#but it’s around 308 steps and very much A Climb

[graveyardrabbit]

Point Reyes Lighthouse

11/12/2023

[lockdownuk]

Lockdown Diary Part 11

A personal account during the lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online.

Day 301: Up at 1pm after a good few bevvies last night. usual Saturday stuff but my walk was astop/start affair due to yet more flooding. 

Facebook today informed me that Karen Wyles died suddenly. It really shocked me. I saw Guy and Gail while out walking (nice to bump into them and chat) and they told me it was a heart attack! I sent K a WhatsApp just in case she’d not heard. I put a few words on FB. I had known Karen for a long time and, while I took the piss a lot, she was a friend (that I often didn’t deserve) and a good person....I felt a responsibility to say something nice as a small homage.

During the week I ordered new boots (since my Merrells are fucked after only  few months but I am getting my money back) and, today, I also ordered McKenzie Attwood trainers (£20 cheap as fuck from JD Sports sale), slippers and jogging bottoms from Amazon. 

Now I am going to have pizza, drink, smoke and watch The Equalizer 2 (for the umpteenth time - I watched the first one last night). I could watch Tenet - Miles has given me his Amazon login details, which is pretty fucking cool of him, but I’m not in the mood.

Posh beat MK 3-0 at home. I fucking love beating them. It’s extremely satisfying.

Right, it’s Saturday, it’s nearly 9pm, time I got on it.

Day 302: Not the most mental night last night but still 4am-ish when I went to bed, so I am very pleased to type that I was up before my alarm this morning. But, also, as I type, at gone 10pm, I am fucking knackered. Just about to tuck into spicy-as-fuck sauasage casserole, wtach MotD2 and then bed!

Day 303: Slippers arrived today but they’re going back. Too tight in the left foot. I’m not wearing slippers in FFS!

Day 304: New trainers (McKenzie Attwoods) arrived. Now, this footwear I shall keep. £20, bargain.

Posh came from a goal down to beat Charlton at home 2-1. Nice.

I made some veg soup today and, quite frankly, it’s fucking stupidly chilli-fied. Barely edible.

Day 305: New trainers are sweet - wore them for my morning exercise routine. Pretty comfy - after a few wears, they’ll be ace, I think.

Got served notice on the house on Monday (why I didn’t enter that on day 303, I do not know). Lynda, from Woodfords, says a semi-detached place in Havelock Cottages is coming up that looks promising. I contacted Emily at Aspire today, there’s a two bed terrace in Basset Place coming up so i am looking at that on Monday. Choice of 2 I do hope! First is £700 pm, second £725.

Day 306: Flipping frustrating “nothing works” day at work, It’s been like it all year so far. Tbf, Sueanne gets it and is quite supportive, even though she dives in when I’ve been dealing with problems that drag on! It’s Thursday, I can’t wait for tomorrow and, I am all to aware, I am wishing what little life I have left away.

Spoke with dad, he had his first vaccination jab on Tuesday in Spalding - he said it was a very efficient process (he was full of praise) and that the jab itself was no bother, with no after effects apart from a slightly sore arm. Excellent!

Day 307: Not even one beer (Saporro) in, and I feel wasted. A toke has helped.

Day 308: New Scarpa boots arrived today and, while they will need some wearing in, I did the stair climb and a 45min walk in them. I think they are going to be ace. Just as well as the Merrells are falling apart.

I have decided to listen to the Rush back catalogue, 2112 (4th) is playing as I type. It’s been a trip down memory lane and a bloody good one!

I had a few beers last night, as yesterday’s entry confirms, which included a video catch up with Fog, Ham and Andy P. Gonna chat with Fog later tonight as well.

I watched King of Statten Island last night. I liked it but, in some parts, it was smultzy as hell, rendering it a 6/10. Later, I’m watching Outside the Wire and eating pizza. Can’t wait!

I reset my mobile yesterday ‘cos it’s been playing up. What a fucking ball ache, logging on to all the different apps, all the little settings you get so used to, only to miss them when set back to defaults. Things like the camera settings - photo size and watermark....ooooh, just realised, ‘first world problems’! Get a grip, Tim!

Day 309: SNOW! Thick and crisp and uneven. I walked 11.9km in it today and it fucking well knackered me out. The old Merrells held their own in the snow as well, totally waterproof and, for such a light boot, remarkably warm. I will actually be sorry to see them go.

Danny sent me a link to a free week’s worth of receipes from Hello Fresh (he’s nuts for it) so I and ordered one, worth nearly £40! 

Posh won away from home yesterday at Ipswich. Now, get this: the stats on the BBC’s report showed Posh had no shots on target but still won 0-1. How, might one ask? Own goal, that’s how. Piss funny!

Day 310: I am aching today. Walking in the snow yesterday certainly exercised different muscles than walking in mud. And, today, I walked less than normal, usual lunchtime but only 4km (instead of 8) in the evening. 

‘Cos of the snow, the woman from Aspire cried off showing me around 3 Bassett Place. At first I was well pissed off but, looking at the roads and traffic situation around Oundle, it was the right decision (she’d have had to get here from Nassington - a bit treacherous),

It’s just gone 8pm. I am going to eat and go to bed. It’s too fucking cold even with the heating on!

Day 311: Rearranged the viewing of Bassett Place tomorrow - I rang them ‘cos I saw it advertised on Facebook, FFS! My walk tonight was mad...melting snow, rain/sleet, ice made for fucking hard work. Plus, since I am wearing in the new Scarpas, I wore the Merrells. The right boot is now, most definitely not waterproof! Got home about 8pm, changed bed sheets, showered and made diner...bloody knackered. It’s now 11pm and I am off to beddy byes.

Day 312: Viewed Bassett Place and I really like it. It is advertised at £750pm but Emily (from Aspire) said it was £725. Sarah, who showed me round said there may be some leeway for the right tenant so i’ve asked if it could be done for £700. If so, I’ll take it. It’s a large two bed mid terrace, bigger than here (36, East Road), similar type place, just what I want. Fingers crossed.

Day 313: Having slept on it, I do believe I definitely want 3 Bassett Place. I phone Sarah at Apsire to say as much. She told me she’d forwarded my details and offer to the landlord and is waiting to hear. As yesterday, fingers crossed.

I couldn’t take the pic of the field for the Morning Walk album, too flooded due to melting snow. On that note, my new boots are getting worn in both by wear and by superficial looks, it’s that filthy out there. I need to clean them. I wonder that, if I’d cleaned the Merrells, they might have lasted a bit longer. That being said, no amount of cleaning would have save the soles from wearing as thin as quickly as they did.

Day 314: Typing on Day 315. I didn’t get Bassett Place, the landlord gave it to a couple who offerred full asking price. To say I was fucked off is an understatement. I phoned Emily to let her know as much. Tbf, she explained that the snow (delaying my original viewing) wasn’t her fault and that she is at the mercy of the landlord. Fair enough, when I heard her POV. But, I am still gutted. I should have gone for the full £750!

Glad the working week is over (I am really wishing my life away so far this year).

Long walk to Cotterstock - amazing light behind the clouds with a wolf moon (which I just looked up - full moon, basically) - I just wish I was a bit better at night photography, or at least the camera on the Mi9 was. However, once I tweak them a bit and post them, the feed back is usually good. In fact, I posted one on the move last night and someone on FB has asked if they can paint it!

Meatballs for tea and beers.

I have decided, when the year of this log is up, that I’ll end it (the diary, not my life, though that dark thought is never far away!). I have reached this decision because, while this diary is really only for me, it is as boring as fuck, really. I’ll continue to write a log but randomly, when the day’s events warrant it. It’ll be on the main Tumblr.

Day 315: Typing this on day 316. Up at 1pm-ish. Morning exercise routine, long walk curtailed by flooding (again!) more beers, smokes and trash food. Posh lost 2-0 away to Shrewsbury (a bit of a bogey team).

