Greetings to everyone, and a happy first day of summer to all of you! Where is 2024 going? Half of the year will be over in ten days, and then it's time for Hallmark's Christmas in July -- NOT (sorry, not a big fan of Christmas movies in July). I hope this chapter finds everyone doing well and surviving the extreme heat. Take care and stay hydrated!
I continue to rewrite, add to and write more chapters of this story and I'm seeking any suggestions, constructive or positive feedback you have about the story. Please send information to cjwilson328@aol.com. For those if you who have already reached out to me - my thanks! I'm working your ideas into future storylines.
Hurricane Vince has passed Marco Island and Naples. The news crew comes through the storm fine, but everyone is ready to get back to St Petersburg.
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I checked in with Trevor around 4:00 am. He gave me some specifics on the storm as it was off the Florida coastline now, with tropical storm warnings still in place for southwestern Florida, including Marco Island. He had Ed set up some video of the Keys for Jennifer and I to use on our morning shows. As Trevor put it "the middle Keys got slammed by the storm, with some winds reaching near 150 mph. CJ at the time you and Jennifer were reporting last night around 6:30 pm, the eye of the storm was about 25 miles southeast of Marco Island. You two were in the direct path of the worst winds of the storm. You're both so lucky, and get your ass back here soon! Jimmy and I want to hear everything from you. Don't worry, everyone else wants to hear your stories also. Take care bud, and I'll talk to you later today."
I shared the information with the other three. All of us took a few minutes to reflect on what happened, and how lucky we are to be safe on our first hurricane coverage.
As we got closer to 5:00 am, I felt more comfortable as we all confided in each other of how nerve wracking the past 24 hours have been. Angela made a point that struck home with me. She said "I'm not saying that I want to do this type of reporting each week. However, I think if I was more mentally prepared before coming here, I might have been less nervous."
She was right. I had not talked to anyone about how to prepare for covering a hurricane. I think it may have helped me with this coverage. She also said "when we get back to the station, I want the four of us to have a bull session with Bailey. I know we have all learned things on this coverage that Bailey needs to hear. We're the ones at the station who have experience now, and I never want to send out anyone again on a hurricane coverage without better preparation than what we had."
I felt much better about things and thought to myself "I may cover a storm again, knowing what I learned on this trip and how I can apply my knowledge moving forward for myself and others."
We decided to move outside for the morning shows. Brenda turned on the patio and pool lights which showed a real mess around the hotel. Jennifer and I were able to do our first show from the patio and we moved the remainder of the shows to the pool and beach areas. All areas were littered with debris. It is amazing to me how much debris has accumulated, and how calm the gulf is this morning versus yesterday afternoon.
After we finished the morning shows for St Petersburg, I readied myself for the Friday morning segment of Good Morning America. I had tried to pull up internet coverage of the storm, but I was not able to successfully connect. I decided to go with what I know now from Trevor and show the audience the remnants of what we're finding at Marco Island this morning. Jennifer said "I'm going to go to my room and get a shower now. I'll be back down in 30 minutes." I said "you're not going anywhere! After what you and I went through yesterday, I want you on GMA with me this morning." A smile came to her face and she said "no CJ, that's okay, you take this one." I grabbed her hand and said "no way, we're going to do this together this morning."
Jennifer and I moved to the hotel parking lot as we now had enough daylight to broadcast from there. We made our way to the loading dock, and Brenda opened up the garage door to show the audience that we were outside of where we reported from last night.
Carl got set up and ready to go. Angela placed monitors facing each of us and said "the network will be showing video of the Keys and your video from last night while you two voice over it." I asked "does the network have any information on injuries or fatalities?" Angela said "numerous people are being treated for injuries, and search and rescue teams continue to work their way through the Keys. I checked with the local hospital here, and a nurse said the emergency room is overwhelmed with injuries. They have set up mobile aid stations at the fire station and the three shelters. Several critical cases will be air lifted to Miami within the hour."
