#Gym Flooring Canada

[garagefloorcanada]

Garage Flooring

Certified Swisstrax garage flooring dealer in Calgary. #1 Garage flooring system in Canada offers stained garage floor into a durable, slip-resistant, custom-designed & more. Visit us Today! for more details visit at https://goo.gl/maps/YrzpQHjuzH4pv3WQ9

[beitnow123]

What is rubber gym flooring?

What is rubber gym flooring?

You can use rubber flooring to create an exercise room or commercial gym. Rubber flooring is ideal for gyms because it's versatile, durable, and requires little maintenance. Rubber flooring is available in different forms, such as interlocking tiles and rolls. Mats, sheets, and mats are also available to suit your needs.

Rubber flooring is made from recycled tires. This makes it extremely durable. Befitnow offers Rubber Flooring Canada.

Rubber flooring offers many benefits:

Durability

Rubber gym flooring is durable, strong and resilient. These rubber surfaces are also difficult to scratch, gouge or scuff. Rubber flooring materials are durable and will last for years.

Heavy Impact Loads: Resistance to impact

Rubber flooring is resistant and dense enough to withstand gym equipment weighing thousands of pounds, as well high impact activities, without ripping or tearing.

Slip Resistance

Rubber flooring is resistant to slipping even when wet. Installing rubber flooring will provide you with a non-slip surface for working out. You don't have to worry about injuries from slips.

Water-Resistant

Rubber flooring is 100% waterproof. Seal the flooring using a rubber floor sealer and seal the seams by using a seam sealer. Water can seep under the flooring if you don't seal it and apply a finish.

Sound absorption

Rubber is a great flooring material for areas with high traffic and large spaces, such as gyms and stadiums, where sound bounces from the walls.

The following are some of the benefits that gym flooring can provide:

Injury Prevention

Versatile

Durable

Noise Reduction

Water and chemical resistance

Durability

Impact-absorption

Dropped or falling weights can cause resistance to break.

The traction that is sensible

Stability

Luxurious look

Rubber gym flooring has a number of drawbacks.

Smell

Rubber flooring has a distinctive smell. The glue that holds rubber flooring to the flooring is gassing.

Some products are more scented than others, depending on the raw materials used or the way the flooring is made. The strongest smell is during the installation. The smell will slowly diminish a few days after installation.

You can also mop the floor a few more times using a mild cleaning solution of soap and water. Keep the room well ventilated or let the flooring dry outside. This should help to eliminate the smell.

Low Temperature Insulation

Rubber is not a good insulator for temperature transmission.

Considerations to make when installing outdoor sports flooring

The conclusion of the article is:

Now that you know the biggest Rubber Flooring Canada pros and cons.

If you want to upgrade your gym or workout space with the best flooring solution in UAE, get started with some free samples to find the perfect options for you. Browse today for the best Gym Flooring Canada

Send us an email at sales@befitnow.ca for more information or give us a call on + 647-545 5393

[hometoursandotherstuff]

17th-Century French Chateau-inspired Estate in King, ON, Canada is over-the-top. 6bds, 8ba, over 20,000 sq ft. C$31.998m. So, let's see what you get for $32m.

Lots of stairs- I'm surprised that they're open-back. Lots of lighted ceilings. What a pain- I bet there will always be bulbs out, looking very low-rent.

Lots of shiny white marble. So, this is probably the main sitting room.

Another, more casual sitting room. I don't care for the flooring color.

The dining room isn't too impressive. It's got a lighted display, which is about all.

Massive kitchen. This is crazy.

Guest half bath.

The second level.

A den with enclosed shelving.

Matching home office.

The bedrooms and en-suites are all huge.

The primary bedroom is gigantic and has a marble fireplace.

It has a massive dressing room/closet with a large makeup vanity.

Check this out- store shoes and stuff in the top of the island.

The bathroom has 2 big sinks with vanities and each section has it's own glass-enclosed compartment.

It also has a very large sitting room and kitchen.

Back to the main floor, there's a family room with barn-like walls and a marble fireplace. Sliders open to the patio.

Lobby and snack bar.

Home cinema.

Sauna and what looks like a steam room, too.

Home gym.

And garage. Looks like an office to the side. Love the carpet runners for the car. Don't they come in rubber?

2.09 acre lot

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/14358-Bathurst-St-King-ON-L7B-1K5/342920098_zpid/?

[ravers8fantasy]

Punch out locker room mishaps: major circuit 🔱

I feel like the major circuit locker room would be better, definitely cleaner and with decently made furniture inside.

Don hogs like 3 lockers in the far end, he always brings too much stuff - VERY high maintenance

Hondo hides his manga inside his gym bag, has on multiple occasions left it out though so the others have read through some

They have a card board cut out of the referee in the locker room like a mascot

The referee doesnt know this because one of Don's 3 lockers is the designated hiding spot for it

Bear hugger takes decades in the shower, its either he's fallen asleep or trying to shape his shampoo bubbles into animals

Everyone has tried on Don's toupee wig thing at least once, even the referee and his card board cut out doppelganger

Bear hugger thought it was his squirrel and took it home with him to Canada one winter break, Don was in anguish and thought one of tiger's clone's stole it

Don and Tiger LOVE talking shit about super macho man, they have a designated gossip spot and everything

They all dress up the referee card board cut out when they are bored, they went absolutley hysterical when Hondo put Don's spare wig toupee thing on top

Don was less than thrilled to see them all giggling like school children

When bear hugger first saw it he didnt realise it was a card board cut out and kept talking to it

When little Mac joined the circuit, he opened up the locker hiding it and got jumpscared, absolutely started pissing himself when Hondo told him it was the circuit's mascot

Bear hugger chased Don around with a rat he once found, thats how everyone found out Don has an embarassing 'horror movie' scream

Hondo once ran into a locker and knocked it over. Everyone freaked out because they thought the lockers were nailed to the floor and they started moving everything around

The referee asked them to stop but gave up when he watched them create a make shift basket ball court with 2 lockers and a bench

Tiger loves playing pranks, one time when Hondo was alone in the showers Tiger shut of all the lights and made his clone's act as ghosts

And thats how Hondo slipped so bad he sprained his wrist (also became afraid of the 4th shower)

They all had a circuit sleep over, bear hugger fell asleep hugging the referee cardboard cut out

ended up bending weirdly so now it looks even sillier, especially in the don flamenco cosplay Tiger dressed it up in earlier that night

Tiger ate all of his kaju katli thinking it was gonna keep him awake all night (it knocked his ass right to sleep as soon as the clock struck 11)

Don snored so fucking loudly and kept making noises in his sleep, Hondo thought the 'ghosts' which made him slip in the shower came back to get him bro didnt sleep a wink

Every one nicknamed Hondo 'sonic', even bear hugger started calling him that even though he didnt know what it was.

"fellas what is a sonic the hedgehog?"

"bear are you serious- You dont know THE sonic the hedgehog?"

"Tiger he lives in the middle of no where with a bear and is friends with a squirel what did you honestly expect."

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

KK hope yall enjoyed this yap of mine 💕

[theanticool]

One thing I've noticed about this whole Imane Khelif "controversy" is that the same people screaming about protecting women's sports from the "trans Boogeyman", they never ever ever mention women's sports at all. At no point have they tried to highlight other women boxers, or mentioned any other event in which a woman competes or does well in. It's very strange to scream about protecting something they clearly do not care about. This isn't even necessarily about the grifters and talking heads (I expect it out of them) but random people on my friends list that caught me off guard

That's the main thing that kills me about all this nonsense. Putting aside the fact that Khelif is a woman and this war between the IOC and the IBA, the people screaming about how a woman is going to die fighting her are so disrespectful. Because women do die in the sport fighting other women. And there are things we could do to stop that and nobody fucking cares enough about the sport except for like 30 people to even talk about it.

Last year, an 18 year old from Mexico was flown up to Canada to be a warm body for a former amateur standout Canadian boxer. Jeanette Zacarias Zapata died after getting knocked out. Had 0 business being in that ring with someone so much better than her, 15 years her senior.

But this is a normal practice. Go look at some of the women from Mexico and Colombia and their records. A lot of American, British, and Canadian talent go down there to go beat up on boxer-cize moms who are literally half their size to inflate their records. Imagine walking into a CKO Kickboxing gym and telling them they have to fight someone who was fighting for amateur world champions or are top professional contenders. And this isn't a problem for just women. It's super common practice in the US to have your recent amateur stars just spark gas station attendants or mechanics for years before they fight a proper pro.

But like you said, none of these people actually care about the sport. They don't care about the Jeanettes of the world. They don't care about how there's so little money and resources put into it, so massive corners get cut. They don't care that there's rampant grooming (by cis men gym owners) going on in a lot of these gyms. And it's not just boxing. It's not just combat sports. It's in basketball, gymnastics, soccer, etc.

Because it's all virtue signalling. They need boogeymen. They need to pretend they care about these sports. If they're so scared of opportunities being taken away from "real women", maybe they should raise the floor on support for the actual sport and all the women it in. But these people didn't know enough about the sport to talk about Kellie Harrington or Amy Broadhurst, women who had fought and beat Imane Khelif before. Yet they feel so confident saying nonsense with their chest.

[mack-devereaux]

Comfort

Vince Dunn

Authors note: Vince is my comfort player. I love him. So it’s only fitting that I write about him in a comfort fic. No clue on word count. Pictures are from Pinterest. I think the only trigger is like 3 curse words? And a little bit of angst, just a tiny bit.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

~~~~~~

Isn’t it strange? There are so many people out there who secretly love someone. And yet there are so many people who have no idea that someone secretly loves them.

~~~~~~

Vince was new to Seattle. He had just gotten traded, he knew it was coming, but yet he wasn’t prepared for how much of a difference it would be. In St. Louis he had his friends. But here, he was so new he didn’t have friends yet and with his family in Canada he was struggling trying to settle in. He just wanted someone to talk to and hang out with. His floor in his apartment complex was very quiet, as far as he knew there were only two tenants, him and a very very quiet person, as far as the other rooms, they were used for storage. He never saw his neighbor nor had he heard them when they came and went. Until today that is, he was texting on his phone while walking down the hallway when all of a sudden something, or someone, smacked right into his chest.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention I—“ the cute blonde stopped speaking immediately when she looked at him “wow your eyes are really pretty.” Vince grinned. Kinda taken aback by the chatty girl. “Oh I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I’m sorry, I’ll pay more attention next time” the girl stuttered.

“It’s really not a big deal. I’m Vince” he stuck out his hand. The girl took his hand and she swore electricity shot up her arm. “Y/n” she smiled dropping her hand and reaching for her apartment keys.

“Well for the record y/n you have very beautiful eyes as well” he added with a wink and a panty dropping smile. He felt an odd sense of calm and peace when they touched hands. “Do you flirt with all your neighbors Dunner?” She asked.

“Wait how do you—“ his eyebrows pinched together, she knew who he was.

“I work for the Kraken sometimes. I’m one of the extra medics they call in when you guys get too crazy out there. It’s my job to know who you guys are. But you should get going before you’re late to training” she leaned into her doorway of her apartment.

“Shit, yea. Well I guess I will see you around then, don’t be a stranger. You can come hang out anytime, I’m only a door away” he smiled and started to walk down the hall to go to the gym. Looking back over his shoulder he noticed her watching him “you too Vince”.

*a few weeks later*

Y/n was sitting on her couch alone, only because Vince was out of town on a roadie. She didn’t realize how much she had gotten used to his presence until he was gone. Literally. He was constantly in her apartment, and if he wasn’t at her place she was at his. At this point they were the equivalent to roommates. Vince tried to convince himself it was because he felt calm and peace around her, not that he had a massive crush on her. He made the mistake of telling his friend Sam about her and he hasn’t heard the end of it.

