got started for the day. Norma took a long
hot shower letting the water slide over her and some of the concerns
that she had flow down the drain at her feet. She was an over
protective mother, she knew that. There was no secret about it.
Still, her children were not 5 any more and as they got older they
would want more independence. There was no getting around that.
Emily already knew about the GPS device in her watch. Zac still hadn't
figured it out, but sooner or later he would. That was certain or
maybe she should just tell him the truth of the matter and have it
over with. He had never fought her about anything she had done to keep
him safe. Even when that meant he was tethered to a tree with a child
harness and 100 feet of rope. It seemed so long ago. where did the
time go as she got older.
Norma stepped out of the shower and began to dry herself off and get
dressed. She had brought clothes in with her as was her custom. She
situated herself in a pair of blue jeans and a comfortable top. It was
getting warmer outside, but things would shape up well enough. Once
she was dressed, Norma made her way towards the lower floor of the
house. She made her way into the kitchen and began getting set up for
the morning. The family's routine was pretty well set. Her husband
would get up a little after 5 and rouse their eldest child to head out
to the barn. It wouldn't be too long before Zac would be joining
Robbie in this task. Oh well, better to let him be a child for
another couple of years if they could. Norma thought to herself.
Robbie was not a farmer, but he needed the money to keep that old
vehicle of his moving. He was quickly making the transition to being
a morning person that was sure enough on the matter.
Norma set out the skillet and opened up the box of bus quick. She
added eggs and water to the mix and set her kitchen mixer on a slow
speed with a 5 minute timer. She was doing pancakes this morning.
Norma was a farmer's wife through and through and she had become quite
skilled at managing her time. The five minutes that the batter was
mixing, she used to her advantage. Norma check the watches, her phone,
and the walkie talkies to make sure they were all charged and in
working order. It wouldn't be long before Zac was up and Emily had to
get up early this morning as well. Her main concern with this visit
wasn't it's nature, it was that Zac was her youngest and she was the
most protective of him. If Robbie wanted to go over to a new friends
house that would be fine. He was old enough to take care of himself
and she stayed out his affairs that did not concern her directly.
However, Zac was only 10 and while she had met Tammy and her mother
twice now, she was still unsure on the matter a little. That was why
Emily was going along with Zac.
Her middle child was not thrilled with the idea of getting up early
and going over to play with 2 younger children, one of them she had
never met. However, a simple promise from her mother had changed her
mind on the matter. She wanted another set of the pajamas that her
mother had brought back with her from their shopping trip the previous
Sunday. Zac had worn a set of his to bed once since they got them.
His room unlike the rest of the house lacked air conditioning. He
found them a little to warm for this time of year. But, he still
managed to make it through the night with them on. Emily on the other
hand fell in love with them the moment she got them. She had been
disheartened two nights ago when her mother had told her she had to
wear something else to bed. It couldn't be helped after 4 days of
wearing, they needed a run through the laundry. She promised to pick
Emily up a second pair if she went along with Zac and kept an eye on
him. Provided the store still had one.
Zac, on the other hand had a more mixed reaction to the items she had
purchased for him. He like the pj's well enough, but said he would
wait until it was cooler out to wear them and found them a home in his
dresser. The handcuffs were a different matter. Norma had seen him
using them several times since they had got home with them the prior
weekend. He had worn them a couple of times in his room after the
initial day and for a hour and a half block while watching television
after school. He had just sat their with his arms behind him and paid
attention to the TV. She dismissed the matter outright, it was just a
child playing with a new toy. The same could not be said for the
skating pads she had purchased for him. Zac had only worn his skates
once for an hour or so after school earlier that week. It was a rainy
afternoon and he spent a good portion of it circling the basement. She
had happened upon him while changing out a load of laundry. He wore
the little yellow and blue plastic skates on his feet and his helmet
on his head. However, the pads were absent from his promise to use
them. She had checked their location the following morning while he
was at school. They were still left unopened under his bed in their
original bag.
