#90's salsa

[blog-oscar-iglesias-casado-23675]

Música “Salserin - Una rosa en la playa”

Salsa clásica, de los años 80-90 más o menos, no sé exactamente, desde Venezuela, una bonita canción de salsa del grupo infantil y juvenil de salsa venezolano Salserin,

[tiktaalic]

At least once a week i am thinking about how if you dropped someone born and bred pnw in any other state they would die in like. 2 days. microculture of no hardship. ohhhh i wake up every day and see beautiful mountains or oceans or lakes i dont even see it anymore lol it's just background noise to me. i have never lived in a city that i s 300 square miles of concrete. i have never lived 3 months of triple digit summer. i dont know what a thunderstorm or tornado is. i only have one high way. speeding is bad i would never go 90 mph on a backroad. i think interchanges are scary. my salsa has maple syrup in it and no spices. i've never seen a bug in my life. GROW UP !

[lotstradamus]

inspired by the manchester anon haha but do you have any tips and suggestions for visiting leeds? 🩷

I've lived here for 2 years now (!!!) but somehow I still don't really know my way around and just go to the same 5 places and use google maps to get anywhere else. it's sad. but here's some shit I love:

Grindhouse - cheap drinks, loads and loads of seats, never too full, music a reasonable volume, and they project 80s movies on the back wall. we once sat in here for 2 hours cos Stand By Me was on. one time we watched the bar staff earnestly tell a group of women on a hen do that the bar was closed and they weren't serving any more drinks, at 7:45pm. 10/10.

Rudy's - only 9 cities* in this fair nation have a Rudy's, so I'm going to keep reccing it for everyone else. perfect Neapolitan pizza. *Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Nottingham, Durham, London, York, Liverpool - if you live in one of these places and haven't been to Rudy's yet, sort it out.

Neon Cactus - go here on a Wednesday and order wings, and you'll get half price margs. lots of great Mexican scran. don't take anyone too picky or over 50, because the price for the great food and vibes is that at least one thing you order will be incorrect. but roll with it. half price margs, man.

Empire Cafe - book in advance if you want to sample the delights of Empire Cafe, cos there's like 6 tables max. everything is seasonal, changes on the daily, and is insanely delicious. if you want to experience heaven, order the steak and chips with salsa verde. there is NOTHING like it.

Stuzzi - another seasonal, small plate sort of place, but Italian. amazing food and a gorgeous restaurant. go with a big group and order one of everything.

Eat Your Greens - ANOTHER seasonal restaurant! this one is farm-to-fork and organic. I can’t speak to the quality as I haven’t actually been, but I am a frequenter of their GREENGROCER, which is MEGA. last time I think I left with natty wine, pâté, some insane tinned fish, a jar of harissa and a bag of sunset potatoes. if you like food, go here.

SARTO - fresh, handmade pasta and picky bits. another great place to go with a group and order all the starters. I had a celeriac pasta there last year that I think about on a fairly regular basis; I picked it cos it was the weirdest sounding thing on the menu and it was fucking mouthwatering. good quality and good people! and it's next door to The Wardrobe, so perfect for a pre-gig tea.

Santiago Bar - like Grindhouse (alternative, casual) but the music is louder and you'll find yourself doing tequila shots at 1am and screaming along to, like, Don Broco. it's the best.

Blue Collar Boys - as a rule I hate 'vintage' clothes shops (overpriced, ugly, everything is XXS), but this place seems to specialise solely in American t-shirts and sweatshirts from the 90s in exactly my size, and everything is £10. this is amazing and a huge bargain if you find something like vintage Wranglers and a Playboy bomber jacket (£20, my wife) but not so amazing or a bargain if you find 3 t-shirts with holes in (£30, me). we've never been without finding shit we love. they only open on random weekends, and they always seem to have more stuff than they could possibly ever sell. it's a freaky vintage alternate universe.

The Corn Exchange - a big gorgeous ol' building full of little businesses. vintage, handmade, tattoos, coffee, jewellery, independent brands, yarn, shoes, a barbers, a bookshop, they've got it all. very easy to spend £100 and 6 hours. every so often they have a market on the bottom floor. perfect tiny representation of Leeds: quirky, independent, delicious, cool.

Silver's Deli - this is a 9-minute train ride away in Bramley (my ends!) but has become THEE buzzy foodie spot recently. go on a sunny saturday morning (cos you will probably have to sit outside) and order the everything sandwich. thank me later. if they have scotch eggs or sausage rolls on, I beseech you, order both. and if you want the sunday special prepare to get there at 11 and fight.

Against the Grain - if you've come to Bramley for Silver's, you may as well trundle 10 minutes up the road and visit the best bar in Leeds. cosy, casual, full of locals, hidden in Swinnow Mills. it's a sit-around-and-chat-to-people sort of place, with bonus charcuterie boards AND a pizza van on weekends. we are here A LOT, because Gray's Salon and Rose and Thorn Tattoo are both in the Mill, and we give them all our money. oh! and dog friendly. sooo many dogs.

Project House/Galleria - if you've gotten the train out to Bramley for Silver's and ATG, jump on the 72 back to town and get off at Project House to eat MORE food. Galleria is a great place to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Project House has EVERYTHING (depending on the day). yoga! gigs! vintage fairs! a bi-annual tattoo convention meets makers market with food vendors called Hand of Glory! check what's on and head on down to support local!

Kirkstall Bridge Inn - another one local(ish) to me, but worth travelling out of town for; a PROPER pub (i.e. no tv, no sports, no shite) that does roasts upstairs and lets dogs in downstairs. outdoor seating right by the canal, and every so often they put something on and the car park turns into a tiny festival. Kirkstallpalooza is a highlight. great place to finish a nice canal walk (who am I?!).

tl;dr sorry that this is obnoxiously long, I love Leeds

[mysterycitrus]

i wonder if you ever thought of how a dick grayson soundtrack would sound like? and i don't really mean movie music, but more like what does this guy actually listen to. what songs do you associate him with? i always thought he'd be stuck in the 80/90/00's pop when it comes to music, plus he could unironically listen to teen beach movie songs or smth. also it's like a thing in the fics that he loves abba, which tbh kind of makes sense?

he’d have a pretty eclectic playlist — i think he’d also be like…. super into django music or salsa (not american-centric + with a great beat and fast pace). i think the all pop answer is kind of boring, partially because it’s hard to be edgy when voulez vous queues up on ur spotify, and cause i like the idea that dick wasn’t born/raised in america so he’d have more diverse music tastes. when im writing about him i listen to a lot of florence and the machine, stromae, dom fera, dijon, stevie nicks, ceumar, asa, and kylie minogue, so interpret that how u will.

because my man hates silence, i’d say he also has a youtube playlist of hyper specific ten hour ambient and asmr videos. titled things like “midnight on the subway and the guy next to you is possessed by the unholy lord of darkness” and “late 90s hits but it’s raining and you’re in the other room” and we can’t forget the classic “you’re alone in the woods but you can hear music in the distance and have no choice but to follow”

or he listens to like…… hours of straight static

[runs-4-pinkcupcakes]

Hey bunnies! It’s been a minute. 🩷

I have spent the summer getting chubby. 😀 But it’s been worth every alcoholic beverage and vacation calorie.

I decided to spend as much of the 90 days of summer saying YES to new experiences. I had to not let my weight hold me back from all the things on my bucket list. It HAS for many many years. “So sorry, but I’m too fat to go and do this and that. Sorry! But I have nothing to wear, it’s all too tight and I’m too self conscious!” I’ve known this my whole like, but I’m trying to live it “people who love you do not see your weight as a barrier to loving you”. They invite you because they want to spend time with you. Stop saying NO. You DO want to go.

Summer 2023: It’s had some ups and downs.

I went to Lido Beach Sarasota FL. Beautiful beach. 2 days in I had COVID: took 13 days to recover. That birthday vacation ended quickly.

Tried to make it up in Vegas end of June with 108 F temperatures. So hot you couldn’t even sit by the pool. Stayed at the spa most days.

Went to my first Grateful Dead concert. Perks: I already had COVID so no mask. The Free Contact high was amazing!

I did archery for the first time! Love it .

I learned to play CRAPS.

I went white water rafting at the American River.

Camp and made s’mores.

Watched the fireworks! 🩷🩷

Taught my self to make my favorite drink: Paloma.

Went to a Fiesta party and a Disco party. YES! Dressed up: wig and all!! Salsa and 70’s music and dancing.

46 days left of SUMMA! Go get it!!! ☀️☀️☀️

BTW: I’m back on my exercise and diet plan. I Do have a threshold. 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️

💋

[sasusc]

9 people you’d like to know better

Tagged by @1lostsoul0fishbowl

1. Three ships: Bethyl...I've been stuck in Bethyl hell since I decided to finally watch The Walking Dead about 2 years ago...has it really been that long? Sam and Jack from Stargate SG-1...a ship so old, there weren't cute name combinations out there when I started. Now sure what it might be called now. Old school shipping used initials...SJ. Shenny! I love Sheldon and Penny together. The writers did Sheldon and Penny as well wrong and their canon ships also reflects bad characterizations.

2. First Ship Ever: I have to go with Serena and Darien...probably the first fanfictions I read and tried to write were about my favorite superhero duo. I had to mentally change their names to the 90's USA dubbed version when authors wrote Bunny/Usagi and Mamoru. I was young, but now I only switch out the usage of Bunny as her name.

3. Last Song: One Man Band by Old Dominion thanks to @olpie who pointed out this song is perfect for Bethyl

4. Last Film: Godzilla vs Kong...my 5 year old daughter loves Godzilla movies.

5. Currently Reading: I have a ton of Bethyl fics opened. Soooo many tabs on my phone opened.

6. Currently Watching: technically my daughter as one of the many Ryan and Friends videos on, but I'm binging Shameless (just got to S5). As well as Stargate SG-1 and The Walking Dead for writing purposes...helps keep me in character for writing and giving me ideas.

