#<- their dad's go-to is a hot toddy when he's sick so they are very familiar with how to make them

[pierswife]

How I cope with being sick: Imagining how my blorbos would act when they're sick

[softboywriting]

Christmas Kiss | Shawn Mendes

Summary: You and Shawn have been friends since you were kids. You never meant to fall in love with him, his life and job now make a relationship hard. This Christmas you decide to tell him how you feel, there is only one problem, you’re sick with a cold and you don’t think you’ll get to see him. [fluff] [Christmas themed] [sick/cold] [non au] [friends to lovers]

Word Count: 2.6k

|Masterlist In Bio|

Being sick when Shawn comes home from tour for Christmas is not ideal. You felt the cold coming on two days before he was scheduled to land in Toronto. You had plans, big plans with Shawn. It's been ages since he's been able to hang out in person, and you finally have the courage to admit to him that you want to be more than friends. This week was supposed to be a huge life changing event, a Christmas to remember. You did everything you could to stop the onslaught of runny nose and puffy watery eyes; medicine, orange juice, supplements, but to no avail. You are undoubtedly, irrevocably, sick.

Monday morning you wake up to the doorbell for your apartment buzzing non stop. The world feels heavy. You sit up in slow motion it seems and there is nothing you can do but focus on breathing for a moment while you gain your bearings and listen to that awful tinny buzzing from someone wanting into your building. You crawl out of bed and drag yourself to the door, dragging your feet like they're in sticky mud.

"Hello?" You ask, finger on the call button for the front door. Your voice is completely wrecked, absolutely destroyed from coughing. "Hello? Anybody there?"

"It's Shawn."

"Shawn?" You glance at the clock over your couch a few feet away. It's just after nine. "What're you doing here?"

"I got you some stuff. Let me in, it's cold out here." He laughs and you press the door button to let him in.

Moments later he is pushing open the door to your apartment and carrying in bags of stuff. You wrap a blanket off the couch around your shoulders and watch as he unloads bag after bag onto your kitchen island.

"What's this?"

"Medicine, food, gifts." Shawn starts unpacking and setting aside Oreos and some ramen cups. "I stopped by the store for you on my way over with your Christmas gifts."

You shuffle forward and look at the bags. They're full of more groceries than you would usually buy in two weeks. How much does the guy think you eat? And what is with all the junk food? You tug the corner of a bag down and see a bottle of whiskey. "What's this?" You pull out a fifth of Canadian whiskey and give Shawn a look.

"That's for us." He puts away the Oreos and some mac and cheese into a cupboard. "Hot toddies are good for making you sweat out a cold."

"Uh huh. You said “us”? You're not staying."

"The hell I’m not."

"Shawn, you can't get sick. You're a rockstar, you have to sing. You...you have responsibilities."

"Yeah and right now," he pauses and hands you a box of tissues. "My responsibility is my best friend."

Best friend. That packs a punch you didn't expect. A haunting reminder of how he thinks of you, at least, how he presents that he thinks of you. It's hard and it's getting harder, that courage you built up the last few months is withering now like ice  in the hot sun. It's just turning to steam before your very eyes. Shit.

"What if you get sick?"

"So what? I've been sick before and I'll be sick again." Shawn wads up the last of the grocery bags and sets aside a bunch of wrapped boxes on the counter. "I've waited four months to be here and to see you. I'm not letting some stupid runny nose stop me."

"I'm not going to be any fun." You sniff, eyes watering heavily. "I'm just going to sleep and be miserable."

Shawn rolls his eyes. "I know you. You'll want to watch Lion King and drink peppermint tea until you're so tired you pass out. I'm prepared for that."

"Wow. Just read me like a book why don't you?"

He grins. "Go sit down. I'll make some tea and we'll talk and catch up."

"We talk everyday."

"But it's different when we're together."

"Yeah but..." You chew on your lip and he lays his hand on your shoulder. "Never mind. Thank you for coming over."

"You'd do the same for me." He cups your cheek and you turn your eyes up at him, sure that you must look terrible. "You're welcome."

His soft gaze breaks you. You step forward and wrap your arms around him, pressing your face to his chest. Your fingers curl tight into his shirt and he holds your head with both hands.

"I missed you," he says, fingers working into your hair and scratching at your scalp with his blunt fingertips. "Things aren't the same without you."

"I missed you too." You murmur, eyes closed and you can almost, just barely, smell his cologne. Maybe your one nostril is unblocked. Maybe...just maybe you just want to be immersed in that familiar scent so bad it's appearing in your mind.

_____________________

Shawn spends the rest of the day with you. He makes you tea and warm whiskey spiked drinks. You watch the Lion King, Mulan and Moana. Just after six the sun starts to slip behind the horizon, your living room becoming dark. Shawn's arm finds its way around your shoulders and he leans his head on your head. You want to tell him. You need to tell him how you feel.

"Tomorrow is Christmas."

You nod slightly. "Sure is."

"My parents are in Barbados." Shawn chuckles. "It was a gift for their anniversary, but the cruise got rescheduled. I was surprised when they said they'd be gone for Christmas. It's not like mom to miss it."

"Maybe they just really needed a vacation."

Shawn sits up and runs a hand over his unruly long hair. "Probably. I know mom's been having a hell of a time finding clients for work. And dad...dad is always working hard, a hundred and fifty percent everyday." He sighs. "I'm glad they taught me a good work ethic y'know, but I wish they'd take it easy. It's not like it was when Aaliyah and I were kids. They don't have to try so hard."

You lay your hand on Shawn's and he turns it over, threading his fingers between yours and rubbing absentmindedly with his thumb. "I suppose parents always want to provide for their kids, even if they are rockstars." You giggle and he gives you a look.

He hates when you call him rockstar. He says it feels like it cheapens things, makes you less than him. He doesn't want you to think of him as a rockstar but as your best friend.

"Are you parents flying in for the holiday?"

You shake your head. "No, they couldn't afford it this year."

"Why'd they move to Florida again?"

"Mom wanted to live on the beach." You roll your eyes and he squeezes your hand. "Dad also got a job down there with the construction company he works for."

"Ah. So, do you want to spend Christmas together?"

"I figured that was the plan." You look to the window where it's snowing heavily outside. "I didn't think you'd want to drive home across Toronto in this weather."

"I don't." Shawn pulls his hand away to brush his hair back with it while he reaches for his drink. "I don't mind taking the couch."

"You know what you need?" You say, getting up and going over to the kitchen. You grab a few hair ties out of the bowl that holds your keys. "These."

"Ponytails?"

"Yeah. Your hair is ridiculous and you keep pushing it out of your face every two minutes." You stand in front of him and he leans forward for you. Skillfully you gather up the top of his hair into two little pig tails on the top of his head. He looks outrageous and you can't help the ugly laugh that burbles out.

"I look stupid don't I?" Shawn asks, half laughing at your reaction. He stands and looks in the decorative mirror beside the TV. "Ohmygod. This is my new look." He turns to look at you where you've collapsed on the couch laughing and struggling to breath through your clogged nose. "Goodbye headbands, hello pigtails."

"Stop! Shawn I'm gonna die!"

"Nope. You did this." He poses, peace sign over his face while making duck lips. "High fashion baby."

You start coughing, laughter quickly succumbing to a wheezing fit and hacking. You down the rest of your tea, just warm from sitting on the table too long, and take a few deep breaths.

Shawn drops to his knees beside you, hand on your chest. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I made you laugh too hard, I'm so sorry. What can I do? How do I help?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." You cough a few more times and grab Shawn's mug, downing his drink. "I just laughed too hard. It's alright. I'm okay, just a little tired now."

"Come on, let's settle back down on the couch." Shawn grabs your arms and sits you up right on the sofa. "I'll grab some extra blankets and we'll sleep out here."

"But-"

"No buts. I'll be right back."

You close your eyes and lean your head back on the cushions. You're dying. Sickness is wreaking havoc on your body. Shawn's wreaking havoc on your heart, and you're absolutely destroying your mental capacity with liquor and cough medicine. You can't wait. You have to tell Shawn. It's now or never. Balls to the wall. You just have to-

"Are you okay?" Shawn's voice breaks through your thoughts and you open your eyes. "You look a little out of it."

"I love you."

"I love you too?" He says sinking down on the couch and flopping the blankets he was carrying over your lap. "What's with the sudden affection?"

"No, I mean-" You hold your head as it throbs. Maybe whiskey and NyQuil don't mix. In fact, you know they don't. "I am in love with you."

"I know."

"W-what?"

Shawn brushes your hair back off your clammy face and looks at you with those soft hazel brown eyes you adore. "I've known for a long time.”

“I-I Wha-”

“It's okay, don’t panic. I'm in love with you too. I know I always said that when the time comes I'll know, and I can't pinpoint the moment it happened but one day I woke up and I realized my whole world is waiting for me in a tiny apartment in Toronto." He chuckles. "I've been working on a way to tell you, a way to make it work with my job. I haven't found that way yet, and I hoped you would wait for me, though I didn't expect that. So I never told you. I couldn't- I won't hurt someone like that, especially not you."

"I-I don't know what to say." You stare at him, unsure of your reality as your head swims. Is this real? Did you fall asleep? Are you in some kind of cold medicine induced mini coma? "I'm asleep aren’t I?"

"You're not." Shawn presses his hand to your forehead. "You've got a fever though."

"This isn't real. You're not even here. I'm going crazy." You slump over and Shawn covers you with blankets. "I'm just coping aren't I? Stressed myself out so far that I'm dreaming of telling you the truth."

"You're awfully self aware for a dream."

"That's just what dream Shawn would say."

He chuckles. "I'm getting you some Advil. Relax and I'll be right back with a very real glass of water and two very real pain relievers."

You close your eyes once more and quickly you begin to drift off to sleep. You vaguely remember Shawn sitting your head up to take the Advil and water. But after that everything is a blur of sleep and muddled nonsense dreams.

_____________________

Christmas morning you wake up on the couch. Your body is stiff, achy from sickness and the unsupportive couch cushions. Beside you is a glass of water and some cold medicine on the coffee table. There is a lump of blankets by the other end of the couch and you can see a mop of hair sticking out, two pigtails very visible.

Then reality hits you. If you're waking up now with Shawn asleep in your living room that means last night was very real. It means...you confessed your feelings and Shawn, well, he confessed them back. Excitement, hope and terror are quite a cocktail of emotions. They make your stomach lurch, your heart flutter and your hands shake. What happens now? Where do things go from here?

"Hey," Shawn's groans, peeking over his blankets at you. "How's the fever?"

"Good? I think? I just woke up."

"Mmm." He sits up and stretches. "It's Christmas."

"Yeah." You look over to the tree in the corner where there are boxes from your parents, your sister and Shawn all waiting to be unwrapped. "I can wait though."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be the only one to unwrap gifts."

Shawn laughs and grabs a few of the boxes from under the tree. "I brought my gifts too, the ones my parents and Aaliyah left for me at my apartment."

"Oh. I thought you brought all of those for me, I thought it was a lot but I didn't want to say anything."

"No." Shawn passes you a box with your name on it. "You definitely deserve this many, but I didn't go crazy."

"You've been crazy." You smile and he gives you a look that turns into a smirk. "Did...did you mean what you said last night?"

"Every word of it." Shawn sits across from you on the couch with his box in his lap. He picks at the paper a bit. "It's okay, like if you don't want to do anything right now. I know my life is insane and yours isn't anywhere near as hectic." He chews his lower lip. "I couldn't ever ask you to commit to my life and the distance and-"

"Shawn."