Day 316: Up at 1pm yet again. I really didn't feel like any exercise but I did the usual regardless. Google Fit isn’t fucking working!

I have got to start stopping these ridiculously late Friday and Saturday nights. My weekend is over before it’s begun. This coming Friday, I am not going to do the really long walk in the evening that i have become accustomed to - just a 8km one that I do most evening, and then start drinking earlier so as to go to bed early. If I can get out of bed in the Saturday morning, perhaps do a couple of long walks so as to get the weekly steps up.

Day 317: My left foot, during my lunchtime walk, killed. I must have sopped and undone & redone my laces 6 times. Dunno wtf is going on with the Scarpas. I wore my Merrells for the evening walk. I tried to got to Cotterstock but it was too flooded on the road just before the bridge!

Ordered new joggers, a boot brush and some new wireless earbuds (Mifo 05 plus Gen 2 - bought them off eBay -I hope they are the real deal, it’s the very latest spec and £74.99 instead of £89.99 from the Mifo website).

Day 318: I went shopping at 10.15pm mainly for pizza and party food since I have booked Monday off because it’s the Superbowl (Tampa vs Kansas) and booze! No fucking Sapporo. It was eerie shopping that late at the superstore in Corby. Boots still hurting (Merrells in the evening). Day 319: New ear buds arrived. Well impressed. So did the boot brush (BootBuddy) - on that note, boots weren’t so bad at lunchtime. I didn’t wear them in the evening but I think it’s just a ‘wearing them in’ thing, hopefully.

Day 320: Hello Fresh delivery day. I had pork and chipotle black bean tacos with pickled red onion, chipotle tomatoes and lettuce. It’s a good set up, decent ingredients and nice recipe sheets...but I don't need it, I’m good enough in the kitchen. And, I am no fan of minced pork. I am not being a fair judge though. Today, my sugars have been all over the place over 21 and under 2 mmol/L. I nearly fell asleep trying to recover from a low before my evening walk. When I got back (soaked - it was pissing down), I was over 21 by the time I had cooked it all....puts me off actually eating, even though I have to! Rang Barry Haddon today, to see how he is. I think he’s OK but, strangely, told me, during conversation, that he’s 77 years old. I don't think so! I also texted Posh Dave. I think he’s struggling being on his own (he lost mum and dad last year, I think). I must make more contact with him. I might call him over the weekend.

Day 321: Typing on Day 322 (well, 1am on day 323 actually). It was nice finishing work knowing I have Monday off. I also din’t do an extra long walk this evening as with most Fridays. Cooked the send Hello fresk meal, Mango chicken tacos -diced chicken thighs - it was alright. Rog video called so had a good chat with him and I invited Foggy to it (he was at his cousin John’s funeral today), so the three of us chewed the cud for a bit. I then went onto get fucking shitfaced. I couldn’t make it to bed with low sugars, lying on the runner rug, fell asleep, got up and could only make it top the living room rug..I felt so dodgy but I was too fucked and too full to even take more than a swig of coke. I think I’m going to fall asleep one drunken night, slip into a coma and then die. I can think of worse ways to go. Day 322: Typing  very late, it’s actually Sunday morning, 1.07am. I got out of bed at gone 2.30pm today. I managed my morning routine and a 8km walk (in the Scarpas, they are getting more comfortable since my episode of pain a few days ago; definitely a wearing in process). No booze after last night’s debacle. I am going to hit it during the Superbowl tomorrow though. The Hello fresh meal tonight was pasta chicken bake with pepper and courgette. Fucking lovely and I coudln’t eat it all. I’ve lerant that adding creme fresh to pasta, whacking it on top of meat and sauce on a casserole bowl and baking it for 15 minutes is the way to go. I watched The Dig tonight. It’s a good film but fucking glum. Posh won at home to Crewe today, 2-0. They are now 4th. Day 323:Bright as a button today, up at around 11:00am despite switch in the bedroom light off at just before 3am. Today’s walk was fucking hard work. It’s wintry, the wind was keen, strong and full of icy particles just not quite sleet. The fields between Park Wood and Monson Way were bloody tough. One wrong foot and you’d slip over. I did about 10 km; it took over 2 hours and felt like twice the distance.  I’ve just eaten Hello Fresk teryaki mince. It was good. One beer in, a film (probably One Night in Miami) and then Superbowl time. Day 324: The Superbowl was good. Tampa beat Kansas 31-9. The second half was a damp squib since Kansas never made a go of it. Tom Brady won his 7th ring. He is to American football what Federer is to tennis. The Weeknd half time show was excellent. So, it was about 4am I went to bed, nicely pissed. Up at just after 1pm. Exercise, omelette, long walk, done some washing. About to make the last Hello Fresh meal and watch One Night in Miami which I didn’t manage last night.   Richard sent me a message (screen shot of a) house up for shared ownership in Oundle (Sharmann & Quinney) - I need to look into what that is all about.

Day 325: Shared ownership isn’t straightforward and, actually, I have discovered that I need to look at something call ‘older persons shared ownership’ when I hit 55. Jon at work wants me to get involved in two additional pieces of work, he told me at the SUMO today (Sueanne is off) - he did say that “that’s what happens if you have a day off! Finished the last of the Hello Fresh (last night’s sausage bolognese including homemade garlic bread using a Tiger loaf from Co-Op which was reduced to 28p. I didn’t watch One Night in Miami last night. Shock. Day 326: I spoke with Lynda from Woodfords yesterday, viewing 13 Havelock Cottages tomorrow. Also, yesterday, Posh beat Ipswich 2-1 at home. They came from behind. Ipswich have never beaten Posh away. Simon Banwell posted on FB berating some new legislation whereby potentially people who travel and lie about it (the destination) are liable for 10 years in prison. His gripe is people get less for murder. I am beyond words...the potential for mass deaths of such actions! I tried to argue that case but it is, as always on social media, flogging a dead horse. Rachel Harris jumped on Simon’s bandwagon whereas Tim Francis posted a ‘well said’ to me (I think it’s genuine). Day 327: Carrying on directly from above; Candice Bellingsea, Rachel’s niece, Carla’s daughter, was also ‘vocal’ in defence of Simon’s post, joining in with the clamour for relaxation of lockdown (at the expense of safety) - citing more people commit suicide because of the mental pressure than die of covid. Well, today, I investigated and posted a FB status to poo-poo such claims. It felt good (and right) to address Candice’s ridiculous post albeit, I didn’t call her out directly but did have part of her comment on Simon’s post directly quoted in my status. I went to see 13 Havelock today. It’s OK. Not perfect but more than alright. When I left there I was very much in two minds but now, at 10:30pm, the place is growing on me. Still part of me thinks to hold out - I have got around 5 month’s notice left - but, if I let it go (and Lynda from Woodford’s has already said the landlord is happy for me to move in), I might regret it. I keep thinking of 3 Bassett Place though...if only I had said yes to £750 straightaway. That place would be perfect, I reckon. One major concern with 13 is the neighbours. There’s no way I could have my usual Friday and Saturday night revelry. But...I’ll sleep on it. I have only just finished doing some work - pissing about with Smartview Essbase (with Simon Welch’s help - he’s a bloody good bloke - no need to be so helpful, but he’s more than happy to be) - I sent him a Teams message to arrange a catch up tomorrow with some questions I have regarding the installation - he only bloody answered - working as late as I am! I have managed to watch some of One Night in Miami. Going to finish it now with a dirty, microwave hamburger for tea.

