#Pizza tower Whitney

[gl1tchy-4rt]

Eepy PepperKid 🧡💛

She was in middle of her masterpiece...

But it's time for her Pepper dad to bring her to bed :)

[gl1tchy-4rt]

Sorry for the character drop XD

But you can choose from the kiddos from my Spaghetti Family AU

Or you can Choose from the "Triple Ms":

- Mateo:

- Maria:

- And Maurice Jr. Marcello:

But Yeah Feel free to choose!

HEYA FELLARS !!!! Sorta inspired by @bigboybird , I feel like drawing some of your Pizza Tower OCs/AUs, please RB with a colored photo so I can draw them! I may not reply immediately, but I can try! Examples of my works below. (Not tagging each character because I've most likely posted them before, or cannot tag the original creator, or don't want to flood the tags with my own OCs)

[pokemonratingblog]

My experience (& review of) Pokemon Crystal

As part of the entire gimmick of this page, I am replaying and ranking the pokemon games in order.

Due to my experience with pokemon mystery dungeon and also adversity to the other 2 choices, I went for the only reasonable option of Totodile. The naming scheme is pizza ingredients this time, so I named it "Pepperoni". I then did the Mr. Pokemon stuff and immediately caught a zubat, naming it "Sausage".

After some grinding I ended up in Violet City. Because of this, I trespassed into Bellsprout Tower. Zubat in hand, I sucked off a whole lot of bellsprout. Alas, I didn't have a big enough PP to suck them all off, so I had to go back to the pokemon center numerous times.

After successfully sucking off all of the bellsprout in the building, I decided to grind my zubat to lvl 12 (when it learns a move that isnt leech life) and challenge Falkner's gym. In the process of getting my zubat to a reasonable level, I also got my totodile to lvl 13, when it learns water gun. And let's just say… I didn't realize his ace was lvl 9. I won't blame the game for this because it was entirely my fault for not looking at the gym leader's levels. It was an easy win.

After that, I did the ruins of alph puzzle, saw some cool unown, and ended up back in violet city. I went through the cave, caught a geodude (who i named cheese), did the team fodder slowpoke quest, and entered the gym. Bugsy is really no different from a fodder trainer so I swept him with my geodude. Silver used a mix of good flinch rng and an unusually tanky lvl 14 zubat to give me some trouble so I ended up losing, but I won on the 2nd try.

Afterwards, I ended up in the ibex forest. which has lvl 5 pokemon. I'm once again starting to see why I hate gen 2 so much. I found a level 5 oddish and I'm willing to bring back the time honored tradition of having an oddish that knows cut. This time I'll actually use it though because this game probably won't be as easy as red and blue. I named it pineapple.

I reached goldenrod city. the home of whitney's infamous miltank that really isnt even that difficult. I went to route 35 to grind up my team to lvl 19/20. It was here my totodile evolved into croconaw. As for the whitney fight? As I said earlier, She was pretty easy. It's questionable how she has a reputation for being so difficult when all you need is anything that resists rollout/stomp (eg. any rock type) to win. I spent quite a bit wandering around aimlessly all confused before I realized I needed to talk to her again to get the badge because she's too busy crying about it. Amazing.

After obtaining the squirt bottle, I headed to route 26 to beat the shit out of a tree. I wanted to catch it but the geodude I have is already a rock type and I don't need two rock types.

I ended up in ecruteak city, one gym leader until the game truly opens up into the worst nonlinear experience of all time. I beat all 5 kimono girls because geodude is comically overpowered and shouldnt get magnitude as early as she does. Before fighting Morty, I decided to grind my team to around lvl 22-23. Why? because zubat evolves into golbat at that level and my zubat has bite to deal super effective damage. Though Morty's team consists of exclusively poison types and gen 2 was before the era of levitate, so i could probably sweep with geodude, I want to have a bit of fun with this gym.

I enter the burnt down tower in ecruteak and face my rival, silver, who I've affectionately named "Fuckwit". It was about the furthest you could get from a difficult fight because I have a golbat and he has a team that's very weak to golbat. The magnemite isnt an issue so long as I remember that I have a ground type. I then proceeded to fall and break both of my legs on the way down. I also met some cool dogs.

I enter morty's gym. It seems that he was taking notes from gen 1's gym leaders because he was a disgustingly easy fight. Literal clean sweep with golbat. Horrible gym leader. And to think that this guy is the 4th gym leader? that this guy is the halfway point for the Johto region? shameful.

Before leaving ecruteak, I got my surf HM and taught it to my croconaw for a powerful stab move (and the ability to reach the 5th gym leader, RNG god Chuck. After reaching olivine, I healed my pokemon, checked out the sick pokemon lighthouse (where my oddish evolved into gloom and geodude into graveler), and then once again began a voyage, setting sail to Chuck's RNG island for medicine and also the privilege of fighting a guy who spams hypnosis. I then had to go back to olivine city because the HMs are hidden in random ass spots in Johto. After that, I cleanly swept Chuck with my golbat, not taking a single hit of damage. This is because he did not have good rng. This gym sucked.

After my beautiful encounter with the divine goddess of luck, I fed the sick ampharos an unknown concoction and fought jasmine. Her ace was actually hard to beat. Certainly a hard fight, which is a pleasant surprise for a game as easy as this. I ended up losing the first try after her ace oneshot the only pokemon I had that was capable of taking care of a magnemite. Some lucky crit RNG made the 2nd try a breeze though.

I then proceeded to enter Mt. Mortar, AKA random encounter hell. In random encounter hell, my Golbat finally evolved into a Crobat, marking the first time i've ever used crobat in a pokemon game.

Afterwards, I entered Mahogany Town, home of the worst gym leader in Johto. A gym leader who's highest level pokemon is 4 levels lower than the previous gym leader's highest level pokemon. On my way to the lake of rage, I encountered Entei, who broke out of my balls and fled. Unfortunate but I probably wouldn't have used it anyways.

I then proceeded to the lake of rage with one goal in mind: kill the red gyarados :3. In fulfilling this goal, I have killed the red gyarados. I already have croconaw I don't need another physical water type with good all around stats. After meeting with lance, I went to the team fodder emporium to dispose of more lvl 16 zubats and grimers 6 badges into the game. Truly wonderful game design. This is actually where I dropped HGSS at when I first played it. Every time you pass a statue you have to fight 2-3 rocket grunts, each of which having about half a team of pokemon who are way lower level than they should be. Had it not been for god's gift of emulator speedup this game would be completely fucking unplayable. As much as I love lance this is easily the worst section of the game so far.

After going through team fodder hell, I was finally able to challenge the easiest gym in the game. My team has a poor matchup to ice though, with 3/4ths of them being weak to ice. This gym was actually decently difficult for me because of my team's poor matchup, but it still only took me 1 try. After the gym, my croconaw evolved into a feraligatr.

After this, I went to the ice cave. My goal? to catch a jynx. I want an ice type and I want a psychic type and I haven't used jynx before. Alas, it was nighttime so I got a sneasel instead. I don't mind using a sneasel, but the issue is that ice and dark are both special types. and sneasel has pitiful special attack. so I had to pass on both the jynx and sneasel. I still wanted a 5th team member, But I wasnt sure what I wanted.

It was at this point I realized I do not have the HM for fly. So I had to backtrack all the way to cianwood for the HM so I could teach it to my crobat.

I flew back to blackthorne only to realize I still need to defeat team rocket. Which is confusing because I thought I had already did that. But I had managed to completely miss wherever it was said that team rocket would be in the goldenrod radio tower. It's not the game's fault but I felt like I had to mention it.

I notice this random rocket executive has 6 pokemon. This is notable because no other trainer has had 6 pokemon yet, not even the gym leaders. However, the pokemon are all koffings, which is a shame. I was hoping for at least a semi-interesting fight.

I made my way to the underground area. This silver fight has 5 pokemon but one of them is a lvl 28 magnemite and another one is a sneasel. Thus, this silver fight was a major pushover. I like silver's character arc but there's been no story apart from it and a bunch of team fodder fights. This switch puzzle is unnecessarily complicated and confusing, and It's making this area feel more like a puzzle game than a pokemon game. Especially considering all the trainers in this area are terrible jokes.

I made my way to floor 3f of the radio tower to hopefully cap off the single most mind numbingly boring part of this game. I got swept by the last trainer because I got really shitty paralyze RNG because my crobat was paralyzed earlier so I had to do the fight again. Because I did the fight again I oneshot all 3 of his pokemon with my feraligatr's surf. Moving on.

I headed to Blackthorn to fight 3 dragonair clair because they couldnt bother giving the last gym leader anything interesting. The gym puzzle was one of the cooler ones, i'll admit. However, I literally just led crobat and did nothing but spam fly and won. She's literally the 8th gym leader. Why. Why couldnt they give her more pokemon. This game is mind numbingly boring so I was actually kinda hyped for this fight but ig not.

I did the dragon cave stuff and got a Dratini. I named it Anchovy. I'm starting to regret getting it because I know I'll have to grind it up to a usable level. fun.

I struggle to even figure out how to reach Kanto in the first place. I had to google it.

I reached victory road. My morale here is at 0. I just want to get to the elite 4 and get it over with because this shit sucks. I'll cover the rest of kanto in a seperate review because I'm not sure I can handle this slog too much longer. Or I wont at all. Depends on if I'm willing to give this game a second shot. But this review isn't over until I beat Lance so I'm looking forward to that.

I ran into silver in victory road. Unfortunately, this was seconds after a random graveler self destructed on my feraligatr. So I was basically going 3 pokemon against 6 here. I still won though because his team fucking sucks AYOOOO. No but seriously his team still has a golbat on it.

After an incredibly painstaking victory road grind to get my 5 pokemon to lvl 42-44, I was finally ready to challenge the elite four and champ. Will's 2nd xatu and exeggutor gave me some trouble, but he was easy apart from that. Koga was an incredibly easy fight, with a horrible team, mediocre typing, and a bunch of evasion-reliant movesets. Bruno was also incredibly easy, all his fighting types were fodder for my crobat and his onix is a very questionable choice. Karen was a very hard fight and lord knows that vileplume was utter hell to face. Also her strong pokemon weak pokemon quote is corny as hell.

The lance fight. I really, REALLY regret not having a 6th party member. This is a genuinely fun and interesting fight but my brain can't enjoy it because i'm too tired because of literally every fight before this one just being time wasting slop. It's 1 am and i've lost to lance an uncountable number of times.

Finally beat lance. Genuinely super great champion fight, like a beautiful cherry atop a mound of shit.

