#HOW TO GET YOUR WIFE BACK IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND

[anna-justice]

Now or Never - 4

Summary: It’s been 10 years since they were juniors and lot’s has changed, but other things have stayed exactly the same. (Sequel to Lost or Found)

... 4 - Replay ...

Hailey pushed her door shut behind her, throwing her bags on her kitchen counter. She put away all the food she bought, grabbing a pen and a notebook and taking a seat at her bar. Hailey was a planner, she always had been, but it had gotten worse as she had gotten older. So, when she felt like things were out of her control, she sat down and made a list of everything she could. Today, it was meal planning. 

She filled the whole page, listing each meal and all the ingredients that go with it, the cook time and how likely it was to end up as leftovers. Almost all of it were things that Hailey knew Jay loved, things that he hadn’t had in a long time. 

She was grasping, she knew she was, but she was living in an eternal limbo. She was exhausted, she hadn’t slept in days, but she couldn’t dare slow down. She couldn’t dare let everything catch up to her. Hailey was running from years worth of demons coming back for her, and if she took a chance to breathe, she’d have to face them. 

As she looked down at her finished list, she felt tears prickle her eyes. She dropped her head in her hands and pushed the pad and paper aside. She fought the urge to laugh, her boyfriend - the only man that she had ever loved and it seemed like she was ever going to love - was coming home, and she was making a meal plan. 

What else was she supposed to do though? If the last four years had seemed foreign, then she was living on a different planet now. She had no idea what the next few days, weeks, months, had in store for her and she was terrified. 

Her phone caught her eye on the counter, and she felt a small grin grace her face. She picked it up and dialed a familiar number. The line only rang once before they answered, “Hello?” 

“Hey,” Hailey said, sighing out. There was something about her Aunt’s voice that had always calmed her. 

“Hi sweetie, how are you?” 

Hailey took a deep breath, with everything going on, she hadn’t had a chance to tell anyone about Jay’s highly anticipated homecoming. “Really great actually.” She said, finally. A smile gracing her face once again. Jay was coming home, no matter how many times she told herself, it still didn’t feel real. 

It didn’t matter what they ate for dinner or what her apartment looked like, he was coming home to her, finally.

“Good, I’ve been thinking about you.” Her Aunt said.

“I have something to tell you.” Hailey drew out, barely able to contain her joyful laughter. 

“Okay?” 

Hailey squealed - an action reserved for her Aunt - and the words tumbled out of her mouth, “Jay’s unit was recovered, he’s being shipped home on Tuesday, Will and I are going to pick him up-”

“What?” Her Aunt asked, cutting her niece off. 

Tears started to pool in Hailey’s eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time in days, “He’s coming home.” 

“Oh my God,” Trudy said, her voice breaking. “Are you serious?” 

“Yes!” Hailey laughed, the sound followed by Trudy’s own. 

Trudy gasped, “Hailey, that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you, both of you.” 

“Me too.” She was so happy, she didn’t think it was possible be this happy. There were things that rivaled it: the first time Jay told her he loved her at the dance when they were sixteen, the day he came home from his first deployment, the day they she graduated college, the day of Adam and Kim’s wedding. She had had so many happy moments, but none of them measured up to what she was feeling right now. “I just can’t wait to see him.” 

“Well I’d love to see him, and you too. So give me a call when you two are all settled in and we’ll make a plan.” Trudy and Randall have moved to Hilton Head Island a few years back after they both retired, Hailey saw them a few times a year. Including during the summer when all of them would drive down and stay with them for a week. 

The two woman talked for a while, catching up, making plans, circling back around to the idea of Jay coming home several times. A smile stayed on Hailey’s face the whole time, despite anything going on in her life, Trudy seemed to always know what to say. That never changed. 

Hailey barely had time to set her phone down before it started ringing again. This time it was Kim.  “Hello?” 

“Hailey.” 

Hailey stood from her stool. “Kim, what’s wrong?” 

“Hailey, I need you to come here like right now.” Hailey could hear her panic clearly, she was already grabbing her car keys and her purse. 

“Okay, I’m on my way.” She stalled at the door. “Kim, what is going on?” 

“Hailey...its Erin, she’s back.” 

…

“Why on earth didn’t you all tell me?” Hailey asked, standing in Kim and Adam’s kitchen. “Don’t you think I had a right to know this? Especially with everything going on right now.” She ran her fingers through her hair, leaning against the counter. 

After walking in and finding a crying Kim and a very stressed Adam, they showed Hailey the bathroom, Then spent the next 10 minutes explaining everything they had been keeping from her. 

Kim took a step forward, “We found out right before Will called us, Jay seemed ore important.” 

“Jay is more important! But this puts his life in danger, it puts all of our lives in danger.” Hailey said. 

“You’re right, I’m sorry. We’re sorry.” Adam said, glancing between Hailey and his wife. “But more importantly, what are we going to do?” 

Hailey nodded, beginning to pace. “Well, we learned a long time ago that calling the police was a bad idea, but,” she gestured to herself, “I think we are covered in that department. We could call Beth Sanders back, tell her what happened.” 

“Hailey it says not to talk…” Adam says. 

“We aren’t teenagers anymore Adam!” Hailey snaps, she pauses, takes a moment to catch her breath. She wasn’t a yeller or a fighter. “I-I’m sorry, I just. I don’t know, there isn’t a correct answer. Obviously she isn’t out of prison yet, we would know right?”

“Right.” Kim said, nodding.

Hailey pinched her nose, “Then someone must be working for her. Or she’s blackmailing someone like before, like what she did to Kelly.”

“Or she escaped.” Adam said, causing both Hailey and Kim to gape at him. “Think about it, it might not be in the media yet, hell maybe no one even knows.” 

Kim rushed to the front door, making sure it was locked. It didn’t make that much of a different, but it gave her some peace of mind. Her hands were shaking, “Why would she appeal her case just to escape?”

“Maybe she just couldn’t take it anymore? She couldn’t wait for a parole hearing, so she escaped and decided missed her little playthings.” Adam said with disgust. 

Hailey stared at the counter, tracing the granite veins, running every possible idea through her head. “Or she found out about Jay.” She said, her head snapping up. “Think about it. She’s been there for 10 years. She’s earned good behavior or she’s figured out how to sneak things. She could have seen a newspaper or seen the news, decided that a parole hearing would take too long and broke out. She’s always been crazy about him, it’s what started it all in the first place.”

Adam stood there in shock, Kim scoffed, “Hailey I hate to say it, but I think you’re right.” 

“So he’s leaving a war zone and coming home to a new one,” Hailey, dropping her head in her hands on the counter. “Perfect.” 

Kim rounded the counter, placing a hand on Hailey’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay, we’ll get through it. We’ve done it before.” 

Hailey stands up, nodding, looking defeated. “I-how?” She asks, “We barely did the last time.”

“I honestly don’t know, but we will.” Kim looks to Adam for support. 

He just shrugs, “We have too.” 

“Yeah…” Hailey agrees, she squeezed the hand on her shoulder. “I gotta make some calls, can I use the guest room?” She asks. 

“Of course.” Kim says, giving her a quick, but necessary hug.

Hailey makes her way into the guest bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She checks the entire room for bugs, checking behind photos and under pillows, really anywhere they could be. Then, she closes the blinds and dials a familiar number. They answer after just one ring. “Hello?”

“Garrett, hey, I need your help.”

... 

An hour later, Hailey was sitting in her living room while Garrett paced around the room, a pained expression on his face. “So, you’re telling me that in high school, one of your best friends faked her own kidnapping and death, killed a random girl, blackmailed your classmate into breaking into yourself and choking you, locked you in a garage with a running car, shot Adam and then tried to kill you in basement, all because you stole her boyfriend?” He paused, turning to face her. 

“You forgot stalking us and threatening us for 3 months but yeah, pretty much.” She said shrugging. “And actually she did all that because I “stole her friends,” I didn’t steal her boyfriend until after she locked me in a garage.”

Garrett huffed, sitting down next to her. “Details.” He leaned back against the couch, running his hands over his eyes. “Hailey, I’m your partner, why didn’t you tell me any of this before now?” 

“I don’t know,” Hailey said, running the past year through her mind. It wasn’t a light or funny story for when their bored on a stakeout, and wasn’t exactly something she spewed when she was drunk, it just never came up. It was one of those things that you shove down and hope it disappears. “They aren’t exactly fond memories.” 

Garrett picked up his beer off the coffee table, taking a long drink. “Fair enough.” He looked over at his partner, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail like usual, an old academy sweatshirt covering her. On the surface she looked like the old Hailey, but he could see the pieces of hair falling out and how swollen her eyes were. She wasn’t the normal Hailey. “Hailey, I-I’m sorry you had to go through that, especially that young. No one deserves that,” 

Hailey gave him a soft smile, nodding her head and dropping her gaze to her lap. She knew he meant well, but the look on his face was one of the main reasons that she never told anyone about her past. She was a big girl, she didn’t need anyones pity. “Thanks, that means a lot. But, I’ve come to terms with it all. I thought I had moved on, but, the bitch is back, and I need a plan.” She stood up, grabbing her laptop off the sofa table across the room. “Jay is coming home and Kim and Adam want a baby, and Kev and Vanessa want to get married, and dammit Erin is not going to ruin everything again.”

She sat back down on the couch next to him, and Garret smiled at her, he admired her more than anyone else in the world, even more now. “Then we’ll stop her.” He tried not to think about the way his chest tightened when she said Jay’s name, it wasn’t fair to either of them. She deserved to be happy, he just thought that eventually it would be him to make her just that, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to give up on that. 

“I have no idea how.” She logged in to her computer, completely unaware of the way her partner was looking at her. “First we need to find out if she’s actually still in prison.” Garrett scooted a little closer to her, so he could see the screen. 

Hailey looked frustrated as she typed aggressively, it wasn’t really getting them anywhere. “Hailey,” Garret said, grabbing her attention. “You are the strongest person I have ever met, if anyone can figure this out, it’s you.” He said, watching as her tough guy facade finally fell before him. “I’m lucky that I get to call you my partner.” 

She eyed him, his honestly and heartfelt-ness coming out of left-field. They usually never talked like this. But, she let it go. Chalking the comment up to the many lines they had already crossed during the evening, she was bound to feel a little strange. “Thanks, me too.” 

The rest of the evening was spent deep in thought, developing several different ways things could go wrong and how to fix them. Somehow they ended up sprawled out on her couch, Garrett sound  asleep and Hailey wide awake, eyes darting between him and the floor. She had finally let someone else in, and she had this horrid feeling that it would come back to bit her in the ass. It would come back for both of them. 

…

A/N: Holy crap, it has been SO LONG since I have updated this story. I’m so sorry you all, it’s been an absolutely crazy few months and I am happy to say that I have finally found the inspiration to write again. I’ve decided that I will update this story every Wednesday, so hopefully the accountability will keep me on track. Thank you so so much for reading. Have a great night <3

P.S. like always, comment to be added to the taglist!

@lissethsrojas @puckluck28 @fuckyeahkillianemma @ruzek-halstead @thebigapocalypsewolf @karihighman @anotheronechicagobog @snowwhite013 @tracysupton @angelsjedi @anniesardors @carissalizz @joy-meathiel @alkadri-layal @number2chicagopdfan @stephanie708

[whatareyousearchingfordean]

Happiness Continues

Part 8: 27 Weeks Pregnant

Summary: The guys and their wives take a drive up to Dallas for a Creation convention. The weekend goes great until an uninvited guest shows up. 

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Plus Size Reader

Word Count: 6.4K+

Warnings: Language, angst, stalker scenarios, psuedo-kidnapping

Author’s Note: I know this was uber delayed, but school... anyway I hope it lives up to your expectations. Congrats to @waywardbeanie @jensengirl83 and @akshi8278 on getting your questions into the fic and a huge thank you to everyone that participated. I wish I could have put all the questions in but it would have just been too long of a chapter. But please know I really do appreciate you all. The song sung in this chapter is by The Highwomen called Crowded Table, check it out if you’ve not heard it before. And of course many thank you’s to @emoryhemsworth​ for being the best beta xo Alex

Catch up with the series masterlist and then check out Alexandra’s Library for more by yours truly!

The sound of ice dropping from the refrigerator and into the metal thermos clanged around the kitchen. Once she was satisfied with the amount in her water bottle, she topped it off with water. As she turned around, screwing the lid into place, the soft hums of her husband could be heard as he came out of their bedroom, their suitcases trailing behind him. 

“You know,” she started, the humming coming from her partner reminding her of something, “you still haven’t told me what song you chose to sing tonight.”

“And you know I told you it was a surprise,” he replied, placing the luggage out of the way and coming to stand next to her at the island. 

“I hate surprises.”

“No, you don’t.” Dimples formed on his cheeks as he kept his smile tight-lipped, his wife rolling his eyes at her. 

“Please! Just tell me,” she jutted out her lower lip in a vain attempt at mocking her brother’s puppy-eyed look. 

“Fine, I chose “Having My Baby,’” Jensen sighed, his shoulders sagging. 

“You did not! Please tell me you are kidding.” 

“What’s wrong with Paul Anka? That song is a classic.” The actor stood up taller, his voice growing defensive. 

“I hope to god you are kidding because believe me when I say that if you so much as mention your ‘seed’ in front of hundreds of fans, I’m taking this baby and I’m leaving.” Y/n pointed to the still-growing bump attached to her abdomen before flicking it towards the door, the most serious expression written on her face. 

“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be? Fine,” Jensen cleared his throat, and she knew it was coming before he even had the chance to open his mouth again. “The need inside you, I see it showin’, oh, the seed inside you, baby, do you feel it growin’—”

Y/n’s hands flew to her ears, the ‘la, la, la’ falling from her lips in an attempt to drown him out. His face split into a wide grin as he snatched her wrists and pulled his wife into his chest, placing a soft kiss to her nose before her lips. 

“You’d be so lucky, baby, but no, it’s a surprise. You will find out tonight, so let it go.” Jensen released her from his grip as the security system chimed. It noted movement near the garage door just before the couple heard the voice of her brother coming from the other end of the house. 

“Let’s go, Ackles, we’ve got three antsy kids in the car and need to hit the road pronto!” Y/n snatched her backpack and water bottle from the counter as Jensen grabbed their bags and headed towards the garage. The guys took the bags to stuff them in the trunk as Y/n set the house alarm. 

Jensen pulled open the passenger side rear door to the Padalecki’s SUV, helping his wife into her seat before climbing in the front passenger seat. They greeted Jared’s kids as the family set out on the road towards Dallas and the Supernatural convention. 

****

The sign that flew by on the side of the highway indicated that Dallas was about eighty miles out still, giving them at least another hour until they made it. The kids had long since fallen asleep in the backseat, their bellies full of snacks and their distractions in hand. Y/n glanced back at them before digging out the bag of Goldfish she had packed for her snack. Before she could even get it completely open, her husband’s hand appeared between the side of the vehicle and the seat, palm up. The woman chuckled before dumping a handful into his hand. He transferred the crackers to his left hand before returning his right to its original place to rest it on her calf. Jensen ran his fingers up and down her leg, the action soothing to both of them. 

From the seat next to her, Y/n could see her sister-in-law turned to her, a knowing grin on her face. For being an actress, Gen sure did have an awful poker face. 

“What?”

“Nothing, I’m just really happy you two found each other,” the smile on Gen’s face growing wider as she spoke, the eyes of the men in the front seats flickering back to her. Jared glanced over from the driver’s seat just quick enough to see what Gen was referring to. There was a twitch of a smile on his face too before he covered it up to fake a gag. “Speaking of, how was Toronto?”

“Oh, I’m in love with Toronto!” Y/n gushed, her mind going back to the trip she made to visit her husband on set. Because of the break-in, they were making up filming days and he couldn’t get away, so the couple decided to celebrate their first anniversary together with her going to visit him. “The city is so beautiful, albeit not as beautiful as Vancouver, but there is just something about it. It reminds me of New York a lot, but like, cleaner.” 

“You two had a good weekend?” 

“We did. Jensen took me to Alo for dinner, and I know I’m pregnant, but it was the best food I’ve ever had in my life. I wanted to take the chef home with me.” Thinking back to the dish she had, Y/n ran a hand across her abdomen, the memory of her baby coming to life after the meal making her smile to herself. 

“I believe you, even if there is something about being pregnant that just makes everything taste better,” Gen giggled along with her sister-in-law, the two of them sharing a secret that their husbands would never understand. “I’m glad you had a good time with what you had.”

“Well, either way, I was going into my third trimester. I was not up for some extravagant trip across the globe. My back hurts too much to pretend to be relaxed.” As she thought about the way her body had continued to change as the finish line came onto the horizon, it was like her body throbbed in response. The makeup artist flexed her limbs, rolling out the kinks from sitting for too long in one position. 

“I’m sorry girl, but it only gets worse from here,” Gen scrunched her nose, wishing she could tell her anything but the truth. 

Y/n sighed, the action rolling through her whole body, “I was afraid of that.”

****

Clif was waiting at the back doors to the convention center of the Hilton where Creation was hosting their convention this weekend. He was there to escort them all inside as well as stay with Gen and Y/n during the show. Creation provided their own security for Jensen and Jared, so Clif was more than happy to spend time with his favorite girls. They were running a tad late, having hit traffic after dropping the kids off with Jensen’s parents who had graciously offered to babysit. 

“Hey, kid,” Clif greeted Y/n with a bear hug once they were inside, his large arms engulfing her and squeezing tight. “Let me look at ya.”

Y/n stepped back as he released her, running a hand over her now unmistakable bump to emphasize it underneath her maternity clothes. “Not much of a kid anymore.” 

“No, you aren’t, are ya? Went and let this idiot over here corrupt you.” Clif locked his arm around Jensen’s neck, bringing him into his chest to ruffle his hair with the opposite hand. The group laughed and Jensen struggled to get out of his hold, his hands immediately flying to fix his hair once Clif relented. 

“You’ve been spending too much time with Jared,” Jensen scowled at his friends, who shared a look and a shrug. He took his wife’s hand and moved to continue down the hall before pausing to turn back. “And I’ll have you know, she was already corrupted when I got ahold of her. All I had to do was sit back and enjoy the ride.” 

A gasp of her husband’s name fell from her open mouth as he tossed everyone a wink and pulled Y/n deeper into the hotel. Her surprise morphed into a giggle as he pulled her along, her cheeks flaring with residual embarrassment. Her family was bound to push him too far one of these days, and she was just waiting for him to drop some sort of bomb on their unsuspecting ears. She just hadn’t anticipated it would be today. 

Jensen had been in a particularly good mood since that morning. Y/n couldn’t place whether it was the excitement of being at a convention again or if it was being home, but whatever had him smiling like an idiot she was thankful for. Jensen’s attitude had always been infectious, and right now she was thriving off of it, the joy of being able to make her forget about her swollen ankles and face. It was nice to be in the moment for once. 

Louden Swain was already starting their soundcheck on the main stage as she and Jensen entered the hall. Y/n let Jensen go and went to sit in the chairs in the front row to watch them busy themselves around the stage. She was alone until Clif, Jared, and Gen caught up and joined her in the seats. It didn’t take long for the band to run through everything with all their guest stars who would be performing with them. Jensen did a quick verse from “Like A Wrecking Ball” before also joining those that were in the audience. 

The fans could be heard already outside the doors to the hall, their excitement palpable even from a couple of hundred feet away. Not that she blamed them, Louden Swain always put on an amazing show, as did the rest of the cast who chose to join them. Her husband was obviously her favorite to watch; the rough honey trickle of his voice had a way of splitting her soul in half. After that, she was obsessed with watching Briana. The woman was a powerhouse and had a way of captivating everyone watching her. It was no secret that she often found herself on YouTube watching Bri and her husband dueting “Shallow,” making it her most-watched video by far. 

Everyone was escorted to the green room while fans filled the hall, then Clif escorted them back to watch from the sidelines once the lights went down. They took a seat in the chairs that had been put aside for them against the wall, joining in the squeals of the audience when the guys took the stage. 

Louden Swain captivated everyone with their songs and stage presence, as per usual, but when Rob introduced Jensen onto the stage, it was like a train had just rammed into the wall of the hotel. She could feel the floor shaking underneath the insanity that ripped through his fans in the seats of the audience. 

“Well, good evening Dallas!” Jensen bounded on the stage, the leather jacket he was wearing somehow looking that much better in the lights of the stage. The Texan pulled Rob into a tight hug before taking his place in front of the microphone stand. The stubble that had arrived in just a few days of not shaving was more evident on his jaw and neck as he craned it sideways to work the stand up to his height. Y/n had to admit he looked absolutely scrumptious. 

“I’ve got a new song for you guys tonight that the guys have been so gracious to learn for me.” Jensen paused for the screams from the crowd before continuing his introduction. “This one is for my wife. I love you, honey.” He cast his eyes to where she was seated, watching the smile that spread across his features and letting it calm her anxious heart.

You can hold my hand

When you need to let go

I can be your mountain

When you're feeling valley-low

I can be your streetlight

Showing you the way home

You can hold my hand

When you need to let go

 I want a house with a crowded table

And a place by the fire for everyone

Let us take on the world while we’re young and able

And bring us back together when the day is done

Jensen’s foot tapped against the stage as he found his groove in the first verse. Almost instantly, Y/n recognized the opening chords to the song making her heart flutter in her chest. She’d first discovered this song before they’d even found out they were expecting. There was an instant connection to the lyrics, and in typical Y/n fashion, she had played the song on repeat until she knew the lyrics backward and forwards. She really couldn’t believe he’d remembered it. 

If we want a garden

We’re gonna have to sow the seed

Plant a little happiness

Let the roots run deep

If it’s love that we give

Then it’s love that we reap

If we want a garden

We're gonna have to sow the seed

After everything the two of them had been through the past few months, the lyrics falling from his lips brought tears to her eyes. She chose to completely ignore the fact that she was pregnant. This was his way of reminding her of that night and the promise he’d made. The actor was more than ready to start a family with her, and he would keep reminding her until he ran out of breath.

The door is always open

Your picture’s on my wall

Everyone’s a little broken

And everyone belongs

Yeah, everyone belongs

 I want a house with a crowded table

And a place by the fire for everyone

Let us take on the world while we’re young and able

And bring us back together when the day is done

And bring us back together when the day is done

If Y/n thought that the screams that greeted Jensen on the stage were deafening, it had nothing on the roar that now filled the hall, never mind the thrumming of her heart in her chest. She was sure time had stopped. Her husband blew a kiss to the audience before bowing off stage. It was his disappearance from before the mic that had on her feet without a second thought, chasing after him behind the stage and to the green room. 

She burst through the doors, her eyes meeting his as he turned to the sound of the latch. Without a second thought to the others in the room, the pregnant woman launched herself into her husband’s arms. Both of them dug their faces into the embrace, knowing just what the other needed at that moment. 

“You’re right, I did love this surprise,” she mumbled against his neck. Jensen ran a hand down her hair, his arms instinctively squeezing her tighter to him as she spoke. 

“Anything for you, babe.”

****

Behind the scenes of conventions was far less exhilarating for the guests than it was for the fans attending. It was quiet in the green room, most people eating or napping in between events they were to attend, which was why Y/n and Gen chose to stay behind the next morning and let the kids sleep in as much as possible. The guys were up at the crack of dawn to get to the hotel in time for the gold panel, and neither wanted to deal with pulling three little ones out of bed that early. 

It was nearly midday by the time the girls had wrangled the kids into the car and to the hotel. Clif met them at the back door much like he had done the night before, ready to escort them wherever they wanted to go. When they arrived in the green room, the guys were off to their respective photo op rooms. 

The kids took center stage when they got there, livening up the room in an instant. Odette fed off the attention far more than her brothers did but being the youngest, that didn’t come as a shock to anyone. Y/n wanted to hit the vendor’s room before her husband got back and they had to be on stage for the main panel. There were often hidden gems at some of the booths and she wanted to support the small business that set up there. She invited Gen to join her, and naturally, Odette wanted to tag along. The two of them left the boys in the capable hands of Kim and Briana before grabbing Clif and heading out. 

The room was bustling with people who were in between activities when they entered. Y/n picked up the small girl and put her on her hip so she could keep better track of her, not that Odette protested. They made their way to a booth surrounded by original artwork. Most of the displayed pieces were Supernatural related, but there were a few other pieces that encompassed other shows and movies, as well as art that encompassed just about anything else. Y/n got the artist’s information, intending to order an original piece from her. 

From there, it didn’t take long for the room to realize who had joined them. The hushed whispers of the con attendees could be heard as they moved on to a shop that sold handmade jewelry. Luckily the looming presence of Clif was enough to keep people at bay. He was very good at subtly guiding those who dared to walk up to them away from the scene. Right now they preferred peace and would greet some people once they were finished looking. 

Gen bought something from the jeweler for Odette, seeing as once the toddler set her mind to something, she was relentless. Then the trio moved on to a few more booths before acknowledging the fans in the room. Clif took Odette from Y/n while the wives talked with some people in the room. There were many congratulations and asks for photos which Y/n politely declined while Gen agreed.

