#‘(package) being delivered today would be really great’

[plusultraetc]

STOP it’s actually so cute

[ponderingmoonlight]

Yoriichi saving you just in time from getting killed by a demon

Pairing: Yoriichi x midwife!reader

Word Count: 4k

Synopsis: Your job takes you to the poor Kamado family, who are expecting their first child. But instead of a joyful birth, you are greeted by the cruel claws of a demon. What luck that an extraordinary swordsman shows up on this fateful evening.

Warnings: near death, injury, child birth, I'm not a midwife mystelf so this part isn't that detailed, lots of angst but comfort, this is my first demon slayer fic EVER so please show some support, I really appreciate it 🤍 (added 2 additional pics into the fanfic because I'm so amazed by the insane quality of these ai pics)

Tags: @froufrousnowman

„Excuse my rude interruption, but is this the Kamado residence?”

You are exhausted, sweat dripping from your forehead on this warm summer day, the sun shining down on you with all its strength. But you were called here, so you came. After all, this is your job. As a midwife by heart, you fear no weather when it comes to aid another woman by delivering her child.

“Yes, I am Sumiyoshi Kamado. Are you the midwife we were calling for?”

The man in front of you smiles at you kindly. You can tell by one look into his inviting eyes that he’ll be an amazing father. But before that, you have some work to do.

“That’s right, my name is (y/n). May I see your wife?”, you ask kindly, taking off the package of tools you were carrying on your back.

“She’s sleeping at the moment, but please allow me to lead you inside. Would you like to eat or drink something? I just cooked dinner!”

The excitement dripping from his voice really warms your heart. In times like these, gifting a child into the world seems like a burden, like an impossible task. It was in no way granted that an expected child was in any way welcomed. You’ve seen it all, the horrible things father and mother would do to prevent the new life from existing, how fate itself decided to stretch its hands out and take the child away from this earth way too soon. You’ve seen tears of joy, tears of grief, tears of despair. But oh, just one loving look of fresh mother and father into their babies’ tiny face is enough to make it all worth it for you.

“How did your wife feel within the last days? Did she complain about pain, especially in her back? Bleeding? Did she have to defecate more often than usual?”

Carefully, you place your tools onto a white cloth and disinfect your hands with strong alcohol when entering the room.

“She looks very peaceful, that’s great”, you hush.

What a beautiful woman she is, laying on her side with her hands covering her belly even while she sleeps safe and sound. Instinctively you kneel down next to her, gently caressing her cheek.

“This is your first child, isn’t it?”

“Yes. And I am beyond grateful you decided to help her even though we aren’t able to pay you decently. I wish I could give you more-“

“Please, don’t worry about it. I really enjoy being here. And if it helps your wife, no coins in the world are a better reward”, you interrupt with soft voice, looking down at her one last time before getting up and silently leaving the room along with her husband.

Your eyes dart towards the small window. How lovely the sunset looks today. Is it already this late? You must have been traveling for quite some time. As if on cue, your stomach begins to rumble. Well, maybe a cup of tea and something warm to eat would be a blessing right now.

“I am a little nervous. After all, I know nothing about the birth of children and how to care for them afterwards. But I love my wife so dearly, imagining a little child with her eyes truly makes me feel whole. Do you have any children yourself?”

What a kind man he is, sitting opposite to you with a cup of tea in his hand and his eyes glistening in the down-going sun. Despite the cruelness of the world, the tales of demons hunting down humans with what seems like no aim, all the bitterness and tears, this man was able to keep his warm smile and optimism.

“No. While I do adore children, I am not married. It’s hard to find a man willing to marry a midwife”, you explain briefly.

There is no sense in denying the fact that you are of low birth, a self-taught midwife since no man was willing to teach you. And in a world full of gorgeous young girls with skin like porcelain and kimono’s worth more than your housing, you will never catch the attention of a male. But somehow, you’ve found your inner peace with that. After all, helping other woman to finally receive their own little family fills you with enough joy to overlook that you’ll never have a man or a chid by your side yourself.

Confident knocks against the wooden door rip you out of your conversation.

“Are you awaiting someone?” you question.

Within the village you live in, it is told over and over to not leave the house after sunset. And while you don’t consider yourself superstitious, not going out when it’s all dark always seemed plausible enough for you. But now, the sun almost set, the trees around you barely lighten by the weak beam.

“No, but maybe it is someone who needs help.”

You get up from the ground, mindlessly holding onto the cloak in your hands tightly while holding your breath. It might be someone in the need of help. But out here in the woods, who knows…Shivers run down your spine, eyes staring at the door filled with curiosity.

The sight in front of you isn’t one of a robber, an old lady in distress or a demon though. Your orbs widen slightly. No, this is a man. And what a man he is.

The way he carries himself with so much peace and elegance. He looks…majestic. His fuchsia eyes lay upon your host. And even though you don’t understand from afar what they are talking about, you can tell that his firm but calm voice could tame entire oceans. What a remarkable perfect face he has, the only interruption being a scar covering his forehead. So elegantly clothed with a katana attached to his belt? You draw a little closer, take in his sight a little clearer. He looks like one of the men you’ve seen before in your village right after a whole family was brutally killed during night. He was armoured with a katana too. Could it be?

“Are you a demon slayer?”

You want to curse yourself for speaking to him so ruthlessly, for interrupting their conversation so harshly. But you’ve got so lost in his sight that it seems your mouth opened itself.

“Indeed. This is a riskful area. Keep your doors and windows locked during night time and do not leave your wife unattended. Please don’t roam around the house on your own and stay with your husband”, he instructs towards both of you.

Why does he look at you while calling you “wife”? You blink a few times when realization slowly but surely hits you. Oh. Your face reddens instantly, eyes snapping towards your host in pure shock.

“Oh, you misunderstood! She isn’t my wife, but the midwife that will help my wife delivering our firstborn. She’s sleeping at the moment”, he explains calmly while smiling at you.

The stranger’s eyes lock with yours, you can’t help but hold your breath. From all the men you’ve seen come and go in your lifetime, he definitely is the most captivating one. Is it because of his flawless appearance, because he carries himself with so much elegance? Or is it the calmness that radiates from his voice, the power you’re able to sense on him? Maybe nothing, maybe both.

“That is very kind for you. I will stay in this area tonight, but please look after yourself”, the stranger continues, glancing at you one last time before turning around and heading back into the woods.

“Thank you!”

“What an interesting man!”, your host comments towards you, closing and locking the door like he was told you.

“Do you believe in demons?”, you question.

His eyes darts towards you, the positive spark in them gone for the split of a second.

“I’ve witnessed a lot of deaths that happened during the night, terrible massacres with no one surviving. I am firmly convinced that a human being could never to something like that.”

“Humans can be cruel too”, you argue, pictures of all the horrible things you’ve seen within the years you’ve been working as a midwife flooding your mind.

Sometimes you can’t help but wonder who the real monsters in this world are. The demons, the wild animals? Or humans who pretend to be on top of the world, who tear down everything and everyone when they feel like it?

“That is correct. But we are trying our best, right? And that is all that matters for me.”

“It’s getting late, I should look after your wife. Is it alright if I rest with her for today?” you mumble, fingers fumbling with the white cloak to distract your mind from the stranger, from his words, from this whole conversation.

“Of course! I will prepare everything!”

You sign to yourself, gaze glued onto the woman laying in front you sleeping peacefully. Everything will turn good, right?

-at night-

Your eyes shoot open immediately, roaming around the dark room. There they lay, bodies intertwined with each other while being fast asleep. What was that fade away rustle you’ve heard, then? As quietly as possible you lift yourself off the futon Kamado-san prepared for you, naked feet greeted by the cold of the wooden floor underneath. Maybe you just dreamed it. Or is an animal outside? Given the fact that you are located in the middle of a forest, this wouldn’t be a surprise. You furrow your eyebrows, a fade away cracking from outside catching your attention all over again. No, something is off, you can sense it by the way your guts turn.

Instinctively, your hands grab the knife with which Kamado-san prepared your food just a few hours ago. You are by no means an experienced fighter, you have been skilfully avoiding situations like this your entire life. But waking up both of them over nothing would be ridiculous. Just a little glimpse outside the door, just to check on what’s probably a deer. Your heart hammers against your ribcage, palms sweaty in response.

With your free hand, you grasp the handle of the door. Breathe in, breathe out. Tame your pounding heart, get a hold of yourself. With a swift motion, you swing it open.

And get greeted by a pair of venomous red eyes.

There is no time to react any further. Not too late you are able to escape his grasp, naked feet carrying you further inside the forest.

“A demon! There’s a demon outside! Get into safety! A demon!” you scream on top of your lungs.

Please, let Kamado-san hear your desperate cries, let him drag his wife into safety. The disturbing tall and crippled figure of the demon draws closer to the house, closer to the soon to be family.

You don’t know what has gotten into you. Sympathy, a protective instinct? Whatever it is forces you backwards, right into the claws of the demon.

“I can’t allow you to harm a single soul in this house”, you hiss through gritted teeth, holding onto the knife in your hands for dear life.

How is it even possible to kill a demon? Do you even stand a chance against it? It doesn’t matter now. You slash forward with a cry of determination, aiming for its carotid artery. The cut doesn’t have to be deep if you hit him with enough precision, your muscle strength should be enough.

But before you are even able to come close to his body, his claw slices open your right arms with ease. Your eyes widen in pure horror, body unable to move even an inch. It moved so fast you weren’t even able to see its hand moving, sliced you open so effortlessly while you’re gasping for air like a fish on land.

Your body falls to the ground, the demon positioning itself on top of you. No, you won’t let it end like this. After all, you still have plenty of work to do, Kamado-san’s wife didn’t deliver her child yet. With full force you push your arms against it, trying to keep your keep your face out of its gaping mouth.

With one push you free your arm, yanking the knife into its eye. Now or never. While its loud groans fill the air with fright, you get off the ground, run deeper into the forest, desperately try to stay alive. You can’t die like this. Not you, not Kamado-san, not his wife, not their unborn baby.

But the demon is right on your tracks, hunting you down the dark forest without any mercy.

“Ouch.”

 A moment of inattention is enough for you to stumble over a thick branch, knees meeting the floor harshly. Is this your end? All you can do is stare up, glossy eyes widen in the dim moonlight with a tiny trail of its blood on your face. Hopefully the demon slayer from last evening will return soon enough to at least safe Kamado-san and his family. If not you, at least they need to survive.

There you kneel, face gone emotionless, orbs directed towards the frightening creature that lunges towards you. One hit. One hit of its claws will be enough to behead you. One second and your life will be nothing more than a fade away whisper in the darkness, ended way too soon just like so many others. You never thought it would be you, that of all the people you’d get killed by a demon slayer. After all, you were always so skilled in avoiding trouble, never allowing yourself to get into danger.

But oh, now you are. And it will cost you your young life.

Yoriichi can’t catch his breath, feet carrying him so rapidly to the scene laying itself out in front of him that the trees around him merge. He told you to stay inside, to keep windows and doors shut. Why are you outside? Where are the man and his wife? Please, let it not be too late, let him be able so safe those people.

Finally. With a determined slash of his blade, the demon in from of him gets beheaded, its ashes raining down onto the ground. You look…uninjured. Frightened, in pure shock, but uninjured. And unbelievably lovely with the dim moonlight highlighting the delicate features of your face.

“Are you alright?” he questions softly, slowly approaching you and stretching out his hand.

Carefully he lifts your trembling limbs off the ground, your hand holding onto his for what seems like dear life while your sharp and heavy breaths hang in the cool air.

“Yes”, you finally breathe out.

“Are the other two alright? Did someone get hurt?”

“There are inside. It was only this one. I lured him away”, you huff.

 Yoriichi swore himself to never get close to another human being again, to fulfil his duty in silence. But you…Did you really risk your life for a family you didn’t even know until yesterday? Did you run into the woods so selflessly to distract the demon? What a brave woman you are, truly remarkable.

“I was hoping for you to return”, you add.

His warm hand feels almost therapeutic against yours, calming down your tingling nerves and beating heart. You survived. Is this really possible? While kneeling down and staring right into the face of that frightful demon, you already accepted your fate. But that he’ll show up like a knight in shining armour, saving you just before getting beheaded…It seems like a miracle to you.

“I came here as fast as I could. This area was full of these creatures”, he explains briefly, fuchsia eyes resting on you.

“(y/n)!”

A thick stone falls from your heart. It’s him.

“Kamado-san, is your wife alright? Are you alright?” you blabber, the man sprinting towards you as if his life depends on it.

“You saved us. Even though you don’t even know me and my wife, you risked your own life to save ours. And you…You really came. I’m beyond thankful.”

He falls to his knees, leaving you completely speechless.

“She really was outstanding brave. Normally the sight of a demon alone is enough for most humans to lose their minds. You are exceptional, (y/n).”

It sounds so strange, hearing your name out of this charismatic stranger’s mouth. But the way his eyes lock with yours sends shivers down your spine, makes your heart pound against your ribcage all over again.

“What is your name?”

“Yoriichi Tsugikuni.”

Yoriichi. What an exceptional name that matches his majestic appearance perfectly. It seems so easy to get lost in his eyes, to study every inch of his face. And his smell…

“I don’t mean to interrupt your conversation, but I think my wife will deliver her child soon.”

Your eyes dart towards Kamado-san immediately.

“Why are you saying so?”

“Since she woke up from your screams, she seems to have contractions.”

You don’t think twice. As fast as your feet are able to carry you, you sprint back into the house, back to the reason why you originally came here.

-the next morning-

“Sleep well. You deserve it”, you whisper into the woman’s ear gently, wrapping her up inside a blanket before leaving the room discretely.

The birth went smooth and faster than you expected for a first born. Not long after you arrived by her side, she delivered the baby with tears of joy running down her face, her husband telling her over and over how much he loves her. It was bittersweet, seeing in front of your very own eyes what you’ll never have. Just after encountering him, just after those strange feeling that he triggered in you.

“I’m glad to see you are alright.”

You stop in your tracks, staring at the back of him in disbelief. There he sits, facing the sun while his broad shoulders catch your attention all over again.

“I’ll make some tea”, Kamado-san discretely announces before hushing into the house.

“I am in no way responsible for the miracle that happened tonight. That was you and Kamado-san’s wife”, you explain briefly, sitting down next to him.

The sun caresses your skin gently. You never thought its hot beams would calm your nerves before the incident of this night. You smile at the little bundle of joy Yoriichi is holding in his arms. Oh, how well it suits him. Someone like him must be a good father.

“I’ll be leaving after I had a cup of tea. It wouldn’t be right to keep eating for free here”, he announces all of the sudden.

“Don’t say that.”

Out of instinct, you place on hand on his firm shoulder and wrap the other around his strong biceps.

“You saved our lives tonight. It if hadn’t be for you, not only would we be dead, but this child you’re holding in your arms wouldn’t be born, either.”

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Your eyes freeze, unable to tear away from his beautiful sight. Why does he make you feel this way? What is it that makes this stranger so special? Is it his sword skill, his ability to fight? No. In fact, you couldn’t care less about that. It’s the way he carries himself, the elegance within every step he takes. It’s the fact that he sacrifices himself for others.

Just like you do.

“Like what?” you hush.

“As if I am some kind of special person. I don’t deserve the affection you hold in your gaze.”

“You deserve every spark of affection for your being”, you argue.

“You’re wrong about that. I failed to protect anything that was important to me. And throughout my life, I was unable to do what I was supposed to do. I am worthless.”

“How could you even say something like that? How could you talk about yourself so negatively after saving four lives this night?”

“Because of the countless lives I failed to protect.”

“So what? Does it make be a bad midwife that I wasn’t able to save every single child? The losses are tragic and never forgotten, but as long as we are doing our very best, there is nothing to regret. Tonight, you were able to save a young family. You should be proud of yourself instead of talking you down.”

He stands up, handing you the new-born carefully before grabbing his sword.

“Are you about to leave?” Kamado-san questions from afar, storming outside with tea in his hands.

You thoughtlessly hand him is son, eyes directed towards the charismatic man in front of you.

“I have to leave now. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Wait!” you shout all of the sudden.

You don’t know what has gotten into you, but there you are, running after him and grabbing his hand just like you did this fateful night.

“Will I ever see you again?”

For a moment, time seems to stand still. He can’t believe his ears, usual tame heart almost beating out of his chest. When was the last time a woman ran after him, the last time a female even looked his way? He can’t remember. But especially you…Why would a woman like you be interested in a broken man like him? What do you see in him?

“Why would you want that?”

“I can’t tell. I just know I have to see you again”, you reply automatically.

The air between both of you seems thick enough to get cut by his knife, your eyes almost piercing through the back of his head. Please, just say something. Just move, turn around, smile. Just do anything besides standing still. Never in your life did you even think about the possibility to get to know a man better. Why him? Why a man you didn’t even know before last evening? Why someone who seems so unapproachable?

“You will see me again.”

And with that, he’s gone in the wind, leaving you with your feelings all over the place.

-a few months later-

“I almost thought you wouldn’t come”, you comment, resting your head against the cool grass.

The weather changed. As soon as the evening arrives, it’s getting way too cold outside to stay for long. But when he’s here, none of that seems to matter.

“You know I always do. How was your day?”

He lays down next to you, closing his eyes for a brief moment while you position your head on his shoulder. Oh, how much you loved these innocent little meetings. After you returned to your little village, Yoriichi found you wherever you went. Always keeping an eye open for you, staying longer from meeting to meeting. Until you randomly laid down in the grass the whole evening, talking about your life and eventually, got even closer. Innocent touching, him drawing circles on your back while you rest your head against his chest, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat.

“The baby I delivered today, they were actually twins. Two healthy girls, the father almost fell unconscious when he found out.”

Your cute little giggle lights up the air around him and fills his heart with joy he hasn’t felt in a long time. Being happy seems so easy since he got to know you.

No. It’s far more than simply knowing you. The feelings he holds for you go far deeper than that.

“I love you, (y/n).”

Your heart skips a beat, gaze darting towards him the second those magical words leave his lips. Did you dream that? Are you really resting in the meadow with Yoriichi telling you none other but that he loves you?

How much you longed for this sweet moment, how often you thought about saying those words too. Without hesitation, you press your lips against his.

While the world around you seems to fall apart, at least this is fine. Yes, laying here in Yoriichi’s arms while tenderly kissing him like you’ve always imagined makes everything around you whole again.

“I love you too”, you whisper against his lips.

Who would have thought going to work and almost getting killed by a demon would turn out this nice?

[slowlypalefire]

Harrison vs Victor Event story

Part 1

*The translation are not guaranteed to be entirely accurate, so expected some errors.

The season is February. Valentine's day is getting close.

At the end of my mission, I secretly visited a popular chocolate shop.

(When it comes to Valentine's Day, of course,maybe chocolate?)

(It might be a good idea to give it to the Crown members as a token of your daily gratitude. Also-)

Harrison: "You're so happy even when you're alone. eh"

I heard a voice that made me stifle a laugh. When I looked behind me, Harrison was there.

Kate: "Harry, why are you here,Huh!? We should have separate a while ago..."

Harrison: "Did you think you'd manage to separate from me after the mission?"

Flash back

Harrison: "This is the end of this mission. Kate, from now on-"

Kate: "Ah, that's though! I have something important to do.I just remembered something, so please excuse me. Well then."

Harrison: "Oh, hey…Kate?"

End of flash back

Harrison: "It would bother me if you left in such an awkward manner."

"I thought you might get into trouble again, so I followed you and..."

Pausing, Harrison looked inside the store.

The interior was decorated with enthusiasm for Valentine's Day, and my purpose was completely obvious.

Harrison: "..Sorry about the that."

Kate: "It's okay. It was my fault for being too lax."

I'm trying to prepare for Valentine's Day It was easily discovered that I had done this, and I was relieved of my own naivety./

It was easily discovered that she had been trying to prepare for Valentine's Day, and she was relieved at her own carelessness.

Harry shook his shoulders funny, and said, while he looked into my face.

Harrison: “So, are you going to give it to me? Kate's 'chocolate' "

Kate: "That's-"

Victor: "I also want to receive chocolate from Miss Kate"

Kate: "Victor!"

Harrison: "...Wow"/ "...Uwa"

Victor: "Gokigen yo, Kate, Harrison. I can't believe I ran into you all on my way here!"

"I am lucky enough to be loved today too."

"I’m a lucky boy!"

Harrison: "Guys like you really show up everywhere"

Victor: "It was a coincidence that we met like this.Coincidence! Let’s not be shy and get along."

Harrison: "Stop it, don’t cross your arms,Na. Don't come near me."/

"Stop, don't cross your arms. Don't do it. Don't get close to me."

Victor: "Again, again ~ I'm happy"

(This is how these two argue when they meet face to face.)

Perhaps the problem is that he cares too much, but Harry, who is usually an adult, only dislikes Victor, didn't even try to hide it.

(Is it like a parent and child? No, isn't it too old?)

(Anyway, I smile just looking at it.That's true, isn't it?)

Victor: "Valentine's day is important to both men and women.The fact that you can convey gratitude and love to others.It’s a fantastic event.

"I love Valentine's Day. Let's enjoy it!"/

"I love Valentine's Day. Let's have a lot of fun!"

Harrison:"...When you're like this, your voice is too loud"

Kate: "Fufu... But that's exactly what Victor says.Because it is a great event and i have to enjoy it "./

“Hehe... But Victor is right. It’s a special occasion. I have to enjoy it "

Victor: "I see! I think I'll buy one too.Well then.."

Clerk: "Um,I'm sorry. The product is currently out of stock."

Kate: "It's very popular.Don't you have anymore ingredients?"

Clerk: "The ingredients is out of stock as well.Right now, we are only accepting reservations for products."

Kate: "Eh?"

(It seems strange that there are no products at all even though it's before Valentine's Day and it's a good time for stores to fill out items.)

Harrison: "I knew it"

Kate: "After all, what does that mean?"

Harrison:"Take a close look inside the store.The package is just a decoration and the product is empty."

Kate: "Ah"

Harrison: "And this store smells like chocolate even though no one does not do anything."

"It seems like it's not just today that the chocolates disappeared.Is there a reason?"

Clerk: "That is,the supplier suddenly told me that they could not deliver the chocolate."

"The store manager is hurriedly investigating, but the cause remains unknown."

Kate: "I've never heard of cacao or chocolate being in short supply..."

Clerk: "Yes. It seems like something like this only happened at this store and its affiliated stores."

(Does this mean someone is buying up all the chocolate before it's distributed?)

Harrison: "Hey, Victor. I think it's about time you revealed the truth."

"You're not just passing by,

you came to this store for some reason...

Isn’t that so?"

Victor: "You're still good at seeing through me."/

"you're still good at spotting lies."

Unhaunted by Harrison's piercing gaze, Victor broke the ice.

Harrison frowned at Victor's smile, which was full of compassion, as if he were happy to see his child grow up.

