‍Part Twenty-Eight A Planned Return Home Continued

That, I could stay with her , and she would be my personal tour guide. I
was very touched, and I said that if that was a promise, then I would
certainly find a way to go there. She made me promise her, that I really would come . I
told her, that I would try my hardest to visit Russia some day, but I
also added that I hoped I wouldn't break it because, I did not like breaking promises, and I
tried my very best to keep them.


After I had made my promise to her about coming to Russia some day, she
asked me where I really was going. I told her that I was going back to
Florida . Her next reply sounded like she was feeling anxious. She asked me if it was
just for a little vacation , the whole summer, or if it was more of
permanent move. I told her to relax, and I gave her some reassurance, in the rest of my
reply. When, I added the real reason for my trip , and I told her that I
was going back to get my baby bird.


She had known everything about Petie that I had told her, and she was happy for me . Her reply was, Little Petie is coming home ! I smiled to myself , and said, to her ,
Da! She was very excited for  me, and she wanted me to give her all
of the details . I told her that I was going to fly there, and then  travel with my family, back to Connecticut, with Petie in our car. She
wished me the best, and I thanked her, before she excused herself before, she had to leave ,
and after she left, I noticed the time on the clock, that said it was
late. I decided to shut down , and turn in for the night, because, I needed all of the
rest I could get for my return trip home.


The next day, I was on a mission to find a way to get to the air port.
Last time, I had gone home, I had the taxi come and take me,to the
airport, but this time, that was going to cost a little more money than I could afford to
pay. So, I looked at some other possibilities in the phone book, and I
considered taking the bus, but the bus was going to cost me even more money, than
the taxi would. I also felt a little silly ,about riding a bus to the
airport .

Although, I knew that other people did that , I just continued to look ,
at other services that offered any form of transportation . The more I
looked, the more I wished I had my own car, that would have solved my problem .
While I thought about my own car, I remembered , that was a promise my
dad had made.


He had said to me , that when the weather improved up here, we would
shop for a car I became excited, but I still had to find a ride to the
airport. I already knew that I could not ask Tatiana, because, she was away at another
important competition , with one of her skaters. Andrei was here, but he
was very busy with training, and I did not know him well enough to ask him for such a
favor.


The only other person, that I felt comfortable enough to ask , was Anna, and I thought to myself, The worse she could say is, No.
If she says , No, then I will have to think of a way to get some extra cash, to help me pay for a taxi .
I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat. Then, I dialed Anna's number, and I
listened to the ringing of her phone. I was just about to hang up, when
she said, "Hello ?" I quickly swallowed again. Then I replied, "Hello . Anna." She
said, "Hey, Suzanne. How are you ?" I nervously chuckled
, before I said, "Hi. I am good, but I have a favor to ask ." She said,
"Okay. What do you need? "

My reply ended up sounding like a joke, "Well another job, or a ride to
the airport ." She laughed, and said, "Well, I can't help you with
the job, but I can give you a ride." I was so happy, that I exclaimed ,
"Really ! You can?!" She said, "Yes. I can . Where are you off
to?" I said, "Thank you , so much. I am going to Florida ." She said,
"Lucky you." I told her , that I was going home to get my
parakeet. She said, "Awww, Petie ." I said, "Yeah." She said," I will
do anything for an animal , whether it is someone's pet ,or not." I grinned and told her that, was very sweet, and then I let her
know , that I would be leaving on Thursday morning.


She said, "I will get you there early , I know the rules there" . I
thanked her again, and she told me , that she would see me then, and I
hung up, after we said bye to each other . Then I said to myself, "Problem
solved." Then, later on , I did some laundry , so that I would have
plenty of clean clothes for my trip , before I went to sleep, after I put my clean
clothes away.

To Be Continued

 ‍Part Twenty-Eight A Planned Return Home Continued

‍The following day, was another busy one for me, because, I decided to do
a little spring cleaning, that included dusting the tables in every
room, and I also looked for the best spot , for my little bird's cage to rest on in my
room. Until, I decided to use an empty area on my dresser. Then, I
placed a soft, blue towel that I rarely used on that spot, and after I looked at the
blue towel, I felt even more eager to have him with me again . After I
had Petie's place prepared, I dusted a few more tables, before I made some soup and
sandwich for lunch.


While I relaxed , and ate my lunch, I turned the television on, to see
if anything good was on. When I did not see anything, I decided to clean
out the refrigerator. When, I was finished with that chore, I looked at the
clock, and , when I saw that, I still had a lot of time to kill, I
decided, to pack, then I retrieved my suitcase from the closet. and I took the suitcase to my
room, laid it down on my bed, unzipped the zipper, then I opened it.


I opened my drawer, and I filled the suitcase with clothes, as I made
sure that I had plenty of short sleeved shirts , and shorts, then I
added a pair of jeans or two just to be prepared for whatever the weather was going to throw
at me . After my clothes were packed, I added my toiletries , and my
last item was another book I picked out to read on the plane. I had finished, SunSets, so on this trip, I was
going to read another book called, Florida . It had a series of
stories , that were inspired byplaces in Florida . After, I had my suitcase packed, I checked to make
sure , that I had everything, I would need in there. Then, I thought of
the important information , and a valid form of identification , that I would need to
take to the airport.


Because, there were times when I had forgotten my drivers license,
while, I thought of forgetting my identification, I grabbed some money,
that was just enough to buy my breakfast with, and I tucked it into a compartment that
zipped up on my suitcase. Then supper time came around, and I just
felt like having a dinner , that was provided by , Healthy Choice . I enjoyed my sweet and sour chicken, with rice,
broccoli, and a cranberry crisp for dessert. Then, I was very tired after supper, and I just went to sleep.


I had a very good nights rest. I woke up the next morning in a cheerful
mood. I made my bed, and I placed my suitcase at my door. Then, I made
sure for one last time , that I had my driver's license , along with my flights
confirmation number. Then, I took out my money, before I placed it in my
pocket. Anna called to see if I was awake and ready . I told her , that I was
ready to go . She was impressed, and she told me, she was on her way.
While I waited, I set the timers on my lights, then I made sure everything was in good
shape , and that I did not leave anything on . A few minutes later, I
heard a knock on the door. I hurried towards the door, as I called out, "Just a minute ,
coming !"


When I arrived at the door, I unlocked it , after I checked to see if it
was Anna, I opened the door , and Anna gave me a smile. I smiled back
at her, and grabbed my suitcase. She asked me, "Did you forget to turn off the
light?" While she looked at the lamp that was turned on. I said, "No, my
lights are on timers, that light will go off later." She said, "Okay.
Let's get you to the airport." On the way there, I told her about my
dad, and how excited he got if we accidently touched the light, he set.
She laughed , especially, when I mentioned that I was the one that
always forgot . I would always turn it on, if it was off, or off it was on. She shared
with me, about some of her past traveling experiences, with her family.


I laughed as she told me about the time , her younger brother slipped on
a rock , and fell down into a waterfall , the next thing that happened,
was her family laughing, while they watched him slide down, as if he were on water
slide. Once I stopped laughing, I said with excitement "That happened
to my older sister, Lynn!" She asked me with amazement, "Really?!" I said, "Yeah,
at a state park , in Indiana , I think it was , Turkey Run , there were some rugged trails that led us down into some creeks, and rivers, and one of
them was a water fall . She thought she could climb the rocks with out any problem ."


"The water fall was not very big, but it gave her quite a ride , once
she fell into it , and slid down it, while we laughed and she screamed."
Annathought that was very funny, and my story made her laugh a little more,
and then she changed the subject , and said, "I still think you should
ask Alexei to be your partner." I just shook my head, and she asked me, "Are you
sure that I can't arrange it for you?" I said, "Let me think
about it."

To Be Continued

 ‍The Conclusion Of Part Twenty-Eight A Planned Return Home

She smiled and said, "Well, you did not say 'No', so that means that you might like the idea now ." I laughed and said, "Oh . Look we are here." She said, "If you let me arrange the partnership , then you won't have to worry about getting all nervous about asking him yourself,and you won't have to worry about not having a partner." I said, "No, I
will just have to worry about who you ask, and how you ask , and the answer that will follow , your question."


She said, "Okay. Right now, before I drop you off, you tell me who you
want me to ask, do you want me to ask, Nadia?, Andrei, or Alexei ?" I
quickly replied back with a firm tone in my voice, "Not Alexei ." She said,
"Okay. I won't ask Alexei , so who?" I said, "I still think this is crazy, but if I get to choose, I choose Nadia , because , she could actually arrange it."


