#and we’re just getting to our busiest season

[identifying-cars-in-posts]

A long overdue update:

Hi everyone. Long time no see. I literally have not opened Tumblr since the last time I posted here. Hope everyone is doing ok. Figured I owed y’all an apology and explanation for kinda just vanishing.

First, I did in fact get a car! It’s a 2015 Nissan Versa Note. I don’t particularly like it but a friend gave me a deal on it that I couldn’t turn down. Once my life stabilizes I’m probably going to sell it and buy an old truck, maybe a 70s Ford. I’d love a little sports car or a land yacht but rear wheel drive is a bit impractical for brutal New England winters, and the Jeep really put me in Old American Truck Mode. But yes I have a car now!

Second, unfortunately this is an official notice of hiatus. When I last posted saying I was taking some time off it was because I had just had an incredibly stressful move and did not have the energy to keep this blog up. I figured I’d take some time to get settled in, relax, and then pick this back up after a week or two, but the last month has been really rough - the short version is one of the people I was living with turned out to be a pretty horrendous human being who managed to get everybody living in the house essentially kicked out via sheer drama. Within a month and a half. It’s a long story but tl:dr if you quite literally slander a property manager with heavy unfounded accusations of horrible crimes, they’ll probably bail from the whole situation. And since they’re gone the landlord has to hand ownership of everything over to a company that’s forcing everyone still here to vacate. I’m now fighting to not have to live in aforementioned Nissan Versa through the aforementioned brutal New England winter. On top of that, I’m a retail manager so we’re going into our busiest most stressful season, so that’s been an extra level of exhaustion.

So what does that mean for this blog? Well, as I said, I’m officially going on indefinite hiatus, as are the projects I was working on in relation, including the reference website. I’m really sorry, I’m just way too stressed and dealing with way too much. If I could, I would just hand off administrative power to someone else, but this is a sideblog so I can’t hand off login credentials without also giving access to my main/personal account. It’s my biggest regret of this account, but when I started it I never expected it to blow up the way it did back in September - I had no reason to expect to need it to be its own entirely separate blog. I love what I was doing here and I thought that it might even be a nice distraction from everything going on, but the upkeep required with this blog is just more than I can deal with right now. I hope that things settle down soon and that I can genuinely come back here and enjoy what I was doing, but I just need literally anything to level out in my real life and to not be in 100% survival mode, because at the moment I literally do not have the energy to pour into this.

Anyway. Sorry for the long post, I’m not good at not being overly verbose. I’m really sorry for kind of abandoning this project, and I hope I can get back to it relatively soon, it just might be a while.

In the mean time, I hope those of y’all who I turned onto cars as a potential hobby find some other good outlets! I highly recommend Donut Media’s series “Up to Speed” on YouTube, as well as the channels Regular Car Reviews, Doug DeMuro, Garbage Time, and Aging Wheels. All great YouTube channels that are both informative and very approachable and fun.

Godspeed and much love. Hope to see y’all soon

- Identifying Cars in Posts admin ❤️

[severalforraelee]

The Girls Part 14: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Photo credit to Team Scuderia Ferrari

Word count: 4,410

Written by raelee / Posted Oct 10

Masterlist

Formula 1 Masterlist

The Girls Masterlist

“I heard you were in Monaco and didn’t come see me,” Lando accuses as soon as I answer his FaceTime call.

“You were already in Mexico,” I answer defensively.

“Yeah, but asking me would’ve still been nice.”

“Why would I ask if I already knew that you weren’t there?” I question.

He opens his mouth to respond but stops, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. I watch his eyes flicker on the screen, and as I’m about to ask him about the sudden movement, he answers my unasked question.

“Where are you right now?”

“Oh, uh,” I laugh nervously, causing Lando to squint at me. “I’m actually in my new flat.”

“Your new flat?” Lando raises his eyebrows at me.

“Yeah, Charles and I actually moved in together.” I wince, waiting for the earful that I’m about to receive.

If Lando doesn’t like Charles even staying at my flat, he’s going to hate that we live together now. Even if I told him that Charles is gone half of the year and we stay in different bedrooms he still wouldn’t be happy about it.

Lando opens his mouth, about to speak again, when his doorbell suddenly rings. I thank whatever God is listening in on our conversation for that. 

“Hold on,” he tells me like I have another option, heading towards his door so that I’m left staring at his ceiling. I hear muffled voices before he returns.

“Who was that?” I ask, hoping that the question will distract him from our previous topic.

“The delivery man,” he answers.

“Oh, what’d you get?”

“It’s not for me.”

I give him a questioning look at the response.

“They’re birthday presents for Ada and Lucy.”

Ada and Lucy's second birthday is coming up. They’re so excited to have a day that’s just dedicated to celebrating them. They’re especially looking forward to being able to eat cake and junk food all day, and open presents.

Unfortunately, it also falls on the day of the grand prix in Brazil. So Lando and Charles, two of their favorite people, won’t be able to celebrate their birthday with them on their actual birthday.

It’s going to be extremely difficult to explain to the girls why we’re celebrating, but why we’re not celebrating with the ones that they love.

“You didn’t have to buy them anything, Lando,” I insist.

“They’re my nieces, they’re going to get spoiled.”

“Well, thank you. We appreciate it. Were you going to come to London soon to celebrate with us?” I question.

It’s at a weird point in the season right now. There’s only a few races left until the season ends and winter break starts, so the atmosphere is weird. There’s a lot of testing and media duties for the drivers to do, so they’re at one of their busiest points, but everyone is ready for the season to just be done so they can get a little break.

“Well I was actually thinking that I could give them the presents in Brazil.”

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. “Like… you give them to Charles and Charles gives them to Ada and Lucy?”

“No, like you, Ada, and Lucy come to Brazil to watch the grand prix and McClaren will throw a birthday party for them, and I can give them their gifts then,” he suggests.

“Oh,” I’m taken by surprise. It’s honestly something that I hadn’t considered. “Lando, the grand prix is in like two weeks, that’s very short notice.”

“Yeah, but you already said that you don’t have classes on Fridays. And I think you said you work every other Friday and if I did my math correctly, you would have off that Friday,” he explains.

“I have a class on Monday in the afternoon, so if we flew back Sunday night or Monday morning I would still be able to make it…” I shake my head.

I can’t believe I’m considering this.

Going to a grand prix would bring the opposite of what I want for the girls. It would draw attention to them, especially if McClaren hosts a birthday party for them. After all of the drama on social media and people spotting us as a family of four out in public and posting about it, it makes me worried to go to Lando and Charles’ home away from home.

But… the girls have been showing more and more interest while watching the races lately. And I would love for them to be at a race to see their father and their uncle in their element. Plus meeting the people that Charles and Lando surround themselves with the majority of the weekend would be nice.

“I’ll have to think about it, Lando,” I sigh. “It just might be too hard and too soon after going to Monaco.”

“I get it, you don’t want to see your brother,” he jokes.

I roll my eyes. “Oh no, you caught me.”

“Let me know what you decide, alright? I can fly back and help you fly out with the girls, and I can pay for your flights and hotels and everything,” he offers.

I take a deep breath, gearing up to tell him that he doesn’t need to worry about that and I could figure it out myself. Then, I stop. “Okay, Lando.”

~

“You know what would be great?” Charles asks.

“What?” My eyes shift from the textbook in front of me to my laptop screen that has the problem pulled up, working through it in my head while also trying to carry a conversation with Charles.

“If you came to the Brazil grand prix with Ada and Lucy so that we could celebrate their birthday as a family.”

My head snaps towards where he’s set up on a FaceTime call on my phone leaned up against my water bottle.

“What?” I repeat my earlier question, although this time with surprise. My heart flutters when I catch that he referred to the four of us as a family. I know that I do it, but it’s nice to know that he does it too.

“Yeah, you know. We could celebrate their second birthday on their actual birthday, they could have a little party at Ferrari,” he suggests. “It’d be fun.”

“Have-”I pause at the question that I’m about to ask, already not believing the words that are about to leave my mouth, but Charles urges me on. “Have you been talking to my brother at all?”

“What? Why would you ask that?”

He’s a terrible actor.

“Because he said the exact same thing,” I deadpan.

“Great minds think alike.”

I sigh. “I’ll tell you the same thing that I told him. I’ll think about it.”

“If you’re worried about traveling with Ada and Lucy, I can fly back and fly out to Brazil with you three,” he offers.

“God, you really did talk to Lando,” I murmur. “You know what? Fine. If you and Lando can come out and help me fly out to Brazil with two toddlers and all of our luggage, we can spend their birthday at the grand prix in Brazil. I’m sure they would love that.”

“You’re not going to regret it, mon amour,” he grins enthusiastically. “I’m going to call Lando now to figure out all of the details.”

“Okay, have-”The phone call ends before I can finish my sentence. “Fun.”

I roll my eyes at the clear excitement on Charles’ face, but can’t hide the smile that’s growing on my lips.

~

“Lando, can you grab a bag, please?”

It’s like deja vu, except this time Lando is the one holding Ada and Lucy’s hands while I walk alongside Charles who struggles with the bags once again.

“No, I’m escorting Ada and Lucy right now,” Lando denies. Charles gives him a look of disbelief. “Uncle privileges.”

“Charles, just let me grab-””Not you, mon amour,” he declines, heaving a bag higher onto his shoulder.

I roll my eyes at his stubbornness but don’t persist any further.

I’m just surprised that I’m in the airport for the second time this month, jetting off on yet another international trip. I’m shocked that I’m doing this at this point in my life, nonetheless with two toddlers by my side.

Of course I have help from Lando and Charles (although, is Lando really help?) but after trying so hard to keep my daughters out of the public eye, taking them to a place where people from all walks of life attend is crazy to me. I can’t help but feel weirdly proud of myself for how far I’ve come.