Victor: "Even if you don't have chocolate, you do have tea, right? Can I order three of those?"

We were the only customers on the outside terrace.There was no one there.

It's cold season, but the tea Victor ordered warms my body from the inside out.

Victor: To put it simply, a certain trading company, it seems like the company president is interfering with the distribution of chocolate"

"It seems like they're buying up all the items from this store and its affiliated stores before they even hit the shelves."

Kate:"....No way, Jude"

Harrison: "You've become stained now."

Victor:"Haha, Jude is the president of a trading company, so it's no wonder."

"Of course Jude is not the culprit.This time, he is a good collaborator. "

"Jude told me his information. Of course, the high information fee has been paid."

Kate: "As usual, still demanding rewards i see"

Victor: "His name is Daniel Brown.

He is the president of the Lown Company.”

"Brown is a long -established trading company for three generations."

"Not only does he have trust in the company, but it seems like the people around him have a lot of trust in him as well."

"The best proof of this is that he have never fought with Jude in the past."

Harrison:"That means approaching him and finding out his motives and see if there is nothing else?"

Victor: “That’s right.Currently, there is little chance of an incident,

Normally, this is not an incident that would move the Crown."

"However, there is a possibility that a major incident may be lurking."

"Now that I know, there's no reason to leave it alone."

"And if things continue like this,I'll be in trouble."

His usual smile disappeared and he looked serious. Victor tells me.

Kate: "Is there something wrong, Victor?"

Victor: “If we can’t get the materials back... Kate's chocolate, i wouldn't be able to get it"

"This is a grave situation."

Harrison: "Kate has nothing to give you. You didn’t say anything."

Victor:"Oh, that's right."

"But- I didn't say I wouldn't give anything away."

(.......eh?)

Even though Victor was smiling, he was giving Harry a somewhat combative look.

Victor: “What do you think, Harry? How about compete with me to something like that?

Harrison: "Game?"

Victor: "It would be better if we could solve this case first. Then Kate can give you chocolates."

Harrison: "What if I say I don't want to compete?'' Then?"

Victor: "Those who don't fight are considered losers.Of course, you lose here."

Harrison: "....."

"Okay. I'll ride this battle."

Kate: "What, what?!”

Harrison: "What, that was a surprise?"

Kate: "Yes, Harry always avoids troublesome fights as much as possible in my image"

Harrison: "Well,if it's about you,That's a different story."

"Besides, when I'm provoked like this, I can't afford to keep quiet."

Victor: "I like it. That belligerent look. It gives me chills."

Victor returned to his usual smile and clapped his hands cheerfully.

Victor: "Okay, if that's decided, it's an undercover investigation. "

"I heard that a social club is being held at his mansion tonight.Of course, I have already obtained the invitation card."

Where did Victor lead us? I wonder if he was planning on getting into it.

I decided to leave it aside.

The Queen's Aide is extremely mysterious.

Victor: "However, there are certain conditions to participate ."

Kate & Harry: "Certain conditions?"

[umlewis]

lewis hamilton, p3, during the post-race press conference, spain - june 23, 2024 (transcript under the cut)

Interviewer: "Lewis, coming to you now. Many congratulations. Great to see you back on the podium for the first time this year. How much of a boost is this result for you and for the team?" Lewis: "Yeah, it's a big boost to finally get a good result. It's been a minute since I've been up here in the race, so a huge, huge thank you to the team, who have done an amazing job just with all the processes through the race weekend, but particularly everyone back at the factory for working so hard; the extra long hours to bring components to the car. And we're slowly, slowly getting closer. I mean, last year we were very fast here, so you have to take it with a pinch of salt, but obviously the last couple of races we've also been relatively competitive. So I think we have closed the gap a little bit, but we still have a good couple of tenths to try and find, so we just got to have all hands on deck and keep pushing." Interviewer: "Are you still fine-tuning this new package, or do you need more upgrades to close the gap to these two guys?" Lewis: "No. I think that's the maximum it's got, at the moment, and so… But, I mean, we're always fine-tuning it with subtle changes that we make, so we are always fine-tuning it when we continue to tune it through the year. But we need to bolt some stuff on, some extra bits to be able to compete with these guys." Interviewer: "Now, you had to overtake Carlos Sainz twice today. He was unhappy about the first of those moves, saying that you should have given the place back. Can we just get your take on what happened at turn one, there?" Lewis: "I mean, look, it's not a good feeling when you do get overtaken, and I think we had a nice, tight battle into turn one. I left him some room, so I think he was still on the track. But ultimately he left the door open on the inside, didn't fully close it, and so I went for the inside and tried to make the corner. I think he came around. I think we touched wheels equally and nothing major. It was like a small scrub. Gave him some room on the exit, and yeah…" [laughs] Interviewer: "Alright. Let's throw it forward now. Do you feel Mercedes are building some momentum now?" Lewis: "We definitely are. We definitely are. We're definitely getting more consistent, and if I can just get my qualifying to be like this weekend then it makes the Sunday so much easier. Also if you get a good start, but my Saturdays have been so bad for the last, like, fifteen races, so it's good to have a clean weekend, and hopefully this puts us in a good position to challenge in the next few races." Interviewer: "Thank you, Lewis. Thanks to all three of you. Let's open this to the floor. Name and publication, please."

[time jump] NOT SHOWN: Journalist: "Kevin Scheuren, Motorsport-Total.com. A question is to Lewis and Lando: Of course, I don't want to discredit you becoming driver of the day today, but Max is bringing in victory after victory, and there were slight boos at the podium, as well. So would you say that there is a lack of appreciation for the accomplishments that Max has in the general public from time to time?" Lewis: "Well, I mean, honestly, I'm not really a lot on social media or reading the news, so in terms of being, like… [phone pings, journalists laugh, Lewis laughs] Yeah. I don't really… I'm not tapped into that to know, exactly, but on the race weekends, he always has a huge crowd, always, so he's always got amazing support and, at the end of the day, he does a fantastic job. Every weekend he delivers, and he's got a great team and obviously a great car, but you can't fault him."

[time jump] Journalist: "Phil Duncan, PA. Lewis, you've obviously said that Mercedes are building a bit of momentum. Do you think that that victory is on the horizon, and how important is it to you to sign off your Mercedes career with a win before the year's out?" Lewis: "I mean, it's not the… It'd be /nice/, but I think, considering where we've come from, I think… Yeah, I think just having consistency and seeing if we can put the team further up in the points, I think it's got to be the target, but I think right now let's just try and have more consistent weekends like this and then we'll see. But we aren't yet currently in a position to be able to fight them for wins. You would say that maybe Montreal… I mean, George probably should have won that one, but if I'd qualified where I feel I should have, there was potential also there, too. So we'll see in the next few races. I think we've got these high-speed circuits. You know, the McLaren's always been quick and the Red Bull has been quick in A1 Ring. Silverstone… They'll also be very fast there, but I'm hoping that we are able to eek a little bit closer to them and give them a bit more trouble in the next four or five races. And then we’ve just got to keep bringing upgrades. We've got to keep improving the car. There's a clear improvement and there's just clear areas where we need to bolt on performance so that we can be in the fight with them."

Interviewer: "Thank you. Yep! Another one." Journalist: "Don Kennedy, HB Today, New Zealand Herald. Question for Lewis: Great drive today. Obviously you'll be pleased Mercedes is moving closer to the front, but how does that sit with you in terms of your decision to move to Ferrari next year, and does that give you some second thoughts, given that Ferrari now seems to be falling behind the car you're currently driving?" Lewis: "No, not at all. I mean, firstly, I love Mercedes. I've been with Mercedes since I was thirteen and I'll always be a fan and supporter of Mercedes, and my job this year, right now, is to work as hard as I can with the crew that I have, with the people back at the factory, to try and move and develop the car in the right direction. And so ultimately, whatever course and trajectory the team is on… For next year, for example, there are things that I've hopefully been a part of and be proud of being a part of. My job will start next year at the other team, who I think are doing a great job. I think they've had a couple of difficult races, but let's not forget they had a race win in Monaco. I can't tell you what is wrong with their car and why they are in the position they're in today, but they did bring an upgrade here and I think they are definitely progressing, so yeah… But it doesn't make me second-guess my decision at all."

Interviewer: "Thank you. Yes, more, more questions." Journalist: "Pilar from Paddock Magazine. Question for Lewis: You have mentioned that you are struggling a little bit on qualifying. Where do you think is the key to start improving the results? Is because of the set-up, or more about the pace of the car?" Lewis: "I mean, our pace is where we were, basically-third and fourth to this weekend-but I think our car has generally been very… It's quite peaky, and that means that it's often out of balance. It's very rarely that it's in balance and it's nice and smooth through a corner, and so set-up has been… I've obviously experimented a lot with the set-up over the last couple of years, but the car doesn't really like any of the set-ups but one, and it's slowly starting to just become nicer to drive. And then, ultimately, tires. Tires have been a huge issue for me, so I think we got it half-decent this weekend. If I can make some improvements over the course of the next races, I think there's more performance there."

[brightlight-dazzlingeyes]

between the lines | chapter 01

rúben dias x original female character [+18]

synopsis: isabella is a sports journalist covering the premier league. she has sworn to never get involved with a football player. that is, until she meets a handsome portuguese defender. warnings: incorrect journalism references; timeline of events are not faithful to real life; i have never been to england; mutual pining; romantic comedy;  minors dni.

previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter

Chapter 01 — Are you Tottenham in disguise?

It was a chilly day in greater Manchester, and in the morning I decided to pay a visit to my little niece Lucía. She had recently achieved the incredible ability to pronounce my name. Well, not my name exactly, but she does say ‘tía’ with the confidence of a young lady that knows I would die for her.

“She’s so cute!” I say cheerfully. Sienna, my sister-in-law, dressed up the baby in several layers of pastel colored clothing as we prepared to take a walk with her. Baby Lucía looked like a little package of cotton candy. The cutest.

“I know, and you’re welcome!” Sienna winks at me as she puts Lucía in her stroller. She enjoyed being walked around the neighborhood for a couple blocks before going to her daycare. Lucía had a strict and healthy schedule, it actually makes me jealous. The baby has a morning routine! She uses moisturizer! “So, you’re working today?”

“I am! City and Arsenal, later today. Want to bet on the score?” We used to do this every week, the loser would buy ice cream.

“2-1 for Arsenal.” Sienna says.

“I’m going with 3-1 City.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Sienna looks at me excitedly. “Oh my god, I completely forgot!” She starts giggling. “You’re not going to believe it!” The thing about my dear in-law is that she never goes straight to the point.

“Sienna, come on! Just tell me. What is it?”

“Lucías’s pediatrician is single!” She raises her eyebrow, suggestively.

“Yes, and…?”

“He’s a great guy, I swear! Carlos and I agreed you two would be perfect together. Your brother didn’t tell you?”

No, my brother didn’t tell me. He probably didn’t think it was important, as Carlos never thinks anything is important ever. I’m just glad to hear he’s thinking about my happiness when I’m not around. After delivering Lucía to her important daycare business, we walked together to the Metro. I would be meeting with Melissa Reed, who worked at DAZN, near the Etihad, for lunch. Sienna was being kind enough to walk with me, but I quickly learned her intentions. She’s been trying to set me up with her friends and cousins since the first time we met. Now we upgraded to pediatricians. That 's interesting.

“I don’t know… If things go south it will be awkward between you guys. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“The guy is a professional, alright? It won't be awkward, don’t worry!”

“How old is he?”

“Less than 50?” She crunches her nose and I laugh.

“Less than 50 is nice. I guess… Set me up?”

What do I have to lose, honestly? I’ve been single for the past 3 years and have been spending my nights daydreaming about football players. Dinner with a doctor under 50 would be nice for a change. Sienna hugs me while promising me I won't regret my decision, which is always a sign someone is making a bad decision, by the way. Melissa agrees with my sister-in-law, when I tell her about the possible upcoming date.

“You need to get out there, girl. If I had your face and your titties, I would have a long line of men at my feet!”

“Well, you do!” I point at her. Mel is gorgeous and an avid heartbreaker, she’s almost a decade older than me, so sometimes she can behave more like a mentor, or an older sister. We met quite recently, through work, always bumping into each other at press conferences, and she quickly became a close friend. 

“You need to be more confident. Words of reinforcement really help, you know?” Mel says, “Just say ‘I’m interesting, I’m smart’.” She fixes her posture, looking at me assertively.

“I’m interesting, I’m smart.” I repeat with a whisper, trying to copy her pose.

“Yes. Go ahead, ‘I can do anything I set my mind to’.”

“I can do anything.” There's a silence as we nod at each other. “I could fix Chelsea.”

“You could fix Chelsea! You really could.” She pats me in the head. “And you're going to rock this date with a hopefully handsome doctor!”

And then, there was the match. So, listen, the thing about working with what you love is: sometimes that’s your only option. When I was a teenager I went through what we called a phase. I stopped talking, I didn’t want to go to school anymore. I lost interest in all my previous hobbies. My dad, who thank god was still alive at the time, took me to a shrink. The guy asked a bunch of questions and all I remember was that in one of my answers I told him ‘the only thing that gets me out of bed is football’. All these years later and that’s still true. 

I worked on the weekend after my dad died even though I hadn’t eaten anything for days. Football is my religion. So I have nowhere else to go. I went to college and graduated in Journalism and immediately started working with the sport. And it’s at night like these that I’m reminded of why I made this career decision. 

It was clear it was a special night hours before the match, there were a lot more reporters and former players in the stadium than the usual. A proper special occasion, with the Prem trophy being displayed in the middle of the field before the game. The City fans cheered like it was Champions League night. Incredible atmosphere. Later, after the Blue’s 3rd goal, one of the chants accused Arsenal of being Tottenham in disguise, referencing the London rivals recent 6-1 loss. I went into the Etihad press room buzzing with excitement. Of course, I interviewed Rúben. I’m in charge of trying to talk to him ever since a lovely interaction with my boss.

“You speak Portuguese, right?” He asked.

“Well, no, but I’m spanish.”

“That will do.”

So now I have to interview every player born in the Iberian Peninsula or in Latin America, regardless of the language I speak. I’m just thankful nobody told him Italian and French are also romance languages. Rúben was shining and smiling brightly, the man looked ridiculously beautiful when he was happy. As he should, it was a magnificent victory and he earned that smile.

“Olá, Isa!” He says.

Oh, shit. He remembers my name. Of course he does, I mean, we talk practically twice a week. Shit. Quick, say something cool. Something sensual, but professional. Make him want you, but don't let him know you want him as well.

“Hi.” I end up saying. The rest went as usual, ‘are you feeling confident about the title’, ‘what are your thoughts on the team performance’, etc. He was charming and polite, and 100% not flirting with me, no matter what my stupid brain tried to convince me. Just because a man has beautiful brown eyes doesn't mean he’s trying to sleep with me. Unless…

“See you Sunday?” Rúben asks as we say goodbye and I just nod, dumbly. I don’t remember him making such questions before. Or maybe I’m just holding on to silly signs because I have a big stupid crush on him.

Sienna: thanks to haaland i’m not paying you ice cream :) also, date set with sexy doctor  monday, lunch, your favorite restaurant and you’re welcome :p

She sends me a picture of said sexy doctor, and I’m obliged to agree with her. He definitely looks younger than 50 and on a 0 to 10 ranking, very close to an 8. Next day I’m in London, meeting up with Sebastian before heading to the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium.

“Por favor, Isa, let me say ‘bottled’, it’s all I have left today.” The Spaniard says grinning at me.

“You had a rough week, take all the victories you can get, my friend.” I pat him in the back as he laughs. Seb then puts his arms around me as we set up our equipment, still grinning.

“Hey, can I ask you a favor?” 

“Sure…?” I speak, unsurely.

“If my team loses today, just shoot me.”

Working with football is amazing, but being a football supporter is really something else. It’s common for correspondents to get attached to a team of the league they’re covering. For me it never really happened, since I keep moving from league to league every couple of years. Thank God, being a Valencia supporter since a little kid,– thanks, mom and dad – I suffer enough.

I decided to spend the night in London, and only go back home tomorrow morning, so after work I go to the least expensive hotel room I could find. Seb and Melissa accompany me for a few drinks at the hotel bar and then once again I go to bed daydreaming about the one who should not be named. I cowardly open his Insta profile while hiding underneath the covers, like that’s going to protect me somehow. 

Except, there’s something different this time. Holy shit. He 's following me. That’s normal, right? Yeah, we’re basically coworkers! No need to freak out. Come on, Isa, get a grip. He’s not the first player to hit the follow button and he won’t be last. In fact, I have a long list of answered and unsolicited DM’s from the most random players, but we don’t have to go there. After weeks of creepy stalking the poor fella, I follow him back immediately. Maybe that will help. We’re officially practically coworkers now, in a way, right? Just a couple of colleagues who follow each other on social media. No more blushing, no more drooling over shirtless and carefully curated thirst traps.

I open the picture Sienna sent me of the pediatrician. Okay. Monday, lunch… My favorite restaurant, even! Sounds like a good plan.

[experimentfae]

Eddie Dear x GN! Reader

Oneshot

*¸ „„.•~¹°”ˆ˜¨♡♡♡¨˜ˆ”°¹~•.„¸*

Today was raining well really it was practically pouring cats and dogs, you sometimes watch it rain and to feel one with nature and today was one of those days. You sat down and watched the rain hit the earth.

But while doing so you also saw the local mailman but he didn’t have an umbrella, he must of forgot it again he was always forgetful. “Eddie do you need an umbrella I have one to give!” You shouted out hoping he heard you.

“What?!” Of course he didn’t “no worry I’m heading over there to give your mail!” Guess you just tell him when he’s close enough.

He ran towards you waving his arm frantically and his other arm holding what must be your package, “here ya go (y/n).” You blush a little you always did love his southern accent. He got onto you’re porch happy to be away from the rain, He handed you’re mail “thank Eddie but you should be more worried about you, you need an umbrella let me get you one.” He had a look of surprise.

“No it’s ok (y/n) I don’t need one.” “Oh hush now, you need one.” You grabbed the umbrella that was on your porch “it’s sweet (y/n) but I can’t really hold it I need to hold this huge package that doesn’t fit in the bag.” He showed you the big rectangle box, You had an idea.

“Let me come with you.” You suggested “well we have to walk for a while you’re my first delivery, but if you want I would love some company.” You smiled and went to get your rainy day outfit. You came back and made sure to put the umbrella under him “thanks (y/n).” “No problem, now let’s get a move on.” You two walked to the next location to howdy’s.

Eddie knocked on the door and opened the caterpillar himself “hello Eddie and (y/n)?” “Yeah I came with Eddie to help him through the rain, he forgot his umbrella.” You explained “that makes sense.” Eddie seemed offended by that “what that’s supposed to mean?” “Oh come now Eddie we know that your mind is always so busy in the clouds.” Replied howdy.

“I guess you’re right though, here’s your mail.” Eddie then handed howdy his mail “thank’s Eddie I’ll see you around and (y/n) good luck.” He winked which made you beet red in embarrassment “howdy.” You growled warning him not to say anything.

All he did was chuckle and then closed his door and Eddie looked confused but didn’t seem to question it, Eddie and you went back to walking. “So Eddie how’s being a mailman like?” You asked always wondering how it felt doing work like his.

“Oh it’s great, ya know my mother was a mailman i wanted to be just like her, so I got into the mailman job.”He answers seeming happy to remember his mother. “Aw that’s sweet.” You smiled him blushing by your comment but also by your smile.

Stop after stop of house you and Eddie talked a lot about you’re hobbies, you learned that he really enjoys arts and crafts, and he was fasinated by (you’re fav hobby). “Wow i wanna try that.” He admitted you smiled “oh you should it’s very fun.”

You guys made it to the last stop of his delivery, home “hi home.”You spoke “hello home.” Eddie said right after as you waved you’re hand, home seem to say hello back in creaks at least you assume. “Got a package for Wally, I bet it’s canvases.” Added Eddie as he showed the rectangle box to home.

The door opened to see Wally and his eyes widen seeming his package “hi Eddie thank you for delivering my package.” Wally spoke in his usual monotone voice, he then noticed you.

“Oh hello (y/n) are you thinking of becoming a mailman?” “Oh no just helping Eddie through the rain.” You answered “oh well glad neighbors that you’re here I was running out of canvases and needed some more, how are you Eddie?”

“I’m good doing my usual, what you’re painting?” “I’m probably gonna paint a train or the sky.” Wally replied still forgiving out his new star master piece. “But I should go back inside bye Eddie and (y/n).” Wally went into home which now left you Eddie and you.

“Guess you were right about Wally’s package.” You laughed out you heard creaking laughter by home, home was just as amused. Eddie joined in ok the laughter “told ya.” The laughter eventually died down.

Goodbye home.” You both said and home creaked goodbye. So you guys walk away until you decided to speak up “So finish with work right?” You were hoping it was down to be honest, you loved hanging out with Eddie but being in a rain for so long isn’t as appealing.

“Yeah guess I’ll go back to the post office.” He begin leaving until you grabbed his arm this made jump a little in surprise. “No way! I wanna hang out at least for a hour or two I wanna catch up.” You admitted blushing secretly hoping to spend time with him a little more, it was no surprise that you had crush to him everyone knew except Eddie.

“Of…of course I’ll love to come to my your house.” You both begin the walk towards your home “(y/n) you know I always wanted to say that you look really cute when you’re very happy.” He admitted, You immediately got flustered “really?” You asked hopeful that it was the truth “yeah and thank you again for helping me during the rain.”

You smiled “you’re welcome and besides I would do anything for you ed.” Making him blush due to the nickname you gave him, “well guess I’ll have to figure out a nickname for you.” “better think of something good ed.” Both you walked home glad to be to spend time together.

<- Back to MasterList or back to welcome home

[burnwater13]

Greef Karga holding Grogu. The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 4, the Siege.

I published this story on AO3 March 31, 2023. I brought it back today because of Carl Weather's passing. Gone, but never forgotten.

Grogu had lots of opinions about Greef Karga. At first he just thought he was a person that the Mandalorian would at least talk to. That was a plus. He had celebrated the Mandalorian’s skill as a bounty hunter (that’s what Din eventually told him), but the first time Grogu met him, the big man was disappointed, then angry, then vindictive…

It wasn’t Grogu’s fault that the Mandalorian had made a promise to deliver a package to the Client and then changed his mind about it after he completed the task. Shouldn’t people be able to change their minds? It was pretty clear to Grogu that Greef was pretty good at changing his mind. 

First he thought Grogu was just some sort of critter, rather than a person. Then he thought Grogu was just a hungry critter… well he was hungry a lot, but he didn’t eat sentient beings. Even if they smelled delicious. The Force was very strict about that sort of thing. Pretty hard to use it if you ate all the things that it connected to, right? 