8. Currently Craving: cheese quesadilla with salsa...it's almost dinner time and that's what I plan to eat.

7. Currently Consuming: cough drops...just getting over a nasty sore throat/coughing fit.

9. Favorite Childhood Book: The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce

Absolutely no pressure with these tags (but if you do play, please make a new post instead of reblogging this one!!!)

@olpie @whovianlili @mulderscully @mizjoely @rckyfrk @paleshelter29 @paledarklight @madpatti @galadrieljones

[writebackatya]

The FNAF movie was like a half baked cake with a TON of frosting; yes the animatronics are incredible, the set designs look like the games, and the actors they hired did their job well, but as a movie? Not good; at least for someone who isn’t a FNAF fan and wanted to give this movie a fair chance as a horror movie not really thinking about how faithful it was to the games

Now before I began this movie in the comfort of my own home (I’ve heard horror stories about some people’s experience watching this in a crowded theater and I think I’ll pass) but I should just forget everything I knew about FNAF (which wasn’t hard) and enjoy the movie on its own merit as a horror film. And I think this movie fails at that the most

Now if I were to compare the scary-ness levels to the spiciness of a salsa, Five Nights at Freddy’s would be smooth marinara. To give the movie credit, it did not rely on jumpscares. But in terms of suspense and horror, I got nothing really engaging for me other than the decent intro. The tone of the movie is all over the place and the pacing just didn’t do it for me

I said it in a previous post that this movie felt like one of those family movies I’d watch growing up and never really go back to dressed up like a horror movie. The whole storyline that’s out of Freddy’s felt like it was stitched from tropes you’d see from a live-action family movie made in the 90’s-00’s what with the evil aunt trying to get guardianship of the sweet innocent child the main character is watching and having henchmen sabotage his job

Also I’m not knocking a horror movie for having comedy or being something made for the family. I love horror films that can do either or both of those things

Horror-comedy is one of my favorite sub-genres of horrors that have some of my favorite horror movies that have great timing for these two seemingly counterintuitive genres but work well because it plays both those genres well without forgetting the other

And there have been plenty of horror films made for a family audience that still hold up today and can be enjoyed by a horror fan of any age. Heck those tend to be comedic at times and those movies do that well too. Not to mention those tend to treat its younger viewers with maturity being subtle or even just simply having frightful moments with consequences

But the FNAF movie just doesn’t do any of that right for me. As a family movie, it’s weak. I’m sorry, I do like the idea of Mike being an older brother taking care of his younger sister (who is very much implied to be neurodivergent) but that aspect of the movie very much feels “been there, done that”

And I just wanna add that movie itself feels like it’s talking down to its audience for it feels the need to tell it’s story just out loud in case we don’t know what’s going on. Even if the movie was being cheeky when Matthew Lillard’s character refers to information as “backstory” it still feels like I’m being spoon-fed information

And there’s just too much in here! Every storyline that happens in this movie feels like it amounted to nothing or just felt like it was filling time for the story

Fans of the series have already decided that they loved this movie. That’s fine. They’re allowed to have their own opinions, but when you’re out there making excuses for why someone else didn’t like it because they “don’t get it” or “just aren’t a fan” then you lost me. This isn’t that hard to get, it’s a bad movie for anyone who isn’t a fan. So don’t expect people who aren’t fans of the series to give your movie praise because they recreated a thing that happens in a game

[thewistlingbadger]

My hunter headcanons ❤️

CW: Disordered eating, mentions of sexual abuse, gender expression, neurodivergency, mentions of abuse, catholicism, etc.

Most of these are pretty wholesome and the triggering ones are super light, not detailed :)

anyway enjoy my long ass list of my hunter hcs

He is low-key clumsy. For example: Luz thought it would be a good idea to go roller skating, wrong. She spent the whole night baby sitting Hunter. First, he didn't wanna skate, then, he spent 15 standing at the edge, unsure of how to get on the floor, after that Luz had to be at his side the whole time because he wouldn't let go of the wall. The only thing stopping him from screaming and crying the whole time was his pride.

Hunter absolutely lives for velcro shoes. He hates shoes with laces because they confuse him but also because he trips all the time while wearing them. The amount of times he's fallen face first at school while wearing shoes with laces is more than he'd like to admit. Velcro shoes on the other hand are reliable, a fashion statement, and some of them even light up!!

He is willing to try anything at least once and if not, he will try it after Luz peer pressures him/annoys him for long enough.

He has a terrible fashion sense. Absolutely the worst god bless him

He's very creative. Camila looks at him and he reminds her of Luz. She loves her kiddos some much ❤️

Hates animals, except wolves (he's starting to warm up to domestic animals tho). They freak him out, he sees them as nasty, plus they're no where near as cool as wolves. (Yes this includes cardinals, he's not ready yet) Maybe he'll eventually get an interest with them but for now? No.

Likes the human concept of holidays. He thinks it cool and unique.

Dislikes the outdoors. He doesn't hate it, but i think he prefers to stay inside.

Loves headphones and earmuffs. They make him feel warm and fuzzy, they add weight to his head, overall sensory joy.

Loves soft textures (sensory joy)

He will always keep his hair short because he doesn't want to look like Belos but it's also a sensory thing

Lowkey afraid of everything lol. I think he tried to put on a brave face in front of all the other kids, but once they went back home and he stayed with Luz and her mom, his uncertainty of the realm bleeds into everything he does. It's also just his severe anxiety that makes him feel afraid all the time.

Finds human music intriguing. It fascinates him. He loves learning about all different types of music and it's history and the instruments

Camila introduces him to Latine music such as bachata, salsa, merengue, etc. He loves how it sounds. Camila has some instruments at the house and they play together

All of his likes and dislikes are a combination of experiences Luz and Camila have given him and him inheriting Luz's, Manny's, and Camila's hand me downs.

Hunter spends a lot of time doing god knows what. Making clothes, goofing off, having me time, and especially going through storage. He learns stuff from their storage like human stuff and just Noceda family shit.

His music taste and a lot of other things about him are from the boxes in the basement.

He loves coffee

He doesn't go anywhere without his CD Walman (which was originally Manny's)

All tv shows and movies he's seen are bc he found DVDs in the basement. He lives off 90's sitcoms, nick jr's episode Manny made on a custom CD, and seasons of 2010's Disney channel original shows

He loves Disney channel original movies. His current favorites are invisible sister and teen beach movie. However, Luz introduces him to a new movie every week so it changes a lot.

He's fascinated with animation he finds it stunning. His favorite Disney movie is tangled. Yes he's a Rapunzel kinnie, but he ln general he loves all animation.

He decides to stay in the human realm with Luz. He could have stayed in the basement but he didn't even last a night. He went to Luz's room, and he's been staying there ever since

Being in the human realm gives him the opportunity to heal his inner child. He spends most of his time enjoying kids shit. His favorite human book so far is probably one from the kids section of the library. On his side of the room he has posters and a night light and glow in the dark stars, etc.

He loves glow in the dark things it's a marvel it's like magic to him, hence the admiration for sketchers that glow in the dark.

Lost his fucking mind when he found out playaways were a thing, he absolutely loves them.

Loves living in Connecticut. It's quiet and cold and everything he could have ever hoped for in a home.

Wants to know more about the Dominican republic. Dreams of going there

Wears sunblock religiously. Takes all earth problems seriously even tho to Luz they don't seem too dangerous. He's out here taking gummy vitamins y'all he thinks it's that serious

Likes washing his hair in warm water (sensory joy)

Only shops in the clearance part of stores

Loves learning languages (even if he's not good at it)

Loves crayons. Loves coloring books. Loves stickers.

Would probably get along well with the pines twins from gravity falls

Loves astrology, he thinks the stars are so fucking cool. He and Luz spend weekends charting constellations on the ceiling of their shared room

He's a total scene kid

He's soooo into arts and crafts skskksks

He's really insecure about his looks

He dyes his hair brown so he can look for like a Noceda.

But i think he does just dye his hair in general. I think he's a highlights and streaks kinda guy

He has a hard time eating and i think it's a combination of things. I think he definitely had eating problems before but it's really clear in the human world. Human food is weird to him. Luz assures him that they'll find something that will be good for him, whether it's meals from different cultures or liquid meals, they'll figure something out.

Camila takes a day to explain food to him, like "here's where our food comes from, here's where it was before, come help me cook this so you can see how it's made," and that not only puts his mind at ease but it's that start of cooking/baking hobby

He alternates between calling Camila her name and Mrs. Noceda. He feels more comfortable calling her Mrs. Noceda but he recognizes that she wants to be called Camila. She's not really that bothered by it anymore, she just wants him to be comfortable

He spends a lot of time with Camila at first because hunter isn't really ready to go to school and he's not on level with all the other 16 years olds. Camila's worried he'll always be really behind but she makes sure he doesn't know

Camila loves hunter. He's so different from Luz it's a different experience. With hunter she's gentle and calm. She doesn't know everything that happened, but she knows this little boy was wronged in the past and she wants to make it up to him

Hunter helps out at the vet a lot. Camila thinks it's a good experience and he'll learn things

Tries to do well at school, is probably not doing too well tho lmao. He doesn't understand the social shit of school and who's he gonna ask for help? Luz and Camila? They don't understand either. I think he does well in PE. It reminds him of the training he did for the emperor's coven. But he doesn't understand the games. Dodgeball? Capture the flag? Hunter gets a lot of weird looks.

He doesn't have any friends other than Luz, and he's ok with that. Everyone thinks he weird. Him and Luz stick together, even tho Luz is finally making friends of her own. They're inseparable. Someone tries to fuck with Luz, hunter is waging war and vise versa.