Day 328: Typing on day 329. Usual Friday but not so mad in the evening. One Night in Miami was good. For Friday’s viewing I chose Greenland. Not so good. Only 4 beers and two spliffs. I’m getting old! Day329: Up at 1pm, usual exercise including a long old walk. It included walking along the river (Oundle Mill bridge to the marina) for the fist time this year. The floods are in evidence but, obviously, receded enough to get through - that, or the resulting water, mud and boginess is frozen. I really enjoyed it today but it was freezing - the wind was evil at certain points. Tea’s on the go, beer in hand and I am going to watch War Dogs.  Posh’s game was off today due to a frozen pitch. Day 330: Typing on day 331. It wasn’t a mad Saturday night but mad enough to not be up until gone midday. Another nice long walk, Walk and eat is all I really do nowadays. I can’t even muster any enthusiasm to do housework since I am going to be out of here soon. I called Posh Dave in the evening. It was good to chat and I think he appreciated the call. He’s on his own and struggling, I get the impression. He told me both Matt Baxter (bowel) and Adi Mowles (neck) are undergoing treatment for cancer.

[drunklander]

Drunj!Der Yells About Outlander

Thoughts on Ep. 308

I’m an Eeyore, blah, blah, blah, whatever, sorry. Ramblings under the cut but seriously maybe just keep scrolling. Why am I even here.

Oh cool. More voiceovers. They’re bugging me way more this season than they used to and I’m not sure why. Maybe because they’re not used as much so when they show up again it’s more jarring?

Young Ian being proud of his skills as a criminal is adorable. Young Ian being proud that Fergus thinks he’s a good criminal is adorable. Young Ian in general is adorable. I’m basically just hanging on to how much I like Young Ian because I’d like to be positive about something.

Ok, I’m sorry, I want to like Jenny. But jfc. Calling Claire a stray? I get that she has complicated feelings about the situation or whatever but can people please stop treating Claire like she’s a piece of crap who no one wants around? It’s getting old. And annoying af.

Also, can Claire please stand up for herself? Like Claire. You suffered enough and were shit on for so long. You don’t need to put up with this crap anymore. You didn’t fucking kill a guy in cold blood. A guy tried to fucking rape you, you defended yourself, he fell, and you tried and failed to save him. That’s a far cry from the fucking murder they’re making it out to be. And it took all of one fucking sentence to explain.

Although good on Jenny for seconding how Claire called out Jamie last week for how he was with Young Ian. Because wtf, Jamie.

Oh hey, Jamie remembers how he learned that beating people isn’t the best form of “punishment.” The smallest of gold stars for you, JAMMF.

Ok I don’t get why they didn’t just have Janet be Kitty. Like we’ve been introduced to Young Jamie, Maggie, Kitty and Ian. Why bother even introducing another rando Murray kid?

Also, did the Murray kids start having babies at like 16? Because the smols running around are pretty old considering Maggie and Young Jamie are like in their early 20s.

Also if Claire and Jamie lived at Lallybroch for a year that the show basically skipped over in season two, Young Jamie would probs definitely remember Claire. But cool that the show needs literally everyone to make Claire feel unwelcome. *eye roll*

Not sure how I feel about Jenny acting like she was entitled to Jamie sharing his grief. Like that’s his call? You’re not entitled to anything? I get wanting to help your brother and stuff, but idk. She seems to be making it about her and what she needed and I’m not here for that?

“I barely wanted to breathe, let alone speak of it.” Cool, Jamie, then maybe start acting like you actually want Claire around? Because last week you were a douchenozzle of epic proportions to her.

Good on Jenny for knowing Jamie’s full of shit when he tells her the BS about where Claire went. The story like isn’t really believable.

Yes, Claire. Tell Jenny the truth. Dooo it.

But fuck Jamie for thinking Jenny wouldn’t be able to accept the truth about Claire. Literally everything in this episode makes it seem like she’d believe them. And it’d work so well if they’d just tell her. If they tell her next week, fine, but I’ll still be mildly annoyed because like why drag it out unnecessarily?

Also, they bring up Murtagh and Jamie forgets to tell Claire he’s alive? Because if she knows and they had that conversation off-screen I’ma be pissed.

The shots of Jamie climbing up to the tower thing are so overly dramatic I can’t even. Like when his hands come up over the wall thing but then he just like casually steps over it. Like wat? What am I watching.

Also the jewels in that box look like the plastic stuff I had in my dress up box when I was a kid.

Caitriona Balfe’s face during the whole greylag thing kills me. Basically Caitriona Balfe’s face during this whole episode kills me. *throws awards at Caitriona Balfe’s face*

Glad they didn’t have the kiddos interrupt sex because Joan is basically a fetus, but the “daddy” thing is still so weird. Especially from Marsali. An 18 year old who calls her stepdad “daddy” is fucking weird. Especially if that stepdad only lived with them for a couple months.

Good to see Laoghaire is still just as fucking terrible as ever. *eye roll* Seriously. After ep. 208, I was like cautiously optimistic that maybe Laoghaire would have some character growth. Like yeah, she’s still fucking insane, but to have her just barge in with the same old over the top “my whole purpose in life is hating Claire because I’m unhealthily obsessed with Jamie” nonsense is annoying af.

Claire’s reaction during this terrible nonsense, though... *throws more awards at Caitriona Balfe’s face*

Ok Joan’s adorable and Da!Jamie is lovely, but like, did we really need to spend this much time on this scene? I get it, Jamie loves the girls. Jamie really loves being a dad. But I’m just getting really annoyed that literally anything and everything keeps taking precedence over Claire, and fixing the relationship between her and Jamie.

“Well there are other redheaded men in Scotland, Claire.” Jfc, dude. Read the fucking room. Does this really look like the right time for sass? He’s been so hot and cold toward her it’s like fucking whiplash since she came back and now that his other marriage is out there he like can’t stop for a minute and fucking be serious with her? Fucking asshole.

“You’re the one that told me to be kind to the lass!” Go fuck yourself, Jamie. Do not throw this back on Claire. Claire asking Jamie to thank Laoghaire could be part of how Jamie rationalizes it being ok to marry her to himself, but to throw it on Claire like somehow that’s the equivalent of her giving her blessing is not a good look. Fucking own your damn choices, Fraser.

“I’m a coward. I couldn’t tell you, but I’ll totally twist your words so I can feel good about myself for marrying someone I know tried to kill you.” Yes. Jamie. You’re a fucking coward. Own that cowardice. Sit in that fucking cowardice. Don’t fucking say you’re a coward and then immediately try to throw the blame for the situation back on Claire. Own your fucking mess, dude. You fucked up. You need to work to fix that. Jfc.

Yaaas Claire, call him on his bullshit about leaving him. Call him on ALL THE BULLSHIT. Seriously her face though. *throws awards*

Ok don’t you mansplain your manpain at Claire, bro. She had 20 fucking years of manpain being mansplained at her and my girl deserves fucking better.

Really wish Claire would throw more back at Jamie. She still hasn’t gotten across to him just how hard things were for her. It really does seem like Jamie thinks he won the pain and suffering contest. (It’s not a contest, but it’s getting super old that he seems to think she just went back to this cushy life and sure, was sad, but because he was in prison and a cave and stuff he somehow has the moral high ground now.)

Claire spent 20 years not being able to speak. She spent 20 years just enduring a terrible situation and not being allowed to feel or grieve or be herself. Jamie needs to fucking hear that. Because how dare he think that she doesn’t know what it’s like to live without a heart. How fucking dare he. Fucking drag him, Claire. He needs to hear it and you need to say it. But of course we don’t get that. Because have you seen this season? Why would they start treating Claire well now. It’s only 8 episodes into a 13 episode season. Ugh.

I know Jamie’s like insecure and jealous and whatever but at some point who gives a fuck about Jamie’s manpain. Claire needs to say her piece and she still hasn’t been able to and I’m really annoyed about it apparently.

Also I really wish they cut them starting to rage bang and instead just had them yell more. Because they’re definitely not done yelling. Yes. They use sex to communicate, but rage banging isn’t going to make things better. Especially rage banging that isn’t welcome on Claire’s side at first. They haven’t done enough actual communicating yet. And by they, I mean Claire. Let Claire fucking speak, show.