Sometimes a mother's instincts are correct. She knew that she would
buy them and they would sit and collect dust. Oh well, she thought
she still had the original receipt sitting around. He wouldn't miss
them, he had never even taken them out of the package. She was taking
Emily shopping for new clothes this weekend. She knew better than to
take two of her children clothes shopping together. All that lead to
was a one waiting and throwing a fit because of it. She would just
collect the skating pads and return them tomorrow and that would be
the end of it. The cut on Zac's let was healing nicely. It would be
back to normal in a few more days and she could put this whole
business behind them. She poured the first batch of batter onto the
skillet and watched and the first pancake took shape before her. Norma
had a flipper in one hand and a plate with a top made of aluminum foil
ready to collect the finished pancakes and keep them warm. The whole
process would only take her about 15 minutes and she cold provide her
family with a hot delicious breakfast.
She recollected her thoughts on the matter. This was a good thing
after all, it would be nice for Zac to have another child his own age
to play with in the area. He had formed a connection with Tammy during
their first meeting and both her mother and Norma could see a
friendship begin to blossom out of the meeting. Norma was making a
friend of her own. She had made the trip over to meet up with her new
neighbor a few days ago. She had been welcomed with a glass of iced
tea and a long warm welcoming conversation. The two of them talked
quite a bit, and had a lot in common especially raising children. She
had another free hour, and called the woman the following day. They
talked for quite a while as well then. Everything seemed well enough
with the matter.
Norma flipped the next pancake as she heard the first sign of movements from her younger children. She knew Zac would be up early this morning. He had been all excited about the visit today. However, the sounds were coming from upstairs rather than down the basement. Emily usually slept later than Zac did, but unless the house was haunted, there was nobody else upstairs to make such a noise. It lasted for a moment or two, then it made it's way towards the top of the stair and began it's decent. The young lady rounded the corner and made her way into the kitchen.
"Good morning Emily. You are up early this morning, may I inquire what all the rush is about?" Norma asked shifting her attention to her daughter and away from the food.
"Good morn Mom. Have you seen my skates anywhere? I haven't used them in since Tracey's party last year and I cannot find them this morning." Emily replied.
Norma turned to reply and looked Emily over. She was not herself at all this morning. Well, she was, but not what Norma expected. It was unusual for Emily to be up this early, and usually she spent as much time as she could in her pajamas especially on the weekends. However, this morning Emily was already up and dressed. The young lady was wearing a white shirt with a pink overall jumper with the skirt stopping just a few inches short of her knees. She was also wearing a set of purple leggins with a white floral print, white socks and a pair of black mary jane flats. Her hair was neatly combed and parted in the middle with a hair band tucked behind her ears. She looked like she was ready for church more than breakfast. Norma put the matter aside and focused on answering her daughter's question.
"I think they are out in the garage dear by the front of the car in the trunk. We still have a few minutes until breakfast, why don't you go out and look while I finish up cooking." Norma explained and returned to her cooking.
Emily didn't respond verbally. She just nodded and made her way out the front door of the house. The screen door opened and closed behind her quickly. Norma noted that she didn't have her pink wrist watch, but she knew where Emily was going and she would be back soon. Emily's mother pulled 3 cakes off the griddle and poured the second to last batch of batter into place. The table was already set, a courtesy that Robbie afforded her before departing for the morning. Soon, the whole family would be gathered around it for breakfast that morning. She didn't have much time to reflect on Emily as she began to hear a familiar thumping sound coming up the stairs. Apparently Zac was not only conscious, but already knew where his skates were unlike his sister. They were on his feet Norma could tell by the racket coming up the basement steps. It was a normal Saturday morning alright.
Zac opened the basement door and stepped out from behind it. He closed it gently and then glided across the room to his normal place at the table in a few short steps. He arrived without a word and just pulled his chair out from the table. The boy seated himself and scooted back in the seat. He allowed his legs to dangle just off the floor. Even with the skates, his feet were still an inch or two short of resting on it. Zac's outfit was nothing special. Blue jeans and a red t-shirt. He was wearing white socks underneath the plastic roller skates since they wouldn't fit over his shoes any more. Norma paid him no mind other than a quick glance. He was sitting at the table with his hands folded on his lap underneath it. He had his signature helmet on, but she decided to spare him his childhood nickname.
