Three-day Weekend

 It was a busy three-day weekend.  The weather was still cold and dreary, but I expect to have some good days this week for our trip to Kentucky.  Friday, I went to have Alexis cut my hair, and I removed and installed screens in their new windows. 

After I left, her sister's boss called. Alexis' older sister is an alcoholic and goes through binge cycles where she doesn't eat and only drinks. Alexis' sister is not healthy on a good day. She only weighs ninety pounds. The sister passed out at work, and Alexis was forced to pick her up and get her to the ER. She was a mess. I didn't learn all this until Sunday, but I am getting ahead of the story.

Saturday, Ava and I went to Whole Foods to stock up on snacks for our upcoming road trip this week. After grocery shopping, we stopped and had lunch at one of the small restaurants near the grocery. We decided to extend the day by going to the gym, so we swung by her place to pick up her gym bag and then headed for my condo to unload the snacks.  We ended up going to the gym location closer to my house. It is a nicer location than where she usually goes.

Ava did some time on the stair machine (her favorite) and the sauna, while I used the weight machines that my gym at work lacks. We didn't stay long, but the gym is next to an outdoor mall, so we also walked around there. Though cold, the sun was out earlier in the day, but the sun was behind clouds when we got to the outdoor mall. We didn't end up staying long. 

Ava picked up two items at Buckle. A bright red spaghetti strip bra-let and a rose color crop-top with lacy details around the neck and shoulders. She doesn't think she has the body to wear them, but I continuously assure her she does. She will say, one day, when I am in shape. She is young and in shape now. It gets harder the older you get, so she shouldn't wait.

Sunday, I got the bikes ready for our trip. I pulled the spare bike off the stand in the basement and replaced the training tire with a road wheel. I added a phone and water bottle holder to the orange bike and moved the accessory rack because the seat will be too low for it if Ava is riding the silver bike. I am almost set for the road trip to Mammouth Caves National Park.

My two bikes

I had Easter dinner over at Alexis' house. There were five of us, including Sam and me. After, we went to Alexis' sister's work to pick up her car and take it back to her house. The sister is still in the hospital detoxing. Sam and I made a quick trip to Meijer to pick up a part for a broken toilet, and Alexis cleaned up and took care of the sister's cats.

Bananas, Birthdays and Spring

 Firefly is five months pregnant. She says the baby is the size of a banana, but she looks like she is carrying a few bananas from the pictures she shares. She is still working and seems happy. She is having her baby shower in June.

Today is Max's birthday. He is twenty-three today. We had to take his car to the shop this morning. He was wearing jeans, a black windbreaker, and a black ball cap. He looked really good. I think his break-up has done him some good. He seldom takes my dating advice (I don't blame him), but he would do well on his own. I don't think he is interested. It doesn't hurt to concentrate on work and school for now.

I finished editing Dave's book-- another murder mystery solved. Now, I have to get back to work on my own. I haven't had time. I have been too busy keeping up with my work and going on vacations. It looks like I will be traveling in May for work. Just locally, out to Grand Rapids. As of now, I am not planning any vacation trips in May. Ava's mother doesn't like her to travel in May. Apparently, it is bad luck.

I plan to go to Mackinaw Island with Tink, Tech, and T-Rex in August. Ava wasn't interested in joining us, but she might change her mind by then. She had a bad experience going up north before, but I doubt that would happen with me. 

Plans

I was stuck in the office, but today was a beautiful Spring day. This is a shortened week. I have Friday off for Easter. Next week, I am only working two days, and then Ava and I head to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. There were no cute cabins available near the park, so I booked us into a Bed and Breakfast for our stay. I thought about splitting the time between the B&B and a hotel until I saw they offered vegan/gluten-free breakfast options. 

Bathwater: Actually, this place might be good for the whole trip. They say vegan and gluten-free on the website.

Ava: Very funny & yes, super cute!. Yes, go ahead and book it for the whole trip.

Bathwater: I was being serious. They offer gluten-free and vegan breakfast options.

Ava: Oh! Love that! Wow, that's awesome!!