Like oh hey, Jamie says he loves her, but like I’m distracted by Claire not wanting him to touch her and him still touching her? And you haven’t been acting like you love her, Jamie, so this line feels like the same lip-service as you saying you were a coward and then immediately punting blame?

Ok fuck Jenny very much for her little rant at Claire. Yes, it’s fucked up that Claire dropped off the face of the earth. And I get she had to see Jamie go through a ton of shit. But to just automatically be this much of a dick to Claire? Jfc. I’m so over everyone being a fucking dick to Claire. Claire needs a fucking spa weekend or some shit.

But ffs, why can’t they just tell Jenny and Ian the fucking truth. (If it happens next week I’m just going to be annoyed. They’ve set it up like 23985230589 different ways this week to do it. Just fucking do it.)

“I’m still the same person you fell in love with.” But you’re really fucking not, Jamie. That’s the whole fucking point. Ughhh, wtf.

Ok but where the fuck did Laoghaire get this gun? Like who gave her a pistol? (Yes, I know, it’s from the book. It’s still fucking stupid.) There has to have been a way to do the Laoghaire stuff in this episode that isn’t like dialed up to 11 on the crazy meter. Because this is just absurd.

Also wtf is with Claire’s like body check thing? Like push her away or something if you have to but like full on hockey checking her or whatever is dumb af?

Oh hey, Young Ian is being a cinnamon roll again about Claire’s surgical tools. Just going to enjoy that for a minute. Keep being adorable, Young Ian.

“You’re the only one who calls me [Auntie].” “Uncle Jamie’s lucky you’re here.” PROTECT YOUNG IAN AT ALL COSTS. GET HIM A WOLF PUP TO ASSIST WITH THIS.

Ok but wouldn’t Claire feel that Jamie has a fever when she’s checking his bandages? No? Ok, whatever. Moving on.

Jamie’s face when Claire’s giving him the cup makes me want to smack him a little. Like, dude, do you not know how much shit you’re in? Like his little smile and heart eyes or whatever he’s doing there makes it seem like he’s not taking the situation as seriously as he should be.

Making Jamie agreeing to marry Laoghaire be all about the kids is the only way it could possibly work even a little, I guess? Because yeah, Jamie wants to be a dad. A lot. But still, two minutes with rando children at a party is really not enough to then say you’ll spend the rest of your life with the crazy bitch you know tried to kill your wife in an effort to get you to love her. Also, there are approximately 29358238923598 smols running around Lallybroch and I’m guessing a fair number of other widows out there who aren’t fucking insane. Whatever. Jamie’s reasons for wanting to get married are all legit. But I’m still side-eyeing the choice of woman given what he knows about her. (Yes, it’s in the book. Yes, I still get to side-eye it. Yes, he’s still a fucking coward for not telling Claire sooner.)

“To care for Willie...or Brianna.” Cool that Bree’s still the afterthought. Cool cool cool.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of someone being afraid of my touch.” I still wish they would have found a way for the marriage to fail that didn’t involve Laoghaire being a victim of abuse, but given what Jamie went through at Wentworth, that’s a legit reason for him to leave. But like, if the whole thing was about the kids and him being a dad, wouldn’t he fucking move somewhere closer than fucking Edinburgh? I guess the kids don’t actually matter that much? This whole thing is a fucking hot mess.

OK BUT THIS CONVERSATION ON THE STAIRS WITH JENNY WHEN SHE’S TALKING ABOUT NOT KNOWING WHERE CLAIRE CAME FROM AND HOW SHE SAVED THEM WITH THE POTATOES IS THE PERFECT FUCKING TIME TO TELL JENNY THE FUCKING TRUTH AND GAH, WHY CAN’T YOU JUST DO IT. THIS IS APPARENTLY THE HILL I’M WILLING TO DIE ON.

Ned Gowan gets the award for having the correct reaction to seeing Claire again. Gold star for you, Ned Gowan. Ned Gowan, Young Ian and Fergus should start a club for people who aren’t dicks to Claire.

I’m here for Jamie not wanting Laoghaire transported because of the girls. I’d side-eye him like whoa if he wanted to go that route. But jfc, they can’t use that as leverage to lower the alimony? Like sure, send them some money so you don’t leave the kids hanging, but not the insane amount she was apparently asking for?

“I’m just not sure if we belong together anymore.” I hate that they end the episode like this, with no actual resolution between them. Like I’d like to think that Claire would never believe what she says, but jfc, she’s been treated basically like how Frank had treated her by pretty much everyone except Fergus and Young Ian since she got back. To the point where she’s fucking romanticizing the 20 years she spent just going through the motions and being basically emotionally abused by a vindictive husband. The fact that it doesn’t seem out of character for her to say she thinks it was a mistake kills me because jfc, sorry, but she deserves better than she’s gotten.

“I had a life.” Yeah, one where you were constantly told that you weren’t enough and that you were a horrible person.

“I didn’t hate Boston.” Girl. Listen to yourself. That’s how you phrase it when you’re trying to convince yourself it’s true. Not how you say it when you actually believe it’s true. (I know, she didn’t hate everything 100% of the time, but she’s still just trying to convince herself that what she had was better than it actually was because now that she’s back, she’s just getting more of the same BS thrown at her.)

“I had a career.” Yeah. You did. And you deserve to be around people who respect that and see how important it was to you.

“A home.” You really want to keep those rose colored glasses on about that, Claire? Seriously, I needed her to like lash out at Jamie about what it was really like for her because I still don’t think he fully gets it. Whatever. Le sigh.

“Friends.” Girl you had one friend. Which I guess is more than you have back here... #TeamJoe

Noticeably missing from Claire’s list? Fucking Bree. Wtf?

Can I just give Claire a hug? Because jfc, if someone has ever needed a hug in the history of hugs, it’s Claire.

“It wasn’t so bad, really, was it?” Yes. Yes it was, Claire. And fuck the show for dragging this out for yet another episode. Everything is still somehow Claire’s fault and Claire’s still just like flailing around, trying to be fucking seen and heard for once.

“When has it ever been easy.” Jamie, ffs, don’t brush off her pain like that. Can you just listen for fucking once to what she’s telling you. But nope. He gets like one romantic line per episode and apparently that makes everything cool? Blergh.

Oh hey, a random book line followed immediately by them getting interrupted so lol who cares about that failed emotional beat. I’m sensing a pattern, show. And it’s not one I’m enjoying. At all.

Also there’s no way that fucking ship pulled up its sails or whatever the actual term is that quickly and then dropped them again in the span of like two minutes.

So now we’re off to start the shipnanigans but still no fucking resolution between Jamie and Claire. Because why would you spend part of this episode with them actually working through their shit and coming to a new normal while they’re home at Lallybroch when you can save it for when they’re on a fucking ship in the middle of high seas adventure nonsense? Because lol #angst. Whatever. This is fine. Le sigh.

This show is fucking exhausting.

[j0sgomez-blog]

By Michael Lanza

America’s most stunning landscapes are protected within our 59 national parks, and some of the finest corners of our national heritage can be reached on dayhikes. Many can be done by kids and novice hikers, while others are burlier adventures. Based on a few decades exploring most major U.S. national parks—including numerous trips to popular ones like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Grand Teton, and Zion—I’ve assembled this list of the 25 best dayhikes you can walk in our parks. Start ticking them off this year.

Some of these hikes you may not have done yet or heard of. Others are famous, but there’s a reason for that: They are mind-blowingly gorgeous. For reasons of location, terrain, and unusual natural features, they stand out even in parks with multiple, five-star footpaths. You don’t set out on some these hikes expecting solitude (although you can find it by doing them early or late in the day or outside of peak season; I offer tips below on the best times to do some of these hikes). You go there for a one-of-a-kind experience.

I put together this list of favorite national park dayhikes based on personal experience (and if I’ve missed an outstanding, favorite hike of yours, please suggest it in the comments section below to give me ideas for future trips). I regularly update and expand it whenever I knock off a new trail that belongs here.