“Are you okay?” Lando’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I return his gaze. “You just kind of zoned out there.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I smile at him and he smiles back.

And they’re genuine smiles. I really am fine.

~

Charles gets us in on Friday without having to deal with any of the media. I’m secretly relieved- as much as I’ve tried to reassure him that I don’t mind the media and fans, we’ll just have to hide the girls’ faces as best as we can, he’s taking all precautions to protect their privacy as best as we can.

“What are my nieces wearing?” A voice snaps me out of my quiet bickering with a whining Ada.

“Shirts and jeans,” I answer, picking her up and into my arms.

“Ferrari shirts,” Charles smirks at Lando.

“Ugh,” Lando wrinkles his nose in disgust. “That won’t do.” He glares at Ada’s gray Ferrari T-shirt and Lucy’s red one. “I’ll find something else for you.”

He disappears before Charles and I can say anything else.

I roll my eyes, a point for Charles not to comment on it, before we make our way into the Ferrari garage.

“Y/N!” I’m pulled into a pair of arms as soon as I enter. I don’t recognize the arms- he’s gotten much more muscular over time- but I do recognize the cologne.

He still needs to use less of it.

“Oh, Carlos,” I wrap my free arm around him.

When I was Lando’s assistant and Carlos still drove at McClaren, we became close because of their close friendship. I didn’t tag along on all of their outings, I hate golf, but we would go out to dinner and for walks together.

We became close fast.

And it was difficult when I had to end that friendship.

I pull back, wiping at the light tears in my eyes at the sudden rush of emotions hitting me. Luckily, Carlos doesn’t comment on it, leaning in closer to brush his thumb against the little girl in my arm’s cheek.

“And this must be Ada, I see you in all of your mother’s stories.”

“Is everyone on your private story’s list but me?” Charles whines.

“Step it up, Charles,” Carlos grins at his teammate, brushing a strand of Lucy’s hair behind her ear. Her cheeks blush as she stares at him.

“Oh no, no boys,” Charles scolds gently, turning away so that Lucy could no longer face Carlos.

To my surprise, Ada’s staring back at Carlos. Not in a bashful way like her sister, but in a curious way.

“I heard it’s your birthday,” Carlos says to Ada and Lucy.

“On Sunday they turn two,” I explain.

“Well I got you birthday presents that you need to open today.” He grabs two nearby bags.

“Carlos, they don't need anything. Especially not today, it’s not their birthday yet,” Charles tells his teammate.

“They’re opening them anyway.”

Carlos’ tone leaves no room for argument and the girls have already focused on the bags, so Carlos hands them over to open.

They’re toddler sized Ferrari hats, but on the brim there’s a 55 and they’re both signed by Carlos.

“Really? You signed it too?” Charles looks unimpressed. I can’t help but laugh, which earns a grin for Carlos and a glare from Charles.

“They could make a nice buck off of it one day.”

~

I try to subtly walk through the paddock back to the Ferrari garage to meet Charles after showing the girls the cars on the track for qualifying, but it’s not easy with a tired toddler on each hip while trying to look out for any phones recording or taking pictures of us.

An arm suddenly pushes on my back, guiding me towards a different garage.

“These are my nieces,” Lando’s familiar voice announces proudly to the group of mechanics and engineers.

“Ew, Lando, get your arm off of me, you’re all sweaty,” I whine.

He rolls his eyes but removes his arm, reaching out to forcibly take the exhausted girls from my arms into his.

“No, you must be tired from the race, I can hold them,” I reassure them.

“Let me spend time with my girls,” he disagrees.

“And who might you be?” One of the mechanics raises an eyebrow at me flirtatiously.

Before I can handle it (in other words, embarrass myself) Lando speaks up, glaring at the mechanic. “She’s my sister.”

One of the other mechanics nudges the guy and mumbles something. All I can manage to hear is ‘Leclerc.’

Speak of the devil and he may appear.

“What are you doing here?” Charles asks in confusion, resting a hand on my waist gently and stepping around me to wave at his daughters.

“Lando pulled me in here,” I explain.

“Did you come to spy on the enemy, Leclerc?” A man I’ve only seen in photos approaches. Well, he’s really just a boy.

“Oscar Piastri,” my face lights up at the sight of him and I step forward to shake his hand. “It’s so great to finally meet you. You know, I loved your overtake in F2 in Bahrain-””Now hold on,” Lando interrupts me. “Are you telling me that my sister is actually an Oscar Piastri fan?”

“Yes, I really am,” I admit, watching as Charles wrestles Ada out of Lando’s arms.

“I can’t believe this, my own sister likes my teammate more than she likes me,” my brother says in mock disbelief.

“Why wouldn’t she? I’m the one decorating the cake for her daughters’ birthday party on Sunday,” Oscar grins smugly.

“Birthday party? On Sunday? Here?” Charles repeats parts of the sentence, raising his eyebrows.

“Yes, that’s what he just said. Do you need your ears checked or something?” Lando questions jokingly.

“You can’t have a birthday party for the girls here on Sunday. We’re having a birthday party for them in the Ferrari motorhome,” Charles says.

“Well I’m their uncle that they rarely see, so they really should be spending more time here with me, and that includes having their birthday party here,” Lando responds.

“And I’m their dad, so they should have their birthday party in a familiar environment. And that’s surrounded by red,” Charles narrows his eyes at his competitor.

As if they both suddenly remember that I’m there, they turn to look at me with expectant gazes. As soon as I recognize the expressions, I laugh.

“Oh hell no, you’re not dragging me into this. Figure it out yourselves.”

They turn back to each other in defeat, narrowing their eyes at each other once again. This is going to be a long weekend.

~

“Oh my god,” I gape at the screen, hugging the girls tight to me as Charles crosses the line for a second place finish. “Dad came in second place, girls.”

The girls, despite not knowing what I’m saying, clap their hands in excitement, causing the engineers and mechanics around me to laugh.

“Are you going to the podium?” One of them asks.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I frown, fighting myself internally.

On one hand, it would be a great opportunity to remind Charles that I care about his career and success. Having his daughters at a race with him to watch him for the first time and then to get a podium, I know he’d be a little disappointed if we weren’t to go to the podium celebrations.

But on the other hand, I’m still worried about Ada and Lucy’s privacy. I know that pictures of their faces are already out there, but I want to do all that I can to prevent more of them from getting out. I want them to be able to have that privacy to decide what they want to do in the future instead of always being known as Charles Leclerc’s daughters. And a grand prix with cameras and strangers everywhere… they’re bound to constantly be on camera, especially with the controversy surrounding their existence and sudden appearance.

“Are you worried about their faces being seen?” Another mechanic asks. “Because I have a solution.”

I give him a curious look and he grabs two nearby helmets used for decoration, putting them over the girls heads. They squeal in excitement and I laugh.

“That’s genius.”

Together we make our way to the podium, crowding together behind the fence for Charles, Max, and Sergio to drive up. Everyone around me is polite, making sure to leave me plenty of room with a toddler on each hip.

When Charles pulls up and sees us, an expression that I’ve never seen before appears on his face. It lights up and it’s full of adoration, and he practically runs over to us.

He rips his helmet off, throwing it haphazardly on the ground behind him before leaning forward, lifting the visor of Ada’s helmet and placing a kiss on her nose. He does the same to Lucy and I smile at the gesture, expecting him to move on to the guys beside me to celebrate with them.

To my surprise, he pulls me into a hug, Ada and Lucy squished between us.

“Happy for you,” I confess to him, choking back the sobs that want to escape. He gives me a soft smile, able to tell that I’m seconds away from crying.

Thankfully he moves on to the guys before I start bawling my eyes out. I don’t know why I feel like crying. Maybe because this feels so… natural. Being at grand prixs again, surrounded by all of the drivers and mechanics and engineers. Taking my daughters to grand prixs, showing them the world that their uncle and dad were raised in and now are dominating.

Maybe it’s the pride that I feel for Charles, who’s having such a great season.

When Charles is up on the podium, I do let a tear slip.

~

“Good, I was just looking for you. They’re setting up the birthday party at the McClaren motorhome right now,” Lando catches up to the four of us as we walk back to the Ferrari motorhome.

“Lando, the Ferrari motorhome is already getting their birthday party ready,” Charles informs him slowly.

“Well, I already told you that McClaren’s going to host their birthday party.”

“And I already told you that Ferrari’s going to host their birthday party.”

Once again, the two stare each other down.

God I’m really getting sick of this.

“Guys, I have something to show you,” Alex suddenly appears, breaking the tension.

“Oh thank god,” I mumble, following behind him as he begins to make his way down the paddock.

“Is it in the Williams motorhome? That’s such a far walk,” Lando whines. I hear a thump, then another thump as Lando hits Charles back.

Alex holds the door open for us and Ada and Lucy enter ahead of everyone else. All of the sudden, a bunch of people jump out from behind the furniture in the room, shouting “Surprise!” and blowing party blowers.

Ada looks around shyly, clinging to my leg, while Lucy takes a step forward with a wide grin, loving the attention. There’s people from all the teams here, from employees in the communication departments to mechanics, engineers, and drivers.

I recognize a lot of the faces even years later, but there’s some new ones as well.

“Thank you for this,” I murmur to Alex as Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon manage to pry Ada off my leg to dance and Lucy watches in a trance as Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez engage in a conversion in Spanish.

“Of course,” he grins at me, knowing how much easier it is to have this party at a neutral location. Not only to stop the fighting, but also to hopefully mend the relationship between Lando and Charles.

It’s only when Ada and Lucy blow out the candles on their cake that it hits me. I have two two year olds.

Of course I know that they’re not the small babies that I once cradled in my arms or fed bottles to, but it’s so much harder actually realizing it. They’ll never be as little as they are now.