"But, I do not want Alexei to know I am the one that needs a partner, I  want you to make sure she leaves my name out of it, tell her to tell
him, a student is in need of a partner, and another thing if I have to go
through with your insane idea, then you have to ask Cliff." She smiled and said, "Consider it done." I asked, "Which one?" She replied with a wink,
"Both." I laughed , and said, "Now, I want to die, I may not come back from Florida."


She said, "You have to come back , I would miss you ." I just shook my  head and said, "No. You would miss getting me into embarrassing
situations." She chuckled and told me, "This is going to work , and you  won't be embarrassed, and you will thank me over and over, for having
such a romantic idea ." I whispered, "I hope so . " She just said, "It will, trust me, you are going to be the envy of all the girls in the
class."


I said, "I don't want to be." When she noticed my blushing cheeks, she
smiled ,and asked me what airline I was flying with. I was grateful to
her for changing the suject again, and I told her, "Southwest ." She pulled up to the area for
passengers that had a departing flight with Southwest Airlines. I thanked her, and she asked me if I
needed help with my suitcase.


I told her, that I could get it , then I thanked her again for giving me
a ride. She said, "You're welcome, Suzanne have a safe return, and
don't worry about anything." I just smiled , and I replied back, "Thank you."
She told me to tell Petie hello for her . I said, "I will."
Then, I shut the car door, and we waved to each other again, before I
went inside, and waited in line .


I moved along with the people that were before me , while I put my
suitcase down, and picked it up until it was my turn to check my own
luggage in . Then, I went up to the machine, punched in my confirmation number, and waited
for my boarding pass to print . I grabbed my boarding pass, and left my
suitcase in the first check point. After , I dropped off my suitcase, I zipped through
my gate's security check points, then I had some breakfast, in one of
the small food courts, and I threw my trash away, before I located my gate which was
109 .


There were plenty of seats available, and I chose one by the window, so
that I could the planes come in and take off. While people passed by me ,
I pulled my book out , and began to read the first story of the series called, A Place To Call Home.
This story was about a couple that had to rebuild their home , after a horrible
hurricane had destroyed it. I had been reading the book before, I heard
that it was time to start boarding the plane, for my planned return home.

To Be Continued ‍

 Part Twenty- Nine
Petie's Quick Road Trip Home

Myplane made a smooth landing on the runway. I stretched , while we were instructed to wait, until the plane came to a complete stop. I looked
out the tiny window, and smiled , just because the sun was shining. The sign flashed above me, and the unfastened seat belt was lit up .  I unbuckled my seat belt , and stood up to get the feeling back into my  legs. Other passengers began to move slowly out into the aisle. I patiently waited for my turn, while people were getting their carryons from the overhead bins.
Then, a kind soul told me that I could  go. I picked my jacket up, and checked to see if I had my book, and I  discovered that I had my book in my hand. I slid out to join the line of
people , as I smiled at the attendants on board , while they welcomed me to Florida.  I was glad to be back, and after I got off the plane, I caught the monorail , to the main terminal , where my suitcases would hopefully be . I held on tight, as the monorail traveled effortlessly to the main terminal.

Then, when it stopped , I quickly exited through the door on the other side. We all walked straight ahead , and a voice came over the loud speaker , that made me focus on what it said,
"Passengers from Southwest Airlines just arriving on Flight 1980 , can claim their baggage at claim A on Carousel 4." I followed the pack to the baggage claim area, and I suddenly heard my
name. I turned around , and tried to find out what direction the voice was coming from . I heard my name again , "Suzanne." Then, I saw my mom
, with my dad standing next to her, and I hurried over to them, then we all hugged . Before, my dad asked me what claim area I had to go to. I
said, "4." Mom asked , "Are you hungry?" I said, "Yeah."

We walked down the stairs, and then I waited for my suitcase . Dad looked too, and he saw come before I did. He said, "Got it, let’s go." While we
walked to the car, they asked me how my flight was. I told them it was  nice, and that we had some rain , when we flew over Georgia. They told
me it had been rainy month here too .  Then dad popped open the trunk, and I put my suitcase in , before we all climbed into our silver, Grand Prix , and I remained quiet , while my dad navigated his way out of the parking garage . Once , we were on the B-Line . Dad asked me, "Are you really hungry?"  Mom said, "We will stop somewhere , or we can eat at home, we have some ham to use up." I said,  "I just want to see Petie, so we can have sandwiches, let’s have them on the lanai ." Dad said, "Okay. That sounds really nice."

I  smiled , and closed my eyes , just like I always did , when I rode in a car. After a while , I woke up just as we were approaching the house. I
said, "Your palm trees look great." He said, "Thanks, Suz." I said,  "You’re welcome , dad." Then I got out of the car , the minute it  stopped . Mom went to the door, and unlocked it for us. I grabbed my suitcase and we all went inside.  I headed to my old room, that had a  computer and a desk in it. But, Petie was sitting on the desk . I exclaimed , "Petie !" He turned around , and hopped up to see me. I  dropped my suitcase , and nuzzled his feathers with my nose. I said, "I am taking you to your new home." He gurgled , then he went back to his  perch , to scratch his little head. I smiled and said, "I have to help mom with lunch now, you be a good boy. "

To Be Continued ‍‍

 ‍Part Twenty-Nine Petie's Quick Road Trip Home Continued

He chirped back at me,  while he was looking for a loose feather on his tummy. I laughed , and
then I helped my mom make ham sandwiches, with apple slices for us, and a banana for my dad. I also rinsed off some mini carrots for us, and we
had light french onion dip with them.  We all got our drinks, and  gathered around the table. Before we said a prayer, dad went outside and turned on our fountain. He told us, he wanted to run it a little more , before we left on our trip. I said, "No problem , dad." As we ate our  lunch, mom asked me how things were going at the preschool.

I filled them in about my class learning how to ice skate. Mom was excited to hear that, and she said, "Wow! You are ice skating!" I smiled and
said, "Yes. I am also taking ballet." Dad said, "That’s great , Suz."  Then he changed the topic of our conversation, when he said, "We have to
talk about the trip now," as he placed the road atlas on the table.   I said, "Okay." Mom said, "I am going to pack , once we have finished
cleaning up." Dad said, "Well, there has been a slight change in the  plan , we have to leave sooner , than I thought." I said, "That’s okay."
Then he let me know ,that he had a softball game on next Monday, and he could not miss it.

I told him that I understood, then I asked , "When can we look for a car?" He said, "We will do that, before I leave, I promise. That is why I thought we could leave, as soon as your
mother has packed her suitcase now, "Let me show where we are going." I  leaned in a little closer to the table, so that I could see the map he had.   My mom said, "I’ll clean up and go pack now." I said, "Okay mom,  if you are sure that you don’t need any help." She said, "I am." After mom left, my dad said, "Okay, you know how last time I stopped in  Georgia?" I nodded my head and replied, "Yeah ." Dad continued to talk by saying, "Tonight, I am hoping to stop in South Carolina ."

I asked him, "Are you sure , you can drive that long, dad?" He said, "If  not, we will stop , but I want to put some miles behind us, before we
quit for the night." I said, "Okay. Just don’t push yourself." He said,  "I won’t . Then after we hit South Carolina , Virginia , and Washington
D.C., we still stay in D.C. for the night."  After we leave D.C. we will go into Philadelphia, hit N.J. and get through New York , and then we
will stop in Connecticut . Maybe , we will just make it to your apartment , by Saturday morning." "We will begin our trip by
going up 441 , all the way up to the Florida , Georgia border , hit 75, and take that through Georgia , and we will go on 95 , and that will
take us all the way to Connecticut." I was very tired, from just listening to him. Then, mom told us that she was packed, and that I
should get Petie ready.  I went back to my old room, and picked his cage up from the desk. He hopped up to his cage bars, and I said softly , "We are getting ready to leave now, and you are going to sit in another  cardboard box."

He chirped , and I continued talking to him with  my soft voice, while I said, "Yeah. You did not mind the cardboard box
last time, you were a very good boy." He responded with another chirp, then I took him to the kitchen, where the box was waiting for him.   I
chirped with him softly, as I placed his cage down into the cardboard  box. Then mom, gathered his food, gravel, and some paper towel, along
with his own bottle of water.  Dad took the suitcases out to the car, while I carried the box with Petie’s cage inside it, to the car. While, I
put the seat belt around his box, I explained to Petie why I had to putit around him and the box. He stood quietly on his perch, while he
studied , what my hand was doing. Mom came in and asked, "Is  Petie settled in?" I said, "Yeah. He has his seat belt around his box,
and I have it fastened." Dad climbed in, and then he started the car.  Petie gave a little chirp, and mom said, "Here we go , Petie."  Then
dad pulled the car out of the garage , and Petie got a little excited ,  when he backed the car out down our drive way. I said, "It’s okay. Baby.
We just had to go down the drive way." He finally calmed down , and  even began to enjoy the ride, as we cruised up 441.