Has no rhythm. Will not dance unless Luz makes him, Camila asks, he's playing Just Dance, or he's really happy and feeling himself. Luz is the happiest when he's the later.

Thinks word searches are diabolical.

Has conflicting thoughts on board games. Hates chess but likes checkers. Likes battleship but not connect 4. Still getting the hang of dominoes.

Has a collection of stuffed animals

Watches kids cartoons

Loves feminine things. But he's slowly easing into it bc some things he's not ready for/not used to. Part of him thinks make up is cool and the other part doesn't like how it physically feels on his face. It's a process. Luckily for him, the Noceda family is patient and accepting!

Luz holds his hand figuratively and little during everything she loves him to bits and pieces

He is very emotional. He cries a lot ❤️

Luz is his #1 defender and Camila is his #1 cheerleader

Has a love hate relationship with Legos

Likes soup. Likes salad. Doesn't like pasta, but likes to cook it. Loves Dominican food tho

Is learning guitar.

Loves lady gaga. Favorite songs include Judas, paparazzi, rain on me, etc.

He's probably a swiftie

Definitely likes instrumental music

Is on anxiety medication. Should be in therapy but i don't think he is. Camila doesn't really have the funds for it, hunter isn't warm to the idea of therapy, and he wouldn't be able to tell the whole truth since he can't expose the magic realm. Luz talked him into going to a youth support group for victims of abuse. Luz goes with hunter to those meetings to help him too.

Yes i think hunter was abused by belos and i also think he is a victim of sexual abuse (at belos' hands? Idk)

Does boxing

Has a terrible singing voice but likes to sing. He's in choir at school, definitely not a band or orchestra kid

Terrified of spiders, roaches, and bee like bugs. Everything else is pretty ok

Still does parkour

Likes playgrounds

Volunteers

So petty and passive aggressive

Is initially afraid of rollar coasters and attractions at theme parks but after a few rides he likes it

Likes fruit flavored things

Doesn't like cold desserts. Coming to terms with flan. I'm not sure if he likes sweet things in general tbh

Loves pastries. Loves baking

Prefers warm over cold foods

Likes posters

Loves Disney princesses, like, so fucking much. He admires and looks up to all of them so much i can't explain it-

Not into video games. Luz tries to get him into it and all it does is make him made when he looses sksksks

He's really into self exploration at the moment.

He can ask Luz anything and she'll say yes every time

He thinks live music is cool, but he is sensitive to loud noise. He stops enjoying live music when it's so loud he can feel the vibrations in the air

He wasn't afraid of heights until he got to the human world lmao

Definitely owns wolf ears and wolf tail (I'm afraid my dear boy is slowly becoming a furry)

Loves Shakira

Luz gave him a book on wolves for his birthday it is his favorite thing ever

Has/will probably consume every single bit of wolf content to ever exist (probably not for the better). He's one of those "now that i know i like it i must have ALL of it!"

They to to a indoor trampoline place fore luz's birthday 🥺🥺🥺 he smiles so much 🥺🥺🥺

Absolutely, fucking, HATES the dentist. One fear and one fear only, and it's dentists.

Loves baggy sweaters and big jeans. If it's not loose, he's not putting it on.

Has no idea about gen z culture. Luz trying to explain it to him makes it worse

Lowkey doesn't like technology/not into it t

Loves candles and artificial air fresheners

Can sew and can knit/crochet

Tries to cover scars with makeup after awhile

Asks Camila what she would have named Luz if she were a boy. When Camila adopts him, he changes his name to that

Converts to catholicism. It starts with Camila giving hunter a golden cross necklace for his birthday. "It'll protect you." He doesn't really understand what she means. Luz has a cross above the door in her room and a rosary on her desk. She does a sign of the cross every night before she goes to bed. He asks her about it, and she tries to explain it. He goes with them to church and surprisingly, he likes it. He minds praying soothing. It puts his mind at ease. "I guess after belos, i needed a new cause"

I'm not sure if he's the best driver ever or the worst driver ever. He's very into following the rules, however, i also feel like he'd be really bad at it lmao

Very stubborn. Thinks he can do everything on his own, even when it's not safe.

Very competitive too

Learning to be impulsive and to do stupid shit for fun (yes Luz is a bad influence)

He's very lucky to have Luz as a sister. She really pushes him out of his comfort zone and she's the reason he becomes more outgoing

He likes some musicals. He thinks they're a weird idea, but he's kinda intrigued. I think he likes wicked, be more chill, and phantom of the opera. Luz is introducing him to more stuff

I do think him and Luz play a lot your honor. I do think she went "I'm no longer an only child!" And fucking ran with it and suddenly, she's a little kid again! They go to the playground to swing and play tag and chase each other and throw frisbees and balls and shit she really said "i WILL turn you into THE american poster child!"

Hunter is genuinely terrified of eda's owl form and he openly admits how horrifying she is. But over time he starts to become fascinated by it, but he's doing his best to hide it lol.

Him and Luz are taking martial arts together

Genuinely i do think that they just do everything together they're inseparable.

He doesn't really access the internet but when he does, he sure is under parental controls. I mean c'mon if this kid knew about mitski we'd all be in huge shit

Every Christmas the Nocedas have a Christmas photoshoot, in which Luz and hunter dress in formal traditional Dominican outfits/just formal Christmas outfits. You know the dress I'm talking about

He loves build a bear

He has a hard time processing audio, emperor's coven type shit. He has a hard time understanding what is being said

He sleeps on the bottom bunk

Him and Luz talk during movies. They huddle on the couch, a bowl of popcorn and a blanket, shoulders and heads touching they're so close. They have no idea what's going on and no amount of squinting is gonna fix that lmao

Where they differ: hunter is quiet and Luz is loud

Hunter will see a character that he kins, and not understand why he is so mesmerized by this character. He starts doing all these things to make him more like the character and he's like "haHA this is normal!" He starts subconsciously dressing like them, practicing their lines in the shower, he really is a silly lil guy

He keeps calling willow captain because he genuinely cannot remember her name, it's also a respect thing. Willow doesn't mind, in fact, she makes sure people don't correct him sksksksk

He's formal like that. He'll call his teachers "professors" and the school nurse "doctor", yeah skskskks

Luz will often put the blame on hunter lmao. Camila will ask why Luz go detention, and Luz will go "um... HUNTER FAILED HIS TEST TODAY!" to drastic their mom lmao

HE KINS RAPUNZEL SO FUCKING MUCH TANGLED AND BOLT ARE SOME OF HIS FAVORITE MOVIES HE RELATES TO THEM SO MUCH

Camila will tell him something, and then hunter will do it repeatedly, even when Camila has already told him to stop. It's the solider in him

Hunter 1000% thinks kissing is gross.

NGL when Amity and hunter found out germs were a think they were like "🤮 take me back TAKE ME BACK!"

Luz and hunter have watched arcane together. Luz likes vi and hunter likes jinx, they both hate silco

Luz likes the book of life hunter likes Coco

Hunter likes human history! I think he has a good grade in that class

I think he has a crush on Bowser from Mario, but is completely unaware of what a crush is. It's a silly phase that pases soon enough

Luz suggests hunter learn ASL so he can communicate when he goes nonverbal/doesn't wanna talk. They practice together and one day, Luz notices that his smile is different. She asks what's wrong, and hunter says "it's like magic" (context: the hand motions of signing reminds him of the spells mages would cast in the demon realm)

Hunter hates all the blights and they hate him. Except for Edric, who is curious about hunter. Their conversations often go like "so....where you from-" "leave me the fuck alone, blight"

Hunter and Edric rivalry when?

Doesn't like Pokémon, it's too confusing for him

But he probably likes digimon lmao

He has a book of farm animals with the voices in it sksksksk he's like "the cow goes...moo? This is so odd"

He likes cheeseburgers

OH HE LOVES THE MOVIE TURNING RED

He and Luz probably cosplay together and go to cons

Hunter still calls Luz "human"

Luz says "hunter, you're my brother" and bc hunter doesn't really understand what she means he goes "yeah, you're my brother too"

THEY'RE ADHD/AUTISM SIBLINGS!!!!

[bebepac]

My Cozy Comforts

Original Post: 09/27/22 at 10:13AM  EST. 

Thank you so much for the tag, @dcbbw and @angelasscribbles

Comfort food(s): Lasagna, My friends call it Crack Dip (ground beef, salsa, and cream cheese) Pretty much anything Italian, or Mexican, or Chinese.  Snackfood wise:  Funjuns, sunchips and kettle cooked chips salted or the jalapeno, and key lime pie, oh and apple pie.  I know, I’m such a fat kid.  I like food.  Never met a carb I didn’t like.  And that’s how I write all my MCs.  They LOVE FOOD.  

Comfort movie(s): The Devil Wears Prada, Mean Girls, Clueless, Sky High 

Comfort clothing: Expensive side: Merino Wool, Flowy maxi dresses, those soft leggings that feel like butter.

Comfort song(s): Maybe I’m going not so much comfort, but nostalgic, there’s a 90′s hits channel on Pandora that I love.  The songs of that era always put me into a really good mood and one will always come on that brings a smile to my face, because I remember the first time I heard it, or where I was when it came on when I was enjoying being young and dumb. 

Comfort book(s): It’s been a while since I’ve read the traditional book, right now it’s the fanfic here that I’m reading and following. 

Comfort game(s): I love Candy Crush Soda

Tagging: @secretaryunpaid @neotericthemis @jerzwriter​   @harleybeaumont​  and anyone who hasn’t done this yet, that wants to do it.  Let’s get to know YOU!!!

