#Rainy Pickup Event

[animeweeb115]

"So, I will give you all my passion, if you so desire."

[ilovesjamesbb]

Please Don't Leave Me (Pt. 1)

Bucky Barnes x Reader

(Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5)

Warnings: Mature themes, depression, sadness

You couldn't do it anymore.

You couldn't live everyday like your life was perfect. There were times where there seemed to be no way out and this was one of those times.

Your breath quickened and your ears stopped working. Only a loud ringing like the sound of a wave in the ocean that never stopped crashing, remained. The organ in your chest felt like a piece of glass that was being crushed by the weight of your own blood and bones.

You shut the door and slid down against it, hand still on the knob. your hair slid down the wood much slower then the rest of your shaking form. It burned. Everything burned. Silent sobs came and never ceased.

Nothing had happened. Well nothing recently, many events had left you plagued and defeated but nothing within the hour or even day.

You had been eating dinner with the rest of the team in the tower. Sitting on the top of the couch while everyone told stories and funny jokes. A casual night. Something was off. You couldn't keep focus on anything, spacing out the entirety of the night. No one noticed and you thought to yourself, "Am I that good at hiding it?". You thought you were great at wearing the mask but your arms grew tired and it started to slip. Forearm muscles withered from staying in the same position for years until it was just skin and bone.

Your sobs started to pickup in sound and intensity. You didn't want anyone to hear so you crawled to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and shut the door. Tears streaming down your face as you brought your hand to your chest.

You were easy going. Always the funniest person in the room. Never had you been the sad one, the broken one. You were a fixer, thats what you did. You helped people you never needed help. You only helped yourself. You were the only person you needed. You would be the hand that held your head. You would be the thumbs that wiped your tears. You would be everything. Until even you, weren't enough.

The shower was loud but you were louder. You put your hands over your ears hoping the ringing would stop. Hoping everything would stop. You couldn't hear the pain that emerged from you but he did. He heard everything.

Bucky was only a room over. Sometimes you would hear him having nightmares. The first person to knock on his door and place a hand on his shoulder telling him he was okay and then you would leave like nothing happened. Like it was no feat to support him. Some mornings he would find you curled on the floor next to his bed or sitting fast asleep in the chair in the corner because you wanted to make sure he was okay. Never was a word uttered but a forgiving smile was given.

He had never heard sounds like this coming from your room. To think of it he had never heard a sound like this ever. He quickly got up from his bed and made his way to your door. He knocked.

"Y/n". No answer.

"Y/n I just want to make sure you are okay. Can you let me in?" Still no answer but the sounds continued. He knew you weren't okay and as much as he wanted to respect your privacy he couldn't leave not even if he wanted to.

He turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open as the hinges creaked. He had never been in your room. He was surprised with what he saw. The room was dark and not covered with the vibrant colors he imagined. There was no trinkets or photos. Just the bare minimum. The wall or large windows' blinds were open so that only light that illuminated the room was from the busy city. The night had been rainy. The last three night were.

As he walked through the room he could hear the sounds getting louder. He made his way over to the bathroom door and put his hand on it. He immediately felt anguish. The sounds of your crying made his chest tighten. He pressed his forehead to the door and called out gently.

"Y/n. I need you to open the door. I need to know your okay."

You clasped your hand over your mouth but your body stayed pressed against the door as you silently sobbed. Hoping if you stayed quiet enough he would leave.

"Y/n, I'm not leaving until I see you." You contemplated opening the door. You wanted to but you couldn't. You knew he could push the door open with your body still pressed against it if he wanted to but you felt better knowing you were another obstacle in his way to getting through.

"I don't know what's going on but I'm sure I can help and if I can't I will make sure you aren't alone. You don't need to go through this alone." Another beat of silence.

"Think about it like I'm returning a favor. All the times you came to my room and woke be from the night terrors. You save me from my nightmares now let me save you from yours." You heart broke and you couldn't hold back the sounds of your crying anymore.

"That's it y/n I'm coming in. I will break this door down unless you answer me. I need to know you're okay." You moved away from the door and let yourself rest your head against the wall. You knew he would feel awful if he hurt you so you moved away from the line of fire. He shoved his vibranium hand through the door and unlocked it but he paused. You were waiting for him to burst in and yell at you. But time stopped.

"Open the door. I want you to feel like you can come to me. Open the door, doll." At the sound of the nickname you moved your hand to the knob above your head and turned it.

He knelt down next to you, eyes locking with your teary ones. You couldn't see anything, everything was a blur. He placed his hand below your collar bone and the other on your chest.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I need you to breathe. You're hyperventilating. You're gonna pass out if you don't calm down." Your breathing only picked up in pace but you tried nodding your head.

"Doll, look at me." You tried but everything was unfocused. He used his thumbs to wipe away your tears.

"You will get through this. You always tell me that my dreams are just dreams nothing more. This is your dream, it's in your head, you need to wake up. Come back, doll. Come back to me." He looked concerned, pained almost.

"I-I can't" you rasped.

"You can, doll. Just breathe with me." He made the effort of breathing slowly, his chest moving in an exaggerated manor.

"I can't breathe. I-I can't breathe." His eyes met yours and he moved both hands to your face.

"I can't-"

"Yes you can. I know you can. This will pass. This feeling won't last forever but right now I need you to let me help you. Let me hold your pain." He pleaded.

"It hurts so much. I'm so, so sorry. I'm s-sorry. Oh God. Just leave me here. Please." You begged. He got up and for a second you thought he listened to you. Instead he got up and felt the temperature of the water.

"You're not gonna like this but I need you to breathe, you're turning white." He picked you up and attached your legs behind his back and moved your arms over his shoulders. Head next to his head. You latched on.

Fully clothed he walked the both of you into the shower. Water falling down your bodies until the tears blended in. His kept one hand on your back and the other on your head. Whispering sweet nothings.

"I got you. I've got you. I'll always have you." He said aloud but mainly to himself.

Your breathing slowed and tears still made their way down your face. You lay limp against his muscular form until you were fully aware of your surroundings.

"I'm okay now." You tried to get down but he wouldn't have it.

"No. You're not. Look at me y/n." You slowly lifted your head and he pressed his forehead against yours. Both of you closing your eyes.

"Let me help you."

"You don't have t-"

"It's not a request it's an order." Your eyes opened and you sighed. Defeated.

"I'm gonna wash you up and get you to bed. Okay?" His eyes stared into yours. You nodded. He set you down and looked away ashamed. How could you be so weak? Why were you so loud.

"Stop. Don't go there. What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" He said holding your chin.

"I need to get out of these clothes." You began to claw at your neck, feeling like you were being suffocated. Breath started to quick again.

"Doll, stop stop stop. You're gonna hurt yourself. I got it." He grabbed your wrists. He looked you in the eyes, silently asking for permission. You nodded.

He grabbed the hem of your shirt, slowly pulling it over your head.

"I won't look, I promise." He assured. He then knelt down, unbuttoning your pants and helping them slide down to the wet shower floor. He removed the rest of your clothes and then did the same with his own. Leaving just his boxers and dog tags. He began to wash your hair, tilting your head back as your eyes closed. His hands slowly washing your body as if he thought a sudden movement would break you. Your eyes remained closed the whole time. Your head felt numb but his touch kept you alert.

When he was done, he shut the water off and grabbed a towel to dry your body. You stood there prepared to walk to the bedroom but he scooped you up and brought you to his room. He set you on the edge of his bed and walked away. The draft making you shiver. Still you looked into nothing.

He emerged from his closet with a long sleeve shirt that would be way too big and a pair of his boxers. Everything smelt like him. He made you stand up and he dressed you. At this point you allowed it. You probably could have done it yourself but he wouldn't let you.

"I want you to stay here a few nights. I will sleep on the couch over there but I want you here." He said bending down to reach your eye line.

"No."

"Y/n you-"

"No. You're not sleeping on the couch. Lay with me please." You whispered. He contemplated it.

"Please. I need you." This broke him. He nodded and he picked you up to place you into bed before dressing and going to the other side. He covered you up and gave you space. You slowly moved your hand, shifting under the covers until you clasped your fingers with his. He immediately squeezed them and turned to look at you. You looked at the ceiling for a while feeling his gaze until you shifted closer to him and locked eyes.

He reached over and placed a lingering kiss on your forehead.

"We don't have to talk about this now but we have to at some point. I can't stand to see you this way." He muffled into your hair line.

"Please don't leave me." Your lip quivered. He pulled back and you thought you scared him until he grabbed your face. He looked hurt.

"Doll, I would never leave you. You're stuck with me." He lifted your joined hands to show. You smiled.

Bucky was everything to you. You only wanted to make him happy and he wanted to keep you safe.

"James?" You called.

"Yes, doll." He asked.

"I'll get through this." You said confidently, more for yourself then for him.

"I know. I'm here for you." He said brushing your hair away from your face.

At that moment you knew, you loved him.

[laciefuyu]

[CN SERVER SPOILER]

VYN SOLO EVENT SSR [RAINY PICKUP]

[vynegar]

updated vyn SSR rankings

now in tierlist format!! (link to tiermaker)

added the six SSR cards since 2nd anniversary + made some some adjustments to the previous card rankings. reasoning for the six new cards under the cut. as always, i’ll try to focus just on the card story, and it’s only my personal opinion!

in order of appearance:

enduring light: yes i’m just grouping it with the other AUs. this card is SO much fun. truly a different side to vyn that we get to see (a more mocking, emotional, raw vyn to fit the gritty plot/setting) while still keeping the essence similar enough to not feel OOC. + good dynamic between vyn and rosa where they especially feel more equal.