Use this as your tick list of great national park dayhikes to knock off, and I guarantee you’ll experience the best miles of trail our National Park System has to offer.

A hiker near Skeleton Point on the Grand Canyon’s South Kaibab Trail.

South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon

You can’t go wrong on any dayhike in the Grand Canyon, but the South Kaibab is widely considered the premier trail in the Big Ditch. Following the crest of a narrow ridge that descends all the way to the Colorado River, it delivers expansive canyon views beginning within minutes of the trailhead.

It’s seven miles and 4,780 vertical feet one-way from the South Rim to the Colorado River—a one-day round-trip appropriate only for very fit hikers with desert-hiking experience, who are carrying enough food and water for a big day (there’s no water along the trail). But you can turn back at any point, choosing the length and difficulty of your hike. Start at first light and you’ll not only have the trail mostly to yourself, you’ll be looking out over the Grand Canyon as the prettiest light of the day spills across it.

See all of my stories about the Grand Canyon’s South Kaibab Trail and all of my stories about the Grand Canyon at The Big Outside.

Click here now for my expert e-guide to hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim!

The bottom curtain of water from Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park.

Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite

Besides it towering granite walls, Yosemite Valley is famous for its waterfalls that plummet hundreds and thousands of feet. The tallest, Upper Yosemite Falls, drops a sheer 1,400 feet (2,425 feet including the middle cascades and Lower Yosemite Falls, making the total waterfall the world’s sixth tallest). At its brink, you’ll traverse a catwalk chiseled out of a granite wall to a ledge (with a safety rail) where you can peer down at the freefalling water and out over Yosemite Valley, nearly 3,000 feet below.

The round-trip hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls is 7.2 miles and 2,700 feet, but you can turn back at any point, such as at Columbia Rock (a mile and 1,000 feet uphill from the trailhead), which has a broad view of Yosemite Valley; or a half-mile farther, near the base of the upper falls, where you can stand in the rain of its intense mist.

See my story “The Magic of Hiking to Yosemite’s Waterfalls,” and all of my stories about Yosemite.

  Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside, which has made several top outdoors blog lists. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip. Please follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

  Bighorn sheep along the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park.

Highline Trail, Glacier

From 6,646-foot Logan Pass, the high point on Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Highline Trail traverses north across rolling, alpine terrain above treeline, with uninterrupted views of the park’s jagged peaks and soaring cliffs. It’s common to see bighorn sheep and mountain goats along the trail, and occasionally sight a black bear or even a grizzly (bring binoculars).

Hike in daylight as a bear-safety precaution, but start early morning, before most hikers, for the best chances of seeing wildlife. Distance options include turning around at any point or hiking 11.8 miles to The Loop on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which, like Logan Pass, is a stop on the park’s free shuttle bus. Or hike the 7.6 miles from Logan Pass to Granite Park, spend the night at the Granite Park Chalet (make a reservation months in advance); and the next day, either backtrack to Logan Pass or continue over Swiftcurrent Pass and descend to Many Glacier, another 7.6-mile day.

See all of my stories about the Highline Trail and all of my stories about Glacier National Park at The Big Outside.

Gear up right for your hikes. See my reviews of the best hiking shoes and the 7 best daypacks.

Angels Landing, Zion National Park.

Angels Landing and West Rim Trail, Zion

The 2.5-mile, 1,500-foot (one-way) ascent of Angels Landing culminates in one of the airiest and most thrilling half-mile stretches (actually, 0.4 mile) of trail in the entire National Park System: You scale a steep ridge crest of solid rock, on a path at times just a few feet wide, with steps carved out of sandstone and chain handrails in spots (see lead photo at top of story). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Angels Landing really has no peers.

Two tips: If you can hike a strong pace, start early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds and the heat of midday. And after summiting Angels, continue up the West Rim Trail for another mile or two; you’ll not only lose the crowds, you will enjoy increasingly dramatic views of Zion Canyon and venture into a quieter, sublimely beautiful area of giant beehive towers and white walls streaked in red and orange. The trail eventually climbs through exposed switchbacks to the West Rim, roughly five miles and 2,000 feet from The Grotto Trailhead where the hike begins.

See my story “Great Hike: Angels Landing, Zion National Park” and all of my stories about Zion.

The Big Outside helps you find the best adventures. Join now to read ALL stories and get a free e-guide!

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park.

North Rim Trail, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone

With more than 10,000 geothermal features, including hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles, and at least 300 geysers—two-thirds of the planet’s known geysers—Yellowstone is a land of marvels. Plus, you have a virtual guarantee of seeing more bison and elk than you can count and possibly other wildlife like wolves, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, and grizzly and black bears.

But of all the trails in the park, I’ll submit the North Rim Trail, hundreds of feet above the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, as the most spectacular. Traversing the rim for 3.2 miles from Inspiration Point to the overlook of 109-foot Upper Yellowstone Falls, the trail passes several dramatic overlooks of the canyon’s crumbling, golden walls. Don’t pass up the side trip down the steep switchbacks of the half-mile-long Brink of the Lower Falls Trail, which, as advertised, leads to the very lip of 308-foot Lower Yellowstone Falls.

See all of my stories about Yellowstone, including “Ask Me: The Ultimate Family Tour of Yellowstone,” and “Ask Me: The 10 Best Short Hikes in Yellowstone,” which includes the North Rim Trail.

Want more? See “America’s Top 10 Best Backpacking Trips” and “Extreme Hiking: America’s Best Hard Dayhikes.”

David Ports hiking Sahale Arm, North Cascades National Park.

Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm, North Cascades

North Cascades is one of the wildest, most rugged and spectacular, and least-visited parks—and after several trips, one of my favorites. With 9,000 feet of severe relief between the highest, jagged summits and deepest, rainforest valleys, more than 300 glaciers, and year-round snow coverage, the range has earned the nickname the “American Alps.”

But with 93 percent of its nearly 700,000 acres designated as wilderness, much of this park can only be seen by people willing to hike long distances over multiple days. Lucky for dayhikers, the 7.4-mile, 1,800-foot round-trip hike to Cascade Pass delivers views usually reserved for backpackers and climbers. Continue past it up Sahale Arm for steadily expanding views of a sea of pinnacles, ice, and snow. It’s another 4.4 miles and 2,300 feet to the trail’s end at Sahale Glacier Camp, but turn around at any time.

See my story “Exploring the ‘American Alps:’ The North Cascades,” and all of my stories about the North Cascades region at The Big Outside.

See Sahale Glacier Camp in North Cascades in my story “Tent Flap With a View: 25 Favorite Backcountry Campsites.”

Dave Simpson in Garnet Canyon, Grand Teton N.P.

Garnet Canyon, Grand Teton

The Tetons are another mountain range where some of the best views are enjoyed only by hiking many miles or tying into a rope. But Garnet Canyon, where soaring granite walls form a horseshoe beneath the Grand, Middle, and South Tetons and neighboring peaks, offers arguably the best views in the park that you can reach on a moderate dayhike.

From the Lupine Meadows Trailhead, it’s about four-and-a-half miles with more than 2,200 feet of vertical to the grassy area known as The Meadows, where there are campsites by a creek. The last stretch to The Meadows crosses an area of massive boulders beyond the end of the maintained Garnet Canyon Trail, but the views are just as good before the boulders. Hiking to Amphitheater Lake, ringed by cliffs and forest high on Disappointment Peak and reached by a trail that forks off the path to Garnet Canyon, adds four miles out-and-back.

See my stories “Great Hike: Garnet Canyon, Grand Teton National Park” and “Ask Me: 8 Great Big Dayhikes in the Tetons,” and all of my stories about the Tetons.

  Dying to backpack in the Tetons? See my e-guides to the Teton Crest Trail and the best short backpacking trip there.