[randomvarious]

1990s Techno Playlist

Got a huge update for this playlist that I somehow haven’t managed to touch in months 😧. Well, actually, let me clarify that...the update’s huge for YouTube, but not so much for Spotify, since Spotify’s techno library is, sadly, severely lacking. I mean, most of the tracks I’m adding today come from one of the most important labels in techno history, Berlin’s Tresor, and Spotify has barely any of them! For shame, Spotify!

Funny though, the two Tresor tracks that I was able to find on Spotify actually now end up bookending the playlist: X-101′s “Sonic Destroyer,” a classic, hard-nosed, buzzing early 90s raver, and Hiroaki Iizuka’s “Tera,” one of those rhythmically walloping and super hypnotic, tribal kinds of grooves. Plus, I also threw in probably one of the most oddball tracks to ever chart in the top 5 in the UK with Underworld’s “Born Slippy,” which earned its fame thanks to its inclusion in the 1996 film, Trainspotting. Some people have even gone so far as to call that song electronic music’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

X-101 - “Sonic Destroyer” Underworld - “Born Slippy” Hiroaki Iizuka - “Tera”

Now, for the YouTubes: it’s a lot. I added a bunch of songs that I’d struggled to find previously from a trio of legendary labels: Paris’ F Communications, the Netherlands’ Djax-Up-Beats, and Glasgow’s Soma Quality Recordings. I also added some great tracks that were showcased on Josh Wink’s Profound Sounds, Vol. 1 mix from 1999. And on top of that, I poured in a good bunch from the Tresor label too. 

And I think, since this is something of an immense update, that if you want the true cream of the crop here within all of these adds, you should go towards the end of the playlist and find “Bored Meat” by Berlin’s DisX3 and “Mala Mazza” by Amsterdam’s Diskordia. Both of those tracks are featured on Tresor’s Annex 3 compilation, and while all the songs in this update are great, it’s those two particular beauties especially, which just so happen to be lined up back-to-back, that are simply *on another level* to me 😌. And don’t sleep on Funk D’Void’s “V-Ger” either! 🤩

Here’s a list of tracks from the update that only exclusively appear on YouTube and not on Spotify:

Laurent Garnier - “Breathless (Edit)” Phaedrus - “Tesla” Aurora Borealis - “The Milky Way (Edit)” Holy Ghost - “MK Ultra” Funk D’Void - “V-Ger” Group X - “Journey” Marko Laine - “So What” Blue Arsed Fly - “Bucket” Cristian Vogel - “Lock Onto the Signal” Pacou - “T.4″ Naohisa Furusawa - “E++” Marshall Jefferson - “The Horse” Maas - “Look At Me Now Falling (I.Cube Simple Mix)” Tobias Schmidt - “Cosmetic Pollution” Blaze - “Lovelee Dae (Eight Miles High Mix)” DisX 3 - “The Wide Theatre” Stacey Pullen Presents Black Odyssey - “Sweat” Christian Smith & John Selway - “Silver” Josh Wink - “Untitled” The Advent - “Sketched for Life (Salsa mix)” Dave Tarrida - “Mouse Catcher General” DisX3 - “Bored Meat” Diskordia - “Mala Mazza” Kijitora - “Butterfly Control”

Playlist is also on YouTube Music.

So now this thing is really finally starting to take shape, at least on YouTube. We’ve got about 3 hours and 20 minutes worth of songs on Spotify, but almost 7 hours now on Youtube. And there’s still so much more to add 😅.

But wait, we’re still not done yet! Also have another 90s techno playlist that’s specifically focused on the year 1997. Again, the Spotify one is far inferior to the YouTube one:

Spotify / YouTube / YouTube Music

Enjoy!

More to come, eventually. Stay tuned!

Like what you hear? Follow me on Spotify and YouTube for more cool playlists and uploads!  

[thecandywrites]

Monster March 2023 Day 26 Part 1

U-pick.

Yeah, I know, I know it's already FUCKING MAY and I'm still on day 26 of Monster March. I'm officially TWO FUCKING MONTHS LATE. AAAAAAHHHHHHH. But, better late than never.

And there's A LOT of backstory so it's all under the cut.

So I grew up in Kalamazoo Michigan. Every summer, on our way to South Haven on Lake Michigan, we would stop by Leduc Blueberry Farm in Paw Paw which was literally on the way. A family farm that had FIVE varieties of blueberries you could pick yourself. So, keep in mind, I'm nearly 40 now. So all this was 20 years ago for me. So this is all set to...fucking 20 years ago when I really was 17, and that DAMN FINE, country farm boy driving that tractor that had a special trailor with benches just for the U-pickers to get driven out to the various sections of fields that they had on the...had to be 100 acers of just...blueberry bushes, as far as the eye could see practically on various plots of land.

So all the places and the names of the farm- that's all REAL. And yes, my mother, at 9 months pregnant really did go blueberry picking with me and my other sisters and the ACTUAL REAL LEDUC'S. (Super nice, wonderful family farm people, who- actually sold the farm to the Berry Brothers a few years ago for MILLIONS of dollars, which I'm very happy for them. But The Leduc Name is still on the Farm because Leduc has almost a cult following) Anyway, they FREAKED THE FUCK OUT that my mom was gonna go into labor RIGHT THEN AND THERE right in the rows between the bushes. TWICE. Once with my sister Erin and again with my sister Ari. And they really did give us one hell of a deal on our U-pick blueberries to just GO AND LEAVE before my mother's water really would break and she would give birth in the field. So that interaction really did happen. TWICE.

Did my mom actually go into labor? No. She had her Weight Watchers water jug she would put lemons in for water though that they did provide at the barn. Did I get an official Leduc blueberry bush when I went back and begged and pleaded and promised it was for my own personal, purely sentimental reasons for wanting to have? Yes. And did Ohio's lack of FUCKING CHILL HOURS KILL IT? YES. Right after I threw away the fucking contact information. (The HORROR, the SHAME)

But I do really have Kabluey blueberry bushes now. They're close. Really close. Never gonna be an authentic Leduc Blueberry but close enough. As close as I'm gonna get any time soon.

But did the Leduc's have any sons my age? No clue. Were any of them named Tristan? No idea. Did I, as a seventeen year old want the damn fine farm boys to bend me over and plow me between the bushes better than any other field ever was? Oh HELL YES! But did I ever say anything? Nope. I chickened out every time.

So a lot of this is very much rooted in reality. And of course it's set to the late 90's and early 2000's where it really was $10 for a whole TEN POUND BOX of blueberries that the migrant workers picked on the farm. OR HALF THE PRICE if you picked it yourself. Thus- U-PICK is a really, REALLY big thing up there. Still is at a lot of the orchards especially.

Does Leduc Blueberry farm still have U-Pick now? No. The new owners, The Berry Brothers- won't let you anymore. But they do have a U-pick blueberry farm nearby, (I have no idea what varieties they have on that one- so I don't know if it's the same or even if they even have the Leduc Blueberry on that farm, I've never been, not yet anyway). But at the actual old Leduc Barn that they've rebuilt into a Leduc Sales Barn/Store/Bakery- they do have wine and hard cider that was DELICIOUS. In addition to a freaking bakery and a restaurant and all kinds of blueberry stuff- including, I shit you not- blueberry salsa and blueberry BBQ sauce. However the Leducs didn't get out of the berry business entirely, they still have a Leduc Strawberry Farm. And they are pushing on 70 years of being in the berry family farm thing. Which I honestly hope they can manage to stay with it and keep the Leduc name and legacy going for as long as possible. So this is very much a Love Note (?) and a shameless self indulgent fanfic.

As always, thanks to @borealwrites for keeping Monster March 2023 open for me long enough to try to finish them. Bless you. I only have 5 left. But once I started writing this, my hand slipped for...24 thousand plus words. That I've divided into three parts. FOR NOW. So right now, it's fluffy and SFW but once I get a chance to finish these damned prompts, I want to come back and finish this proper and give this the panty dropping, ovary exploding, hot, sweaty, sweet smut it deserves. Sasha and Tristan deserve it dang it. And I need the shameless self indulgence, as a treat. lol.

Anyway, enjoy.

Monster March 2023 Day 26- Werewolf

Kabluey 

Part 1

U-Pick

Tristan wiped the sweat from his brow with his tank top on this hot July afternoon when a mom with her three daughters came into view from the barn with a stack of buckets and bright blue ties the U-pick buckets always came with. 

“Wow.” His ears perked up when he heard one of the girls say as he looked up to see her gawking at his exposed abdomen before she flushed and sheepishly dropped her gaze guiltily.  Her mom, with her own very pregnant belly, walked, or rather, waddled towards him before he noticed just how pregnant the mom was. Her mom was very heavily pregnant. His ware senses told him she was dangerously close to going into labor. 

“Ma’am? Are you sure you should be out here? The closest hospital is at least 40 minutes out.” He asked as he watched her waddle over to him, her large belly, making her long boho skirt sway from side to side. The oldest daughter, who had previously praised his bare belly had also, coincidentally, in his humble opinion, one of the prettiest ones she had, that was closer to his age pushed her young toddler sister in the stroller while the other one was texting away on her phone, and seemingly none the wiser to her surroundings as she shuffled with her sisters and her mom. 

“Oh, I’m a good two weeks out, and I always go at least a few weeks late. I’m probably a month away from delivering this stinker. Ain’t that right Little Rocket?” She waived off with a solid pat to her belly before the baby inside seemed to kick at her hand, making the woman giggle. Her daughters helped her climb up and then sit down on the special trailer that had benches so he would drive those who wanted to U-pick their own blueberries could do so, and go to the various rows of the various kinds they had at his family’s blueberry farm. 

“And even if she does, we’re covered. Isn’t that right Ellis?” The eldest reassured him as she nodded to her backpack before she got her little sister out of the stroller and kissed her little sister’s cheeks sweetly and put her onto the bench next to their mom before she folded up the stroller and put it up between her mom, and the closest spot next to him. 