And right now… they’re not even that little. Right now they’re holding their own forks, feeding themselves cake while trying to keep it off of themselves as best as they can. They’re real people with thoughts and emotions, and they no longer need me as much as they once did.

It makes my heart hurt.

I glance over at Charles, thinking of his reaction when we found out that I wasn’t pregnant. If anyone’s the father of my girls, I’m glad that it’s him. It makes me curious about my future children… what their dad will be like. If it’ll be Charles.

“Why is she staring at him like that?” Alex’s question snaps me out of my thoughts.

My cheeks blush, thinking that I’ve been caught, but once I follow his sightline I see Lucy staring at Carlos, batting her eyelashes at him.

“She’s trying to flirt with him,” I inform him.

“That’s flirting with him?” Esteban raises his eyebrows in disbelief. It’s literally just staring creepily at Carlos and blinking quickly. She needs to work on it.

“I wonder where she learned that from,” Lily giggles, nudging me.

“That’s a classic Y/N move,” Charles chimes in.

“What? No it’s not,” I deny, reaching over to push his shoulder teasingly.

“Please, do you not remember?”

“Remember what?”

He grins at me and it’s like we’re the only two people in the room. “Remember when we would lay in bed at night on a race weekend and you would bat those pretty little eyelashes at me, ‘Oh Charles, can you please go get me a chocolate bar from the vending machine?’”

“I never did that,” I exclaim.

“Yes you did, on multiple occasions. I’m surprised we were never caught with how often I would have to buy you damn chocolate bars,” he teases.

I laugh and he joins in softly.

Someone clearing their throat snaps us out of the moment and I suddenly remember there’s people around us.

“Um, let’s move on to presents,” I announce awkwardly.

Ada and Lucy get so much stuff. Esteban gets them a book on how to learn French- I guess he doesn't know much about two year olds, Pierre gets them mini purses from Louis Vuitton, Lando had two toddler sized play cars sent to our new apartment but gives the girls practically the whole Barbie aisle for the party, and Max gets them a baby shark toy (something about how good the song is).

Slowly, everyone begins to leave, and Lando and George keep the girls entertained while Charles and I begin to clean up.

“Well I’d say the party was a success,” I say to Charles, bending down to pick wrapping paper off of the ground.

“Yeah, Albon did a great job hosting. Ada and Lucy had a lot of fun,” he glances over to where they’re playing with their new toys.

“So did the drivers,” I chuckle.

I begin to rise at an angle, hands full of wrapping paper as Charles bends down at an angle to grab some more wrapping paper. I turn my head at the same time he ducks his down, his lips landing on my own.

We kiss for a split second, lips moving against each other in sync before I remember where we are and pull away with a quiet gasp.

My eyes look over at the group of four, seeing them still playing. They didn’t notice the accidental kiss at all.

The damage is done as I look over at Charles, who’s staring back at me with wide eyes and an open mouth. I stare back with blushing cheeks.

“Are you guys almost done?” Lando calls out, breaking our staring competition.

“Yeah, just a little bit longer,” I agree, not breaking the gaze with Charles.

~

We don't have the chance to talk about it.

As soon as we get back to the hotel, both girls are sent into meltdowns from the sugar high and a long, exhausting day. Then, since they’re both throwing a fit, once one begins to calm down the other one begins to overreact which sends the other one into a fit again.

Finally Charles and I manage to bathe them, change them into their pajamas, and get them to bed.

If I’m exhausted, I don’t know how Charles feels.

I can feel his eyes on me as I anxiously fold one of Lucy’s dirty shirts.

I look up, meeting those hazel eyes that I’ve become so accustomed to seeing. Now I don’t know what I would do without them.

“So…” I start awkwardly.

He just looks so good like this. Hair messy from a long day, in just a casual T-shirt and gym shorts. It’s his dad look. The dim light from the hotel lamp casts a warm glow on him, making me want to just reach over and pull him into my arms.

Before I can even react, he takes two steps forward, hands gently placed on my biceps as he turns me towards him. He leans down and my hands reach up to grab the back of his biceps as our lips meet.

It’s an anticipated kiss, and god, was it worth the wait.

His lips are warm and comforting, like pulling on a sweatshirt straight out of the dryer. Like it’s meant to be, and although you know it can’t last forever, you’ll savor it while it’s happening.

His hands slide down to my waist and my arms wind around his neck, pulling him as close to me as I can.

It’s Ada and Lucy’s second birthday. And it’s also the day that Charles and I kissed twice- once on accident and once on purpose.

This may be one of the happiest days of my life.

Tags that are working

@untitled92260 @disneydaydreameralways @zxlla @thrsdyschld @purpledianezzzzzz @lovingroscoee @bilbobag9ins @way-to-eat-all-the-chips-kip @withyoutilltheendofthismess @chiogarza @simpforpierre @scottmctominbae @octaviareina @lindsaytriestowrite @starjane312 @savannah-elliott @sanne-p @o0itsjustme0o @eleanorbvb @permanentllyharry

@dr3lover @piceous21 @citylights31 @xoxoloverb @lebritneeey @sweetlittleorchid @soomanybands @raaaaabzzz @heyitskay-21  @5secondsof-beforeyouexit @xox-moon-xox @tall-tanned-tattoo @fredsandlokiswhore @fictional-l0v3r @valkryejh @welcometomyworldwithoutrules @starjane312 @hannahholland1811 @b-orderline

@puthaydestroyer @theplobnrgone @dudde-44 @lmao-liz @herpes-free-since-05 @leclerc16s @fictional-l0v3r @hes-club @kyomihann @compulsiveshit @markluv4u @kodzuskook @hazzasswiftie @organasith @chxndlerrr @ella33 @pleasantducktimetravel @ourlazydetectivekitten @weirdlychaotic @s00nfloweronfyre @ophcelia @loveofmylife12 @iamasimpingh0e @amulhermaisfelizdomundo @allisonxf1 @f-hollands @junglxqueen @motylekrozi @shqwqrma @justmemewriting @hello-sunshine-x @hiphopdancer101universe @caosfanblr @rosesintj @arieltwvdtohamflash  @dessxoxsworld @alwaysclassyeagle @irule-ha-losers @buendiabebeta @butterflyjames @copper-boom @xcharlottemikaelsonx @mrswang17 @charlesswife @kplatzman @teti-menchon0604 @oneoftwoghosts @darkmalice00 @alwaysclassyeagle @rafaaoli @a-distantdreamer @teti-menchon0604 @sadsierra2 @screemqueen @spngirl05 @lighttsoutlewis @alwaysclassyeagle @bwormie 

Tags that aren’t working

 @watermelon1299 @sweet3poison @88red88 @infamousmany @cippyo @sophiachiodelli @starlightoctavia @ln15 @adorerdj @fromthedeskofjoii @ar333f1 @callmequeenbeee @starbucksthings @ninnypoosworld @starxqt @poofy-baby-unicorns @escapingrealityagain @jazztime @sueesstuff @coucou123 @nglurmomishotlmao @dontforgetplusc @teamspideyman @starcatcher48 @lissimountf1 @motheraiya @lovee-rosiieee @brusg21 @lcuppo @squidwardsluverxx @ystrolllll @blueskiesandtom @fulla02 @teardropsandraindrops @ruleroftheuniverse

[marigold-hills]

Precious Things (Part 1)

a Remus Lupin Yuletide Miracle

Day One: Party | @wolfstarmicrofic

575 words

PART 2

*🎄🎄🎄*

“It’s a fad,” Remus tells his frantic boss, raising his voice over the screeching of owls. Even here, in the management room deep in the bowels of the post office, they can be clearly heard. Some nights, Remus hears them in his sleep.

“It’s not a fad!” Aberforth responds, hand banging on the wooden desk. “It's a dismantling of our way of living, our traditions, not to mention a threat to yours and mine livelihood.”

Remus looks to the ceiling for patience. It’s a sort of off-grey, off-beige colour that happens in rooms where smoking used to be allowed. “It’s an enchanted quill,” he says to one of the more interesting stains.

“Precisely!” Aberforth grows, somehow, impossibly, even more agitated. “It’s so simple we didn’t see it coming and yet here it is, and in just a month we’re already down by almost half the letters. And it’s December!”

That much, Remus has to admit, is true. In the ten years he’d spent working at the post office, he’s never seen it so quiet. The approach to Yule has always been their busiest time - holiday cards and party invites and people suddenly remembering to write to their estranged relatives - but this year?

Remus is doing a lot of standing around, this year. There are no letters getting lost for him to find if there aren’t that many letters in the first place.

“You’ll do it, then?” Aberforth pushes.

“Let me reiterate,” Remus answers slowly, like it could bring some sanity back into the conversation. “You want me to purchase one of those instant quills-“

“They’re called iQuill,” Aberforth interrupts.

“Ridiculous name. Very well. You want me to purchase an iQuill and what… use it?”

“Precisely,” Aberforth flashes what Remus has learnt is meant to be a persuasive smile. It looks vaguely threatening. “Figure out what makes them so popular. How we could implement it to bring people back to sending proper letters.”

“Aberforth,” Remus pushes the pads of his palms over his eyes until he sees twinkly lines in the blackness. A little festive touch in a run-up to a migraine. “I suspect that the answer is in the name. They’re instant. And unless you’re going to teach owls to Apparate, I don’t think you’ll be able to compete.”

Aberforth huffs out something under his breath - sounds like words which shouldn’t be uttered in polite company - and leaves the management room the same way he entered it: no hello, no goodbye. No pleasantries at all.

Remus is used to it. Aberforth has been his boss for a long, long time. With his strange quirks and even stranger brother and a penchant for having a couple pints at lunchtime, there isn’t much he can do that’s surprising.