  Joanne Lanza (my mom, age 81) hiking the Peek-a-Boo Loop in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Navajo-Queens Garden and Peek-a-Boo Loops, Bryce Canyon

Descend into Bryce Canyon on the Navajo Loop/Queens Garden Loop and you’ll walk through a maze of the multi-colored, limestone, sandstone, and mudstone spires called “hoodoos,” which resemble giant, melting candles, including one of the park’s best-known formations, Thor’s Hammer. But continue beyond that popular and short hike onto the Peek-a-Boo Loop, and you will lose the crowds—and discover the scenic heart of Bryce Canyon, hiking below row after row of towers in shades of flourescent red and orange, like the aptly named Wall of Windows.

The hike, mostly on good trails that are easy to follow, weaves among tall hoodoos, passes through doorways blasted through walls of rock, and wraps through amphitheaters of wildly colored, slender spires—a delightful, half-day hike that constantly changes character. The six-mile loop, with a cumulative elevation gain and loss of about 1,600 feet, begins and ends at Sunset Point.

See “Photo Gallery: My Favorite Hike in Bryce Canyon,” and all of my stories about Utah national parks at The Big Outside.

I can help you plan the best backpacking, hiking, or family adventure of your life. Find out more here.

Jeff Wilhelm hiking the cable route up Half Dome, Yosemite National Park.

Half Dome, Yosemite

One of America’s most iconic and sought-after hikes, the trek to Half Dome’s 8,800-foot summit—a tough 16 miles round-trip from Happy Isles Trailhead in Yosemite Valley, with 4,800 feet of elevation gain and loss—reaches its literal and emotional apex at the several hundred vertical feet of cables the park installs on the steep slab leading to the vast summit plateau. At the top, many hikers venture to the ledge known as The Visor that overhangs Half Dome’s famous Northwest Face, posing for photos on that granite gangplank thousands of feet above Yosemite Valley. Nothing compares with this hike.

Ascend the steeper Mist Trail past 317-foot Vernal Fall and 594-foot Nevada Fall, and after climbing Half Dome, descend the John Muir Trail—which has a classic view back toward Nevada Fall, the granite dome Liberty Cap, and the back side of Half Dome. Tip: Start an hour before sunrise to get ahead of most other hikers on this popular route.

See “Ask Me: Hiking Yosemite’s Half Dome,” which includes information about obtaining a coveted permit to dayhike it, and my story “The Magic of Hiking to Yosemite’s Waterfalls” for details on hiking the much shorter and easier, classic loop of the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls.

Yearning to backpack in Yosemite? See my e-guides to three amazing multi-day hikes there.

View from the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Clingmans Dome and Appalachian Trail, Great Smoky Mountains

Set aside the fact that over 11 million people annually visit the Great Smokies—America’s most popular park—and thousands hike the half-mile-long, paved walkway to the observation tower atop 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome, the park’s highest point. Still, the 360-degree panorama of the overlapping, forested ridges of the Southern Appalachians will steal your breath away (if the steep hike up didn’t).

Then head west on the Appalachian Trail—the 2.2 miles one-way to the Goshen Prong Trail junction is far enough—for a much quieter experience of walking the rocky, up-and-down crest of the East’s major mountain range, passing numerous overlooks of the rugged peaks and valleys on the North Carolina and Tennessee sides of the park. Double back to the Clingmans Dome parking lot and make the 3.6-mile out-and-back (for a total distance of nine miles) on the Forney Ridge Trail to 5,920-foot Andrews Bald, the highest grassy bald in the Smokies, where the views span a broad expanse of North Carolina’s mountains; azalea and rhododendron bloom spectacularly from mid-June to early July.

See more photos and info in my feature story “In the Garden of Eden: Backpacking the Great Smoky Mountains,” about a trip that included Clingmans Dome, the Appalachian Trail, and Andrews Bald, and see all of my stories about hiking and backpacking in the North Carolina mountains.

Score a popular permit using my “10 Tips For Getting a Hard-to-Get National Park Backcountry Permit.”

A backpacker in The Narrows, Zion National Park.

The Narrows, Zion

From the Temple of Sinawava at the upper end of Zion Canyon (reached on the park’s free shuttle bus), the flat, 1.1-mile Riverside Walk passes below shady cottonwood trees and soaring, blood-red cliffs along the North Fork of the Virgin River. Where that trail ends, you step into the shallow river and head upstream into an environment unlike anything most hikers ever experience: The Narrows, a canyon with sheer walls shooting up to a thousand feet overhead and, in places, so close that they turn daylight to dusk.

Hiking much of the time in the typically cold river, you will gaze up at a canyon that changes with every bend. At 2.5 miles from the trailhead, you enter the roughly two-mile-long stretch known as Wall Street, where the river often spans the canyon wall to wall. At five miles—the farthest hikers are permitted to go without a permit—you reach Big Spring, a waterfall gushing from solid rock, nurturing a hanging garden in the desert.

See my stories “Insider Tips: The 10 Best Hikes in Zion National Park,�� which includes expert advice on preparing for a Narrows dayhike and avoiding the crowds, and “Luck of the Draw, Part 2: Backpacking Zion’s Narrows.”

Plan your next great backpacking trip in Zion, Grand Teton, or other parks using my expert e-guides.

  My son, Nate, hiking the Olympic coast near Strawberry Point.

Third Beach to Strawberry Point, Olympic

Stone pinnacles called sea stacks rise up to some 200 feet out of the pounding Pacific Ocean. Sea otters, seals, and whales swim offshore and bald eagles fly overhead. Mussels, sea stars, and sea anemones carpet boulders in tide pools. In one of Earth’s largest virgin temperate rainforests, Sitka spruce and western red cedar grow to 150 feet tall, with diameters of 10 or 15 feet, and Douglas fir and western hemlock soar well over 200 feet.

The 73 miles of coast in Olympic National Park comprise the longest strip of wilderness seashore in the contiguous United States, remote and mostly accessible only to backpackers. But dayhikers can sample it on the relatively flat, 10-mile, out-and-back dayhike from Third Beach Trailhead on La Push Road to Strawberry Point, one of the spots with a cluster of offshore sea stacks. Up for 14 miles round-trip? Continue to Toleak Point, where at low tide you can scramble out onto some sea stacks.

See my story “The Wildest Shore: Backpacking the Southern Olympic Coast,” and all of my stories about Olympic National Park at The Big Outside.

The Pacific Northwest is a wet place. See my review of “The 5 Best Rain Jackets For the Backcountry.”

Delicate Arch at sunset, Arches National Park.

Delicate Arch at Sunset, Arches

Just three miles out-and-back with less than 500 feet of elevation gain, the well-traveled path to what is probably Utah’s most famous and most-photographed natural arch is best done in the evening, timing your arrival at Delicate Arch for before sunset. Although still popular as a sunset hike, it’s more pleasant than trudging it during the heat of the day, and the sunset light seems to electrify the sandstone’s burnt color.

One of the pleasures of the hike is how the final stretch of the trail traverses the side of a small slickrock cliff before suddenly popping you out on the rim of an amphitheater of solid rock, looking across the big bowl at Delicate Arch, with the La Sal Mountains, snow-covered in spring, visible through its keyhole. Tip: Bring a headlamp and jacket and linger until well after sunset, when most other hikers have already started back, and you’ll enjoy a quieter walk under a sky riddled with stars.

See my story “No Straight Lines: Backpacking and Hiking in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks,” and all of my stories about Arches National Park.

Read about my family’s national park adventures in my book Before They’re Gone—A Family’s Year-Long Quest to Explore America’s Most Endangered National Parks.

. . .

See a menu of all stories about national park adventures at The Big Outside.

Tell me what you think.

I spent a lot of time writing this story, so if you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons at right, and leave a comment or question at the bottom of this story. I’d really appreciate it.

  Feeling inspired by this story? Join now for full access to ALL stories at The Big Outside and get a free e-guide!

[chvrchesrp]

Welcome to CHVRCHES’ tenth event! —Part 2!

