#(6) phoenix (thinking): did i leave the stove on

[mochattele]

thats gay, my dude,

[clvmtines]

welcome aboard, clementine martinez, student #2. we are excited to set sail with you !  has anyone told you that you look like alexa demie? according to our records, you hail from florida, usa, prefer she / her pronouns, are a cis woman, and are here to study creative writing. we also see you received a spot on the ss university because of your online lottery win — we won’t tell anyone. during your first few weeks here, other students said you were + charming, + free-spirited, but also - restive. it sounds like you spend most of your time at the billiards room. upon checking your luggage, we noticed you packed a casino chip carried around for luck from home. hopefully your roommates don’t steal it!

hi friends! i’m very excited to be here. i’m jay (est, she/her) n i used to play astrid nyland a few months ago if anyone remembers bt i had to leave for personal reasons. i’m so glad to be back now that i hve life sorted and some free time for summer break <3 read on for some details abt this new muse of mine, clementine. 

01. biography !

so ! clementine was born in florida. & yes, her real name is clementine. her mom thot it was the cutest name idea ever. clementine mostly goes by clem. she comes from the town [redacted] in florida bcoz i am too lazy to look up a specific town <3 but alas ! it was swampy and humid and she lived in a trailer park. 

her parents got knocked up at nineteen. clem was born nine months after a particularly wild 1999 fourth of july. her birthday is march 26th and she’s an aries. 

(TW: addiction, child injury) clem’s dad was a gambling addict and petty criminal—he wld steal credit cards n whatnot. he wld gamble away diaper money n it would cause constant fighting until her dad finally left. her mom took this very hard n began drinking a bit too often, leaving clem to to make cereal for dinner n fend for herself. once clem tried to make hot dogs on the stove and spilled boiling water on herself. got a p bad burn on her arm/shoulder and still has a big scar.

the soundtrack of her childhood was cicadas buzzing and stray dogs barking. the sizzle and pop of natty light cans. turning up her ipod to max volume to drown out the sounds of her mother fighting with her new boyfriend.

throughout her upbringing, clem’s dad was always in and out of the picture. he’d blow into town when he hit it big. he’d take her on these little “adventures” like staying in a motel 6 n renting movies at block buster n ordering good pizza nt the dominos shit she ate with her mom lol. ofc he was charging it all to someone’s stolen credit card. he’d always promise to, like, take clem away. n clem was a daddy’s girl so she believed him. the last time it happened was her h.s. graduation. her mom didn’t show ( "overslept” after a bender ) but her dad did and surprised her n said everything wld be different. bt then he bailed on their plans for the next day n when she called his cell, the number was disconnected. tht was the defining “i’m done” moment. clem promised to never be disappointed by her father again.

(TW: racism) her mother has mexican ancestry and clem’s always been called her twin. but clem was raised in a predominately white area and honestly ?? it was really hard without her even realizing it. she’s still unpacking a lot of things today abt her youth that jst weren’t okay bt she thought were normal. like microaggressions, stereotypes, being fetishized by boys in high school. gross shit.

as a kid, clem was rumored to be really poor bc she wore tattered clothes n got free lunch at school. once she invited a friend to her house & the next day they told everyone it’s in a trailer park. that reputation—the “trailer park girl”—was really hard to shake. and clem got almost desperate to shake it. she was endlessly trying to set her old self on fire and emerge from the ashes like a phoenix.

eventually clem became more “popular”. in school she was, like, a straight b student. very average although super creative and quick-thinking. she always had street smarts. problem solving skills. independence. more of, like, practical intelligence as opposed to book smarts because academia bores her tbh. she was like why am i reading these overrated boring books by dead white men or learning abt polynomials when i know nothing abt how to pay a mortage or do taxes. like...she saw the american education system as bullshit and put in modest effort because she didn’t believe it deserved her sweat and tears. 

however, she entered the online lottery for the seas program on a whim and got in. so she’s studying creative writing now.

02. personality !

first thing you shld know abt clem is that she’s a compulsive liar essentially—she tells various stories to make her life seem better than what it was. to one person, she’s an heiress to a real estate company and grew up wealthy. to the next she was raised by nomadic hippies. some of her lies are small fibs while others are grandiose tales. she rarely talks about her actual upbringing. she hates talking abt her family or the v real trauma of growing up in a household where both parents struggled w/ addiction; the uncertainty, the broken promises, the fact that she had to grow up so soon and deal w/ so much. it wasn’t fair, and if she thinks about it too much, she feels this anger. anger at the universe. anger at her circumstances. she doesn’t know where to put this anger. she doesn’t know how to shrink it. so she avoids it.

despite her rough upbringing, though, clem is actually really sweet and kind. she’s adventurous, fun-loving, free-spirited, and bold. 

bt ! she can also be closed-off, competitive and restive. 

she’s seemingly tight with everyone? like she’s jst that girl who can get along with anyone tbh. 

in her spare time you can catch her tanning by the pool, hanging at the bar, playing pool ( which she learned from her dad ), and socializing. she’ll never say no to hanging out with people. 

she learned a lot from her little “adventures” with her dad, who was very good at conning others and often involved her in his dumb little scams. clem is suuuper good at pulling the ‘im baby 🥺’ card to get what she wants.

she can be a little selfish, because she grew up looking out for herself. 

stubborn and dogmatic as hell !!!

she doesn’t do too many relationships but when she does fall, i imagine she falls hard and fast. she refuses to be made a fool of, tho. when she gets vulnerable she flashes back to being a kid, waiting all day for her dad to show up only to have him bail on her. again. she hates that feeling. so if she, like, senses a shift in someone’s energy she’ll b like, “i’ll break up with u before u can do it to me” and the person wasn’t even tryna dump her lmao.

has a lot of sex. too much ?? sex?? mayb. but she’s v sex positive.

her personal style is v late 90s. hair clips, big scrunchies, neon, fur trim, crop and tube tops, hoop earrings, chokers, patterns, platform shoes, biodegradable glitter cuz it’s good fr the earth *winks*. clothes from o-mighty.......actually jst google o mighty, pull up the images and That is clem. she dresses like a bratz doll. she’s dedicated to the aesthetic.

03. headcanons !

her item brought from home is a hot pink poker chip from a casino. her dad gave it to her. he said it reminded him of her because of the color; he got it during one of his winning streaks and said it was lucky. she has a complicated relationship w/ her dad n doesn’t even speak to him anymore, bt she will never go anywhere without it.

she’s a smol bean—only 5′4

an astrology girl and she reads palms ! she absolutely makes astrology tik toks that people only watch because she’s hot. her flirting technique is to ask you to read your palm.

she doesn’t typically drink to get drunk. but she does love a good sugary cocktail. to her, a drink is like an accessory. a blue fishbowl by the pool, a jack and coke as she stands around a bar. usually she'll nurse the same beverage for a while. if you see her wasted it usually means she’s going thru it emotionally lol. the one thing she does do is drugs tho 

pretty much listens to exclusively female artists.

a bit of an activist. environmentalism, feminism and the like, she’s v outspoken. vegan for ethical reasons (TW: drugs) bt still does cocaine. she wears shirts with ‘my pussy my choice’ bedazzled on the front.

loves to rollerblade ! back home she didn’t have a car so she’d bike or rollerblade. now she still has her blades and she’ll use them when the ship docks. 

03. wanted connections !

Friends, bffs, ride or dies, friends who are like siblings to her, maybe a friend with an unrequited crush on either side ??

an ex she dumped/cheated on/otherwise self sabotaged their relationship because she was afraid of vulnerability.

an ex friend who realized she lies a lot abt herself n felt betrayed. OH ! ESP if they opened up to her on many occasions abt intimate, personal stuff. imagine the betrayal they felt when they found that everything they thought they knew abt clem is a lie.

someone who she actually opens up to. a confidant. or, maybe, like, a stranger she drunkenly spilled her soul to and now she avoids them like the plague.

a rival. clem can be competitive.

her drug dealer 

someone she knows she shouldn’t hook up with and… does it anyways. like a friend’s ex or smthing. spicy <3

i welcome anything !

[ourmiraclealigner]

Already Gone

Hoosier Smith x Reader

Gif not mine! Credit to owner.

request: @stressedinadress

synopsis: After he enlists, (Y/N) and Hoosier discuss the future of their relationship + prompt #21 “If you cared about me, you wouldn’t do this.”

A/N: I’m sorry this took so long!

warnings: none

taglist: @floydtab @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant @mavysnavy @ivy-miranda-2390 @ya-yeeteth @rarmiitage @primusk @punkgeekchic @joesliebgott @weirdbiwitch @inglourious-imagines @wexhappyxfew @contrabandhothead @vintagelavenderskies @easy-company-tradition @meteora-fc @order-of-river-phoenix @immrsronaldspeirs

————————————

The heavy wooden door closed behind (Y/N), a shiver running through her body as the warmth from the house enveloped her. She took her shoes off as she glanced towards the clock on the wall in the hallway- a little past 6. With a shiver, she took her coat off, brushing the snow off of it before shoving it into the closet.

It was early December, but it felt like it had been years since everything had been normal. Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor days earlier, and it seemed like the country had completely shifted. All of the men (Y/N) had grown up with and worked with were leaving to fight in another country.

“Bill?” She called out as she unwrapped the scarf from around her neck. She had seen his car in the driveway, but hadn’t heard him.

“In the kitchen.” He called back, poking his head through the doorframe so that she would see him. With a smile she walked towards him, the smell of her favorite meal immediately enveloping her. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, catching a glimpse of a vase filled with red roses on the table.

“What's all of this?” She asked as she motioned to the stove and then to the flowers, worried she had forgotten an important date. She watched as he dried his hands on a rag and leaned against the counter, his body facing hers.

“Can’t do something nice for my girl?” Her eyebrows furrowed at his answer.

“You just never do something like this unless it's my birthday or our anniversary.” She retorted wearily, moving to help him set the table as he grabbed plates and silverware. He pulled out her chair and motioned for her to sit before going back to the stove to grab the pot.

“Let me do everything, sweetheart.” Bill mumbled as he scooped the meal onto her plate before moving to load his own plate up. “How was your day?” He asked as he took the seat across from her after putting the pot back on the stove.

(Y/N) let out a sigh as she took the fork in her hand. “Beyond stressful.” She mumbled before taking a bite of the food. Once she swallowed, she spoke again. “Dale left, so they’re adding some of his work onto my workload- I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep up.”

Bill nodded along, having sensed her stress as soon as she walked through the door. “Dale left?”

“Air Force. Left last night I guess.” She shook her head before speaking again. “I can’t believe all of these boys are just...enlisting. It’s so dangerous.” She trailed off, not noticing how quiet Bill had become as they finished the rest of their dinner in silence.

“I’ll do the dishes since you made dinner.” She offered as she grabbed his empty plate from the table and walked over to the sink. He stayed back by the table, half sitting on it as he watched her.

“I did want to talk to you about something, though.” He said softly, only continuing when she threw a glance back at him over her shoulder, urging him to continue. “I don’t want you to be upset.”

(Y/N) turned off the water and faced him, catching the seriousness in his tone. She grabbed a rag to dry her hands as she stared at him. “What is it?” She asked as her eyebrows furrowed.

Bill took a deep breath, his eyes still on hers as he tried to deliver the news as soon as possible. “I enlisted in the Marines yesterday. I ship out at the end of this week.” Silence fell over the room as he stared at her blank face, desperate to figure out what she was thinking.

“No.” (Y/N) finally said as if it was the most simple thing. She tossed the rag on the counter before turning back around to put away the clean dishes.

“No? What do you mean no?”

“You aren't going.” She answered, her tone still light as she tried to push the heaviness of the situation away. Her hands shook as she pushed a plate into the cabinet.

He let out a frustrated chuckle before trying to calm down. He didn’t want to fight with her when their days together were numbered. “Sweetheart, it's not that simple and you know it.” He said softly, hoping she was feeling the same way about fighting as he was.

“You aren't going to god knows where to be killed for a country that-” She stopped, forcing herself to take a deep breath, her hands gripping the counter. “If you cared about me, you wouldn't do this.” She said slowly, hoping her words would deter him, even though she knew it wasn’t likely.

“Can you at least look at me?” He begged, feeling his chest tighten at her words. She turned to face him, her eyes brimming with tears. “You know how much I love and care about you, but I have to go. I don’t expect you to understand, it’s just something I need to do.”

She shook her head and quickly wiped a stray tear that slid down her cheek. “If you go, we’re done.” She said desperately, hoping that what she was saying would change his mind.

“Don’t do that.” Bill pleaded, feeling tears brim his own eyes. “You know what the answer will be.”

She let out a huff as she looked away, struggling to hold her tears back as she shook her head. “Be careful over there, Bill, wherever you get shipped off to.” She watched him cover his face with his hands. “I’ll always appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

(Y/N) walked towards him, pulling his shaking body into one last tight hug before walking back to the door and pulling on her shoes and gloves. He watched from the kitchen, finding it hard to believe that earlier she was calling out to him as he made her dinner.

“Don’t do this, (Y/N), please.” He called out, but she was already gone.

[snezfics-n-shit]

Whumptober Day 31: Halloween

Fandom: Ace Attorney 

Characters: [2001 Half] Gregory Edgeworth, Raymond Shields / [2021 Half] Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Trucy Wright

Notes: Two Halloweens, Two Defense Attorneys, Two Decades Apart. Last day so we’re going to town. Two whumps for the price of one! In the first half, you’ll find some Gregory content. For the second, you’ll see everyone’s favorite disbarred hobo dad. It really is Real DILF Hours this fine Halloween.