"Yes?"

"We'll figure it out."

His eyes light up and he stares at you, seemingly bewildered. "You want to try? You want to be in a relationship? With me? I-I'm- you're sure?"

"Shawn I haven't wanted anything more in the last year. We already make the distance work as friends. What's the difference in doing it as a couple?" You sniff and wipe your eyes that are watering from your clogged sinuses. "I think the distance has only made us stronger friends and-"

Shawn leans in to kiss you, hands on your legs and you stop him at the last second with your fingers against his lips. "Please?" he murmurs.

"You're so dumb."

"Because I'm going to kissing you and you're sick?"

"Yes."

He grins and grabs your face, pressing his forehead against yours. "I guess we'll just have to be the couple that shares everything."

"This is not what that means."

"I don't care." He tries to kiss you again and you groan, stopping him. "Shawn, you're gonna get sick."

"I don't care." Another attempted kiss. "I've waited a long time for this."

You cup his face and push him back a bit so he will stop trying to infect himself. “I have too but I'm not going to kiss you and get you sick. And when you've got this cold I will not kiss you then either."

"Yeah you will. Don't lie."

"I won't." You giggle and he pushes forward, leaning you back until you're laying against the arm of the couch with his body covering yours. "Is this for real?"

"Very real." He kisses your nose. "I don't want to wait." He kisses your head. "I've been alone for a long while this feels...it feels so right. Please let me kiss you."

"Alright." You close your eyes and he presses his lips to yours. It's soft, sweet and everything you ever imagined. "Happy?"

"Yes," he whispers, smiling against your lips. "Merry Christmas darling."

You giggle at the pet name. He knows it's one of your favourites. "Merry Christmas Shawn."

End

______________________

Thank you for reading! Please reblog if you enjoyed this and reblog to support and encourage myself and fellow writers. - A

*****Note: none of my works should be posted anywhere outside of my linked accounts. I do not give permission to repost with or without credit to my accounts. Please notify me of any reposted fics.*****

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Ryan and Nate Share a Bonding Moment: Anon Asks, Answered

Anon asked: May I please request more Ryan reluctantly taking care of a sick Nate? maybe even finding some pity in his heart..? 

Timeline: A few days after BTHB’s Worked To Exhaustion Prompt

Tagging @special-spicy-chicken, @spiffythespook, @bleeding-demon-teeth, @finder-of-rings, and @whumpywhumper

The first thing Ryan thinks when Vandrum comes staggering out of the bedroom is Jesus God, you look fucking rough.

With a couple of days of real sleep under his belt - Danny had recovered enough to insist Ryan get some rest, too, before he also got sick, and Ryan had been selfishly happy to hand the reins back to his older brother and sleep like a fucking log for twelve-hour stretches - he finally felt human enough to get back to normal.

Which meant he was enjoying, without guilt, a nice hot toddy. Hot Irish breakfast black tea, lemon juice, his dad’s favorite brand of imported whiskey, and honey. Ryan sipped it with a small smile on his face. He was on his second mug of the stuff and feeling warm and relaxed in a way he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

He wasn’t exactly trying to drink so much but on the other hand, you had to fight the flu - or whatever the fuck was wrong with them - germs, right? He was pretty sure whiskey was a disinfectant.

Plus, lemons helped you hold off scurvy, so, you know, he had that going for him, too. 

Ryan had been alone out here the whole day. Danny was better, up and trying to do chores until Ryan all but begged him to stop, but he still slept most of the time and moved with an old-man shuffle that was hard to watch. Vandrum hadn’t appeared in more than a week except to go to the bathroom, take the occasional shower, or rummage through the fridge in the wee hours of the morning when Ryan was asleep for more Gatorade and Pedialyte.

Ryan just kept buying it because, fuck it, they weren’t keeping anything else down. Well, that and those little cracker sandwiches with peanut butter in them.

So when Nate Vandrum came out of the bedroom at 8:30 at night, while Ryan was sipping his hot toddy and checking on company emails that had come through (no such thing a true medical leave for a real executive, his father had warned him, and he’d thought he was kidding about that but there wasn’t any way to undermine Danny’s needs they wouldn’t find), Ryan was genuinely shocked to see him.

You look like someone ran you over with a truck.

Vandrum doesn’t even look up at him. He’s limping a little, favoring one leg, and Ryan thinks about how his testimony included that Denner motherfucker fucking up his leg. And of course the bad hand is always slightly open, where his other one is closed tight in a fist even as he walks into the kitchen, pulling out a new bottle of Gatorade and staring at its artificial neon-blue like he’s looking at the holy grail, or maybe a portal to hell.

“Do you need help, Vandrum?”

Nate flinches, hard, and jerks his eyes up to look at Ryan, white-ringed and frightened. “Wh-what?”

He was pretty fucking terrified of you putting your hands on his neck, this is what happens when you hurt people, Ryan.

Ryan hesitates, then leans forward to set his hot toddy down on the coffee table. This man has lived in his apartment - in Danny’s apartment, Ryan had just been saving it for him the only way he knew how - for months. Ryan has called him a coward and a rapist, accused him of wanting Danny to himself so much he’d kill - not to save him but to keep him - and through it all Vandrum has stared at him with a placid green stare that tells him nothing.

Except for when he put his hands around Vandrum’s neck and the broken bits of Nate Vandrum had taken over, and Ryan had seen the fire in Danny he’d thought Denner put out for good, rallied not for himself but to defend Nate Vandrum against his own goddamn brother.

Ryan hates to admit it, but he hasn’t really been fair to his brother’s maybe-sort-of-boyfriend. Maybe he should try.

“Let me help you, Vandrum,” Ryan says a little heavily, pushing himself to his feet. “You still feeling gross?”

Nate looks at him like he’s grown three heads, and his bad hand is splayed out on the countertop. Ryan moves towards him, slowly - Nate and Danny are both jumpy as hell when they’re sick, and Ryan tries not to think about how it’s a result of being sick being a cause for punishment up in that fucking horror-cabin. Danny talked about being thrown down in the cellar whenever he was sick for too many days in a row, like that psychopath thought locking him a damp basement was somehow going to make him get better faster. 

Nate never talked about his punishments for being sick, only that there were some, and he didn’t want to think about it.

Nate watches him, his green eyes listless and fogged over but still scared, his face looking oddly younger with the expression. Like Danny looks, Ryan thinks - tense and worried, nervous that he’ll fuck it up, that he’ll be hurt. When Ryan makes it to the kitchen, Nate shrinks away from him a little, shifting back.

“Still feverish?” Ryan asks, and his voice gentles, a little.

“I th-think so,” Nate says, his own deep voice a little breathy, the words slightly slurred. “The r-r-room moves, when I’m n-not looking.”

Ryan holds up a hand and Nate doesn’t flinch, but his eyes lock onto the hand and follow its movements with perfect concentration. “I’m just going to feel for a fever,” Ryan says trying to pitch his voice soothing, the way he talks to Danny when he does shit like this. “Can I do that?”

Ryan’s blood runs cold when Nate says softly, “Wh-whatever you w-w-want. I can d-do whatever y-y-you want.”

“Jesus,” He whispers, and feels Nate’s forehead. “He taught you that, too?”

Nate closes his eyes against the touch. His skin burns Ryan’s hand, like there’s a flame taking Nate over from the inside out, leaving charcoal behind where his organs and bones and soul should be. “The rules are th-th-the s-same,” Nate whispers, and he doesn’t pull away from Ryan’s touch, only closes his eyes and holds still. “J-Just hurt less.”

“I’m not so sure of that.” Ryan thinks of the barking laughter in the courtroom, of Abraham’s absolute fucking glee recounting all the shit he’d done to Danny, the way Nate had kept his eyes on the table in front of him whenever Abraham was talking, had worked so hard to never look at him.

He sighs. “You’re a fucking mess, Vandrum.”

Nate laughs - it’s more of a raspy, hoarse chuckle than anything else. “I kn-know,” He answers, and his knees buckle a little but he catches himself on the counter, pushing himself back up. “I know I am. D-D-Don’t you th-think I did okay, though, M-Michaelson?”

Ryan steps away from him, pulling the bottle of whiskey back from the cabinet, setting water on to boil. Nate watches him with glazed eyes, without questioning anything he’s doing, and Ryan wonders what he’s even seeing at this point. “Okay? Are you really asking me that question?”

“I did the b-b-best I c-could,” Nate says, and then it’s quiet for a while. Just the scrape of a ceramic mug on the counter as Ryan pulls one out, the paper rustling of a teabag being picked up out of the specially-carved wooden box his dad had given Danny a long time ago to keep the good teas in. 

Ryan pulls out an Irish breakfast for Nate, too, humming to himself a little as he works. Adds a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a tablespoon of honey, two shots of whiskey. When the water boils, he pours the hot water over the mixture and stirs, mixing it all together. “There. Give that a few minutes to steep, and you sure as fuck won’t get scurvy, at least.”

“I’ve al-always worried about sc-sc-scurvy,” Nate says, and his total deadpan voice makes Ryan glance over at him to see if he was really serious, only to find a faint smile on the older man’s face. 

Ryan shakes his head, curls falling over his forehead and his eyes, but he feels something inside himself not entirely unlike affection for how goddamn weird Danny’s boyfriend is. “Go sit on the couch, Nate, I’ll bring your tea to you, yeah?”

Nate hesitates, and then nods, moving into the living room with slow steps, still favoring one leg. He settles onto the couch and Ryan follows him, setting Nate’s mug down in front of him on the coffee table before dropping into the armchair and picking his own back up.

There’s a silence while the two men sip, and Ryan finally asks, “What do you mean, about did you do okay?”

“I d-d-don’t know.” Nate sighs. “I d-d-did my best…”

“You said that already.”

“It’s all I h-h-have, M-Michaelson,” Nate says wearily, and closes his eyes at the mix of flavors - sweet honey and the twist of the lemon juice, the welcome burn of whiskey, the strong black tea. “That I t-t-tried. And it w-wasn’t enough, b-b-but… but it was all I c-could do. Keep him ah, alive until I c-could break it, and… and h-h-hope enough was left.”

“He’s getting better every day,” Ryan says, and he’s not sure if he’s reassuring Nate or himself.

“N-Not him. I mean, y-y-yes, I had to hope enough was l-l-left of him, but…” Nate licks his lips and gnaws on some chapped skin, a weird nervous habit Danny has picked up too. “I don’t kn-know. But what I m-meant is…”

Nate trails off, and there’s more silence, uneasy and uncomfortable.

“What?” Ryan grips his warm tea mug, watching Nate sip from his steaming one. 

“I g-guess I just meant… I had to h-hope enough of me was, was l-left, too. And I... I w-w-wasn’t s-sure, not until... not until he c-came back.”

“Well, you tried to burn Denner to death,” Ryan says, and earns himself a slight smile in return from the older man. “So that’s evidence that you were still in there, right?”

“I d-d-don’t know. It could also b-be… being like h-him. I’m so sc-scared, I just…”

“Of what?”

“That I am. Like th-them, already. That I c-c-c… c… that it won’t st-stop. That I’ll h-h-hurt him, and… and en, enjoy it.”

Ryan considers, sitting back in his armchair. He’s accused him of almost exactly that, but in this moment, Nate Vandrum looks tired and sick and sad and scared. He doesn’t look like a monster, he won’t bark like a hyena, he won’t laugh when Danny screams. 

“I don’t think so, Nate.”