It’s the two of them at the Wizarding Mail London Headquarters, no 37 Diagon Alley: the two of them, a stray ginger cat Remus feeds cans of tuna, and an ever changing rotation of part-timers: kids right out of Hogwarts who didn’t quite meet the requirements for what they wanted to do and are bumming off time while waiting to retake their NEWTS. From November they would usually have two, but this year there was no need so they stuck to the one they already had, a stocky boy whose name Remus didn’t bother learning.

They come and go all the time, is the thing. And Remus stays.

He hadn’t bothered to learn their names for a few years.

*🎄🎄🎄*

PART 2

Notes:

hi! Hello! After the false start I’m having a bit of a blast writing something Christmassy because well it’s the season and I might not have snow here but I can make up for it by writing about our favourite idiots. this whole work is dedicated to @magicbeings because it only exists thanks to that weird Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie fics brainstorm day we had ❤️

I’m only going to tag in this first part because I’m posting a bunch at once and don’t want to spam!

if you’d like to be tagged in future updates let me know ❤️

@tealeavesandtrash

@hoje--aqui

@cocoabutterandbooks

@onion-sliced-apples

@prancingpony42

@digital-kam

@remoonysiriusly

@sweetstarryskies

@a-sunset-outside-my-window

@procrastinatingstuff

@annaliza999

@wannabelilybriscoe

@quiethauntings

@veganbutterchicken

[whoblewboobear]

Now see, I did ask for a doctors note to cover tomorrow as well and I’m still like “:ccc mhhhh I can’t take ANOTHER day off! They’ll be so mad at me!!” Girl take the extra day, your skin is eating itself and you hate those people 💖

I’m gonna take the extra day. I still need to make the call to the derm to refill my antibiotic & to make an appointment. Also the obligatory my body needs rest bc good god it so does. HR lady did offer to give me the paperwork for a temporary medical leave. It’s unpaid but.. idk I need it bad. Just need to pad out my savings a bit and then I can catch a break. We’re getting into out busiest season with football coming up, but I just.. I can’t push myself to the point of breaking for this job. I’m not recovering from the burnout or the fatigue. I just crawl into that office like a zombie, put my head down, and try to push through.

I should ask to work from home on the bad days but they’ve made it clear (or my boss has anyway) that I’m not trusted bc I used my phone to clock in, instead of my pc at work. They conflated it with “stealing company time.” Which is bullshit. I just :/ but our third designer works from home bc she has kids. She doesn’t come in and my coworker and I are stuck doing all her printing and finishing. It’s too much and they won’t listen when we’ve stressed we need a third designer again. They don’t care. When I’m flaring like this, neither do I. If I need to work slower or call out bc I’m on deaths door I’ll do it. They’d rather work us to death than accommodate us anyway.

[dailymobpsychodrabbles]

valentine’s day terumob?

But of course!

Word count: 1.8k

Tags: terumob, valentines day, flowers

In retrospect, maybe Shigeo should have realized that flower shops are at their busiest on Valentine’s Day. 

By the time he gets there, he’s out of breath, sweating through his school uniform, and there’s a line of people out the front door. Shigeo’s excitement very quickly turns into dread when he stands on his toes and counts the number of people ahead of him. Ah, not good. He’d thought that coming early before school might be enough to beat anyone else who may have his idea, but it seems like everyone had this idea. He even notices a few of his classmates a little bit ahead of him in line. 

Shigeo taps the shoulder of the person ahead of him. “Um, excuse me, do you think I could-”

“No way, bud,” they interrupt abruptly. “We’re all here because we forgot to get our girlfriend flowers. You can wait.”

But… Shigeo hadn’t forgotten. He and Teru had agreed not to get each other gifts, but then Shigeo had talked to Tome who insisted that was just boyfriend code for I’m secretly getting you a gift. Which only made Shigeo panic that much more, and he had decided to take a detour on the way to class to get something last minute. 

…And apparently, so had everyone else in Seasoning City.

By the time Shigeo is actually inside and able to make a selection, he’s pretty sure he’s going to be late for school. 

People brush by him carrying lovely bouquets full of roses and peonies and all sorts of big, pretty flowers. But when Shigeo reaches the shelves that are normally bursting with all sorts of arrangements, they’re totally bare. He frowns and looks around the store. They’re all empty? But… But it’s a flower shop. Flower shops can’t run out of the one thing they sell.

Panic grips his throat and threatens to squeeze the air from his lungs. No, no this can’t be right. He needs to get something for Teru! Or else that would make him a bad boyfriend, right?

Eventually, Shigeo makes his rounds around the entire store and finds one arrangement left. It’s… well, it’s minimalist, he supposes: one purple peony that’s still halfway to blooming, two smaller flowers, and a few sprigs of leaves. Shigeo feels himself deflate at the little bouquet in his hands. It’s nothing at all like his boyfriend. Teru walks into a room and exerts a confidence that demands attention to be drawn his way. This doesn’t fit him.

But it’s all that’s left, so it’ll have to do. Hopefully whatever Teru gets him won’t be too impressive.

–

Shigeo realizes he has to carry the flowers around all day, so he makes do and tucks them into the front pocket of his backpack with the blooms sticking out as much as they can. It’ll be alright. They only have to survive the school day until he can meet up with Teru.

Tome texts him in the middle of his last class to stop by the Telepathy Club slash Body Improvement Club’s room for a gift. According to Inukawa, she made Valentine’s for all her friends every year. 

She already has Shigeo’s waiting by her side when he comes into the room. Tome pauses her game and kicks her feet off the table to get up and greet him. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Mob!” Tome announces happily. Shigeo sets his bag on the ground to get some weight off of his back. His friend holds out his card, and he accepts it with a bow of his head.

It’s handmade: thick cardstock with a little alien in a spaceship orbiting the moon. In sparkly font, it says I’m over the moon for you, valentine! Shigeo runs his fingers over the lettering and smiles at its texture. 

“Thank you, Tome-chan.” Shigeo’s heart swells with appreciation.

“Don’t take it too much to heart,” Takenaka rings out from behind Tome, where he’s sharing a box of chocolates with Inukawa. “She uses the same, like, eight alien jokes every year.”

“At least I made something, moron!” Tome snaps back at him. “You just scribbled on a piece of notebook paper!” Inukawa grimaces as his Mobtendo Switch makes a very obvious game over noise. 

Takenaka points a chocolate in Tome’s direction. “But it was original, wasn’t it?”

Shigeo’s smile widens a bit. He’s just glad his friends are all in one place. 

The door to the club room swings open again, and it seems the Body Improvement Club is finished with classes for the day as well. They’re all talking to each other about a new workout regime and tossing their bags to the side. Shigeo watches in slow motion as Onigawara’s bag slips from his hand and hits against Shigeo’s.

Specifically, it hits the front of Shigeo’s bag where the flowers are neatly tucked away.

Shigeo ignores Musashi’s greeting and bolts to his backpack. No, no, no. Surely not. Surely this isn’t happening to him-

He removes the bouquet from his bag, and a few wilted petals fall to the ground around his feet. All that’s really left are some twigs and leaves and the vague semblance of some color. 

“What’s that- Oh.” Onigawara pauses behind Shigeo. “Shit, was that important?” 

Takenaka wrinkles his nose and scratches the back of his neck a bit awkwardly. Tome exchanges a look with Inukawa that suggests it didn’t exactly take the telepath in the room to understand that yeah, it had meant a lot to Shigeo. 

“Kageyama-kun-” Musashi starts, holding out a hand as if to try and calm Shigeo.

“I have to go,” Shigeo blurts. He bows to Tome. “Thank you for the card.” And then he bows to Musashi. “I’ll-I’ll be back tomorrow.” 

With that, Shigeo bolts out the door before he can do something stupid… something like crying. His eyes feel uncomfortably hot, and his throat squeezes tight as he fights back tears. 

–

Teru is already waiting for him at the train station. His boyfriend is looking around, trying to find Shigeo in the swarm of people as one train dispels its passengers and allows more on. 

But Shigeo has had a bit of a growth spurt, so he stands out better than he may have used to. Teru’s eyes lock onto him at the same instant Shigeo notices him searching for him. His boyfriend’s neutral expression very quickly changes into a big grin. Teru pushes off from where he’s leaning against the wall and shoves through the crowd to get to Shigeo.

Shigeo feels so guilty the second Teru starts to approach him, but Teru also has a quality to him that soothes Shigeo like no one else can. As soon as Teru is in front of him, Shigeo wraps him into a hug.

“Oh!” Teru laughs, voice ringing gleefully even with the subtle roar of hundreds of people talking at once. “Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!” He hugs Shigeo back just as tight, tucking his face into his shoulder. Slowly, the horrible shame starts to melt. The warmth of Teru against his body is enough to seep away all the terrible feelings weighing down Shigeo’s conscience. 

They part after a moment. Teru still has his hands on Shigeo’s hips, and he’s beaming up at his boyfriend. Ah, he’s really cute, isn’t he? His school is strict on uniforms, but it seems Teru managed to rebel in his own little way with dangly heart earrings and pink hair clips. 

Teru reaches up and tucks a stray piece of hair behind Shigeo’s ear. “I know we said no gifts-” His hand moves to cup Shigeo’s cheek. “But I couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry!” 

Only Teru would apologize for getting a gift. Shigeo’s heart sinks. He’d been secretly hoping Teru really didn’t get him anything, but it seems that Tome’s secret language had been correct. Shigeo can only watch in half-masked disappointment as Teru rummages through his bag and produces a little gift bag, maybe a little bigger than his hand. Reluctantly, Shigeo takes it from him and peers inside. 

A keychain with a milk carton. Shigeo takes it out and lets it dangle from one finger. “It’s a little silly, I know,” Teru starts with a sheepish smile, “but it reminded me of you. I saw it whenever we went to that store that’s beside the churro store- you know the one? And I couldn’t help but-” He cuts himself off, smile dropping into a horrified expression. “Shige? Are you crying?”

