#Great Northern Popcorn

[popcornmakertips]

Best Great Northern Popcorn Machine 

[verymuchablog42]

🌟 If you get this answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send this to the last 7 people in your notifications, anonymously or not 🌟

hi, esme! thanks for the ask :)

hmmm, some facts about me?

my favorite romcom is Only You

i've seen the northern lights

i have a little plastic foot named Murphy

i hope these random facts were fun/ interesting!

[bucknastysbabe]

Pleaseee I beg for more modern big dick jace!! Love your writing :)

Yessss it’s his speciality, thank you for the compliment Xoxo!

Jace Velaryon x Karstark!Reader | College!AU

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Tinder works in this universe, sweetie pie hockey player Jace, with a huge ass horse cock, Cousin Cregan for the win, filthy nasty wet sloppy, pnv!sex, Jace is terrified of his own dick, cutie gf/bf softness, poor Karstark is on the ride of the lifetime, sex playlists and general first time awkwardness, Virgin!Jace, LUBE💯

A/N: me no beta still but I’ll go back over and check stuff

You rolled over onto your belly, you’d been texting this cutie from your college about two weeks now. All plump lips and pretty smiles— shamefully had a sorta hockey mullet going on but you could look past it. Did you mention his was rich as fuck? Really sweet too.

You were surprised he’d even matched with you on the dating app. You too went to Barrowton, a large university in the vast North of Westeros. So you didn’t fuck off to Dorne as planned but got a good education and a track scholarship at the least. Jace, the boy you’d been messaging, was here on academics and hockey. You’d seen him around with your cousin Cregan.

Stark. Karstark. Weird, you knew.

You’d went out with Jacaerys once so far, the brunette so sweet and humble for his upbringing. He liked to listen, citing that ‘northern accents were kinda hot’. Jace blushed to his ears afterwards, you pinching his cheek with a grin. He’d walked you back to your apartment, almost squeaking when you dragged him in.

The roomies merely raised a brow or continued their bickering over the Bachelor. Jace stuttered, “Uhhh what’cha got planned Karstark?” Were you being the idiot this time? Didn’t he want to fuck? Like all guys? You fumbled over your words and shrugged, eyes looking away, “I don’t know— uh, whatever the rest of guys want.”

Jace frowned, crossing his arms, “Sex, yeah?”

“Sex…yeah.”

The brunette came a little closer, grabbing your hand, brown eyes sparkling as he gently suggested, “Why don’t we just watch a movie? No pressure.”

You’d be screaming crying sliding down the wall gagging if you could but instead smiled and nodded, “That sounds perfect. I’ll go make some popcorn and you can pick out a drink.” He grinned and followed your way, casually picking at your roommates and their gossiping.

Jacaerys had become more of a staple in your life now— when time allowed for it. Still reluctant about anything that involved getting his pants off. By the new gods and old you were fucking horny too. For cock, specifically, Jace was a menace about eating you out. Came in his pants over it, moaning into your pussy about ‘how sweet you were’.

Maybe he was a virgin. Your Bolton roomie, a bit of an odd one, suggested he may have micropenis or something on her strange listing of diseases. You just wanted to bounce on his cock! He was either good sir micropenis or real good at hiding his dick, you had made out in his lap quite often. You figured calling Cregan might help, even if he was Jace’s bestie.

“What do you want?”

You rolled your eyes, “You have such a way with words dear Cregan. Why won’t Jace fuck me?”

There was a pause and a loud guffaw accompanied by the sounds of a phone falling. He picked up again, “Ha, sorry, took me off guard there cousin.” Narrowing your eyes and cursing got him to speaking, “Oh he’s just got a uh— how would you say— huge godsdamn prick. He made two chicks cry his freshman year and is scarred or something. Good luck.” Click.

Well, Cregan Stark was always to the point. You understood the assignment. Lube, lube, more fucking lube. Maybe start with a handy. You had a jaw injury from eating shit during hurtles so head wasn’t happening. So you texted Jace to come over later and picked out a slutty little lingerie set you hadn’t worn in awhile. Frankly it made your tits look great.

You wore a big shirt down to your knees to cover it up. In your room it was immaculately clean, scented with a rosy candle, and maybe a frantically drawn up ‘$$$$$3333xxxxxx’ playlist. Jace wouldn’t notice the shirt, you often dressed like that, he’d just be baffled why you weren’t cold. You came from a freezing ass little town constantly plagued by storms and wind from the Bay of Seals. Poor southern boy didn’t know cold in Barrowton.

“Your lover boy is here,” Aliss Glover hollered.

You blanched and took a deep breath. You’d had dick before, you were no virgin. Just. It was Jace! He was practically perfect! Shaking your head you walked to then apartment’s door and opened it to a smiling Jace, sporting a mean black eye.

You yelped wile pulling the junior into a hug, “What the hell happened?” Jacaerys laughed it off, kissing your cheeks sweetly. He sighed, “Got a little heated at the practice scrimmage today, don’t worry, we’re all good.” You raised a brow but let it be, Cregan always took care of his kin and friends. You grabbed his hand and led Jace away while he was babbling to Aliss.

You pushed him in first, closing and locking the door behind, discreetly pressing play on your speaker. Jacaerys’ face whitened as he looked around, realizing there was something going on. He stared back at you, eyes dark and cheeks pink. The brunette questioned, “You uh- did I- what’s going on?”

You ripped off the big ass shirt and stood there, holding your composure. By a thin little wire. Jace let out a rush of breath, lust crowding his features. You knew the look quite well. He stalked closer, hands winding around your lacy waist. You looked up at his dark expression.

“Baby,” he growled, “Tell me what’s going on. Now. Trapping me in here looking like that Hm?” His thumbs dug into your soft skin, eliciting a squeak from you. In a quaver you rambled, “I reallyreally- wantedtofuckyoubutifyourenotintoiticanstop-“

His plush lips sealing over your trembling ones shut you up, plastering yourself needily to his body, afraid he’ll run off. Jace moaned softly, lips pressing insistent kisses, getting more open mouthed by the second. His roughened hands grabbed your ass as he murmured in High Valyrian.

Jace laughed, “I thought you were the bold one, here I am keeping you from jumping out the window.” His cute nose nuzzled against your own. You replied sulkily, “Very funny, I thought you were going to run back out!” He kissed you again with a ‘mhm’ and picked your frame up, moving toward your little dorm bed. He groaned as he settled your frame down, stopping to shuck off his shirt.

His abs never failed to disappoint. Jace grew a bit quiet and sheepish, eyes darting up and back down to his shorts. He sat on the end of the bed and sighed, “Alright alright, I already know you called Cregan.” A warm hand gripped your ankle, a thumb rubbing grounding circles. The elder explained, “He’s never told a lie, it’s just a lot bigger than most girls prefer. I want you really fucking bad, like, so bad.”

There was a pause as he ran a hand through shaggy hair.

“I just don’t want to hurt you and ruin everything. This one girl made me pay for her gyno.” You couldn’t help but guffaw, “What a bitch! No! We will make this work. If it doesn’t whatever there’s other ways to cum. Just c’mere again and whip it out. Lemme touch it atleast.”

The brunette’s somber eyes lightened a bit, plush lips splitting into a toothy smile. He eased off the little shorts, the even smaller briefs, leaving your mouth agape. Gods be damned and the children of the forest too. He was hung like a damn horse and not even half-hard. Jace blushed and threw his hands up, “It’s a family blessing and curse apparently! I don’t have a list of size queens up for grabs.”

You growled, “I got lube and patience, c’mere lover boy.”

He turned to you, crawling over your needy body, that heavy cock swaying, utterly mesmerizing. Gods— his balls too. You groaned, “How did you hide that beauty?” He snipped back, “Tuck and go. Stop staring so hard!”

“What? It’s hot? You and your huge cock are hot.”

“Crazed northwoman.”

He settled on his haunches, your legs propped over his knees, waiting for the dummy to notice the panties were crotchless. You leaned to turn over to the mega-lube bottle and squirted a handful. “Oh fuck, you d-didn’t, there’s no damn,” he panted.

“Mhmm,” you hummed happily, slapping your lubed hand on his prick. The poor thing’s eyes rolled up as he moaned your name, you growing more aroused at the feeling of hot, throbbing flesh. How much blood it took to fill that thing— all for you. You pressed, “Feels good baby?” He nodded, head thrown back, mouth wide, “So good.”

