Miss Jay

Captain Dither arrived early the next day. He brought with him TWO boxes of doughnuts. (An extra box to make up for the box he ate yesterday.) He felt nervous about his duties, even though everything went fine the day before. He sighed. He just wanted to do a good job. He pounded on the door. Captain dither paced a bit. He wasn't sure if he should just enter the building or not. He didn't own the place. Simply walking in felt awkward. It was as if he were about to enter someone else's house.

Just when he was about to give up, the door opened. Behind the door was a short person dark hair and with a light streak that Captain Dither wasn't sure was grey or blonde. Captain Dither could tell that the person was female, but her movements were odd. She wouldn't make eye contact. She seemed to fidget a lot.

The woman saw Captain Dither and the donuts tucked under his arm. She smiled at him through half-closed lids. She waved him inside. Captain Dither didn't see anyone else who might be in charge. He followed the strange woman.

The woman kept glancing back to make sure Captain Dither was following. She'd see him, then smile. She seemed satisfied that Captain Dither was there.

Captain Dither had no opinion one way or another about the lady. He was too busy keeping an eye out for Nick, Uncle Bob, or Mama Witt. Those three seemed to be the ones in charge around here. Beyond showing up, he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing today.

The woman showed Captain Dither to a room that resembled a classroom. Desks and chairs were arranged in rows and columns. A large projector was setup with a large white screen for viewing whatever came through the machine.

The odd woman went to turn on the projector. She then picked up her phone and went to sit in the corner. Captain Dither saw Dr. Nick, Uncle Bob, and Mama Witt hanging out in the back row with bags of popcorn and bowls. Dr. Nick motioned for Captain Dither to join. He did.

"What's all this, then?" Captain Dither asked as the lights dimmed. "Um..." Cat videos appeared on the screen at the front of the room. Captain Dither's brain was about to inplode from confusion. The trio that had arrived before him dissolved into gales of laughter.

"Just listen." Dr. Nick advised.

Captain Dither was skeptical, but did as told. Soon, a voice could be heard over the videos.

~Story start~

Meanwhile

-Welcome to the Jungle-

We begin our trek in the skies, casually observing a family of four as they fly to Florida for a few days of fun and relaxation.

Uncle Bob and Mama Witt were on a plane with their children Dweezel and Moonunit they overheard a Karen complain about masks....

Meanwhile...

Mirror sheen, upon the grease, whose the prettiest in these here streets?

Dr. Nick, of course, (He gets Jealous if anyone is prettier than him)

A new challenger appeared in the ring to fight the sides of Cheesy Mac and Potatoes Mashed.

When the first bell rang, Mighty went to a neutral corner, to refresh and regroup. When it rang, a second time, Mighty swung with all her might and KO'd the sides.

Regrettably, the challenger decided to tap out. She hit the showers, never to be seen again.

The boys roared and the girls roared louder.

Cooler heads and Wisdom were the Heroes of the night.

-Testify-

We find our family of four, today, at a local watering hole.

Uncle Bob was trying to decide if Cotton Candy or Funnel Cakes would be more effective in launching Dweezel and Moonunit into the stratosphere.

Meanwhile,

Mighty sat with Mister in a house of worship. She prayed for the souls of friends.

May they survive the night. She also prayed for Uncle Bob, Mama Witt, Dweezel, and Moonunit on their trip. May they be safe and all come home in one piece. Amen

-Celebrate-

Today we find our, most delightful family played the line game. Uncle Bob, Mama Witt, Dweezel, and Moonunit enjoyed standing in long lines waiting to enter the attractions available. The T-Rex in the jungle looked delightfully ferocious.

Meanwhile...

A Baby Girl Princess also celebrated a special event. The 3rd anniversary of the day she joined her family. There was plenty of toys, ponies, and games for all to enjoy. A swell time was had by all.

-Congo-

Today, the delightful family from the North, returns home. Uncle Bob, Mama Witt, Dweezel, and Moonunit retire to their cozy beds to dream of rides that go whirly and dirly and rafts that flow along a lazy river. Welcome home, weary travelers.

Meanwhile...