Here was my team:

POKEMON CRYSTAL MAIN GAME (no kanto excluding victory road/e4 & champ)

RATING: 6/10

PROS:

Great champion fight against lance

Solid early game

Lots of content

CONS:

Horrible region design

Horrible level scaling

Has multiple of the most boring sections I've ever had to deal with in a pokemon game

Horrible pokemon diversity

Easy as shit

Tons of content locked behind kanto postgame (such as evolution stones, pokemon like houndour, etc)

Genuinely just really fucking boring holy shit. I cant stress this enough. The hardest battle in this game is fighting sleep. I'd have died without emulator speedup.

[julesclues]

Favorites Tag Game

Rules: Answer 10 8 Questions and tag 10 people you want to get to know better!

Thank you for tagging me @starlessea !!

Relationship status: Do I want a boyfriend? Yes. Am I never going to get one? ..yes. Am I gonna cry about it? Also yes.

Favorite color: I love red but more of a light red, like blush or candy. Purple comes in close second though.

Three favorite foods: That’s a tough one but I’m going to have to say cereal (i like all of them except anything peanut butter flavored), penne vodka pizza, and pierogi.

Song currently stuck in my head: “505” by Arctic Monkeys

Last song I listened to: “Feeling Whitney” by Post Malone

Last thing I googled: “MTA Bus Times” I wanted to see what time the bus was coming so I could plan out my day LMAO

Time: 19:35 (7:35 pm) EST

Dream trip: a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower with someone I love 🥲

Tagging: I don’t have anyone to tag LMAO so if you see this and wanna do it but no one tagged you, just say I did!

[pluto-art]

Syncytium - Chapter 3

Title: Syncytium - Chapter 3 - Sodium Bicarbonate Words: 7,115 Rating: T

Fan Fiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13712482/3/Syncytium

As always, I recommend the fan fiction version, which includes all italics. Other than that, enjoy the full story below the cut!

September 16th, 1993 - 11:48 PM

Two little feet raced pitter-patter down a chatter-filled hallway in A.C.M.E. Arts & Sciences, its occupant laden with pen and petition, eagerly calling out to any hapless individual that came her way as that ever-present tam-o-shanter bounced atop her head.

"Signatures! Come put down your signatures! Sign the petition! Bring baseball back to A.C.M.E.!" Olivia called out, her little jingle ringing in its thick Scottish accent down the corridor and bouncing off the walls. "Baseball for all! Hear you shout! Let them know or we'll strike out!"

Like a fuzzy brown bullet she shot through the school, passing students and teachers, janitors and gym instructors, nearly running into the wall on two occasions, and receiving a sharp reprimand of "Watch it!" or "Land sakes!" from those whose book pages and scarves she ruffled on her flight down the hallways.

"Let your voice be heard! Put your name down! Have a- OOF!"

Olivia gasped as she landed on the hard, linoleum floor, having been knocked back by something tall and firm. She shook her head and looked up... and up... and up, into the stern face of Basil, teacher of Advanced Science and Deduction. Even for a mouse he was rather lanky, towering above Globetrotter and practically a giant to Olivia. The only other mouse in the school who reached his height was Pinky. He glared at her, one eyebrow cocked in silent judgement as he peered down from above, a great slab of papers cradled snugly against his side.

"Oh...," Olivia mumbled, gulping as she quickly stood up, face scrunching, and shook off her clothes, her little tam-o-shanter and petition laying very sorrowfully at her feet.

Basil sighed.

"Young lady," he began, bending down to pick up her hat and place it securely back on her head. "This is the third time this week we've met under unnecessarily chaotic circumstances and it's become... rather an interference in my daily schedule. Would you kindly keep harnessed certain frivolities at play, Miss Flabbergast?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Basil," Olivia muttered shyly, and not unkindly. "I'll be more careful."

She picked her clipboard with petition up off the floor, a little embarrassed.

"Sign my petition...?" she ventured, holding up the paper for Basil to see. He bent down to get a closer look at it.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"It's for a baseball stadium!"

"Baseball stadium?"

"Yes!" Olivia said, nodding excitedly. "So we can get sports back to the school!"

"Sports?" Basil nipped, practically spitting out the word as though it was a nasty slur. "Miss Flim-Flam, the last thing this university of science and culture needs is a bunch of dimwitted degenerates galloping about chasing after a ball. You'd do better to abandon the whole matter, in my opinion."

Olivia hung her head.

"But I doubt it will amount to anything," he continued, picking lint off his cardigan in a snooty fashion. "The most you could hope for is ten signatures, at least. Continue on your hapless venture if you must."

"Really?!"

"Yeeees yes yes. Now, run along."

"Thank you, Mr. Basil! I'll get more than ten. You'll see!"

"Jolly good," Basil replied curtly, sarcastically, pausing to flick a piece of dirt off Olivia's jacket. "Good day to you."

Olivia watched him as he went, his long shoes snapping click, click, click against the floor. She drew out a long breath of utter relief. Basil was fairer than Globetrotter. Anyone was fairer than Globetrotter. However, he still could get a bit cross when rubbed the wrong way, and it certainly wasn't the first time she'd gotten on his irritable side. She'd have to be more careful.

And so, as she continued her trek down the school hallways, calling out as she went (a bit more quietly this time), she jogged rather than sprinted, slipping between passerby with an "Excuse me" or "Pardon" and taking extra precaution not to bump into any more teachers, especially Globetrotter...

"Petition! Come you all and sign! Redefine!"

Maisy tossed Olivia an annoyed glance as she ran past, huffing a little and flipping back her hair as she dug through her locker.

"Since when did the principle allow kids to run around the school? I didn't think he'd be cool with that," she muttered.

Next to her, a chocolate-furred mouse leaned against his adjacent locker, deep in silent conversation as he texted rapidly on his phone.

"Why do you care?" he asked, not looking up at her.

"I dunno. It's just... This is like... a high-profile university, right? There shouldn't be any kids."

"We're kids."

"Um... Excuse me. I'm like... nineteen."

"Yeah. That's young, Maisy."

"Whatever," she spat, flicking her hair back again as she found what she was looking for: a red pencil with yellow flower print slapped all over it.

"Olivia is Flaversham's daughter," Gadget spoke from across the hall at her own locker, snapping her bulbous goggles atop her head as a matter-of-fact. "Everyone knows that." Tillie nodded next to her.

"Okay, but, like...," Maisy continued, pulling out a journal and tucking it under her arm, "... he works. When does he have time to watch her? He just lets her run around the school?"

"Well, isn't Mrs. Judson her nanny?" Tillie offered helpfully, albeit rather quietly. "I think that-"

Several students sprinted by. Tillie paused to let them pass before continuing.

"I think that she watches her in the nurse's office most of the day and lets her run errands."

"Yeah, but-," Maisy began, before being cut off herself as another batch of students trundled by, and then another. "But that doesn't give her leave to just-" More students. "To just run around whenever she-" Even more students. By this point, she could barely even see Gadget and Tillie. "Oh my gosh! I hate not having neighboring lockers!"

"It's lunchtime, Maisy," the male mouse said beside her, closing his phone with a sharp snap. "We should get going."

"Ugh. Fine. I'm starving anyway."

And so off they went, quartet heading for the cafeteria at the prompt hour of 12:00 PM, taking care not to bump into anyone as they entered the huge room.

Unlike the rest of the school, this area was terribly outdated. Or, rather, it had none of the classiness that the majority of the facility offered. Far from being dressed up in a mahogany coat, with comfortable seating, double-pane windows, and classical music that pumped itself like oxygen through the more casual areas of the building, the cafeteria resembled nothing less than something vomited out of an 80s shopping mall. The blue and purple paneling; the flashing neon food signs; the Whitney Houston music trapped perpetually within the speakers. It had it all. Students called it "The Flashback" or "The Blot", depending on who you talked to. The space had been heavily renovated a decade ago in an attempt to reflect the aesthetic at the time, and if the principal in office hadn't been ousted at the time for his radical ways the facility may very well have looked quite different by this point. As it stood, the cafeteria was an eye sore for some, a breath of fresh air for others, and it was a popular spot in which to congregate. If nothing else, the music was a relief. There was only so much Chopin one could take.

Chatter filled the dining area as the quartet entered. Already the tables were filling up, the smell of pizza and dumplings heavy in the air. Once upon a time, the food had reflected the decor: posh, healthy, and expensive. And then, of course, the cafeteria had been renovated, and with it the menu. No one had ever bothered to change the hot dogs back to ham; the grilled cheese back to caviar. Lemon sherbet tasted much better than shitake, and the students liked it that way.

"Think they're gonna have the jelly sauce again today?" Gadget asked, standing up on tip-toe to peer over at the food counter.

"Ew. Gosh. I hope not. That stuff is gro- HO MY GOSH," gasped Maisy.

"What?" Gadget asked, looking around, eyes wide. She hoped another wasp hadn't broken into the cafeteria again. Two had welcomed themselves in in the last week and she didn't think she could handle the stress another day.

"He's here," Maisy stressed, clutching at her heart and grabbing hold of Gadget's shoulder rather tightly.

Tillie and Gadget followed her gaze all the way across the floor to the food bar. There stood Pinky, dressed today in lab pants and a blue and gray striped shirt whose sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Had it not been for the ridiculously long white lab pants that spilled over his shoes, Gadget thought he might have looked rather fetching. As it stood, though, he didn't. Maisy thought otherwise.

"Ugh. He's so hot."

"So hot he melts your brains?" the male mouse quipped, back to texting on his phone.

Maisy shot him a nasty look. Tillie didn't even notice.

"Wow. Clam chowder special," she mused, completely serious as she stared, astonished, at the counter.

"You're focusing on the food?!" Maisy exclaimed, flabbergasted. Tillie remained oblivious.

"Oh, I hope Mrs. Brisby isn't too early today. I rather like lunch break...," Tillie mused, loosening her shawl a little.

"But you also like her classes," said Gadget, smiling.

"I do. They're fun."

"Learning about weeds is fun?" asked Maisy.

"Agriculture is more interesting than you think it would be! You should try it sometime. It's fun!"

"Tillie, the only fun thing about this school is the lunch break."

The dark-furred he mouse with them rolled his eyes, his hands in his pockets.

"Seriously, Maisy? Not even the Chemistry class is interesting?" he mentioned, incredulous.

"Okay, well, that is a little bit interesting..."

The he mouse sighed.

"You're incredible. Our parents are paying good money for this school. You should be grateful. Come on. Let's stake a seat."

A few tables down, a gaggle of mice, moles, and a rat or two sat, chattering loudly. One of them, a black-haired mouse in a frilly, once-piece dress, sash around the middle and dark hair tied up in a bun, stood up in her chair and waved in their direction.

"Maaaaaaisy, girl! Come on! We've been waiting for you!"

"GIIIIRL! I was just about to ditch these losers! Gimme a sec!" Maisy called back, beaming. "Sorry, guys. I gotta go."

"Wha-..? But I thought we were gonna-" the male mouse began, taken aback.

"Sorry, Dex. I forgot I'd promised Marvell I'd be here at noon. We'll catch up later, I promise. Okay?"