You jacked him at a steady pace, not too fast. Because dammit you were getting that thing somewhat stuffed inside of you. He panted, “Lemme, lemme stretch you out, make you cum first.” Jace’s familiar fingers slid at your sopping entrance, glassy eyes watching your cunt suck him in.

You arched a bit, shivering with excitement, Jace’s two fingers pumping and curling. You twisted your hand on the bulbous tip of Jacaerys’ cock and he cried out, jamming a third finger into you. The pair of you grunted and hissed like teens— trying out new territories. Soon you were gasping and mewling helplessly as he had four fingers deep inside, pinching your pussy in the sweetest way.

You came on his fingers, Jace slathering the slick also on his cock. Everything felt wet— your boyfriends cock was dripping with lube, slick, and his own pre. He was red faced and steadying staccato breaths, gently removing your hand, handing his shirt to you. Jace moved further up your body, face to face again.

He asked sweetly, “You okay?”

Pecking his bee-stung lips you murmured, “Mhm, whenever you want baby.”

“Just tell me okay? Please? Want this to be good for you.”

More little smacks of kisses and sappy cooing. Jace breathed out, guiding himself to your entrance. He repeated under his breath, “Okay, okay, here we go, here we go, okay baby, here goes.” You could almost laugh because only the tip had just touched you. Then he moved further in, stretching your pussy open. You locked your legs around his waist for a better angle, breathing slowly.

The intrusion was intense, his cock filling every part of your cunt. Then the tip was fully in, Jace groaning like he’d been murdered. You panted, a bit overwhelmed, nuzzling into his jaw. “Keep going,” you whined. Jace nodded haphazardly, getting the girth of his shaft in. He bottomed out with a wheeze, you squirming.

Holy fuck. This was intense. You felt like you’d been stuffed with cock. It burned so fucking good— so good, you told him, maybe? Jace croaked, “Y-yeah baby? Fuuuck you’re tight.” You whimpered, “Mhm, l-look, stuffed me so good. Gods, oh, S’alot Jace.” He peered down to see the bulge at your lower belly, his cock that fucking big.

Jacaerys needed to get to work or he’d blow every godsdamn where. Agonizingly he pulled his cock backward until the tip remained, then jerked forward. You saw the absolute ecstasy flit across his features, Jace choking on his moans. You goaded him on in little cries, too cock drunk to function, getting the wreck to build a rhythm.

Jace was sloppily mouthing at the lace over your tits, trim hips smacking your ass over and over. All you were capable of was mewling, crying, and holding him for dear life. You’d always thought it was dumb that girls would go cross eyed but— there was two Jacaerys fucking you silly. He stared up at you, dark eyes full of affection, lips agape.

His voice was a shivering wreck, “You’re so perfect.”

You grabbed his head to kiss him again, the blunt tip of his cock nudging your innermost walls. It was causing a strange friction, nothing like you’d felt, making your bladder and insides feel a little too warm. You whined in overstimulation, clit throbbing in time with your fluttering pulse. A hook drew downwards fast— you were gonna come.

Scratching at your boyfriend’s shoulders you wailed into his mouth, legs spasming around. Jace began to knit his brows in concern before you yowled his name, gushing on his cock, sobbing with every stabbing pulse of the intense orgasm. He choked on his spit, eyes going wide, swearing, “S-sweet s-seven!” His fat prick was trapped by your cunt, milking him for all he was worth.

Thank god for birth control. He wasn’t going anywhere.

You continued to mewl and hold onto Jacaerys, the male grinding his teeth down on a yelp, emptying deep into your abused hole. You writhed again, his cum having no room, slipping out with every stunted pump of his hips, whining under his breath. The brunette spewed nonsense in your ear, falling flat atop you with an ‘oof’.

You were too out of it to complain, trying to put two and two together. The rational little part of your brain complained about the mess— how you totally squirted all over your boyfriend and the bed. He hummed dopily, “God, I made you squirt, gonna dream about this forever.” You nodded blearily, “Uh-huh babe.”

His cock eventually softened enough to slide out of your poor pussy with a slick squelch. Absolutely disgusting— yet desire twitched at the sound of how used you had been by the guy. Jace rolled onto his side, hiking one of your legs atop his own. You hissed in discomfort, Jace apologizing.

He peered at you intensely, asking in a saccharine tone, “You okay Babygirl? Thought I sent you off the planet there for a second.” You smirked at him, brushing back his messy locks, rasping, “I may have seen the light. Sorry ‘bout the mess. That thing has talent— you have talent.”

“I think if it wasn’t messy then I didn’t do a good job,” he drew closer to nip at your lip, “Didn’t even have to touch your clit babes.” Another bolt of arousal hit you. So you slapped his side and harrumphed, “Shush Jace. You’ve worn me out enough.” He grinned, kissing your hairline and cheek between laughs.

“I’m sure in two months I’ll be a pro.”

“That’s a bet.”

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

TAKE CARE OF YOU

Sugar Daddy!Joel Miller x Female!Reader

Overall Warnings: slow burn, angst/comfort, power imbalance, age gap, possessive tendencies, eventual smut, #daddyissues, independent reader learns to let go and relax, emotionally constipated Joel Miller learns to be vulnerable; (more specific warnings to be added to individual chapters if necessary)

Chapter Word Count: 4,312

Summary: You spent your entire adult life supporting yourself and barely getting by. It's why a life of ease offered to you by a mysterious stranger sounded so foreign and unbelievable. Joel Miller, dressed in flannels that had seen better days, didn't look like the kind who could promise you the world on a plate, but he seemed desperate to help out. All he asks is that you let him take care of you. That wouldn't be so hard. Would it?

[a/n: i know what you're thinking. 'JJ, what the hell are you doing?' The answer to that question, always, is 'I have no fucking idea'. But, this idea gripped my soul. Oops.]

01: YOU WORK A BUNCH THEN ONE DAY YOU DIE

"i don't want a sugar daddy but maybe like a sugar buddy. i just hit him up like, 'Hey how are you today?' and he replies, 'Doing great thanks for asking here's $7,000.'" -unknown

The life you lived was simple and boring. You were reminded of this fact as Nima rambled through a story about how her blind date last night had turned into a bar brawl which spiraled into a stint in the emergency room. Meanwhile, you had binged a show you'd already watched a dozen times on Netflix while shoveling popcorn down your throat. This worked perfectly for you though. You got to stay in your comfort zone while living vicariously through your best friend’s disasters. 

“Please tell me you won’t be seeing her again.” You chuckled.

Nima scoffed, “Hell no. She could not carry her own in that bar brawl. That’s why we ended up in the ER.” She scrunched her nose then shrugged. “But she’s fine now. The girl only needed like seven stitches.”

You shook your head and breathed out a laugh. For the entire time you had known her, going on a decade now, Nima had never dated a normal woman. It was almost impressive how terrible her record was.

The Korean woman’s hair was dyed a solid bubble gum pink and tied up into two messy buns atop her head. Her clothes were a patchwork of pastel colors that showed off her toned midriff and long legs. The purse wrapped around her chest was shaped like a giant strawberry and the large headphones wrapped around her neck were equally as bright as the rest of her. Everything about Nima was a blur of chaos and energy and people couldn’t help but be drawn to her. Add that to her awful taste in women and it was the perfect recipe for her wild dating history. 

“Why did we come here?” You asked as your eyes scanned the menu of the coffee shop. The two of you were in the very long line waiting to reach the register, and you had to lean to the side to see around the broad man standing in front of you both. “It’s so overpriced.”

“I follow this girl on insta and she said they have the best lavender matcha latte.” Nima shimmied her shoulders in excitement. “It looked amazing.” She bumped her hip against yours. “What are you gonna get?”

“Will you yell at me if I say vanilla latte?”

“Yes!” Nima scoffed. “That’s so boring! Get one of their specialty drinks at least!”

“Like?”

Nima scanned the menu then pointed at something. “Get the cotton candy frappe!”

You chuckled and continued to scan the menu. There had to be a middle ground option between those two. The line continued to move and Nima had switched from her dating life to her newest project at work. She was an engineer currently working in construction. You were immensely proud of the success she had found in her passions. Honestly, a bit jealous as well. You were in the northern end of your twenties and you had still yet to find something you loved. It was like the world had hit pause on the momentum of your life post college. Time flew by, years passed, but nothing had changed.