To Be Continued ‍

 ‍Part Twenty-Nine Petie's Quick Road Trip Home Continued

‍I still watched him for a little while just to make sure that he was fine. Then, I decided to read more of my book , while Petie remained quiet for the
first part of our trip, until the sun got into his little gray eyes.  I quickly grabbed my pillow , and placed it around the window. Then dad
piped up from the driver’s seat and said, "We are at the boarder now,  and we will be in Georgia , in another hour."
I said, "Wow." Mom asked my dad, "Could we stop some where like a rest area?" Dad said,
"Sure, honey. I just want to get into Georgia , before we do ." She  said, "Okay." A little while later, dad stopped in a rest area , that  was in Valdosta , Georgia . I stayed in the car, while my mom and dad went inside.   Then when they came back, I made my way inside . After I came back to the car, we got back on the road, and made our way through
the rest of Georgia . When we arrived in Atlanta , Georgia , the sun had started to set and the day was quickly coming to a close. So, dad told
us we would stop the minute we would make it to South Carolina .

Mom and I thought that was a good idea , and we agreed with his decision.  After we had been on the open road for a while, my mom said, " I am
ready to find a hotel ." Then, my dad asked me, "How is Petie doing back there?" I said, "He is doing fine."  He said, "Good, we will stop as
soon as I get a few more miles up the road." Mom said, "Good, my legs are beginning to hurt." I told her that I wanted to stretch my legs
too.  Dad suddenly saw a sign and said, "We will stop here in  Orangeburg, I saw a sign for a Days Inn ," before, he found the Days Inn , then when he found it, mom and I were thrilled, and we got out of the car, and stretched our legs.

Petie on the other hand, was mad, because he thought we had forgotten about him being in the car, and he chirped loudly to protest. I laughed , and
unbuckled the seat belt around his box.  Then, dad thought it would be a good idea if he went and got us checked in . I said, "I hope, this
place will allow small pets, dad." He replied with, "Yeah . Me too," and I said, "Look for a sign , like that one sign they had at the front
desk , at that other hotel, we stayed in , back in 2002." My mom said, "You have a very good memory." Dad agreed with her and said,
"Yes. She always has.", while I just smiled, before I said, "Remember  the night of our move from our old house? When we snuck Petie into that
hotel room in Kentucky?"  Dad chuckled, and mom said, "Yeah. I kind of remember that." Then I said, "That was so funny, because, he had been
quiet that whole night, and I was so afraid of us getting caught , and  then he behaved, that morning until after dad had checked us out"

"Then, we walked silently down that hall way, and we had almost made it out to
the door, before Petie decided to chirp excitedly , just at the same  time, that we passed by one of the doors to a room." Mom and dad laughed
, and they reminded me that I was very unhappy with him when he did that. I said, "Well, I thought he was going to get us in trouble." Dad
said, "Nah." I said, "Dad. They had a sign there that was very clear about their rules concerning pets." Mom said, "Well, I hope we will have a pet friendly hotel, here , like we did that night.". I said,
"Me too." Dad said, "I will go find out right now." Mom agreed and she  said, "I think I will come with you , Larry." I told them that Petie and
I would hang out in the car.  While Petie and I waited for them to  return, I told him to be a good boy, as I said, "Now, Petie , if we do  have to sneak you in again, you have to be very quiet. You can not make  any noise, the way you did that one morning we were checking out."

To Be Continued

 ‍Part Twenty-Nine Petie's Quick Road Trip Home Continued

‍He looked at me, and I continued my lecture , by saying, "Even in the hallway , Okay. Do you understand me ?" He started to play with his toy,
but he bobbed his head up and down. I said, "Good." He gave me a little wink, and I smiled , because we both knew that if he did act up, I  wouldn’t be mad at him for long.  He had just picked the wrong time to start chirping , but no harm was done, I forgave him, and even mom and  dad laughed about that time , his mistake just turned out to be another
precious memory, that we would cherish for the rest of time. I would always love that little bird no matter what happened, or what he did. Then, few minutes later,when dad returned to the car, Mom came out  from behind him, and said, "They accept pets, the clerk at the front desk , asked us what kind of pet we had with us, and we told her a small bird."  I smiled and exclaimed happily , "Yay!" Dad said, "She just  wanted us to be responsible and clean up after him." Mom said, "We told  her that our daughter takes very good care of him." I just smiled and  said , "Come on, Petie let’s get you settled in our room."

"I’ll come back and get our suitcases", my dad said while looking at me. Then I grabbed Petie’s box, and we headed for the room, we would be staying in
for the night. Dad unlocked the door to our room, on the lower floor. My dad was happy , because it was close to where he parked our car.  My mom was very happy about our room’s location, as well , and I was pretty content with the arrangement myself. Once we were inside the room, I  looked for a place to put Petie’s cage, and mom suggested that, I put
him somewhere that was close to me. Then dad told me that Petie  would probably be fine, sitting on the dresser, as long as he could see  me. I agreed with him, and I placed his cage on the dresser across from  my hotel bed. Petie seemed happy to just be out of the box, and he started to gurgle to his toy bird.  I told him that I would be right
back , and then I went back out to the car, where I helped my dad carry  in the suitcases, the bags filled with chips, and liters of pop. We had  to make several trips from the car and to the room, but we managed to  take everything inside.

When we entered the room for the last  time, mom told us that she was hungry. I was feeling hungry too, and  when I told them that I was , it led to a discussion about where we
wanted to eat. Dad thought that a buffet type of restaurant would be a  good place to eat. Mom loved that idea, and I was fine with it too,
because I could order what I wanted .  Dad said, "Let’s go eat." Then, I told Petie that we would be back soon, and he looked up me from his own food dish. So, we left the room, and we headed back to the car , got  in, and drove around , while we looked for a restaurant near by, until  we finally found a restaurant that was a couple of miles from our hotel.
The restaurant was called , Harry’s Place . We found a nice parking space, that we went down a small , paved hill to get to. Mom
said, "This looks nice", before we got out of the car. Then, dad said, "Yes, and can you smell that steak?" I told him, "Yes. The steak smells very good."  Once we were inside, a young lady greeted us , and welcomed us to Harry’s Place . We thanked her, and told her that we had party of three . She grabbed three menus and said, "Follow me,  please." We
followed her, as she led us to a big booth , and asked us what we would  like to drink .

Mom and dad told her that they would like to have ice water , with extra lemon slices on a plate. She nodded her head, and then she wrote what they wanted to drink down . Then she asked
me, "What would you like to drink, sweetie?" I said, "I will have a Sprite, Thank you ."  She said, "Okay , so far, I have written down , for
your drinks, two ice waters with extra lemon slices on the side, and one Sprite ." We told her that, that was correct and she asked us
if we would like to order our meals , or if we needed a few minutes. Dad said, "Give us a few minutes."
She said, "Okay. I will be back  with your drinks." Then, I said to my mom and dad, "I still want the  buffet," before dad looked at the menu , and ended up changing his mind,
when he saw the selection of steaks . Mom also decided that she wanted the grilled chicken , that also came with the salad bar, shortly before
our server returned with our drinks. She smiled at us, and asked , "Are you ready to order now?" My dad said, "Yes. I will have the New York Strip Steak and salad bar, with a baked potato. "

My mom told her that she wanted the grilled chicken with a baked potato, and the salad bar. I still wanted the buffet. She took some time and
wrote our orders down , then she told mom and dad that they could help  themselves to the salad bar.  She also said to me , "Okay, you can go on
ahead and help yourself to the buffet." I smiled , and said, "Thank  you", and I left the booth to get some food to eat. After, I found a
plate, napkin, and some silverware, I started to look around the bar's  spread of food that looked delicious . I quickly selected a piece of
fried chicken, that just happened to be a leg.

To Be Continued

 ‍Part Twenty-Nine Petie's Quick Road Trip Continued

‍

Then I filled the rest of my plate with fluffy, whipped , mashed potatoes , seasoned  green beans, a roll , and some broccoli salad that had bits bacon and
raisins in it. I also saw some something I wanted from the fruit group,  which was hot, cooked , apples . After I was satisfied with my choices ,
I went back to our booth, and my mom and dad told me my fried chicken  leg looked very good. I sat down , and I eagerly agreed with them,
because I couldn’t wait to take my first bite. But, before I could begin
to eat, we had prayer together.