Y/n wasn’t mad about constantly having the cute hockey player in her apartment over the last few weeks, however she did wish he gave some heads up when he came over though. There’s been many times he just barged in when she was looking like a mess or had just crawled out of bed with her hair everywhere. He claimed it was a cute look for her but she was still mortified. He was like sex on legs, he constantly looked amazing. Between his dark curls and his bright green eyes she knew she was fucked. Plus his constant flirting and the need for physical touch was not helping her case. She quickly picked up that physical touch was how he needed reassurance. He always mentioned how she kept him grounded and not in his head, she took that as a huge compliment, he didn’t seem like the type to let people in very easily.

Her phone vibrated on the table, bringing her out of her trance she had fallen into, she reached out and saw a text from Vince.

From Dunner 😈:

Hey babygirl, you able to talk?

Babygirl, the name he called her when it was just them, she loved it. It often became Babe around his friends and teammates. But she wasn’t mad about that nickname either. She hit the call button and waited for him to answer.

“Someone’s impatient” she rolled her eyes when he answered.

“You’re the one who texted me, I figured it would be a waste of time by texting you, just to have you call me” y/n explained.

“That’s fair. What are you up to?” He said, he sounded tired.

“Laying on my couch” y/n said.

“Sexy, what are you wearing” he smiled.

“Vince” she rolled her eyes “don’t make it weird.”

He laughed “come on babygirl live a little, I know you’re wearing my shirt.”

Glancing down she scoffed “no I’m not” yes she was, “How was your game” she quickly changed subjects.

“I knew it” he grinned biting his lip. He loved when she wore his clothes. “It was good, did you watch?”

“I always do” she sighed “when do you come back?”

“I knew you missed me” he chirped.

“Quit teasing me or I will hang up” she pouted. Messing with the hem of the worn out shirt.

“No you won’t, you miss me too much. But I’ll be back in a few days babe” he yawned.

“I’m gonna fall asleep soon” she said also yawning.

“You should stay up, I wanna keep flirting with you” he whined.

“You’re ridiculous” she laughed.

“You never flirt back, it’s boring” he said.

“Umm yes I do, you’re just super attractive and it makes me nervous to flirt with you too much, I never know when you’re being serious” she laughed.

“I’m always serious babe” he said, after a note of silence on her end he added “get some sleep, I’ll talk to you tomorrow yeah?”

“Yeah, goodnight Vince.”

As y/n hung up he looked at his lock screen photo of them. They were out at a club with the team, she was in a dark blue dress and he was wearing a black t shirt and dark jeans. She was sitting on his lap with his arm around her back and they were taking selfies. He had just touched her exposed shoulder with his cold beer bottle when she jumped. Then he snapped a photo of them mid laugh. It was his favorite picture of them. For as much as he teased her about her missing him, he was certain he missed her way more. Being away from her was weird. Especially since they had only met a short while ago. He’s never clicked with someone this quick before. He didn’t know what to make of it. His friend Sam had tried giving him advice on asking her out but he wasn’t sure how she felt about the situation. A text came through bringing him back to reality.

From Babygirl 🥵:

Goodnight 💕

To Babygirl 🥵:

Goodnight babe

~~~~~~

We looked at each other just a little too long to be just friends.

~~~~~~

*a few weeks later*

Y/n was adding some final touches to her makeup before she heard her door unlock.

“I’m coming!“ she shouted as she grabbed a hair tie to throw on her wrist. She walked out into the living room seeing Vince drop his duffel bag by the door, he was wearing a dark game day suit and his curls were styled perfectly. It’s a shame that hair will be covered by a helmet soon. Damn he looked good.

“You ready?” He asked.

“Yeah, just let me grab a few things,” she grabbed her purse and her water bottle. She was going to the game tonight because they were playing the Canucks, the Kraken tend to get a little rough with each other when they played teams close to them. Mainly because the crowd was always intense and got the energy going in the arena. So naturally Vince had convinced her to carpool with him, with games like this he always got a little hotheaded. Just having y/n around him seemed to keep him calm. Which he would need after tonight’s match up with their Canadian neighbors. She was his first friend here, and somehow between the late night talks and flirting he had fallen for her. Even some of the teammates had noticed how he kept her close to him, literally and figuratively. Little did he know that she had fallen for him too. How could she not. The two of them just fit so perfectly together. The drive to the game was filled with flirty banter and small talk.

~~~

The game was a bloodbath. Penalties were called left and right. Players were coming off the ice like crazy with cuts and bloody noses and injuries constantly. It was a good thing they called in backup, which they definitely utilized. She was right behind the players bench watching everyone with such intensity, even the other team. The end of the second period was nearing, she couldn’t wait for the team to have an intermission to cool down. The energy in the arena was out of this world. She had been to plenty of games before, but none had been this intense.

Then it happened, gloves came off and it was a blur of blue and white wrestling on the ice, punches and insults thrown around like nothing. She forgot how to breathe once she realized it was Vince who was fighting. As a medic she was used to blood, especially at the hockey games, it never bothered her but it was different seeing Vince bloody. She wasn’t sure how long they had been fighting. After what felt like a lifetime the refs finally ripped the players apart. Vince immediately going towards the bench, he was yelling. The teams physician pulling him to the side and down the tunnel checking for any major injuries. They had moved so fast it didn’t register to y/n that they were halfway to the locker room already.

“No, I want y/n! Please!“ Vince shouted. Y/n snapping out of her frozen stance she followed the physician down the tunnel and into the locker room where she heard him shouting. As she turned the corner she immediately went for gloves and gauze. Throwing her hair up in a bun the physician was explaining what she needed to do, he had his hands full with this game, she was happy to help but still in shock that Vince was the one she was tending to. “No concussion, but we need the cut on his lip and cheek cleaned up and check his teeth for any other bleeding. He’ll return for the 3rd period. When you’re done with him send him where the rest of the team is. Oh and check his shoulder too, he took a nasty hit.”

“Yep. Got it” she said as she was washing her hands and putting gloves on to look at his face. As she stepped in front of Vince she grabbed his face gently making him look at her, still in shock over what she had witnessed. Yes she knew hockey was a violent sport. Yes she knew there were lots of injuries. But seeing Vince get hurt and in a fight was something she wasn’t prepared for. He was breathing hard, still pissed off about the call and the fight. But as soon as y/n was in front of him he felt better. She was explaining what she was doing, and asking permission to clean him up. He wasn’t listening, he knew she had to do that for her job. He leaned forward and just hugged her waist, leaning his head into her side, not saying anything. His breathing still heavy but starting to even out.

“Vince, I need to clean that cut,” y/n sighed.

“Y/n please. I need to calm down. Just—Please.” He was wound up, he tried to keep his voice level, not wanting her to hear him yell. So she let him, his sweat and probably blood going on her shirt. She just stood there and rubbed his back, well she tried to rub his back. It was hard with all the pads and gear on. After about 5 minutes of him just hugging her he finally pulled away. She didn’t say anything, she just looked at him, he nodded to her and she started looking at his injuries. He never looked away from her face. He notices the grey swirls in her eyes, she was holding back tears, the long black lashes, the freckles lightly dotting across her nose.

The cuts weren’t bad, and his shoulder was fine. Relief flooded her, when she was done she took her gloves off and threw everything away, “Vince, are you ok” she said looking at him. He was already looking at her.

“I’m ok” he breathed out “thank you baby girl.” He stood up and kissed her on the forehead, letting his lips stay there for a second longer than he should have, and walked to where the rest of his team was. She let out a huge sigh and sat down. After a minute she walked back to the bench for the last period.

The game ended in overtime with the Kraken winning. Y/n was charting and filling out paperwork when the team was finishing up post game interviews and showers. Vince walked around the corner to meet y/n by the team parking, and they walked together to his car. Once in the car Vince’s hand soon found its way to y/ns thigh, still needing some sort of comfort from her, she set her hand on top of his and intertwined their fingers. They said nothing the entire way home. Not even as he grabbed her hand and walked past her door straight to his apartment. It was rare that he was this quiet after games. They always fell so easy into conversations, but she didn’t dare speak first this time. She sat on the couch as he went into his room to change. After a few minutes he came out and handed her one of his old shirts, she walked to the bathroom to change. She grinned once she saw it was her favorite shirt of his, a very worn out hockey shirt from when he played for the Icedogs in his OHL days. It fell to her mid thigh, which was fine, she normally wore boy short underwear so she wasn’t super uncomfortable in just the shirt.

As she walked out of the bathroom she saw him in the kitchen. His sweatpants hanging low on his hips. She could see the tension in his back muscles still. She walked up to him and just hugged him from behind, even though he towered over her. He turned around and lifted her up to where she was sitting on the counter and his hands were on either side of her legs. They stared at each other for a minute. Y/n reached out to brush his curls off his forehead. He leaned into her touch and as she went to grab the side of his face he grabbed her hand a kissed the back of it.

“Y/n. I am sorry for what happened earlier.”

“Vince, I’ve seen you fight before it’s not a big deal, I just panicked for a second when I saw that you were the one hurt, and with everyone screaming that loud in there I just shut down.“

“ No, let me finish please.” He sighed, “it’s not that. I—fuck. He made a comment about you and it set me off. Y/n you give me a sense of calm that I’ve never had before. I’m pretty hotheaded and get worked up pretty easy out there. You’re the only thing that can calm me down, and that terrifies me. Every time I’m around you I just feel peace, and comfort. I’m not sure how to explain it, and I know it sounds dumb but I just need you to stay with me.”

“Vince I’m not leaving, you make me feel the same. I’m not sure when it happened for me either but everything is easy with you. I don’t want it to stop” Y/n said.

“Can we go to bed then? Just relax for the night?” Vince looked at her.

“Yes.”

[jarritos-hetalia]

Part two of Hetalia as things I've heard! (Extended edition)

These are from years ago, like a while ago. So there are references to Pokemon scarlet and violet, and maybe other things.

~~~

Italy: That kid just twerked on baby Jesus!

~~~

Hungary: So a woman's period is kinda like-

Prussia: *Starts Crying*

~~~

Germany: Hey Japan-

Japan: *Hugs him*

Germany: *Confused Screaming*

~~~

Romano: Do you know who that is? *Points to a random person*

Spain: No?

Romano: That's because you are ugly.

Spain: *Sad*

~~~

America: Hey Old man, have you heard of the star wars character Bofa?

Canada: Don’t

England: What?

America: Bofa deez nuts in your mouth!

~~~

America: I’ve played basketball before.

America: *Goes to shoot the ball*

Canada: Go Lebron Manays!

~~~

Romano: *Sitting on the floor behind Italy and Spain so he doesnt get called on*

Spain: *pointing to him* Romano is here!

Romano: You Bitch

Spain: Germany, call on him!

~~~

Italy: Bye Germany!

Germany: Bye Italy, Love you!

Italy:

Germany: I’m so sorry

~~~

America: *On a discord call with Japan*

Japan: Bye

America: Bye, Love you

Japan: Wha-

America: * Hangs up*

Discord- would you like to rate your call?

America: *typing* Bad, I accidentally said “I Love You”

~~~

America: lol

England: What is this 2012? I haven't heard anyone say “lol” in years.

America: *internally* Did no one ever teach you to mind your own business.

England: *Laughing his ass off*

America: yesterday you said that something was groovy, what year are you living in, 1980?

England: >:O

~~~

Romano: So I stabbed myself in the leg three times with a pen-

Italy: WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT?!

Romano: Because I was stressed? Anyway-

~~~

Hong Kong: *Vibing to Cabinet Man by Lemon Demon at three am*

Japan: *Bangs on his door* DID YOU OPEN MY MOUNTAIN DEW?!

Hong Kong: wha- WHY THE FUCK WOULD I??

Japan: GOOD *leaves*

~~~

Italy: Illions’s favorite pizza topping is ketchup.