The man in front of you reached the register and you realized you’d have to pick something soon. You heard him order something simple⏤ like you had planned. You didn’t pay him much mind until you noticed him patting his pockets growing more frantic with his motions as he realized he was missing something. Finally, he groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. From the angle you stood at, you could just barely see his profile, but it was enough to see his face was scrunched up in frustration. You glanced over at Nima, who was texting, then back to the man who was obviously having a terrible day.

“Sir?” The boy working the till questioned.

“Just⏤” The man huffed as if he were trying to wrap his mind around something. You assumed there was more going on than just a lack of money to buy some coffee. Not having the means to pay for something was probably just the icing on the cake for him. It wasn’t a situation you were unfamiliar with. 'Been there, done that'.

Quickly, you stepped up to stand beside him and fished out your card. “Add a, uh, cinnamon roll latte to that order please. I’ll pay.”

“Wait.” The man held his hand out to argue, but the guy at the register was already swiping your card. He wrote the orders out and motioned for Nima to step up next. The man stepped away from the register without tearing his eyes away from you. His stare was inquisitive and confused. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He had a southern drawl to his words that you didn’t hear often in this part of Los Angeles. Your eyes scanned his figure which looked even more broad when you stood in front of him. The man wore a worn out red flannel with old blue jeans and work boots. His hair was a bit messy, fluffed and slightly curled at the ends, in mostly shades of brown with a bit of silver peppered in. The silver was more prominent in the scruff along his jawline. He was handsome, there was no denying that. Even with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips drawn out in a frown, you couldn’t help but admire him.

“Don’t worry about it.” You shrugged. “You looked like you were having a rough day. We all need a helping hand now and again.”

When Nima finished ordering you turned your focus on her, but she said she was running to the bathroom and disappeared. It left you standing alone next to the man waiting for the drinks to be made. Which would be fine if you didn't feel his gaze still burning into you. Awkwardly, you crossed your arms. You were overthinking it. Paranoid. He probably wasn’t even paying you any mind anymore. To reassure yourself, you glanced over at him only to realize you had not been paranoid. Your eyes locked with his soulful brown ones. Handsome brown eyed men were a menace to society. Nobody should have that much power with just a gaze. Panicked and embarrassed, you snapped your gaze forward once more.

“Thank you.” He said gruffly.

“Like I said,” You cleared your throat, “It’s no problem.”

“I’d love to pay you back.”

You turned to face him, letting out a small laugh, but he didn’t join in. The man just stared at you patiently. Your laughter died as you blinked at him in surprise. “Wait, really?” He nodded. “That seriously isn’t necessary. It was like five dollars.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s the principle.”

“Listen, you seem stubborn, but I promise you I’m worse.” You joked and the corner of his lip curled up into an amused smile that was gone as quick as it came. You almost wondered if you imagined it. “Just… the next time you’re out and you see someone struggling, pay it forward. Deal?”

He didn’t reply for a moment. Just stared, and it took all your willpower not to glance away again. Finally, he crossed his arms over his chest. You mentally cursed when your dumb eyes traced the lines of his arms. No ogling the stranger. He nodded once. “You drive a hard bargain.” A small smile cracked his otherwise solemn features and this time it lingered long enough for you to actually acknowledge it. “But you got yourself a deal, darlin’.” Your cheeks burned again at the term of endearment. He paused before holding out a hand to you. “I’m Joel.”

You shook his hand, his much larger one enveloping yours entirely, and you offered him your own name. Silence settled between the two of you, but it only lasted a beat before your orders were called out. Joel’s long stride had him at the counter before you got there. He picked up your coffee first and offered it to you before taking his own.

“Thanks.” You chirped.

“I’m thankin’ you, remember?” Joel lifted his simple cup as a reminder. He gave you a slight nod. “It was nice to meet you, darlin’.”

“Uh, you too! Hope your day gets better!” You gave him a small wave. 

Joel turned to leave and you couldn’t help but let your eyes trail up and down his entire body. His jeans could not fit him more perfectly. Ogling the stranger was okay, you decided, as long as said stranger wasn’t watching you do it. As you shamelessly checked him out, you didn’t notice your friend drift back to you. “Nice.” You jumped in surprise. Nima was grinning at you in excitement. “Please tell me you got a number.”

“A number?” You scoffed. “Are you crazy??”

“I saw sparks!”

You rolled your eyes, “You literally see sparks everywhere, Nima.”

“Okay, yeah, maybe, but one of these days I’m gonna be right.” She argued. “Statistically, speaking.”

You changed the topic of conversation, which was always easy to do with Nima, and took a sip of your coffee. It was a bit too sweet for your taste, but the trip to this pretentious coffee shop hadn’t been a complete waste. How often did people get a chance to chat with a handsome, older southern gentleman?

The bakery you worked out was a small family owned business. The owner, a cute little old man named Henry Pack, was an old friend of your father’s and when you showed interest in work he hired you without hesitation. That was two years ago. The initial plan was for this to be temporary. A way to earn money so you could pay bills and save up to finish your degree. However, life had dished out hit after hit and suddenly your temporary plan had turned more permanent. 

Plus, the shop wasn’t doing well, it wasn’t getting the traffic it used to, and Henry was getting older and older. He needed the help and even if something else came up⏤ whether it be better paying or more enjoyable⏤ you didn’t think you’d be able to leave Henry behind. Not after all he had done for you. 

You wiped down the counter once more mostly out of boredom. The last customer had been in and out nearly an hour ago. Henry walked in from the back office and you glanced over at him. He was a short, portly man with ruddy cheeks and a kind smile. It hurt your heart how stressed he had been as of late.

“Have you noticed much foot traffic outside?” He asked, hopeful.

“A bit.” You nodded. “Lunch just ended. I’m sure that’s why we have a lull.”

“Right, right.” Henry replied as if trying to convince himself.

The older man knelt down to root around in the lower cabinets. You offered to find whatever it was he was looking for, knowing he had bad knees, but he brushed your hands away stating he was just fine. With a sigh, you thought now was the best time to bring up the question that had been plaguing you.

“Henry, I need to talk to you about maybe a… a raise?”

He glanced up from where he was knelt with a frown. “I told you, hon. I can’t afford to pay you more. No matter how much I wish I could.” Henry sighed. “Well, maybe if I…”

“Never mind.” You said quickly. It was clear that your question was distressing to Henry. It wasn’t his fault you weren’t making the kind of money you needed. He was barely scraping by as well with the costs of keeping this place open. Henry gave you a sad smile⏤ an apology. He finished what he was doing and wandered back to his office. You blew out a frustrated breath. Maybe you could pick up a new job. The problem was that you were already working a crazy amount of hours here at the bakery. If you were somehow able to become the first human alive who didn't require sleep then that could work.

You covered your face with your hands and leaned back against the counter. For most of your adult life, you only had yourself to rely on financially. It was fine. That was the hand life dealt you. Nima was constantly offering to pay for certain things, or trying to loan you money, but you always refused. Too prideful to take her money with no guarantee that you’d be able to pay her back or offer her anything in return. 

The sound of a bell chime startled you and you pushed off the counter quickly to try and regather your bearings. You cleared your throat and turned toward the door to offer the guest a smile. A greeting began to leave your lips, but it was cut short when you realized you recognized the man crossing the space to reach the register. It was the handsome coffee guy from a week ago.

“Well, you’re a familiar face.” You chuckled. “Joel, right?”

“Right.” He looked surprised that you remembered his name. Joel cleared his throat and came to stand in front of the register to face you. He had on a similar outfit to the last time you saw him. Flannel and jeans, but he seemed a bit more put together today. “Are you guys closed?”

“No. It’s just a… slow day.” All the days were slow actually. You straightened your apron, the only uniform item required for you to wear, and offered him a bright grin. “What can I get for you, sir?”

Joel glanced over the menu then the display case before nodding. “Muffins?”

“Okay.” You nodded when he gave you no further information. His eyes just snapped back to you. “What kind? How many?”

His eyes widened and he forced his gaze back to the display. “Just, uh, six of the blueberry?”

You bit back an amused chuckle and moved to start packing a box with his order. It was funny to you that this man had come into a bakery without an order in mind. After closing the box, you set it on the counter in front of him. “So, do you make a habit of popping into bakeries to order random things? Just passing by and thought ‘why not?’.”

“Somethin’ like that.” Joel chuckled. He reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. He gave it a small wave and nodded at you. “I have money with me today.”