The next five minutes passed in silence. Robbie and his father were not back yet, but that didn't stop Norma from serving up breakfast. She had just finished taking the last pancake off of the skillet and placing it on the plate. Well, Zac was here so he might as well eat it while it was hot. She lifted the plate of pancakes and made her way to where her son was seated at the table. She crossed the room and placed two pancakes on Zac's plate, before seating and serving herself. She placed the remaining food in the center of the table. The two of them began to eat.
"Mom, can you pass the syrup?" Zac asked seeing that his mother had finished using it. Norma nodded and handed it across the table. She almost stopped dead staring at her son as he took the bottle from her.
"You're wearing the pads ?" She asked almost in disbelief seeing the wrist guard on her sons hand now that it was above the table.
"Yup, they're a little heavier than the old ones. I guess that makes them safer." Zac replied with a warm smile taking the syrup from his mother. He applied it to his pancakes. That was all Norma got out of him. He spend the remainder of the time they were together eating. Emily rejoined the group shortly after they had started eating. She returned in the house carrying a set of roller blades. She deposited them on the floor by the front door and came around to take her seat at the table. Norma was already dishing up pancakes for her.
"Well, well little crab, it looks like you have some new armor. Where did you get those from?" Emily asked looking at her little brother.
"Mom got them for me when we went." Zac paused to take a bite of pancake and swallow it. "went shopping last Sunday." He finished following up the bite with a drink of milk from his glass.
"Good, little crab." Emily teased tapping the back of Zac's helmet. "We don't want you getting hurt again now do we." Zac just shook his head and kept on eating. Emily sat down and joined the meal. The three family members ate together sharing some light conversation and their plans for the day. When they were finished, Norma came over and went over the plan with both of them. They were expected at Tammy's house in about an hour. She handed the two of them their watches and a she gave Emily a radio. She instructed them to keep track of the time and keep the watches on them at all times. Also, Emily was to check in with her every hour or so over the radio. Emily slipped the watch around her wrist and took the radio in one hand. Zac's watch wouldn't fit over the wrist pads so it ended up in his pocket.
The two children each grabbed a light jacket and put them on over what they were wearing. It was not all that cold outside. It was in the mid 50's for the moment and it would get warmer as the day wore on. Still, Norma didn't want them sick for school and she got no argument from the two children. Before long they were off, Zac skating along and Emily waling with her roller blades in hand. Norma sat down again to wait for the other two members of her family to return from their labors. They were not overdo, just not early as she had hoped they would be.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Emily and Zac began to make their way across the property together. They took their time, it had rained two days earlier and there were puddles along various points on the trail they were taking. Emily didn't want to get wet and Zac with skates on had to be even more careful than his sister. His skating pads were a good fit and had plenty of room to grow. It had been quite a while since the last time he skated with this much gear. It took some adjustments on his part to get used to it again. The knee and elbow pads wrapped around his limbs first with a light mesh, and then tightened with a strap on the top and bottom of the pads. The pads themselves were of a heavy plastic and solid construction. They were skateboarding pads according to the package and a little heavier than the ones he had worn when he was much younger.
The brother and sister seemed and odd pair as they made their way through the woods towards their destination. It was a nice day with a fair amount of cloud cover. The overhead clouds blocked the sun and kept the temperature down to a comfortable level. They both knew the route comfortably and it took them a little under 35 minutes to make the journey over to Tammy's house. The pair arrived with a lot less fanfare than Zac had the week before. It was still early morning and the duo crossed the yard without idle conversation. They were making their way towards the front door when a window on the side of the house opened quite suddenly. A familiar head popped out, well at least it was familiar to Zac from the week before.
"Oh, I wasn't expecting you so soon. I guess your mother wasn't kidding when she told me that you were early risers on that farm of yours. Glad you could make it back Zac, and you must be Emily." Sarah comment yelling at the two out the window trying to make sure her voice bridged the distance between them.