Mighty arrived early to find herself buried. Just before she could dig herself out, she was summoned to do battle with Redbeans, Rice, and a Sandwich Monster with Chicken and Fish tentacles. After satisfactorily slaying the beasts, Mighty sailed back to port to dig herself out, once more.

Cheerio!

~story end~

The group applauded at the end of the story. "I like that one Miss Jay!" Mama Witt beamed. "It's about us!"

"I knew that you would, Mama Witt. " Miss Jay returned the enthusiasm. "Uncle Bob, how did you like having the same kids as Frank Zappa?"

It took an extra minute for Uncle Bob to recover himself. "Miss Jay, I don't even..." Uncle Bob burst into booming laughter that could be heard in the parking lot.

Miss Jay took an exaggerated bow. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"I thought the story was cute." Captain Dither said.

Miss Jay ignored Captain Dither. "Did you like the different voices?" Miss Jay asked Uncle Bob and Mama Witt. "The posh British voice for the travel log part and the regular voice for the rest?"

"I thought it was very good, Miss Jay." Mama Witt praised the little woman.

"Was that your cat in the video?" Captain Dither asked, only to be ignored, again.

"Have you come up with a story for us to perform, this week?" Dr. Nick asked.

"Not yet," Miss Jay returned. "Something will come to me. I am sure."

Captain Dither slumped. What was the point in coming, if he was going to be ignored and do anything?

"Miss Jay," Dr. Nick asked, "have you met our new member to the group?"

Miss Jay glanced at Captain Dither. She looked away. "herrbaba" Miss Jay spoke so softly that Captain Dither couldn't tell what she was trying to say.

Captain Dither offered his hand to shake.

"Hello, I am Captain Dither!" Miss Jay leaned away from the hand.

"She's a little shy," Dr. Nick explained. "It can be hard for her to communicate. Once she warms up to you, you won't be able to get away from her." Dr. Nick turned his attention back to Miss Jay. "Have you come up with a story for us perform, this week. "

Miss Jay smiled. "Almost, I want to show one more Witney video, first."

"Of Course!" Uncle Bob answered while Mama Witt chuckled next to him.

Captain Dither didn't get the joke, but smiled to be polite. Miss Jay went to the projector and started the next video.

~story start~

Quasi Emo

Let me tell you about an exciting place. A place where you can go if you need to cry or scream or do anything else you need to get your negative emotions out without fear of judgment or someone telling you that you are wrong for being you and feeling the way that you feel.

A thought is a thought. A feeling is a feeling. There's nothing wrong with feeling a certain way or thinking a certain way. As long as nobody gets hurt or killed by what you do to express yourself, you are fine.

I have created a sanctuary to unleash my chaotic emotions. It is a place of work. Strong emotions can take an effort to control. If you aren't afraid of hard work and/or the insanity that comes with feelings, you are welcome in my sanctuary. Keep in mind, strong emotions are erratic and you may be required to stand in some very deep piles of dung to dig yourself out of the mess you've gotten yourself into.

I haven't had my sanctuary for very long. Only a few months. On day one, my sanctuary was referred to as a dungeon. A dungeon may seem like a dark and dismal place. But, I know from experience that dungeons can hide treasure chests full of all sorts of useful things, like swords or armor or other things that can be used to slay big bad enemies. My dungeon has dishes.

I am a dishwasher. Whenever I feel upset about something, I throw a messy pan into my water and scrub. You'd be amazed at how easy baked on caked on mac and cheese comes off when you are furious about something.

My dungeon has a dungeon master. A young girl by the name of Miss Gina. Miss Gina's average age, (because mentally, she can change her age at will,) is 13 years old. She had to grow up before her time and struggles with that fact of life, daily. I've been trying to help her for the past 7 years. She's made some progress, but is far from stable. I turned my dungeon into a sanctuary so Miss Gina would have a 'safe' place to go whenever she is having a bad day and needs to blow off some emotional steam.

If Miss Gina is willing to work, she can stay. If Miss Gina isn't willing to work, she has to go.

Miss Gina used to be disabled. Miss Gina used to have an issue with not showing up for work.