During our prayer, we thanked  God for keeping us safe, while we traveled , then we asked him to
continue his watch over us. We also thanked him for our food, and our  time together. I said, "Amen," then I picked my chicken leg up, and took
a cautious bite, because it still had steam rising from it, and it felt very hot on my fingertips.   I also tried my mashed potatoes, and then I
took another bite of the chicken leg, and my mom said, "Maybe, I should have had the buffet instead of the grilled chicken." Dad said, "Maybe
Suz can get you a piece." Then mom asked me, "Oh. Suz would you?  Please?" I just smiled and said, "Sure, mom."  I started to get up from my seat, but then she added , "You can finish your food first." I  thanked her, sat down, and then I continued to enjoy my meal, until I  had an empty plate . Dad studied my empty plate, before he said, "You
can’t be done eating , go and get seconds." I rolled my brown eyes, and I said, "I will go get something else, while I get mom’s chicken."  Mom
said, " Find me a leg if you can." I nodded my head, went back to the  buffet, and I filled another clean plate with some stuff that I called
fluff, it had some kind of fruit in it, it was a light salad kind of  thing, and I also added a chicken leg for mom .

When I came back , my dad asked me, "Did you get enough?" I sat down and said, "This was all I wanted." My mom grabbed her chicken leg from my plate with her
fork, before she began to eat it, and I was glad that she had it gone ,  by the time her food came, and my empty plates were also taken away. 
Mom wiped her mouth, and gave me a smile , then she said, "Thank you so  much, Suz." I smiled back and told her that she was very welcome. Then
dad asked me again , "Are you sure you had enough to eat?"  Mom  came to my defense this time and said, "She had a full plate , Larry and she went back for something else." I also told him, "Yeah, and I am  saving room for dessert, but right now I am just resting my stomach." He finally said, "Okay, sweet heart . I just wanted you to have enough to
eat."  I said, "I know, dad and I did." I was a lot happier , when he  decided to leave my eating habits alone , after mom asked him, "How is
your New York Strip Steak?" Dad dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin, then he replied to her question with, "My steak is
very good, and how is your grilled chicken ?"

She said, "It’s  very good , I am glad I ordered it." He said, "Good." Then we spent some
of our time in silence , while my mom and dad ate their food, until my  dad decided to ask me about Alexei .  "So, Suzanne what is your Alexei
up to now ?" I swallowed my pop, then I answered his question by saying, "He is still on the tour with Stars on Ice , and the tour will
end very soon ."  My dad smiled and he said, "I really enjoyed this  year’s show, I think it’s my favorite ." My mom smiled too , and I
grinned, before I responded back to him, "Yes, I loved that show too,  and I had a lot of fun with Nina." Mom asked me how Nina was, and I told
her that she was doing well.

Then, I just smiled , and said, "I think I will go see what kind of desserts they have on the buffet." Mom
said, "You go on ahead." I left our booth , and I studied the various  cakes, puddings, pies, and cookies , the buffet had them all. However,
after I saw the cheesecake with strawberries drizzled over the top of  it, I knew that was going to be my dessert.  Mom and dad decided to
order some dessert, after they saw my creamy cheesecake. When we were  through our dessert, dad paid the bill, and he asked me how much we
should leave for the tip. I told him to give her a great tip. He left  her five dollars , and then we headed back to the hotel.

Petie gave us a greeting the minute we walked through the door, and we all  laughed. Then I said, "Did you miss us Petie ?" He chirped louder in his
reply. I smiled , and I told him that we missed him too. Later on, we  settled in for the night, and watched some television. I was about to go
to sleep, until I heard my cell phone ring.  I sat up, and tried to  remember where I put it earlier that morning. Mom asked my dad , "Larry.
Is that our cell phone?" He said, "No." I finally found my phone in the zipped up compartment in my suitcase. I held it up and said, "It’s
mine, I will take the call outside." Dad asked me, "Who is it?" I said,  "I don't know , let me find out." I answered it, and found out who was
calling. I said, "Hello?" Mom wanted to know who was the phone too. I  said, "It’s Nina." She said, "Oh. Tell Nina I said Hi." I said, "Okay. I
will , I will be back soon", and I slipped out into the cool night air.

To Be Continued

 ‍Part Twenty-Nine Petie's Quick Road Trip Home Continued

As soon as I was outside, Alexei asked me , "Why did you call  me Nina?" I said, "Sorry about that, I am with my mom and dad right  now." He said, "It’s cool , I was just confused. Are your mom and dad  visiting you ?" I said, Well . No I am traveling with them back to  Connecticut , I am bringing my pet bird home with me .  We are in South  Carolina , and we left this afternoon ." Alexei said, "Wow." I said,  "Yeah , it is going to be a quick trip. So how are you ? I am glad you  called, but I had to tell my parents that it was some one else other  than you on the phone." He said," No problem, really I can understand . I have been busy, but I am good."

"I was just missing you , and I  wanted to hear your voice again." I smiled before I replied with, "Awww I have missed you too." Then he said, "The tour ends next week, and I  will be coming back to Connecticut, so I thought I would cook you that  dinner , I promised you." I said, "Wow! I would love that, I have really missed you too, but I have kept myself busy, and I tried to be
supportive and understanding ." He said, "I know, I will see you soon. I don’t want to keep you any longer. I will call you again soon."

I said, "I will be looking forward to it, and hopefully I will have my  own car when you come back. That is if my dad and I have time to look."  Alexei told me in his reply, "That’s great! Hey if he doesn’t have time, I will help you . Just let me know, I felt bad that I couldn’t help you look for an apartment , so if I could help you find your car, I would  feel so much better."  I smiled, before my teeth began to chatter, he  asked me if I was cold, and I told him that I was a little cold, and  that I walked outside with out a jacket on, which only led to him
scolding me for not putting on a jacket ,but then he told me to have  sweet dreams, and that Nina said, "Hi", and she hopes that my mom is
well .

I chuckled and said, "God bless you , you wonderful man."  He laughed and said, "No problem. Take care sweet Suz". I said, "You too, Good night ." Then I just smiled, and hung up on my end , after I  heard him hang up on his end. When I entered the room again, I told my mom what Nina told me to tell her, , and I got ready for bed.  Dad  wanted to get an early start in the morning. We turned off the lights,  after I covered Petie’s cage with his towel , and we shared a little  kiss, then I climbed into my bed and went right to sleep.

On Friday morning, we ate a quick bowl of oat meal at the hotel’s free Continental breakfast, then we checked out, and loaded everything back
into the car, along with Petie’s box. Dad said, "Lord willing tonight,  we will be in Washington D.C. "  Mom said, "Sounds good." I was excited
about that too. He got back onto the road , and then we cruised up 95  once again , while I passed the time away, by reading more of my book,
and doing cross word puzzles. The rest of the morning went by  fairly quickly , and dad asked us, "Are you two hungry?" I said, "Not
really." Mom said, "Not yet." Dad said, "Because, I had an idea, that  might speed up this trip even more." Mom turned to look at dad , and she
asked him what his idea was.  He said, "I wanted to drive through the  rest of North Carolina , without stopping for lunch. We will stop at a
rest area, but then we will keep going." I asked him, "Are we going to
stop in D.C. tonight?" He said, "No. I really would like to through that area as well."

Mom wanted to know what had changed his mind. He  just said, "I feel good, and I just wanted to keep on driving." I said,
"That sounds good to me." Mom’s reply was, "All right, but don’t push  yourself, stop when you have to rest." He promised her that he would stop if he had to.  A while later, we stopped just long enough for dad  to fill car’s tank with gas, and then we spent a little time at a rest  area , in a town that was close to North Carolina’s border, called
Granville. We also bought a few more snacks from the vending machines, before we headed out on the road again.

Then dad asked us if  wanted to stop for lunch, the minute we made it it into the state of Virginia .My mom told him that she was ready to eat, and I hated to
admit it, but I was hungry too. We stopped at Arbys, because  dad wanted to pick a place, where we could get back on 95 very easily. 
Mom thought Richmond was a lovely city, because of the flowers they had  growing in various areas . I thought Arbys looked great, just
because I was very hungry. Dad said, "Let’s go eat." I left the car windows opened just enough to give Petie some air.