Good Morning America came on and the anchors did the usual teasers for the show opening. After the teasers, the camera shot went to Michael who covered the aftermath of hurricane Vince. Last evening's video of Jennifer and I played in the background, while Michael made comments over it. He said "If you watched World News Tonight last evening, you saw dramatic footage of our St Petersburg WPHS affiliates Jennifer Nesbitt and CJ Walters covering hurricane Vince from Marco Island. Their report was interrupted by a huge section of roofing collapsing near them. I'm happy to report that they are both okay, and join us here this morning. CJ and Jennifer, how are you both feeling, and walk us through your report." I started in and said "Good Morning Michael and as you noted, I have been working with Jennifer Nesbitt all of this week on the hurricane Vince coverage. I have to say that the incident last evening was one of the most terrifying items to ever happen to me. I'll remember it always, and I've gained quite a bit of knowledge of what I need to do for safety in future hurricane coverages. Jennifer...".
Jennifer started in with "Good Morning Michael and Good Morning America. CJ and I are fine this morning, but I do have to say my nerves are still in high gear after all of the excitement during the past 24 hours. It's definitely calmer here at Marco Island this morning, but as you can see the damage left behind by the storm is extensive. The local authorities are asking us to stay put until 9:00 this morning once they have the major island roads cleared. It may be several days before all roads on the island are clear. CJ...".
I resumed with "Hurricane Vince is now off the Florida coastline approximately 150 miles northwest of Naples, Florida. The Florida southwestern counties are still under a tropical storm warning this morning, but I expect that to be lifted as the winds have decreased significantly this morning since we began our broadcasts. The video you saw of Jennifer and I occurred at approximately 6:32 pm last evening. At that time, the eye of the storm was 25 miles southeast of Marco Island. That put us in the high storm winds on the northeast quadrant of the storm. We're learning that Marco Island is littered with downed trees, multiple layers of debris and a number of homes have lost their roofs. No fatalities have been reported on the island, but three people will be air lifted from the local hospital to Miami within the hour this morning for treatment of their conditions."
The video switched to the Keys and I changed my comments to "the central Keys took the wrath of the storm with winds approaching 150 miles per hour near the hurricane eye. Video is slowly coming in this morning, which you are seeing now. Search and rescue teams will have a busy day ahead of them combing through the debris-littered islands. We don't have reports of fatalities in the central Keys, but we'll be monitoring that throughout the day. Michael, back to you."
Michael and Robin asked both Jennifer and I follow-up questions, which we answered. In total, our segment with them was near ten minutes this morning.
After we finished, Angela gave us the cut queue and said "well done you two! Jennifer, how does it feel to have your national news debut under your belt now?" Jennifer smiled at me, gave me a hug and said "It's an emotional rush Angela, and I'm so glad I got to experience with you three." We all joined in a group hug and Carl said "let's go raid the vending machine for some breakfast, I'm starved!"
Breakfast consisted of pop tarts, mini six pack donuts, coffee and orange juice. Luckily, we did not have to raid the vending machine as Brenda had excess stock in the hotel office. All of us traded stories, and we enjoyed hearing the hotel workers tell us their experiences with hurricanes. Cecil, the elder of the group said "I think that is the worst I've been through on the island. Just looking at the parking lot, and the other side of the road, we're going to be recovering from Vince for a while. I just hope that no one died in this storm."
After our breakfast, the four of us showered up and felt refreshed for our day ahead. We met back up in the hotel lobby, gathered up the equipment that was in the hotel, loaded all of it back into the van and prepared to head out and cover some stories on the island this morning. Just as we were loading up, a fire engine pulled into the parking lot. A fireman jumped out of the vehicle and said "before you leave, are you all okay and is anyone in need of medical attention?" I took a look at the fireman and immediately went hard as he had a Wally look. If Wally had a twin with dark brown hair, he is standing right in front of me. Brenda exited the hotel and joined us as we were talking to the fireman.