                                                   --October 31, 2001--

“Thank you again, Mrs. Wright. You kids have fun!” Gregory watched the group of trick-or-treaters go on their way. It felt almost like a dream to know his son was in that group, trick-or-treating with real friends. For past Halloweens, Gregory and Miles would stay in and read something together until deciding to watch It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown together before usually falling asleep on the couch. While he was more than proud of his son making friends, Gregory felt a little sad when his son told him he would be out. 

It was only when Gregory woke up the morning before with a persistent tickle in his throat that he was actually grateful to be the only one at home for the holiday, for at least a few hours. For a moment, he assumed it was simply the doing of Fall allergies, and perhaps some of it was, but the steadily rising feeling of malaise started to tip him off. By the time he was seeing his son off with his group of friends, he was more than ready to turn in for the night at 6:30PM.

Gregory closed the door slowly so he could triple check that the group was traveling safely. Despite having kept a close eye out on his surroundings, he failed to notice a familiar face approaching his home. He thought he could easily resign himself to some cold medicine and an early night until he heard the turning of a doorknob. 

“Miles? Is that you?” He called as far as his hoarse voice could reach.

“No, it’s me, Mr. Edgeworth!” Ray twirled a keychain around and bit into a chocolate bar. “You gave me your spare key, remember? When I helped you bring in that big bag of dog food? Or was it when you had shingles? I forget.”

“Neither.” Gregory shook his head. “I gave you the spare key that time you watched Miles when I had that date.”

“O-Oh, right. How did that go, by the way?”

“Not great. The movie was awful and she demanded a refund after it was over. I don’t think I’ll be going out with anyone on the PTA again.” Gregory coughed a few times in his elbow before noticing what Ray was eating. “Where did you get that?”

“From your candy bowl.” 

“Did you take just one like the sign said?”

Ray shrugged as he pulled about four more chocolate bars from his coat pockets. 

“You should really be handing out the candy to prevent this kind of miscommunication.”

“I’m coming down with a cold, so I think I’ll pass.” Gregory took Ray’s coat to hang on the coat rack, if only to prevent more candy smuggling. “I’m surprised you’re not trick-or-treating.”

“I wanted to spend time with you, Mr. Edgeworth. You said you’ll be staying inside alone this year.” Ray helped himself to the living room couch, pleased to greet the pomeranian lounging there. “Hey, Missile!” He made kissing faces at the pup. “I guess not too alone.”

“Don’t let him lick your face while you have chocolate all over.” Gregory called the dog over to him. “You can rinse your face in the bathroom, and could you bring me the cold medicine from the cabinet?”

“Of course, Mr. Edgeworth!”

“Thank you.” Gregory stole Ray’s spot on the couch and let Missile hop on his lap. Just sitting down was more rest than Gregory had let himself have all day. He looked up to watch Ray return from the bathroom, somehow having gotten his hands on a lollipop.

“How come you’re not using Coldkiller X?” Ray tossed the requested medicine into Gregory’s lap. “It’s been flying off the shelves since it came out; it’s a real hit.” 

“I prefer my usual NyQuil. I’d rather sleep through my colds.”

“You do look like you could use some sleep, Mr. Edgeworth.” Ray wiggled the lollipop stick around in his mouth. “Also, I think it’s really cool you put candy all around your house for Halloween.”

“What do you mean?” Gregory furrowed his brow. 

“These lollipops in your bathroom.” He pulled out the stick to reveal a purple teddy bear pop. “It kinda makes my mouth feel funny, though. I think I’m allergic to something in it.”

“Raymond, that’s--,” Gregory sighed and put his head in his hands, “medicated. It has an anesthetic in it.”

“Oh, huh.” Ray stared at the lollipop before offering it to Gregory. “Do you want it?”

“No, thank you.” Gregory found the offer to be both amusing and repulsive. “I think I’ll be fine just having some tea.” He ushered Missile to direct some affection towards Ray so he could stand up. “Do you want any?”

“Just water is fine.” Ray rubbed his tongue against his front teeth. “I don’t think anything else would taste good right now.”

“At least that means you won’t be stealing any more candy.” Gregory chuckled as he proceeded to start the stove under the kettle. “I also shouldn’t have to tell you that you shouldn’t be eating things from a medicine cabinet.” 

“Got it. ‘Don’t eat candy from the medicine cabinet.’” Ray read aloud from his notepad before eating the page he just wrote on. 

“I feel like I should be concerned that you needed to write that down.” To say nothing of Ray’s paper eating habit, which Gregory stopped questioning after six months into Ray working part-time at the firm. He wanted to say Ray had matured since he had hired him, but it was likely more familiarity with his antics than anything. “Do you want any ice in your water?” Gregory opened the refrigerator door and leaned forward, reaching for the pitcher of water.

“No, that’s fine.” Ray answered, not looking away from Missile, who was staring at him with wide eyes. “Who’s a good boy?”

“I’d like to think I am.” Gregory laughed before standing upright again. Having his head at any angle outside of a very specific range when he had a cold always gave him a head-rush. “AE’SSHHOOUH! Eh’KXNT...chooh” He stifled the second one so Ray wouldn’t say anything about trying to scare him. With it being Halloween, the potential for comments like that was abundant.

“Bless you, Mr. Edgeworth.” In truth, Ray was hardly paying enough attention to really say anything; he was too busy scratching behind Missile’s ears. “You’re such a cool dad, keeping this cutie.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been called ‘cool’ before, at least not sincerely.” Gregory tugged a tissue from the box on the kitchen counter and gently held it under his nose. 

“R-Really? Not even about all your Star Wars stuff?”

“That stuff is exactly--,” Gregory used the tissue to muffle some coughs, “exactly what made me not cool. I only had one friend in high school, and that was Miles’s mother.” He always felt some pain in his chest bringing her up, but he was too caught up in the memory to stop himself. “She was homeschooled before she transferred, so she didn’t really care if I was ‘cool’ or not.” He dropped the tissue into the trash bin before he opened a cupboard and grabbed two plain blue mugs. Cold water in a mug wasn’t a faux pas, was it?

“Are you feverish enough to finally tell me about her?” 

“This cold’s only just started, so no.” Gregory shut off the stove once he saw the steam leaving the kettle. As nice as it would be to have savored that, he didn’t want to keep Ray waiting for his water. “But I guess I can’t avoid talking about Marie forever.” He coated his own mug’s base with honey before topping it with a tea bag. He had no idea exactly what kind of tea it was; he only bought the types his son wrote on the grocery list in skillful handwriting absolutely not inherited from Gregory.

Naturally, when Gregory returned to the living room with both beverages, Ray had reclaimed the seat he had rightfully stolen.  He set Ray’s drink on the coffee table in front of the sofa before finding himself a new seat next to him.

“So, what was she like?” Ray took a long sip of his water, hoping to wash out the anesthetic. 

“Well, for starters, she was my best friend for over ten years.” Gregory moved the tea bag up and down by the string. “She transferred to my high school just after her parents separated. She moved with her dad all the way from the middle of nowhere, so we were both in the same ‘no friends’ boat.”

“Did you two realize the one you loved was right in front of you? Like in a movie?”

“Ah,” Gregory didn’t look up from his mug, “just one of us did. She didn’t feel the same way about me.”

“B-But you guys had a kid together! There had to be something there.” Ray’s jaw dropped when he saw Gregory shake his head. 

“I only realized I loved her after we, uh,” Gregory coughed awkwardly, “you know. I told her and that just ruined everything we had. The last time I saw her before she died was the day she dropped off Miles.”

“Oh, huh.” Ray felt himself tearing up. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not that much of a tearjerker, I promise. I have a son I couldn’t be more proud of. I wouldn’t trade him for the world, even if it meant having Marie in my life for a few extra years.”

“Wha?’ Ray wiped some tears from his eyes. “I’m not that sad. I just, uh, lost an eyelash. Let me find it so I can make a wish.” He grabbed a tissue from the box on the coffee table to pretend he was searching for that ‘eyelash.’

“Hey, it’s definitely not the time to waste those.” Gregory scolded in jest before taking his own tissue for actual use. “E’kXTT… chuh.” That particular stifle made his head pound.

“It’s Halloween, Mr. Edgeworth. It’s okay if you startle me.” Of course. Why did Gregory think he could get away so easily? “I don’t know how you can hold those in. It was pretty impressive when you did ten of those last month.”

“I wasd’t about to let you bake jokes for the rest of your shift.” Gregory blew his nose forcefully, displeased at the amount of time it took to really feel any benefit. 

“To think I just called you cool.” Ray teased. “I still think you’re cool, though. You made your son’s costume, didn’t you? Signal Red?”

“Indeed I did.” Gregory nodded. He figured his drink had cooled enough to chase down the cold medicine Ray retrieved earlier. “I stayed up all night making it.” He cleared his throat and made a face in reaction to the unfavorable taste of the medicated liquid. “Two nights, actually.”

“No wonder you’re sick. You work too hard and never sleep.” So was that why Ray seemed immune to colds? 

“Once this kicks in, I’ll be sleeping like the dead.” Gregory leaned back. “You can watch TV if you want. Take the remote or a VHS.”

“Woah, really?” Ray made himself at home in front of the VHS shelves with Missile following behind him. “You wanna help me pick out a movie, boy?”

“Just not any movies about a dog. Otherwise, he’ll bark at the screen.”

“Aw, that’s cute! Let’s watch Air Bud, then.”

Thank god for NyQuil.

                                                           -------------

                                                    --October 31, 2021--

      Phoenix was woken up by the sound of footsteps on the entryway’s tile floor accompanied by the excited listing of various candies. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes to take a look at the wall clock. 9:30PM. Miles and Trucy returned an hour late, but it sounded like they had a good time.

“Daddy! We got so much candy! Are you feeling better? Papa Miles said you should eat something healthy, but I won’t tell!” It was as if Trucy didn’t even need to stop to breathe while speaking. 

“Trucy, your father needs to rest.” Miles, who had at least stopped to leave his coat on the rack, needed to catch his breath. “Sorry to wake you, love. I hope you got some sleep since we left.”

“I slept great, yeah. Did you two have a good tibe?” Phoenix looked up at Miles with glassy eyes and a tired smile. 

“We had a wonderful time, but we missed you. It’s a shame you were too sick to come with us.” Miles glanced at the empty bowl and mug on the coffee table. “So you finally ate something?”

“Does that mean Daddy can have some of our candy now?” Trucy lifted her heavy pumpkin shaped basket. “He ate something healthy!”

“Not tonight, I don’t think. Why don’t you change into your pajamas and get ready for bed?” Miles pointed at his watch. “We already came home late.”

“Aw, okay.” Trucy pouted and dragged her feet walking to her bedroom.

Phoenix watched her leave and then frowned at Miles.

“What’s that look for?” 

“You’re doh fud.” Phoenix sniffled. 

“You were the one who wanted me to be more authoritative with her.” Miles was right; every time Trucy wanted something, she would go straight to him if she thought Phoenix would say no. Phoenix found it funny at first, but it got out of hand when Miles rented some ponies for Trucy’s previous birthday, ponies that needed to be cleaned up after. “It’s a school night.”

“I dod’t thigk she’d be up too late just shari’g a couple chocolates.” Phoenix reasoned. The couch made a squeak as he turned on his side.

“Do you think you could even taste them with you being that congested?” Miles peered into the tissue box on the coffee table, finding it empty. He wasn’t pleased to hear Phoenix blowing his nose into a tissue he had definitely used before. 

“Aa’SCHOOUuh! HT’TCHUUUh! Ah, dabbit.” Phoenix cursed at his effort to clear his nose being undone so quickly. “I guess I should just go to sleep.”

“That’s a good idea.” Miles kissed Phoenix’s warm cheek. “Are you coming to bed or staying on the couch for the night?”

“It’s probably a better idea to sleep here.” Phoenix blew his nose again in the crumpled tissue that left the skin it touched sore and red. “You have a trial this week, right? I don’t want you to get sick.” 

“I’ve already accepted that as inevitable.” Miles picked up the living room waste basket to dispose of the tissues that had accumulated on the couch while he was out. “Though I can’t blame you for staying here if you intend on sleeping under more used tissues.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been out since about an hour after you and Trucy left for trick-or-treating.”

Miles winced as he pictured just how many times his boyfriend had reused tissues while he was gone. No wonder his nose was so red Miles could think of a few costumes it would enhance. 

“I’ll take another box from the hall closet for you. Do you want something to drink? I could heat up some apple cider so you can feel festive.”

“That would be great.” 

Miles gave Phoenix another light kiss before heading to the kitchen. He took mental notes of what counters would need cleaning in the morning, particularly where it was undeniable that Phoenix tried refilling his own tea but was too out of it to keep the mug steady. As much as Miles wanted to spend the rest of the night personalizing Phoenix’s cider, it was getting late and Phoenix had no objections to just heating a mug in the microwave. 

While the microwave was doing its job, Miles made a trip to the hall closet to deliver a fresh tissue box to Phoenix. 

“I hope this lasts until morning.” Miles tore off the cardboard covering the opening. “Maybe you could take something so you can sleep easier and use less of these?”