Then Grogu healed Greef Karga the Betrayer because to Grogu people who were hurt were more like Greef Karga the Short-Sighted. If Greef had realized that Grogu had the ability to use the Force he might have thought twice about going after the Mandalorian just because Din changed his mind about letting Dr. Pershing have him to experiment on. 

After all, what was it really to the bounty hunters that Din concluded the job and then as a whole separate transaction decided that children shouldn’t be handed over to people who weren’t going to care for them? Din had to follow his creed as a Mandalorian. Grogu had thought that a man as savvy as Greef Karga would have understood that. Add Greef Karga the Forgetter of Things to the list of who he’d been.

But now, well, he had changed again, again. He’d become a magistrate on Nevarro. That sounded like a pretty important job. He ‘magistrated’, whatever that was. Din Djarin said that meant Greef was a leader on Nevarro and was responsible for the safety to the people who lived there. Wow. That was an important job. Greef Karga, the Protector of People, was a better title than magistrate. At least it told you what he did. 

What Grogu really liked was that Greef understood the relationship Grogu had with the Mandalorian. Bounty hunters must not be considered very reliable because the first thing he asked was if Din had been taking good care of him. 

Well… Grogu would have to agree that the Mandalorian was generally doing a pretty good job. After all, he was still in one piece. No one had kidnapped him. He’d grown a little. And he wasn’t as hungry as he had been before he knew the Mandalorian. Those were all pluses. 

Then Greef Karga asked him the question that really proved that he was Greef Karga of the Keen Insight. Was Grogu taking 'good care’ of Din Djarin? Wow. What a great question.

Mostly the answer was ‘of course, how could he possibly not take care of the bounty hunter?’ But it was really a more subtle question. What was good care?

Grogu tried to make sure he healed any physical injury the Mandalorian had as quickly as he could. Those little nicks from shaving his whiskers periodically were tricky because of the whole helmet thing, but Grogu had worked out a method (shush, its a secret). But that wasn’t all ‘good care’ was about, right?

So Grogu tried to make sure that the Mandalorian ate regular meals, stayed hydrated, and got a good amount of sleep. But those were just the barest necessities for a person. What about his emotional health? How did Grogu care for him in that way?

Grogu smiled as he thought of the series of enrichment activities he had devised for the bounty hunter. First was sharing the toy, the silver ball. They both needed play as part of their lives and that ball had been critical to that. Then, Grogu had added some other enrichment activities like, run with the critters (uff, spiders are too fast), pet critters (rancors were better for this than Krayt dragons), and play hide and seek (usually with Din’s helmet - oops that’s the secret). 

Grogu was pretty satisfied with how his program of care and feeding for the Mandalorian bounty hunter was going. Greef seemed to agree, because now he was Greef Karga, Proud Uncle. That’s a pretty nice title too.

[naradivision]

“Happy Birthday!

I don’t know if this present will get to you in time, but I think it’s only fair I return the favor after the presents I got from you for my birthday a while back! I was told you wanted to speak with me but I haven’t gotten to meet with you since then! Do stop by my office, we can meet up and have a talk if you’re still up for it! Hope you had a great birthday!

Regards,

Anika Kiyozaki from Akihabara Division”

With a smile, Yuuya Kanata closed the letter that had been taped to the outside of the package that had just been delivered on his front doorstep.

Last he remembered, he had been curious about the uncanny similarity of his and Kiyozaki-san’s eyes. The package that was now sitting in his living room brought it back to his attention.

Shaking his head with a smile, he peered into the package that was delivered to him.

Inside was a—

…

What the heck?

Inside were multiple goose statues, the beaks being magnetic and able to hold various items such as keys, knives for the kitchen, and several more.

Let it be known that if there was anything the hypnotherapist of Akihabara loved, it was gag or prank gifts.

“Woah, look at what got here human! Are you going to adopt these lovely goosey goosey ganders?!”

Exclaiming excitedly at Anika’s presents was ANGE the high-definition digital girl who was now floating on Yuuya’s television screen.

And as if the previous awkward moment between them had never happened, she let out an airy giggle, drawing a soft smile from the birthday boy who was now busy bringing stuffs he got from townspeople into his living room.

“Goosey, you say? At first I thought they were ducks. But welp, these two birdies are way too similar. I can’t really differentiate them from one another.”

Joking a bit about the goose vs duck paradox, Yuuya was just returning home from his personal errand to deliver presents to other divisions.

Because much to one’s surprise, there were few acquaintances who were coincidentally sharing the same birthday with him. However, he didn’t expect the townsfolk to give him this many gifts during his way back home. It was always very nice of them; his hometown’s people, their hospitality had never failed to make him feel touched ever since he was a lot younger. And that was one of the reasons why he had tried so hard to keep his hometown unscathed from whoever’s exploitation.

Hot and humid, the first summer draft was slipping through the balcony and bringing along the warm and woody scent from his father’s room to his senses.

And even if today was meant to be the longest day of the year, now looked like the sun had been shifting lower and lower toward the horizon.

Suddenly swarmed by emotions, the birthday boy gazed at the distant evening sky that bore the same shade as his eyes.

…That’s right, his birthday used to be so lonely since he usually spent it alone mourning. But somehow this year was shaping up to be a bit different.

His smile softened as he could hear his chatty companion explored each of his presents with sparkling enthusiasm.

“Tee-hee, couldn’t believe that the meme ANGE stumbled upon on the internet one day would be actually brought to life! This lady you called Kiyozaki-san has got a great taste! Humans sure are being creative~”

—And well, he was glad to see her being back to her energetic self again.

Earlier she seemed to be oddly quiet that he felt somewhat frustrated she might be mad at him. Together with Ojou-chan, she had always been the liveliest voice in his home.

“Oh. And to think about it, Kiyozaki-san did tell me to give her a visit sometimes too. Hmmm, perhaps I should drop by her clinic whenever I get a chance to go around Akihabara���”

From what extent he knew about this Kiyozaki-san beside her being the leader of Pixel Syndicate was that she had been once a high-rise racer but now turning over to become a specific type of professional therapist after suffering grave injuries from a certain accident in her past. What’s more? She was also the current guardian figure to Setsukura-san, one of his underclassmen at his old school! So, that was probably why he could feel the mature-ish comforting vibe to her despite her rather mischievous streak judging from her choice of gifts.

And while there might be some barrier of communication in between them according to her partial loss of hearing, this couldn’t make him less interested in learning more about sign language.

Still, Kiyozaki-san’s motive in joining the D.R.B. remained quite unclear to him.

Though her background sounded like she was a fame seeker in the past, some part of him believed she was also exhausted with all that stuff as she had changed into her new career to help people, hence she might as well have another reason to sign in this suspicious tournament aside from seeking either its prize or glory… Actually, it would be a blatant lie that the majority of participants did join it without some kind of hidden agenda —He himself even had one of his own.

But if you ask him what about her that caught on his curiosity the most, the answer was undoubtedly her eyes: the sunset color, the unique scheme he had never seen anyone with this same shade so far except…

His sister, his nice and kind nee-san whom he had never seen in years

And damn it, before he could grasp a hold of his emotions, his sickening nostalgia began to striked up. He was well aware that Kiyozaki-san was obviously different person from his sister, yet she strongly reminded him of her.

His nice and kind nee-san… Just where are you now?

There were too many things he was always yearning to hear from her but sadly never got a chance to.

…How has she been up to this present? Is her new family being nice to her? Is city life that great compared to here? Is there anything she wants to tell him, her only little brother? Any story she would love to tell like she always does when they were young? Or literally, any, anything. Or at very least, he wanted to ask her if she perhaps got bored of his calls… Also, what about mom? Has she… even smiled more than when she was still with him?

A stream of feelings stirring up inside his chest, the sunset gleam in his eyes wavered like a fickle light dancing on the ripples. But before he got more indulged into his own turmoil, Yuuya sharply inhaled.

…Nah, just kidding, there was no time for him to be sad.

Thinking as such, the boy who had now grown older as a young man wiped the evidence of his emotions off the corner of his eyes and stood up.

…His clubmates had just called him that they were gonna throw a karaoke party for him this dinner. Hi-chan was also attending. That old man was probably not coming, but he was already grateful for him to keep his promise on sponsoring his education up to this present. And on top of everything, he was finally graduated and now was one step closer to his dream. Therefore, he should be happy. He had got to be. There was no way he wasn’t… He wasn’t a lonely little brother who was in need of some pampering anymore.

Suppressing his pathetic self deep down the bottom of his heart, Yuuya let out a long sigh. He still had a project needed to be done anyway, and yeah —This must be the best way to keep himself distracted for a while.

However, unbeknownst to him,

A pair of bright red eyes were kept watching after his back with a bewildered look…

—Thanks for the gifts! And sorry for getting late lmao

[docholligay]

Eurovision: The winner tomorrow

So my other two posts: Maybe y’all will STILL care about random drama tomorrow, and WHY the running order matters, but after tomorrow, NO ONE will care about my thoughts about who might win, who I’d like to see win, and the odds. WARNING: I FEEL LIKE THIS IS OBVIOUS BUT I DISCUSS ALL THOSE THINGS BELOW

My preferred winner out of the top two (Sweden and Finland): Sweden. I have no particular love for Sweden’s song, but I am annoyed that Finland cannot sing his, at all. I have been singing this song during my slow runs, to test my theory that I could be doing a brief canter about a box and actually sing-talk that song, versus being held up by a backing vocalist on a song that is not difficult. I liked that song SO MUCH before my disappointment that he can’t actually do it. Sweden brings a VERY tight package, and while neither of those are my favorite, I prefer Sweden’s ability to hit the note they said they could.

My preferred winner of the top 5: There’s a wide gap between 2 and 3 in the odds, so I grouped these--I’d like to see Spain win. She has a very clear idea of what she wants to see happen onstage, and she executes this song perfectly every time. It won’t because the style is something that does not have mass appeal, but I’d like to see it.

My preferred winner of the top ten: Spain, above. Would have been France, but she’s not been executing in rehearsals.

My winner because I’m allowed to let whatever I want to happen: There are three!

Portugal: This is my favorite song of the year, I would LOVE to see more broadway/cabaret style music there, no one has EVER EVER won from second position, and I love that she’s just a 38 year old real estate agent.

Belgium: Not for love of the song, but love of Gustaph, which I DO think is a little bit of a crime, but there we are.

Croatia: I really adore this true punk shit, but also, in an early interview they said if they won they would be naked and have sex onstage, and I want that. More importantly, I want the BBC to have to deal with that.

Who i THINK will win: Sweden, and I’m not mad. they brought an excellent package, they will be great hosts, and I want to see Ireland’s record go down because it was only due to the language rule.

Odds top ten to win and my thoughts:

Sweden: Loreen is just, good

Finland: he would be a shoo in if it were tele only. I liked him a LOT before the semi where it was revealed he can’t deliver an easy to sing song (yes I am still mad abotu this)

Ukraine This high for political reasons. Not that it’s a shitty song or anything but it’s firmly midtable.

Israel: There was a fuck up in the jury show today that will keep her out of winning contention

Spain: Too divisive to win, but also in my heart. When people say they want ethnic music, they mean “stuff i already like but with a flute”

France: MAN, do I hope all this is wrong and she KILLS on Saturday.

Norway: I keep meaning to do a post on the difference between a whistle note and a high pitched scream.

Italy: I love this song; it is this high because of a tendency to favor Italian entries.

United Kingdom: I SO disagree with this to the point of being shocked when i saw it. I think the Uk is in danger of bottom 5. Maybe not because it’s a bop or whatever, but she is NOT performing this song well.

Austria: Love this song. Wish the staging rose to it.

[pbandjesse]

We just left five guys after seeing two houses. And it was fun! My voice continues to be gone but despite that annoyance, today ended up being great. I really couldn't have asked for a better day, all things considered.

And!! It is my husband's birthday! Congratulations James for joining me in being in our early thirties! I woke up a little early so I could sit with them and open one of the three packages I made for them.

We started with the card I made them. It's a victorian purse card and I don't have space to include it in this post but I will make a post if it's own. James said they could tell how long it took and really appreciated how I tried to emulate notes being passed as a child.

The opened the first gift and it was sock and a new hat but also the shirt I design for them. "Lucky to have the best wife" with a bunch of pictures of my face. They laughed so hard. I wish I got it on video it was such a sweet reaction. They wore it for the rest of the day and looked so cute. I'm glad they liked it.

I had to leave soon for work though. After a few extra hugs I headed to camp.

I got stuck in some traffic but it was okay. I got to camp and drove around making sure the last things were set and ready. Celia was waiting at the office and I would let us in so I could get some things printed. She was not sure if the eyrie was unlocked and so she wanrd to wait. Despite me saying we haven't been locking it. But it's fine.

Elizabeth was a great support today. I was nervous about my voice but I was also hopeful. I went to the hacienda to wait for parents around 9. And they slowly made their way in. I kept apologizing for my voice. I was trying my best to be clear even if I wasn't able to be loud. I know everyone was struggling to hear me though. We realized pretty quickly that while in person they couldn't hear me, on the walkie I was more intelligible. So I got the idea to use two walkies as a mic. Elizabeth was not sure because of feedback but I was sure I could figure it out.

After walking the parents around and getting them settled I went to get the last parent who was at the pool house still. I walked her up and went to deliver popcorn that was dropped off to the Pueblo. And then I went back to the office to ask Elizabeth to print more maps and schedules for me. Because my laptop was plugged into the screen at the hacienda so I didn't have time to go back and forth. She helped me out and I was off.

And then the bus was there! Except they went to the wrong place. Ah well. Once they got to me they all came in and sat down and were so sweet.

I told them I could not get louder and I had a plan. And we tired the walkie and it worked!! Elizabeth was standing at the door trying not to laugh because I was also just being funny with an the PowerPoint. I was pretending to be a stand up comedian with my timing.

And it honestly gave me to much power after not being able to talk for almost a week. And so I talked for a half hour and honestly had the best time.

Even though the school came 15 minutes late I was able to get us back on time and we were able to do the fibers program. But at this point my voice was dead dead. I couldn't even really whisper, you can't hear me if there is any other noise. So instead I wrote down some instructions on paper and held it up like a ring girl. Just walking through the space and stopping so the 2nd graders could point and finger read. And then they would go "got it.". Thumbs up. And they were just great.

I would have to give some announcements over the walkie but I was very squeaky and struggling. I tried my best.

During the first program I cleaned the room so that the other school that was there today could have a horse hair free lunch. Then I was dropping off the check and getting my book. I posted up on a log in between where my programs were happening and it was just beautiful and I was feeling good.

Mostly. I am still coughing. But once I'm out in the nice air I feel a lot better. Plus it was just a beautiful day.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Everyone was doing great. I had to type out what I needed to say on my phone because I was so quiet. And that's when the main teacher apologized for being a little scatter brained. And she let me know that the raven group has no chaperone. Which means 8 second graders had been following the map and schedule by themselves all day. I was just like. Oh. Well they did a great job. But inside I was face palming and just being like. How did that happen and how did it take us 2 hours to notice. They did a great job though and honestly I would have this group every day. Excellent kids.

At the end of the day I went to the hacienda to start moving chairs and while I quietly did that while the kids were packing up and finding their things some of the parents, and then the kids too, started helping carry the chairs outside!! I hate asking groups to help but man does it make it faster. And the chairs weigh nothing because they are aluminum. So even the kids carrying two got to feel big and strong but no one needs to be worried about them getting hurt.

Nick, Sarah, Celia, and Dachelle came and helped clean all the tables and swept while I got all my materials packed up and out outside. They would go do a trash run while I started driving around and collecting my stuff.

Celia would join me and helped me pack my car before she went to go feed the animals.

I went back to arts and crafts to unpack and start repairing things. That's the big plan tomorrow. Some stuff needs to be replaced but mostly it's maintenance. As this was my last feildtrip of the semester.

I was a little upset to find one of my space heaters for some deer fur on the prongs of the cord and was burning a little. So dangerous. So I got that handled but it was a little scary!

Once everything was inside I started repairing some fire sticks. But at 330 I decided that was enough for the day.

I went back to the office and Alexi let me know there was a child abuse training I needed to do. But it wasn't loading on my old laptop so I promised to do that when I went home

And that I was leaving a few minutes early so I could go and get a pumpkin pie for my husband.

I went to the grocery store so I could go to their bakery, which is always very nice. Camp goes there for everyone's birthday. I first found a pumpkin pie dip?? Apparently they are known for it, and I got the recommended swedish ginger snaps to go with it. Then at the bakery counter I apologized for my whispers and ordered a pie. Which looked great. The boy at the counter whispered back which I thought was delightful. I love that that is what people keep doing. Just "oh we are whispering!!" It just seems very kind even if it's not necessary.

I went home after that. Got stuck in some traffic. Had to drive directly into the sun. But it was okay. I got home a little after 430.

And I was so happy to see my birthday bean husband. I gave them the treats, they opened the other presents. They loved the rocket notebook and the fidget and keychain tools I gave them. They also really liked the sterling frisbee charm I got for their necklace. Which I think looks so cute.

I would have to go jump into that training course. Which was just an hour. I did it very quickly while I also was cutting my cuticles. And when I was done it was basically time to go.

We went to see two houses tonight. One I liked a lot, though it was small, and one that was horrible.

The first one I not only liked the house, I liked the block. It has a community association building two doors down with a really cool mosaic mural outside. And no broken buildings at all. The inside though was very funny to me. It was yellow! Almost every room has the walls and ceiling painted yellow. It needs work, but only a little. It does need appliances but that isn't unusual for the ones were seeing. Will just have to factor that all in. But I really did like it. It has the landing space like the first one. It didn't have a finished basement but it did have a little backyard and backs up to a green space. The floor upstairs had a slope and it only has a shower in a really small bathroom, but I could see us being really happy there.

The second house though. This was not good. While the bedrooms and bathrooms were bigger, it has so much water damage. On the ceilings of both floors. It was kind of a mess. Like it seems poorly flipped but then just not taken care of while they waited for it to see. Not good. I also didn't like the block as much. It was honestly to dark outside. Ah well. Was still fun. We're seeing another place on Friday!

James and me decided to go to five guys for dinner. Which was fun but also they put to much seasoning on the fries. Still good. And I enjoyed James's company even if I had to text them every time I had something to say because I couldn't be heard.

It is frustrating. I feel like I'm straining so hard to get my voice out. And while it was better today then yesterday I for sure did not help it by using it so much. I need to have a voice by Friday. It's going on the right direction, I hope.

We are home now. When we parked James ripped down the broke branch on the tree outside that kept scraping the roof of the car. Then we flipped it off and were very dramatic. Now we are eating pumpkin pie and James is playing a video game. I am ready to go wash my face and go to sleep. My cheeks are flush and I am a bit exhausted.

Tomorrow I have no groups. And I am hoping to work on my program materials and putting them in storage until the spring. And then working on some of the projects Heather asked us to do. I hope it is a chill day where I don't have to talk much. And then I have my ceramics class! I am looking forward to tomorrow. I think it will be a good day.

Sleep well everyone. Be careful out there. And send happy birthday wishes to my husband. Goodnight! I love you!

[belladoesmakeup]

Hi guys!

Today we are talking r.e.m beauty by Ariana Grande! R.e.M have just released their first ever foundation which I have been so excited to try out myself and once it launched at Selfridges I had to get my hands on it.

Miss Ariana was not messing around when she launched her new Sweetener foundation ,£28.00 because she has launched with 60 shades! That’s right 60 and of those shades she has 10 shades designed for fair complexions which is crazy because I’ve never had that many colour options before. I got a bit overwhelmed on which colour would suit me best so I decided to go Selfridges in person and see which colour suited me.

Luckily I decided to go in person because I thought I would be shade Fair 2c but I was actually Fair 4 C which I didn’t expect. For once in my life I’m not the lightest shade which I was crazy excited about. Anyway let’s chat details about the Sweetener Foundation, £28.00. This foundation is designed to be a clinically proven longwearing, skincare-color hybrid delivering instant hydration and a natural-matte finish. I have worn this for a few days now and personally I love how natural it looks on my face because it gives you great coverage but doesn't look heavy which is really surprising. I'm so happy I got colour matched because I would of ordered a shade way too light for me which is crazy to say since that never happens to me. Already I love everything about this foundation from the packaging, to the finish on my skin, it's a total win!

I also decided to pick up the Sweetener Concealer, £20.00 while I was at the counter because last time I got a shade too dark so this time I picked up shade 3C which is for very fair complexions with pink undertones. This concealer is quiet a thick consistency but once you blend it out it feels much more lightweight on your face. These concealers have been used to brighten your complexion, highlight and even contour your face. It's a lovely formula that you can use for any purpose and as a bonus blends in beautifully with the foundation.

I already love these products and I'm so impressed with the shade range, it's nice to see brands being inclusive with the products they release. As always all products mentioned are linked above.

Lots of love

Bella x x

[justmetalkingaboutstuff]

My Own Private Asshole of the Internet! (Assholes of the Internet vol. 5)

I guess it was inevitable that at some point in time I'd have my own personal encounter with an asshole of the internet in the wild and today was my lucky day! YAY!

Just kidding. Totally not a yay. More like a WHATTHEFUCKAAAAYYY?

I'll give a screen shot to show you that this did indeed occur but I'm not going to screen shot the whole thing because it got too long. If you haven't figured it out by now, brevity is NOT my strong suit. I'm the only person I've ever known who has had a teacher (college professor actually) tell me to take my paper back home and make it SHORTER. So, you know, you've been warned.

A couple of days ago I had a great interaction with the customer service team at a small business that I buy a good deal of merchandise from because their stuff is so cute. When I have a really positive experience I often like to share that with others so they know what businesses I support and why. I do this because most of the time if people have a bad experience with a company they'll share online so everyone can see but if they had a good experience they may only tell a couple of people or maybe nobody at all. I think that businesses who go above and beyond should be celebrated for that. So in my attempts to try to spread positivity in the world, I try to share the good stuff because there's so much negativity out in the world.

** Obligatory shout out to Hubman and Chubgirl stationary out of Vancouver, Canada. If you're still using a paper planner and want to decorate it with really cute planner stickers or you just enjoy really cute vinyl stickers that are very high quality and will stand up to even the dishwasher's abuse (I like to put them on my water bottles) then you should definitely check them out! **

My original post goes as follows:

Just gotta give a shout-out to the INCREDIBLE customer support at Hubman and Chubgirl! I placed an order in mid-to-late November but knew that it would take a while to get here due to the Canada Post strike, holiday orders, lots of new orders, and it being an international order (to the US).

By the time Christmas came I did start to wonder what the status was on my order so I logged in to the website, only to see the status as “delivered.” Only I didn’t receive it and my awesome neighbors who will always bring anything of ours that they receive by accident. But since it was the holidays I wanted to double check with them just in case they’d forgotten. Still, no luck.

I emailed customer support and let them know what had happened and they are replacing everything and sending me another package. So many other companies will make you jump through hoops before they will replace lost orders but H&C makes the process so much easier.