2nd top-up: i said my thoughts here but further tl;dr is that the relationship development is unique in that it actually focuses on rosa worrying about her desires, instead of vyn. 

rainy pickup: the card brings up vyn’s perfectionism again in his meticulous control over a flower’s growing conditions, but demonstrates his character development by how readily he switches strategy. i also really love that the “sheltered flower” metaphor comes back but for vyn instead of rosa (flipping the usual dynamic, like in the 2nd top-up). some details of the ending reminded me of anniv2 (vyn catching up, out-of-breath, to rosa at a lakeside). the rest of the card is kinda a fluffy travel card, but fsr i really like it and keep wanting to rank it higher, even as high as right behind blazing colors (maybe in the next update i’ll let myself do that). but i really do think it’s an enjoyable card, very cute and affectionate with substance too.

bakerlon: it’s not with the other AU cards.. i mean it’s still pretty fun but the story felt the least memorable out of all the AU stories. i’m not sure if there was anything in the card that really stood out to me as something i liked

3rd birthday: it’s interesting to get a glimpse of young vyn and baking. we also get a lot of emotion from him when they’re reenacting the past. i just don’t feel like i got any further insight into him so low rating :/

vyntage fragrance: it’s like. generic SSR. nothing objectionable in it or whatever, but nothing groundbreaking. the story is honestly kind of... superficial? like you could easily insert a very similar card at any point in their relationship, it’s just a question of whether they’re openly saying love and how suggestive that the spicy scene is. really, the only thing this tells you about vyn is that he took perfume-making classes in the past (since they picked that as the event activity)

[kritikapatil]

All-season Tire Market Will Hit Big Revenues In Future | Biggest Opportunity Of 2022

All-season Tire Market Comprehensive Study is an expert and top to bottom investigation on the momentum condition of the Global All-season Tire industry with an attention on the Global market. The report gives key insights available status of the Global All-season Tire producers and is an important wellspring of direction and course for organizations and people keen on the business. By and large, the report gives an inside and out understanding of 2021-2027 worldwide All-season Tire Market covering extremely significant parameters. Some key Players in This Report Include

Bridgestone Corporation (Japan)

Continental AG (Germany)

Michelin (France)

Pirelli & C. S.p.A. (Italy)

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (United States)

The Yokohama Rubber Company, Limited (Japan)

Dunlop (United States)

BFGoodrich (United States)

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (United States)

All-season tires is defined as the tires which are designed to perform on a variety of road conditions and surfaces such as dry roads, wet roads, among others. It provides dynamic and versatile performance, which is suitable for all seasons such as summer, winter and rainy. Increasing usage of all-season tires in various application such as passenger car & commercial vehicle and technology advancement in all-season tires are likely to be a major driver for the global all-season tires market over the forecast period Market Trends: Growing Popularity of Self-Inflating Tires among Racers and Use of Dandelion Rubber In Place Of Natural Rubber

Rising Demand for Incorporation of Green Materials and Technologies for Tire Manufacturing Process

Market Drivers: Increasing Investments by Manufacturers on Smart Tires and Rising Automotive Sector across the World

Rising Number of Sports Events such as Bike Racing, Car Racing, and others

Rising Demand from Light-Duty Pickup Trucks as well as Sports Utility Vehicle

Market Challenges: Issue Related to the Counterfeit Product of Tiers and Intense Competition between Tire Manufacturers, due to Fragment Players

Market Opportunities: Growing Demand for Motorcycles in Asia-Pacific Countries Such as China and India

Rising Demand for Industrial Automation such as Growth of E-Commerce and Increase in Industrial Vehicles

The Global All-season Tire Market segments and Market Data Break Down by Type (Bias Tire, Radial Tire), Application (Passenger Car, Commercial Vehicle), Width (<165mm, >255mm, 175-195mm, 205-225mm, 235-255mm), Diameter (11-15inch, 16-20inch, 25-28inch, 28inch or above)

Presented By

AMA Research & Media LLP

[argentdandelion]

Who’s Qualified for the Infinity Train? (June 27 Twitter Party Edition)

Who’s Qualified for the Infinity Train? (June 27 Twitter Party Edition)

An excerpt released in time for the Twitter party on #InfinityTrainHBOMax. Limited to a few theatrical films made by Disney Animated Studios and Pixar, from 2000 and later, starring human protagonists.

(Yes, a six-year-old could have a higher number than a surly teenage boy.)

Lilo (Lilo & Stitch)

Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet)

Lewis (Meet the Robinsons)

Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

Rapunzel (Tangled)

1. Lilo Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch)

Severe Emotional Turmoil:

Lilo’s is a six-year-old girl whose parents died in a car crash. She gives peanut butter sandwiches every week to Pudge, a fish she supposes controls the weather, probably because rainy weather contributed to her parents dying in a car accident and she doesn’t want anyone else to suffer the same way. A classmate outright calls her crazy for her beliefs about Pudge, and Lilo hits and bites her. Lilo does not have friends: they’re evidently unnerved by her eccentricities and how she attacked a classmate. Nani, her 19-year-old sister, became her legal guardian after their parents’ death. As much as she tries, Nani is initially an inadequate caretaker, yells at Lilo, and is often busy with her job(s).

Crossroads:

When the tough social worker Cobra Bubbles shows up and concludes things have gone wrong.

On paper, Lilo's turmoil after this point isn't much different from that of the average strong-willed six-year-old arguing with an older sister put in charge or an unprepared or irritable mother. Still, the Train doesn't seem to discriminate between mundane, common, seemingly small problems and extreme loss. Amelia boarded after the death of her fiance, but Jesse boarded just because of his people-pleasing doormat tendencies. Lilo's turmoil is also compounded by multiple problems: not just Nani's unsuitability as a caretaker, but the loss of her parents and lack of meaningful relationships with her peers.

Can’t Fix Problems: While Lilo is not constantly sad about it, Lilo nonetheless is badly affected by her parents’ death. She outright claims her family is “broken”. Lilo cannot undo her parents’ death, nor stitch the wounded family together. Though going to grief counseling would be plausible in this setting,  it doesn’t seem as if either went to grief counseling, possibly due to financial problems or Nani’s tight schedule.

Early on the in the film, Lilo has Nani, David (Nani’s boyfriend), and possibly the hula studio employees. (They don’t dismiss her beliefs about Pudge, apparently making the connection between her Pudge appeasement and her trauma)

Best pickup time: After Cobra Bubbles shows up: shortly after, Lilo goes up to her room and screams in her pillow.

Parallels: Grace has no friends. Tulip’s parents are divorced, which is also a parent-based and living situation problem. If Min-Gi and Tulip can get on the Train, despite having their loving parents inadvertently making things worse, then it is possible Lilo can get on the Train. Six is evidently not too young to get on the Train; three Apex members seem around that age, and Grace and Simon aren’t surprised at Hazel, who seems to be a Passenger who’s six-and-a-half years old (as of later in Season 3, when they’ve been traveling for some time).

Number: Above 202 (Min-gi and Ryan), below 337 (Amelia’s number).

-----------

2. Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet)

Severe Emotional Turmoil: A delinquent who has violated his probation by operating his solar vehicle in restricted areas. His father left them and he’s raised by a single mom having trouble operating an inn; he’s failing at school, constantly in trouble, sullen. Believes he has no future. After being caught again solar-sailing in a restricted area, the police-bots take away his solar sail.

Crossroads: If he trespasses one more time, he’ll go to “juvenile hall” (juvenile imprisonment). He probably knew the risks of going into the restricted area, since he’s done so before. His solar sailing is somewhat dangerous; he’s not even wearing a helmet. (Though it’s possible there’s some technology that keeps his feet attached to the sail, making it safer than it looks.)

Can’t Fix Problems: He seems sullen after being apprehended/arrested, and later on. It may be solar sailing is the only enjoyable activity for him, even if he tends to get in trouble from it, and without it, he may have no joy in his life left.

Since his mother seems to work a time-consuming, demanding job, she might not have much time to properly raise him. He doesn’t seem to have relationships with anyone but his mother and Dr. Doppler, a friend of the family.

Best pickup time: Right before the old turtle-pirate shows up.

Parallels: His problem seems to be somewhat small-scale but long-simmering. The closest parallel is Grace Monroe, who engaged in delinquency (specifically shoplifting) apparently just to get her parents to notice her.

Number: ~202, near Min-Gi’s and Ryan’s number.

3. Lewis (Meet the Robinsons) – NOT QUALIFIED.

Lewis had gone through substantial emotional turmoil. He mother left him at an orphanage, he had gone through 124 failed adoption interviews by age 12, he figured his adoption prospects when he turns 13 the following year are low, he could have killed a potential parent who was allergic to peanut butter after spraying him with peanut butter from an invention malfunction, and his public attempt to recover memories of his birth mother was a disastrous failure.

However, Lewis was never a crossroads, at least prior to the movie’s plot properly starting with its sci-fi elements, and he can fix his own problem. Lewis can just try again with the machine, or he can get adopted by different parents. (which he does: he finds the younger versions of the people he knows adopt him when he time-travels to the future year of 2037). He also has the support of his roommate Goob, the orphanage director Mildred, a supportive science teacher, and possibly other teachers and classmates.

4. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) – NOT QUALIFIED.

As of the best time for pickup, at least, Tiana is doubly, perhaps triply, not qualified for the Infinity Train.

Firstly, Tiana's persistence, can-do attitude and great competence in accomplishing her goals (had prejudice not interfered) just makes her too well-adjusted for boarding. Though her father died in World War I, at the time of the film, it doesn’t seem to greatly affect her. Though she gets sad sometimes, but she's not some kind of dysfunctional wreck like the other Passengers.

Secondly, she's not qualified for the Train for similar reasons as Lake. Even if One-One agreed to give Lake a number, Lake's problems ultimately lie upon how others perceive her, the system separating denizens from Passengers, and the enforcers of parts of that system (the Flecs), not in issues that simply require emotional growth. Similarly, while not outright stated in the film (it’s implicit in how her “background” is mentioned), Tiana faces prejudice that hinders her long-term goal of starting a successful restaurant.

Arguably, Tiana’s support system is also too strong for her turmoil to be too severe, or to have a strong enough “crossroads point”. Tiana has her mother, her friend Charlotte, and at least five (unnamed) friends which meet with her at the beignet cafe.

If one were to write a work in which Tiana gets on the Infinity Train, one would need to amplify the problems she faces up to that point, or alter the events so Naveen doesn’t show up and then add more problems after that point.

5. Rapunzel (Tangled) – NOT QUALIFIED.

She must have a supernaturally sunny disposition due to the power of the Flower of the Sun or her hair healing her mentally, because she should not be this well-adjusted due to all the child neglect, abuse, and no healthy relationships (but for her pet chameleon) she’s had for practically her whole life. She’s melancholy and hates herself for disobeying her abusive mother figure’s orders to never leave her tower, but quickly just gets sunny and cheerful again.

[lifepros]

#13118

If you ever have to live in your car... How to save money & be comfortable!

Bring Milk Crates For More Surface Area: If you have a small car like I do, you probably won't be able to sleep comfortably in the back seat due to the lack of surface area. In reference this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Usqf7aNxg), you can place milk crates in your backseat and cover them with blankets to increase your sleep surface area. You might even be able to extend your legs all the way! If you still can't, like me, it's still quite comfortable. I cycle through 3 sleep positions:

Back against the seat, head facing the windshield, legs 90% extended over milk crates. This is known as the "J Sleeping Position" in the YouTube video Butt resting against front seats with most of body on the milk crates, head facing the direction of the rear windshield. Leg extension will probably be about 70%. Face down with right leg near a 90 degree angle on top of the milk crates, and left leg 100% extended into the crevice between the passenger seat and the door.