“Yes, please.” Phoenix coughed with his fist pressing against his mouth.

The microwave beeped just as Miles went to retrieve the mug. On his way back, he made a stop at the bathroom to pick up a pack of NyQuil capsules. He blew lightly over the steaming mug to cool it off a little before he brought the drink and medicine to his boyfriend. 

“Here you go, love. Let me know if it’s too hot or not hot enough.”

Phoenix popped out two capsules and washed them down with a large drink of cider. It burned his throat a little, making him tear up, but at least that part was done and over with. It was better than taking the medicine as a liquid, that was for sure.

“Thanks so much, hon. I can’t wait to get some sleep.”

“I’m looking forward to you getting some sleep as well.” Miles picked up the empty bowl and mug from the coffee table so there was only the mug of cider to worry about. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“G’night.”

Miles washed the dishes thoroughly but quickly enough for him to turn in at a reasonable time. He kept silent as he stopped to watch Phoenix finding a comfortable position to sleep in and stayed still for a while in case Phoenix needed anything. 

With a quiet yawn, Miles began his trip through the hall, only to stop suddenly with a hitch of his breath.

“Hh’sshhooh!” He sniffed. “Oh, of course.”

[missbellaswan]

Twice Bitten Half Turned - Chapter 6

AO3

tag list: @jasondeanstwin @wishing-on-angels @yeetbean @loveofmonstersandroses @ripleythedemonfcker @big-idiot-wolf-boys @edwards-sideburns @madame-forget-me-not @525600selfies @robbers-hea1y (let me know if you want to be added!)

Edward and I spent the next morning together at my house. Charlie left for work early like he usually did, so we had the place to ourselves until I had to leave for Angela’s.

I was still working through everything that had happened the day before, so I made myself a cup of tea and sat down at the table. Edward was sitting across from me, watching me swirl the tea bag around in the mug.

“Aren’t you hungry?” He asked. He had watched me sit and eat breakfast at this table a lot over the last few weeks, so he noticed when I arrived at the table mostly empty handed.

“Not really,” I shrugged and sipped my tea. I wrapped my hands around the mug and let the heat seep into my cool skin.

“Are you sure? I could make you something,” he offered.

“Really?” I had never really seen him try to cook anything before.

“Yeah, what would you like?”

“Eggs?” I asked. I didn’t really feel like eating, but I couldn’t picture him actually cooking in my kitchen, and I was curious.

“Whatever you want.” Was all he replied. He stood up and rummaged through the fridge before pulling out the carton of eggs. I watched intently as he pulled out a pan and turned on the stove.

“Since when do you cook?” I asked as he cracked a couple of eggs and whisked them into the pan.

“Esme has always liked to cook, she taught me how.” He seemed very relaxed. I could almost picture him as a human when he had a whisk in his hand. His god-like supernatural beauty contrasting against our fading yellow cabinets gave him away though.

“What do you do with the food?”

“Donate it if we can, or sometimes Carlisle will take it to work with him.��� Edward smiled.

When the eggs were done he slid them from the pan onto a plate and set them down in front of me.

“Thank you.” I said, picking up the fork and digging in. Now that there was food in front of me, I found that I actually was quite hungry and I ate it all.

Edward seemed pleased, and he hummed quietly to himself as he did the dishes.

“Why do you think I can still eat?” I asked as I drank the last of my tea. “And why don’t I crave blood the way you do? You said my eyes were red now.”

“I think the part of you that is still human is satiating the vampire part. You still have blood in your system, and that blood keeps you satisfied in a way that the rest of us will never be.” Edward said. He took my empty plate and mug and turned back to the sink.

“Huh.” It was comforting that the vampire half that I ended up with wasn’t the blood thirsty half.

“That’s why your eyes are red. All newborns have red eyes because their bodies still have some human tissue left that feeds them and keeps them strong.”

“Well at least we don’t have to worry about all that. Yet. Still nothing from Rose and Emmett?” I said, changing the subject. I knew the answer to my question already, but I had to ask. Edward finished the dishes and joined me back at the table.

“No,” he said, “be patient, love.”

I just nodded. I didn’t want to be patient anymore, but as with everything, I didn’t seem to have a choice.

I went upstairs to take some human, or hybrid, minutes before I left for Angela’s. Edward waited in my room like he usually did, and I went to the bathroom. As I was brushing my teeth I pressed my face closer and closer to the mirror, trying to see any flecks of red. With my nose pressed up against the glass I could see a few veins of deep red splintering through my irises, but as soon as I blinked they melted back into the brown.

When I was ready I went back to my room to get dressed. Edward was laying on my bed with my CD player laying on his chest. His eyes were closed and I could hear the music playing faintly through the headphones. He opened his eyes when I walked in and smiled at me. I smiled back and went to my closet to find some clothes. He made a point of closing his eyes again as I was changing, only reopening them when I was laying on the bed next to him. He pulled me in and pressed pause on the CD player.

“I love you.” He said. We didn’t say it often, it seemed silly and trivial to have to repeat something so obvious, but my heart stuttered at the words.

“I love you too.” I said. He sat up and set the CD player back on my desk where I had left it.

“What are you and Angela doing today?” He asked.

“I don’t know. Just hanging out I guess.” I said. There must have been something about my tone of voice because Edward cocked an eyebrow at me, prodding me to tell him whatever I wasn’t saying. “I’m just worried that she will notice something is off about me.”

“She won’t notice anything, Bella.” He assured me. “I know it might feel like you’ve gone through a lot the last several weeks, but to the human eye you look just the same as you always have. Trust me.”

I wanted to trust him. I did trust him. But the fear was still there, in the back of my mind. I felt like a completely different person now, so how could all of this just go by totally unnoticed by everyone else? It seemed impossible. I reminded myself of Charlie again, who had seen me every day after Phoenix and hadn’t mentioned it once.

“I should go.” I said.

"See you soon.” He asked as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"Soon.” I promised.

He walked me to the car and kissed me again quickly before disappearing into the woods. I hopped in the truck and drove over to Angela’s street. I parked on the curb outside her house and took a deep breath.

Angela’s father answered the door. He greeted me and invited me in, calling Angela down from her room.

“Hi Bella!” Angela said as she hit the bottom of the stairs.

“Hey,” I said. Her dad went back to the living room and Angela towed me upstairs to her room. So far neither of them had looked at me twice.

Angela wasn’t much for small talk, but apparently she hadn’t had many people to talk to lately so she babbled to me about everything that had happened in the last several weeks. The longer we sat and talked, the more relaxed I felt.

“And then Jess gave Ben my number, so we’ve been texting like every day, but he still hasn’t asked me out so I don’t know.” Angela said. She looked up at me, indicating that I was supposed to react to her story.

“Huh,” I didn’t really have any advice for her.

“Yeah, and Jess went to see her family and won’t be back until next week.” Angela said.

"Oh,” I said, “I’m sure Ben is just nervous.”

“Maybe, but I don’t know how to tell him that I want him to ask me out without telling him that I like him.”

"I don’t know how to do that either, Ang, sorry.” I said. She just nodded and continued to vent about her non relationship. It was nice to listen to her talk about her problems. They were not nearly as life and death as mine were.

“How’s Edward?” She asked when she had talked herself in circles enough times to convince herself that she was working through things with Ben.

"Good.” Amazing, perfect, I want him to turn me into a vampire so I can spend eternity with him. “He’s good.”

Angela just nodded. It was so much easier to spend time with her than Jessica because she never asked any questions that I didn’t know how to answer. And she always accepted whatever answer I gave her.

“Did your dad tell you about the bear we saw?” She said.

“What? No,” I said.

“Me and my dad were hiking in the woods last weekend and we saw this huge black bear. It was like twice as big as any other bear I’ve seen, and my dad reported it to your dad in case it gets too close to town.”

“No, I had no idea.” I said. Maybe the Cullens could take care of it, too bad Emmett was out of town.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in her room analyzing texts between her and Ben and comparing our schedules for the next semester. Angela’s dad tried to invite me to stay for dinner, but I told him I was having dinner with my dad and left after promising Angela we could all get together when Jessica got back to town next week.

When I pulled onto my street a few minutes later, I spotted a familiar car parked on the curb outside of my house. A rabbit. Jake was leaning against the side facing away from me, and I saw Edward standing on the lawn talking to him. I parked and ran out to join them, in case their conversation was less that polite.

“Hi Bells,” Jake said when I got out of the truck.

“Bella.” Edward said, relieved to see me again. I knew the feeling.

“Hi Jake,” I gave him a quick hug and went to stand by Edward. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to take you for a drive,” he said standing to the side and motioning to the car behind him.

“Did you drive that here?” I asked.

“Yep. It’s all fixed up,” he beamed, “thanks to you.”

“That’s so cool!” I walked over to inspect the car. Not that I knew what I was looking at, but I knew enough to be impressed.

“Thanks,” Jake smirked. “Wanna go for a ride?

“Yeah,” I said. I turned back to Edward, “are you coming?”

Edward and Jake both laughed.

“I’ll wait for you here, love.” He said.

I scowled at both of them, I could already tell getting the two of them to be friends was going to be a challenge. Jake opened the door and helped me into the car, and then ran around to his side and hopped in.

“What were you and Edward talking about?” I asked as Jake turned onto the highway. The acceleration of the car was about as good as my truck, but Jake seemed thrilled.

“Oh, nothing.” He said. He didn’t seem upset or angry, so I let it go.

I watched the tall trees streak by on either side of the road.

“I haven’t seen you in a couple weeks, what have you been up to?” Jake asked, breaking the silence.

"Not much,” I didn’t have a good explanation for spending my summer wallowing in existential dread.

“Yeah, me neither,” he said. His voice changed, he seemed sad. He had such an expressive face, it was easy to tell what he was feeling.

“Did something happen?” I asked.

“Not really. It’s just that some of the guys on the rez have been looking at me really weird the last few weeks. Quil and Embry think I’m making it up, but I don’t know.”

“Do you know what they want?”

“No idea, they won’t talk to me. In fact, they won’t talk to anyone but each other anymore.” Jake adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. “We should head back, I don’t want to go too far.”

"Okay.” I said. He pulled off the highway and spun the car around, taking us back towards Forks.

Jake seemed to calm down on the ride back, and we both eased back into a more comfortable silence.

“Sorry the radio doesn’t work yet,” he said, “that’s my next project.

“That’s okay, I don’t mind.” I said. And I didn’t, I really liked just being around Jake. I realized this was the first time I had felt warm since my transition. The heater wasn’t on, it was just Jake. He radiated a kind of heat that warmed me up inside.

He drove me back to my place, and parked in the same spot as before. Edward was waiting for me on the lawn, like he had never left. I sighed, both in annoyance and relief.

Edward opened my door and held out his hand. I took it and he pulled me into his arms. I heard Jake clear his throat behind me and I broke away, turning to face him.

"Thanks for the ride.” I said.

“Anytime, Bells.”

“I’ll come to you next,” I promised.

"Don’t wait too long,” he flashed me a smile. He slid back into the car. I smiled back and closed the passenger door. He started the car and drove off again.

Edward turned me back around again so I could see him. He stared into my eyes for a moment before leaning in and kissing me. I responded and wrapped my hands into his hair. Edward indulged me, but all too soon he pulled away.

“I haven’t seen enough of you today,” he said.

“I’ve been very popular.” I said.

“How is Angela?” He asked as we went inside.

"Good. Bored, I think.”

“Summers in this town are usually boring,” Edward sighed, “but of course you’re the exception to every rule.”

“Sorry,” I said. We settled on the couch, and he wrapped his arms around me.

“It’s not always a bad thing. You are simply extraordinary in every way.” He said, smiling his crooked grin.

“You’re one to talk.”

“My kind has certain advantages in that regard,” he joked, “speaking of my kind, Carlisle received a message from the Denalis today.”

“What about?”

“Carlisle sent Laurent to stay with them.” Edward paused to judge my reaction. I nodded to let him know I was okay. “Apparently things have been going well with the adjustment, and he’s with Irina now. Tanya thought it would be a good idea to formally introduce each other to our newest coven members.”

“Does that mean they want to meet me?” I asked. I had only heard a few things about the Denalis, but I knew enough to be intimidated by them.

“Yes, Carlisle hasn’t told them about your condition yet, he thought that would be better to discuss in person. But they know you’re my mate, and they want to welcome you to the family. Carlisle invited them to stay with us next week.”

“What if they don’t like what I am?” I couldn’t help but feel nervous. “What if they don’t like me?”

“They will love you,” he kissed my forehead, “as for the hybrid aspect of things, we just have to hope that they’re willing to listen. Perhaps they can even share some insight. Their coven is older than ours, they might have heard of this kind of thing before.”

“And Laurent?”

“I will not let anything happen to you. We would not have agreed if we didn’t think it was safe.”

"Okay.” I knew Edward would always protect me, but I hated the idea of him protecting me from people he considered his family.

[maki0725]

Klavquill 1-6

Maybe I have to learn how to connect the articles(the former parts of the idea). They look messy a little. Next time I try it(｀・ω・´)

Many Japanese people usually spend new year holidays(12/29-1/3) with their families but they hardly have them so they are gathering... And it’s usual for Japanese to have year-crossing Soba(for long life) and go to first visit to a shrine (some people go right after midnight and some people go daytime). Japanese people are not religious at all in many cases, first visit is a regular event. Going to Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple are both okay (some people go to them continuously).