“Y-you don’t? But before, you’ve…”

“Fuck what I said before, I’m a fucking asshole, Vandrum, you and I both know that. Especially with… with everything with Danny. I’m a spoiled rotten poor little rich boy and I’ve always been that, and what happened to Danny maybe made me grow up a little bit more, but… but fuck all of that mess, you’re not like him at all.”

“How… how d-d-do you know?”

Ryan’s eyes glint in the dim light from the streetlight outside the apartment, seem momentarily to glow, but this time Nate was looking down in his mug and didn’t see a thing. 

I can look at your face and know you - I’ve always been that way. I’m good at reading people.

“If I’m honest... I always knew you weren’t. I’ve just been a shit to you because I can’t be a shit to him. And besides…” At the bottom of Ryan’s mug it’s all honey and lemon, hardly any whiskey or tea taste at all. “If you were like them, you wouldn’t be worried about it, would you?”

Nate looks up at him, surprised, and then back down at his own drink. “I… I g-g-guess.”

“So there you go. Now how can I convince you to go back to bed to fucking snuggle my disease-riddled brother so I can have my living room back to myself?”

[lovemesomesurveys]

January (Month Survey #1)

Warning: These surveys are long. Take at your own risk.

National Days

Jan 1. National Hangover Day: What’s the worst hangover that you’ve ever had? The one after the last night I ever drank. That night was horrible. I got so sick and it was embarrassing and ugh it just ended up ruining the rest of the night. I still trip out because I honestly don’t recall drinking that much, but I got really drunk. I guess the drinking games made me lose track or something. Thank goodness for my best friend at the time who took care of me. I couldn’t really sleep that night cause I got sick a few times and just felt like shit and the rest of the day I just did absolutely nothing. I didn’t even want to look at alcohol for awhile.

National Bloody Mary Day: Do you believe in the Bloody Mary folklore? No, but I still don’t mess around with that kind of stuff.

Euro Day: Do you have any Euros? No.

National Black Eyed Peas Day: Do you like listening to the Black Eyed Peas? How about eating them? The group was cool, I liked a few of their songs. I’ve never had actual black eyed peas.

Apple Gifting Day: What’s your favorite type of apple – red, yellow, or green? I’m not an apple gal. Well, when it comes to the fruit. I love Apple products haha.

New Year’s Day: How did you celebrate New Year’s? My mom had to work until 11PM and my brother was at a friend’s house and was spending the night, so it was just my dad and I. We got takeout and watched the New Year’s Eve shows, but he ended up falling asleep a couple hours before midnight. My mom got home just in time to watch some of the New Year’s Eve shows before midnight and then we watched the ball drop, so at least I wasn’t alone. My dad slept right through it lol. It was a very chill night.

Jan 2. National Buffet Day: Where’s the best buffet in your area? The only buffet I liked was Mongolian BBQ. You put your noodles, meats, veggies, toppings, and sauces yourself and then they cooked it right in front of you on a big, round, super hot grill, so I felt comfortable consuming it. Other buffets where the food is brought out for everyone to have access to... yeah, no thanks. 

World Introvert Day: Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert? Oh, I’m an introvert all the way.

Swiss Cheese Day: What meat do you typically eat Swiss cheese with? Ya know, I don’t think I’ve ever had Swiss cheese. 

National Cream Puff Day: Do you like cream puffs? Have you ever made them before? Yeah, they’re good. I’ve never made them, I just bought them from the frozen food section at the store lol.

Run Up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes Day: Have you ever tried to climb a flagpole before? No. I couldn’t do that even if for some reason I wanted to.

National Personal Trainer Awareness Day: Do you have a personal trainer? Nope.

National Science Fiction Day: What’s the last science-fiction novel you’ve read? The Hunger Games series several years ago.

Happy Mew Year For Cats Day: Do you prefer cats or dogs? Why? I’m a dog person, personally. I’ve always had dogs and I just vibe more with them. Mine have all been so loving and sweet and silly and pure.

National Pet Travel Safety Day: Does your pet do well during car rides, or do they hate it? She doesn’t like them. 

Jan 3. National Drinking Straw Day: Do you use drinking straws at home, or only out at restaurants? I use a straw with everything I drink.

Festival of Sleep Day: Do you enjoy sleeping, or do you spend most of your time awake? I love sleeping.

Humiliation Day: When’s the last time you were humiliated? Why? Let’s not get into that.

National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day: Do you prefer chocolate-covered cherries or chocolate-covered strawberries more? Strawberries. 

National Fruitcake Toss Day: Do you like fruitcake? No. It just doesn’t even look appealing to me.

J.R.R. Tolkien Day: Have you read the Lord of the Rings series? What did you think of it? Nope. I’ve never seen the movies, ether. Just wasn’t of any interest to me.

Jan 4. National Missouri Day: Do you know anyone who comes from Missouri? Well, not from there, but my dad lived there growing up and I have family out there now.

National Spaghetti Day: Is spaghetti one of your favorite Italian dishes? Yessss. Spaghetti and meatballs, specifically. 

National Trivia Day: Do you enjoy playing trivia games? Any in particular? Yeah, those like Trivial Pursuit and Scene It.

World Braille Day: Do you know anyone who can read Braille? No.

World Hypnotism Day: Have you ever felt hypnotized before? Can you describe it? No. 

Jan 5. National Screenwriters Day: Have you ever written a play or some other sort of script before? Nope. I’ve written short stories and fan fiction, though.

National Whipped Cream Day: Have you ever used whipped cream for sexual purposes? Nope.

National Keto Day: Do you or anyone you know follow a ketogenic diet? Not that I know of.

National Bird Day: What’s your favorite type of bird? Hummingbirds are neat.

Jan 6. National Thank God It’s Monday Day: Do you actually prefer Mondays to Fridays? Why or why not? The days are all the same to me now, but back when I was in school I always dreaded Mondays.

The Epiphany (Three Kings Day): Do you celebrate this holiday? No. I had to Google that because I had never heard of it before.

National Bean Day: What’s your favorite type of bean? (ie: baked, lima, green, etc) Refried beans.

National Technology Day: What’s your favorite piece of technology that you own? My laptop and phone.

National Shortbread Day: Have you ever eaten those Trefoil  Girl Scout shortbread cookies? Yep. I love shortbread cookies.

National Cuddle Up Day: Who’s the best cuddler you know? My doggo. 

Jan 7. National Bobblehead Day: Do you own any bobbleheads? Of who? I have a Chewbacca one.

National Tempura Day: Have you ever tried tempura before? Did you like it? I’ve had chicken and vegetable tempura, which is really good. 

Old Rock Day: Would you be interested in digging for fossils? Only when playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons haha. That’s part of my character’s daily routine.

Jan 8. National Argyle Day: Do you own any clothing with argyle print? Nope.

National Bubble Bath Day: When’s the last time you took a bubble bath? When I was a kid.

Male Watcher’s Day: Do you like to people-watch? It can be interesting. 

National Take the Stairs Day: Do you prefer the stairs or the elevator? I can only take the elevator.

National English Toffee Day: Do you enjoy eating toffee? I’ve had more toffee flavored things than actual toffee, but yeah.

Elvis Presley’s Birthday: What is your favorite Elvis Presley song? Can’t Help Falling in Love.

National Joygerm Day: How do you treat people with kindness? Do you typically have a positive attitude about things? I try to be understanding and openminded, I try to be a good listener, I don’t put people down or belittle others, I try not to be rude or impolite, and I try to help if I can. I don’t have a positive outlook when it comes to myself, but I can for others. We could even have the same issue and I’ll be able to see it differently for them than I do for myself. I’m forgiving when it comes to others and I’ll see the good in them, truly believing it, but I beat myself up all the time. 

National Winter Skin Relief Day: What do you treat your skin/lips with, when they are chapped? Ugh, I have that issue in the summer as well it’s so annoying. Anyway, I just use lotion and chapstick. I don’t use it as often as I should, though, for some reason. It would definitely help. I should also use a face moisturizer. 

Jan 9. National Apricot Day: Do you prefer apricots dried, in fresh fruit form, or the canned version? I don’t like apricots at all.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day: Do you have issues with people of authority? I have an issue with the bad ones who abuse their power.

National Static Electricity Day: When’s the last time your hair succumbed to static electricity? Hmm. I don’t recall. I remember doing that with a balloon when I was a kid, though lol.

National Balloon Ascension Day: Have you ever released balloons purposefully into the air? No, that was so sad whenever it happened. RIP to all the balloons I’ve ever lost. 

Play God Day: What would you do if you were in charge of the entire universe for the day? Noooo way. I will gladly leave that to God.

Jan 10. National Bittersweet Chocolate Day: What’s your favorite type of chocolate? White chocolate.

Save the Eagles Day: What are bald eagles symbolic of? Strength, freedom, bravery.

Peculiar People Day: Who’s the most peculiar person you know? Hmm. I don’t know. I use that word to describe things more often.

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day: What do you do in order to save energy? We wait to run the dishwasher and washer and dryer until after a certain time. I think it’s after 7PM.

National Oysters Rockefeller Day: Have you ever had baked oysters before? Did you like them? Nah, I’m good.

National Houseplant Appreciation Day: Do you have any indoor plants? How about outdoor plants? No indoor ones, but my mom has a couple outside.

Jan 11. National Arkansas Day: Have you ever been to Arkansas before? Nope.

Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day: Do you know how to use Morse code? No.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day: Do you know anyone who’s been a victim of human trafficking?   Nooo. I can’t believe that goes on, horrific doesn’t even begin to describe it.

National Milk Day: Do you prefer white, chocolate, or strawberry milk? I liked strawberry milk when I was a kid. I could totally go for a strawberry milkshake, though.

National Girl Hug Boy Day: Have you ever been the one to make the first move? No.

National Hot Toddy Day: Have you ever made yourself a hot toddy before? Nope. I’ve never had one.

National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day No question for this?

National Vision Board Day: Do you have a vision board? Have you ever made one before? What would be on it? Nope. I have no idea what I would do for one.

Jan 12. National Pharmacist Day: When’s the last time you visited the pharmacist? Uhhh, it’s been a long time. My mom or brother just pick up my medicine for me.

National Sunday Supper Day: Do you have big Sunday dinners with your family? No. 

Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day: Who’s a fabulous man that you know of? lol what an interesting day. Anyway, hmm. I don’t know.

National Marzipan Day: Do you know what marzipan is? Have you ever made it/had it before? I know what it is, but I don’t think I’ve had it. I definitely have never made it.

National Curried Chicken Day: Do you enjoy curry? Have you ever had it before? I’ve only had it once, but I remember liking it. It’s spicy, right? I can’t have spicy food anymore. :/

National Kiss a Ginger Day: Have you ever dated a redhead before? No.

National Youth Day: Do you know of a child who made a huge difference in society?   I’ve heard stories of kids who have done really awesome things for charity and to help their communities, especially during the pandemic. 

National Glazed Doughnut Day: What’s your favorite type of doughnut? Maple or glazed cake donuts.

Jan 13. National Rubber Ducky Day: When’s the last time you used a rubber ducky in the bathtub? When I was a kid.

Stephen Foster Memorial Day: Do you like any songs by Stephen Foster? I had to Google who that was, and the only song I think I know is Swanee River. 

National Peach Melba Day: Have you ever had a Peach Melba before? How was it? Nope. Had to Google that, too.

Korean American Day: Do you know any Koreans immigrants who now live in America? No.

National Gluten-Free Day: Do you know anyone who has to follow a gluten-free diet? Not personally, but a couple people I watch on YouTube have celiac disease. 