To Be Continued

 The Conclusion Of Part Twenty-Nine Petie's Quick Road Trip Home

‍

Then we went  inside, and mom told my dad what she wanted , which was a roast beef and cheddar cheese sandwich, with a garden salad. I stayed with dad, while
mom went to find us a table or booth. I ordered the same sandwich , but I wanted their home style baked fries with mine, and dad ordered some
kind of new sub sandwich, they had with a garden salad. While we ate our lunch, dad told me about the games , that his team had won. I smiled and said, " Go Oriels."
Mom said, "I do miss you at the games, and the other ladies ask about  you all of the time." I took another bite of my sandwich, then I  replied, "I do miss watching dad play softball." Dad said, " I miss you  too, it was great to see you sitting in the stands , maybe you could come  back for a visit." I replied to him, and asked him a very good question,
"Dad? Where will I sleep?" He said, "I bought a new couch for the den,  and it is one of those that fold out into a bed." I smiled, and said,  "Let me think about it."

Dad said, "Okay. It would be nice if  you could come for just a short visit ." I replied back with, "Maybe. We will just have to wait and see." My dad chuckled and told me, "You used
to hate that, when you were younger, and I always said it to you."  I  smiled, then I put our trash on the tray, and took it to the trash can .
After I threw the trash away, we went back out to the car. Where I  checked on Petie, and I was glad , when I saw his foot tucked up in his
feathers. I knew from the experience, I had gained from owning  parakeets since I was a little girl, that Petie was happy. Dad pulled
out of the parking lot , while he chatted with my mom in the car, I just sat quietly in the backseat , before I ended up falling asleep, as the
road stretched on ahead of us.  While, I was in the middle of a very  nice nap, when Petie suddenly chirped, and woke me up. I yawned and
laughed at him. Mom asked me, "Did Petie wake you up?" I said, "Yeah . But it’s all right I still love him." Dad told me that we were passing
through D.C. I couldn’t believe it, and I asked him, "Are you serious?"

He said, "Yes." I was very happy, and I exclaimed , "Keep going!" He  laughed and replied to me with, "I plan to." Mom said, "That’s great ,
Larry." He said, "Next stop will be New Jersey ."  Then he drove on, and we stopped to stay at a Holiday Inn Express, in Trenton , New Jersey. We also found a Fazolis
restaurant , and we had our supper there. Once we left the restaurant , we went back to the hotel, and spent some time at the pool, then we
went to sleep a few hours later , because we were very tired, and we  wanted to get an early start the next morning.
When Saturday  morning rolled around , we left the hotel bright and early just like we had planned. We continued to drive for awhile, before we pulled off at a
small place to eat our breakfast, and dad also had to fill the gas tank again, but then we resumed our journey, and left the state of New  Jersey behind .

A few hours later, we went through Philadelphia , and  New York , then I was home by lunch time. I got Petie settled in
my room , right after we stopped the car in front of my apartment  building. He spent the day studying the room, while I unpacked my
suitcase , and gathered the dirty laundry together to wash the next day. Then, I visited with my mom and dad for a little while, until they had
to leave, and I hoped their trip back would be just as quick for them as it was for me and my return home.  We gave each other hugs and I
thanked them for helping me bring Petie to his new home.

Dad also  apologized for not keeping his promise to me about helping me find my  car. I told him that I had a friend , who wanted to do that for me. He
was glad, and he gave me a check to help me with the cost of the car I  choose.  I kissed his cheek and I said, "Thank you. I love you dad."
Then he said, "You're welcome, sweet heart, I love you too." We shared  one more hug, and then after my mom and dad left, I had a very long nap.
That I felt, I had earned and needed after traveling in the car during  Petie's quick road trip home.

To Be Continued

 Part ThirtyThe Distractive News

I had slept through the rest of Saturday night, without my usual tossing and turning, because I was still exhausted from the quick road trip . I
only woke up, on Sunday morning, because Anna called me , and asked me  if I felt up to going to church with her. I yawned and even though, I
knew that I was extremely tired,  I said, "Sure, I'll get ready now."  She told me that she would pick me up in an hour. I just told her that
would be great.  Then, I stretched , after I sat up in bed, and I smiled when Petie started to stir around, in his cage.  I got out of my bed ,
and said, "I am up, and I am coming right now." 
 

 I heard him playing with his bell, and I slowly uncovered his cage, because I did not want to startle him.The minute, he saw me, he deserted his bell, and ran over to me.  I smiled
and asked him, "Did, you have a good night, Petie?"  He scratched his  muddy, yellow beak on his perch, then he bobbed his little white, and black striped head up and down.  I smiled, and I said, "I am so glad you are here now, sweet Pete."  He came closer to me, and gave my nose, a little gentle peck for a kiss.  I smiled at him again, and I said,  "Okay, I have to get ready for church now."  Then, I walked over to my  closet, and had a look around,  until I found a light, yellow colored, sweater , that looked nice with my black slacks.
Petie just chirped a merry little tune of his own, while I got myself ready, and he did not even notice , when I left my room , to apply my make up in the
bathroom.  I was very happy, that he already seemed to be at home, but he had always was very good at becoming adjusted , after there was
change in his life, and I knew that was a great quality to have in any kind of pet. When I finished getting ready, I cleaned his cage,  had something quick to eat for breakfast, and my
light jacket on, before I grabbed my Bible.

Then, Anna arrived a few  minutes later, and she gave me a big smile, before she asked me how my trip was, and what room Petie was in. I grinned and said, "The trip went very well, and it was very quick ."  She chuckled, and then I  led her to my room.  She was very happy to finally meet Petie, and she said, "Awww. He is so cute."  I replied, "Yes. He is, and he knows it too."  She laughed, and bent down to Petie's level, and said the words  Petie always loved to hear, "You are a very pretty bird, Petie."  I  said, "Now he will be your friend for life," while I gave her a wink.  She chuckled a little more, and then she said, "I brought Petie, a gift , it's out in my car."  I smiled and I said in  return, "That was very sweet of you." She gave me a smile back and said,
"I hope he likes it."  I replied with an encouraging manner, "Why don't you go and get your gift, and let him see what you brought for him." 

She said, "Okay. "I'll be right back."  When she returned to the room,  she said, "Here it is, the person at the pet shop told me that birds  liked to climb, and chew on things, he also assured me that
parakeets, liked doing those kinds of things as well." I nodded  my head, and replied while I gave her a smile, "Then, I'll put it in his cage."  She handed me the new toy, and I said, "Yeah. I have seen these, then I smelled a pleasant scent coming from the toy, and said,  "Oh. This one is fruit flavored, he might enjoy this, Thank you, Anna."  She grinned at Petie, and then she looked at
me too, and said, "You're welcome, Suzanne."  Then, I softly spoke to Petie , "Look what Anna gave you, Petie. It's a rope, and it smells like fruit, you can climb on it, and chew on the wooden beads."  He came  over to investigate his new toy, and eyed it with his usual curiosity,  and I let Anna know , that was a very good sign. She watched Petie, then she gave me a suggestion, "Maybe, you could just hang the rope on the  outiside of his cage, and he can get used to it."  I smiled, and I said, "That is a great idea, and I am going to try that, and see what
happens." 

Then, I found a place , to hang it that was close to his top perch, so that when he wanted to, he could easily reach it, and she  laughed when Petie touched a bead, and he ran back over to his toy bird , for safety, and he pecked her, before he slowly moved back over to the  rope, to hit another bead.  When the bead  moved, it caused him to quickly scatter away from it in the
opposite direction . I said to Anna, "I think he is going to like it.  Let's go now , and let him continue his exploring in peace."  She smiled at me, and whispered, to Petie, "Bye, Petie." Then, we walked out to  her car, and after I got myself buckled in, she said, "I have some good  news."  I asked her, "Oh? What news is that?"  

To Be Continued

 ‍Part Thirty The Distractive News Continued

‍She giggled, and I immediately knew it was about our deal that we made, before I left on my trip. Then, I heard her say, "You won't believe this, but I asked
Cliff to be my partner in our ballet class."  I smiled, and replied,  "That, is great, I can believe it."  She said, "I was not finished with what I was saying."  I replied back with an apology at first, "Sorry,
and I finished with , "Please continue."  She smiled and said, "That's  Okay."  I smiled and said, "So... You asked Cliff ............."   She  said, "I asked Cliff , and he was thrilled , when I asked him, because,  he had taken a ballet class, as a young boy!" 