“Covered?” Tristan repeated skeptically. 

“Yeah, you’re talking to a midwife and her daughters. I’ve already helped deliver this one. And I’ll help deliver that one too.” She said as she gestured from the toddler to her Mom’s pregnant belly. 

“Well, as long as you’re ready for it, that’s your business, just don’t rope me into it.” Tristan murmured under his breath.

“I won’t.” She laughed which got him to chuckle too before others came and joined them. 

“So what’s your name?” The eldest asked him once she took her own backpack off and let it rest between her feet so her back could cool off. 

“Tristan.” He offered her his hand. 

“Sasha.” She offered her hand in turn to shake his. 

“So your mom is naming your little…brother…Rocket?” Tristan asked curiously as he waited for more to come from the barn to where they were currently sitting before the wind picked up her scent and sent it into his nose and he had stop himself from immediately shifting as his eyes did anyway from behind his sunglasses as he hoped that she hadn’t seen that. 

But his question got her to laugh which he found he quite liked the sound of. Because it wasn’t that fake ‘oh my goodness, you’re so hot- so everything you say is funny’ kind of laugh. No, this was- a real, ‘this is funny’ laugh, which he liked infinitely more. 

“No. It’s a girl. And her name will be Arianna. My mom wanted a Spanish name to honor my grandparents who went all over South America on missionary work. But we just found out, that it’s actually a French name and it’s the name of a French Rocket. So ever since- she’s been Little Rocket.” Sasha explained. 

“So which blueberries are we picking today? Dukes? Bluecrops? Elliots?” Sasha asked.

Tristan’s jaw was nearly sitting in his lap. Because usually only the other blueberry farmers talked about blueberry varieties. And Tristan felt like he knew all of them on the west side of the Great Lakes. And he did not recognize the beautiful girl before him as one of them. Which was good, because he felt he was related to more than half of the ones he already knew. 

“Bluegolds.” He answered as he kept a grip on the wheel of the tractor, letting it’s ribbed and nubbed wheel be a grounding force for him as the wind blew more of her scent into his nose as he fought not to shift again as he tried to tell himself that this had to be puppy love that his instincts were screaming at him that he had found his mate. Because that would be just…ridiculous, right? Or…way too soon to have- that particular instinct kick in, and kick in as strongly as it did right now. But he would be loathed to try to deny he didn’t automatically feel a pull towards her and was, very much attracted to her either. 

Every ware had puppy love, it was something of a first love, first infatuation, first big crush kind of thing. But he didn’t think he had had his yet and he was terrified that this was it because they both appeared to be at that age where it could go either way. It could very well be puppy love and hot and fast but turn and burn forever, or could go low and slow but all consuming and forever. And he wanted…he wanted the hot and fast but steady and sure and all consuming and forever, he instantly wanted both, immediately and he had to stop himself because this girl didn’t know him from…anyone or anything. She may not even be ware or know about wares or anything and she may very well be, just innocently out with her mom and her sisters, out blueberry picking, at his family’s farm- the same way near countless others did. And to her, all he is- is the guy who drove the tractor. Just a cog in a much greater machine. But he felt like he saw her around before. Because their U-pick farm usually had the same “regulars” that would come every summer. And she seemed like a regular. But she just may be in the middle of a metamorphosis from pretty girl to drop dead gorgeous woman. 

But, oh, he was in trouble either way. 

“Nice. How do they compare with Kablueys or Calypsos?” She asked. 

Oh, may all that is good and holy have mercy on his soul. He usually thought that when his parents talked about what varieties of blueberries they wanted to add to their ever growing blueberry farm- his brain was gonna rot. He thought that between the five varieties they started out with that would give them blueberries from the end of June clear through the end of August, was more than enough, but they had varieties that saw to it that they had blueberries from the beginning of June- clear through to the end of September. Now it seemed like every year, there were at least five new kinds between the various big greenhouses. 

But the way this girl just rattled off varieties of blueberries like she was one of the daughters of the other well known blueberry farmers, he was practically swooning. Which was unusual for him. Because usually other blueberry farmers who have been doing this for generations- either loved it, or preferred to talk about anything other than the damn blue things. And before this moment, he had thought he had been the latter. But right now? He was ready to have everyone get off so he could give her an official tour of every blueberry they had right now to practically uproot any kind she liked and give it to her as a courting gift. 

“Not as tangy and sour as Calypsos, haven’t tried Kablueys yet.” He admitted, wrapping his tongue around the word, trying to repeat how she had said it- exactly. 

“Really? Well I ordered them from Ohio, they’re still at least a week or two away from ripening. They’re supposed to be a southern highbush with a low to mid chill hour needs. But are supposed to be very sweet and very bold in flavor without the staining that the rabbit eyes tend to do, and a decent size to boot.” She answered and he nearly had to put his hand over his heart, like a southern woman who was about to say ‘be still my beating heart’ because his heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest. 

All because suddenly this girl who wasn’t even dressed that sexy or even remotely flirty, just a tankini tank top and a pair of shorts was suddenly the most beautiful creature he ever seen in his life as he now couldn’t get his eyes to shift out of their ware state as he felt transfixed as her scent practically engraved itself into his mind, heart and soul. Not in a ‘wow that’s a great perfume’ kind of way. But in a ‘wow that person’s genetics need to mix with mine’ kind of way. Wait, was this it? His parents warned him that wares fell in love twice. Once with “puppy love” the second was the ‘happily ever after with your mate’ kind. And he had been terrified of both and now that he met her, he was scared of it being the former and hoping it was going to be the latter. But she was so young, he was so young, it could honestly go either way and he was suddenly so scared of his own young and stupid and inexperienced self scarring off his mate. Because the longer the moment he was sharing with her lasted, the more he had to fight off his own instincts to just follow her wherever she would go. Down I-94 if he had to. 

“So you just work here in the summer?” She asked. 

“Nope, I live here, right there actually.” He nodded to the house across the street as he pushed his sunglasses up to conceal his eyes and hope that nothing else about his form was shifting at the moment and he could stay in his human form. But she was definitely compatible, something about her was just…irresistible and his mouth was watering at the prospect of getting a taste, of any kind of her because her scent was just that delicious. 

The house he nodded to- that he and his brothers were raised in- was the same dark navy blue, the same color a very ripe blueberry usually was. 

“Oh sweet. So you’re a Leduc then?” She asked. 

“Yeah, I’m Tristan Leduc.” He nodded in confirmation. 

“Aww, that’s nice. Sasha Wright, pleased to meet you. Please tell me that they pay you to drive this tractor though- at least. I get the whole - family farm concept but this is not easy work and just because you’re born into it, doesn’t mean you should do it for free.” She offered before he turned to shake her hand. And in that moment, he could have sworn he felt a delightful tingling jolt of electricity. Because, while the weather was hot and they were both sweaty. He didn’t care. Her handshake was gentle yet firm and confident and her hand almost felt as calloused as his own. Which meant this girl worked hard with her hands at least, even as clean as her hands were and it was like magnets just turned on inside of him and he turned as far as he could in his seat on the tractor to face as much of her as he could and that touch was like the first hit of a drug he was instantly addicted to. 

And she was talking to him about the family business like she already knew it and understood it and the fact that she immediately aligned herself with him and his welfare, he was done for. Technically, his parents bought him a house he was slowly, but surely remodeling it and making livable. But now, he suddenly felt he needed to double down on his efforts. 

“Yeah, it’s not as much as I could make working somewhere else, but whatever it takes to make the family farm a success.” He answered with a cheesy smile and a thumbs up which got her to laugh again. 

“I know exactly what you mean. When my mom isn’t pregnant or a midwife for someone else, I’m working with my dad. And he and my uncles and my grandfather all own their own plumbing business. And if my mom wasn’t pregnant, and I wasn’t a midwife in training, I’d be digging ditches and sweating pipe, with the only payment being my dad buying me and my sister Autumn, lunch for a whole full day’s work. Which is a crock honestly. But it’s the family business. And it’s a whole family effort to make it work. Especially in the beginning when things are small and it’s all sink or swim. But we’ve been coming here for years. Hopefully you guys are able to do well enough to at least pay you for your hard work.” Sasha admitted. 

“We get by. I hope your dad’s business goes better so he can at least pay you for you and your hard work.” He returned because women in plumbing didn’t exactly go hand in hand like that. But that explained her handshake and what he felt and he was pleasantly surprised. 

“Thanks, Right now things are ok. But with the economy and the weather. It feels a bit too much like feast or famine half the time.” Sasha nodded. 

“I know exactly what you mean. When the blueberries are ripe and we’re able to sell them and have U-Pick- good weather tends to bring out the masses. But bad weather drives them away and they’re perishable and we feel like they’re either not ripe enough to pick or everything is rotting right off the bushes before we can get to it, no matter how many day workers, or even seasonal workers we hire.” He admitted. 

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I have friends who own orchards and vineyards. It’s something you spend all year getting ready for. And when it hits you go nonstop and try to do all you can until you feel like you’re ready to fall over and collapse and you run yourself into the ground. And then before you know it, it’s over and you’re counting your gains and losses and trying to figure out how you can make next year better than the last one.” She shook her head subtly. 

“All while hoping the weather itself cooperates. But it’s Michigan. You don’t like the weather, wait 20 minutes. It’ll change to hopefully something you do like, but then only stay that way for 20 minutes before changing again. Thanks Gulf Stream and Lake Michigan giving us Lake Effect weather.” She smiled and gave him a thumbs up with her cheesiest ‘customer service’ or even ‘commercial’ tone of voice and it was Tristan’s turn to bust up laughing. Oh he liked her. A lot. She was beautiful inside and out- and had a great sense of humor. 