Oh, when did that start? Now that Teru’s mentioned it, Shigeo can’t focus on anything but the hot tears falling from his cheeks. He drops his head in shame. “I-I tried to get you something too, but-but I…” Shigeo sniffles loudly. “It’s terrible.”

Teru ducks his head so he can see Shigeo’s face. “I know for a fact that nothing you could have gotten me is terrible,” he says, offering a reassuring smile. Shigeo only hiccups at that. Why is Teru so wonderful? His boyfriend nestles close to him, rubbing his arm. “Can I at least see for myself?”

Every fiber of Shigeo’s being screams at him not to show Teru, but… he can’t deny him anything. Teru’s his biggest weakness. So Shigeo reaches around to take out the sad, wilted bouquet from his backpack. It looks even worse than it did in the club room. Even the leaves are starting to fall off now. All that’s left are stems and maybe the leftover bud from one of the flowers and- man, Shigeo is crying again.

“I-I couldn’t- There weren’t-”

“They’re perfect,” Teru says.

Shigeo risks looking up at him. He expects… well, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but certainly not the pleased expression on Teru’s face. His boyfriend takes the sad bundle of stems in his own hands and looks up at Shigeo. 

“You thought of me when you got them,” Teru explains with a warm smile. “That’s what matters.”

The tears stop coming, but Shigeo can’t stop his lower lip from trembling. “Is it okay if I kiss you?” he asks softly.

Teru nods, and he stands on his toes to meet Shigeo halfway. Their lips brush together, and it’s like coming home. It’s taking your shoes off and flopping into bed. It’s submerging into a warm bath with a candle lit. It’s comfort. It’s home, Teru is home-

The stems in Teru’s hands tremble, and as if they were fireworks waiting to pop, they explode into an array of big, colorful flowers. Teru yelps in surprise and looks down in awe at the transformation happening right in front of them. The sad little arrangement is no more. Now it’s pinks and yellows and oranges and purples- roses and carnations and peonies and exactly what Shigeo had been looking for when he set his alarm extra early this morning to get Teru a bouquet. 

Teru grins down at the bouquet, then back up at his boyfriend. “You-”

“Thought of you,” Shigeo finishes.

Teru reaches up for a second kiss, a third, a fourth. The cracks in the sidewalk around them start to have wildflowers sprout up, the flower beds lining the pavement begin to spill over-

And they end up missing their train. 

[garbagefarm]

Garbage Farm

2023-02-17, Garbage Farm session #[???]!

cast:

me (@mothmute)

E.B. (@salamand3rin)

Kimi (@2kimi2furious)

Highlights include, but are not limited to:

All that planning and plotting paid off, we started strong and finished strong

farm cleanup went well!

Robin built a fancy bed, Demetrius calls it a “sleep receptacle”

moved all the sheds

E.B. takes the strawberry seeds for a little walk before we plant the big strawberry patch

Lewis calls “just to check in”, on one of the busiest days of the farm year

E.B. removes the long-standing Garbage Bee Houses to make space for the big cauliflower field

Kimi finishes converting the entire NW quadrant of the farm into Grass

we’re short on wood to upgrade another shed

I scrape together just enough wood ... right as Robin closes, whoops

Kimi goes to deforest the island, we love destroying ecosystems in our garbage cult

got the big shed started the next day

I realize that I’ve still got Storylines to do, and go retrieve the Wizard’s magic ink

(Wizard is slightly insecure about his ex, but grants me access to Wizard Store)

Evelyn wants to get a lot of leeks for George. We can do this ... right? I mean we’ve got all season

I find an omelet in the saloon’s trash, thanks Gus!

E.B. caught me digging in the trash...

(it’s only good and proper)

Junior is speed-walking, apparently

Pizza is now old enough for Kimi to toss him in the air like an italian chef

Sam is trying to do a kickflip.

Hey Sam, guess what?

(I immediately dig through both garbage cans in plain view of him)

I barely make it back to bed after a night in the mines

Elliott has nightmares about me cutting his hair. Honey, I would never

Harvey decides to make E.B.’s floors blue. “harvey, honey, no.”

Kimi is inspired to repaint things around the farm

I install a mini-obelisk! * teleport sound! *

Caroline mailed me a single potato

Elliott waters all the crops!!

(what a sweet bpo boi)

Desert day!

Instead of wasting time gambling I just outright buy enough coins to get the rarecrow

Huh, don’t think I’ve seen this dialog box before! “Your loyal horse waits patiently for your return” Frucko has a name

Gus mails me a plate of veggies

Deluxe scarecrow recipe is here!!

(now we just need to, y’know, make a few)

New cows: Tony & Mooprano (moop for short)

fairy on the farm! here to be very helpful and not make things more annoying at all by desynchronizing your crops or anything 🙃

Alex wants Kimi to give his grandma a diamond. “that’s George’s job”

Hat Mouse called!

Sorry Hat Mouse, this is Garbage Farm.

(We have plans for you, but, not yet)

Elliott wants me to catfish Willy

Demetrius mails me a nautilus shell

Strawberry day! Cauliflower day! Keg day!

E.B. gets the second horse on Garbage Farm, Grover!!

having planted some trees for tapping up by the railroad, I cut down the ones on the farm

We didn’t get to everything I’d hoped to get done, but we sure did a lot of it!

Next time, on Garbage Farm:

tap those trees

Kimi gets a horse??

egg

[lgcmanager]

PERSONAL CHANNELS ( Q2 2023: PART 2 )

SCHEDULE TYPE: N/A RESTRICTIONS: ACTORS AND MODELS ONLY

now that we’ve gathered all of the submissions, listed below are the ones that have been approved/renewed:

0-199 NOTORIETY

seonny side up - BAEK SEONA ( @lgcseona )

tomitalks - SATO MINAMI ( @lgctomi )

200+ NOTORIETY

jinseo’s communication center - KIM JINSEO ( @lgcjinseo )

mulljingi’s gym - KIM JINYOUNG ( @lgcjinyoung )

sanghyun’s stories - LIM SANGHYUN ( @lgcsanghyun )

time turn - OKADA TAIYOU ( @lgctaiyou )

xander: off the runway - HAN JISOO ( @lgcjisoo )

we’ve mentioned some of the rules and requirements to this over HERE, but we wanted to expand a bit further so you can get a better idea of how the personal channels are set up:

depending on the muse’s NOTORIETY (at the time of this post), the writing requirements may vary slightly so please pay attention to that when planning when to write the solos/posts!

once the debuted artist has created a personal channel, they will be expected to pay any of the expenses that might be used. so if you’re planning on doing some sort of game or challenge with a guest, do note that they will be given the bare minimum especially that the selected artists are just starting their channels.

since there is an option to invite a GUEST on the show once per trimester, this will probably be filmed during a time when BOTH the host and guest are free. generally speaking, actors and idols usually are the busiest due to their schedules followed by models and trainees so take that into consideration when thinking of who to invite. for this term there are some special rules about this, so please read below for more info!

in terms of traveling, the debuted artist can travel to different parts of korea but most likely that will be filmed on sunday, which is the day that everyone has a day off (exception is if they’re given a holiday break like chuseok). if the debuted artist plans to do that at any time during the trimester, they will have to do all of the filming by themselves.

the length of the videos vary, but typically each video is about 10-25 minutes long with all of the editing!

for Q2, we’ve added some special rules as a way to spark some creativity with the solos/threads.

first, if you are PLANNING on doing a thread for one of the videos, rather than the usual restriction ( ex. the guest must be a debuted artist/model/actor ), the guest must be someone who HAS hosted a vlive/youtube show in the past terms ( Q4 2022 & Q1 2023 ) and isn’t in NOVA currently. this is because everyone has a busy schedule ( including the trainees ) so rather than letting them host another season of their show or having their own, we’re allowing them to be featured as a guest for the personal channel. listed below are all of the muses who have hosted a vlive show or youtube show during that time:

HAN HYUNHEE ( abracadabra, alakazam! )

HAN NOEUL ( legacy hall battle )

KANG MAXIMILIAN ( literature slam )

KIM CHERRY ( our incherrysting history )

KIM YUJIN ( scrapbooking with yujin )

PARK JAEKYUNG ( dungeon noob discussions )

PARK SEOJIN ( noraebattle )

like mentioned previously, the guest will NOT receive any points for replying to the thread if the personal channel owner chooses to do the thread component.

second, to receive an additional +4 MCING/HOSTING, VARIETY, ACTING, OR PERFORMANCE, and +2 NOTORIETY, one of the solos ( NOT threads ) must be a charity related video. this means that the profits earned from the views in that specific video will be donated to a charity of the personal channel owner’s choosing, so it’s up to them to decide the charity they would like to donate the money to and bring some awareness to the charity in their video ( this can be done by either having the video focusing on what the charity does, doing an activity that can help the charity, etc. ). if this is completed, you will get both the base rewards ( +6 MCING/HOSTING, VARIETY, ACTING, OR PERFORMANCE & +4 NOTORIETY ) AND the additional rewards ( +4 MCING/HOSTING, VARIETY, ACTING, OR PERFORMANCE & +2 NOTORIETY ). the total of the rewards will then be +10 MCING/HOSTING, VARIETY, ACTING, OR PERFORMANCE, and +6 NOTORIETY for that solo. 

third, while this only applies to muses who are in BULLET INQUIRY, you can film content during the bali trip but if you choose to have another cast member featured in the video make sure that it’s short ( less than 1 minute ) and you’ve asked permission from the mun about the cameo appearance since the majority of the video should be focusing on the personal channel owner. for the owners that are in LGC SPRING BOYS, you can film behind the scenes content with another fellow LGC SPRING BOYS member for the thread component, but the same rules applies ( ex. the guest will not receive points for replying to the thread, can only be one of the lgc spring boys members that has hosted a vlive/youtube show in q4 2022/q1 2023, etc. ) if you choose to write a solo about the LGC SPRING BOYS behind the scenes, you could if you want to but all solos and threads related to that project will be posted ( ic wise ) after the project is done ( so around JUNE ).

after the deadline has passed, we’ll add on the lgc master sheet (specifically on the LGCMEDIA SCHEDULE tab) when the episodes that you’ve submitted were aired. as a reminder, the debuted artist has released more episodes than the number that was written for this trimester.