"Hi, . . . ." Zac stopped for a second not being able to recall the name. "Mrs. Tammy's mom." He finished looking back at the woman staring out the window.
"It's nice to meet you, thanks for having us over." Emily interrupted trying to bring a more polite response than her brother's blatant one.
"It's nice to meet you as well. You can call me Sarah if you want. Anyways I will let Tammy know you two are hear. You are welcome to start skating in the driveway. I am sure that she will be right out." Sarah added as she closed the window. "Tammy they're . . . . . " The rest of her words were lost into the silence as she moved out of sound range from the pair.
Zac and Emily took her up on her invitation and made their way down to the driveway. Zac started making a pass towards the length of it almost immediately after they arrived. Emily seated herself on the ground in front of the garage and began to exchange her Mary Janes for the pink roller blades that she has brought from home. She set her mind dividing her attention between what she was doing and keeping an eye on Zac out of her spare focus. She had promised Norma that she would watch out for him, not that he really needed much looking after under these circumstances. Zac was a better skater than she was by far. He Skated more hours in a normal week than she spent eating. He was wearing toy skates which, were much easier to control than her roller blades. Finally, he was padded up like a new skater. The chances of him getting hurt out here were minimal at best. However, the week before had proved otherwise.
She fastened the final strap on the top of her roller blades and rose slowly to her feet. Emily was not as practiced as her brother. It had probably been at least 3 months since the last time she has wheels under her feet. She was a little unstable to say the least on the matter. She bravely let go of the garage wall that she was using for support and glided forward a few steps. The process was easy enough. A few short controlled strokes and using her arms for balance. She made her way down the driveway and passed Zac as he was making his second return trip up. Emily sped her way to the end of it and brought her feet to a T-stop to prevent her from going into the road. There was no traffic this morning, but she didn't want to go too far. Then, she stared another speed run back towards the garage. Zac, skates were easy to manage, but they lacked the speed of Emily's roller blades. She made her was forward and beat Zac back to the garage despite his large head start. Unfortunately, she arrived a little too fast.
"Wach oul!" Tammy yelled as she back stepped out of the way of the oncoming girl. Emily whizzed by here and headed straight into the garage door trying to brace herself for impact with her hands. The girl slammed into it with a soft thud. She bounce off of it and landed two feet back on her bottom. It was a hard landing, but it did little but knock the wind out of her and land Emily on her behind.
"U neet tow sloe don" A young girl stated extending an hand to the fallen Emily. Emily took it and looked up at Tammy for the first time. The young girl wore roller blades similar to Emily's. Tammy was dressed in blue jeans and a light hooded sweatshirt that was solid pink fleece in color. She was as padded up as Zac was and wore a knit winter hat tucked under her helmet. Emily took her hand and accepted the help to her feet.
"What did you say" Emily asked looking at the girl with a curious look. Tammy pulled Emily to her feet and then released her hand. She brought her hand up to her mouth and spit something out into it. It was a clear piece of plastic with a U shape in it.
"Sorry, I said you need to slow down. It can be quite difficult to stop when you are going that fast. You really should be more careful especially since you are not wearing pads or a helmet." Tammy offered in a more audible reply. Zac finished his second lap and stopped to join the girls.
"Wow Tammy, it's good to see you. What's that you have in your hand?" Zac asked looking over at his new friend.
"It's a mouth guard, I wear it when I skate, it protects my teeth if I fall. But, it's really hard to talk while I am wearing one. I am Tammy by the way, who are you?" She asked looking at the new girl.
Zac took a moment and arranged a more proper introduction from the group. Both the girls shook hands and exchanged a quick smile. Emily introduced herself outside of her brother's attempt and there was a look of contentment all around.