記事同士を繋げられるはずなんですけど、よく分からないので放置しちゃってます。でも他の記事も混じってごちゃごちゃしてるので次はやってみたいと思います！

At 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, WAA has a cheerful vibe. New Year’s Eve is always special but Apollo Justice has come back today for the first time in six months, it makes the day more special. Trucy and Athena are so excited.

“Polly! Cook the hotpot for the first time in a while!”

“Me!? I just got back today noon!”

“You are the best cook here”

“She’s right, Herr Forehead, you should be nice to the girls”

Apollo starts to cook reluctantly in the tiny WAA’s kitchen. They have already bought foodstuff, Gavin and Simon paid for it. Gavin suggested that in exchange for WAA’s offering the place. Though he seems to have meant to make Apollo cook, he leaves the kitchen and comes to the reception where Simon and Phoenix sit. They have already set the portable gas stove, paper plates, cups and disposable chopsticks. He takes a refined bottle out of the paper bag brought with him.

“This is for the girls”

“Don’t tell me it’s alcohol, do you?”

“No way, soda”

Simon has a doubt only for a moment because it looks like a bottled wine but Gavin never lets the underaged girls drink. It is proven by the backside label that Simon has checked inconspicuously.

“This is for you, Mr. Wright”

He offers the adult lawyer a different kind of joy, that’s not Simon’s business.

“Doesn’t our chief come?”

“He is coming about when today will become tomorrow”

“Oh, we’ll just miss each other”

They are planning to have year-crossing Soba and go to the shrine near the office at midnight. After that they break up the gathering.

“Prosecutor Franziska von Karma has got back in private”

“Really? I wish I could see her”

“Do you know her?”

“We’ve met in the U.S.”

“She wants Edgeworth to see someone today”

“Ah......is that a happy event?”

“Yeah, it’s marriage announcement practically. Have you ever met her, Blackquii?”

“......No”

Simon hasn’t seen her in person but of course he knows her. She is Edgeworth’s sister-in-law in a way inspired by von Karma, now she takes the phantom case as a competent international prosecutor......the progress of the case is classified as a top secret, Simon can’t get any information about it though he has been involved in the case.

He was questioned by Edgeworth in connection with the UR-1 case and the statement has been sent to her with all of the evidences. He can never take the case that he can never forget till the end of his life, the remorse for it keeps haunting him.

“Dinner is ready!”

Trucy is leading Apollo taking the hotpot with him for the reception. He sets the steaming pot on the portable gas stove and turns on it.

“You can have it right now”

“Oh, let’s get started”

The small party starts with Phoenix’s toast. No one talks about the similar party that should have held a few days ago. It is mainly because one of the the central figures has been in Khura’in though if it was Apollo who played Simon’s part they must have teased him.

They talk about Apollo’s daily life in the foreign country almost all the time(the girls are so excited), Gavin sometimes joins the conversation but almost every time he and Phoenix drink and talk quietly. Simon sips Sake sold in a glass tumblr little by little rubbing Taka’s chin.

He has to feed Taka. Simon leaves inconspicuously and enters the small kitchen in where there is still some raw meat. Though he and his little partner find much more fresh prey right after the entry, Simon let Taka aim at the poor mouse next to the shabby wall.

“Go, Taka”

Athena comes to the kitchen for another food or something and finds them.

“Simon, you’re here......oh, good job Taka!”

“Don’t be noisy, it might raise the dust. I would thank you for Taka’s sake, have you cleaned here properly?”

The rest of the members have gathered in the kitchen hearing Athena’s voice.

“Ah......not so often as Apollo was here......”

“I’m busy at magic......”

Apollo rolls his eyes when Athena says that they did the year-end deep cleaning on the last day of the work.

“You did!?”

“You are rude, Polly! Daddy is bad at cleaning!”

“Me!?”

Phoenix gets surprised when suddenly his daughter starts pointing her accusing finger at him but he admits he isn’t a good cleaner and suggests that they will clean the office on the first day of the work(January 4th).

“I see......we were wrong about depending on Apollo too much......”

Simon thinks that it must be the cleanest on the first day of the work but he is hesitant to say it as he has come here on a holiday and he helps getting the office messy. Apollo says that he is going to make a Japanese omelette to his co-workers as if he were cheering them, they grow lively. Apollo’s cooking is great.

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

Apollo asks the girls taking a hot omelette from the kitchen. He says he is going back to Khura’in tonight, his ex-boss asks him if he starts working tomorrow fearfully and he gets “Yes”. He sighs starting having a slice of the omelette.

His daughter declares vigorously making fists.

“The new-year magic show! The best time to make a profit”

She has become popular remarkably, she can hardly have holidays as same as Apollo. Athena has got a late start because omelette is stuffed in her mouth.

“(Mumbling) I’m going to the first visit to the shrine and new-year sale with Juniper!”

“It’s not first visit”

They are going to go to a shrine tonight. Simon has a slice of the omelette. It is good, so juicy.

“No problem! It’s first for me and Juniper. I’m going to go to her home next morning and we have new-year dishes her gramma made, they are so good! I had all of them last time”

“Don’t tell me “all” means all of the lacquered boxes......?”

“Of course it is, I also got the second helping!”

“Be modest, Athena”

“Oh, Simon, Juniper’s gramma was really pleased! She said that she felt like she had have another granddaughter”

Simon can’t say anything because she looks so happy.

“I have to go to sleep as soon as I get home tonight to have my stomach empty”

“......You’ll have Soba in a while”

Whet Soba shop is going to deliver year-crossing Soba before midnight, Simon already paid that as treat for the party.

“It’s a piece of cake for you, Athena”

“Exactly!”

She laughs brightly and it lightens Simon’s mind.

Gavin says nothing and Simon keeps silence about their plan. He didn’t talk about the plan to even Athena. He doesn’t care if the other members come to know their interaction but he would be embarrassed slightly for some reason. It’s a good point of this meeting that they leave someone saying nothing.

大晦日の午後6時、成歩堂なんでも事務所は賑わっていた。ほんの数日前にも同じような集まりを持ってはいたが、やはり大晦日はいつにない雰囲気がある。とりわけ今日は、王泥喜が半年ぶりに帰って来ているのだ。みぬきや心音のはしゃぎぶりは格別だった。

「オドロキさん！ 久しぶりにお鍋作ってください！」

「オレが作るのかよ⁉︎ 帰ってきたの今日��昼だぞ！」

「だって先輩が作る方がおいしいですし……」

「そうだよおデコくん、お嬢さん孝行しなきゃ」

皆にせっつかれ、王泥喜は渋々事務所の狭いキッチンに立つ。材料は既に購入されていた。費用は夕神と牙琉で持っていた。牙琉が、成歩堂には場所を提供してもらうから、自分たちで負担しようと言ったのだ。

とはいえ、牙琉も調理は王泥喜にさせるつもりだったらしい。王泥喜と、まとわりつく少女たちを置いて、彼は応接スペースに戻ってきた。夕神と成歩堂に加わり、彼は持参のボトルを洒落た紙袋から取り出した。テーブルには既にカセットコンロが据え付けられ、割箸や紙皿が置かれている。

「お嬢さんたちにはこれを」

「オイ、酒か？」

「まさか、ジュースだよ」

ワインボトルのような風体に一瞬疑念を持ったが、牙琉に限って未成年に飲酒を勧めることなどあろうはずもない。さりげなく確認したラベルの表示もそれを裏付けていた。

「成歩堂弁護士さんにはこちらを」

とっくに成人している所長弁護士には、おそらく別の楽しみを提供するつもりなのだろう。そちらは夕神の与り知るところではなかった。

「局長は来ないんですか？」

「んー、年が明ける頃には来るとか言ってたよ」

「それじゃ入れ違いですね」

年越し蕎麦を食べ、除夜の鐘を聞いたら近所の神社に行き、その後解散という流れとなっていた。

「狩魔冥検事がプライベートで戻って来てるんだって」

「そうなんですか。ぼくも挨拶したかったな」

「知り合いなの？」

「アメリカでお会いしましたよ」

「今日は、御剣に会わせたい人がいるんだって」

「へえ……それは、おめでたいことでいいんですか？」

「まあね。会わせるったって、あいつも会ったことはあるけどね。実質、結婚の報告ってとこかな。きみは会ったことあるかい？ 狩魔検事」

成歩堂が夕神に話を振る。

「いや、……ねェな」

直接会ったことはなかったが、名前は知っていた。狩魔の薫陶を受けた御剣のいわば義姉妹、今はーー亡霊事件を担当する敏腕国際検事。事件の進捗については極秘扱いとされており、関係者の夕神にも伏せられていた。UR-1号事件における関わりについては、既に御剣により聴取を受け、関係証拠とともに彼女に送られている。生涯忘れることのないだろうその事件を、もはや自分の手で追求できなくなったことの悔恨は苦く夕神を苛む。

「お鍋、できましたよ！」

���を持った��泥喜を先導し、みぬきが応接スペースにやって来る。カセットコンロの上に、既に湯気の立った鍋が下ろされ、コンロが点火される。

「もう食べられますよ」

「それじゃ始めようか」

成歩堂の音頭でささやかな宴席が始まる。本来であれば、ほんの数日前にも似たような光景が繰り広げられていたはずだったが、誰もそのことに触れない。当事者の一人がクラインに発っていることもあろうが、もし夕神の立場にあったのが王泥喜であれば、格好の揶揄いの的になっていたと思われた。

話題の中心はやはり海外に在る王泥喜の日常生活で、女子二人の愉しげな声が響く。牙琉は時折口を挟むものの、終始穏やかに成歩堂と杯を交わしていた。夕神は言葉少なにコップ酒を飲みながら、連れてきたギンの顎を撫でていた。彼にも食事をさせなければならない。まだ台所に生肉があるだろう。ひっそりと中座して台所に向かうと、パック詰めの肉よりももっと活きのいい、小さな齧歯類が壁際に顔を覗かせていた。夕神はニヤリと笑い、目を輝かせる相棒をけしかける。

「行け、ギン」

「クエ！」

ギンが丸々と肥えた哀れなネズミに狙いを定めた瞬間、飲み物か何かを取りに来たらしい心音が台所に入ってきた。

「あ、夕神さん！　こっちにいたんで……あっネズミ！　きゃあギンくんすごい！」

「うるせえ騒ぐな、ホコリが立つ」

ギンは当然の如く一撃で獲物を仕留め、夕神の陰でバリバリと貪る。

「ギンにとっちゃありがてェがな、おめェらちゃんと掃除してんのか？」

心音の声を聞きつけて他のメンバーも台所に顔を出した。

「うーん……先輩がいた頃ほどは……」

「みぬきも忙しくって……」

仕事納めの日に大掃除したんですけど、という心音に、王泥喜が目を剥く。

「これで⁉︎」

「シツレイですねオドロキさん！　パパが掃除できないからって！」

「ぼく⁉︎」

急に標的となった成歩堂は、確かにできないけど……と複雑そうに娘と部下を見る。

「分かった、仕事始めの日はみんなで掃除しよう」

「そうですね……先輩に頼り切りだったのがいけないんです……」

仕事始めの日など一年で一番事務所が綺麗な状態ではないのかと思われるが、休日に押しかけ台所や応接スペースを汚している立場であれこれ言うのは憚られた。

王泥喜が、気落ちする同僚たちを慰めるように追加で出汁巻き卵を焼くと言うと、少女たちが色めきたった。王泥喜の料理は偉大なようだ。

「みんな明日は何するの？」

湯気の立った卵焼きを運��ながら王泥喜が問いかける。オレは今夜帰るけど、とのあっさりした声に、早速出汁巻きに箸を伸ばしていた彼の元上司はまさか明日から仕事？との問いに肯定で返され、嘆息する。その娘は力強く拳を握り、勢いよく宣言した。

「新春マジックショーです！　稼ぎ時ですよ」

すっかり売れっ子になった彼女は、王泥喜同様正月休みもろくにないらしい。心音は口に卵が詰まっていたため話に出遅れていた。

「むぐ、わたしはしのぶと初詣に行ってから初売りです！」

「初詣じゃねェだろうが」

その前に、夜のうちに神社に詣でるのだから。

夕神も出汁巻を摘まむ。出汁がじゅわりと滲み、美味い。

「いいんです、しのぶとは初だから！ 朝からしのぶのお家でおばあちゃんが作ってくれたおせち頂くんですよ、とっても美味しいんです」

わたし去年ぜーんぶ食べちゃいましたよ！ と明るく宣言する後輩弁護士に、王泥喜が恐る恐る確認する。

「全部って、まさか重箱全部？」

「もちろんそうです。あ、おかわりも出してもらいましたよ！」

「おめえな、ちったァ遠慮しろ」

「だって、おばあちゃんすごく喜んでくれましたよ？ しのぶは少食だし、孫がもう一人できたみたいだって」

そう言われると言い返せなかった。

「だから今日は帰ったらすぐ寝てお腹空かせないと」

「……これから蕎麦もあるんだぞ」

年明けの前に、夕神が内館庵に手配した年越し蕎麦が届くことになっていた。費用は夕神持ちで、一応これを持って差し入れとしてある。

「希月さんなら朝飯前だよね」

「確かに、朝ごはんの一食前ですね！」

「そういう意味だったっけ？」

成歩堂が首を傾げる。外国暮らしで日本語の語彙を失っているのか、夕神が若干不安を感じていると、心音は「冗談ですよー！」とコロコロと笑う。本気か否かは神のみぞ知るが、心音の明るい笑い声は夕神の心を軽くする。

牙琉は何も言わなかった。夕神も誰にも何も問われない。明日のことは心音にも話していなかった。知られて困ることはないが、牙琉との交流について話すことは少々気恥ずかしかった。積極的に言わなければ放っておいてくれるところはこの集まりの美点だ。

[textales]

“Illicit White Powders.”