“Very nice. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you.” He flipped it open and pulled out a card to hand to you. You hadn’t even told him how much the muffins would be. “I triple checked before leavin’ the house.” You handed him back the receipt with his card, and Joel put them away without making any move to leave. “How long have you worked here?”

You leaned against the counter. “About 2 years now. A family friend owns the shop.”

“Are you the one who,” Joel motioned to the display, “bakes?”

It was odd to you that the man sounded so nervous about having a simple, casual conversation. It was as if he was rusty at the skill and was attempting to stretch out those old muscles. With a small, amused smile, you shrugged. “Some of it. Henry is the main baker, he’s incredible, and I learned from him.”

“Is it somethin’ you enjoy?”

“Meh.” You answered honestly. “I’ve gotten decent at it, but I don’t necessarily love it. Just sort of fell into it.” Joel nodded and his pretty brown eyes darted around like he was looking for a new conversation topic. You threw him a bone. “What about you? What do you do?” You motioned to him and teased. “I’m guessing lumberjack.”

Joel chuckled, “Lumberjack?”

“Yeah.” You pushed off the counter to stand straight. “If I squinted I‘d mix you up with the Brawny guy.” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and you let out a mocking scoff. “You know? The paper towel lumberjack.”

You saw a flash of recognition in his eyes and a breathy laugh left him. Joel shook his head. “Can’t say I’ve gotten that one before, darlin’.” 

“Where are you from?” You blurted curiously. “There’s no way you picked up that drawl living in LA.”

“No, I didn’t.” Joel replied. “Texas. I’m from Texas.”

“Ah. That fits. You’re like a cowboy then.”

Joel rested his hands on the counter, “Am I a lumberjack or a cowboy? I’m gonna need you to make up your mind here.”

“Hm, can I get three to five business days to decide?” 

“I suppose.” Joel nodded. 

The door chime rang out and you glanced over to see another person wander in. For the first time ever, you found yourself disappointed to see a paying customer. Joel cleared his throat, dragging your attention back to him, and you watched as he opened up his wallet again to pull out a crisp five dollar bill. You laughed with a shake of your head as he shoved it into the tip jar.

“It was nice to see you again.” Joel said.

“You too. Have a good day.”

Joel picked up the box of muffins and on his way out he called back, “I’ll be back to find out if I’m a lumberjack or cowboy, darlin’. So get to thinkin'.”

Your cheeks warmed in amusement and you wondered if he was actually serious or if that was just a teasing joke. The other customer reached the register, and you turned to greet them. The stress of thinking about your bills and work life had been briefly soothed by the distraction of talking to Joel. That was nice.

Shockingly, Joel hadn’t been joking. He came back a few days later, ordering something random and on the spot, then demanded to know if he was a cowboy or a lumberjack. You had convinced him to give you more time to think as you joked that you needed further evidence to assess. That had been the start of a habit. Joel would randomly come in just to chat every few days or so and buy a new baked good from you.

A few times, he had walked in while you were helping other customers, but he always waited until they were rung up and on their way out before initiating any conversation with you. It was during the fifth visit that you could tell he was nervous about something. After some time he had gotten more comfortable talking to you, but today it was almost like he had recessed back to that first time. 

“Are you workin’ this weekend?” Joel asked after ten minutes of small talk.

“Only on Sunday.” You admitted. “I’m picking up some extra shifts.”

“More shifts? Don’t you already work ‘em all?”

You chuckled. “Not all of them, but definitely most. But, hey, that’s life, right? You work a bunch and then one day you die.” Joel always seemed uncomfortable when you talked about your work schedule in any fashion. “Why do you ask?”

He had furrowed his brow at your working comment, but it quickly smoothed out as he shifted in place. It was cute to see a man as large and intimidating as he could be squirming over whatever topic he was trying to bring up. You stayed silent and let Joel mull it over. While he worked out whatever was on his mind, you could admire how well his plain t-shirt fit him. 

“Nothin’. Just curious is all, darlin’.” Joel finally coughed out and you bit back a frown.

“What about you?”

Joel shrugged. “Workin’ some. Stayin’ busy.”

Multiple conversations ago he had revealed that he worked as some kind of contractor. You didn’t know much about that job other than it had something to do with building houses? Maybe? When you asked for more details he had stayed pretty vague.

“I should head out.” Joel cleared his throat holding the box of cookies in his hands.

“Oh. Yeah.” You nodded. “Sure. It was nice to see you as always, Joel.”

Joel gave you a tight lipped smile before turning on his heel and beginning to leave. He was halfway to the door before he spun on his heel and marched back⏤ startling you. Joel set the box down on the counter, hands resting on the edge, and kept his eyes downcast.

“I have a…proposition.” He blurted. Joel’s eyes snapped up to meet yours and the weight in those warm brown eyes nearly knocked you to your knees. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t harboring a small crush on this man. Despite him being nearly two decades older than you, if you garnered a guess, the attraction you felt to him was not affected. In fact, it probably made you a bit more attracted to him. You knew that a therapist would probably cry out ‘daddy issues’, but you also had a hard time believing anyone could not be attracted to this man.

That being said, a part of you⏤ a very small part that you were too scared to encourage⏤ was really hoping he could be asking you out to dinner or drinks. Was that silly and unrealistic? Probably. It didn’t extinguish that little flame of hope though. You shrugged. “Proposition?”

“I wanna take care of you.” Joel spoke firmly. As if by just bringing this topic up, he had shed his nerves and was focused solely on selling you whatever this proposition was. You narrowed your eyes confused at his wording. The man continued. “Help you out, darlin’.”

“With?”

“Anythin’ and everythin’.” Joel sighed. “You name it and it's yours.”

You let out a confused chuckle. It was like the tables had turned and now you were the one who felt nervous. You buried your hands into your apron pockets and tilted your head. “Not to sound dense, but, uh, what?” Joel didn’t immediately reply. He just stared at you and his eyes burned straight to your soul. A warmth churned in your belly. “I just need you to be specific about what you’re offering because it’s going to be really awkward if I’m misunderstanding you.”

“I’m offerin’ you a life of ease. You work too much, doing somethin’ you don’t even love, and even when you’re off I bet all you do is stress about havin’ to work more to afford rent and bills. Am I wrong?” Joel challenged. You twisted your lips not having a solid argument. He wasn’t wrong. “So… let me take care of you, darlin’.” The choice of his words, the sound of his accent, in his gruff voice sent chills down your spine. You swallowed the lump in your throat and squirmed under his heavy gaze. “I’d love nothin’ more.”

“Nothing more? I… I don’t think that’s usually how that works.” You mumbled softly. An almost sickening feeling filled your gut. No amount of attraction to Joel would soften the idea of him paying you for sex. That’s what he was asking right? Joel makes you comfortable, pays all your bills, and in return you fuck him? 

Joel must have noticed the shift in your mood because he held out a hand in surrender. “I know what you’re thinkin’. Not like that. I wouldn’t expect…” He winced. A bit of his nerves crept back into his features. “I wanna take care of you, and all I ask in return is that you allow me to do that. Offer some platonic company. Someone to talk to. Plus, occasionally, I’d need…a date. No strings there either. Work drags me to a bunch of real stupid conferences and outings. Having someone to talk to durin’ those things would be���nice.”

“That’s it?” You found it hard to fully trust that. As much as you had enjoyed your conversations with him, you still barely knew him. “You’d offer someone a little cash to chat with them?”

“Not just a little cash.” Joel said firmly. “Everything. Takin’ care of you isn’t somethin’ I’d want to half ass, darlin’.”

“That’s even less believable.” You said skeptically.

Joel nodded. “Fair. How about this,” He cleared his throat, “You said you’re off Saturday?” You nodded. “Let’s meet. Talk about this. No pressure. You can ask any and all questions you have.”

You chewed on your lower lip in thought. Saturday was two days away. “Can I think about that? Before I even agree to meet you.”

“Of course.” Joel nodded. He pulled a business card from his wallet and held it out for you to take. You reached out for it, and the brush of his fingers against your hands gave you goosebumps. “I want you to be comfortable. Call me if you’d like. Or… if you’d rather never see or contact me again I⏤ I get that too, darlin’.”

You stared down at the card, but realized it wasn’t a business card like you thought. It was the same size, but he had scribbled his name and cell phone number on it for you. Joel mumbled a quick good-bye before heading to the door again. You called out to him, looking up from the card, and he paused to glance over his shoulder.

