Chapter 59 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Everyone was instantly charmed with Brook Bungalow, their new house. "Oh, that's so inspiring," Bethany said when she saw the steamboat.
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She went upstairs to start practicing the guitar immediately. She was sure that she could write a song about a steamboat just as soon as she improved her performance on the guitar.
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George, who was in his bear phase, went upstairs to do his homework. Now that he didn't have to do it in the dining room, where everyone came in and out, he could concentrate better.
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In fact, George could concentrate so well that he soon became an A student. Cody donned a bear suit the next morning and congratulated him. "Do you realize you're the first Mullner in several generations to become an A student?" he asked. "And you did it faster than everyone except your cousin Sheila."
His father's praise made George feel so warm, that he was beginning to think the bear suit might be a little too hot and uncomfortable.
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Meanwhile his twin brother Johan complained to Bethany. "He's making me look bad," he said. "It's not fair, his getting A's while I'm still getting C's."
"And whose fault is that?" asked Bethany. "If you need help with your homework, your Dad and I are always here for you."
"That's part of the problem," Johan muttered, but he didn't say it loud enough for his mother to hear. Still, he was pretty sure that George got his A because he did homework on his own.
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That night Johan decided to stay up late and do his homework then. Unfortunately, there were too many other interesting things to do, like checking out the strange person who stood outside the front door for an hour. And when morning came, he was too sleepy to go to school right away.
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Cody's promotion at work gave him some spiffy new clothing. He had never worn an ascot before, but he realized it was perfect for him, in a way that a tie never had been.
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Getting the promotion had required making a few sacrifices. Cody didn't think his tastebuds would ever recover from the searing dishes served at the Spice Festival, but he knew he had to develop an immunity.
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Bar reviews were also a challenge because he had to take notes while juggling his drink. "It's a shame I couldn't just spill this sweet and spicy and pretend it never happened," he wrote. "One sip was enough to tell me that the spicy had been overwhelmed by the sweet."
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Over the weekend, Cody tried to improve his party-hosting skills. All went well at the dinner party he threw for his parents.
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But the luck didn't carry over to the Incognito party he threw at Club Calico. The bartender wouldn't let him fix any Buffalo Wing Tea, and there was no place to cook a Taco Casserole. The only thing he could do was to compliment everyone on their costumes.
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That night the whole family slept soundly. Too soundly. Brook Bungalow had gremlins, and they attacked the plumbing.
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They also took out the stove, refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, television, computer, and radio. By the time Cody had fixed everything, he was ready to go back to sleep for a while.
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But every puddle has a silver lining. George went to work mopping and picked up his first scouting badge. It was for Civic Responsibility.
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After a couple of rainy days, Kent was ready to enjoy the outdoors. Who said he was too old to be a swinger?
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Bethany's been working on her song. "Steamboat, steamboat, going away," she sang. "Steamboat, steamboat -- and that's as far as I've gotten. What do you think?"
"It sounds a lot like "Freight Train, Freight Train," said Cody.
Bethany sighed. "I didn't think anyone would notice."
"Yeah, well, my grandparents George and Evelyn listened to all those old folk songs when I was growing up."
Bethany flounced off. A little while later, Cody heard her singing, "Big wheel keep on turning..."
Cody's story is continued in
Chapter 69.