National Sticker Day: Did you like stickers as a kid? I loved stickers. Stickers are still awesome. Although, I never know what to do with them now, ha. I can’t commit to putting them anywhere.

National Clean Off Your Desk Day: Do you have a desk in your room? Is it organized? Nope. My desk is my bed, ha. It has my laptop and some other stuff that a desk would likely have. My bed is where I spend most of my time, so.

International Skeptics Day: Are you skeptical of anything? What? Yeah. Like when reading something online, for example. Or certain news stories.

Make Tour Dream Come True Day: Have any of your dreams actually ever come true before? Uhh well, I’ve had dreams about going to Disneyland and I’ve gone. ha.

Jan 14. National Dress Up Your Pet Day: Have you ever dressed up your pet before? In what? Yeah, she has a few sweaters and Halloween costumes.

National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day: What’s your favorite kind of sandwich? Deli sandwich with turkey, salami, Monterey Jack cheese, pickles, mayo, mustard, and oil and vinegar spread is my favorite. I’ll have that at home, too, but it always taste best when I get it from somewhere. I like bologna sandwiches as well.

Ratification Day: Do you remember the significance of the Treaty of Paris? Yeah.

International Kite Day: Have you ever flown a kite before? Nope.

National Shop For Travel Day: When’s the last time you went shopping for a vacation? Back in February before our Disneyland trip. I can’t believe we were in lockdown/quarantine about a month later. 

Jan 15. National Booch Day: Do you like the taste of Kombucha? I’ve never tried it and have no interest to. My brother loves it.

National Hat Day: What does your favorite hat look like? It’s rose gold and has a little white Mickey Mouse symbol on it that I got from Disneyland.

National Bagel Day: What kind of bagel do you eat most often? What do you put on it? I haven’t had a bagel in years, but I always just had a regular one with cream cheese. Strawberry cream cheese is really good.

National Strawberry Ice Cream Day: What’s your favorite flavor ice cream? Strawberry.

Museum Selfie Day: When’s the last time you went to a museum? Several years ago.

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day: Have you ever made your own juice or lemonade before? How was it? Lemonade, yeah. It was good.

Jan 16. National Nothing Day: When’s the last time you did absolutely nothing all day? Everyday?

Appreciate a Dragon Day: Are dragons your favorite mythical creature? Nah, I’d go with fairies. 

National Without a Scalpel Day: Has anyone ever used a scalpel on you before? Yes, for surgical procedures.

Get to Know Your Customers Day: Is the customer really always right? Why or why not? Not always, that’s for sure. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories from people I know who work in retail and yikes. People can be so rude. 

National Religious Freedom Day: Are you a religious person? Yes.

National Fig Newtons Day: When’s the last time you ate a Fig Newton? I’m not exactly sure, but I know it’s been yearssss.

International Hot and Spicy Food Day: What’s the spiciest food you eat? I can’t eat spicy food anymore D: I used to be obSESSED, though. I put hot sauce on just about everything and loved spicy chips and ramen and just everything.

Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day: Have you ever been on a diet before? Did it work? I’ve had to be on high protein and high caloric diets before and I’m supposed to be on one now, but gah. My appetite is a mess and I have other issues that affect my eating and yeah. It’s hard. Jan 17. National Bootlegger’s Day: Do you know anyone who makes bootleg DVD’s? No. I don’t really hear much about that anymore like I did back in the day.

National Hot Heads Chili Day: What do you like to eat in your chili? I can’t eat chili anymore, but back in the day I loved it spicy. 

National Hot Buttered Rum Day: Are you a fan of rum, or do you prefer another type of alcohol? I don’t like any alcohol.

Ben Franklin Day: Name at least one of Ben Franklin’s inventions. The lightning rod.

Michelle Obama’s Birthday: Do you miss when her husband was back in office? I don’t like getting into politics. 

Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day: How long do you keep your New Year’s Resolutions for? Do you even make them in the first place? I stopped making those years ago. 

Jan 18. National Winnie the Pooh Day: Who is your favorite character from Winnie the Pooh? Awww I love Winnie the Pooh, he’s my favorite. I really vibe with Eeyore, too. 

National Michigan Day: Do you live in Michigan? Nope.

National Gourmet Coffee Day: What’s your favorite “specialized” coffee drink? The winter drinks at Starbucks.

National Thesaurus Day: When’s the last time you used a thesaurus? Recently for something, I forget why.

National Peking Duck Day: Have you ever eaten duck before? No.

National Use Your Gift Card Day: Where would you like to get a gift card to? Hmm. BoxLunch would be cool.

Jan 19. World Quark Day: Have you ever heard of quark? Nope. I just Googled it, though. Doesn’t sound appealing.

National  Popcorn Day: What’s your favorite seasoning/flavor of popcorn? Good ol’ movie theater popcorn with salt and lots of butter. I also love this garlic parm seasoning I get at the store.

National Disc Jockey Day: Would you rather have a band or a DJ at your wedding. DJ.

World Religion Day: What is your religion? Do you have one? Christian.

National Tin Can Day: What’s the last can that you recycled? My family and I recycle our cans and plastic bottles. The last can I had was a Starbucks Doubleshot coffee energy drink.

Jan 20. National Cheese Lover’s Day: What’s your favorite kind of cheese? I loveee cheese. Various kinds.

Martin Luther King jr. Day: In what ways was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. influential? He was a huge influential leader in the civil rights movement and helped spark major changes. He was a very courageous and intelligent man.

National Buttercrunch Day: Have you ever made butter crunch before? Nope.

National Penguin Day: What’s your favorite thing about penguins? Their little waddle and how they mate for life. They’re so cute.

Jan 21. National Hugging Day: Are you a hugger? Not really. Like, I’m not one to initiate a hug. Hugs from certain people are really nice, though.

National Granola Bar Day: Do you eat granola bars? What’s your favorite flavor? I used to all the time. The Quaker Oats chocolate chip, peanut butter, and s’mores ones were my favorite. Sunbelt oats and honey granola bars are really good, too.

Squirrel Appreciation Day: Squirrels or chipmunks? Chipmunks. Aww, this reminds of Ty because he was squirrel and I was giraffe.

International Sweatpants Day: How many pairs of sweatpants do you own? Only 2. I’m a leggings gal, I have a shitload of leggings. I feel like a cartoon character when they show their closest lol.

National Banana Bread Day: Do you prefer your banana bread with or without walnuts? How about chocolate chips? Without walnuts, hands down. SO good. I’ve never tried it with chocolate chips.

National New England Clam Chowder Day: Do you like New England Clam Chowder soup? No.

Jan 22. Celebration of Life Day: Do you believe that abortion should be legal? Why or why not? I don’t like getting into political and touchy topics like this.

National Blonde Brownie Day: What’s your favorite type of brownie? Fudge brownies. Yum.

Library Shelfie  Day: How often do you visit your public library? I haven’t gone since I was in high school, so it’s been over 10 years.

National Southern Food Day: What’s your favorite Southern food/meal? Biscuits and gravy.

National Sanctity of Human Life Day: Do you believe that all humans have some sort of value? Yes?

National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day: Do you talk to your pets? Of course! All the time.

Hot Sauce Day: How hot do you like your hot sauce? I can only handle a little mild hot sauce now. D: I used to be obsessed with spicy foods and hot sauces back when I could have it.

Jan 23. National Handwriting Day: Do you prefer printing or writing in cursive? Printing. 

World Spay Day: Are all of your pets spayed or neutered? Yes, my doggo is spayed. That was done before we could bring her home from the adoption shelter.

National Pie Day/National Rhubarb Pie Day: What’s your favorite type of pie? Cheesecake. That’s the only kind I like.

Measure Your Feet Day: How big are your feet? I have small feet. I wear a 6 in womens (US). I can wear a 3.5/4 in kid’s, too. That’s the size my Adidas are.

Jan 24. Beer Can Appreciation Day: What’s your favorite type of beer? Ew, none.

National Compliment Day: What’s the last compliment that you’ve received? I don’t even remember, it’s been a long time.

National Peanut Butter Day: What’s your favorite food that involves peanut butter? Reese’s. 

International Day of Education: Why do you feel that education important? There’s a lot of benefits to being educated. It helps you gain knowledge about the world around you, helps you build and form opinions, make better, well-informed decisions on certain things, helps you learn skills that will be beneficial for you... there’s a lot of reasons.

Global Belly Laugh Day: When’s the last time you laughed so hard you cried? It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good laugh like that.

National Eskimo Pie Patent Day: When’s the last time you had an Eskimo Pie? I’ve never had one.

National Lobster Thermidor Day: When’s the last time you ate lobster? I don’t eat lobster. Or any seafood.

Jan 25. National Opposite Day: Have you ever been attracted to someone that was the complete opposite of you? Yes.

Community Manager Appreciation Day: At your workplace, do you have a good manager/boss, or not? Are you your own boss? I don’t have a job.

National Irish Coffee Day: Have you ever had an Irish Coffee before? Nope.

National Seed Swap Day: What’s the last seed you planted? I’ve never planted any seeds.

National Florida Day: Do you know anyone who is from Florida? Not personally, but a few YouTubers I watch are.

Chinese New Year: What is your Chinese animal? (the year of the ___) Snake.

Burns Supper: Favorite poem by Robert Burns? I don’t think I’m familiar with his work.

Jan 26. National Green Juice Day: Do you drink any sort of health drinks? Nope. 

National Peanut Brittle Day: Do you enjoy peanut brittle? Nah, it’s too hard.

National Spouses Day: Do you hope to get married one day? Why or why not? I don’t plan on getting married.

Australia Day: If you were to go to Australia, what would you want to see/do first? I’d probably want to go to Sydney. 

International Customs Day: What do you think of the current level of border security in your area? Uhhh.

World Leprosy Day: Do you know anyone who has leprosy? No.

Jan 27. National Bubble Wrap Day: As an adult, would you still be interested in popping bubble wrap? Um, absolutely! You’re never too old for bubblewrap. 

National Chocolate Cake Day: Do you prefer chocolate cake or another flavor instead? I much prefer white, funfetti, strawberry, or red velevet.

World Breast Pumping Day: If you have a baby, would you breastfeed or formula feed? Why? I’m not having kids.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Do you know of any Holocaust survivors? Eli Wiesel, the author of Night, a book about his horrifying experience during the Holocaust and in Nazi concentration camps, came to talk to my sophomore English class.

Wolfgang Mozart’s Birthday: Do you like to listen to Mozart? I have an appreciation for a lot of piano pieces.

Punch the Clock Day: Do you have to punch in and out at work, or do you have a paper time sheet? I don’t have a job.

Jan 28. National Have Fun at Work Day: What is one fun thing about your work?

National Blueberry Pancake Day: Would you rather have blueberry pancakes or chocolate chip pancakes? Blueberry.

Data Privacy Day: Have one of your websites ever been hacked before? Yes, back in the day.

National Daisy Day: Are daisies your favorite flower? No, but they are pretty.

National Lego Day: Do you follow the building instructions if you have a Lego kit, or do you build your own prototype? I haven’t played with Legos since I was a kid, but I just made my own things for the most part. I do remember attempting to make some of the things they showed on the container the Legos came in.

National Kazoo Day: Have you ever played a kazoo before? Nope.

National Plan For Vacation Day: Where would you like to go on vacation? A lot of places. I wish I could just go on a vacation at all right now. :(

Global Community Engagement Day: How do you play a part in your community? Uhhh. I’m not involved in any community things.