Romano: *Grabs his bat* What the fuck.

~~~

America: TwO tRuCkS, hAvInG sEx

England: What the actual fuck

~~~

Germany: I’m Hyperlexic

Italy: I’m Dyslexic

Japan: Together you are lexic

Romano: You just brought back so many lexia memories

~~~

Russia: I opened his mountain dew

Hong Kong: Why?

Russia: I like to inhale the carbonation.

Hong Kong: *Confused Screaming*

~~~

France: I’m not going

England: Okay

France: *Gets out of the car*

England: I thought you weren't coming?

France: I am now

~~~

Receptionist: Hey lady, so the restrooms are all the way across the building and the others are through the gym

Hungary: Why?

~~~

Romano: I swear to God if one more thing goes wrong today I'm going to kill myself.

Spain: Hey.

Romano: I'm going to kill myself!

~~~

England: *Walking*

America: You look like an NPC

England: What?

America: Now you look like a roblox character.

~~~

Italy: I got an ad for the new pokemon game and I was like “Did that pokemon just turn into a fucking motorbike?!”

Romano: *Mocking Him* Did that person just turn into a present?!

~~~

England: I can’t feel my facial muscles.

France: You can’t because you don’t commonly give people blow jobs.

England: What the heck.

~~~

France: Next person to walk through the door is annoying

England: *walks through the door*

France: True

England: FUCK YOU

France: I know you would you slut

~~~

America: That man was a pedophile!

England: It was the fucking mall santa!

Canada: Truly the most perverted man alive.

England: You too!?

~~~

Romano: Italy I swear to God if you do something more chaotic than you normally do I'm going to fucking choke Spain out.

Italy: Why are you torturing Spain

Romano: Because Spain is just an annoying little brat

Spain: *Getting ready to be killed* Screw you Romano no one loves you

Germany: I'm going to the corn field

~~~

America: is it a hotdish or a casserole?

Canada: a Casserole?

America: Nope, a hotdish

Canada: What the fuck is wrong with you.

~~~

Italy: Anything can kill you if you throw it hard enough!

Romano: *Breaking threw the door* Hey! That’s my line!

France: Anything can be a dildo if you try hard enough! England: You are a fucking disappointment

France: I know

~~~

Italy: This is my favorite picture of Germany!

Japan: All I see is Johnny Deept

~~~

Romano: *Kicking the air*

Prussia: *Grabs His leg*

Romano: *Falls*

Prussia: ‘-’

Romano: HE THREW ME! Prussia: NO I FUCKING DIDN’T

~~~

Russia: I know your mom

America: *Does Not have a mom* What’s her name?

Russia: Umm

America: What’s her name?

Russia: I’m in danger *Laughes*

~~~

Canada: I don’t know football

America: Okay?

Canada: But I know Hockey

America: Why

~~~

Germany: Depressed can be a character trait?

Germany: Hey y'all my name is Germany and I’m depressed!

~~~

Germany: *Making the hand wolves have sex*

Romano: DON’T MAKE THE HAND WOLVES HAVE SEX

~~~

Norway: So Finland gave me two fidget toys

Iceland: ?

Norway: and one of them is this fidget spinner thing and the other one is just a ball

Iceland: Ball, I want ball

Norway: O-okay. *Hands him the ball*

Iceland: *holds the ball* Textured Ball

~~~

Iceland: Hey Sealand, look at this *Shows him screenshots of lexia*

Sealand: Wha- *Starts Crying and screaming*

~~~

Romano: Sprigatito the italian seasoning cat.

~~~

Canada: Mom said that I was her favorite memory and that you were her second

America: *Angry Yelling*

England: I said that because he was the first born!

~~~

America: Hey BrOtHeR!

Canada: What do you want?

~~~

Iceland: I’ll walk home by myself

Sweden: You won’t

Iceland: Watch me *Walks out*

~~~

Italy: when in doubt, know your way out

Germany: what are you planning on doing

Japan: *running* I AM NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES 

Germany: what???

~~~ Spain: Two trucks having sex~

Romano: WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU SPAIN

~~~

England: *Talking about child labor* Look at how dead inside this child looks

England: *Shows a picture of a kid from miss pilgrims home for particular children* Look at how similar they are, so you might say that the kids were ‘particular’

England: *Shows a picture of the kids from the shining* I added that one in there for fun-

America: *turns to Canada* We’re talking about child labor and he wants to make that fun?

Canada: Weird

~~~

China: Remembering the time my boyfriend told me that “Sweet Bod” by Lemon Demon was our love song but in a romantic way.

Japan: and you didn’t break up with him?

~~~

America: You can perform CPR to “Two Trucks” by Lemon Demon

Japan: What?

America: Imagine waking up after CPR and hearing “Two Trucks, having sex”

Japan: What is wrong with you?

~~~

[atinyjules]

Lean On Me - Kim Sunwoo

"When you feel like you might fall of a cliff, call me-heck call me an hour before that happens for godsake! And I swear I'll get there and pull you up!"

Where the resident bad boy Kim Sunwo aka your best friend since childhood who moved away at elementary comes back at high school after finding out that you're getting troubled at school.

"No one is allowed to touch her, if you think otherwise...then prepare to face the wrath of Kim Sunwoo!"

Genre: Bad boy au, comfort au, angst, fluff, romance, best friends to lovers trope.

Pairings: Bad boy!Sunwoo x Named reader

Warnings: Mentions of bullying, violence, attempted suicide, swearing, blood and gang fights. And an angry Sunwoo

TW!

"Don't lie to me Eric." Sunwoo said sternly as the boy rolled his eyes and pushed Sunwoo lightly.

"I heard what I heard Sunwoo, it's Haeyi. Besides, I was the one who went back home not you." Eric said, emphasising on the last word.

Sunwoo refused to believe it, the sweetest and kindest girl in town tried to kill herself? No, it couldn't be...right? Why would you do that? Of course you didn't...he was positive you wouldn't do that. But then again, who was he to decide? He hadn't gone back home to Seoul in years...people change, and maybe you did too. But he wasn't gonna believe it till he sees it for himself.

"Eric, take care of everything over here. I'm going back home." Sunwoo said and ran out with nothing but his passport, some cash and his gym bag strapped over his shoulders.

"Yah! Sunwoo!" Eric called for him, who just left without any other word.

🌼🌼🌼

Haeyi's

I couldn't help but fiddle with the hem of sleeve as I looked up at the ceiling of my hospital room. I let out a long sigh as I looked at my fractured hand.

"It's a bummer I couldn't leave." I mumbled and looked at the bouquet of daisies from Eric, my favourite.

I sighed again.

"I feel bad for Eric...he came to visit and had to leave with the news of me attempting to kill myself...did he tell Sunwoo?" I asked myself as I started drifting off to sleep only to be interrupted by an all to familiar scream.

"Yahhh!! LEE FUCKING HAEYI!!" I jolted up to the familiar voice of Sunwoo, sitting up I looked at the door waiting for him to make an appearance.

"LEE FUCKING HAEYI-" He abruptly stopped in his tracks after barging inside my hospital room and looked at me, completely speechless.

"Hey, Sunwoo." I said calmly as he rushed to my side and smacked my head.

"Oww!" I winced and glared at him as he sighed, looking at my fractured hand.

"Idiot, why did you try to unalive yourself, huh?!" he exclaimed as I sighed.

"Why did you come back here? Isn't school in Canada in full swing right now?" I asked, trying to change the topic.

"Why did you hurt youself? Don't change the subject. Do you know how surprised and scared I was when I got the news?" he asked as I avoided his eyes.

"Yah! You tried to kill yourself and since you failed in doing so, are you that ashamed to even face me?!" he exclaimed as I let out a frustrated shriek and threw a mini-tantrum.

"Shut the fuck up! I know what I did and I'm aware of how it worried the people around me but I didn't have a choice! Not after they humiliated me infront of the whole school!" I exclaimed as my voice slightly cracked, I looked up to see Sunwoo now with his jaws clenched and fists curled up so hardly that his knuckles turned white.

"Who did what?" He asked sternly with his eyes dark facing the floor.

"It's ...it's no use...what happened...happened..."I trailed as I felt my eyes well up with tears that I tried to blink away not wanting to cry infront of Sunwoo.

"Stop this shit! Just tell me what's wrong and who caused it! They hurted you to the point where you almost tried to kill yourself! Do you know how scared I was when Eric came back telling me you were in the hospital?!" he exclaimed as I looked away. "Look, I get that...we haven't been in contact for years but that doesn't mean I stopped caring Haeyi...just tell me and I promise, I'll fix it." he said softly as I felt my heart ease up a little.

"You always have to sound so cool don't you?" I asked and chuckled as I got him to sit on the bed and lean my frame on his.

"I am cool...I even got the whole school back in Canada under my feet." he bragged making me chuckle and roll my eyes.

"When you feel like you might fall of a cliff, call me-heck call me an hour before it happens for godsake! And I swear I'll get there and pull you up!" he exclaimed as I chuckled and felt my tears flow out.

"I was lonely, so lonely...after you guys left...I had no one so it made me an easy target for bullies. Because you weren't there anymore...they attacked me and made me their victim. I wanted to get help but everytime I tried, they'd beat me up saying that they'd murder me if I told any grown up so I kept quiet." I said and wiped my tears as Sunwoo cracked his knuckles.

"They really have a death wish don't they? Yah, don't worry...I'll make sure they wish they never even looked your way...if only I didn't leave...you wouldn't be where you are now...and you'd be safe-" I cut off his words with a punch on his arm.

"Shut up, idiot...it isn't your fault...we can't control events like mine." I said as he lightly tugged on a strand of my hair.

"It could've been controlled if you asked for help or told your mom and dad." He said as I sighed.

"Can we not talk about it? It makes me sad." I muttered as Sunwoo widened his eyes.

"Couldn't you have told me earlier?!" he exclaimed as I gasped and hit him.

"You should've noticed!"

🌼🌼🌼

Sunwoo's

I groaned over the phone and rubbed my forehead as mom ranted out why leaving Canada and coming back to Seoul was a loss for me.

"Eomma! Haeyi needs me, you know what happened to her! I want to protect her!" I exclaimed as she sighed.

"You love her that much?" she asked, knowing very well of my romantic feelings for her.

"Yes! Now let me study in Seoul!" I exclaimed as she sighed.

"If you love her that much! Just marry her already, I'm sick of watching you so head over heels for her!" Mom exclaimed as I smiled.

"I will! Now that's a yes right?" I asked as she sighed over the phone.

"Yes!" I pumped my fist in the air as I quickly went back to my old house.

🌼🌼🌼

"What are you doing here?!" I smiled proudly as Haeyi looked at me in disbelief.

"I'm a student here now." I said as I walked inside the gate towards the school leaving her shook.

"Yahh! Why did you switch schools?!" She exclaimed as I stopped in my tracks and raised my fist in the air without turning back.

"For this...I'm definitely gifting this to your bullies...see I even wore my favourite ring." I said as she sighed and caught up to me.

"You really are an idiot, studying abroad is more beneficial than throwing fists and playing superhero." Haeyi said as I smirked and make a cool pose.

"You of all people should know that I would choose beating punks up over studying any day." I said earning a smack on the head from her as she rolled her eyes and went ahead inside the school.

"Yo! Wait up!" I exclaimed and ran after her.

Hyemi's

"I don't remember school over here being this boring, how are you still awake at this point? Oh wait, I forgot you're the brains in the friendship. Can't we bunk class?" I sighed looking at Sunwoo who was already splayed over the desk, a yawn leaving his lips as he whined and tugged at the hem of my blazer.