How To Wash Dishes: When you finish your meal, use paper towels to wipe out all the food scraps that are left on your utensils, plates, and bowls. After it looks completely empty, use a dish brush, a bit of water, and some dishsoap to lather up all your things with soap. After they're all lathered up, use a squirt bottle of water (to direct and conserve water) to wash off all the soap. Ideally, you would use very hot water, but that's not always realistic.

Cover Your Windows: You should cover your windows, not only for privacy, but so you have an easier time sleeping at night without as much light coming in. You can cut out black plastic to cover your driver-side windows & place them by rolling up your window to trap the plastic so it dangles down. Your windshield can easily be covered by a traditional sun cover, usually used to block the sun's heat from getting trapped in your car. Your rear-windows are best covered with a window sleeve that acts as a bug net, this way you reduce the transparency of the window, but more importantly you can open the windows a crack and get ventilation without risking any bugs from coming in. The best way I found to cover the rear windshield is with black plastic placed from the interior of the car, and using strong magnets to hold it (placed on the interior and exterior of the car). This is all partly shown in this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Usqf7aNxg

Getting & Storing Water: Some people recommend asking businesses to use their water supply (visible outside the building) to fill up your water tanks, but I haven't had success with that. It's hard to find, the employees usually don't know the water supply exists or if they're allowed to allow you to use it, and I usually just get told no. Instead, I fill up a 5 gallon jerry can with water at the grocery stores, which is great because this water is meant for drinking. This means you can get clean water super cheap for both drinking and bathing. For storing your shower water, you put it in a 5 gallon bucket with a waterproof sealing lid. For drinking water, you can keep it in your 5 gallon canister and pour it into water jugs (using a funnel) whenever you run low in your bottles.

How To Accessibly Cook Quickly & Easily Anywhere & Store Fuel: I can't give tips on how to cook quickly and easily without making product recommendations, which is not allowed in this group. As for storing fuel, I can't make this recommendation blatantly for all fuel as they have different temperature storage requirements. For the fuel I use, which I cannot mention due to the rules, I've been recommended to store it under the passenger seat (to minimize exposure to heat) and I haven't had any problems. When storing fuel, make sure you park your car under shade whenever possible (during hot days) and put the sun visor up in your windshield to block some heat.

How To Find Work: I can't recommend specific places to find work due to the rules, but what I can do is recommend freelancing and/or independent contracting gigs (which let you choose your own schedule, who you do business with, and where you work). Although, it seems the US may pass legislation to remove most (accessible) contractor work and consider it employment, which would remove contracting's beneficial, flexibile qualities. Keep an eye on that!

Eat All Your Meals at Once (Unless You Eat Out): If you're working while you live in your car, it's really impossible to cook 3 meals a day due to all the prep-time, eating-time, and clean-up-time it takes. You can fall into a pattern of eating one meal a day without feeling hungry, but please ensure you're eating enough calories for your age, weight, etc. You should probably also see a doctor to make sure it's safe to do for you. It saves a lot of time and makes the day's routines so much easier.

Do Your Own Laundry: Laundromats can get expensive if you go frequently, and you may not have even brought enough clothes with you to get through a few days without doing laundry. Some people do their own laundry in buckets, but it seems like too much set-up and too much water. I had success doing 1-2 loads of laundry per day in a "wash bag." It takes literally 5-7 minutes to wash & rinse each load of laundry. To dry it fast, you can "squeegee" the clothes with your hand to get any leftover water out, then place it with maximum surface area exposed onto a laid out towel. After all your clothes are laid out onto the towel, you can roll up the towel with the clothes in it until it looks like a long snake. Then, you can squeeze, press, and even put your knees all across the towel a few times to get as much water absorbed from the clothes into the towel's fibers. After this is done, you can hang a clothesline with paracord in the woods from tree to tree to hang your laundry by clothespins in the sun. Personally, and this might not be healthy, I hang my laundry on a clothesline in the back seat of my car with a towel laid underneath, and I try to park my car in locations where the clothes will be exposed to sunlight. By the end of the day, the clothes are almost always completely dry, even on cloudy, rainy days.

Go To A Real Laundromat 1x a Month: The towel you use to dry your clothes should definitley be washed, but it's probably too big to fit in a wash bag. Your blankets are also likely too big. This is why I take all my stuff to the laundromat for one "real" wash a month. Just because I'm going, I also include all my clothes which are ordinarily washed by the wash bag, as well as my pillowcases and anything else I can find that might need a wash.

The Cheapest & Most Accessible Shower Option: Some people use gym memberships to have consistent access to a shower, but gyms can be expensive and if you're traveling, you won't always have access to the same gym, and you probably don't want to have 10 different gym memberships.We're going old-school and using a bucket full of water. I take my jerry can full of water and fill up a 5 gallon bucket about halfway. I go out into the woods with a "shower tent" (for privacy), a change of clothes, flip flops, a bucket of water, shampoo/soap/hygiene items, a small towel, a bag (holding most of this), and a canteen. I set up the shower tent and fill up my backpack full of all the clothes I was previously wearing. I then put my bag of clothes and shoes outside the tent, while I'm nude wearing flipflops inside the tent. Then, I use a canteen to pickup some water from the bucket and do 1 big dunk of water over my head, trying to get it to run over my whole body. I take a 2nd canteen full of water to wash over areas I missed (armpits, groin, etc). 1st thing I wash is my hair with shampoo. Then I lather up with soap all over my body. After that, I take about 5 or 6 canteens full of water to wash off the soap with water. Most of the time when I wash my body, since I'm pretty tall, I do it in a crouched position so I can hold the canteen above my head in the shower tent. After I'm all washed off, I dry off with the small towel and start putting on my clothes except my socks. I go outside the tent to sit down on a rock and dry off my feet and put on my socks and shoes (without getting the socks wet). I usually try to shower around 6 or 7am when there's less people around and there's daylight (and there aren't mosquitos everywhere). If you have leftover water in your bucket, you can put a waterproof sealing lid over the top of it to store the bucket safely in your car.

How To Be Covert: It's hard to be covert about sleeping in your car because you'll have black plastic hanging on the outside when you're sleeping, and during the day you'll have laundry in your back seat. I don't have a solution for any of that. But, in the morning, when you shower, you might have some serious stage fright if there's people around. What I like to do is pretend I'm going for an early morning workout into the woods (usually of a park or hiking trail). My backpack carries all my hygiene items so no one sees them. I carry the bucket full of water with the lid on as if I'm going for a workout carrying heavy stuff into the woods. Over my clothes I'm wearing an overlay warm-up/workout jacket and pants. That way, when I shower and change clothes and come back, I'll still have the overlay jacket and everything over it, so people won't see the change of clothes and won't be suspicious. Also, in the event someone comes across you in your tent and asks what's going on, you can make up a lame excuse (and see if they accept it) that you saw a tick on your body and wanted to do a quick tick check before you return to your car (so the tick doesn't escape into your car). I haven't had anyone come across me before. One of the most important parts of being covert when showering is actually going deep enough into the woods, off the hiking trail, to be away from people for the short time you'll spend showering.

Where To Sleep: You can sleep in most Walmart parking lots without having to buy anything. Some Walmarts don't allow people to park there, so you might consider calling the Walmart before you come. You can also sleep in truck stops, but I'd recommend doing your research to make sure it's popular and big enough so that you'd feel safe. There are apps with listed places you can park for the night, and some truck stop apps tell you how many parking spaces their truck stops have (so you can guage popularity).

Security: Never tell anyone where you're sleeping or even that you're sleeping in your car. If you feel unsafe where you're parked, find a new place to park for the night. I recommend carrying a knife and/or pepper spray if you feel comfortable. At the very least, carry a loud whistle. Always lock your doors at night. Have a flashlight/lantern accessible and nearby. If you're exceptionally worried about getting mugged or things stolen from you, I've heard a tip where people wear a fly fishing vest underneath their clothes and keep all their important possessions in its pockets. If someone mugs you quickly, they'll probably just ask you to empty your pockets and it'd be too difficulty/long to have you take off all your clothes and then unzipper your pockets and empty them. Other than that, always make sure someone knows where you are and where you're going, checks up with you in the morning to make sure you're safe, and are "on-call" in case you call or text them in an emergency.

​

NOTE: I do not sleep in my car full-time. I go every once in a while for 5-7 day (or so) bouts because I find it enjoyable. The 1st thing I wanted to do when I started this was find strategies to make car-living comfortable and easy. I really hope these tips find someone in need and helps them strategize a way to do so comfortably and frugally.

​

Updates:

Charging Electronics: You can get a power bank that holds a long charge. Use this to charge things like your fan, phone, smaller power banks, laptop, etc. The best place for charging things that I've found are public libraries. A great way to access wifi, get work done, keep in touch with people, etc, all while your power bank charges. Look for power banks that can charge a laptop 2-3+ times.

Staying Cool In The Summer: Getting an electric car fan (that works by USB) will save your sanity in the summer. You can place it between the driver and passenger seat at night and direct it either at you, or at the ceiling to circulate the air. I don't think living in a car can be comfortable in the heat without a quality fan.

[basicallyunicorn]

Second-Hand Heart: Chapter 1 - Heartless

AO3 link 

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary: An AU roughly based on the movie, Return to Me On a rainy night in Boston, a car wreck sets off a series of events that rob the world of two lonely souls. While Rumford Gold receives news of a shattered ankle and a dead wife in the ER of the Massachusetts General Hospital, a few floors up, Belle French has been waiting twelve years for a miracle to happen. Sometimes a heart gets a second chance to get it right. A/N: This story grew from reading a few Rumbelle fics based on movies and loving this movie so much that it made sense to try and modify it to fit. Not all the plot points are the same, mostly due to Rum and Milah's rocky relationship, but I tried to keep the spirit of the movie alive. I am a disaster at planning so posting will be random but it's plotted out so there is light at the end and it's sparkly! So much love to the Rumbelle fandom for being there for me, even if they didn't know it. Also, thank you to Rana Writes for being kind enough to beta this slightly off-kilter AU.