Jan 29. National Corn Chip Day: Fritos or Tostitos? Both are good.

National Puzzle Day: How many pieces was the last jigsaw puzzle that you completed? I have no idea, I haven’t done a puzzle since I was a kid. I’ve actually been wanting to do one recently, though.

Jan 30. National Croissant Day: What do you like to put on your croissant? They’re just good on their own.

National Inane Answering Message Day: Do you leave voicemails, or do you hang up and try again later? If I’m calling my doctor I might leave a voicemail, but usually I’ll just try again later. I hate leaving voicemails, though. If I’m calling my parents, I’ll just call again or send them a text.

Jan 31. Inspire Your Heart With Art Day: What form of art would you be most likely to try your hand at? I like to color, but that’s as artsy as it gets for me.

National Backward Day: Can you walk around backwards without tripping over something? Well, I can wheel backwards.

National Hot Chocolate Day: Do you like hot chocolate? Do you prefer a certain flavor? Yes. I just like the regular kind with marshmallows and whipped cream.

National Big Wig Day: What type of job would you like to have that allows you to be in charge? I wouldn’t want to be in charge.

Eat Brussel Sprouts Day: Do you like Brussel sprouts? Nooo.

Brandy Alexander Day: Do you like to drink brandy? Nope. I don’t drink alcohol.

National Weeks

Folic Acid Awareness Week: Do you know anyone with a congenital disability? Yes.

Universal Letter Writing Week: When’s the last time you hand-wrote a letter to someone? I don’t even remember.

Diet Resolution Week: Have you ever gone on a diet before because of someone’s comments about your weight? Yeah, but it was to try and gain weight because I’m too thin. 

National Silent Record Week: Have you ever listened to a silent record before? No.

National Pizza Week: What do you like to eat on your pizza? White sauce, feta and ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic, crumbled meatballs, and pesto drizzled on top.

Home Office Safety and Security Week: Does your home have a security system? Yes.

Cuckoo Dancing Week: Do you like to dance? Sure. Well, by dance I mean head bobbing and maybe moving my arms and shoulders a bit. Oh, and sad attempts at TikTok dances haha.

World Kiwanis Week: Do you know what the Kiwani’s Club revolves around? No.

National Mocktail Week: What’s your favorite mocktail? When I was a kid I liked virgin strawberry margaritas. This one restaurant my family and I often went to had them for kids and they were so good.

Hunt For Happiness Week: Where do you find your happiness? At the beach watching the waves crash in and out, smelling the ocean air, and feeling that nice, cool breeze. I just get lost in it and it’s really relaxing.

National Healthy Weight Week: Do you feel that you are a healthy weight? Why or why not? No, I’m not. I’m underweight.

International Snowmobile Safety & Awareness Week: Have you ever ridden on a snowmobile before? Nope.

No Name-Calling Week: What’s the worst name you’ve ever been called? Who knows what people have said or thought about me that I’m not aware of, nor do I want to know, but the only things I know of are the things I’ve said and think about myself. I’m my own worst enemy.

International Hoof Care Week: Do you like any animals that have hooves? Giraffes. <3

National Catholic Schools Week: Did you ever go to a Catholic school before? No.

National CRNA Week: Have you ever been put under anesthesia before? How were you when you came out of it? Yeah, several times. I always felt sick, groggy, and really cold afterwards.

Meat Week: What’s your favorite type of meat? Or are you a vegetarian/vegan? Chicken.

National School Choice Week: Would you have preferred to be in a public school, a private school, or to be homeschooled? I was fine with public school.

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Week: Do you know anyone who is a cowboy? Nope.

National Months

National Hot Tea Month: What’s your favorite flavor tea? Chamomile, peppermint, and spearmint.

National Oatmeal Month: What’s your favorite flavor of oatmeal? I like regular oatmeal with condensed milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

National Slow Cooking Month: Do you have a crock-pot? Well, my mom does, but yeah.

National Soup Month: What’s your favorite kind of soup? I’m a ramen gal.

National Baking Month: What’s your favorite thing to bake? If I bake it’s going to be cupcakes or muffins. It’s been awhile since I’ve baked anything, though.

National Fat Free Living Month: Do you eat foods that are fat-free? How about drinks? Not usually.

National Bath Safety Month: Do you prefer baths or showers? Showers. I have’t taken a bath since I was a kid.

National Blood Donor Month: Have you ever donated blood? When was the last time? No.

National Hobby Month: Do you have any hobbies? Doing surveys, reading, and coloring. 

National Train Your Dog Month: Is your dog well-trained? Yeah.

Walk Your Pet Month:  How often do you walk your dog, if you have one? I can’t do that, but my dad or brother take her.

National CBD Month: Have you ever used CBD oil? Nope.

National Black Diamond Month: Do you own anything with diamonds – black or regular? No.

National Mentoring Month: Have you ever had a mentor before? No.

National Menudo Month: Have you ever had menudo before? Nope. It doesn’t sound appealing to me.

[a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

[emospritelet]

KOL: Gold tucks a sick Belle in bed

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11]

AO3 link

Gold woke with a start, momentarily confused over where he was and the warm presence beside him.  Belle was still sleeping, and he hastily moved back from where he had been curled around her. At least he hadn’t been prodding her with a raging erection this time, so that was something.  He rolled onto his back, lifting his head to look around the room. He felt better, but still weak, and he suspected he would need to take it easy for the rest of the day. The fire had burned low, and he slipped out from beneath the covers, going to stack some more wood on it.  Belle shifted at the sound of it, watching him with heavy eyes over the top of the blankets.

“How long was I asleep?” she asked, and he glanced at the clock.

“A few hours,” he said.  “It’s just after two. How are you feeling?”

“Thirsty.”

He poured her some water, and she pushed up on an elbow, taking the glass and drinking it down.  Gold placed his palm over her forehead, and she moaned at the feel of it, leaning into his touch.  She was still burning up, and he frowned, shaking his head.

“I’ll be okay,” she whispered.

“In a few days, perhaps,” he said.

At that moment the lights flicked back on, and they both looked around before sharing a smile.

“Power’s back,” he said.  “I’ll just check the kitchen.”

“Do you have a phone charger?” she asked.  “I should really call my dad, he’ll wonder where the hell I am.”

“I’ll find your phone,” he said, heading for the kitchen.

The heating system was ticking into life, and he spotted Belle’s phone on the table, plugging it in to charge.  The battery was completely dead, so it would be a little while before she could make a call. He filled the kettle with water, figuring that he could make them both a hot toddy with the ingredients Jefferson had brought.  He sliced lemons and placed them in cups with spoonfuls of honey, a cinnamon stick broken in half and a few cloves. He then poured a generous shot of whisky over and finished with the hot water before stirring everything up.

Belle was propped up against the pillows when he went back through, and he sat down beside her and handed her one of the cups, setting his own on the table.

“The place should be warming up soon,” he said.  “I plugged in your phone. You should give it ten minutes or so.”

“Thanks.”  She breathed in the scent from the toddy.  “Wow, that’s strong!”

He grinned.

“Should do you good,” he said.  “Or at least it’ll taste good. My aunts used to make it when I was young.  Swore by it in the winter. I mean there’s some science behind it due to the medicinal properties of the ingredients, but honestly I think they just liked the whisky.”

Belle giggled.

“Are your aunts over here?” she asked, and he shook his head.

“Passed away a few years ago,” he said.  “They were in their forties when they took me in, and raised me from around age seven.  Good women.”

“I don’t really have any wider family,” she said.  “Never knew my grandparents, and Dad’s an only child.  Mum didn’t speak to the rest of her family - apparently she married beneath herself, or something ridiculous - so I never knew them.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah.”  She patted the blankets beside her.  “Come on, get back underneath. The house isn’t warm yet.”

He slid beneath the blankets, picking up his drink and taking a sip.  It was soothing, the heat of the whisky and spices, the sharpness of lemon juice and the rich, sweet honey.  He let his head roll back against the pillows with a sigh, and Belle eyed him over the top of her mug.

“How come you ended up in the U.S.?” she asked, and he pulled a face.

“Got a scholarship to med school,” he said.  “Seemed too good to pass up.”

“Do you miss home?”

“A little,” he admitted.  “But I’ve been here a long time, and I like that the north-eastern U.S. has rain and snow and is cold enough to freeze your arse off at times.  If I’d ended up in Arizona or something, I may have fled back home far sooner.”

“Well, at least you have good neighbours here to clear the snow for you,” she observed.  “I guess now the power’s back on I should be heading home.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” he said sternly.  “You still have the flu, and I’m not about to toss you out into the snow.  The furthest you’ll be travelling is upstairs to the spare bedroom. Doctor’s orders.”

Belle grinned at that.

“What about you?” she asked.  “Are you going back to work?”

“Tomorrow, I expect,” he said.  “No doubt they could use my help, but I’m sure they’ve kept on top of things.  Jefferson and Whale are very competent, and Nurse South runs a tight ship.”

Belle chewed her lip, looking uncomfortable.

“Look, I - I didn’t want to say anything,” she began.  “I was kind of hoping it would have blown over by the time you got back, but just in case it hasn’t, I - I think you should know that Zelena’s been spreading stories about us.”

He made a noise at the back of his throat, a low grunt of irritation.

“Jefferson told me,” he said shortly.  “Don’t concern yourself, I’ll deal with it.  I don’t have the patience for gossip, and if Miss Mills is so short of work she’s spreading ridiculous rumours, I’ll just have to find something for her to do.”

“Okay,” she said.

“I’m sorry if it’s distressing you,” he added.  “But if it’s any consolation, I very much doubt that anyone at the hospital believes her.”

“Oh, that doesn’t upset me,” she said.  “I just thought - I thought maybe it might upset you, that’s all.”

He suspected she might have been offended by the suggestion that the two of them were an item, but was too polite to admit it.

“Well, we both know it would never happen, so I’m trying not to let it bother me,” he said.

Belle blinked at him, and he wanted to sigh.  Yes. The idea had upset her, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings by saying so.  It was bad enough that she had been snowed in with an invalid and ended up catching the flu herself.  Now she had the hospital rumour-mill to contend with. Bloody Miss Mills!

“I’ll deal with it,” he repeated.  “You just concentrate on your recovery.  The sooner you’re feeling better, the sooner we can get you out of here.”

“Right,” she said quietly, and sipped at her drink.

x

Belle felt awful, the illness taking all of her strength, and once she had finished the toddy she snuggled down in the bed, drifting in an out of sleep as Gold got up and went upstairs.  He left her alone, only coming back around five to check on her and make her drink some water. She needed the bathroom, and made her way on shaking limbs, breathless with the effort by the time she got back under the covers.  He offered to heat up the chicken soup that Jefferson had brought, and although she wasn’t hungry, she agreed.  Her phone was charged, and so she called Ruby, who squealed down the phone as soon as she heard her voice.

“I almost called the cops!” she said.  “Why didn’t you come over? Your dad said he didn’t know where the hell you were and he seemed like he couldn’t care less, so I was kind of thinking maybe he’d killed you and buried you in the woods or something!  I’ve been worried sick!”

“I have the flu!” protested Belle.  “My phone ran out of juice, the power was out… Stirling and I had huddle in the lounge to keep warm.”

“Who the frilly heck is Stirling?”

“Oh.”  Belle blushed.  “Dr Gold. I - I came over to look after him, because he was sick, and - and I kind of got sick too.”

Ruby whistled, and Belle’s blush deepened.

