#Highland Park Cafeteria

[oldshowbiz]

Highland Park Cafeteria - Carry-Out Foods

[teslaelectricalinc]

Top 4 Hospitals In Mundelein, IL

Mundelein is a charming little town in the northern suburbs of Chicago. It's a small, quiet place with plenty of friendly people and great restaurants. While it may not be the biggest city in Illinois, it does have its share of medical facilities. Here are the best hospitals to go to if you need help in Mundelein:

Advocate Condell Medical Center

This hospital is located at 1200 W. Lake St, in the north side of Mundelein. It has a total of 1,095 beds and offers a variety of services including general surgery, ear nose throat and allergy treatment, physical therapy and orthopedics to name a few.

According to its website, it has received an overall rating of 5/5 stars from patients who have experienced their service there in the past year. The hospital also offers low cost health care coverage plans for individuals or families who need it through their network provider partners such as Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna among others.

For more information about this facility please visit: www.condellmedicalcenter.com

Northwestern Medicine

Northwestern Medicine is the largest healthcare provider in Lake County, with two hospitals and four health centers. Northwestern has been named one of Healthgrades' Best Hospitals in America for seven consecutive years and is widely considered one of the top medical facilities in Illinois.

NorthShore University HealthSystem was formed through an affiliation between Advocate Condell Medical Center, which operates three hospitals as well as outpatient facilities; St. Catherine's Medical Center; and Highland Park Hospital. Their hospitals are also known for their top-notch care—all three have been named among US News & World Report's list of best hospitals in Chicago since 2012 (Advocate Condell Medical Center), 2013 (St. Catherine's Medical Center) or 2014 (Highland Park Hospital).

Lake Forest Hospital is a private not-for-profit hospital that offers quality care at reasonable prices to residents throughout Lake County, including those living near Mundelein. It serves patients from around the area—including people who need care after an injury caused by someone else's negligence—and provides advanced treatment options when needed such as open heart surgery or stroke rehab treatment programs

Lake Forest Hospital

Lake Forest Hospital is located in Lake Forest, IL. The hospital has been serving the community for more than 100 years and offers a full range of services to the surrounding area, including an emergency room and maternity ward. The hospital also has an onsite pharmacy, cafeteria, gift shop and more!

NorthShore University Health System

NorthShore University Health System is a fully integrated health system based in the northern Chicago suburbs. The organization operates eight hospitals, including Evanston Hospital, Skokie Hospital and Winthrop Harbor Hospital; over 80 primary care locations; nearly 300 employed physicians; 10 urgent care centers; three sleep centers and the North Shore Sleep Center at Evanston.

Whether you’re looking for a hospital in Mundelein, IL with one of the best emergency departments or one that offers better cancer care, we've got you covered!

Tesla Electrical Services, Inc is the premier electrical repair company in the Las Vegas area. We specialize in electrical repairs and maintenance for residential, commercial and industrial customers. Our electricians are qualified to handle any job no matter how large or small. We will not give up until you are 100% satisfied with our work.

Tesla Electrical Services, Inc Mundelein, IL 60060, United States 773-727-1545 https://teslaelectric4u.com/

[hakesbros]

San Antonio, Tx Actual Property San Antonio Homes For Sale

Some of the most well liked neighborhoods near San Antonio, TX are Stone Oak, Vance Jackson, Highland Hills, Heritage, Greater Harmony Hils. This info is supplied for general informational purposes only and shouldn't home builders in san antonio be relied on in making any home-buying selections. Contact a neighborhood actual estate skilled or the school district for present information on schools.

This property is ideal for a rental income or family's who would like being situated subsequent to one one other. Please contact our neighborhood gross sales places of work immediately for present obtainable listed floor homes for sale san antonio tx plan costs and homesite premiums. Prices, terms, promotions, options, choices, amenities, floor plans, elevations, designs, supplies, square footages, associations charges, and descriptions are topic to change without notice.

You may even apply for a HomeLight Home Loan in certain states in just 30 minutes. We use home sales information to search out the top Agents and match them to your wants. Find the right purchaser agent Hire the proper agent in your area. This website is using a security new home builders san antonio service to protect itself from on-line assaults. The motion you simply performed triggered the safety resolution. There are a number of actions that could set off this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

School attendance boundaries supplied by Pitney Bowes and are for reference solely. Contact the school on to confirm enrollment eligibility. This is a carousel with tiles that activate property listing cards. Jury obligation is positioned in the basement of the Justice Center , across the corridor new homes san antonio from the cafeteria. You might enter the building through the Justice Center on Dolorosa or the Paul Elizondo Tower on Nueva St. . In order to be well timed, fee mailing or common carrier of taxes must be postmarked or receipted on or before the due date of January thirty first.

Beautiful one story home with entry to a open space park immediately throughout the road. This open ground plan with study and flex room boasts hardwood flooring in kitchen and household room. Kitchen contains improve cupboards, granite and a Texas style eat in island that is good for entertaining. Breakfast room was used to extend homes for sale san antonio secondary guest bedroom for mother in regulation suite. This lovely, three bedroom properly cared for house is located on a quiet street in Edgewood neighborhood. It's situated on a 0.227 acre lot with mature panorama.

[perlechampion]

#perlesjournal Winter Southern Style is an occasional thing. Here today. Gone, if not tomorrow, within the week. There will be a few encores. And. Snow is occasional. Sometimes unpredicted: Jan. 28, 2014 “Snowpocalypse” This storm left thousands of motorists stranded on the interstate, office workers trapped at their desks for two days, and school children and their teachers raiding the cafeteria for dinner, and sleeping where best they could. Stranded motorists left their cars - the next day Hwy 280 was a parking lot of abandoned cars. Some expected: The Storm of the Century. The No Name Storm, simply known as Blizzard of '93. March 12, 1993. It was a cyclonic storm formed over the Gulf of Mexico. I remember it was a thunder snow lightening and all. I went walking all over Southside early that evening stopping in at a few of my favorite Places: Highlands Bar & Grill was in full swing. Friends made room for me at the bar for a cognac n coffee back. Most of us lived in the city, so a short drive or walk. The next morning I sunk knee deep in snow and had to shove my walk to take another walk to 5-points. Most of the bars and restaurants were staffed by area residents and UAB students, so it was business as usual. They’d all walked in. So glad to stop at Rube Burrow’s for brunch n a beer or 2 at the bar with the regulars. Fond memories. Happy Holidays y’all. #snow #winter #southern #blizzard #birmingham #photooftheday https://www.instagram.com/p/CmhN7Fxrqyf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[otisregrets]

Recipe: Mom's Chess Pie

Recipe: Mom’s Chess Pie

Mom’s Chess Pie with whipped cream, an excellent addition. Photo by Becca Oppenneer. Mom’s chess pie is based on a card I found in my mother’s recipe box. It’s very close to the product served at the Highland Park Cafeteria… eggy, tangy and with more body than a custard pie thanks to the cornmeal. According to Wikipedia “chess” may be a shortened form of “cheeseless”. They say the pie might…

[1rban]

Confession: T and I both recently realized that we prefer binging on a program than watching one episode per week.

Evidence: Defending Jacob, Bosch (Season 6) and, Truth Be Told.

Terrific T and I started watching Apple TV‘s original show Defending Jacob about a month ago when it first came out in April. Every Friday, Apple TV releases a new episode.

Before discovering Defending Jacob, we had just completed a binge on the Amazon original Bosch. After anticipating its release for nearly a year, we devoured the entire Season 6 of Bosch in one weekend. Honestly, it probably didn’t take us all weekend to watch the entire show. Feeding our need for binging, we recently started watching Truth Be Told.

Defending Jacob

Produced by the subscription video-on-demand web television service AppleTV+, Defending Jacob is an American crime drama miniseries based on the 2012 book of the same name written by William Landay. Defending Jacob is Landay’s third crime novel.

Defending Jacob focuses on the haunting story of the Barber family as they grapple with the accusation that their 14-year-old son, Jacob, could possibly be a murderer.

Premiering amid the COVID-19 pandemic on April 24, 2020, the series, created and written by Mark Bomback and directed by Morten Tyldum, stars Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, J.K. Simmons, Cherry Jones, Pablo Schreiber, Betty Gabriel, and Sakina Jaffrey.

Jacob is played by Jaeden Martell, who does an excellent job portraying a conflicted and confused fourteen-year-old teenager. Chris Evans (Captain America) and Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) act superbly in their roles as Jacob’s parents, Andy and Laurie.

Andy’s father is played by J.K. Simmons, who has grown to be one of my favorite actors–maybe its the hairstyle–since first seeing him in the TV series The Closer. Since then, Simmons has portrayed several excellent characters in notable shows. He also plays Professor Nathaniel Burke of the University of Farmers in the funny Farmers Insurance Group commercials and is the voice for the yellow M&M.

The crime drama is tense, albeit slow-moving, with ample twists and turns. The Barber family lives are turned upside down with the accusation that young Jacob killed one of his fellow classmates. It remains to be seen if the end destination is worth the journey, but Terrific T and I are enjoying the series so far. But we came to the realization, as we have been watching it week to week, that we much prefer being able to sit down and binge a show than drawing it out for months and months.

Bosch

Bosch continues to be one of our regular favorite series to watch. Based on the novels by Michael Connelly, the Amazon TV series was created by Eric Ellis Overmyer and stars Titus Welliver in the title role of Harry Bosch. Harry Bosch is a Los Angeles Police homicide detective who works on solving murders in his city. The series also features Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick.

Truth Be Told

Terrific T and I’s current binge-worthy drama is a show on AppletV+ called Truth Be Told, about true-crime podcaster trying to resolve the mystery surrounding a family patriarch’s death. The show features Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul in the lead roles. It is based on the Kathleen Barber novel “Are You Sleeping.” The show highlights the difference between white and black culture and the deep racial tensions that exist as true crime podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) re-investigates the case of a convicted killer she helped put away. The program is taunting and tense, featuring intriguing characters. The actors portray their roles well and are highly believable.

In addition to entertaining us, Truth Be Told introduced us to a line of work that we didn’t know existed–the death doula.

What is a Death Doula?