This event is our third choice event, in which we set a scene and split your characters up into groups dependent on how many points you’ve acquired so far. Once in that setting, you can create threads as you see fit for your muse. The settings and information shared in this event are considered game canon, whether or not you explore it deeply.

While this event will be dropped in 3 parts, during this second part, it’s the real “Choice” part of the event... you will be split into groups and then divided further for those personalized experiences we’ve all been talking about! This part is the reason we’ve been so hard at work, and the reason we asked you to do Challenge 21 for us—it’s a heavy character-development piece.

Part 1: June 24th: The Welcoming

Part 2: July 01st: The Encounter

Part 3: July 15th: The Escape

The date stamp for the event is still Saturday, June 24th, but now around 10pm. Be sure to include that in your posts for timeline purposes. Please do not make timeline threads after July 22nd yet; from now until then, your muse will be at the hotel… where they checked in as they liked, but might never leave… ♥ You can write Hotel California threads for as long as you like.

Alright, first thing’s first: some Out of Character stuff—

This is a really intense, ambitious kind of event, and we’re hoping it goes off well and is challenging and fun. We want to say, up-front, that the experiences are meant to be difficult for your muses based on what you provided to us, but not triggering for you as players. Our intention is only for a game-style experience you can enjoy. All experiences have trigger warnings listed at the top. If your muse’s experience is triggering for you, just let us know and we will be happy to edit or alter the experience to suit your needs!

The basic gist is that in a muse’s given room, that room becomes an alternate reality. The things in that room are real, but can be left behind by leaving the room. After the muse leaves the room, we recommend locking it with their room key so no one else can wander into their personal hellscape after they’ve escaped it! The key word is after. Some experiences begin as self-paras (and some experiences are very self-driven, like Noah and Renee’s, as only they can unlock their rooms), while others will become assisted experiences.

Which is to say, on the other hand, some experiences require the help of other muses to escape! Cassiel’s, for example, is one that cannot be escaped alone. If you agree to help another person’s muse escape their room, your muse will be able to see and experience everything in that room. The room will only actively attack the muse it was designed for, but if your muse attacks whatever is in the room, it will defend itself (so you know, when you write stuff out). For example, Crowley’s nurses won’t pay attention to your muse, but will try to keep her in the room; if your muse punches one of the nurses, the nurse will defend.

Other general notes:

Don’t try to break windows or kick through walls to escape the hotel. The structure of the hotel will heal itself. Only damages done to the hotel, it does to itself.

In most of the rooms, there are “divider doors” that connect, say, room 307 and 308, for example. Those are locked. In order to move between conjoined rooms, that door must be unlocked by a muse. Rooms with 01/02 do not have this ability. (For visual aid, see here.)

What affects your muse directly did happen. So Grace’s hair loss? Totally real. Crowley having to wander the hotel in hospital scrubs after she escapes her room? Real. However, the people you meet in the AU aren’t “real”—they’re Famine’s manifestations and manipulations, though they’re still physically present.

The goal here is for muses to Face Their Fears (alone or supported) and come out stronger. To leave those old ‘realities’ behind as we move into Season 3. You have to leave the room before it kills you or traps you in it. Then perhaps help others do the same.

When you read your experience, it’s probably best if you decide if you want help or want to conquer the fear solo, if both options are available in your scenario. If you want help, ask for someone to write it with you in the OOC or reach out if you have a partner in mind; these experiences don’t work well as “open threads.” Only 2 experiences have partners assigned.

However, open threads totally work once you’ve escaped your room and are in the hallways! Room 10s are specifically left “un-alternate-realitied” if muses want a neutral gathering space on their floor. Yes, for now, you’re restricted to the floor you’re assigned to. 

On to the In Character piece of the event!

The party is in full swing till about midnight, when a man dressed like concierge approaches the velvet ropes, an old, ’20s era microphone in hand amplifying his voice: “The hostess is allowing entry to your rooms now! Feel free to settle in and then return to the fun, but by all means, allow us to show you the way.” He looks into the crowd, as if searching for someone, and then shrugs in a charming sort of way, playing to the crowd: “I hear there are some VIPs in the audience this evening!” he gloats.

“Now, now, I know you are all VIPs here, otherwise you wouldn’t have been invited, but I’m specifically looking for those with room keys marked with an S! If you have room keys with an S in the front, please follow this bellhop right here,” the concierge gestured to the nearest bellhop, “who will take your things and escort you into the secret wing, on this very floor!” A scant few people move toward the front of the house—so few, in fact, that in this swarm of revellers, only two people step forward: Kiara and Belial, who follow the bellhop.

S1A: Pestilence

S1B: War

After they enter their suite, which is past a set of grand double-doors, the bellhop leaves them. Back at the front of the house, the concierge is still continuing the arrangements; he removes the velvet rope, opening the staircase with flair and finesse, then going on to say, “Now, if you would be so kind, if all those with room keys numbering in the 300s would step right this way, you will be escorted to the exquisite top floor!” And so, all of you assigned to the 300s head toward the stairwell, a bellhop showing the way and assisting with bags.

301: Kezia Isles

302: Isaiah Faust

303: Renee Thornton

304: Raziel

305: Crowley

306: Maria Sinclair

307: Donato

308: Zoe Etsuko

309: Adele Davis

After the 300s have gone up to the third floor, they will find that the stairs that connect the second floor to the third have collapsed; what was stairs is now smooth floor. The service elevator is still there—somewhat. The casing for the elevator is there, but there’s no elevator inside of it. You open the door to enter the elevator and instead there is only the blackness of a chasm with an endless bottom, far deeper than is possible for the once-was warehouse.

Those waiting their turn below for the other floors have no idea. Back on the main floor, the concierge is speaking in that same charismatic, ephemeral voice: “And now, we’d like to accept anyone with room keys numbering in the 200s! Step right this way, come on down and we will escort you to the second floor! Thank you so much for coming!” he says warmly, and so all those with room keys marked in the 200s go over to the area, and are assisted with their bags and escorted by a bellhop to the second floor.

201: Satan *

202: Grace Lowery

203: Isadora Garcia

204: Ethan Pierce

205: Magda Wilder

206: Naomi Vance

207: Noah Jackson

208: Cassiel

209: Lazarus * Satan will be saved by Magda.

After the 200s have gone up to the second floor, they will find that the stairs that connect the main floor to the second also have collapsed; what was stairs is now smooth floor. The service elevator is still there—somewhat. The casing for the elevator is there, but there’s no elevator inside of it. You open the door to enter the elevator and instead there is only the blackness of a chasm with an endless bottom, far deeper than is possible for the once-was warehouse.

Those waiting their turn below, still on the main floor, have no idea. If you’re still on the main floor, though, you’ll be quite perplexed, as the concierge then says, “Thank you all for attending, your presence is magnificent!” and then offers a quick bow before putting the red rope back up and leaving the immediate premises. Those of you left, still, look to one another, confused: what room key do you have? You ask one another. You all have “B” in the front. What floor does that stand for? Where are you supposed to go?

And then,

quite suddenly,

the entire floor where the staircase should have led down and an elevator could have been, that whole area that should have been how reasonable people might get to a lower level—it collapses. The floor just gives out, splinters into shambles, splits and send all of you careening downward, too far down to climb back out. From below, the mess of once-was-floor and now-ceiling seems impossibly far away, the kind of distance that echoes. After you make your way out of the debris and pull bits of wood and dust from your person, you find that the bottom floor is, well, relatively nice, but there’s no way out. You’ll need to wait to get rescued. So what else is there to do?

You go to your room.

B01: Abaddon *

B02: Leviathan

B03: Olivia Cross

B04: Babylon

B05: Shibah

B06: Zack Kapoor

B07: Elijah Nolan

B08: Gabriel

B09: Paul Howell * Abaddon will be ‘saved’ by Gabriel—who will, in turn, rip her wings off.

The doors to the Hotel disappear; entry and exit are now impossible. Enjoy, darlings! Welcome to the Hotel.