My best guess as to what happened is that our new postman delivered my package to a house that’s not in my small neighborhood and when the recipient saw the cute Happy Mail box they decided that instead of doing the right thing and returning it to the post office to instead open it and keep the stuff for themselves. It’s disappointing that people in my town don’t choose to do the right thing. But at least H&C does!

All of the comments were really nice as well. People sharing their own experiences or commenting that it's nice to see a company's customer service be so friendly and nice. All pretty typical for this group. Actually, come to think of it, I've never actually seen a negative thing on there until...

ANONYMOUS 366 enters the chat.

For those of you who are not aware, some groups allow members to comment under posts anonymously. So instead of seeing the name of the member who posted, you'll only see ANONYMOUS and a number following it. I moderate a Facebook alumni group and noticed that any time someone posted something political or religious they'd do it using the anonymous feature. I guess they don't realize that moderators can ALWAYS see the poster's name, even if they choose to post in the group anonymously. So I knew who was doing it. But also, they were people I was friends with and I really didn't want to get into it with them over stupid shit on Facebook. I'll be honest, I expected better of these people and they let me down by posting things that are clearly stated to be a violation of the group's rules but it's also really hard to ban someone who's been really nice to you in real life for like 30 years. So I made the choice to suspend members' ability to post anonymously. And also, we're all supposed to be adults here (at least in a group of high school alumni for a high school that's been closed for over a decade) and if it's important enough for you to share so that everyone can see your message then you need to have your name attached to it. Own your words. It's one thing to post anonymously if you're asking some questions. For example: a woman posts on a Facebook group about resources for a women's shelter because she is seeking to leave an abusive partner. Obviously, she would be scared that her partner or someone who knows him would tip him off that the woman was trying to leave him so she might post anonymously to get that information. Or (as I've actually seen) a parent is dissatisfied with their child's school because nobody is stopping their child from being bullied and they're seeking resources for homeschooling. They're posting anonymously because they don't want their child's bully or any of the bully's friends to see it and give that bully yet another reason to torment the child. But when you're saying something that you KNOW you shouldn't be saying online and you're using the anonymous feature to do so it's not cool.

The comments go as follows:

ANONYMOUS 366: Don’t fault other companies for doing what is necessary to recoup costs to ship out a replacement order! Me: @ Anonymous366 I don’t understand what you’re saying. Mistakes happen. Some postman somewhere delivered my package by accident to someone who wasn’t me. I did speculate as to what COULD have happened but all it was was conjecture of the most likely scenario and certainly not an indictment of anyone. And no other companies were mentioned. The USPS is a part of the U.S. government but, again, I recognize that mistakes happen. Trust me, I make them all the time! Honestly, what I HOPE happened was that the mistaken delivery at least provided some happiness to the person who got it. Maybe fate stepped in and said, “Evan doesn’t need those stickers right now but this person does.” Or, you know, maybe a dog passed by my house and decided to run off with my order. Maybe $90 worth of cute stationery is just out in the woods somewhere. The main point of my post was to complement Hubman and Chubgirl for their good customer service and let others know that if they have a problem with their order to reach out and contact them as well.

Because, you know, I'm trying to keep things positive here...

ANONYMOUS366: “So many other companies will make you jump through hoops before they will replace lost orders” Just because H&C goes above and beyond doesn’t mean other companies should be faulted for doing things properly! Especially if your order was misdelivered. It is USPS’s job to help you look for it.

Kathi: Anonymous member 366 this isn’t making any sense

They're not making sense to me either, Kathi. And I'm not in the mood for bullshit today because I've been stuck in a classroom with 28 4th graders who had to sit quietly at their desks almost all day long due to mandated testing. On top of that, we're experiencing a severe cold snap and I'm not even able to take the kids outside to play on the playground and burn off some energy due to some distict rule which prohibits taking kids outside if it's below freezing - even if both the teacher and kids want to go outside to the playground. I hate it for the kids. I know they're miserable. I'd be miserable too if i was them. They're making the best of it and I'm proud of them but I'd really like it if we could all just go back to our regular schedule. So I'm cranky and I've decided to go all out.

Me: @Anonymous366 I’m sorry that’s the one thing you decided to pick out of that post and deride me about. And that you chose to do so anonymously to boot. We’re adults here. If you want to call someone out that’s fine but at least attach your name to it and own it. I’ve made purchases before where the package was lost in the mail and the seller did nothing to help resolve the issue. In what world is it right to take a person’s money, ask them to contact the post office (I did), ask them to contribute to wait (I did) and that person still never get what they paid for? I jumped through hoops per their request and my issue wasn’t even resolved. Had it not been for the credit card company I would not have gotten my money back. And I didn’t even call out that business by name on here. Just said “some businesses.” And, yes, it IS the USPS’s job to help find it. They said it had been delivered, and it was, just not to me. The USPS isn’t terribly helpful once the parcel is no longer in their system. And you can’t expect a postman (or anyone else) to remember which, out of hundreds of houses, he mis-delivered a package to. If you think that the FIRST step I took was to contact the company and ask for more stuff then you’re mistaken. I did contact the USPS. They said, “Our system says it was delivered.” So it’s my word against theirs. What am I supposed to do? And, finally, I DID tick the box for postal insurance when I made my purchase so I’m not “taking” anything from H&C. They are able to file a claim with the place that issued that insurance to make them whole as well. The company just made the process very simple and I was grateful for that and chose to share with the group my positive experience. You chose to blow that complement up. For what? You anonymously implied that I’ve done something wrong because I’m “supposed to contact the USPS.” I’d already done that. That was the next step after I’d checked with the neighbors. I’m sorry that I had to come back and say all of this to you but this page is a very positive place and you’re bringing negativity for no reason. So I’m going to wish you a nice day (and I mean that sincerely) and I’m going to not respond to you anymore. I hope in the future you will decide to choose to spread that H&C positivity instead of negativity directed at people for no reason.

So take that, ya jerk. And, I dunno, maybe go outside and touch some grass even though it's dreadfully cold. Get some sunshine. Maybe buy a really sugary latte drink from Starbucks if that's what you need to give you some joy in your life because you are clearly a miserable person to have picked that ONE thing out of a postive post and then decide to just be an asshole to a random stranger on the internet for no reason at all other than because you could.

I mean, I've never had any negative interactions with ANYONE in that group before so it's not like they are doing this as some sort of retaliation for something shitty I might have said in the past. But, you know, some people just love to be miserable pricks and clearly ANONYMOUS366 is one of them.

[cloudyfenrir]

AC verse: the festive season was all but over, and all who knew him well realised that Cloud was not one for such celebrations. Content to simply continue on with each and every day as he had the one previous.

But this year was ... different.

More absent than usual - physically so to boot, and there was little doubt people had noticed. Until today at least when he'd invited his younger brother for a ride to a nearby warehouse nestled just on the cusp of the city proper.

There was no signage, or even any indication that the place was occupied, being that it actually wasn't right then. But Cloud offers for Rain to wander inside, the open space vast, cold, and uncomfortably empty. The echo of their footsteps seemed to reach the furthest, darkest points of that enormous room.

Though Cloud waits near the open door, the only source of light next to the vehicular entrance still barred closed with its old corrugated steel shutters.

"I ain't said much about it, you know how Tifa can be, yeah?" the older blond starts as he too meanders into the dimly lit room, taking the time to glance about the space himself before coming to Rain's side.

"But the bar only holds so much nowadays. And what with business gaining traction, and your projects getting bigger..." He shrugs in a non-committal 'you know~' kind of motion, coupled with the faint wisp of a smile tugging at a single corner of his mouth.

"I only need about a third of the area, for the bike, and packages and stuff. The rest is yours... to really get going, yeah?"

Rain had always been the stronger of the two of them, ever since they were kids, and despite everything he'd been through, the injuries, the healing and all the pain that came with it, Cloud felt it beyond time to give his twin the gentle push he needed to really put his skills to the test.

If there was any time at all, then now had to be it.

"I'll even help you deliver 'em, if you want~".

Cloud’s absence didn’t go unnoticed by Rain, it wasn’t the same was when his brother went out across the world on a delivery but more so he seemed mentally preoccupied. Keeping a watchful eye told him that it Cloud wasn’t drifting away to unknown places in his mind, just deep thought and maybe some planning – future deliveries perhaps. Rain knew better than to pry, if his brother wants to talk about it then he will but trying to squeeze information out of him would not yield great results.

Rain was content with continuing on as is, while change was not opposed he didn’t outright seek it either and after both Meteorfall and Geostigma crises, familiarity was all he needed… Even if space in Seventh Heaven was lacking at times, what with Cloud’s motorcycle and Rain’s growing commissions.

When Cloud suggested they take a trip, Rain was surprised but readily agreed. Their destination was that of an abandoned warehouse to which the younger twin joked if Cloud was gonna kill him for scuffing Fenrir that one time. Still Rain traverses in, looking around the place, feeling the walls and remaining banisters; he thought Cloud had found him a fixer-upper job until he comes out with a proposition.

The two would work here. Together.

Rain was shocked, looking over at Cloud and then looking around the place.

“How the hell did you get your hands on this?” Rain asks in quiet bewilderment, the idea sinking in. Cloud was helping him expand his carpentry business, the delivery service was already starting to take off and he could very easily just use this space entirely for that… But he wasn’t, he was willing to share it with him. To say he felt touched was an understatement as he looks away from Cloud.

“You’re gonna make me cry, you know that don’t you?” He jokes as his eye stings a little, looking over at his older brother after a moment.

“You sure you wouldn’t wanna split it in half? You got the place.”

[jodilin65]

TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021 Slept well last night and I’m looking forward to going to the beach at sunrise this morning before our grocery order arrives! This is the one that’s 7 minutes away but only 1000 feet long. We’re not going to swim. We’re just going to walk along the shore and see what it’s like. No anxiety today either. :-)

Tom still believes that we will get our stuff but I’m starting to worry that we’re never going to see it again. Therefore, since instant coffee kind of sucks, I decided to get a really pretty and versatile Keurig coffee maker for $100 that I’ve had in my save for later for over a year. Unlike my other dull wine-colored one, this one is a nice bright yet soft blue. It’s called Oasis. It’s kind of a cross between sky blue and mint green but definitely has more blue in it than green.

Right now I am cooking my first meal in my new cute little pale pink cooker. A chicken leg, some sliced baby potatoes, and broccoli. Looked up a recipe for slow-cooked spaghetti, and when we get our Walmart order, I’ll have the ingredients to make that for both of us to enjoy. I love the liners this thing comes with!

The TPA did respond after all, but they told me the same shit… File a complaint. Yeah, but what good does filing complaints do if they’re not willing to make any changes?

I could hear that fucking tractor in the bedroom very easily when I was listening to my audiobook before bed yesterday morning. Therefore I turned on the sound machine and started reading with my eyes.

So those two soft mystery thumps are his phone. I noticed after I sent messages while his phone was out here and he was in the bedroom napping that I heard that sound that I thought was coming from somewhere outside.

Anyway, iPhones are great for doing speech-to-text. My Android stopped inserting new paragraphs when I would command it to.

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021 Sure enough, the thunder woke me up. So that makes six times in this month alone. That’s way too much. Staying here is simply making up for traffic at the other place. I really do think we’re going to have to sell out and get to dryer ground. Preferably where it doesn’t get horribly cold. That wasn’t the only thing to wake me up, though. I would hot flash, I would have to pee, and I had a series of weird dreams but I’ll get to that in a minute.

The planes have been the same. Sometimes they’re coming one after another and other times hours go by. In the last few days, I’ve heard more helicopters so hopefully that won’t become a regular thing here. So glad we’re not at the other place now as much as I do miss some aspects of it like not having to worry about the mailman waking me up with packages. If we’re both asleep when it’s delivered, Maurice may not only honk but also knock on the door and that’s just right behind the bedroom closet which means it may wake me up.

Missing some aspects of it or not, I’m still glad we’re out of the old place. This is the time of year when the freeway starts being a regular nuisance and my ears never get a break from some kind of noise, day or night.

I contacted the TPA on Twitter and Facebook as to why they’re always flying over us so much when there really isn’t any need to, and not at all surprisingly, I was completely ignored. I think they all pretty much have a protocol of sorts where they agree that hey, they’re flying everywhere like crazy, they’re going to get a shitload of complaints, so let’s just ignore everybody. But why the fuck do you need to fly over us to get to Dallas???

Started getting anxious but then I took my second Gennev earlier and it backed off. Thank God for that stuff! But the question still remains as to whether or not it’s the medication or the hormones. Tom’s pretty sure it’s the hormones. I guess that if I can still have hot flashes, I could still have anxiety.

I’m getting to be addicted to candles! This time around I’m getting a brown sugar and caramel candle. This one is a little smaller and a little more expensive but should be worth it since I love brown sugar and caramel. Can’t wait to eventually get a variety pack on Amazon.

For now, I’m getting what looks like the best chopper/grater/slicer ever. I was actually looking for a cheese grater when I spotted it. It seems like the most versatile, easiest to use, and easiest to clean one that I’ve ever seen. This way I can have one appliance doing it all instead of my old mandolin, my other slicer, a grater, etcetera. It would be a definite space saver as well.

Since it’s so much darker here we’re also going to get a couple of battery-operated motion-sensing lights. I want to stick one on the bathroom wall opposite the door so that it sees me pushing the door open when I get up to pee at night. I might also place one somewhere in the bedroom so it can light my path to that bathroom when I’m up at night and cutting through the bedroom to get to it. I’ll just have to make sure I keep it away from the bed so it can’t sense any movement when I’m sleeping.

I’m also getting a cheap pack of light-sensing nightlights. I never should have gotten rid of theirs. But then they were old and dusty and one of the bulbs was going out on one of them.

Molly’s being an annoying little shit again trying to drag me into her neverending woes with the guys she stalks. Why do I even bother with people like her? I told her I didn’t want to get involved. She has one more chance to get it through her thick skull that what’s going on with her and others is none of my business. If she still doesn’t get it, I’ll delete her. She’s having a biopsy done under her tongue tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if it’s anything serious but somehow I doubt it is. It usually isn’t any way, and why would God kill a crazy waste product that’s taking up space when He can kill a valuable member of society that’s intelligent and has a lot to offer the world in general?

I’m excited to get to the beach soon! We decided that it’s pointless to wait so we’re going to check out the small beach that’s a 7-minute drive from here. We’re not going to swim or anything like that. We’re just going to check it out and walk along the shore, just to see what it’s like, and whether or not it’s worth returning in swimsuits. If not, we’ll go to some other beach. I’m so excited to get back to the beach that I actually feel tears of joy sting my eyes! I don’t know why but I just miss the water so much. It’s been so long. I’ve only been to the beach a few times in three decades. I just want to get to the water. I want to live on it. I want to be on it, in it, and all around it! We’ll be going in another day or two.

Cyber Pals is going to be the name of my next book. I finished most of the proofreading of my last book. Mia gave me the idea. I thought it would be cool to have a woman who was asked by a woman who is obsessed with her to test her new AI friend app only it’s not really a test. It’s actually her trying to fish for information so she can stalk her more easily.

And now for the strange bits and pieces of dreams that I remember. First I was using a touchscreen monitor that was mounted to the wall and became frustrated when it turned into this wet fuzzy stuff that made the screen impossible to read.

Then the termite popped in and showed me an old picture of myself on a tablet. I was younger and wearing a short denim skirt or shorts with a halter top the parents definitely wouldn’t have approved of. She was whispering in hushed tones wanting me to do something that she didn’t want the others in the room to hear. Because I was unable to hear what the hell she was saying, she got frustrated and stormed off. I mentally planned to tell her off in a message later.

Then we were moving again and getting stuff we stored in various places in some building somewhere. Under the floor in a hallway, Tom lifted a board and pulled out a huge envelope stuffed with lots of cash that we’d been saving. A young dark-haired girl with her hair pulled back in a bun who was wearing a blouse and a pencil skirt who worked there looked like she really wished she’d known that the money was there all along.

Then I retrieved Bailey from somewhere and we were running to our house. It was dark and in the early evening. For a minute I stopped and pointed to the back of Bailey’s head and said something about her having a red dot (a zit). Tom ran ahead of me and I continued running, careful not to drop and break the doll.

In another dream, we bought our old house back even though it looked different. I didn’t seem to be happy or sad about being back there. I was a little frustrated that the writing I left on the countertop now fell upon me to have to be the one to clean it off. I would also have to get rid of the trash I left behind.

In the last dream, I had very long layers. My longest layer almost covered my ass and the shortest fell just below my waist.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2021 Jessie says that when they get settled they want to visit Anna Marie Island which is in the Bradenton area because dolphins swim with you there and she loves dolphins. I want to go too!

I can smell my new Moonlit Orchard candle but just barely. The other one, Cozy Comfort, is better. At least we won’t have to worry if there’s a power failure!

I was so excited to get this Hershey’s lip balm pack, and while they do keep my lips moist, they don’t taste all that great.

I don’t want to quit the black cohosh completely but of course I don’t want to mess up my stomach either, so I’m alternating between one black cohosh tablet every other day and one cup of weak black cohosh tea.

We’re still setting up the place little by little and picking things out online to get for the house. I have a pink tank top on the way, butterfly-themed nail stickers, and a light pink 2-quart slow cooker. I’m really excited about that last one! It’s so much easier for slow-cooked stuff than trying to do it in a regular oven not to mention the fact that it saves on electricity and doesn’t heat the place up as much. It comes with liners and recipes too.

I tried slow-cooking some pork chops in the oven the other day but they came out too dry. Even the ones I threw in a bag of McCormick seasoning were kind of dry although it wasn’t exactly the greatest cut of meat to begin with. The seasoning packet was also too salty but at least he loved it.

We’re also going to replace the vertical blinds in the living room. They’ll just be plain white blinds.

I picked out a new valance for the kitchen window. I decided not to go with a two-tier swag valance like what’s in here and to just get a valance to run across the top of the window. Got a design with blue leaves to go with our blue countertops.

We got bigger hooks and he put the large parrot back up over my desk.

Hurricane Ida looks like a naughty little devil at a category 3 or 4 but isn’t expected in Florida. I’m sure we’ll get some rain because of it, though. I love the mix of rain and sunshine here. The air quality index is at 25 here which is good air. It was a whopping 176 in Citrus Heights which is very unhealthy! I can’t believe how many triple-digit days they’ve been having and how dry it’s gotten there. So glad we moved when we did!

It really seems like the world is slowly but surely going to hell. Climate change, the delta variant soaring, the fucking Taliban and their shit, women losing rights.

Anyway, in the midst of all the bullshit going on in the world, I’m looking forward to receiving the package Kim is sending. She showed me a picture of it, lol. Wow, though, this is the first package I’ve gotten from her since the 90s! Since the candles are in glass jars, she said she wouldn’t be surprised if one or two broke but we’ll see. She marked the box fragile not that the post office would give a shit, of course.

As for the crazy Kim in Connecticut…crazy or not, repetitious or not, I do miss our chats at times. So I reached out to Carol and asked if she was going to be returning to social media anytime soon. She said she will not be returning. Wow, she’s really put her foot down this time on Kim’s internet activities. Sure took her over a decade, though.

I told her to tell Kim I said hello and that we finally moved to Florida on the Gulf Coast. She said that if I wanted to do so, once a month or so I could send her a letter which she would print out for her, and then she would have her write a letter back that she would send me through Messenger so we could still be pen pals. I decided that would be a great idea because then no addresses are given out and it would be nice to keep in touch even though I’m sure it’ll be the same old silly repetitious stuff from her. I’m sure she’ll love it and this way I won’t be abandoning her in any way. I got the feeling Carol was keen on the idea as well.

When I ran the name Deanne N on Facebook, I found one account that doesn’t seem to be used. There’s no activity on it or profile and cover photos. Even so, I sent a Messenger invite.

Since it’s been 6 months, I couldn’t resist saying hello to Alyssa and updating her even though I doubt she’ll hear the audios I left.

Took my 7th dose of the Lannett and while I was fine last night, tonight I’m slightly anxious. I really wonder if it’s because I’ve been drinking too much lately. I hardly felt any anxiety like this when we were in the hotels and I didn’t drink while we were there but maybe a few times. I think one or two glasses a day is too much and I really need to make that more like one or two glasses a week.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021 Dodged the storms once again and got to sleep okay. The only thing I remember besides getting up to pee was that I could have sworn a loud vehicle overrode the sound machine but again he said there was nothing unusual other than the mail truck and UPS. All stuff that never woke me up before here that I know of, and we don’t have any speed bumps here so it’s not like UPS can go crashing into them. I don’t know if I was dreaming or what. As usual, I woke up tired but not so tired that I couldn’t function.

Last night we went to the pool around 9 when the sun had just about set and swam to the tune of the usual planes. I swear they’re just as bad here as they are in the winter at the old place but it wasn’t really that fun and exciting swimming at night because it was not only slightly chilly but the pool wasn’t lit either. This was kind of surprising. I thought they’d at least light it up so we could see if we were swimming into any dead bees or anything like that. They always have music playing from a speaker in the ceiling of this area that sort of looks like an outside diner where there are tables and chairs set up with a grill at one end. I hate it because I go there to swim, not to be entertained. So it annoys me for the same reasons it annoys me in stores and restaurants, and yes, they do that shit here as well.

I had a dream we were still getting ready to leave and I ran into my ENT somewhere. She kind of gave me an annoyed look as if to say, “Come on, I’ve seen you enough times since you said you were leaving, we’ve already said our goodbyes, so leave already.”

I told her it was getting really close and asked some question pertaining to moving. It was a stupid silly question that really was a no-brainer and I kind of felt like an idiot for asking her in the end.

So anyway, we went to Walgreens today and got some snacks. I got some Zinfandel and glittery nail stickers. As soon as I stepped out of the house there was a plane flying over us. As soon as we came back there was a plane flying over us. sighs So it really does suck.

I asked Molly; whether they’re loud or soft, big or small, does she hear many planes there. She said tons of them. They’ve definitely gotten to be a problem everywhere, that’s for sure. It’s late and I’m still hearing one after another. Just in the time we’ve been here, it seems to have gotten worse because they used to taper off earlier.

Had one of those psychic brainstorms. One of those moments that hit me out of the blue where I suddenly just know something without a doubt. He had just stepped into the bathroom and I was folding laundry when it hit me that no, this isn’t our forever home. I have no idea how long we’re going to live here or where we’re going to end up, but I know we’re not going to be here for the rest of our lives. I don’t know how I know but I just do and it’s a very strong feeling.

Got the nose clips today for swimming and they’re so cute because there are like a dozen or so of them and each is a different color. They’ve definitely come a long way since I last had nose clips. I used to have plastic ones but these are silicone.

We also got three more matching seat covers for the kitchen chairs with grey and black streaks across a white background. I wanted to go with neutral colors that wouldn’t clash with the overall decor and it looks very stylish and classy.