With a glance at her watch, Y/n signaled to Gen it was time to head back. They said goodbye to the fans and headed back to the green room. Jared and Jensen were back already when they entered, eating a quick snack before they had to go back on stage. 

Jensen pushed his chair back from the table when he spotted his wife. He patted his thigh as she made her way towards him and she took a tentative seat in his lap. The actor placed a kiss on the underside of her jaw before offering her the food on his plate. She decided on a carrot, biting into the hard vegetable as her husband spoke. 

“I missed you this morning.”

“I know, I missed you too. Still hate waking up to an empty bed,” she frowned, tossing the other half of the carrot in her mouth. 

“Just a few more weeks, then I’m done and it’s just you, me, and this baby,” Jensen promised, resting his large hand over her growing abdomen. He ran his thumb over the swell of her stomach as she contemplated his words. 

“Promise?” She cocked her head, knowing full well he intended every word. Before he could answer, the Creation handlers appeared to grab the boys and bring them to the stage. 

“Promise,” he kissed her again before urging her off his lap so they could head out. Gen rounded up the kids to go and Jared picked up his daughter to carry her out to the show. Jensen and Y/n walked hand in hand down the back hallway until they had to go separate ways. Jared handed Odette over to his wife and they were off to get show-ready. 

The girls and the kids followed behind Clif and took the empty seats in the front row far off on the right side of the stage, the lights lowering just as they were getting settled. Rob and Rich appeared and did their usual bit before introducing the boys onto the stage.

Watching them together was something Y/n always enjoyed. The two actors played off of each other so well and never failed to make her chuckle. Especially now, she loved that after everything that had happened, their relationship was not hindered. They were truly brothers on and off camera, and Y/n couldn’t ask for anything better. 

Jensen went to his usual chair on the right side of the stage, pulling it more forward and center before sitting down as the crowd continued to cheer for them. Jared followed suit, spinning his chair around and putting as close to Jensen’s as was humanly possible. Her husband frowned and leaned away from Jared, who only played along and leaned into his best friend. 

Jensen brought the mic to his lips and scowled, “Dude, why are you so close to me?”

“Cause we’re family now, officially bonded by blood,” Jared retorted, still trying to lean into Jensen as he continued to pull away. The older man rolled his eyes at his brother-in-law’s antics but couldn’t fight the smile on his face as the crowd cheered at Jared’s words. 

“Don’t remind me.” Jared leaned into Jensen, whispering something in his ear before the pair shared another laugh. Jared spun around and started the questioning. They got a few typical questions about Supernatural and the final season, nothing too crazy, but one specifically piqued Y/n’s interest. 

The girl asking the question stood not even twenty feet from her at the mic on the right side of the room. “My question is for Jensen.” Her voice was steady, but she was looking at her feet as she spoke. “Now that you are on The Boys, the show has far more carnage than Supernatural, and you have said in the past that you dislike being covered in fake blood, so I was wondering if you have come to terms with it, or has your hatred only grown?” 

Jensen threw his head back in laughter at her question, surprised that he hadn’t been asked it before today. “Well, you are right, I have not been shy about my contempt of stage blood, but nowadays I do find it far less annoying than I once did. I think I got over it filming season fifteen. There is nothing like staring at a beautiful woman to take your mind off of the stickiness. Y/n was a great distraction.” 

“Alright, that’s my baby sister you are talking about,” Jared faked a gag before dropping his mic in his usual fashion as the crowd let out a collective ‘awe.’ Jensen shrugged before moving on to the next question. He rounded to the next fan on the opposite side of the stage. 

“Hi,” the boys said in unison, bright smiles on their faces for the girl.

“First of all, I want to congratulate Jensen on the pregnancy. So, my question is for Jensen and Jared. Jensen, since you learned about the pregnancy, has your perception of life and love changed, and if so, how? And for Jared, being a father yourself, what are some things or advice you would like to share with Jensen? How has becoming a dad changed you? Thank you!” The girl stuttered around her words, her nerves of having the guy’s undivided attention seeping through her voice. 

“What?!” Jared dropped his jaw as he turned his head back to look at his brother in law in the seat next to him. “You’re pregnant?” 

Jensen leaned back in his chair and ran a hand down his torso, “Do you think I’m showing yet?”

“No dude, you look good, women everywhere hate you.” The duo fell into a fit of laughter, their heads were thrown back in unison at their stupid joke. Naturally, the whole crowd joined in. How could one not when those two were cracking up? It was infectious. 

“I’m sorry about my friend here. Thank you, we are very excited.” Jensen leaned around Jared to smile at the fan that stood with a Random Acts volunteer’s arm around her shoulders. “As for your question, it didn’t really hit me until we heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Anyone who has kids knows how important that moment is. I never thought I could love my wife more than I already did, but there is something about looking at the woman you love carrying your child. It’s a completely different kind of connection to another human being. As for our baby, well, she was just a flicker on the screen then, but I knew there was nothing I wouldn’t do for that flicker.”

“Y/n is gonna kill you later for saying ‘she,’” Jared cut in, but Jensen just smirked knowingly. The man always had to cut the emotion with a joke, something the pair of them had in common. Life was too short to always be so serious anyway. 

“Well, what about you dad?” 

“What are you talking about?”

“She asked you a question too, so answer it,” Jensen reminded his costar, much to the amusement of everyone around them. 

“Oh yeah. Well, I’ve given Jensen tons of advice. He’s constantly coming to me for my superior wisdom.” Jensen frowned behind him, his eye roll visible even from the back of the room. “Nah, but in all seriousness, the best piece of advice I could ever give him would be to just be there for your wife, whatever she needs. She just gave you a child, the least you could do is get her some water and snacks during feedings.” 

In the shadows of the audience, Gen leaned over to Y/n, whispering in her ear, “I think he’s done that maybe twice.” Y/n laughed along with her friend, knowing full well that sounded just like Jared. 

“Being a dad has taught me an abundance of patience and understanding. While they are your kids, they are also humans with real feelings and thoughts. It’s important to listen to your children, and I mean really listen to them. It’s not easy some days, but what they’ll remember in twenty years is whether mom and dad were there or not, so that’s what’s most important to me.” The girl whispered a shaky ‘thank you’ to the guys before they moved on. There were more questions about Supernatural, Walker, and The Boys, but what Y/n didn’t expect was another question regarding her, the words cutting her like ice as they left the fan’s mouth.

"Now that Y/N is pregnant, how hard is it being away from her while filming? How do you handle the emotions of being away from your wife in this kind of situation?" The fan had a bright smile on her face as she asked a question that was sure to have the fans falling even more in love with her husband and the amazing man he was. 

Gen’s hand fell on her shoulder as she noticed her sister-in-law’s body tense, awaiting the answer from the actor on stage. Jensen turned his gaze to her, offering a small smile to her before turning back to the fan. 

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I feel like I’m dumping everything on her shoulders and leaving her to figure it out alone, and I hate that. You know, I made a promise to her on our wedding day that I would always be there for her, and I feel like I’m breaking that promise. On the nights that the baby is rolling around and not letting her get any sleep, she will FaceTime me to show me, and anyone who’s ever seen this knows it’s just as cool as it is creepy when it looks like the kid is trying to escape from her stomach.” Jared nodded in agreement alongside him as the audience laughed at his admission. “My heart clenches in those moments because I know there are a hundred other moments that I don’t get to be there for, but even more so that my wife doesn’t get to have me next to her for. I know it’s just as hard on her, experiencing all these new milestones alone. We are both just very lucky that she has Jared and Gen so close. Those two have been her rock through this whole thing.” 

“If there is anyone who can handle it, it’s Y/n,” Jared cut in, sensing his friend’s growing discomfort. “My sister is one of the strongest women I know, so don’t worry about her too much, Jay.”

“Right, yes my mistake, what was I thinking worrying about my pregnant wife?” The shorter Texan played up his words with a stiff nod of his head, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. The guys thanked the fan for her question just as Rob and Rich came back on stage, starting up the last question song. Y/n excused herself then to go to the restroom, assuring Clif she’d be okay and she would be right back, imploring him to stay with Gen and the kids.

The pregnant woman slipped past Creation security near the stage to the hall that led to the bathrooms. She sped down the hall on her toes, the urgency not hitting her until she stood up. Her mind was focused on getting to the bathroom, unconcerned about anything else until she was inside the first open stall. Y/n took care of her business, coming out of the stall to a figure standing directly across from her at the sinks. Her eyes trailed up the broad person who had their back to her until she met their eyes in the mirror.

“No!” The gasp left her lips, her feet instinctively stepping backward until her back hit the stall. 

“Hi, Y/n,” the man’s voice was rough, the sound of grating against every nerve in her body. It perfectly matched the smirk that he held as he turned to face her, the same smirk that had been haunting her dreams for weeks now. The woman swallowed around the lump in her throat as her pulse rose, the thrum of it beating behind her ears. 

“How?” It was the only thing she could force past her lips as her mind raced through all the possible outcomes of this encounter. If anything, she was trying to buy time until someone came looking for her, but she had no idea how long that could be. 

“I expected a hello, but I guess I can’t really blame you,” the guy shrugged, his nonchalance unsettling Y/n even more than she already was. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time now.”

“Waiting for me?”

“It was only a matter of time before we found our way to each other,” he took a step closer to Y/n, her heart skipping in her chest at the action. No matter how frightened she was at this moment, Y/n refused to back down. Instead, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin at the man. 

“Wh-what do you want?” Her tongue tripped over her words and the woman fought to control her breaths, letting the air out slowly through her nose as she refused to look away from the stalker across from her. 

“I want you. It’s always been you. For years I’ve waited for you to come to your senses about that actor you call your husband, but it seems you may need a little push,” he explained as his feet began to pace in a line, cutting off her only route to the door of the bathroom, to her freedom. 

“Excuse me?” Y/n was genuinely confused now, her adrenaline-soaked brain struggling to comprehend what he was telling her. 

“He’s all wrong for you. The bastard married you and ran off to Canada the second he could, leaving you to tend to his house, and now look at you, knocked up with his spawn and he still could give a rat’s ass about you.” The man’s voice was rising in tone as he became agitated, with what exactly she wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to stick around to find out. 

“My husband loves me—”

“No!” He rounded on her, his pacing halted as he looked at her. “He’s poison. He doesn’t care about you or your career, he only cares about what you can do for him, but me? I’ve been your number one fan since the beginning. With me, your possibilities are limitless. Nobody could stop us.” 

It was now even more apparent to her at that moment that this guy was far more unhinged than she had originally thought. He believed with every fiber of his being that what he was saying was the truth, she could see it in the fire raging behind his eyes. It was the same fire that had her biting her tongue from firing back. She had more than just herself to think about in this situation, and she had no one way of knowing how he would react, but she also knew that staying in that bathroom was not an option either. 

It was now or never. He was no longer pacing across her escape route, and she wasn’t that far from the door. If she could at least get on the other side of it, she could create a commotion to draw attention. The second his eyes flickered from her own, she leaped into action, setting her focus on the door, and only the door. As her fingers wrapped around the handle, she felt his rough grip on her bicep. She was only able to get the door open a fraction of an inch, but it was enough. Her frantic eyes met with the shocked ones of Gen and Clif on the other side of the door. 

“Damn it!” He hollered as he yanked her back. The door didn’t even have time to close before Clif was pushing his way into the bathroom after her, watching as Y/n stumbled and nearly fell on her ass from the force of the stranger’s pull. 

“Alright, let her go,” Clif’s voice was calm and demanding as he assessed the scene in front of him. “Don’t make this worse for you than it already is.” 

“You make it sound so easy,” the guy chuckled dryly, the sound of it finally breaking whatever false sense of confidence Y/n had created. Preparing for a struggle, she squeezed her eyes shut, the action sending the welled up tears cascading down her cheeks. 

“It is that easy. Because trust me, if you hurt her, it will be the last thing you ever do.” The sound of the bathroom door opening again had her opening her eyes, a few of Creation’s security guards filing in to back up Clif. Knowing he was outnumbered, the man roughly released his grip on Y/n’s arm. The pregnant woman scrambled away from him, past security, and out into the hallway. 

“Y/n...” The sudden grip around her wrist startled the traumatized woman, her body reacting against it until her gaze met the familiar green eyes of her husband. Her body relaxed in an instant, throwing her into his arms as a sob racked through her body. Jensen squeezed his wife in his arms, holding her shaking frame close to his chest as she let out all her emotions. He shared a look with Jared before burying himself into her as well, just as relieved to have her back as she was to be free. 

It had only been about thirty seconds since Gen had come running back from checking on Y/n to tell them that something was wrong, but it was all it took. He felt his heart sink as he looked at the fear in Gen’s eyes. He and Jared were up from their chairs like lightning, allowing their long legs to get them to the bathroom with security hot on their tail. It killed him to have to wait outside, but he knew it was the best chance of getting her out of there safely, so he bit his tongue and did as he was told. None of that mattered now anyway, she was safe in his arms, and that was the most important thing. 

It felt like an eternity later when the cops showed up, taking the place of the unarmed security detail. They emerged with the guy in cuffs, a deep scowl on his face as he was carted out of the hotel, Clif and the security following behind. 

“Clif, what the fuck happened?!” Jensen growled, fury about the day’s events creeping upon him, seeing the guy that had his hands on his wife only fanning the fire in his belly. 

“I’m sorry, Jensen—” Clif's words were cut off by the raging actor. 

“You’re sorry? You were supposed to be protecting her!” Y/n lifted her head from her husband’s shoulder, using the back of her sleeve to wipe away the tears and snot from her face. The man’s whole body was tense, the anger rolling off of him of barely perceptible vibrations. 

“Hey, Jay,” she put her hands on his face, making him look at her. Reluctantly, he tore his gaze from Clif to look at his wife, his face softening as he took in her fragile state. “It’s not his fault. I told him to stay with Gen.”

“Y/n/n...”

“No. Clif is not to blame right now and you know it,” Y/n lowered her voice, the little bit of sternness she was able to muster dissipating. “You’re scared and I am too, but don’t take that out on him.” Jensen nodded at her, leaning in to kiss her forehead with trembling lips.

“I’m sorry, Clif,” Jensen breathed, his eyes opening slowly to look back up at his long time friend. Still trying to come to his senses over what had just happened, he had one arm around his wife, refusing to break contact with her. The fear of being out of control was still too overpowering. 

“It’s okay, I understand.” The two men shared a nod. Emotions were still on high, and everyone needed a moment to take in the events that had just transpired. Before anything else could be said, one of the cops cut through the tense scene playing out in the middle of the hotel hallway. He had a concerned look on his face, but he had a job to do too. 

“Ma’am, can I ask you a couple of questions?”

Main Panel Timestamps x/x

Part 9: 35 Weeks Pregnant 

Forevers: @22sarah08​ @akshi8278​ @anathewierdo​ @atc74​ @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce​​ @callmekda​ @dawnie1988​ @deanwanddamons​ @ellewritesfix05​ @emoryhemsworth​ @foxyjwls007​ @hobby27​ @janicho88​ @jensengirl83​ @katehuntington​ @lyarr24​ @malfoysqueen14​ @miss-nerd95​ @mrsjenniferwinchester​ @msmarvelouswinchester​ @polina-93​​ @sleepylunarwolf​ @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan​ @smol-and-grumpy​ @suckmyapplejacks​ @superfanficnatural​ @supraveng​ @talesmaniac89​ @tranquility-or-chaos​​ @waywardbeanie​ @winchest09​

Happiness Continues: @afangirlreacts​ @anaelsbrunette​ @ashleyrose0117 @austin-winchester67​ @deanbowlegsackles​ @deangirl93​ @deans-baby-momma​ @death-unbecomes-you​ @dvnmbabe​ @fangirl199813 @harryhook-lover​ @hoboal87​ @itsdesiree86​ @jbsgirl4eber11 @let-me-luve-you​ @lunarmoon8​ @neverland14353​ @onethirstyunicorn​ @parinarain​ @rebeccathefangirl @rebelemilu​ @smoothdogsgirl​ @spnfamily-j2​ @stoneyggirl​ @squirrelnotsam​ @traceyaudette​ @winchestergirl82​ @winqhster​ @zpandaqueen​

[everymovie2020]

Godzilla (2014)

Date watched: 1 September 2019

After the 10/10 banger that was Godzilla: King of the Monsters, I decided to revisit the “original” (in this series) Godzilla, which I have only seen one time before.  Ultimately it was a Sunday afternoon and I just wanted something brainless with a bunch of big, scary monsters knocking shit down and this movie really filled that hole in my life.  Also, it helped give some context to what was going on in G:KOTM because I was a bit confused.

Plot:

So the whole idea of this franchise is that there are these big monsters lying dormant under the surface of the earth, just waiting to burst forth and fuck shit up.

Except for Kong – he lives above ground.  He’s chill like that (and trapped on an island). Also, he doesn’t breathe fire or fly like so many of these other creatures do.

In this movie, some miners in the Philippines unleash these mootoos.   And look, I could google what the actual spelling is, but I think it’s funnier for the purpose of this review if I just refer to them as mootoos, like they’re some kind of giant cow creature.

So this one mootoo flits over to Japan where it sets up shop in a nuclear power plant and proceeds to chow down on radiation (they eat radiation.  I don’t really get it).  In the course of this, Bryan Cranston’s wife, Juliette Binoche, dies (they worked at the power plant) and he goes a bit nutso about it.  I mean, seeing your wife die a horrible death will do that to you, probably.

Fast forward some years into the future. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is SUPER HOT and the grown-up version of Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche’s son. He’s married to Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, shacking up) and they have a kid who I’m pretty sure is one of the kids from It?  The one with the asthma inhaler?  I’ve definitely seen the kid from this movie in other subsequent movies.  Or TV shows.  He could be one of the kids in Single Parents.

Anyway, ATJ comes home from the navy, then has to immediately leave because Bryan Cranston is up to some fuckery in Japan and has been arrested.  So he goes over there, they break into their old town near the power plant that was mootoo’d, figure out some shady shit is going on, and then the mootoo chooses that exact moment to wake up and head off across the Pacific, not before killing a bunch of people and Bryan Cranston.

So ATJ catches a flight to Hawaii, trying to get back to San Francisco, and wouldn’t you bloody know it, that pesky mootoo has picked itself up a tasty snack in the form of a nuclear submarine (no word on any survivors, I’m guessing no – jfc so many people die in these movies) and is partaking in that tasty snack on Oahu in the mountains overlooking Waikiki.

Because of course.

There are thousands of islands in the Pacific, but it chooses the most populated.  Hollywood just wanted to see Oahu fucked up, I swear to god.  I mean sure it’s less cinematic if they follow the mootoo to some random island and nobody gets killed, but like, the civilian casualties, guys.  Think about the civilian casualties.

So ATJ is on a monorail to the airport (I don’t remember seeing that when I was in Hawaii, but then I didn’t transfer from the domestic to the international terminal), and this kid gets separated from his parents so ATJ is like, I’ll look after you lil’ bud, but then the army pissess off the mootoo enjoying its tasty snack, and it decides to fuck up the airport.  Specifically the airport where ATJ is currently located.

I swear to god, in this movie, ATJ is a harbinger of doom.

Meanwhile, over at Waikiki beach, who should roll in but ol’ Godzilla, bringing with him a tsunami because, of course?  Like I get that you’re a gigantic monster, Godzy, but can you cool it with the tsunamis?

Anyway, the Hilton Hawaiian Village gets fucked up guys, which is disappointing.  Actually, it’s weird watching this now and recognising landmarks?  I don’t think that’s ever happened for me before in a movie set in America.  I was watching it going, hey, I’ve been there!  Look, I was kind of hoping for a shot of Godzilla stomping on the Moana Surfrider (we did NOT like that hotel), but clearly the Hilton had some advertising in this movie because it was getting jacked up all over the place.

So we have a Godzilla/mootoo showdown in the middle of Waikiki, and then the mootoo buggers off and Godzilla is like “grr” “grumble grumble” “grrrrrrr” (insert various Godzilla noises here). And then, for reasons unknown to me, both the mootoo and Godzilla decide to head for San Francisco.

THERE ARE PARTS OF THE WESTERN SEABOARD WITHOUT MASSIVE CITIES ON THEM, YOU STUPID MONSTERS.  I mean, you’re having these fights in the middle of the cities, knocking buildings on each other, like, that’s got to hurt a bit.  I’m just thinking about the wellbeing of the monsters, that’s all.

Meanwhile in Nevada, the other mootoo (yeah there’s another one that can’t fly, is female, is laden with eggs and wants to fuck some shit up) barrels right through the Las Vegas strip because OF COURSE IT DOES, because there’s NO EMPTY DESERT OUT THERE OR ANYTHING.

I mean, I get it, but also at the same time… WHY DO THEY KEEP SOLELY FOCUSING ON FUCKING UP CITIES?

So ATJ gets involved with the army again, and they have this plan to lure the mootoos and Godzilla out to sea with nuclear warheads that they can eat.  But of course the mootoo gets wind of this plan, purely because it’s lurking around waiting for someone to give it a tasty, tasty nuclear warhead, thwarts the plan, steals the warhead and nicks off to San Francisco.

But don’t worry guys, because the military have figured out that Godzilla is actually a good guy.  All three monsters converge in San Francisco – a city they don’t evacuate, by the way, despite knowing the monsters are all headed there – and proceed to have an all-out brawl.  While this is going on, a hero bus driver saves a bunch of children before the Golden Gate bridge is annihilated, Elizabeth Olsen hides underground (don’t really know how she didn’t die, tbh) and ATJ skydives into the city with a group of army dudes to retrieve the nuke and continue with the plan of sending it out to sea.

Actually, the scenes when they’re parachuting in are really spectacular.

But all you really need to know is that our hero, Godzilla, takes out to the two mootoos, has a bit of a snoozle then heads back out to sea, on his merry way, to do whatever it is Godzilla’s do when they’re off the clock.

Other random thoughts:

It felt like this movie was very dark, because all the action happens at night.  I think the scenes in Las Vegas are the only destruction scenes that take place during daylight.

What does Godzilla EAT? He’s a big, rotund boi!

You know how they’re making Gozilla vs Kong, well… whose side am I supposed to be on?  Because they’re both good guys.

I’m probably on Kong’s side.  NGL.

And is ATJ going to be in that movie?  Fingers crossed

Look I just think he’s hot. It was nice to have a bit of eye candy.

[aion-rsa]

The Beatles: The Strange History of Sexy Sadie

http://bit.ly/2Dq2cvK

John Lennon could turn a bad mood into great song, He worked out some instant karma for a giggling guru for The Beatles' White Album.

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Tony Sokol

Music

Jan 21, 2019

The Beatles

"Well, if you’re so cosmic you’ll know why," John Lennon explained to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as the final two Beatles left his Ashram before fulfilling their Transcendental Meditation regimen. "And he gave me a look like ‘I’ll kill you, you bastard,'” Lennon told Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone in December 1970, which was later published as the book Lennon Remembers. Inner peace is as much a bitch as karma, which bites the asses of rock stars and gurus alike. The Maharishi was accused of sexual misconduct during the Beatles' sojourn to India for enlightenment, a journey which may have culminated in the band teaming with the Beach Boys in spreading the movement. But it darkened Lennon's vibes so bad he banged out the holy rocking roller "Sexy Sadie."

Of course, Lennon's original version called the enlightened one a "cunt" and a "twat," and asked "who the fuck do you think you are?" until George Harrison, who was the real reason the pair were making a hasty exit due to production commitments for a Ravi Shankar film, suggested a better rhyme scheme. And a much hotter title. "Sexy Sadie" from The Beatles ("White") album preceded "How Do You Sleep?" as one of Lennon's signature tunes of personality bashing, and gave murderess Susan Atkins her signature alias.

read more: John Lennon's 'How Do You Sleep?' Footage Reveals Unrest

Lennon has a reputation of taking his personal frustrations out in rhyme and chord scheme to produce classic sides of sarcastic acoustics with melodies that get caught in your head. He could turn a bad mood into a great song. He woke up angry at Paul McCartney one morning and had George Harrison doing slide leads by the afternoon to produce "How Do You Sleep?" for his otherwise peaceable Imagine album. He flipped the bird at rich groupies after a bad one-night stand in "Norwegian Wood" from The Beatles' Rubber Soul. He slapped Peter Fonda for ruining a good trip in "She Said, She Said" from Revolver. After about nine revelations, Lennon wanted to wipe the grin off the face of the giggling guru.

Harrison and McCartney have gone on to publicly apologize to the Maharishi. Pattie Boyd, then-wife to Harrison and perennial rock muse, intimated Lennon wanted to leave the ashram to be with Yoko Ono. "Everybody's Got Something to Hide, Except for Me and My Monkey," Lennon sang. Come on. Peace is such a joy.