I am glad you asked…

Like a birth midwife helps individuals bring life into the world, death doulas help people at the end of their life. Doulas walk with the dying person and their family, helping them navigate the entire end-of-life process. This is a fairly new option available for dying people and their families, but one that has seen a rise in demand over the last several years. Doulas empower families in caring for their dying loved one and journey with them through the grieving process. Death isn’t an ideal situation for anyone. Having someone guide dying individuals and their families through the painstaking process of dying from a terminal illness relieves stress and eases the burden of family members. Doulas provide psychological and emotional support during the end of life journey. To be clear, they do not aid or accelerate the dying process, but act in serving others, ensuring that no person need die alone.

Businesses Are Dying

Last week saw an uptick in stories about businesses that would not reopen post-COVID-19. First, the Lizard Lounge and then Highland Park Cafeteria announced they would not reopen. Wolfgang Puck’s 560 is done, having announced their plans to close permanently two weeks ago. The COVID-19 crisis has been tough on business, resulting in the permanent closure of local Dallas-Fort Worth institutions. Worldwide, the number of businesses that will not reopen after COVID-19 will skyrocket in the coming weeks as this virus threatens to be even harder on the lives it leaves uncertain and unsettled in its wake.

It’s hard to remember that our area got hit by several tornadoes last October 2019 and that there were businesses still trying to get back on their feet from that mess before many of us knew that coronavirus wasn’t a result of drinking too much Mexican beer. And then along comes COVID-19. The virus not only hit hard physically and socially, but it unleashed a series of devastating economic blows halting an unprecedented economic boom dead in its tracks.

Yes, Johnny, the world will reopen. Yes, we will get past this deadly, devastating virus that has turned life as we once knew it upside down. However, the landscape will look different as we venture onward as we uncover the hills and valleys along our new terrain.

The impact of COVID-19 reaches far beyond the growing death toll. It has a profoundly human effect unlike any that I have seen in my life. In and of themselves, these are results we’ve seen before, but not assembled together lining up to unsettle all facets of our lives.

“Craziness scares us because we are creatures who long for structure and sense…”   Esmé Wang

This is a virus that not only kills us physically, but threatens us mentally, emotionally, economically, and spiritually. As a result of COVID-19, there are people whose dreams are vanquished to the junk pile of unrealized expectations. There will be marriages that crumble and families that won’t look the same in the COVID-19 aftermath. There will be those who, feeling like they’ve done all they can do, will check out mentally, emotionally, and physically. Totally spent and completely broken, they’ll simply say “Sayonara.”

It is in this sphere that chaplain work will come into play in the lives of the people I shepherd. There will be grieving, mourning, and even gnashing of teeth. People will be struggling, looking for someone to walk alongside them on this difficult journey. As chaplains, that’s what we do. As a workplace chaplain, I spend time developing relationships with others so that when they find themselves in a place of hurt or desperate need, they have someone they can lean on.

I guess that’s what struck a chord with me as I first learned about the death doulas. In a world increasingly more connected, we are more divided and alone than we were before any of us had ever heard of virtual meeting rooms and platforms like Zoom. The familiar places we visit collectively and the shows we binge on together afford us a sense of connectivity. God created us to be social beings, recognizing early on that it’s not good to be alone.

Prayer:

Father God, help us not be isolated as we distance from one another during this pandemic. Encourage those who are hurting as a result of COVID-19. Give us the wisdom to use the necessary precautions as we slowly get back to life after the standstill COVID-19 brought. We pray for the business owners who are struggling and fighting to stay afloat. We pray for the workers who need jobs. We lift up to you each and every person suffering from the consequences of the coronavirus, be it health, emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual pain that they are experiencing. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

Have you ever thought about the ways we can help people who are dying alone?

Do you know of a local iconic establishment that is closing for good after COVID-19?

In what ways do you see people struggling from the impact of COVID-19?

Whose life can you positively impact today?

  Today is May 18. Our niece Natalie would have turned 31 today. She’s not physically here to celebrate her birthday with us. While we walk in the assurance and with the abundant joy of knowing that she’s in Heaven dancing in the presence of God, those she left behind still miss her. We’re grateful for the short time we got to spend with her and look forward to that day when we will all be reunited.

    In addition to making a guest appearance on Kathryn McClatchy’s “Unleashing the Next Chapter” later this week, it appears I have been nominated for two blogging awards which I will share more about in my next post. Until then, may your week be filled with blessings and joy. I pray that you will see something positive and remarkable happen in your life today. That’s it for now.

Blessings,

The Devotional Guy™

ABOUT: The Devotional Guy™ is a writing ministry of Rainer Bantau, a seasoned gospel preacher, church musician, and chaplain ministering to individuals in their workplaces, to the homeless, and wherever he meets them. He shares helps, hope, and insights on his blog, The Devotional Guy™.

  Sources:

Amazon TV

Apple TV+

IMBD

Wikipedia

Wang, Esmé Weijun. (2019). The Collected Schizophrenias. Graywolf Press. Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Thank you to the wonderful visual artists and photographers at Pexels, Pixabay, and Pixlr.

I believe that to experience life the way God intended, you and I must receive God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, God has made this gift available to all who ask.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:13

Will you personally receive the gift of eternal life so that you can experience the total forgiveness from your sins that come through believing in the atoning death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

My Monday Morning Cup | Yes, Johnny, the World will Reopen… Confession: T and I both recently realized that we prefer binging on a program than watching one episode per week.

[infernalodie]

how bout a maddy x male reader where they are in a secret relationship and like inlove with eachother (you can pick what the readers relationship with nate is) even while she's with nate, and maddy wants to leave nate but can't get away from him no matter what she does, so the r and maddy come up with a plan to get rid of him, like maybe they dig up some shit on him or get evidence of every little thing he has done to maddy and others (you don't have to do this plan you can come up with whatever you think fits best)

K

Oooooo, I like this! I got you babe.

𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 || 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳

“𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘐'𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵”

Inspo: Bruno Mars - Locked Out Of Heaven

Pairing: Maddy Perez x Male!reader

Summary: Love may have been a broad thing, but the instant connection Maddy had with you stayed with her. Following ever step of the way, using you as a way of silence and safe haven from all the bullshit. She loved you, but never could truly live the life she wanted. But thank god you were more than keen to hurt Nate.

(gif used is not mine)

Warnings: slight angst if you squint and fluff

Words 2004

The night air hit your skin bitterly with each gust nipping at your flesh. Arms crossed over you chest in a desperate hope that it would give you the warmth needed. Music in the mall parking lot blasted from the rest of the kids having their own little public party, a mini car meet per say.

But you constantly glanced left and right, hoping to spot Maddy sooner than later. She knew the spot and time when you would be grabbing her, so it was just a matter of waiting or getting a text to call off the night. But the chance of that happening was highly unlikely considering the fact that she had called you to set this up instead of you.

These nightly gettogethers weren’t at all unfamiliar to you. This has been happening for a good majority of 3 months now. You may have been Maddy’s sneaky link, but at least you were something in her life. Considering her love life with Nate was the definition of horrific. So, for you to be the safe haven for Maddy was something you were fine with. Especially with her already having professed her love for you.

What made it better was during school. When you were seated across the cafeteria, you could find her stealing glances at you. Always finding a way to leave a lingering touch on her body when no one was paying attention. Those brief touches and moments of intimacy and affection had been enough for Maddy. They kept her wanting more after school where you two would meet up and stay together for the rest of the night.

When you felt an additional pair of arms wrap around you, you smiled. Craning your head and finding Maddy smiling widely at you. “Hi.”

“Hi.” You chuckled. “Where do you want to go?”

She shrugged. “We just need to talk. Wherever would do.”

Taking that answer as being good enough, you motioned her to the passenger seat with you getting in on the other side. Once the both of you were situated, you drove out of the parking lot and thought of the nearest restaurant or fast food place you two could be and know there was no curious eyes watching.

When it came to keeping what you two had, there came difficulties. There wasn’t ever a situation where you two could chance anything. Ever knew Nate and even more knew Cal Jacobs. So, if they saw Nate’s girlfriend slumming it with some kid from the Southside of Highland, there would be some questions. And as much as you wanted Maddy to yourself, you wouldn’t put her through that bullshit. Nate was bad enough as it is and you had to deal with sharing this girl.

She made it worth it for you. ‘Cause while you had to watch them hold hands and kiss at school and fuck at Nate’s, she didn’t love him. It was a matter of him being so damn controlling that he wouldn’t let Maddy get far enough away to be free. So, as long as she loved you and weren’t using you, then you could deal with this a little while longer. As long as you got to spend countless nights with this girl and see her walk around in nothing else but your shirts.

After swinging through a Subway, the two of you parked in a quiet parking lot. You had started eating as Maddy unbuckled her seat belt and turned towards you. “I wanna leave, Nate.”

You nearly laughed. “Babe, we’ve talked about this countless times. Every time you’ve tried, he’s been controlling.” It wasn’t like you weren’t on board, it was more so the fact that you didn’t see any easy way of doing it. Sure, show up with a gun and threaten Nate would work, but could backfire. Get people to beat his head in? That would work but unless those people were loyal, you would surely get locked up.

“I want to blackmail him.”

That made you stop, turning your head to her as you continued to chew. That could actually work.

“What do you have in mind?” You asked, placing your sub on the wrapper and onto the dark as you dusted your hands off.

“Okay, so, you remember that CD?” You nodded at her question. “We can hold that over his head. As well as the fact that he had blackmailed Tyler, the guy I fucked last year and made Jules make a false report of the crime.”

Sighing, you leaned back in your seat and thought it over. The idea wasn’t a horrible one. But what other ones could you do that weren’t incriminating?

Turning your head to your girlfriend, you raised a brow. “Do you still have the disk?” You asked, earning a nod. “Okay. We should copy it just in case he tries anything. But I can do the talking. Just when you copy it, hide in the vent in your bathroom or something.”

Maddy felt her lips curl into a smile with her hands grabbing yours. “So, are you in?”

That smile, those eyes, they held so much hope. Hope that you would be there and be willing to do as much for her as she was for you.

