#LIKE OK WE GET IT YOU HAD JOB PROSPECTS AND A CAREER AT AGE 21. And i am just sitting here wondering if my 4 yr degree is useless

[disengaged]

um so. my grad school application is due in 2 weeks

[dancerlittle006]

Stories of Our Lives - Epilogue

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

May 21, 2043 - 23 years later

She stared out into the spacious backyard. It was littered with young adults, aging parents and laughter, lots of laughter. It was a joyous occasion they were celebrating but her parents and family members tend to take celebrating a little too serious. They didn’t need an excuse to throw a party but this time they had a great one. 

Cora and her brother had just graduated from university - her with a journalism degree, him with a degree in engineering. She had landed a coveted spot at a magazine that was very vested in her father’s career back in the day; Oli and a friend had launched a new engineering firm in the heart of London, focusing on energy and resource consulting and a lot of other stuff she didn’t understand. He loved it though and that was the most important thing.

“Why are you in here and not out there?” She was pushed from her thoughts as the question came from her mother. 

She smiled, pushing her brunette hair from her face before sighing. “It’s mayhem out there. That’s why Oli is out there and I’m here.”

“They’re family, love. They’re not going to attack you.” Gia smiled at her oldest daughter.

Cora lifted an eyebrow in her mother’s direction, something she learned from her father. “I don’t know about that. We haven’t had a full family get together in quite a while. I mean, Harry hasn’t reached his hugging quota for the day yet.”

“Be nice Cordelia Ann or I’ll stick your father on you.” Gia warned pointing a finger in her daughter’s direction. 

Cora rolled her eyes. “Daddy will back me up on that one.”

Her father and her were often found in cahoots with one another, driving her mother absolutely nuts. It was just one of the many special things she shared with her daddy. “I don’t doubt he will.”

Cora looked at her mother with worried eyes. “Are you alright mum?”

“I am . . . just can’t believe I’m old enough to have children graduate from university.” Gia wiped her eyes. “I’m so proud of you and your brother.”

She pulled her mum into a hug, melting into the feeling of being in her mum’s arms. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got an office in London and you’ll still see me for family dinners. I’m just moving into a new house and starting a job. I’m still your little girl, no matter what.”

“I know, it’s just that you’re so grown up and it’s difficult for your old mum to handle.” Gia laughed, pulling back from the hug. 

Cora smiled at her mum. “No matter what you’ll always be my mum. That will never change. I love you mummy.”

“I love you too bug. What’s this special surprise you’re teasing us about?” Gia grinned at her daughter, hoping she would spill the beans.

Cora laughed. “Nice try mum but you’re going to have to wait just like everyone else.”

The back door swung open interrupting the mother-daughter moment. “What’s going on in here?”

“Leave it Lou . . . just a little mother daughter bonding.” Gia swatted at her husband as he pulled both of his girls into his arms. 

He looked at them both carefully before sighing. “If there are tears, I’m out of here.”

“You missed it by five minutes. You’re in the clear.” Gia teased, leaning up and kissing her husband. “Let’s go back to the party.”

Not giving the two a chance to speak, she scooted out the door leaving father and daughter in the kitchen. “She ok?”

“She can’t believe she's old enough to have kids graduating from uni. She’s just being sentimental.” Cora smiled at her father. There were times he was still clueless of what went on in the household, often turning to one of his daughters for an explanation.

Louis nodded, taking a drink from the beer he retrieved from the fridge. “I’m with her there. Seems like yesterday we were bringing you and Oli home from the hospital. And now look at us; you’re working at the magazine and Oli has his own business.”

“We’re still your children, dad. That’s not going to change; what will change is that we’re more successful than you currently are.”

Cora was out the door before it even registered with Louis what she said. “You little bugger; I’m going to get you.”

“Come on old man, we’ll fight right here, right now.” Cora loved challenging her father and was very good at it; Gia often times break up their playful fighting.

Gia gave her husband a look which translated to Louis as ‘knock it off’. “Maybe some other time. I’m going to go reminisce with your uncles about the good old days.”

One Direction had disbanded in 2032 after a worldwide tour. The boys, all with children by that point, wanted to have some normalcy and raise their children at home instead of the road. For their fortieth anniversary since forming on X-Factor, they did a mini reunion tour around the world, which quickly sold out surprising their children. Rolling Stones Magazine ran a special collector’s edition filled with interviews of the men and what they were up to. Cora had a hand in that and even sat down to interview the guys at their request.  

Cora spent the afternoon catching up with her cousins; between the five men there were 15 children and the next generation of children was starting as well. The age range between the 15 was Mollie at 30 and Braelyn at 9 years old. With the wide range of ages, there was always someone to talk to and hang out with. 

“Cora come on! Come play with us.” Her cousin Berto yelled kicking a football between his feet. 

Looking at her clothing attire, she frowned. “I’m in a dress.”

“Hasn’t stopped you before Delia.” Oli grinned at his sister who simply kicked off her shoes before running barefoot into the group. 

Dinner quickly broke up any games going on. As always, it was an affair with so many people rushing around. Once everyone was settled, Louis smiled at the group.

“Thank you for taking time out of your oh so busy schedules so you lot could come celebrate Cora and Oli’s graduation with us.” He smiled at his best friends, siblings, parents, children, and his wife surrounding him. “We are extremely proud of Oli and Cora and cannot wait to see what you two accomplish in the future. To Cora and Oli.”

“Cora and Oli.” Everyone echoed, before turning back to the food in front of them.

After dinner was cleared, a bonfire was quickly assembled, guitars bought from the house and a sing-a-long started. This was tradition no matter the house or occasion. A few One Direction songs were sung before moving onto modern music to appease the younger generation.

That generation soon lost interest, causing focus to shift to Cora. “So you mentioned you had a surprise for all of us. Spill chica, I can’t handle the suspense.”

“Way to put me on the spot, Mollie.” Cora stood up glaring at her oldest cousin.

Mollie grinned. “Well then you shouldn’t have opened your mouth. I’m surprise more people aren’t bugging you, namely the mums.”

“Mum already tried; I shot her down.” Cora grinned, escaping into the house quickly before returning. “So one of my final projects was write a paper on what is important to me.”

“What did you pick?” Niall asked looking at his nervous niece, something that wasn’t common.

Cora smiled looking around the crowded backyard at her family. “Crazy enough, I wrote about you guys, my family.”

“Hopefully you stuck with the positive stuff about us.” Harry yelled causing her to laugh loudly.

Cora grimaced, biting her lip. “Yeah I mean there’s some good things in there.”

Her comment caused the men of the group to protest, loudly, causing everyone else in the group to laugh. “What did you get on it?”

“It wasn’t graded; it was just the final piece of a semester long project.”

Harry grinned, watching Cora’s shift uncomfortable at the prospect of her family reading the piece. “So can we read it or are you going to tease us?”

“Yeah you can read it. I’ve got copies for each family - you get to fight for who reads it first.” Cora smirked handing out the papers to each of her uncles and father. 

Louis smiled at her daughter, taking the paper from her. “You nervous?”

“More than when the article I did on you guys was published.” She admitted, biting her lip and looking at her dad.

He nodded, giving her a quick hug. “Well this is just another step in the process. Everyone here loves you and will say nothing but positive things about this piece. If they don’t, send them my way.”

The way he cracked his knuckles after the statement caused her to laugh. Soon all the papers were handed out, causing her to look anywhere but her family member’s faces. “I’m going inside, call me when you’re done.”

Louis shook his head at his daughter. She had always been this way; nervous about any feedback on anything, refusing to look in your direction until you were ready to give your opinion and anxious for anything negative. 

Taking a seat, he grinned at Gia. “You ready to read this?”

“There’s nothing incriminating in there, Louis.” Gia shook her head. “I already know I’m going to love it. She’s an amazing writer and I’m glad the world has the chance to read her words.”

The Most Important Things - Cordelia Tomlinson

There are lots of things important to me - my friends, my life experiences, the job that I will be accepting in the upcoming days. But there has been one constant in my life that has always been there no matter what was going on.

For the past four years of uni, I have been taught that the written word holds so much power; you have the ability to make people laugh, cry, smile, question, recall memories and the power to surprise. Hopefully along these pages, there will be some surprises, some moments to cry or laugh, maybe some anger but hopefully a lot of good memories and smiling moments.

I have biological aunts and uncles, galore. Mum was one of five and dad was one of seven. I have lots of biological cousins. But that’s not what this paper is about. 

I am one of the 15 kids that know what it was like to grow up in post heydays of One Direction. Most of my childhood, until the age of 12 was spent on a tour bus traveling around. Before I was two, my passport had more stamps on it than most businessmen. I spent my sixth birthday in New York City, ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza.  I got the opportunity to do more things than other ordinary children - my classroom was a bus window; I got the hand on experiences that most adults could on dream about

And along the way had the most amazing family I could have ever asked for. This paper is about them.

Dad was the oldest member of One Direction, the single most successful band in the history of the X-Factor show.  Him and three other guys were thrown together and the rest, they say is history. When he was put with those three other boys, he had met his three best friends to travel on this journey with.

Each boy brought something unique to the group and from there, anyone who was brought into the group added a missing element and unique touch to the group as a whole. The order I’ll talk about each of my ‘uncles’ is not meant to show favoritism (but let the record show, Uncle Niall is my favorite, sorry boys!) All of my uncles were favorites at one time or another but Niall remains my favoritest ever.