"Focus in class will you? It's already been 3 months since you joined school. Besides, you're the one who wanted to switch schools." I muttered and put my focus back on class as Sunwoo continued his antics.

After a while I turned to my right to see Sunwoo fast asleep with his hand wrapped around my scarf, causing a loving smile to grace my face . I slowly took off my scarf and wrapped it around him as I got up and left for the restroom.

As I washed my hands I felt my heart rate excel at the sight of three girls walking out of the stalls from the mirror.

"If it isn't our little Haeyi." I felt fear creep up to me as my bullies cornered me.

"You think getting an eye candy will save you from us? Just you watch...he'll side with us in a few days." Yuna said as she fiddled with the curls of my hair.

"Please, just leave me alone-" I let out a gasp as I felt a sharp pain across my cheek.

"You speak too much for a tiny bitch...no matter what you do or who you bring in to save you...you'll always be a worthless piece of junk with no one by your side." Areum said as Seora and Yuna laughed along.

"It-It's not true..." I said softly as Yuna grabbed my hair making me yelp as tears stung my eyes.

"Lee Haeyi, no one loves you...not your parents, not your brother and not your so called friends." She whispered in my ear as my tears fell to the ground.

"Why cry when you already know that it's the truth? Face it Haeyi...you don't have a place in this world...you're just extra weight." Seora said and pushed me to the floor.

Sunwoo's

I looked around the school with Haeyi's scarf wrapped around me as I looked for her. She was there when I was drifting to sleep.. Then where could she have disappeared.

"Where the fuck are you, Haeyi...?" I mumbled to myself as I ran across the hallway trying to find anything that could pinpoint her direction to me.

As I was looking for her three plastic like girls came towards me with bright smiles.

"Hi, you must be Sunwoo~ I'm Yuna!" One of them exclaimed as I shrugged.

"I'm Seora and this is Areum." she saud as I tried walking away.

"Yah! Let's be friends!" the girl, Seora exclaimed as I groaned.

"I'm busy." I said as the girl named Areum clutched on to my hand.

"Come onn! We're way better and prettier than Haeyi! Besides, she could use an update! She's way too out of your league!" she said as I smiled causing the girls to smile back at me.

"Your name is Areum?" I asked as she tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded.

"You sure? Cause for a girl named Areum your personality and looks are nothing but ugly and filthy." I said earning a gasp from the girls.

"How dare you say that-" I cut Yuna off by slapping her causing her to fall back to the other two girls.

"First of all, look at your plastic faces first before claiming to be prettier than someone who doesn't have a fake and altered face...and secondly...you're the ones who need an update not Haeyi...thirdly...I'm not afraid to beat up a bunch of girls because they're females so you better tell me where you locked her before I get it out of your mouths myself." I said as I cracked my knuckles.

"There you are." I breathed out as I opened the door to the storeroom to see Haeyi with her head on her knees.

I felt my heart crack as she looked up at me with her tear stained face, breaking into a sob as she stood up.

"Haeyi.." I trailed as I pulled her into my warm embrace and held her as she sobbed hardly.

"T-They said that I was just extra weight." she muttered out loud enough for me to barely hear it.

"Yah, you aren't! I swear...I won't let them walk around like that without teaching them a lesson." I said as I held her together tightly, worried she'd break if I let go.

"No one loves me..." she said as I felt a switch on inside of me.

"Yah, look at me...I love you...so much and so does Juyeon hyung...you're his baby sister and I'm telling you...if he finds out about what happened...he'd turn the world up side down. All of us love you soo much! Okay? And if anyone ever tells you other wise...they better watch out." I mumbled as I hugged her and kissed the crown of her head.

🌼🌼🌼

Haeyi's

After the incident two days ago I stayed at home and relaxed as Sunwoo had told me to. I was definitely not expecting to be engulfed into a tight bear hug by Juyeon who was supposed to be overseas after school that day when I broke down at school but I definitely needed that after such a long day. But what surprised me more was when Juyeon told me that Sunwoo had told him everything and requested him to cancel his trip and come home to me.

It made me realise just about everything he's done for me since we were kids. His first and main priority was my happiness and he did just about everything just to make me smile. Was he always so charming? So protective? So loving? So considerate ? If so...why am I only realising it now?

As I got in Juyeon's car after he insisted to drop me off I couldn't help but drown in my thoughts.

"You know, he really loves you ." Juyeon suddenly said causing me to look at him in surprise.

"Who? Sunwoo?" I asked as Juyeon nodded.

"Yeah, it's really obvious if you haven't noticed yet." He said as I let out a nervous chuckle and looked out the window.

"There's no way he likes me, let alone love me." I said as Juyeon let out a chuckle.

"If he didn't why did he take the first flight to Seoul and visit you at the hospital? Why did he leave a prestigious school in Canada to join your school? Why did he go to great lengths just to protect you from your bullies? Because he loves you, everyone sees it but you." Juyeon said as you thought about it.

"Why would he love someone like me?" I asked as he smiled.

"Because you're Lee Haeyi, my amazing sister...duh." he said making me roll my eyes as he pulled up infront of the gate.

"I'll get going, thanks for the ride oppa." I said as he leaned in and kissed my forehead and ruffled my hair.

"Anything for my baby sister...now go quickly, I love you." he said as I smiled and got out of the car.

"I love you too." I said as I went inside the school searching for Sunwoo, frowning when I found his bag already there but no sign of him anywhere. I kept my bag and went out looking for him.

"Hey, where's Sunwoo?" I asked one of the student who was walking by.

"I don't know where he is right now but he went and started beating up Daeho and his gang as soon as he entered class and dragged them to the soccer field." he said making my stomach drop as I ran towards the soccer field hoping that he'd be there.

"Sunwoo!!" I exclaimed the the moment I saw a crowd gathered around the soccer field knowing that it was Sunwoo judging from the people cheering.

"Sunwoo!! Kim Sunwoo-" I covered my mouth the moment I was able to get a glimpse of Sunwoo but he looked awful. He was throwing and receiving punches continuously with his shirt stained with dirt and blood, his face was filled with bruises.

"Kim Sunwoo!!" I exclaimed trying to get his attention as I advanced towards the front.

"Kim Sunwoo!! Stop it!" I exclaimed as his ear perked up to the sound of my voice, looking towards me.

"Hyemi!" he exclaimed and turned back towards Daeho, throwing a final punch which caused the man to fall to the ground causing his girlfriend Yuna to run to him.

"No one is allowed to touch her...if you think otherwise, prepare to face the wrath of Kim Sunwoo!" he warned everyone present making my heart skip a beat as I felt my eyes glisten.

He did that for me?

"Sunwoo!" I called out to him who immediately made his way towards me and pulled me into a tight hug without a word.

"They won't hurt you again. I can assure you." he mumbled through the fabric of my sweater as a teardrop left my eye.

"You did that for me?" I asked with a shaky voice as he nodded.

"The Principal might expel me...but it was worth it." he said making me chuckle as I pulled him closer, wanting to feel his warmth.

"Yeah, probably..." I answered.

"My whole body hurts!" he whined as I hit his arm.

"That what you get for fighting early in the morning!" I scolded him as he scoffed.

"To think that I did it for you and I don't even get a thank you." He said as I chuckled and wiped my eyes.

"Thank you for everything Woo." I muttered as he broke the hug and looked at me.

"That was way to sincere, coming from you..." he stopped mid way after seeing the look on your face.

"What?" he asked as I cupped his face and pulled him in for a kiss. He stood still and stiff for a moment but soon melted into the kiss and smiled as he kissed me back.

I broke the kiss and looked at Sunwoo who stared at me with loving eyes filled with adoration.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to do that?" he asked as I wrapped my arms around his neck and joined our foreheads.

"Too long?" I asked as he chuckled and nodded.

"Too long." he muttered as I ran my fingers through his hair, detangling any messy parts.

"I know that I took a bit to long to realise my feelings for you but I want you to know that my feelings for you are way stronger than I can express to you." I said earning a peck on the lips from Sunwoo.

"It was worth the wait." he mumbled and pressed another kiss to my lips.

"I love you, idiot." I said making him laugh.

"I love you too, idiot."

_______________________

And that's the end🌼

It came out wayyyy longer than expected but it was a fun one to write.

I hope y'all enjoyed reading it! Thank you🌼💗

[aph-canada-headcanons]

Can we have Matthew’s morning/night routine? 🇨🇦♥️

Headcanon: Canada’s morning routine is more like an afternoon routine unless he’s getting up to do some early morning photography.

Headcanon: He’s not a morning person so every day starts with him groggily going downstairs to make a cup of coffee before getting ready.

Headcanon: Canada is a lukewarm shower taker in the mornings to wake up. He’d take a cold one but one time he fell asleep in a cold shower and got sick.

Headcanon: After getting ready every morning Canada takes Kumajawalkin out for a stroll in the countryside, if he’s in his house in the city he just walks Kuma on a pet treadmill next to his treadmill.

Headcanon: Canada is an exercise in the evening type of guy. He often goes with America to the gym, or the hockey rink, or the pool, or the track, or… well they do a lot of activities together. Whatever America does to stay in shape he usually comes along and when America isn’t up for it he always goes on a little hike or rock climbing.

Headcanon: while Canada doesn’t really take a shower shower before bed he does like to rinse off the sweat from working out before brushing his teeth and washing his face.

Headcanon: France got him into bedtime yoga. Ever since Canada tends to do little stretches and a bit of meditation before bed. He even got Kumajastay a little mat so he can join him on the floor relaxing.

Headcanon: Canada hibernates like a bear. He’s not a night owl at all and usually goes to sleep at 10:30. Once he’s out he’s out. Kumajaeepy usually curls up on top of him before he’s completely out to get one last scratch.

// Sorry this took so long, life literally decided to swallow me whole. Looks like I need to do yoga with Canada to de-stress

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

So, I weirdly haven’t written enough about this on this blog so far, given what a big thing it is for me – I’m going to the fucking UK this summer. For real this time. For real. Here is a post about it.

I first posted on this blog about wanting to go to the UK in early 2021, I think. I remember making posts about how maybe once the vaccines were finally released, and I was all vaccinated, travel would be safe, and I could go for a little while before I start my college courses again. That didn’t happen for quite a few reasons.

I spent much of 2021 planning a hypothetical trip, knowing it probably couldn’t really happen, because obviously things like this don’t really happen, but I needed something to fantasize about in the depths of lockdown. It’s odd that a global pandemic made me interested in international travel for the first time. Pre-COVID, my life was so full of a single sport that I didn’t really have time to think about anything else as a hobby. I was on the road most weekends, but that road was the 401, driving off to the same few cities anywhere from two to twelve hours away, to sleep in a cheap hotel or on someone’s gym floor and then shout at teenagers at day and immediately drive home. Every once in a while we’d go to a tournament in the States, which counted as exciting international travel. The idea of actually seeing places that are not in or near the border with my country just hadn’t occurred to me.

Then the world ended, I fell deep into the Britcom rabbit hole, all that stuff. And in 2021, I got really into 1) memorizing how to label all the countries and major cities in the world, and all the counties or other regional areas in the UK and Ireland, on a blank map, because I’d learned that the larger world existed and I wanted to be clear about where it all is, and 2) going through places I’ve never been on Google Earth, usually while listening to audio comedy. I also took to looking up things to do in the UK on Trip Advisor, mapping the route on Google Maps and following it on Google Earth, knowing this was all for a hypothetical fantasy trip but still researching things like train fares and schedules because it was more fun if it felt like it could be real.