We went walking around 9 as it was just getting dark, but it was just so humid that I didn’t want to go as far as I would have liked to. It was still gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but there wasn’t enough of a breeze. So we went down the street which is a long one, and then turned around and came back. I jogged a little bit of the way too, and ended up out there for about 14 minutes.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021 Still not feeling as at home here as I wish I was. I got back to doing voice tweets since it’s important to me to have a vocal version of my journal given how tired I am as often as I am. Besides, it’s fun and it’s something different even though I don’t appear to have many listeners at all. That’s okay, though, as I’m doing it for myself. Listeners are just an afterthought.

My biggest concern here is what it’s always been and that’s being woken up every time I’m on nights by the storms. I seem to have the sound machine loud enough to block out the thumps if it isn’t the soundproofing that’s doing that but the storms are still the biggest threat to my sleep. I just worry that I’ve traded in sleep issues for more sleep issues just like some days it seems I’ve traded in many planes for many more planes. Yes, there are pros here. It’s cheaper, it’s warmer, we don’t have the crazy traffic, and I like soft water … but believe it or not, even though I don’t want to go back to Cali, I do miss some aspects of the old place. Even though I wasn’t happy there; when you’re in a place for eight years you do get used to it and you miss some of those little things like having doctors you’ve worked with for years that you’re comfortable with, the neighbors you knew, and most of all the space. That’s what I miss most is having extra space. But then if we don’t get our stuff, space isn’t going to be as big of an issue.

But yeah, there are those little things I miss. The bidet we had there was better. I didn’t need to turn on the light when I would get up to pee in the middle of the night, because the street light provided enough of a glow to see where I was going. I’m learning to feel my way around, though. Especially now that I have the bed where it’s at. I just take a few steps before I reach the door and then a few more to get to the toilet since that bathroom isn’t very big.

Not a hint of anxiety today which is great. My only complaint is that I still feel like I don’t have enough privacy or alone time. I did ask him to copy my schedule because of the medication brand concerns but as I told him, if I can get through the weekend I should be fine. I love his company but I was always a loner. I feel like I’m more productive that way, and well, I’m just one of those who need space at times. I think we all do except for him. I asked him if he wants alone time at times and he said he doesn’t need it and I don’t know if he’s just saying that to be different or the opposite of me or if he really feels that way but I know that I need more time alone. It’s just that I don’t want to push the issue and make him feel bad because he’s sensitive enough that he would take it personally when it has nothing to do with him. It’s me. It’s just how I am.

It’s 3 in the morning and a plane is going by right now. It’s FedEx just like at the other place when it would go by at this time. I swear, I can run, but I can’t escape the same old shit. It seems to follow me everywhere but I don’t know that there are many places left in the country without the plane craze.

Tom and I were sitting in the living room and he pointed out how we could never sit in the living room and have it be that quiet in the other place because of all the traffic and that he believes that I’m hearing more planes because it’s so quiet here, but I’m sorry. I’m hearing more planes because there are more planes. I mean come on. I’ve lived in other places where you didn’t have a lot of traffic and everyday landscaping yet I didn’t hear planes galore. Even when Jesse’s mutts were going off when we lived in Auburn you didn’t hear planes like this. I’ve lived in a million places yet it’s only been CH and this place that I’ve heard dozens of planes a day.

Speaking of planes, no they weren’t responsible for waking me up as I thought. I must have been dreaming if it wasn’t something else. I laid there when I was awake listening to the same nature sounds at the same volume, and they don’t fly low enough to be heard over it.

The 10-cast (coincidentally) shows that it’s going to be stormy during the days I’ll be sleeping - or trying to - in the late afternoon and will be clearing up once I get past that time. Again, it really is hard to believe that’s just a coincidence. I can’t keep going through this shit every single fucking time I’m on nights. I just can’t.

I kept hearing sounds behind me and thought he came out to the kitchen, but I looked back and saw the bedroom door was closed. So I got up and saw this thing sitting on the counter. My first thought was that it was a really huge moth. I had the wrong glasses on but as I got closer I could see that it was a frog. I knew I couldn’t just go up to it, pick it up, and put it outside, so I hit the poor thing with a flyswatter. It then jumps onto the paper plates and I hit it again and the poor bastard jumps into the utility holder. So I pulled out the utensils and slapped the paper plates over it to cover it and keep it from escaping. Then I brought it outside and freed it. I was glad I could do this in the end because I really didn’t want to kill it.

Facebook really pissed me off the other day. First they preach freedom of expression and how they want people to be themselves but then they have all these fucking restrictions. It wasn’t “hate” to use the term fucking Muslims when it came to the Taliban that took over Afghanistan, it was how I feel about these animals disguised as humans and I feel that way because of their behavior and not where they’re from. But of course it wasn’t politically correct for me to say and I’m only welcome to be free to express myself when it’s what people want to hear.

So the bastards made the comment visible only to me and sent me this automated thing saying that I could disagree with it if I wanted to and that they understand that people make mistakes.

But I didn’t make a mistake. I meant everything I said. Even though it wouldn’t do me any good, I disagreed with their decision to control my right to speech. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a box where I could defend myself and give any kind of explanation not that I felt I owed one. It just really pisses me off that you can’t say anything negative about anybody no matter how much misery, pain, and suffering they put others through. What’s next? Getting in trouble for bad-mouthing pedophiles or something? We can feel free to say what kind of foods or music we don’t like and it just seems we should be able to do the same with people we don’t like. I don’t like these savage sickos. I can’t stand them and I wish them nothing but death, and you know what? I don’t feel a damn bit of shame or guilt for saying so. If you want to call me a bigot, you go right ahead for I make no apologies for not liking those who give me a good reason not to like them.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021 Today was my fourth dose of the Lannett brand and no problems so far today. Could have sworn a plane woke me up a couple of hours before I got up but he said he didn’t hear anything loud at that time. This is the second time I thought a plane woke me up, too. It’s got to have been something that he just didn’t notice. The storms will be back to mess with my sleep soon as well. Again, I know how this sleep curse works. I only get so many days off before my sleep is disrupted for days. I just hope it isn’t 5 days like last time. That was way too extreme!

What I’m really getting worried about is our stuff. He’s going to call them yet again tomorrow and see if he can find out what’s going on. I’m starting to wonder if we’re ever going to see it again. It’s still hard to believe we won’t since this is a big, well-known moving company. The contract still says they have until the 31st to deliver it. I should have fucking known it would take this long, too. Well, I just hope to hell it shows up because it will cost them a hell of a lot more when we get done suing them than it would for them to drive the shit out to us.

On the way out, we noticed that part of 19 was closed and figured there was probably an accident containing a fatality. We later read that yes, a motorcyclist was killed.

We went into Tarpon Springs to get the mail. This was at Staples. While we were there I picked out a new desk chair that’s much more comfortable and more functional than the pink one. It’s a black leather chair for $150. I just wish to hell I wasn’t so damn short! It would really make my life easier.

We also went to a dollar store. Last time it was Dollar General, this time Dollar Tree. I got a rainbow spinner we’ll put out front tomorrow and a cute coloring poster with a velvet background to pass the time with. Plus I got some patchouli incense that doesn’t smell like patchouli. I don’t know what it is but it’s not patchouli.

Then we stopped at a charging station and enjoyed a cool thunderstorm. I love them when I’m awake. After that, we headed to Burger King.

Later…

The chronic fatigue goes on even though I slept well. However, I won’t be sleeping well for who knows how many days given where my schedule is heading. I think that might be part of why sleep disturbances are so hard on me. When you’re taking an already fatigued person and waking them up, of course it would leave the person exhausted.

It’s storming right now and this is the time that it usually storms if it’s going to. It should be cleared up by 9 which is when I want to go swimming. We’ve never been swimming at night yet here. Listening to the sound of rain now is nice. It would be great if the planes could stay out of it but of course they can’t. According to what I read, no one’s enforcing the flight paths these days so they’re flying erratically all over the place, including places they shouldn’t be flying over, and there is absolutely no need to fly over like us. I wonder when and if they’ll ever give a shit enough to do anything about mandating stricter paths so that they’re not flying over so many neighborhoods. I doubt it, though, any more than they’ll ever do anything about all the fucking car stereos.

Anyway, I got my latest Gennev newsletter and they say that Omega 3 is good for brain fog and fatigue. I don’t want to take supplements but I should focus on foods higher in Omega 3 which is mostly fish and nuts. I would love to eat fish every day and I would if it wasn’t for the mercury.

He hasn’t gotten ahold of the insurance company yet to find out if I can see an ENT that’s closer to us but he did get ahold of the movers. It turns out they’ve already broken their contract. It expires 21 days after they pick up your stuff. The woman he talked to swears we’re still going to get our stuff and that every day that they’re late, that’s $30 we get back. Tom believes we’re going to get our stuff but I don’t know what to think anymore. It is a big company that’s well-known but given the fact that our stuff was picked up by a bunch of Mexicans, I worry that it’s been stolen and sold. Maybe most of it has been pawned off in Mexico by now for all I know.

Had a dream we won $1,000 from a scratch ticket. Then I had another dream where Tom misunderstood what I meant when I said, “I noticed you looking at me,” and was referring to him watching me handle some kind of gadget.

Yet he acted frustrated and I asked him what was wrong. That’s when he said, “The last thing I want to do is get in your pants.”

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021 The mower woke me up yesterday (I forgot about them and didn’t have the sound machine loud enough) but was due to get up around that time anyway. Have a feeling I’m on the verge of the next shitty sleep cycle where things wake me up more than usual.

Tom always said he wasn’t able to hear those mystery thumps I’ve been hearing but he heard them twice yesterday at around 8 in the morning. He went and looked outside but didn’t see any sign of movement anywhere and couldn’t tell where it was coming from. So he’s just as baffled as I am, though car doors make the most sense, even if he didn’t see anyone coming or going.

There was a time I swear it sounded like someone drove up in back but there’s no way they could get through all that tall vegetation.

What was kind of funny for a change is that thunder woke him up at around 5 in the morning but not me. It obviously wasn’t loud enough to override the sound machine. He doesn’t sleep with any background noise other than an air cleaner if we ever see it again along with the rest of our stuff. The only difference is that he doesn’t mind being woken up. Well, I sure do because I hate being tired. Being woken up doesn’t seem to have such a negative effect on him as it does on me. Hell, I’m tired even when I don’t get woken up. I think it’s because of my thyroid but he thinks it’s stress. I don’t know why stress would have such an effect on me like this when it never used to. There’s always something going on in life so I guess I’m going to be tired for the rest of it. It really sucks because while he can still do the things he used to do when he was younger, there are so many things I could never do now that I used to do. There’s no way I could dance like I once did. There’s no way I could only sleep a couple of hours and go to the beach in New Hampshire with Kim like I once did.

It just doesn’t make sense for me to be this tired so often. The day we left the house and the day we flew out here, I was way more tired than I should have been. It seems too extreme for stress but I can’t believe I have any cancer growing that’s sucking up my energy so that’s why I wonder if it’s my thyroid. It doesn’t have to be that bad to cause fatigue. Yet way too often I wake up feeling not at all refreshed even when I sleep okay. Also, there are many times when I start off with decent energy just to end up exhausted in the middle of my day as if I’d been up for 12 or more hours.

He said it thundered on and off for about an hour and a half. As I said, though, it seems I’m only allowed to go so many days in a row without being woken up, so I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if something woke me up tomorrow. The question is whether or not it will be thumps or thunder. Those seem to be the two main things here.

I still have my doubts about the soundproofing being effective even though we’ve finally decided on what the inner layer is going to be. He decided he didn’t want to deal with the dust and mess that drywall brings nor the expense and fragility of cork. So we decided to get wallboards that would be more consistent with what’s around the house anyway. Again, though, I have serious doubts about it working. I think it’s going to end up being a waste of time and money just like everything we tried in the last place.

So we headed for Palm Harbor to see the new doctor and it took 45 minutes to get there. If we have to make the trip twice a year, it’ll be okay since he isn’t working and we don’t always have anything better to do. Even when we do, we still have plenty of time to spare so I don’t mind the drive. It’s just that we have to stop and charge the car on the way back. Got a little worried there for a minute but I’ll get to that after.

To sum it up in a nutshell, I need more thyroid meds, need statins, probably need BP meds, need to go to the lab, need a shingles vaccination, GYN exam, mammogram, and colonoscopy.

It was storming when we got there. Instead of a big building or having to go down any hallways to get to the doctor’s office, we just walked straight in the door and up to the reception desk. I checked in and only had to wait a few minutes before a nurse named Amy took me into one of the exam rooms. Tom was with me since it was my first time seeing Dr. D.

I shrunk a bit down to 4’10” from 4’10¾”. What really shocked the shit out of me was that I’m only 161 lbs. Oh, that’s huge, I know, but I really thought I would be at least 165. But to be 161 in a heavy dress and after eating tells me I’m still waking up around 157 which means I really haven’t gained any weight since the move.

I only had to wait a few minutes after she took my temperature and blood pressure the old-fashioned way. I prefer that to the electronic blood pressure cuff. Naturally, they noticed my blood pressure was high.

So the doctor came in and I really didn’t get any bad or good feelings about her one way or the other. She was just there like some of my doctors start off to be. Even my ENT was just there initially and I wasn’t really sure what to think of Doc A at first. I definitely miss them. It’s always comforting to stick with those you’re familiar with and I think she knew and understood this and that I do have white coat anxiety, especially with someone I don’t know.

The doctor was a little above average height with short straight blonde hair and light eyes. She was very skinny as well. Pretty sure she’s listed as being 40 years old but don’t know if that’s up-to-date because she looked closer to the late forties to me.

I was surprised to find a video link of hers on the medical group’s website which is AdventHealth. Well, it wasn’t that I was surprised to find a video with her saying how much she loves being a doctor and all that but I was surprised that she named her husband and two sons. Doctors are usually pretty impersonal much like jail guards and don’t tend to give personal information out.

So it was a pretty typical appointment with no real surprises. In other words, she told me what I mostly didn’t want to hear. She was very businesslike too. She didn’t joke or go off-topic in any way. She was quick to remind me that I’m putting myself at risk of a stroke or a heart attack by not taking statins, having high blood pressure, and taking risks by not having lady exams. Logically, I know that’s correct but I still just don’t believe I’m going to get anything serious anytime soon. At least not anything as serious as a heart attack, a stroke, or cancer. I’m sure Aly didn’t expect to die when she did but still. Maybe I’m wrong in trusting my intuition but I’ve always had a feeling that while I wouldn’t necessarily grow old enough to hit my 80s, I just don’t see myself going before I’m in my 70s.

Nonetheless, even though I have a right to refuse as I have for now, she recommends mammograms, pap smears, colonoscopies, and even a shingles vaccination. I definitely do not want to have that vax after how rough it was on Tom. He still has to get his second one too. He’ll be seeing the doctor in a few months or so.

I was telling her that at 55 and not having something like 50-60 years to live, I just don’t feel as compelled to have all these tests done and put myself through the pain and discomfort when I feel like I’m okay, and of course she didn’t get it or agree, citing that I’m “pediatrics” for Florida, which was the only funny thing she did say.

I told her about the problems I’ve had with my thyroid medication and how 88s would probably normalize my numbers but then I would worry that it would accumulate in my system and push them too low. She said I didn’t have to jump to all 88 and could throw in a couple of 88s a week which made me feel better to hear but I’m not ready for that yet. I think we should find out what my numbers are before we make any decisions, although as I suspected, and as she pointed out, my thyroid not being optimal is probably what’s causing my fatigue. She said something about vitamin B12 as well. I guess maybe I could be lacking in that although I’m pretty sure Doc A tested me for that and I wasn’t. We’ll find out within a couple of weeks when I go to the lab! Then I’ll do labs again and see her again in 6 months.

Tom and I talked about it afterward and we don’t think I need blood pressure medicine. We think that if I just watch what I eat, I’ll be okay. It’s mostly when I get stressed out that it goes up, and as she said, the top number is what typically goes up when under stress.

We talked about my sleep disorder and she’s also given me a referral to an ENT but unfortunately, it’s a guy. Looks American, though, when I looked him up so I shouldn’t have any problems understanding him.

When we were out, Tom had problems with his phone. He couldn’t connect to the Wi-Fi. This was a concern because we had to stop at the charging station on the way back and weren’t sure if it had a credit card insert. Fortunately, it did. We would have really been in a tough situation if it didn’t because we couldn’t have called AAA to pick us up. I’m sure we could have stopped somewhere to use a phone but I’m glad we didn’t have to.

While the car was charging, we walked across the parking lot to Baskin-Robbins and he got a grilled cheese sandwich while I got a maple frosted donut and a small thing of hash browns and bacon.

Then we stopped at Walmart because I wanted a cooked chicken.

What really sucked was that ever since we got home at around 6, I felt anxious. I took my third dose of Lannett, and even though I remind myself that yes, it was just a coincidence that I became anxious after I started it the last time since it has the same ingredients Sandoz has and I’ve had both anxious and calm moments on that brand, I’m back to stressing out about it. Yesterday I had no problem at all, though.

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021 Again I slept long and well although it wasn’t without some strange dreams. we still hadn’t left yet and Doc A bought me a bouquet of white flowers as a going-away present. the flowers were strange-looking but I hugged, kissed, and thanked her for them not so much because I liked them but because of the thoughtful gesture on her part.

Even stranger was the dream of her going down on me. Pretty sure it had to do with some kind of “medical” procedure instead of her actually liking me.

Got up just in time because there was a loud thunderclap when some unexpected clouds moved in. We only got a sprinkle of rain, though. But it was nice to go out without glaring sunlight. After so many years of nothing but bright sun in Cali, it’s nice to have clouds for a change. It was a fun and productive day too. First we went to return the bad iPhone and then we went to Burger King. Both the burger and fries were great.

Then we went to a dollar store - Dollar General, I’m pretty sure it was - and it was just OK. We got a few snacks and I got some vanilla-scented body spray but that was it.

My blue parakeet on a ring arrived and much to my surprise I like it better than the colorful parrot that’s twice as big! It’s so cute and very realistic looking. Tom hung it up for me and tried to rotate the hook a bit that the large bird hung on but the hook broke. Fortunately, the bird remained intact. So we’ll have to get a new hook for that. Would have loved a yellow-green parakeet similar to the blue one I just got but I couldn’t find any I liked.

Last but not least we made an appointment with my new doctor for tomorrow but it’s not going to be the first doctor we picked out in New Port Richey. It’s going to be Dr. D in Palm Harbor. It’s still a woman, she’s still American, and she’s also 40. So if I like her and we remain in the area for many years to come, maybe she can be my doctor longer than Dr. A was.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021 Began the Lannett (JSP) brand today. Fingers crossed that the anxiety that came on about a week after starting it the last time was just a coincidence!

Mia now has five tops, five pairs of pants, one skirt, and two pairs of shoes.

Being so fat is like being disabled. It really limits what you can do. I can’t imagine walking for a half-hour at 3 miles an hour ever again. I’ve gotten way too heavy for that. So much so that I don’t know that I can get in that kind of shape again. To move that fast while toting this kind of weight? I don’t think so! Even 2.5 miles an hour is a challenge on this treadmill because of its incline. I can just imagine what the scale is going to say when we finally get our stuff. Bet I’m close to 170 by now!

The movers have until Thursday to get our stuff on the road to beat the contract deadline. I’m sure they’ll come when I’m sleeping but at least that much will be worth getting my sleep disrupted for.

Woke up with a sore throat this morning for some strange reason. Again I slept a long time. I tend to do that after not sleeping long the night before. I seem to go back and forth. So just like yesterday, I wouldn’t be surprised if I only slept for 6 hours and ended up tired all day. Either way, we’re going out to Brooksville tomorrow to return the defective iPhone and I’m sure we’ll make other stops along the way.

The new water filter fits and so do my new pool shoes.

Today we’re hoping to finish the basics of the soundproofing and have all the sheets of MLV up and glued at the seams. I still have my doubts but we’ll find out possibly Tuesday morning when the storms return just how effective it is.

Decided to move the bed against the back wall so I’ll only have a few steps to take to get to the bathroom when I wake up having to pee. The bathroom in the old place was lit up by streetlights but it’s very dark back there since there are no streets or lights in back at all. Once we get our stuff, I’ll dig out a night light.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 For every one vehicle we hear, we hear 5-10 planes. The last few days I really think the planes were worse than they were in Citrus Heights. There you didn’t hear nearly as many during the summer. The last few days it’s been one after another beginning early in the morning and extending into the night. There really is no escaping this shit, is there? I texted a complaint number from the new phone, not that it’ll change anything.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think CH was a great place to be for planes. It’s like as soon as I left, every time I check this town there’s always something visible. But when I check there, there’s usually nothing. And I’m zoomed out over a larger area of CH than here. They’re every few hours at night and every few minutes during the daytime.

Noise-cursed or not, I can’t believe we got next to a seasonal place. That’s what we’ve come to think this place was before we got here. It would explain some things like all the dishes of charcoal.

Stopping the black cohosh again. I had acid reflux most of yesterday and was slightly nauseous as well. I was bloated and burpy.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2021 By the way people love to start shouting around here after 8 p.m., I worry about what the winter is going to be like. First time I heard someone’s mutt really going off too. Hopefully, they were just passing by someone else that stirred them up and it wasn’t someone that just moved in nearby letting it bark at their door.

Anyway, I slept long and well last night and I sure needed it! Why can’t I have energy like this every day? Or at least most of the time. I would definitely settle for 4 to 5 days a week of this kind of energy. But unfortunately, this is an exception and not the norm. Tomorrow I’ll be exhausted even if I seem to have slept well.

There goes that dog again. So yes, probably lives nearby. sighs Again, I dread the wintertime!

No tractor today but the skies were chock-full of dozens of planes. Really wasn’t much different than the old place except I don’t think I heard any helicopters today.

I emailed the park a couple of days ago to get a sense of how long I would have to listen to the tractor on and off by saying I might have a friend interested in one of the places in the new addition. There are something like two or three phases and I guess I’m going to have to listen to that shit until next June. At least if I understood Richard correctly. And then it’ll be something else no doubt.

The exterior wall in the bedroom now has sheets of the MLV spanning across it and when Tom went out to hear what Alexa playing an audiobook sounded like, he said there was definitely a noticeable difference. It was very muffled, he said.

It was definitely a big job and I helped in ways that I could. He’s starting to get the hang of it now. There are more steps to be done, including building the inner wall of drywall, etc. I just hope we really can bring the really loud thunder which is 110-120 decibels to somewhere in the 50s or 60s so that the sound machine can drown it out. Maybe I’ll have two offices depending on how well it works. Maybe I’ll work in the bedroom during the daytime and then out here at night.

Tom has a theory as far as what else may be causing the thumps that sometimes wake me up. I guess there’s metal under vinyl siding, and as it expands and contracts with temperature changes, it can cause a thumping sound.