“Why me?” You questioned. It seemed so random. Situations like this didn’t happen to people like you. They happened to people like Nima. People who were willing to step out of their comfort zone and put themselves out there. This couldn’t possibly have stemmed from this man forgetting his wallet one day and you being in the vicinity to fix that problem.

Joel’s lips curled up into a small smile and he shrugged. “I, uh, I like talkin’ to you, is all.”

The chime of the door as he left echoed through the otherwise quiet room. Your eyes glanced back down to the card where ten numbers stared up at you dauntingly. Just above it, written in a messy scrawl, was his first and last name. ‘Joel Miller’. It wasn’t until you read his name for the seventh time that you realized you were actually considering his offer.

[next]

✨J.M. Masterlist✨

[variousqueerthings]

this doesn't even include any lyrics from "sexy train" which has bangers like:

[reginarubie]

Just read your new work and as much as I adore anything you write I must confess seeing the past jonsa tag hurt me. I just adore them and have been patiently awaiting for the day the jonsa inspires you again! I hope this doesn’t offend you, it was meant to be a compliment. I’m just awful at wording, like I meant your my go to jonsa author of choice so seeing that tag just left me with feels that your moving on but I know experimenting and dabbling in other ships are great for authors!! I don’t know I’m just in my feels I guess?? So many talented Jonsa authors have become in-active or deleting their works, discontinuing, etc and while I know it just part of life and I’m glad some still continue to write or are SELF PUBLISHING!!! (Although sadly they won’t share their official works-I hunt it down one day) I just feel an odd pang in my chest when another one goes down like dang I just wanna hold you all and never let go. God this sounds like I have abandonment issues, I’m just going stop now before I embarrass myself even more

Aw...hello!,

I am your to-go Jonsa author? That like made my day, so thank you! Also don't worry, you are neither pathetic, not have your embarassed yourself. You have just shared in our common love for Jonsa, which I still believe will be the open endgame of the books, tbh, and I could not appreciate you more for it.

Of course I love experimenting and for a long while I have been uninspired in Jonsa, mostly because I have been hyperfixated on Aemondsa (which I think Jon and Aemond share so much traits it's ridiculous), but I have not forgotten all my wips for Jonsa, to which I mean to return in the Summer (I am a perfectionist, procrastinator so unless I am on the wave of hyperfixation I am never quite satisfied enough with my work to share it, but the updates shall come soon).

You know what else shall come soon, because my muse actually is never satisfied with just one story and just one ship at time?

A new Jonsa story I have been keeping under wraps, a season 7/8 rewrite with specks of book canon as well.

Look, I'll even leave the edit I've done for it, and the summary. I plan to get it out by the end of June with the first chapter, so prepare your popcorns, seatbelts and fav comf food because I'll be back on my Jonsa shit again. And it's gonna be epic!

A song for wolves,

The South has a new queen, a dragon queen who wears her name like a true Targaryen. Mother of the Dragons. Mother of monsters. Dark mother, brought ruin, death and fire to the Realm, and put to torch her enemies. With Fire and Blood she has torn at the lioness of the Rock and the whole world shall bend the knee to this foreign conqueror, or endure become ashes. And yet, to the North a new enemy rises. House Stark. The ancient kings on winter, the last defence against death and ice; battered, exiled and tortured they rose again in the name of the King in the North. A bastard deserter and his sisters; a Lannister's wife and a girl. “They are Starks, and the northerners never forget,” When winter comes... You'll hear no lions roar... No stags grazing the fields... No roses growing in the meadows... No snakes in the sand... The krakens will freeze where they swim... The flayed men will rot and wither... No trouts swimming in the river and no falcons flying in the air... Not even the dragons breath will warm you in your halls. Only the wolfs howl in the night... Winter is coming.

As always, hope you stay tuned, and yes the edit's got better since I started to make them, but alas no, those clips, music and quotes do not belong to me, we all knew how things would go if they did.

As always sending all my love ~G.

[fictionadventurer]

Every time I think I'm tired of these guys and their endless rivalries, I learn about another crazy facet of the political system of the time and I get obsessed all over again.

You've got the chaos of 1840-1860, where slavery's increasingly becoming the all-important issue. The Whig Party is fracturing over it and turning into a bunch of tiny little one-issue parties that split the Northern vote. The only reason the South isn't seceding is because the chaos in the North keeps Southern-sympathizing Democratic presidents in power. By the time the 1860 election rolls around, the tiny little Northern parties have finally coalesced into the Republican Party, whose one issue is opposing slavery, and the Democrats are fracturing to back three separate presidential candidates. This allows the North to finally get a Republican in the White House, upon which the South immediately throws a tantrum and bails.

Which then transitions us to the political climate of the Civil War, where the war effort is vastly complicated by the fact that you've got to keep a jillion tiny little factions happy to prevent the country from splintering further. You've got the slave-holding border states who need to be placated so they don't decide to secede. You've got abolitionists who want to make the end of slavery the prime object of the war, which would be a great way to send all those border states straight into the arms of the Confederacy. You've got German-Americans and Irish-Americans and a bunch of different ethnic groups who all want representation among the high-ranking officers of the war. Within the Republican Party itself, you've got former Whigs and Know-Nothings and Radical Republicans and Free Soilers and anti-slavery Democrats who all agree that slavery is bad, but disagree about the best way to get rid of it, plus they all retain vastly different political beliefs from their former party associations. Plus, there are still some pro-Union Democrats you have to deal with, who also splinter among themselves into War Democrats and Peace Democrats who disagree on whether we should continue this horrific war or sue for peace.

And then there's the Confederate politics. You have Davis, the so-called President-General who'd rather be leading troops and hates politicking so much that he'll allegedly cross the street when he sees a Congressman coming rather than risk talking to him and be accused of currying political favor. He's dealing with a Congress that's essentially the Anti-Davis Party, because it's made up of a bunch of men who thought they should have been president (and I cannot explain just how hilarious that is to me). They're uniting under their belief that slavery should be preserved, and yet by the end of the war they're considering emancipation efforts in a last-ditch attempt convince France or England to help them out. They seceded because of one issue and they're willing to throw that away rather than admit defeat.

The chaos just keeps going. It's a never-ending series of high-drama rabbit holes to jump down. You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried. Politics nowadays is crazy, but Civil War politics are crazier, plus we have the distance of history that makes it fun to just sit back with a bag of popcorn and watch the insanity unfold.

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this week (#180):

Harakiri - Surprising First Watch, and my first by Masaki Kobayashi. The highest-rated film on Letterbox (4.69/5.00 score based on 109,000 reviews), and 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes. An exploration of the Bushido code of honor, told in a spartan style and stark formalism. (Photo Above).

🍿

"Oh, how I'd like to own a fish store..."

King of Jazz is a strange pre-code potpourri of spectacular musical numbers and mad-cap revue bits - all in early (1930) magnificent Technicolor. Experimental in parts and irreverent in others, its an old-fashioned Hollywood extravaganza and vaudeville-hall silliness mixed into an incoherent string of unrelated numbers. There's a sadomasochistic spanking number, a surrealist 'Happy Feet' number decades before Steve Martin, A Mexican band with giant sombreros, contortionists, bizarre chorus girls, red-cheeked Bing Crosby, a sudden appearance of a black baby caressed by the band leader. It's really weird.

🍿

My favorite kind of discovery in the course of this project is the random movie I never heard of and which comes from some far-flung cinematic corner. Better still if they don't even have a Wikipedia page, and best is if they're really good.

The Finnish parody A patriotic man (2013) fits the bill. It's about the unexpected adventures of one ungainly middle-age man with somehow unusual blood type. Like many other Finnish dramas, it's dour, unsexy, seemingly-simple, and it's full of smoking, drinking, and people speaking Finnish. It doesn't have a strong dramatic 'center', but I am still going to look for the other films by director Arto Halonen.

🍿

Hit man, the latest (and most commercial?) popcorn fluff piece from Richard Linklater. A nerd teacher by day and fake hit man by night falls for a dame who wants to kill her abusive husband. Netflix chum. 6/10.

🍿

3 more Danish films, 2 scripted by Anders Thomas Jensen:

🍿 At World's End (2006), a completely unexpected action-comedy in the Indonesian rain forest, in search of the white lotus of eternal life. Strange fun with an likely hero, an uptight psychiatrist who is sent to the jungle to examine Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, a Ex-Danish hermit charged of a lethal attack on a David Attenborough-type TV-crew.