Bathwater: If I was joking, I would have said it is in a dry county, and you will have to bring your own liquor (she doesn't drink).

So far, it doesn't look like the weather will be as warm as I hoped, but I don't think it will matter. We will make the best of whatever comes.

Bathwater: I'm excited. Another road trip is just a week away.

Ava: Yeah, me too. It's gonna be great!

Names

I call Ava by several names. I'll call here Busybee because she self admittedly never sits still. I'll call her Violet because Ava said she was much like the character from the Incredibles Movies in high school. Ava keeps have hair dyed dark. It contrasts nicely with her pale skin tone, and she tends toward black clothes. I like to remind her she is incredible too.

Violet (but this could be Ava's Avatar)

She likes the name Ava and doesn't mind being called it in public. Her least favorite is her own name, and she tells her mother and sister not to call her it in public. It isn't bad, but there is an ethnic pronunciation that most people don't catch.

We have made plans for another road trip because our first was so enjoyable. Next week we will be going south again. This time we will be adventuring through Kentucky's Mammoth Cave national park and some other parks in the area. Mammoth Cave is only a seven-hour drive from the condo, and we'll be staying at a bed & breakfast.

Ava's been very open since our trip. I am no longer questioning her honesty. She answers all my questions and gives me updates concerning her life. She's never had to tell me everything, and I'm sure she still doesn't, but we are complete opposites. She likes her privacy, while I tend to be open. It is nice we have found some middle ground.

Old Haunts

 I am still having issues with hair bumps on my face. I look like a crack addict who cannot stop picking at his face. My solution was to stop shaving for a few days, but I am not sure it helped much. Ava didn't like the beard. She thought it was scratchy and made me look older. I finally shaved it off today. 

Ava and I went to The Landing Strip on Friday night. I told her she needed to see what an actual strip club was like. I picked her up at 9:00 pm. She slid into the passenger seat but told me to wait. Ava was still debating which shoes to wear. She felt heels would be intimidating to the dancers.

"It doesn't matter," I told her. "Either way, you will be the prettiest girl there."

Ava wore black leggings and a black and white top. Her long dark hair was full and curly. She had put a lot of effort into getting ready and looked hot.

Landing Strip is a forty-minute drive, but it flew by as we chatted on the ride. Ava filled me in on the latest concerning the arrangement she was considering. The more she tells me about the guy, the more it sounds like he is gaslighting her. The guy is going through a divorce but still lives with his wife. He has made several promises that he hasn't kept. Ava is tired of him, but the lure of money keeps her from pulling the plug. 

We arrived at Landing Strip before ten. Friday was opening day for the Detroit Tigers, but that didn't increase the crowd at the strip club. I had the bouncer seat us at a small round table near the main stage. Ava was apprehensive but excited. She near goes to bars and is never out late because she is at a club.  

There was a good number of girls dancing. A few were even what I'd consider pretty, but not many. I still long for the good old days when cute girls were the norm and overweight girls would be relegated to working days. 

I ordered Ava water (she doesn't drink) and myself a beer. When the waitress came back around, Ava ordered a fruit plate to pick at. Ava and I discussed the attributes of the girls on stage. Her tastes don't differ much from mine. There were a couple of girls Ava was interested in taking upstairs, but we hadn't been able to connect with any. Some don't like dancing for couples, while others shy away from tables with women.

At one point, I pointed up at a dancer who was leaning on the upstairs railing. She was a bit too skinny, but I noticed when she was on stage, she had nice nipples. "She wouldn't be bad," I said.

"I can't go talk to her, can I?" Ava was still getting a feel for the club and wasn't sure if she could just walk upstairs.

"Of course you can. Come on, I'll show you." I led Ava to the stairs behind the main bar, and we went up. 

Ava went up to the dancer, still leaning on the rail, and asked if she would dance for us. We went to one of the back rooms with the girl. Ava sat on the couch, and I balanced on the arm. We told the girl to dance for Ava. I just kept out of the way and watched. It wasn't a great set of dances, and Ava was content not to do more dances with the girl.