POINTS FORM

you have until JUNE 24, 2023 11:59PM EDT to finish the writing requirements. please tag all solos and posts pertaining to this with lgc:personalchannel.  when you’ve finished the writing requirements, send the form below to the lgcpoints blog ( you can copy the episode line multiple times depending on how many solos/threads were written ):

MUSE NAME ∙ PERSONAL CHANNELS (Q2 2023) - EPISODE: +6 ( MCING/HOSTING, VARIETY, ACTING, OR PERFORMANCE ), +4 NOTORIETY [ LINK ] - BONUS (CHARITY): +4 ( MCING/HOSTING, VARIETY, ACTING, OR PERFORMANCE ) +4 NOTORIETY [ LINK THE CHARITY SOLO ]

[alleyratts]

10/20

We’re leaving the villa. Mom is not thrilled to be leaving but we’ll be enjoying the sights and foods on our way back to Rome, hopefully overshadowing the saddness of leaving such a place.

Before I forget, it’s Porcini season in Italy, so most restaurants we go to have featured dishes with Porcini. Of course in America we use them for burgers mainly, here it is presented alone with salt or marinated in fish sauce. If you don’t like mushrooms, don’t go to Italy in October. We can’t escape them, not that we want to. Another fun thing we’re here for is olive picking season, so most olive farms are being worked, leaving no room for tours of goat farms or wineries; the entire country is extremely busy making olive oil for everyone. What an amazing treasure. In this way, I don’t feel like I’m missing out, I feel like I’m here for the cultures busiest season and for that I am accepting in the lack of tours we’re on. Plus, who wants to do touristy things anyway? We went to the Vatican and Basilica, think we’ve done enough of that.

I asked Carlo last night to visit me in my dreams to test if religion is real or not, instead, I didn’t sleep at all. Is that my answer?

We’ve just arrived in Amelia, Madi from the villa told us to go here for their ancient city wall. In this town, they have a wall built around it that is the most perfectly preserved ancient wall in the world. You can’t enter by car, you have to park below it and trek the ten minute walk through the small city to the square where the duomo is. It’s grey outside again, but every now and then we get patches of sun, and to me this makes moments in the day that much more special. I have never had to pee so much in my life.

I have not sat on a toilet this big ever before. The seat is so wide I don’t understand who made this model to be universal. It’s not.

Anyways, we went to a cafe per Madi’s suggestion, that she has an apartment above as well. Hers is the only apartment with a balcony. I think I want to become Madi. She said she lived in the states for 20 years and wanted the closeness of her homeland again, but something that was just hers. Something she owned by herself that she could call her own hill in Italy, since she was originally from Genoa she chose Guardea to be hers. Then the birth of the villa ensued. Then another, then another, and a few apartments. She was a professor at Yale, having her daughters attend the school as well. This family is the genuine idea of wealth and health. Passing down the hearts that are full of Italian soil and American university brain abilities. I believe if anything, that god gives her whatever she wants because she is a pure form of light and love, only meant to spread kindness and speaks so elegantly when she does you have to listen. This is what beautiful people are like. You will stop whatever it is you’re doing to be present with them.

Amelia was beautiful and special, like Madi said. Small and perfecto. I met a man named Marten who used to live in Beverly Hills, his dad was Greek and his mother Italian. He now lives in Amelia, three minutes from the main square. He told me I had a sweet soul and a huge heart. We talked for a good ten minutes while Taylor enjoyed a glass of wine and mom was taking baby sips off of it. He told me to stay active and do sports because we only live once, to travel everywhere, and love everyone. I hugged him and took him over to meet the girls, where upon leaving, all got hugs too. Marten touched my soul today, he waved me over to the bench he was sitting on after seeing me take photos of a saint from 2002, unnamed. I gladly walked over, we had seen him from afar earlier, working out with elastic and doing arm stretches. We commended him as he must’ve been almost 90 years old and I was unaware I’d later be having this gorgeous conversation with him about all of his travels. He’s been in Amelia for 4 years now, it was kind of hard to pin down where he was before Amelia because his accent was so thick. But he told me he wanted to be an actor in Los Angeles, and that he’d modeled for Gucci; probably in the 80s if I could guess. He told us to write him a postage, so after lunch my goal is to find him a post card that reminds me of him, and write to him a goodbye from us and to Italy itself. I can’t wait to send it. Though I hadn’t gotten his last name, I trust the higher authorities to send it straight to Martens front door in Amelia. What would life be without strangers?

Madi texted her friend that owns a restaurant in the middle of the woods in Umbria, close to Amelia, to save a seat for us at the restaurant he owns. 30 feet from where we sat were local cows, chickens, sage bushes, all the necessary ingredients to their menu. Talk about farm to plate. I could walk to the steak I was eating and say hello, thank you.

[jets100]

The Ultimate Guide to Stress-Free Holiday Travel with Jets 100

As the holiday season approaches, the skies and airports become busier than ever. But what if we told you there’s a way to skip the chaos and elevate your travel experience? Private aviation is the ultimate solution for stress-free, luxurious holiday journeys. At Jets 100, we’re here to show you how flying private makes this holiday season your best yet.

Why Private Jet Travel Is Perfect for the Holidays

The holidays are a time for connection and celebration—but crowded airports, delayed flights, and packed planes can dampen the spirit. Flying private eliminates these headaches, offering a smooth and personalized experience.

Here’s why private aviation shines during the holidays:

Flexibility: Your schedule is your own. Depart and arrive at times that work best for you, without the constraints of commercial airline timetables.

Efficiency: Arrive at the terminal just minutes before your flight, with no long security lines or boarding delays.

Privacy and Comfort: Spend quality time with your loved ones in a luxurious, private setting. Plus, you can bring along your furry family members without hassle.

Exclusive Destinations: Reach remote or hard-to-access locations that commercial airlines can’t. Ski in Telluride or relax on a private Caribbean island—your options are endless.

Top Tips for a Jets 100 Experience

Planning a seamless holiday journey requires thoughtful preparation. Here are our top tips for making your trip unforgettable:

Book Early: The holiday season is one of the busiest for private aviation. Securing your flight early ensures you get the perfect aircraft and schedule.

Customize Your Flight: Let Jets 100 personalize your flight experience, from festive decorations to a curated in-flight menu.

Plan for Luggage: Private jets offer greater luggage flexibility, but it’s still good to inform us of any oversized items, like ski gear or extra gifts.

Coordinate Ground Transportation: We provide smooth connections to luxury car rentals or chauffeurs, ensuring your holiday begins the moment you arrive

Dream Destinations for Holiday Private Jet Travel

Whether you’re chasing snow or sun, private aviation opens up a world of possibilities. Here are some top destinations to inspire your holiday plans:

❄️ Winter Wonderlands:

Jackson Hole, Wyoming: Known for its powdery slopes and rustic luxury, this is a skier’s paradise.

Lapland, Finland: Experience the magic of the holidays with Northern Lights views and cozy cabins.

☀️ Tropical Escapes:

The Bahamas: Trade snow for sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Private islands offer the ultimate retreat.

Phuket, Thailand: Escape to serene beaches and enjoy world-class resorts in a tropical paradise.

🎄 City Breaks:

London, UK: From dazzling holiday lights to festive markets, London offers a sophisticated seasonal experience.

Vienna, Austria: The city’s Christmas markets and classical concerts provide old-world holiday charm.

Celebrate the Holidays in the Sky

The holiday season is a time for joy and togetherness, and private jet travel ensures that every moment of your journey is as memorable as the destination. At Jets 100, we’re passionate about bringing you the ultimate travel experience, from takeoff to touchdown.

Let Jets 100 Inspire Your Holiday Adventure

Ready to take your holiday travel to new heights? Visit www.jets100.com for tips, destination ideas, and everything you need to know about private aviation.

This holiday season, skip the stress and embrace the luxury of flying private.

Your journey begins here.

[weshipyourride]

2024 Year-End Shipping Shipping Tips and Schedule

With the holiday season comes a lot of shipments and what is, in fact, the busiest time of year for carriers. Potentially wintery weather can also affect shipments. Thus, we’ve compiled some helpful holiday shipping tips for getting your bikes, wheels and gear safely and on-time with Bikeflights to wherever they need to go. Whether you’re shipping bike-related gifts to recipients or your own bike for holiday travel, we’re here for you.

Keep the following dates in mind when planning your bike, wheels and gear shipping for the rest of the year.

Friday, Dec. 20

Last day to ship 2nd Day Air® packages for scheduled delivery on Tuesday, Dec. 24.

Monday, Dec. 23

Last day to ship Next Day Air® packages scheduled for delivery on Tuesday, Dec. 24. Confirm drop-off deadlines with your preferred drop-off location.

Tuesday, Dec. 24 | Christmas Eve

No pickup service. Normal delivery service. Bikeflights Support is closed.*

Wednesday, Dec. 25 | Christmas Day

No pickup or delivery service. Bikeflights Support is closed.*

Tuesday, Dec. 31 | New Year’s Eve

No pickup service. Delivery of Air and International Air packages only.