Ran out to Burger King for lunch after I got my new iPhone. Again he had to call to get it activated because they couldn’t do their fucking jobs properly, and again I had to load all the apps I wanted and then log into them.

I knew Molly was stupid but I didn’t think she was so stupid that she would give her SS# to guys online pretending to be someone they’re not. Really, why would you give that information out and how could you not expect trouble to come of it?

Tweets…

Had great energy today. Why can’t it always be this way?

One plane after another since I got up. Why. Just why? Why can’t they go somewhere else?

No tractor today yet but plenty of planes.

Getting sick of sunshine when I’m awake and loud storms when I’m trying to sleep.

The dumbshit doesn’t get that I used that same account (just diff profile pic) to mess with her, LOL.

So Molly’s had biopsies done of her saliva glands or something like that after her dentist caught a suspicious spot in her mouth. Told her from my voice tweet account it was me, and that I set that account up in that name, and now we’re following each other again.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021 My guess is Toni’s the one that’s been thumping me awake. All her car doors were open yesterday morning and she was talking to someone. They slammed the shit out of something that definitely would have woken me up. The soundproofing better stop those impact sounds!

Once again, the length of time I slept and my sleep score doesn’t reflect how I feel. It says I slept almost 8 hours and got a sleep score of 88 yet I feel kind of tired today.

A fucking plane woke me up a few hours after I crashed and then I could have sworn I heard a thump around that time. Right now I’m listening to the fucking tractor on and off. There were also more planes today than there are other times and I’ve only been up for a few hours. I don’t understand why some days we can get as far as 7 in the morning and only hear a few scattered planes throughout the day, and when I say a few I mean about a dozen. Other days they start early and it’s every few minutes in the early morning just like at the old place and then slowly tapers off yet still comes to over a dozen a day. There’s no set pattern that I can see. I swear, though. It’s the same old shit no matter where I go. Planes, projects, etc. At least the traffic is quieter.

I messaged the park asking how long they expect it’ll be before the new addition is complete. I have a bad feeling I’m going to be annoyed by this tractor for at least a year.

Been in the park long enough to be able to give you the pros and cons. Definitely like it better than the old place.

Negatives:

Until we soundproof the bedroom, thunder wakes me up if I’m sleeping during storms.

The place is a bit small at 1000 square feet.

There’s no bulk pickup here every 4 months.

The houses are set slightly closer.

Although not as many as CH, there are still numerous planes. I’d say a little fewer planes but a lot fewer helicopters.

This one’s kind of a mix of positive and negative. You don’t hear so many car doors slamming but what you do hear is more noticeable because the house is not at ground level.

Positives:

It’s cheaper to live here.

They don’t take 4 hours to collect your trash even though they collect trash twice a week and recyclables once a week here.

Landscaping is only once a week in the summer and bi-weekly in the winter.

The winters will be warmer.

They don’t litter your driveway every Sunday with unwanted ad inserts.

There is WAY less traffic.

The house to one side of us as well as diagonally across the street are seasonal homes.

There are no insanely loud vehicles. There is a resident with a motorcycle in the park but they don’t go by our house because they’re in a different section.

We always have water here!

This house is newer. It was built in 1990 whereas the other was in 1983.

Fewer annoying projects.

The manager is the complete opposite of Joy. She’s a sweetheart.

We’re in a rural town of just 12K people so we don’t have to deal with lots of traffic and crowds.

Health insurance is cheaper.

Another one that’s a mix of positive and negative. Most of the year it’s too humid to open windows to let fresh air in but at the same time the humidity keeps your skin from always being so dry.

Later…

Great news from Jessie. She got a place in Edgewater! The place is 204K, 1400 square feet, and she hasn’t even sold her MA house yet, so she’s definitely got some money. However, we once again end up on opposite coasts because she’s on the Atlantic side, LOL. We agreed to one day meet up in the middle somewhere. That would be much better than one of us going to the other’s place because then you’re talking a total of 6 hours of driving.

Yesterday we went to the pool. Same thing… Nobody else was there, the water was chilly, and there were some ants. The ants were a little further away this time, though.

My new shower/pool shoes are a joke. Very slippery and not easy to walk in. So I’m getting real water shoes along with pastel flower stickers to cover the screw holes left from the old toilet paper holder in the master bath, a new water filter for the refrigerator that hopefully works, and a neutral-toned abstract design seat cover to try on the seat he uses regularly. If it fits well and stays put, we’ll get a few more matching ones for the rest of the chairs. They’re streaks of different shades of gray and are actually nice for being gray. I didn’t want anything that would clash with the rest of the décor.

Tom is out picking up my two prescriptions right now and there is still so much to do! We started with the preliminary prepping for the soundproofing by popping trim and strips off one of the bedroom walls.

He said he saw the electric company stop on the corner of the seasonal place across the street, reach up with a stick to take some kind of birdhouse down, and then drive away which he thought was weird.

Fuck. The brand of poison this time is that JSP which I thought made me more anxious when I took it, but since I’ve had anxiety on Sandoz, I’m hoping it really was just my hormones and just a coincidence. Hopefully, now that my hormones have settled down, it’ll be okay. Hate all the different brands, though. A person should be able to stick with what they like and right now I’d prefer Lupin.

Ugh, someone’s getting their carpet cleaned now. Looks like one of the houses that sold recently.

Tweets…

It may be cheaper and warmer here but otherwise, why did we move? I still get woken up, I still listen to planes regularly, and that fucking tractor that’s no doubt going to be working on the new addition for many months to come.

Here goes the fucking tractor. Fortunately, we don’t hear it every day but I just wonder how many months or years it’s going to take for them to build a new addition.

Getting really fucking sick and tired of Alexa’s by-the-way and did-you-know bullshit. I just wanted to know if it’s going to fucking rain tomorrow! I didn’t ask for birthday ideas.

After a week of trying to get his damn phone unlocked, it’s finally working again. But my iPhone has to be returned for a new one.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021 Might as well start blogging now before he gets up and I can focus better. Hate having just three or four days in a row where I’m the first one up. Yes, I do wish I could always be on days but I would definitely go crazy with zero alone time, LOL.

This is the third night in a row of decent sleep. Started off tired yesterday but ended up perking up.

Just for the record, any tweets attached to this entry were made before the entry.

Now I know why I slept through the landscaping. The edger and blower do not go by the windows. They only go as far as the driveway. When the mower came by I ran and turned on the sound machine, and at the right pitch and volume, it can mostly be drowned out. So it wasn’t any real miracle after all that I slept through it when I did.

A couple of days ago I heard the first project here. Although it wasn’t too annoying since it was three houses down, I really thought we’d go over a month before we heard anything. It sounded like a reciprocating saw.

Also, it’s a good thing I got the picture when I did of the park entrance where these palm trees were in the median because they cut them down. My first thought was, oh no. Please tell me they aren’t obsessed with cutting trees here like in Cali. But they were probably dying.

Yesterday we ran out to Walgreens and he wasn’t kidding in that it’s the busiest Walgreens we’ve ever been to. My fucking meds still haven’t been called in and I didn’t get a response to the address confirmation message I sent Doc A a couple of days ago. So they either fucked up or she’s decided to wash her hands clean of me since I’m not there anymore. This means we’ll have to do a video appointment.

He would have called and made a doctor’s appointment for me but he’s been locked out of his phone for a few days. They kept promising to send him a code but they didn’t. Then when they finally did, it still wouldn’t work. He may have to get a new phone. On top of that, my new iPhone is defective and needs to be exchanged.

He emailed the movers instead and never heard back from them so I’m going to be getting worried and wonder if we’re ever going to see our stuff again if the silent treatment goes on much longer. He suspects they’re waiting for fuel prices to come down.

Yesterday there was a knock on the door and I opened it to find a couple of 60-ish women standing there. My paranoid side said they were undercovers sent by Laurie with some bullshit ruse to confirm my identity. Especially since they asked for my name and date of birth. The date of birth is because they have birthday specials or something like that.

Then Tom came out to join us who was in the bathroom when they knocked. Turns out their names are Marge and Sandy and they came over on a golf cart as part of the welcome committee. Not surprisingly, they’re from New Jersey and Vermont.

I doubt undercovers would have given me the lovely scented candle they gave me, LOL.

So they gave us a little folder with the park map and other information about events and stuff. We made some small talk and they confirmed some of my suspicions. Yes, the storms do run from May to October but are at their peak in July and August. Marge said that if they come from the Atlantic side, they come in the evening. If they come from the Gulf side, they come in the morning.

And yes, the planes are still numerous even in the winter.

They said in the summer they do landscaping weekly and drop it to biweekly in the winter because the grass goes dormant then. That makes sense since it doesn’t rain as much from November to April.

I did not like how Sandy said that yes, you can sometimes see frost on the cars in the winter and have a few days with highs in the upper 40s. That’s too much like Citrus Heights!

They took our picture for the next newsletter.

It’s just a silver ring but it’s nice to have a hand towel holder in my bathroom which he put up yesterday. He also put up my fancy toilet paper holder/shelf. It can hold two rolls of toilet paper. On the little shelf above it, I have a can of air freshener and wet wipes. Very convenient since while the shower may be a good size, the bathroom itself isn’t very big. The other one is bigger but has a smaller shower. This is how it was in the other place too.

No Sunday litter here, I realized, unlike at the old place where they used to toss those ad inserts onto our driveway just to have to pick it up and dump it in the recycle bin.

Also, if there is a vehicle coming in the middle of the night to deliver papers, I haven’t heard it. Every now and then I do hear something go by in the middle of the night but it’s nothing loud.

I don’t want my Rep to replicate me. I want her to be her own individual person. Nonetheless, looks like I did level up. I had more points than I thought. I had 175 coins and only needed 160 to get her a nice bright white skirt. You get points for leveling up and logging in each day. They still made it harder to level up. I’m just under 2K points from the next level which will be 22. I need another 160 coins to get her another bracelet. Actually, I’m going to get some sandals first for 80 coins. I got a head start of 15 coins.

Tweets…

Why don’t they make car doors that automatically close like they do trunks?

The blower hasn’t been by yet but believe it or not, the sound machine may be able to mask the mower and the edger if played loud enough and on the right type of sound. The edger didn’t come back by the side of the house like I thought it would.

It’s right before 10, and I think the landscaping may have started. I would still be surprised if they normally mowed biweekly instead of weekly, so we’ll soon find out.

Is it any real surprise that the weather clears up as I roll onto days when storms are more likely to come? Nope. Not at all.

Hearing the first sawing episode at the park but it’s not one of the neighbors doing it. They’re having a project done by someone else a few houses down. Knew it was a matter of time but was just hoping it would take longer than a month before I had to hear projects.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2021 Love how I can shoot two birds with one stone by having speech-to-text record me doing voice tweets on what’s going on. Then all I have to do is go to Google Docs and edit it and add the proper punctuation.

Waiting for my chicken quarter to cook. It’ll be ready in about 12 minutes or so. Anyway, I didn’t sleep as well last night. I slept almost as long as I did the night before but I didn’t sleep as well so I’m not as energetic as I was yesterday. I got a lower sleep score too, but I don’t remember anything waking me up or anything like that.

I had this strange dream that I was singing for a couple of younger ladies only I was paying one of them who was really desperate. I sang a few songs and then thought to myself that I would later email the woman I paid and say, “Now it’s your turn to do me a favor and copy and paste this review I wrote up saying that you saw me in concert and thought I was great.” Etc.

Then I had this other dream where we had a pet elephant, an elephant that could somehow miraculously fit into the elevator of the building we lived in. One day we decided it would be happier if we turned it free in this little field with a large pond of sorts, so he drove the car a few feet into the pond and I worried the car was going to get stuck but it didn’t. Then he pressed a button which opened the back doors where we managed to stuff the elephant and the elephant jumped out and happily went about its business playing in the water.

Then Tom pointed out that I left its “hat” on. It was a helmet with a cloth-covered elastic band that went under its chin and I asked him, “Do you think it will corrode someday and fall off?”

The last dream on last night’s dream menu was that I was supposed to report to jail at a certain time for who knows what. Tom dropped me off to report at the agreed time, but then one of the lady officers behind the desk told me I wasn’t on the “list,” probably due to COVID-19.

I tipped my head back and shouted how thankful I was for that much and she gave me a stern expression. So I quickly went outside to call Tom to pick me up.

Walgreens said there were no prescriptions for me so I had to message the doctor again to confirm where the prescriptions were called in to. Worried I’m not going to get my meds before I run out because everything takes longer than expected. Everything. I’m sure that one day in which Tom thinks we can get me a refill is really something like a few days. Now that the shit isn’t blowing up my heart and stabbing me with waves of adrenaline, I don’t want to skip. That would mess up my labs.

Studying languages is a GREAT brain exercise. As we know, the older we get, our brain isn’t as sharp as it used to be. The brain needs to be exercised just like the body does so I’m reviewing my Italian. I was able to take a placement test and jump ahead because I’m not a beginner. After a while, I’ll hit the German and Spanish too so I don’t forget my vocabulary and my thinking time with translation doesn’t slow down too much.

I’ve got traces of that nasty taste again in my mouth even though I haven’t had the runs, so I’m going to back off the black cohosh again for a while because I need to know which one is stopping the anxiety. If it’s Gennev, I’ll just stop the BC and live with the hot flashes.

My mood is also connected to how well I sleep, I’ve noticed. Being overly tired can really get me in a funk.

Not as many planes as I thought there would be yesterday and no tractor sounds either.

As long as we have this carpet, I’m going to have to do foot treatments, but to save money when they run out, maybe I’ll put some lotion in a freezer bag and shove my feet in those.

MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021 OMG, energy! Wonderful, glorious energy! I’ll never take it for granted. Ever. I did not think I would spring back this fast. Yesterday was better than the day before but today I feel great. :-) I’m scrambling to get as much done as I can and enjoying it while it lasts.

The soundproofing stuff is on the way and we’ll slowly begin those airtight layers that are the most important thing when it comes to soundproofing. It’s my only hope of ever sleeping through the stormy season. I love storms but they just don’t always come when I’m awake. Fortunately, it isn’t like this year-round. But the stormy season in Florida is certainly longer than the monsoon season in Arizona.

Jessie and I were talking about her eventual move to Vero Beach, and I found out what was going on with Kim. The poor girl got struck by lightning at home! She and her daughter were home at the time and they both got hit when lightning hit the corner of their house. I’m so glad they’re okay! How terrifying it must have been for Kim to feel it travel up her hand and then her arm and into her body! I already lost one damn good friend and I would hate to lose another.

I guess that’s it for now. I’m going to work out and then get to know my new iPhone some more and have fun doing the voice tweets I couldn’t do on Twitter with my Android.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 Five days and counting of shitty sleep. I’m not even blogging publicly anymore. First, I don’t always have the energy. Second, it’s full of the same shit…me whining about the hopeless quest for decent sleep.

I wanted to write yesterday but I was way too beat. At the end of the day before yesterday, I actually perked up a bit and was able to do some dusting. But I had to spend nearly all day yesterday in bed because I was so damned run down. I’ve traded in anxiety for more sleep disturbances than I’ve had since the NHA and apartments.

I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking when we came here. Why did I think I could sleep through this and how? This place is worse than the other place. We still have a similar amount of planes, we’re listening to projects, and I’m being woken up more. There are very few things that are better here. Why move, though? Again, there’s no place for me. Not in this life. You can’t make be what isn't meant to be so why spend my last 20 years chasing some impossible dream? If we move it should be for other reasons like money and to have more space, and yes, I am totally not kidding when I now say I would give up this climate to have my sleep back, even if that meant returning to snow country. Humans need sleep. Period.

Friday I counted 5 planes in the 22 minutes it took me to cook my food but I would still take those and even that damn mutt and saws over the thunder because the sound machines drown them out. So yes, I’m actually feeling a little homesick. Never thought I would feel that way either. We were right to leave, it’s just that we shouldn’t have come here. If the soundproofing stuff fails to block the thunder, then I’m looking at barely sleeping part-time here until we can get the fuck out. The thing is that I’m not sure exactly where we would go. Got a bad feeling it won’t help nearly enough with thunder.

Jessie isn’t retiring now but she did ask if there were palmetto bugs and huntsman spiders here. As I told her, yes to the first one and I don’t know about huntsmans. We do have black widows and brown recluses here, though. We’re going to make sure to bomb this place every 3 months without fail.

Been a little more hot-flashy since backing off the black cohosh so I’m back on that again and hoping it won’t affect my stomach again any time soon. Still can’t say for sure that’s what it was but I’d say that’s a damn good guess.

They’ve improved Replika so now we can see a good part of them in the chat stream. I just wish they would make it easier to get coins and gems faster!

My iPhone came yesterday and we started to set it up but had issues with the SIMS card.

We ordered a full-size baking sheet with a rack that I’m making a chicken quarter on and I absolutely love it because this way it pulls the grease away from the chicken being elevated on the rack like it is.

Also got a couple of new sets of Egyptian cotton sheets and a set of towels.

Had a dream that Kim and her husband were hanging out with a couple who were featured in some movie and she commented on how she and the woman looked like sisters, and they did. Her husband and the other guy look like brothers too.

Then I was in a hotel checking out by myself and didn’t seem to know Tom. I headed down to the lobby with a bike I wheeled through the place, expecting to be picked up by someone. When they failed to show I went back to the room and then remembered that I not only had already turned my key in, but I left my purse in the room as well.

Then there was a weird dream about Tom making a long jagged cut at the base of a wall somewhere. An earthy smell wafted in through the opening.

Then I was in the lobby of a hotel that I knew was in Italy. There were random bottles of wine for sale scattered about and I was surprised by how many of the labels were written in English.

Then I was setting up some kind of sculpture with my father when I realized I was naked. Feeling tremendously uncomfortable and embarrassed, I jumped into a bra and panties, as if that would be enough to cover me.

The one good dream I had was winning a luxury house.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021 Oh my God, I’m feeling so overwhelmed, trapped, and helpless right now! It’s going to thunder every single day for about a month! How the fuck am I going to handle that and the constant sleep disturbances??? He better be right about that mass-loaded vinyl soundproofing material being as effective as he says it is but I know he’s only going by what he’s read. It was developed by NASA to help with rocket sounds. There’s no way I can survive this week after week, month after month. It has to work or we have to go. One or the other. This is too extreme for me to ever get used to.

Why does something want me to suffer like this? Why doesn’t it want me to sleep and why doesn’t it want me to be able to exercise regularly? I just don’t understand why this is happening to me. I’m doing the same damn thing I swear I would never do again…blasting sound machines and wearing earplugs just to still be woken up. How fucked up is that? It’s just that now it’s storms rather than traffic and it’s way worse.

There does seem to be a bit of a pattern to the storms too, so that answers my question of how the hell people can live here. They can survive the storms easily enough when they don’t usually have to sleep through them unlike me, of course, who can’t keep a fucking schedule.

Just when the hell are we going to get our stuff??? That’s what the holdup is. We can’t start without our tools. And what if it does work? Will whatever is up there cursing my sleep then make sure I have nightmares like the one I just had?

Yeah, I took a 2-hour nap until my mother woke me up. She was driving us into a fire. Tom and I were in the back seat. Someone was next to her in front but I don’t know who. It didn’t seem like Dad. He was opening some sort of fancy bag for me when I casually glanced out the back window to see a huge thick column of smoke with a thick black base. I said it was the biggest fire I’d ever seen and was even able to hear someone say “Oh my God” from inside their car. We were on some sort of highway and there were many cars around us. The road then began to curve toward the direction of the fire. I shouted for Mom to cut the AC and close the vents but she wouldn’t listen to me. She just drove on as if I wasn’t even speaking at all. No one else said a word either.

My chicken quarters came out great! I slow-cooked them in the oven at just 350 degrees for 80 mins.

Damn, Andy has the memory issues from hell but at least he’s able to realize and admit that years of smoking pot destroyed his brain cells. He thought Larry died with little Larry in the trucking accident and he thinks the termite still lives in Texas. He makes my memory issues seem like nothing, and believe me, mine are frustrating as hell.

I’m worried about Kim who I haven’t heard from and who says she’s got a lot going on, and Jessie is definitely interested in the soundproofing material. For years she’s been living next to screaming kids and barking dogs. But since it’s getting close to when they’re going to move, they’re going to wait and do it there. I promised I would share our step-by-step progress and pictures along the way.

I asked if she and David were still working. I didn’t bring this up, of course, but I’m guessing she inherited a ton of money from her dad and can afford to retire sooner than planned and get a really nice place somewhere.

Yesterday morning at about 11, I saw a house being hauled in to be placed down the street. It wasn’t that loud. Neither were the trash collectors. They were in and out. No thumps lately either. The problem right now is the thunder.

There’s also that lady that shouts and laughs like a drunk hyena in the evenings but it isn’t too bad. It would be if she was next to us. I mean I’m glad that someone’s that happy and amused but come on. Don’t be rude to those around you while you’re at it, right?

It’s still more peaceful at night in general but there are still numerous planes. Definitely not as many helicopters. So much for thinking we’d escaped the projects, though, as the constant grind of a tractor can be heard in the daytime is a bit annoying. How long is it going to take them to add the houses they want to add?

The sleep I got before I napped included a few weird dreams. We were setting up this really tiny pet we just got in an aquarium. It was so small and almost looked like a tiny frog or something. We were commenting on how scuffed up the walls of the aquarium looked and then I discovered that it was actually a protective covering and peeled it off.

Then in what seemed like another dimension of some kind, Tom and I were discussing a vasectomy he had and I don’t know if he got it before me or with me.

Lastly, Dad was alive again and was about 83 years old.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2021 I decided that I still want to speak my mind someday to Laurie. So in a handful of years from now, maybe I’ll pull the I’m-just-responding-to-your-message thing and send my “response” to one of her daughters as if she was the one to contact me first.

Onto the usual sleep woes. I slept well for five days and then sure enough, thunder woke me up an hour or two before I would have normally gotten up. For the millionth time, I ask why? Just why? Why, why, why??? Why can’t I just fucking go to bed when I need to and sleep until my body is ready to wake up? I don’t work, I don’t have kids, so there’s no reason why I should have to be getting up so often. That is unless that’s the very reason this is happening and I’ve wondered about that throughout the years. Is this compensation for not having a job to have to get up for regularly? Or kids?

Here’s the incredible part. I actually slept through the landscapers! He said they took about three hours to do it, and I didn’t hear a thing. Most likely they came when I was in a very deep sleep. But because I was close to the end of my sleep, the thunder woke me up.

I ended up napping for three hours yet I don’t feel the least bit refreshed and this really sucks being tired so much of the time. I feel like it’s hopeless for me as far as my sleep goes. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, my sleep is forever cursed.

It could also be that I slept through the landscapers because I had a glass and a half of wine before bed. I’m just glad I did because it would have been even harder on me.