“Shut up,” she muttered.

“No, this is awesome!” said Ruby enthusiastically.  “You like him, right? As in like him like him?  As in you’d have sex with him?”

“Ruby…”

“I’m just saying, this is looking a lot more promising than that blind date I set up.”

“Look, I gotta go,” said Belle wearily.

“Wait!  Are you okay?  Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“Not right now, I just need to sleep.”

“You know you’re always welcome to stay here if you want,” added Ruby.  “No sexy older guys, but I can make you hot cocoa!”

“I don’t want to give this to you,” said Belle.  “I’ll be okay, I just need to rest and let it take its course.”

“Okay.  Call me tomorrow, okay?”

“Thanks, Rubes.”

She rang off and called her father, trying their home when there was no answer at the shop. He was grumpy when she answered, and didn’t seem at all concerned that she hadn’t been home in days.

“I told you you’d get the flu,” he said, when she explained her situation.  “Didn’t listen, did you?”

“Thanks for the sympathy,” she said, rolling her eyes.  “Just thought I’d let you know I won’t be home for a day or two at least.”

“So what am I supposed to do for food?”

“What did you do before I came to Storybrooke?” she snapped.  “Microwave something!”

She hung up before he could snap back, and tossed the phone aside, irritated.  The sooner she could get a place of her own, the better. She heard the tap of Gold’s cane, and glanced over to where he was coming into the lounge with a tray perched on his free arm.  A steaming bowl was set on it, and she took it from him, along with a plate of bread and butter that she didn’t really want.

“Was your father worried?” he asked, and she snorted.

“That’ll be the day,” she said dryly, taking up a spoon and stirring the soup.  “God, I really need to start saving up for my own place! Are there any major landlords in town?”

“Not that I know of,” he said.  “You could try putting up a notice in the break room at the hospital, though.  Someone may have a place to rent.”

“That’s an idea.”  She blew on a spoonful of soup to cool it.  “I don’t need anything big, just a one-bed. There has to be something around.”

“So your plan is to stay in Storybrooke, then?” he said, taking a seat.  “What about that librarian position you talked about?”

“Not much chance of that at the moment,” she said gloomily.  “One step at a time, I guess.”

“Jefferson said the patients will be pleased to get their librarian back, anyway,” he said.

She sent him a grateful look.  It was good of him to remember what was important to her.  She suspected that was what made him a good doctor, the ability to remember what people told him, however unimportant it might seem to others.

“Eat your soup,” he added.  “We’re going to attempt to get you upstairs to a comfortable bed, and it could take all our combined strength, pathetic as we are.”

She returned his grin, and picked up her spoon again.  It would be nice to lie down properly and get some decent sleep, but sharing the couch with him hadn’t been so bad.

x

After the soup was eaten, and the dishes cleared away and washed, Gold managed to get Belle upstairs to the spare bedroom, and tucked her in, drawing the blankets up to her chin.  He laid a damp cloth over her forehead, and she moaned in pleasure, a low, groaning noise of pure bliss.  He had some vivid and arousing dreams that night, and was almost certain that Belle’s noises of pleasure were the cause of them.  Luckily he had slept in his own bed, with no one beside him when he woke, and no worry at the back of his mind that he would embarrass himself with involuntary erections.  Waking up alone had seemed strange at first, and he told himself not to be so ridiculous. He had been waking up alone for decades, after all.

Gold felt considerably better the next morning, if a little light-headed, and decided he was well enough to return to the hospital, albeit for a shorter shift than he would usually work.  Belle was worse, barely raising her head when he brought her tea and a jug of iced water.  Her fever made him frown, so he gave her something to reduce it, and made her drink a full glass of water before he left.

“I’ll check in on you at lunchtime,” he promised.  “No parties while I’m out, alright?”

She let out a soft giggle at that, and he nodded and eased the door closed, hoping she would start to feel better soon.

The hospital was busy, but Jefferson was right - things didn’t seem quiet as hectic as they had been.  He got an update from Whale as he changed into his scrubs; the influx of flu patients had slowed to a trickle, but they were now getting patients with complications arising from having had the flu itself.  Miss Ginger had ended up with pneumonia, and there were several instances of patients trying to do too much, too soon, and fainting in the middle of the street. The storm had also led to numerous broken bones as people slipped on the ice, but Whale said he had dealt with the majority.

“Which of the nurses are on duty?” asked Gold.

“Dorothy and Astrid are on the children’s and long-term wards, assisted by Miss Blanchard,” said Whale, buttoning his shirt.  “I put Zelena in the emergency room. She was getting on my nerves, so I figured I’d keep her busy.”

Gold grunted at that.  Good bloody riddance.

“Is Nurse South in?” he asked.

“Should be.”

“Thanks.”

Gold closed his locker with a clang and drew on his lab coat, nodding to Whale as he left the locker room.  He made his way down the corridor to where Nurse Glinda South kept her office, and found her going through the shift rotas for the week.  She sent him a warm smile as she looked up, blonde hair teased up into a neat bun.

“Dr Gold,” she said.  “I’m so pleased to see you back.  How are you feeling?”

“Better, thank you,” he said.

“I presume you’ve come for an update on the patients.”

“I’ve already been through that with Dr Whale,” he said.  “Actually, this is something more delicate.”

“Ah.”  She put down her pen, sitting back.  “Would you like to take a seat?”

“Thank you, but I’m better standing.”  He opened and closed his hands on the cane handle.  “I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but it’s my understanding that Nurse Mills has been spreading false and salacious rumours about myself and Miss French, one of the assistants.”

“I did hear something being whispered around in the canteen,” she said, frowning.  “Didn’t pay it any mind, but it sounds as though it’s gotten out of hand. You’re sure it was Zelena?”

“Quite sure,” he said.  “She came to my house. Uninvited, I might add, and quite unwelcome.  Upon seeing Miss French there, she apparently got the wrong idea about our relationship.”

Glinda’s mouth flattened.

“I see,” she said.  “Well, thank you for bringing it to my attention.  I’ll be having a stern talk with Nurse Mills.”

“Thank you,” he said.  “I would have spoken to her myself, but honestly it seems as though any attention might be misinterpreted, and I’d rather not encourage her.  Besides, I didn’t want to tread on your toes.”

“I appreciate that,” she said, and picked up her pen, tapping it against the schedule on her desk.  “As luck would have it, I was about to redraw the staffing rotas. I’ll be sure to fix it so that Nurse Mills has as little interaction with you and Miss French as possible.”

Gold felt a smile spread across his face, and he inclined his head.

“Thank you, Nurse South,” he said.  “I’m obliged to you.”

[dzmoot]

COUNT CLAUS

It was decades ago when I was ten And it was a time for good will towards men It was Christmas time, the cream of the crop Time for lighting contests, dressing up pine trees and grown ups to shop For the year's most popular of knick knacks and toys For their angelic little girls and mischievous little boys There was Toby the Teddy that talked and did hand stands 

A rubber action figure, Sam Stretch that stretches and expands 

There was Miss Penelope Perfect with a make up set and brush 

A giant mutant lizard monster that spit up slime and mush 

And a Baby Poops Too Much for little cousin Jane 

For dear Johnny, a noisy remote control flying saucer sure to drive mom and dad insane 

And what did I want that year, I wasn't quite certain Perhaps some dinosaur mittens or a cowboy curtain But there was one thing set in the stone I would be up all night Christmas Eve, curious and alone To get a glimpse of the big man in red With the big fuzzy cloud beard upon his huge round head I would watch him put the presents under the tree And laugh and smile with utmost glee He would eat every cookie and drink all the milk And put on his black gloves made of smooth silk And then with a finger nicely placed aside his nose He would stand upright on all ten toes And up the chimney he would fly like smoke He's in pretty good shape for an old folk

I couldn't wait, to get a glimpse of Santa Claus And all I had to do was listen closely for reindeer paws

So, as you would imagine, it was the night before Christmas when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, except for my pet mouse 

The stockings all hung by the fireplace with care There was a holiday snow globe and a festively dressed teddy bear And I on the couch with my jammies and cap Was drinking lots of coffee to make sure I wouldn't take a nap When out in the front yard, there arose such a clatter I sprang from the couch to see what was the matter Away to the front door I flew like the Flash Whipped it right open and looked past the trash The fog was hovering over the hard, frozen snow And there was no lustre of midday from the moon to show When what to my anxious eyes did appear But a weird looking sleigh and nine, fanged bats instead of reindeer With a caped, terrifying driver so UNDEAD and sick I wondered to myself, WAS THIS REALLY SAINT NICK? 

More rapid than werewolves his monsters they came And he hissed and shouted and called them by name Now Ripper Now Dripper Now Sucker and Spewer On Killer On Crippler On Stoker and Skewer To the top of the house, to the top of the wall Now flap away flap away flap away all And when the coursers landed on the roof The dreaded vampire Claus transformed into a bat with one single POOF As I shut the door and hid behind the armchair Down the chimney St. Nicholas flew, ashes flying into the air He turned back into a human with red eyes and sharp teeth And he had a candy walking cane and a large collar instead of a wreath  

His cape how it fluttered, his glare how scary He seemed to hover around which made me quite wary His sharp fangs dripped gooey blood onto his belly It looked as if he just consumed somebody’s brain jelly He was spooky and plump, a right wicked old elf And I gasped when I saw him, in spite of myself A blink of his glowing eyes and a 360 spin of his head Soon gave me a feeling of terror and tremendous dread He spoke not a word and went straight to his work And filled all the stockings, the big blood sucking jerk And laying his finger aside of his nose He turned back into a bat and up the chimney he rose

He flew to his sleigh, to his bats gave a whistle And away they all flew like a nuclear missile And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight Merry Christmas to all, and to All a Good Night!

And I said to myself, was I hearing that right?

How could such a terrible monster make people giddy He should be out scaring trick or treaters on Halloween, he’s ghastly and gritty He’s nothing like the Santa Claus I always dreamed In his sight, people probably hid under their beds and screamed So in those hours after Dracula Claus had gone I devised a plan well into dawn I would wait until next year, when the present delivery would start And when he comes back, I would stake Count Claus straight in the heart

Yet again, it was the night before Christmas when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, except for the pet mouse There were no stockings, no snow globe, no Christmas tree by the chair I anxiously waited until Count Claus was there And when he arrived, I flew to the fireplace And prepared to strike Count Claus square in the face He flapped down the chimney, a bat yet again And I readied my sharp, limited edition silver pen When to my surprise, Count Claus transformed into a beast And looked at me like I would be his midnight Christmas feast He had several eyes and claws like a crab And he waved his tentacles around me like he was ready to grab

I cried and I shrieked like a big, slobbering baby Until I heard a soft voice, like a small bird in a tree Count Claus was back to normal and he wasn’t as scary His fanged mouth formed a smile and he put his arm around me He said, Dear little Toddy McFaggletrodder, I mean you no harm I know I look like I would bite off your arm I know I look like I came straight from the grave But I’m actually that kindly Claus you’ve always known, the one all people rave I’m just a vampire, forced to come out at night For if I came out during the day, I would crumble to dust in the bright light That’s why I stay up high at the North Pole It’s pitch black and dark as coal To protect me until Christmas comes again So I can continue to spread good cheer among God’s great men

