A little while later I heard mother come out of the bathroom and close the door to the master suite. When I got downstairs the next morning dad had le...t on his business trip and mom was at the stove fixing me something for breakfast."Morning mother." I said as I entered the kitchen."Hi honey, how are you this morning? Ready for that English exam?" I'm fine and yea I'm ready to kick some serious butt on this test. Say mom, what is wrong with you and dad? I mean, I know it's not my business, but. " I'm going to start with the assumption that this asshole is at least as smart as me. Maybe more, since he is a Harvard Grad." I said it with a smile."Good, few people ever died over estimating their enemy," The admiral said. During the exchange I poured coffee for us both. The coffee was just as good as Helen's, since I taught her how to make it. "Good coffee," he added after he finished his thought."So what is your first move?" he asked."Intel, all I can get. And of course an ambush," I. Now you have one more thing to do for me. Since my daughters insulted you they are waiting upstairs for their punishment. They are expecting to be punished with their paddles 10 times. You can hit them once, and reserve nine for a later date, or you can use all of them now. It is your prerogative. If they complain, their punishment doubles. Remind them of this rule. It has been many years since I have had to enforce punishment on them. If they use foul language, for each inappropriate word they. It fit perfectly. "Fifty dollars," the woman said before Ihad time to utter the question. "Sold," I said. I paid and placed thering in my pocket as we moved along again, tugged by our children eagerfor lunch.I didn't give the ring another thought until later that evening. Alicehad gone out with her girlfriends to "movie night." The children wereasleep and I'd settled into our comfy leather couch to watch a movie oncable.Absentmindedly, I pulled the ring from my pocket and looked it over.There.