She joined our circle and said "hey chief, how did the island hold up?" The chief said "hey Brenda, good to see you safe. Do you or any of your staff need medical attention?" Brenda replied "I think we're all okay Mack. Our guests here are okay also, just worn out after the last 24 hours." I held out my hand and said "hey Mack, thank you for checking. We're from WPHS television in St Petersburg and have been covering the hurricane for our local station as well as our national affiliate. Do you have two minutes so we can ask you some questions and record it? I'm CJ Walters, by the way." I also introduced my three colleagues and Mack introduced himself formally to all of us. He said "I'd be happy to answer questions for you."
Carl got the camera set up, and Jennifer and I asked Mack questions. He informed us that Collier Boulevard is clear, but other island streets are littered with debris. He recommended we stay on Collier Boulevard, and venture off on side streets by foot. Mack urged us to use caution though as some streets are flooded and we may not be able to see obstacles which are hidden in the water. Mack said his crew has rescued or helped approximately 50 people this morning, and he stressed it's going to be a busy weekend for all rescue workers.
I asked Mack one final question "are we able to exit the island at this time?" He smiled and said "Florida Department of Transportation has begun the cleanup of highway 951 up to the interstate. They're estimating that the road will be cleared later today."
We thanked Mack and traded contact information with him. I said "if you're ever in St Petersburg, look us up. We'll be happy to take you on a tour of the station as well as a nice dinner for all the service you provide here on the island." He smiled at all of us and said "thank you all. My brother lives in St Petersburg, so I will take you up on the tour and dinner the next time I'm up there visiting."
As Mack walked back to the fire truck, Carl whispered in my ear "does Wally have a twin brother?" I chuckled and replied "I know. I'm hard now, and I need to relieve myself." I had Carl laughing so hard and he said "yeah, I can't wait to get back to Trev and make up for lost time. We need to have Mack come up and shock the hell out of the rest of our crew."
We drove up and down Collier Boulevard stopping along the way at a number of side streets to obtain more video and interviews. We encountered the Harris family with two young boys walking towards the center of the island. As we pulled up to them, Angela asked them "can we give you a lift anywhere?" The father smiled and said "that will be great if you don't mind? Our car was totaled by a falling tree, and my youngest son hurt his arm during the storm. We're walking to the hospital to make sure it's not broken." Angela smiled at the two youngsters and said "we've got plenty of room to get you to the hospital. Let's get you all loaded up, and then you can direct us to the hospital."
We arrived at the hospital, and found the emergency room to be overloaded with patients. During the ride, we introduced ourselves and the father introduced himself, his wife and two boys to all of us. I asked the boys if they were scared during the storm. They both opened up to me like chatterboxes. I asked them "do you two want to tell us what your experience was like during the storm? We're television reporters, and we'd like to put you on television for being so brave during the storm." Both boys looked at their parents and Angela said "please go ahead and get Griffin checked in. We'll stay here with them and get an interview from them if you agree?" Tim, the father, looked at the boys and said "do you two want to be on television?" They both jumped at the chance, and soon Jennifer and I were asking them questions. Ben and Griffin did very well, and once again I am so impressed at the strength, resilience and simplicity of youth. They bring conversation down to the basic level, and I can tell these two are well loved and do well in school.
We stayed with the boys until their parents returned. Tim said "come on Griffin, we can take you to the x-ray area. Thank you all for getting us here and you can take off now." Angela spoke up and said "we're fine here. I think we'll get some interviews, and when your family is ready, we'll take you back to your house if it's okay? If you need to go to a shelter, we can take you there also." Tim and his wife smiled at us and Tim said "bless you all, that will be very much appreciated if you're sure it's not too much trouble? Our house was fine. We converted the garage to additional living space a few years ago, and park the car in the driveway. Thank goodness the house did not take the heavy damage. We can replace a car much easier than a house." I took the lead in telling the family to take care of Griffin and we'll be there when they need a ride home.
