{The scene opens with Roxi inside her local grocery store, pushing her cart with Nate in the child’s seat. Nate looks at the food items everywhere and points at them, calling out the name of the food.}
Nate – That's Pizza.
Roxi – Yes, it’s Pizza.
Nate – Can we have Pizza, Mommy?
Roxi – We have Pizza at home, baby. Do you want some pizza for dinner?
Nate – Uh-huh.
Roxi – Okay. Well, we need to finish getting food we need first, and then when we get home we’ll make some pizza, okay?
Nate – Okay!
{Roxi continues to push her cart, looking at various foods and picking up a loaf of bread, and squeezing it.}
Roxi – Maybe.
{Roxi does this to a few more loafs of bread, picking out the softest one.}
Nate – That’s bread.
Roxi – Yes, it’s bread. We have to make sure we get good food too.
Nate – Mommy, are we going to the boat soon?
Roxi – Yes, baby. We are gonna go on the cruise like we did before.
Nate – It is on the... the water?
Roxi – Yes. We’ll on the big boat in the water.
Nate – Oh. I was there before.
Roxi – You were. You’ve been there a couple of times now.
Nate – I think 5.
Roxi – No, not 5. You’re not even 5 yet. You’re so silly. I think 3 times.
Nate – Oh, yeah. 3 times.
{Nate holds up 3 fingers.}
Roxi – Yes, three. Very good.
{Nate smiles, proud of himself as the two continue to buy their groceries.}
Nate – Is... Gramma coming?
Roxi – No, Gramma’s gonna stay at home with Buster and Trixie so they are taken care of.
Nate – Oh. They not coming too?
Roxi – No sweetie, they don’t allow doggies on the boat.
Nate – Why?
Roxi – Well, because the doggies might get loose, or they might fall in the water, and we don’t want the doggies to fall in the water.
Nate – No.
Roxi – No. So, we gotta keep the doggies at home. And gramma can take care of them so we don’t have to put them in the kennel like we did before.
Nate – Oh.
{Roxi reaches the dog food aisle and picks up a big bag of dog food and puts in the cart.}
Nate – That’s a big bag.
Roxi – It is. We have to make sure the doggies have enough food.
Nate – Okay. Mommy, is mama sick?
{Roxi sighs.}
Roxi – A little bit, but she’ll be okay. Mama just sometimes doesn’t feel good, but she’s gonna get all better soon.
Nate – Like... in 100 days?
Roxi – Even faster. Mama just needs some medicine and she’ll be okay. Just like you, when you’re sick, right? We give you some medicine and you feel better.
Nate – Uh-huh.
Roxi – It just takes a little while because Mama is a grown-up.
Nate – Okay. Mommy?
Roxi – Yes, baby?
Nate – Is Grampa gonna be on the boat?
Roxi – No, Grampa is gonna stay here too.
Nate – Why, uh... how come... Grampa doesn’t live here?
Roxi – Grampa does live here. You mean why doesn’t Grampa live with us?
Nate – Yeah. Grampa don’t live with us.
Roxi – I know. Grampa already has a house so he lives there instead.
Nate – Can we see Grampa’s house?
Roxi – We’ll go visit Grampa when we come back from the boat, okay?
Nate – Okay.
{Roxi finally finds the last piece of food she needs and places it in the cart and heads to the checkout. Nate eyes the candy bars at adorn every checkout aisle.}
Nate – Mommy, can I have some chocolate candy?
Roxi – You want a candy bar? Okay, which one, you gotta pick one we can’t spend all day picking one out. Hershey’s?
Nate – Yeah.
{Nate gives a grin and a big thumbs up as Roxi puts the Hershey bar on the counter to be rung up. Nate tries to reach for it.}
Roxi – No, we have to pay for that, please.
Nate – Oh.
{The Candy bar gets rung up along with the rest of the food and bagged up. Roxi pays for the items and she and Nate head out of the store and to the car. Roxi parks the cart and opens the car door, and pulls Nate out of the seat.}
Roxi – Get in your seat, please.
Nate – Okay.