And with those words, I was no longer afraid Count Claus would surely be something I would no longer evade And as Claus put his presents upon the floor He asked me if I’d like to go on a little tour He would take me along on his long winter trip And I would ride on his grand bat pulled ship I couldn’t wait, it was like the Christmas specials on TV I wondered and wondered about all the fantastic things I would see And we flew away, all around the world The sleigh was like a roller coaster that looped and swirled We visited house after house, through the thick winter sauce And surprisingly, Count Claus didn’t flee at the sight of a cross He feared no garlic, no grains of rice No bibles, no holy water, no wolfsbane spice He gave the children their presents, his ultimate goal And when he was finished, he took me to the North Pole Because it was pitch black, it was hard to see But the glowing nose of Rudolph the Bat led the way for me

And we entered Count Claus’ grand toy making castle Without any hustle, bustle or hassle

And again, what did my wondering eyes should appear But thousands of strange looking elves with one single eye, so clear They still had pointy ears and tiny Christmas hats They were busy making toy soldiers and silver baseball bats And their voices, how high pitched, how squeaky, how merry Their yellow ears so flappy, their toes so hairy

Then Count Claus showed me all his machines The Great Toy Spaceship-O-Matic, a thingamajig that made tambourines A gingerbread house maker, a firetruck snapper A Susie doll head plopper, a frisbee clapper There was a gizmo that made multi colored toy snails And a conveyer belt that made toy chainsaws, hatchets and nails Last but not least was the great Wind-Up Toy constructor And an elf named Morty was the controller, the conductor There were wind up toys of elephants, kangaroos and soldiers There were even wind up cowboy boots and cup holders I saw a guy in a car, a juggling clown, an alien invader Why, there was even a wind up kung fu alligator

We met some of Claus’ comrades, Credence was first He was a critter with a Christmas ball head and drank cocoa to quench his thirst

A gingerbread giant that almost hit the ceiling

The Insectoid Candlehead, dripping hot wax and squealing 

And like a haunted house at Halloween There was even a floating present poltergeist, a bright red and green

The North Pole’s first line of defense, a battalion of nutcrackers                         

They stood prominently and were led by General McKlackors!

Outside on the white, slushy snow so delicious Was a talking snowman the elves called Aloysius 

He told me a story about the fateful Christmas Eve When the presents were stolen by a furry green fellow, I couldn’t believe He told me a skeleton kidnapped Santa one night And trapped him in a crypt where he received that fateful vampire bite As the tour continued, I bid Aloysius goodbye He had a warm heart for such a frosty guy And with a bit of magic, Santa gave life to his long walking cane He was tall with a mustache and was named Cain

Cain Charine was the Count’s most prized assistant When he checked Claus’ naughty and nice list, he was quite persistent He had a bit of an accent and kept all the elves in line He knew just what toy making duty to assign He got up and waved his long rubbery arms And tried to amuse me with his humorous charms And after awhile, Claus turned him back into his walking stick I’m sure if Count Claus ate him, he would become very sick

Then we went back outside, walked towards a forest, so bright Was the forest on fire, I feared, not quite It was a beautiful, stunning moment to cease When we saw the entire forest full of glowing Christmas trees The lights were so bright I thought I’d go blind And the reds, the blues, the greens, so defined They glimmered and glistened like burning night stars And the stars on top glowed like headlights on cars It was like a grand Christmas dream, it would never be forgotten But little did I know something would come along, something very, very rotten When we least expected it, it hit us like a knife When one of the glowing trees suddenly came to LIFE

It was an alien from a gleaming Christmas star Bringing terror and tyranny from afar He had 5 eyes, more than a spider And long, tendril arms and a prickly trunk, much wider

He was ready to pounce and devour us like cookies But we would defeat him, we were brave rookies He chased us, far up the snowy mountain Far past the fruitcake valley and down the eggnog fountain He chased us down the slope of drippy chocolate balls And into the great, sticky rock candy halls Count Claus whipped out some tinsel and a large red sack And tied the creature up, than I covered him up and pushed him on his back We drug him back to the castle and put him in the freezer He was frosty, a frozen tree, cold hearted like Ebenezer And we put him right in the middle of the hall So all the elves and critters could admire him, they could all have a ball It was an odd Christmas, like one I never had And now that I am old, I tell this story to you my lad In hopes that you will one day have a similar adventure to endure Because, right now, at this moment, Count Claus is at the door Have a good time, say hello to the elves To the magical toys upon the shelves And beware strange aliens disguised as Christmas trees For they might devour you like strings of cheese It’s Christmas time, a time for excitement, over and under And who said vampires can’t spread cheer and wonder 

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM DERRICK ZURN’S MOON OF TOONS! 

[greenlandhollerpets]

Part 1 of 3. “Things Change in A Moment!” Greatest News of my life in the morning/ and a bomb on my soul at 3:33 p.m. (August 2, 2018) Last Thursday, one week ago today, with great dreams being realized, I was given devastating news. Okay first of all on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, MIchael and I met with the head of marketing for Dos Lagos to review and finalize details to pursue our idea of having one day a month, preferably the first Sunday, be a PET SOCIAL at their beautiful location. And, get all the paperwork finished, i.e. contracts. Insurance secured, and details of the planned itinerary for each show from time to activities. Swirling in my head has been to create a day not about us, but about bringing together our community of dog, and pet lovers, to share their animals, enjoy some quality speakers from vets, to trainers, to people with books or TV shows sharing new ideas on pet care, and even have some neighborhood kids singing to entertain all. And have raffles, a bake shop, and other fun little entities. The entire event is about bringing our community together, and also let people know about our dogs in need of new homes, plus the animals waiting to be saved in our shelters. So, upon leaving there, I was in the clouds. Now, however, on Tuesday, when we had our first appointment, I was unable to walk that morning, and had to postpone the meeting a day, however it was all working out. The marketing professional has bigger ideas than me! That says a lot about this creative man. He plans in a few months, because he’s sure we will be packed to close off streets. YES YES YES. This man gets it! Completely, and greater than we do ! Im designing dog Costumes for our young people volunteers. We can be just like Disney. I began working on the itinerary the moment we got back to the Sanctuary. Then the next morning, Michael and I had to get up really early as I had a long awaited appointment with the top spinal neurologist surgeon at USC. I had seen him before; he did not think he could redo my four botched back and sacrum surgeries; suggested I get a spinal NEURO transmitter, kind of like a pacemaker for the spine. I cant walk, my left leg is nearly all dead, and each day the pain is excruciating. His EMG test showed my L4, L 5, and S 1 in my spine were severed. But I felt in my heart the NEURO deal was just a bandaid. I don’t need a bandaid. I need a solution. Everyday I cant walk, and the pain is excruciating. Well, this man had been working trying to figure out what was the real problem. And he found out the issue, My sacrum is not straight. He sent all my records, and tests, to John Hopkins and other outside resources too. Well, 12 years ago, I broke my sacrum ice skating in northern Minnesota on Christmas Eve day, Dressed up in a winter wonderland dress, new skates, and rolling along with my cousins on an area all the boys had cleared for us girls. Hot toddies were at our pit stops, Im with my cousins that have been in my life since born, its Christmas and just like all our Christmas Holidays as children, we were together, and skating . . . . . Oh let the Minnesota wind blow! Plus I looked so cute. Well, the rink was a little bumpy. Hey the guys are older now too, but who cared; not me! But thirty minutes out I went down on my ribs, yes I broke a couple of those too, but I did not care. I got up and flew off to skate more. Im nearly flying. Happy? I was in heaven! However THEN I fell on my back. Oh brother! I could not get up! OOPS. And dear Michael comes over to me, my pretty dress ripped at the bottom, I can’t get up at all, and he says, “I thought you were a really great skater?.” Yeah, yeah, well guess Ive lost some of my flight with age. Us kids skated hour after hour as children. But those years had long passed, and I knew I was in trouble. The boys, now men, had to carry me back to the house. Good grief! And pain, I think I drank an entire bottle of Minnesota Brandy! It was interesting though, I was still having the time of my life. I was with my dear dear cousins, we played Bingo for Christmas Eve, nearly killing each other over getting the extraordinary gifts, of ducks carved by one of the guys, blankets hand made, and just precious gifts. You toss dice, and when the gifts are all opened, you toss the dice among you, and when you get doubles, you can take a gift from another person. That’s when the fun begins. As kids we were dangerous over the gifts mostly hand made. No wonder I have such a diligent drive to WIN! And never give up. So all my childhood memories I was reliving. Little did I know I had SHATTERED my SACRUM. Shattered! I had destroyed my sacrum. But with cocktails, laughter and a MInnesota old-fashioned blizzard, just like when I was a child, I was on a cloud. Michael and I had driven to Minnesota to fix up my aunt’s home. She was found murdered, oh thats another story, she was MURDERED. I was her executor and niece. She and my mom were very close, and Nancy spent all her summers with her children, same age as me, at our supper club. Now she was dead, and it was and still is a horror. Another day I will tell all, but not right now. But we are in a truck, 400 miles north of the cities, and thousands of miles north of our home in California. The day after Christmas, we still had celebrating to do, the usual meal, And just sharing all our tales. But the following day MIchael and I headed down to Minneapolis, in a a severe snowstorm which for me made the trip bearable, and memorable, and fun! Im easy to please! We decided we would go to the hospital in the cities, as if I had to go into a hospital MIchael could be working on the my aunts house that had been stripped and nearly destroyed by a stranger she had befriended. A lonely woman in need of love! Well Edina hospital informed me my tail bone was broken, and just needed to heal. And gave me I think 250 20 mg. Of Percocet. Yikes. And my many other relatives made sure we had liquor. I love being in Minnesota! We had a balloon bed on the floor. I hurt so bad, and could not lift my legs at all; couldn’t really walk, but I supervised! We were thinking of moving back there at this point. My aunts home was beautiful, it had just been harmed, but it was coming together so elegant, and I thought I would finally get to go back home. A dream in my heart for years. But it did not happen. I was too sick, and we did what was critical, well Michael did, and headed home to California. We set up pillows and tried to make me comfortable, it was a horrible ride though. We met Michaels mom, dad, sister and family in Arizona. They were celebrating a family anniversary. I tried to attend the dinner, but we had to get up and leave. We got on the highway. I needed to be in a hospital, and we needed to get home. At the dinner table, I asked everyone for their drinks . . . .told them not to worry they should order a couple more. The pain had become excruciating. And then we were home, we did not even go home, Michael drove us to our Corona hospital, where they told me to study yoga, and within minutes Michael took me to UCI. Immediately I was given Morphine. I had never had morphine, that I knew about, and I made them flush it out, I hated the feeling, but other drugs were acceptable. Then I was told my sacrum was shattered. However by now, it had started to heal. I was placed in the hospital for a few days, but made a decision to just let it heal. I COULD NOT GO THRU the PAIN again! For eight months I could not walk. But I exercised faithfully and hard core daily, and finally I was at least able to walk. I thought I was going to be okay. I didn’t realize my sacrum made the structure of my body unstable and unbalanced. Well, that fall and the damage is my entire problem today. UCI with my four surgeries never fixed the sacrum. My back sticks out which is not acceptable. My doctor at USC says you can’t walk for long with the position of my spine. You lose all stability. I only have a few months to get things fixed, or I can become paralyzed. This doctor was haunted by what he had seen in my tests. He told me on this morning, August 2, 2018, that he could fix me or at least give it all he has, as I DONT HAVE A CHOICE. I was beyond happy, I now had hope and a real solution. I can be fixed. Then I had a CT Angiogram with contrast. Remember I had a heart attack and have congestive heart. failure, with a definite constricted heart. The new back surgery is dangerous, so all has to be cleared. I have the test done, and found out my veins are just not working at this time.. They had to use my hand for the IV for the contrast. What else can go wrong. But moving right along, test all done, Michael and I are almost home after another long journey now from LA USC to home in Corona; it’s about 3:30. My cardiologist phones: “You need to turn your car around and come back here. We need to put you in the hospital immediately. You have clot in you lung. You have a critical pulmonary embolism!” “WHAT?” No. Michael turned the car around, but the traffic was absolute grid-lock. He said we needed to go to Corona.....NO NO NO! Anyway, no choice I could die taking the ride. So We went to Corona. First thing I am told is this hospital no longer has a cardiac department, oh goodness. But they did have lung doctors. Get me to USC. “You can’t travel!” I am told. Visit us at www.greenlandhollerpets.org

[365-money-diary]

DAYS 77 - 83

DAY SEVENTY-SEVEN

9:00 AM - I arrive at work ready to take my day on. I pour myself a glass of iced toddy and slather some Earth Balance on a piece of toast.