Speaking of Niall, we’ll start with him. He is the Irish one of the group; little blonde leprechaun. He can make you laugh no matter what kind of day you have. He’s just one of those people who is the life of the party and no matter what, is always ready for a pick up footie match, which is why I think he’s my favorite. Him and I have gone to lots of games over the years and a lot of my special times with him include food and footie. He’s married to Tricia, who is lovely and amazing (sidenote, my uncles knew how to pick incredible women to marry - they are all amazing and have put up with a lot of shit over the years). She’s a photographer, which means the camera is never far from her hands. She is just one of those laid back women, who you just want to curl up next to and spill your guts. She always had a habit of getting me to talk, even if I didn’t want to. 

They have three kids. Mollie Ann is the oldest of the 18 kids. Her mum is Tricia but she’s from a previous relationship but you would never know it. Her and Niall are so much alike it’s not funny. She would often join mine and Niall’s footie trips due to her being the only child of his to actually have an interest in the sport, which automatically made her “daddy’s little girl.”  She often goes by Walshy, though only certain people are allowed to call her that including my dad and Niall. She was actively involved in sports, particularly football, which caused the rest of us children to practically grow up on the pitch. Saturdays were spent on the golf course, alongside her father, despite her lack of enjoyment of the sport. As a child, everyone thought she would join her mum in the journalism field but surprised us all by becoming a lawyer, despite her sweet and gentle personality. It actually made sense though because she was tougher than she looked. Her law background came in handy, especially during arguments among cousins.

Patrick Frey is their second child. He is identically to his father, only difference is that Patrick is a natural blonde. Patrick is the one you go to if you have any trouble; the amount of people he knows is amazing and he’s always has the connection, no matter what you need. He was the rebellious one of the Horan family; him and his parents had a rocky relationship for about three years. His troublemaking ways led to an accident that got his younger brother in the hospital. This served as a wake-up call for Patrick, who changed his ways after that. Although he grew up to be a good son and brother, Niall still refers to him as their “handsome devil.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially for someone who becomes London’s bad boy restaurateur. As an adult, Patrick bonds with his father over their shared love for food and beer (good thing he owns a handful of restaurants and bars)!

Their third is Robert Henley, and goes by “Berto or Bertie, but never Bert”, per Niall, the youngest Horan was named after his grandfather. With his dark hair and blue eyes, Berto could easily charm the pants off people like his older brother, if he weren’t ridiculously shy. At age 7, he broke an arm while on a walk with Patrick, who was ambushed by school bullies. Berto was quiet; he made good grades like his sister; he often stayed in his room doodling or playing video games. Niall nearly had a heart attack when he heard his then 19 year-old son sing and play the guitar for the first time. Berto is the only one of the 18 children to pursue a career in music.

Liam Payne is next. Liam is the uncle you go to when you need someone to tell you you’re being stupid or want a honest opinion. He is the most sensible of the group, but will always have your back no matter what stupid move you pulled. One of his strong points is embarrassing his own children along with his nieces and nephews without taking it too far. He is still in the music business; him and my dad opened up a production company after One Direction, where they both write and produce songs for up and coming artists. He’s married to Danielle, who is this incredible dancer and has her own studio. She used to dance with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Ellie Goulding among many, many more.  She was the cool aunt that would take the older cousins backstage of the most popular tickets around London - in fact she was the one that introduced me to Justin Timberlake, much to the annoyance of my childhood friends. 

This is where I say I feel so bad for Liam - him and Danielle got lucky with three children, all girls. He often escapes to Niall’s house just to escape the estrogen induced household he’s built for himself. Georgina Ava is their oldest and a dancer just like her mother. Danielle had each of the three girls in dance classes before they could walk. Georgie is a big ball of hyper - identical to her father. She has performed at the Brits and even gone on tour with big names. She is never home so when we do get together, it’s usually for dinner and drinks. She loves to dream and has always kept her eye on her dreams, something I admire about her. She is dating a fellow dancer named Adam and I think I hear wedding bells in the future (sorry uncle Liam! He is just not ready to let his baby girl go just yet). 

Savannah Alexa Payne is the middle child; she’s a hip hop dancer who spends most of her time at her mum’s studio teaching classes. She has always been the center of the spotlight, demanding your attention to watch her spin and twirl. There are girls who love dance and then there’s Savannah who eats, breathes, and lives dance. More times than not, she has tried to teach me simple dances, but my two left feet get in the way and I end up pulling muscles or breaking bones (a broken growth plate is nothing to laugh about). She is dating the sweetest boy named Ryan, whose father is Olly Murs, much to Liam’s humor. 

The baby of the family is Adelaide Hope who is still in school. She is 16 and just getting into the boy phase much to the horror of her father. (For the record, all of the guys had decided early on that their daughters would not officially date until they were 16 years old), though several girls, who shall not be named (coughMollieGeorginacough), gave their father’s a hard time about that rule. Addie is daddy’s little girl. She is the sports star within their family - though her mother tried to get her into dance. She’s the pitcher of her softball team and has a wicked throw - officially schooling the boys within the family. Addie is my little buddy; anytime she’s around my flat, we are watching sports with some kind of sweet dessert, usually ice cream or cupcakes from the bakery below my flat.

Harry Styles, the Greek God of One Direction (or so mum’s of my friends used to tell me - which by the way, no 12 year old ever wants to hear about her uncle!) Harry is typically around our house on any given time. He is always up for a laugh and would usually pop up at my internship at the magazine. He is a charmer, and is credited with teaching his son and the other boys within the family the fine art of flirting. He is hopelessly tied to Scarlett, who act like they’re dating more than being married. Scarlett is a Physical Therapist, which comes in handy when 7 of the 15 children are clumsy and are found most of the time in casts. 

Amelia Dominique is the apple in her father’s eyes. She is a daddy’s girl through and through. All she has to do is bat those long eyelashes of hers and Harry is putty in her hands.  Lia is a part-time model while she is going to school for acting lessons. She has starred in a couple of commercials, her parents being very strict with what she was allowed to pursue while keeping a normal school schedule. She is leaving in July to shoot her first feature movie which she is very excited for. Amelia is my go-to lazy day person. Her and I sit around in sweatpants, watching stupid television shows that no one else will watch with us. 

Jackson Edward Styles was born legally deaf. Harry and Scarlett quickly learned signed language to help their young son navigate the strange world around him. The entire family learned, some of us more quickly than others. Jackson and I bonded rather quickly, both us very quick with our signing. He received cochlear implants when he was 4; I was in the room, at his request, when they were turned on and tears immediately flowed from my eyes when he recognized my voice. We have a special bond that doesn’t compare to anyone else in the family. To this day, Jackson is the one that can actually calm me down when I’m stressed beyond my pushing point. 

Last but not least, is my actual family. Mum and dad are crazy; I’m just going to throw that out there. I’ll tell you about my siblings before circling back to my padres. 

Oliver is the oldest; my twin brother. We are 12 minutes apart and he has held those twelve minutes over my head more times than I care to admit. He’s super smart and is an engineer - he just opened his own business that looks into energy sources (I don’t understand half of what he says but I still think it’s cool that he’s doing it). Oli is my go to person; despite the fact we’re twins, we’ve always been closed. He’s bailed me out more times and I’ve had to lie for him many more times. Mum and dad quickly learned they had to be a tag team when dealing with the two of us. Often times, both of us would be grounded at the same time because we would stick up for one another. Oliver is engaged (shocker!!!) to his best friend named Eleanor and they’re getting married in October. 

We’ll skip me for now (don’t worry that’s the good part of the story!). This is where my family gets crazy. Maisie is 20; she knows what she wants and she goes after it. At twenty, she is a part owner of a local business. Since she was legal to do so, she’s been working at a bakery (the exact bakery that is below my flat). She is a tremendous baker. Her red velvet cupcakes are to die for. She’s always been in the kitchen, since she was little, helping mum bake and cook. She’s going to make someone a very happy husband when she decides to settle down.  All I have to do is text her the word ‘hummingbird’ and she knows to make me a batch of my favorite cupcakes. It’s good to know a personal baker from time to time!

Asher is mum and dad’s little science geek. From the time he was little, he was always fascinated by blood, guts, and gore. Anytime any of us went to the hospital, he was always there asking the doctors questions and wanting to know everything about medicine; it's no surprise that he wants to be a pediatrician. At 18, he doesn’t know if he wants to stay in England for school or go abroad to the US. Mum has voiced her opinion on the matter but will support him in his decision, whenever he decides. My time with Asher is dinner and a movie; that’s about all the attention span he has for me, especially while his girlfriend is around. Asher is dating Amelia Styles; they are completely adorable and Harry has laid down the law more than once with Asher.

(So little side story, when mum and dad were first married, they agreed on three or four children; so you’d think they’d stick with that plan right? Nah not my parents. There’s two more little bundles of joy in the house, bringing the grand total to six children in the Tomlinson family. We joke that they should have had two more to beat Nana Jay but mum doesn’t think it’s that funny of a joke!)