"Yeah. Sure...," Dex shrugged dejectedly.

"Thanks, Dex. Bye, y'all!" said Maisy, and she ran off to join the loquacious group.

"Bye, loser!" Gadget joked back, shaking her head. "Airhead."

"Remind me why we hang out with her again?" Tillie asked, as the remaining three headed for the food bar.

Gadget shrugged.

"She's been my friend since middle school. I'd feel weird just ditching her."

"You wouldn't be missing much," Dex muttered, although there was a hesitancy in his voice.

Gadget threw him a sideways glance as she grabbed a tray, Tillie and Dex following suit.

"You know that's not true, Dex. She's a bit into herself, but you know she loves you."

Dex shrugged.

One by one, a steady line of students at the bar filed past the counter, picking off a box of salad here, a cup of macaroni there. Things reached a stand still at the chili bowl. Dex and Gadget stood up on tip-toe for a couple seconds, flattened back out on their feet, stared at each other, and rolled their eyes, sniggering. But of course...

The hold up, as per the norm, was Pip, one of the restaurant hands and the only chipmunk in the entire school. He was terribly chatty, not to mention contentious if you dared complain about any aspect of the food. Either something was wrong and he needed to comment on it, or someone he recognized as a friend had just crossed his path. Judging by the chipper tone of his voice, Gadget guessed it was the latter today.

"So what's with this petition? Lemme see that paper, sister!"

And he whipped from someone's hand a petite clipboard entrusted with several sheets of lined paper. He read through it quickly, nose almost touching the paper.

Gadget, Dex, and Tillie peered around the crowd ahead of them to see who had handed him the paper. Oh. Naturally.

There stood Olivia, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet as Pip perused her petition, a wide, expectant smile on her face. Was there no place she wouldn't invade?

"Hmmm," Pip mused, tapping his foot a mile a minute as his keen eyes roved over the paper one more time. "Weeeeeeell, I don't usually sign these things, buuuuut... baseball sounds like a worthy cause. Ya' got a pen?"

"Here you go!" Olivia squeaked happily, extracting from the inside of her coat pocket a blue pen and offering it to Pip. He took it swiftly and signed the petition just as fast.

"Just make sure you get me a position as umpire!" Pip said, handing her back the petition and pen.

"Oh, I will! Thank you!"

"Say, uhhhh... how many signatures you got on that thing so far?"

"Twenty-three!"

"Heeeeeey. That's not bad!"

"Come on, Pip!" a student piped up, brows furrowed.

"Yeah, we've got class!" a girl vole squeaked from behind the trio.

"All right, all right already! Sheesh!" Pip nipped back, rolling his eyes. "Hey. You keep gettin' those John Hancocks, okay?" he said, winking at Olivia.

"Um... Okay!"

And with that, she was off, not even bothering to grab an apple or a cracker, something that others cast glances at her for. Olivia passing up an opportunity to nab some food? She must mean business...

"She's so cute," Gadget mused, watching Olivia sprint around, on the hunt for more signatures, as she moved up a couple steps in line.

"Yeah," Dex said, arms folded. "She's a trip." Despite himself, he smiled after her. Little kids amused him sometimes, even if they could be a bit pesky underfoot.

As more students spilled into the cafeteria, fingers pointed, some quite shamelessly, in the direction of the food bar. Dex followed the invisible lines to a spot some paces behind them in line. But of course. They were all directed at the new teacher, Ronald Pinkus. The girls seemed particularly smitten, giggling and whispering and acting, in Dex's mind, perfectly idiotic. In fact, come to think of it, as he looked about the room, most of the girls were in deep conversation, their eyes trained on the same subject in the room, including Maisy's group. He shook his head. This was a university, not a middle school. Daftness came in all ages, he supposed.

"What?" Gadget queried, taking notice of the furrowed brow and the folded arms.

"Nothing," Dex muttered, shuffling forward a few paces as the line moved ahead. Both he and Gadget grabbed a plate of chocolate cake.

Gadget looked back at the new teacher and snickered.

"Don't let it get to you."

"She's just as bad as everyone else."

"Who? Maisy?"

"Yeah..."

Gadget shrugged.

"It's probably just a phase. Next week she'll fall for Basil again or someone."

Trays full, they set off to find a table. Tillie waved at them from a corner. They headed towards her.

"I dunno. I kinda...," Dex began, then stopped as they reached the table, sitting down with their trays. Tillie was already deep in her bowl of clam chowder.

"You what?" Gadget asked as she pulled her chair up.

"It's... whatever."

"What?"

Dex picked up his spoon, swirled it around in his own bowl of clam chowder, then set it down. Screw it. He grabbed his fork and dug into the chocolate cake instead.

"I miss when we used to hang out more."

"What are we talking about now?" Tillie asked, only half-interested.

No one said anything right away. Gadget picked at her sunflower seed salad for a minute, then spoke.

"You're her brother. She'll come back around eventually."

Dex shrugged again. He was about to shove another large piece of chocolate cake into his mouth when something lightly bumped his elbow. He turned and looked down. It was Olivia.

"Sign my petition?" she asked, her little whiskers upturned in a wide smile.

Dex couldn't help but mirror that infectious grin. In the distance, something... someone... caught his eye. It was Maisy. She frowned at him and shook her head. Dex frowned back. He took the clipboard and pen from Olivia's outstretched paws.

"You know what? Sure, kid. Baseball, right?"

"Uh-huh! We're going to have a mascot again, too! I hope..."

He handed her back the clipboard and pen and ruffled her hair, or, rather, the top of her tam-o-shanter.

"Break a leg, kid."

"Thank you!" she beamed, and off she went.

Dex smiled. In the background, Maisy shook her head. Dex snapped his fingers and winked, finger-gunning her. She rolled her eyes and went back to talking to her friends.

"Ugh. He's such a tease," complained Maisy to her company, twirling a strand of her long, golden hair as she sipped soda through a straw.

"He just cares about other people. Heck, I signed her petition," the black-furred mouse said. "How come you never hang out with your brother anymore? He's been lookin' kinda sad..."

"He's not even my real brother, Marvell. He's just my half-brother. You know that. Do we look like we're related?"

"But y'all used to be so close! What happened?"

Maisy shrugged.

"I dunno. We just... shifted."

"Don't you mean 'drifted'?" offered up a boy rat next to her.

"Whatever," Maisy shrugged. "Anyway, what do you guys think of him?" she smirked, jerking her head in the direction of Pinky still in line at the food bar.

All at the table turned their heads to look at him. He seemed to be picking out quite an odd assortment of foods: a hot dog, two cups of custard, and several pieces of cheese - just cheese. Every person that passed him a "hello" he greeted with a chipper "Good morning!", and his attitude towards the servers was polite and enthusiastic. Those around him couldn't seem to keep the smiles off their faces. Even the students generally known to be more reserved or stuck up couldn't help but throw him a curious glance. He was, for lack of a better term, "sunshine-y".

The boy rat popped several corn puffs in his mouth, his dry expression unchanged.

"He's kind of a twink, isn't he?"

Maisy slapped him on the shoulder playfully.

"He is not!"

"Dude. Come on..."

"He's not that young," Marvell said, filing her nails as another of their group, a white mouse in a red shirt and with a yellow sash tied about his neck, came and sat down beside her, a cup full of fizzy raspberry water tottering dangerously on the edge of his tray. "He is kinda cute, though..."

The white mouse set down his tray carefully... but not carefully enough. Slip went the cup, the mouse grabbing it before its contents could spill out entirely.

"AH!" Marvell yelped, jumping a little. "Stuart, that's the second time this week!"

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry, Marvell!" the little mouse said, apologizing profusely as he skittered off towards the food bar. "I'll go get some napkins!"

"Awww, man. I just washed this," lamented Marvell, picking up a corner of her frilly blue frock, now tainted with fizz. "Well... At least it's just water. I can work with this, right? Looks kinda... sassy?"

The boy rat sat up, the better to look at Marvell's new fashion statement. The water had painted the rounded edges of one side of the dress. It could have passed for an interesting pattern if one squinted hard enough.

"Yeah, sure. You could pass it off as the new look," he suggested, smiling.

"Hm," Marvell replied, smirking as she sat back down, ringing out the dress edge.

Maisy didn't seem the least bit phased.

"I think he's kinda hot," she said, eyelashes fluttering as she sipped at her soda noisily.

"Hotter than Globetrotter?" sniggered the boy rat.

"Okay, Globetrotter's in his own league. Okay? I can never compete with that."

"Ummm...," Marvell mumbled, covering her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her embarrassed smile as she pointed to a figure behind Maisy's back.

"What?" Maisy asked, craning around slightly to look before swiftly turning back 'round in her seat again, shoulder hunched as she visibly blushed. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, burying her face in her hands.

The boy rat beside her could barely hide his laughter as Globetrotter walked past them, his nose deep in a very thick, very red, and very heavy-looking book. Had he actually been paying attention to their conversation Maisy might have had more reason to involuntarily add a bit of color to her cheeks. As it stood, however, he had not, and so continued towards the bar, oblivious to the fact that he was now fifth in line behind Pinky.

"That's astounding!" Pinky exclaimed, tray of food all but forgotten as he leaned across a glass awning in front of him, totally invested in Pip's latest story. "But... how were you able to keep the syrup layer from separating?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Pip replied, and on and on he went.

Two students ahead of Pinky peered back, interested. Others behind him simply chuckled... or tapped their foot impatiently. To Globetrotter it was complete gibberish. The culinary arts was a branch he rarely dabbled in unless absolutely necessary. Although I do make a mean rigatoni, he thought to himself before shaking his head disgustedly. Where the heck did that come from? He was supposed to be engulfed in Brownian Motion and Stochastic Calculus, but, as it stood, he found his attention inexplicably pulled towards a much... lesser subject. It was unfathomable how anyone could be so intrigued by such mundane topics as the properties of pancakes and how effectively one might prepare them, but the fanaticism with which his coworker now described it was almost... infectious. Nevertheless, Globetrotter frowned as he checked his watch. 12:18 PM. They were wasting precious time. He was wasting his precious time.

"Will you move along already!" he called out, voice peppered with vexation. "I've got class in twenty-seven minutes!"

"Oh! So sorry!" Pinky called back, paws quickly grabbing hold of his tray once more. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Pip. Good luck with your pancakes!"

"Same to you, my good man!" Pip squeaked back. "What a pleasant fellow," he muttered to himself, smiling as Pinky walked off towards the refreshments bar, laden with food.

Globetrotter huffed and moved forward, grabbing a single bowl of fruit and a cup of cottage cheese on his way down. As he passed the pasta section, he paused, reached out a hesitant paw towards a plate of spaghetti, then quickly snapped it back, sighing and frowning sadly as he moved on to the refreshments, grabbing a banana on his way over and angrily slapping it down on his tray.