The Latest and Greatest of the All

The Beatles brought Indian spirituality to everyday awareness. Harrison was already heavily influenced by Hindu thought, opened by his reverence for the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. For the iconic cover of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, Harrison suggested the band include images of Paramahansa Yogananda, the author of the 1946 book Autobiography of a Yogi who introduced westerners to Kriya Yoga through his Yogoda Satsanga Society of India and Self-Realization Fellowship; Shyama Charan Lahiri, known as Yogiraj and Kashi Baba; Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, a Kriya yogi, Vedic astrologer and Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads scholar, considered to be the "Incarnation of Wisdom." The Beatles also included Mahātmā Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the civilly disobedient leader of the Indian independence movement, known as the Father of the India.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born Mahesh Prasad Varma on January 12, 1917, in the Panduka area of Raipur, India. He studied physics at Allahabad University, and became a disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, or Guru Deva, in 1939 until Saraswati's death in 1953. In 1955, Maharishi began to teach a meditation technique called Transcendental Deep Meditation, later shortened to Transcendental Meditation. He began the Spiritual Regeneration Movement in 1957 in Madras, India. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became known in the United States in 1959. Funded by a $100,000 donation from American heiress Doris Duke, the Maharishi’s ashram was built in 1963, covering 14 acres of forest.

Pattie Harrison heard the Maharishi was giving a series of talks at the London Hilton on August 24, 1967, and George got them front row seats. They brought along Lennon, McCartney, and Jane Asher because "we always seemed to do everything together," Harrison said in The Beatles Anthology. Starr's wife Maureen had given birth to their son Jason on August 19, 1967, and didn't know they were continuing on to Wales until after the trip was booked.

On August 26, The Beatles, along with the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, and Donovan left London's Euston Station for Bangor, north Wales for a Transcendental Meditation seminar. Lennon's wife Cynthia was held back by a security guard who thought she was a fan after she couldn't keep up with the frantic Beatle-cartoon pace the band learned through years of touring. The Beatles spent two nights in Bangor, sleeping with the other students in a rented schoolroom. The band figured maybe the Maharishi could give them what LSD couldn't, and what banana skins no longer provided for Donovan, and held a press conference saying so. 

Tragedy struck when their manager, Brian Epstein died of an overdose of the barbiturate Carbitral, mixed with alcohol, in the locked bedroom of his London home on August 27, 1967. Epstein had purchased the Saville Theatre in London and was promoting a series of Sunday concerts. On the day he died he was promoting two shows by Jimi Hendrix. Epstein was supposed to meet up with the band after the August Bank Holiday. The band was told of Epstein's death by Peter Brown. They credited meditation for helping them withstand their grief. They cut their visit short, and planned to go on a full retreat after they could clear their schedules.

Video of Beatles interview after death of manager Brian Epstein

The Road to Rishikesh

The Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India, in February 1968 to take part in a meditation course at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's retreat. George and Pattie Harrison, her sister Jenny, and John and Cynthia Lennon, and Mal Evans, the Beatles’ longtime roadie and personal assistant, arrived on February 16. Paul McCartney, Jane Asher, Ringo Starr, and his wife Maureen came on the 19th. Rishikesh is situated where the Ganges river flows out of the Himalayas into the plains between the mountains and Delhi. Ringo brought "fifteen Sherpas carrying Heinz baked beans" because of his allergies, Harrison remembered in Anthology.

Donovan, The Beach Boys' Mike Love, along with jazz flute player Paul Horn, sometimes known as founding father of New Age music, also came. The Maharishi had taught Mike Love meditation in Paris after The Beach Boys played a UNICEF benefit. They were also joined by socialite Nancy Cooke de Herrera; Tim Simcox, an actor who appeared on Bonanza and Gunsmoke; Saturday Evening Post journalist Lewis Lapha and photographer Paul Saltzman. Actress Mia Farrow and her sister Prudence and brother John were already at the ashram. Lennon's former guru, the former TV repairman Alexis “Magic Alex” Mardas arrived weeks later. The Beatles had just gotten back from a trip to Greece where they were looking for an island they could all live together and build a recording studio.

Apple Films head Denis O’Dell stopped by the ashram to pitch The Lord of the Rings as the next Beatles movie project. He wanted John to play Gollum, Paul to play Frodo, George as Gandalf, and Ringo as Sam. O’Dell asked Lennon to read The Fellowship of the Ring, McCartney to read The Two Towers, and Harrison to read The Return of the King. Possible directors included Stanley Kubrick, Michelangelo Antonioni, and David Lean.

read more: Beatles vs. Stones and Two Unmade Stanley Kubrick Movies

Peter Brown's 1983 book The Love You Make claims the Maharishi hit on Mia Farrow, which McCartney and Harrison have since denied, and common wisdom says is a story concocted by Magic Alex. Dr. Susan Shumsky, who has been teaching meditation for 50 years, served on Maharishi’s personal staff for six years. According to her memoir Maharishi & Me: Seeking Enlightenment with the Beatles' Guru, this is merely legend.

Before The Beatles went to India, they were concerned about two things. The first was the Maharishi using them to promote himself. The other was what seemed to be his focus on money, unexpected by them in a spiritual teacher or holy man. Peter Brown's book The Love You Make asserts the Maharishi started using the Beatles without their permission. He even dropped an album as "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Beatles’ Spiritual Teacher." The Maharishi told the American Broadcasting Corporation the Beatles would appear in an upcoming ABC television special he was doing. Peter Brown told the lawyers at ABC the Beatles hadn't agreed but the Maharishi was insistent.

"In fact Peter Brown flew to Stockholm with Paul and George for the express purpose, only for the one purpose of telling him to stop talking to the TV stations, and stop promising that they would do a special for ABC," Shumsky, who was mentored by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for 22 years, tells Den of Geek. "They were angry." The Beatles were also surprised to find the Maharishi expected them to put between ten and twenty-five percent of their annual income in a Swiss bank account in his name. The fool on the hill saw more than the eyes in his head and the sun coming down, he haggled over an extra two and a half percentage points on a film the Beatles wanted no part of.

The World Was Waiting for a Lover

The book Maharishi & Me: Seeking Enlightenment with the Beatles' Guru cites witnesses saying Farrow told them he made a pass at her, and stroked her hair. She even came up with a memorable line, that she could tell a "puja from a pass." By the time Lennon remembered it for Lennon Remembers, the hullabaloo turned into a game of telephone with stories of the Maharishi "trying to rape Mia Farrow or trying to get off with Mia Farrow and a few other women, things like that." Magic Alex was the operator. The Beatles were happy writing songs in spiritual solitude. “Then everything went horribly wrong," Pattie Boyd wrote in her memoirs Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me. "Mia Farrow told John she thought Maharishi had been behaving inappropriately. I think he made a pass at her."

Shumsky confirms the incident with the Rosemary's Baby star but says it was not the primary cause. "It was on her birthday, February 9, 1968," Shumsky tells Den of Geek. "The Maharishi would always do Puja for people that were close to him." The Puja is a ceremonial invocation of the spiritual lineage, in this case to Guru Dev, Maharishi's guru Brahmananda Saraswati. "After the Puja, he stroked her hair. That's what she reported." In Farrow's autobiography What Falls Away, she writes the Maharishi also put his "hairy arms" around her.

"That same night, she reported it to a group of people who were at a party," Shumsky says. Farrow told "my friend Ned Winn, who was the son of Keenan Winn and grandson of Ed Winn, famous actors from the 20th century, personally that the Maharishi definitely tried to get her to lie down with him. … Later on, she said in her autobiography that because of her state of mind at the time, even if Jesus Christ tried to hug her, she would have misinterpreted it."

read more: The Beatles' Help Movie is More Influential Than You Think

Like so many Beatles songs, there is a lot to interpret in the motives and mysteries we find across the universe. Deepak Chopra wrote in the Times of India in 2006 that Harrison claimed the Maharishi asked them to leave because the musicians were still doing drugs at the ashram.

"He asked them to leave because some people in their party were taking drugs and alcohol," Shumsky claims. "I believe that because it has been verified by Mike Dolan as well. Dolan was living in the room right next to Rosalyn [Bonas], and every night he would listen to Magic Alex and Rosalyn having sex, and apparently Magic Alex smuggled alcohol into the ashram. I don't know about hashish. The only hashish stories I know about is the one about Donovan and the one about John Lennon."

Ravindra, a "skin boy" or personal assistant to the Maharishi, told Dolan the guru was "'going to ask Rosalyn to leave,'" Shumsky says. "I believe that it wasn't John and George that were being asked to leave. I believe it was Rosalyn and Alex, and once they found out they all got in a big huff over it, because Maharishi had made a pass at Rosalyn, and they decided to leave. That everybody should just leave. That's what I think happened."

read more: The Beatles: In Defense of Revolution 9

Regardless of who was smoking the hashish, Alex began working his magic. "What we do know is that Rosalyn and Magic Alex told the people at the ashram, spread the news, that Maharishi had made a pass at her," Shumsky says. "I believe it's true is because I know eight women personally who Maharishi made a pass at, and either had sex with or were bidden to have sex with."

According to Lennon Remembers, John and his fellow meditators "stayed up all night discussing, was it true or not true. And when George started thinking it might be true, I thought, 'Well it must be true, 'cause if George is doubting it, there must be something in it.'"

read more - The Beatles "Happiness is a Warm Gun" Still Triggers Debate

"John threw a hissy fit.  'Come on, we're leaving,'" Boyd wrote in her memoirs Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me. "Then Magic Alex claimed that Maharishi had tried something with a girl he had befriended. I am not sure how true that was. I think Alex wanted to get John away from Rishikesh. … Perhaps John had been waiting for an excuse to leave – he wanted to be with Yoko. Whatever the truth, they left.”

Mardas remembered looking through the window of the Maharishi’s villa one night and seeing the guru hugging a teacher. Harrison was, by all accounts, "furious" at Mardas and didn't believe "a word" of the allegation. Lennon would recount the conversation in an early demo of "The Maharishi Song" he recorded at Esher, which never made The White Album. "John Lennon and I went to the Maharishi about what had happened. He asked the Maharishi to explain himself," Mardas, who died in 2017, told the New York Times in 2010. The guru turned out to be merely human.

"So we went to see Maharishi, the whole gang of us the next day charged down to his hut, his very rich-looking bungalow in the mountains," Lennon told Wenner in Rolling Stone. "And I was the spokesman – as usual, when the dirty work came, I actually had to be leader, whatever the scene was, when it came to the nitty gritty I had to do the leading. And I said, 'We're leaving.'"

The guru stopped giggling. "He said, 'I don't know why, you must tell me,'" Lennon remembered in Rolling Stone. "And I just kept saying, 'You know why' – and he gave me a look like, 'I'll kill you, bastard.' He gave me such a look, and I knew then when he looked at me, because I'd called his bluff. And I was a bit rough to him."

Harrison reminded the Maharishi he would be leaving before the course relocated to Kashmir, to film Raga, a documentary about Ravi Shankar, in the south of India. "That's when John said something like, 'Well, you're supposed to be the mystic, you should know,'" Harrison remembered in the 2000 book The Beatles Anthology. "Poor Maharishi. I remember him standing at the gate of the ashram, under an aide's umbrella, as the Beatles filed by, out of his life," Boyd wrote in Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me. "'Wait,' he cried. 'Talk to me.' But no one listened."

Run for Your Life

Perhaps the darker aspects of the divine energies were keeping an ear out. Boyd also wrote that Magic Alex was "convinced that Maharishi was evil. He kept saying, 'It's black magic.'"

"He was always intimating, and there were all his right hand men intimating that he did miracles," Lennon remembered in Rolling Stone.

Vengeful forces may have been unleashed. The entourage couldn't leave Rishikesh because their taxis kept breaking down. Lennon was deserted by the driver after his taxi got a flat. He said they waited for hours, and began to feel he didn't even want to go. Shumsky references Pete Shotton's book John Lennon: In My Life quoting Lennon as saying the Maharishi "sent out so much energy he was like a magnet, drawing me back to him. Suddenly I didn't want to go at all, but I forced myself before it was too late."

"Maharishi was incredibly magnetic, incredibly charismatic," Shumsky says. "He was the most powerful, magnetically charismatic person I've ever met. He was also the happiest person I ever met, and he was filled with this energy that you wanted to be near him all the time. That transfer of energy you just get if you're close to him, you get it by osmosis, by sitting close to him, but if he looks at you and puts his attention on you, it's amplified tremendously. You're feeling these waves of bliss and waves of love, this unconditional love, this love that you've never experienced anything like it before." This energy is much the same as a devotee might feel receiving shaktipat from the Hugging Saint or Mother Meera.

Harrison later mused the incident may have caused the dysentery he caught in Madras which was cured by some amulets Ravi Shankar gave him. Lennon's instant karma kept flowing as he confessed to his wife Cynthia all of times he slept around. In her 2005 book John, Cynthia explains that she initially viewed the India visit as a second honeymoon and this litany was a shattering end. It was a long flight.

When they landed in Delhi, Lennon and Harrison told reporters they had business in London and wouldn't appear in the Maharishi's film. Harrison jetted to Los Angeles, spent time at Ravi Shankar’s Music School and his Hollywood Bowl concert, checked out a Mamas and the Papas studio session, hung out in San Francisco, and wrote "Blue Jay Way" before flying home to London on August 9.

read more: The Beatles' Blue Jay Way Is a Hidden Masterpiece

When Lennon told McCartney about the "big scandal," he wasn't so clear on why it didn’t gel with the free loving attitudes of the swinging sixties. Lennon told McCartney the Maharishi was "just a bloody old letch just like everybody else. What the fuck, we can't go following that!,'" Paul remembered in Anthology.

The Maharishi "claimed to be Bal Brahmachari, which means 'life celibate' and he was not. Also, he encouraged his disciples to be celibate. He told his skin boys to be celibate," Shumscky explains. "He even told married people that they should have celibate marriages. I mean, he was really strong on advocating celibacy, and so people got angry because they thought that he was a hypocrite."

McCartney called the Maharishi a nice fellow the band "wasn't going out with anymore." Harrison told reporters he thought the Spiritual Regeneration Movement was "too much of an organization." "We believe in meditation, but not the Maharishi and his scene," Lennon told The Tonight Show host, Joe Garagiola on May 14. "We made a mistake. He's human like the rest of us." He added, "I don't know what level he's on, but we had a nice holiday in India and came back rested."

And with a lot of songs.

A Songwriting Retreat

The Beatles wrote "48 songs in seven weeks" during their visit to Rishikesh. “I was in a room for five days meditating,” said Lennon in The Beatles Anthology. “I wrote hundreds of songs. I couldn’t sleep and I was hallucinating like crazy, having dreams where you could smell. I’d do a few hours and they you’d trip off, three- or four-hour stretches. It was just a way of getting there, and you could go on amazing trips.”

“Songwriting came easy,” Donovan wrote in The Autobiography of Donovan. “Paul Mac never had a guitar out of his hand. He let us all get a few songs in though, and you can hear the results on the records that followed, the Beatles’ White Album, and my own The Hurdy Gurdy Man.”

Donovan showed Lennon the fingerpicking style he used on the songs "Happiness is a Warm Gun," "Julia," and a song about the sister of the future star of Rosemary's Baby. Prudence Farrow was the inspiration for the song “Dear Prudence.” Mia's sister, who went on to become a meditation instructor, spent hours alone in her room "trying to find God quicker than anyone else,” Lennon told Rolling Stone. “That was the competition in Maharishi’s camp: who was going to get cosmic first.” Lennon even bumped McCartney out of his seat on a helicopter ride because he thought the Maharishi might slip him the answer, the Holy Grail, on the sly. The Beatles weren't in a popularity contest with Jesus, who spent forty days in the desert, though they spent little over a month in Rishikesh.

In 2015, Prudence Farrow told Rolling Stone “The Beatles being there – I can honestly say – did not mean anything to me. But those two people that I met, John and George, I really liked them, and they were very much up my alley.”

“The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" came from a conversation John and Paul overheard American college graduate Richard A. Cooke III tell the Maharishi. Cook and his mother Nancy Cooke de Herrera traveled by elephant on a tiger hunt in Naintal. Richard shot and killed an elephant. The band wrote so many songs, a lot didn't make it to the "White" album, or to the Beatles catalog itself. Lennon wrote “What’s the New Mary Jane?,” “Child of Nature,” which he later reworked as “Jealous Guy” for 1971’s Imagine. McCartney wrote “Junk” and “Teddy Boy” which found a home on his 1970 solo debut McCartney. Harrison wrote “Not Guilty,” which the Beatles recorded in August 1968 but never saw the light until the 1979 solo album George Harrison, and “Circles,” which came out on Gone Troppo in 1982. Harrison also wrote “Sour Milk Sea,” which was It’s based on Vishvasara Tantra, from Tantric art. The song was recorded by Jackie Lomax for the Beatles’ Apple Records. The Beatles also recorded the song “Spiritual Regeneration” which remains unreleased.

  Video of Sexy Sadie (Remastered 2009)

The Song

Lennon started writing "Sexy Sadie" in the car ride from Rishikesh to Delhi. The Beatles' publicist Derek Taylor reportedly remembered Lennon scratching the lyrics onto some wood in the Apple Corps office. Maureen Starkey saved the piece, which ultimately got into the hands of a Beatles collector.

The original lyrics were far more scathing before Lennon changed the protagonist of the song to Sadie. Lennon credited the Smokey Robinson & the Miracles song “I’ve Been Good To You” for the opening line, "Look what you’ve done, You made a fool of everyone." But it could also be a sly reference to McCartney's "Fool on the Hill," which was written on Sept. 2, 1967, weeks after the band first met the guru.

The Beatles recorded a demo of “Sexy Sadie” with the final lyrics onto an Ampex four-track machine on May 29th, 1968, at George Harrison's Esher bungalow "Kinfauns." The cut catches Lennon's double-tracked acoustic guitar and vocals, with a beat held on hand percussion by Paul and Ringo. 

The Beatles first recorded “Sexy Sadie” at EMI Studios' Studio Two on July 19th, 1968 at about 7:30 p.m. John played electric guitar and sang lead vocals, Paul played organ, George was on acoustic guitar and Ringo hit the drums.  The first track improvised lyrics about Brian Epstein and his brother Clive. The band also jammed on the George Gershwin classic "Summertime," for six minutes. The Beatles recorded 21 takes of "Sexy Sadie." Take six was released on the 1996 album Anthology 3.

The band recorded 23 more takes on July 24, using none. On August 13, they recorded eight takes, John played acoustic guitar and vocals, George played an electric guitar through a rotating Leslie speaker, Paul played piano through an echo effect, and Ringo played drums.  The band used the last take, numbered 107, for the basic tracks. The instrumental fade-out was longer and featured a breakdown based on the bridge. This was edited out prior to mixing. On August 21, Lennon recorded a lead vocal and the Hammond organ. The band added bass, tambourine and two sets of backing vocals. George double-tracked the lead guitar on the ending.

"Sexy Sadie" opens with a slightly distorted piano regally inverting six measures of the song's G C F# B minor D chord progression before Ringo kicks it in with one of his impeccably timed runs. Ringo didn't take solos. He didn’t have to. His sound, the timing, the breaths, or cigarette puffs if the studio takes in the film Help! are any indication, is immediately identifiable. The spaces he puts between beats on a run are drum solos by themselves. His bass drum and McCartney's bass strings invariably extend on each other to provide a solid foundation for slippery material. They didn't learn this on retreat in India, this came from a practice as regimented as daily meditation: rehearsal and performance.

Paul McCartney jauntily rises through the spiritual promise of the chords in the bridge, G Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7, as the band gives away everything to sit at her table. The glimpse fulfillment when the chords end on the C major chords as Sadie's smile lightens everything. Only to be let down by the "latest and the greatest" through the descending chromatics of A7 G# G F#7.

read more: The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour Could Have Been a Great Prog Rock Classic

Lennon's vocals come in intimately, but not quite lovingly. He can't believe how far Sadie's foolishness has spread. The harmonies come in as he repeats himself in falsetto, creating a soft netting. We don't know the singer is laying a trap, until Lennon warns "you'll get yours yet, no matter how big you think you are," as the piano tinkles backed with a high vibrato on the guitar. By the second bridge, the harmonies are calling to Sadie, at first seductively, but it turns into a heckle. As George's guitar riff takes over for the outro musical bridge, Lennon's voice becomes taunting, more distorted guitars join in. The vocals seem to mock the giggling of the giddy guru with the head in the clouds.

The Beatles "may have given everything they owned just to sit at her table," but they delivered a tasty just desserts as the song wound up on side 3 of The White Album, cuddled between "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" and McCartney's thrasher "Helter Skelter." According to Vincent Bugliosi's book Helter Skelter, Charles Manson rechristened Susan Atkins, who he had already nicknamed Sadie Mae Glutz, as "Sexy Sadie" while the family was living at the Spahn Movie Ranch in the Santa Susana Mountains. 

The Beatles played a bit of "Sexy Sadie" on January 29th, 1969, during the Let It Be recording sessions. Ringo mentions "Sexy Sadie" in the song “Devil Woman” from his 1973 album Ringo, and the song “Drumming Is My Madness” from Stop And Smell The Roses, his album from 1981. Harrison mentions the title in his song “Simply Shady” from the 1974 album Dark Horse. The Maharishi may have been coyly lampooned as Jeremy Hillary Boob, the nowhere man in the animated film Yellow Submarine.

Video of Sexy Sadie (Take 3)

However big you think you are

After the Beatles left the Ashram, critics tagged them as eccentric faddists. Lennon continued to look for himself through Primal Therapy sessions with Dr. Arthur Janov, but ultimately found solace in the girl with kaleidoscope eyes, Yoko Ono. Harrison embraced Krishna Consciousness under A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, recording the mantra for the Hare Krishna movement and including it as the centerpiece of his song "My Sweet Lord." Harrison offered a public apology to the Maharishi in 1991 and gave a benefit concert for the Maharishi's Natural Law Party in 1992. The Natural Law Party asked Harrison, McCartney and Starr to run for parliament representing the party for for Liverpool in 1994.

read more: The Beatles Got Back Where They Belonged In Rooftop Swan Song

McCartney continues to quietly meditate in a dome in his home, reportedly on a round bed he got as a gift from Alice Cooper, who had gotten it from Groucho Marx. McCartney and his daughter Stella visited the Maharishi in the Netherlands in 2007. McCartney, Starr, Donovan, and Horn reunited at a concert held at New York's Radio City Music Hall to benefit the David Lynch Foundation, which pays for schools to teach Transcendental Meditation.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi died in Vlodrop, Netherlands, on February 5, 2008, the 45th anniversary of the Deep Space Network. He was 91 years old. "He was a great man who worked tirelessly for the people of the world and the cause of unity," McCartney said in a statement at the time. "I will never forget the dedication that he wrote inside a book he once gave me, which read: 'radiate, bliss, consciousness' and that to me says it all. I will miss him but will always think of him with a smile."

On the day Mahesh died, the Lennon song "Across The Universe," was broadcast in space. The song itself turned 40 that day. Jai Guru Deva om.

Culture Editor Tony Sokol cut his teeth on the wire services and also wrote and produced New York City's Vampyr Theatre and the rock opera AssassiNation: We Killed JFK. Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol.

from Books http://bit.ly/2U5Rekl

[inwintersolitude]

- December 23rd 2018 -

Out of all 24 hours, which one is your favourite? I wouldn’t say I have a favorite hour of the day.

Have you ever been in a lighthouse? Yes, I’ve been up in the Harbour Town lighthouse on Hilton Head Island quite a few times.  And maybe the Marblehead lighthouse, too?  I can’t remember.

What are the names of the neighbours to your right? I don’t know.  They recently moved in and I haven’t met them.

Left? Mike, and I can’t remember his wife’s name.

When’s the last time you actually sat down and watched the sun set? I don’t remember.

Are you on a laptop or desktop? Laptop.

Do you ever make your own surveys? It’s been around 6 or 7 years since I last made one.

What colour is your shower? White.

Where do you order your pizza from? There are a few places in town that we order it from. 

When is the past time you had a serious talk with someone? Yesterday.

What time are you planning on going to bed tonight? Whenever.

How old are you, your parents and your siblings combined? 171.

The last time you went out of town was? Almost two weeks ago but that was just for a doctor’s appointment in a nearby area.  Last time I traveled and was away overnight was about 2 months ago.

And where did you go? Delaware, for my sister-in-law’s baby shower.

Have you ever been bit by an animal? Just budgies, guinea pigs, and a puppy.  Never a harmful bite.

Where is the person you miss the most right now? In Seattle, getting ready for his next flight.

Have you been paying attention to the Olympics much? My husband and I watched them this past February.  Mostly figure skating and skiing and snowboarding.

How often do you take naps? Not very often.

I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but when do go back to school? I’m completely done with formal schooling.  Unless I decide to go back for another degree someday.

Did it rain today? No.

What was the name of the last dog you pet? I don’t remember.