We still had about two hours until our noon show. Angela took a camera and recorded Jennifer interviewing patients and hospital workers. Carl and I took the second camera unit and walked the downtown area. We encountered quite a few commercial buildings and stores which were heavily damaged or destroyed in the storm. We also captured video of a bridge which was washed out and not useable. As we were recording the destroyed bridge, I also noticed how much sand erosion there was on the beach near downtown. Carl and I obtained great footage, which will be useful for the noon show as well as tonight's shows. Angela and Jennifer also obtained numerous interviews, and before the four of us knew it, there was only 30 minutes until the noon show.
The Harris family was still getting Griffin checked out. Angela said "let's go ahead and do the noon show here." Carl got everything set up quickly, and we were set to go. The station is ready for us, and just as we were making our final show preparations, the Harris family came up to our van. Griffin did end up with a broken arm and now has a cast on his arm. Angela said "Tim, we're about to go live for our noon show. Will you and your family agree to be interviewed live on the noon news?" Tim agreed, and all we needed now was for Ross to transfer the show to Jennifer and myself.
The noon show went very well for all of us. We were much more relaxed, even though we're surrounded by storm damage and injuries sustained during the storm. We showed a number of different damage sites and the Harris family did a great job with us. Angela and I took their contact information from them, and Angela promised the boys she is going to send them some channel 2 gifts from St Petersburg. Carl gave Tim and the boys a tour of the news van, and the boys were very intrigued with all of the operations that go on. Griffin said "wow, this is so neat. To think this is the control unit sending the signals hundreds of miles away to be broadcast on television sets. I wish we could have seen our interview." Carl said "since you two gave CJ your emails, we'll send you a link to the news cast. You can watch it later and show it to all of your friends. How does that sound guys?" They both said "neat Carl, thanks!" at the same time.
We took the Harris family back to their home. The power was back on for them, but they had a large clean-up effort facing them. Their car was totaled, and the back yard had extensive tree damage as well. The outdoor shed was crushed by several trees, and all of Tim's yard equipment was damaged or destroyed. The pool cage was ripped up, but the pool was still usable with a good clean up. Even though there was a massive cleanup to begin, Tim looked at his family and all of us saying "it could have been so much worse. I'm happy that Griffin was not seriously injured, and that all of us are safe and sound. We thank you for your help today and if you're ever back in Marco Island, please call us. We'd love to get together with you under different circumstances."
As we wondered through their neighborhood, we continued to encounter people taking appraisal of the damage to their homes. We were able to gather more video as well as speak to a number pf people. One common theme we heard is "even though this was a bad storm, it could have been so much worse." I cannot believe their attitude, but it's very true. So far, no people have been killed on the island. It's not the same case in the Florida Keys though, as eight deaths have been reported there so far.
We made our way back to the hotel, and got started on editing the video for our evening reports. Brenda checked in with us to see if there was anything we needed? She also told us that the restaurant across the street is operational, and is planning to stay open until 9:00 pm this evening.
Around 3:00 pm Bailey called Angela and asked her to put the phone on speaker. He said "I cannot wait to see all of you back in St Petersburg safe and sound. I can't believe the video you four were able to shoot today. The network wants one more segment this evening, then you four are free to return home when you can." I asked "Bailey, where is the storm tracking for, and do they want me to head there?" Bailey continued and said "no CJ, the storm is still heading for the Texas/Louisiana border. You have all done great and they want you all to rest up. They are getting reporters assembled in Houston and New Orleans to cover the next landfall. Again, get the final segment done tonight and then you can head home." Carl said "sounds good Bailey. We'll finish up the reports for tonight, check with the department of transportation on the highway access and head home if we can." Bailey concluded the call with "thanks again you four. Excellent job, and I can tell you we're already hearing from our audience here about your well-being and how they can help the island residents with supplies or donations?" Angela said "oh wow, we will cover that information in our evening shows Bailey. I'll call you later and let you know if we're able to leave the island and make it to the interstate."