“This is the night Larry will try cocaine” he said as he banged on the dashboard of the brand new 1988 Chevy Astro Van.  We were headed to some stripper bar on Northwest Highway in Dallas where he’d score, and Willie was looking forward to introducing me to something he’d been enjoying for some years now.

 “No, it’s not” I said as I slapped the passenger side of the dashboard with equal cadence and enthusiasm.  “I’ve got enough problems with beer…but I will be happy to be your designated drunk driver.”  And with that I avoided a problem that could have brought me down just like countless others in my orbit at the time and to this day.  

 It’s an evil, sickening, insidious drug that makes fun times exponentially more fun while leaving users with an incredibly painful hangover – physically, emotionally and fiscally. And in the case of so many of my friends, it also drove them to a far more potent, cheaper and devastating replacement drug commonly known as “Crystal,” “Meth,” or “Ice.”

Willie and I met in Phoenix in the late 1980s.  He was one of the salespeople based in Dallas, in town for a factory tour and some training.  From the word go he was a total thrill - being with him was an adrenaline rush.  In the first 48 hours of meeting we’d had a minor car crash, flew to Las Vegas and back, got kicked-out of a restaurant for being too rowdy, and chased by a confused mall cop wielding a gun.  

Back then I was a 22-year-old naive kid from Montana looking for some big city excitement, and finding Willie fit the bill.  He was intoxicating in so many ways, and to say he was magnetic would be an understatement.  I remember a rather forward woman in the restaurant that first night stop him to say he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.  Willie took the compliment with the grace of a Hollywood actor or a polished politician. He was tall, fit and stunningly good-looking. He was a blue-collar guy who made it big - driven, with a strong work ethic and fantastic sense of humor. And contrary to what any of his ex-wives or girlfriends might think (even to this day), he and I never had sex nor were we even in the same room naked. Truth told I was never attracted to him in that way.  We were the best of friends and left it at that.

The last time I saw Willie in person was about ten years ago at his giant house north of Dallas. Answering his call for help, my friend Carla and I jumped a flight to DFW and spent an extended weekend at Willie’s.  He was a wounded bird, having gone through a messy divorce with a third wife we’d never met. Willie needed us – he had a history of becoming friends – too close of friends – with his own employees. It seemed these “friends” almost always took advantage of his generosity and were never honest – probably because they were on the payroll.  Carla and I were not among those “hired friends” and Willie knew he could rely on us for honesty and objectivity.  We couldn’t be bought – and he respected us for that.  

We listened attentively as he told stories of the last couple years with the ex-wife. From what little detail he gave me of this woman, I pictured a gold-digging high-maintenance size-zero blonde with big fake cans and an Oklahoma accent.  Even though I never met her, I shall describe her not-so-affectionately as a “Coke Whore.” She’d burnt him good, and he was damaged and medicating.

 The house was a massive McMansion in the northern suburbs not far from the location of the South Fork Ranch from “Dallas” - the TV series of the 1980s. With six bedrooms, five bathrooms and 5,000+ square feet of living space, the house seemed ridiculously massive for just one guy or even a couple.  But that was Willie – he liked living in a giant castle in the ‘burbs. This place had a dry sauna, a workout room with tanning bed, a mini-theatre with cushy leather terraced seating, adjacent to a full bar in a game room complete with a regulation-sized pool table and a couple of pinball machines.  Of course the back yard had a giant swimming pool and hot tub with a gargantuan outdoor kitchen complete with a stainless steel Wolf stove, refrigerator and ice maker. The only thing missing from this place were people – it was a lonely, huge empty house.

 The house was evidence of two decades of hard work and business success.   Other trappings included an array of luxury vehicles – a Cadillac Convertible, a Lincoln Navigator and a Chrysler 300.  And he owned a twin-engine 40+ foot luxury yacht docked at a lake nearby. 

He built his empire by manufacturing products to supply the residential construction boom in Dallas. At the height of it, his company employed over 110 people and had revenue of over $6 million annually. He paid himself a substantial six-figure salary and was known to be quite generous with his employees, paying them well and offering bonuses and other incentives.

But with the recession of 2008 the construction boom came to a screeching halt. And by the time I got to Dallas in March of 2010 the damage had been done. Little did I know that was the beginning of the end.

[lovenerdywinnerbouquetfan-blog]

How much would insurance be on a $39,000 Lexus LS 460 car?

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My husband has to carry insurance on his child, as ordered by court, along with child support. It's not a big deal at all, really. The thing is, paying child support and insurance is going to start eating half his check (they just told him today that they signed him up for insurance). So we looked around, and we found it was much cheaper to go through BCBS privately, than go through work. Is it going to be a problem to get private insurance, instead of the company's insurance?""

Can't afford college Health Insurance...?

I need some type of advice regarding my options. I feel like i've hit a dead end. I have a 4.0 and financial aid, however my state requires student have health insurance... and the only insurance my school offers is over $80 a week on top of the $85 a week lab fees, dr visits, and meds because I have a severe blood disorder and need to go get my blood check every week. I also have specialist visits once a month. I have medicaid right now and if I go to school at all I will lose it and I can't afford the student insurance. It would total up to be more than my rent each month not to mention they don't cover pre-existing conditions. I feel totally hopeless. I'm willing to move to another state if necessary where insurance is more affordable. I just really wanted to go to medical school and now I feel like my future is shot all because I'm not healthy.... Also, i can't take out a loan because i don't have credit being so young and although I was born in this country and my parents were from here, they relocated to a foreign country so they can't help me either.""

Cheapest insurance for motorcycle in melbourne?

hi m looking for insurance company that hs cheapest price for me. m 19 yo female, 4years experience on motorcycle. help me pls,,, i think i ll gt for the third party""

How much does a ticket cost for no proof insurance in ca?

I got a ticket for no proof of insurance at the time. But I have insurance. Does anyone know how much the ticket costs. Or what I can do to get it written off??

How much should my car insurance be a month?

I am 19 and I drive a 2003 Jeep. I've been with Geico for 1.5 years & my policy price has went up two times! When I called to ask why it would go up they explained that it was nothing to do with me or my driving record (seeing how I've never had a wreck or a ticket) but that it depends on the claims from other people. I know this is how some things work, but I don't think I should be pentilized for someone else's claims. Is this how every car insurance works or is it just Geico? I'm going to start calling around to today to get quotes...but I wanted to hear from people other than a sales person.""

""I was hit by an uninsured motorist, and I have an uninsured clause in my car insurance.?""

My car was totaled out, and since my car insurance had a non insured motorist clause then I just have to pay the deductible, and they will cut me a check. I was hurt in the accident, and I wanted to know if my car insurance (Progressive) will also pay out pain and suffering. I am considering taking this guy to small claims court, but if I do then I have no idea what the outcome would be. IF my insurance offers me a pain and suffering settlement then should I take it? can I negoiate for a higher settlement? Everyone is telling me to take whatever is offered to me because the guy that hit my car didn't have insurance, and could possibly claim indigentcy in which case I would most likely never see the money. I can get a pain and suffering settlement from my own insurance, but I believe that the person that hit me should have to pay it, and I am also assuming that I would get more money out of him directly than letting my insurance cover the pain and suffering. This is my first wreck that I have gotten into, in which, I was the party that was damaged (almost died), and the other guy only received a ticket. I know that life is not fair, but like I said before, this is my first car wreck where I was owed money and the other person did not have insurance. Any information will be much appreciated. Thank You Very Much.""

How to get maternity insurance?

We are wanting to start TTC, but we are a little worried about the cost of the actual birth and doctors expenses, as well as any complications that might arise. Now, we do have enough money to cover the basics, but if anything else should arise to complicate things, we're worried. We both work from home for ourselves and have looked into private health insurance, even only maternity insurance, but the plans just suck and dang expensive! Anyway, I was wondering if you knew of any way to get legitimate insurance for only me while I'm pregnant, and for the baby after its born? Some sort of affordable state insurance? Im in AZ by the way. How would i go about finding something like that? thanks!""

Life insurance in depth?

how do insurance company's find out you have multiple life insurance policies if you say you don't have any

Can I drive my sisters car without being on insurance?

My sister lives at home with me and my parents and I just got my license back. I'm not on the insurance, but am I able to drive my sister's car even though she still lives home? My mom said I can't legally.""

""17 yr old in uk, looking for any tips to get cheaper car insurance.?""

looking for helpful tips to legally lower the price of my car insurance ie what company to go with, whether i should put my mum on my policy etc.""

Health Insurance Question?

If I sign up with a health insurance for 1 year and I was undergoing heavy treatment towards the end of our contract and I need to renew. Can insurance company deny the renewal? In state of California. I want to get Blue Shield Of California

Way to get auto insurance for $100 a month?

I haven't had (needed) auto insurance in five years. I just got a quote from a few places, and can't believe the cost!! I have an unblemished record.""

Car insurance under my parents name w/o parents being present?

Hi, i live in Miami and my parents are currently out of state. I just bought a car and i need insurance in order to get the title. I was wondering if i can go under my parents insurance without them being present or if i can do it over the phone? also the car is a honda civic ex 99 and i am 19 years old. Its my first car and i have good credit, i am a university student with very good grades, and have not had any tickets or gotten into any car accidents. About how much will my insurance be? and would it be cheaper to be under my parents name, which i might add has been in a lot of car crashes, had a lot of tickets, bad credit, and jus has bad history, or would it be cheaper to just get it on my own??? thank you!!!!!""

How much would insurance be on a $39,000 Lexus LS 460 car?

Im probably gonna buy my dream car that cost $39,000 but its valued at $43,000. Its a 2007 Lexus LS 460 and i want to know how much full coverage insurance would be? I have a good driving record with no accidents and just need a basic idea.  Thanks!!

Is my insurance going to pay? california?

I have a car thats fully covered by Murcury. I lent my car to my boyfriend (not knowing he didnt have a current DL), he was picking something up for me and coming home when he got into an accident. He was found to be at fault and it involved 3 other cars. I am freaking out because we do not have the extra cash to pay out of pocket. will my insurance pay? I know my deductable will go up and so will my rate. I am not worried about that right now. I just want to know if he will be covered because he(even though he has no DL) was driving my fully covered car. CALIFORNIA ONLY""

Car insurance rate 2 driver 2 car under one policy?

I am 25 yrs old and my mom is 40 yrs old. Been shopping around for insurance and found out it is cheaper to put 2 drive and 2 cars under one policy. Is there any pros and cons in doing this? Could doing this affect me later on if i want to be under my own policy ?

My job offers awful health insurance?

Our company got bought out & our new employer is doing open enrollment for health insurance next year. I currently have roughly a $75 monthly premium with a $500 deductible, then the employer pays 80%. The insurance I'm being offered has a $60 monthly premium, $100 deductible, then the insurer pays 80%, but only pays a max of $750 for the year. As it was explained to me, it is like partial health insurance-but I think this won't be enough to cover what I need. I had major surgery last month & even after meeting my deductible, the out of pocket expenses were a struggle. So should I get a HSA or apply for supplemental health insurance? The other employees at my company are in the same position as I am & I feel awful having to look elsewhere for better coverage. No spam please, I beg you!""

Is a 2004 used infiniti g35 a good and affordable car?

i am saving up about 2000 to put down on it. and how much would the monthly payments be. including insurance? i gross about 700-900 a month. thanks.

Do I have to pay for insurance on a moving van rental?

I want to rent a moving van from Uhaul. They won't let me rent the van unless I pay for their insurance coverage. Is that legal?

""I am 17 and looking into purchasing a black 1996 Bmw 328i convertible for $7000, what would my insurance be?""

The car is in my price range, but im just trying to research how much insurance will be. I am 17 have good grades, an Eagle Scout and in National Honor society and my annual mileage would be anywhere from 5-10,000k""

""How much do you think my car insurance will be, rough estimate?

im 21 years old. i have 2 speeding tickets on my record both of 11 over in the past year. i live in kansas and i am planning on buying a 1998 dodge viper gts with 490 torque 450 horse power. just curious if someone could give me an idea of what my insurance would be monthly.

How much would insurance cost for a 19y old with a corvette?

approximately?

Will my car insurance cost less when the surcharge ends?

Please let me know what your experience gas been.. Thank you

How does auto insurance work?

I just had an accident today. Me and someone else were backing up at the same time in the parking lot, and we backed into each other. I drive an Explorer, so there was only paint damage. The other car was much smaller so they have a large dent on their rear bumper. We both have Allstate for our insurance. We exchanged info, so what now? Will i have to pay for the other cars damage or will AllState do that? and how much will my insurance increase? this is my second accident. My first was 5 years ago.""

Auto Insurance Experts: How much will I be penalized for lapsed insurance due to non-payment (I'm unemployed)?