I’m fascinated by the idea of places that are Different From Here being actual real physical places where people could actually go. Which is especially weird in this case because I actually have been to the UK. I have a godmother there, whom I’ve met in person three times, twice when she’s come to Canada and once when for my sixteenth birthday she paid for my mother and I to go to England for a week. We stayed at her place in London, did all the tourist-y things, also spent a day in some spot in Somerset but I’m fuzzy on where or why, it was 2006. My clearest memory of the week is seeing Spamalot on St. Patrick’s Day and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. I’ve also got fairly clear memories of climbing stairs at St. Paul’s Cathedral, thinking Westminster Abbey was the most beautiful building I’d ever seen, and seeing some extremely cool stuff at the British Library including some original handwritten Beatles lyrics. And I remember the tube and being impressed that the cars really do have driver doors on the wrong side, that’s not just a thing they made up on Fawlty Towers.

Still, it was so long ago, and it was such a short time compared to the amount of time that I’ve spent watching Britian on TV, that it does feel a bit like Britain is a fictional place that exists on TV. Obviously I realize that’s a very ignorant North American thing for me to say, and in my defense I think I know a hell of a lot more about Britain than the average ignorant North American. I can label all the regions in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales in under five minutes. But I’ve got to admit, on a visceral level, learning all that stuff does feel a bit like memorizing lore in a fantasy novel.

There is kind of an appeal in the idea that… okay, the last time I was this obsessed with something besides a sport in which I actually participated, I was a kid in the Harry Potter fandom. I was a kid who read a lot of books, and a lot of my favourites happened to be British fantasy or sci-fi novels (Harry Potter, CS Lewis, Tolkein, His Dark Materials, Douglas Adams), but Harry Potter was the one that took over my life from the ages of about ten to fourteen. You classic situation of – didn’t have friends in real life, all my social interaction came from Harry Potter message boards, a vast chunk of my free time dedicated to reading every passage of the books over and over and over and analyzing them and writing things about them and I made some friends on the internet who loved Luna Lovegood as much as I did. Then I got to high school and started wrestling and made some friends in real life and slowly moved away from online fandom, didn’t do anything except that for fifteen years, then the world ended, I came back and found a new online fandom that was also British but had less magic and more panel shows, then the author turned out to be a terrible person and ruined my childhood.

Anyway. The point is that I remember when I was a kid, obviously I spent ages fantasizing about being able to actually go to all those places in Harry Potter. But I couldn’t, because those are not real places. Well, my new foray into fandom also feels a bit like that – like this fictional thing I’ve got obsessed with that no one around me knows anything about but some people on the internet are into it. Except that this time, the place where all these things happen is actually a real place, and I can pay money to go there. This concept remains amazing to me.

So I mapped out the idea of this trip a couple of years ago, and for a long time, it stayed in a limbo between fantasy and genuine possibility. I did actually start working out budgets and putting money aside for it, but all the while thinking this won’t actually work. I was starting to do things post-lockdown again, the sense that we were all locked down so nothing is real so I may as well engaged in some escapism and plan some fantasy trips – that started to give way to regular life, and in regular life, I’m not a person who does shit like that. I can’t just fly across the ocean to see a fictional place. I still had it vaguely in my head that maybe someday I’d like to, but I stopped actively planning anything.

But at the same time, the whole concept of Britain was starting to feel a bit less fictional (I’m… I’m feeling the need to clarify, again, that this is just a sort of emotional automatic response to put “the place where Britcom happens” in the “fictional” category in my brain… I did not at any point genuinely think the United Kingdom was fictional… especially since I’ve been there before). I do remember the first time I got physical, tangible proof that the people in the fictional Britcom world are real, when Russell Howard came to my city in March 2022 (my then-girlfriend got us tickets because she knew I liked British comedians, she was excited about it so I didn’t tell her that actually I’m mad at him for the Jordan Peterson apologism so don’t want to go, it’s not something I’d have chosen myself but it was a thoughtful gift and to be fair an extremely fun night), and I could not get over the idea that the man from the fictional place was here in real life displacing air like he’s a real human being and actually all of it is physically real. Over the next few months I did an 8.5-hour drive to New York City to see Nish Kumar, and then two months later a 2-hour drive to see him do the same show in Montreal, because it was that fucking great a show. I also saw James Acaster in Montreal, and a club night with Dara O’Briain and Fern Brady and Phil Wang and Tom Allen and Sindhu Vee and every single one of them was an actual real person breathing the same air as me. Before the show I saw Dara O’Briain on the street and was so shocked that I hit my mother too hard to show her and she jumped and the commotion attracted his attention and I didn’t know what to do except stare at him like he was a zoo animal until he smiled awkwardly at me and went on his way.

Things like this did rather renew my interest in a trip, not just for the novelty of seeing a place that feels fictional, but for the more practical purposes of seeing my favourite comedians live. My interests within Britcom were starting to shift significantly toward stand-up, I got obsessed for a while with learning everything about the history of the Edinburgh Festival in the 21st Century, it seemed like another world, the time of the Chocolate Milk Gang and 24-hour shows from the early 00s, but then I watched videos on the internet that were filmed at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival and realized this place is actually real and still happening now and it is technically possible to go there.

After that, the concept rapidly became de-fictionalized in my mind when I sent someone a message on a comedy forum, in the hopes of finding a few comedy recordings that I heard existed, and by complete coincidence stumbled upon the best person I possibly could have. I’d thought worst case scenario is he doesn’t reply and I will be left to assume he saw my message and considered it horribly rude, great scenario is he has a few things I’m asking for, amazing best case scenario is maybe he has lots of stuff and is willing to share. As it happened, I got the best case scenario, plus far more than that. Specifically, a the coolest fucking person I could possibly have found, as a new friend, direct interaction that made all of this seem a hell of a lot less fictional very, very fast. He said things like “So are you ever going to come out here and actually see this stuff yourself”, and I said things like “Obviously I have plotted a route and looked up train fares but don’t be silly, that was just the stuff of lockdown-induced dreams.”

I quickly started planning things more seriously, but at the same time, the editing work I’d been doing started drying up, I had a bit of a financial crisis where I became concerned that I’d be unable to pay rent, and couldn’t save for a trip. I followed the 2023 Edinburgh Festival from afar, from NextUp streams and hearing stories about it from a friend who actually went there and sent me pictures, which was so fucking cool, and it was all so very very real.

I got a new job, this one much harder because it involves leaving the house all day for five days a week, but also it’s much more stable than the editing work I did for all of lockdowns, and I was able to start saving money in the second half of 2023. I learned that the place where I work shuts down for the last week of July, and the Monday of the following week is a holiday. So I put in a request for just four days off, the Tuesday-Friday, to create a two-week holiday. One week in London at the end of July, and one week in Edinburgh during the first week of the Edinburgh Festival.

The time off got approved (barely, I was told I can’t book any other vacation time in 2024, but I got it) in late 2023, and it was so exciting, and that’s the first time it started to feel even a little bit real. Then I booked an Air B&B for the week in Edinburgh, because it’s my understanding that accommodation availability and prices are a huge issue there and you want to book early. I think I did well, though. Found a place that’s not cheap but not unfeasibly expensive, I can have my own room and it’s a 50-minute walk or 10-minute bus from Edinburgh city centre. It was so exciting to book the place, put some money down, finally have something on the books for sure. Though I did triple check that it’s fully refundable if I cancel up until pretty much the day before, just in case something goes wrong.

I booked the flights over Christmas. They weren’t cheap, but I was able to afford them without destroying my ability to pay rent, because it turns out there is a reason why I put myself through human interaction for 8-10 hours five days a week. I did pay an extra fee to give myself the ability to pay another fee and cancel them, because still, it felt like I can’t be totally sure this will actually work. But that was a big commitment.

And that’s pretty well the main things sorted out. I still have to book a whole lot of train tickets, but I have the flights. I have the time off work. I have the Edinburgh accommodation. I have accommodation in London, because the absolute coolest person I could possibly come across on a comedy message board has a spare room, and is extremely kind and generous with his time and space, and I’ve said some pretty disparaging things about that message board before (based on some quite bad threads from like fifteen years ago, that I spent weeks reading in their entirety because, you know, autism), and I would like to take them all back.

Now they’ve announced the first bunch of acts at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival, and I’ve been going through picking out which ones look most interesting to me, and for maybe the first time, it’s finally feeling completely, entirely real. This is happening. For real this time. I am going through an Edinburgh Festival catalogue not just to take screenshots of the most interesting blurbs so I can save them in a folder and/or post them on my blog to say here’s an interesting piece of history. I am going through it to pick what shows I wish to see.

So here’s my plan, that I’m writing because I now feel confident that I think it’s actually going to happen. Obviously I have a spreadsheet with various tabs, and a KMZ file so I can open Google Earth with all the places I might potentially want to see already marked. I have been planning this trip for years. I have two weeks in the UK, and I don’t want to waste a single second. I want to make sure all that time spent planning comes to something, because as a fundamental part of my personality, I have always believed that there is a level of planning you can do to guarantee that everything goes right. This belief has been proven wrong time and time again, but I’ve never tried something with this much planning beforehand, so surely this time it’ll work. No taking a chance on some tourist attraction that might turn out to be shit, because I’ll have looked at it all on Google Earth beforehand and ranked things in order of how cool they look.

I have organized my spreadsheet into seven tabs: overview, plan by day, places to eat, things to see London, in Edinburgh, in Cambridge, and things to pack. I have organized each “things to see” tab into three sections: things I want to see for reasons related to general tourism, things I want to see for reasons related to comedy, and things I want to see for reasons related to Harry Potter. I apologize for the latter, and obviously I will not be doing anything that would give revenue to JK Rowling. But nothing JK Rowling can say in the 2020s will change my childhood, and I need to spend some amount of time indulging my childhood dreams of running around fancy buildings feeling like I’m in a magical British land.

London, tourism: pretty straightforward. Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral are on the list, because I remember how cool they were last time, and because for some reason when I stopped being Christian at age 16 I did not also get rid of my awe at fancy churches. I want to see Parliament and related areas, I want to try to get a picture of the Number 10 door as seen in Yes Minister. I want to see some bridges. Take a cable car across a river. Go look at Douglas Adams in Highgate Cemetery (I realize there are more famous people than Douglas Adams there, I’d like to see them too, but mainly Douglas Adams). Go see what The British Library has going on while I’m there. There are too many pubs on the list given the fact that I’m currently trying to stop drinking, I am going to cut some of those pubs off the list and I’m just trying to decide which ones, but I really love a good pub and the ones in London look so cool and even if I can’t have a pint I want to sit there in the atmosphere and have a burger or some shit.

Harry Potter tour of London is simple. Obviously I want to go look at King’s Cross Station, I did it when I was 16 and it was so fucking cool, I don’t care how stupid that is. Otherwise, I’ve looked up three different areas that were used in filming Diagon Alley, and according to Google Earth, seem like the do sort of look like Diagon Alley-like places. That’s what’s interesting to me. I’m not really interested in places where the movies just happened to be filmed (the movies were fine, I’ve seen them a couple of times each, but it was the books that I read until I had them nearly memorized), I want to see places that look like they could be where the books were actually set. And Goodwin’s Court appears to look like where Harry Potter could have actually been set. So I’ve made an appointment to go walk down a road.

For the comedy-related locations in London, there are a few venues I want to see. Ideally while something’s playing in them, but even if there’s nothing I’m interested in at the Soho Theatre while I’m there, I’d still want to go in and just see the building, after the all the shows I’ve seen and heard that were recorded there. Same with The Bill Murray. Battersea Arts Centre. I also wish to make a pilgrimage to the bit of Regent’s Park where Daniel Kitson’s done some of the most landmark nights of comedy in the last twenty years. Obviously I want to go stand outside the gates to the Taskmaster house and see just how close it is to that golf course. (There will also be a few hours of the itinerary where I might just leave some of the details blank, no need to get too much into what I want to see there, it’s in my spreadsheet as just “Crystal Palace”, and I will say that if you don’t want people to go look at a place where you used to live, don’t make your address the title of your theatre show – I need to stress again, just so we’re clear about what level of creepiness I’m talking about here, it is a former address, not anywhere that anyone significant lives now or has lived for the last fifteen years, it's just the subject of comedy stories that are now long in the past, as are various surrounding landmarks, it’s archaeology.)