He stopped beside Pinky, who was humming and pouring himself some English Breakfast tea. Globetrotter huffed again. Flavored water - a poor man's excuse for caffeine. How anyone could drink that stuff was beyond him. He went for the coffee, pulled down the carafe lever... and grumbled. Empty.

"Is there any place in this building that can afford a mouse a decent cup of coffee?!" he whined, popping his empty cup back onto the others.

"Oh, that's a shame there, isn't it? Have you tried the tea, Brain?" Pinky offered helpfully, as he popped a lid on his own steaming cup.

"I refuse to bow my knee to such a lowbrow form of refreshment," Globetrotter bit back, picking up his tray. "And it's Brian, you nincompoop."

"Well, how do you know you don't like it if you don't try it? Poit!" Pinky replied, unfazed by the retort.

"If I liked it I'd drink it. Good day to you."

And off he went, choosing a spot as far back in the room as possible, Pinky sadly watching him as he picked out a table devoid of occupants. Pinky looked back at the empty coffee cup, a light whimper escaping him as he stared at it dolefully. He turned back to focus on Globetrotter, who was once more lost in his big red book. Students who sat nearby gave him as wide of a berth as they could. Pinky's ears drooped. What a sad little man, he thought. But it wasn't long before they perked back up again. Why, yes. Of course! Beaming, he set his tray down at an occupied table ("Watch this for me, will you?"), and rushed out of the cafeteria, leaving several students at the table to stare after him, puzzled.

Flip. Globetrotter turned a page of his massive tome, popping a grape in his mouth and crunching down on it satisfactorily. Flip, flip, flip. He looked to his right. A girl mouse sat nearby, also buried in a book. A huge pink bow sat atop her head. He recognized her. She was one of his students. Teresa, her name was, if he recalled correctly. She was one of his brighter subjects, but struggled with the occasional mathematical theory. As it was, her nose practically brushed the pages of a book that Globetrotter recognized by sight alone: Calculus by Gilbert Strang. Teresa sighed deeply, her unironed brow effectively relaying her frustration. She looked up... and jumped a little as she noticed Globetrotter staring at her, a light pink almost the exact color of her bow kissing her cheeks. Globetrotter slowly ducked back into his own texts, his peripheral vision catching Teresa shifting her seat over a notch in embarrassment.

A paw reached out to grab for his coffee, and he looked up when it touched nothing. Right. No coffee... Sighing, he popped another grape in his mouth, biting into it rather harder than necessary. Nearby, at another table, several students whispered.

"Did you find out what he teaches?" a girl vole asked, her question laced with ardor.

"Yup. He teaches Trozology," replied a male rat next to her, a pair of thick headphones hung about his neck.

"What the heck is that?" voiced another female rodent at their table, a cream-furred mouse decked out in purple - purple shirt; purple pants; purple socks; purple everything.

"I dunno," the rat shrugged. "Sounds kinda cool, though."

Globetrotter frowned. His ears twitched as tinkling laughter echoed from another table beside him.

"I knooooooow. He's so cute!" chuckled a rosy pink-eared mouse. She spoke in a barely-contained whisper along with the rest of her group, all of which sported bulky backpacks laid out on their table and decorated with all sorts of patches, stickers, and keychains. "I hope I can get a spot in his class!"

"I think he still has slots open!" one of her friends, a field rat, spoke up. "As far as I know, though, no one's actually signed up."

"Whyyyyyy? He's adorable! I'm gonna sign up just so I can stare at that face every day," a girl hamster said.

"What if you don't even like the class?" the second friend spoiled. "Maybe it's a dud. And we don't really have time in our schedules for another course..."

They all paused sadly and contemplatively at this. Then the first girl perked up.

"Well, I guess we'll get him all to ourselves then. If no one else likes the class then we'll stay just for the teacher!"

"Yeah, until every other girl does the same thing. You know we're not the only ones with the hots for him," the hamster said, taking a swig from her soda bottle.

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to fight for him," smiled the rat nonchalantly as she picked at her nails.

"Fight for him?!" yelped the other girls, covering their mouths at their loudness. "Oh my gosh. Seriously?!"

"Yeah! Anyone who comes up, we'll tell 'em to meet us at the park at two. No knives. Just like... nail clippers and hair curlers or something..."

"No no! Wait! We tell them to meet us at the baseball stadium!" offered the hamster, soda pop forgotten.

"You mean the one Olivia's petitioning?" the girl mouse asked. "It's not even built yet!"

"Yeah, but when it is we can tell them to meet there!"

"Winner gets dibs. They get to call first date," said the rat.

"And the loser has to pay for the dinner tab."

"Yeah!"

"Oh my gosh, you guys are so funny," the mouse chuckled.

They all laughed gaily.

Globetrotter's frown deepened, his mouth hanging open, another grape suspended in mid-air. Was Pinkus really... that popular? He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the conversations now swimming about his consciousness, when yet another light exchange, a distant one this time, caught his ears.

"... thinking of actually dropping Globetrotter's class to take that Ronald guy's one. It's just as many credits. Probably way more fun."

Globetrotter gulped. He tried reading a sentence in his book, only to find that he kept gracing the same words over and over and over again. Blast it. He couldn't concentrate. He plopped the book down on the table and went to devouring his cottage cheese, all around him oblivious to the private war going on in his mind.

Why do you care what they think? They're kids. They're idiots.

Yes, and have you forgotten what happened when Basil came to the school two years ago? They went gah-gah over him, too.

They didn't all abandon my class!

Nooooo, but half of them did. And Basil taught a required course at the time. Same as yours. They all went for his. He was much more interesting than you.

That's neither here nor there! I'm still employed, aren't I? My class is still sought after.

For now, and only because it's required. This new guy is significantly more popular. What if his class becomes required? What if it's worse than before? What if you become... old hat?

"No!" Globetrotter yelled, out loud. Half the cafeteria paused to stare at him. He sunk in his seat a little. How embarrassing...

In mock resoluteness, he grabbed the book before him and went back to reading. But he was only truly pretending to read, the bright crimson covers a pathetic excuse for a hole in which the frightened mouse hid.

The truth was that, despite his behavior being anything but amicable, his notorious reputation in the school had garnered him something akin to a celebrity status over the years. The course was required, certainly, even though he wasn't the only teacher who taught it, but the struggle to survive the rigorous schedule and harsh grading system he doled out had become a flat out challenge to the students. How long could you last? Would you manage to nab the ever elusive 'A' during a semester? One pupil even became famous for handing out "I Survived Globetrotter's Class" t-shirts. They hated the teacher, but reveled in the challenge. It was something that Globetrotter became ironically comfortable with over the years. Being notorious was better than not being noticed at all. He couldn't abide the thought of being second fiddle; of falling into obscurity. He'd never had reason to be concerned about it for seventeen years, even during Basil's "reign", but now...? Now he had legitimate competition. In all his years at A.C.M.E. Arts & Sciences, he'd never known an instructor so heavily discussed, so quixotic, so beloved, even on the very first day of his employment. Pinky was new and different, in all the wrong ways to him, yet in all the right ways to the students. And it terrified him.

On a sudden whim, he whipped out a pen from his inside jacket pocket and wrote feverishly on a napkin in front of him. He didn't see the tall figure approach him.

"Hello, Brain!"

Globetrotter practically leapt out of his skin.

"AH! Wh-... You..! Don't... do that!" he remarked, hastily stuffing the napkin and pen back into his coat pocket. He clutched at his heart, taking deep breaths as he rested his head in his palm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Brain!" poor Pinky replied, resting a hand on Globetrotter's back comfortingly. Globetrotter shrugged it off, literally.

"And don't touch me! I just... h-had this... p-pressed," Globetrotter snapped, still catching his breath. "Who knows where your... paws have... been..."

"Oh, well, they haven't been far, Brain. They're always at my side! Ha-ha!"

Globetrotter cocked an eyebrow up at him, speechless. There was no way anyone could be this inordinately stupid.

"Mind if I join you?" Pinky asked, all innocence, that perpetually sunny smile never leaving his face.

"As I matter, of fact, I-"

"Oh, thank you!" Pinky initiated, grabbing a chair and pulling it close up to Globetrotter. Too close for his comfort. Apparently, personal space was something of a foreign concept to this character. "You know, I don't usually eat in public. Don't want to miss The Brady Bunch, you know? Hm hm. But it's rather nice out here! I might come and sit with you more often."

Heaven forbid, Globetrotter thought, ears reddening.

"Would you kindly refrain from mentioning that abomination of a tv show in my presence? It sickens me. And I don't appreciate your unnaturally close proximity."

"Come again?" Pinky asked, cocking his head.

"Move," Globetrotter said, managing, with difficulty, to push Pinky and the chair he sat in over an inch.

"Well, you could have just asked," Pinky chuckled, still smiling. He complied, scooting his chair a couple more inches away from Brain.

"Thank you," bit Globetrotter, turning away from Pinky and directing his attention back to the giant tome in front of him. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like a little privacy."

"Oh, but, I came to give you something!" Pinky exclaimed, and Globetrotter, despite himself, shiftily looked over as the lanky mouse dug in his pants pocket for... something. "A-ha! Here ya' go!"

And he handed him... a teabag? No. Not a teabag. It was too big to be a teabag.

Globetrotter took it from him tentatively, two fingers holding it away from his body as if it might explode.

"What is it?"

"Chicory root! I just thought that, well, when you couldn't find any coffee it reminded me of my mum. She used to be a big coffee drinker, too. She stopped recently, but she still missed the taste. Chicory root tastes a lot like coffee, only better! M-Maybe you'd like it, too?" Pinky offered helpfully, a tinge of shyness peppering his smile.

Globetrotter looked up at Pinky, nonplussed... and a wee bit confused. No one ever gave him anything; not unless he directly asked for it. To be fair, no one was ever bold enough to even attempt to show him much kindness, seeing as the result was often times a sharp reply and a sinister glare. This newcomer obviously hadn't learned the rules yet.

"Teachers... don't usually give me gifts," Globetrotter admitted. "Not unless I ask for them." Nevertheless, he pocketed the chicory root.

"Perhaps that's because you don't ask nicely, Brain? People give you lots of things when you're nice to them!"

It wasn't so much the statement itself, but the boldness of its deliverance that took Globetrotter aback.

"Sooooo... you're saying... I should be nice... to get rewards?"

"Oh, no, Brain! That would be taking advantage! You should be nice to people, 'cause, well, it's nice! And then they're nice to you! Don't you like making people happy?"

"No."

"Not even a little bit?"

"No one has ever given me reason to."

"Well, maybe they would if you showed them a little smile!"

And he actually stuck two fingers up against Globetrotter's cheeks, pushing up on each side in an attempt to draw something close to a grin on his drooping face.