For so long, for three long months, Nate had been holding you from heaven. Creating a large golden lock that divided you from Maddy. You didn’t get full access. What you had to do was to sneak around and see her and then leave as soon as Nate checked. You had been deprived of this girl for so long and you were indeed willing to do anything to have her for yourself.

So, with a smile, you nodded. “I’m in, baby.”

Nate rode in his truck. The skeleton’s of houses on either side of him as dirt bellowed behind his vehicle. Keeping a watchful eye out for the grey Impala he was told to find.

He had gotten a call from you, from his childhood best friend to meet at the newest neighborhood that his dad’s company was building. He didn’t think much of it because it was you. The guy he used to chill with in grade school and got drunk and smoked weed for the first time together. Now, you two would barely acknowledge one another in the halls at school. Perhaps you two would be catching up on old time sake.

Turning down another road, the high beams of cars headlights flashed twice before turning off. Nate smiled as he came to a park in front of the vehicle and spotting you through your front window. Smiling and waving at him as he got out.

“What’s up, you motherfucker?” Nate chuckled as you got out of yours and walked towards him with arms open.

“Nothing much, but what about you, you dumbass?”

The both of you hugged and laughed softly. “You got big you bastard. Never actually noticed until now.” You patted his arms as he chuckled.

“Well, footballs been a good help.” The both of you leaned against the side of your car with you pulling out a joint and sparking it up.

Glancing at Nate, you grinned. “Just like old times, right?” You handed him the blunt and he took a hit. Inhaling deeply before handing it over to you.

As much as you wanted to ignore it, you wish you had been here under better terms. But Nate had changed and you had never wanted to be affiliated with him. And you hated that this reminded you of the times when he was a good person and wasn’t a complete sociopath. Better yet, a psychopath.

“So, what did you call me here for, Y/n?” He asked, looking around. “Not usually the type of place I had in mind to meet up with a friend.”

Sighing, you nodded. “You’re right.” He turned to you, raising a bow. “This isn’t where friends meet because we aren’t friends, Nate. I’m here to give you a warning and I’ll only give it once.”

Nate now seemed on edge as he stood up from your vehicle with him turning to you. “What is it?”

Taking another hit off the blunt, you exhaled and looked up at him. “Leave Maddy alone, man.” You said. “Move on. Find some other girl to abuse in your free time, a’ight?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Nate chuckled. “I don’t abuse-”

“You blackmailed Tyler.” You cut him off. “You blackmailed him and said Maddy was black out drunk. Of course, Maddy did this for whatever reason but she admitted that she wasn’t.” A laugh escaped your lips as you pointed at him. “And she fucked another dude to get back at you.”

Clicking your tongue to your roof, you shrugged. “I mean, we’ve been fucking on the low because she wants to-”

Before you could finish, Nate grabbed you by the collars of your shirt. Ready to punch you, but something clicking stopped him. Looking over his shoulder to see Ashtray with a shotgun. “What’s up, daddy’s boy?”

Fez hopped out the back seat of your car with a gun in hand. Nate looked at both the brothers than you. He was met by a grin as you tilted your head. “What? Thought I wouldn’t come prepared?” You asked as he shoved you and backed away. “Nate, everyone knows you got problems with your anger. So, I made sure to call some friends of mine to make sure you don’t step too far out of line.”

“What the fuck do you want?” He barked as you ran your hands down your sweater.

“Well, you’re going let Maddy leave you.” You stated. “She doesn’t love you, man. She loves me. Deal with that how you will, but it’s the truth and you’re gonna have to live with that.”

“And if I don’t let her?”

Just by the look in his eyes, you could see he was testing you. Seeing if you would actually stand your ground. It was his word against some low lifes and he was very confident that he could get you and the two brothers in jail.

Standing to your feet, you tossed the blunt to your feet and crushed it under your Nike Air Maxes. Stepping to the boy, you smiled. “Then I show everyone that disk of your daddy.” You whispered. “Then, I’ll go to the police and tell them you blackmailed Jules with explicit photos of her to get what you wanted. I’m sure they would let you take Tyler’s cell in return, bud.”

Nate could only glare at you as you smiled, patting his chest. “Do with that information as you will. But you don’t come near Maddy or even talk to her, alright?” You stopped at the car door, waiting a response. “Got it?” You asked again, tone more serious as the boy glanced at Ashtray then back at you.

“Got it.”

You then smiled, clapping your hands together. “Then we’re in agreement.” You opened your door and stepped inside. “I’ll see you at school, Jacobs.”

Nate watched you, Fez and Ashtray drive away, leaving him behind to think over his options.

“Rue, I’m going to throw hands if you do that shit again.” You warned as the girl giggled in amusement. Poking your cheek again, your grabbed her and lifted her over your shoulder. “Bitch, I’m going to fuck you up!”

“Fuck you!”

“Y/n!”

You spun around, Rue still on your shoulder as Maddy walked over to you. Before you could utter a word, she pressed her lips against yours. You didn’t hesitate to reciprocate with your hand holding her hip.

When she finally pulled away, she was grinning like a fool. “It worked.” She muttered. “You got him.”

That made you smile as your kissed her again. Smiling as she hummed softly, arms wrapping around your shoulders.

“Hey, uh, can you let me down? I don’t really wanna be right here when you two start making out.”

[fatehbaz]

“The Ecology of Ruin”: The importance of environmental history, ecology, and geography in contextualizing urban decay, and how “ruin porn” art often inadequately addresses social context and the lives of local people

Excerpts from: Kathryn M. Flinn - The Ecology of Ruin - September 2016.

Lately I see more and more images like this: Chernobyl overgrown, abandoned amusement parks overgrown, former malls, hospitals, and zoos, overgrown. Detroit in particular seems to manufacture ruin imagery. Entire art books, gallery shows, magazine spreads, multiple blogs, and now Viceland’s show “Abandoned,” are devoted to pictures of decaying human constructions claimed by plants.

Why are we fascinated with these images?  The contemplation of ruins is at least as old as the fall of Rome.  But I suspect our current meditations on ruin are not quite summed up by “Ozymandias.”  With a new public consciousness of ecological destruction and restoration, we seem to interpret ruin art differently; the focus has shifted, from the elements of the composition that are overgrown to the elements that are growing.

-

Consider Andrew Moore’s photograph Cafeteria, Ferris Junior High School, Highland Park, (image above). From inside a dark school, the camera looks out a wall of missing windows into what must have been a courtyard.  In the foreground, gray debris on the floor, gray support beams, and sagging gray drop-ceiling tiles form a frame.  Within the frame is a brilliantly green forest, lit from above.  The larger trunks look like trees of heaven, the understory a riot of skinny birch stems and leaves, the ground cover lush and dense.  Seven bright plastic chairs—red, yellow, and green—lie in the forest as if tossed like jacks.

Perhaps the most obvious message of this image is that, in this place, efforts to teach children to eat healthy meals and use table manners failed.  The economic, political, and cultural systems supporting these efforts failed.  The children are gone; the cafeteria has gone wild.

Mixed with the idea that all human achievements will fall is the feeling that many of them deserve it.  Images of ruin offer a kind of righteous pleasure in retribution against the rich, powerful, and proud. (...)

But if Moore’s cafeteria is an image of human defeat, then it also shows the victors—trees.  Specifically, the lowest plants seem to vanquish the most vaunted accomplishments. (...) Increasingly, artists and audiences seem attracted to the trope of nature’s renewal, resurgence, redemption.  We want to believe that ecosystems can, and should, recover from any damage we do.

Whether or not this is true, it’s part of the appeal of ruin art—but not the whole story.  These images allow us to see nature recovering while also letting us hold on to cultural artifacts.  In Cuyahoga Valley National Park, you can visit the site of a stadium, aptly named The Coliseum, where the Cleveland Cavaliers played from 1974 to 1994.  It’s a 300-acre meadow that hosts bobolinks, savannah sparrows, and eastern meadowlarks.  Why aren’t photographers flocking to this demonstration of ecological resilience?  The same reason children whine about visiting Gettysburg.  Without a map, you would never know that pivotal conflicts took place there.

Of course, the challenge for artists and their audiences is to get the story right. Images can mislead, and this has fueled the resentment of many Detroiters and others who disparage what they call “ruin porn” for cropping out the people who remain, their hard work and progress toward rebuilding. 

It’s easy to read the ecological history of central New York in its overgrown cellar holes.  But I spent six years discovering exactly what legacies of agriculture persisted in the region’s soils and forests.  Stories of ruin and recovery are worth telling accurately and fully.  This may take words and numbers as well as pictures. 

[stillvapors]

“When?”