{Nate climbs into the backseat and into his car seat. Roxi watches carefully and loads the rest of the groceries into the car, places the cart back in the return and buckles Nate in and they drive home. Once they are home, Roxi unloads the care as Nate goes to see Keira, sitting on the couch, rubbing Buster’s head. Buster jumps off the couch seeing Nate come in, jumping and trying to play with him. Nate smiles and pets Buster, Keira keeping an eye on Buster the whole time.}
Keira – No jumping, Buster. You know better.
{Buster hears Keira and he knows to stop. Buster keeps following Nate as Nate climbs up on the couch with Keira.
Nate – Mama, better?
Keira – A little. Did you have fun shopping with Mommy?
Nate – Uh huh. Mommy buyed my a... candy.
Keira – She did?
Nate – Uh-huh. It’s in the bag.
Keira – I see. What else did you get?
Nate – Uh... the bread. And.. The milk..
Keira – We needed those.
Nate – And the... uh... sun...sun uh...
Keira – Sun screen?
Nate – Sun screen!
Keira – That’s right, we don’t want you to get sunburn.
Nate – Uh-uh.
{Roxi finishes putting the groceries away and walks in, handing Nate his candy bar. Nate giggles and Keira helps him open it and he starts eating it.}
Roxi – I'm gonna make him a pizza, what do you want?
Keira – I don’t know. I’ll figure something out.
Roxi – You want some pasta? I bought garlic bread.
Keira – That sounds good.
Roxi – Okay.
{Roxi heads into the kitchen to start making dinner, Keira soon enough joins her in the kitchen.}
Keira – I just... I didn’t say it before, but thanks.
Roxi – For?
Keira – Helping me get over that first hump back. I think it’s... working.
Roxi – Well, I guess we’ll find out. There’s an opportunity waiting for you if you work at it. I know it may not feel like much, but a first step goes a long way.
Keira – I am kinda pissed Alicia did that.
Roxi – Don’t worry about it. She’ll get over it. She always does.
Keira – Yeah, and maybe the cruise will do me some good too.
Roxi – It’s relaxing, but at work so... we’ll get through it.
Keira – Yeah, you uh... you worried about Char Kwan?
Roxi – If she tries, I’ll be ready. And you should feel good too, Azzy’s been waiting to wrestle you for a while.
Keira – I know. Hopefully I don’t disappoint.
Roxi – Never. I’m proud of you. You did awesome out there.
{Keira smiles.}
Keira – Thanks. I’ll... uh... I’ll leave you to it.
Roxi – Sure.
{Keira kisses Roxi on the cheek and leaves, leaving Roxi to finish preparing dinner, and soon enough the family is eating with Nate snacking on his pizza as the scene fades.}
"Keep on trudging ahead. And if you should happen to fall at some point along the way, Pete-- Get up. Dust yourself off. Don't look back... And try even harder the next go 'round."
- Spider-Man (Spider-Man Unlimited Vol 3 6)
Hello SCW.
I come to you with some mixed emotions.
Yes, it has been a couple of weeks since I got in the ring and had another great match with Seleana, and I emerged victorious and that was all well and good. I still intend on getting back to the standard and place I set for myself because I’m not longer settling and just accepting things as they are. I said long ago that I don’t believe in fate and I controlled my own ways. But I found myself just going through the motions and that’s not how the standard is set. So, it’s still pedal to the floor, because what I’m doing, the journey I’m trying to take and the road that I’m on? I feel like I’m on a road that not a lot of people are going to be able to follow.
So, yes, there is a lot of dedication and effort I’m putting into this. I’ve learned to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the little things, but I’m not going to let the little things control what I can accomplish. Now, last week, I got to have a nice ringside view of my wife beating Alicia Lukas, yet again, and thus... apparently making Alicia retire. Which, is laughable at how feeble this attempt to... I’m not really sure what, really is. Maybe she is actually retired, and hey, I mean good for her.
No. No, Let me stop even entertaining the idea.