Elodie is 13 and completely boy crazy much to the chagrin of dad. He kind of had it easy with me and Maisie but it’s biting him in the butt with Elodie. She has her eyes set on a couple of neighborhood boys, but daddy is keeping a tight leash on her until she’s 16 (he’s constantly citing that rule whenever Dee brings up the issues of boys). Other than boys, she is a major fan of music but doesn’t have any interest in pursuing a career in it. She plays guitar and drums, much to the excitement of Niall. She is more often than not found over at his house jamming the afternoon and nights away. Elodie is also my shopping buddy. She is opinionated and is not afraid to tell it like it is, which has gotten me in trouble many times.

And finally, we have Braelyn, mum and dad’s oopsy child - they thought they were done with Elodie but Brae was bound and determined to make her presence known. She was a preemie baby; she was born six weeks early, spending the first four weeks of her life in NICU. She was my little fighter and now is completely healthy, happy, and footie player. At nine years old, she’s the captain of her little team and is trying out for a traveling team. She’s mum and dad’s free spirited child as well. Ninety percent of the time she doesn’t know where she’s going but she’ll figure it out when she gets there. Her flightiness has gotten her into trouble one too many times. She is more often late for appointments, something her, mum, and dad are all trying to work on. 

And that leaves, my mum and dad. Dad is one of my best friends. He’s usually the first one I call no matter what situation I find myself in. I’ve called him many times in the middle of the night when I’m pulling an all nighter just for a reminder that I’m alright and everything will be ok. I’ve been described as a daddy’s girl but there’s nothing wrong with that. The only thing we disagree with is our footie teams - dad’s Manchester United while I’m more of a Chelsea girl. He forgives me for that but still gives me hell about it. No matter what’s going on, he always has time for us kids; when we were little, him and mum always took us out for one on one time so we could talk about anything and everything.

Mum is strong in her own right. She has to put up with a lot of crap from dad’s fans despite being married to dad for the past 24 years. Before she became a stay at home mum, she was a bombardier for the British Army; she was the lead engineer for the bombers and had to opportunity to travel to war-torn countries. She was kidnapped twice while on duty, once while dating my dad. She officially retired when she became pregnant with me and Oli. I think that’s why Oli became an engineer was because of mum’s stories. Mum has always been there with a hug and a soothing voice when things got tough. 

And me? I’m the one that always had her head in a book, pen to paper, and one who was shy, but that has been broken since being with the magazine. I loved traveling when I was younger and to this day, still love going places by train and plane instead of car.  England will always be home but I love visiting the United States, Spain (especially Sevilla, a place significant to my parents’ relationship) and Africa. I have a puppy named Tipperary (after a region in Ireland that I fell in love with and is significant to my own relationship).  I have been married for two years now - John was someone who came into my life and completely changed it. I hated him but we were forced to work on a project, and his charm and wit won me over. 

So I’ve written 3900 words and the question was what’s the most important to me. Well, those relationships I have with 23+ individuals is what’s important. What’s a little more important are the lessons each of those people have taught me. Growing up in the spotlight is never easy but with each of those people by my side, I’ve conquered a lot of my fears and overcome them with their love, support, and words. 

But my parents have always taught us to be true to who we are. And always keep those most important close to you. 

So in closing, if I can be half the parent my parents have been to me, I think I’ll be alright in the end. And surprise, mum and dad, you’re going to be grandparents in November. 

Cordelia Ann Thomas

Gia looked around the backyard, looking for Cora but failed to see her. Her husband squeezed her hand to gain her attention. “She’s in the house, should we go see her?”

A bright smile was stretched across Louis’ face and one was stretching across Gia’s face. “Can you believe it?”

“Well it was bound to happen sooner or later.” Louis smirked at his wife pulling her into a hug. “Grandparents, can you believe it?”

Gia laughed. “Nope but this day keeps getting better and better. So what’s the plan?”

“Act like we didn’t read that part . . . let her actually tell us instead of us reading it.” Louis smirked knowing it would irritate his daughter. 

The two walked into the house to see Cora and John standing in the kitchen quietly talking. “Hey you two. Did you finish it?”

“We did and it was great darling. You are a fantastic writer. Your mum cried a couple of times.” Louis hugged his oldest daughter tightly. 

Looking up at her dad, Cora smiled. “Anything surprise you?”

“Nah not really. You made me choke up when you were describing our relationship but I love you Delia. That might be my favorite thing you’ve ever written.” Louis kissed her cheek.

Gia stepped up and hugged her daughter tightly. “You’re a brilliant writer and I love it. That was one amazing piece for your final project.” 

“Thanks mum. Anything surprise you?” Cora looked at John, turning her attention to her parents. 

Gia shook her head. “Everything I knew but it was great reading it again. Your uncles got a laugh when they read what you wrote about them. And more than one of your aunts shed tears while reading their sections. That’s why you’re such a brilliant writer; you know how to play with your audience's’ emotions.”

She listened to her parents go on about how brilliant of a writer she is; usually she loves listening to feedback, especially from her parents but she had dropped a bombshell in that piece and she couldn’t believe her parents hadn’t picked it up.

“Ok stop.” She leaned against the counter and looked at her parents closely. “Are you two pulling my leg or something? Or is this like that hidden camera show you two love to watch?”

Louis and Gia traded glances, looking at Cora in confusion. “What are you talking about? We’re praising you for your work and you’re yelling at us?”

“Did you two not read the last line of the writing?” Cora took a deep breath, trying to calm down and not yell at her parents. 

Louis smirked, loving watching his daughter squirm. “You mean about how if you can be half the parent we were to you, then you’ll be alright?”

“Yeah that line. Did you read the second part of that line?” Cora asked, John coming to stand beside her, his hand squeezing hers for reassurance. 

Gia shook her head. “I must have missed it. I was just so excited to tell you what I thought about the book that I just assumed it was finished.”

“Well if you had read it, there was a surprise for you both in it.” Cora sighed, smiling brightly at her parents. “John and I are going to be parents in November.”

Louis and Gia’s jaws both dropped before Gia squealed. “What? You’re pregnant?”

“And you both are horrible actors.” John commented looking at his in-laws with a smirk on his face. 

Cora looked between her husband and parents. “What did I just miss?”

“Your parents knew the entire time you are pregnant . . . I think they were pulling your leg, hun.” John said wrapping his arms around her in a hug. 

She pouted, looking at her parents. “You two are mean. Why would you do that?”

“Never did I think I’d read that my oldest daughter is pregnant via her last piece as a college student.” Louis said reaching over and giving Cora a hug. “Your mum and I are thrilled for you two.”

Cora’s pout was replaced by a smile. “Thanks daddy. I thought it would be a cool way for you two to find out but I guess it backfired a bit.”

November 12, 2043

After 22 hours of labor, she finally got to hold her newborn in her arms. A tired smile was on her face as she looked at her parents. “You want to hold her?”

Gia nodded, immediately reaching for the baby. “Oh hi little one. Oh you’re so tiny.” 

“You doing all right?” Louis looked at his daughter with a smile. 

Cora glanced at John before nodding. “Yeah sore but happy, tired, and every other emotion in the world.”

“Have you decided on a name?” Gia looked between the two new parents before handing over her new granddaughter to her husband.

John shrugged looking at his wife. “We’ve got it narrowed down to two names but haven’t decided on one of them yet. I think the name Cora picked is perfect for her but she isn’t sure.”

“Can you tell us the two names?” Louis studied his granddaughter’s face before looking at his daughter and son-in-law.

Cora smirked. “The middle name is the same but the first name is different. Evelyn or Felicity.” 

“Both are gorgeous names.” Gia murmured. “But I think I like Evelyn slight more than Felicity.”

Handing back the baby to her mummy, Louis smirked. “I think I like Evelyn better as well.”

John looked at his wife and smirked. “Well then I guess this little girl finally has her name. Nana, Papa, meet Evelyn Louisa Grant.”

“Louisa?” Louis looked at his daughter with tears pricking his eyes. “You named her after me?”

Cora nodded, smiling at her father. “You have been an incredible influence; I wanted our daughter to be named after someone who has had a massive impact on my life.”

Lightly hugging his daughter, Louis pressed his lips to her forehead. “You have given me an amazing gift, Cordelia. I love you.”

“Love you too old man.”

Throughout the years, Gia and Louis’ family would grow with more in-laws, grandchildren, and animals but the love they had for each other continued to grow as well. They both had lives fulfilled with cherished memories and amazing experiences. 

[gracespilkerr]

How To Become A Firefighter In Oklahoma

Oklahoma has a lot of history and a lot of heritage among its many communities which leads many to ask how to become a firefighter in Oklahoma.

The state is ever-evolving to meet the needs of the current population. Right now, that means a lot of born-and-bred Okies and a native community in Choctaw Nation.

Each community needs a fire service that understands it needs and will always respond to any emergency. It takes the right skills and character to do this.

How to Become a Firefighter in Oklahoma

18 years old

High school education or higher

A valid driver’s license

Citizenship and residency in the area

EMT training often preferred

The minimum requirements to be a firefighter in Oklahoma aren’t too demanding but many major departments will have their own rules.

One thing that seems to stay the same is the age restriction. No older than 45 and no younger than 18.

Some departments may take the screening process and firefighter interview more seriously than others.

Also, expectations vary between volunteer and career departments. In this article, I want to look at some of the key considerations when applying for a position as an Oklahoma firefighter. I will also look at some of the major departments and training options available here.

Firefighting in Oklahoma

Bi-lingual firefighters may do better here in Oklahoma.  According to the 2010 census, there are more than 16,000 people of Vietnamese descent in Oklahoma. Most of those are in Tulsa or else in Oklahoma City.