Do you find that you have a certain meal you eat every time you go to certain restaurants? There are a few restaurants where I have a usual order.  But most of the time I like to try new things.

Are you constantly judging people? No.

Have you ever had anything stolen from you? Yeah, my old bike when I was in college.  Someone was going around campus cutting locks and stealing bikes from bike racks.  After that, I started using a steel U-lock with the bike I bought to replace it.  Makes it virtually impossible to steal.

Think back to your freshman year in high school, what was the first class period on your first day of school? Oh jeez, that was half my life ago.  I don’t remember.

What colour is your bike? Black, blue, and white.

What word can you not stand to hear people say? “Y’all.”  Even worse is when people say “all y’alls.”  Southern slang is just weird to me.

When was the last time the power went out at your house and how long was it out for? About a year and a half ago.  Due to a bad thunderstorm.

What room of your house are you in? The living room.

When there’s a full moon, does it make your room really bright for a few days? No, since the wooden blinds do a good job of blocking light.

What is the temperature in your city right now? 31 F.

Which would you rather, a snowy day, sunny day, rainy day or cloudy day?: Either a snowy day or a cloudy day.  Rain is alright as long as I don’t have to go out in it.  And I don’t like sunny weather.

How long have you ever spent away from home? Around 2 weeks, I think?

Ever had to get any stitches? Yes, when I underwent kidney/bladder surgery.

When did you last use a post-it-note? I don’t remember.

Would you ever want to own your own restaurant? No.

Do you have a fan in your bedroom? No.  Well not a ceiling fan.  We sometimes put a window fan in there, if it’s the right temperature to have the windows open.

Have you ever seen the White House? Yes.

How about Niagara Falls? Yes.

What about the four corners, have you ever been there? No.

Have you ever played any variation of the padiddle game in a car a night? If not, you should wikipedia it and play it. It can be fun with the right people? I’ve never heard of it.

The most recent staircase you went down, what did it lead to? The living room, from the upstairs hallway.

Have you ever thought about what life would be like if we all slept during the day and were active at night? Yes, sort of.  Not very in-depth.

What colours are the counter tops in your kitchen? Kind of a speckled tan/gray color.

Has your luggage ever been lost at the airport? Did you get it back? No.

Which major body of water do you live by? The Potomac River.

Who is the last person that you took a picture with? My husband.

What type of food do you eat the most? Hard to say.  I have a pretty varied diet.

When is the last time you were stuck in a fairly long traffic jam? I don’t remember.

Do you have certain friends that you hug every time you see them? Yes.

What do you enjoy most about your life? Sharing it with my husband.

When was your most recent trip to an aquarium? June 2016.  My husband and I went to one in North Carolina.

What do you like in your salads and what dressing do you prefer? I like many different kinds of salads and salad dressings.  But my favorite is probably southwest salads with romaine or spinach, avocado, chipotle ranch dressing, either black or pinto beans, shredded cheese, and tortilla strips.

Last time you changed the light bulb to the lamp that you use in your bedroom? About a year ago when we replaced the bulbs with Philips Hue wifi bulbs.

Does sleeping past 12 or 1 in the afternoon make you feel like you’ve wasted a lot of your day or do you enjoy the extra hours of sleep? Both, haha.

What is your state most famous for? The first English settlement in the U.S....  the tech industry and all the government contractors in the D.C. area... and most major events of the Civil War took place in this state.

What was the last thing you signed your name in cursive on? Probably a receipt.

How many times in your life have you seen a shooting star? You mean a meteor?  Quite a few times.

Have you ever witnessed a tornado? I’ve seen the beginning of one forming, before I lost sight of it behind the trees.

How many times a year do you go out of state? Around 5-6 times.

Has your best friend ever moved away? My husband is my best friend.  We live together.  I’ve had former best friends move away when I was growing up, though.

If it has one, do you ever use the notepad function in your phone? Yes.

What website do you visit the most often? Reddit.

How good would you say your memory is? I think my short-term memory is pretty average.  My long-term memory is really good, though.  I have a surprising amount of vivid memories from when I was only 2-3 years old.

About how many times during the night do you wake up from your sleep? I usually don’t wake up during the night.  Sometimes I do, but just once.

Are there any air fresheners in your house? What kinds? Nope, we can’t use any artificially-scented stuff around the birds.  Birds have very sensitive respiratory systems.

What scent of candle do you burn the most? I don’t burn candles anymore, now that we have the birds.

For what reason did you last cry? I was really missing my Grandma.

What’s one thing you’re glad you’ve done recently? Bought all the equipment I need to start an indoor hydroponics garden.

How long have you been taking surveys? Since I was 19.

What kind of surveys do you wish there were more of? Themed surveys about certain topics.  Like a survey about traveling, or hobby-related stuff, or relationships.

[ihatejoelkim]

Sexual Failures of 2017.

A five-thousand word think piece promising a bold new take on the 2016 Democratic Primary race. I think that's the only thing I can think of that any of you would like to read less than some verbose exploration of my various successes and failures in 2017. The successes were all shared across platforms and you've already done your due diligence by liking and sharing (or not you stupid fucking bitch). I had a good year, professionally. To itemize all my failures against every accomplishment I've curated for you right here would be tantamount to telling you all how hard it is for me to gain weight (it is, and it's a problem, but I can read a room).

With all that in mind, I won't linger too long in this next part: I wasn't happy in 2017. In contrast, I can't say that I was terribly unhappy either, but trying to detail a mostly pleasant grey murk, punctuated by a handful of brief intermissions both low and manic (usually manifest as early morning text messages sent to various friends and sex partners), doesn't make for a compelling end-of-the-year post, I don't think.

Last year, I thanked all the gay men who saved my life (there were many, a handful even who don't strictly speaking identify as either gay or men, but that's part of the joke, you see). Many gay men both literal and honorary did their part to keep me afloat this year, and I do thank them, but as social media performances go, I wanted to go for something equally as sentimental and reflective but less exclusionary. Something the whole family could enjoy.

Let me walk you through all my sexual failures this year.

Now a quick disclaimer, I want to make this very clear up top: I happened to many of these men, not the other way around. To cast myself as the wide-eyed straight man next to a gallery of freaks seems very, well, 2015. I'm pretty sure I wrote that piece in 2015. I was the villain, sexually, in as many encounters as I was the hero (if you can call eating out a mean drummer in the waning moments of a molly high heroic).

Secondly there were plenty of failures this year that involved people I generally like or who otherwise might read this. I'm not including them, so if you're a friend who made the disastrous decision to roll around with me (a professional at making an exhibition of the personal) and it ended poorly, you won't find it below. I want to keep it all as broadly anonymous as possible, so that I can look back on it and convince myself, "this was okay, right?" Writing this paragraph has already halfway convinced me to that I'm a huge asshole and this is in fact not okay.

This list won't be chronologically correct but I would like to start at the beginning of the year. Almost 365 days ago exactly, I ended up at the home of a bobo Vincent Gallo character. A straight, married father of two in an open hetero relationship with his wife (though not an openly bisexual one, so the moral optics of the whole thing are still a little suspect). He's a music producer who looks like Mark Ruffalo and he won't kiss me on the mouth, but he does want me to spend an hour with my mouth on his asshole. He tells me he's never bottomed but would like to and it's all an embarrassing lie, so we do it and he comes alarmingly fast. We hadn't deleted Uber yet (#resist) and the surge that night to get home cost me nearly $70.

He hit on me on the water taxi on Fire Island. It's the night of the underwear party and we're both heading home alone. I enjoy the underwear party but I lost my phone beyond the veil (I'll offer no further explanation on that— you either know or you don't), and fingered and gotten fingered so much I lost faith that fingering was for the pleasure of anyone involved at all. Sexually, I’m not for Fire Island and that's all fine and well by me (it’s about so much more, etc.) . He is the hottest person that will have spoken to me in three years of visits and aggressively so. He walks me home and we dry hump on the beach. I was deeply attracted to the story we would get to tell if things worked out, but he was high on molly and I was the person you regret the morning after molly (I've been on both sides of this equation, we all have, so don't read this as entirely self deprecating). He ignores my texts for a while and is forced to acknowledge me once as our respective houses walk by one another on the boardwalk. I text him on the Fourth of July asking if he has plans. I don't hear from him again until September, a Saturday at 3AM. A victory.

Every sexual experience I had with a college student this year was in its own special way a failure. I know how that sentence reads, but straight comedians on the college circuit have been fucking their audiences since way back when a JFL set meant you were getting a television show, so I like to look at this as my way of queering yet another perilously heterosexual institution. Plus, I always ID, because I saw a character on How to Get Away With Murder do it. I'm sure there are three twenty-year-olds in the country who know how to fuck. You are probably twenty and reading this and think you are one of the three, but you are also probably wrong. You see, all three went to high school abroad, currently live in Manhattan and it's actually really sad that they're this good at sex by now. If you're twenty and you think the sex you're having is great, I'll take you at your word but privately I'll write you off as either a precious lil' thing or a liar.

There was of course the self-styled dom in the midwest. I love touring especially for the hotels. Every time I walk into my hotel room I immediately wonder if this is the place where I'll finally be strangled to death in the nude. I wondered if the dom would be the one to do it, until he arrived at my door and I almost considered not going through with it. I'm not an especially kinky person naturally, but by god am I an actor, and I love the costumes. He suggested we try and I was staying at a Hilton in a mid-sized midwestern city so why the hell not. Unfortunately he is not hot, nor very, um, authoritative and as it turns out I'm not a very good actor. He spits in my mouth and I gingerly remove the loogey intact and wipe it on the hotel bed, killing the mood. He jerks off sullenly next to me and then blocks me on Scruff.

In Nevada, one of the comedy agents gave me an adderall so I could stay up long enough after my shows to have sex. We were in old Vegas, and I wasn't testing well on the apps. But just about the time I became truly ridiculous, a parody of self-destructive horniness, I set off for a stranger's hotel to have a threesome with a nice looking couple who had driven in from Utah. By the time I arrive, the hot one has fallen asleep and the lucky one sheepishly meets me outside the hotel to inform me that, if I still wanted to hook-up, we'll have to do it in the car. I am twenty-nine and yet I follow him to his Toyota Corolla where I can't get hard so instead we watch the sun rise with our shirts on and our pants pulled down just below the ass, our soft, shrunken genitalia observing an adderall-fueled conversation about the the LDS.

There was the Korean who was staying on a friend’s couch but assured me no one would notice. I could hear the bright, jaunty theme song of Parks and Recreation through her bedroom door, and I wonder the whole time if she voluntarily sequestered herself or we are in danger at any moment of being interrupted by a rabid Amy Poehler fan. He refuses to bottom and is not a good top, so the long term prospects aren't great. A few weeks ago I saw that he is dating a self-identified rice queen I went on a few dates with back in 2014. I didn’t want to learn about my culture from a rich, white hobbyist and he only ever wanted to bottom. Seeing them together felt like reading the end of some distorted version of The Gift of the Magi.

I engaged in sex with only two people more than once and I'm perfectly content with that number. I made it through without collecting any STI's (yet). I didn't have my heart truly broken (yet). I haven't fallen in love.

I think I might get a dog when I turn thirty, or possibly a therapist.

[petri808]

Hawaiian Souvenir

‘Levy, would you watch Nashi & Happy for us?’

‘Sure, Natsu.  What’s the occasion?’

‘Since we never got to do it, and our anniversary is coming up… I was thinking of taking Lucy on a real honeymoon.’

‘Really!  That’s a great idea Natsu, of course I’ll watch Nashi for you.’

‘Thanks Levy…’

~~~~~

Natsu watches from the door with a smile as his wife tucks their sleeping daughter into bed.  “She’s so adorable…”  He whispers as he wraps his arms around his wife and kisses her cheek.  “I’m such a lucky guy to have two beautiful women in my life.”  Their daughter was the spitting image of her mother but with his pink hair and green colored eyes.

“Alright, what do you want Natsu?”  Lucy teases

Feigning shock, “I already have what I want…” he leads her out to the living room and sits her on the couch.  “But do you?  Are you happy with how things turned out Luce?”

“Of course, I am, Natsu, why wouldn’t I be?”

He puts his arm around her shoulder, “We had Nashi so young, and the wedding was kinda just thrown together…  I just worried that there were other things you maybe thought you were missing out on…”

“Well…” she leans against him.  “Having Nashi at eighteen wasn’t easy and rushing the wedding before she was born…  sigh, but I don’t have any regrets.  Natsu I loved you and that’s all that mattered to me.”

“But still, I wish I could have, I don’t know, given you more.”  

“Like what?”

“For starters, I couldn’t take you on a honeymoon.”

She laughs, “That wouldn’t have been much fun being 8 months pregnant.”

“I know, but now that Nashi is seven and we’re more stable financially…” he pulls out the two tickets he had hidden behind a pillow…  “…I thought for our anniversary this year…” … holding them up in front of her…  “I could make that up to you.”  

Her eyes widen, “Are you serious!!” she grabs the tickets from his hand.  “Hawaii!!”

“I’ve already arranged with Levy to babysit Nashi and Happy, spoke to your job and mine,” grinning that cheeky smile, “all you need to do is pack.”

Lucy squeals and throws herself against her husband almost tipping over the loveseat they were in, “God I love you Natsu!”

“I love you too babe.”  He grins and pulls her tight to him.  “I can’t wait to see in your bikini…”

She slaps him in the arm, “Goof!”

“You married this goof!  What does that make you?”

Giggling, “Touche.”

~~~~~

“Hawaiian Airlines flight 332 to Hilo International Airport will be landing shortly at gate number 5, baggage claim 2.  Please fasten your seatbelts and bring your seat backs and trays to their upright and locked positions.  The local time is 10:16am and the weather today is a balmy 78 degrees, mostly sunny with a few scattered showers later in the evening.  On behalf of the crew, we’d like to say Aloha and Mahalo for choosing Hawaiian Airlines.”

“Natsu…” Lucy pushes on his shoulder.  “Natsu, wake up, were going to land soon.”

“Ughh…” he groans and holds his stomach as he presses his face into her shoulder.  “I can’t wait to get on solid ground…”  Lucy chuckles at her husband but smiles; she knows that his motion sickness makes travelling difficult for him.  Medication helps for short stretches, driving to and from work or around their hometown, but being in a plane is far out of his comfort zone.  The fact that he is willing to suffer so much to make her happy just reminds her how much he still loves her.  

She reads through their itinerary again while gently stroking his hand.  The first week they’ll be staying on the east side of the island at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and the second week they’ll be on the west side at the Hilton Waikoloa.  Originally, they were going to vacation on Oahu but after doing some research on the Aloha state, she decided the Big Island seemed much more relaxing and ultimately that’s what she wanted.  Of course, with Hawaii being such a tourist friendly state, it was easy enough to find, book, and plan-out things for them to do during their vacation.  “Lucy?”

“Yes, Natsu?” she looks up from her papers to see him pointing out the window.  “You’re missing the view.”

Turning her head to see what he’s pointing at, Lucy’s eyes expand as she struggles to grab her phone from her purse.  “Wow…”  Snapping pictures as the plane slowly passes the largest mountain on the island, “…Look Natsu, it’s Mauna Kea, it’s more beautiful than the pictures!  You can see the observatories!” squealing, “Wait is that snow?!”

“Snow?  In Hawaii?” he mumbles.  “I picked this place cause it’s supposed to be warm year-round.”

“I read that during the winter months they sometimes get snow on their mountain.”  She squeals, “and we’re lucky we get to see that!”  

Natsu rolls his eyes, “I’m more interested in the beach.”

“I know,” she pokes him, “You don’t like the cold…  Oooh!”

“What?”

“A waterfall!!” pointing again.  “Look, look!”

He leans over her to see for himself.  “That’s cool.”

“The landscape is really beautiful…  Sigh, I’m so glad you brought me here.”

“Only the best for my wife.” He squeezes her hand.

~~~~~

“So, the front desk clerk told me we might be able to see lava in the crater, I guess the volcano’s been more active than usual.”

“Oh yeah…” Natsu turns to see his wife flipping through brochures in the passenger seat before staring back at the road.  “What else you wanna do at the park?”  

“Hmm… I’d like to check out the museum next to the crater, maybe even try out some of the short trails.”

“Sounds fine, though I’m surprised you want to go walking.” Lucy slaps him.  “What!” he grins at her.

“Are you insinuating that I need to lose weight or something?”

“No!  Your body is just as smoking hot as the day I met you!  But exercising wouldn’t hurt ya know, it’s healthier, plus it sets a good example for Nashi.”

“So, you’re saying I’m not being a good mother for Nashi?”

“What!  Hey, I didn’t say that!  You’re the best mother I’d ever want for my child.”

“Keep digging Natsu, you’re still in the hole.”

He reaches over and grabs her hand from her lap.  “I loooove you baby…” he coos to her

“It’s not working…”

He pouts and gives her the best puppy dog expression he can muster.  “Come on Luce…”

Sigh, “Damn it, I can’t win against that smile of yours!”

Laughing, “I know…”  She rolls her eyes but smiles back.  Yup, that stupid, shit eating grin is what melted her the first time they met and it still works even all these years later.

Once inside the museum, the pair separate and wander around to the different exhibits.  No surprise that Natsu becomes fascinated with anything showing fire and stands gawking at a running video showing actual footage of recent lava flow activity.  There was a time, all be it brief, that he had considered going to school for volcanology, but when Lucy became pregnant their senior year of high school he knew that was a dream that would never become reality…      

Lucy is immediately drawn to the paintings of the Fire goddess Pele.  She knows that the depictions of this woman are just fanciful but it’s the essence of the woman that pulls at her.  One painting in particular, it shows Pele from the neck up, her body becomes the land and her hair is a river of lava.  ‘Pelehonuamea…’ she reads the sign next to it, ‘…Pele, goddess of volcanoes…  Ancient traditions about her reveal an impetuous, lusty nature… at times gentle and loving, but always jealous and unpredictable, capable of fury, and great violence. -Herbert K. Kane’  

Looking over to his wife staring so entranced at Pele’s painting, he walks over and puts his arms around her waist.  While leaning on her shoulder, “Locals say she is sometimes seen around the island when the volcano is erupting as a sign or warning, either in the guise of an old woman in white or a young woman in red, sometimes as a white dog…”

“Oh…”

“Yeah, I don’t know if I believe all the stories, but it’s kinda cool.  Her lava builds new land, or destroys it,” he motions to the painting.  “Did you know that volcanic soil is very fertile?”  Lucy shakes her head.  “So even after she destroys the land with lava, once that lava turns to dirt, it gives back again by nurturing the plant growth.”

“So, she’s almost like mother nature?”

He chuckles, “I guess that’s one way of looking at it.  In the Hawaiian culture, there is another goddess with such a title but I don’t remember the name, I was only interested in Pele because of the whole fire thing.”  Unwrapping himself he grabs her hand and pulls her towards the doors.  “Let’s go see the crater, suns starting to set so we’ll be able to see the lava better.”

Lucy takes one last look at the picture… ‘The expression the artist used…’ she shivers, ‘Like she’s staring into your soul…’

“You can feel the heat even from way up here.”  Lucy holds out her hands towards the crater.  “It’s amazing that the scientists go down there sometimes.”

“Well they use special heat resistant suits, but they also don’t go in if it’s too dangerous.”  He sighs.  “It’s fascinating how much they’ve been able to learn from studying this volcano.  Kilauea has the longest continuous running eruption in history, over 30 years now.”

She hears the sorrow in her husband’s voice and it tugs at her.  “Natsu…” Lucy hugs him, “I’m sorry, if I hadn’t gotten pregnant you could have followed your dreams to study…”  

“Lucy don’t…” he cuts her off.  “That wasn’t your fault, I had a hand in that too ya know.  But I don’t regret a damn thing.”  Grabbing her cheeks gently.  “You gave me something even greater than that dream...” Tears pool in her eyes.  “…a family that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.”

“Natsu I…” her eyes widen.  “Natsu… there’s a lady down there…”

“What are you talking about?” he turns to see what she’s looking at.

“She’s…  She was right there!” she points at the floor of the crater.  “I swear I saw someone down there!”

“I don’t see anyone Luce, maybe it was the heat distortion.”

“M-maybe…  Yeah, you’re right, it must have been a mirage or something….”  

It’s the last day before the couple plans to head over to the west side of the island so they spend the morning doing some last-minute shopping.  After dropping off some treats they found at Big Island Candies, and other places at their hotel room, they head back out for lunch.  Unbeknownst to Lucy, Natsu has a surprise planned for his wife.  

The car pulls into the Imiloa Astronomy Center, “What are we doing here?”  Lucy asks.  “I thought this place was closed because of system issues.”

“It was, but I called this morning and they said it’s all working now.” Her face is brightening as he pulls into a stall and parks.  “The planetarium show starts in about an hour so we can eat lunch at the restaurant before it starts.”

“You’re such an awesome husband!” She shrieks as she gets out of the car and hurries over to him.  With barely a chance to close his own door, Lucy jumps into his arms kissing him.

He grins, “This smile…” he lifts her chin, “…makes this all worth it.”  

The lights dim in the large circular auditorium and Lucy squeezes Natsu’s hand, excited for the show to begin.  She’d found a short video on YouTube of one of the star shows and it was, in her opinion the most spectacular thing she’s ever seen and now she’s was going to see it in person!  Lucy grins again at Natsu who squeezes her hand back.  He wishes he could see her eyes which are probably sparkling right now, but they are stuck behind the Visual goggles; he grins anyway.    

Billions of stars, planets, and other celestial bodies flash in front of their eyes mesmerizing Lucy.  “Oh, Natsu…” she whispers.  “It’s all so beautiful…”

“I see my favorite star.” He whispers back.

“Where?”

“Right next to me.”  Even in the darkened room he knows there’s a blush on her cheeks…

~~~~~

Hilton Waikoloa Village…  A beautiful resort along the Kohala coast was designed as both a luxury getaway or a family adventure with beautiful beaches, pools and waterslides, spas, trails and walking paths, even a dolphin experience.  So expansive is the property, a tram or boat can be taken to get from one end of the resort to the other.  

Within an hour after checking into the hotel, the pair are down at the beach relaxing.  Natsu tries to coax Lucy into paddle boarding but all she wants to do is lay out and soak up the sun.  That’s fine with him, so once he’s sure she’s settled he heads out into the water.  She watches him for a short time, laughing when he falls off a couple times, but eventually closes her eyes to relax.

“Hey baby…” a male voice stirs her from her respite.

“Not interested.” She retorts without opening her eyes

“Aww.  Don’t be like that Lulu…”

‘Lulu?!’  Her eyes pop open.  “Dan?  What the hell do you want?”  He’s standing above her.

“Is that anyway to talk to your old flame?”  

“You’re not an old flame, now please go away before my husband sees you.”  She closes her eyes again trying to ignore the man.

“Who, Natsu?  Don’t tell me you’re still with that loser.”

“Loser!” she pops up shouting.  “Don’t fucking call him…”

“Is there a problem here?”

“Natsu,” Lucy hides behind him as he glares at Dan.

Still staring the man down with his fists clenched, “I asked you a question Dan, why the hell are you bothering my wife?!”  

“I’m not, just came to say hi to my old girlfriend.”

“I was never!”  Lucy starts to scream back when Natsu stops her.

“I know you weren’t babe, he’s always been delusional.” Putting his arm around her.  “Had enough of this jerk?”

“Hell yes!”

“Then let’s go.”  Natsu grabs her belongings, “Stay the fuck away from her Dan or I’ll call security.”

“Pussy!  The old Natsu would have swung by now.”

“This Natsu grew up… Unlike you.  Go find another piece of tail to harass, but this woman, is off limits.”  He guides Lucy towards to the ferry without a second glance.

“Ugh, I can’t believe, all the way in Hawaii and we run in to that asshole.”

“He didn’t try to touch you or anything did he?”

“No, I would have hit him myself if he tried.”

Natsu chuckles, “I believe that, your kicks are pretty painful.”

That night after a romantic dinner at Kamuela Provision Company, they return to their room to unwind from the day.  Stripping down to something more comfortable, Natsu’s in his boxers waiting for Lucy to get out of the shower.  When she comes out in just a towel he pulls her onto the bed before she can get dressed.  “You know I gotta say, babe, you looked stunning in that bikini earlier.”    

“Liked that huh, Mr. Dragneel…” she purrs.  

He nods, “You shoulda seen all the guys just staring at you…” Grinning, “But I knew I was the one you’d be coming home with.”  

“Does that turn you on…” she shifts her body allowing the towel to loosen, “Other guys looking at me?”

“You always turn me on my Queen.”  A slight growl in his voice as he runs his hand under her towel.  “that smokin’ hot body of yours keeps me wrapped around your finger and yes because it makes me feel proud that I’m the one you picked.”

Sigh, “You only love me for my body…” she turns her head as a tease

Trailing his hand lightly along her thigh, “I don’t hear you complaining either…” and over to her pleasure zone.  “…when I worship your body.”  Lucy lets out a wispy exhale as he slides his fingers over a sensitive button.  Leaning over her, whispering in her ear, “Someone… is very… very… wet…” his voice husky in tone.