I have been without insurance for nearly a month now. I have been unemployed for 5 months, but I will start a new job next week! Yay! Since I will start working soon, I will be able to afford to pay again. My car will also be paid off next month. I plan to go with a new company. (I do not have loyalty to the current company.) I used to have a well-known national company for years. When I first lapsed six months ago, my long-time company DOUBLED my monthly premium. I went for a low-budget, local company. Will the new company force me to pay for the time I did not have insurance? Or will I face a penalty? Will they charge me a higher rate? **Believe me, I know that I am taking a terrible risk driving around without insurance. I know that it is illegal...but I have been unemployed for 5 months, and have used the little money I had to pay rent, utilities, my car, groceries for me and 3 kids. I just had no other choice... I just want to be prepared for fees, higher rates, penalties, etc. Can you please give me some advice and suggestions on how to get myself back on track? Thanks.""

Advice on car insurance after having an accident?

I only passed my test 5 weeks ago, and 2 weeks after getting my car I had a crash and my car was wrote off (I know I'm the reason its so expensive for young drivers :S) Just wondering if anyone knows of any insurance companies that won't rip me off. (I know this is a long-shot! but it's worth a try) Thanks in advance :)""

Young (new) driver Car insurance?

Ok so i passed my test a few days ago and am now ready to drive. my mum owns the car, and my dad has insurance down on his name only (main driver). I called up his insurance company and they said they couldn't add me as second driver, i need at least 2 years of experience, but how would i get experience if i can't drive without insurance? derp.. Anyway, i looked at conventional comparison websites and the prices where ridiculous. So, my question is, if i was to start a new quote on my name only, would it be cheaper? and would it conflict with my dads insurance? if my mum transferred the car to my name would it come cheaper for me? and would that action conflict with my dads standing insurance?? im so confused and distraught, does my dad need to cancel hi insurance, make me the main and him the second driver?? please halp :)""

""Seniors, did your home/car insurance go way up when you hit 65?""

My mothers insurance for her home and car are through the same company. Her rates just doubled in the last bill - she called the agent and they said it was because she just hit 65 and because Medicaid wouldn't pay anything for her healthcare if she was in an accident. That makes no sense to me. Seems more like insurance company blundering that needs to be cleared up, but I wondered. Thanks.""

What are other sources of towing insurance?

Besides AAA and getting towing insurance from your insurance company, are there any other good sources? thanks""

Which would be cheaper to insure generally speaking a Honda Civic coupe or Mazda 3 Hatchback?

Which would be cheaper to insure generally speaking a Honda Civic coupe or Mazda 3 Hatchback?

How much would insurance be for...?

A 2001 Audi TT, Turbo I think. It would be for a 16-17 year old. Kept in the drive way or a locked garage. I think the car itself is about $6,000 without tax. Dont tell me abunch of stuff like all these statistics and stuff like depending on .... I just want your personal opinoin/rough estimate how much it would be per year or month. I would probably be the occasional driver, and my dad would probably be the primary driver, even though Id drive it more often. Just give me a rough estimate in your opinoin.""

Can I drive my car without insurance ?

Okay, so I've had my Chevy taho 1 year, i just canceled my insurance cause I'm about to sell it I'm living in California moving to Colorado so I'm gonna sell my car...I know in cali Seller must smog the car a 2nd time, but am i taking a risk driving it to go get it smoged? also.... i have not driven it cause I planned on selling it so it's also not renewed.... and to make matters worse I lost my tile, positive honest answers please =(""

Honda city - 4 wheeler insurance -?

for a new honda city 2012 model, what will be the yearly insurance for it. for 31 yr old with 2 yrs of 4 wheeler driving record how to shop for cheap 4 wheeler insurance...and what to look for while buying it this is in chennai -""

Stick with USAA auto insurance? Or shop around?

I always thought they were not just the best, but also the cheapest (if you qualify to insure with them). But I'd like confirmation of this, or other opinions... should I shop around for my auto insurance? Switching to another insurer seems almost unthinkable - I've only ever been with USAA...""

How much car insurance should I get?

I live in California and wanted to try to save some money on my car insurance. I want to get enough coverage in case I am responsible for a major accient. Any recommendations on the following? Bodily Injury and Property Damage Uninsured/ Underinsured Motorist Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Medical Payments Thanks!

""Car accident, no insurance?""

Hi, i got into an accident Friday. I was cut off on the highway and when I went on my breaks my car started to skid out of control due to ice. A car in the left lane struck mine. I am on my fathers insurance and found out when I called my insurance company to report the accident that my policy was cancelled last July. My car and registration and insurance is all in my dads name, i am just a registered driver. If the state of RI decides to fine me for not having insurance, or the other driver decides to sue me for it, will that go against my father or myself? Thanks.""

Health insurance for a single 23 year old male?

Well I have a couple of questions of how does this health insurance work. Do i automatically qualify right away after i pay all the fees? I want to know an estimate of which insurance best fits me and so on. I'm new to this so any advice will do. I have a link that has 10 best health insurance but don't know which to choose. http://health.usnews.com/health-plans/ca

I need liability insurance?

I'm 20 years old almost 21 and I've had a permit for a year next month on the 14th. I want to get a driver's license asap. I know I need liability insurance in order to get it but how do I do that if I can't get insurance without a license? Everytime I call the dmv they say I have to go in person to have my question answered only problem with that is I live 20 miles from the nearest one and no way to get there in the day time. Someone please help!

How much insurance costs for Yamaha YZF-R125?

for 21 old male as a learner in uk ..

How much would insurance be on a $39,000 Lexus LS 460 car?

Im probably gonna buy my dream car that cost $39,000 but its valued at $43,000. Its a 2007 Lexus LS 460 and i want to know how much full coverage insurance would be? I have a good driving record with no accidents and just need a basic idea.  Thanks!!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/germania-car-insurance-quotes-carl-babcock/"

[365-money-diary]

DAYS 146 - 152

DAY ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX

8:20 AM - I roll out of bed and hop in the shower. Boss is back in town for a couple days and then leaves again, so I want to make these days really count while he’s here.

9:15 AM - I am super dehydrated again from drinking all weekend so I try my best to hydrate back up throughout the day. I still indulge in my usual toddy and toast.

11:00 AM - We go to Even Stevens as an office. I get the New Morrissey burrito $8.98

5:00 PM - We have no food at home, so I stop at Sprouts and get a loaf of bread, tortilla chips, salsa, hummus, couscous, dried cranberries, two frozen breakfast burritos, vegan cheese, a mini watermelon, some poblano peppers, and probably some more stuff but I’m forgetting what I actually bought. $50.17

6:00 PM - I eat some chips and salsa and hummus.

7:00 PM - My sister facetimes me and it’s really fun to see her and catch up!

7:30 PM - Boyfriend decides he wants to go to Trader Joe’s and I’m in no position to argue, because we haven’t been there in months. I buy parsley, panda puffs, almond milk, soy ice cream bars, veggie samosas, everything but the bagel seasoning, club soda, more tortilla chips, and vegan mayo. $37.26

8:30 PM - I make the veggie samosas in the oven and cook some couscous on the stove. I will eat the samosas for dinner and combine the couscous cous with cranberry, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, and a squeeze of sriracha and bring it to work tomorrow.

10:00 PM - We retire to the bedroom and I read more Harry Potter before falling asleep. I should finish the Order of the Phoenix tomorrow.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX TOTAL: $96.41

DAY ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVEN

8:45 AM - I grab my couscous, everything but the bagel seasoning, and a bottle of Just Ranch and head to the office.

9:15 AM - I make a slice of toast and add my new seasoning to it. It’s pretty safe to say I’ve found a new breakfast addiction. I also pour myself a toddy.

11:30 AM - I walk to Sprouts and buy some kale, cherry tomatoes, a red onion, and a cucumber. $4.89

11:30 AM - I also buy a bottle of yeast cleanse vitamins. Things are still not going that well for my lady parts, but I think I’m developing a tolerance to the monistat stuff. $17

12:00 PM - I eat my couscous and make a small garden salad. It’s very delicious!

4:30 PM - I get home and spray the rock lawn with roundup. The weeds are coming back so fast and I’m really frustrated by it.

5:00 PM - I watch RHONY and eat a slice of bread with nooch and wash it down with a Spindrift seltzer.

6:30 PM - I read some Harry Potter while boyfriend decompresses from work.

7:00 PM - We head to Cafe Lalibela for dinner with the friend who always comes to all my DJ gigs and his girlfriend who now works for Kyle’s company. We get the veggie plate and a couple of Perriers. I pay. $47.94

9:00 PM - We head home and settle in for the evening. I finish reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and buy a new book for the book club I am supposedly in. It ends up accidentally getting charged to my mom’s Amazon account. I’ll text her tomorrow to see if I can pay her back.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVEN TOTAL: $69.83

DAY ONE HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT

9:00 AM - I wake up and realize it’s 9! Holy shit I am late.

9:35 AM - I arrive at work and am so behind granted I don’t have much to do today anyways. I make some toast and pour myself a toddy and text my old room mate to make sure we’re still on for dinner tonight. I’ve got about $35 bucks left for the next two days (end of the month) groceries and dinner last night killed my flow. Haha.

12:30 PM - I make a big salad and bake some tater tots in the toaster oven. Since I have everything here already, lunch is free.

4:30 PM - I am done with all of my work today so I leave a little early. I first stop at Sprouts to grab some cider for my dinner tonight, but they don’t have very many good choices. I discover there is a Total Wine on my way to their house so I stop there and grab a six pack of Pineapple Passion Schilling Cider and a 4 pack of NY Seltzer Raspberry Soda for the kids. $19.60

6:15 PM - I arrive at my friend’s place in almost-Sunnyslope. They have a great little home and have three kids who are ages 1, 4, and 6. They feed me black bean tacos with a handsome serving of guac. We play with the kids and drink cider. The kids love the soda.  

8:30 PM - I read the kids The Very Hungry Caterpillar. They know every word and it’s adorable.

9:00 PM - I finally head out and wish them well. I hope I get invited back to see them again because they truly are a wonderful family.

9:15 PM - I arrive home and my boyfriend is already relaxing in bed. I don’t even look at my phone and hang out with him for the rest of the night. We watch Hot Ones on Youtube and eventually fall asleep watching some other show that I don’t really care about.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT TOTAL: $19.60

DAY ONE HUNDRED FORTY-NINE

8:45 AM - I wake up and am annoyed. Late again. I shower quickly and head to work.

9:30 AM - I am out of bread. Damnit. No toast today since I only have $25 left for today and I don’t know what’s on my agenda for tonight. I pour myself some toddy and make some more for Friday.

10:45 AM - I am already hungry. I have no idea if my salad stuff is going to last me through the day. Regardless, I’m going to assume that I won’t spend any money today, so I transfer $1799.44 over to PayPal.

11:00 AM - My mom has asked me for a birthday list. I’m not super sure what I want so I browse the internet for stuff.

12:00 PM - Cool. I haven’t done anything today. I make a giant salad and bake some tater tots.

4:15 PM - We end up leaving for the day. I actually did get my big tasks done, so there’s that.

6:00 PM - I gather the inner gusto to mow the lawn. I wouldn’t be bummed if it were cooler, but the heat really gets to me when I have to be in it.

6:30 PM - I finish, the dust kicking up from the ground makes it so I can’t really breathe, so I head inside to drink water and blow my nose. I end up making a frozen breakfast burrito for dinner and pair it with some chips and salsa.

7:00 PM - I catch up on Scientology and the Aftermath and The Murder of Laci Peterson. Looks like the episodes get added every Thursday so now I at least have that in my mind.

8:30 PM - I am kind of hungry again, but I’m trying to avoid a lot of sugar and yeast with my issues, so I eat a handful of almonds and drink some club soda and dig into The Dollhouse.

9:45 PM - I get a decent way through and my boyfriend comes home. We lay around and catch up. It’s nice to see him. We make tentative plans to grab dinner tomorrow before we go to our respective shows. He has to work The Growlers and I am going to go to Thee Oh Sees at Crescent.

10:00 PM - As per my goal today, I have spent $0.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FORTY-NINE TOTAL: $0

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY

9:15 AM - Happy first day of the month! I get to work and drain my toddy bag and pour myself a fresh cup. I still don’t have bread, but it’s probably good for me to not indulge while I’m trying to clear my downstairs issues.

11:30 AM - I finish my work for the day and head to Tempe Marketplace where I have a “influencer opportunity.” I pick up a $10 gift card to Nektar and grab a smoothie. It’s not very good, but whatever. I also stop by Panera and get a Mediterranean Veggie sandwich with no cheese. $8.45

1:00 PM - I am feeling a little depressed so I lay down and watch some TV while doing some research. My boyfriend’s birthday was forever ago and for his birthday, I had promised we’d plant a garden together and I’d cover the costs. Well it’s been 6 months and we have not planted the garden. I buy him a pair of headphones that he desperately needs after leaving his in Austin back in May. $128.63

1:30 PM - I also place an order for several hot sauces so we can do the “Hot Ones” challenge for his birthday. $99.69

8:00 PM - We head downtown. Boyfriend heads to The Van Buren to take photos of The Growlers. I stay at Crescent to watch Thee Oh Sees. I eat a burrito with my trivia pal and drink a sangria before their set. $12.01

11:30 PM - We’re home. Thee Oh Sees ruled.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY TOTAL: $248.78

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE

9:00 AM - I wake up and shower. Boyfriend’s parents are moving to Irvine from Dallas and they stop by our place. Katy and their dog Benji meet for a brief moment and we head to Cartel. Boyfriend treats.