These major cities are also home to immigrant families from other nations and a lot of Spanish speakers. This means that the families you help on your calls may not have English as a first language.

If not, will you be able to explain to them the dangers and current situation? Can you calm relatives? This is why additional language skills are so helpful if you want to be a firefighter here.

On top of that, there is a language-themed incentive pay system in Tulsa. They offer more money for those that speak Spanish and Vietnamese, as well as those that understand Sign Language.

This could also mean that those from Vietnamese backgrounds could be a step ahead when applying in Tulsa.

Dealing with major weather events in Oklahoma.

Tornadoes are part of life in the state of Oklahoma, but we can never take them for granted if they pose a risk to life and/or property.

Oklahoma firefighters need to be prepared to handle the aftermath as best they can to help victims recover. If you plan to be a firefighter in areas that are often hit, you need to prepare to take on extra training.

Emergency situation training with skills in different equipment and strategies can help teams create a more effective plan. The more efficient the process, the less distress and damage on-scene.

There were 61 tornadoes in Oklahoma in May of this year alone. If you are interested in how to become a firefighter in Oklahoma, just know you will eventually find yourself caught up in one at some point.

Training to be a firefighter in the Choctaw Nation.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma needs its own department of firefighters that understand the risks and needs in their community. This is now the third-largest tribe in the United States to be federally recognized. Durant’s fire department have 3 stations with a local crew to handle medical issues, fires and accidents.

The Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma also has a forestry department with its own trained fire personnel. It is a 24/7 service to ensure that someone is always on-call in case of a major fire.

The team can handle forest fires in a controlled, skilled manner to protect the landscape as well as the lives and properties within it. However, they have also been known to help out with other incidents if needed. This includes support following major weather events.

Fire Academies in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has several community colleges and other fire academies that include this Choctaw program and other higher education courses. Success here can help you progress on into a career with a major department.

Oklahoma City: Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City

Tulsa: Tulsa Community College

Stillwater: Oklahoma State University

Enid: Autry Technology Center

Lawton: Great Plains Technology Center

Ada: Pontotoc Technology Center

Choctaw: Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center

Altus: Western Oklahoma State College

Weatherford: Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Wildland firefighting is a big part of life as an Oklahoma firefighter. The Southwestern Oklahoma State campus offers an associate degree that focuses specifically in wildland firefighting.

Students get to learn all the theory and the academic side of fire management. This means learning about strategies, fuel planning and more. There is also the chance to put this to practice with hands-on training out in the forest. To learn more about this program visit this link.

Alternatively, you could work to become a graduate with an associate applied science degree from Tulsa.

Here they have a Fire and EMS Technology course in their Northeast campus. This is a great choice for those just starting out as you essentially get a 2-for-1 deal.

You get your fire training and EMT training side-by-side as the perfect way to prepare you for your career. No prior experience is required so it really does suit absolute beginners.

Those that don’t want to opt for the full degree can take the shorter Certificate first to see how they get on. You can find out more about the program here.

Major Fire Departments in Oklahoma

The following is a list of major fire departments in Oklahoma.  While it isn’t comprehensive it’s a great place to start if you’re interested in learning more about how to become a firefighter in Oklahoma.

How to Become an Oklahoma City Firefighter

Applicants must be 18 to 44 years of age.

Must possess a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent, at the time of application.

Have no felony convictions

Must possess an Emergency Medical Technician license prior to completion of one-year probationary period.

Must maintain Emergency Medical Technician license in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

Must possess a valid driver’s license

Successfully pass a testing process consisting of a written examination, physical ability test, interview panel, background/polygraph test, and a medical evaluation

The Oklahoma City Fire Department has a large staff with around 1000 paid crew members working out of 36 stations. This is a large number because the city and surrounding jurisdiction are so large.

There are around 650,000 people here over a 621 square mile area. That means that there are many risks of accidents, fires and medical emergencies.

With 70,000 calls per year, the department is stretched to its limit. Therefore, you need to be ready to work if you’re thinking about applying here. 70% of calls are medical in nature so Paramedic training is a good idea.

Some special operations divisions can handle more advanced situations in case of a major emergency. You can learn more about the department here.

The city also has a training division where recruits get their basic training. This is a good alternative to the academic options mentioned above.

The academy program run for up to 18 weeks and consists of lots of exams, lessons and hands-on classes. It is an extreme introduction to what it takes to work in that city. Successful recruits then move onto their probationary period for one year.

How to Become a Tulsa, OK Firefighter

18 years old

High school education or higher

A valid driver’s license

Citizenship and residency in the area

EMT certification

The Tulsa Fire Department is smaller, but not by a lot. They have 30 stations over five districts with 676 active crew members.

The team is responsible for the health and safety of a population of around 400,000 people. They can take on around 57,000 calls in a single year and, like Oklahoma City, find that the majority are for medical emergencies.

This is why EMT certification is mandatory here.

Another interesting fact about working in Tulsa is that they recently changed their policy on the minimum age. It had been 21. Now you can apply if you are between the ages of 18 and 45. This wider gap is perfect for those that want to sign up straight out of school and train on the job.

Learn more about the department here.

Job Prospects for Firefighters in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has a large number of firefighters for its size. There were 3,530 employed by the state in 2018 with a ratio of 2.22 per 1000 jobs.

The average annual pay for firefighters in Oklahoma was $43,450.

For comparison, Kansas firefighters only got $37,930 in the same period. Another perk here is the Oklahoma City incentive pay scale. You can increase your salary if you have certificates as a Hazardous Materials Technician, an EMT-Paramedic or an Underwater Rescue Diver.

If you had been wondering how to become a firefighter in Oklahoma just know, no matter your background and circumstances in Oklahoma, there are opportunities out there to train, learn and build a strong career in the fire service. Work hard to gain experience in local communities, understand what you can do for your area and apply that to your training.

Once you pass the hiring process, continue that training with specializations to protect the state from natural disasters, major fires and more.

The post How To Become A Firefighter In Oklahoma appeared first on FirefighterNOW.

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[junker-town]

NFL Dad, Week 4: More chili and fewer Disney princesses, please

One dad, two toddlers, and six hours of the RedZone Channel: The story

I missed the national anthem because I was making chili.

I did not mean it as a slight to the flag, or to myself as a veteran. I honor and respect my own service. I merely wanted to make sure that the chili came to a boil before I turned it down to simmer for the next several hours.

It’s the first weekend of football where the weather feels like fall, and that means chili. Like certain other internet football writers, I love making chili. But I do not have a spicy chili take for you. My chili take is the same as my guacamole take: the bar is extremely low to be very delicious. Everyone has their magical secret that they claim is the KEY to the tastiest chili on the planet, and they should embrace the truth that gives them the best chili experience. But I think the greater truth is that chili is the ‘94 Cowboys, and we’re all just Barry Switzer.

Hey, don’t feel bad. Switzer won a Super Bowl! He’s like if Mike McCarthy had swag.

EARLY GAMES, FIRST HALF

— Jaguars-Jets, man. We really gonna do this?

And yet: Blake Bortles actually converts a third-and-nine with a real pass, and a few plays later he finds Leonard Fournette on a swing pass for a touchdown. 7-0 Jags in MetLife.

Next drive: Bilal Powell falls to the ground after lunging through the line, then gets up and sprints through the Jacksonville D for a 75-yard touchdown, the longest run in Jets history.

This is gonna be the best game today, huh?

— My son is about to go down for his nap, so I read him The House in the Night, which sounds like a horror movie but I swear is a very good bedtime book for young children. As I read, he glances up at Rams-Cowboys, so I hold the book directly in front of his face. How am I supposed to explain to my kids that the Rams have a good offense?

The kids go down within three minutes of each other. Naptime songs: a Spanish lullaby called “Los Pollitos” for my daughter and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” for my son. I sing or hear “Twinkle Twinkle” probably 10 times a day. It’s the only song my daughter ever requests, and my son has now started humming it throughout the day. You know who sings a great version of it? Lisa Loeb. I long for the day when my kids are hooked on Moana. Moana bangs.

— In one of my fantasy leagues, I’m facing Ezekiel Elliott AND Todd Gurley, making every click to Rams-Cowboys fraught with anxiety. Naturally, Zeke is already scoring on a simple swing pass to the left. Alec Ogletree tried to tackle Elliott by the shoulders instead of pushing him out of bounds. The result: Ogletree is the one who goes flying out of bounds.

— With the exception of Moana and maybe Frozen, the rest of the Disney princesses are a scourge on parenthood. The Disney Princess Industrial Complex essentially operates like the anti-vaccine movement. No matter how many parents want to raise their daughters to be action-oriented, independent problem solvers, there’s always a nanny or a grandmother who’s pushing Sleeping Beauty or Snow White (which are the SAME DAMN STORY), and that shit spreads like the plague.

And regardless of your feelings on feminism, the message isn’t a great one to send your kids. “Got a problem? Just go to sleep and someone will take care of it.” That only works if your dad owns an NFL team.

— Will Fuller catches a 16-yard touchdown from Deshaun Watson, and the Texans are up on the Titans 21-0 early in the 2nd quarter. Wow, isn’t it crazy that the rookie quarterback most prepared for the pros was the guy who was the best player on the field in consecutive national title games against Alabama? Who could have foreseen that? The guy just flew under the radar.

Good job by the Bears to trade up to get the guy who started for NC State for a year, though.