Jeff didn’t sputter, but very nearly. “What do you mean?” “Your son passed away when exactly?” The man in the tan jacket asked firmly, though not unkindly. He’d stood up from the lunch table and looking a bit intense. “It’s important.” “Spring of ... ‘86?” “The date, please, I need the date,” the man urged, his jacket rolled back to reveal a watchmaker’s nightmare of gears and bobs. He jabbed at the crown of a clock face the size of a dollar pancake, which was a moving target - the whole assembly revolved around the axis of his wrist. The man was pulling a face as he harassed his machine. The face was average if a little haragged, and may have been ... Arab? White? Puerto Rican? One of those. His build seemed slight, but obscured with the jacket and black denim pants. Jeff had the insight this man would be difficult to describe to police. “I don’t know why you--” The whirring coming from the stranger’s device seemed to mean business and he defaulted to honesty, “April 17, 1986.” “Do remember the time?” Jeff hadn’t forgotten. Just after some dinner in the hospital cafeteria with his wife, walking back up to Peter’s room to check in. Sneaking in that bootleg tape of Highlander the people at work were swapping around. Getting pulled into the little room near the nurses’ station instead and told your little boy was gone. You don’t forget something like that. “Six. Thirteen past six. We just missed it,” his voice felt leaden. This really wasn’t how Jeff expected his lunch break to go. Then this guy at the cafe started asking about the children’s hospital and they got to talking about what happened, and well ... The man paused his ministrations to sigh, “I’m sorry.” Jeff nodded. It was one of those things, and it had been thirty years. The man’s face was sympathetic even if still glued to the thing running up one elbow. It was mouthing out “five fifty eight” while his tiny screwdriver turned a recessed notch. Finally the man seemed satisfied and patted at the inside of his jacket. He ran a finger along the lining. “Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, right?” “Doctors were never sure, but they think so, yeah,” Jeff trailed, not recalling having mentioned it. “What’s this all about, anyway?” “Something went wrong and I’m going to fix it.” The man handed Jeff a business card. “That’s all I should say.” “Oh,” Jeff mumbled. He didn’t really look at the card. The stranger must be an insurance adjuster or some kind of cold-case worker with the hospital. Kind of guy to get REALLY into smart watches. He felt a little stupid for getting intrigued. “Well, thank you.” The man palmed something from the inside of his jacket and turned to the door. “No, thank you for lunch, Jeff.” He paused at the door, “I’m sorry I’ve got to go, but I think you’ll understand why.” Before Jeff managed, “No, I really don’t,” the man’s hand touched the doorknob and a buzzer rang out. It opened on a fluorescent-lit hallway. Jeff was very certain outside the cafe was a sidewalk and some parked cars. His was one - or had been. He rose to his feet. The man cupped his ear. Jeff was too scared to speak. Together they heard a PA system drone, “Doctor Malcom to report to room 337.” “That reminds me. The room?” the man asked. Jeff puttered, “517″ despite the dropped jaw. The man nodded and stepped through, but doubled back, “You probably won’t see me again, but word to the wise: Christmas 1986? You can’t go wrong with Nintendo. Control Deck bundle is probably enough.” Jeff nodded dumbly. The man waved as he closed the door. Jeff’s body decided to stop being terrified and raced after him. The door opened to the sidewalk he’d expected and his Ford Focus parked nearby. Jeff decided now would be an excellent time to read the card. It didn’t say much, only two lines: DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

“No, the other one.”

[littleredroseonthevalley]

An Opera on Separation - Chapter 9

Prologue | Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 | CH. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15 | Ch. 16 | Ch. 17 | Ch. 18 |

Summary: Nathan gets out of jail on parole and electronic monitoring, but he is up for a bad surprise. Will Emily’s good deeds come back and haunt her?

Rating: T - Content not suitable for children.  Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with minor suggestive adult themes.

Words: 1405

Notes: So, chapter nine. Things have been moving fast. That tends to happen when you publish two to three chapters a week, right? I might even finish it before we hear from The Senior.

Don’t forget to read, review, follow and subscribe to the taglist. That’s an awful amount of things to do, you say? Well, deal with it.

No, really, do it.

Jailhouse Rock

Nathan changed into the clothing that was provided for him by the wardens, made his bunk one last time and walked over to the exit gate.

He had been detained at the FBI jail since Monday, and it was Thursday. Four days in and he is already asking for a reprieve, and he was yet to reach a federal prison.

As he arrives at the waiting room of the building, two figures walk over to him to greet him.

“Nathan!” Emily exclaims, concerned with his well-being. “How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

“What are you doing here, Emily?” He asks, gruffly.

“I emailed her to come, Mr. Sterling.” The lawyer, Mr. Goldstein, said, with a stern stare at his client. “Decisions had to be made, and Miss Daniels wasn’t available to make them.”

“What do you mean she’s not available?” The fair-headed man asks, confused.

“She’s gone, Nathan.” The woman answers instead, calmly. “She gathered everything of some value at your house and skipped town.”

His mouth clenches in a thin line of unconcealed anger and his teeth grind against each other. “That bitch! Mr. Goldstein! File a complaint of theft right this minute!”

“I already did, Mr. Sterling. Much because there was a court order not to sell or remove any objects from the house. Which actually leads me to my next piece of bad news.” He took a breath and checked to see if the younger man was paying attention or yet concentrated on his fuming. “You are completely blocked, Mr. Sterling. Until such time you are tried, all your assets are frozen.”

That seemed to give pause to the fretful man. “All of them? Including my trust fund? My shares at my family’s company? My Swiss accounts?”

“Everything, Mr. Sterling. You’re penniless.” The lawyer nodded, gravely.

“Oh, God.” He cursed his fate.

Emily walked over him and patted his shoulder and wasn’t intimidated by his withering glare. “There’s one more thing to it, Nathan.”

“What could possibly be?” He said, ironic.

“When Ashley-Amber left, she really trashed the place, probably looking for things to be sold. It’s unlivable right now.” The redhead explains. “And you can’t afford to fix the house or to put down the cash needed on a deposit to rent a new place.

“I called your dad and he said you could go live with him, but Mr. Goldstein said the monitoring doesn’t work over at Martha’s Vineyard. Since I knew you’d prefer staying in prison rather than with your mother, your dad suggested his New York apartment.” She said and nodded for Mr. Goldstein to continue.

“I petitioned the court for settling your house arrest in New York, and to allow both Ms. Harper and her mother to live with you.” He said and waited for the inevitable push-back.

“No. Absolutely not.” The man laughed nervously. “It cannot be! I divorced you, Emily! Why are you doing this?!”

“You’ll need someone who shops for groceries and pays for your utilities, and even a bank account through which you’ll receive the contributions your father has agreed to pay.” Mr. Goldstein explains. “It cannot be me, as I’ll remain in D.C. taking care of your case, and it won’t be your father. Ms. Harper is your only choice at the moment.”

Nathan let out a hard breath. “Fine. Let’s go, we probably have a long way to home.”

Mr. Goldstein looked over at Emily, confused by his sudden change of attitude, but she just shrugged, also puzzled.

The imported car was parked on a truck stop by Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Emily had stopped for a bathroom break, and to refill the tank of the car. To much displeasure, she was driving the car, as Nathan’s license was also suspended.

While she was buying some snacks, the blond man kept staring wistfully at the window, as he had done the previous two hours. His ex-wife tried to engage him in conversation, but she gave up before they reached Baltimore.

He was feeling emasculated. Powerless. Nathan Sterling used to be almost a brand of perfection, he was handsome, he was kind, he was charismatic, and he was shamelessly wealthy.

And now he depended on his ex-wife.

It was like he had been murdered last Sunday and, for cruelty of the fates, woke up as a totally different person. He wishes he was really murdered, suffocated with a pillow by Ashley-Amber. He’d have left a pretty corpse behind, if it were the case.

Emily returns with a large paper bag and a large smile on her face. “Nathan, I found something that will certainly cheer you up!” She sits down on the driver’s seat and fishes out an orange soda can. “Look! Irn-Bru!”

“Irn-Bru? I never drunk that.” He responded, confused.

“Really?” She asked, surprised. “Well, I know how much you love Scotland and how fondly you look back at your time there, so I thought the number one soft drink on the Highlands would take you back to happier, simpler times.” She smiled and handed him the can.

“I told you about my trip to Scotland?” The man asks, not remembering an occasion in which he confided in her about that. He is wary on sharing that event, and a few others, on grounds that they were occasions of true happiness, and sharing it, and especially sharing with his family and ‘friends’, feel like tainting that feeling.

She nodded, enthusiastically. “Yes. Back on our junior year.”

“We met on our junior year.” He said, growing more confused.

“Yeah, it was on that Thanksgiving in which your parents took off to the Bahamas.” She provided. “Though, meeting your mother, she doesn’t come across the type that takes month-long vacations to tropical paradises.”

His mouth tinged on the semblance of a smirk. He sure loved talking ill of his mother. “It was yet another idea of my father’s to try and cure her of her workaholism. It failed, as you might presume.”

“Why, really? I couldn’t tell!” She said, with a light sarcasm that tickled him the right way. “But yeah, we drank champagne and whiskey that night, we talked until sunrise, and you told me all about your trip to Scotland.”

“Oh, right!” It dawned on him. “I don’t know why I didn’t remember it anymore. It must have been the only time I ever woke up after noon.”

“I know. You texted me exactly that when you woke up.” She giggled, and then pointed to the can. “Come on, drink it before it goes flat.”

He looked at her warily, opened the can and took a swig. “Ugh, this thing’s strong!”

“Really? Let me taste it.” She picked up the can and sipped the bright-colored drink. “God, this tastes like rotten orange juice! It’s awful!”

“The Scottish aren’t remembered by their great taste in food, after all.” The fair-headed responds, slightly amused. “Can I have a Milky Way?”

“Sure, go ahead!” The redhead offered him the assortment of candy.

“There’s a lot of Milky Ways in here.” He noted. “Is this your favorite chocolate?”

The woman smiled, sadly. “Yeah, it is. When I was little, I didn’t like how my dad would leave in the morning for work, so he’d bring me a Milky Way from the cafeteria every afternoon when he returned.”

“How… domestic.” The man noted. His parents never did such things for him. Sure, his dad cared for him, but he was third place on his concerns, after his wife and his cargo ships. But another thing nudged on his mind. “You already told me this story once, didn’t you?”

“Several times, actually.” She responds, a bitter smile on her face.

“I’m sorry.” He said, before he even noticed what he was doing. “I should’ve been more attentive.”

“That’s okay, it’s in the past.” She dismissed and turned her attentions to the highway.

Nathan resumed his window-gazing. This road trip has been a great opportunity to think about his life and choices. He meant what he said to Emily, he was sorry, especially because he has been a monster to her, and yet she’s here, something his own kin couldn’t be bothered to do.

There’s no changing the past, but he could do better in the future. He swore to himself he would be nicer to Emily from then on, that he would prove to her and to himself he was deserving of her acts of kindness.