Oh the gods were either very cruel or very good to him to send him his mate, on today of all days. Just when he was thinking he should get the hell out of here and out of this business. Here was his mate, inspiring him to keep going and make it work. And feeling like, at last, someone who could know, sympathize, empathize and offer comfort and support while giving him the chance to say whatever was on his mind and heart and be with him, rain or shine, through the good and the bad and everything in between. 

“But in the meantime, I’d rather be out here picking my favorite blueberries and run the tiny chance and probability of possibly helping my mom go through labor, than digging a ditch and sweating pipe, all while trying to remember the five different measurements my Dad just rattled off for the next five pieces of pipe he’ll need for the job.” Sasha admitted as Tristan refocused on her and what she was saying. 

Suddenly the thought of her actually doing those things was…suddenly so attractive. Most girls he met, were either vapid, or vain or boycrazy, or too glued to their phones to even appreciate who or what was around them, which Tristan felt like he was guilty of half the time himself. 

And most girls, especially his age- only cared about looks, whether or not their current flavor of the week was “hot enough”, or “ripped and shredded” which was all aesthetic and not functional at all half the time. Or all about the bling, bank accounts and cars and a “lifestyle”, one preferably luxurious where they didn’t have to work at all, but still go out and shop and post pics on Instagram, and get that follower count up as high as possible, all while looking- model out of a magazine good- doing it. All while expecting, or demanding that their flavors of the week practically worship the ground they walked on while contributing nothing to anything other than their annoying presence. 

But it was like, she was the exact opposite of that. And it was like he was talking to someone at least twice the age he figured she was for how mature she seemed and the longer he was in her presence, the more he liked her and the harder he fell for her in the process. 

“So you gonna drive or what Mr. Laduc?” She asked once she noticed the trailer getting full from people climbing aboard. 

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” He apologized before he turned around and drove the tractor to the spot he was supposed to. 

“So what’s your Dad’s plumbing business?” He asked her over his shoulder as he drove them there. 

“Wright Plumbing. Like the Wright Brothers? Or Frank Lloyd Wright?” Sasha answered. 

“Awesome! Yeah, I’ve seen your guy’s trucks around. But I thought it was a pure orc business?” Tristan nodded as he wondered if their house would need plumbing any time soon. 

“Oh, yeah, we get that a lot. The business employs a lot of them and we employ some from every clan there is around here. But we have people of all kinds working for us. And we hire from all the species. We don’t discriminate either way. It’s a trade. It’s something someone has to have intelligence, good work ethic, strength and skill to do. That’s all it is, we employ everything from across the species spectrum.” Sasha shrugged. 

“You could probably do it just fine, if you didn’t want to be in the blueberry business.” Sasha appraised with an appreciative glance to the toned muscles on display on his arms. 

“So you guys are hiring?” He asked.

“Always. Not that there’s that much turn over, just…the business trying to grow and get little satellite offices. We have a few branches in the larger cities. So now we’re working on smaller, satellite branches in some of the smaller cities. That aren’t the size of Kalamazoo, or Lansing or Grand Rapids or Battle Creek or Saint Jo and stuff.” She explained. 

“Wow, so wait, you’re trying to open satellite offices but your dad still doesn’t pay you?” Tristan asked. 

“Kinda sorta? I mean, technically, yes and no. I don’t get- like a paycheck every time I do, because I’ve already told my dad it isn’t something that I want to be more involved with- than I already am. But my dad is one of the co-owners and he’s taking on business partners. Who then run their individual branches, like any other franchise. Any money he doesn’t pay me for work during the day, he still pays himself since the company specifically has a clause where contractors can hire day laborers to do more of the hard, manual labor- like digging ditches. So he adds that to his own paycheck and gets to bring it home as income for the family and instead he lets my mom and me get more things for the farm itself- like apple trees last year and citrus trees the year before that. But it’s blueberry bushes this year. And most likely- figs next year, so instead of dollars- it’s fruit bearing trees and bushes for our hobby farm. But otherwise, he can also take that money and actually use it to better the company and especially the benefits for the other employees and their apprentices- which I honestly want more because that’s better in the long run. Plus, I still get “experience”, “life lessons”, “self sufficiency lessons”, “school credits”, and “exposure” and “business contacts” as payment too, and they pay for just about everything, so there’s not a whole lot I really need that much money for. But, technically I do get a paycheck, but it comes from midwifing with my mom. She makes sure I get paid for that at least for pocket money and stuff. Plus that work is completely different, and for me personally, it’s much more rewarding. It’s not work as much as it is guiding a mother on her journey through the child bearing process and especially the birthing process and the miracle of life- when that little life is wanted, and will be cared for in the first place.” She clarified. 

“Plus, my cousin, Brianna, she doesn’t want to go into plumbing as her career either. She’s going to school to be an LMT and right now the plan is for her to go into a pregnancy massage so she and I can work together. I’ll be a midwife, Brie will be the pregnancy massage therapist and my other cousin will be a doula. We’re going to start a business of our own. Brie will be The Wright Touch Medical Maternity Massage Therapy. And I’ll be The Wright Birth Plan. And together we will have The Wright Maternity Practice, we just need OBGYN’s, of which, we both have another cousin who is going to school to be a doctor just for that, so we’re pretty set there.” Sasha proudly proclaimed. 

“Oh that’s smart. Make a good use out of the family name.” Tristan praised because that was so cute, and so smart and such a good use of the family name Wright, like it was a fun play on words. But such a thing then presented a new problem as he then had to try to push out thoughts of shifting and taking her off and breeding her right so she would have a pup right now if she wanted it. But he had to remember, house first, have to have a house to make a home with your mate- first and actually make your intentions known and actually courting her properly before they could ever get to that step in the relationship, if she even wanted one with him in the first place. 

“And have it be associated with something other than plumbing.” Sasha insisted before he came to the right spot. 

“Here we are.” He announced once he got to them. 

“Thank you so much for getting us here safe and sound. Great job. You didn’t crash, or run anyone over. And the tractor isn’t on fire and broken beyond repair. Another round of success.” She praised in a lighthearted teasing tone as she pat him on the back which got him to laugh. 

“Thanks, I try.” Tristan nodded as he tried to not lean into her touch too much. 

“And you succeed.” She beamed happily before she slipped her backpack back on and got off and set up the stroller and got her littlest sister while her younger sister helped their mom off the trailer. 

“Thanks. Holler if you need anything or heaven forbid, your mom’s water breaks.” He called after her. 

“I thought you didn’t want to be involved?” Sasha asked. 

“Just because you’re more than capable, doesn’t mean you should try to do something by yourself. I can still dial 911 and do my best to help if I need to.” Tristan reassured her. 

“Ok. Thanks. I don’t think she’ll go into labor. Because honestly, the baby hasn’t even dropped yet and other factors that play into the process haven’t happened yet. So when she says she’s still a ways away from having the baby. Trust the mom. It’s her body. She’s done this three times already. She knows her body better than anyone else. So if she’s not worried, I’m not worried and neither should you be.” Sasha insisted as the others boarded up the now empty seats and were ready to be driven back to the barn. 

He watched as Sasha and her family began to walk down the row of blueberry bushes, pushing the cart with her youngest little sister into one before going to the next one over and began to pick some herself as Tristan wanted to get off and join her, but he still had a job to do. 

After a few more rounds though, she and her mom and her sisters all had their buckets full of blueberries and purple fingers and lips from eating as they went too and wide smiles which always made him smile to see them so happy. 

“So? What do you think of the Bluegolds?” He asked. 

“Really good. Always some of my favorites. Really similar to Auroras, not as flat as Blue Sugars, but not as sour as Spring Highs, good tangy like Calypsos. But not as overpowering and a punch of intense blueberry flavor that borders on artificial- that rabbit eyes usually are.” She appraised and Tristan had never thought, in a million years, a pretty girl talking about blueberries would be as amazing and delightful as the conversation he was having with the one his eyes were currently on, or that she would somehow look even prettier now than when she was when he first laid his eyes on her. Even her eyes were as blue as the blueberries in the fields around them while her pretty blonde hair was ribboned with blonde from all the sun she clearly got as she had moved her sunglasses up to once she got under the canopy of the trailer to sit down. 

“I’m happy you approve.” Tristan beamed happily. 

He drove them to the barn and he outright called to his cousin, Charlie, to take a turn with the tractor because he wanted to check Sasha and her family out himself as he happily got a big 10lb box and took their buckets and dumped them in, getting a few more when it was clear they had picked more than 10lbs worth. 

“Wow, you sure do know what you’re doing, these look great.” He praised when he didn’t spot a single green or even purple- under ripe one in Sasha’s full bucket. 

“Thanks.” Sasha smiled proudly as she helped untie the strings from around her sister’s waists as her mom was happy to waddle over to the water cooler and refill her large jug of water that she already had a few wedges of lemon in. 

“Oh, that’s so much better.” The mom said as she sucked it down before she passed the cup around to her three daughters to sip on too. 

“Ok, that’ll be five dollars.” Tristan said.

“But we have 30lbs of blueberries, it should be fifteen dollars.” Sasha contested as she gestured to the three- quite full- ten pound boxes of blueberries they had picked, technically, they had had two and a half boxes worth but he topped off the third box himself from the huge tub that the regular harvesters usually collected. Usually it was ten dollars for ten pounds if the seasonal workers at the farm picked them. Or it was five dollars for ten pounds, or $2.50 for five pounds if the customer picked them. 

“Nope. Just for not having the baby on the farm today, it’s five dollars.” He insisted which got the mom and her daughters to bust up laughing. 

“Honey, this is your family’s farm, we shouldn’t be cheating you like that.” The mom said as she tried to hand him a twenty - before he took it but gave her a ten and a five in change. 