Carl called the department of transportation while the rest of us finished editing the video for tonight's shows. After he finished his call, he returned to us and said "hey everyone good news and bad news. Good news is the southbound lanes of the highway are clear from the interstate to the island. The northbound lanes are not clear yet, but will be finished up tomorrow morning by 9:00 am. Unfortunately, we're here for another night, but we can take off first thing in the morning." I smiled and said "like everyone we talked to on the island today, our situation could be a lot worse. Let's give thanks that we're all safe, we have rooms here for tonight, the diner is open across the street and we'll head out tomorrow after a good night's sleep." Angela looked at me and said "well said, but I was looking forward to heading out tonight. Ah well, one more night on the island won't kill us. I wonder if we can get some drinks anywhere?" Carl smiled and said "you three continue on, and I'll ask Brenda to hunt something down for us."
Our shows went well with the anchor Mitch, Josh and Ronny. All three of them were asking us questions. It had to laugh as I saw them all at the studio desk. Mitch just turned 60, and he's surrounded by two young men with baby faces. We completed the evening shows with them, and focused our attention to the last report for the week with David Muir.
Once Jennifer and I were done with David, the parking lot of the hotel erupted in applause and cheers. Brenda and the hotel crew had all assembled to watch our broadcast live. All of the crew congratulated us on successful broadcasts this week, and thanked us for reminding people of how they can help Marco Island and the Florida Keys with supplies and donations.
Brenda approached us and said "sorry everyone, but I was not able to locate any bars open near us. You may want to check next door with the Marriott as their lounges may be open tonight."
After we loaded the van up and secured it, the four of us walked to the restaurant across the street. We asked Brenda and the hotel crew to join us, but they all wanted to get to their homes and families. We thanked them all for their hospitality, and Brenda introduced us to the incoming shift manager Jeffrey. Jeffrey said "you four have a good dinner, and I'll be on the lookout for you to return tonight. If I can do anything for all of you this evening, just let me know."
As we walked across the street, I dialed Wally's number to inform him of our plan for tonight and tomorrow. I let the group go ahead of me as I was talking to him. When they were out of distance of hearing my conversation, I said "I can't wait until I get you in bed tomorrow night. I miss you baby, and I need to be with you so bad." He replied back saying "I know sweetheart, it seems like it's been several weeks away from you versus several days. I'll be here waiting anxiously for you. Do you want me to pick you up at the station?" I said "no baby, I'll grab a ride back with Carl to the condo. I'll keep in touch with you as to our progress tomorrow. I love you Wally, and I can't wait to be wrapped up tight in your arms tomorrow." Wally cracked up and said "nonsense, I'll be wrapped up tight in your arms my love. Have you heard from UD? He called me about an hour ago to see if I knew what your plans are. He does not want to bother you." I said "I have not heard from him, but I'll call him." Wally said "let me do it baby. You go get something to eat with the others and I'll talk to you later. I love you CJ." Out of habit, I replied back saying "I love you more, Wally."
Our dinner tasted great, and the more we ate the more tired each of us felt. It was a long day for all of us, and I think the letdown of finishing the news segments tonight caught up with all of us. After we paid the bill, we all decided to return to our hotel and get a good night's sleep.
As we went back to the hotel, Carl said "let's plan a happy hour for next Friday or Saturday to celebrate what we accomplished this week." Jennifer and I thought that sounded good, but Angela said "Bailey is already planning something for us. I'm not sure what night it's going to be, but I think he's planning a blowout celebration inviting everyone at the station to attend." I smiled and said "that's Bailey for you -- always trying to get the one up on Carl!" We all had a good laugh and I continued with "well everyone, let's just plan on attending the Bailey extravaganza. Knowing him, it will be a party to end all parties."
I got to my room and took a shower. I'm glad we decided to turn in versus seeing if the Marriott lounge is open. I turned on the television, collapsed on the bed and had intentions of watching some Friday night television. Instead, I woke after 5:00 am with the Ft Myers morning news on the television. I made myself a cup of coffee, and compared the Ft Myers news crew to ours. No comparison in my mind -- WPHS wins the contest hands down.