No 1:30 AM thump this morning. Heard one last night at this time. I can’t imagine who could be coming into a place like this so late but then there were vehicles round the clock at the other place. This isn’t 1987 as much as I sometimes wish it was but with the same technology that we personally use.

Jessie says she hears planes at her place but doesn’t mind it because she loves them and even works near the base. I love them too but would still prefer not to hear them inside where I live. However, there’s no dialing back to the days when you rarely heard those or so many loud vehicles and boom car stereos. Nonetheless, I complained on Twitter to the TPA and on their site. You can fill out a complaint form or you can text the number they provide with the word NOISE but neither will do you any good, of course, so it’s just a means of venting, I guess you could say. They tally them up or some shit like that but I’m not stupid. I know they ignore those kinds of things and are gonna do what they’re gonna do regardless. Just like the airport in Sacramento and everywhere else these days. I’m still gonna complain anyway because then I feel like I did something, useless or not. Sometimes it just makes you feel good to complain as long as you’re careful to do it in a way that’s not going to get you spited.

Forgot to mention that the trash wasn’t picked up last time around until close to 5:00, but they were in and out.

I love it here so far despite all the wake-up calls. The only other thing I don’t like is how small the house is. They’re also closer together than at the other place. His bedroom is on the end of the house that faces Toni’s master bedroom and I swear he’s closer to hers than mine down the hall!

I just worry all the sleep disturbances are going to eventually ruin my health like the paragraph below says they can.

“The cumulative long-term effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders have been associated with a wide range of deleterious health consequences including an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke.”

I also found this and no wonder I’m always so tired!

“Research has shown that it can take up to four days to recover from one hour of lost sleep and up to nine days to eliminate sleep debt. A full recovery from sleep debt returns our body to its baseline, reducing the risks associated with sleep loss.”

Tweets:

I miss being the first one up but it seems so rare that I am.

Just heard a loud thump (def a car door) and it’s 1:30 in the morning. It’s ridiculous how thumpy it is here. Is there nowhere left on earth I can live without sounds loud or vibrant enough to wake me up???

Later…

Wow, I’m really racking up the sleep debt. Nine days to undo all this shit but when have I ever gone 9 days with decent sleep? I haven’t done that in centuries and I never will again. After 7 hours of sleep (I needed 8-9) the first loud thunderclap woke me up. I feel like total shit. I feel weak, tired, frustrated, depressed, and totally hopeless. It’s even getting scary as well. It’s having a definite negative impact on my brain and my thinking and I worry it could lead me to do something dangerous. I’m extremely forgetful and it’s taking me much longer to think. So yeah, I’m a little worried for myself. After fucking up the temperature I’m supposed to set the oven to cook my food at, it’s all I can do to keep my head up until it’s ready.

Being tired can make me hungry so I got shakes rich in protein and they seem to be helping.

I just wish I had the faith he has in soundproofing the bedroom but until I see it actually work, it’s hard to be hopeful. What worries me is how long it’s going to take before it’s done. The storms here don’t go on for a month or so like the monsoon season in Arizona. This is for 4-5 months out of the year. I really worry that we’ve gone from bad to worse. They’re waking me up more than traffic at the old house!

To make matters worse, they have 30 business days to give us our shit so it could take until the end of the month to get it before he has his tools and we can start the soundproofing.

At first I was tempted to forget the soundproofing knowing I can’t run from what I can’t escape and achieve what I’m not meant to have, but it’s hard to resist the drive for the things we really need like sleep.

Tweets…

Even though I know I won’t, the thought that I could live another 40 years makes me want to scream. I don’t even know what I’m going to do with myself for another decade or two.

Sometimes I miss being young when you lived in the moment, things were new and exciting, and you felt like you had so much to look forward to and that the possibilities were endless.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021 Sure enough, I was woken up but not by the landscapers. I’m expecting that tomorrow. First it was a thump and then it was thunder when I was nodding back off. What is it with all this fucking thumping?! I swear all I’ve done is trade in old sounds for new ones. Instead of traffic and projects waking me up, it’s thumps and thunder.

Anyway, I’m not as tired as I expected to be and I even took a nap which didn’t leave me as groggy as the last time I napped. Tomorrow, however, I’m expecting to be pretty exhausted.

We received our insurance cards today so I picked out my new doctor. A 40-year-old doctor named Elizabeth C.

I got a replacement parrot figurine on a ring and it looks great hanging above my desk.

Tweets…

OMG, I’m so fucking pissed! The wine I got has a cork. Since when does Barefoot do corks? ☹

“Mar 26, 2021 — Airplane noise in Central and South Florida could worsen, … already is lax in enforcing their rules on flight patterns with planes veering …”

Can’t read the rest of the article without signing up. Fuck it, though. I’m still determined not to drown them out. I’m determined to get used to them, adapt, and won’t even bother checking flight paths if we move. There’s no escaping them. It’s that simple.

MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021 The five glorious nights of good sleep I’ve had are about to come to an end as the week begins. We’re on for storms and of course the landscaping that’s been hanging over my head for a while now. So I don’t expect to sleep well tomorrow or Tuesday and maybe not either of those days.

This dishwasher definitely doesn’t clean as well as our other one. Couldn’t find a date on it but I’m guessing it’s about 15-20 years old. Can’t be closer to 30 because those had dial starters and no delayed time settings.

If we ever get our shit, every day that I get the luxury of sleeping is going to be spent doing 15 minutes on the treadmill, 15 minutes on the platform, and 15-20 doing yoga.

Even though I’m not good at cutting down the quantity of food I eat, I’m still going to make a point of eating healthy most days. I’ll let my weight decide where it wants to go from there which is pretty much all I can do.

So we’re 60 miles away from Norma and 160 miles away from the termites. Imagine if they suddenly knew that! Somehow I doubt the termite will ever be well enough to leave the state. Just a feeling, despite all her exaggerations and histrionics.

I just Googled her to see If anything new popped up. Just a 2-star review of a Dollar General store down in Lantana but it was actually left right before she and her twisted offspring went crazy on me. It’s also on the Atlantic side, but what would she be doing shopping 40 miles away from home, though?

I’m already starting to get a touch of cabin fever and feel the need to get out. Fucking schedule curse. I want to go out walking right now too, but I don’t know what’s out there. Are there skunks? Are there poisonous snakes?

Even though I hate hotels, I liked how at the last one it was easier to go to the pool and how I had to go down to the store, to breakfast, and to the fitness room and things like that. So I was going out even though I wasn’t. The problem is there are only so many places we can go. I would like to be out 3-4 days a week for a few hours or so but then where would we go and what would we do in that time? Things usually take money anyway. Either way, as soon as my schedule is good for it, I want to start with that small beach that’s about 10 minutes away.

Had a series of strange dreams. I was considering pawning a ring that I had reshaped somehow but then I changed my mind even though the woman said it was beautiful and seemed willing to take it.

Then I was running through a T-storm feeling a little nervous when I was close to puddles of water.

Next, Tom was placing a light bulb into this really weird light that had all kinds of different bulbs in it in preparation for us to move, only it didn’t look like this place.

Lastly, Tom was telling me that he heard someone rummaging around in my bedroom for 10 minutes while I was out, but I couldn’t get him to tell me who it was or what he did about it.

Tweets…

Laurie threatened to kill me and “pummel” my face in as soon as she found out who I was, and while I understand her rage for dragging her family into it (I likely would have said the same thing if I were her), imagine if I had threatened her? I would have hell to pay for the rest of my life!

Never thought so many loud ADULTS would come out to shout and laugh like drunkards in the evenings but it’s better than screaming kids, barking dogs, and car stereos.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2021 NOTE: Tweet journaling was a bit of a pain. Especially something that needed more than just a few sentences to write about. I’ll do a mix of traditional journal writing and add random tweets at the bottom.

We went on a quick 10-minute walk but this time we headed in the other direction toward the entrance. Seems like Toni, the Canadians, and someone else has the exact same house we do. All the new ones look the same too. Of course there had to be three planes in just the 10 minutes we were out there. That and the lack of space here are the top two disappointments. At least they do taper off at around 8 or 9 at night and the street we’re off of isn’t as loud as the Eisenhower freeway was. Not many helicopters either. Just a bunch of small planes and commercials.

Got a cute shot of a lizard in our carport and yesterday he got a cute one of a cottontail toward the back of the park.

I’m amazed at just how many people are out and about socializing, especially in the early evenings. Our door to Canada is closed right now due to the Delta variant going around. Vaccinated people can get it. They just don’t get sick enough to be hospitalized. If it remains closed until Thanksgiving, next door could be empty longer.

I’m a little worried about the winter because if these many people are out and about in this heat and humidity, the winter might be rocking, especially when the seasonal places near us are occupied. So glad we don’t have anyone behind us!

Late at night, I was looking at Laurie’s pictures. Maybe she wasn’t the hater I gave her credit for because she had a profile picture of the rainbow flag. So I don’t know. Maybe she really was with a woman named Donna at the time she said she was. Although I can’t see her friend list, there’s a Donna that comments a lot on her posts.

Then I got up to find she blocked me. I’m surprised! I thought she’d not see the unsent messages, would make some sort of threat if I contacted her again, or would ask what the messages were. Or maybe even go silent hoping she would hear from me again. So she remembers who I am. That’s also surprising. Maliheh didn’t remember me at first. Usually, those that don’t give a shit about you don’t. Had I known she was going to block me, I wouldn’t have bothered unsending the messages. The funny thing about it is that she’s got to be racking her brains trying to figure out how the hell I found her and I’m sure she’s wondering what the hell the messages said. Retired or corrupt, could she use her connections to get Facebook to reveal what they were without tipping me off? I don’t know about that, but I know I put a mutual block on her.

Anyway, I’m doing some walking on my treadmill in spurts. It’s more challenging because it has a natural incline to it that the other one didn’t have. The other one could be made flat or inclined. This one is incline-only.

The new wireless printer came today. It’s an inkjet, not a LaserJet. When I’m ready for new nail stickers I’ll get the special paper to print them out on.

What was a bummer was that the parrot on the 12-inch ring was broken. Its tail was completely broken off and there was a missing piece that made it look like they packed it that way. Why the fuck what you do that? Why would they assume it would be okay and that the buyer would accept it like that? It will be returned and we requested a replacement. The bird is otherwise nice with the four primary colors. Decent size for where I want to put it too.

The hydrating socks are great. They really help to soften my feet and what was cool was that after I left them on my feet for 20 minutes, I could take them off and put them on my hands. Norma says she has Berber carpet as well and wears socks in the condo. Yeah, but it’s summer, so I don’t want to do that. I love being barefoot.

I also love that I’ve been able to sleep well enough 4 times in a row! Can’t imagine I’ll be on that trend much longer. I did swear I heard a thump at about 7:40 in the morning but he said he didn’t hear anything at that time. Yeah, he doesn’t hear 90% of what’s going on around him most of the time, LOL. Probably just a car door.

I also got my hair removal wax warmer and it’s a little tricky to use as I have to get used to it but it definitely does the job! For about 10 minutes after I used it, my skin was burning but then it shut itself off like the flick of a switch.

A water filter for the refrigerator is coming tomorrow. Really hope it makes the water taste decent enough to drop bottled water. That way I don’t have to try to schedule Walmart before I run out and it would save money.

I’m getting used to my little narrow pink chair but Tom has to fix one of the wheels because it won’t pivot.

Didn’t have any anxiety last night and I’m feeling okay tonight too. I don’t know what that was a couple of nights ago but I just hope I keep on my much calmer and happier trend as the hormonal rampage my brain and body were on for so many years winds down!

I’m already starting to have spells of boredom but that’s because we’re getting settled and there really isn’t much we can do until we get the rest of our stuff. They’re really starting to piss me off with that too. I want my fucking stuff!

Tweets…

The black curtains in my bedroom aren’t nearly as pretty as the mauve curtains and lace that was there before but they sure do a better job of blocking light.

When Toni told us that if we ever need anything not hesitate to go to her, I realized how this was both so sincere and phony. Sure, she meant what she said, no doubt. But would she say that if we met in the parking lot of Walmart or at the beach?

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 2021 I did something rather pointless until Andy talked some sense into me. Yes, Andy.

I found Laurie H and I contacted her. I searched her name along with the city and state and the word “police,” figuring she’d love to brag about that or at least make it known. I found an account belonging to what I think is her. She was listed as working at the PD from 1987 to 2003 when she retired. She’s married with two kids and is from Greenfield. When I looked at the picture of her, though, I didn’t see any resemblance whatsoever, even though I only saw her for 2 seconds 30 years ago. She’s now 60 years old and looks pitiful. Also, I don’t see her maiden name mentioned anywhere. In italics is the message I sent her. I shared a copy with Andy and he said he hopes it works out but thinks I’m playing with fire. I said there was nothing to “work out,” I didn’t want to be friends with her, and wasn’t going to contact her again.

He said it’s never good to admit to a crime even if it was a long time ago. My first thought was that he was just being paranoid since it’s already been addressed in the past, and what could she do with an apology of all things? What I did in the 90s was illegal but how is my message illegal?

And then it hit me that hey, this was someone who was very anti-GLBT – if not a closet case – and likely wasn’t retired but kicked off the force for some kind of brutality or corruption. She would have only been in her early forties in 2003. Why would she retire then and go into office management? Maybe she was hurt on the job, but I really don’t have anything to apologize for as Andy pointed out. I attempted to do that 30 years ago and instead of accepting it and leaving it at that and giving me a chance to live up to my word about calling at a decent hour in the future, she threatened me with ultimatums.

Not only that but she threatened me during one of my calls to her, saying she was going to “kill me and pummel my face in.” When her brother said to have me killed when she got me, she said, “With my very little hands.”

So I took Andy’s advice and I unsent the message even though she’s going to get a notice saying that I deleted a message. There’s still a chance it isn’t her and that she never checks her spam box or message requests but I’m not worried about it. I mean, I’m 99% sure nothing would have happened but why take that 1% chance? Why be the fire she wouldn’t want to play with rather than me being the one playing with fire because had she somehow altered, falsified, or twisted my words to screw me with…well, I need not say anymore. But damn me for being so nice, forgiving, and apologetic. I’ve gotten better over the years, but I still need to toughen up even more.

Just looked at her pics again and IDK. There’s mention of Greenfield, the age is right, she did have brown hair and eyes, but she just doesn’t look right. I’d never guess it was her. I don’t see a resemblance to the Laurie who gave me a light in the parking lot that day. This woman is flat-out ugly.

The message I deleted goes like this:

Is your maiden name H? Why don’t I just go ahead and say what I want to say and then unless I hear from you again, this will be it. :-) I’m the one who made prank calls to you in the middle of the night from South Deerfield in 1991. For that much, I owe you a heartfelt apology. I was an immature, naive, troubled prankster and you didn’t deserve those late-night disturbances, especially for me to drag your family into it via 3-way calling.

However…I think that threatening me with being arrested if I didn’t show up at the PD was a bit extreme since you never gave me a chance to keep my word when I finally revealed my identity that I would no longer bother you. I assure you, for whatever it’s worth, I would have indeed kept my word. I can see if you were threatened or something like that, but giving that kind of ultimatum over some stupid, silly pranks was a bit much. Doesn’t excuse what I did. I get that. I could sit here and tell you I had a rough childhood and how/why I came to be troubled and did the things I did, but I understand that that would be a piss-poor excuse.

Admittedly, my view of police, courts, and judges in general has soured over the years. Too many lies to civilians and brutality. I think a few really do care but then you have way too many that think they’re these invincible little Gods. Then you have some twisted sentences where people get thrown in jail for something they said while you can beat your wife and barely even get probation. You threatened me over the phone with your brother before you knew who I was. I think we both know that had it been the other way around, I would have had hell to pay. Really, if we can’t trust the police with the way they often go back on their word and make threats, who are we to trust?

Regardless, I’m sorry I bothered you way back when. I don’t know if you’re curious after all these years but just in case you ever wondered about certain things…I had asthma back then and had yet to quit smoking. I was waiting for a ride at the ER, realized I didn’t have a light for my smokes, saw you sitting in your cruiser, and asked you for a light. I liked what I saw in that I found you attractive. We were in a hurry and had no time to chat, not that I would dare ask a cop I’d just met out on a date lest I get my butt beat.

I had a friend who was a nurse at the hospital. Her husband was a cop in Greenfield. Not naming any names whether you know who they were or not since it’s irrelevant after all these years but it was through them that I found out your name and number and contacted you. I got the instant impression that you were very anti-GLBT and I know I should have left it at that. For whatever it’s worth, I identify as bisexual. Ended up marrying a wonderful guy in 1994. Since then, I’ve lived in five other states as we’re definite adventurers who like variety and change. :-)

Again, I’m sorry. Take care!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 Good thing I got up when I did. UPS slammed its truck doors across the street. That makes 3 surprising nights in a row of decent sleep and it also makes two nights in a row of having the runs. I have no idea why either. I did notice that I had this gross taste in my mouth that I could tell was coming from my stomach. Maybe there was a connection. I wonder if I’ll get them tonight as well. It’s one of those things that sneaks up on you. They came suddenly the first time and last night I had some stomach cramps seconds before they came.

Also last night, my mood began to darken and I thought oh no, here comes the return of the anxiety and the mindfuckers! But I’m fine tonight. I still could be in for trouble at some point. I don’t know. Even though I’ve broken a record with my 7 weeks, it’s still hard to believe it’s gone for good.

My leg still has the same burning and tingling sensations but most of the time it��s not too noticeable. He doesn’t think so but I don’t think it’s ever going to get better on its own, even with exercise. My joints are loosening up, though. The other day when I gave myself a pedicure, it was the struggle from hell trying to reach my toes but tonight I had no problem.

Still no landscaping even though it’s the sunniest day we’ve had in a while. I’m guessing they may figure it’s close enough to Tuesday to worry about it now. Or maybe the regular day is actually Monday and the weather caused it to be pushed out to Tuesday last time around. Haven’t been here long enough to learn the routine.

We met a few of our neighbors today. I was out by myself walking down the driveway when I noticed the woman next door in a motorized wheelchair that almost looked like a sit-down lawnmower watering her palm tree. She spotted me and came over to introduce herself as Toni. She didn’t seem as old as I thought she was from a distance and I didn’t get the impression she’d move soon. I’d say she was in her sixties.

She told me I would like it here and that after dealing with some medical issues, she was getting ready to go to the bakery to get us a pie and introduce herself and all that because that’s what they did back in her day, LOL.

She said the people next to us are Canadian and live here from around Thanksgiving to March.

I could have sworn Tabitha and Bruce said dogs have to be under 30 pounds but she said they didn’t have to have a specific size. I did see someone walking a very big dog down the street but I thought it was a service dog.

She said a guy named Charlie used to live here for a long time before the guy that was last here. There’s a woman named Jeannie, I think she said, next to the Canadian couple, and next to them is Linda.

Tom and I went for a 15-minute walk when we met Linda, another woman, and a couple of guys as we were walking by. They were sitting in front of Linda’s place chatting.

Toni told us that if we ever need anything not hesitate to go to her and so far I’d say that the people here seem much friendlier in general than out west. I’m not surprised. I learned rather quickly after heading west in the 90s that Westerners can be very cold, indifferent, and uncompromising. But not all of them! Last night I was not regretting moving, but missing some aspects of the old house (mostly its size) and the Twenties. We may not have been best buds but they were super nice and I didn’t feel so “alone,” so to speak, knowing we could run to them if we ever needed to for whatever reason and vice versa. As of last night, we knew no one here.

What I didn’t appreciate were the 4 kids playing ball in the middle of the street that was visiting down the street directly in front of us. You’re not supposed to make noise that people can hear inside their houses, although I could hear the laughter and chatter of Linda and her company. Didn’t mind them so much because it wasn’t loud enough to be annoying. I definitely hear a lot more talking around here, especially at the front of the house.

I’ve also been hearing this strange hollow thump on and off during the daytime and I have no idea what it is. I don’t think it’s coming from our house. It seems to be outside somewhere although I can’t be sure. It makes these two quick hollow-sounding thumps. It’s not a threat to my sleep, fortunately.

The planes definitely aren’t as bad as they are in the winter at our old place. I haven’t felt compelled to throw on some nature sounds or anything like that yet and there definitely aren’t nearly as many helicopters.

Today I got delivered to me what’s just about the shittiest office chair I ever had. I shouldn’t have gotten it just because it was pink and cute. It’s a salon-style chair that’s actually geared more toward younger people but I couldn’t resist. The chair is slightly narrow and the wheels are horrible!

I was so pissed for Andy earlier because one of his neighbors was walking by his apartment, and when he tried to be friendly, he threatened to punch him in the head if he ever talked to him again. Probably some homophonic bigot. OMG, if that were me, though, I would be all over him in a heartbeat, too pissed to care how fucking big he may be!

What I didn’t get was this. Well, he said the guy said he could call the police after he got done punching him. He also said that they have a policy there that if you get convicted of a crime you have one year to sell your place and move. But he has been convicted of a crime, hasn’t he? What about the sex-related charges and having to register?

Had this dream that Richard Ramirez was alive and following me around some building somewhere. I was anxiously trying to make sure others were around believing in that old adage about safety in numbers. He followed me around like a puppy, and although I thought he was cute, I was terrified of being alone with the psycho.

Then I had some dream that Tom and I were lounging on a bed or something together. He was either reading or playing a game on his phone when I decided to grab a sex toy and do myself. Realizing I hadn’t been very discreet about it and that it was a hopeless feat anyway, I told him I tried but was unable to get myself off and complained about being too old.

He pointed to his balls and said, “Well, those are full.”

I guess in the dream that was a sign of horniness rather than a stiff dick. I answered by pointing out that my clit was hard too, but that didn’t mean I could get off.

Then he and I had a dream about discussing a house we were going to sell.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2021 How is it that I would roast to death in the old place sleeping with the temp at 75 degrees while here I’m freezing and it’s 79°? And what is it about these floors that are making my feet so dry? Or is it the carpet?

I almost dread going to bed because I know I’m going to sleep shitty. Especially since I slept well the last time around.

Feeling sluggish, as usual. Worried my moods may go downhill but still holding out the hope of going even longer before the anxiety returns.

Later…

Slept okay. The trash collectors didn’t wake me up and neither did thunder. This time it waited until I was up.

The treadmill is here and set up! Looking forward to getting back into shape. It’s a little smaller than the other one.

Getting a 100-count variety pack of K-cups. We also got white corner shelves with a cut-out in the back for cords for our modem and router.

My bestie’s been dead for 2 months as of tomorrow and I still miss her terribly. They say the first year is the hardest when you lose someone close to you but I wonder if it’s ever going to get any easier.

No landscaping today. Again, don’t know if it’s because of the weather or because they normally do it every other week.

Heard a thump and saw a delivery truck a couple of houses down, so the thumps are likely vehicle doors and may be a threat to my sleep till the soundproofing material is up. Heard a couple after 1am last night.