10:00 AM - We head to Gallo Blanco. I get two veggie tacos and an order of hashbrowns.

12:00 PM - Our neighbor stops over and asks if we want to have our palm tree trimmed for $50. That’s a total steal. I split it with my boyfriend. There is a $3 ATM fee. $28

6:00 PM - We go to Tilt and play pinball. I have to reload my card. $30

7:30 PM - Boyfriend treats us to dinner at Cornish Pasty. My head is POUNDING. The humidity is picking up or something but I can’t stop feeling awful.

8:45 PM - I fall asleep because I feel like shit.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE TOTAL: $58

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO

9:30 AM - We grab Cartel. It’s free today. $2

10:00 AM - We also grab bagels. $7.56

10:30 AM - I get gas. $25.48

11:00 AM - We go to Trader Joe’s. I get a ton of dumb miscellaneous stuff that I probably don’t need. $44.05

4:00 PM - I meet BFF at Cartel. I buy a tea. $3

6:00 PM - Our friend gives us a free pizza. We eat that for dinner and I read for the rest of the night and fall asleep early.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO TOTAL: $82.09

[localfreshies]

New Post has been published on Local Freshies | Be a local wherever you go

New Post has been published on http://localfreshies.com/historic-wallace-mccall-ski-town-usa/

From the "Historic" to Ski Town USA

Our time in Wallace was nearly over. We experienced deep powder, amazing food and made new friends.  But, there was one last thing to do before leaving town. We are meeting Ryder again this morning at his coffee shop 6th & Cedar for breakfast, which happens to be in the oldest brick building in Wallace. The ground floor is the espresso bar but Ryder was going to show us his upstairs ‘project’ as our final farewell before we head to McCall.

Like a Phoenix, the hotel & bar rise from the ashes

Oldest Brick Building in Wallace

Above the café sits an old hotel and bar, closed for many years. Ryder saw this as an opportunity rather than an abandoned building. His next big project is to refurbish this once beautiful building back to its splendor. Just like his attention to detail with his custom boots, each room will have his ‘special’ touch.

Imagine… The main suite is decorated by a GRAND king size bed adorned with hand-tooled leather posts.The most exquisite detail you’ve ever seen. A one-of-a-kind decor complete with a solid copper tub. Below the hotel on the 2nd floor is a martini bar with an exterior wraparound balcony. Relaxing outside on a warm summer night, hearing the crickets chirp and sipping a beer, you look across the historic scenery surrounding you.

They don’t build them like this anymore

With a proposed opening in Summer 2018, we will be back to see Ryder’s vision become a reality and enjoy another beautiful historic renovation in Wallace.

An easy bake oven for Adults

Cooked to perfection

Downstairs in the café, we grab a couple of breakfast sandwiches, cooked to perfection! How do they do it? Their secret weapon is an Otis Spunkmeyer oven, which can perfectly cook an egg, crisp the bacon and lightly toast the bagel. No microwave warm-ups at this coffee shop! With our appetites satisfied and coffee cups filled, the looming weather told us it was time to head out to our next destination – McCall.

Record breaking weather

The Salmon River Mountain Range reminded us of the Eastern Sierras

Throughout the entire North American West, the weather’s been a roller coaster. From record breaking snows to historic warmth in places like Telluride CO, no one has been immune. During our travels from Wallace to McCall, we got a taste of that crazy weather. From rain to snain and sleet to snow, we saw a bit of everything. Fortunately, the windswept plains, deep river canyons and large peaks resembling the Eastern Sierra Nevadas, kept our interest peaked for the entire drive. The question was how did McCall fare from this last storm? Driving into town, the first thing we notice are the massive walls of snow on either side of the road. The snowpack looks a little beat up from the rain but up high, everyone’s reporting it’s all snow. The best part… The forecast’s calling for a full WEEK of snow ahead!

Ski Town USA!

McCall – Ski Town USA

The town of McCall is dubbed “Ski Town USA” and there’s truth to this statement. Most ski towns in North America are filled with hotel and restaurant chains. And sadly, even the ski resorts are owned by mega-corporations. Not McCall! It still holds the feeling of a true ski town, back in the 70’s. There is charm. Every store and lodging is a small business. The best part though is the resorts are still owned by people who LOVE to ski instead of just making a profit. Talk about my kind of place! If only the rest of America could be like this.

Hotel McCall – Our home for the next week

Right smack dab in the center of town is our lodging for the week, the Hotel McCall. Located on the banks of the frozen Payette Lake, it has been around in some form on its property since 1904. Remodeled and added to over the years, its charm and soul remain intact. For that hometown touch, they leave milk and freshly baked cookies in the lobby for you to enjoy after your day out-and-about. It’s these types of details you rarely see when it comes to staying at larger corporate places.

The little things in life – Milk & Cookies

We come in like a hurricane

A little behind schedule from the weather (and McCall happens to be in a different timezone), we fly into the hotel like a whirlwind. Calmly greeted by Trish, we tell her that we’re late for our dinner at the Blue Moon Yurt! With a smiling face and upbeat attitude, she calms us down, gives us our snowshoes, and checks us in lickety-split quick. Wow! I don’t know if this is an Idaho thing, but it seems like everyone bends over backwards to make sure our stay is as painless as possible even when we’re the ones making the pain. We throw all our bags in the room, quickly change into some snow gear and sprint out the door.

Are we late?

Driving a few minutes down the road to Ponderosa State Park, we think we find our rendezvous spot. A plowed parking lot at the end of the road, we don’t see any signs but there are a few cars. We quickly strap on our snowshoes, grab our ski poles, and get ready. Are we late? Feeling a bit discombobulated, Lisa, the owner of the Blue Moon Yurt, greets us with open arms. She assures us we’re in fact right on time! Whew, that was a close one!

Follow the Tiki torches

Follow the tiki torches!

Lisa slowly turns around and points to the lit tiki torches… “Follow the torches to the Yurt where Mark and Corinne will greet you.” As the sun sets, the evergreens begin to cast large shadows on our path as we do the snowshoe-shuffle to the Yurt. The peace of the outdoors plus the little bit of nip in the air slowly removes all the stress of getting here. Enjoying the mile long walk, we arrive at the Blue Moon Yurt in total darkness. It feels like a secret gathering that only a select few get to enjoy.

Charcoal’s the only way

Mark shows the shrimp skewers glistening on the grill

Reaching the Yurt, we take off our snowshoes and meet Mark, the grill-master extraordinaire, on the front porch. We learn that in the summer he’s a whitewater rafting guide just outside Stanley ID, but today, he’s our grilling aficionado. Pulling off the top of the grill, he shows us the shrimp skewers glistening above the hot charcoal briquettes. Our mouth’s salivate at the sight and smell.

Mulled wine and a Hidey-Ho

Candles and gas lanterns add an element of coziness

Stepping into the yurt, the warmth of the wooden stove makes us quickly peel off our outer layers. Looking around, the only lighting in the interior is candles and gas lanterns. This natural glow adds an element of coziness. Sitting down at a lively table, Corrine hands us glasses of hot mulled wine. Sipping on the warm elixir of winter delight, Lisa welcomes everyone to the festivities. She highlights that ALL the food and flavors are made without electricity or any modern amenity found in a restaurant kitchen. She goes through what we’re about to taste and boy does it sound delicious! Lisa ends her welcoming speech that we should mingle and get to know everyone in the yurt.

New Friends & Complex Brie

Smoked brie stuffed with Harissa

We heed her advice once we grab some appetizers. First out – smoked brie stuffed with harissa and delicately grilled asparagus. Harissa is a spicy and aromatic chili paste, widely used in North African and Middle Eastern cooking. This spice brings the brie to another level and adds a tinge of ‘heat.’ Talking with our table mates, we learn they’re a group of ladies that meet up every year for a girls’ trip.  And boy are they a HOOT! Laughing, joking, and enjoying ourselves, we get to know each other a bit better. Asking us if we’d like to try a glass of local wine, Colter’s Creek, we raise our glasses and say “Of course.”  One word… WOW! The wine is fantastic. Complex and as good as any wine from California or Europe.

Vegetables aren’t just for rabbits

Refreshing salad with pomegranate

Our 2nd course arrives and it’s a light and refreshing salad. Covered in nuts that are crunchy and slightly sweet almost like they’re candied, the salad is finished off with pomegranate seeds. For anyone that hasn’t tried this fruit, their flavor is very delicate and can be overpowered by most other items. The Blue Moon Yurt crew makes sure that doesn’t happen.

Some like it sweet… Some like it hot

It’s mingling time. While we wait for the next course and full wine glasses in hand, we meet our fellow yurt goers. Come to find out several of the other diners grew up in Lake Tahoe – what a small world! They moved north to Idaho to get out of the crowds and into the wilderness. We haven’t skied around the McCall area yet but if it’s anything like the areas by Historic Wallace, we’re in for a treat.

A perfectly browned Cornish hen

As we sit back down, our next course arrives. A perfectly browned Cornish hen sits in the center of the plate, separating yin and yang looking sauces, reminiscent of a black and white cookie. Before disturbing the perfect harmony of sauces on my place, I pull off a piece of chicken and am blown away. It is the most tender, juicy fowl I’ve EVER had.

Exploring the dish further, I dip the chicken into the yin side and find it to be sweet while the yang side is spicy. Wow! A dish with opposing forces yet it works beautifully. Underneath the bird lies a bed of spiced, smashed sweet potatoes bringing the whole dish together. There are so many layers and flavors it’s just utterly shocking.

Nice to meet you, Stacey Cakes

When Stacey started baking, everyone else stopped

Our final leg of this culinary adventure is the dessert. Lisa starts off with introducing Stacey Cakes as the confectionery genius behind our coming delight. With a wry smile she continues with, “When Stacey started baking, everyone else stopped.” Translation… She’s just that good so why should you even try? Not on our original itinerary, we HAD to check out the bakery while we’re here in McCall and see what other sweet wonders they have to offer.

As the delectable surprise arrived to our table, Lisa also let us know that Corinne, her assistant this evening, has started a new venture as well… She’s become the first coffee roaster in McCall. The coffee roastery is called North Fork Coffee Roasters and it complimented the dessert perfectly. The cake was creamy and fluffy on the inside like a mousse with a thin chocolate ganache exterior, giving you a little ‘crack’ and then a smooth spoonful of goodness. The freshly brewed coffee warmed us up to the perfect temperature, making this a bittersweet ending to a magical evening.

Is this what we’re in store for?  

After finishing dessert, we said our thanks to the team and made sure we set up a tour of Corinne’s roastery later in the week. Snowshoeing back to the car in the pitch-black of night using only our head lamps to light the path, we tried to absorb the experience we just had.  It was a crazy jam-packed day but worth every minute of it!

If this was how our trip was beginning, tomorrow’s adventure of snowmobiles and the Burgdorf Hotsprings was going to blow our minds!

This leg of the trip is sponsored by:

[365-money-diary]

DAYS 22 - 28

DAY TWENTY-TWO

8:45 AM - I’m completely out of gas. Fill up at QT. $24.44

9:00 AM - I arrive at work and pour myself a toddy. I skip the toast because I’m nearing the very very smashed part of the loaf.

11:30 AM - We all decide to try this new place for lunch. I still am trying not to eat lunch out Monday - Thursday but this place seems like it has reasonable prices and healthy options. I get a tofu plate with sweet potato hash and ginger maple veggies. The portions are tiny AF and i’m still hungry when we leave. $8.64

1:30 PM - I decide to eat the soup I bought too. I was planning on buying rice to accompany it at Sprouts but now I want it as more of a snack. It’s really good and I’m happy I have it!

3:30 PM - My assistant gives me the rest of her BBQ chips because I’m still hungry.

5:15 PM - I wait ‘til the end of the day to report this because I have made many purchases throughout the day and wasn’t sure when all the invoices were going to come. I end up buying a ton more records (The Fresh and Onlys, The Wake, Ought, Protomartyr, and Tom Vek) for my set in two weeks. $110.27

5:45 PM - I arrive home and am starving still! I eat a couple pieces of bread with cherry balsamic vinegar and olive oil and some 365 “Wheat Thins” with cashew cheese.

6:00 PM - I start making rice on the stove, but end up leaving before it’s done. My boyfriend will finish cooking it for me. I make my way to Taste of Tops to meet BFF Connor. We catch up and it’s really nice. I’m still not drinking so I buy a bottled seltzer water. $2

8:45 PM - Home at last! I answer some freelance emails and eat some soup for dinner. It’s much more filling with the rice.

9:30 PM - We watch the rest of the GSW vs. Trailblazers game. It’s a complete blowout and somehow Stef Curry’s facial hair is looking more gnarly than I’ve ever seen it in the past.

10:00 PM - We watch Silicon Valley until I get tired. Boyfriend took a nap while I was meeting Connor so he stays up a little later watching bball reruns on the Firestick.

DAY TWENTY-TWO TOTAL: $145.35

DAY TWENTY-THREE

8:45 AM - We’re out of salt at the office, so I grab some from my bulk stash and a big pyrex of veggie broth soup stuff and head to the office.

9:15 AM - I’m starving by the time I get here (I think it’s the previous weekend getting back at me for skipping multiple meals), so I make a piece of smashed toast and pour myself a toddy. It’s my last cup from this batch so I make more.