“And…” she nibbles his ear, “…what are you gonna do…” her response is reduced to a groan when he slips a finger inside her moisture laden cave.

He grins, “Baby, I hope you’re ready for a long night ahead…”

The rest of the week is filled with evenings reserved for steamier Hawaiian trysts…  and days of sightseeing and shopping up and down the Kohala to Kailua Kona coast.  With lots of local confections from cookies to chocolates, coffee to wine for friends and family as well as several souvenirs for Nashi, their suitcases were so full they had to purchase a third to bring everything home.  

But on the final day, they had gone back to Kona for a few more trinkets and a to pick up a gold Hawaiian bracelet and a Koa one they had found for Nashi that was being engraved.  It was already late, about 9pm as Natsu drove them back to the hotel along Highway 19.  There were still a few vehicles on the road in both directions but other than that it was a quiet, still evening.

“Natsu slow down, that looks like a woman hitchhiking up ahead.”

“You wanna pick up a hitchhiker?”  he looks at her like she’s crazy.

“It’s a woman, Natsu, it’s more dangerous she’s out here alone.”

“Ugh, okay… Just hope she’s not a crazy person or something.”  Signaling he pulls over.  Lucy rolls down her window and waves at the woman.  

“Hi ma’am, would you like a ride?  We’re only going to the hotels but we can could take you a little more further.”  The woman walks slowly up to the car, is she being hesitant in her movements, cautious, or just walking slow Lucy couldn’t tell, but as she got closer the couple could see that she was older, maybe 50’s or 60’s with long white hair that was almost to her knees, a white flowy dress, and no shoes on her feet.  ‘How odd…’  

“Oh, bless you child, for stopping to help an old woman…” she thanks the couple as she gets into the back seat.

“Sorry it’s a little full back there with shopping bags…” Lucy apologizes, “It’s our last day in Hawaii and we went overboard with the souvenirs.

“No worries, my dear…”  The woman sits back to where Lucy cannot make out her facial features but a sense of déjà vu creeps over her like she’s seen the woman before.

Midway between Kona and Waikoloa Beach Drive, the strange woman who had been silent up till now starts to talk again and says something the couple will never forget…

“Congratulations, you’ll have that son you had been hoping one day for…”

“Excuse me?”  Lucy asks a little surprised.  “Did you say…”

“The child you carry will be a boy, and he’ll be a strong one, I can tell, feisty like his father.”

Lucy stammers, “But I’m not p-pregnant.”

“Keahi, name the boy Keahi...”

“Okay, lady I’m sorry but you’re starting to freak my wife out….”  No response so Natsu looks in the rearview mirror.  “Hey, I’m talk…”  He sees the woman disappear.  “What the hell!”  He stomps on the gas and races the few more miles to the hotel with Lucy panicking in the chair next to him.

“Did you see that, she just faded away!”  Lucy blurts out.

“Uh-Huh.” He keeps his eyes focused on the road.  

Finally, they reach the hotel and pull straight up to the lobby, both jumping out as soon as the car is in park.  There is an older valet working who comes over to the panicked looking young couple.  “Are you two okay?”

“N-No!”  Lucy is freaking out.

“My wife made me pick up a hitchhiker and then she just disappeared on the way here.  What the hell was that?!”

“Older, long white hair?”

“That’s her!  Does she live around here or something?”

“You just met Pele.”  Natsu and Lucy’s jaws drop.        

“Not possible!” Lucy starts crying and Natsu holds her tight, “She’s not real…”

But the older man stays calm, “It’s strange that she appeared to non-locals…  Did she say anything to you?”

“S-She said I was pregnant with a son and to name him Keahi.  What does that mean?”

“Keahi is the Hawaiian word for ‘fire’.  Miss, you shouldn’t be afraid, Madam Pele must have taken a liking to you for some reason and whether you wish to believe it or not, in the Hawaiian culture it is tradition for a child to be given their name.  The fact that Pele herself gave you the name, means that boy will be special.”

“Really?”  Lucy sniffles

“Oh yes,” the man smiles at her.  “Here,” he grabs a porter cart, “Let me help you unload your car so you can get some rest,” and helps to offload their bags.

Natsu sniffs one of the bags as he pulls it from the back seat, “I smell something burnt,” and pulls out the jewelry inside.  On the Koa wood bracelet, there appears to be a brand.  “Hey, we didn’t ask for…”

“What is it?”  Lucy grabs the bracelet out of his hands, “It looks like…”  She faints but luckily the valet catches her before she hit the ground.  

“Lucy!” Natsu rushes to her side, cradling her as the valet takes the bracelet clutched in her hand.