"By the way Zac, I like your pads. They look really strong, maybe you won't skin your knee when you fall this time." Tammy offered with a quick smirk. Zac turned beet red with embarrassment from last time recalling the incident where they first met. He let he jest go unchallenged and suggested they see who could skate to the end of the driveway and back the fastest. Emily nodded and Tammy returned the mouth guard to her mouth and proceeded to line up with the brother and sister at a crack in the pavement about 10 feet from the garage. Zac yelled go taking a step forward before shouting it. There could have been some complaint, but the three were two busy to really care about the minute advantage it gave him. The three skaters made their way down the driveway quickly. Despite her age advantage and not being hampered by pads, Emily wasn't the fastest skater. Zac took the longest of the three of them to complete the run. His skates were designed for a toddler learning to skate and the girl's roller blades proved to be superior at least in terms of speed.
Tammy was much faster than the other two could have anticipated. Zac was at a disadvantage, and Emily's lack of practice cost her in the speed. However, she managed to stop short of her first performance and the garage door. Especially after she had lost the race. It was a close margin, but the three of them had fun with it. When it was completed, the three of them continued skating back and fourth the length of the driveway for the better part of the next hour. They raced a few more times and showed off a few tricks. However, Zac's skates didn't allow many skills and Emily was too rusty to do more than shoot the duck or a quick hop. She tried skating backwards, but ended up on her bottom again. Tammy was the most skilled of the group at the current activity and she could literally skate circles around Zac.
Sarah exited the house about 15 minutes after all the commotion began. She had a slice of toast with jelly and a glace of milk. The middle aged woman seated herself on the porch swing and watch the children play in the cooler part of the morning. The fun continued for about an hour and a half. However, the heavens soon parted and brought an end of the fun. The first few drops of rain fell quickly and mad a pitter patter sound. One that echoed in Zac's ear as a droplet bounced off his helmet top. He called out that it was going to rain and the three of them made a quick dash for the house. Emily stopped to rescue her shoes from the side of the garage. The three children skated across the yard and careful made their way up the 4 steps leading up to the front porch to seek shelter under the roof.
"Sorry, it looks like you will have to play inside for a while at least. You can go up to Emily's room. Most of her stuff is unpacked, and you can find something to do then." Sarah commented as the soft pitter patter turned into a steady downpour. "Also, I know your mom lets you at home, but I would appreciate it if you 3 didn't skate in the house." Sarah finished collecting her empty plate and glass before making her way inside.
Emily took her blades off and switch back into her mary jane flats. Emily switched to a pair of red tennis shoes that were sitting on the porch next to where she had changed into her skates an hour earlier. Zac just took his roller skates off and left them next to his sisters. He made his way inside in his stocking feet without much other thought on the matter. Emily lead the way and the two siblings followed. They made their way through the kitchen and living room. Then, they went up the stair and down the hallway past several of the bedrooms. Both Emily and Zac knew their way around the house since it had been the residence of their great grandparents a few years earlier. At the end of the upstairs hallway was another door. This one lead upstairs to the attic of the house. Tammy opened the door and beckon for Zac and Emily to go up. The stairs went up to a third floor that used to be the attic of the house. The threesome made their way up stairs.
The attic was old, but it had been finished and sealed off to make a comfortable living space. Zac's grandparents had used it mostly for storage, but they had been allowed to play up here when they were growing up. However, now that all the junk was removed, the space was quite open and a lot larger than Zac remembered it being. The third floor was almost the size of the rest of the home's main floor. Emily had a bed tucked off in one corner and a few pieces of furniture scattered throughout the room. There was a large area run spread out in an open space across the threshold of the stair opposite where her bed was. There was also a 28 television with a DVD player hooked up on a stand with twin doors underneath it. The final piece of furniture was a table that would comfortably sit four guest at the chairs that sat around it.
"Wow!" Emily commented. "Is all of this yours?"
Tammy nodded, "Yeah, when we came to see the house, I told mom I wanted up here and she surprised me by letting me have it. The table is from our old kitchen. Mom bought another one when me moved here. She said I could have it. I also have a lot of dvds and Wii hooked up over at the TV if you guys want to play that. What would you like to do?" Tammy offered with a warm smile.