"Ohhhhhhh. There's that smile, Brain!"

"Would you get off?!" Globetrotter blasted, waving his arms around as he flung Pinky off of him. "I told you not to touch me!"

His cheeks and ears burned red at the sound of laughter nearby. Some of the students had been watching and were now drowning in a hushed fit of giggles. Naturally...

"You dimwit. If you're still sitting in that chair in five seconds, I shall personally have to harm you," threatened Globetrotter, cheeks reddening worse than ever as his paws balled into fists.

"Do I get a prize if I leave in four?" Pinky smirked.

"One..."

"Or maybe I'll get one if I stay longer! It pays to be persistent sometimes, Brain."

"Two..."

"You know, you're rather funny when your ears turn red. Nya-ha-ha!"

"FOUR...!"

"Going, Brain!"

And with that, he was off, picking his food up off his tray to take back to his room, giggling to himself and humming, of all things, "Camptown Races" as he headed for the doors. One of the teachers, a Dr. Dawson, smiled at Pinky as he walked past him. And Dr. Dawson... Oh, have mercy. Dr. Dawson started singing along with him.

"I say. I do recognize that tune, young man!" Dawson said, grinning warmly. "Camptown ladies sing this song! Doo-dah! Doo-dah!"

"Camptown race-track five miles long! Oh, doo-da day!" Pinky sung back, beaming.

Others joined in. Still others. Soon, almost the entire cafeteria, minus Globetrotter and a few stragglers, was decked out in song.

"Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day! Bet my money on the bob-tailed nag! Somebody bet on the bay!"

And with that, everyone burst out into hearty laughter, Pinky's wail the loudest of all. He and Dr. Dawson exchanged a friendly word or two, shook hands, and with that, Pinky departed, leaving a trail of chuckles behind.

Globetrotter blinked, his mouth hanging slightly open again. Whatever had happened was... terrifying. This bloke didn't just have an effect on the students, but on the whole school. Even the teachers were getting involved! It was official. This needed to end. He had to be stopped...

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Pinky was still humming "Camptown Races" all the way back to his classroom. He'd just reached the door when a little someone came pitter-pattering down the hallway after him.

"Mr. Pinky! Mr. Pinky!" she called, hat bobbing wildly up and down on her ruffled, furry head.

"Hello, Olivia!" Pinky said, grinning from ear to ear.

"That was amazing!" she gasped, panting. "Mrs. Judson said she could hear you from the nurses' office. She was singing with you!"

They both giggled at this.

"Well, tell Mrs. Judson that Mr. Pinky is glad she enjoyed the song!" Pinky said.

"Oh, I will! I will! By the way, umm... do you have any more classes planned?" Olivia asked, tucking her paws behind her and rocking back and forth, the pink cheeks only complementing her humble posture. She looked awfully cute.

"Hmmmmm. Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Is that a Friday?"

"I think so."

"Yes! Yes, I will!"

"2:00 PM sharp tomorrow, little lady," Pinky said, winking at her.

"2:00 PM sharp, Mr. Pinky!" Olivia repeated, saluting him. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

And off she trotted.

"Oh! Olivia!" Pinky called.

Olivia stopped and turned around, her mouth in a curious little 'o' shape. Pulling a hand out of his pocket, Pinky tossed her a bag of crisps. She caught it with a trained paw.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, popping open the bag and tossing a chip in her mouth as she ran off and around a corner.

"Olivia!" Pinky called again, a hand to his mouth.

"Hm?" she queried, popping her head around the corner.

"How many signatures?!"

"Thirty-seven!"

"Woo-hoo!"

"Woo woo!" she called back, before flying off once more.

Pinky smiled, giggling to himself, as he turned the door handle and disappeared inside.

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

Author's Notes:

- Marvell is an original character created by a friend of mine who goes by the cognomen of "Geeky". You can find her lovely art and cute character on Twitter at: GeekyBlackGirl

- Flip phones weren't exactly in wide use in '93, but I cheated here for convenience's sake and story purposes.

- The book that Teresa was reading, as well as the book Globetrotter carried around with him, are actual published works. Stochastic calculus is, apparently, a very advanced form of the subject. Brain considers it light reading.

- Your typical volcano science project is partially composed of baking soda, which, in turn, is made up of sodium bicarbonate. The whole thing is a reference to Globetrotter's explosive personality, and how he views the current predicament as such: one big problem on the verge of erupting and destroying his position if he doesn't do something... and fast.

- Globetrotter going for the cottage cheese and fruit, while sadly eschewing the pasta, is due to the fact that, in this story, he has terrible bowel and diarrhea issues. He's been told by his doctor to avoid certain foods, but finds this... a struggle at times. I dunno why I decided to give him this problem, other than the fact that it amuses me. Lol.

- Olivia is a lot of fun to write. :)

[gl1tchy-4rt]

DUDE THANKS SO MUCH AAAAAAAA THEM THE PEPPERS 💛❤️🧡💛❤️🧡

Okay but for real, you never fail to impress buddy, this looks soooooo clean and beautiful!

Thanks you so much for this :)

Pepperman from Spaghetti Family (@gl1tchy-4rt)

I came across this AU, where the events take place after the events of the tower, where the characters live an ordinary and calm life. And so, I came across Pepperman, who at the moment differs from all the other Peppermen I have drawn in that he is not alone here, but with his sweet daughter Whitney (the author asked to add, and I could not refuse). In this AU, he has his own family and lives a quiet life. Even if his appearance is quite simple, I still really like the little things that complement his image: a patch after the events in the tower, a cute bow on a tassel that Whitney left as a sign that her dad is dear to her, vest that was made by his wife Martha, as well as small wrinkles on his face, because time does not stand still and the character is aging. I was incredibly pleased to draw this picture, it just oozes with this family warmth. By the way, what’s funny is that the background refers to Whitney with its spots, and to Martha with its bright color.

[keepingupwithfundies]

BuB 913: Holiday Traditions and Baby Additions!

Zach and Whitney settle into life as a family of five. Carlin & Evan have their baby shower. Erin & Chad welcome a new addition. Zach & Whitney and Trace & Chaney enjoy a double date. Finally, the Bates family visits a nursing home to sing carols and deliver some Christmas treats!

This is the midseason finale. Bringing Up Bates will return Thursday, July 23rd.

-T

Zach and Whitney are home with Khloe, and Bradley refuses to let Kaci hold Khloe. Whitney says he is very possessive of her. Whitney asks if he can be a big brother to both Khloe and Kaci, Bradley says no, Kaci is too much. Both siblings squabble over who gets to hold the baby, and Whitney says this is Kaci's first time with a newborn and she loves her. The whole big Bates family comes over to see Kaci. Kelly says it can be overwhelming to bring a big crowd to hold the baby. Callie says they always get excited for a new niece or nephew. Gil says it is special how much the whole family is excited for each new baby. Kelly takes a photo holding Khloe. Kelly says she always gets a photo with each new grandbaby so she can remember those moments going forward. They say grace and have some pizza and then continue passing the baby around. 

It is Carlin and Evan's baby shower- and Carlin says she feels like they were just here for their wedding shower. Kelly forgot to pick up the subs, and some of the boys bring in pizza. Whitney and Erin, who would usually be a big part of planning the event, are not a big help due to their pregnancies. Carlin says she is ready to make it through pregnancy- it is so much work. There are a bunch of guys at this shower, which is nontraditional, but the family enjoys it. Judson says he's there for the food. Evan opens the party with some Thank yous, and then it is time for the games. Meagan Stewart has done the games since Erin is very pregnant. The first game is stacking a tower of diapers- Carlin against her mom and Evan's mom. Carlin says there is a lot of competition but she'll get them with her strategy-when she thinks of one. At the end of the game, all the towers fall. Carlin takes her mother-in-law's hands off her tower to make it fall, and says that probably wasn't a good move. Next, Tori, Alyssa and Zach pull wipes out of a container fastest- which all of them agree is a waste- but Tori wins. Next up is Evan, Kelton and Ethan having a fruit babyfood eating contest. The guys go all out, and Evan ends up winning. Meagan then announces that Evan will go again in the vegetable round. Evan gets Nathan and his brother-in-law Ben to compete with him. This one is much more difficult. Everyone is grossed out, and Ben wins. Finally, it is time for gifts. Evan & Carlin are overwhelmed with the support and they are excited for baby to arrive. 

Shortly afterwards, Carlin is on her way to Erin's to film her birth. Erin is having contractions and thinks it won't be long. Chad starts packing up and loading up. Chad and Erin head into the hospital. Chad says on the fourth time along, Erin knows this is labor and they start driving towards the hospital. Dr. Vick lets the hospital know she's coming. Erin is nervous about the potential complications of her blood clotting disorder but she is almost there. Erin & Chad are admitted and put in a room. Erin is 4cm and the epidural is on the way. Whitney, Kelly and Tori rush in, so excited for the baby. Erin is calm, waiting for her epidural. They are surprised she is in good spirits. Gil arrives after the epidural to say hi to her. Erin is so excited to meet her baby. Gil falls asleep on a chair in the room and snores, which makes Kelly, Erin and Chad laugh. Dr. Vick arrives and says they are gonna get the show on the road. Erin's contractions slow down a little and Erin is given oxygen in order to ease her breathing to help her progress. Baby's heart-rate is dropping a little, another cause for concern. 

Erin says she is feeling better with the oxygen mask. Chad says it is always hard for him to know how best to help her. Erin says Chad is her rock and she wants him right there with her for labor. Erin begins pushing, and it doesn't take long for Holland to be in her arms. Erin is worried about the baby, but all is well and Erin and Chad are in love. Erin says having a baby is always special and sweet to meet your baby for the first time. Carlin says all she could think about was "I'm next!" watching the birth, which was a new experience. Everyone prays, and Erin thanks them for staying up all night.  Whitney dresses Holland for the first time, and says she seems so fragile. The rest of the little Paines arrive, and Chad is so excited to bring them in. All the kids have brought stuffed animals for Holland, and Erin is so excited for them to meet. Carson holds her, and Brooklyn softly puts her hand on the baby. Kelly says it is important for the kids to learn how to be gentle with the baby. Josie says she doesn't know how they handle four, but they are amazing. Josie says just two more of the sisters are still pregnant. 

Zach & Whitney and Trace & Chaney are going ice staking, as Trace & Chaney are spending their first Christmas together. Chaney is excited to spend time with Zach & Whitney and go on a special date with Trace. Zach says it is important as a parent to keep prioritizing your spouse and do something special. Trace says their last chaperones were Jed and Jud, so this is a step up. Whitney says Jed and Jud are better skaters than they are. The couples get on the ice, and Trace is not confident in his skating ability. He has some trouble, but they quickly get moving around the ice. Whitney is sticking towards the side of the rink- and says she did just have a baby so she wants to be holding on. Eventually she moving along off the side of the rink, and Trace and Chaney cheer them on. Zach & Whitney say they didn't ice skate when they were dating- but they did go karts and often went horseback riding.  Trace says it is nice to get new ideas about what to do. Chaney says he is good about planning dates. Trace says long distance is hard, and he has lots of good advice from Zach & Whitney. Chaney says it was fun to hear about Zach & Whitney's story since you can see how much they love each other. Whitney says it was a lot of fun getting to spend time with them, even if she did look like a little baby deer on the ice. (In my opinion, she looked really good on the ice!)