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An Opera on Separation - Masterlist

[perlechampion]

#perlesjournal Winter Southern Style is an occasional thing. Here today. Gone, if not tomorrow, within the week. There will be a few encores. And. Snow is occasional. Sometimes unpredicted: Jan. 28, 2014 “Snowpocalypse” This storm left thousands of motorists stranded on the interstate, office workers trapped at their desks for two days, and school children and their teachers raiding the cafeteria for dinner, and sleeping where best they could. Stranded motorists left their cars - the next day Hwy 280 was a parking lot of abandoned cars. Some expected: The Storm of the Century. The No Name Storm, simply known as Blizzard of '93. March 12, 1993. It was a cyclonic storm formed over the Gulf of Mexico. I remember it was a thunder snow lightening and all. I went walking all over Southside early that evening stopping in at a few of my favorite Places: Highlands Bar & Grill was in full swing. Friends made room for me at the bar for a cognac n coffee back. Most of us lived in the city, so a short drive or walk. The next morning I sunk knee deep in snow and had to shove my walk to take another walk to 5-points. Most of the bars and restaurants were staffed by area residents and UAB students, so it was business as usual. They’d all walked in. So glad to stop at Rube Burrow’s for brunch n a beer or 2 at the bar with the regulars. Fond memories. Happy Holidays y’all. https://www.instagram.com/p/CmhNjcYr0uo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lawrencedienerthings]

He wasn’t the best skier, but he was Colorado’s preeminent ski bum. Farewell, Charlie Toups

#parkinglots😵 🌜 🚘 🚡

more news https://northdenvernews.com

Charlie Toups was the consummate ski bum. He spent more than 30 years of his life sleeping in cars in snowy slopeside parking lots so he could ski all day.

He wasn’t the best skier. He didn’t have the latest gear. He didn’t ski the hardest lines or boast the prettiest form. But he was out there every day. From the late 1970s to 2010, he lived in ski area parking lots. For many of those years, home was a Volkswagen Beetle. He had ripped out the passenger seat so he could unfold his lanky frame. The Beetle spent many years at the base of Aspen Highlands and more than a decade buried in the corner of the Loveland ski area lot. 

“He had to tunnel down to it. That car was basically a snow cave,” said Halsted Morris, a longtime Loveland skier and avalanche educator who serves as president of the American Avalanche Association. “Not a lot of people went to visit him in there. The smell was a bit ripe, I remember. He was one of the true last ski bums, that’s for sure. I don’t think you’ll see his kind for a long time.” 

Toups crashed his mountain bike near Montezuma on July 27. He suffered a head injury and died at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood a few days shy of his 74th birthday.

Charlie Toups posted this photo of himself with his bike on his Facebook page in 2016 with the words “I AM SPARTACUS!”

Toups worked afternoons in the Loveland kitchen back when the Beetle was buried. At Aspen Highlands, he would wake up at dawn every morning and place his skis first in line at the lift. He would bootpack snow with ski patrol all morning for a lift ticket. At night he would stock shelves at the local grocery. Many remember him grazing from abandoned trays in the cafeteria.

“He was always, always the first guy out there every morning. It was first-come, first-serve and tickets were limited for bootpackers,” said Aspen Highlands patroller Mike Tierney, who met Toups in the early 1980s. “He was such a hard worker. We all loved him. How could you not? He just lived for skiing.”

Toups grew up in Refugio, Texas. After his parents died when he was in his mid 20s in the mid 1960s, he loaded up that Beetle and moved West. He ski bummed at Mammoth in California, Snowbird in Utah and Mount Hood, Oregon for several years, landing at Aspen Highlands in the late 1970s. That was before the ski area was owned by Aspen Skiing Co. and long before the arrival of a base village and Ritz Carlton hotel. Back then a quiet skier living in a small car near a chairlift could be overlooked — maybe even appreciated among the colorful characters that enlivened skiing and ski towns back then. He eventually graduated to pickups with campers and skied more than 100 days a year for decades, getting by on a few bucks earned shoveling snow or moving furniture. 

As Colorado’s resort towns evolved and matured, Toups, well, he didn’t. Fancy homes and villages pushed him further afield. By the late aughts, he could no longer escape detection sleeping at the base of ski areas. Aspen Highlands had long given him the boot. Same for Loveland. 

Arapahoe Basin finally kicked him out of its parking lot. So he limped his creaking Ford pickup and camper across the street to the Colorado Department of Transportation facility at the base of the ski area.

The truck stopped running and that’s where he ran afoul of the Forest Service. He spent 61 days in jail in late 2009 and early 2010, facing misdemeanor federal charges. One charge was connected to him camping too long on federal land. And there were charges connected to marijuana in his pocket when he was arrested. And a charge stemming from a Forest Service official saying he was aggressive when she tried to take him into custody in December 2009 while he was skiing at Arapahoe Basin.

Toups ran afoul of the Forest Service in 2009 when he camped too long in this Ford at the base of Arapahoe Basin. (Provided by Travis Rath)

All he had to do was sign a paper admitting his crimes and they would let him go. He wasn’t having that. 

“I’ve lived this life for 33 years and now all the sudden I’m supposed to admit I’m guilty? I can’t do that,” he told me in a phone call from the jail in Georgetown in early January 2010. “I don’t know what changed after the Forest Service tolerated me for all these years. I thought we were just respecting each other. Let me ask you, is it snowing?”

A front page article in The Denver Post sparked an outcry, including an online petition to “Free Charlie Toups.” He worked out a deal with the feds, promising he wouldn’t live on federal lands anymore. And Toups returned to the ski hill. This time though, a friend offered him use of a condo at the base of Keystone. 

Toups was a fixture at Arapahoe Basin and Keystone. In 2011, he was still skiing with his Sony Walkman, his backpack clacking with cassette tapes. He adopted higher-tech eventually — but kept the tape player — and was adept at social media, often posting on Facebook and sharing memes. He frequently called into talk radio shows to share his unique perspectives.

Ask everyone who has ever come into contact with Toups and they remember his intelligence and humor. He spoke with a careful cadence, making sure to convey his thoughts clearly. 

“He was a bit above a lot of our intelligence levels, I think,” Tierney said. “So insightful.”

Charlie Toups was nursing a bum knee this spring but he was able to shuttle friends all day long up to the top of Loveland Pass after the resorts closed in March. “He was telling us stories the entire time, listening to symphonies and the Star Wars anthem and talking about bubonic plague. He was one of the smartest guys I ever knew,” said his pal Travis Rath. (Provided by Travis Rath)

Jeff Herynk, the maintenance manager at Gateway Mountain Lodge in Keystone where Toups lived, saw his friend every day.  

“He marched to the beat of his own drum,” Herynk said. “That’s putting it pretty lightly.”

Toups would stop by the maintenance shop every morning and say hello. 

“He’d just walk in and start in on some topic. You’d never know where he’d be going,” Herynk said. “Charlie didn’t know a stranger. He would talk to anybody.”

Toups would sit in the complex’s hot tub every night, “holding court” with vacationers and residents, Herynk said. He always had treats in his pockets for the dogs. He filled his days with skiing, mountain biking or missions on his motorcycle. 

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“He stayed real busy. He always had something going on,” said Ben Bayless, a co-worker at Gateway with Herynk who remembers Toups always sharing donuts and candy. “He had quite a sweet tooth.” 

Recently Toups had taken to skydiving. Shoulder problems prevented him from reaching the parachute ripcord so he often jumped tandem with more experienced skydivers.  

“He always talked as though all he would do is get stronger and healthier, not older and more decrepit,” said Jerry Hertz, who let Toups live in his Keystone condo. They were friends for 31 years. 

Hertz and other friends often note how Toups was extremely cautious. 

“To a fault, sometimes,” said Hertz, who remembers waiting for Toups to carefully pick his way down ski slopes. 

He always wore a helmet on his motorcycle and when skiing, but not necessarily when he went on his daily bike rides. The Summit County Coroner’s Office reported Toups died from a traumatic brain injury after he crashed his bike while not wearing a helmet. 

He was wearing sweatpants and a tape player strapped to his chest, pedaling in his easy-to-recognize bow-legged style when his front tire washed out in some gravel as he was descending.

Read more outdoors stories from The Colorado Sun.

“He was smiling. The sun was out. He was pedaling wholeheartedly,” said Douglas Hood, a Montezuma resident who saw Toups grinding past his house just about every day. “He was the guy on the heaviest, junkiest mountain bike and was, without question, the most consistent cyclist on Montezuma Road. He was an inspiration to everyone who lived in this little zone.”

Hood rushed over when he saw Toups crash. The over-the-ears headphones Toups favored was the first thing he saw. They were split into two pieces. 

“Charlie, he is a Colorado endangered species,” Hood said. “The quintessential Colorado live-and-let-live ski bum. It’s so sad he had to have that helicopter ride. As a skier, I’m sure that was not the type of helicopter trip he wanted.”

Hertz remembers chatting with skiers at Silverton Mountain more than 15 years ago. When they heard he mostly skied Summit County, the skiers asked if he knew Toups. 

“Everyone seemed to know him,” Hertz said. “He really stuck with people. He lived life in such a unique way.” 

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[kapampangan-traveller]

The landlocked province of Apayao is located at the far northern edge of Luzon Island. Exploring this province means a long road trip, traversing either the Cagayan or Ilocos route would cost more than 12 hours if you are originating from NCR or Central Luzon. Despite its sheer distance, the vast plains and towering mountain ranges will be the next rising destinations in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Virtually untouched by commercial tourism in many areas, visitors will be truly mesmerized with the experience that Apayao province can offer.

THE LONG TRANSIT AND TRANSFERS

It was past 9:00 PM when I arrived in the busy terminal in Dau, heaving my heavy backpack. I sat on an empty cold gang chair seat, deep breathed the cool December air while looking around for bus signage bound to any Cagayan Valley destinations. Our goal is to take a Tuguegarao bound bus. However, the weekend keeps the arriving buses full. We are left to take the last Santiago City-bound bus. We are now on our way to a 10-hour long bus ride, traversing provinces of Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Viscaya, and ultimately in Isabela province. Inside the bus, I struggled to find a comfortable position while standing at the center aisle. When we reached the Carranglan area, I have to balance myself to avoid hitting seated passengers as we passed the winding mountain road. It was agonizing, however, I forced myself to drift in dreamland.

I felt the bus slowing down, and I peeled my eyes, someone is alighting, and many of them. We are able to secure seats and now to relax my tired back. Before going back to sleep, I was able to see town centers heavily decorated with Christmas lights.