“Wow, Pele really must have like you two…”  Next to Nashi’s name is a what appears to be a volcanic cone and a Liko Lehua blossom, Pele’s favorite flower freshly branded onto the bracelet.

~~~~~

Five months later, Lucy returns home from her monthly doctor’s visit and finds Natsu playing with Nashi in the living room.  “Um, babe there’s something I need to tell you…”

He looks up to see his pale faced wife.  “Are you okay Luce?  Is there something wrong with the baby?” Natsu scrambles to his feet and guides her over to the couch.  “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

One month after returning from Hawaii, Lucy and Natsu found out that she was in fact pregnant, almost certainly having conceived during the vacation.  While they were thrilled at the prospect of expanding their family, and for what he had nicknamed their ultimate Hawaiian souvenir, it still played in the back of their minds, the old woman’s prediction…

“Natsu…  It’s a boy!”

*Note I’ll be editing this or posting a link to AO3 with an altered, longer, smut/lemon version of this story hopefully in a day or two. 

[jswdmb1]

New York, New York

I'll always be thinkin' of you

I always love you, love New York

- Ryan Adams

When I was twenty-five, I took a job doing internal audit work for a large bank.  Most of the areas that I was responsible for were in Chicago, but we had some operations in a few other cities that gave me the opportunity to travel to places I had never been.  Toronto, Atlanta, and for two weeks a year, New York City.

There are a few cities in this world that make an indelible first impression on you.  A few that I have been to include Paris, Washington DC, and San Francisco, but none made me feel the way I did the first time I was in New York.  I think that part of it is the mythical nature of the city, more so than any other.  After years of seeing the city in movies and on TV, hearing about it in song, and reading countless books with New York as the setting, you can’t help to paint a picture of the city in your head long before you get there (or even if you have never been).  However, no matter what you conjured up in your imagination, it could never match the actual sights, sounds (and smells) of America’s largest city and arguably the capital of the free world.

When I was on assignment in New York, the location I covered was on Wall Street right next to the New York Stock Exchange.  We stayed a couple of blocks away at the sleek Millennium Hilton across from the World Trade Center.  Before I actually went to New York, I always associated the World Trade Center with the two big “twin” towers, but it was much more than that.  It was actually a complex of several (seven, I think) buildings and was a huge transportation hub.  It would be like if in Chicago there were two Sears Towers next to each other surrounded by five or six other massive buildings with the Metra and five “L” lines all coming in underneath.  It was like nothing I had even seen.  On the last night of my first trip there, our boss came into town and took us out for a special dinner at the Windows of the World restaurant near the top of one of the twin towers (South if I remember right).  To this day, it was one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life.  I will never forget looking out the windows and gazing upon that great city and thinking that I really had made it.

I couldn’t wait to get home and share my experiences with my Dad.  He had never been to New York and it was one of the first times in my young life I could fill him in on something versus the other way around.  He had always suspected that New York was crowded, dirty and dangerous, and while there certainly some truth in that, I was able to give him a sense of the wonderful things that were there as well.  Everything was on the grandest scale that you could imagine with a diversity and style unparalleled.  I knew at that point I would never see another place like it.

By the summer of 2001, I had made a number of trips to New York and got to know some of the people at our location there pretty well.  Contrary to what I had been led to believe through movies and legend, people from New York (at least the ones I knew), were awfully nice people.  I often took advantage of my employer’s offer to let us stay the weekends on multi-week trips and started to feel like a resident after a while.  I did it all - baseball games (both old Yankee and Shea Stadiums), Broadway shows, Coney Island, Central Park, and lots and lots of bars.  I was fascinated with the subway system and studied its maps so I could get around to all of these places on my tight budget.  Even though I was far from being a native, I felt like a little more than a tourist at that point.  Maybe a little like an adopted son.

On September 11th, I was on an out-of-town assignment, but not in New York.  We were working in a conference room in Atlanta when someone came in with a horrified look on her face and asked if we heard the news.  She told us we better stop what we are doing and head to the conference room to join the others watching what was unfolding on the TV.  We were all equally aghast at what we saw, but I was also trying to process what was happening to a place I had started to consider a bit of a second home.  I started thinking about my friends in our New York office just a few blocks away and got really worried.  When the first tower fell before my eyes, I thought I felt the shake all the way down in Atlanta.  It turns out that shake was real - but it was actually my leg twitching uncontrollably in fear and I had to brace myself against the wall to keep from falling down.  I can honestly say that I have never been as scared before or since in my life.

We had our annual trip to the New York office scheduled for that October.  To be really honest, I was really scared at that point to go back.  I don’t think I felt like I would be unsafe as things were quite under control at that point, but I didn’t know if I could handle the psychological impact of seeing the place in that state.  Thankfully, none of our workers at the office were injured seriously, but I knew from phone conversations with their boss that there was some real trauma experienced.  I decided that we needed to go no matter the concern.  I needed to go to support the friends that I made, and I needed to go to face the reality of what happened.

We flew in at night and the beam of light from ground zero illuminated the sky.  We couldn’t stay at the Hilton as it suffered damage in the attack, so we were up in midtown by the park.  We took the subway to the office and when we came up the first thing I noticed was an acrid smell of burning debris that had a hint of must to it from being wet.  You couldn’t go down to ground zero, but you could get pretty close and look at it from certain vantage points.  My coworkers went, but I couldn’t.  The closest I got was gazing up a street to see the mangled wreck of what used to be World Trade Building 4 where I would catch the subway on one of my many night and weekend adventures on prior trips.  There would be no such fun on this trips.  We were there just a couple days, had a lot of work to do, and I was in no mood for much of anything at night but processing all I had seen.  Getting home from that trip was such a relief, but looking back I am really glad I went.  While I didn’t personally know anyone who died in the attacks, it felt like I lost something that day and the trip provided some closure.  

I made one more trip to New York after 2001 and it was tough for me still.  I then got a promotion and could send people in my place for the annual trip, so that’s what I did.  I left the job a couple of years later and never have returned to New York since that day.  My wife went there a year or so ago for the first time and it got me thinking again about a return with her.  So much time has passed that I wonder if I will get that same feeling again as the first time I went over twenty years ago.  I would not expect the feeling to be the same, and I’ll never forget what happened, but it would be nice for both me and the city to reestablish our relationship.  In the meantime, I always look back on the anniversary of 9/11 about not just the events of that day, but my overall memories and feelings of the city that impressed so much the first time I visited in 1997.  I also stay aware of how many people sacrificed their lives that day, and how many thousands more in the ensuring wars that still go on, and how grateful I am for their service.

So, on this 18th anniversary of that horrible day, please continue to reflect, remember, and give thanks that despite all that was lost that day in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, what remained intact was our freedom and a spirit of oneness.  We need that more than ever in a day when I wonder if people sometimes really have forgotten what happened that day and what brought us together in the aftermath.  If we can bring some of that back, then maybe the lives lost that day were not in vain.

Peace,

Jim

P.S. - the picture is a still shot of the video Ryan shot on September 7, 2001.  It is likely the last of many times the towers were featured on film before the attacks.

[sinsiriuslyemo]

Good morning everyone!!! Today begins our Cuba v DR miniseries!!! Let’s take a look into prison life, and follow Nevada and OJ as they do time! After the miniseries has been posted, I’ll be doing some more special features; cast sheet will be one of them, and I would really love to give you guys something interactive! Drop any ideas you may have in my inbox!!

A little disclaimer about this miniseries; since it takes place in prison, a lot of the prisoners use prison lingo. If you’ve seen OZ, you’ll probably be able to follow relatively easily, but if not, no worries! I’ll be starting up a translations post, just like all the other regular seasons :)

Having said that, I now present to you Philly v DR!

EPISODE 1

Attica Correctional Facility. Wyoming County, New York. Maximum Security Prison.

Nevada and OJ followed the CO’s down the line of cells, their standard issued sheets and pillow as well as hygiene products in their hands. As they passed by one cell in particular they noticed a familiar face. Manny looked surprised to see both men, the color in his face draining. OJ was placed in the cell next door and turned his head to share a look with his brother.

“Let’s go, Ramirez,” one of the CO’s boomed, pushing Nevada onward.

Trujillo said nothing as he followed the officer down to his own cell, where a tall, older man was reclined on the lower bunk reading a book. The cell gate was closed behind him as Nevada moved to set his things on the top bunk and began to make his bed.

“How you doing?” the older man asked, eyes still glued to his book.

“What’s it to you?” Nevada mumbled, tucking the corners of his sheets under the flimsy mattress.

“Just trying to make conversation,” his cellmate answered, still more interested in his reading. “Maybe you didn’t notice, but this isn’t exactly the Hilton.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

Finally setting his book down beside him, the older inmate moved to a sitting position as Nevada climbed up onto his bunk.

“How long you in for?”

“Five,” Nevada replied with a heavy sigh.

“Not bad,” The older man replied. “Me, I got a ten years left on my stretch.”

“What’d you get pinched for?” Nevada asked, deciding to engage in the conversation.

“Grand Larceny.”

“What’d you swipe?” Nevada asked with a smirk.

“Bout a half a million in diamonds,” his cellmate answered, also smirking. “What about you?”

“Possession with intent. Mary Jane and Christina Aguilera, plus some heavy artillery.”

“You only got five years for that?”

“It’s a long story,” Nevada answered.

There was a moment of silence before his cellmate spoke again.

“You’re not a rat, are you?”

“Not that kinda story,” Nevada replied. “Nevada Ramirez.”

“Oswald Grabano. Call me Oz.”

“Wait, the Oz Grabano? Lombardi family?” Nevada asked, turning to poke his head over the bunk.

“One and only...Trujillo,” Oz answered, smirking up at Nevada.

“Well, what do you know...what’s a Philly guy doing in New York?” Nevada inquired.

“Long story,” Oz replied. “Maybe I’ll tell ya while we’re painting each other’s nails sometime. For now, I need to find out if Hazel and Augustus finally fuck before one of them kicks the bucket.”

Nevada snorted softly, moving to get down from his bunk and walk over to the bars, straining his neck to try and see out the window on the far side of the jail.

“We on lockdown or something?” he asked.

“Nah, the newbies come in and once you're all tucked away safe and sound, we can go outside.”

Nodding his head, Nevada scanned the other cells in his line of vision, looking for any allies, moreover any enemies. He’d been in prison before, it was likely he would know someone, more than likely more than one.Still, it was better to know your surroundings in a place like this.

After a while, the buzzer overhead went off and the cell doors opened. Nevada glanced back at his cellmate.

“You coming or you sticking with Hazel and Augustus?” he asked.

“Have fun without me, try not to get yourself stabbed,” he said, eyes still trained on his book as he gave a sarcastic wave.

“Thanks for your concern,” Nevada mumbled, walking out of the cell and nossing to OJ as he fell into step with him, both of them following Manny. “Oye, socio!” Nevada called out once they were outside.

Manny stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face Trujillo.

“Nevada…”

“You got a reason for skipping out without telling anybody where you’re going?” Nevada asked, arching a brow at the shorter man.

“I had something that needed taking care of,” he said seriously.

“And you couldn’t tell me?” Nevada asked again, tilting his head. “Was it because I would’ve told you to back off Emmy?”

He said nothing, looking to OJ as well before turning to keep walking.

“Good seeing you man,” he called back over his shoulder.

OJ kept his glare trained on Manny’s back before he looked to Nevada.

“What’s the play?” he asked.

“Let it go for right now. He’ll get his, I’ll make sure of it,” Nevada answered. “Let’s go find our crew,” he added.

Attica was just as full of men who’d been in the family or were still in the family as it was of any other crime organization. It was because of this that Nevada and OJ wouldn’t have to worry about protection while they served their time.

Moving to the far side of the yard, Nevada finally spotted Miguel Gonzalez, one of his guys from back in the day. Walking up, Trujillo and OJ greeted the other man with grins.

“Motherfucker, I heard you got pinched,” Miguel said with a smirk as he gave both men a pat on the back. “How's Melissa? Still a firecracker?”

“Nah, the kids wore her down,” OJ chuckled.

“Too bad,” Miguel tisked playfully before turning to Nevada. “And you, heard una mujer caught you by the huevos. Si? Got kids and a white picket fence now?”

“Yeah, I’m a regular fucking Mike Brady, pendejo,” Nevada replied.

“Coño, so there was a heart left after Lauren Allred,” Miguel teased.

“Ha ha ha,” Nevada replied. “So...who’s Manny been rolling with since he got here?” he asked, gesturing to Manny with his chin.

“He's all but iced us out. Starting to get my feelings hurt,” Miguel snorted a laugh. “He doesn't stick with a group too long. First it was the Italians, then the Others when the whops got tired of having him around. It's a dangerous way to roll in prison.”

“No shit,” OJ mumbled softly.

“Who’s got what in here?” Nevada asked him.

“Blacks got the tits rolling through the kitchen, Aryans run the mail room, the Italians handle outside contracts and betting from the library. We got a deal with black, running our tits in exchange for cover from the CO’s. Sixty forty split,” Miguel answered. “Then you got the Others, they’re pretty much out of everything. Made up of the older guys or guys that don’t run with any crews. Keep to themselves for the most part.”

Nevada nodded along, eyes scanning the yard and checking everybody out.

“Where are the rest of our guys? They in another cell block?” he asked, looking back to Miguel.

“A few of them, some got transferred, some got out on parole. Most of them are probably just still in their cells, we were running a little training exercise today.”

“Any good prospects?” Nevada asked.

“A few that are worth their weight, plus a couple that I just wanna put through the ringer because...well, shit here gets boring.”

Nevada and OJ laughed heartily as the three moved into the shade. Nevada made a mental note to call you whenever they were brought back inside, and he couldn’t help but wonder what you were doing right now.

“Oye!” A man called from the other side of the yard walking over, “Ramirez, you motherfucker,” the man grinned as he pulled Nevada in for a pat on the back.

“Coño, didn't know you got locked up,” OJ mused as he crossed his arms. “How you been, Felix?”

“I've been better,” he chuckled and looked Nevada over. “Look who filled out.”

“I can’t help it if my girl likes to cook, bro,” Nevada replied with a grin. “When did you get pinched?” he inquired.

“When I started fucking the police commissioner's daughter and he made it his mission to find dirt on me,” he laughed. “He didn't have to look hard, I was running guns all through the city for months.” He shrugged. “I poked the bear and lost.”

“Coño, don’t you know better to cover your fucking tracks by now? Carajo, bro,” Nevada groaned.

“Oye, that trail better end with you, pendejo,” OJ added.

“The trail isn't a trail, I went in willingly, moved the operations to Staten Island and still porked the girl two more times,” he smirked with a laugh.

“Unbelievable,” Miguel said, shaking his head.

The buzzer sounded again, and the CO’s rounded everyone up to go back inside, though they weren’t required to return to their cells.

“I’m gonna go call my wife,” Nevada said to OJ, who nodded and followed him to the phone bank line. “That kid is fucking reckless,” he mumbled.

“He’s a loose canon,” OJ agreed.

“We gotta find out how loose,” Nevada replied.

As they got to the front of the line, OJ moved to the side so Nevada could make his call.

An inmate from the Attica Correctional Facility…

“Nevada Ramirez.”

….is calling you collect. To accept these charges, press the pound key.

You pressed the pound key, already close to tears.

“You're a stupid asshole, you know that?” you whispered as you sniffled and held back harder crying. “I hate you,” you hissed but you both knew the words were empty.

“Why am I the stupid asshole?” he asked with a smirk. “You get my message?”

“Yes,” you whispered. “But I still hate you.”

“No you don’t,” he replied. “What are you doing right now?”

“I put the kids down for a nap and I'm...sitting on the bed staring at an empty fucking space,” you choked off a sob. “Wait...” You set the phone down for a second and composed yourself before picking it back up. “You're safe right? In with your crew, no problems?” Your voice was calmer now.

“Oye, ten cuidado, carajo. I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” he answered softly. “When are you coming up to visit me?”

“I don't know,” you said softly. “I don't know if I can hold it together when I see you,” you admitted.

“You’re gonna go a whole year and a half without seeing me?” he asked.

“No,” you said after a long moment. “Of course I want to see you.”

“I want to see you too,” he answered. “I’m gonna get all buff for you,” he added, trying to lighten your mood.

“I love your body the way it is, I miss the way you smell,” you smiled and closed your eyes. “I feel like I can't remember already how you smell.”

“Coño, you have my soap right there in the bathroom, my cologne on the dresser,” he replied. “Don’t worry, Dama, thirteen months will go by like that.”

“If you say so,” you said sadly. “Anyway, I miss you. If I was there I'd suck your cock,” you said with a giggle. “Is this how prison talk works?”

He chuckled softly, letting his forehead rest against the cold cement wall.

“It might make things more interesting for the guys listening in,” he mused. “Why don’t you tell me all about how you’d suck my cock” he added in a much quieter voice.

“Ooh, I wonder who's listening in! Hello boys!” You smiled and leaned in. “Well first I'd get down on my knees for you, you know how much I love being on my knees for mi rei,” you hummed. “I might even beg for it a little if it had been a long time, batting my lashes and saying, please papi, I need your cock.”

You were definitely putting on a bit of a show.

“I'd take you in my hands and tease you first with my tongue, base to tip, stopping for a second to lick over the head of your cock in the hopes that I’d get to taste you,” you purred.

You have five minutes remaining…

“Keep going,” he said when you were reconnected.

“I'd take you all the way down, swallow around your big cock, you know how much I love it when you fuck my mouth,” you whispered and smirked when you heard him hum. “I'd take you right to the edge before letting you get a taste of your pretty peach.”

You blushed as you made a little noise of pleasure without thinking.

“I'd let you eat me until I was soaking wet and then you'd bend me over the dresser and slam into me, all the way inside of me,” you bit your lip. “You're so big, there's always a little burn when you first go in, I love it.”

Nevada peeked over his shoulder to make sure no one saw him reach down and rearrange himself to hide his semi. An erection in prison was a great way of drawing the wrong kind of attention, and in order to get out on parole, he would need to keep from killing anyone or giving the courts reason to keep him inside.

Satisfied that his motions went unnoticed, he turned his head to face the wall again.

“How hard would you want me to fuck you?” he asked.

“Really hard, Papi, I'd have you slam into me until I felt it every time I sat down for days. I'd think of your big cock and get wet all over again. I'd let you pull my hair and smack my ass and I'd let you come anywhere you wanted.”

“Anywhere?” he asked.

You have two minutes remaining…

“Si,” you purred, “where would you wanna come, Papi?”

“In your mouth,” he answered. “Watch you swallow it all down like a good girl.”

“I never miss a drop, right Papi?” you hummed softly as you heard the beep for one minute warnings. “I love you so much,” you whispered.

“I love you t--”

The call disconnected, and Nevada hung up the phone, moving back towards OJ and Miguel.

“How's she holding up?” OJ asked casually.

“Not bad. She’ll be alright,” Nevada answered.

[evelynsmusings]

A Grand Tour Of Greece: 14 Days Itinerary in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete

A romantic destination fit for a honeymoon? No, it’s not just that. Beyond the blue and white facades, Athens is a jaw-droppingly ancient city, filled with an endless coastline and stunning architecture. As the cradle of Western civilization, it has some of the world's greatest ancient monuments. While it's a late bloomer in the modern age and retains echoes of a simpler, time-passed world, contemporary Greece has one of Europe's fastest-changing cultural landscapes. With its classical past, hang-loose present, and edgy future, Greece offers something for every traveler!

Highlights: 

Get acquainted with the historical city at the Old Port

Time travel back by visiting cultural museums 

Stroll along a pink natural pool where you can paddle or lie back and float in shimmering water!

Visit Europe’s oldest city!

Wander the picturesque streets of Oia, Fira and Pyrgos towns

Explore the alleys of Mykonos Town

Have a Romantic Dinner Overlooking the Caldera

 Swim at a Red Sand Beach!

Take a boat trip to the archaeological site of Delos! 

BRIEF ITINERARY:

Day 1 Arrive in Athens

Day 2 Explore the historical and cultural museums of Athens 

Day 3 Continue exploring Monasteries and incredible districts 

Day 4 Athens to Mykonos

Day 5 Explore Mykonos

Day 6 A Day trip to Delos 

Day 7 Mykonos to Santorini

Day 8 Hiking from Fira to Oia 

Day 9 Last day in Santorini

Day 10 Santorini to Crete

Day 11 Visit the town of Chania!

Day 12 Explore the Pink Beaches of Crete

Day 13 Return to Athens 

Day 14 Depart Athens  

DETAILED ITINERARY:

Day 1: Arrive in Athens 

Welcome to Athens, Greek capital's best-kept secret. Gritty and edgier than the majority of European capital, this city is filled with many well-kept rabbit-holes which will reward open-minded travelers that venture off the beaten path. Touch down onto the Greek’s land and take the Metro Line 3 which connects Athens airport with its city center. Stowaway your luggage and prepare to take a visit through time! 

Begin your adventure at The Acropolis, the most recognizable landmark in Athens. It takes a couple of hours to explore the site and there is a bit of uphill walking. That means it’s also a good idea to start here early in the morning before the day gets too hot (especially in the warmer months). There are the ruins of buildings and monuments on ground level but the highlights are on the top, where the Parthenon takes center stage.

No visit to the Acropolis is complete without also visiting the excellent Acropolis Museum at the base of the site. This large and modern building has an extensive collection of artifacts that were found in the area. It gives you a good impression of how it would once have been laid out and decorated. The Acropolis Museum tops the lists of the best museums in the world. The new museum which opened its doors in 2009 is a piece of art designed and completed by New York’s, Bernard Tschumi together with the local Greek architect Michael Photiadi. The Acropolis Museum spans over three floors and houses the frieze of the temple of Parthenon among other prized possessions such as the five Caryatids which are the original version of the maidens that supported the porch of the Erechtheion.

From the Acropolis Museum, it’s only a five-minute walk to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, through Hadrian’s Arch. This impressive temple was built in the 6th century BC and, even though only a small section of it is left, you can picture how large and grand it must once have been.

If you buy the combined entry ticket for the Acropolis, then entrance is included here.

After all of this, you’ll probably be hungry. A great option for lunch is Aegli Zappiou, which is just a few minute's walk from the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Aegli Zappiou has a casual cafe area and a separate restaurant. There is a good selection of Greek and international food to choose from. There is also a fantastic view of The Zappeion building, which was built as the administrative center of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.

After lunch, take a stroll through the Plaka district, which is just a few minutes from Aegli Zappiou, back towards the Acropolis. This is one of the oldest parts of the city although most of the buildings here now are from the 1800s. It is a rather touristy part of town but for good reason. The cute streets have little shops and cafes (if you are in need of a coffee) and quite a few small ancient monuments.

After seeing the Acropolis by day and up close, why not spend the evening admiring it at night. The restaurant at the Electra Palace Hotel has a fantastic view of the site from every table. There are an inside and an outside area and the menu is fantastic. The specialty is modern Greek food and the friendly staff will help you match some of the local wines with the dishes you choose.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ARTICLE ON ANYWHR’S WEBSITE

Day 2: Explore the historical and cultural museums of Athens 

Begin your morning at the Panathenaic Stadium, where major sporting events were held. It was refurbished to host the 1st Modern Olympic Games in 1896.

Next, visit one of the top attractions in Athens was built in AD 161 by a Roman Herodes Atticus for his wife Regilla. If you are visiting Athens in the summer check out the Athens & Epidaurus Festival program which takes place at the Odeon of Herodes. Over the years some of the world’s most elite performers such as Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Sting, and many others have taken its stage. 

If you’re interested in trying some good local Greek food, a great option is to have lunch at the Byzantino restaurant in the Athens Hilton. It’s perfect if you’ve worked up a hunger while exploring in the morning – and it’s right near my suggested afternoon activities.

Less than a ten-minute walk from Byzantino is the Byzantine Museum, which is one of the best museums in Athens. There is an enormous collection of about 25,000 items from the 3rd century AD through to medieval times.While it is not what you might normally think of as ‘Ancient Greece’, this Byzantine period was influenced by the Classical Period and was extremely influential in the culture of Athens today.

A little bit further down the same street is the main building of the Benaki Museum (I say ‘main’ building because there are some satellite buildings with specialty exhibitions). The Benaki Museum has an excellent collection of works from Ancient Greece on the ground floor. The really interesting thing about this museum, though, is that the exhibitions cover the entire Greece history up to the past century.Within the one building you can get a sense of all the important stages in the development of the country in a very well-presented way. This museum is a must-see!

Nearby you’ll also find the Museum of Cycladic Art.This museum has a great collection of Greek antiquities with a focus on prehistoric art from the Cyclades islands in Aegean Sea. There are about 350 Cycladic pieces including marble sculpture, pottery and metalwork.

In the same part of town as these museums is an excellent restaurant that embraces the traditional Greek style of eating. Cookoovaya dishes are made to be shared and although the food has a modern flavour, it’s an authentic experience to have the large plates all on the table together. There is a lovely atmosphere at the restaurant with inside and outside areas and an excellent wine list to complement the dishes.

Day 3: Continue exploring Monasteries and incredible districts 

There is no better museum in Athens to see artefacts from Ancient Greece than the National Archaeological Museum. It is an incredible collection with thousands of sculptures, pottery examples and other pieces of art and history.

Kerameikos Cemetery, the ancient cemetery has about 1000 tombs from the 4th and 5th centuries BC. It was constructed on the edge of the old city wall, just outside the entrance, and was the burial ground for citizens of all classes. What is so fascinating about the site is the tombstones – each a piece of art in its own right.

While you are in the area around Kerameikos Cemetery, a good option for lunch would be one of the new restaurants in the nearby Gazi district. This is an interesting part of Athens that has a bit of a ‘hipster’ vibe and is definitely on the up. There are lots of places to eat here so I’m not going to recommend any one in particular – have a wander and sit down somewhere that takes your fancy. It’s unlikely you’ll be displeased.

Next, head to Kaisariani Monastery. This Byzantine complex was established in the 10th century on Mount Hymettus, overlooking Athens. The original church from this period is still accessible and some of the frescoes are in excellent condition. This Eastern Orthodox monastery is an important part of the story of Athens which, of course, did not stop after the Classical Period.

On the outskirts of Athens is the Daphni Monastery, another Byzantine site. Daphni does not have as nice a setting but it is more significant and a much more impressive building. It is part of a World Heritage Site that includes other Byzantine monasteries in Greece.

End your night at Ermou street, for shopping addicts!

Day 4: Athens to Mykonos

Rise and shine, it’s time to head to your next city. Extreme nightlife, glamour, crowded beaches and party till the sun comes out. And these are not even half of the reasons why Mykonos is such a popular destination! Mykonos has a traditional beauty, apart from its party scene. Its main town, Chora is the perfect example of Cycladic architecture. Cycladic white and blue little houses, narrow paths, and cute churches create the perfect scenery for unforgettable holidays. What’s more, Mykonos is famous for its traditional windmills. You will find them near Chora and you bet they will be your favorite photo background.

The good thing is, ferries from Athens to Mykonos are frequent! This means you don’t have to worry whether you’ll manage to catch a specific ferry. Expect to do a 3 to 6 hours trip, depending on the type of the ferry you’re traveling with. Once you get there, you’ll have to get a taxi to downtown Mykonos. An alternative is to take a bus or your hotel’s bus, which will get you straight to your hotel in Mykonos! Take a short breather in your hotel before heading out for some classic Mykonian Lunch

De-stress and eat near the Old Port. Walking along the strip, you can find various afforable lunch options! Try Madoupas, a restaurant famous for serving traditional Greek meals at reasonable prices. Taste their Mykonian platter which includes island specialties - louza and pork sausage!  

For your first day in Mykonos, it’s best to start with a little shopping at the old port! There are many souvenirs and boutique shops located throughout the city. You can find anything from your standard souvenir items to high-end quality leather or jewelry shops. It is definitely worth the look if you want to find a unique item to take home with you! Don’t forget to stop to take a few pictures as you make your way through the town. The white-washed walls and colorful doors and windows are definitely photo-worthy.

Close out your first day by catching the sunset in the “Little Venice” area. You should aim to grab something to eat or drink in one of the restaurants lining the bay. Get a reservation in advance to make sure your viewing spot is confirmed! This will help you avoid fighting the crowds or needing to find a seat far in advance. If it interests you, there are many options for nightlife around Little Venice and throughout Mykonos Town as well.

Day 5: Mykonos

Wake up early to have Mykonos Old Town to yourself! Walk through the empty streets and orient yourselves through the maze like alleys. Head to get some breakfast and start day 2 with some Mykonos sightseeing! Mykonos town is set among a series of cobblestone alleys and narrow, almost maze-like village side lanes that create a postcard perfect picture of Greek architecture.

From there, trace your route to Kastro's. It is a restaurant, famous on Instagram for its idyllic narrow alley heading to the sea! Our last stop was Panagia Paraportiani. This whitewashed church is one of the most photographed churches in the world because of its unusual shape and architecture.

Your trip wouldn't be complete without meeting the island's resident pelican - Petros III! He is the official mascot of Mykonos. 

End a long day of exploring with a sunset yoga session at Castle Panigirakis. Class starts at 6:30pm daily, and you’ll be treated to a view of the sun going down over Delos Island and all of the white washed buildings of the village below. A truly unique experience! Classes are all level vinyasa. The castle itself is stunning, and there’s a 180 degree bar as well for after class.

Mykonos is the party island of the Cyclades and has the best nightlife in Greece. You can start your evening by taking a stroll down the picturesque old harbour of Mykonos. There are many cafes and restaurants in the area overlooking the sea. As the evening progresses you can visit the legendary Scandinavian bar, the gay-friendly Jackie O, Cavo Paradiso or you can head in one of the famous beach bars like Nammos, Scorpios and Jackie O on the beach. The options are endless!

Day 6: Day trip to Delos Island 