The Bates family are gathering at the big house to practice some Christmas carols. The Bates family has a big emphasis on music and using it as a ministry. They used to always go carol in nursing homes or assisted living facilities to spread cheer, and have decided to bring that back. They practice "Go Tell it on the Mountain." Carlin is worried this might not go well. The rehearsal doesn't go perfectly, and they have to look up the words. Kelly is worried caroling at the nursing home might not go well. Michael says one of her favorite memories is taking treats to people in need, and so Michael is preparing treats with Carson for the nursing home.  The family figures out the song, and heads to the nursing home. 

The family heads to the nursing home to sing to the residents there. Zach says he has 0 confidence they will sound harmonious, but that isn't what it's about. The family sings, and Isaiah says that the best part of singing with a big family is no one can hear you. They finish the song, and the residents clap. Kelton says it went ok, and they were thankful they had a forgiving crowd. Bradley and Carson sing Jingle Bells together, and Whitney says they are like brothers and they love singing together. That is a hit, and Carson comes out to sing "Jesus loves me" all by his own, and Erin is so proud of how brave he is. Bobby says a performer was born. The family comes together to sing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and the residents sing along. It is really a nice moment, and Erin says it warms your heart. The Bates family then passes out their treats and talk with the audience. Josie says they have been so blessed this year and love sharing that with parents. Erin says you can find parents who are more rested than herself and Chad, but you can't find happier parents. Carlin says she is trying to just keep up with life this year. Nathan says 2019 was amazing, and so much has happened. Kelly says who would have thought they'd be sitting in this happy place surrounded by so many kids, grandkids and special times to come?

[thevisafly]

               V2F Itineraries | New York | Things To Do | 7 Days

New York is a destination to which many Indian tourists love to travel to. And why not? When this city of the United States has so much to do in such close proximity, what’s not to like? In this article, we’ll take you through 7 days in NYC – a comprehensive guide of the coolest things to do here! Please note that you do need a passport and USA visa to travel here, so if you wish to obtain a USA visa online (or as online as possible), contact Visa2Fly today!

Day 1

Land in the Kennedy International Airport – the infamous JFK! We hope your flight was pleasant, and you didn’t have any hassles with your USA visa (unlikely if you got one from us!).

Visit The Museum of Modern Art (or MoMA, as it is usually called) first, a landmark that is home to works of contemporary and avante-garde paintings, film, multimedia and sculpture that have paved the way for the new generation of art. After you’re done marvelling at the artwork on display here – which might take a while, there’s so much to see – head on to your next destination: Times Square. Check out Times Square in the evening, with its neon-screened buildings and iconic crossways. A good end to the first day, without too much running around or activity after a tiring flight!

Day 2

Start the day renting a bike in Central Park Zoo, where you can visit a myriad animal species in their 6.5 acre space. If you rent a bike, you can take a nice tour around the zoo and park whilst working up a good sweat as well. New York (and American) food portion sizes are said to be generous, so a small workout wouldn’t hurt! The Metropolitan Museum of Art is next on the list, a towering building that is the world’s largest (and arguably finest) collection of artwork to date. It is also famous for the Met Gala, an annual themed fundraising gala attended by big names across industries. We come back to Central Park in the evening: and there’s quite a few photo-worthy spots here. Visit the Belvedere Castle, from where you can walk up and see a panoramic view of the surrounding park. You can also walk towards the Alice in Wonderland statue next, a cute sculpture of Lewis Carroll’s characters.

Day 3

Spend the morning at Morgan Library and Museum. If you think this is just a regular museum, think again: it is home to some of the most priceless objects in American history, including 1 of the 23 original copies of the Declaration of Independence, Mozart’s (handwritten!) score of the Haffner Symphony, Charles Dickens’ manuscript of The Christmas Carol and Phillis Wheatley’s collected works. To name a few. This might take up a good chunk of your morning, so keep the afternoon free to check out all the cool landmarks in the vicinity. Madame Tussauds, The Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Centre, Radio City Music Hall and the Chrysler Building are all a stone’s throw away from each other. Make sure to visit these interesting sites in the day, so that the streets are less crowded! You can even catch a small bite or a filling lunch at the Grand Central Terminal, said to be “a window into old New York”.

To end the day on a good note, a sunset is always best. A former New York Central Railroad was repurposed and opened up to the public as an elevated park, greenway and rail trail around 2009. It’s called the High Line, has free access and a great view of the sunset along the 2.3 km walk!

Day 4

Have an early morning jog at Washington Square Park, a great place to work up a sweat and tour the park’s historical connection to America at the same time. Visit the impressive arch and listen to some local live jazz music in the place where the first public demonstration of the telegraph was undertaken. In the afternoon, Dover Street Market is where you can go. It is a place to look around and marvel at the showcases of the highest-of-high end fashion brands and avant-garde styles. Many love to pass by these streets because of the feel – you can try it out as well! After that, you can choose to get lost in fictional worlds at the legendary Strand Bookstore, home to 2.5 million books. It is also a New York City landmark (because of its 92 years of business). At the end of the day, a good history lesson is sure to make you sleep well 😉 Whitney Museum of American Art is the place to go for an authentic local artistic experience (especially of the 20th and 21st century). It is also extremely close to the Classic Harbor Line, so the offer stands to end the day with a Classic Harbor Line sunset cruise – the name speaks for itself!

Day 5

Travel across the famous Brooklyn Bridge to the next part of New York on the list today: Brooklyn. Although you are crossing a body of water, you do not need a separate US visa since you are still in New York and the USA. Our first stops are the hipster areas of Williamsburg and GreenPoint. Greenpoint is hip to the point of having a laundromat that doubles as a bar (psst: it’s called Sunshine Laundromat. You’re welcome!). And Williamsburg is its older brother – the home of hipster culture in New York City. If you’re feeling particularly indie, you could even travel along to Bruswick and marvel at the edgy, creative street art that lines the walls of the streets.

Spend the afternoon mesmerised by performances at the BAM Opera Houses and Theaters, opened in 1904. The arena has seen visiting acts from the Royal Shakespeare Company and Ibsen and Wilde, to name a few big industry players. After your performance, take the late afternoon and early evening on Governor’s Island – a small island off the coast of Brooklyn that is home to many pop-up music festivals, diners, dance performances and art exhibits. When you’ve let your hair down long enough here, take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty – whether you know of other monuments in New York, you’ll definitely have heard of this one!

Day 6

Today, we move towards the Bronx. The first stop is, of course, Bronx Zoo, which is one of the most famous places to visit here. It is one of the largest zoos in the United States by area – containing 265 acres of land dedicated to conservation. In the afternoon, make your way to the New York Botanical Garden, a 250-acre campus with over a million types of plants. Its perimeters include activities for all ages – from kids’ play areas to relaxing getaways. Lastly, the evening sees us at Broadway – known as the home of musicals and commercial American theatre, the most obvious thing to do here is to watch a rendition of your favourite musical. Animals, plants and culture all packed into one day in the Bronx. Broadway may captivate you into staying until late at night (with how cool Broadway is), so make sure to catch a yellow cab or private transport and make your way back to the hotel.

Day 7

The great thing about New York is that almost everything is either a stone’s throw or a ferry away. Staten Island is our last (but not least!) stop in New York. We can reach here through the beautiful Staten Island Ferry, which is free of cost and also the main source of commute for many working people in this city. For lunch, check out Marie’s 2 for some scrumptious deep dish pizza, and go in search of some good New-York-style cheesecake for dessert! Check out the Snug Harbor Cultural Centre in the evening, with a 19th Century sailor’s home full of events. If you’d like, end the evening at the Staten Island Children’s Museum’s interactive exhibitions for your kids.

Day 8 is for travelling back. Whether you’re exiting NYC and coming back home, or making a few more stops in America before you leave, we’re sure that you had a golden time here. A conglomeration of new and old, classy and edgy, timeless and in-the-moment… New York truly is a vibrant mix of a city and its surroundings has something for everyone.

If you’re interested in applying for a US visa from India, Visa2Fly offers complete handholding support for your document preparation along with doorstep pick-up and delivery of documents. Our expert team guides you to ensure you have the maximum chances of US visa acceptance in the first attempt. We help you pick dates for your USA visa interview, come home so you won’t have to travel to apply, and also process things very professionally at the back-end. Check out our other blogs on solo travel and language learning platforms as well, so that you can further secure your chances of having an amazing trip.

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[gl1tchy-4rt]

(Vibrates and convulses from affection) AJDBFUFIVEUEOEVEIDBSHSVDIEHRVIDJ THEM KIDDOS!!! 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡✨✨✨

Thanks for this buddy i really appreciate it :)

✨The "orange team"✨

@alextydaisuda123

@gl1tchy-4rt

@bigboybird

@t0w3rp1zza

[thewatertowernews]

the indie douchebag of your dreams

by Kathryn Brown and Sasha Rosen

Life is scary. But it’s a little less scary when you have somebody at your side to cheer you on, cry with you, know how to make you happy, and take hella cute pics with. We here at the water tower want to make sure that you find the human (or humans, we don’t hate on polyamory here) that makes you feel happy to be alive. And maybe you just really want someone to skate with and share long socks with. Whatever your motives are, here’s how to catch you the indie boy you thought you could never have.

Make sure you can identify him. Can’t find your mans amongst the sea of circle glasses and black sk8-hi’s outside of your anthropology class in Williams? Good luck. Because his instagram consists of poor quality basement photos, zoomed in pictures of city streets, and film photos of rosebushes, you’ll really have to study his one mirror selfie he claims he took ironically. Maybe then you’ll be able to pick him out at the Pinegrove concert.

Never spell anything right, ever. Capital letters are a sin. Turn off autocorrect, turn off auto capitalization, use abbreviations such as: u, tho, tru, abt, kno. Put a space before exclamation points, never use punctuation otherwise. Use memes to express your feelings.

Get to know your Sonic Youth. If you’ve never listened to this cult 80’s rock band, don’t worry, he probably hasn’t either.

Only like things ironically. Your once beloved Alex G, Frankie Cosmos, and Homeshake are now too mainstream to impress your man. Everyone knows that all good music has less than 100,000 listens on Spotify. Find something new, like the up and coming garage rock group that only plays at DIY venues in your hometown. Bonus points if you went to middle school with them. So even though you still love Whitney, make sure you only listen to them on private session.