  I smiled and said,  "That is wonderful."  She told me in return, "I thought it was funny, after he told me, and then Carla told me her family used to call  him twinkle toes." I chuckled , and grinned, then I said, "I am happy  for you."  She smiled, and then she started her car, before she pulled out, while I remained quiet and lost in my own thoughts for the  thousandth time.  Until, she suddenly said, "I have some news for you  too."  I turned to look at her, and I asked her with a puzzled  expression on my face, "Oh? Really?"  She just grinned and said, "Oh.  Yeah."  I anxiously replied, "Don't keep me in suspense." She laughed  and then she started to tell what the news was, by saying, "Well. I called Nadia, over the break, we did not have any class , while you were
gone."  I said, "Good."  Then she continued to tell me, as she said, "I told her that you were worried about not having a partner, and that I thought you and Alexei would work well together, and I also let her know , that you were kind of shy to ask anyone else."

I quickly asked her, "What did she say?"  Anna  just smiled, before she exclaimed loudly, "She said, that she is going  to set it up!  When Alexei returns , she will ask him, well tell him
that she needs his help again!"  I was speechless, and she was too  excited for me to notice, because she just went on talking. "Alexei is  going to be your partner!  Suzanne!  You are going to be dancing with  Alexei Yagudin!" Can you believe it ?!"   Then she even screamed , and  that made me jump, before she said, "I am so happy for you, you two will
be partners, and fall in love, and then you two will get married! You better invite me to your wedding!" I finally found my voice again, and I held up my hand, while I replied with, "Whoa! Anna don't get too  carried away there, slow down."  She said, "But, Suzanne everything  fell into place."

"My talk with Nadia went perfectly, and I  remembered what you told me to say, and she told me that she would only tell Alexei that a student needed a partner!"  I smiled, and I said,  "Thank you, so much Anna."  She smiled at me and said, "You're  welcome."  Then, I sat there quietly for the rest of the drive, while I let the news to slowly sink in, during my time of silent reflection, I tried to process one piece of information at a time.  The first thought  that came to my mind was, Wow! I am going to be dancing with Alexei !  Nadia came through, or she is going to come through.  Then another thought hit me, But how?  Because, he told me he is going to Canada and then he will leave for Russia, so how?   A third one followed and it was , Maybe if Nadia has not asked him yet, and he will have to say, No.  The next thought came right after the third one and it was about, What if he doesn't say No?  Would he give up being on the tour he loved for me ?

Or maybe he will still go to Canada , and then leave for Russia after , I am through with the class.  After those string of thoughts were finished I had seven more that were final thoughts, I
have no idea. But, I do know for a fact, I can't believe it. Am I dreaming?  Did I just imagine what Anna said? I still have no idea, and I don't know what to think, or how I am supposed to feel about this.  I am happy, but I don't want to get my hopes up, so I can't allow myself to get too excited.  My silent reflection suddenly came to a close, when I heard my name,  "Suzanne?"  I started to blush, and I asked, "What?" Anna just said, "I have been saying your name for the past 10 minutes."  I said, "Oh, I am  sorry, I was just thinking about the news you gave me."  She gave me a
wink, and she said, "I could tell that you were thinking about Alexei."

I just replied with, "Guilty as charged."  She  laughed, and said, "That is so cute."  I smiled, and then she said, "We  are here now, that is what I was trying to tell you."  I said, "Great." 
Anna smiled and told me, "We are just going in for the church service, I know that you are still very tired." I said, "Okay. Yes,  I am very  tired so, if I fall asleep, you have my permission to give me a nudge to wake me up." She laughed and said, "I will be sure to do that, if I need to."  Then we walked into the church, and she led me up the stairs  to the balcony, and she decided to sit in a pew near the back.  I sat  down, and I looked at the church bulletin, before the members of  the congregation stood up , and sang , Because He Lives.

‍To Be Continued

 ‍The Conclusion Of Part Thirty The Distractive News

I tried to keep my concentration on my singing,  while I also fought off the urge that I had through out the entire song  to yawn,  when we were finished singing, the members of the
congregation were told that they could be seated, and we sat back  down, then I listened to the announcements, before we also were led in  prayer by the pastor, and after the prayer, we sang Love Lifted Me.  Everyone remained standing, and we sang some songs , that I did not know very  well , but I tried my best to learn them, until, the pastor gave us a sign with his hand to sit down, again so, we all settled down while the  pastor gave his sermon.  As soon as he began to preach, my mind went off some where else, and Anna had to nudge me several times.  Then, after
the service was over, she had to fill me on what pastor's message was  about.

I felt very bad, and I apologized to her, in the  car. She said, "That's all right , Suzanne . I have done that before  too."  I could not believe that, and I asked her, "Really? You have?" 
She smiled and said, "Yes." Then I said, "Well. I don't want to tell you this, but I can't even remember what you told me, just a few minutes  ago." She laughed , which surprised me a little.  She just smiled and  said, "That kind of thing happens, when something else is on your mind,  nothing else is allowed in." I said, "I know, and it's terrible, I  should have been open and ready to hear what God wanted me to  know." Anna replied, "True. But don't be so hard on yourself, God also  understands."  I said, "Yeah. I know . I am grateful for that , and for  his unconditional love , I am just going to try harder to pay  attention in church next time."  Anna grinned and said, "Good."  Then she asked me, "May I know , what was on your mind ?"

I just laughed, and I said, "You are going to  think this is so silly, but I was trying to figure out how Alexei is going to be able to be my partner for the ballet class, and honor
his other commitments ." Anna giggled, then she answered with, "That's simple, because Nadia works around his schedule, and she always plans to have him help classes in the summer."  I said, "Oh. That is very  clever."  She smiled and said, "Yep, it sure is."  I smiled, and Anna asked me, "So, do you feel better now?" I gave her a happy grin, and I  said, "Yes." She said, "Good. I think you should relax this afternoon,  and catch up on your sleep, because this week is going to be very busy  for you."  I smiled and told her that I would be sure to follow her
advice.   She dropped me off, at my apartment complex, where I went  inside and to my room to see how Petie was doing with his new toy, and I
noticed that he was upset, because , the rope would not fit the cage  bars, he was trying to pull the rope through. 

 He made a screeching noise, and then he ran over to his bell and attacked it.  I said,  "Awwwwww. You want your new toy in your cage, now," while I looked  inside for an empty spot in the cage. Once, I saw a place, I quickly  hung the toy where he could easily find it, and that made him a happy  bird, because, he started to chirp and gurgle , instead of the mad cry  that he had made earlier.  I smiled, and I said, "There, you go ." Then, I kicked off my black heels, and laid down on my bed, while I watched  Petie , as he played.  Until, I fell asleep  and  had a long nap , before
my stomach's grumbling woke me up, then Petie greeted me, and I got off  my bed, before I went over to his cage, and gave him a kiss on his  cobalt blue, feathered tummy. 

 Then , he gave me a small peck on my lips, after I asked him for a kiss.  After Petie gave me a  kiss, I left my room and went into the kitchen, where I made myself a  grilled cheese sandwich, with some chicken noodle soup, after I finished eating, I cleaned up the kitchen, and had a seat couch, before I grabbed my journal and pen, and wrote down the experiences that I had, while
ice skating with the children that I help teach from the preschool, and  my own desires to expand the limits of a dream that always seemed  too impossible, for me to even try to reach.  Later on that evening, my  dad called , to let me know , that they had made it home safely.  I told him in return, that I was very glad to hear that. Then, I spent the  rest of the night watching some television, before I headed back to my room,   got ready for bed, and some peaceful rest , that I needed,  after having my mind filled the whole day with so many thoughts about
the distractive news .  

To Be Continued  ‍

 Part Thirty- One My First Day Back

I felt very good, when I woke up the next morning, and I was ready to get back to work.  So, I got out of bed, and quickly found something  comfortable to wear, for the field trip, with our preschool children, to the ice rink, where Tatiana invited the children to come back, and Sandra gladly accepted her invitation.  Once,  I was finished getting  ready, I uncovered Petie's cage, and I smiled, because he was already up and playing with the beads on his mirror.  I said, "Good morning, Petie."  He looked at me from over his left shoulder.  I laughed and  said, "Okay. Mr. Attitude , I will go put on my make up."  Then, I left  my room , and stood in front of my vanity mirror, while I applied a  light layer of make up, before I heard Petie calling for me from my room, and after I finished blending everything in, I returned to my room, and I said, "Yeah. Now you miss me."  Petie just came over to me  on his perch, and he looked at me with his little grey eyes, and I
grinned at him , before I said, "I know you love me, Petie." 