Chapter 1: Heartless

In the night I hear 'em talk The coldest story ever told Somewhere far along this road He lost his soul to a woman so heartless ~Heartless~ by Kanye West

Boston, Massachusetts May 8th, 10:30 pm

Torrential rain made Boston look like an oil painting, all soft lines and blurred edges. Darkness wrapped around the city while street lamps and headlights struggled to hold it at bay. It seemed as if the world was reduced to blocks of color and the relentless storm. For the two individuals inside the shiny black Cadillac speeding over rain-slicked pavement, a different kind of storm was brewing.

“You really just think of yourself, don’t you? No thought to how your outburst would look to my friends!”

“I won’t apologize for telling off that greasy prick!”

“I asked for one night Rumford, one night where you weren’t a temperamental bastard and you couldn’t even give me that!”

“You ask for more than that, my dear!” His hand hit the steering wheel in frustration, a counterpoint to the thrumming of the wiper blades. “You ask me to ignore the stares, the whispers, and the pointed digs while you hang all over that pompous excuse of a playboy!”

A beat of silence echoed like a gunshot through the car.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She crossed her arms and sat back in the seat, looking for all the world like the conversation was over.

“Denial was never your color, Milah.” Slamming his foot against the brake, they skidded to a stop at a red light. “I know all about your little work trips with that fucking rent a cop and I know the only thing getting worked is the mattress.”

“How dare you!” Her voice cracked like lightning inside the hostile interior of the car.

“How dare I? What, did you think you could hide it forever? That I wouldn’t find out that my wife is cheating on me with some lowlife security guard?” The light turned green and he shot across the street with the tires squealing in protest. “All your co-workers know, that’s for damn sure, and you expected me to stand there and play the cuckold like a simpering fool.”

“Which should have been easy since that’s exactly what you are.”

“No, apparently the only thing easy in this marriage is you.”

“What marriage?” Milah laughed and dragged her hand over her face. “I hate you so much it’s hard to breathe.”

“You can leave at any time, dearie,” Rumford smirked but didn’t turn his head, unwilling to face her scorn.

“Yeah, and get nothing but a slamming door in my face thanks to your precious little prenup.”

“‘Tis a comfort in these trying times.” His smirk widened as she screeched in outrage.

The collision caught them both unawares as they glared daggers across the center console. A red pickup truck slammed into the passenger side of the Cadillac and sent it careening across the wet road. Rumford felt as if time slowed so he could watch the look of terror cross Milah’s face before the car flipped and then everything faded to black.

Continue on  AO3

[angst-fairygodmother]

Ground Control (Luther Hargreeves x Reader)

A/N: I was just minding my own business, listening to a little David Bowie, and my brain suddenly made me feel Luther Feelings...so I figured why not. Word Count: 1315 Content Warning: none Now cross-posted to AO3: here

Your first communication with Luther Hargreeves had been an accident. A solar flare had scrambled some signals and redirected his call somehow to your line, reaching a non-emergency medical helpline instead of his father. At first you thought he was having some sort of delusional episode and tried to carefully guide him through it, following the script you had been taught in your much-too-short training only a few weeks before. When you finally realized who he was, and that he was not in any distress, your misunderstanding had led to a moment of awkward laughter and what you thought might have been clumsy attempt a pickup line (“Well if I was delusional, at least I still would have gotten to talk to you”) and you staying on the line with him well into your lunch break, only for him to disconnect abruptly as a result of whatever tinkering he had been trying to do while you chatted.

The loss of the connection made you unexpectedly sad, but you tried to shrug it off and forget the odd encounter. Instead, you couldn’t get the sound of his voice, his laugh, out of your head. You found yourself writing him little notes and letters, just talking about your day or news events, or something you saw that made you smile. They were meaningless and obviously, you never sent them, and if you were being honest, they made you feel a little silly, but they were something to pass the time.

On a rainy, slow work day a few weeks later, you were fiddling with a pen, bouncing it off the desk repeatedly and trying to catch it in the air, when one of your coworkers popped their head over the top of your cubicle.

“Hey, there’s some guy on the line asking specifically for you. Says you helped him pass time on the moon before?”

You shot straight up in your chair, grabbing at your receiver a little too quickly and insisting they transfer him to you, but luckily they took it as concern for a ‘patient’ and nodded.

“Hello?” you asked, heart racing in your chest.

“Hi,” came his shy voice, a little awkward but sweet and you tried to imagine what he might look like. “It’s uh, it’s Luther Hargreeves.”

“I figured by the mention of the moon,” you teased. “Did something happen with the connection again?”

“No. I was…I wanted to try and call you again. I felt bad about how our last conversation ended.”

“It was rather…abrupt.”

“And also, I liked talking to you. It’s pretty lonely up here on the moon.”

You felt your face grow hot with a blush and thanked your lucky stars that he couldn’t see the stupid grin that spread across your face at his words.

“Oh,” you said lamely.

“Yeah. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t even think about how it’s probably creepy. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s very sweet actually. But I am at work so I can’t really…look I’m not supposed to do this but I can give you my home number and if you ever want to talk, you can reach me there?”

“I’d like that a lot, Y/N. Thank you.”

~

That conversation marked the beginning of something between you and Luther Hargreeves, though you weren’t rightly sure what to call it. Every two weeks or so, you’d get a call, usually late at night, and you’d make a cup of coffee and sit on the sill of your window, as far as the phone-cord could stretch, looking up at the moon while you talked to him about everything, anything, nothing at all. Sometimes he would just reminisce and tell stories about his childhood. Others you would tell him about your day and how utterly unfulfilled you were feeling at your job, and then later that you quit it to go back to school and learn to do something more proactive and about your classes. Your unsent letters and imaginary correspondence quickly became real conversations, and the feelings you had been resisting continued to develop.

Your favorite nights were the ones where he just described the view: how blue the earth was from up above, the pattern of the swirling clouds, and the mapwork of lights whole cities that were just tiny points, even smaller than the stars.

When you said you wished you could see it, he agreed, that it would be nice for you to be there with him instead of so far away.

“Oh really?” you felt yourself smirk as you teased him.

“Yeah. I mean, I’m all alone up here, it might be nice to have someone else with me.”

Your heart dropped. Was he just desperate for companionship rather than wanting you specifically?

“And I feel like I really know you, and I can trust you. I’m not actually good at talking to people most of the time, but with you, Y/N, it feels so easy.”

“Well, I’m glad I make you feel comfortable,” you said, smiling. “Because I really enjoy talking to you, I look forward to it a lot.”

“My life is so much better because of that solar flare you know,” he said. “I think the universe wanted us to meet.”

“Luther…”

“I’m serious, Y/N.  I don’t have a lot of people in my life, besides my family. I never have. But I can tell anyway that you’re special. And when I come back to Earth, I’d really like to meet you, maybe take you to dinner? But even if I can’t or you don’t want to, I…planning all the things I want to tell you the next time we talk has made being up here bearable.”

You felt your eyes welling up with tears. “Oh Luther…” you fell silent as you tried to wrap your head around everything he was saying. You found yourself listening to the gentle crooning of a radio from one of the apartments below, focusing in on it as if it was all that was anchoring you in place, and it filled you with an overwhelming certainty.

There’s a starman, waiting in the sky, he’s told us not to blow it, ‘cause he knows it’s all worthwhile…

‘Don’t blow this,’ you told yourself.

“Y/N?” Luther’s voice pulled you back to yourself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come on so strong or scare you or anything…”

“No, Luther, it’s okay. It’s not that…I mean you didn’t…I just never expected you to maybe feel the same way I did. I mean, I’ve been falling for you for months, and I thought it would be one-sided, some unrequited crush. You are incredible, both your past and the things you’ve done with your family, and what you’re doing now. I mean…I’m just an ordinary person, I can’t compare to space or saving the world or…all that.”

“You don’t have to Y/N. I don’t want you compete with my life, I just…want you to be part of it.”

“I think I’d like that, a lot.”

“It’s a date.”

Your heart fluttered at the thought and you fought down a girlish squeal, determined not to devolve into a teen with a crush on a popstar, even if that was the way he made you feel.

“I have to go soon,” he admitted reluctantly.

You pouted at the phone even though he couldn’t see it before a devilish idea. “Well if you really must…hey, you said you wished I was up there with you right?”

“Yeah, I did. But really I just meant that I wished I was in the same place as you instead of hundreds of thousands of miles apart.”

“I dunno, I think I like the sound of it. The two of us, up there. All alone together. Imagine the things we could get up to.”

You heard him choke back a groan and your smirk broadened.

“Anyway, goodnight Luther. Have…pleasant dreams.”

[puppyexpressions]

Dog Bucket List: 45 Fun Things to Do With Your Dog to Make Him Happy

It’s not for nothing that our furry friends are often referred to as human’s best friend. They’re incredibly loyal, caring and earnest, and their love is unconditional like no other. Thus, it’s only fair we also treat our doggies like they’re our best friends; it’s a spot they’ve rightfully earned, after all. And that means there’s so much more we could be doing together with our dogs to make them (and you) happy beyond the basics. That’s why I have put together this fun bucket list of things to do with your dog, so that you and your furry best friend can get into some awesome dog-friendly activities together!

1. ✧ Stay at a Pet-Friendly Hotel

There are plenty of places where your pooch is welcome to stay, just do a simple search for pet-friendly accommodations. You will find hotels and log cabins, as well as a cottages and cute glamping tents. Pick one and have a memorable getaway with your pup.

2. ✧ Learn a New Trick

Depending on how long you’ve been training him, your pup likely already knows how to play fetch and roll over. Those are just the most basic of tricks that you could teach him though. There is also the army crawl, the salute, and the handstand which can leave other owners impressed once your doggy has mastered them.

3. ✧ Dress Up for Halloween

Halloween can be a fun holiday to enjoy together with your pup. The stores are bursting with simple costumes for dogs, like different kinds of cute headbands that’ll easily transform them into a dog-dragon or the like for the night. A quick search for dog costumes on Amazon will pop up a ton of different options as your dog’s costume, such as reindeer ridden by Santa, mail carrier, ghostbuster, dinosaurs, Maleficent, and the list goes on.

And naturally, it is a must to take a million photos of you and your pup in your Halloween outfits for the world to see.

4. ✧ Walk on the Beach

With the summer season well under way, there’s no excuse not to schedule a fun day out frolicking on the sand. There are plenty of dog-friendly beaches around the US that you could visit.