“It’s not cheating. If anything Sasha told me about a new kind of blueberry I haven’t heard of. I’d be much obliged if she told me where she ordered it from so we could order it too to see how we like it.” Tristan offered and he told himself he was going to work up the courage to ask for her number. 

“Here.” Her mom offered Sasha as she handed her daughter a business card and a pen from her little purse.

Sasha wrote down the name of the blueberry and where she ordered it from on the back of her dad’s business card and handed it to him but still put a ten’er with the card. 

“Consider it a tip for safely driving us to and from the fields.” Sasha insisted as he tried to only take the card but ignore the money before he put his hands up and back away to keep her from giving him another dime. 

“Oh for crying out loud, take the money you rightly earned- dang it!” Sasha demanded with a laugh as she tried to lean over the counter to put it into a pocket but he just laughed with her and took another step back to keep his pockets out of her reach. 

“You keep it! You work hard and your dad doesn’t pay you at all. So you keep it.” He insisted. 

“Oh, yes he does, it’s just not traditional money. I told you! Tristan Laduc, you take this money from me or I’ll jump over this counter myself.”

“Sasha Wright, you keep that money for your own hard work and save it for that Wright Birth Plan business. Use it to buy business cards for that.” Tristan insisted before she scrunched up her nose but still smiled at him. 

“Fine. You win this round, but I’ll get you, when you least expect it.” Sasha finally caved and shook her head but kept the money and put it into her own pocket before wagging her finger at him and narrowed her eyes while her smile was as bright and warm like sunshine itself. 

“And I’ll see you coming from a mile away.” Tristan recalled. 

“Sure you will.” Sasha laughed as she just shook her head. 

“Thank you, I appreciate the generosity. You didn’t need to, but I appreciate it.” Sasha smiled appreciatively before she urged her mom back to their van and they drove off as Tristan had to fight not to shift immediately to follow her home. But he had a feeling he’d be seeing her again. Even if he had to destroy his own house’s plumbing to do it. 

A week later, Tristan’s family’s house water softener died, and Tristan immediately thrusted the business card in his dad’s face.

“Call them! Call them!” Tristan insisted. 

“What in the tarnation…from Portage? Why would they come all the way out here to Paw Paw?” His dad asked once he looked at the business card. 

“Just call ok? Please? Even just to get an estimate.” Tristan insisted.

“It’s my mate’s dad. He’s a plumber.” Tristan blurted out loudly before he could stop himself as his dad blinked in surprise but called the name on the front of the business card before he looked at the back and gave the name of the blueberry a blink of surprise before Frank Wright answered the call. 

“This is Frank Wright with Wright Plumbing.” Frank answered. 

“Hi Frank, my name is Chuck Leduc…”

“Oh from Leduc’s Blueberry Farm?” Frank asked. 

“Yes, the very one. Apparently someone from your family came to get some blueberries and left your business card with my son Tristan with…Kabluey blueberries? Written on the back? Um, but I’m actually needing to talk to a plumber because we have a malfunction with it today.” Chuck explained. 

“Oh that must be from Sasha, she told me your boy Tristan did her and my wife quite a service last week in exchange for that name of the blueberries she’s added to our garden this year. I wouldn’t know about the blueberries, cause that’s Sasha’s thing. But the plumbing is what I do best. So what can I do for you Sir?” Frank asked. 

“Well, my water heater went kaput, it’s been on the frits for a while now, and I think today is the day she finally went out.” Chuck admitted. 

“Oh, I see. Sorry to hear about that, what size is it?” Frank asked. 

“Well, I don’t rightly know, let me see…” Chuck began before he got a flashlight and listed off what was on it before Frank listed off what the replacement options were and how much each one would cost him as Chuck was impressed it wouldn’t be as much as he feared. 

“Well, I could get you in tomorrow. Unless you really need it tonight?” Frank offered. 

“Oh, we’ll get by. When do you think you could get here?” Chuck asked. 

“Oh we should be out there between 10 and 11.” Frank estimated. 

“Then we will see you then.” Chuck smiled before he took the card and looked up the place that was written on the back of the card and specifically the variety of blueberries. 

“So Sasha Wright huh?” Chuck asked Tristan. 

“Yeah. Sasha Wright.” Tristan nodded as even the name was starting to make him shift again before he forced himself to stop and turn back. 

“And Kablueys huh?” Chuck asked his son as he raised his eyebrows with an air of curious skepticism. 

“She said they were good. Said they were tangy and flavorful as Calypsos without the tart or sour, Just as strong and bold as rabbit eyes without the staining and just as sweet as Bluegolds.” Tristan recalled and it was Chuck’s turn to blink in surprise while he felt like his son had somehow transformed into a completely different person right before his eyes, without having to shift to his werewolf form at all. 

“Since when does a girl talk to you about blueberries and not send you the other way running and screaming for the hills?” Chuck asked. 

“Since she kept her way too pregnant mother from going into labor in the fields when they came last week. And we started talking and we hit it right off and it was like meeting my best friend for the first time and she was suddenly everything I never knew I needed.” Tristan answered. 

“Ah, I see. She pretty?” Chuck asked casually. 

“Very.” Tristan before he could stop himself. 

“Anything else you want to tell me about her?” Chuck asked. 

“Well, you might meet her and see for yourself, if she’s working with her dad that is. Apparently, she gets roped into helping her dad and working for free, with the only benefit being her dad buys her lunch and pays her in blueberry bushes instead of dollars. She’s really…well she’s really nice, and funny, and sweet, and thoughtful and… mature.” Tristan explained. 

“Uh, huh. You know, that’s not a bad idea, maybe I should consider paying you in blueberry bushes too.” Chuck nodded in understanding as he put the business card into his own wallet. 

“No, Dad, come on. For her it’s a hobby her dad indulges her in, for us it’s our livelihood. If you’re only gonna pay me in blueberry bushes, I quit I have 50 acres of them that I don’t know what to do with other the field hands pick them and put them in the barn to sell.” Tristan insisted. 

“Ok fine, how about acres? Make that little place a real homestead instead of just a hobby farm.” Chuck asked. 

“Dad, I already know you’re leaving everything else to Gabe.” Tristan reminded him. 

“Not necessarily. Gabe gets this house and the 50 acres the current U-pick farm is on. But I still have another 100 I’m setting up for more than just blueberries that I can work with. If this girl has an eye and a head for it. And if you like her so much to the point you just point blank told me- she’s your mate. And if she can make you talk about blueberries with that same look of excitement you just showed me, the kind of excitement you used to have when you were a kid and- by a miracle- knows about varieties that I haven’t been told about yet, then that’s practically fate right there. If you think you just found your mate, Son, I’m pretty sure you did too.” Chuck appraised proudly. 

“But what if it’s just…puppy love?” Tristan murmured with a pout. 

“Then the Leduc family farm will still benefit from finding yet another kind of blueberry we can add to our arsenal.  Even if it’s only half as good as she says it is.” Chuck reassured him. 

“But what if she only wants it to be a hobby and not her means of living? What if that would suck all the joy out of it, like it already has for me?” Tristan asked. 

“How old do you think this girl is?” Chuck asked. 

“She looked to be about my age. But she acted way older.” Tristan offered. 

“Oldest daughter?” Chuck ventured. 

“Seemed so.” Tristan nodded. 

“Now son, oldest daughters are usually the best daughters. They grow up quick because they’re usually called on to help with their younger siblings and the house. They’re usually the best wives and mothers in the making.” Chuck praised. 

“Well, actually her mom is a midwife and that’s what she wants for her career instead.” Tristan informed him. 

“Even better, there’s not enough of those around these days. It’s all doctors and hospitals, insurance, copayments and deductibles and impersonal medical care. Whereas midwifing brings that personal attention and personal care right back into medicine and some of the most important medical professions in the history of civilization itself. Plus, if she has experience with plumbing too? She sounds like she’s well on her way to being a Jill of all trades.” Chuck endorsed. 

“She was very personable.” Tristan had to nod in agreement. 

“Tris, do you remember when Gabe was dating Mandy? And you complained that he seemed to change overnight and that the Gabe you grew up with got replaced with a different Gabe all together? And you hated it because he wasn’t so fun anymore and he wouldn’t play like he used to?  Because he had turned all serious?” Chuck recalled as Tristan’s shoulders sagged. 

“Yes.” Tristan confirmed. 

“Well Son, you might as well be looking in a mirror because you’ve cared more about business in the last week since you met this young lady than you ever have. And just the thought of seeing her again has you damn near waxing poetic.” Chuck appraised. 

“So, they’ll be here between 10 and 11, I think I can count on you to help right? Especially if it’s her dad. You want to make a good impression with her old man don’t you Son?” Chuck presumed. 

“Of course.” Tristan nodded. 

“Well if she brings any of those blueberries, and they’re decent, I think we’ll know what to put into the new ten acres.” He offered.

“Maybe. She seemed like she knew what she was talking about and had a good sense of taste.” Tristan shrugged with a pleased grin. 

[ultraninjamindseye]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Bahama Beach 90’s tropical tiki dress.

[vamosaespana]

Hola Barcelona!

Rise and shine it’s 9:30 😮 Waking up and realizing how late it was, was a shocker. Can’t remember the last time I slept that late. The kids were off and on with sleep and poor 1 had been up since 5 but nevertheless we must continue and use every moment we have. We all got ready and headed out the door for some brunch and sightseeing. It was uber balmy in our apartment…still haven’t figured out the air conditioner situation (feeling this whole temp thing may be a running theme through these next two weeks 🫣) but once you stepped outside the sun was out but the breeze definitely kept you cool…we’ll take it!