He chirped, and then I took his cage into the kitchen, and cleaned it,  while I told him that I was going to be gone the whole day, and that I  wanted him to be a good bird." He cocked his head to the right, and that let me know he was listening to what I was saying.  I just grinned, and gave him some fresh water and food, before I made a bowl of white rice  for my own breakfast.  After breakfast, I read a couple of scriptures  from my Bible, then I told Petie, that I had to go.  He got a litttle excited, and hopped back and forth on his perches, but all I did was
push the guilty feeling , I had from having to leave him away, and then I ran out to Tatiana's car. She greeted me with a  warm smile, after I  climbed in, before, I gave her a smile back, and said, "Good morning,  Tatiana."  She said, "Good morning," and then she asked me a few  questions, "How was your trip, and how is Petie?"

I laughed, and replied to her with, "The trip was quick, but it went very well, and  Petie is a little upset with me for leaving him , at least he was before I had to leave." Tatiana smiled and she said, "He will get used to it , over time, it is just an adjustment he will have to make, but he loves  you, so he will."  I said, "Thank you , I hope so , I felt like I was  being a mean mom or something ."  She said, "Oh. Well, I don't think  you are a mean mom, he will find ways to keep himself entertained, until you come home again."  I smiled, and I said, "You made me feel a little better, Thank you ."  She said, "You're welcome ."  Then, she told me  that , she would see me soon, as she dropped me off, and I waved to her, while I gave her a wink, and went in to the preschool.  Where I put all
of my energy into working with Anna, while we got everything ready to  go to the ice rink.  When the chidren arrived, we were greeted by them with big hugs, and they told us , that they missed us.  We squeezed them back in our return hugs, and let each child know , we had missed them too.

Mrs. Parker came through the door, and we did our head count, before we loaded the children into the van again, and we went on another short ride to our destination. After the van stopped and parked in the  parking lot, the children were in a hurry to get out of their seat  belts, that Anna was trying to unfasten , as quickly as she could.  Then, I helped them get down the big step , before they stood  there quietly, while they waited for their friends to join them.  When everyone was out of the van, and we had our supplies for the day, that  included a first aid kit, we made our way inside, and the chidren made  their way up to the rental counter, and waited their turn to get their  ice skates. Then, I laced up the pair of ice skates , that I used during my time there, before Mark came over to me, and asked me quite shyly , "Miss. Suzanne, will you skate with me again?"

 I gave him a smile, and I said, "Yes. Of course I will. Let's  go ," while I held out my hand for him to take. Then Mark led me out  onto the ice, and we started out with skating slow, before he asked me if we could go faster,and I picked up the pace, while he followed my  lead as we skated around the edge, following it's large circle. He  suddenly surprised me, when he let go of my hand, and skated by himself .  I smiled and said, " I am so proud of you Mark."  Anna clapped her  hands for him too, and exclaimed, "Yay Mark!" His little face was lit up with a bright smile, and the other children encouraged him to continue  skating. Mark was even ready to join the other children in the train ,  that Tatiana loved to lead for them, everytime they came to the rink.  
He did not ask me to come join him this time, and I was happy that Mark, finally found some confidence that he had inside himself all along .  I gave him a little wave, before I started to skate back to the bench,  but then I heard Olivia say something to me, so I turned around, and
she repeated what she had said to me, "Miss. Suzanne , you can stand behind me ." 

I smiled and said, "Okay. Olivia ."  Then I got  into the long line that was formed, and Tatiana blew the whistle that was around her neck, before we all started to glide around on the ice . 
All of the children had fun, and I enjoyed my time with them in the  train myself.   After we finished going around the rink for awhile, we allowed the children to skate a little longer, but when it was time for us to leave, they did not want to leave the ice.  Mark wanted to though, because he could not wait to tell his mom what he did.  While the other children reluctantly left the ice and pulled their skates off, Mark was already having me help me him tie his shoe laces, then he asked me to help him learn to tie them.    I said, "That would be great, if you could tie your shoes all by yourself , and I would be glad to help  you."  He said, "Thanks. Miss. Suzanne."  I smiled and I replied back  to him, "You're welcome."

Then I untied one lace on his shoe, and then I tried to remember what little saying I was taught , when I learned to tie my shoes, but I could not recall all of the words, and I  had to make one up, or just explain to Mark how we tie our shoes.  He  waited for me, and then I said, "Okay. Mark , I am going to try to teach you a little saying that helped me."   Then I let my foot rest on the  bench , so that he could see what I was doing. Then I said, "Over , over , under ,  around the tree , make a loop  pull through and you will  see." Mark laughed and I said, "Yeah, I think I can show you better than trying to explain it."  He picked up his laces, and watched me , while I made a knot, and I asked him, "Can you make a knot , Mark?"  He nodded  his head , and made the knot. I clapped my hands and said, "That's is  wonderful, now make a loop like this, and he made a loop with one of the laces, and I said, "Wrap that around, like this."  Mark wrapped  the other lace around  the one he held in his hand. I smiled and asked  him, "Do you see the loop?"  He nodded his head, and I said, "Okay, just push the lace in your hand through, it and pull."  Mark tried it and he tied his shoes!  

He was so happy , and he shouted , "Mrs.Parker, I  tied my shoes!"  She came over and knelt down, while he showed her how he tied his shoes, and he also said, "Miss. Suzanne showed me."  I
laughed and just smiled, when some of the other children , wanted me to  help them learn.  Then Mrs. Parker told them, I would help them learn  how during our circle time tomorrow.   I said, "Sure , I would be happy  to , but I won't be using any cute little sayings, I think that confused Mark when I tried." Anna laughed, and then we went back over to  the preschool, where we waited for all of the children's parents to  come. While they played outside, Anna made sure the children had their folders with our newsletters to the parents, tucked safely inside in  their back packs.  The minute Mark saw his mom's car pull up, he ran  over to his car, with me following behind , and when she opened the  door, he hopped in.  Then, while he fussed with his seat belt, she spent a few minutes talking to me, and she said, "Hello. Miss. Suzanne ."  I  gave her a smile , and replied to her with, "Hello. Mrs. Miller."  Before, Mark said, "Mom, I can't get this seat belt."  I knelt down ,
and I asked him, "Mark, "Would you like my help?"

He said, "Yes."   I grinned, and I pulled the belt out a little more, then I showed him how to fasten it.  Mrs. Miller said, "Thank  you. Miss. Suzanne. I really appreciate the time you take to spend with
my son, he can not stop talking about you, and he is always anxious  when he tells me about skating with you."  I was so touched, and I gave  her a warm smile , before I said, "Thank you, Mrs. Miller, I am very  glad that Mark is in our class, and I have so much fun learning right  along with him."  Then Mark said, "Guess what Mom."  She laughed and  asked, "What?"  Mark told her happily, "I skated by myself today!"  She smiled at her son, and said, "Wow! I am so proud of you."  He said,  "There is more, Mom."  She said, "Okay. Tell me."  He grinned at her,
and said, "I also learned how to tie my shoes, Miss. Suzanne showed me  how."  Mrs. Miller, undid her seat belt and she hugged her son, from her seat , and I also saw her give him a kiss, while she said, "I am so  proud of you, sweetie."  I smiled and she thanked me again, and then I  told Mark that I would see him tomorrow. He said, "Bye. Miss. Suzanne ,
see you tomorrow."  I shut the car door, and waved while Mark's mom  drove away. Then, I talked with the other parents , before they left,  and Anna along with Mrs. Parker, and myself stayed there, until the last car had pulled away.  Then, when I was free to go, Anna reminded me ,  that I had ballet class, and she told me she would be picking me up in a
couple of hours.

To Be Continued

 ‍Part Thirty-One My First Day Back Continued

‍I told her that I would see her then , before Iwalked out to Tatiana's car, and when I sat down in the seat, she talked about the children, and continued to talk about them during the
drive to my apartment.  I just smiled and closed my eyes, while I  listened to what she was saying. Then, she asked me if I was tired, and I opened my eyes , before I said, "Yeah. I am a little tired, and I still have ballet class to go to tonight." She said, "Maybe , you could take a quick nap, before your class."  I grinned and replied to her with,  "Yeah. I think I will."  She smiled and said, "You are here, my dear."  I thanked her for giving me a ride again, and she smiled as she said, "It was my pleasure , as always, I will see you tomorrow."   I nodded and  replied, "Yes. See you tomorrow." 