5. ✧ Have a Doggy Birthday Party

You should be able to lookup your pooch’s birthday on his pedigree. But, if your dog is a rescue or doesn’t have an exact birthdate, you can pick a date that’s convenient to you, so he can check off this activity on his dog bucket list. It would be wise to send out your invitations and make the cake early so you won’t end up going crazy over last-minute arrangements.

Don’t forget to buy a cute birthday hat and you can easily bake your own doggie cake with the Wheat-Free Peanut Butter Puppy Cake Mix.

6. ✧ Take Your Dog to Work With You

While not all workplaces allow it, for security, hygiene and other reasons, surprisingly many companies these days allow for their employees to bring their dog to work with them. And why not? A furry friend in the office makes the working day so much more fun and breezy!

Your dog will also enjoy the extra time spent with you, not to mention all the attention they’ll be getting throughout the day from your colleagues who won’t be able to keep their hands off from petting your doggy.

7. ✧ Ride in a Convertible

Just like you, your pup loves to feel the wind in his hair when cruising down the highways. The usual coupe or pickup is boring and confining though, so go on a drive in a convertible instead. Accessorize with cool sunglasses (like the QUMY dog goggles) as you bask in the sun and you will feel like celebrities who have all the time in the world.

8. ✧ Go Shopping Together at a Dog-friendly Store

Shopping no longer has to be an activity that you love to do but need to leave your furry bestie home for! Although certain stores, such as supermarkets, continue to be quite inaccessible to dogs, a wider range of stores accepting dogs, outside of pet shops, are beginning to arise all over. Just check online before you get going on your epic shopping trip!

9. ✧ Stand Up Paddle Board

If you haven’t already noticed, a stand-up paddle board just happens to fit more than one person, you can easily have room for a smaller sized dog. Honestly, teaching your pet to SUP may be one of the more challenging things to do on this list, but in the end it’ll be so much fun to paddle down a scenic river or on a smooth lake.

10. ✧ Do a Police Car Ride Along

Another one for extra special dog activities–for both you and the dog–is to go on a ride along in a police car. It can’t get much more exciting than that! It’s also totally safe to do, giving you a ton of first hand insight on what it’s actually like to be a police officer for a day.

11. ✧ Play Frisbee

If your dog already knows how to fetch a stick or a ball, it can be easy to advance a level with a Frisbee. Though Fido might have some difficulty with catching a flying disc at first, this is one thing to do with your dog that will require a little patience.

You can easily find a frisbee on Amazon, but the KONG Classic Flyer is one of the best-rated across the board.

12. ✧ Sleep on the Bed

Sleeping on the bed can be such a treat for your pooch, but don’t give into the temptation too much or they won’t sleep in their own dog bed! Some dogs will even chew up their beds so that they can spend more time on your bed—a very smart trick. Everybody knows that having your pooch lie in your bed with you is one of the best feelings in the world for you (and him), but once they start snoring, it might be time to kick them out of the bedroom!

13. ✧ Watch the Puppy Bowl

As tempting as it might be to switch the channel to watch your favorite American football teams going at each other, Super Bowl Sunday is the best time for you to binge-watch the Puppy Bowl with your pooch. Not only will you see puppies, but also other cute animal “tweeters” and “commentators”. You never know, you might find that squealing at fluffy furballs is a more enjoyable annual thing to do than screaming at sweaty athletes.

14. ✧ Have Breakfast in Bed

Is it your pup’s birthday? Or perhaps just a rainy and gloomy morning where you could both use a little pick me up? Having breakfast in bed together, all the while cuddling and maybe catching something comforting on the TV, sounds like a great way to treat yourself – and your pupper!

If you’re skilled with your hands and in the kitchen, try to whip up a breakfast that looks like you’re both having the same thing, but will be totally safe for your furry friend to eat. Some ideas for a dog friendly breakfast are cauliflower muffin bites, pancake puffs or these mini omelettes. Perhaps you’d like to enjoy the same treats for your breakfast – or at least the human version of them?

15. ✧ Take a Nap Together

Although a simple activity, apart from a good and long walk around the neighborhood, this is what you and your pup will love to do together the most! If possible, why not make it a regular thing even? It’s such an excellent way for both of you to recharge your batteries mid-day. So cuddle up and get to snoozing!

16. ✧ Visit a Nursing Home

There’s no denying the fact that playing with dogs can be therapeutic, especially to those who live in nursing homes. This is because friendly canines can encourage residents to leave the confines of their room and to recover faster from surgery or a stroke. Watching the older generation having fun with your pet is always worth the effort of driving to your nearest care home and it will be such a rewarding thing to do for everyone.

17. ✧ Eat a Gourmet Meal

I have eaten many incredible meals at memorable restaurants in my lifetime, but finding a restaurant that serves gourmet meals for dogs can be a challenge. Sometimes, it would be better off to prepare the food yourself, which should be fairly easy to do. There are several delicious dog friendly recipes on the web that can be easy to make, like peanut butter cookies, gourmet whole wheat dog biscuits and chicken jerky. 

18. ✧ Have a Steak Dinner

If breakfast in bed sounds like it could get messy or complicated really quick, you can’t go wrong with a steak dinner. And since your dog actually can eat the same dish as you this time around—though they may prefer it on the raw side—it’s an especially fun ‘date night’ between you and your best friend. Your doggie doesn’t need much more than a juicy hunk of meat to feel special and loved, and you’ll love to share a good steak with them, too.

19. ✧ Get a Doggy Massage

You’re not the only one who can benefit from a trip to the spa every once in a while; your canine friend can too! Many owners believe that a doggy massage can help to provide strengthened immunity, increased circulation, stress relief and improved digestion in their pets. You may not be able to get him a Thai massage, but definitely something more gentle will be available for your deserving best friend. So, schedule an appointment with your nearest animal massage parlor today to give your pup a well-deserved break after a hard day at the park of learn how to massage your dog yourself.

20. ✧ Get a ‘Pawicure” (AKA: Doggie Manicure)

Unlike us humans, our dogs probably don’t appreciate getting their nails cut as much as we do. But if you make an event of it, you might survive through it with less hassle. Google around for shops in your local area where you can go get a pawicure at, or follow these instructions to pamper and groom your pup from the comfort of your home. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to treat yourself to a mani-pedi as well!

21. ✧ Play Hide n’ Seek

Well, a dog friendly version of hide n’ seek, at least! Your pup may not understand the rules of the original hide and seek, but if you play it in a way that your dog can enjoy and easily follow the rules, you’ll both end up having a great time.

In the dog friendly version, instead of ordering your dog to go hide, or hiding yourself, you’ll hide his or hers favorite toy. Start with easy hiding spots and, as your pet gets the gist, you can increase the difficulty of where you hide the toy.

22. ✧ Play in the Leaves

Cleaning up your yard from the fallen leaves just got a whole lot more fun with the pup joining in on the game. You might not get a lot of actual work done, but you’ll get plenty of laughter out of it! And if you don’t have a yard, find a park or equivalent where there’ll be leaves to play around in.

23. ✧ Play Sock Tug-of-War

Got a pair of socks to spare? Tug-of-War is a fun game that you’ll be able to enjoy together, and you don’t even need to let your pup win! All you need are some socks that have seen their best days. You can play either with one simple sock, or you can use your socks to build a homemade version of a tug toy. If you don’t have some old socks, get him a squeaky sock monkey instead.

24. ✧ Be the Star in a Dog Calendar

Lots of organizations make calendars where owners can proudly display their pooches. The requirements for getting your pet in on the action can vary from place to place. Some clubs make it a contest to find suitable cover dogs while others are willing to print submissions. With companies like Shutterfly it’s also possible to create your own calendar with your favorite photos.

25. ✧ Swim in the Ocean

If Rover doesn’t already know how to swim, now is the best time for you to teach him. To make the training process easier and safer, make the necessary preparations such as providing clean water to drink, bringing a flotation vest, and establishing rest areas with a lot of shade. Start in a shallow part of the water then just coax him in farther with a toy or a treat. Using a positive tone of voice and giving lots of verbal praise can go a long way too. The Teaching Your Dog to Swim video with help you out!

26. ✧ Warm Up in Front of the Fire

This is an ultimate way for a human to cozy up on a cold evening, especially after a few hours spent outdoors getting your cheeks red in chilly weather. But you can count on your pooch to enjoy it every bit as much as you; the heat of the burning flames will warm him up, too, and it’s a great moment to spend together with you. Lay a towel, mat or a blanket on the floor, sit down and instruct your pup to come sit next to you, then wrap another blanket around the both of you, and enjoy some relaxing time together. 

27. ✧ Play in the Sprinklers

Owning a lawn can do more than just boost the curb appeal of your home. It also gives you plenty of opportunities to frolic with the furballs, particularly when you have a sprinkler system installed. Take note though that some doggies find it more interesting to chew, bite or dig your sprinklers so you might want to buy a few sprinkler toys,  like an inflatable shallow pool sprinkler or the crazy Tidal Storm Hydro spinning sprinkler that will have him entertained for hours!

28. ✧ Play With Your Favorite Toy Together

Every pup has a toy that they love and adore more than any other. It may be one that the doggy can enjoy playing with by herself, but it’s also one of the easiest things to do with your dog – and she’ll totally love having a buddy to pay with!

29. ✧ Have a Doggie Play Date

If you’ve noticed that your pup seems to want playmates of his own species, you can find him one by setting up play dates with other people’s pooches. This shouldn’t be a problem when you know a few pet owners in your area, but if you don’t you can search for one in dog parks or at doggy daycares. Should you decide to meet outside of those places, do it in neutral territory as you don’t want to end up having to break up any fights.

30. ✧ March in a Parade

Did you know that, especially around the holidays, there are dog parades arranged all around the country? How much fun does that sound like?! Your pup will get to don a costume and you’ll have a blast walking in the crowds, making new friends, both human and the four-legged kind. As parades are quite hectic, you may want to do some preparing and training with the pupper to get ready for the big day and have it go over smoothly and successfully.

31. ✧ Romp Around in the Snow

Although the winter time may feel cold and uncomfortable for going out for walks, there’s plenty of fun that can be had when there’s some snow on the ground. You’ll likely get to take the lead, but your pup will have the best time romping and jumping around in the snow with you, especially if you live in a region where you regularly get loads of it.

32. ✧ Hike a National Park

Generally, pets are permitted in National Parks (check each ones website to be sure!) but they typically have to be restrained on a leash not exceeding 6 feet in length. There are several reasons behind this NPS policy but the main point is to protect your dog along with park resources. To avoid any mishaps, remember to maintain proper trail etiquette including observing the rules for the right-of-way.