We both liked this petite blond stripper named Anastasia. I tipped her on stage, but she went to sit with a regular once she finished her set. The second time she made her rounds on stage, she assured me she would come to see us. I gave Ava the money and told her to take the stripper up alone. I had a feeling Ava would have a better time without me. The booths upstairs are not big enough for three. 

I sat with Teach-- Tinkerbell and Tech's friend, who was also at the club, while Ava went upstairs with Anastasia. Ava liked her dances with Anastasia. They seemed to be up there longer than four songs. Ava said they talked the whole time.

We got home from the club late, and Ava spent the night. We stayed up having sex into the wee hours. Ava came three times and kept me satisfied that night and again in the morning.

Because her other arrangement is not going anywhere, we are talking about going back down south for another cave exploring getaway this month.

Violet

I had a hard time concentrating on work Tuesday. All I wanted to do was tell everyone what a wonderful time I had on vacation. I received a text from Ava Tuesday evening.

Ava: You are the best travel partner I've ever had the pleasure of exploring with. Thank you again for everything.

Bathwater: I had the best time, hon. You made it better than I ever imagined. I will be disappointed if we can't do it again soon. I would take you anywhere.

I have a fun time with Ava. She puts up with my sarcastic humor and corny jokes. She is a great navigator and keeps us on course when my directional skills falter while driving. Ava keeps up with me outdoors and indoors. She and I together reminds me of the Steve Martin movie LA Story for some reason, but Ava is a mixture of the two female leads.

I would describe Ava as a woman despite to escape herself, but she doesn't know how and sustains herself on hopes and dreams. She should embrace who she is. I don't see anything wrong with her. It goes back to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. One mistake I made on the trip was not listening to it with her on the road trip.

I will sit back and see how things unfold for her in the coming months. It would be nice if she made herself available this summer, but I cannot count on it, and I will need to look for other possibilities.

Tennesse

 We had an excellent trip. We did so much in the short amount of time we had. I wouldn't have changed anything. I only wish we had more time.

I picked up Ava Thursday night. We spent the night at my condo and left early Friday morning. We drove through a snow squall leaving Detroit, but the weather improved the further south we traveled. Ava is a perfect travel partner. She is a good navigator, goes with the flow, and equally participates in adding unplanned stops.

We stopped for lunch in Cincinnati and spent a few minutes walking around the area, checking out the shops near the restaurant. I bought a tee shirt at a local bike shop before continuing our journey. The trip to Tennesse took nine hours of driving, but it was a pleasant trip. It gave us plenty of time to get to know each other better. I love listening to Ava discuss things she is passionate about. She can get worked up but is never unpleasant.

Our cabin was tucked away down a secluded gravel path just off the main two-lane road. It was fully stocked and situated in a few acres of woods with a mile of trails for us to explore. The cabin was a spacious one-room building divided into a seating area, a kitchen, a sleeping area, and a bathroom. We reached the cabin at dusk. It gave me enough time to explore some of the paths while Ava freshened up.

We stayed two nights in the cabin, and they were just as energetic as our days. The following day we walked the trails near the cabin. Ava loves to take photos. She can spend fifteen minutes trying to take the perfect picture of a pine cone. The path led us passed a pond, across a small creek, and into the trees. I basked in the silence of nature while she took photos. 

We headed for Cumberland Caverns after our walk in the woods. The main entrance into the caves looks accessible and inviting, but our tour took us on a half-mile hike up and down a rocky unmanicured path to an intimidating hole in the ground. We came prepared. They gave us hard hats with lamps, and Ava and I wore gloves and kneepads and carried extra flashlights. And believe me, they were all needed.

Our tour guide led us and fourteen others through a challenging adventure through dark, twisting corridors and tight spaces. It was very physical. We crawled through mud, climbed up and down ladders, and squeezed through tiny openings. I fell once on a slick mud-covered decline. We had to slog our way through six inches of water at one point on the two-and-a-half-hour tour. I found myself bumping my head more than once. Thank god for the hardhat, and we were both sogging and covered in mud before the end.

Ava was quiet as we walked back to the gift shop. I fear she hated the experience, but to my surprise-- she LOVED it. Ava wants to come back and explore more caves. Cumberland Caverns is not as scenic as Carlsbad but much more physically demanding if you are up for it. 