— My daughter is infected with that princess virus, by the way. After spending the last week obsessed with Ariel and The Little Mermaid, the new game we played outside today is “I’m Cinderella!” She pretends to put on a dress, rides in a coach to the ball (the other side of the courtyard), dances, then leaves the ball. Then we play again. And again. And again.

You ever throw a tennis ball for a tireless Labrador retriever? It’s like that. Early on, I make all the horsey sounds on the way to the ball, and I pick her up and waltz in circles while humming “The Blue Danube” (FULL DISCLOSURE: this moment is magical, and by itself justifies having children). By the fifth time, though, it’s like, “OK, sweetie, have fun at the ball,” while I sit on the pavement.

I have never given my daughter a fairy tale book or Disney media of any kind, by the way. Kids just end up with the knowledge and matériel through their toddler network of spies and informants.

— Alfred Morris breaks off a 70-yard run, and I’m enthralled by the prospect of a Cowboys touchdown being scored by someone other than Elliott. But of COURSE Morris gets tackled a few yards short of the goal line.

Zeke, of course, punches it in from two yards out. But wait! It gets overturned on review; the officials rule he was short of the end zone. So, Zeke immediately gets the ball again and scores easily. The lesson? Never play fantasy football.

— I’m seeing it more on Twitter than on RedZone, but Antonio Brown went wild on the Steelers sideline, flipping a Gatorade cooler and yelling at coaches after not getting the ball deep on third down despite being open. Look at this topspin! Rafael Nadal would be jealous.

If you’re inclined to chastise Brown for the angry display, please keep in mind that he has to interact with Todd Haley six days a week. That would push anyone the edge.

— Gio Bernard takes a screen pass and goes 61 yards completely untouched to put the Bengals up 21-0 over the Browns, and I think that’s all I need to write about this game today. The Battle of Ohio: There Couldn’t Possibly Be Less at Stake™.

— Dalvin Cook scores a short TD to put Vikings up 7-3 over the Lions just before halftime. This game has been punt-filled death slog, but Cook justifies its existence. Like Deshaun Watson at quarterback, Cook was the running back who, if you watched what he did in college, you naturally assumed he would be good in the pros*. It’s why I drafted him on three of my four fantasy teams. Love that guy.

*statement applies only to sane people who aren’t NFL scouts

— Juju Smith-Schuster scores and has an INCREDIBLY good TD celebration.

HADOUKEN http://pic.twitter.com/gdHBwEOlmW

— Mike Tunison (@xmasape) October 1, 2017

After the game, Smith-Schuster will insist that this is the kamehameha from Dragon Ball Z, but that’s only because he never had the pleasure of playing Street Fighter.

— Stephen Gostkowski doinks in a 50-yard field goal as the first half ends. The Pats trail 17-16 at home to the Panthers. QUELLE INTRIGUE!

— Facing fourth-and-21 on their own 47 with 22 seconds left in the half, the Jets run a fake punt ... and convert it! Incredible. The MOST Jetsy thing the Jets could have done is hilariously mess that up, but the second-most Jetsy thing is convert it by having one Jet collide into the Jet ballcarrier, inadvertently redirecting him away from tacklers.

... Annnnnnd they missed the ensuing field goal. (*jazz hands*) The Aristo-Jets!

EARLY GAMES, SECOND HALF

— At halftime of the early games, I get to see highlights from this morning’s Dolphins-Saints game in London. Oh my Lord, the Dolphins got shut out by the Saints. THE SAINTS!!! And just a week after Miami managed just six points against the Jets. The Dolphins should be contracted immediately.

I can only assume this was a Cutlerian performance for the ages. (*performs quick Google search*)

Cutler really selling his role in the Wildcat at the bottom of the screen http://pic.twitter.com/WgHxXvxlHL

— Mike Tunison (@xmasape) October 1, 2017

Ohhhh yeah, that’s the stuff! He’s still my favorite NFL player who doesn’t want to be in the NFL.

— The Bills score a defensive TD on a scoop-and-score to take the lead in Atlanta. It’s a questionable call: it could or maybe even should have been ruled a forward pass, but there hasn’t been much about this game that suggests the Falcons should be winning anyway.

— Will Fuller scores on 10-yard fade, his second TD. hey, welcome back, Will Fuller! I remember being excited about Fuller’s career after he opened it with back-to-back 100-yard games. And then: BROCKED. He spent the rest of 2016 in the same barren wilds as DeAndre Hopkins, running fruitless routes as Osweiler checked down to C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin underneath. I hope Fuller and Hopkins score 20 touchdowns apiece this season. They deserve it.

P.S. Deshaun Watson was the top-ranked quarterback in the draft according to ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Focus, and (of course) SB Nation. He was the third selected. The two quarterbacks taken ahead of him have thrown a combined zero passes this season. Try to remember this when the Lamar Jackson smear campaign starts next spring.

— Dalvin Cook grabs his left knee mid-play and fumbles. NOOOOOOO my dear sweet Dalvin! That’s an ACL tear. No need to wait for the reports, that’s as obvious as can be. The Vikings have a 7-6 lead, 25 minutes to play, and Case Keenum at quarterback. I am etching VIKINGS LOSE in my stone tablet.

Elsewhere, Marcus Mariota is out with a hamstring injury, and Julio Jones is out with a hip injury (the Falcons have also lost Mohamed Sanu). No one can have any fun things.

— The Bills appear to be leaning on the run:

11-minute field goal drive by Buffalo. I didn't enjoy it, but it was beautiful

— jason (@JasonKirkSBN) October 1, 2017

— On first-and-goal in Foxborough, Cam Newton keeps a read-option and barrels into the end zone. The Panthers are up two touchdowns in New England with 13 minutes to play, and the Pats defense looks like butt.

The Patriots have allowed the opposing QB to throw for 300+ pass yards in all 4 games this season. They had 3 such games all of last season

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) October 1, 2017

CORRECTION: The Pats defense IS butt.

— Our dog is giving my wife and I the nervous look that tells us she has to pee. My wife volunteers to take her for a walk, but says, “I’m wearing short-shorts.” Our son is sleeping in our room, so she has no access to warmer pants.

“I cannot help you,” I say, assuming she can be cold for a minute.

“You can give me your pants,” she says. I weigh nearly one-and-half times what she does; my canvas pants seem unlikely to fit.

But I know which battles to fight in marriage, and this hand is an easy fold. Off go my pants. She puts them on. “Do I look like a man?” she asks.

“The important thing is that you’ll be warm,” is the thing I should have said.

— Todd Gurley splits out wide and catches a slant, then looks like Sammy Watkins as he races past the defense. The touchdown gives the Rams the lead, 26-24.

— (*spins Wheel of Misfortune*) C’monnn, Jets! Show me Jets! (*wheel lands on JETS*)

.@MYLESJACK. WOW. 82-yard fumble return TD! #JAXvsNYJ http://pic.twitter.com/MBo9v9P0T8

— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2017

— Watch out, world! Matt Cassel is here to bring the Titans back! ... down to Earth. Or perhaps a little lower than that. His second interception in seven throws is a pick-six. It’s 54-14, Texans.

Is it still political to suggest that perhaps an NFL team should employ Colin Kaepernick?

— The endings of the early games happen in a flurry just as my children wake up, and it’s goddamn pandemonium in my home. This is merely a summary:

The Falcons choke twice and lose.

The Vikings pretend to have a chance, but they never did.

The Cowboys can’t keep up with the Rams’ furious field goal kicking. Greg Zuerlein finishes with seven FGs and the Cowboys fall, 35-30.

Tom Brady leads the Pats on a comeback to tie the game, but the Panthers kick a game-winning field goal as time expires. The Bills lead the AFC East. The Pats are tied with the Jets. MWAHAHAHAHAHA.

LATE GAMES, FIRST HALF

— This week in Marshawn Lynch:

Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch wearing an "Everybody vs Trump" T-shirt: http://pic.twitter.com/7aiCUbjLUD

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2017

This Marshawn Lynch and Kevin Durant mural in Oakland is amazing ( : jc.ro / Instagram) http://pic.twitter.com/VIcPdIPqdq

— SB Nation (@SBNation) October 1, 2017

— The chaos of the post-nap toddler rodeo is tamped down by breadsticks and hummus. When in doubt, feed the children.

— All of the early games are over except Jaguars-Jets:

We have OVERTIME! #JAXvsNYJ

— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2017

I assume the NFL is trying to convey excitement, but it makes more sense if you read that as an urgent public warning. “EVERYBODY! Calmly and quickly move to the exits. This game is going to OVERTIME!”

— Mike Evans scores a touchdown to post the Bucs to an early 7-0 over the Giants in Tampa, where it is 92 degrees and raining on the first day of October. NEVER TAMPA.

— Chili time! It’s only a little after 4:00 — nowhere close to dinner time — but I didn’t eat lunch. Come to think of it, did I even eat breakfast? I take stock of the food I’ve eaten today, and 100% of my food intake is scraps that my children didn’t finish. No wonder I’m running on empty. I fill a ramekin with chili (a full bowl would ruin dinner!) and top it with cheese.

— The Jets win. Whoop-dee-doo. I maintain that we should have sent both teams home with a tie and spared everyone the thrill of extra Josh McCown.

— Some Bronco named Derby makes a spectacular one-handed catch on the sideline for a touchdown.