33. ✧ Have a Social Media Fanpage

You’ve probably heard of Boo the Pomeranian who has over 17 million fans on Facebook. Just like him, your pooch can become a social media superstar too! Start by taking lots of fun photos of your furry pal and post them on Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram. Or possibly even start a travel blog for your dog, but make sure you don’t make the beginning blogging mistakes I did! Take note to update the page on a regular basis and if there’s a high cuteness factor you should see the list of followers grow.

34. ✧ Take a Picture with Santa

A bit of a controversial opinion to some, but as a dog owner, at least one reading through this list, you definitely think of them as part of your family. Specifically, as one of the youngsters in the household. And therefore, getting a picture of the pup with Santa becomes a memory you’ll want to have and to keep!

35. ✧ Attend the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

There is no better way to show off your amazing canine friend than by having him join this prestigious dog show. Apparently, cuteness alone won’t cut it in the big leagues though so you have to focus on improving other aspects such as cosmetic features and structure. This gives you all the more reason to drop by the animal spa every now and then, doesn’t it?

36. ✧ Try Something New Together

New ways to spend time together with our puppies keeps being thought of, so there will be plenty for you to choose from and try out to find the activities you and your dog will enjoy. Have you ever gone roller blading together? Or tried out dog yoga? Search Google a bit for some suggestions, possibly even list down all the best sounding ideas, and get started on trying out those new things to do with your dog!

37. ✧ Go on a Picnic

Some days you just want to relax rather than chase after Fido. The problem is that it’s highly unlikely that your pet will want to stay still for a long period of time. A picnic is the best way for you to meet in the middle. As he romps around in the grass, you can chow on some cake and roll on the blanket.

38. ✧ Dine on the Patio of a Dog Friendly Restaurant

When the weather gets great, you’ll want to meet with your friends for some great brunch or dinner on a gorgeous patio of one of your favorite restaurants. What about, if the restaurant is also a dog friendly spot, you took your pup with you the next time? It’ll be a fun experience and memory for both of you to have, and if it goes well you might want to even make it a regular thing, perhaps with just the two of you.  

39. ✧ Go Camping

Want to embark on a camping adventure in the wild but don’t want to leave Spot behind? No problem-just bring him along! That is, if he is trained well enough to handle the activity. If he barks a lot or tends to snatch food from other people, you will want to rethink your camping plans.

The How to Camp With Your Dog article will help to get you wilderness ready, and the check out these pet friendly campgrounds around the world.

40. ✧ Be an Extra in a Movie

Whether it’s just your pretty pup, or the both of you together, it’s surprisingly easy to find a spot for an extra in a movie (or a TV show). It’s also rather easy and simple thing to do, so there’s no need to worry about how to be an extra in a movie or that it’d be too much for the pup to handle. Instead, it could be quite fun and will serve as a unique opportunity and activity – and not just to you but to the doggy as well!

41. ✧ Go to a Dog Park

It can be a whole lot of fun to get your furry friend to socialize with other pets at a dog park. However, you need to have established a calm-assertive leadership over him by then. With this, along with remaining vigilant, you can rest assured that your dog will not become a fight magnet. For an extra addition to you dog park bucket list visit these 10 Amazing Dog Parks You Need to See in Your Lifetime.

42. ✧ Take a Boat Ride

Now that you’re done swimming in the ocean, you’ll want to drop by a lake too for a ride on a boat. But you have to realize that not all dogs may enjoy the experience. What you need to do is get him acclimated to the boat before the trip to minimize his distress about not having his feet planted on solid ground.

43. ✧ Take Obedience Classes

Even if your pup isn’t quite as bad as Marley from Marley & Me, no harm will come from taking some obedience classes. In fact, it may teach you things about your dog on a new level. And, additionally, it will also be of aid in committing to the other dog activities on this bucket list, with the pup as obedient and polished as can be.

44. ✧ Do Doga (Dog Yoga)

Now that you’ve ticked massages off the dog bucket list, you should also give doga a go. Though you may not be able to find a doggy yoga retreat and hot Bikram yoga is out of the question, doga is not limited to just doing a variety of poses together. It may also include eye-gazing to enhance the human-canine bond. Overall, it’s an experience that can help both of you to relax.

45. ✧ Eat a Doggy Ice Cream

OK, maybe you won’t want to switch to eating doggy ice cream yourself and instead stick to your regular flavors of Ben & Jerry’s. But thanks to the great creation of doggy ice cream, your beloved pup can now join in on enjoying the icy treat together with you. You can find sometimes find doggy ice cream at the freezer section of the supermarket, or you might want to try your own hand at making some?

These fun dog activities should definitely keep you busy and active with some of the best things to do with your dog. Try them out to see what makes him or her happiest, then you can keep repeating and rotating between the best ones! Most of all, have a blast going through this bucket list together with your best friend!

[toswallowastar]

The Wind is a Running Man

Pretty much just angst. Kinda an au? This is my first fic so please be nice. Idk why the format is so wack. I don’t know anything about crime stuff so just take it with a grain of salt.

Word count: no idea. Long

Description: A kinda modern look at Zuko’s childhood and the events that lead up to his eventual escape.

Blink and you’ll miss it Maiko

WARNINGS: graphic depictions of child abuse and implied character death.

The thunder was loud. Too loud. It almost covered up the screaming match between his father and mother. Zuko couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but it didn't sound good.

“Zuzu can I sleep with you?” He looked over at his sister who was holding her blanket and stuffed animal at the frame of his doorway. She looked so small and scared. Nothing like her usual demeanor. “Sure, Zula.” She climbed up his enormous bed and hid away in his arms. “Do you think Mom will be okay? Will dad hurt her?” Zuko looked over at her. She had tears trailing down her eyes. “Everything will be okay. Mom is strong and can hold her own.” Her bottom lip wobbled as she looked up at him. “Do you think he will hurt us?” She trailed the line of stitches that traveled down his shoulder. A wound his father had given to him just last week. He held her tight. “I won't let anything happen to you. No matter what happens, I’ll always be right here.”

In the early dawn Zuko woke up to their mother humming and stroking his hair. “Good morning my love.” He looked up at her to see her golden eyes shining with unshed tears. He scanned her over to see any blossoming bruises, but to his relief, he didn't see any.

”I need to show you something.” She led him down the corridors, through the kitchen, into the library, and off to a side door, he didn't even know existed. Inside was a forest of plants from sunflowers to nightshade. He knew his mother loved plants, for she taught him extensively on them, but he had never known about any of this.

”Zuko, I need you to listen to me.” He looked up at her to see a worried frown written over her face. ”Soon I will not be here to protect you. You will need to do it yourself.” She broke off an Aloe Vera leaf, some leaves of lemon balm, and lavender. She put her ingredients in a stone mortar and ground it with a pestle until it was a green puree. ”This is how I make our healing balm. You can apply it to cuts, burns, bruises, or scars.”

She walked over to the other side of the greenhouse. They stopped at a plant that had wrapped itself around the wooden table's legs. At the opening of the leaves were tiny red berries. Zuko knew exactly what this one was: Abrus precatorius. Also known as Rosary Peas. It could kill a human within days if ingested. It mimicked liver failure and was untraceable. His mother had taught him that much.

She reached behind her hair and unclasped her locket. Plucking a rosary pea she placed it inside of the metal heart that held a picture of her mother and father. ”There will come a time when you will need to use this.” She placed the locket in his open palm. ”Cut open the seed, then squeeze it into a cup of tea. Add lemon juice to slow the poison so you can make your escape undetected.”

She ran her fingers through his hair. “Most importantly, you will need to cover your tracks. Get rid of any evidence.” Zuko looked up at his mother. He had never seen this side of her. Her gentle nature hid a warrior like strength. It reminded him of something she once said, “That’s what moms are like. If you hurt their babies, they're going to bite you back!”

Their Mom vanished the next night and so did the plants. A day and a half later their grandfather died peacefully in his sleep. Zuko found a note addressed to him and Azula telling them how much she loved them. She said everything she had ever done was for them. As hurt as Zuko was, he couldn't find it in him to be angry at her. She did what she had to do. And now, she was free.

After that, Azula was sent to a boarding school where she would be taught to be ruthless and cunning just like their father. Zuko on the other hand was locked away in the estate. He was not allowed to even go outside without a guard present. Sometimes he was granted visits from his uncle if he had an especially good week with his tutors, but that was before he left the company to work for a tea shop in Ba Sing Se. At first, Zuko did his best to gain his father’s love and acceptance. He tried to become just like him. Even after four broken bones, fifty-two stitches, and countless scars littered over his body, he still wanted to please him. But things changed two months ago. His father had some of his council members over for dinner. When they started talking business Zuko saw this as his chance to earn his father's love. He exclaimed that one of their idea would never work. That it was wrong and immoral and would leave thousands to die. He looked over at his father for some kind of approval, but all he saw was rage.

When the council members left, all wrath that had been stored in Ozai towards his son was released. He grabbed Zuko by the collar and held one side of his face in the roaring fire-place. “Please, father. I only had your best interest at heart!” The boy cried. “You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher.” No matter how much Zuko screamed and cried Ozai would not relent until the boy fell limp in his grasp. The night ended with a thirteen year old boy bloodied and burned laying on the floor completely motionless.

Three weeks later Zuko woke up with a bandage covering half of his face. At first, he couldn't quite remember what had happened to him. He slipped out of his bed and placed himself in front of the mirror. He peeled back the bandage to reveal a hideous burn stretching from his left eye to his shriveled ear. Flashes of flames licking his face and a firm grasp around his neck came flooding in his memories. He choked a sob. Reaching in his dresser drawer he grabbed the salve his mother taught him to make and carefully applied it to the wound. He winced as the cool ointment touched his face. Covering the burn back up, Zuko looked over at the locket his mother had given him so many years ago. He thought of what she had told him, “There will come a time when you will need to use this.”

His mother had unbound herself and joined the freedom of the wind. Perhaps it was time he let go of his burdens too.

A month later, he had his affairs in order. A plan that would have made even his mother proud. Tonight there would be a party at the estate. Every important person in the city would be attending. Zuko looked out his bedroom window to see the limousines pulling up to the residence. He remembered what his father had told him, “Say nothing and stay out of sight.” He could hear the band and the chattering of people as they walked in. He looked to see Mai getting out of the car. Her hair in the usual half up half down style with a red dress and lip. She looked breathtaking as usual. He waited in his room until he heard the voices die down. After he was positive everyone had left, he made his way down stairs. He had intentionally been avoiding any staff member from the estate for weeks now, he couldn't blow it just as he was reaching the finish line. He needed to make sure there would be no suspicious activity before they draw the conclusion of a death with natural causes.