Bikeflights Support is closed.*

Wednesday, Jan. 1 | New Year’s Day

No pickup or delivery service. Bikeflights Support is closed.*

*Our Virtual Assistant is available 24-7 to assist you.

Keep reading for our top 5 tips for shipping around the winter holidays.

Five Tips for Holiday Time Shipping

Tip #1: Allow Extra Shipping Time.

There will be no pickups or delivery service on December 24, 2024 (Christmas Eve) and December 25, 2023 (Christmas Day), and how fast your shipment will travel depends on what level of service you purchase. 

Our carrier UPS suggests the following ship-by dates by service level to help you make sure that your packages are delivered by Friday, December 22, 2023, the last business day day prior to the Christmas holiday.

3-Day: Tuesday, December 19, 2024

2-Day: Wednesday, December 20, 2024

Next Day: Thursday, December 21, 2024

UPS Store® locations may also have modified business hours over the holidays. We recommend checking with your local UPS Store® for specific hours of operation.

For all shipments via ground service, you can easily get estimated delivery dates at Bikeflights.com based on your ship-to and ship-from locations and your ship-on date, but remember that carriers always suspend their delivery guarantees during the holiday season, so the estimated delivery date you receive is just that: an estimate! Do yourself a favor and build in some extra shipping time to reduce potential delays due to high shipping volumes.

Tip #2: Account for Potential Weather Impacts.

Snow delays can and do happen. Throughout the northern hemisphere, it’s winter, and therefore it can snow or ice at any time in many places. Significant storms may slow or even halt package delivery, especially when the system is already strained due to the higher volume of shipments.

Even if you are shipping to or from a warm climate, your bikes, wheels and gear may have to travel through wintry climates en route, or their travel may be impacted as consequences of winter storms in other places propagate through the system. Potential weather delays are another good reason to ship earlier to give your shipments some extra time. 

Tip #3: Remove or Completely Cover All Previous Labels and Markings

After you receive all the items ordered during your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, it’s time to wrap and ship your gifts to recipients. Be sure to always remove or completely cover all previous labels and markings from any boxes that you’re reusing for subsequent shipments. This includes addresses, barcodes and hazmat and other warning stickers.

Automatic scanners will read old labels and markings, and your package could end up getting delivered to the address on a previous label. If the previous label’s address is yours, the package could come right back to you instead of going to your intended recipient, and then you’ll have to ship it again! 

Tip #4: Book Shipments With Accurate Dimensions and Weight.

When booking, be sure to enter accurate dimensions and weight. We’ve pre-loaded the dimensions of popular cases suitable for shipping that you can select when booking. For all boxes or cases not on our list, use a tape measure to determine the following dimensions for your shipment: Length, Width and Height. 

Length is the longest side of a box or case; Height is the second longest, and Width is the dimension that’s leftover - measure each at their widest parts to account for any bulges. Then use a scale to determine package weight. Always round up to the next unit. For example, enter 13 inches for a measurement of 12.25 inches, and enter 14 kg for a measurement of 13.7 kg. 

Shipments are audited multiple times during transit. If a package’s actual dimensions and weight do not match booked dimensions and weight, it may be delayed en route while the discrepancy is resolved, and you may be charged additional fees. Such shipments are also more susceptible to damage because they may end up getting incorrectly sorted by size.

Tip #5: Double Check Your Addresses.

You’ve gone to all the work to get the gifts you’ll be giving, and now you’re ready to send them. Remember to double check your address BEFORE shipping. Make sure you’ve got a complete street address, including the house, apartment or suite number so the delivery driver knows exactly where to go.

Prior to shipping, all address corrections are free, so just reach out to us with your corrected addresses, and we’ll update your shipping label at no charge. Once a shipment is underway, you can still contact us with any delivery address changes; however, standard change and re-route fees will apply, and your delivery date will likely be later than originally scheduled.

[titles-for-tangents]

As it turns out, the employees at Strand Books are getting paid the NYC minimum wage of about $16/hr.

You know - poverty wages. In Manhattan.

Here’s the full article published 12/8/24:

Dozens of employees at one of Manhattan’s busiest and most iconic bookstores walked off the job on Saturday after contract negotiations failed to produce an agreement between their union and management.

Workers began picketing outside Strand Bookstore around 10 a.m. in what’s believed to be the first employee strike in nearly three decades at the popular bookshop.

UAW Local 2179, which represents the bookstore workers, says they are demanding a fair contract and a living wage. Many of the workers out on the picket line said that even though the holiday season is one of the store’s busiest times, many of its employees are struggling to live in New York on what they make.

“We’re just asking for a little bit more, that 50 cents more a year,” said Joel Gross, who works at the store. “If we can get that we can go back to work.’

In the meantime, striking workers are also calling on customers to honor the picket line and abstain from buying from the store.

Bookstore executives released a statement saying in part, “We respect and value our staff, and we have made sizable economic offers during this contract negotiation accordingly. The union has not been willing to accept those increases so far.”

Gothamist reports the union is calling on a $2 increase to employee base pay, which currently starts at $16 an hour, the minimum wage for New York City. The union also wants that rate to increase by $1.50 in the second and third years, but management is reportedly countering at 50 cents for each.

“Everybody wants to go back to work. We love sharing books with people, we love serving the readers of the city,” Gross added.

[cheapestaccommodationauckland]

Cheapest Accommodation Auckland

When planning a trip to Auckland, affordability is often a top priority. Auckland's vibrant city life, picturesque harbors, and cultural spots offer a fantastic experience for every visitor, but finding affordable yet comfortable accommodation can be a challenge. At Proximity Apartments, we understand the importance of budget-friendly stays, which is why we’re committed to providing high-quality accommodation at competitive prices in the heart of Manukau City, Auckland.

Why Choose Proximity Apartments for Affordable Stays?

Located at 17 Amersham Way, Manukau City, Proximity Apartments offers a convenient, affordable option for travelers looking for the cheapest accommodation in Auckland without compromising on comfort or location. Here’s what sets us apart:

Prime Location Near Key Attractions Just minutes from the Due Drop Event Centre and close to major transit hubs, Proximity Apartments puts you in the heart of the action. Whether you're here for business, a family trip, or an extended stay, you'll find easy access to shopping, dining, and entertainment options.

Self-Contained Apartments for Greater Value Our apartments are designed with a fully equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, and a spacious layout, offering flexibility and convenience. Preparing your own meals and doing laundry on-site can significantly cut down on extra costs.

Flexible Booking Options Proximity Apartments offers daily, weekly, and even long-term accommodations to meet your travel needs. Our pricing structure is designed to offer better rates for extended stays, making us a great choice for those looking for cost-effective, long-term accommodation in Auckland.

Special Offers and Deals Keep an eye out for seasonal promotions, loyalty discounts, and package deals. By booking directly on our website, Proximity Apartments, you can often secure exclusive deals that make your stay even more affordable.

High Standards of Comfort and Service Despite being affordable, we maintain high standards of cleanliness, comfort, and customer service. Our team is dedicated to ensuring every guest has a positive experience, whether it’s for a weekend or a month-long stay.

Tips for Finding Cheap Accommodation in Auckland

Book Directly on Hotel Websites: Third-party booking sites often charge fees or higher rates. Booking directly with us at Proximity Apartments ensures you’re getting the best possible deal.

Consider Longer Stays: Many accommodations, including Proximity Apartments, offer discounts for extended stays. If your schedule allows, consider staying longer to save more per night.

Travel During Off-Peak Seasons: Auckland is busiest in the summer months (December to February). Consider visiting during spring or autumn to benefit from lower rates and a quieter city experience.

For budget-conscious travelers, Auckland doesn’t have to be out of reach. Proximity Apartments offers the best balance of affordability, comfort, and convenience, making it the ideal choice for cheap accommodation in Auckland. Book your stay with us today to experience Auckland without breaking the bank!

[fromdevcom]

As one of the busiest times of the year, it’s easy to find yourself wearing multiple hats this holiday—and we’re not talking about the beanies that keep out the cold. The task of checking off everything from your long list of chores means you’re taking on a lot of roles.  Each requires a lot of organization and effort if you expect to be the host with the most. If the pressure’s getting to you, take a deep breath. You’re not alone. Your phone or tablet is in it with you, and it may just be the way you nail the holiday this year. The season’s supposed to be about spending time with those that you hold dear, not about suffering from panic attacks. Banish anxiety from the lead up to your holiday by making sure your device has your back with these apps.  They might just make this holiday season your calmest yet. The Christmas List In past years, you’ve entered the holidays with pockets full of paper lists, budgets saved onto your hard drive, and post-it note reminders about the tasks you need to finish. From experience, you know this scattered approach only makes your job harder. It’s time you learn from your mistakes and start the holidays on the right foot by downloading The Christmas List, an organizing app that helps streamline all your seasonal tasks into one convenient place. It also provides a helpful financial advice through its budgeting analytic features, plus so many more add-ons that will simplify your holiday preparations. AllRecipe’s Dinner Spinner Sometimes our mouth is faster than our brains, which is why it’s so easy to invite your friends and family for dinner before you realize you aren’t a great cook. Don’t worry if you’re hopeless in the kitchen. The Dinner Spinner app offers up thousands of recipes based on recommendations and dietary restrictions. Each recipe comes with easy-to-follow instructions that even a novice chef can follow so you can cook up a holiday feast with minimal effort. When you’re constantly swiping through a recipe with messy fingers, you can do some damage to your smartphone, tablet, or iPad. If you plan on keeping your gadget in the kitchen, make sure it can handle the heat with a handset, tablet, or iPad skin. It adds a grime- and water-resistant layer, so your device is safe from any bubbling sauce or dough smattered hand. If you have the time, you can even make your new iPhone 8 stand out from the crowd with a personalized skin of your design. Vivino Wine Scanner Part of the reason why so many of your friends accepted your dinner invitation was not the dish they could expect on the table but the glass of wine that they’ll have in hand. No special feast is without a nice bottle of wine, but finding the perfect vintage for the meal you prepared can be a challenge if you’re used to budget varietals. Don’t let your inexperience as a sommelier prevent you from getting a tasty bottle of red or white. Just download the Vivino Wine Scanner, and you’ll have a professional in your back pocket. All you have to do is snap a picture of the bottle you’re thinking of and the app will show you food pairing suggestions, reviews, ratings, and any nearby deals you can snag on the same bottle of wine. Secret Santa Tombola Sometimes it’s the people on your list that make your holidays difficult. You know the ones: they never manage to make a list, and they’re cagey about what they want. No amount of time will solve a problem like these people. Luckily, the Secret Santa Tombola app can help you find a gift for the impossible person on your list without wasting any more time than you have to. It acts as your personal shopper by choosing a thoughtful gift for those on your list. Are we missing any? Once you’ve spent some time on the App Store, let us know if there are any holiday-themed apps that are missing from the list. Like the Vivino Wine Scanner and AllRecipes Dinner Spinner, there are many ‘everyday’ apps that you can co-opt for the season so cast your net wide. However, you end up spending the holidays, check in with your phone first.