Easily the best play of the day so far, and it was made by someone I’ve never heard of until today. It’s been a while since Peyton Manning made fantasy owners know every tight end on the Bronco depth chart.

— I put my daughter’s hair in a ponytail, then secure the stray hair that falls into her face with a bow. I couldn’t do this a month ago. I’ve had short hair all my life; making a ponytail was an entirely new life skill.

And before you laugh: yes, I technically knew how to make one. But knowing how and actually doing it are two very different things. Like, I know how to make that one-handed catch that Derby made, but I couldn’t attempt it without falling on my face and/or suffering several pulled muscles. Same thing with giving a toddler a ponytail: pull one little hair, and you’ve got tears, screaming, and no second chance.

— It’s 4:51 and MAYBE I’m having a second ramekin of chili. ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME.

— Tyrell Williams scores on a 75-yard bomb from Philip Rivers. I love to joke about Rivers’ floaty passes, but that was a perfect bomb.

— 5:12 p.m.: The second ramekin of chili was a mistake. I can barely keep my eyes open.

The kids don’t get chili, by the way. This is partly because neither is potty-trained, and I don’t want to deal with the diapers. But it’s also because my daughter says, “Too spicy!” even though I didn’t add the habanero that gives the chili the heat I like it to have SPECIFICALLY so she could try it. Parenting: Enjoy everything you love just a little less.™

— Eli Manning scrambles for a touchdown from 14 yards out, his first rushing TD since 2014. He now leads the Giants in rushing scores. He had -9 rushing yards all last season.

The Giants are down 13-10 now, but whatever the final score ends up being, the Bucs lose.

— After two near-turnovers on one drive, Carson Palmer is sacked on third down, forcing a punt. He looks terrible. Cards trail 6-3 late in the first half. The less I say about this game, the better. (The only other note I have from this half is “Hoyer armpunt.”)

— SO SLEEPY.

LATE GAMES, SECOND HALF

— Halftime of the late games coincides nicely with my kids’ bath time, so I chase my daughter around the apartment while she yells “NAKED KID IN THE HOUSE” before I can finally get her in the tub. And for once, my kids actually deign to (A) sit down in the tub and (B) bathe together without fighting. My daughter puts bubbles on her little brother (“I’m giving him a bubble tank top!”), then wraps a plastic T-Rex in a wash cloth to keep him warm. Reptiles ARE cold-blooded, you know.

— I’m relieved there’s no Seahawks game until tonight. I don’t know how it usually reads in the column, but trying to watch your dumb stupid moron team protect its excellent quarterback by diving onto the ground while you try to guide your children through dinner, baths, and a calm period before bedtime is goddamn RUINOUS for my nerves. Banish the Seahawks to Monday Night Football every week, I say.

Unfortunately, the Niners lead the Cards 9-6 and this game looks EXTREMELY like the usual Seahawks bullshit. Yes, technically, this is NFC West bullshit, but we know who patient zero is.

— Every announcer calls Eli Manning “Eli.” So annoying. Did he send you a Christmas card? No? Then call him “Manning” like a professional. He’s not your best friend. He’s not your little brother. He’s a paste-eating 36-year-old who’s got one wish left from the genie.

Related: the Bucs are losing 17-16 at the end of the third quarter. How can you lose to this Giants team? Oh right, make Eli Manning look like Marcus Mariota.

— I read my son Boats Go while Denver kicks a field goal to go up 13-7. It’s a great board book for young toddlers: it’s just a bunch of different kinds of boats that you make the sounds for. My son, who typically jumps out of my lap to go crash through a wall three pages into any book, laughs and claps throughout.

There are other books in the series — Trains Go, Planes Go, Cars Go, etc — but the boats are where it’s at. Every train sounds the same, don’t try to sell me lies.

— My RedZone picture keeps freezing, sometimes for minutes at a time. From what I can tell, Khalil Mack is the only Raider on defense.

— My daughter is finally out of the bath after 30 minutes. “My hands are wrink-a-dee,” she says, and I don’t want to correct her. Kids saying things wrong is one of my favorite little things about being a parent. She calls triangles “tri-ang-guh-rulls,” and the extra syllable reminds me of Homer Simpson saying “saxomophone.”

— The backlash to Tony Romo has already begun, and it’s too much for even a cynical and weary internet traveler like myself.

Listening to Tony Romo is like getting puppies thrown at you with ever-increasing velocity

— Jay Busbee (@jaybusbee) October 1, 2017

He’s still great! I’m amazed that people can love a guy in Week 1 and turn on him by Week 4. Y’all are never gonna have a successful marriage.

— I click to CBS for Romo’s call of OAK-DEN because my RedZone has been frozen for too long, then back and forth between the two network games (the other is TB-NYG), like some kind of prole. Ugh.

— Mike Evans with a drop on first-and-10 at the slightest bit of contact. Now, I love Evans. He has no good comparison in the NFL: He’s totally unique in his size and ability in the red zone, but man, his floor is Kenny Britt.

Ben McAdoo challenges the play (he thinks it’s a fumble), but of course he loses the challenge and a timeout. McAdoo’s entire vibe is “gym teacher going through a divorce,” but he’d still win a custody hearing before a coach’s challenge.

That drop leads to the Bucs going for it on fourth-and-two, and the pass to Cameron Brate falls incomplete.

The best 4th down throw the Bucs have is a slant to a TE who isn't OJ Howard?? I'm selling my Bucs stock.

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) October 1, 2017

— Derek Carr out with a back injury, and Oakland is down 16-7 in Denver. Enter E.J. Manuel. This game is over.

— The ticker says 49ers-Cardinals is 12-12. Iowa-ass game.

— While I was putting the kids to bed, the Giants took the lead in Tampa. But I’m back for Nick Folk’s game-winning field goal from 34 yards out. Bucs win! Giants cover!

— OF COURSE the 49ers and Cardinals are going to overtime. Each team has scored one field goal per quarter so far, let’s kick some more field goals and call it a tie.

I am dead serious: I reject the entire notion of regular-season overtime. Y’all played 60 minutes of skullsmash and ended up with the same amount of points? Congratulations, that’s a tie, we’ll see you again next week.

Like, we have super-computers that can figure ties into playoff seeding and draft position; why do people get so mad about ties? “DURRRR it’s like kissing your sister!” No it’s not. Two teams finishing a game with the same number of points is nothing like incestuous foreplay. Let them play overtime in the playoffs, when the games NEED to have a winner.

Anyway, with the Niners leading 15-12, Larry Fitzgerald scores a last-minute touchdown for the Cardinals to win the game. Some people will use this to celebrate overtime’s existence, but I don’t think the ends justify the means. Overtime still blows.

I’m having another bowl of chili.

[flauntpage]

Flyers Roster Predictions: Offense

Last week, I gave you my prediction on defense. Here now, is the prediction for the final forward spots, which is a lot harder of a read (no pun intendend) if you ask me:

  Forwards

 To me, this is the more intriguing battle.

I mean, we know with the defensemen that ultimately all three are going to be long-term players for the Flyers and nice building blocks as the franchise tries to return to prominence under Ron Hextall’s architectural plan.

But these forward positions are really about the here and now.

Here’s what we know:

Top line: Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jake Voracek

I didn’t think that this would be a regular thing, but rather something Hakstol could turn to at some point down the road when offense was needed. I was wrong. This is the plan.

It started slowly, but over the course of three games got a lot better and much more so on Thursday night. I mean real good. Voracek had a goal and an assist. So did Couturier. Giroux had a pair of helpers. Yeah, that’s good – even for preseason. Not sure right now whose brainchild this was, but we’ll give Hakstol credit until told otherwise. This could turn out to be the most outside-the-box decision in the NHL this season, and perhaps one of the more successful.

  Second line: Jordan Weal-Nolan Patrick-Wayne Simmonds

Look, there was never a doubt Patrick was making the team. There was a lot of coach-speak or GM-speak about him potentially going back to juniors, blah, blah, blah. It was a line they had to feed publicly to make Patrick earn it in camp.

But the fact is, the kid is really talented and was going to be here. Playing him with Simmonds will protect him as Simmonds will take care of the 19-year-old rookie. And Weal is a guy who has been a fan darling for a little more than a year now. It’s a line that can provide instant offense. The one worry is it’s not the best defensive-minded combination, so it has to be deployed wisely by Hakstol. I think if there’s a line that could get some tweaking early in the season, it’s this one. But if they’re putting the puck in the net, maybe not.

  Third line: Dale Weise-Valtteri Filppula-Travis Konecny

I’m not in love with Weise here. He’s a serviceable bottom six guy, but I think Konecny is a talent and could use a little more gifted offense around him. Ultimately, as the season goes along, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Patrick and Konecny end up together on a line while Filppula plays with Simmonds and Weal. At that point, Weise makes more sense as the defensively responsible player with a couple of young, talented forwards – but I get why you wouldn’t want to start the season that way as they want to ease Patrick into the NHL a little bit.

  Fourth line: Michael Raffl-Scott Laughton-??????

This is where it gets interesting. Laughton and Raffl have had excellent camps. They have become close. Their lockers are right next to each other. There are a lot of good, lengthy conversations between the two in the locker room. They’re both solid, reliable two-way players. Laughton has bought into his role. Raffl is a jack-of-all-trades. As a matter of fact, regardless of who their linemate is, unlike a lot of other fourth lines, I’m betting this trio will see a lot of action against the top lines of the opposition, really making them more like another third line option for Hakstol.