Rather than having another cup of strong coffee in my room, I decided to get showered up and ready for our trip home. I zipped up my suitcase, and headed for the hotel lobby hoping that the coffee there was better than the room coffee packets.
As I entered the lobby, Jeffrey greeted me saying "good morning, CJ. I brewed some coffee if you care for some this morning." I replied "thanks Jeffrey, I hope it's better than the room coffee." I tasted it and said "ah Jeffrey, much better and just what I needed this morning. Jeffrey laughed and said "yes, you have to watch those packets. The coffee made with them can be very strong."
I filled a large cup and took a seat at a lobby table. I asked Jeffrey "have you seen any of my group this morning, or am I the first up?" He smiled at me and said "I believe you're first up. Do you want me to call the others?" I said "no, that's not necessary. We're all early birds. I'll check my email while I'm waiting for them."
Within twenty minutes all four of us were ready to take off. The sun is coming up and I felt better starting on our journey back home during daylight hours. Jeffrey loaded us up on coffee, and the four of us took our seats in the van.
When we reached the highway, there were no barriers stopping us from entering. Carl went ahead and entered the highway taking it slow. The sides of the road are littered with debris, and it appears that the road crew may have gotten further than anticipated in clearing the road to the interstate yesterday. As we proceeded north, we saw more evidence of strong wind damage. Trees have been uprooted, roofs are either missing large sections or have been totally knocked off houses and the ditches are still full of water. There were some homes and businesses that sustained heavy damage including full collapses. We saw some evidence of power in sections of the highway, but we did encounter a number of lights at intersections that are not operating. Carl took his time driving, and an hour later we were back at interstate 75. I took a deep breath and said to myself "part one of our trip is done. I hope the rest of the trip is smoother than what we just went through."
Once we turned onto the interstate, I asked Angela "do we need to stop in Naples and shoot any video?" Angela said "no, Bailey said that we have received enough video from our Ft Myers sister station, and in turn they are using our video of Marco Island. We're good to head straight back to St Petersburg."
The land near the interstate did not show as much storm damage as what we saw earlier. Once we were out of the Naples area, the damage became much less apparent. It amazes me that the storm was so concentrated on a 50-mile path in the southwestern peninsula.
As we were passing the airport at Ft Myers, my phone rang with a call from Wally. I answered it saying "hey there, I was just about to call you. We just passed the Ft Myers airport heading north on the interstate." Wally said "sounds great babe. Have you four had breakfast yet, and if not do you want to meet us at Mama Bette's? We had thunderstorms and some wind in the bay area, but nothing like what you experienced at Marco Island. I want to check the bungalow and boat out even though they're probably fine. The hot tub is also complete and ready for use. Alex and Ronny are riding along with me. I replied "that sounds great to me, let me check with the others. Hey everyone, Wally is going to check his boat and bungalow in Bradenton Beach. There's a fantastic breakfast place there, even better than Cecilia's. He suggests we meet there for a breakfast as he, Alex and Ronny will be there within the hour. How does that sound?" Everyone thought it is a great idea as the growling stomach sounds are kicking in for us. I replied back to Wally "we'll see you at Mama Bette's in about an hour."
I told everyone about Mama Bette's and how Wally introduced her restaurant to me. I said "you cannot go wrong with her breakfast casserole or the burritos. Any dish is probably wonderful, and I hope she has some of her pastry creations as well. The more I'm talking about it, the hungrier I'm getting. Let's haul ass Carl and get to the Bradenton exit soon!"
Carl pulled off at the Bradenton exit, and I navigated the way for us to Bradenton Beach. We beat Wally and his posse there and I said "come on everyone, let's go meet Mama Bette. Beware though, after today, you're in her family for life and she'll expect you down here at least once a quarter." I opened the door and let the other three proceed ahead of me. Once she saw us, she broke into tears saying "I'm so glad you four made it through the storm safe. CJ, get them all over here for some proper hugs!"