Because of the time and effort that I have put into Miss Gina, she no longer has an absentee problem at work. She shows up everyday like she is supposed to and does her best. I never asked anything out of Miss Gina that she wasn't willing to give. All she has to do is show up, do her job, and be awesome. Miss Gina was awesome before she even walked in the door. So, beyond awesome, she just has to show up and do her job. They are simple enough tasks for anyone to do.

You've heard of Quasimodo from 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Quasimodo means half formed. Miss Gina's emotions were half formed as a result of her having to grow up too fast. Miss Gina is the Quasi-Emo. As far her disability is concerned, Miss Gina still has issues. That's okay. I can accept that Miss Gina will have problems for the rest of her life. Everybody has problems and issues. Miss Gina can be treated the same as everyone else. She's not disabled, she's differently abled. She can use her sanctuary to work out as many problems as she wants.

My greatest strength is also my greatest weakness. I am stubborn. I refuse to let Miss Gina give up on herself. When Miss Gina is whining and crying, she is trying to quit. As long as I am standing, I am winning. I am a fighter. I gave Miss Gina my dungeon to use as a sanctuary. The sanctuary is a tool that Miss Gina can use to stay on her feet to get the job done.

Sometimes, I have to fight to stay on my feet. On my feet is how I will win the battle. It's a game of inches. If I can push and lean the right way, I can cross the goal line for the touchdown. This is what I have taught myself and Miss Gina. I am self taught and self made. Miss Gina is the product of my stubborn refusal to quit.

Miss Gina visits her sanctuary quite often. It helps to have an outlet for extreme emotions. When Miss Gina is in her sanctuary, she helps me with dishes. When things get intense and I am in her sanctuary with her, I help Miss Gina with the confusion over having to deal with all these crazy emotions.

There was one time where Miss Gina was upset over something a coworker had said to her. The comment that was made was very unkind and Miss Gina, as a result, wasn't sure if she was at fault or if the other girl was the problem. So, I pulled Miss Gina into her sanctuary for a little while. She was upset and I made her sit down and take a little break. The owner of the restaurant where I work came by. He was concerned about Miss Gina, too. I let him know that Miss Gina was fine. She'd gotten a little upset and I made her get out of the situation for a little rest. When she'd finished her rest, Miss Gina would be up and working with the dishes until she felt ready to come out of her sanctuary. The owner of the restaurant accepted me at my word. Miss Gina took her little break, washed some dishes for me, and, when ready, came out of her sanctuary a few hours later. As it turned out, the other girl had a very big and very bad problem and instead of dealing with her problem in a healty way and going to her sanctuary, she chose to blame Miss Gina. That coworker didn't work out and ended up quitting on herself. Miss Gina didn't quit on herself. She had to take a break, but she never quit.

When it became clear that Miss Gina wasn't at fault, she blew the owner and everyone else in the restaurant away with her boundless energy. They were shocked to see that a young girl who had had such troubles a few hours before had made such a very quick turn around for the good. Miss Gina's sanctuary worked for her. She works for me. I work with her. Miss Gina is like my own daughter. I am Mrs Oatmeal.

~story end~

There was another round of applause and more bow. "BRAVA! BRAVISSIMA!"

Captain Dither offered a golf-clap to be polite. Hanging out with the crew like this was fun. Despite Miss Jay's shyness, she seemed really nice. He smiled bright and switched gears to customer service mode. Delivery drivers need a certain level of charm when dealing with customers. Captain Dither looked close at the people gathered around the table.

He wasn't sure, but he thought that he might have delivered to everyone in the room. He couldn't remember. After awhile one customer's face blends into another's. Captain Dither had been a delivery driver for a LOT of years.

Captain Dither had an idea to bring Miss Jay out of her shell a bit. "Um..." He began, "I think I might have a story to share... if that's alright." Miss Jay jerked upright. She jumped to sit in Captain Dither's lap. Captain Dither groaned a little, but otherwise accepted the suddenly eager to be friendly Miss Jay.

Nick chuckled. "Miss Jay approves! So do I. Let's hear it."

"Sure." Captain Dither blushed. "I was just thinking about this regular customer I had. The address was on Adams Road..."