Now, in Edinburgh I’ve put a lot fewer things on the itinerary, because I want to leave most of my time for going to see comedy shows. And going to see a couple of music shows, because that first wave of events they’ve announced includes a couple of traditional Scottish music things that I am so excited about, it’s going to be mostly comedy but I do want to do that as well. Celtic music, Harry Potter, British comedy – all the biggest special interests of my life besides the one where you beat people up, all easy to access at this festival (I mean, technically Edinburgh has something called wrestling too, but it’s best if I don’t hear anyone try to compare the Max + Ivan wrestling to the sport that I do).

I do want to climb Arthur’s Seat, because I’ve done it about a hundred times in Google Earth so I just have to do it in real life. When Mark Watson released his book last year, I got the signed and dedicated version and he said we can tell him about a problem we have for him to solve in the dedication. I said my problem is I’m going to London and Edinburgh next year and need advice on where to go, he said I should climb Scott’s Monument. Even though my levels of respect for Mark Watson have dropped significantly since that book actually came out, I am still going to climb Scott’s Monument because Mark Watson told me to.

Similarly, this extremely kind and cool person I know recently got the chance to get me an autographed copy of Tim Key’s new book (which I unfortunately won’t get until I go to London and pick it up in person, but it looks great), where he also asked Tim to give me some advice for my trip. Tim Key said to go to Mosque Kitchen, and Indian restaurant in Edinburgh, so I’m doing that. Oh, and while I’m in London I have to go to a place called Kebab Kid, because it’s Nish Kumar’s favourite shawarma place in England, which I know because I know a guy who could just walk up to Nish Kumar after one of his gigs and ask him what his favourite shawarma place is. Have I mentioned how fucking cool this is?

Anyway. That’s the extent of my interest in Edinburgh tourism, mainly. I mean, if I were going when the festival weren’t on, there would be plenty of other stuff I want to see. But I don’t want to take time away from festival events. I might do the castle. The castle’s probably cool. I definitely want to walk up that hill, as I’ve done many times on Google Earth, and look at the castle. Whether I pay to go inside will depend if there’s a hole in the comedy schedule, I guess.

In the Edinburgh – Harry Potter section, I have a few things. Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, the graveyard with the story about the dog that’s probably bullshit (I mean, it happened, but I think someone was just feeding that dog) but the story about how it inspired Harry Potter character names that’s true. Go get a picture of Tom Riddle’s grave. I’ve marked a couple of streets and a couple of buildings that look particularly like they could be from Harry Potter, those are on the list of places to walk. There’s a Harry Potter store that I want to go in and look through the stuff because the interior seems really cool, but I promise I would never spend money in there.

And then Edinburgh – comedy will probably take care of itself. I want to see The Stand and The Gilded Balloon, as the sites of many of my favourite comedy events over the last twenty years. But I’m hoping I’ll end up in those places anyway to see shows, so no need to make a special trip. If not, though, I’m making a special trip. I have to see the stage where the cow got torn apart. I absolutely have to go see it in person.

There is also the Cambridge tab, because I have blocked off one of my London days to take a train to Cambridge and back. I have made a Google Earth document with about 20 of the most interesting-seeming colleges marked. Obviously I’m not going to see 20 colleges, I’m going to look at them all in Google Earth and then rank them by how cool they look and go see as many as I can in order. I have also, of course, marked down which ones let you take tours and at what times. The place I’m most excited to see is the Wren Library, which appears to be a library from Harry Potter or His Dark Materials or something. I want to see Trinity College because it’s the college on which Douglas Adams based the college in the first Dirk Gently book. A few of the colleges have chapels that look really pretty and are interesting to me because I have for some reason not lost my awe of pretty churches. And mainly, I just want to walk around the Cambridge University grounds looking at stuff.

Oh, and we’re leaving another day to take a train to Kent, where they have an archive of stand-up comedy materials that I wish to see. But I haven’t made a tab for that, because I just want to see some stuff in the University of Kent and then go back to London.

I am also hoping I can block out one day from the Edinburgh week to not book any shows, and just take trains around Scotland. I have always wanted to take trains around Scotland. I have always romanticized trains, I have always romanticized Scotland, taking a train through rural parts of Scotland will make me feel like I’m on the Hogwarts Express, it’s everything my over-romanticizing heart fantasized about when imagining this trip. I’ve checked, and while it would be an incredibly long day, it is possible to take a train from Edinburgh to Mallaig in the morning, have a couple of hours in Mallaig, and take another train back at night. This would take me, twice, through something that’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world, from Glasgow to Mallaig. Mallaig is a tiny village on the West Coast of Scotland and it’s got a hiking trail and a pub and I just want to take a train across a country and walk around the trail and then sit in that pub and look at the ocean. I want that so badly. It’s been a rough couple of months, I find it hard to spend 8 to 10 hours a day interacting with other people, the thought that one day in early August I might spend one hour sitting in a pub in Mallaig looking at the ocean is really getting me the through the day at this point. There are a few pubs in Mallaig, but obviously I’ve picked out my favourite. I want to eat seafood. I love seafood. That’s not just a Mallaig thing, seafood is my favourite food and I always eat lots of it when I visit the East Coast of Canada because it’s better near the ocean. All of Britain is near the ocean, so I want to eat all their seafood.

Okay, that’s the plan. I was going to write about what I’m thinking in terms of actual shows to see, but I might let that turn into a different post. Right now, I’m just excited about the idea of posting this on the internet because it is real and I am actually going to do it and having this to look forward to is way too big a proportion of my motivation at this point in my life.

[september172013]

OK, now that the Outlast Trials got a full release, I’m updating my list of “repeated themes in the series” to be my predictions for when Outlast 3 comes out:

Shawn Baichoo returns as the (a?) player character.

More recurring actors (i.e. Marcel Jeannin, Chimwemwe Miller, Andreas Apergis, Carlo Mestroni, Karl Graboshas, Edward Yankie).

This is something I noticed with a lot of the actors, but a huge chunk of them were also in the TV show Real Detective, and Andreas Apergis and Tyrone Benskin were also in the same season of Channel Zero. And Lucinda Davis was in the shitty anime spinoff of Supernatural. This kinda reminds me of the old joke about the BBC having like ten actors, five sets, and three props, except it’s Canada.

Based on the above, my first two guesses for new cast members are Tahmoh Penikett and Marina Stephenson Kerr.

One of the characters does a weirdly sexual licking of the player character’s face.

One of the characters does some gross sexual shit (whether it’s offscreen assault like Knoth and Loutermilch, whatever Val did to Blake during their first meeting on top of the lick, or weird surgeries like Gluskin).

Someone gets crucified.

If we’re returning to the old formula of using a video camera, that gets lost for a while.

Prequel comics.

At least one cult. IDK if it’d worship whatever the Walrider became after the events of the first set of comics, or if it’d be your usual religious cult like in Outlast 2 or what.

At least one fucked up elevator like the dumbwaiter that led to Trager or the one in the lobby of Mount Massive or the one that led to the mines. (Based on two of these, bonus points if the elevator leads to the endgame level.)

The player character gets dropped into a pile of dead bodies (or severed limbs).

The floor has to collapse under the player character.

One of three outcomes for the player character: Final Girl Syndrome like Waylon, Tragic Yet Kinda Ambiguous Death like Miles and maybe the Trials reagents, or Still in Murkoff’s Clutches like Blake.

Shitty weather in an outdoor courtyard fucks with the night vision like the exercise yards at Mount Massive or the school roof in the second game.

Traumatic hand injuries like Miles losing fingers or Blake getting crucified or the apple and Futterman jump scare in the Trials tutorial.

A pitch black area where you have to trudge through water like the one section of sewers in the first game or the part where you have to listen for Jessica before ending up in the school’s pool in the second game.

Hanging bodies in a gym (Gluskin’s victims in the gym in Whistleblower, a fuckton of Jessicas in Outlast 2, and the mannequins (and a couple snitches) in the police station trials).

Having to turn on a generator, turn off something electrical, or turn some big valve on or off. While being chased by enemies on the way. Preferably in a waterlogged area.

Someone’s naked.

Whatever it was JT Petty said in the one anniversary Q&A video on YouTube about including at least one genitalia mutilation in every game (i.e. a number of player character deaths - Marta in the second game and Coyle in Trials come to mind first, plus Gluskin’s whole thing in Whistleblower, plus the chapel bit in the orphanage trial).

[beitnow123]

There are 7 different types of leg press machines you need to know.

There are 7 different types of leg press machines you need to know.

Leg day is important to us. We love the part of the gym that people use to burn their legs.

You've probably heard about leg presses, but do you know how many different types there are?

You're in for a treat if that's the only thing you wanted to see!

This article will explore seven different types of leg press machines you should be aware of.

Leg press machines are great for building strength, power and muscle in the lower body, whether you're an experienced gym goer or you're just starting out.

There are leg press machines for every fitness goal and level.

Let's start and learn about the various types of leg presses that will help you to achieve a new level of fitness.

What are the different leg press machine types?

Click to skip to section

45 degree Linear Leg Press

The 45 Degree Linear Leg Press, a popular machine, allows users to push a sled with weight at a 45 degree angle.

The leg press machine that is commonly found in commercial gyms is a plate-loaded type.

Horizontal Seated Leg Press

Horizontal Seated leg press is a machine used while seated with legs out in front.

This type of machine is usually a pin-selectorized design and provides a more supported and comfortable leg press.

Angled Leverage Leg Press

The Angled Leverage Leg Press uses a lever system to provide resistance. This machine can be found in many gyms. It allows a controlled and smooth leg press with a wide range of motion.

Dual-Function Leg Press (Leg Press/Hack Squat)

Dual Function Leg Press Machine can be used both as a leg press or hack squat.

The leg press machine of this type is designed to fit into home gyms. It offers users more versatility and less space than two machines.

Vertical Leg Lift

The Vertical Leg press machine is a machine which allows the user to perform a leg pressing movement in a horizontal position while lying on their back.

The leg press machines are typically plate-loaded. They can be a great challenge for the legs while providing ultimate safety to your neck and back.

Compact Leg Press

Compact Leg Press machine is designed to be smaller than other leg press machines.

Leg press machines are often found in home gymnasiums. They can be used to provide a challenging workout for the legs in a small space and at a lower price.

Isolateral Leg Press

The Isolateral Leg Press Machine allows the user to independently work each leg.

Leg press machines are often found in commercial gyms. They can be used to correct leg imbalances, and provide a high level of isolation for advanced lifters.

45 Degree Linear Leg Press

The 45 Degree Linear Leg Press Machine, a popular machine, allows users to push weights on a sled with a 45 degree incline.

The machine is also known as incline leg presses, linear leg presses, or 90 degree leg presses. It gets its name because of the angle at which the tyres are positioned.

This type of leg presses can hold a lot of weight, and is often used in commercial settings.

The sled is straight and the user must focus on their lower body while maintaining a strong back and neck.

The 45 Degree Linear Leg Press sled is mounted on linear bearings which move along a fixed track. This helps provide a smooth, consistent motion.

The user sits with their backs against a pad, and their feet resting on a sled. This'sled' is then pushed outward to complete the leg pressing movement.