Go on a quirky date. Take your stringy slim fit pants and vans wearing indie mans to the affordable and undiscovered “Battery Street Jeans” on Cherry Street. At the end of the night, surprise him with the “Spring Arrives in the Mountains” tea tasting at Dobra Tea. If you’re feeling extra spicy, add a side of edamame, salted of course, to the mix.

Looks: cut and cuff. Everyone knows that the $50 jeans your mom bought you for Christmas will only please your suitor if they are cut and frayed. Thinking about leaving the dorm in that oversized band t-shirt you snagged from last night’s basement show? Don’t even think about it until those sleeves are cuffed two fold. 90 degrees out? Too bad, always add tiny hat. Remember, even though he cuffs every article of clothing he owns, he probably won’t cuff you.

Reinvent your online image. Change your instagram name to something that consists of two nouns that have absolutely no relation to each other. Post unaesthetically pleasing photos with no filter and a two word caption, all lowercase. For example, put a slice of pizza on the street, take a blurry photo of it, caption it: street pizza. Throw in the occasional selfie with the good lighting that shows how much of a baddie you are.

Smoke American Spirits. That light blue carton will look SO good in the frocket of your oversized jean jacket. It will even draw attention to your buttoned to the collar shirt you bought off minikikiipad’s depop. Who cares if smoking takes years off your life? It’s all worth it for the aesthetic and possibility of seducing the indie douchebag of your dreams.

[gl1tchy-4rt]

✨✨Art trading✨✨

For @alextydaisuda123...

and @marclef!

I had lots of fum making these two!

Hope you guys have a great Day today :)

Buh-bye!!

[ravensong67-blog]

Orange County Weekend Events Roundup November 1-4

Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at Bowers Museum.

From outdoor festivals to musical performances, check out the top Orange County weekend events for November 1-4.

Edited by Whitney Lauren Han.

EVENTS

Dark Harbor Through Nov. 2. Named one of the top 10 most haunted places on Earth by TIME magazine, Southern California’s most terrifyingly authentic haunt has risen from the deep, dripping with history of the infamously haunted ship. Dark Harbor’s resident spirits include Ringmaster, Captain, Samuel the Savage, Graceful Gale, Half-Hatch Henry, Iron Master, Scary Mary, Voodoo Priestess and Chef. See website for times. $20+. The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach, 562.499.1739. queenmary.com

Big Adventure Fest Nov. 3-4. Get ready for this two-day music, comedy and gaming festival at the OC Fair & Event Center. Featured performers include Empire of the Sun, Modest Mouse, Cold War Kids, Patton Oswalt and Jim Jefferies.  Leading and celebrated figures from comics, film and TV will be in attendance to engage with fans, showcase art, discuss their craft in exclusive panels, sign autographs and more. Noon-10 p.m. See website for ticket prices. 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa. bigadventurefest.com

Tropicália Fest Nov. 3-4. Grab your tickets to this two-day music and taco festival that will take place at the Queen Mary Park. Headlining the fest will be British singer Morrissey and rapper Cardi B. Other confirmed acts include Kali Uchis, Mac Demarco, Chicano Batman, Mazzy Star and more. Doors 11 a.m., show at noon. See website for ticket prices. 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach, 855.414.6141. tropicaliafest.com

Newport Dunes Triathlon Nov. 4. Get your blood pumping at these inaugural Olympic and sprint distance races in Newport Dunes. Before the annual event, come the night before for the “Tri-cation” camping experience with RV or tent camping options just steps from the race course. Available on site are food trucks, s’mores and an outdoor family movie the evening prior to the event. 7 a.m. $50-$150 triathlon, $20 tri-cation. Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Dr., Newport Beach, 949.729.3863. newportdunes.californiatriathlon.org

FOOD + DRINK

The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar New Fall Menu Items Now Available. Executive Chef Karl Pfleider has added new items to the menu to celebrate the seasonal fall produce. New items include the goat cheese tortelli, pan seared Ling cod and the grilled octopus (pictured). Pair the new dishes with one of Bar Manager Ryan Autry’s craft cocktails, like the Third Time’s A Charm, made with Genever, campari, cacao, bitter vermouth, blood orange, lemon and brown ale. See website for hours. 31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy., Rancho Santa Margarita, 949.888.0072. theblindpigoc.com

Brunch at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse Now Available. Newly-opened Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse is now serving brunch featuring signature dishes include the egg white frittata, crab cake Benedict and the beef tenderloin. Davio’s brunch will also offer pastas, fish and steak entrees, a selection of pizzas and panini, and more. To complete the experience, guests can build their own bloody mary from the roving cart during brunch service. Su 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Irvine Towers, 18420 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, 949.477.4810. davios.com

Chateaubriand at Mastro’s Now Available. Savor the “special holiday steak feature” at Mastro’s this holiday season. This steak is a large center-cut roast of the finest beef tenderloin that Mastro’s has to offer. Best served at medium rare to medium, the tender and juicy steak is sliced and served tableside by your server with bearnaise sauce and peppercorn sauce on the side. $115. Mastro’s Steakhouse, 633 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, 714.546.7405; Mastro’s Ocean Club, 8112 E. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, 949.376.6990. mastrosrestaurants.com

Far Niente Winery Dinner Nov. 3. Experience Studio’s Chef Ben Martinek’s decadent five-course dinner featuring wine pairings from Far Niente Winery. The evening begins with hors d’oeuvres including Kona kampachi tartare and lobster fritters paired with Chardonnay. Main courses such as cured Baja striped bass, seared La Belle Farms duck breast, grilled dry aged strip steak and Thai long pepper-spiced venison loin. End the night with Rogue River Blue Cheese and charred blackberries served with Dolce, Napa Valley 2007. 6 p.m. $250. Montage Laguna Beach, 30801 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, 949.715.6420. montagehotels.com

Aquavit Week Nov. 4-10. Bottoms up for the 7th annual aquavit week in North America and Europe! Several restaurants and bars in SoCal will be offering a featured aquavit (Scandinavian clear spirit) cocktail for the occasion. At Blinking Owl Distillery, you can enjoy their aquavit several ways: neat, chilled or on the rocks, not to mention in a variety of Aquavit cocktails such as the Tiki, Do You Love Me? or try the Long Owland Iced Tea. Other participating bars and restaurants include A&O Kitchen, ARC, The Blind Rabbit, El Mercado, Playground and more. aquavitweek.com

Sip ‘n’ Shuck at The Deck on Laguna Beach Nov. 4. Come hungry to the 6th annual Sip ‘n’ Shuck tasting and fundraising experience. Indulge in a variety of hand-shucked oysters, Champagne and sparkling wines, all while enjoying panoramic ocean views at the oceanfront restaurants. Beverages will be provided courtesy of Casamigos Tequila, Laguna Beach Beer Company, Nolet’s, Veuve Clicquot, Bianchi Winery, Tito’s Vodka and more. 21+. VIP entry 1 p.m., GA 2-6 p.m. $125 pre-sale, $150 VIP. Pacific Edge Hotel, 627 Sleepy Hollow Lane, Laguna Beach, 949.494.6700. sipnshuck.com

ARTS + CULTURE

Lea Michele and Darren Criss Nov. 2. Actors and vocalists Lea Michele and Darren Criss come to Segerstrom Center as they continue their wildly successful LM/DC Tour on the West Coast. 7:30 p.m. $39+. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org

OCMAExpand-Santa Ana Open House Nov. 3. Explore the Orange County Museum of Art’s new OCMAExpand-Santa Ana in a former retail space until the museum’s new home is completed at nearby Segerstrom Center for the Arts in 2021. Exhibiting artists Rodrigo Valenzuela, Mariángeles Soto-Díaz, Valentina Jager, Alan Nakagawa and Kathryn Garcia will engage with visitors through talks and performances. Th 11 a.m.-8 p.m., F-Su 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free admission and parking. South Coast Plaza Village, 1661 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana, 714.780.2130. ocmaexpand.org

Dia de Los Muertos Celebration Nov. 4. Continuing their interactive Family Festival Series, Bowers Museum invites the community to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Join the celebration and enjoy pan dulce with Mexican hot chocolate, face painting, special art projects and performances by Rhythmo Mariachi Kids, Folklorico Raices de Mexico, Trio Tres Souls, and Xipe Totec Danza Azteca. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free admission with $15 purchase of Knights in Armor ticket. 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, 714.480.1520. bowers.org

Quartetto di Cremona Nov. 4. International chamber ensemble Quartetto di Cremona takes center stage in the Salmon Recital Hall at the Musco Center for the Arts. The quartet is an ambassador for the international “Friends of Stradivari” project and plays the Stradivarius “Paganini Quartet” with instruments on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation, which includes the same violin played by famed virtuoso violinist Henri Temianka. 4 p.m. See website for ticket prices. Chapman University, 415 N. Glassell, Orange, 844.626.8726. muscocenter.org

The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor and Newport Dunes Triathlon photos courtesy of The ACE Agency. Big Adventure Fest photo courtesy Big Adventure Fest. Tropicália Fest photo by Tyler Hagen. The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar New Fall Menu Items and Brunch at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse photos courtesy Ajenda PR. Chateaubriand at Mastro’s photo courtesy Murphy O’Brien Public Relations. Far Niente Winery Dinner photo courtesy Marguarite Clark Public Relations. Aquavit Week photo courtesy FWD PR. Sip ‘n’ Shuck at The Deck on Laguna Beach photo courtesy Sip ‘n’ Shuck. Lea Michele and Darren Criss photo courtesy Segerstrom Center for the Arts. OCMAExpand-Santa Ana Open House photo by Bliss Photography. Dia de Los Muertos Celebration photo courtesy Bowers Museum. Quartetto di Cermona photo courtesy The ACE Agency.

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Source: https://socalpulse.com/blog/recent/2018/10/31/orange-county-weekend-events-roundup-november-1-4/

[gl1tchy-4rt]

*Crying, rolling on the floor out of Happiness and Cuteness*

AADSHHFHDNHRKRIDHDUWGUGUDVMGE THEM PEPPERS ❤️🧡💛❤️🧡💛❤️🧡💛

Phil conforting Whitney i-i I can't! It's too cute!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA *bites phone out "cute aggression"*

*AHEM* Thank you thaaaaaaank you Soul <3

Art Trade for @gl1tchy-4rt

I was asked to draw one of the Spaghetti Family children along with Echo. I decided to take the obvious characters for me, Pepperman and his daughter Whitney. I was inspired by the song Mockingbird and could not help but draw them, without taking my favorite lines from that song.