We find a place called Berry Brunch Breakfast and after looking at the menu it had things everyone liked…that’s a win when you have 5! Super cute place and we were able to eat outside. We enjoyed people watching, dog watching and just in general talking about things. Our biggest discussion is how 1’s Spanish teacher would always play Spanish music in class and say that’s what it sounds like in Spain. Hate to break it to him but it seems like Spain held onto the 90s and never let go…I went crazy when “Believe it or not” came on and rocked out in my best mom fashion to my children’s horror💀 Food came and everything was delicious! 3 ordered biscotti pancakes that literally tasted like you were eating a biscotti. GB had Nutella pancakes which one can never go wrong. I had a croissant with chicken and avocado and 2 had Avocado toast on bruschetta-like bread that was amazing. 1 ordered huevos rancheros that had this beautiful salsa that melted in your mouth. All in all definitely would recommend the place.

Definitely feeling full, we walked it off heading to the city center to the Picasso Museum for our tour. We had some time to kill because we couldn’t o my arrive 15 min early so strolled the Gaudi style streets and I’m sure totally blended in with the Spaniards 🤣

We then went for our audio tour of the Picasso Museum. I’m a big fan of these tours as we also did this for Pablo Neruda’s house in Chile. You can go at your own pace which is totally my jam as I stop and do everything while my family tends to skip around. So cool to be up close with his art and learn how amazing he was at such a young age…we pointed out paintings that he did at 1 and 2s age. We just looked at them and said “Come on guys…do better 😆” We each found our favorite paintings and just enjoyed being together but on our own at the same time.

Definitely felt like we added a couple notches to our “cultured” belt after that one. We then split ways, GB and the kids headed back home to change for church. I, on the other hand, was already church ready and headed for a solos tour of The Carhedral of Barcelona. What an amazingly beautiful church inside and out. It also had a tour of the roof top of the church where you could see a 360 view of Barcelona.

So nice to enjoy the serenity of it all and say prayers of thanks for this trip even being possible.

We, as a family, then went to mass in Spanish. They are very much sticklers for how church dress should be. No bare shoulders and if you didn’t have anything you could pay 3 Euros for a shawl to wear while inside. We were prepared of course with a lot of push back from 2 as she found no need to wear a long dress with shoulders covered. She tried to play the “I’m going to do what I want” card by lowering her shoulders to the sides of her arm but was quickly and quietly corrected by staff during mass. I happily gave the mom smile to myself and she did not argue again the rest of mass. I personally like the view of getting back to looking nice for mass. You don’t have to dress in black tie but something nice I feel is respectful and goes a long way to how you carry and present yourself. Feeling more and more at home around here 😁 I was surprised how I could follow along and understand a majority of it but boy did my head hurt from paying such close attention 😵‍💫 so may need to still do some brushing up for when I fully relocate myself here ☺️

We left church with hearts full but stomachs were on E! We found a place close to our home and enjoyed a nice family meal together. We laughed and were slightly on the loud side…or maybe that was just my laugh🤣 I like to think that the waitress enjoyed our company as she laughed many a time around us. So much so that we were gifted 2 shots of limoncello. We let the kids sip and quickly realized we should have had our cameras on the ready…safe to say we may not have to worry just yet about alcohol! GB and I took our shots as the kids poked fun at mom having a glass of wine and a shot and that I may need help walking home.

We ended the night with winding down in each others company at the apartment while listening to Spain win against Georgia in the Eurocup. Loved hearing the area erupt with cheers when goals were scored and heard fireworks go off at the end of the game. Ups and downs were had I mean how could they not as each of us have our own personality but at the end of the day all were smiling so I count that as a win.

[the-cat-chat]

June 15, 2024

Father of the Bride (1991)

With his oldest daughter's wedding approaching, a father finds himself reluctant to let go.

Warning: Review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

JayBell: It's father's day weekend and to mark the occasion we have The Father, Steve Martin. Honestly I'm conflicted about this movie.

There are some definite good bits. I like that it captures a very specific moment of a father/daughter relationship and all the pain and grief that comes with it. Steve Martin's character is very dramatic, but he actually acknowledges how dramatic he is and how he has passed this propensity for drama onto his daughter. It's another thing that bonds them together.

Despite it being a father/daughter movie, I actually enjoy the relationship between the father and mother more in the movie.

I don't have a problem with Martin Short's character or his actions but god I HATE his accent. It's unbearable. I like that he ends up kind of "friends" with the dad but I just can't handle the accent. I think this is a very 90's type of joke that doesn't age well.

A baby Culkin appears in this movie, and as usual with a Culkin kid, he acts wayyyy to mature for his age. He is just kind of here in the movie acting as a mini-adult. Also they let these baby children drive cars? And why are they worried about only two parking attendants when they had no place to park all these freaking cars? This as an obstacle for the father not being able to say goodbye to his daughter is stupid.

I think the ending is missing something. I don't think the ending phone call between the father and daughter has enough emotional weight to end the movie. I think it needs a final father/daughter dance where the arc can conclude ("I may be growing up and leaving but you'll always be my father blah blah").

So I don't know. I think it's an entertaining movie, but it's difficult to rate it really high when it left me frustrated.

Rating: 5.5/10 cats 🐈

Anzie: I have to start by admitting I’ve always wanted to watch this and I don’t know why I hadn’t? But alas we’re here and we did it. And I also have to admit it’s worrisome when I begin to identify and agree with the dad in the movie. (Even if he is somewhat obsessed with his daughter).

Okkk. So I really liked this at first- although it hurt as it has began to when characters in movie or books happen to be under the age of 25. You’re a child, Steve Martin is right, and I can’t handle it. I also have to agree Annie’s meet cute is one inch from a Dateline episode. I don’t like what’s his name and like I said..even tho Steve Martin is weirdly obsessed… and I get she’s daddy’s girl…. If my kid came home from Italy with a bf and getting married a good 60% of me would be running a background check.

And can we just discuss the whole plot. And I did the math to include inflation from the last 30 odd years…. And again. Dad is NOT wrong. To have a party at your house??? Wowzers. (I also really can’t handle Martin Short with black hair or the accent or BD Wong that young or with that hair). Ohhh and the blender thing. If a man gave me a blender bc he knew I wanted to make smoothies and milkshakes and salsa and spaghetti sauce and margaritas and the price of a blender, I’d think I’d found my soulmate. Also it seems dumb that she’s not going to give her job up or this or that yet she’s decimated at the thought his blender gift is an attempt to domesticate her- it’s a blender??? Imagine smoothies so you’re healthy to go be an architect. Geez. I’m mad.

And the actual wedding. No dinner. No cake. No father daughter dance. No bye dad thanks for spending a fortune on a wedding even though my husband’s parents had seven bathrooms- I was sooo peeved. I’m still peeved. I really hate Diane Keaton?? I think that’s always been a thing for me tho and not isolated but it doesn’t help? The way she and the daughter guilt the dad into bleeding money for essentially a party.

Anyway I’m interested in ways the original and remake differ or are similar and I’m simply stoked for the sequel. ( that sounds sarcastic bc I am I tad peeved but it’s genuine)

Rating: 4/10 Swans 🦢

[pulsdmedia]

The Week Ahead 5/27-6/2

You're either recovering from a Sunday Funday fest of indulgence, or you're preparing for a Memorial Day bash. Either way, don't let the 3-day weekend distract you from the 4-day workweek in front of you! There's so much going on, so dive in!

50% Off Tickets: NY Times Critic's Pick Interactive Comedy Show

To go, or not to go - the answer is yes! Drunk Shakespeare is adored by The New York Times for a reason, and we just can't get enough! Don'y miss this rollicking show, where for 90 minutes, a cast of 5 actors present scenes from Shakespeare’s plays with an improv flair. The catch: one of the actors will do five shots before they perform! You might even become a part of the action, so what are you waiting for?

Richard Koen Book Launch + Signing

Join Rizzoli Bookstore to celebrate the launch of Richard Koek's new book Tokyo Tokyo, which captures the everyday magic of the Japanese capital. Koek will be in conversation with Masako Shiba, followed by a signing.

$19 VIP Night Market: 5 Hour Open Bar, Free Tote Bag, Treats, Gifts

Nothing says summer like a night of late sunsets, 5 hours of scrumptious cocktails, and shopping New York City's best & emerging small businesses. At Sip Shop Eat!'s Night Market, you'll score treasures, treats, freebies, and then some from 50+ local brands, all while indulging - summer is on! The drinks will flow as you chow down on free cotton candy & popcorn, alongside other eats for purchase should your cravings kick in. And to allure you even more, treat yourself to Manicures & Tarot Readings (for purchase), not to mention Sunday Funday surprises. Finally, adore freebies like a tote bag and special gifts to take home!

Dance the Night Away at House of Yes

Welcome to Planet Yes. In a universe that is as abundant as it is absurd, you definitely want to be on THIS spaceship. Grab your space shoes, and your multipass, kiss your momma goodbye we are going for a ride baby!

$29 VIP Tix To Salsa On The Roof: Open Bar, Salsa Lessons, & More

Get into the fiesta Friday feels at Elsie Rooftop's Salsa On The Roof Open Bar Party! Just $29 gets you a VIP Ticket complete with 1 Hour of Salsa Dance Classes, as well as access to a 1 Hour Open Bar Serving Cocktails, Wines, & Beers. As the stars twinkle above, glimmer & dazzle on the dance floor as Grupo Tahona perform live salsa jams that will fuel your feet! After all that grooving, get some fresh air outside on the terrace, ordering nosh from the delectable menu if all that dancing works up an appetite. Olé!

Free Kayaking

Presented in partnership with Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse, free kayaking is offered throughout the summer on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons through September. All levels are welcome including first-time kayakers — life vests and all equipment provided, as well as instruction.

[shodges3835]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Michael Kors 10 black helter dress asymetrical hemline vintage nwt.