Make your way to Mykonos old port to catch a short ferry read over to Delos island! Keep in mind that boats may be cancelled on windy days, and that these times may change at any time, so always confirm them at the port! A UNESCO World Heritage site, this is considered as one of the most important Archaeological sites in Greece for it was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Delos island served as a religious center for religions throughout the neighboring regions from the 8th through the 1st century B.C.

Despite the fires that destroyed the island’s homes, the remains you find there are quite remarkable. Try going for the Ancient Delos Tour guided tour so that you can best understand what life was like on the island in ancient times. 

As you make your way around the ruins from the Sacred Harbour, where the tour boats dock, sights not to miss include the Sanctuary of Apollo, lined with the remains of three temples dedicated to the god, the Artemision – a sanctuary of Artemis, Apollo’s twin sister, and the Terrace of Lions, lined with the much-photographed replica lion statues. Nearby is the overgrown Sacred Lake where Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis after hiding from the wrath of Hera, Zeus’ wife, Zeus being the twins’ father.

In the Theatre Quarter, formerly home to Delos’ wealthiest inhabitants, spot the mosaic depicting the wine god Dionysos riding a panther at the House of Dionysos, and another superb mosaic featuring lions, dolphins and griffins at the House of Dolphins. If you have time, it’s well worth climbing Mt Mynthos for great views of the surrounding islands and to visit the Sanctuaries of Zeus and Athena.

Visit the archeological museum and see exhibits on the island’s major historical periods. Enjoy some free time to further explore the museum on your own and to hunt for souvenirs in the museum shop. Make your way back to Mykonos on the last ferry at 7.30PM and head for some dinner before you rest for the night!

Day 7: Mykonos to Santorini

After breakfast at your hotel, you'll get an early ferry to Santorini. Nothing says "good morning" like watching the sun coming up over the island's iconic cubic architecture. Upon arrival, you'll take in the island's central caldera—the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history—rising above you. 

Spend your first morning on Santorini exploring some of the towns! What better way to get to know the island than to explore the capital, Fira! (Also known as Thira of Thera) The main town, lies on the curve of the caldera, facing west. The ferries arrive at the port that lies south of the main town. Its picturesque whitewashed buildings cling to the sides of the cliffs.

Walk on the 587 steps old donkey trail from Fira down to the Old Port, in amongst all the donkeys is not for the faint-hearted, especially in the midst of summer.   If the steps don’t get you, being on alert for the donkeys, and having to get close to the wall as they weave their way down, often laden with passengers! 

Catch the cable car back up to the top!  It’s only 5 euros and allows you to sit back and take advantage of the views once more, without expending all of your own energy, leaving room at the top for some shopping and browsing around the wonderful shops.

Before you head back, grab dinner in Fira.  There are so many options to choose from and especially if you’re looking to grab food after sunset, it should be a lot easier. Opt to try Ouzeri, a traditional Greek restaurant that has a homely vibe to it. Try the Santorini Yellow Donkey beer before you head back to your hotel for rest. 

Day 8: Hiking from Fira to Oia

In the morning, lace up your walking shoes. From Fira, it is about a four-hour hike to Oia, and vice versa. The walk follows the rim of the caldera and passes through Firostefani and Imerovigli as well as Fira and Oia. From the ridge, you’ll have spectacular views of both the inland plains and the Aegean Sea. Start early in the summer, as it gets hot by late morning, and bring water. There are shops in which to buy water or snacks in the towns, as well as vendors on the street.

Oia is the most famous, for this is the town with the iconic blue domed roofs and whitewashed buildings. It is on the northern curve of the caldera, facing south toward the rest of the island. Oia is an ideal place from which to watch the sunset! While still a major tourist attraction, it is quieter than Fira. You will find many shops, cafes, and tavernas in Oia, as well as a lot of art galleries. There are remains of a Venetian fortress as well as old captains houses that are worth viewing.

Spend the afternoon at the Akrotiri archaeological site. This famous Minoan Bronze Age settlement site was buried by the volcano eruption of Thera in 1627BC. Akrotiri is very similar to the Roman site at Pompeii since both are incredibly well preserved by the volcanic ash. It is often suggested that Plato used it for his inspiration of Atlantis, hence why many people believe that the lost island of Atlantis was either near or a part of Santorini.

Akrotiri is a working archaeological site. Visitors have a chance to see the settlement, the pottery, frescoes, mosaics, and more that only revealed themselves to the world in the late 19th century. Excavations began in the 1960s and continue today.

From the archaeological site, you can walk back into the town of Akrotiri. This agricultural town is one of the least visited on the island, and chances are you will see few other visitors. Continue to the right to reach the popular Red Beach for a late afternoon swim!

End the day by watching the sunset go down at Oia. Bear in mind that people flock to the island to catch a glimpse of Santorini sunsets to prepare for a little stamped but if you choose to end your exploring with a hike to Sarkos Rock then you will be rewarded with great sunset views and no crowds!

Day 9: Last day in Santorini

Get started in Fira with an early morning tour of the volcanic islands and the hot springs in the middle of the caldera. There are a variety of tours available in different styles and price ranges, but those simply wanting a boat ride out to the caldera islands can easily find it. On tours, visiting the nearby island of Thirasia is often an option. There are several good hiking trails located there, and the views from the mountaintop are excellent. Be sure to stop by Captain John’s and sample the grilled swordfish.

Upon returning to Fira, one should check out the Museum of Prehistoric Thira, which is located only a short walk from the main square and features a variety of ancient Minoan artworks that have been recovered from the nearby village of Akrotiri. 

Spend some time in Fira walking the narrow streets and admiring the Cycladic houses, browsing boutiques and enjoying the occasional Caldera views. You'll see medieval villages at Megalochori and Pyrgos and stop for a wine tasting to sample varietals dating back centuries. Finally, have dinner at the superior Apion restaurant, which not only has great views of the sunset but also provides excellent service and tasty cuisine! 

Day 10: Santorini to Crete

Rise and shine! It’s time to explore a new city. Grab some breakfast at your hotel and head over to Santorini’s port to catch a ferry to Crete. Touch down at Heraklion, the capital of Crete after a 2 hour high speed ferry ride and check in to your hotel! 

Start your historical adventure in Crete by visiting it’s biggest and best-preserved Minoan site lies just five kilometers southeast of Heraklion. The Palace of Knossos is a vast monumental palace, believed to have been the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos. Remarkably sophisticated, it is a sprawling maze of royal chambers, grand staircases, storerooms, and workshops. The throne room is still in place with the original throne, and replicas of many of the frescoes have been restored to the walls.

As you continue to walk around the town of Heraklion, visit the Koules Fortress. The fortress is a living sign of the Venetian rule that lasted for more than four centuries on the island before Ottomans came in (and rules for another 200 years!). An easy walk at the promenade leads to the fort. Aftwards, you can also choose to visit the Crete aquarium, Cretaquarium, which is considered one of the largest in Europe and displays unique sea life of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Finish your day by strolling along the waterfront. Some of Heraklion's best seafood restaurants, an ancient fortress, museums, and amazing views are what you'll find here.The walks consist of two sections: the main waterfront stroll, running along the sea from east to west; and the breakwater walk, which extends out past the historical fort.

The waterfront stroll starts at the breakwater and runs east to the traffic roundabout past the ancient Venetian arches and west to the Natural History Museum. This is the option you'll want to choose if you want to stop for a bite to eat or learn a bit about the island.

To take the breakwater walk, head towards the ancient Koules Fortress and keep going. This 4.6-kilometer return walk takes you out into the sea and provides great views back towards the city and mountains in the distance. At about the halfway point, some interesting tile work adorns the breakwater.

Day 11: Visit the town of Chania!

Start the next day with a drive to the town of Chania. If you have rented a car (highly recommended to rent one in Crete), a drive from Heraklion to Chania will take about two and a half hours. Alternatively, you can catch a bus from Heraklion that operates quite frequently.

Chania is all about old narrow vivid streets, lazy walks at the Venetian harbor, nightlife, and a lot more walking in and around the old town. Pick a walking tour of the old town area, a food tour, bar hopping, beach hopping, wine tasting and many more tours available in plenty. Chania Old Town is a maze of colorful paved pedestrian streets filled with welcoming little shops for visitors to explore. Tattoo parlors, traditional tavernas, souvenir shops, cafés and bars set against a homey background. In the main square, called '1821' (taking its name from the local revolt in 1821 against the Turks), lies an ancient sycamore tree whose refreshing shade turns the 'piazza' into a perfect spot for a Greek coffee break during the day. There you will also spot one of the most significant churches of Chania, 'Agios Nikolaos', hosting both a bell tower AND a minaret, demonstrating the multicultural character of this town.

The harbour and lighthouse at Chania is where all the buzz is and it’s for a reason that this spot is insanely famous among locals and the tourists. The harbor sparkles in different shades throughout the day ending with a stunning sunset only to lighten up even more with the night life. Try Portes for a great meal and ancient ambience.

If you're wondering what to do in Chania in the evenings, then head to Daliani Street to hang out with the locals. The area is heavily frequented by people of all ages since it offers a variety of restaurants and bars that suit all tastes and budgets. 

Finally, enjoy a sunset dinner in the Tabakaria area! The Tabakaria area used to be a small industrial center of leather tanneries. Although this area has been mostly abandoned, there are still a couple of operational tanneries worth visiting during the day. Delight in dinner against a beautiful sunset at the 'Thalassino Ageri' fish restaurant!

Day 12: Crete

On the west side of the Venetian port, right next to the landmark, red Maritime Museum, you will find the 'Alcanea café & wine bar'. This cosy café offers -besides a great breakfast, great views of the port but is secluded enough to guarantee a relaxing breakfast with beautiful sea-view, away from the busy part of the port. 

Save the best for the last and visit Elafonisi, a stunning pink beach that lists on the top ten beaches of the world! Elafonisi beach is located ninety minutes away from Chania and it makes for a mind blowing drive from the town to the beach. 

The beach itself is pinkish and the sand is softer than cotton. A wide and shallow lagoon spreads for a considerable distance before the waves hit making the beach perfect for long walks into the water. The beach does receive a lot of crowd (it’s justified!) through the day and gets a bit windy; make sure you go prepared with beach accessories to make the best of the day.

Drive to the spectacular monastery of Chrisoskalitissa located on a rock 5 kms off Elafonisi. The monastery itself may not appeal to many, the views of the open Libyan Sea make for a great visit. The rock that holds the monastery is perched at 35 metres making it a natural elevation to watch the thick blue waters from. 

Day 13: Return to Athens

Make your way from Crete back to Athens! A long ferry ride awaits so make sure your bellies are filled before you head out! The Piraeus Heraklion ferry route connects Athens with Crete with a sailing duration of around 8 hours 30 minutes! 

Put on a pair of comfortable shoes and head to the Varvakios Agora to experience the raucous splendour of Athens' major fresh food market. Walk past hawkers and hampers filled with plump prawns, jostle between the crowd to buy fresh fish and hanging entrails, and then find some slow-paced solace amid the spice mountains outside. Follow your trip to the market with a stop at the fascinating Museum of Gastronomy and see how well food combines with art! You can also opt for a cooking class here!

Climb the Philopappou Hill for some great views of the Acropolis. There you can discover the Philopappou Monument, handmade cobbled roads and the church of Ayios Demetrios Loumbardiaris, the 16th-century basilica with great murals. The area of Philopappou Hill has been designated a Scheduled and Protected Monument of the Global Cultural Heritage.

For dinner, have some pomegranate sorbet and watch the sunset over the Acropolis! The Electra Rooftop Garden Hotel is a glorious hotel that drips in cream and gold and, as the name suggests, there's a rooftop terrace that overlooks the Acropolis. Now, plenty of places in Athens overlook the Acropolis but this one lives right up close and it serves a delicious pomegranate sorbet!

Day 14: Return home

On your final day, depart from the historic city center after grabbing some breakfast at your hotel! From ancient romance to skyscrapers and edgy street art, Athens is all the better for being a city that's hard to define! 

[zanegreytours]

Real Richmond Wedding: Jenny and Connor at Amber Grove

Jenny and Connor March 3, 2018

How They Met Jenny and Connor first met in 2012 during their senior year of high school, Jenny was at Midlothian and Connor at Clover Hill. Jenny’s neighbor happened to be Connor’s childhood best friend. The two met at their mutual friend’s bonfire, and swear their friends were trying to set them up. They made plans to go to a movie, and after it ended, they talked for hours. Jenny explains, “The rest is history!”

Connor joined the Marine Corps during Jenny’s sophomore year of college at James Madison University. They had a long distance relationship for three years while Connor got settled in his life as a marine and Jenny finished college. “We wrote letters through boot camp, I drove hours to graduations, he drove hours to see me at home and school, and we became masters of Skype dates!”

Once Jenny graduated in 2016, the long distance was finally over and they moved into their first place.

The Proposal Connor asked Jenny to be his wife on their five year anniversary, February 18th, 2017. He planned an entire day for the two of them, doing a bunch of things they loved to do together on Hilton Head Island. “We cooked a big breakfast together, went out to lunch, went mini golfing, with the loser buying ice cream after (Connor).” He made reservations at their favorite restaurant for dinner, and after as they were strolling the Shelter Cove Marina, Connor said he had an anniversary present for Jenny. He handed Jenny a bag and told her she should sit down. Jenny took out the tissue paper and saw a ring box sitting at the bottom. Jenny was stunned. “I just looked at him and he finally said, ‘Jenny I need you to hand me that box.'” Connor got down on one knee and proposed. “It was the most meaningful day and the perfect proposal.”

The Details They chose Amber Grove because of how almost every aspect was taken care of. “We worked with Amber Grove on everything from timelines to linens to menu to location of the getaway car.” Jenny’s bridesmaids had the perfect space to get ready as did Connor’s groomsmen. “Because of the amazing staff, everyone was able to enjoy the day and not feel like they were working!”

Jenny and Connor were stationed in South Carolina during their planning process, but the two were set on Richmond and wanted that romantic southern wedding feel. “Pinterest definitely helped!” Their colors were classic with navy, gold, and blush accents. For the flowers, they used light pink and white flowers with an abundance of greenery.

Their ceremony was picture-perfect in Amber Grove’s barn. White petals lined the aisle, and throughout the ceremony, they had personalized details like a picture of their dog, Scout, on the back of the program as the “Dog of Honor.”

“We wanted the entire event to be meaningful, light, and fun!” At their reception, they had a s’more’s bar, giant Jenga, corn hole, and a cigar bar for guests to enjoy during the cocktail hour. They also had a Polaroid camera guest book, which Jenny says is her favorite keepsake from the day. Instead of favors, Jenny and Connor made a donation to an organization near and dear to their hearts, The Wingman Foundation. “On Connor’s first deployment, one of his pilots died tragically during a mission. It was devastating, but we were able to witness first hand how this foundation supports affected families and the military community.”

Their night ended with a sparkler send-off as they drove off in Connor’s beloved Chevy Silverado.

Favorite Part of the Day “Our absolute favorite part of the day was the first look. Originally we did not want to do one, but we decided to go for it. It helped to calm our butterflies and was so meaningful to have those private moments together before the ceremony.”

Biggest Challenge “The biggest challenge was that we planned a majority of the wedding from a distance. It was a lot of FaceTime with vendors and pictures of ideas!”

Best Piece of Advice “Once you make a decision, stick with it! It is so easy to go back and forth and change your mind when there are so many ideas and opinions…It’s your day!”

The post Real Richmond Wedding: Jenny and Connor at Amber Grove appeared first on Richmond Weddings.

[tabloidtoc]

National Enquirer, November 16

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Jeffrey Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell’s nights with Prince Andrew and teen Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Page 2: Brad Pitt kicked married galpal Nicole Poturalski to the curb after getting flak from his ex Angelina Jolie -- Brad’s relationship with Nicole hit the skids after Brad decided he needed to shore up his image during his ongoing custody battle with Angie and his focus right now is to get his dad image back on track and give Angie no more ammo to fling back at him

Page 3: Tiger Woods’ romance with Erica Herman has gone off course over legal troubles and wedding pressure and bickering over where to live and Tiger is so fed up he’s considering ditching his nagging girlfriend in Florida and moving back to his native California -- Erica’s been pressuring him to put a ring on it ever since she moved into his Jupiter Island mansion and that’s something he just won’t do and she’s already taken over his household buying new furniture and remodeling the master bath and building a new closet and hiring a gourmet chef -- California is looking better and better to Tiger who only moved to Florida to play on its tough Bermuda grass which helped improve his swing but now Tiger’s ex Elin lives in Florida with their two kids 

Page 4: Miranda Lambert is scoffing at ex Blake Shelton’s newly announced engagement to Gwen Stefani and she’s convinced Blake’s third walk down the aisle has failure written all over it because she thinks Blake’s bad to the bone and this marriage will wind up being a total disaster and after the hell Blake put her through Miranda can’t imagine his life with Gwen would be any different, lifelong bachelor Simon Cowell has had a change of heart since his horrific August accident and he’s finally ready to tie the knot with baby mama Lauren Silverman -- after spinal surgery to repair his broken back the entertainment mogul feels lucky to be alive and walking and the one constant in his difficult rehab after surgery has been Lauren and he wants to pay her back with a ring 

Page 5: Train-wreck Wendy Williams’ wacky behavior has TV producers scrambling behind the scenes to find her replacement after her unhinged performance on a recent episode of her talk show where she slurred her words and rambled incoherently -- there had been a hope a chatfest helmed by Nick Cannon could be a safety net should the daytime diva who spent a stint in a sober living house last year not be able to continue hosting but plans for that were pushed back after the comic made anti-Semitic rants in a podcast -- they also tried Jerry O’Connell when Wendy was out for three weeks last year but he tanked with viewers -- Wendy’s a mess and it remains to be seen how long producers will be able to put up with her problems before they decide to pull the plug 

Page 6: Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo hinted that she may be making her final rounds -- Ellen who has starred on the show since 2005 and makes $20 million a year admitted she’s considering slipping out of her scrubs after the current season 17 but her departure could spell the end of the beloved series and show creator Shonda Rhimes has said it’s unlikely the show could continue without her but Ellen has also expressed her desire to spend more time with her husband and their three children

Page 7: Mariah Carey’s brother Morgan blasted her memoir as filled with lies and distortions and he’s considering legal action -- the book called Morgan and sister Alison her ex-brother and ex-sister and Mariah wrote Morgan had a long history of violence and when she was six he slammed their mother into a wall -- Mariah also wrote her siblings and mother were heartless in terms of dealing with her as a human being and once she got famous they started treating her like an ATM with a wig on but Morgan is fighting back and looking to hire a lawyer

Page 8: Reese Witherspoon’s marriage to Jim Toth is in the muck after the stunning collapse of his new business venture and tensions are mounting in the Hollywood power couple’s already troubled union now that the streaming service Quibi crumbled after less than six months leaving content acquisition president Jim out of work while Reese’s star continues to rise and there’s a real balance of power that’s been building up and that’s put a serious strain on the relationship -- living in quarantine added to the stress between them as Reese has been holed up with her two kids with ex Ryan Phillippe Ava and Deacon and her son Tennessee with Jim at the family’s ranch in Malibu

Page 9: Dementia patient Kenny Rogers cut his three adult children out of his $250 million will and now sources fear the late country legend could have been tricked into signing the document -- Kenny left everything to his 16-year-old twins sons with fifth wife Wanda and the will also stated it was his intent to specifically exclude his daughter Carole with his first wife and son Kenny Jr. with third wife and son Christopher with fourth wife and their issue as beneficiaries of his estate -- Kenny Sr. would never disown his own children according to the source especially since the singer’s son Kenny Jr. is incorrectly referred to Kenny Rogers III throughout the will -- the wording is not like Kenny Sr. and something is not right and his older kids are thinking about contesting the will 

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Kate McKinnon shot a Saturday Night live skit in NYC, Sophia Bush hit the road in L.A. with her co-pilot pup Maggie, pregnant Jinger Duggar Vuolo in Venice with daughter Felicity, Heidi Klum walking the streets in her native Germany, Snoop Dogg saluted young rappers as he accepted BET’s I Am Hip Hop award 

Page 11: Unwitting Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler once dabbled in the secret sex cult NXIVM -- the organization masqueraded as a self-help group but in 2017 it was exposed as a pyramid scheme for founder Keith Raniere who forced high-ranking female recruits to become his sex slaves -- in 2010 Jen and Gerry who were dating at the time wound up at one of the introductory seminars but they were turned off by the level of commitment expected and never returned -- they thought it was just a networking opportunity and had no idea what they were getting themselves into, cash-crunched Gwyneth Paltrow is facing hard times like everyone else and is looking to change her free-spending ways -- the belt-tightening caused by the coronavirus pandemic has even hit her lifestyle empire Goop causing her to shut down the London branch and make hard choices for the future -- Gwyneth may be worth $100 million but she and husband Brad Falchuk spend money like it’s going out of style on private jets they use on a whim and they own a fleet of fancy cars and pay steep salaries for staff who are at their beck and call 24/7 and it’s all draining their bank accounts -- they’re looking at making cuts across the board from personal trainers and chefs and drivers to the masseurs and beauticians who come to their house several times a week -- plus the couple believe it’s a bad look for them to be living so high on the hog when the rest of the world is suffering during the pandemic

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- Angelina Jolie spent years developing her own version of the Hollywood classic Cleopatra and now she’s livid that Gal Gadot has stolen the Egyptian queen -- Angie’s dream was to play Cleopatra the role that made Elizabeth Taylor an icon and it was to be the part that won Angie an Academy Award for Best Actress and now that’s over thanks to Gal who will be playing the Queen of the Nile instead, after ABC scrapped plans to honor Regis Philbin with a prime-time tribute Jimmy Kimmel insisted on honoring Regis on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, MSNBC talking head Rachel Maddow is fleeing New York for her Massachusetts farm after hanging a $2.3 million price tag on her NYC pad but Rachel didn’t want potential buyers looking through all the personal stuff at her apartment so all the personal pictures and books and clothing and everything else was shipped out and replaced with staged furniture, Ariel Winter and her dog (picture) 

Page 13: Ailing Joni Mitchell opened up about how she’s still struggling to get back to her old self five years after a debilitating brain bleed -- after Joni was found unresponsive in her Bel-Air home in 2015 she said she was forced to relearn everyday tasks because the aneurysm took away her speech and her ability to walk and although she’s showing slow improvement she hasn’t been writing or playing the guitar or the piano, Randy Travis is defying all the odds as he plans the greatest comeback in country music history as he is making amazing progress after suffering a massive 2013 stroke that most believed would end his career forever and he was given just 1% chance of survival and even after he pulled through doctors believed he would be bedridden and unable to speak -- instead his grueling rehab efforts have miraculously put him on the road to realizing his dream of returning to the spotlight -- some of his motivation is financial; last year he sold his Nashville home and released his memoir which was fueled by his need to pay medical expenses after years of not being able to perform

Page 14: Hollywood Hookups -- Channing Tatum and Jessie J have split again, Cole Sprouse and Reina Silva dating, Kate Beckinsale and Goody Grace split 

Page 15: Ariana Grande is raising eyebrows with her raunchy new record Positions -- the former squeaky-clean Nickelodeon star who has been dating real estate agent Dalton Gomez spouted off X-rated odes to an unnamed lover on the LP, six months after sidelining her marriage to former quarterback Jay Cutler Kristin Cavallari admitted there are good days and bad days but insisted it’s been nice to be able to focus on herself and figure out who she is now and what she ultimately wants out of life, hotel heiress Kathy Hilton is joining The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as a friend of the main cast which includes her half-sister Kyle Richards

Page 16: Crime 

Page 17: On Drew Barrymore’s talk show a psychic guest channeled the spirit of one of the host’s former in-laws but the man in question is very much alive -- medium Anna Raimondi told Drew she sensed the aura of a judge causing Drew to burst into tears and named David a relative of her ex-husband Will Kopelman claiming he’d passed but Judge David Kopelman is alive and still going strong -- Will slammed Anna was a submental hack and said he was surprised that Drew chose to give oxygen to someone like that

Page 18: American Life 

Page 20: Cover Story -- Prince Andrew is desperate to quash explosive testimony by his pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein’s accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell but the socialite’s second secret deposition is torpedoing his return from royal exile -- after Ghislaine danced around details of her relationship with the disgraced Duke of York in testimony released a few weeks ago Andrew is sweating bullets about her second grilling under oath which contains details of their intimate friendship and nights with Epstein’s teen sex slave Virginia Roberts Giuffre 

Page 22: Don McLean viciously slammed ex-wife Patrisha Shnier as the worst person her ever knew but in their ongoing war of words she maintains he was abusive to her -- Don is still bitter over a 2016 domestic incident at their home in Maine that landed him behind bars and led to divorce after 30 years of marriage

Page 26: Matthew McConaughey confessed he nearly turned his back on Tinseltown to be a wildlife guide like late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin -- he made a splash in a string of blockbuster rom-coms in the ‘90s and ‘00s but he was eager to move on to meatier movies and even passed on a $14.5 million paycheck in 2010 to seek more substantial roles and the struggle left him considering other careers such as a wildlife guide, Jamie Foxx has been crushed by the death of his beloved sister DeOndra Dixon who was born with Down syndrome

Page 28: Good Catch -- Bachelor stars who are still up for grabs -- Jon Hamm, Owen Wilson, Drew Carey

Page 29: Benicio Del Toro, Ryan Seacrest, Matthew Perry, some stars seem to say I do at the drop of the hat -- Larry King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Bob Thornton 

Page 32: Olivia Munn was caught on camera flashing what looked like engagement bling on her left ring finger as she exited a gym following a morning workout in Los Angeles but she reportedly broke up with boyfriend Tucker Roberts last year leaving fans wondering who bought the stunning sparkler 

Page 36: Health Watch 

Page 42: Red Carpet -- Michelle Pfeiffer 

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- Allison Janney on Mom 

Page 47: Odd List 

[winstonsramblings-blog]

STRESS

          STRESS. PEOPLE TALK ABOUT STRESS AND NOT HAVING ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY TO GET THINGS DONE.  I JUST SHAKE MY HEAD AND CHUCKLE SOFTLY TO MYSELF AT THESE PEOPLE. I WORK SIXTY TO SEVENTY HOURS A WEEK, GO TO SCHOOL FULL TIME, AND MY WIFE AND I HAVE SIX CHILDREN RANGING IN AGE FROM ELEVEN TO SEVENTEEN. I KNOW ABOUT NOT HAVING TIME. STRESS THOUGH IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, SO TO SPEAK. 

I HAVE HAD MANY JOBS/ CAREERS IN MY FORTY FIVE YEARS ON THIS PLANET AND A FEW OF THEM ARE SOME OF THE MOST STRESSFUL YOU CAN POSSIBLY HAVE. I STARTED WORKING FOR MY GRANDFATHER AT THE AGE OF TWELVE AT A FULL SERVICE GAS STATION. FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT IN THE KNOW THAT IS A GAS STATION WHERE SOMEONE PUMPS YOUR GAS, CHECKS YOUR FLUIDS UNDER THE HOOD, CLEANS YOUR WINDSHIELD FOR YOU, THEN TAKES YOUR PAYMENT. YOU NEVER HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR IF YOU DIDN’T WANT TO. THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS. I DID THAT FROM TWELVE TO THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN WHEN, WITH THE BLESSING AND SIGNATURES OF MY PARENTS, I JOINED THE MUCH BELOVED AND FEARED UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. THAT IS WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT STRESS. 

UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS MAGNIFICENT BROTHERHOOD YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS LIKE. OH SURE, THERE ARE TONS OF STORIES AND MOVIES LIKE FULL METAL JACKET, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, JARHEAD, AND HEARTBREAK RIDGE JUST TO NAME A FEW. THESE FILMS ALL HAVE THEIR PLUSES AND MINUSES BUT ALL SHARE ONE COMMON THEME. THE MARINES ARE CRAZY AND THE GREATEST FIGHTING FORCE IN THE WORLD. THERE IS  A REASON FOR THAT. I HAVE HEARD IT PUT THIS WAY BEFORE, “THERE ARE ONLY TWO BRANCHES OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY THE  ARMY AND NAVY, THE AIR FORCE IS A CORPORATION, AND THE MARINES ARE A CULT.” FOR EXAMPLE, DID YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU WANT TO SWITCH FROM ANY OTHER MILITARY BRANCH TO THE MARINE CORPS YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH MARINE CORPS BOOT CAMP BUT IF YOU WANTED TO SWITCH FROM THE MARINES TO ANOTHER BRANCH YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT BRANCHES BASIC TRAINING? MARINE CORPS BASIC TRAINING IS CONSIDERED BY ALL BRANCHES TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT BY FAR. I WENT TO THE STORIED AND INTIMIDATING PARRIS ISLAND FOR BASIC TRAINING/ BOOT CAMP ON JULY SEVENTEENTH. SPENDING MY THREE MONTHS OF THE MOST CHALLENGING TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES DURING THE HOTTEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR. PARRIS ISLAND STARTED TRAINING RECRUITS IN NOVEMBER OF 1915. IT WAS BUILT IN A SWAMP ACROSS THE HARBOR RIVER JUST NORTH OF HILTON HEAD SOUTH CAROLINA. THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THE TWO IS NOT LOST ON THE RECRUITS OF THE MARINE RECRUIT DEPOT. WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON THE ISLAND YOU ARE THRUST INTO ANOTHER WORLD. INITIAL INDOC, AT LEAST WHEN I WAS THERE, KEEPS YOU UP FOR ABOUT FORTY HOURS STRAIGHT FROM THE MOMENT YOU STEP ONTO THE YELLOW FOOTPRINTS. I WOULD SUGGEST WATCHING THE DOCUMENTARY MAKING MARINES IF YOU WANT A SCALED BACK TASTE OF WHAT IT IS LIKE THERE FOR THREE MONTHS OF YOUR LIFE. TO SAY THERE IS STRESS IS TO PUT IT LIGHTLY. PEOPLE DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO GET OUT OF IT INCLUDING  SUICIDE. I WAS ASSIGNED TO THIRD BATTALION PLATOON 3117. WE STARTED TRAINING WITH SIXTY-FIVE RECRUITS AND ENDED WITH TWENTY-SEVEN. WHICH SHOULD BE ENOUGH OF AN EXAMPLE TO SHOW YOU HOW STRENUOUS THE TRAINING IS. STRESS ON THAT LEVEL IS IN PLACE TO PUSH YOU TO YOUR BREAKING POINT. TO EMULATE JUST A FRACTION OF WHAT COMBAT STRESS IS. I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPLAIN THE LEVEL OF STRESS INVOLVED IN COMBAT. THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT COULD POSSIBLY EXPLAIN. I LOVED MY TIME IN THE MARINE CORPS, A LOT OF THE TIME IT WAS JUST LIKE ANY NORMAL JOB, WITH EXCEPTION OF MOVING ALL THE TIME AND LOTS OF WEAPONS USED. I AM PROUD OF MY SERVICE BUT I  DECIDED THAT A CHANGE WAS NEEDED SO I MOVED ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER OF MY LIFE. 