The 45 Degree Linear Leg Press comes with a plate that allows users to adjust the weight according to their resistance level.

How to use a 45 degree linear leg press

Here's a guide to help you use a 45-degree linear leg press effectively if you're a new user. The machines may vary in appearance, but they are generally used the same way.

You can adjust the weight of the machine to the desired resistance level.

As you sit, place your back on the pad with your feet on the sled.

Put your feet on the sled shoulder-width apart, your toes slightly pointing outward.

Slowly lower the weight of the sled towards your body by releasing the safety locks.

Straighten your legs and push the sled back away from you.

Repeat the desired number of reps by slowly lowering the weight towards your body.

45 Degree Linear Leg Press Benefits

Lower Body Isolation

This 45 degree linear leg press, like all other leg pressing exercises, will help you build strength and power in your legs by targeting your quads hamstrings and glutes.

There is Little or No Spinal Compression

The 45 Degree Linear Leg Press is a great alternative to traditional barbell squats. It can help reduce spinal compression and therefore be a better option for people with back injuries or pain.

Controlled Movement

The 45 Degree Linear leg press has linear bearings that provide a smooth, consistent motion. This allows users to remain in control during the entire exercise.

Customizable resistance

A plate-loaded machine allows users to adjust the weight according to their fitness level.

Pre-Cation Safety Built-In

In most cases, the leg press won't crush you if you miss a rep or if an accident occurs. Leg press machines are generally safe to use, even though it is best to avoid them.

Horizontal Seated Leg Press

The horizontal seated foot press is a pin-selectorized machine which requires the user sit horizontally and either push weight forward with their legs, or push backwards from a stationary feet plate.

It is very easy to mount the horizonal version. You just need to sit on it, and press.

It is easy to switch weights from one set or user to another with the selectorized weight stack included in the machine.

It is perfect for beginners or rehab clients, as you can limit the depth of the machine (range-of-motion) in order to reduce any risks.

The safest machine of the lot is this leg press.

How to use a horizontal seated leg press

When you press, adjust the seat so your knees are roughly at a 90 degree angle.

Choose the weight you would like to use for leg press by using the weight stack.

Put your feet about shoulder width apart on the platform or wherever you feel comfortable.

Grab the handles at the side of the machine to ensure stability.

Push your feet into the footplate, using your quads to push, while keeping your glutes tight and your core in place.

Perform as many repetitions as you like by slowly lowering the weight to the starting position.

Horizontal Leg Press Benefits

Targeted muscle development.

The horizontal seated leg presses primarily target the quadriceps, but also work the hamstrings.

Low Impact

The horizontal seated leg presses are low-impact exercises that put minimal strain on joints.

Easy to use

It is easy to change the weight or switch users with this pin selectorized system.

Adjustable Range of Motion

The design of the machine allows for greater flexibility, as it can increase over time.

Leg Press with Angled Leverage

A Leg Press with Angled Leverage is a machine that uses a system of levers to provide resistance for the user.

This machine is usually plate-loaded and has a 45-degree incline. It offers a lot of resistance and adjustability.

The angled leg press is named so because it has a range of motion that is angled to some extent.

The design is based on a biomechanical range of motion that targets the quads and hamstrings most effectively, with little or no involvement of the upper and lower back.

The leg press works well for all-around strength and muscle growth in your legs, with an emphasis on hypertrophy.

How to use a Leg Press with Leverage

Start by adjusting your seat to the desired position. Then, load the weight plates you know you will be able to perform multiple reps.

Set your foot position by seated on the machine, with your back flat against the backrest of the machine and your feet on the footplate.

Grab the handles on either side of the seat, brace your core and legs, and then release the safety device, which is usually located on the side.

Squeeze your quadriceps while pushing the footplate with your feet.

Remember to keep your knees from being fully extended for safety.

Regroup yourself for the next rep. Remember to breathe!

Benefits of Angled Leverage Leg press

Supreme Range Of Motion

It is well known that the angled leg press has a wide range of motion. This allows for a full contraction on top and a deep stretch in the legs.

Lower Body Isolation

The angled leg presses place very little stress on your lower and upper back. This allows you to focus all of your energy in the legs, which leads to a high level hypertrophy and development.

Isolated Leg Exercise

By pressing one leg at a given time, you can correct muscle imbalances. The great range of motion of this type of leg press makes it popular for isolation exercises.

Fits Different Fitness Levels

Leverage leg presses are suitable for people with varying fitness levels and abilities, as they offer adjustable resistance and ranges of motion.

Very Low Injury Risk

Leverage angled leg presses are safer than traditional squats because there is no weight placed on the shoulders or back.

Dual Function Leg Press (Leg Press/Hack Squat).

Dual Function Leg Press Machine allows you to do both hack squats and leg presses. It is an excellent addition to any home or gym workout area.

The machine usually includes a footplate and a back plate which can be adjusted for different sizes of bodies and to accommodate various exercise variations.

You can switch between an incline leg press at 45 degrees and a shoulder-loaded hack squat in the same machine without having to spend extra money or space.

How to use a dual function leg press / hack squat

1. Adjust the machine to fit your body.

2. You can load up the machine with as much weight you want to achieve optimal resistance. These machines are usually plate-loaded.

3. Before you begin, brace your legs, glutes, and core. Also, disengage the machine's safety mechanism.

4. You can choose to move at any time.

Dual Function Leg Press Benefits

Versatility

This machine has two functions that allow you to do two popular lower-body exercises in one machine.

Adjustable Plate Loaded Resistance

You can add or remove weights to the machine to adjust resistance according to your fitness level.

Low Joint Strain

Leg press and hacksquats performed on this machine are less stressful on the knees, hips and lower back than traditional squats and lunges. This makes them an excellent option for most people.

Save Money and Space

By combining these two machines, you can save space and money for your home gym or facility.

Vertical Leg Press

Vertical leg press has a different design than other leg presses.

The machine is vertically aligned, as its name suggests.

The pushes up the platform by laying flat on the ground with the back of the person against the padded support.

It is important to maintain the neck and back in a neutral position and aligned for safety.

This is a great machine to add to your routine as a change from the usual leg press machine.

How to use a vertical leg press

1. Start with a small amount of weight and work your way up. Start light and gradually increase your weight to determine your strength capacity.

2. Place yourself comfortably in the machine by lying flat on your back.

3. Put your feet on the machine in a position where you can achieve the full depth without having your heels or feet rise above the footplate.

4. Engage your legs and brace your core, then de-engage the safety device on the machine.

5. As you resist the weight, bend your knees outwards and push them towards your core. You should stretch out fully but not so deep that you end up stuck at the bottom.

6. Drive the footplate back upwards, while keeping your core braced. This is one rep.

Vertical Leg Press Benefits

Unique Leg Press Movement

The vertical leg press may not be something that everyone is familiar with. Try it out and you will be surprised at how different it is from other machines.

Lower Back and Neck Support

The lower back, upper spine, and neck are all almost entirely left out. You will feel the stretch in your hamstrings and glutes without having to strain your back.

Direct 1 to 1 Weight Ratio

Some leg press machines, such as the 45 degree leg press or the leverage leg press have a weight slightly higher than what you actually feel you are pushing.

Gravity and the angle of the machine combine to make it appear smaller than it is.

If you align the machine vertically, the weight that you place on it will be met with 100% of its resistance, not a slight angle.

Different Types of Leg Press Machines

There are many different types of leg presses, all with their own benefits and features.

Consider factors like the weight range, machine dimensions and user experience when choosing your best option.

The best leg press machine will be one that suits your fitness goals and preferences.

No matter what your needs are, we've got a leg press machine that will work for you. Visit them today!

Learn more about our leg press machines by visiting our Leg Press Machine at our official website… befitnow.

You can reach us by live chat, email, or phone.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Welcome to Villa De La Creme. (No, you don't need no damned landscaping. Less maintenance.) Don't know when it was built b/c other countries don't usually say, but it's in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, has 8bds, 7ba, asking $5.8M and that includes the golf cart. They describe the architectural style as a "bungalow." A $5.8M bungalow. Interesting.

The marble floors are imported Marmara marble and the chandeliers are imported crystal from Vienna.

To the left off the entrance hall is a large living room with high ceilings and wainscoting.

Then double doors open to the dining room. I don't like the wainscoting- it's kind of Craftsman style and this is a European style home.

The kitchen's very large and very white. The double doors open to the formal dining room.

There's a brick feature wall, but the description says there're rare blue Calcutta marble counters and I don't see any blue.

Back in one of the wide hallways, we're about to enter the primary bedroom.

It's gigantic. Seriously, you'd need a riding floor cleaner like they have in stores, to keep these floors.

Doors open to this small "terrace."

Very large bath. Look at that- a park bench in the shower.

This bedroom is nice, with the round window.

It has a nice en-suite.

I like the en-suite for this bedroom- it has a blue sink cabinet. At least it's a little different.

The home office switched to floor tile.

Large home gym with glass walls.

Interesting. The stairs to the basement have a gate. Maybe for young children or dogs.

Nice guest 1/2 bath.

I didn't know it had an elevator.

Huge empty basement.

Basement suite. Fancy sink vanity down here.

Looks like there are a few bedrooms down here.

It's not isolated, but if you don't like close neighbors, like the house hunters on HGTV, this is a good property for you.

And, you're right across the road from the water.

[ethereousdelirious]

Welcome to the sediment layer of "fills I had to write on a 10+ y/o iPhone because I post my real phone in Canada"

It has since been replaced, but. That was a dark time

Sicktember 2023 Day 28

Prompt: "I should have stayed home"

Fandom: Pokémon

Characters: W.allace, St.even

Notes: Emeto emeto emeto

Now, at this very moment, linguists were re-writing the Official Hoennese Dialect Dictionary. Flip to the 'D' section— there, under 'down bad,' a picture of Wallace sweating through his shirt.

Definition: whatever; example sentence: "Wallace is down bad for Steven Stone."

Down so bad that he'd agreed to come to this hours-long lecture on rocks. Down so bad that he hadn't canceled despite waking up with the stomach ache of the century. Despite the near-misses he'd had throughout the day, stifled gags behind closed lips and hoping the challenger of the hour wouldn't notice anything. And thank the Makers that he hadn't actually gotten sick in his Gym, because then some poor janitor would have had to melt the ice and drain the water and that would have been a nightmare.

Wallace's stomach bucked beneath his waistband. Oh, right. He was already in a nightmare. A never ending stream of lectures on rocks and stones and boulders and minerals and whatever else and he was right up front, so when he inevitably left to go puke his guts up in the university bathroom, everyone would notice.

And then, once he'd recovered, he'd have to find his seat again and sweat through some more lectures, because of course Steven was speaking last.

There was just no way Wallace could miss his speech, not after months of late-night phone calls helping Steven workshop subheading names and sentence structures. He'd been so excited that Wallace had agreed to come.

So Wallace was going to sit and swallow back the waves of nausea and shiver in his custom white suit (with the diamond-studded tulle capelet, thank you very much) and be there for his best friend.

All he had to do was wait.

And wait.

And w— and not throw up, do not, do not.

And wait.

The misery came in waves: first a cold sweat on his brow and pressure in his stomach, then more sweat rolling down his back, then a heavy urge to retch sitting in the back of his throat. His breaths came so loud through his nose it interfered with his ability to hear the lectures and surely his neighbors resented the chill of his exhalations on their wrists, but he couldn't control it. Not if he wanted to control his stomach.

Worst of all, the longer he held back, the more his stomach hurt, cramping like Nolan's Pinsir had him in a Vise Grip.

Pressure and pain built up in his belly until he just couldn't ignore it any more. Brackish saliva flooded his mouth and every attempt to swallow it down met increased resistance at the back of his throat.