Since Mama had seen Jennifer on tv with me she was quick to give Jennifer a hug and say "okay Jennifer, I'll never get this out of CJ, but what was it like to talk to David Muir? He is my dream man and I want to hear everything!" I said "Mama, before we get into all the stories, I'd like for you to meet Angela and Carl." Just as I suspected, Mama gave each of them a hug, as well as squeezing the stuffing out of me. She said "okay, before we get to the stories, please help yourself to a seat anywhere. We'll move another table together for Wally and the others once they get here. Can I get everyone some water, juice and coffee?"
Mama got our drink order to us and as she was delivering the drinks to the table, my threesome walked through the door. I got up and gave each one of them a hug and kiss telling them "It's so good to see all of you." Each of them continued around the table giving Angela, Jennifer and Carl hugs and kisses as well. It's a good thing that Mama's place was not too busy, as it is quickly becoming a lovefest scene.
Mama got more drinks for Wally, Alex and Ronny. Another server followed her with two plates of fresh muffins. She said "when Wally told me that my heroes were coming here from Marco Island, I whipped up some of my tropical dump and banana nut muffins for everyone to enjoy. If you go through these, don't worry I've got more in the kitchen. I can also load everyone up with some to enjoy tomorrow morning as well."
Mama is in rare form this morning. She's enjoying entertaining everyone, as well as listening to our hurricane stories. After we placed our orders, she joined us in the conversation, while her cook staff prepared our breakfast.
The five guys went for her breakfast seafood casserole and a burrito. She said "I'll bring plenty of my special sauce for your dipping pleasure gents." Angela and Jennifer went with the casserole, but quickly requested some nacho chips once they had a taste of Mama's special dipping sauce.
Breakfast as usual is delicious, and the conversation never ceased at the table. Before any of us knew it, two hours had gone by. Everyone showed extreme interest as Angela, Jennifer, Carl and I shared our best moments, the scariest moments, what we learned from covering the storm and things we'll do different on our future storm coverages. Mama was enthralled with all of our stories and said "okay, everything has been very interesting but it's time to get down to business. Tell me about Jim Cantore, David Muir and Michael Strahan? Are they as nice as they seem, or are they assholes? Tell me the honest truth now, I can take it!" Mama's statement drew a round of hearty laughter and we soon shared our stories of them, along with pictures we obtained during our adventure. Angela showed one final picture of Mack with Jennifer and myself. She said "Wally, are you sure you don't have any long-lost brothers or cousins in your family? This is Mack Simmons, the fire chief of Marco Island. He said he has a brother in St Petersburg, and I think Carl and CJ immediately recognized the similarities between you and Mack." Wally looked at the phone and said "oh my God, that's amazing. Mack and I can easily be identified as twins." Everyone else took a look at the picture, with Alex being the last viewer. He cracked up and said "wonderful. There are two hairy ass bears I can easily pick on now."
We continued past noon enjoying more coffee and conversation. Angela left for the bathroom and Jennifer trailed behind her. I moved over two chairs and sat next to my man, giving him a healthy kiss. After the kiss, I said "just wait big guy, there's so much more in store for you later." He smiled at me and said "I wish we could stay here for the weekend, but Ronny has to cover the Buccaneers game tomorrow and there will be pure hell if I don't get you back today to see Jimmy!" We all got a chuckle and I said "that's fine babe. How about if we offer everyone to see the bungalow and boat, then we'll head for home?" Wally smiled, gave me another kiss and said "as usual, your ideas are perfect my love."
Once Angela and Jennifer returned from the bathroom I said "do you two feel like a tour of the bungalow and boat before we head to St Petersburg?" Everyone agreed to the idea, and Mama got busy filling three coolers with her frozen delectable entrees. She said "you split these up once you get back to St Petersburg and have Wally return the coolers on his next trip down."
It was like a tearful ending to a family reunion for Mama. Just as I suspected, everyone is now considered family to her and they did not get away without some big hugs. She wants to see everyone again, and they always have a table available at Bradenton Beach. She insisted that everything was on the house today because of our excellent news coverage, but Wally and I made sure to compensate her as much as we could before leaving.