The bus conductor then shouted “Santiago”. I checked my mobile map application and sure we are now within the borders of Santiago City. We alighted past dawn while the city is starting to wake up. We had a quick breakfast near the terminal before taking our next transit to Tuguegarao City. We are lucky to be able to secure front seats in a public utility van. I am able to catch up on my sleep hours and awakened by the van’s stop. Another passenger lights and as I opened again my eyes, the long cantilevered bridge is in front of us. Excitement filled me since we are already in Tuguegarao City. We alighted on a busy terminal and we hurried to a panciteria. Their local staple, Pancit Batil Patong is my goal for early lunch. After a hearty meal, we hurried to a van terminal and got another front seat PUV reservation. In less than half an hour, the vehicle left for Luna Junction and we are expected to reach the destination in less than 3 hours. This is how the Cagayan province is massive in terms of land area. Most of the national road snakes beside the Cagayan River, an important body of water in the Cagayan Valley region.

Quick exploring the busy town of Abulug

Ultimately, we are able to reach the terminal in Abulug town. With an already sore back, I heaved my backpack and sauntered around this far north town. Since it is my first time, I scanned my eyes to see what they have. Rural banks, busy wet and dry markets, pharmacies, individual ATMs, food stalls – all of this that I needed for an emergency. It was past noon when we are able to charter a tricycle to whisk us to our reserved accommodation – Borromeo Tourist Inn. In less than twenty minutes, we are able to cross the border. At last, the Welcome Signage for Apayao. It was surreal. The long land transit was worth it. At the tricycle, cool and refreshing Northeastern monsoon winds continue to dance around us, while the vast Apayao plains behind us transition to hilly landscape. A few minutes past, we arrived in front of our accommodation. We are ushered to our room on the third floor. The room is already cool and using the AC unit is not needed. I jumped at my bed, resting my tired body.

The Facade and the convenience store

Our room featuring two double beds at the third floor

THE TOUR 

After securing our tour guide and driver, we prepared for the day tour scheduled the next day. We are to explore that afternoon the Marag Valley, however, the road leading to the spot is still inundated due to incessant rains days before our arrival. Supporting his statement is an overcast sky above us until sunset. We just spent the rest of the day recovering from an exhausting journey. We pre-ordered our dinner and breakfast from their in-house cafeteria. Night fell, and momentarily, we called the night early.

Luna Town Signage located at the main provincial road

The alarm rang and we woke up with better weather. The sun has risen up and patches of blue skies are now above us, contrary of yesterday’s. We had our breakfast near the third floor’s balcony, a good view of the vast plains of Apayao. We got dressed and shortly, our driver arrived with his adjusted motorcycle.

THE SURPRISINGLY AWESOME LUSSOK CAVE

Photographs do not give justice to Lussok Cave. Going to the jump-off point is already an adventure. We passed through fields of golden yellow and green, bordered by many streams and tributaries. I usually see brown or dark-colored rivers in Central Luzon, but the ones in Apayao are clear to blue-green to turquoise. The concrete road is still under construction and we have to alight from the motorcycle should we pass newly paved segments.

Our assigned paddler after bringing us at the cave mouth.

We arrived at the entrance – marked by decorated wood panels spelling the name of the province and a  registration area. The Lussok Cave is one of the tourism icons of the Apayao province. The natural park truly is a wonder. The thick forest canopy covering the clean pristine river and the cave’s mouth and including a suspension bridge connecting different trails through the beautiful cave.

It is best to drop a comment for improvement of their services

Going to the mouth’s cave would require a canoe ride, paddling above placid waters of the river surrounded by tall canyon walls. We were the only visitors that morning who will enter the cave. The established cave trails feature easy and moderate level of difficulty. The easy trail would feature scrambling through centuries-old cave rocks, and passing through tight tunnel openings and emerging to different chambers of Lussok Cave. At the time of our spelunking, the trail is filled with slippery brown mud making the cave exploration a bit challenging and risky – one wrong step could lead you sliding to sharp jagged rocks below.

After paying our registration fees, our assigned cave guide gave us a brief discussion about the cave. The name is hailed from a local term that means “to come into”. Since the spelunking adventure involves passing through a tight opening fitting one person only. The park features an established footpath leading to the river where you would board your assigned raft or canoe. It was a peaceful paddling above the tranquil blue-green waters, the river seems to be void of any movements or current. The tall canyon walls seem to shunt the northeasterly monsoon winds above us. Paddling in this area is peaceful. Distant coos and squawks of the natural fauna would just fill your ears. alternated by the sounds of the paddles hitting the water.  The trees above us feature long vines that can reach the water level below or could hit your helmet. The picturesque cave opening then emerged in view. The unique rock formations are magically decorated with the creeping vines and other greeneries attached to its walls.

THE CAVE SPELUNKING

Exploring the cave on foot is my favorite part. We docked on a rocky side and carefully transferred my weight onto solid cave rock. From there, the Lussok Cave is already strikingly awesome and impressive. Our guide instructed us to take the trail upwards to see a better angle of the cave. It was about above two-storeys high and we reached the spot. Seeing the clear river exiting the huge cave mouth and the naturally occurring drippings from the cave ceiling are already ecstatic for me. For leisure tourists, this spot can be their end destination and return back. 

We are about to enter the deeper caverns and daylight starts to dim. Passing through the tight passage is challenging since our pair of footwear were already smeared with slippery mud. I hoisted myself up and emerge to a huge chamber. From there, our guide pointed through beam of light the interesting rock formations. There is one that depicts the Virgin Mary.  He also showed us the difficult trails we can view. Imagine an approximately 40 feet high smooth cave wall with a nothing a but rope and attached tires as your steps. I think I might try this when I return. After an hour of spelunking, daylight now looms in front of us. The ascending slippery trail proves to be daunting, thanks to the jagged rocks nearby. Finally, I was able to surface back on a higher forest ground. We are now above the canyon walls we paddled through earlier.

Another feature of the cave is the suspension bridge. In less than half an hour of trek, we are able to reach the registration counter. I decided to explore more the area and visited the other side of the river banks.

After resting a bit, we mounted to our motorcycle and sped off to visit other spots nearby.

The Lussok Cave is indeed a tourism potential of Apayao province. They have developed the area that different tourists would be able to enjoy and experience its beauty.

OTHER DESTINATIONS IN APAYAO PROVINCE

The Maton River meanders from the highlands of Apayao to the plains -an important water system for agriculture. In Apayao, they have built a spot where tourists can enjoy the scenic view. After less than an hour’s drive from Lussok Cave, we reached one of the banks of Maton River – located near the provincial road. There are huts you can use should you wish to lounge or stay longer. I rushed to the banks and dipped my tired feet on to its cool waters. The area I am stepping on features brown sandy riverbank and interesting rock formations. The current is also strong in this part and safety is paramount. I just enjoyed the view and did not attempt to bathe there.

We drove deeper into Apayao and reached the town of Pudtol. We visited the Mataguisi Chapel Ruins or Pudtol Ruins, a Spanish-inspired structure that features thick stone walls. Within the walled structure is a makeshift church were local parishioners celebrate mass where you will find long wooden benches and an altar. Surely, this history behind this structure is fascinating.

The Apayao Eco-Tourism and Sports Complex Grounds features the public facilities such as swimming pool, playing courts, and the pyramid-shaped pavilion in there.

  It was already mid-afternoon and rain clouds start to form above us. We have to return to Luna town proper since it would be risky to drive on a winding road. We are able to reach Luna town proper before the rain began to fall. We enjoyed our late lunch in a local eatery with another round of Pancit Batil Patong. After the hearty meal, our driver safely brought us back to our accommodation. Our tired feet were still able to bring us to the third floor. We bathed and prepared our backpacks for the long journey back to Pampanga. It is encouraged to explore Apayao at least 3-4 days to make your long travel worth it.

Other destinations we are not able to explore:

Manacota Underground River

Dupag Rock Formation

Apayao version of Pancit Batil Patong

Lunch with our driver-tour guide

TRAVEL GUIDE TO APAYAO

Land: You can drive to Apayao via Luna either Cagayan or Ilocos Norte route. There are buses from Manila to Abulug Junction. Alternatively, you can take any Cagayan Valley bound bus, and you can transit via Tuguegarao. There are also public buses in Laoag and Pagudpug that pass to Abulug Junction. Also, there are vans in Tuguegarao that plies the winding road of Conner to Kabugao. Apayao is also connected to Baguio City via Conner route.

Fly: You can fly direct to Tuguegarao or Laoag. From there you can take buses or vans that pass by Abulug Junction.

CONTACTS

Apayao Provincial Tourism Office:

Ms. Rebecca Mamba

Mobile” +63 927 241 7343

Email: apayao.tourism@yahoo.com

Borromeo Tourist Inn: +63 905 759 3779

Room Rates: (Prices may change without prior notice)

Php600 Single Bed AC Room Twin Sharing Private CR

Php500 Single Bed AC Room Twin Sharing Common CR

Php100 Extra Foam Bed

Transportation:

Edgar: +63 905 896 2922

Elizer: +63 975 954 9296

Reymar: +63 926 834 8923

Our actual commute routes from Pampanga to visualize our transits

Photos of our way back via Ilocos Route: 

    I am thankful to Teacher Mik, who accompanied me in this long journey. The Apayao province is truly farfetched from Pampanga, however, I still dream to take that long ride and explore more of its unexplored destinations.

View of the plains from Borromeo Tourist Inn

Destination APAYAO: Lussok Cave The landlocked province of Apayao is located at the far northern edge of Luzon Island. Exploring this province means a long road trip, traversing either the Cagayan or Ilocos route would cost more than 12 hours if you are originating from NCR or Central Luzon.

[shahronak47]

Cameroon Highlands

We had been to Cameroon highlands recently. Had heard a lot of positive feedback about its climate so we decided to go for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We took a bus from TBS to Cameroon highlands which left at 5 pm. According to their website we were going to reach at 8.30pm. Bus was comfortable and the ticket cost us 35 RM. The bus was very late and we reached Cameroon at around 10pm. We were very tired by the journey but as soon as we got down from the bus we felt the cold breeze.