He made his way to the kitchen and prepared a cup of tea. He chose Jasmine and let it steep into the pot until ready to serve. Picking up a cup for himself and his father, he remembered what his mother had told him, “Cut open the seed, then squeeze it into a cup of tea. Add lemon juice to slow the poison so you can make your escape undetected.” He watched as each drop hit the bottom of the cup, then added a bit of lemon to the brew.

He slipped into the dining room where he knew his father would be seated. “How did the gala go?” Zuko looked over at his father, emotionless and stone faced as usual. “It was fine.” Ozai huffed without even looking up from his documents. Zuko poured him a cup of tea and placed it in front of him. “Tomorrow is the three year anniversary of your mother’s disappearance. Were you aware of that, Zuko?” He simply nodded. “Your mother was always so weak. She never fought back, never even so much as put up a fight. But when it came to protecting you, her true colors came out. She was merciless, fierce, and dangerous. You are so much like her.” He looked over at him, eyes dancing menacingly with fire. “Sometimes I wonder, just what are you capable of, Zuko?” Ozai lifted up the cup and took his first sip.

Zuko thoroughly washed out the tea set and placed it exactly where he had found it. He raced upstairs and set his items in his pack. A water satchel, his dao swords, a couple changes of clothing, a brick of tea, a locket, the special salve, and ten-thousand dollars in cash he had saved for a rainy day. Tonight was quite literally that rainy day. He put on his black clothing, and as stealthily as he had practiced, snuck down the halls, stopping at Azula’s abandoned room. “In a couple of months, when this is all over, I will come back for her.” He mentally told himself. He made sure to miss every security camera and every window. When he was out of sight, he ran through the rain, mud flinging every which way. He practically flew into the pickup stop for the bus. His heart was beating a mile a minute as he realized perhaps the bus would not come tonight. What was he to do then? Walk? Hitchhike? Just as he was about to leave, a big green and yellow bus skidded to a stop. The bus driver opened the doors and looked down at him, “You taking the bus to Ba Sing Se?” Zuko tried to keep his voice from shaking, “Yes, sir.” The man waved him forward. He walked in the almost full bus and took a seat at an open spot in the back. He looked around, wondering what kind of interesting strangers were on this midnight bus ride. He spotted two water-tribe siblings, a boy with blue tattoos all down his arms and legs even stretching to his forehead, a woman whose face had been painted red and white, and a blind girl who looked like she hadn't bathed for weeks.

He watched as they laughed at some joke the watertribe boy had told. He rested his head against the bus window, wondering if their paths would ever cross.

When he woke, they had made it to the city. He grabbed his pack from under the seat and scurried through the aisle. Zuko hopped off the bus hoping to get away from the smelly strangers as fast as possible. He grabbed the railings of the inner wall and scanned all of the buildings wondering how he would ever find Uncle. Even with the treacherous road ahead, he couldn't help but feel giddy.

Zuko looked up at the city skyline. He closed his eyes and let a smile wash over his face. Finally, he was free.

[animeweeb115]

"So, I will give you all my passion, if you so desire."

[this-lioness]

Quaranmemes for Quarantines

Tagged by @reallyginnyf​ <3  Putting this under a cut since it’s pretty much doubling as my weekend wrap-up as well.

when was the last time you left your home? On Thursday I had to run a few quick no-contact errands -- dropped a bulk mailing off on the rear platform at the post office, deposited a Fedex envelope into one of their pickup boxes, and then ran some miscellaneous groceries over to my Mom’s house.  Today I went for a run, but only around the neighborhood, so that doesn’t feel like it counts. 

what was the last thing you bought? I’ve actually been doing a bit of online shopping lately -- bought a sewing machine (still need to sit down and set it up), a gas-powered pressure washer (arrived today), a new bathroom scale and a vacuum sealer.  Last thing we bought in-store were some small necessities from Walmart.

is quarantine driving you insane or are you finally relaxed? This is tough to answer, because I’m never actually relaxed.

I worry about someone in my immediate family getting sick, but beyond that the quarantine doesn’t really trouble me.  I’m largely a homebody, and honestly this has kept us from a lot of unnecessary spending, so all the places I’d probably be going would just be buying shit that we really don’t need. I think my anxiety only ramps up when we have to go somewhere, like when my parents need groceries, and we have to go through the whole process of masks and gloves and fully decontaminating everything once we get home.  We have it down to a science, but it’s still a whole process.

But I’m frankly enjoying the time at home.  I’m a very “routine” person -- I’m comforted by having lists of things I need to do, and places to put things, and then doing it all by rote.  We worked very hard to make our house be a place where we enjoy being, creating, relaxing and working, and now we’re reaping the benefit of all those things.

who are you spending quarantine with? My husband Marc and all the cats.  I only see my parents long enough to drop things off at their house.

do you have pets to keep you company? We have three of our own -- Bones, Spencer and Rosie -- plus two fosters, Baby and Blue.  There is also a semi-feral cat, Fidget, that we feed and care for, and he occasionally spends a night inside if it’s particularly cold or wet out.

what are your current responsibilities? We’re both very fortunate in that we are fully capable of working from home, and both our employers are in full gear.  Mine is actually busy enough to need to hire new people for the sudden influx of work, apparently. So I work my “day job” during the day, and when I’m not working I’m cleaning and doing laundry, trying to keep our chest freezer topped up with ready-to-prepare meals, a lot of organizing and a bit of gardening.  I really need to sit down and do something creative, although my muse has been completely dead for... longer than I’d care to admit.  I’m going to give it a bit of a try tonight, though, so we’ll see.

Just lately I’ve been on a purging spree.  Thursday, Friday and yesterday I cleaned out every corner of the art room / office and made three piles of craft supplies to give away.  I also gathered together two enormous bags of various clothes and gave that away as well.  My next step is probably to switch out my winter wardrobe for the summer stuff, although we’re expecting a good week of cold, rainy weather so... maybe not quite yet.

do you have a room to yourself? Well, if I ever needed time to myself I could certainly find it.  The art room / office is unoccupied when we’re not working, and when we are I can always come down to the living room or go into the bedroom with my laptop, or I’ve got a little “writing chair” in the dining room, by the back patio, that’s nice to sit in.  I can be content anywhere in the house, basically.

are you exercising? I wasn’t, but a few days ago I decided to change that.  I need to get better control over my physical well-being (and self-image), so I made myself a little weight / diet log, included columns for water intake and exercise, and signed up for a “virtual 5k”.  Today it was just warm enough to get outside, so I went for a run.  Technically we went for a run, but Marc got winded not too far into it and had to head home again.  I grabbed my earbuds and went back out.

Got in 2.27 miles before deciding to head back home.  Because the weather is going to be shitty I plan to kick the fosters out of their room for at least 45 minutes every day so that I can get some treadmill time in.  With any luck we’ll shortly have space cleared in the attic so that we can do yoga and maybe barre as well.  

town, country, city? We’re in a semi-rural suburb in Bucks County, PA.  It’s... suburban, but very very blue collar, and there’s plenty of farms around, large and small.

how’s your toilet paper supply? We seem to be OK.  I am a prepper by nature, and I made sure to stock up before things started to get bad.  I’m also being very mindful of how much I use, which helps.  I’m more worried about my folks, who blow through resources like crazy, but I don’t think it’s terribly hard to come by as long as you can get to a store.

what’s the worst thing that you had to cancel? I was a bit bummed about the Colin Firth concert being cancelled in the early part of this month.  That was going to be a nice night out.

To be very honest, my biggest regret is that we took on the fosters when we did.  No one in this area is in a position to adopt two cats, and to be honest... they’re not very good fosters.  Blue is friendly and outgoing, she likes to play, but she’s not cuddly -- she’s not really interested in being petted or held and doesn’t seem to want to sit in your lap for very long.

Baby likes Marc well enough, but she continues to run from me whenever she sees me, and forget about coming up for a cuddle.  She’s just... fucking miserable.

We’re also giving up on trying to integrate them with our cats.  They don’t have very good “cat manners” (they have no sense of personal space and will get right up in the other cats’ business), and the two of them have twice now gone after Rosie in what was a semi-playful, semi-aggressive manner that she definitely did not appreciate, so that’s the end of that.

It would be different if they got along with our cats, or if they were cuddly, but Blue is the only one that I’d consider truly adoptable.  Baby is fucking miserable and I have no idea how the fuck we’re going to adopt them out.  I’m desperately trying to find someone that can take them, but I don’t have a good feeling, and I honestly don’t know what we’re going to do long term.  It was a mistake taking them in, and I regret it, but I’ve got to find a way to deal with it now.

what’s the best thing you’ve had to cancel? This is going to sound terrible but... we were planning on going to a “Return of the Living Dead” convention in June.  Had tickets, a hotel, everything.  Technically it’s still on -- they haven’t cancelled the event yet -- but we’ve agreed we won’t be going, even if it’s still on in June.  Too much of a risk.

In theory this was going to be super fun, and I actually was excited about it, but... honestly, going to so many comic cons has really burned me out on other people who attend conventions, and the idea of being around mobs of people acting like smelly, poorly socialized assholes about something that I genuinely love was kind of stressing me out.

I didn’t want to see something that I love gatekept, I didn’t want to be “fake geek girled” about it by somebody with B.O. and no social awareness.  It was starting to stress me out. So I’m sad that we won’t be going, but glad that I don’t have to stress out about it.

who do you miss the most? My boss, I guess?  He was fun to hang out with and bullshit with, and we can’t really do that the same way that we did when we were in the office together.  I’m pretty lukewarm on everybody else I used to see in person day to day.

do you have any new hobbies? Ugh, please, I already have so many fucking hobbies.   Uh. Well, I did buy the sewing machine, so... :/  Let me get it set up and actually sew something before I start calling it a hobby, though.

what are you watching the most? Marc and I have been binge-watching Ozark and a show called Futureman, which are both compelling and extremely difficult to watch in different ways.  I’m still waiting on new content from the lady that lives in Japan, haha... this is probably a good opportunity to go back and watch whatever videos I haven’t seen yet.

are you still going to work? Remotely, yes, every day.  I’m actually using the time to try and get myself better organized and establish good work habits and routines that I can carry through to when things start to normalize.

what are you out of? Mmm... nothing, I don’t think?  I’m getting low-ish on yeast, since I’ve been baking so much, but I’m not even really low on that yet.  I’ve tried to do a “dried cranberry yeast starter” but I’m not convinced it took... I need to drain off the yeast liquid and add some flour tonight, see if it grows or if it’s a dud.  

have you made any changes to your hair during quarantine? I trimmed my bangs about a week ago, I think, because they were getting frustratingly long.  Fortunately I didn’t butcher them too badly.  Today I helped Marc give himself a trim, and he’s looking quite dapper again, so I guess we’re not in too bad of a shape.  I chopped my hair to the shoulders back before the quarantine so it would have to get much, much longer before it became problematic for me, and even then.  I’m still debating if I even want to color my grays at all, so I’m not concerned about “touching up roots” or anything like that.  I am what I am. 