[ultralifehackerguru-blog]

New Post has been published on http://lifehacker.guru/traveler-shares-his-photos-from-a-train-route-that-shows-all-of-americas-most-beautiful-sights-for-186/

Traveler Shares His Photos From A Train Route That Shows All Of America’s Most Beautiful Sights For $186

When someone mentions traveling from California to New York, one naturally thinks about a plane ride which takes roughly 6 hours to get from the first state to the final, crossing the continent in what seems like a heartbeat. But while you are catching up on movies on laptop or books you’ve been putting away from reading to make the flight more bearable, you are missing out on everything the States has to offer on the ground. To not miss out on any beautiful places a plane would fly by, an adventure traveler and entrepreneur Derek Low came up with a plan to cross the country by train. And if you were thinking that it would be easier to do it by car, well, here’s Derek’s catch. He claims you can do it for as cheap as $186.

Image credits: Derek Low

Back in December of 2011, Derek planned out and embarked on a 3,400-mile trip from San Francisco to New York. The man recognized not only the inexpensive price of this method of traveling, but also the availability. As trains were the backbone of transportation in the ever-growing America, bridging gaps between newly found cities and powering up fresh industries, the legacy of those times was left in a shape of a wide railway network, spreading across all the states. Low chose San Francisco-New York route for its beautiful scenery that he detailed on his journal.

Image credits: Derek Low

He explained that the trip would take 4 days without stopovers, however, he encourages people to make them to get the best out of the trip. Although stopping would mean buying separate tickets for each journey which would increase the cost of the trip, how could anyone resist taking a moment to appreciate the beautiful locations that the United States of America has to offer?

Image credits: mmurphy2

The first leg of his journey was from San Francisco to Salt Lake City. A 17-hour ride between the cities begins with the view of San Francisco Bay Area, where tranquil waters draw the eye. While it’s the last look at the ocean for a long while, the land has views that are just as spectacular to offer.

Image credits: Don Graham

As the train moved inland, rushing through the gloomy fields and bare trees, the scenery changed after a couple of hours. As Derek described it, the view of the window changed from a grey smokescreen into a breathtaking forest as the train entered the Sierra Nevada. The mountain range covers over 24,370 sq mi (63,100 km2) and sits mainly in the state of California, with a small part stretching out into Nevada. Rich in history, the Sierra Nevada is home to many stories, mines and its highest peak, Mount Whitney. But the highest point in the USA is not the only attraction the Sierra Nevada offers, as Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks also lie within the mountain range. Derek Low remarks how an expert from a museum shared a story about the Donner party as they passed the lake of the same name. “The Donner Party […] were stranded here in the winter of 1846. Some of the party of 87 resorted to cannibalism; only 48 survived,” he recalled.

Image credits: Derek Low

With higher altitudes of the Sierra Nevada bringing snow, the upcoming hours turn into quite a sight as the train moves from California to Nevada and the scenery changes from a winter wonderland to a barren desert.

Image credits: Trevor Bexon

Although Nevada is perhaps best known for the city of gambling, splurging and spontaneous weddings, Las Vegas, the train that Derek was on didn’t pass there. Instead Low noted that the most notable urban area is Reno, or as he describes, “the Biggest Little City in the World”.

Image credits: Leon7

At night the train passes another state line, between Nevada and Utah, and as the clocks are adjusted an hour forward, the first leg of the trip ends in Salt Lake City at 3am.

Image credits: goodfreephotos

Perhaps one of the most notable objects, and the one that Derek visited at early hours of the morning, is the Mormon Temple. It towers at 222 ft (68 m) and lies in the downtown area of the city.

Image credits: David Gubler

The second leg of the journey begins as a 15-hour train ride from Salt Lake City to Denver begins. According to Low, “the journey between Utah and Colorado is regarded to be the most spectacular train ride in all of the United States.” The railroad stretches across the scenery that will remind anyone of the Western movies. One of the more memorable sights in the wast outstretch of American Wild West is the Book cliffs.

Image credits: Luca Galuzzi

The path is riddled with stunning canyons, so you aren’t going to miss out on them as they will be most of what you’re seeing. Just don’t overlook the hoodoos, tall, thin spires of rock that look like long chimneys protruding from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland.

Image credits: pxhere

As the train follows the Colorado River for quite a stretch of time, you will have the perfect chance to snap some photos, as well as see how the waters twist and turn. Low notes that this is the time to see ” a particularly odd breed of Colorado wildlife indigenous to the area.” Apparently, rafters in the Colorado River have a weird habit to ‘salute’ the passing trains by pulling their pants off and giving them a good mooning to remember. No wonder the river’s nicknamed as a “Moon River”.

Image credits: Derek Low

Before the train finally arrives to Denver, the Rockies come to an end and canyons with hoodoos blend into seemingly ends green plains. The change in scenery, again, just shows how much variety the states have to offer, and it’s possible to see all of that in just a couple of days.

Image credits: Derek Low

After a 15-hour journey, the train reaches Denver, the capital of Colorado, also known as “The Mile High City”. Famous for being one of the sunniest cities, Denver has 300 days of sunshine a year, just the perfect place to stop and take a walk around. Derek suggests to take some time and explore the city, as he himself did. And for a good reason. Denver has more than 200 parks within the city and 20,000 acres of parks in the surrounding mountain area.

Image credits: Derek Low

The next leg of the cross-country journey is between Denver and Chicago. And although Low reported that he slept through the 4 states (Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois) as most of the 19-hour ride takes place at night. According to Derek, it’s pretty comfortable sleeping on The California Zephyr train.

Image credits: pxhere

Though depending on the time of the day the train passes these states, there are still plenty of scenic routes to enjoy. Plains, forests, reservois and rivers are just some of the sights to enjoy while on a long train ride.

Image credits: Derek Low

Towards the end of the journey, the Zephyr reaches one of the most significant stops on the route, the city of Chicago. The third most populous city in the USA, Chicago has plenty of entertainment to offer. From mouth-watering food (deep-dish pizza, right?) to the Willis Tower looming over the city at 442.1 m (1,450 ft) height, there are plenty of things to try out, and Derek spent another day there, exploring.

Image credits: Vanessa Vancour

Also, Chicago is home to the infamous “Bean” sculpture. “Cloud Gate” by Anish Kapoor first received attention purely for its shape, prompting people to create a line of memes on the internet. It later resurfaced on the net because of the feud between its original creator and Stuart Semple. So, visiting Chicago is the perfect opportunity to witness this iconic symbol.

Image credits: Derek Low

As the California Zephyr only goes as far as Chicago, to cover the rest of the journey one must transfer to Lake Shore Limited. As the last stretch between Chicago and New York takes around 20 hours, it’s best to relax, enjoy the views, or find something interesting to spend your time on. Low says that for him, it was an excellent opportunity to sit down and write.

Image credits: Derek Low

After an ardous trip that took days, the train finally arrives to the Big Apple, drawing the cross-country tour to a conclusion. There are, of course, plenty of things to do in the most populated city in the States. The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Empire State Building, and the Central Park are just a scratching the surface when it comes to such an urban giant like New York City.

Image credits: William Warby

Derek crossed 3,397 miles (5 466.9 km), 11 states, 4 timezones in just 4 days. “I’ve seen both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean without taking a flight. Some people have told me that I’ve already seen more of the country than most Americans.” he explained.

While Derek paid $429 for a 15-day rail pass to make the most of his time on a trip across the USA, he claims that it’s possible to cross the country for much less. “The rail pass includes 8 train rides which I used to explore other cities after my cross-country journey. If you’re thinking of stopping at a few cities, a rail pass can be a great value” he explained. However, there is a possibility to buy direct California Zephyr and Lake Shore Limited tickets that would take you from San Francisco to New York. And those cost as little as $186.

(C)

[realtalk-princeton]

Fun things to do on a trip to NYC?

Response from Maybach Renntech:

Jeez lol there’s a billion things you could do. I can never get tired of the city lol. But off the top of my head here are just a few suggestions in JUST MANHATTAN pretty much.

1. Food: Manhattan’s Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich Village, Joe’s Pizza, Hot Dogs like Papaya Dog, Pastrami from Katz’s, Steakhouses like Keen’s, Porterhouse, and Benjamin’s, the list goes on forever

2. Sights: Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty boat tour, Ellis Island, Empire State Building, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center (skating during the winter) Washington Square,  and I always go to the New World Trade Center and visit my friend’s dad’s spot at the memorial. The freedom tower is also the coolest when if you go on the right day, you can get so high that you are literally standing above the clouds. So cool!

3. Concerts all the time:  in Times Square, Madison Square Garden, etc. My personal favorite is the Gov Ball festival on Randall’s island every year. MAN THAT WAS great last year. with the Strokes. Too bad I can’t go this year. If you like more classical music there is always Carnegie Hall as well

4. Broadway shows: self explanatory

5. Shopping on 5th Avenue: clothes, electronics, basically everything you could ever want. I usually just window shop though because of the prices.

6. Visit friends at other universities and go to their parties and stuff like at NYU or Columbia.

7. Take a breather and just casually stroll through Central park (during the daytime).

8. Art: The Met, Whitney, NYU, and Manhattan School of Design

9. Too Many Museums of just about everything. Personal favorite is the Natural History Museum.

10. Zoo

11. Idk, but there’s definitely a lot more. But the point is that you can’t go wrong when you go to NYC.

[beachdazekuci]

3/2/17 - S1E8

Hinds - Solar - Leave Me Alone The Drums - Blood Under My Belt - Single *** Soko - Sweet Sound of Ignorance - Single *** Night Moves - Colored Emotions - Colored Emotions Corky Carroll - From Pizza Towers to Defeat - Tan Punks on Boards The Shadows - Apache - Shadows: The Collection

Paul Bergmann - Old Dream - Old Dream BRONCHO - I’m Gonna Find Out Where He’s At - Just Enough Hip To Be Woman Steep Leans - Rain Delay - Grips on Heat Real Estate - Darling - Single *** Kava Kon - Chinese Surfer - Tiki for the Atomic Age

Thee Oh Sees - Enemy Destruct - Help Jacques Dutronc - L’idole - En Vogue Part Time - Night Drive - PDA Twin Peaks - Telephone - Wild Onion Jay Som - Next To Me - Turn Into

Nobunny - I Am a Girlfriend - Love Visions Peach Kelli Pop - Scorpio - S/T Meatbodies - Tremmors - S/T Pond - Sweep Me Off My Feet - Single *** The High Curbs - Mine - Marcelo Cleveland Wavves - Daisy - Single ***

Young Mammals - Alto Seco - Alto Seco Whitney - No Woman - Light Upon the Lake The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Vad Hände Med Dem? - Revelation The Memories - Cherry - Love is the Law Clean Spill - Montezuma - Xo

Hanni El Khatib - Mondo and His Makeup - Savage Times *** The Sonics - Boss Hoss - Here Are the Sonics The Buttertones - Old Fashioned - Buttertones The Centurions - Bullwinkle Pt. II - Surfers’ Pajama Party