It was late afternoon by the time we finished the caves. We quickly changed the car and headed to Falls Creek state park after. It was a short drive away, and we got to see the Falls Creek Falls from the lookout before taking the half-mile trail down to the base. Once again, the path down to the bottom of the falls is only partially manicured, and you have to watch your step.

Ava is timid, but I convinced her to climb up onto a giant boulder at the base of the falls to take photos. It is a beautiful area. We drove around inside the park after seeing the falls. We saw plenty of deer along the road and inside the trees. There is a modern lodge with a restaurant inside the park, and we ate dinner there. The food was not remarkable, but the atmosphere inside the lodge was pleasant. It was late by the time we made it back to the cabin.

We went horseback riding the following day. Ava loves horses and used to volunteer at a stable in Detroit. It was a fun experience. Then we headed back to Falls Creek Park to revisit the first falls before exploring the rest of the park and going to the second falls. There was a lot of climbing. My thighs were sore by the second day, but Ava is a ball of energy.

Ava took more pictures of the second falls and along a suspension bridge before it was time for us to head toward Nashville. Our two-hour trip to Nashville took us down some scenic, twisty roads. Ava booked us a sound cleansing in Franklin, a ritzy area south of Nashville. 

We ate in Franklin. Ava loved the area. It has all the trappings of the rich-- Whole Foods (we stopped there to stock up on more snacks), bike paths, and a small downtown surrounded by big fancy houses. The sound cleansing is similar to the gong emersion we in Detroit in December. I was underwhelmed by this one, but Ava liked it.

We headed for our hotel in downtown Nashville after. Ava jumped into the shower while I napped on the bed. We she emerged, Ava sat next to me and said, "there is one more thing I'd like to do while we are here."

By this time, it was after ten at night. "What that?"

She was hesitant to say, "You know, that thing we talked about before."

I wasn't sure what she was getting at, so she finally admitted to wanting to go to a strip club. "There is one just two miles away from here," she told me. This was her idea, not mine. Ava is fascinated with strip clubs, though she has only been to one. Ava is a bit bi-curious. She doesn't admit it to many people, though.

I told her I was game for it. It was after midnight by the time we were dressed and headed back into the city. The Crazy Horse Gentlemen's club would be considered a lower-tier club back home in Detroit, but that made it an affordable adventure. They don't serve alcohol. It is strictly BYOB. That was okay for us because Ava doesn't drink, and I don't need to drink. There is no valet to park your car, and we just had to pay a cover charge. 

By my standards, it was a seedy club. There is a three-foot-wide expanse between the stage and the closest seats. The customers have to throw money at the stage, and after each set, a bouncer uses a squeegee on a pole to rake the singles into a bucket for the girls.

It was late, and the dancers still around were thicker than I preferred, but there was one Korean with a decent body that Ava and I liked. I tipped the girl when she was on stage, and we went back for private dances with her after. 

The girl made small talk with us between songs before asking if we wanted her to dance for both of us. I indicated she should dance for Ava, and I sat across from them to enjoy the show. At first, Ava sat stiff and was reluctant to touch the dancer, but she loosened up a bit after the first two songs so I had the girl dance two more for her. Ava liked it and I reaped the rewards late back in the hotel room. We had sex and stayed up past four-thirty talking.

The next day we didn't make it out of the hotel till noon. Then we ate lunch at a cafe and went to see the Parthenon before the long drive home.

It was a great trip. Ava said it was her second most favorite. Which I consider impressive considering it was only four days long and two were taken up by the drive. She was already planning a return to see more caves on the drive home, but I am not sure if it will happen. Ava has decided to take the two-year arrangement with the guy I mentioned before. She doesn't seem too excited about it. I think it is a bad idea and mentioned my opinion till she was tired of hearing.

My opinion is partly because I don't want to lose what we have going here, but I also don't think it is good for her. The thing is, Ava doesn't want to stop hanging with me either. She has fun with me. This trip really cemented the fact. It gave us a chance to talk and broke down the walls between us. I am just going to wait and see what happens next.