Not tagging anyone because A) I’m terrible at tagging, B) Most of the people I follow that are “real people” and not just content-posting accounts are mutuals of one another.  If you want to participate, please consider yourself tagged.

[oxymoronicromantic]

Tagged by @itsallwearecalledtodo

are you staying home from work/school?

Um. I’m a housewife/homeschooling mom, so, not really staying home from school/work. But I have been avoiding going to parks, haven’t been to the library in three weeks, have been doing grocery pickup instead of shopping in the store with the kids, etc.

if you’re staying home, who’s there with you?

My 8yo and 23mo sons. My husband is still going to work.

Are you a homebody?

Not to this extent. I usually go to the library at least once a week with the kids, plus grocery shopping, going to hang out with their cousins, plus I usually have weekly choir practice and one Sunday Mass without being in Mom Mode. This has been wearing.

what movies have you watched recently? what shows are you watching?

Secret Life of Pets 1 & 2. The Princess and the Frog- these have been what work to keep the toddler entertained when it’s been rainy/cold. I’ve watched some Fixer Upper.

an event that you were looking forward to that got cancelled?

Triduum. Just...all of it. It’s my favorite liturgical season, and I love what we do in choir for it. And all our hard work learning new pieces and fine tuning older pieces just...poof. For naught. No Tallis. No Victoria. No Reproaches. No candle light spreading through the Church as the Easter fire is shared. No big glorious organ and brass driven alleluia. No MASS. It’s hard.

what music are you listening to?

Not a lot- occasionally listening to my choir practice playlist. Enjoyed a few bops my best friend has shared.

what are you reading?

Um. I had a nonfiction graphic novel type thing about Artemisia Gentileschi I’d found at the library. It was okay. The author’s opinion about the Catholic Church was super obviously biased. I didn’t care too much for that, though much of the rest was okay.

I also had Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers that I was rereading so I was on the same page when I listened to the Strong Poison episodes of As My Wimsey Takes Me. That was good.

My husband brought home a book by a speaker from the men’s conference he went to last month, and I tried reading that- I think the good priest is *probably* a better speaker/chef/presenter than he is writer.

I’m not sure what to try reading now- Discworld? Some Lewis? Go all out and do a LOTR reread? Harry Potter?? Idk!!! Most days I just read Tumblr. 😑

What are you doing for self care?

Um.

.....

......

.......

Look, I’m going to be honest, I’m a day over due on showering and the closest to being by myself was when I spent 10 minutes last week going to pick up dinner from a drive thru. I’m not doing great on the self care thing. I did make a list of stuff to get done Sunday night.

I tag @septembersung, and, idk, whoever wants to do it.

[vynegar]

translation archives

(tears of themis stuff that i translated, which now already has an official english translation. check my masterlist for other stuff i’ve done.)

Vyn

Empyrean’s Touch MR (private messages)

Rainy Pickup SSR (full story: one two three four five six + phone call)

Snowfallen Secrets SSR summary

Bewitching Night Rave MR (private messages)

Revisiting Youth SR (full story: one two three four five six) + lost in translation

Desert SSR Summary

Electrifying Night SSR (full story:  one two three four five six + phone call)

Romantic Rail Getaway SSR (full story:  one two three four five six + phone call)

Luke

Empyrean’s Touch MR (private messages)

Enduring Light SSR Summary

3rd Birthday Card SSR (full story: one two three four five six + wip)

2nd Personal Story SSR (full story: one two three four five six)

2nd Anniversary SSR (full story: one two three + ring)

Bewitching Night Rave MR (private messages)

Marius

3rd Birthday SSR (excerpt)

Compilation of future illustrations and quotes

2022 Valentine’s Card MR (private messages)

Bewitching Night Rave MR (private messages)

Dreams of Childhood SSR (full story: one two three four  five + wip)

Desert SSR Summary 

RRG SSR Summary

Electrifying Night SR (excerpt)  

Artem

Desert SSR Summary 

Skadi SSR Summary   

All/Misc.

2022 520 messages

NXX HQ scene from Ancient China Event

Electrifying Night outfit interactions

[lovemesomesurveys]

Have you ever lived in a mobile home?: Nope. Have you ever had your bedroom in a basement?: No. Do you think it would be cool to have a lion as a pet?: Uh, no. What do you think about those little dogs that ride in purses and strollers?: Please don’t treat your pets like accessories or toys. How many times in the past week have you eaten fast food?: 3 or 4 times.

In the house - shoes, socks, slippers or bare feet?: Socks. Do you consider dogs inside or outside pets?: My doggos have always been inside pets. Do you read books for pleasure?: Yes. What’s your favorite piece of furniture in your house?: My bed. Have you ever had a crush on a friend’s parent?: No. Do you prefer carbonated or uncarbonated drinks?: Non-carbonated.  Favorite thing that you can see up in the sky?: Stars. Would you like it if they sold disposable undies in a pop up box?: Uh, no.

French fries. Yay or Nay?: Yay. Which of your friends has the most annoying sibling?: I don’t have any friends. Wood floors or carpet?: My house has tile and carpet. I love wooden floors, though. Would you rather eat at the table or in your room?: We don’t have a dining room table. I like to eat in my room. A teacher says she’s noticed you’ve looked sad, do you confide in her?: Something like that actually happened. My grandma passed away my sophomore year in high school and I took it really hard. It was apparently obvious to one of my teachers who brought up her concerns in these meetings I had every year called an IEP meeting.  Friend asks you to hide drugs, booze etc for them, do you do it?: I wouldn’t want to be involved with anything like that. Would you rather have a gooey cinnamon bun or awesome cheesy pizza?: Why not both? Do you like the sound of birds singing when you wake up, or is it annoying?: It’s annoying, ha. You fill your best friend’s Xmas stocking, what do you put in it?: I got a few things for my family’s stockings.  You fill your worst enemy’s stocking, what do you put in it?: I don’t have any enemies, but if I did I wouldn’t be giving them any gifts. You fill your OWN stocking, what do you put in it?: Uhhh. I don’t know. If someone gave you a kitten, would you keep it?: No, not at this time. What’s your ideal activity for a rainy day?: I don’t do anything different. I love rainy days, though. Favorite type of cracker: Ritz, Cheez-Its, and Nips. Banana sandwich..yum or yuck?: Banana and peanut butter sandwiches are delicious. Animal you like to watch but sort of creeps you out: Documentaries on wild animals are fascinating, but they’re scary animals. I like watching them on TV from the safety of my home. Have you entered the Lays create a flavor contest?: Nope. Bagels or English Muffins?: Both are good. Do you like or hate to buy new shoes?: I like getting new shoes. Do you keep your phone on you at all times or forget it a lot: It’s always nearby. Who is a family member you look forward to seeing on a holiday?: My extended family doesn’t get together anymore. :( Everyone is busy doing their own things now as the years go by and everyone gets older.  Are Easter baskets only for kids?: No. They’re just gift baskets, there’s no age limit on that. Do you do anything to recognize St Patrick’s Day?: The only thing we do that day is have corned beef and cabbage for dinner, ha. Do you think nutcracker figurines are creepy or cool?: I don’t have an issue with them. Speaking of nuts, do you like them?: Yeah, some. Favorite TV show as a kid: All the good stuff from the 90s, which is basically everything. ha. I love the 90s. What do you do when you are nervous?: I get fidgety, squirmy, antsy, I mess with my hair, pick at my nails, bite my lips... Is there a turntable and vinyl records in your house?: No. Does your family have an SUV or pick up truck?: We do have a pickup truck. No one drives it anymore, but it’s useful for times like this time of year when we go pickup a Christmas tree. Do you enjoy doing things outdoors?: The only outdoorsy activity I enjoy is spending time at the beach. Which of your parents do you laugh more with?: My mom. Have you ever been to an open casket wake or funeral?: Yes. Would you like to get married one day?: I don’t see it happening. Who mows the lawn at your house?: My dad. Where do you keep your phone at night?: On my bed. Do you feel comfortable asking your parents or grandparents for money?: My parents, yes. What’s the last thing you lost?: Myself? If you could have your own car or an apartment, which would you choose?: I don’t drive and I have no plans or desire to move out on my own, sooo. Have you ever experienced buyer’s remorse over an expensive purchase?: Yes. Last time you hid, and why: I’ve kinda been hiding for the past few years. I became very distant, withdrawn, and reclusive. I don’t go out much and when I do I avoid certain places where I think I might run into someone. “I don’t want the world to see me cause I don’t think that they’d understand...” How do you like your eggs?: Just about every way. I most often eat them scrambled, though. After a date, do you call your friend to tell them how it went?: What’s a date? ha. Favorite Mexican food?: Burritos. Upcoming event you are dreading?: Nothing at the moment. Best Happy Meal toy you ever got: I liked a lot of the ones from my childhood. Do you make lists?: Yeah. Do you make pro/con lists before making a decision?: Sometimes. Do you have a favorite pen? What kind?: I like black ink fine tip pens. What’s the best meal you cook?: Ramen, ha. That’s the only thing I cook. Do you do more surveys during the day or night?: I generally do them late at night. On lunch break, do you eat or do other things?: I don’t have a lunch break (not in school, don’t have a job), but whenever I eat I often put on a YouTube video. Smoothies? Bubble tea? Fancy coffee? None of the above?: Coffeeeee. Do you like romantic gestures or do they make you feel awkward?: Haven’t experienced that in a long time. Five things you need to throw out: I really need to go through and get rid of clothes and other things. Do you like the toilet paper your family uses?: Yeah. Just shampoo, or shampoo + conditioner?: Just shampoo. Scariest driver you’ve ridden with: I was nervous when my younger brother first started driving haha. I’m comfortable now, though. He’s a good driver. Have you/do you plan to go to college?: I went and graduated. Do you write in cursive: Just when I sign stuff.