Then, I headed up to my apartment , to check on Petie, and once he saw me, he came running across his perch to me, and I said, "Hey. I am home for a little while, before my ballet
class anyway."  He gave me some kissses, and I laughed, before I said,  "You really missed me."  He chirped, and I said, "Well, now I have to go take the trash out, but I will be right back."  He hopped off of his  perch, and landed on his rope, and I told him to be careful, before I  left the room. Then, I decided to wait and see what he was going to do  next, and I watched him, while he chewed on the wooden, colored beads,  and climbed the rope, before he jumped back onto his perch.  I said,  "Stay right there, until I come back," beore I finally left the room , 
gathered up the trash bags, and went out to the dumpster to toss them  in, before I closed the lid.

As, I was heading back up to my apartment, Ben greeted me, and I said, "Hello, Ben."  Then he asked, "How are you young lady?"  I smiled and said, "I am fine, thank you for asking."  He grinned at me and  replied back, "You're welcome, you let me know when you need anything."  I gave him another smile and said, "I will."  Then, I went back up to my room, kicked off my shoes, and laid down on my bed for a nice nap. I  slept until it was time for me to wake up, and after I was fully awake, I got up and went to the kitchen, where I made myself a bowl of Ramen noodles, with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Then, Anna came and  knocked on the door, and I answered it , said, "I just have to brush my  teeth, really fast, and then I will be ready to go," while I gave her a  warm smile.  She said, "Well, I brought some extra leotards and leggings for you to try on, so you can do that while you brush your teeth."

Then, Anna handed me the bag, and I said, "That was so nice of  you, Okay. I will try one on right now, Thank you."  She said, "You're  welcome , Suzanne," before I went into my bathroom, and then came back  out to show her. She asked me, "How does it fit?"  I said, "It fits, I  am just going to have to get used to it."  She gave me a smile, and told me in reply, "I think you look great, and you will be able to move  around a lot better." I smiled and put my jacket on, before I responded  to her with, "Thanks."  Anna said, "You're welcome. Make sure you have  everything."  I grinned and said, "Okay. Be right back," and I left to  go to my room, where I picked my bag up from the floor, and after I took my skates out,  I turned on a light for Petie, and I returned to where
Anna was wating.   Then, we left for our class, and when we arrived, I  removed my jacket and put on my ballet slippers , and just after we had  begun doing our stretches at the bar, Anna noticed a few of the guys in our class walk in, and she told me that they looked at me. 

 

 I just turned around and asked her, "Oh? Really?"  She said, "Oh.  Yeah they were looking at you and smiling."  I said, "I was too  busy concentrating on my stretches to pay attention , but could I wear my jacket during class." She laughed and she said, "No. You better get  used to it, because Alexei is going to look at you the same way." I  chuckled and said, "Stop saying that, those guys just have never seen me wearing something like this before, so they looked because of that."  She shook her head and replied with, "Well , Actually , Suzanne they  have noticed you before. I think that they think , you are pretty."  I  just said, "Please change the subject , Anna , before I begin to  blush."  She said, "Okay. Class is about to start, and we still have  some more steps to learn."  I smiled and said, "Great, I am eager to  learn them."  Then, after I had just finished saying my statement to  Anna, Nadia walked in, and told us to have a seat around her.

To Be Continued

 ‍The Conclusion Of Part Thirty-One My First Day Back

We all sat down , and she said, " I still have a lot of steps to teach all of you, and I wanted to let you know that, we are going to have class every night this week, excpet for Friday, so please find a
way to be here each night."  Then, she asked us, "Can all of you make it for class?" We all nodded our heads, and let her know we would attend  the class every night.  She seemed pleased, and she said,  "Wonderful, Now if you all would please stand up, and spread out , to give yourselves plenty of room for movement, I will begin our class for tonight with Saute, it is also pronounced, as Sautee."  After we got back up on our feet, and moved away from eachother, she  said, "This dance step can be performed while you are jumping."

 

"For instance if you hear a term like , Echappe saute , then you would make sure that the tips of your toes , always land first  after the jump,because they are the first thing to touch the ground,
with the sole of your foot being followed by the heel. When rising from  the ground, the foot will move in the reverse order, now I want all of  you to try doing an Echappe saute ."  Anna had to help me a little bit while the class tried the Echappe saute, but I did not mind her showing me what to do.  Then, Nadia clapped for us, and said, "Moving on now to Sickling, that simply means , that you turn your foot in, from your ankle, and  that breaks the straight line of your leg."  One of the male students ,  named Troy, said, "That's easy," and we all laughed , while Nadia just  smiled at him.  Then she asked, "Is everyone ready to continue?"  We  nodded our heads , and she said, "Because, I am going to show you a , Sissonne fermee, which is always performed during a time where there is music with a  quick tempo, so I am going to play some lively music while I dance for you."

She stepped lively, while the music played, and then she wanted us to try , so we all tried to dance quickly, with both of our  feet, while our working foot also glided along.  She said, "That was
wonderful," before she gave us a demonstration of a Sissonne ouverte grande. Then, when she motioned for us to join in, we followed her lead, and  then she went on to Temps lie sur les pointes, which were easy connected steps or movements on the points. She smiled and said, "Very good. Now , let me show you the Tour de force ," and we watched her , as she danced for us, and did some jumps , that were mixed in with pirouettes.  We were encouraged by her, to create our combination , as the music  continued to play, until Nadia was satisfied , and we were allowed to go
home. Before, Anna gave me a ride home, I asked Nadia for another video tape that had the steps we had just learned in class. Then, I wished  Anna a good night, once we had arrived at my apartment building. 

She said, "See you tomorrow."  "Yes."  I replied, before I shut the door of her car,  went inside, and rode the elevator up to my floor. Then, I  unlocked my door, and headed for my room, where  Petie greeted me with a chirp , and I said, "Yes. I am back now, sweet P."  He cocked his  little head over to the left side, while he listened, before he tugged  on a feather , that was loose, so I left him alone, and changed into  some comfortable pajamas.  After, I washed my face, and checked my cell  phone to see if I had missed any calls, and I told Petie that no one had called, but I did not mind, because I was to tired to talk to anyone  anyway.  Then, I had a sudden thought about checking my Inbox for  e-mails, and I said, "Although, Petie I might check my e-mails for a few minutes."  Petie did not hear me, or seem to care about me leaving the  room, because he was still fussing with his loose feather. So, I just  went on ahead into the living room, and booted my computer up. Then, I  quickly went to my e-mail account in Yahoo , where I saw that I had one  e-mail waiting for me, and once I saw who that e-mail was from, it  caused me to have an instant smile form on my lips. Because, it was from Alexei , and I clicked on the subject line, See You Soon . I grinned and even started to giggle, like a school girl that was experiencing her first big crush, while I read his sweet message.

Hello Suzanne ,How are you ?  I am very good , been very busy .  The tour has been great ,
I have had a lot of fun this year, but I am also excited to get a
little break.  My final show will be on this Saturday, and I plan on
returning to Connecticut on Sunday.  I can not wait to see you again ,
and spend some more time with you, before I have to leave again.  Did
your dad help you find a car?  If not, I would be more than happy to
help you look for one, maybe we will find you a red Porsche. ;)  No.
Just kidding with you.Write Back Soon,Sincerely,Alexei

I was excited , when I read he would be coming back this  Sunday, but I also hoped that I would not be too tired to spend time  with him.  I was also touched that he couldn't wait to see me again,
then I laughed at his little joke about the Porsche, because that would  be too much car for me to handle.   After, I was finished reading his  e-mail, again , I finally typed out an reply. 


Hey Alexei ,I am good, just very
tired this is going to be a busy week for me , because I have to skate
every other day with the children at Little Tikes, and then I also have a
ballet class, every night this week. Except for Friday, which I will
probably spend taking a well deserved nap.  I am so glad that the tour
has been great for you, and that you have been having fun, I am very
happy for you.  I can not wait to see you again, too. I have missed you
too, but, I just hope I don't end up falling asleep on you . 


No, the trip was so fast, and he had a
softball game to play in the following Monday so they left the same day
we made it back to Connecticut, and I have certainly been too busy to
look myself, so I would love for you to help me. Ha , ha , ha , you are
so funny, but honestly all joking aside, I would not feel comfortable
driving a car like that.  I have always wanted a Pontiac Sunbird, and if
I can't have that, maybe you can help me find the perfect Sunfire, I
would love one in navy blue, I always have, don't ask me why. Well, I am
going to head off for the night, I wish you all of my best as you
finish out your tour . 
Bye For Now ,Your's Truly,Suzanne


I checked my reply over, before I hit the button that sent my  e-mail to my dearest, friend Alexei . Then, I shut the computer down,  went back to my room, covered Petie's cage , and went right to sleep. 

To Be Continued ‍