I mean, look, I’m not buying it, I never will buy it, the charade is ridiculous and silly. Alicia isn’t retired and I’m sure after Summer XXXtreme she will magically find her way back to enjoying wrestling and wanting to be the best again and all that, so, yeah. I’m not stupid, and one of the worst things anyone can do is just to insult my intelligence with a see-thru act. Sorry, not taking the bait.
Anyway, I was looking forward to a big-time match at Summer XXXtreme, and I had several ideas and thoughts that made me excited for what was to come. After all there are some pretty big matches and some serious implications moving forward and I am thrilled to be a part of the show every time, but this is something that I needed to be... bigger. I could have been in one of those ultimate x over a pool match or like a battle royal for contendership, and I would have been more accepting of this, because beating multiple opponents gets me to the goal faster. I would have even loved teaming with Keira, because Team Hero running is always a very good thing. So, while I am none the less excited to once again get to wrestle and, heck, take a crusie for that matter. I can’t help but think that... other matches could have happened. And that’s not a slight on Char Kawn, I do not mean it in such a way. I just had my heart set on other things. But that does not mean I don’t plan on making the most of this situation that is in front of me right now.
I have nothing but respect for Char Kwan as a person, and for the most part, as a wrestler. She’s never said or done anything negatively to or about me that I can recall off-hand, and she has always been someone who is game for matches. However, this appears to be more selective which is why I’m less than thrilled about all this match, because I don’t quite know what I’m getting here with Char Kawn. I mean, I get it, there’s just some weeks or matches where you just don’t feel like it, but I’ve always been a believer that you’re out there for a reason and you have to give it everything you got, even when you don’t feel like it. People are paying good money, in times where there isn’t a lot going around right now, to see you perform if you’re name on the card. That is how this works. I really don’t want to sit here and have to deal with a phoned in performance from Char Kawn, but I almost feel I’m going to get that, and I have to try and make up for it.
That really is the only part about this that I don’t particularly care for. If Char Kwan was more apt to give me everything she had, and was gung-ho about this whole thing, it would be different. But I have pretty much think about this as a dice roll. Maybe I’m going to get Char Kwan at her best, maybe I’m going to get her at her most apathetic. And to be honest, I think that’s a little insulting. I shouldn’t have to wonder if my opponent cares about this match enough to actually bother preparing for it. I mean, I’d like to think that I’m a big enough deal that someone who hasn’t enjoyed all the success would be motivated to beat. Have I not done enough? I don’t know. I’d like to think I have. I’m in the hall of fame, I’m a multiple time champion, I’ve won every title there is to win here. You’d think that an opponent would be more than prepared to face me in the ring and try and beat me. But I’m just getting this vibe that Char Kwan isn’t really feeling it. And yeah... that kinda stings.
But that’s not going to change how this works. I’ve made it clear from a couple of weeks ago, that there is no slowing down when it comes to this now. I’m not going to stop trying to get better simply because my opponent isn’t feeling all too hot right now. I would hope that I’m WAY off base here, but my heart and my brain are both telling me that I’m right. But if Char Kwan wants to make it easy? I’m afraid I don’t do “easy” at this point. It’s going to be me doing everything I can to win. If Char Kwan wants me to just use that as an exhibition, then so be it, but it will not go well for her. I’m here to win and my path leads me through Ms. Kwan and that’s where we’re going. The ride isn’t going to be easy for anybody, myself included. But I’m not taking my foot off the gas because someone else wants to be stuck in traffic. My job at this point is to eliminate all contenders that are put in front of me. It does not matter their name or their win-loss record. I’m out to win every single time I am out there, and if it means that now I’m going to have to work EXTRA hard to get this match where it should be, then so be it. Even if my opponent doesn’t want to work, I’m still going ot outwork them and everyone else. I made that promise to myself and to all of you, and that’s how this is going to go.
But I am determined to enjoy this cruise as well. It’s always a good time to just kick back and relax and enjoy the open waters and the ocean and enjoy life, even if it is right before a huge match. And maybe, in the future a more exciting match can take place. But I am going to make the most of these next two weeks and when it’s all said and done, it’ll be a nice vacation, and another notch in the win column.
I hope to see you all there for the cruise. 