Wally gave everyone a tour of the bungalow, the beach and the boat. Jennifer and Angela want to rent the bungalow out sometime. As Jennifer said "I can't believe this is only an hour from St Petersburg. What a relaxing and spectacular place this is just to forget the daily grind for a while." While we were out on the beach, Ronny came up to me and said "absolutely beautiful CJ. It's definitely the spot for you and Wally. I can't get my lake, the farm meadows and my horses out of my mind for a wedding setting, but this is absolutely breathtaking. Once I pop the question to my man, he and I need to decide where to hold our nuptials. It's going to be a tough decision for us."
Once the tours were finished, we all departed Bradenton Beach. I continued on with the news crew so I can help unpack the van. Alex had a dinner list from Jimmy, so he was heading to Publix with Wally and Ronny. I told them I'd meet them all at home, and I'm looking forward to a relaxing afternoon and evening with all of them.
I invited Angela and Jennifer for dinner, but they both were starting to get tired. Angela said "it sounds great, but I'm ready to kick back, relax and have a few glasses of wine." Jennifer thanked me for the invite and said "I'm going to hang out with Josh and get some dinner with him later. I'll see you on Monday everyone."
Carl and I made our way back to the condo. We pulled into the parking lot and saw a banner stretched across the fourth floor. The banner is blue with big red letters saying `Welcome Home Vince Hunters'. Carl and I looked at each other and began laughing. I said "I bet you five dollars this is the work of Toby, Fred and Jimmy." Carl chuckled and said "no way I'm taking that bet. You know as well as I do this has Jimmy written all over it."
Carl and I got our suitcases out of his car and I looked up to see our young friend waving at us while screaming "they're here everyone, they're here!" Jimmy met us at the elevator, gave us each a hug and said "come on guys, we have so much to talk about. I want to hear everything you saw and don't skip any details!"
The condo was packed with almost the entire group. Everyone surrounded Carl and I giving us hugs, kisses and a warm welcome home. Jimmy and Scott had our afternoon planned starting with a pool party, then dinner with plenty of cheeseburgers for everyone. It's great to be home and surrounded by loved ones. It's only been a few days since Aunt Sally and I had our words and I can honestly say I've put that experience out of my mind knowing I have the love of so many appreciating me for who I am. I do need to check in with UD tomorrow and have a serious bull session with him on how his week went.
It's been a beautiful afternoon with all of my friends. The weather has been wonderful, I enjoyed all of the conversations I had with everyone and our cheeseburger dinner tasted wonderful. Jimmy and Scott are having a sleepover tonight. I gave them both a hug before they left and told them "Thank you both for planning a wonderful day. I'll see you both later, and we can talk more about hurricane Vince."
It was after 11 pm when the crowd finally cleared out of the condo. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, but it's time for my man and I to enjoy our time together. We said good night to Alex and Ronny and headed for our bedroom. I shut the door, took Wally in my arms and began some of the most passionate kissing I think we have ever done. Our clothes came quickly off of each other, and Wally gently placed me on the bed with him on top of me. He looked deep into my eyes and brushed the hair off my forehead and said "I know I'm no Jim Cantore, but will I suffice for tonight?" I smiled at him, pulled him closer to me for more kisses and began to fondle his cock. I broke the kissing off, looked into his eyes and said "you're so much more than Jim Cantore can ever be to me. You'll suffice for the rest of our lives together. I love you so much Wally and it's time for us to get back on track where we left off."
He kissed me more, began rolling me around the bed in pure passion, looked at me and said "hang on CJ, I'm taking you to places you've never been to before. Enjoy the trip baby. I'm on the trip for the long haul with you."
I feel relieved, safe, secure and loved. Personally, I took a big gut punch this week but my career took a huge step forward. Wally's and my long-range forecast continues to be on the bright side. It's time to focus on growing the Wally and CJ relationship even further than where it is today.