Anders Thomas Jensen had written numerous stories where ordinary Danes find themselves in peril in exotic lands, but this is the wildest of them. If he was also the director here, this would have been an even funnier & more successful film. 7/10.

🍿 Clash of egos (2006), written by ATJ. The conflict here is between a short-triggered guy with some serious angry management issues, and a passive-aggressive film-director who make pretentious, art-house garbage, a-la Lars von Trier. It ends up as a parody on the small Danish film world. Mildly funny.

🍿 What a life - What a night - What a beautiful, beautiful ride...

Another re-watch of Another round ♻️. The experiment of staying buzzed all day is the hook, but the story is more about a midlife crisis, with the quiet desperation of Danish middle class men, than about alcohol and drinking. It would be nice if Mads Mikkelsen were to dance more in his movies. 9/10.

🍿

"Love isn't easy. That's why they call it love..."

Because of the 'We lost 19 of our best guys' clip, I watched The big sick again, for the 3rd or 4th time. Is this one of the greatest modern rom-coms? I feel that I've said exactly that last time too. Their romance and relationship are just so cute. 9/10. ♻️.

🍿

"...Wait, wait! You don't have to do this! I have kids at home! ....

Not with that ass, lady, you don't...."

And another frequent re-watch: Game Night ♻️, the only good film that Rachel McAdams played in since 'Spotlight'.

🍿

6 documentaries:

🍿 Very much like the German documentary 'Into Great Silence', Athos (2016) intimately describes the spiritual life of an ascetic monastery. This 'Holy Mountain' religious community is an autonomic government in Northern Greece. 2000 monks lives on a beautiful isolated area, and no women are allowed to set foot there - It's the ultimate patriarchy!

For people who love Gregorian chants, Vermeer lightening, Orthodox ossuaries, and the idea of resigning for this world, it's a slow, comforting glide, with all-natural sound and no talk-overs. 9/10.

🍿 Another of Ken Burns' American sagas, The dust bowl (2012), again narrated by Peter Coyote’s soothing voice. I was not aware that it was partially a man-made catastrophe, caused by the irresponsible farm practice of overproduction of wheat on land better suited to grazing. Also about photographer Arthur Rothstein. At 4 hours, it was a bit long, but oh well...

🍿 ...The Godfather, The Conversation, Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Deer Hunter...

I knew it was you: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009) is a fawning assessment of the guy who starred in only 5 films, but they were all masterpieces. He was very special, but this Talking Heads approach was off-putting.

🍿 Paragraph 175, a moving story of the persecution of homosexuals by the Nazi regime. It is told via interviews with some older gay survivors, which in 2000 were among the only 10 known still-living ex-victims.

🍿 “Hey. How about we order some Chinese? - Order some Chinese to do what?…”

Grass is a 1999 Canadian documentary about the American government war on marijuana. What horrendous crimes were committed during the sickening century of the "war on drugs"! And what do you know, all along it was just another part of a racist policy against blacks and Mexicans. Fuck Harry J. Anslinger, Edgar Hoover, Nixon, Reagan and Bush Sr. And also fuck Bill Clinton et. al. Narrated by pothead Woody Harrelson.

🍿 How Chris Silverman Makes Art In the iOS Notes App - more of a YouTube interview about my favorite digital illustrator. I posted quiet a few of his illustrations before.

🍿

A different experience? Darren Aronofsky's latest Postcard from Earth. A science fiction fantasy which was created for display at the $2 billion Las Vegas 'Sphere'. Part tourist postcard from 2001 Space Odyssey, but mostly a National Geography / BBC Earth nature doc, done with the biggest, most immersive camera and display systems. Latest drone work, IMAX Super and highest resolution "available today".

Obviously I saw it on Youtube, not "Live". But, it looks like what 'Koyaanisqatsi' did better 40 years earlier.

🍿

3 Shorts:

🍿 ‘E’ (1981), my second by Czech puppeteer Břetislav Pojar. Not everybody reads an E-sculpture as 'E'. Some see it as 'B'.

🍿 Peter and Ben (2007), a sweet story about two loners: A guy who lives in a beautiful, empty valley in Wales and a lamb who bonds with him, and won't leave.

🍿 The swearer (2017), made by an Israeli youngster, as part of film studies at some high school. They posted 98 entries on their YouTube channel, and this was the most popular with 1.3M views. But it was very juvenile. 2/10.

🍿

Because Françoise Hardy died today (at the age of 80!), I watched one of her movies. Sadly, I picked What's new, pussycat?, Woody Allen's first produced play. A terrible, disgusting "comedy" about 3 lecherous cads, proudly sex-crazed misogynists in Paris, who try to fuck anything that move. It's hard to look back and imagine there was a time when the promiscuous Woody Allen character was acceptable as the ideal of a sexy lover. Here he modeled himself after Groucho Marx, and even copied 'The stateroom scene' from a 'Night in the opera' during the final orgy scene. I would have quit this piece of shit many times, but I waited to see 21-year-old Françoise Hardy. Unfortunately, she appeared in the very last scene! 1/10.

RIP, Françoise Hardy! (I'll always play your Tous les garçons et les filles with Léa Seydoux. Or La Question...)

🍿

I only saw one movie by M. Night Shyamalan before ('Old'), so I tried another. The Happening sounded okay, because 'Hey, a thriller about mass suicide'. But it was unwatchable from the very first scenes: Atrocious script, horrible acting, poor mise-en-scene, just a bunch of 'odd, inexplicable things happening' one after the other. I forced myself to stay awake for 25 minutes, but any longer, I would have committed suicide too.

🍿

"Today I learnt that" on September 10, 2001, resident curmudgeon George Carlin recorded an album called I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die. In the set's 10-minute maniacal closer, "Uncle Dave", Carlin explains why he likes "big, fatal disasters with lots of dead people". It also involves references to Osama bin Laden and an exploding airplane.

Needless to say, this ornery tirade was shelved in the afternoon of the very next day. The posthumously-released album included a very weak rant from 1957 and interviews with some friends. The second best joke was about the guy who invented the first enema.

🍿  

(My complete movie list is here).

[mangosensei]

CBTL Vanilla Ice Blended® Drink

Hello, it's been a while! But, hey!

Let me introduce you to my growing coffee addiction obsession love for coffee. Let's put it that way lol

Anyway, one of the key factors why I ended up liking coffee is because of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf aka CBTL.

I was introduced to this drink (and coffee place) sometime around late 2013, and it remains to be one of my favorite cafes to visit whenever I get the chance to.

My go-to order is : Original Vanilla Ice Blended, large, no whipped cream! (My mom probably likes this drink more than I, and she orders it with whipped cream lol)

Anyway, to finish it off. One of my fondest memories of CBTL would be getting takeouts of this particular drink for my 91-year-old grandpa to drink (he had no diabetes, his blood work up was great, and the drink had been cleared with his cardio perhaps because of his old age).

It had become quite the routine for my mom and I as we go to the city to run errands to take home some of this for him. He really enjoyed it, and would often ask for us to bring him some home along with his never-ending supply of popcorn.

Sadly, he passed away towards the end of 2014; and so CBTL will always remain to be a place of fond memories for me.

Nowadays, I've moved to Northern California and there is no CBTL here. Boo.

BUT! At least, my mom gets to enjoy CBTL and their original vanilla ice blended back home. (Lucky!)

🔗 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 🔗 Vanilla Ice Blended

[the-mountain-life]

I‘m curious :) sooooo you can change one thing for the environment what would you do? Favorits: Film - music - Book - tv Show childhood - Animal - color - weather - flower - food - snack- drink - do you believe in ghost/supernatural things- where are you from- Dream Travel/Holiday ? Are you happy right now? What do find weird or strange? boat or plane? Tropical or the dessert? Fav number? Do you like olives? Social media: mostly good or bad? Take care, lots of love and sun/moonshine to you

Oh wow a lot of questions! Thanks anon 😊

Change one thing for the environment: make nuclear fusion net positive so it’s a viable energy source or something with carbon sequestration.

Favorites: Film is About Time, Music is Dream Pop/Shoegaze, Book: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas, TV Show: Sex and the City, Animal: fox or otter, Color: periwinkle, Weather: sunny with a breeze or a summer thunderstorm, Flower: Hellebore or Peony, Food: anything with pasta or Mediterranean, Snack: I don’t snack much but probably popcorn, Drink: Diet Coke or Sav Blanc

Believe in supernatural: I think I do, it’s complicated but I’m a pretty spiritual person.