ONCE YOU HAVE A JOB WHERE YOU FLY AROUND IN HUEY HELICOPTERS AND FIRE THOUSANDS OF ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION THE REGULAR NINE TO FIVE OFFICE JOBS DON’T REALLY MEET YOUR ADRENALINE DEMANDS SO I PICKED A JOB THAT WOULD SATISFY THAT NEED AND ALSO DO SOME GOOD IN THE WORLD. I BECAME A FIREFIGHTER AND PARAMEDIC. WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL TO LEARN THE SKILLS TO ACHIEVE THAT DREAM I WORKED AS AN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN AND EVENTUALLY AN AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE MANAGER. I ALSO VOLUNTEERED WITH A FIRE RESCUE COMPANY AS A WAY TO FILL MY NEED FOR ADRENALINE. ONCE MY INITIAL TRAINING WAS COMPLETE I GOT A JOB WORKING FOR THE LOCAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE. THERE ARE OFTEN JOKES MADE ABOUT EMS. FOR INSTANCE, THAT EMS WORKERS ARE JUST GLORIFIED TAXI DRIVERS OR THAT EMS STANDS FOR EARN MONEY SLEEPING. I WILL ADMIT THAT EMS IS A LOT OF HURRY UP AND WAIT AND JUST PLAIN WAITING AROUND BUT WHEN THE TONES GO OFF YOU SOMETIMES HAVE TO GO FROM ZERO TO ONE HUNDRED FIFTY IN A SPLIT SECOND. SOMETIMES THIS HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE EATING, OR SLEEPING, OR GOING TO THE BATHROOM. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS THE ADRENALINE AND THE STRESS SKYROCKET. I THEN GOT HIRED AS A FIREFIGHTER / PARAMEDIC ON AN ENGINE COMPANY AND RESCUE TRUCK. I KEPT THE EMS JOB AS WELL AND WOULD SOMETIMES WORK THIRTY SIX TO FORTY EIGHT HOURS STRAIGHT. I WAS RAISING A FAMILY AT THE SAME TIME AND TO SAY THAT I WAS RUNNING WIDE OPEN AND RUNNING ON EMPTY WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I STILL COULDN’T GET ENOUGH IT SEEMED BECAUSE I ADDED THE JOB OF SKI PATROLER TO MY JUGGLING ACT FOR FIVE MONTHS OF THE YEAR. I HELD PEOPLE’S LIVES IN MY HANDS. I PULLED THEM FROM BURNING HOUSES, I HAD CUT THEM FROM MANGLED HUNKS OF METAL THAT USED TO BE THEIR WAY TO THE GROCERY STORE, I HAD KEPT THEIR HEARTS PUMPING BY COMPRESSING THEIR CHESTS WITH MY BARE HANDS UNTIL I GOT A CARDIAC RHYTHM I COULD ALTER THROUGH SHOCKING THEM, I HAD RAPPELLED DOWN CLIFFS TO EXTRICATE THEM FROM WHERE THEY HAD FALLEN. I HAD FOUND THE FOUNTAIN OF ADRENALINE THAT I HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR AND HAD CREATED A LEVEL OF STRESS THAT WAS MONUMENTAL AND UNFATHOMABLE. 

WHEN YOU ARE IN THE MAELSTROM AND FIGHTING AGAINST THE SINKING OF YOUR SHIP YOU BECOME SO FOCUSED ON BAILING WATER YOU SOMETIMES FORGET THAT THERE ARE LIFE PRESERVERS AND RAFTS TO SAVE YOU. PEOPLE WERE CONSTANTLY TELLING ME HOW TIRED I LOOKED AND ASKING ME IF THERE WAS A TIME THAT I DIDN’T WORK. MY CHILDREN CONSTANTLY ASKING ME WHEN I WOULD BE HOME. THEN I GOT A WAKE UP CALL THAT I COULDN’T HIT SNOOZE ON. IT WAS CHRISTMAS DAY 2009. MY  TWENTY FOUR HOUR SHIFT AT FIRE RESCUE WAS CHRISTMAS EVE. IT STARTED RAINING ABOUT EIGHT O’CLOCK ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND THE TEMPS STARTED FALLING SHORTLY AFTER. I HAD TOLD MY RELIEF TO TAKE HIS TIME COMING IN ON CHRISTMAS MORNING SO HE COULD SPEND SOME TIME WITH HIS KIDS. I LIVED IN TOWN AND WAS GOING TO TAKE THE QUICK RESPONSE VEHICLE HOME SO I COULD SEE MY KIDS OPEN THEIR PRESENTS. THE DRIVE TO THE HOUSE WAS LESS THAN HALF A MILE TO THE STATION BUT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS EVEN ON THE SALT TREATED ROADS. I HAD JUST ENOUGH TIME WHEN I GOT HOME TO HUG AND KISS MY CHILDREN AND TELL THEM MERRY CHRISTMAS BEFORE THE FIRST CALL CAME IN. I RUSHED BACK TO THE STATION, OR AS CLOSE TO A RUSH AS COULD BE EXPECTED IN THE CONDITIONS. JUMPED INTO AN ATTACK ENGINE AND HEADED TO THE FIRE CALL. THE WEIGHT OF THE ICE WAS SNAPPING TREES AND POWER LINES LIKE MATCHSTICKS. I HAD TO STOP AND CUT THREE TREES OUT OF THE ROAD ON THE WAY TO THE CALL AND TWO ON THE WAY BACK TO THE STATION. POWER WAS OUT EVERYWHERE AND ROADS WERE BLOCKED BY FALLEN TREES ANY WAY YOU TURNED. WHEN I GOT BACK WE STARTED ASSEMBLING TEAMS TO HANDLE VARIOUS TASKS. SOME WOULD BE MEDICAL RESPONSE, SOME FIRE RESCUE RESPONSE,  AND SOME WOULD BE CREWS TO ASSIST IN CLEARING ROADWAYS. I CHOSE THE CLEARING CREW AS I DIDN’T WANT TO SIT AROUND WAITING FOR CALLS AND ALSO COULD SKATE OUT WHEN MY RELIEF ARRIVED. MY TWO MAN TEAM DROVE AROUND CUTTING UP FELLED TREES AND DRAGGING THE BRUSH OUT OF THE ROADWAYS. FIVE HOURS INTO THIS TASK, WITH THE WIND PICKING UP AND THE FREEZING RAIN STILL FALLING, MY PARTNER AND I WERE CUTTING A POPLAR TREE OUT OF THE ROADWAY. HE WAS DRAGGING BRUSH AND I WAS WORKING THE CHAINSAW. SUDDENLY AN ENORMOUS POP DROWNED OUT THE BUZZ OF THE SAW AND I WAS SUDDENLY ON THE FROZEN GROUND HELMET OFF, CHAINSAW STILL RUNNING IN MY HANDS, PARTNER SCREAMING FOR ME TO ANSWER HIM. AFTER CALMING MY PARTNER DOWN, TURNING OFF THE SAW, AND RIGHTING MYSELF I REALIZED WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. WHILE CUTTING THE TREE OUT OF THE ROAD THE TOP TWENTY FEET OF A MASSIVE PINE TREE NEXT TO IT HAD SNAPPED OFF UNDER THE WEIGHT OF ITS ICE BLANKET, FALLING AND IT’S FROZEN LIMBS KNOCKING ME TO THE GROUND. THE TRUNK MISSING ME BY LESS THAN A FOOT WOULD HAVE CRUSHED ME. I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF MY CHILDREN THAT I HAD HUGGED AND KISSED MERE HOURS BEFORE AND HOW THEY SHOULDN’T BE FORCED TO LIVE WITHOUT THEIR FATHER. WE WENT BACK TO WORK QUICKLY AND EVEN MORE CAREFULLY THAN BEFORE. I ENDED UP WORKING FIVE TWENTY FOUR HOUR SHIFTS IN A ROW THAT WEEK BEFORE I COULD GO HOME AGAIN. THE CONSTANT SPECTRE OF MY BRUSH WITH DEATH EVER PRESENT. IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER TWO YEARS AND THE DEATH OF TWO FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS TO MAKE ME FINALLY STEP AWAY FROM MY DRUG OF CHOICE, ADRENALINE CHASED WITH STRESS. 

I HAVE WRITTEN THIS LONG WINDED POST AS  A WARNING AND AS A REMEDY. STRESS WILL KILL YOU JUST AS SURE AS A TREE FALLING ON YOU WILL. HERE IS THE SECRET THOUGH, MOST OF THE TIME THE STRESS WE FEEL IS OF OUR OWN CREATION. WE PUT THIS ON OURSELVES BY NOT TAKING TIME TO STOP OR EVEN PAUSE AND SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND US.  WE OVEREXTEND OURSELVES. WE MAKE PROMISES WE CAN’T KEEP. WE TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES. SLOW DOWN. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. DO SOMETHING OR DO NOTHING THE CHOICE IS YOURS. LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT TO LIVE IT AND TO HELL WITH ANYONE WHO DOESN’T LIKE IT. FOR ME I AM GOING TO DO JUST THAT BUT I HAVE ONE MORE SECRET. I GOT THAT JUNKIES ITCH BACK FOR ADRENALINE. I AM OLDER AND MY BODY IS MORE BROKEN DOWN NOW BUT I THINK THAT WORKING IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM SOMEWHERE SHOULD GET ME MY FIX.

[trentteti]

The Logical Rose-ning Section: Your Recap of The Bachelorette, Episode 4

Rachel Lindsay is a practicing attorney who once took the LSAT. And you, dear reader, are an aspiring attorney who will soon take the LSAT, Rachel Lindsay is also an aspiring married person, serving as the Bachelorette on this season of The Bachelorette, the love story these depraved times deserve. And you, dear reader, may also be an aspiring married person? Either way, you definitely have at least a few things in common with Rachel. So every Tuesday, we’re going to be tracking Rachel’s romantic journey on The Bachelorette, and see what we can learn about love, loss, and the LSAT. Welcome back to the Logical Rose-ning Section.

Last time: Well, we’ve been deprived of quality Bachelorette time these last two weeks as lesser competitions like the NBA Finals dominated the airwaves. In the meantime, we learned about how Rachel actually dated NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant in college … and that the producers may have committed gross negligence during the filming of spin-off Bachelor in Paradise, which allegedly led to a situation that is in no way humorous or romantic or anything these shows attempt to be. This resulted in legal action and the cancelation of BIP. With this distance and the intervening news stories, it’s tough to remember, say … the men grinding on the unwitting audience of The Ellen Degeneres Show or professional wrestler Pretty Boy Pitbull Kenny losing a wrestling match or Lee leaning into that Richard Spencer haircut of his.

Lee the Racist Leatherfaced Snake Person

We immediately pick up from last week, with Lee attempting to cut down Eric, Kenny, and Josiah. What do these three guys have in common that might not jibe with noted racist Lee? No idea. Anyway, as Lee attempts to manipulate these guys, he becomes increasingly desperate and volatile.

When Kenny attempts to have some one-on-one time with Rachel, Lee purposefully misunderstands Kenny’s request for “60 more seconds” with Rachel as a request for “16 more seconds” with Rachel, a duration of time no one has ever asked for, ever. Lee, upon pulling this “trick,” looks child who just tricked his parents into letting him go to bed at 9:30.

Dean and Brady pick up on Lee’s treachery. If Rachel doesn’t already pick up on Lee’s increasingly sweaty appearance and deranged actions, or the contestant’s growing antipathy for him, or his racist beliefs, then hopefully she realized she’s dealing with a horrible person once he gifted her a Manson-sque carving of “ENCHANTING” on a wood block.

That looks like it was a made by deranged serial killer who drank two pots of coffee and then used his left hand to engrave. It looks like it was made by a person trying to accurately replicate how he wrote as a kindergartner. It looks the last thing you see in a slasher film before Lee the Racist Leatherfaced Snake crashes through a window to slay himself a wife.

Lee absolutely dominates this episode as the editors set him up as this season’s villain. It’s really too bad that Rachel, who is among the smartest, most successful, and self-assured Bachelorettes this show has ever had, doesn’t get the typical villain who, like, gets a little too confident and drunk and flirty. She has to deal with this bigoted sweat gland of a human as her season’s villain, who views the manipulation of the non-white contestants as his right.

Rachel, of course is very perceptive, and seems to sense that Lee might not have the most enlightened beliefs or people skills. At this thought, she gets emotional—for the first time, she is a loss of words—about the pressures she faces as the first black Bachelorette. She mentions the harsh judgment she’ll receive for the decisions she has to make on the show. She also says she alone will face this judgment. Later, at the rose ceremony, Lee gets a rose. It’s hard not to see this sequence and think that she broke down at the producers’ insistence that she keep the Lee on to continue to fill the show’s drama quotient. Again, after the producers showed really bad judgment during Bachelor in Paradise, it’s hard to not assume they’re acting with the worst of intentions here.

Chris Harrison, scratching and crawling his way back onto the camera after being an afterthought this entire season, promises to “facilitate anything” that Rachel wants. He then does the only thing that seems to be within his powers as the nominal host of this show, which is to cut the cocktail party short and go straight to the rose ceremony.

Rose Ceremony

Smash cut to the rose ceremony, where Will, Dean, Jonathan the Tickle Predator, Piggo Mortensen, Adam (still don’t know who this is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), Bryan, Matt (don’t know this dude either), Josiah, Jack Stone, Iggy, Pretty Boy Pitbull Kenny, and Lee get the red rose of continued camera time. They join Eric and Peter, who already received date roses. This means that the elfin Bryce, the similar but slightly less elfin Brady, and Diggy must say goodbye. These contestants bid adieu to Rachel, and then walk solemnly to the cannon where Chris Harrison fires them in the general direction of their hometowns.

One-on-one date with Dean

This week’s episode was brought to us by the tourism board of Hilton Head, an island off the coast of South Carolina. The contestants travel to the island, which steadfastly kept its name despite the disreputable associations it conjured during the Paris Hilton sex tape scandal of the early aughts. Once on Hilton Head Island, do we learn about the island’s strategic importance during the Civil War? The rich culture and history of its Gullah inhabitants? The island’s lowcountry cuisine? Nope! We learn about blimps.

Dean, who looks like a laboratory-engineered contestant for this show, gets the one-on-one date with Rachel. They drink champagne on the hood a jeep when the Goodyear blimp, in all of its old-timey, slow-moving glory, approaches them with a message that their “ride is here.” 36 hours later, the blimp lands and they hop aboard.

Rachel, adorably, had a childhood fascination with blimps, which she referred to as “b’imps.” Dean, afraid of heights, struggles to repress images of the Hindenburg.

Rachel, doing the last thing someone who has a fear of blimps would want her to do, takes the wheel (Joystick? Old-fashioned lever and pulley operation?) of the blimp and manages to not immediately imperil the passengers. The pilot then lets Dean pretend that he’s controlling the blimp like a big boy. Dean and Rachel then step three feet away from the pilot in the back of the cockpit to enjoy a quasi-intimate moment.

The blimp then flies by the hotel the other contestants are staying at with the message “Ice Cube’s a pimp” “Dean and Rachel 4 ever.” The last thing these insecure knuckleheads need is an airborne advertisement of Rachel’s intimacy with another guy. They try to reassure themselves that Dean is younger and handsomer than they are … which in their warped minds is a bad thing.

Dean gets the date rose. Rachel and Dean then go to concert by something called Russell Dickerson. These live performances by D-level musicians are a staple of one-on-one dates, but who are they for? The musician looks like he is just trying to get through a contractually-obligated performance that will maybe net him $14.73 of new spins on Spotify. The Bachelorette and contestant look uncomfortable as props in a live show. And the crowd of 37 Craigslist extras look just as confused about what a Russell Dickerson is as the rest of us. Anyway, successful date!

Group Date

Afterwards, we move onto the group date, featuring Alex, Anthony, Piggo Mortensen, Bryan, Jonathan, Adam, Matt, Kenny, Lee, Iggy, Eric, Will, Josiah. This leaves Jack Stone with the one-on-one date, which is shelved for another episode.

This massive gaggle of guys are invited to a boat to see Hilton Head Island. The dudes bring out their best boat attire, but none better than Josiah, who wears flood pants high enough that his cuffs would stay bone dry even if their boat sunk to the bottom of the Port Royal Sound.

On the boat, the dudes have a dance off, a rap off, and eventually a shirt off competition. During the rap battle, Piggo calls Rachel a “girl from the hood” keeping with the theme of racist nonsense in this episode. Dude, her dad has been a federal judge for like 20 years.

The guys then are compelled to do a spelling bee. Josiah brags about his vocabulary, but can’t immediately think of a word to describe the vastness of his lexicon. My favorite words are wordy words that describe wordy words, so let me help you out Josiah: brag about your vocabulary full of recondite, grandiloquent, abstruse, recherché, and arcane words next time.

Some guys get easy words like “passion” and “façade.” Other guys get words that are literally impossible to spell, like “boutonniere.” Josiah, as promised, wins the spelling bee. The only thing higher than his IQ is the hem of his drawers.

What these dudes would have scored on the LSAT

This episode really focused on these dudes’ smarts, which allows us to surmise what they would have scored on their LSAT. Here are a few educated guesses:

Dean is perceptive, picks up on Lee’s lack of respect right away, and is able to calmly articulate that into the producer without saying anything regrettable himself. He seems like he is able to absorb information and make the proper deductions. 168.

Jack Stone stumbled into a conversation and thought Dean was referring to the other contestants’ “corks,” not “quirks.” 143.

Bryan, in response to Rachel’s query that Bryan’s charm seems too good to be true: “It’s a fairy tale.” Bryan, in response to Rachel’s retort that it is not a fairy tale: “It’s real, it’s 1000% real. I promise you.” 138.

Iggy, during the spelling bee, mixes up “boudoir” with “Bordeaux” (which he also spells incorrectly), which leads me to believe he is prone to equivocation fallacies and sloppy mistakes. 141.

Eric misses four out of the six words in “façade.” Missing four out of six questions on the December 2016 LSAT would net Eric a 136.

Back to the Group Date

During the cocktail portion of the group date, Piggo establishes pole position in this group, as he and Rachel start to discuss living arrangements. Rachel is apparently licensed to practice in Wisconsin, allowing her to move to Piggo’s hometown of Madison. This surprises Piggo Mortensen, but Wisconsin lets experienced attorneys from every other jurisdiction practice there, so basically every attorney is licensed to practice cheese curd law or whatever the main legal industry in Wisconsin is.

Meanwhile, the other dudes use their time with Rachel to question the motives of other guys in the house. Iggy brings up doubts about Josiah. Josiah brings up how Iggy admitted to shooting steroids into his testicles.

Lee brings up Kenny. Kenny brings up Lee. Things get heated between an increasingly frustrated Kenny (who, embracing the hottest term of January 2017, calls Lee “an alternative facts piece of garbage”) and an increasingly inebriated Lee. It looks like everything is about to come to a head until … duh duh duh … they hit us with the third consecutive “TO BE CONTINUED …”

What we learned about love

The journey to find love is a perilous journey best traveled via outdated and dangerous airships from the 1920s.

What we learned about loss

There’s no shame in losing a spelling bee, provided you get most of the letters of your word correct.

What we learned about the LSAT

These dudes would not do well on the LSAT, but Rachel? Probably very well, although the exact score is still undetermined.

The Logical Rose-ning Section: Your Recap of The Bachelorette, Episode 4 was originally published on LSAT Blog

[rswoan]

Seattle International Film Festival 2017 Films Ranked

SIFF 2017 Feature Films listed from best to worst with special emphasis on editing and structure along with content (especially with documentaries):

 The Farthest - history and legacy of the NASA Voyager project. Maybe best talking heads documentary in history of SIFF...

Ethel & Ernest - fantastic animation of the lives of the parents of a graphic artist set against World War 2 in London.

The Net - fascinating story of a North Korean who inadvertently crosses into South Korea.

Becoming Who I was - interesting look at the reincarnation of a Buddhist leader growing up. Stunning filmmaking over course of 8 years.

Secret 1

Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey - fascinating look at life of legendary climber Fred Beckey.

This Is Our Land - dramatization of how populism can take hold in France or any Western country.

Food Evolution- well edited documentary on GMOs and science.

The Last Animals - trying to save rhinos and elephants from extinction.

American Folk - best of the road trip movies this year as two people thrown together to drive cross country following 9/11.

God of War - well made genre movie. China defends against Japanese incursion against great odds.

Wind River - fantastic murder mystery set on Indian reservation.

At the End of the Tunnel - suspenseful crime caper drama.

Kills on Wheels - assassin in a wheelchair and his helpers.

The Journey - drama of what might have happened to end Irish Civil War.

Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton - well made documentary on Laird Hamilton’s contribution to big wave surfing.

Ivan - former helicopter pilot turned ambulance driver works through personal issues while taking care of young girl.

Better Watch Out - fun horror take on Home Alone theme of kid left alone with his babysitter near Christmas.

The Smuggler and Her Charges - filmmaker’s father’s past as a Jewish child on the run during WW 2 and a woman who helped him. Well made and educational.

Angry Inuk - commercial seal skin commercial trade bans threaten Inuk way of life.

The Odyssey - fascinating story of the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Mr Long - aspects of various Asian movie styles and themes blended in a cohesive movie.

I, Daniel Blake - drama of people caught up in UK support system bureaucracy.

Ingrid Goes West - social media obsessed woman moves to CA after death of her mother in attempt to reboot her life.

The Oath - doctor tries to rescue his daughter from a life of drug use with her boyfriend dealer.

Secret 3

Kalushi - story of a young man drawn into the ANC militant wing during apartheid.

The Unknown Girl - a doctor tracks down death of an unknown girl who she could have saved.

A Date for Mad Mary - young woman released from prison needs to find date for best friend’s wedding.

Handsome Devil - well executed coming of age as an outsider in high school.

Soul on a String - epic Tibet “western” chase movie.

Chasing Coral - bleaching of the world’s coral and climate change.

Quest - decade in the lives of a North Philly black family.

Finding Kukan - in search of a lost Academy Award winning documentary and the story of the woman behind it.

Afterimage - historical drama about life of a prominent artist swept up by socialist takeover of Poland.

Nowhere To Hide - 5 years in the life of a nurse and his family in central Iraq starting from being outside to becoming engrossed by war.

Cook Up a Storm - fun Chinese cooking competition movie.

Lady Macbeth - solid period drama focusing on indentured wife taking back her life.

Columbus - relationship between man dealing with ill father and young lady dealing with issues with her mother and future.

Gook - a pair of Korean-American brothers selling shoes in LA against backdrop of crime and Rodney King riots.

Entanglement - interesting look at a man dealing with mental illness after suicide attempt.

Feather - Italian teens dealing with pregnancy and life.

Mellow Mud - an orphan brother and sister struggle to make it on their own after guardian dies.

The Wedding Plan - woman gives herself and God 30 days to find a husband after breaking up with fiance.

I Was a Dreamer - unscripted drama based on life of non-actor lead.

Trouble - dysfunctional brother-sister relationship revisits past and changes future.

Wulu - solid crime drama set against the backdrop of turmoil in Africa.

The Midwife - a woman is reunited with her father’s ex during an inflection point in her life.

The Nile Hilton Incident - murder mystery against backdrop of Arab Spring and police corruption.

The Man - artist reunites with estranged street artist son.

The Truth About Love Is… - light hearted comedy regarding family relationships.

New Chefs On the Block - breezy documentary on two first time restaurant owners opening up in Washington DC.

Borders - Murphy's law for 4 women who meet on a cross West Africa journey spanning multiple countries.

Dara Ju - drug addiction and family secrets set against Wall Street and immigration.

Small Town Killers - dysfunctional couples find themselves after hiring assassins.

Napping Princess - enjoyable anime with contemporary themes, fantasy and reality.

Secret 3

The Feels - dialogue improvised, bachelorette party exposes many truths.

Hero - aging actor tries to come to grips with legacy.

The Reagan Show - documentary on importance of PR at beginning of television age.

Bad Influence - coming of age set against conflict between Chile government with native people.

Zip & Zap and the Captain’s Island - fun kids romp mystery movie. Far better than original movie.

Chavela- portrait of an iconic Mexican singer. Great subject but talking heads format is mind numbing during non-performance period of her life.

Moka - mother seeks justice for hit and run death of her son.

Two Irenes - 2 girls with the same name with a shared secret and curious of each other's lives.

A Ghost Story - time and sentimentality.

In the Radiant City - dysfunctional family torn apart by childhood disaster years later.

Whose Streets? - Birth of Black Lives Matter from Ferguson killing and return of citizen activism in a modern age.

Weirdos - coming of age in the face of family secrets.

8 Borders, 8 Days - first hand look at the journey of a Syrian refugee family to Germany.

Tea Pets - animated feature, life of tea pets when people aren’t around.

Death in Sarajevo - scattered look of tragic history of the city through interactions of individuals tied together by a hotel.

What Lies Upstream - water quality in US.

City of Ghosts - poorly edited documentary on incredible citizen journalism of Raqqa Syria.

500 Years - documentary on government genocide against indigenous peoples.

Roberto Bolle - The Art of Dance - ballet equivalent of a concert film.

After the Storm - father attempts to connect with divorced wife and son while dealing with personal demons.

Hedi - life of a Tunisian man getting cold feet before his wedding.

The Winter - life of Argentina sheep ranch foreman.

Searchers - classic western remake set in Arctic with Inuit people.

Goldstone - missing girl mystery in Australian outback.

Paradise - unique way of telling a WW 2 story from perspectives of persecutor and persecuted.

Godspeed - roadtrip drug smuggling story.

The Door - sliding doors what if look at life of a man as a mechanic and successful businessman.

The Landing - what if Apollo 18 wasn’t scrubbed?

Susanne Bartsch: On Top - life and times of a pre-eminent NYC party/club host.

Person to Person - a day in lives of different folks tied together only by NYC.

Manifesto - modern performance art answering question of what art is.

Heal the Living - lives of the families of an organ donor and recipient.

The Girl Without Hands - minimal charcoal like animated Grimm tale.

Come Together - Korean family drama set aside societal norms.

Landline - yet another dysfunctional family drama.

The Beautiful Kokonor Lake - awkward Chinese soap opera of love lost for duty in Communist China.

The Paris Opera - scatter shot look at a year of the Opera. No real narrative, just brief look ins.

Backpack Full of Cash - documentary of how charter schools are destroying public education. Too repetitive.

Rocketmen - campy episodic Seattle based serial.

Gholam - a immigrant/refugee taxi driver affected by a mysterious past that never quite emerges.

Have A Nice Day - animated mobster drama starting with foot soldier stealing money.

A Dragon Arrives! - Iranian mystery, bizarre, unrelatable characters.

Divine Divas - well made documentary of lives of Brazilian transvestite performers. Good if you have connection with subject. I just didn't care.

Footnotes - musical of struggles of shoe factory workers trying to prevent offshoring.

Vampire Cleanup Department - campy movie of team battling strange vampires in HK.

Pyromaniac- character study of a pyromaniac. No real insight just hints never tied together.

The Bloom of Yesterday - grandchildren of those involved in Holocaust still wrapped up in it’s aftermath. Unrelatable damaged characters. Who cares?

Zoology - middle-aged woman deals with having a tail.

It's Only the End of the World - day in life of dysfunctional family with return of prodigal son.

God’s Own Country - gay son finds romance on a rural farm in the UK.

Yourself and Yours - want to be amusing romcom really feels like making fun of mental illness.

Lane 1974 - coming of age set against hippie culture, feels long and sleepy.

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson - cold case investigation into death of LGBT activist icon.

Anishoara - mind numbing year in the life of a girl in a Moldovan village.

Secret 2

Santa and Andres - a dissident and his government minder develop relationship in Cuba.

Without Name - pointless horror movie.

Terror 5 - a bunch of over the top stories of zombies, snuff films, and partying loosely connected.

Knife In The Clearwater - best described as contemplative meditation on lives of rural Muslim family in China, aka mind numbing days in the life.

Devil’s Freedom - mind numbing talking heads documentary on the Mexican drug wars.

Pendular - pointless character study with gratuitous sex and nudity.

Black Code - important topic feels more like a vanity piece for organization.

Lives With Flavor - this year's chef ego movie. Don't learn much about food or his life really. Lots of food porn though without much explanation.

Lemon - pointless not funny comedy.

Struggle for Life - not funny French slapstick.

Hello Destroyer - predictable character study of a hockey player whose life is destroyed by a dirty play.

[albertacancer]

Stephen Park’s Triple 7 Quest

Stephen Park achieved one of his dreams – running seven marathons in seven continents in seven days – and as he did, raised money for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. He was one of only four people doing the Triple 7 Quest – and taking public transit to each race – to do it all in under seven days.

The Calgarian's time? Six days, 23 hours, and 25 minutes.

The father of three children, aged five to 11, insists his physical accomplishments are mostly mental feats. We chatted with the 44-year-old about his epic running adventures and why he chose to give back to his community.

When did you start running and what did you love about it?

I think in 2001, I signed up with the University of Calgary which had a Honolulu training for first-time marathoners. I mean, what a perfect location. I did that and then I got hooked on marathons for a few years and think I did about seven or eight. I actually proposed to my wife at the New York City Marathon finish line. It was her first and only marathon. Then we had three wonderful kids and got busy and I kind of stopped running for about 13 years. I gained a bit of weight and had lost energy. I have always been big on New Year's resolutions and picked the Great Wall of China Marathon ... and I got hooked into running again. I just love the people. I love the solitude and the peace of mind it brings you. It just clears my head. I’m not a fast runner or elite athlete that trains a lot. I have kind of a tough mind and when I set a goal, I try to achieve it. I've never been worried about the (completion) times and more about enjoying the people and the energy and just putting one foot after the other and trying to achieve it.

Why did you choose Alberta Cancer Foundation as the charity to donate to?

I always had the dream I would run seven marathons in seven continents but I didn't want it to be totally selfish. I had some friends and family going through (cancer) ... a sister-in-law and a colleague at work were both breast cancer survivors and my uncle (who passed away in February,) had tongue cancer. I've never had cancer but I've certainly been around people that had it and supported them. We all need to be aware - it's a real risk. I just thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get involved and raised a little money and awareness. I decided to not just make it about me.

How much did you raise for the Alberta Cancer Foundation?

I think it's going to be about $9,000. My goal was $10,000. I don't love asking people for money – I might top it up.

How does it feel to contribute?

It just feels good ... you're respecting what others are going through. They say you hit a wall in a marathon but it's all mental, it's just nothing. I don't even understand what someone who is told the words, 'You've got cancer' would go through and everything associated with fighting it.

What have friends and family diagnosed with cancer taught you about strength?

Just seeing them, I guess, go through it. I think cancer is a very personal thing. I just really respect people for taking on their challenge and making it personal. And really, it's your life. I just watched my sister-in-law go through a process where we all reached out to her and encouraged her and supported her and watched her transition into accepting these are the cards she was dealt and had some decisions to make around how much she wanted to fight this and in the end, she got to her own treatment plan. Watching my uncle – he had a different perspective. He had lived a good life and didn't want to go through an extensive treatment plan ... part of his tongue would be removed and so he didn't know if he could speak. I spent some time with him by the fireplace and we drank a rum or two. He had a different perspective and it definitely inspired me, too.

Tell us a bit about the marathons and challenges faced.

There were some nights where you had absolutely no sleep and we came on an all-night flight from New York to Punta Arenas in Chili and had five minutes to basically get to a start line. That was just a tough day and there was wind in your face, but you always knew mentally you were going to keep going. I would always just try to put it in perspective - I’m seeing the world and meeting wonderful people. My most exciting race was probably on the streets of Cairo. It was just pure chaos and basically playing Frogger with your own life. There were some points when you weren’t even sure you were on the right course and you would see soldiers raise their assault rifles but they were cheering you on. When we started the race, I had to go to the bathroom quite badly and went to a mosque and got turned down and then I ended up finding a Hilton hotel but to get in, they frisked me and thought my running belt was a firearm. Eventually, I found someone who spoke English and I got to use their washroom but when I got out most of the folks had left and I was all alone on the streets. It was part of the experience. (So was enjoying seven cocktails and seven authentic meals after each marathon.)

How did you feel about completing the Triple 7 Quest?

I think I was proud. I've lost some weight and am just feeling more energetic and positive and not letting any negative attitudes in. I try to associate with people who have energy and fun and look at things positively and challenges as opportunities.

What did you learn from this about your body? About life?

I learned the body is capable of some miraculous things if you push it and listen to it at the same time. If you need to back off or slow down or walk up a hill – you should really respect your body and your body can do some pretty amazing things when you put your mind to it and push it a little bit.

I think it opens your eyes up when you see the world and travel. I think it just humbles you. You see kids living in poverty and just kinda appreciate what you have; the love of family and friends. I think I kinda cherish what I have, the little things you just sometimes took for granted whether it's your son at a baseball game or walking the dog.

I believe anybody can make choices and push themselves – whether they are fighting something or just wanting to get in to shape. My motto is 'You've got to move it, move it.' I think our bodies just feel better when they are moving.

Describe suffering physically and mentally.

The only thing I probably had were blisters. I learned how to treat a blister and pop it and disinfect it and life would carry on. I always say it's 90 percent mental. You just tough it out and I thought, 'I'm just going to enjoy it.' I also just tried to put it into perspective – you had the ocean in the background and you are running through King George Islands which very few people have been on and there are people from all over the world saying, 'Go Canada,' and a Russian competitor who didn’t really speak English saying 'Canada hockey go.' You get caught up in the excitement.

Fitness is important both mentally and physically. Obviously, you took it to a higher level but tell me about the benefits of pushing yourself on whatever fitness front you choose.

My big thing is it gave me energy and cleared my mind. I just think gives you confidence and I really noticed it when other people started to notice changes in me. I'm more laid back and a better person - not caught up in the rat race and I've found myself a lot more productive. You don't need to run the seven in seven. Anybody, any shape or size can do it, as long as you don't have injuries, and have your own little celebration. You don't need to be an elite athlete.

- Nadia Moharib