So who gets to play with them?

The remaining candidates are a pair of veterans and a pair of young players.

First is the usual suspect – Matt Read.

Read is now 31 and entering his seventh NHL season. It seems like yesterday that he burst onto the scene as an undrafted free agent who scored 24 goals, 23 assists and 47 points as a rookie in 2011-12. Turns out, those were all career highs.

But now, in the final year of his contract, Read is being pushed for a job.

Coming into camp, it looked like he might be the odd guy out – and he still might be. But, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t worked hard to keep his job.

He’s had a very good camp. He’s healthy. He feels good. He’s skating well. Last night he played a lot of minutes against Boston’s top lines and was excellent. He had a takeaway. He killed penalties with good aggressiveness. He looked like a guy who had a job to win.

Does he think he won it?

“I feel like I should be on the team,” he said. “I’m just worried about getting ready for the season. I don’t worry about [competition]. I don’t even think about it. I worry about myself and take care of myself first. I know how I can play and what I can do out there, I just have to make sure my mind and my body are in a good place every game and good things will come.”

It’s interesting, because Read probably should be on the team. His offense has waned, but he’s a veteran player who can play responsibly against top players on the opposition. He has always been a good penalty killer. He has a lot of value in a bottom-six role.

But, like MacDonald on the defensive side, he too has a bad contract and if the Flyers waive him and he clears waivers (which is likely as only one player in the league has been claimed on waivers so far) then they can send him to the Phantoms and save a little more than $1 million in cap dollars.

But, is that really worth it? Wouldn’t he be better suited to be in the lineup or at least the 13th forward? I mean, you are paying him anyway, is the $1 million in cap savings worth not having a versatile guy like Read around?

I guess that depends on how much you like the prospects:

Taylor Leier, 23, was drafted by the Flyers in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. He played in 10 games in the NHL last year and six the season before. He can skate, he’s smart and he’s got a bit of a scorer’s touch as well.

Oh, and did I mention, he’s had a great camp?

We’ve been hearing about Leier as a future NHLer for some time now and although the bloom has started to come off the rose a little bit in terms of what the team thinks he can be offensively, he still has the qualities every coach and GM are looking for. OK, so maybe he’s not going to be a scoring dynamo, but he does a lot of little things well and will be a bulldog of a worker if the team needs it.

Oskar Lindblom, 21, was drafted by the Flyers in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, and a lot of people are starting to consider him a steal being drafted there. He’s opened some eyes in hockey circles and has been talked about for months now as a guy who could crack this Flyers lineup.

They’ve given him every opportunity, and the fact that he’s still in camp tells you how highly the Flyers think of him.

Here’s the difference between Leier and Lindblom, though – age and experience. Leier is ready to give the NHL a go. He has already proven he can play in the AHL and sending him down to the Phantoms doesn’t make sense. He also would be exposed to waivers, and although we’ve already determined that waivers isn’t as much a gamble as it used to be – it still is a gamble. So, why risk losing a younger player you like instead of a veteran – like Read – who is going to be a free agent at season’s end and is highly unlikely to be claimed off waivers because of his contract/cap hit?

As for Lindblom, he can be sent back down to the Phantoms without being exposed to waivers. He’s still 21 and has a bright future ahead, but letting him play top line minutes with the Phantoms will be good for him rather than fourth line minutes for the Flyers. Not to mention, he’s not a fourth-line kind of player. He’s more of a scoring line winger. The Flyers have time to continue developing Lindblom. He hasn’t had a bad camp, but, he’s only been in the lineup for one of the last three games. He had a chance playing with Giroux in one of the games and didn’t stand out. To me it makes sense to send him down and bring him back later in the year.

The final contender is Jori Lehtera. The 29-year-old center came here as part of the Brayden Schenn trade with St. Louis on draft day. Lehtera had three seasons in St. Louis that got progressively less productive. He roared on the scene with 44 points as a rookie. That dropped to 34 points two seasons ago and down to 22 points last season. The other issue with Lehtera is he’s a natural center and the Flyers are asking him to play on the wing, which Hakstol insists he can do while his former coach in St. Louis, now a coach in Dallas, says he can’t. I guess we’re bound to see who is right.

Lehtera had a pretty good defensive game Thursday against Boston playing with Read and Laughton, but otherwise has hardly been noticeable in camp after scoring two goals in the first preseason game against a mostly AHL lineup for the New York Islanders. He just seems like the square peg in the round hole here – at least at wing.

I’m sure Hextall had to agree to take him and his terrible contract ($4.7 million for this year and next) in order to get the draft picks he wanted from St. Louis, but it really doesn’t make sense with the rest of what is being built here.

Why take on a placeholder with a prohibitive salary for two seasons when you have one already whose contract expires after this season? Morgan Frost, the guy they drafted with the first round pick they got from St. Louis, better turn out to be a winner, otherwise this could prove to be a bad deal.

My Prediction: So, this comes down to whether the Flyers are willing to expose Leier to waivers or not. He’s done enough to earn a spot on the team, but if they think they can sneak him through waivers back down to the Phantoms, then they can carry both Read and Lehtera with one being in the lineup (Read’s the better role player) and the other as the 13th forward while Leier and Lindblom get plenty of playing time with the Phantoms and are a phone call away if needed.

However, if they don’t want to risk losing Leier, he makes it and one of the vets has to go. Neither would be claimed off waivers, so sending either down to the Phantoms would be easy. But who do you keep?

Common sense says Read, but the fact that Lehtera is signed for two seasons, tells you the decision may be a financial one, which I understand. Sometimes, when it’s that close of a race, money has to be the determining factor.

So what would I do? I’d try and send Leier back to the Phantoms for now and keep the two veterans and see what other circumstances might arise that could get Leier back here quickly (an injury, for example).

But will the Flyers do that? I don’t think so. I think Leier wins a job on the fourth line with Laughton and Raffl and the Flyers keep Lehtera over Read based on the extra year (and frankly more money being paid).

Read either gets shipped to the Phantoms, or Hextall tries to find a trading partner and maybe eats a portion of Read’s salary.

But, as I have proven before, I can be wrong.

Flyers Roster Predictions: Offense published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[flashinglights-rp]

Thank you for your audition, KIT. We are thrilled to welcome you into the group as the First Harper who you have chosen to name TYGO-JOËL DEX, with the faceclaim of Cole Sprouse, and we truly cannot wait to meet them. Please send in your account in the next 24 hours, and read over the new members checklist before sending in your link.

ABOUT YOU ➝

NAME/PRONOUNS: Kit, she/her. AGE (18+): 19. TIMEZONE: GMT. ACTIVITY LEVEL: 8/10. i’ve been swamped lately but i’ll be picking up again. TRIGGERS: Removed. ANYTHING ELSE?: Removed.

CHARACTER BASICS ➝

CHARACTER NAME: Tygo-Joël Dex “TJ” De Vries. [Harper] FACE CLAIM: Cole Sprouse. GENDER/PRONOUNS: He/Him. AGE/BIRTHDAY: 26, Aug 3rd. BIRTH ORDER: First born. Older soon-to-be Step Brother to Dani and Alicia. SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual/fluid/refuses to use labels. ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Demiromantic. JOB ROLE: Light Crew.

FAMILY STATS ➝

HOMETOWN: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. PARENT NAMES/STATUS: Justin Van Dalen & Tess De Vries have been separated since 1996. Tess has since married to Issac Meijer and is now Tess Meijer. NUMBER OF PLAYABLE CHILDREN: N/A NUMBER OF NON-PLAYABLE CHILDREN: 3. Tygo has a 21 year old brother named Levi-Milan, a 17 year old half-sister named Lotte, and a 14 year old half-brother named Elmo. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: With Dutch as his first language, Tygo is fluent in English (as well as Italian, Mandarin, French and German) but still has a strong Dutch accent as he’s never lived outside of The Netherlands. REQUIREMENTS: N/A ADOPTED SIBLINGS ALLOWED?: N/A HALF-SIBLINGS ALLOWED?: N/A

BIOGRAPHY ➝

How to put a finger on Tygo-Joël Dex De Vries? Well, you couldn’t, really. Tygo-Joël, or sometims TJ, for short, what almost something of an enigma. There were no cliches or stereotypes about him. He had the intelligence to attend a top school, the soccer skills to carry him on a scholarship to a top-league team, and the subdued nature of an artist that could hang his work in homes across the globe. But he didn’t have the motivation of a know-it-all, the typical meathead personality of a jock, or the style or attitude of an artist. He managed to fit perfectly into multiple cliques, and simultaneously not fit into any of them, either.

He was the first to come along, followed in 1995 by his brother Levi-Milan. It was only a year later that Tess and Justin split, on not-so-fantastic terms. Justin worked in Amsterdam for a year, before relocating to Los Angeles following a job offer, and Tess soon met Issac, and their family grew, with his half-sister being born in 2000, and his half-brother joining them in 2003. Each addition to their family took up an extra room in their home, and by the time Elmo came along, their 5 bedroom townhouse facing the Singel, previously empty and quiet, was bustling with life. But that was fine for Tygo, the less attention there was on him, the better.