I’m originally from Canada but now live in southern Wisconsin.

Dream holiday/travel: start in French Riviera, then off to northern Italy and end in Switzerland

I am very happy right now!

What do I find weird or strange? Hmmmm when someone doesn’t like one particular type of music or just says “all types”.

Boat or plane: plane for travel, boat for fun.

Tropical or Desert: both have their beauty, but I’m drawn more to the desert unless it’s a tropical beach

Favorite number: 8

I do like olives

Social media is mostly bad in my opinion, but it has it’s good parts. It’s a great outlet for creatives (art, cooking, acting, writing, etc). But I’m not a fan of influencer culture.

Thanks again!

[dh5ryxhgbctgr]

Global Snow Cone Machine Market Overview and Strategic Growth Analysis 2024 - 2031

The global snow cone machine market is experiencing a notable surge in popularity, driven by the growing demand for refreshing and flavorful frozen treats. This article explores the market dynamics, key trends, competitive landscape, and future prospects of the snow cone machine industry.

Introduction to Snow Cone Machines

Snow cone machines are specialized equipment designed to crush ice and create finely textured ice shavings, which are then flavored with various syrups to produce snow cones—a popular treat at fairs, festivals, and food stalls. These machines are essential in the foodservice industry, providing a simple yet effective way to offer customers a delightful frozen dessert.

The global snow cone machine market presents significant opportunities driven by increasing consumer interest in frozen treats, the growth of the foodservice industry, and innovation in flavors and machine technology. While seasonal demand and maintenance challenges exist

Market Overview

Key Market Drivers

Rising Demand for Frozen Treats: The increasing consumer preference for refreshing frozen desserts, particularly in warmer climates, is a primary driver of market growth.

Expansion of Food Trucks and Mobile Vendors: The growth of food trucks and mobile vendors offering snow cones and other frozen treats has significantly contributed to the demand for snow cone machines.

Innovative Flavors and Ingredients: The introduction of unique flavor combinations and natural ingredients in syrups is attracting a broader customer base, further stimulating market growth.

Challenges in the Market

Despite the positive growth trajectory, the snow cone machine market faces several challenges:

Seasonal Demand: The demand for snow cones is often seasonal, peaking during warmer months and festivals, which can impact sales for manufacturers and vendors.

Maintenance and Durability: Ensuring the longevity and performance of machines can be challenging, as regular maintenance is required to prevent breakdowns.

Types of Snow Cone Machines

1. Manual Snow Cone Machines

Manual snow cone machines require manual operation, where users manually crank or push to crush ice. They are generally more affordable and suitable for home use or small events.

2. Electric Snow Cone Machines

Electric machines automate the ice crushing process, providing faster and more consistent results. These machines are ideal for commercial use, especially in busy settings like festivals or amusement parks.

3. Industrial Snow Cone Machines

Designed for high-volume production, industrial snow cone machines can process large quantities of ice quickly and efficiently. They are typically used in large venues or production facilities.

Regional Analysis

North America

North America holds the largest share of the global snow cone machine market, primarily driven by the popularity of frozen desserts and the presence of numerous food festivals and events. The United States is the leading market in this region.

Europe

In Europe, the snow cone machine market is expanding as consumer preferences shift towards innovative dessert options. Countries such as the UK, Germany, and France are showing increasing interest in frozen treats.

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness significant growth due to rising disposable incomes and changing food preferences. The growing foodservice sector in countries like China, India, and Japan is also contributing to this growth.

Latin America and Middle East & Africa

While still emerging markets, the snow cone machine market in Latin America and the Middle East & Africa is gradually gaining traction, driven by an increasing demand for frozen desserts and the expansion of food and beverage establishments.

Competitive Landscape

Key Players

Nostalgia Products

Hawaiian Shaved Ice

VIVOHOME

Great Northern Popcorn Company

Icee Company

These companies are focused on product innovation, quality enhancements, and expanding distribution networks to capture a larger market share.

Market Strategies

Product Diversification: Companies are introducing a range of machines tailored to different user needs, from home use to high-capacity industrial models.

Sustainability Initiatives: Some manufacturers are focusing on eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient designs to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Future Outlook

The global snow cone machine market is poised for substantial growth in the coming years. As consumer preferences continue to evolve toward innovative and refreshing desserts, the demand for snow cone machines will likely rise. Additionally, technological advancements in machine design and features will enhance user experience and efficiency.

Conclusion

The global snow cone machine market presents significant opportunities driven by increasing consumer interest in frozen treats, the growth of the foodservice industry, and innovation in flavors and machine technology. While seasonal demand and maintenance challenges exist, the overall outlook remains positive, with strong growth anticipated in the coming years. Stakeholders in the industry must focus on innovation and customer engagement to thrive in this dynamic market.

[whitepolaris]

Curse of the T.B. Scott Mansion

The towns of northern Wisconsin are filled with monstrous houses built to shelter the families and egos of nineteenth-century lumber barons. Most of these men became rich by decimating the state's general great timber stands, so it was of little consequences to them to put a small forest's worth of oak and pine into their homes.

Scotsman Thomas Blythe was one such lumber broker (and five-term state senator), who built a hilltop palace in Merrill, overlooking Wisconsin River. Unfortunately, things didn't go too well for him once the fabulous home was completed. Old-timers in Merrill said he might have done better if he'd only had the sense not to build on cursed land by a Native American chief.

The land had been doomed long before Europeans settled in Merrill, back in the days when French fur traders canoed up and down the rivers, looking to buy beaver, fox, and muskrat pelts. Near what is now Merrill was a village called Squiteo-eau-sippi by the French. One day, a group of French traders came to the village and received as important guests by the chief himself, who asked his beautiful daughter to serve the men dinner. Perhaps unable to pronounce her name, the Frenchmen called the young woman Jenny. One of the traders decided he'd like to see more of the comely Jenny, and nine months later the poor girl died in childbirth.

By this time, of course, the traders were long gone, and the chief was unable to direct his revenge at the man who had impregnated his daughter. In his grief and fury, the chief decided she would be buried on the large hill across the river from his village, but he cursed the hill for all time. The curse was recorded in a story by Dolores Chilsen Mielke that appeared in the Merrill Daily Herald in 1930. Mielke later wrote a book about the Scott Mansion, which figures prominently in this story. The bereaved chief's prayer was, "O Great Spirit, grant me this peace for my child. Let this ground by sacred to her memory, and let it never do any white man any good."

A settler's village soon sprang up near the hill, called Jenny, and just as the chief had hoped, all who lived on that hill seemed to fall prey to early death and great woes.

By 1884, T. B. Scott had begun building his mansion, and the village, now a city, had changed its name to Merrill. At that time, a small Indian summer camp still occupied part of the hill, and Scott took care to leave it alone. Even so, he died in 1886 at the age of fifty-seven from Bright's disease before the house was finished. His widow, Anna, died the following year. Their son, Walter, sold the mansion, but apparently not quickly enough-he met an early death ten years later, when he was stabbed with a letter opener after a quarrel. None of the Scotts ever lived in the mansion.

The Chicago businessman who bought the house sold it only five days after purchasing it to one Andrew Dunning, who was able to hold on to it only a few years before passing it on to Edward and Gertrude Kuechle. Edward Kuechle soon lost his short in a gold-mine scam, after which the house was owned by a succession of Chicago speculators. A few years later, the Kuechles' fortune rebounded and they bought the house back. Big mistake. No sooner had they once again become its official owners than they lost everything in a disastrous railroad purchase. Edward Kuechle was eventually declared insane.

The next owner was embarking from Chicago on a trip to Merrill to have his first look at the property when mobsters stabbed him to death in Chicago's Union Station. Another owner died of a stroke at the relatively young age of sixty-two, and in 1912 a one-armed popcorn Dan Coxon, who may have served as caretaker of the house, drowned on the Titanic.

Eventually, the mansion was sold to the city of Merrill. In 1923, the city offered it to a Catholic order-the Sisters of the Holy Cross-if the order would build a hospital on the grounds. The sisters accepted, and the grounds now include a modern hospital, a chapel, and other buildings.