The climate was very pleasant. The bus driver informed us that you should get a taxi from the bus stop but there was too much rush that day because of the new year weekend and nothing was available. There is no grab, mycar or any other taxi service which operates there. The bus stop is in tanah rata. Finally, the bus driver called one of his friends to drop 3 of us who were waiting for the taxi. We were staying in the parkland hotel which was 15 mins far in the center of brinchang.

To roam around Cameroon highlands there is no public transport or taxi available easily from every place. So you either rent a car for the entire day or rent a bike. We decided to rent a bike. Next day morning we left early from the hotel, rented a bike from the nearby place which cost us 40 RM for 4 hours. We first went to boh's tea garden. Being a weekend there was lot of rush on the road as everybody was going in the same direction and everybody had brought their own vehicle. The people in car were all stuck and we being on a bike could easily bypass the traffic. 😎 Thank God we decided to rent a bike for the entire trip, it saved us lot of time. No need to wait in traffic, no need to worry for parking just park it anywhere and go.

Boh's tea garden is a very big tea plantation where they grow tea and I think it is biggest in Cameroon or Malaysia. You can see tea plants as far as your eyes can see. They have a small cafeteria at the top which serves different types of tea/coffee along with some snacks. You can enjoy an awesome view from the top while sipping hot coffee. The wind was pretty strong too. After spending some time there we decided to leave when suddenly I realized that I don't have the bike key with me. I searched everywhere but didn't find. I ran as fast as I could to the bike to find out that I had forgotten to remove the key from the bike itself. We left from boh's tea garden beating the traffic again.

Next, we went to honey bee farm. As the name suggests this is the farm where they "grow" honey bee. The place wasn't that attractive, the entry was free hence no complaints from anybody. They had build small houses in the open where honey was being made from honey bees. It was surrounded by lot of flowers. We finished taking a round to the place in 10-15 mins. They had some counters to sell honey, chocolates, corn and some other stuff. We did some shopping there and were on the way back to the hotel.

There was butterfly farm on the way but we did not stop there since we thought this would be similar to bee farm we had been earlier and were not impressed. Then we saw a lot of rush at one point and found out that it was the local market there. We decided to wait there. There were lot of food items but being a vegetarian we just took sweet corn. Like rest of Malaysia, the use of plastic here as well was too much. Everything you buy they gave you a plastic bag, even for things where you don't need. While coming back from the market to hotel we got some rain but it was just drizzling. We came back to hotel returned the bike because our 4 hours were over and started looking for a place to eat.

After roaming in the market and completing two rounds from the same place in market we decided to finally eat at  the only place where we got rice with some curry. We rested a bit in the hotel for some time and decided to go to night market in the evening. There was transportation problem again from hotel and the night market was 2km from our hotel. We had time in our hands so we decided to walk up to there. Apart from a small patch in the middle road , rest walk was not scary at all. 😛

Market was already crowded and there were a lot of people there. Almost everybody who came for vacation at Cameroon highlands was present there. There was again a long queue of cars waiting for parking space. The night market had clothes of all kinds, some gift items, keychains with your names engraved on it purses, bags and so many other things. Yes there was also lot of food of different kind. Corn is in abundance here. We also got one option of veg pizza there. After spending a couple of hours in the market, we decided to go back to hotel. We didn't find any taxi/ cab service while coming back as well so we had to walk back again. We had that idea beforehand so we left the market at around 9 pm. We reached the hotel around 10 and went to sleep.

Next day, we woke up late since we had nothing much to do. We got ready and had breakfast and then went to strawberry farm nearby which was at walking distance from the hotel. There were lot of strawberry farm in Cameroon highlands. This one had a passage to walk and there were lot of plants on both side of the passage. They had a gift shop which had all strawberry items, like jam, chocolate, cookies, tea, mugs, glasses, bottles, cups, water bottles. 

Overall it was peaceful and calm trip. Highlight of the entire trip was the climate. 

[yourplasticlittlespastic]

ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴇʙ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ – Peter Parker fanfic (4/of many)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

"I told you I never saw her coming out of the building!" I flutter my eyes hearing Happy's altered voice

"Then where the fricking fork is her?" my dad shouts back

I walk to the living room where the shouts were coming from and scratch my eyes, the drowsy feeling makes me stumble with my own feet

"What time is it?" I say between yawns

"wha... hey! where were you, missy?"  my dad comes running at me

"on the I+D floor, working but I obviously fall asleep there, my back is killing me," I say without opening my eyes "now if you don't mind, I need my bed"  I slowly stroll my way to my room and shut the door behind me

"She's going to become you" Happy whispers at the other side of the door before I doze off again

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

I quickly run downstairs, I take a donut and head to the lift

"what about your lunch?!!"  my mom snorts surprised it's the first time I stayed asleep

"I'm running late, I'll buy something there!" I shout back and get inside the lift

When I find Happy at the street I nudge him and he starts driving to Midtown, I almost choked with the donut but survived. I close the door behind me and wave goodbye, I quickly walk to my locker and see that the guy from yesterday was trying to open it, I just stop some meters away from him.

"mmm hi!"  I raise a little my voice for him to listen  "what are you doing? huh?"

He turns at me and smiles "oh hey! it's you! well... I'm trying to open it but I think it's stuck" he continues to force the lock

"well..."  I step closer  "maybe because it's my locker?"

He squints his eyes making a confused face "what? no, they even wrote me down the number... look"  he hands me a paper and I look at it

"yeah... mine is 896 and maybe if we turn this paper the other way... we have... 968... here"  I give back the paper and he looks at it and sighs in embarrassment

He touches his messy hair "well, this is awkward... I almost ruin your locker... and mine is just across from yours..." he points to the other wall with lockers

"oh well, what a coincidence, go and break that lock...go on"  I laugh

I open my locker and watch as he opens his and laughs, I take out my books and someone pokes my shoulder, the boy is now beside me.

"Hello again"  he mutters  "my name is-"  but he was interrupted by Morita

"Classes are beginning! come on everyone! with energy!" he cheerfully claps and I look at the boy who rolls his eyes and then looks at me

"Need to go, running late"  he smiles and starts walking away

"hey! what year are you in?!!"  I shout at him

"JUNIOR!!!" he shouts opening the door of his classroom

Mmmm junior, he is 16...I stop the thoughts and walk to English. All the class was boring, just a debate about if love is the main topic in Romeo and Juliet, I avoid talking and so as Peter. Next was Biology with Harrington which consisted of a freaking show of plants and a talk about dinosaurs where most of the boys allow their inner child out. Then at Chemistry, I'm dangerous, I know that. Because I love to experiment with everything I can. I was beside Flash much to my disappointment so we started working but one of the Petri glasses fall so I spin to grab it and spot Peter experimenting with some mysterious liquids, he notices me eyeing the weird mix and he hardly gulps stopping everything and nervously smiled at me.

"what's that?" I whisper pointing at the weird mixture

"it's just ummm, nothing actually. I was bored" he whispers back

"hey! Penis Parker just close your mouth" Flash turns to him and whispers

"something you want to share Eugene?" Cobbwell raise his voice, making us turn and do our work

In the end, I see Peter running quickly the other way. So I ramble to the cafeteria, I'm starving. When I step there, all eyes were on me, but the look everyone was giving me it wasn't a look of good attention... it was resentment, angry looks, I knew it was about Sokovia, the topic it's kinda fresh. I walk to the food counters and start picking what I wanted, the cafeteria was now more silent than ever but eh, can't please everyone, it's not my fault, it's not my fault. Then someone pokes my left shoulder so I sigh and turn around, preparing to hear a speech of hate but it was that boy from earlier.

"Hey, you"  He smiles with a tray of food in his hands

"hey," I happily say and shake the serious face  "how were your first classes?"

"I loved them, I really like school, to be honest"  he shrugs  "so umm, I have nowhere to sit and people here already have friends so... would you like to sit with me?"

"ReallY' Oh, best decision you could ever make... I... yeah sure, let's go I have a good place for us"

I walk in front of him leading the way. Before I could open the doors I turn my face and see a bunch of girls sitting around a crying girl... oh... it's Natalie Spencer, sister of Charlie Spencer... a casualty of the Sokovia accident, from what I heard... he was building sustainable houses there.

I gulp, a sting of sadness outpours me. It's not my fault, it's not my fault.

The cool air hits my face, I walk across the damp grass and slump in the benches in front of the field, my usual spot.

"What a view!" he examines all around and sits beside me  "it's like we are VIP" He grabs his burger and starts eating, not questioning me why I'm not presenting him to other people  "I never told you my name by the way..."

"you look like amm a... Stephen?" I start eating my pizza

"am I a joke to you?" he touches his heart"

"all right! tell me your name then"

"I'm Harley Keener but Harley is ok"  he kindly smiles

"nice to meet you Harley...pizza?" I offer and he nods

"maybe half a slice..."  he cuts the pizza "you never told me your name... you want some fries?"

"Tannie, my name is Tannie and yes, I was staring at your fries..." I snort

"never heard that name before, I like it"

All the recess we talked about ourselves and what we like, my sense of humour was complemented with his, with so little time we already began a fight of witty comments, we laughed too hard that I even think that now I just have a six-pack like Steve now. We walk back, he has Chemistry, and I have music.

"So Rose Hill, Tennessee, that was a big change huh?" I ask feeling a Deja-vu, I heard that name before...

"It was, but I'm happy here now. It's just my sister, my mom and me so..." he steps in front of his classroom  "see you later maybe?"

"of course! bye, Harley!" I wave goodbye and walk to music

When I enter the classroom I see everyone already holding their respective instruments, I see Peter with his flute and I internally laugh, he's so bad that I need to tell him...

"Hey Tannie!" he flashes a thin smile and I lower myself

"You're holding your flute so wrong Peter" I gently snatch it from his hands and demonstrate him the proper way "like this, see?"

"oh, uh... I've been doing it so wrong... thanks! I suck at this" he stutters and I squeeze his shoulder

"It's the first time someone touches your flute, Parker??!!!" Flash mockingly shouts from the other corner of the classroom and I almost choke when I hear his double sense so I turn to him and fulminate Flash with my stare

"oh! I didn't see you there Tannie...umm you are not... touching... umm Peter's flute of course..." he nervously says, trying to fix it but making it worse

I snort and turn to look at Peter who's ears are red and cheeks are blushed. I just hand him his flute without saying anything. Music and Art were bearable enough, then I head to Robotics and sigh when the only decent person skipped the club, again... so now I have to socialize. Minutes later I begin designing the official blueprints of the EMMA project, my concentration was broken when someone pokes my shoulder. So I spin.