10:30 AM - I attempt to resubmit my $125 check to #NOTSIMPLE now that I have my name correct in their internal system. I also PayPal my mom for my dad’s Father’s Day present. $30

11:00 AM - After doing some light math, I am still on budget for the month which is very relieving after spending so much last week on my health (and those Kobes).

12:00 PM - I’m super hungry, so my colleague and I run to Sprouts. I get a veggie sandwich and pick up a bag of BBQ chips but my colleague says she has a bag at her desk and they keep making her stomach hurt so she offers me the rest. I put back my bag and pay for my sandwich. $4.31

1:15 PM - #NOTSIMPLE notifies me that my check has been accepted and I should see the money appear in my account in one business day.

5:25 PM - I leave work. It’s 115 outside and I want to die.

7:00 PM - We grab Chipotle for dinner. Mine is pretty gross this time. $14.05

8:45 PM - My face really hurts from this sinus shit. I also realized that I forgot to make toddy earlier today, so I’ll probably stop at DD tomorrow on my way in. The high is 118 and there’s no way I’m drinking hot coffee in the morning.

9:30 PM - I read the sample of David Sedaris’s Theft By Finding which is actually just a compilation of his journal entries from 1977 - 2002. I love it and it totally feels like I’m inside of someone else’s brain. I’ll wait until the next time I have some moments to read to buy it. Trying to stretch that skrill.

10:30 PM - Bed.

DAY SEVENTY-SEVEN TOTAL: $48.36

DAY SEVENTY-EIGHT 

8:30 AM - I had a really rough time sleeping last night. I woke up several times with vaginal issues. My pee was burning and it caused a ton of discomfort. I decided to take a regimen of my urinary tract meds in the middle of the night and sleep in the guest bedroom because the dog kept bothering me. At some point, I was able to fall back asleep and my symptoms subsided, but fuck this is going to be a rough end of the month. I try to maintain positive because I’m still within the three days of being allowed to have symptoms for the yeast infection.

8:50 AM - Stop for coffee at DD. I get a cold brew and I use my free beverage reward.

9:10 AM - I roll into the office and make a piece of toast. I am secretly thinking about working the rest of the day from home after this morning meeting because I am really not doing well.

12:00 PM - I stop by Thai Basil and grab an order of veggie red curry to go. $9.67

12:15 PM - Home. I feel like dogshit. I watch an episode of 60 Days In while I eat lunch.

2:15 PM - I haven’t worked yet, but I just need to do one report and relax. I try my best to get it out of the way as quickly as possible.

6:00 PM - Boyfriend is home from work. We hang for a while and then head to AZ Mills to play pinball at Tilt.

8:00 PM - We realize it’s “league night” which stresses both of us out so we play a couple games and peace out.

9:00 PM - We grab Del Taco for dinner. Boyfriend pays.

10:30 PM - In bed. Really tired.

DAY SEVENTY-EIGHT TOTAL: $9.67

DAY SEVENTY-NINE

5:15 AM - The dog won’t stop barking.

5:45 AM - I get up for the fifth time and finally get the dog inside to crate her. I forgot she does this during summers.

7:00 AM - I finally fall back asleep.

9:00 AM - I stop at DD on the way to work because I still don’t have toddy. I get an iced coffee and put it on my rewards card. Still got about $6 left on it!

11:30 AM - My colleagues and I grab lunch at Morning Squeeze. $11.67

3:00 PM I spend most of my afternoon fighting with idiots on the internet. I moderate a vegan facebook page but not anymore. ;)

5:00 PM - I stop by my cousin’s office to run through an AdWords tutorial with her and her boyfriend. It’s always fun seeing them!

6:45 PM - I’m home! Boyfriend and I lounge on the couch for a while and finally end up running over to Tilt to play pinball. It’s a lot more chill tonight because there isn’t a league and the games are half off! We take turns playing Walking Dead and Metallica and leave when they close.

9:30 PM - I am so hungry. I haven’t eaten since Morning Squeeze, so we just decide to order JJ quickly. I pay. $17.99

10:45 PM - We go to bed. I finally sleep all night! Hallelujah!

DAY SEVENTY-NINE TOTAL: $29.66

DAY EIGHTY

9:00 AM - I arrive at work feeling amazing! I pull the grounds bag out of my toddy and pour a fresh glass with a slice of toast. When I sit down, I realize I forgot my phone at home. #Whoops 

1:00 PM - I run to Sprouts after my meeting. I’m really not feeling salad or a sandwich so I twist things up a bit. I find some frozen Gardein BBQ pockets and grab a bag of Kettle chips that are both on sale. Pretty stoked because this will last for two meals. $4.63 

1:15 PM - I need to remember to use the toaster oven for more than just toast. These pockets are amazing!

5:45 PM - I arrive home and watch some 60 Days In. My boyfriend is at the NBA draft right now, so I cherish the alone time to binge on a show he doesn’t like.

7:00 PM - Boyfriend picks me up and takes me to a romantic dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. For once, I don’t overeat and I decide that the place really isn’t half bad. BF pays.

8:00 PM - We arrive home and decide to take it super easy for the rest of the night. I fall asleep around 11.

DAY EIGHTY TOTAL: $4.63 

DAY EIGHTY-ONE

7:45 AM - Boyfriend wakes me up and leaves the house earlier than normal. I eventually roll out of bed, get ready and call an Uber to work. Today we’re team building after work which basically means we’re all getting blasted. $13.08

8:55 AM - I arrive at work, pour myself some toddy, and toast a slice of bread.

11:30 AM - We’re done for the day! We all pack into my boss’s car and head to Gordon Biersch in Gilbert. I order a plate of eclectic veggies and an Ace Pear Cider. Boss covers all of our lunches.

1:00 PM - We head to boss’s house and play with his VR gaming system. It’s really fun but I get motion sick super easy so I mostly watch while everyone else plays.

4:00 PM - We hitch an Uber to downtown Chandler and end up at San Tan Brewery. I get a flight which ends up being unfortunate because most of them are IPAs. It goes straight to my system and I’m definitely buzzed. $10.65

5:00 PM - We head to another bar called Brickyard. My boss subtly dips out while I’m in the bathroom, but my other two colleagues and I decide to keep going. I order a pineapple Pimm’s cup and a side of fries. Our server is also really cool and she gives me bar napkins so I can blow my nose. We take our time with our drink (Or at least I do. One of my colleagues pounds three cocktails.) and wait for my boyfriend to collect us after he’s done from work. $16.97

8:30 PM - I order us Jimmy Johns and cover it as a thank you to my boyfriend for picking us up. $17.99

9:00 PM - We’re about ready to lay down (I’m drunk, lol.) but our across the street neighbor comes over. He’s really distraught. His wife was bit by one of their five dogs and had to have surgery on her hand, and they decided that they need to rehome two of them. One is my dog’s mom and the other is her brother. We offer to come over and hang out with them tomorrow and to post on social media to help them find new homes.

9:30 PM - We are now really wound up and spend the next hour trying to wind back down. Our hearts are sad for our neighbors. I end up buying that David Sedaris diary book to help me zone out. $15.83

DAY EIGHTY-ONE TOTAL: $74.52

DAY EIGHTY-TWO

10:30 AM - I wake up feeling super tired. I guess this is what being super sensitive to alcohol feels like.

11:00 AM - We make our way to Cartel and Einstein’s. Boyfriend treats for both.

11:45 AM - We head to Target to get some miscellaneous stuff. When we arrive, I make a pit stop in the bathroom and instantly start feeling better. I am DJing this afternoon on a patio and it’s 114 degrees out. I buy a couple bins to create some insulation for my records so they don’t melt and a pack of ponytail holders. $16.34

12:15 PM - We then head to a Water and Ice store but they’re out of dry ice, so we head to Smart & Final and grab some from them. Boyfriend pays.

12:30 PM - We stop by Safeway and buy some flowers for our neighbor and a balloon. My boyfriend throws in a fidget spinner as well. He already has one, so why he needs two is beyond me. $23.51

1:00 PM - We stop by the neighbors and visit with them for a while. They’re super grateful for our help and we fight every bone in our body not to adopt Katy’s brother. We take some cute photos and let them know that we’re here for whatever they might need.

2:45 PM - While I pull records for my set and heat up some miscellaneous frozen food, my boyfriend starts to build the insulation bin for my records. It seems like it’s going to work really well!

4:15 PM - I’m out the door with a gallon of Gatorade and water as my records and I attempt to not melt.

5:00 PM - The event is super chill and so fun! They have an upcoming festival and ask me if I’d like to DJ in between bands but I can’t because it’s the same day that we have LCD Soundsystem tickets in LA. I don’t get paid, but I don’t really care. The house throws in a nice grapefruit wine spritzer.

8:30 PM - I’m all packed up and heading home. My boyfriend helps me unload and we head straight to AZ Mills for some pinball action. My game card is finally out of credits so I reload it. $30

10:00 PM - We’re starving. I treat us to Cornish Pasty. Our server is kind of out of it and forgets a bunch of stuff, so I tip 18% instead of my usual 20%. $30.17

11:00 PM - We fall asleep watching a Cold Case Files episode about the Zodiac Killer.

DAY EIGHTY-TWO TOTAL: $100.02

DAY EIGHTY-THREE

9:30 AM - I ask my boyfriend who the Zodiac Killer ended up being and he said the case is still cold. Damn! 

10:00 AM - I post a photo of the dogs on social media and cross my fingers someone bites.

10:30 AM - We head to Cartel and Einstein’s. Boyfriend treats coffee. I grab the bagels. $7.56

11:45 AM - We head back home. Boyfriend takes a nap while I catch up with my sister.

3:00 PM - We head to Ted’s hot dogs to grab lunch. Boyfriend treats.

3:40 PM - It’s too hot. We head home to lay low and let the sun set -- which basically consists of me shuffling back and forth from reading David Sedaris, playing Two Dots, and watching Cold Case Files.

9:00 PM - Usually on Sundays I end up baking something out of boredom, but it’s already late. I snacked on some Ritz crackers and a La Croix so I’m not super hungry either. If anything, I’ll just make some noochy noodles.

9:15 PM - Also some light commentary that so far I’m doing pretty good with this budget of $1500 per month. If I can stick to it, I’ll be saving roughly $1500 per month some of which goes to my future car and some which will go to my savings account and some will stay in my checking account for when I have to do something insane like buy a king size bed or an emergency flight to Chicago.

11:00 PM - I snack on a fig bar and a couple handfuls of veggie straws.

12:00 AM - Zzzz

DAY EIGHTY-THREE TOTAL: $7.56