Although people still whisper that the mansion is filled with ghostly laughter and mysterious footsteps, there have been no more strange or untimely deaths since the Sisters of the Holy Cross took it over. Townspeople say that's because the religious sisters are the only people the curse could ever allow to live on the hill. Not everyone agrees that there was a maiden named Jenny. Some digging by Dolores Mielke revealed that for some unknown reason an early surveyor had named the town Virginia Falls. Virginia was shortened to Ginny, then corrupted to Jenny, and that is where the town's original name came from.

Whether the curse was real or not, whether there was a beautiful chief's daughter or not, only the river and the hill now remember. But one fact remains: Until the estate was given over to people whose lives were decided to God and to healing, it never did do the white men who lived there any good.

[revaram1]

The great female prophet Florence has written about the savior saint of the world, the saint is of fair complexion and is without any beard and moustache, he is present in a holy place in northern India.

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[indiagiftsonline]

Guide on Lohri 2023: Get to Know Traditions and Lohri Gift Ideas

Lohri is the celebration that marks the transition of the sun from the southern hemisphere of the Earth to the northern hemisphere. It is the beginning of longer days; it is a farewell to winter and the start of spring, and also the beginning of the harvest season. Apart from the singing and dancing, lighting of bonfires and going around them throwing food items like popcorn into the fire, celebrations include the exchange of gifts. Here we discuss some Lohri gift ideas.

1. Conventional sweets- Sugarcane products score big as traditional gifts on the occasion of this festival. Gur, gajak, chikki, laddoo, rasgulla, gulab jamun, and an assortment of khoya sweets are popular edibles and can be put in a basket for Lohri packing ideas. Hampers of nuts, dry fruits, and popcorn are good gifts to send to your loved ones or even as Lohri return gift ideas. Choose from options like mix dry fruits box, boxes of traditional sweets, nuts like peanuts, almonds and cashew nuts, assortment of sweets like gachak and murmura laddoo, and so on.

2. Festive edibles- Lohri cakes are unique gift ideas. Chocolate cakes, black forest cakes, red velvet cakes, butterscotch, pineapple, vanilla and strawberry flavoured cakes- both with eggs and eggless- are available in plenty of choices for you to send to your loved ones. Choose same day delivery or midnight delivery to make sure the cakes reach the recipient absolutely fresh and delicious. You can avail this option with online gifting websites to send yummy cakes.

3. Chocolates and cookies- Chocolates of Indian origin- like Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Kit Kat, Munch, and more- and those of international origin- like Ferrero Rocher and Mars bars- can be put together in a Lohri hamper or arranged in a bouquet to bring a smile to the faces of your gift recipients. An assortment of cookies and biscuits and other savouries are also good gifts for this festival.

4. Flowers- Flowers are very eloquent gifts and have been exchanged since ancient times. Roses of different colours are the most popular, but you can also go for gerberas, carnations, orchids, lilies, or mixed flowers. These come in bouquets, baskets, vases, and premium arrangements. Send flowers to the special people in your life with same day delivery, available with online gifting websites, and this will ensure that they reach the recipient while they are fresh and fragrant rather than wilting and smelling bad.

5. Plants- This festive season, give a green gift to those that matter in your life. You can choose lucky bamboo or money plant because they are supposed to bring good fortune, or you can opt for kokedama, which is a ball of soil, covered with moss, on which there grows an ornamental plant. Air purifying plants, flowering plants, indoor plants, and cacti are also great options for this festival.

6. Clothes and jewellery- This festival is essentially a riot of colours. It is auspicious to buy and gift colourful new clothes and jewellery- whether artificial or precious- on this occasion. Vibrant clothing that catches the eye, like brightly coloured sarees or salwar-kameez suits and matching jewellery for women, and ethnic wear with understated pieces of jewellery like chains and bracelets for men are good gift ideas.

7. Accessories- For men, accessories like a smartwatch, a tie, a laptop bag or messenger bag, belts, and wallets are very much useful gifts that you can give as a gift. For women, you can go for ladies' wallets, hats, belts, scarves, stoles or shawls, smart bags and clutches, chic sunglasses and wrist watches to give as gifts this festive season. For men and women both, tech items like Bluetooth earphones, mobile phone charging platforms, wireless mouse, external hard drives and memory cards will be much appreciated as gifts.

8. Home decor- Photo frames, clocks, wall hangings, plates, tiles, scented candles, vases, lamps, lanterns, religious and spiritual idols are small items of home decor that make for great return gift ideas.

9. Combo gifts- Traditional sweets like soan papdi or rasgulla can be combined with chocolates and cakes to make for perfect combination gifts. Other combos you can think of are popcorn with gachak, hampers of variety of nuts with chocolates, sweets with nuts, flowers and sweets, cakes and chocolates with flowers, party packs of potato chips or popcorn with traditional foods, celebration boxes of biscuits and cookies, and so on.

10. Customized gifts- For any occasion, customized gifts touch the heart of the recipient because they speak of how much thought has gone into transforming just another banal gift into a special one meant particularly for the recipient. Starting with pens and journals that you can engrave or emboss with the name or the initials of the person you are giving it to, and moving on to coffee mugs, keychains, photo mugs, photo memory boxes that contain a number of your most special photos, LED cushions and printed pillows, plates and tiles, towels, T-shirts, and even edible items like photo cakes and chocolates, there are a variety of gifts you can personalise with the help of online gifting portals.

This year, add extra cheer to the festivities with well-chosen Lohri gifts sent to your loved ones and the people who matter in your life. Happy Lohri!

[things-to-do-greeley-co]

Greeley, CO, home of the University of Northern Colorado

The presence of the University of Northern Colorado creates a vibe of a college town that many people look for in the city. The college has around 12,000 students that helped draw businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and several fun attractions and events to enjoy in the entire community. The university also contributes to the well-educated population in Greeley because of over 200 programs being offered in the area. I love Greeley, CO, and living near this university is always a pleasure. So if you’re considering moving to Greeley, CO, I’m sure you’ll love this place because of its educational vibes, especially when you’re a mother. 

55+ Active Adult apartments near Greeley CO

The 55+ active adult apartments near Greeley, CO, offer its residents resort-style living. It has everything that the community has to offer. When it comes to comfort, experience, and way of life. Plus, all utilities are included in the price, which is amazing. I love the style ranging from Ford, Wheeler, Lizzie, and Henry. There are great amenities available for all its residents, such as the pool, the hot tub, the pub with complimentary happy hour, the fitness room with guided classes, a game room with poker table and board games, a craft room with guided classes, movie theater with popcorn, and more. These 55+ active adult apartments in Greeley are dog and cat friendly. For more information, call (970) 999-8789.

Bittersweet Park in Greeley, CO

The Bittersweet Park in Greeley, CO, is a 1.9 km loop trail that takes an average of 23 minutes to complete. I like this popular walking trail that offers solitude during the quieter times of the day. But if you’re planning to take your puppy, you must leave him at home because the puppy is not allowed here. You must walk alone or with your loved one, friends, or kids. It’s nice to have this walking or jogging exercise. Also, it will be better to plan your visit ahead. Check for the weather updates because you wouldn’t like to visit when the weather is not good. 

Greeley detective was nearly run over during the arrest of the suspect.

On the news, it says that the Greeley detective was nearly run over at the time of the arrest of the suspect of an aggravated motor vehicle theft. The situation happened on December 02, 2022, at around 1:00 am, when an officer tried to stop a stolen Kia Sportage, deployed a StarChase tracking dart, and discontinued the pursuit. The driver was identified as Donald Turley, 34 years old, who has several warrants, such as due to aggravated motor vehicle theft, driving under restraint, and drug possession. The detectives tried to talk with Turley, but he jumped into the driver’s seat of the second Kia, which was also stolen. Read more. 

Link to Map

Driving Direction

Bittersweet Park

35th Ave & 16th St, Greeley, CO 80634, United States

Head southwest toward W 16th St

249 ft

Turn right toward W 16th St

105 ft

Turn left at the 1st cross street onto W 16th St

354 ft

Turn left at the 1st cross street onto 35th Ave

0.6 mi

Turn right onto W 10th St

 Pass by Dairy Queen Grill & Chill (on the right in 0.2 mi)

2.3 mi

Turn right onto 8th Ave

 Destination will be on the left

0.1 mi

55 Resort Greeley

1100 8th Ave, 

Greeley, CO 80631

[cricketrocker]

Popcorn & the Danger of Whimsy