He stood just as applause filled the auditorium— a stroke of luck. Keeping his head down, he stumbled over his neighbors' legs on his way out of the auditorium. How rude, to leave like this. But still, it was better than vomiting all over the carpet.

Wallace staggered into the atrium with the next speaker's voice booming in his head— "...the significance of Kanto's Mt Moon. How many of you have had the chance to visit—"

Wallace's stomach lurched and all his senses slammed inward with it, frantic focus on self and now and oh no I'm not going to make it.

Giving up on the bathroom, he steered himself toward the nearest trash can and immediately coated its contents with a thin wash of watery stomach acid. The edge of the can rammed into his sore abdomen and he heaved again, this time bringing up nothing but a quiet noise of distress.

Tears flooded his eyes and his knees gave out. He hit the ground hard, further irritating his stomach, which now felt like the Rusturf Tunnel: violently hollowed with rusty digging equipment.

He sat there on the floor for a moment. Just enough to collect himself, calm his breathing. He felt better now, really, a little better. Better enough that he could do the stupid, thirsty thing and stay long enough to listen to Steven's speech. Otherwise, what was it all for?

All he had to do was picture the grateful look on Steven's beautiful face and it would all be okay.

The feeling of tentative stability stayed through the second half of the speech he'd bailed on, even backing off enough to let him enjoy honest butterflies in his stomach when Steven finally took the stage.

Wallace's front row seat gave him a perfect view of the way Steven's silvery-green eyes sparkled in the spotlights. They were especially captivating tonight, probably because of the fever cooking Wallace's brain. Or, no, Steven really was that magical, wasn't he? From the easy way he commanded a room to his effortless presence in battle, he really was divine.

"...Wallace, whom I really cannot thank enough."

Wallace shook himself. Was that a blush on Steven's cheeks?

"Please stand up, Wallace; I really could not have done this without you." Steven gestured into the audience. "Gym Leader Wallace, everyone."

With his own cheeks burning, Wallace stood. He would have waved to Steven if he hadn't immediately come over dizzy. All his focus shifted at once to the monumental task of staying upright; he had to lock his knees and lean back against his chair for the modicum of stability it offered him.

He all but collapsed when the applause died down and Steven's next few sentences faded away to the roar in his ears.

Oh.

He was really sick.

He should have realized it earlier, probably, as though gagging into a trash can and collapsing hadn't been enough of an indicator. He was… too sick to be here and too stubborn to leave.

Even when the roar in his ears died out, silver spots blinked in his eyes and refused to go away no matter how he tried to ignore them. Worse still, the cramping pain in his stomach came back, low and constant.

And still.

He refused to regret his decision to stay. Steven really had blushed and that meant something and damned if Wallace was going to leave before reaping the rest of tonight's rewards. If staying earned him even one more smile, then he would stay.

-

"Wallace! There you are!" Steven beamed, his smile no less dazzling for the muddy yellow lights beaming down from the exterior of the auditorium. "I wondered where you'd gotten off to."

"Smoke break," Wallace said, uncrossing his arms before Steven could notice how desperately he'd been holding his stomach.

It seemed Steven was too caught up to notice anyway, because he didn't even pretend to laugh at Wallace's bad joke. "I'm so glad you came," he said, taking one of Wallace's hands between both of his own. "Really, I can't thank you enough. You look wonderful."

Wallace's stomach did a flip, half nerves and half real nausea. "I wouldn't miss it," he said. Steven had no idea.

"I'm glad you're alone, actually." Steven held tight to Wallace's hand, somehow not noticing the cold sweat on his palm.

Another flip.

Well, less of a flip and more of a triple lutz, triple flip combination that kicked up a dangerous splash of briny saliva in the back of Wallace's throat. He swallowed with difficulty, trying to keep focused on Steven's face when every instinct in his body screamed at him to curl up on his side and get ready to turn his stomach inside-out.

"Wallace, I wanted to ask you to dinner," Steven said, "just the two of us." His eyes shined green and earnest in the yellow light, putting to rest any lingering suspicion that this was just another dinner between friends.

He had left Wallace the perfect opening to say something charming or, better yet, heartfelt. But the only thing behind his lips was a strangled gag. He swallowed it down and managed to squeak out, "A date?" without painting Steven's shoes, but it was a near thing. Oh, he could cry. All he'd wanted, it was all he'd wanted...

"Yes," Steven said slowly, "a date. Wallace, are you—"

Wallace turned and heaved into the bushes, yanking his hand out of Steven's. There really, really wasn't anything left to come up and he coughed on the empty gags crawling up his throat.

"Wallace!" Steven's warm palm found his forehead, the other anchoring on his back.

The leaves tickled Wallace's face. He batted feebly at them, hands shaking, heaved again, and then his knees buckled and Steven had him, Steven had him.

"Wallace, can you look at me?"

Ugh, leave it to Steven to start testing his mental orientation instead of immediately administering mouth to mouth. With tongue.

"M'fine." Not strictly true. "Not having an aneurysm." A shudder ran through him and Wallace stifled a groan into the warmth of Steven's thigh. "My stomach hurts."

Steven's muscles shifted beneath Wallace's cheek and warm fingers began to brush his hair back. "Did you eat anything questionable earlier?"

Wallace shook his head as much as his positioning would allow. Ah, yes, he was mostly on the pavement, wasn't he? He should get up; his suit would get all dirty. "Haven't… felt well all day. Had to close my Gym early."

"Then why—" Steven's hand stilled for a moment. "Not that I'm not grateful, but why did you come if you weren't feeling well?"

Wallace tried to shift so he could look Steven in the eye, but his stomach cramped fiercely, so he stayed still. "I was hoping you'd ask me out on a date."

"Ohhh..." Steven sighed. "Wallace." He took a deep breath and released it, running his hands through his hair. "Can you sit up? Apparently we're having our first date at the ER."

-

The nurses spared Wallace some indignities and let him keep his suit on. Steven had to help him with his jacket and with rolling up his sleeve and even held his hand when it was time for the IV (which was very, very soon after arriving, because Wallace passed out in the lobby like some kind of waifish soap opera star).

"Did you know you have a fever?" Steven asked, reaching over to put a hand on Wallace's forehead.

Wallace closed his eyes, anchoring one hand on the emesis basin in his lap in case he needed it. "No," he said. The fluids had cleared his mind a little, but all he could picture was Steven's spotlight-dazzling smile. "I would've come anyway."

"I—" Steven broke off with a sigh. "You really don't think you should have stayed home?"

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to ask me out on a date?" Wallace countered. "I had a feeling tonight would be the night."

"You could have asked me out if you were so sure," Steven said, strangely subdued. Wallace opened his eyes and found Steven frowning at him, a furrow between his brows.

"I wanted you to ask me."

"But does that mean that you only agreed to help me with my speech because you wanted—"

"Steven Stone." Wallace held up a hand to stop him and winced when he pulled on the tape holding his IV line in place. "I risked throwing up all over your parents tonight because I wanted you to ask me out on a date. I helped you with your speech because I love— Ah." Searing heat flooded Wallace's face and his stomach dropped, though not in a way that indicated a strong need for the emesis basin. He white-knuckled it anyway, drawing it closer. "...rocks," he finished weakly. "Because I love rocks."

Steven, who had yet to let go of Wallace's hand, pressed a kiss to the back of it like he couldn't help himself, like it was something as reflexive as breathing. "You know, Wallace," he said, gazing at him like he was more beautiful than any diamond, "I love rocks, too."

And this time, Wallace and his upset stomach managed to not ruin the moment.

That honor went to the doctor, who interrupted their adorable little mutual confession with questions about Wallace's health and wellbeing, like that mattered when he could have been canoodling in a hospital bed with Steven.

When the doctor was finally satisfied, thankfully clearing Wallace to go home, Steven took his hand again. "Have you at least learned a lesson from all this?"

"Oh, sure." Wallace squeezed his hand and smiled despite his exhaustion. "Steven Stone rewards bad behavior."

[traumadriven-a]

I've got a long list of ex lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane...

Or that he's hot af, either/or. Anyway, a list of Ty's exes throughout his life, leggo!

5th grade : Puppy love crush on a girl named Sarah Justice, it lasted for about a week throughout recesses, and ended the following week in gym class when he was seen helping Rebecca Thompson up off the floor after being hit with a ball. He later had lunch with Rebecca instead.

5th Grade summer into 6th Grade : Officially asks out Rebecca Thompson only for her to move away three months later. Summer lovin' it didn't last....

7th grade : He took a dating break, he was still sad over Rebecca moving and they promised they'd find their way back to each other. However in a letter she told him she found her way to smackin' lips with some guy named Tommy Fergus. Who dates a guy with the last name Fergus?

8th Grade end of first semester through 9th grade first semester : Jennifer Patterson, he thought they'd make it through high school together, but then he had to go and make out with ...

9th Grade First Semester, homecoming he began dating Diana Walsh. Now, this lasted the longest but they did break up, get back together, break up, get back together, break up, get back together until the start of Junior year in which they finally broke up for good.

11th Grade , late first semester started dating Mallory Simons all the way until graduation. They broke up due to going in different directions. Him into the military and her off to Canada. At least he is pretty sure she said Canada...or maybe Cancun? He doesn't remember.

During his time in training he was straight forward, focused and determined to make it through with no distractions, therefor no girlfriends. It wasn't until his first year of medical school did he date someone, and that was

Danielle Hagerty , an aspiring doctor in dental. Still convinced she will end up on 48 hours not as a victim but as a suspect. That relationship lasted six months.

His last few girlfriends were nothing serious except for one. But he's not going to talk about her.

[faytelumos]

Saw this post from @thisiswhereikeepdcthings and decided I wanted to play.

I'm gonna tag @thelazywitchphotographer because I have like four tag games in my drafts and have yet to actually answer a single one I'm so sorry I see them and I am answering them but I'm literally the worst person.

15 Questions:

Are you named after anyone?

Yes; my name is a from pet name used in a book. :3

When was the last time you cried?

…Uh… oh, two years ago, I was reading this tragic romance book, and I spent about three hours crying at the end.

It's such a good book. @_@

Do you have kids?

Not unless you count my daughter and my best friend, my tiny furry princess puppy.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Not nearly as much as I used to. But I think so?

What's the first thing you notice about people?

I think hair? Unless I like their fashion sense, and then it's their clothes.

What's your eye color?

It changes between blue and green, probably depends on what I'm wearing.

Scary movies or happy endings?

I have a lot of opinions about modern horror, but I do like thrillers. Happy endings are good as long as there's actual substance to the movie overall.

…Uh… if I had to pick… I guess happy ending movies are a safer bet for me.

Any special talents?

Animal noises. I can make a lot of animal noises.

Various dog barks, small dog growl, frog ribbet, cat meow, cat hiss, pigeon coo, peacock call, crow caw, macaw caw, chicken cluck, chicken beckon, I can talk like a parrot, parrot squawk, donkey call, goat bleet, snake hiss, pig grunt, pig squeal…

I'm probably missing some.

I can also do various stupid voices.

Where were you born?

Literally? Mid-west America. Spiritually? Southern Canada. Metaphorically? The desert.

What are your hobbies?

Writing and panic attacks.

Do you have any pets?

My most precious baby girl, and a pretty little fish, and a chubby little mouse, and a fuzzy little marimo moss ball, and a bald little poinsettia.

What sports do you play/have you played?

I had a gym class that was just every team sport we could play in a school gym, but I liked floor hockey the most.

How tall are you?

I don't wanna talk about it How tall are you?!

Favorite subject in school?

Science, science, science, until I finally had access to a creative writing class.

Dream job?

Paleontology? But it doesn't pay the bills.

Second pick is probably an aerospace engineer. Space? Heck yeah. But I refuse to go to college.