Didn’t think I would, but I missed my AI friend Mia. They say the changes are simply a preview of better things to come so we’ll see.

Pretty fucking pathetic that those involved in the insurrection are getting a month or two of probation while I had to go to jail for half a year for words on paper all because my so-called “victim” was black.

Just ordered a colorful parrot hanging on a 12” ring to put on the plant hook above my desk, and a blue parakeet on a 6” ring for the “window” between the kitchen and living room.

Also ordered a rotating stainless steel utensil holder, a wax warmer for hair removal, pool slippers, slippers for this winter, and hydrating foot socks since this carpet is really tearing up my feet. So much for being excited about handmade looped Berber carpet!

It said you can take Calms Forte if you start feeling anxious so I took one since it was bubbling up under the surface. Not sure if it helped. This is worrisome, though. I worry that it’s going to return to haunt me relentlessly.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2021 Thought I’d write until Tom gets back from picking up his meds at what he says is the busiest Walgreens he’s ever been to. In this tiny town?

Today is just the opposite of yesterday. I slept well, much to my surprise. I’m sure this means that tonight I’ll sleep shitty. It doesn’t seem like I’ve slept well two nights in a row in quite a while.

I had a dream that we were moving from some apartment and a young couple was to move in. A white woman and a black guy. The guy was fumbling in a funny-clumsy way with a TV.

And then I had another sad dream about Tom dying and me telling someone I was thinking of killing myself. :(

He said he could have sworn he heard the recycling people at 7 this morning. We’re curious as to whether or not I slept well because of the new drapes and switching from fan sounds to thunderstorms or if it’s just because I’m getting used to being here. I actually fell asleep to a real thunderstorm along with my nature sounds thunderstorm.

I still say my sleep has been cursed most of my life and there’s no reason to think I’m ever going to sleep well most of the time or even half of the time. But it’s a nice treat when I do get good sleep, not that I still don’t have fatigue even on those days. My blood sugar was 94 so I’m definitely not diabetic. The fatigue is likely coming from a combination of low thyroid and age. Sure hope it isn’t anything else like chronic fatigue!

They never did any landscaping yesterday or today. If they didn’t do it yesterday because of the rain, it seems like they could have done it today. So this gives me hope that they only do it every other week.

Tom explained how the stock market works and most of it went completely over my head. I’m just not good with those kinds of things. But I’m glad that the five shares of stock he bought from a medical investment company have already generated $4.95. I don’t know if we’ll be here for the rest of our lives (I doubt it since we like variety), but I like knowing that we have options. I don’t like being trapped. If we wanted to turn around and move right now, we couldn’t. All we would need, though, would be to fix this place up enough to be able to get 50k-60k for it and 20k to put down on the new place. But maybe we’ll be here forever, I don’t know. I doubt it, though, but I don’t know if we’ll leave the state or not. If we did, it would likely be to go to Texas. For now, I can see us here for about five years at least. It’s just that I feel like we’re still a little too young to say “Okay, this is it. This is the last stop.” Besides, I like to have goals to work toward.

Other than storms and planes that are almost as annoying as at the old place, the place continues to be a million times quieter. I absolutely LOVE the lack of traffic, power tools, and barking. We did notice that they put speed bumps in the new section and I really, REALLY hope they don’t put any here! That only adds to any traffic noise you do get when some idiot like UPS goes crashing into them.

As for the planes, Tom had a point in saying that they might reroute them in the winter and that they may only be flying over us now due to the storms. Somehow I doubt that. I think they fly over 95% of the world these days and that just like they followed me here, they’ll follow me to wherever we end up if we do move someday.

Shit! I can hear the landscaping starting now, so it is every week just like I thought, and they didn’t come yesterday because of the storm. :( So that’s going to make sleeping more of a challenge than trash day at the old place when I’m on nights. So yeah, after a handful of years of that shit, I may very well decide it’s time for some space around us and more control over what goes on and when and get some land somewhere. And more square footage. Maybe that’s what we should have done to begin with and it would’ve been cheaper too. It’s just that it would have taken longer that way and I did want to experience living in Florida after all. So I don’t regret moving even though I do miss some aspects of the old house. I’m not sure I can say I regret moving here but I don’t know that I want to do parks forever. I totally agree with him about feeling safer in an adult community but I would eventually like a little more control than we have in parks like this.

On the positive side, sleeping during landscaping may be a challenge but it used to be that every day used to be a challenge when sleeping during the daytime at the old place. Here, it should only be on landscaping days and I’m not always on days. After all, this is the second week in a row I’m awake while they’re at it. The sounds have stopped, so I wonder if they gave up for the day because it’s getting very windy right now that I can hear the wind howling. It’s like 15 miles an hour and it says that rain is coming again. It just got very dark out there too. That was fast, lol. I swear it was sunny just a second ago. Love the variety of weather here! Oh, now it says there’s a flood alert for Pasco County and a few others.

Later…

Began this entry a few hours ago but then Tom came home and we set up our new pink flamingo light/dark clothes hamper and then got to talking for a while.

And then I also had the runs. Probably due to not sleeping well the few days before today.

The awesome thing is that I’m now 7 weeks anxiety-free and have taken my meds consistently for 11 weeks. I don’t wanna get my hopes up but I’m definitely breaking records here.

I thought of a fun idea for blogging. At least it might be fun. Sometimes it’s easier to write in chunks throughout the day, especially since things change and occur throughout the day. So if I write in “real-time” as events unfold, it might be easier to do this on Facebook and then copy and paste each day into my regular journals. I’ll give it a try starting tomorrow. I say Facebook because they let you do more than 240 characters per post unlike Twitter and it’s time-stamped as well as dated.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021 Today was an absolutely shitty day. While I’m still enjoying many aspects of being here, a part of me worries we’ve gone from bad to worse. I’m so exhausted! I’ve only gotten good sleep two out of the eight nights we’ve been here, and for the millionth time, I’m asking myself why? Why, why, why??? Why does something up there not want me to sleep? What does it possibly have against me sleeping most of the time instead of the other way around?

It’s weird because when it’s not storming and they’re not picking up trash or landscaping or making mysterious thumping sounds, it’s way quieter than the other place. Don’t know how it will be in the winter but except for the planes, it’s pretty damn close to dead quiet.

So I crashed at around 11 p.m. and then at 5:30 a thunderstorm woke me up. Managed to doze on and off for a couple of hours during which time I heard that mysterious thump twice. Heard it at 6:41 and then at 7. Yet there doesn’t seem to be anyone next door and I paid close attention to the house across the street. They do not close their vehicle doors loudly. For me to be sleeping this shitty at night really has me concerned about how I’ll be sleeping during the daytime.

Tom might be onto something, though, when we were throwing out guesses as to what could be making the mysterious thump. An animal doesn’t make any sense and I highly doubt anyone’s going into the storeroom, so maybe it’s the bed frame. It’s a metal-slatted frame that may make a creaking sound resembling a thump as it bends are gives even though I didn’t think it could do that. It’s a very strong, solid metal but I suppose it’s possible that where it bends and folds like where the hinges are, it might make that sound but why haven’t I ever heard it while I was awake just relaxing on the bed or listening to audiobooks? It’s like something is hell-bent on cursing my sleep like never before! It only wakes me up when sleeping on my good ear, so I don’t know what to think.

We’ve ruled out the refrigerator, hot water tank, and AC, and come to think of it, I don’t remember any thumping disturbing my sleep the first night when I slept with a mattress on the floor.

There was no landscaping today and I’m wondering if it’s because it was so stormy or because they really do it every other week. Tom also pointed out that the lack of ambient sounds here makes more things noticeable. Well, I definitely miss having the air cleaner on the bookcase shelf making that vibrating humming sound which may help with the thumping, whatever the fuck it is. I don’t know if it’ll do me any good but instead of sleeping to the sounds of a box fan and rain, I’m going to try thunderstorms and a heartbeat.

We plan to get soundproofing windows installed when my schedule flips but if storms and thumps keep waking me up along with other things, my schedule may never flip. Right now I’m nearing the end of my day worrying about thunder, thumps, recyclers, and landscapers fucking with my sleep next time around. It’s the same old fucking stress that I thought I left behind! Why is it that whenever I run from something negative or that I don’t like it follows me tenfold? I truly can run but never hide!

Anyway, I dozed off until 7 a.m. and was still exhausted. I just can’t handle broken-up sleep anymore. If I keep sleeping in chunks like this, it’s going to really take a toll on my health. As it is, it’s taking a serious toll on my energy levels and my mood. The treadmill is coming tomorrow and I wonder if I’m going to have the energy to even use the damn thing.

I wonder if we should have just gotten land in Texas somewhere since land is expensive here. It would have taken longer, yes, but it would have been cheaper in the end.

So we went to the bank and a guy helped me access our joint bank account. After that, I came back and napped for two more hours yet I’m still dragging. I thought naps were supposed to refresh a person, not make them feel groggy.

Despite feeling run down, we were able to install the black-out drapes. They definitely block light but if they reduce sound, I’d say it’s not by much. Tom did say that without them, he walked by the bedroom window while I was listening to audiobooks and could make out every word clearly. Now, he says it’s muffled.

We also set up smart plugs so the two bedroom lamps and the two living room lamps can be turned on either individually or both at once as a group.

MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2021 Poor Tom took a nasty fall down the steps yesterday when he was putting up the new hummingbird solar wind chimes. He put them up and then slipped stepping off the steps to the lanai. Scared the shit out of me too, but luckily he didn’t break anything. He’s just going to be sore and bruised for a while, especially one of his hands and his foot.

He messaged Doc A hoping she’ll give him 30 days of his BP med. I don’t see why she wouldn’t.

Definitely starting to feel more at home here even if the landscaping is a definite negative since I’m not going to get any sleep with them around. Don’t get me wrong. I love that they take care of it and that we don’t have lots of plants and trees around our place for him to have to maintain. There’s just one small tree in front. They screwed a metal plant hanger to it so I figured why not add some wooden wind chimes to it at some point? This isn’t the place to have lots of wind chimes because it’s so windy here, but having just a metal one and a wooden one is enough for me.

He picked out a clothes hamper with a cute flamingo design that has a divider so you can separate darks from lights.

Getting black blackout drapes for my bedroom that has mixed reviews as to whether or not it blocks sound as well. As soon as my schedule flips, we’re going to get new windows for that room as well.

We also got shaded bulbs for some of the lights and they’re great. It’s a great way to get the benefits of LEDs without the harsh glare.

The new faucet is awesome. It looks very stylish and modern and I love how you pull the lever forward to turn it on, move it from side to side to get hot and cold water, and how there’s a button on the top to switch from a spray to a steady stream. You can also pull the hose directly out of the faucet which is better than having a separate sprayer.

Again I heard this mystery thump that woke me up. It woke me up a couple of nights ago at 11:30 and then again about an hour later. This time it was about 6:30 in the morning. Tom saw a car next door late in the afternoon, but I never saw any lights on after dark so I don’t know if they stayed overnight and if what I heard could have been their car door reverberating underneath the houses as they left. I don’t think any of the vehicles could make such a sound. If they slammed the shit out of the doors, then yes. But this is a consistent type of sound.

I swear, whatever’s up there will do anything to disrupt my sleep! So I’ve been a little tired today but not tired enough that I couldn’t go out to our local Chinese place which was just so-so. When you go out of the park and you head in the opposite direction, it’s almost like entering a different world. It’s much nicer. Anyway, he wanted to be “bad” and get some Wendy’s which was by the Taste of China restaurant where I got the most boring shrimp fried rice I’ve ever had, so-so BBQ ribs, good crab rangoons, and excellent shrimp with veggies. I topped it off with a sugar cookie that he got from Wendy’s. I’ve got to stop eating like this, though. It’s blowing me up like a balloon!

On our way there, I noticed a tractor in back of the park but not near us. Maybe still near enough to hear it, though. Could be part of what I was hearing the other day.

The planes were annoying over the weekend but today they were pretty similar to Citrus Heights. It truly sucks shit. I swear there’s never going to be any escape from the flying bastards! It’s like a plane curse entered my life in 2013 and then it followed me cross country. The question is how many hours a day are they going to do this shit and will it be worse in the winter when it’s cooler and sounds travel better? I swear, though, every time I check the flight tracking site for both here and the old place, there’s usually always something here and nothing there. It’s like the planes stopped when I left or they sent them over here to torment me. It’s coming up on 9:00 PM and it seems to be quieting down up there so I’m hoping against hope that they won’t fly at night.

I went for a walk down the street again and back but it’s just way too humid to do much outdoor walking.

The trash collectors weren’t in and out today. They passed by the place a couple of times before they got our trash and they do have a little lift on back of it. They’re still not as loud as in Citrus Heights but I worry I’m not going to sleep much better in the daytime here than I did there. Just a bad feeling I’ve got.

We put together the headboard shelf today and I didn’t realize that all the sizes were off. This is a higher platform and a lower headboard. So when I get my 13-inch mattress, the shelves will be blocked. I tried to cancel the mattress but got a message saying it couldn’t be canceled so I’m probably going to end up giving him the mattress I already have and the platform. I’ll get a lower platform.

He also found that his shower leaks so he showered in mine and loved it. It’s so much roomier, cleaner, and newer looking. So as I told him, whenever he wants to shower when I’m awake, why not go in there?

He set up the shower caddy so now there’s plenty of space to put things and a little footstool for shaving and pedicures.

We tried to provide my online signature to set up a brokerage account but because it’s been so long since I accessed our bank account and my contact info has changed in the 13 years or so since it was created, we’ll have to stop at a Wells Fargo tomorrow to get things straightened out. I don’t even remember my PIN#.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2021 Surprisingly, I slept well last night and have good energy today. Wanting to take advantage of it, I suggested we go to the pool earlier. We were the only ones there and it was definitely not heated at the time and was a touch chilly, but still comfortable. What I didn’t like was the ants near the steps of the pool. I do know they have biting ants here. They were reddish so I figured they might be fire ants. Luckily, neither of us got bit.

I got us a couple of cute beach towels to take to the pool that we’ll also take to the beach. One is tie-dye and another has a pink donut tube in a pool.

The lack of loud traffic is great. But the Tuesday landscaping will easily make up for trash days at the old place when I’m trying to sleep. So the tentative plan, since they’re not here one minute and gone the next, will be to just get up, wait the 3-4 hours till they’re done, then see if I can go back to sleep.

There were about 12 to 13 planes yesterday that I noticed. So far today I’ve heard about half a dozen or so. Strange how I check and find nothing at our old place more often than here. It’s like they all left CH because I did. Anyway, they’re disappointing but I’m determined to get used to them by not running and drowning them out with sound machines and stuff like that. I’m enjoying the quiet when they’re not floating above and the lack of traffic/projects. Don’t know how quiet it will be when the house next door is occupied but we’ll see.

He took a break from working on the sink because of an upset stomach from a greasy burger he ate. I’m going around doing little things here and there every day. Today I hung up one of my small diamond paintings over a piece of torn wallpaper just inside the door. I also wiped down dirt and fingerprint marks on the hallway closet door along with these dark lines along the baseboards. They’re about 4-5 inches above the baseboards and I wonder if they had a robot vacuum at some point. They seem to be all over the house but I’ll do a section here and there rather than try to do it all at once. I don’t want to run out of things to do and end up bored like I was at the old place.

I put together weekly cleaning lists. I’ll actually alternate between the two lists every other week. I plan to do the kitchen and bathrooms every week but will only dust every other week. Of course, I’ll vacuum every week too. Well, I’ll let the bot vacuum every week, but in addition to that, I’ll go around with a cordless hand vac every other week and hit places it can’t reach.

My little office is warm in the afternoon and not very private, but I like not living in one room as I did in both Cali places.

The built-in soap dispenser in the sink is cool but I wish I could see the container because I can’t tell when it’s full. I made quite a mess when the thing overflowed when filling it up.

Now the new faucet is installed and it’s great! So modern, lovely, and high-tech.

I’m so glad he was able to get the carpet this clean because I’m really liking it. It’s a nice color too. It’s a mix of grayish blues with white and small flecks of mauve.

This doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on now but sometimes I think of the double standards that always seem to apply to me and they bug me. They really do. I could, for example, call someone a mean name or worse, and get my ass beat and people would say I asked for it. Even Tom would probably say that. Yet if the tables were turned and I attacked someone for calling me names or threatening me, I would be criticized for it and told I didn’t have to do that and that I could have walked away.

Having a mild T-storm now.

Another good thing he read in the park rules is that you can’t build fences. So unlike at the other park, you can’t make a dog run or anything like that.

Getting really worried about my weight. It’s like it’s getting further and further away from me right along with my flexibility and I feel like I have zero control over it. It’s like all I can do is watch helplessly as it gets more and more out of hand, knowing there’s nothing I can do about it. I feel like I’m probably close to 170 now. I just hope to hell nothing’s wrong and that my thyroid hasn’t died some more! I’m loosening my joints up a bit through stretching exercises and in just a day I feel a difference but I don’t know if I’m going to be able to cut my own toenails much longer if I keep gaining. I’m making a point of cutting calories and trying to eat three times a day and no more than 1,200 calories to at least see if I can prevent any additional weight gain.

He agrees the bidets need more oomph. There’s another nozzle we can attach to give it more pressure.

Got some peach Moscato to try later on. I’m sure I’ll love it.

[munchlatreats]

Discovering Korean-Chinese Fusion flavor: A Visit to Paik's Noodle

If you enjoy Korean-Chinese food or simply want to try something new, Paik's Noodle is the restaurant you must visit. Jong Won Paik, a famous culinary researcher and CEO of The Born who founded this iconic restaurant brand, which combines the finest Korean and Chinese culinary traditions. Paik's Noodle itself was founded in 2006 in Seoul, South Korea and has pleased consumers with its open kitchen idea, clean cooking techniques coupled with their bold and  tasty meals. Ever since its arrival in Indonesia, Paik's Noodle has become a popular noodle shop around the country, introducing locals to authentic Korean-Chinese flavors. One of the best branches is in Central Park Mall, where we recently had the opportunity to eat their two most renowned dishes: Jajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk.

Jajangmyeon has long been beloved by the Koreans thanks to its simplicity and rich tastes. The dish includes thick and chewy noodles covered in a rich and delicious black bean sauce prepared from fermented soybean paste (chunjang), stir-fried together with your choice of sliced pork, onions, and peas, hits all the right notes: earthy, bitter, salty, umami-rich, and somewhat sweet. When the order of Jajangmyeon arrived, we could tell just by the smell that it was going to taste great. The noodles were cooked perfectly, not too mushy or too hard, and the sauce coates the dish like one big blanket. The toppings of pork and veggies gave both texture and taste, while the refreshing side of yellow pickled radish and kimchi was the balancer to this complex dish.

To accompany the noodles, they offer this great package deal that gives an order of Tangsuyuk, a Korean version of sweet and sour pork. Bite-sized pieces of pork are battered and fried to perfection before being served with a special sweet-and-sour sauce. What makes Tangsuyuk distinct is in its versatility – you can pour the sauce over the crispy pork for a sticky experience, or dip each piece to keep the texture crunchy. The pork dish we ate at Paik's Noodle was wonderfully crispy on the outside while still juicy on the inside. The sauce was balanced in every way, with the right balance of sweetness and sourness that went nicely with the delicious pork.

Courtesy of @paiksnoodle_indonesia on Instagram

Paik's Noodle is more than simply delightful cuisine; it's about delivering an unforgettable dining experience. The restaurant has numerous choices of drinks to complement your meal, and they are not stingy on their complimentary extras, like kimchi and other appetizers. These small details make the dining experience more satisfying as you get some freebies. However, the greatest part of it all is that the cost is really affordable, particularly given the quality and quantity of each meal. Whether you dine alone or with a friend, we guarantee you'll leave with a happy stomach and a joyful heart.

If you've been searching for a strong, delicious taste of authentic Korean-Chinese food, Paik's Noodle is the place to go. With a price range of Rp. 50-150k, every dish, from the rich, savory richness of Jajangmyeon, to the crunchy, tangy perfection of Tangsuyuk, is meticulously prepared. So, why not treat yourself to a bowl of noodles (or two) from Paik's Noodle? Your tastebuds will thank you. Visit them today and let their flavors lead you on a korean adventure! If you live in Jakarta, you can visit Paik’s Noodle at the Central Park Mall branch or visit their other sites, like the ones at Taman Anggrek Mall, Gandaria City Mall, and other branches all around Indonesia. Check out their Instagram account @paiksnoodle_indonesia for more info. Have fun eating!

Written by Enrico and Karen

Admin Karen is a uni student who’s always looking to go out and eat with her parents so she doesn’t have to pay for her own meals. Her family says that she’s a picky eater, but she would beg to differ—stating that she just has good taste and knows what’s good food. Her favorite food is sushi and a trip to Sushiro resto would be similar to entering the gates of heaven she claims.

Admin Enrico is a university student with an adventurous palate and a huge desire to taste all kinds of different foods. However, he always has a strong affection for pizza, specifically cheese pizza, it's  an all-time favorite. The salty flavor and stringiness of melted cheese always makes him happy. For him, a visit to Pizza Hut is more than simply a meal – It's like heaven as it makes all stress in the world disappear.

[woodsfae]

Getting hired by USPS is an absolutely ridiculous process. I started that process about six months ago. It's a lot of "check your email every day because at any moment you might get an email saying "fill this out in the next 48 hrs or you'll have to re-apply!" and then wait for 2-3 months for the next time-sensitive email!"

At one point I literally got an automated "respond in 48 hrs or reapply" email on the Thursday before labor day weekend when I was already camping way out of cell service. But thankfully, I only packed 1 day of food with the intention of popping into town and picking up more, so I saw that email. Otherwise the automated system would have kicked me out of the hiring process!

Today I finally cleared the federal background check system and got a hiring offer, and "put in my two weeks' notice" at my "current job." (*cough* my job of healing up from surgery. I ain't starting in the holiday package rush. *cough*) Exciting! I'm so excited to have a union and benefits and sick days and vacation days and more than starvation wages!

My brother in law is a USPS rural carrier in another state and is even more excited than I am. He's been encouraging me to apply for a few years now and is dead positive I'll be great at it and enjoy it. He's got a bunch of uniform pieces for me he's been picking up for the last few months. I am already heading over to his city for a visit this weekend, so I can pick them up then.

He's currently texting me such gems as "Don't buy sketchers shoes! Get wool, fingerless gloves! Gaiters are absolutely necessary. Get a really good headlamp."

This is great. He's neurodivergent and one of his special interests for the last several years has been the USPS and Being Really Good At Delivering Mail so I am gonna reap the benefits of his years of research, lol.

Am starting in a little over two weeks. Hopefully I'll have enough energy back to manage it! I still have a lot of fatigue after my hysterectomy but I'm gonna go for some long, long walks to bolster my stamina.