"well, are you stalking me?" I quirk my brow at Harley who's carrying a bunch of papers

"You wish, you are the one stalking me!" he replies slumping beside me

"here, let me help you"  I stand up and grab some papers that were almost falling  "maybe you need a binder?"

"Probably but my kind of organization is disorganization" He shrugs and all those papers fly all over my desk

"Harley, this is cool" I grab one of his blueprints and raise it  "I like how you fusion this part with this one"  I point out

"really?" He leans to look at the paper  "I like it too! you know, I got this inspiration since I was little, a friend of mine help me with super-advanced tools and yeah..."

"What a friend" I answer listening to his story "You know, if you ever need to work with more super-advanced tools, you can come to my place"  I absentmindedly say

"Thanks, Tannie!" he then starts collecting all his papers and begin working

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

"and then I just ran to the river, the bees were all over me and my adrenaline was over the top" Harvey walks with me to the entrance

"and never got stung?"

"never! but I learned my lesson, not eating honey outside" he scratches his neck, I see Happy and wave at him

"that's me" I point to the car

he laughs "so the desperate driver is your desperate driver?"

"that's the one" I huff "you need a ride?"

"oh no! I just walk don't worry, thanks though"

"come onnnn!! I insist" and I insisted too much because grab his backpack frogmarching Harvey to the car and Happy's expression is priceless  "Hey!"

"Hello Miss" Happy pretends to professional, he grabs his dark glasses and puts them on, I know he's staring at Harley  "hello Mr....?"

"Keener but please call me Harley" he smiles at Happy shifting his backpack to his lap

Harley told me he lives in Queens near Highland Park so we were heading there, all the drive we were joking and talking about our robotics ideas.

"Sorry to interrupt but Cooper Ave and local streets are closed because of an accident" Happy announces

"well... what about if we go to my place?" I offer "maybe streets will open in some hours?"

"I don't want to be a burden," Harley says

"good..." Happy whispers but I manage to listen to that

"come on, I can show you everything I have for building robotic things" I throw my hands in the air and he chuckles

"just a for a little while then..." he nods and Happy grunts driving to the tower

When we arrive at the tower I see three trucks of U-haul full of boxes and furniture, the moving was faster than dad told me. I step inside waving at the daytime workers inside and Harley is eyeing everything in awe, when we enter the complex it was almost empty, I stroll to the kitchen and Harley behind me.

"want something? there are frozen vegetables, a weird dish that says paprikash and waffles..." I close the fridge  "or take out?"

"last option sounds more appealing," he says leaving his stuff at the counter

We start talking, Harley is trying his best not to blurt a bunch of questions about my home. Then, I hear someone coming in, it's my dad that jogs directly to the bar and pours himself a glass of something, he looks up sensing a pair of eyes watching him and he smirks at me.

"Hey kiddo" he approaches me and instantly catches Harley at the other end of the kitchen "and hello male kiddo..." he says the last thing awkwardly

I see how the face of Harley changes to a surprise one, he totally knows who is Tony Stark and then I notice my dad's face changing as well and he covers his mouth.

"wait there..." my dad points at Harley

"Tony The mechanic!!" Harley shouts sliding from the high bench

"kid Keener!" my dad also shouts "I thought you were throwing potatoes at Rose Hill?" he excitedly palms the back of Harley and I just watch the scene quietly and confused

"still a hobby but after what you did for me... I improved my stuff"

"Can someone explain to me what is happening?" I finally speak and both turn to me

"well, honey... wait how you are here... with her?" my dad points between us waiting for an answer

"He just transferred to Midtown and we just met" I explain and my dad nods

"and Rogers was right, it's a small world after all" he mutters

"so you are his daughter?" Harley talks to me

"Better and improved" I proudly nod making y dad laugh "so... how you two met?"

"You know the story, about your mom's weird ex"

"Killian..."

"and the fact that I had to fake my death for a while"

"yeah... I was pretty traumatized..."

"while doing so, this fine kid or teenager I must say now... gave me asylum in his garage"

"he is the friend I told you who gave me those fancy super-advanced tools" Harley now speaks

"well, I wasn't expecting that" I honestly say while scratching my nose

"but hey! you grew up!" my dad turns to Harley

"yeah that is life ya know,"  Harley remarks making me laugh

"Are we still connected??"  my dad touches his heart and makes a funny face

"shut up," Harley says and my dad laughs even harder, I'm feeling like the third wheel here

"is this lady offered you something?" my dad then points at me "you want a drink?" he says bringing his drink to his lips and I quirk my brow at him  "I mean...like Minute Maid or a Capri Sun?"

"it's fine, we just order some take out"  Harley sits beside me and my dad approaches us

"T, watch out for this kid, he's a pain in the a-"

"dad!!!!" I interrupt him

"Do you still have panic attacks?"  Harley asks suppressing a smile making my dad spin to me

"I'm telling you T, a pain in the private parts"  he grabs his glass and walks to his office  "I'll be there if you need me. Not throwing potatoes please!" he shouts and closes his office door

"well... that was so bizarre" I finally add

The take out came and we ate at my room, we really had a great time laughing, joking and we begin designing a prototype of a machine, he was really smart and witty, a weird sense of humour. The highlight of the day was his face lighting up when he saw the robotics lab at the tower so we stayed there some minutes but in the end, it wasn't minutes, we were there for three hours. Finally, it was time for him to go so I told Happy if he could drive him and he refused but I blackmailed him with a video I took at the summer of him dancing to the Backstreet Boys so he reluctantly drove Harley.

From my room, I spot Uncle Rhodey walking to my dad. Nat, Steve, and Vision following him minutes later. Everyone with a tired face... no Scrabble today I see, so I decided the only thing to do is homework. I went to bed drooling all over the pillow

---I totally know it's a Peter Parker Fanfic but PATIENCE MIDGARDIANS! some drama and confusion is necessary---

A/N: hope you liked it! Also available in Wattpad! https://my.w.tt/sw2CZNdCv1

[southrift-galaxy-safaris-blog]

Tips for a successful Kenyan safari

Overview In Swahili, safari means 'journey', a fitting translation for what is arguably one of the most evocative words to infiltrate the English language. But before you don a floppy hat and slip into your pocket-lined field vest, consider the following author-tested tips for planning the perfect Kenyan safari. Where & when to go However clichéd it may be, the image of khaki-clad tourists peering out at the Masai Mara from open-top vehicles is the single key selling point for Kenya's tourist industry. When the annual wildebeest and zebra migration fills up the park with upwards of one million hulking herbivores, a good number of which are silently stalked by hungry felines, the wildlife watching is truly unparalleled. However, clued-up visitors face an infinite choice of alternative settings and activities. The various Rift Valley lakes offer an aquatic complement to the savannah. Mt Kenya is home to alpine highlands and glaciated ridges. Samburu National Reserve showcases arid specialists such as the Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich. Malindi Marine National Park harbours sea turtles and whale sharks. Possibly the single most important influence on the behavior of wildlife (and therefore your chances of seeing it) is rain. The main tourist season runs during the hot, dry months of December and January, and the cool, dry months from June to August, although Kenya can really be visited at any time of year. When the long rains fall from March to May things are much quieter, there are fewer tourists and accommodation prices come down, but note that some places close completely. How & what to book The majority of midrange and upmarket travellers prefer to get all the hard work done before arriving in Kenya by booking either through travel agents or directly with safari companies. This practice also ensures that you'll be able to secure a spot at the more famous lodges. Especially during peak seasons when places start filling up months in advance. However, if you're going for the budget route, it is often much cheaper to arrange everything on the ground after you arrive. Most safari operator price quotes include park entrance fees, full room and board, transport costs from the starting base to the various parks. And the costs of fuel plus a guide for wildlife drives. Drinks (whether alcoholic or not) are generally excluded. Price quotes usually assume double occupancy, with supplements for singles ranging from 20% to 50% of the double-occupancy rate. Most midrange safaris use lodges, where you’ll have a private room and eat in a buffet-style cafeteria. A disadvantage is that they may have somewhat of a packaged-tour or production line feel. Private lodges, luxury tented camps and even private fly-in camps are used in top-end safaris. All with the aim of providing highly personalized experiences without foregoing creature comforts. Most budget safaris are camping trips that keep to a no-frills setup with basic meals and a minimum number of staff. check out: Africa Honeymoon Nairobi Hotel and Destination Guide When To Plan Your Safari Self-Drive Holidays in Africa Uganda Chimpanzee Trekking Guide Top Weekend Getaway Deals in Kenya If you think you have to travel far to enjoy a nice weekend, you may never get away. Besides, you can enjoy a beautiful weekend right here in Kenya. There are countless wallet-friendly Kenyan weekend getaways that won’t even break your budget. Don’t spend your weekend, doing absolutely nothing at home. Whether you are looking for romantic destinations, pristine beaches, and adventurous outdoor activities, there are plenty wallet-friendly getaways that will satisfy your weekend desires. Mombasa South Coast Self Drive Deals Lake Nakuru & Elementaita Self Drive Deals Lukenya & Machakos Self Drive Amboseli and Tsavo Holiday Self Drive Deals Mt. Kenya & Aberdare Self Drive Holiday Deals Mombasa North Coast Self Drive Deals Samburu Holiday Self Drive Deals Masai Mara Self Drive Holiday Packages Malindi & Watamu Self Drive Deals Nyahururu & Laikipia Holiday Self Drive Deals Top Madaraka Express SGR Holiday Deals 2 Nights Malindi & Watamu holiday with SGR 2 Nights Amboseli Holiday With SGR 2 Nights Tsavo Holiday With SGR Sa 2 Nights Voi Holiday With SGR 2 Nights Mombasa North Coast With SGR 2 Nights Mombasa South Coast With SGR Read the full article