It might just be the reason you reach the New Year with your nerves intact!

[pashterlengkap]

Pete Buttigieg “has your back” during this busy holiday travel season

As holiday travel kicked into high gear this week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg assured Americans that his department “has your back.” In a video message posted to X on Thursday, the out secretary touted improvements to the country’s aviation system since last year’s disastrous holiday travel season. As The Hill noted, more Americans are expected to travel this year than have since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Buttigieg said that flight cancellations have actually been lower this year than they were prior to 2020. Related: Pete Buttigieg slams Republicans for complaining about flight delays but trying to cut funding This weekend could be the busiest for air travel ever. Buttigieg also reassured viewers that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has “secured enforceable commitments from the ten largest airlines to cover expenses for things like rebooking, meals” and other expenses related to flight delays and cancellations and noted that travelers are entitled to a full cash refund if their flights are canceled for any reason. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our daily newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Promotions (occasional) * Week in Good News (one on the Weekend) * Week in Review (one on the Weekend) * Daily Brief (one each weekday) * Sign Up “Our work as a watchdog has helped get over $2.5 billion returned from airlines to travelers,” Buttigieg said. He also noted the department’s efforts to get all airlines to offer fee-free family seating. He directed travelers to the DOT’s new online dashboard at flightrights.gov, which provides information on the commitments the department has gotten airlines to make to protect passengers’ rights. We’re anticipating today to be the peak day for flights ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend. As you prepare for your trip, visit https://t.co/1QkmVqmAaB to learn what your airline is required to cover in case of a controllable delay or cancellation. pic.twitter.com/xgUZaIbM0Y— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) December 21, 2023 Earlier this week, the DOT announced a $140 million civil penalty against Southwest Airlines for “numerous violations of consumer protection laws during and after the operational failures that canceled 16,900 flights and stranded over two million passengers” last Christmas. In a press release, the department touted the penalty as 30 times larger than any previously levied by the DOT for consumer protection violations. “Today’s action sets a new precedent and sends a clear message: if airlines fail their passengers, we will use the full extent of our authority to hold them accountable,” said Buttigieg. “Taking care of passengers is not just the right thing to do — it’s required, and this penalty should put all airlines on notice to take every step possible to ensure that a meltdown like this never happens again.” According to the December 18 release, the “DOT has issued the highest amount in fines ever against airlines for failing to refund customers promptly and for unlawfully keeping passengers on the tarmac for hours” under Buttigieg. The department previously secured more than $600 million in refunds and reimbursements from Southwest for passengers whose travel plans were disrupted last year. Those refunds came in large part due to significant changes the airline made to its customer service plan at Buttigieg’s urging in September 2022. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden trumpeted the Southwest penalty in a post on X. “Taxpayers kept airlines afloat during COVID-19,” he wrote. “They should get a better deal.” My Administration filed a $140 million penalty against Southwest Airlines for its 2022 holiday meltdown. This is on top of $600 million @USDOT secured in refunds for passengers who faced disruptions. Taxpayers kept airlines afloat during COVID-19. They should get a better deal.— President Biden (@POTUS) December… http://dlvr.it/T0dzP0

[bestatruesentiment]

When You Should Start Planning Your Christmas Lighting Installation

Are you tired of settling for Christmas lighting that’s less than the very best? Do you want your Christmas lighting to be a topic of discussion and awe not just during the winter months but all year long? It might seem odd to be thinking about Christmas lighting installation in July, but the truth is, this is the time of year when you may want to “get out in front of this” so to speak. As holiday lighting contractors, we’ve helped many folks throughout Southern California to have the best holiday lighting for many years.

When You Should Start Planning The short answer is: now. Here, in late July/early August, now is the time to consider reaching out to Christmas lighting installation pros. The truth is that, if you wait any longer, others aren’t going to. Here at True Sentiment, folks start contacting us about holiday lighting at this time or, frankly, even earlier in the year. Doing so now ensures that you’re going to be able to schedule us when you want to schedule us, thus making certain you have the Christmas lighting that you want.

Why Start Planning Your Christmas Lighting Installation Early In addition to being able to schedule us when you want (which is no small thing), the earlier you start planning the earlier we can start planning. Here at True Sentiment, we have installed many Christmas lighting installations all throughout Southern California, each unique and eye-catching in their own way. If you have something in mind, we can make it a reality, building on it with what we’ve discovered over our years of experience. By that same token, we can design something for you “from the ground up,” so to speak, too.

Customized Christmas Lighting Installation and Maintenance At True Sentiment, we’re busy all year long. That said, the holiday season might very well be our busiest, as we install Christmas lighting all throughout the area. We can install Christmas lights that will make your home the one that onlookers could potentially come from far away to drive by, or, alternatively, we can install Christmas lighting for your places of business, too. We’ve installed Christmas lighting on just about any kind of building in just about any kind of way: from the most simple, elegant design, to something as grandiose as it is epic. We can tailor your Christmas lights to what you want them to be. Then, our maintenance services can make sure that they’re working as they should be, too.

Outdoor Lighting Contractors for All Seasons Hopefully, you’re reading this blog around the time that the leaves are beginning to change. That way, you can reach out to us and schedule us for the Christmas lighting installation that you want. However, should you read this a bit later than that, it’s still worth it to reach out to us. Of course, in addition to installing your Christmas lights, we completely handle all of the “taking down,” too, safely, quickly, and efficiently. To see how we can help, reach out to us today through our site or by giving us a call.

[atlanticcanada]

N.B. craft alcohol producers frustrated over very substantial tax mark-up

The summer season is the busiest time of the year for Flying Boats Brewing owner Marc Melanson and now he has another thing to worry about.

NB Liquor is making changes to the mark-up structure for local craft alcohol producers in the province, meaning a can of Melanson's beer will jump in price from $4.85 to $5.19.

The planned implementation for producers is meant to help the industry, but it’s leaving some frustrated.

���This increase at NB Liquor is going to only stay with NB Liquor. So, we don't keep any of that price increase to help our margins. So, it's solely a price increase, a tax increase let's call it,” said Melanson. "We're going to get a lot of customers complaining about the price increase that we didn't implement but was implemented by the monopoly NB Liquor.”

Melanson said it’s hard enough to be a microbrewer without having to deal with the new mark-up structure.

“It's a very tough battle because with all the supply chain issues we've had and all the price increases throughout the components we use in our beer, in our products, now we're being hit with a very substantial tax mark-up of which we keep nothing of. It's just solely going to increase their profit margins,” said Melanson.

Doug Williams, vice president of Craft Alcohol NB, said beer, cider, wine, mead and spirits producers received a letter from the crown corporation a little over two weeks ago saying the mark-ups were changing from a volume model to a percentage one.

He said that change means the increase would be 20 per cent in some cases for some producers.

“It's going to have a huge impact on the industry. This is the single biggest change in the markup structure at ANBL in 25 years, in the 25 years craft products have really been around,” said Williams.

In some cases, the cost of a 473-millilitre can of beer will be pushed over the $5 price-point.

"For a lot of producers, there's a fear that once it goes over $5 [a can] that they're going to lose a lot of market share because it's sort of a psychological price-point for a lot of consumers,” said Williams.

Craft alcohol producers have told Williams the change has shocked and angered them and he fears it could close some businesses.

NB Liquor spokesperson Emilie Dow said as the local beverage industry matures, the goal of the new markup strategy is to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry.

“While we understand their concern, local producers are given the choice whether they maintain their current case costs, and pass the adjustment on to the customer, or hold the retail prices and adjust their case costs,” said Dow in an email to CTV News.

Dow said NB Liquor takes a significantly lower margin for craft alcohol products made in the province, which means they pay local producers more for their products than they do for the much larger national ones.

“We ensure these products are in our stores and make them available for resale to agents, licensees and grocery because they are products our customers want and because we believe in supporting our local suppliers,” said Dow.

Jeff Grandy, owner and president of Holy Whale Brewing, doesn't even have his products on the shelves at NB Liquor, but feels compelled to speak out against the change on behalf of the industry.

He sees it as a targeted or hidden tax on anyone who consumes craft alcohol.

“This tax will definitely eliminate some of us. That's 100 per cent for sure,” said Grandy.

Grandy believes everyone has a certain price of what they're going to spend on a tall boy of beer.

“At a certain point, we can't raise the prices to $6 a beer, $7 a beer,” said Grandy. “Some of us are just going to die. The consumers just can't accept it and won't be able to pay that.”

The planned implementation date is July 17.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/vOD8Wnj