12:00 PM - I walk the long way to Sprouts and call my sister. We catch up about some more logistics about RePhresh. We bid farewell when I get to the store. I buy some more Dave’s Killer Bread (not smashed this time!) and a package of organic strawberries. They’re on sale for 2.50! I pay with a prepaid Visa that my boyfriend had to give me when my only card was stolen the night before I went to San Francisco, so I pretend it’s free, but for the sake of being thorough -  $8.12

12:30 PM - I arrive back at the office and cut up some strawberries and pour myself a cup of soup. I’m either going to need more strawberries or more soup later in the day, but for now, I’m full.

2:30 PM - Chips & salsa time. Stoked that I still have this snack! It’s lasted for a really long time.

5:30 PM - I arrive at home. I snack on wheat thins and probiotic “cheese.” My boyfriend isn’t feeling so great so we lay down and watch the rest of the Rockets v. Thunder game. I fall asleep at some point for a couple minutes, but am quickly woken up after the game is finished. (Rockets won)

8:15 PM - I feel like my body has still been hating me from skipping 2 meals last weekend, so I suggest we go to Green. I get the BFF (mock chicken sandwich with cheese, avocado, ranch, peppers, lettuce and tomato) with a carrot cake Tsoynami (a Blizzard with soy ice cream) and my boyfriend gets a Big Wac with fries. I can only eat half the Tsoynami before I’m absolutely stuffed. Boyfriend polishes off the rest and we head home. $31

9:00 PM - We spend the rest of the evening hanging out on our phones and playing with Katy Perry.

DAY TWENTY-THREE TOTAL: $39.12

DAY TWENTY-FOUR

9:00 AM - I arrive at the office and check Facebook and my email. I was supposed to have a screen share meeting with Facebook but it appears they flaked on me. I keep refreshing my applications looking for an invite or a message of some sort, but no dice. By 9:10, I give up and make a piece of toast and pour myself a glass of toddy.

12:10 PM - I heat up my veggie soup broth stuff and cut up some strawberries for lunch. The rest of my office went to Zoe’s. Feels good to be back on track trying to save money by eating lunch in the office even though this broth cost me an initial arm & a leg. Thankfully next time, I have a cheaper strategy.

1:30 PM - I leave the office to head to a client meeting in Chandler with my boss.

3:45 PM - We land a six month contract! I head back to Tempe and stop at the post office to grab a package I had to sign for -- sometimes international packages make you do that and it drives me crazy since the post office tied to my residence closes at 4:30 PM. I make it just in time to grab my package.

4:15 PM - I arrive at home. The kitchen stinks and I haven’t really cleaned up from my soup, so I do the dishes and throw three spring rolls in the oven.

4:30 PM - My boss calls to congratulate me on the contract and we chat for a bit about giving this project to my assistant. It’ll be a good opportunity for her!

4:35 PM - I open all the packages I’ve been sitting on for the past week. I received a Ludus 7”, The Fall 7”, a Tears for Fears 10” a Pylon LP, a B-52’s 12”, and lastly the international package which is a Yoko Ono LP. I sort the records and then buy a rediscovered Beep Beep LP. I hated it in high school, but now it’s incredible. What was I thinking? I also see I have an invoice for a Dum Dum Girls record. $26.50

6:30 PM - Boyfriend heats up leftover pizza for dinner. I make a salad out of leftover veggie soup and sandwich ingredients.

7:15 PM - We watch the Bulls v. Celtics game for a while and my boyfriend falls asleep. I am full of energy so I take the dog for a walk to Starbucks to get her a Puppuccino for her 2nd birthday. I call my sister on the way and we FaceTime while we walk. The barista is kind of bummed that I am not buying anything and I don’t have cash on me to tip. Pure asshole status, population me.

8:00 PM - I arrive home just as the game is finishing up. Celtics win! Boyfriend is awake. We hang out in the living room for a little bit and then I help him with some work stuff pertaining to Facebook.

11:00 PM - SIlicon Valley and bed.

DAY TWENTY-FOUR TOTAL: $26.50

DAY TWENTY-FIVE

8:00 AM - I am late for a “dentist” appointment (going to a college). I text the girl who is cleaning my teeth that I’m on my way, but she texts me back and says she’s ill and wants to reschedule. I am annoyed, but at least I’m not all the way in Phoenix. I turn around and head straight to work.

8:20 AM - Toddy and toast. I text back and forth with my friend Steve who is in town from NY. We’re going to a Diamondbacks game tonight and trying to figure out logistics.

9:00 AM - I buy a NEU! Record. So close to having this set “done.” AKA I will be freaking out for a week straight praying all this stuff gets delivered on time. $16

10:30 AM - I buy a Swell Maps LP $18.94

11:15 AM - I buy a Magazine LP $26.13

11:45 AM - Raincoats invoice comes. So excited to be done buying records / also equally excited that I’m finding such cool stuff. It’s a love / hate thing.  $24.99

12:50 PM - Beginning to think the reason I’ve been so “off” (Feeling stupid hungry even though I’m eating normally) has to do more with dehydration or hypoglycemia of some sort. Gatorade usually fixes the trick so I make walk to Circle K and grab a bottle of lemon-lime. $2.33

1:30 PM - I may have been right about this Gatorade thing. Carby sugary salty water is my lifesource. My boss also hands me my paycheck which is great because I’m feeling extra broke right now. I pause to reflect on how the feeling of being broke and actually being broke are two very different things. I am so thankful for everything I have.

2:00 PM - I start looking at spiralizers on Amazon. I have been wanting one for a really long time and might make the plunge soon. I see that they make an attachment for a Kitchen Aid which is rad, but also 3 times more expensive than the cheap looking plastic one, but after watching some youtube videos, I’m sold. I check Costco quickly before making my final purchase. They don’t have it online, so Amazon it is! $77.82

3:30 PM - My freelance client fires me. Half my fault, half their fault. I’ll accept it as a wash.

4:45 PM - An old colleague of mine hits me up for freelance work. Funny how one door closes and another one immediately opens.

5:20 PM - I arrive home from work, eat a small slice of ciabatta bread with probiotic “cheese,” feed the dog and sit for a few minutes. I look out the window and see that Katy’s mom Blu is outside (They had a litter of 12 pitbulls and gave me Katy for free.) with one of her brothers named #2. I walk over to say hello, leaving Katy in the house to eat and do her business.

5:45 PM - My really good friend who lives in NY (He will likely move soon but for the sake of consistency of this timeline, I’ll refer to him as NY Friend) who is in town visiting picks me up and we head downtown.

6:20 PM - We park in the Crescent lot and walk to my boyfriend’s office to fetch him and then head to Chase Field. It’s my first Diamondbacks game (NY Friend paid for my ticket since I paid for his Coyotes ticket last time he was here.) and I have pretty low expectations. I did research prior to arrival and found that the stadium has tons of vegan options. I buy my boyfriend and me Field Roast hotdogs. We also split an order of fries and he gets a soda. NY Friend pays for his food separately. $24.75

9:00 PM - The game is already over and I have to admit, it was pretty fun! We walk back to our cars and bid NY Friend farewell. He’s in town for 8 more days, so I’m sure we will see him again. I hitch a ride home with my boyfriend and thank him for the tickets and the ride.

9:30 PM - We are making our way home from Downtown Phoenix, when we drive past this Stella Artois beer garden thing. My boyfriend informs me that our friends in MRCH played the event and since it’s free, we might as well go in and say hello. We chat for a few minutes and then head home.

10:15 PM - We’re really tired. I think about eating a snack, but decide against it as I know I’ll just fall right asleep.

DAY TWENTY-FIVE TOTAL: $190.96

DAY TWENTY-SIX

9:00 AM - It’s super overcast today. I take that as an opportunity to make a hot Chemex along with a slice of toast.

9:30 AM - I pay an invoice for a Josef K LP. $32.78

11:00 PM - I have really been trying to cut down on my food expenses by eating in the office Monday - Thursday, and since it’s nearing the end of the month, I decide to total my expenses (I only compare debit card charges because it’s all the data I really have. I rarely withdraw cash so I consider the data to be pretty accurate). Year over year, I’ve saved $53 on coffee and roughly $300 on food (I still have two days left in the month, technically I’m at $332). Suddenly spending all this money on records doesn’t feel so painful. Could you believe that the year before that (I was single and only ate out.) I spent $650 more on food than I did this year? I pat myself on the back for reeling it in.

11:45 PM - We grab lunch at Hand Cut. They’re doing a rad $10 special which includes a burg, fries, and drink. I get a veggie burg protein style (aka with lettuce, no bread -- it has eggs in it.) with salt & vinegar fries and green iced tea. $12.80

4:00 PM - We leave a little early today because we have our work done. I head home and eat the rest of the probiotic cheese with crackers and have some quality one on one time with the Kardashians.

5:30 PM - Boyfriend comes home from work. He plays a couple games of hockey on his XBox and then we head to the mall.

5:50 PM - We stop at QT so I can buy another Gatorade. I have to remember to go to Fry’s this weekend. They’re usually 10 for $10. $2.53

6:00 PM - AZ Mills is kind of a bust. Neither of us find anything and we walk out empty handed.

7:30 PM - We stop for dinner at Halal Guys. It’s my first time here, so I follow my boyfriend’s lead and order a falafel pita. I ask if their white sauce has dairy and the counter person says no. After tasting it, I know for sure it has to. We do some googling and discover there is egg whites in the sauce. In situations like this, I usually base my feelings on taking food back if it’s going to make me sick since my reasons for veganism are environmental and I don’t want to waste food. Eggs don’t bother my stomach at all, so I eat it and make a mental note that next time, I will nix the white sauce. Boyfriend pays for the meal.

8:30 PM - We arrive home and watch a documentary about the Oklahoma City bombing. I pass out shortly after.

DAY TWENTY-SIX TOTAL: $48.11

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN

9:30 AM - The dog barking in the backyard wakes me up. It feels really good to sleep in! We take our time getting out of bed and head to the Cartel. I buy our drinks today, and boyfriend buys the bagels at the combination Einstein’s Caribou. $4.25

11:30 AM - We arrive back at home. I make plans to maybe mow the lawn and organize our music room, but boyfriend is antsy and wants to run around town. I always like doing this so we head out.

12:00 PM - We go to AZ Mills. Nike Store is a bust so we head to Chandler Fashion mall. I have fun looking at Kids Foot Locker and a couple other places but neither of us really find anything. We stop at the Target nearby and I buy baby Gatorades and Gatorade powder, underwear, and vegan ranch. I file Target charges under “home and health.” $29.94

1:30 PM - We stop at Office Max and my boyfriend buys a giant calendar for his office. We also stop at Nordstrom Rack. I don’t buy anything at either of these places.

2:00 PM - We grab lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. Boyfriend has super birthday coupon. I grab the tab. He tips. $8.90

3:30 PM - Boyfriend falls asleep, so I walk to Taste of Tops. One of the bartenders is moving and selling her record collection. She used to play a bunch of old school hip-hop back in the day, but she said she had a bunch of post-punk too. Her definition of post-punk is different from my definition of post-punk, and I’m pretty bummed. I buy one record. $10

4:00 PM - I cash out for my seltzer water. I tip with extra love. $4

6:00 PM - I’m home and my boyfriend is awake from his nap. We talk about plans for the evening and we opt to stay at home. I run to Sprouts and grab some supplies needed to make dinner plus some probiotics. Total was $55.01 $25 for food and $30.01 for home & health.

8:30 PM - Dinner is served - Spiralized sweet potatoes with a thai coconut peanut sauce and broccoli. Boyfriend likes it and complimented me on being able to figure out dishes that both of us would dig.

9:00 PM - We watch a documentary about the Sandy Hook victims. It is really sad. We watch some light hearted stuff after that and fall asleep.

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN TOTAL: $112.10

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT

10:00 AM - I deposit my boyfriend’s rent check of $526.62. I also write myself a check for $500 and transfer it to Simple, a new app I’m using to segment the money I’m saving specifically for a CR-V and a new DJ mixer. After multiple issues with technological issues of linking my bank account, I’ve decided this is the “best way.” They notify me saying for new accounts, it’ll take 9 days before I see my funds. #NotSimple

1:45 PM - #NotSimple part 2 = They send me a support message saying I can’t deposit checks from personal accounts that are in my name. I try my last ditch effort to link my the account to my PayPal. I’ll know in a couple days if this route worked.

2:00 PM - Boyfriend needs a break and we go to AZ Mills. Bad decision -- it’s way too crowded so we bounce pretty fast.

2:30 PM - We fend for ourselves for lunch -- I heat up some veggie soup and he heats up a frozen evol. breakfast burrito.  

3:30 PM - I take Katy Perry for a really long walk. First we stop at Casey’s - a patio bar in my neighborhood. I get a soda water and chat with some of Tempe’s finest bike community members toward the end of their “Speed Suit Sunday” event.

4:00 PM - We make our way home and Katy seems really lethargic. We stop at King Coffee so she can get some water. I buy a sparkling water. $4.24

6:00 PM - Home at last! I hang with my boyfriend for a little bit while he takes a break from work.

7:00 PM - Dinner = frozen veggie spring rolls and peanut sauce. I’m running out soon, but that means I’ll get to go to Costco! I spend the rest of the evening pretending that I’ll read but actually just watching MasterChef Junior. Rooting for Jasmine and Shayne.

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT TOTAL: $4.24