But of course, Tygo was the test child, who barely got away with anything while Justin and Tess figured out what on earth they were doing, trying to raise their first child. Between that, and how excessive Tess could be, keeping himself in the background was far easier said that done. Everything always had to be over the top, which is why most old photographs of TJ feature him in something only the children of celebrities would wear. Their home was excessive, much larger than necessary, overfilled with decor and furniture to make it look less like a house and more like a home.

And Tygo’s life was excessive. While Justin may not have been the most handsome man around, Tess was utterly beautiful, and her beauty was something that Tygo inherited. The same light hair that turned a dirty blond colour come the summer months, and the same grunge-toned green/blue eye colour too. Throughout his childhood, Tess was always told how her son, then young and naive, should be a model. Unfortunately, Tess was far too literal of a person, which was how TJ ended up being a child model.

It was nothing much at first, little catalogue shoots, but catalogue shoots became modelling clothes for designer company’s ‘kids wear’ after his face appearing in magazines got him noticed. Tess loved it, loved that her little boy was becoming famous because of whatever genes he was blessed with. But TJ didn’t enjoy modelling one little bit. Why would he want to stand in front of a camera, when he could be reading, learning, painting? At 5 years old, he knew that modelling was one thing he didn’t want to pursue. Or do, at all, really.

No, his interests lay, at that age, in the world of Art. Of course, at the mere age of 5 years old, he wasn’t particularly educated. He didn’t know of technique, or of many famous painters, but he loved art. He loved the art Amsterdam had to offer, and loved making art of his own. Not that, at his age, his art was anything special, or anything in particular, but in the future, there would be signs of promise— as after all, practice does make perfect.

At the age of 6, only 7 months following the birth of his brother, Levi-Milan, his parents came to the decision to break up. He wasn’t oblivious, at that age, not to what was going on around him. He heard the quiet arguments, and he saw the tension between Justin and Tess in the mornings, and he was far too aware of his parents unhappiness to be particularly upset or confused when they explained to him that Justin would be moving out, and Mamma and Pa wouldn’t be together anymore. They had expected questions, maybe tears or upset, but TJ would merely nod and say ‘oke’, in his quiet manor.

3 years passed, and it was just him, Tess, and Levi. Justin headed across to America to follow a new career prospect, and though he got birthday cards and Christmas money, TJ barely spoke to his Father, and as far as he knew, Levi had no contact with him at all. Despite the families new addition, Tess still focused on TJ far too much. At 8 years old, he was adamant that he was no longer interested in modelling, despite his Mother pleading him to keep it up, and the offers coming in from agencies and companies that wanted to work with him. He would much rather be focusing on his school work, or whatever new project he’d began. Older now, the paintings he created were beyond what the average 8 year old could do. And so what could Tess do? She found something new to latch on to.

She was becoming image obsessed, and so her new line had become “in light of his early academic success, we’ve decided now is the time to focus on his academics rather than a modelling career”. TJ would usually, merely duck his head to hide his smirk while hugging books or folders to his chest. When he wouldn’t interact with his Mother’s friends, they were quick to leave him be and begin talking about him, rather than to him. He was perfectly okay with that, too. If he was going to be talked about, he would prefer he was left out of it. Let people say what they will, he didn’t have time to care about what everyone thought.

Tess met Issac in 1999, but Tygo didn’t meet him until early 2000. Tess and Issac had been casually dating, but casually dating became a lot more, very quickly, when 5 months into their ‘relationship’, Tess discovered she was 3 months pregnant. But Issac was more traditional over the casual that Justin had been, and so they were married 3 months later, Tess sporting a small bump in their wedding pictures. And in another 3 months, his baby sister, Lotte, was born. In a short space of time, TJ had gotten a step-dad, and a sibling, and their home filled up that little bit more.

Between the birth of Lotte and the conception of Elmo, the attention on TJ eased to some extent. Tess still pushed, but Tygo was becoming more independent that he already was. Whenever someone would come over to see if he wanted to go out and play, he’d always decline, with the preference of having his nose buried in a book, reading up and learning about something new that had perked his interest. Sometimes, Issac would encourage him to go out, and Tess would complain when he’s come home, his crisp white button-down creased, the hem of his chalk black trousers splattered with mud, glasses sliding down his sweaty nose. And then Isaac would insist on how it was good for Tygo to get out and do ‘boy stuff’, and Tess would argue that there was nothing wrong with reading and learning a lot, and Issac would point out that it was unhealthy to spend all day shut away with nothing but the fumes of paint keeping him going, and Tygo would slip upstairs, change into something comfy for bed, and fall asleep with his reading light on.

Then Elmo came along, too. Tygo was 12 now, attending a pre-university high school in the city, and a shining student in his year. He excelled in most areas, was encouraged to try out for the school’s soccer team after he showed promise in physical education lessons, and was well known in the art department.

That was his life through school. Learning, painting, learning, soccer practise, homework, studying, minimal socialising, painting, sleep, and repeat. He had people from different cliques trying to associate with him, trying to fit him into a group like they did with everyone, but you couldn’t, not with Tygo. He didn’t like how loud, obnoxious, and attention-demanding the other guys on the soccer team were, and even though he was the captain of the team by the age of 16, he certainly wouldn’t bother spending time with them when he didn’t need to. He didn’t like how quiet and obsessive his fellow artists were— while sure, he loved art, he liked to talk about all kinds of things, rather than being limited to art, and nothing but art. They were the philosophical stoners who he could debate with all day, the science nerds who he could discuss the latest going-ons around the world with, the musicians who he could talk about up and coming bands with. But he would never fit into one sole group.

By the age of 17, there were three, new things, that he enjoyed. Of course, he still read a lot, he still painted, still pondered life and beyond it, but he also loved marijuana, he loved cameras, and what he could do with them, and he loved sex. Living in Amsterdam, it had only been a matter of time before he discovered what the wonders of weed could do for him, and he made no effort to hide it when it became a habit, despite his siblings questions about the smell in his room and how his eyes were red.

17 was also the age he discovered his sexuality, or lack thereof. Tygo was the type of person who hated the existence of labels. He wasn’t one thing or another. He was attracted to someone, or he wasn’t, and it was that simple. He was older than his years, and his nature made him a mystery that drew people in. But this wasn’t attention like what he’d been made accustomed to in his early life. This was attention for who he was rather than what he did. Being intimate with another person was attention on a more grounded level, and every moment he spent with a new partner was well spent. So life changed a bit. It was school, painting, school, homework, studying, painting, more socialising, with happy endings.

As soon as he finished school at 18 years old, he left home. He didn’t go far, simply went from a busy, claustrophobic townhouse, to a one bedroom apartment further towards the center of the city. It was minimalist and modern, empty looking compared to his family home, but he preferred it to his busy home.

Things didn’t necessarily go downhill, per say, but they could have worked out better. The problem was, Tygo had never quite figured out which direction his life was heading in. He was sure he wasn’t interested in modelling, and he didn’t fancy a career in art or soccer. His Mother wished for him to go to University, but Tygo was against it. Going to University was what you did when you had your life figured out, which Tygo didn’t.

And so, his life became a cycle of the same old, painting, reading, smoking, sex, sometimes in that exact order. There were jobs thrown into the mix, jobs that varied from bars and pubs, to small time dealer, to waiter, to receptionist. Nothing that stuck. Throughout the years, he sold paintings online, and ventured into the world of photography too, going on random trips with his camera and selling pictures of wherever he went.

Tess couldn’t bear to sit back and watch Tygo do absolutely nothing with his life. He was content, sitting at the window watching the canal, and the people passing with a spliff between his lips, and a both in his hand, or perhaps a paintbrush that he didn’t know what to do with, or his laptop and random notebooks that all came together to resemble something, in the form of an article, an entry, or a short story. Everything could be something, and he could do nothing, and it not matter, because nothing had to be relevant. Life just had to be. Tess didn’t see the world like he did.

So she contacted Justin, who couldn’t understand her desperation to throw their 26 year old into the American life, to begin becoming something better than what she described at a ‘useless pothead stuck in perpetual teenhood’. That, of course, was a bit of an exaggeration, but Tygo doing nothing relevant wasn’t good enough for her.

So she told him that Justin had a job for him, and while it was just working on the Lights Crew at the same studio as his Father, Tess begged him to take it, and to start making something of himself. He said no, the first time she asked, and the second, and the third. But by the fourth time she asked, he relented, and gave up. At the very least, Lights Crew meant under-the-radar, meaning he could still stand back in the shadows and do his thing. Just because he was doing as his Mother wished, didn’t mean he needed to make anything of the opportunity. A job was a job, just like before, and the only thing he intended on changing was his location. So, he packed up and sold his apartment, renting a new one bedroom place in West Hollywood.

Moving to Los Angeles, he didn’t anticipate immediately being thrown into a new family. Justin was with someone new, Camila Harper, who also had two children from a previous relationship. Of course, TJ hadn’t spoken with his Father in years, but it had never occurred to him that Justin had a new life, and so the decision to relocate had caused him more hassle than he bargained for.

AESTHETIC ➝

Tygo has shaggy-ish hair, much like Jughead in Riverdale, but without the hat. His hair is a dirty blond, but looks lighter/more so when it’s sunny and often looks messy/slightly unkempt. He is supposed to wear glasses all of the time, but doesn’t. He wears them most days, but some days he’ll opt for contacts, or not both with either if he’s feeling lazy. His style is very much 2016/17 hipster, with jeans rolled up at the ankles and wingtip or trench boots, doc martens or vans, and button-up shirts or sweatshirts.