Zac looked around almost in disbelief the space was larger than the three rooms his brother, sister and he all owned back home. He had a television, but it was a 13 inch one that didn't always get reception. Tammy really had it nice here. He almost forgot the that Tammy had asked a question of him at the end of her explanation of the place. Tammy repeated the question and Emily broke the silence.
"Do you have any board games up here?" She asked.
Tammy nodded and headed over to her bed and brought a box out from under it. The game read Parcheesi on the box. It was a simple game to play and she opened it trying to set it up. The three some sat down and Emily went over the rules. There were rather simple, you rolled dice and tried to move 4 tokens around a board. You would get sent back to start if you got landed on by another player and it took a 6 to get a guy out onto the board. Doubles got another turn. Zac had never played it before, but it was easy to pick up and pretty soon he was dominating the field. Actually it was more likely he was getting luck with the dice. He got two men home before either of the girls got one all the way around. The game lasted about half an hour before Zac took the win. Afterward he followed it with a simple question of "Now what?"
Sarah had told the trio that she would prepare lunch for them and that Emily and Zac could stay part of the afternoon if they wanted. Norma had checked in twice already over the radio during the course of the day's events and Emily filled her in on what was going on and their plans to stay for a later part of the day. The plans met with Norma's approval and permission. Tammy had discarded her skating equipment one piece at a time during the game when it wasn't her turn. The mouth guard had come out on the way up to allow her an easier line of communication. She suggested that Zac do the same for the sake of comfort, but he had declined the invitation. He explained that he didn't to leave his pads behind by accident since he wasn't used to wearing them yet. Besides, as clumsy as he was we would be better served with them left on. The later of the two statements got a laugh from both the girls.
The trio had another hour before lunch would be ready, and another activity seemed to be the pertinent choice. However, Zac didn't know what to request. Emily had chosen the board game and they had done that, that made it his pick next being the guest. However, he sat silent for quite a while. After five minutes of waiting, Tammy finally offered an idea.
"You know Zac, I have some rope up here. Since we have an hour to kill, would you like to be tied up for real?" She asked. Zac looked back at her with a shocked and hesitant expression. "You told me about the handcuffs at school, and I told you that you should try really being tied sometime. Well, now is as good a time as any."
Zac stared at her without saying much at first. He wasn't quite sure how to respond. "I am not sure that I want to try it yet." He finally offered. His experimentation over the past week had given him some insight into the topic and aroused a curiosity towards the subject. He had discussed the matter with Tammy on recess when she had brought it up at school. However, he quickly changed the subject and brushed it aside.
"Are you sure? I mean I could just do your hands and if you don't like it I would let you go of course." Tammy offered in response to Zac's hesitation on the matter. Zac stared back at her not quite sure how to respond. Tammy was becoming a fast friend and there was a foundation of trust developing between them on the subject. However, he wasn't quite sure how respond and he didn't know how much he could trust her as well with the matter. The idea bounce back and fourth for another couple of exchanges, without Tammy dropping it or Zac accepting it.
"Well, if Zac doesn't want to do it, you can tie me up if you want too." The response was quick and from an unexpected source, namely Emily. "It sound like fun, and I would be willing to let you do it to me if you want to." The older child butted into the conversation without an invitation. Emily had been sitting by watching the exchange oblivious to the source of it's discussion. She was familiar with the handcuffs that Zac had brought home from their his last outing with Norma. Now that she thought about it, everything came together and made a whole lot more sense. Not that Zac had brought the subject up at home in front of her or his parents. Still, it sounded like a neat idea. She had never been tied up before, but it sounded like something to try. At least she could prove she was braver than her little brother on the matter.
"Well, alright then it's settled. If you don't want to try being tied up and Emily does. Then we'll tie her up instead. Wait here I will go get some rope." Tammy stated standing up from where she was sitting on the floor. Emily remained seated where she was and Zac just sat there silent on the matter. He wasn't sure how to respond, but it looked like it was out of his hands. The brother and sister sat there quietly and waited for Tammy to return. It was going to be an interesting morning after all.
I am going to break here for now. This is getting much longer than I anticipated and the tie up part will have to wait for next time. Thanks for reading everyone.
Alex95