[adrenalineguide]

Chevrolet Colorado ZR-2: The future of pickups

Text by Michael Hozjan

Well dear readers my concussion is slowly on the mend, which means I can get back on the old squawk box and start pontificating. Luckily for some ad agencies I’ve had time to mellow down and won’t bitch about the garbage I’ve had to watch on TV while re-cooperating. Even though I had to limit my TV time it was enough to drive any car guy batty. I mean really a dusting of snow on the ground and the announcer is screaming that not even the snowplows are out!  Really! They should take a look at the VW ad that won the 1964 Cannes Gold award. 

There have always been a slew of idiotic commercials on TV but this year I think car manufacturers get the top ten booby prizes. Just how stupid do agencies/manufacturers think we are? OK, just one rant to get it out of my system. I’d be interested to hear you’re best and worst automotive ads…print, radio or TV.

Speaking of winter, I don’t often get stopped and complimented on the vehicle I’m driving in the dead of winter. Oh sure it happens all the time during summer’s warm temps, but to the best of my recollection it’s only happened one other time in winter, when I drove a Turbo 911 in a snowstorm. So what was the vehicle that stirred so many emotions even before I stopped at the local renovation center, the Mecca for pickups? In a world of cookie cutter pickups Chevrolet has followed in the footsteps of Ford and its Raptor and radicalized their Colorado Z71. Unlike the Raptor, the ZR2 won’t break the bank when you sign on the dotted line and won’t empty your wallet at each fill up thanks to its miserly diesel power plant.

Easily distinguished in the front from the dare I say, docile, Z71 (check the review further down these pages) with a trimmed front bumper, a two inch lift, upward sloping aluminum skid plate and a 3.5 inch wider track all work to give this mid-size pickup an aggressive look. But the design is more than just marketing gadgetry, it’s functional, the shaved bumper exposes the tires and gives the truck greater ground clearance and boosts approach angles for climbing while the skid plate protects the radiator, oil pan and transfer case.

OK, the optional bed-mounted roll bar containing a full-size spare tire continues the tough truck off-road theme and pushes the marketing aspect to its limits but if you’re into serious off-roading it could serve as a backup to the spare under the bed.

Power is supplied by either the 308 hp, 275 lb-ft 3.6L Dual Overhead Cam V6 engine that I described in the Z71 article, or an inline 4-cylinder, 2.8L Duramax Turbo-diesel that punches out 181 horses with a tree stump-pulling 369 lb-ft of torque at a low 2,000 rpm.  The diesel will set you back an additional $4090.

I didn’t think I’d like the ZR2, it looks after all like it’d be more comfortable chasing cattle in Texas on thousand acre spreads and the bed mounted spare means very little cargo room, but comfort is exactly why I fell in love with the tougher version of the Colorado. The ZR2’s cabin is superbly insulated from outside noise, road, wind as well as the diesel engine. The Michelin X-Ice Latitude winter tires helped in keeping the truck quite and performed above average during the week that Mother Nature was throwing everything possible at me.

I was expecting a fully adjustable ride height after seeing the bright yellow units attached to the spring towers. Turns out they’re not air shocks but rather a super advanced Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve dampers (DSSV) built by Canada’s own Multimatic, purveyors of numerous high performance components to everybody from Ford to Mercedes. It’s the first time the DSSV has been developed for an off road application and the unit was developed specifically for the ZR2 with Position Sensitive Dampers (PSD) to work equally well whether on or off-road.  Put simply, it varies the flow of hydraulic fluid to adapt compression and rebound in an instant. In other words, it makes your ride that much smoother and more stable. I know it’s cliché but the ZR2 actually does ride and handle more like a sedan on the road with highway seems and potholes going almost unnoticed and flat lane changes. 

According to Multimatic the units offer six different dampening curves on the front axle and four on the solid rear axle.

I saw the units fitted to an aluminum front spindle of a hot rod back in 2013 at Toronto’s Motorama. If this is the future of off-road suspension than sign me up as this go anywhere truck road did not ride or drive like the an old school, body on frame truck it is.  And that’s no bull.

However, without height ride adjustability, the ZR2’s high step in height makes ingress and egress some getting used to, particularly with no running board/step, and the crash bar meant to protect the truck’s rocker panels only hinders entrance, particularly when the going gets muddy.

Like I said earlier, Mother Nature really threw everything at us and that meant bringing a step stool along so my girlfriend would not dirty her slacks on the crash bar or rocker. Hopefully Chev will add a step to the ZR2’s options list similar to the ZL1.

Bona-fide off-roaders will be happy to know that the ZR2 leans toward old school technology, negating electronically-controlled switches and relying on good old tried and true fail safe console switches to handle the 2Hi, 4Hi and 4 Lo commands to the diffs. Sadly Chevrolet hasn’t included a manual transmission to choose from. Unlike the Z71 equipped with the gas engine and 8-speed automatic the diesel comes with a 6-speed automatic. No matter which engine option you choose, towing capacity remains at 2,268 kilos or 5,000 pounds but the torquey diesel will just get you up to speed quicker.

For those who care about such stats, and the potential buyers I encountered did, the truck reaches 100kph in 10 seconds from a standing start not bad considering I was still able to get 10.7L/100km with mostly highway driving.

With an entry price of $45,910 the ZR2 has a lot to offer including the leather interior and 17” wheels, adding up the options, some of which I could easily do without like the $525 back lit bow tie logo, or the $740 bed mounted spare tire carrier. I’ll admit the $1360 roll bar looks cool, but $1465 for the off-road lights was a bit steep. The upgraded Bose speakers were a bargain on the other hand at a paltry $685.

As a work horse around the farm I’d still opt for a pickup with an eight-foot bed, but like the a rhino amid elephants in a watering hole in the Serengeti, they’re a rare breed these days with most pickup owners opting for short beds with crew cabs and I suspect that once behind the wheel of the ZR2, the ride alone will draw buyers away from the ZR2’s larger competitors. Well done Chevrolet.

 Price as tested: $58,175*

* Includes destination charge

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We Force The Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GTE Race Automobile

ORTIMAO, Portugal — All of us want a fact to take a look at every now and then. In early 2015, I had a pass in a pinnacle-spec Subaru rally Automobile and the ultra-crazy, Method 1-inspired Lotus T125 tune Vehicle. Connecting with every turned into difficult notwithstanding vast familiarity with many reason-built race cars through the years, and I walked away with my tail slightly between my legs. While Aston Martin Racing (AMR) invited me to Force its FIA World Endurance Challenge-spec V8 Vantage GTE factory race Vehicle in Portugal, I was venerated and pleased, however a hint frightened.

Examining the front-engine Aston within the garage at Algarve (Portimao) Global Circuit doesn’t oust the butterflies. We’re speakme prototype-levels of engineering and detailing. The aerodynamic additions are widespread, especially the large, new-for-2016 carbon-fiber rear diffuser.

Surveying the cabin continues my awe. First, there’s the extremely aft seating position. Additionally, filling the could-be passenger place are an array of computers and mil-spec wiring. Yes, the competition Car resembles the road-going V8 Vantage, but best on the identical level that I’m like Daniel Craig virtually because of our delivery certificates each country we’re male.

Speakme of 12-cylinder engines, the V8 Vantage GTE race Car doesn’t bring a powerplant with a dozen cylinders. Perhaps the name gave it away? The 4.five-liter V-8 is manufacturing-primarily based but the internals is bespoke, allowing the motor to broaden more or less 550 horsepower in race trim and run in anger for 5,000 kilometers (three, aone hundred miles) before needing a rebuild — very extraordinary foranopposition engine. Sayers tells me that putting off the collection-mandated air restrictors would bump power by approximately 10 percentage. He provides, “There’s no rpm limit [in the rules] however we shift at round 7,500 rpm and redline is near eight,000 rpm. We continuously examine whether or not we must switch to the V-12 [like the lower-spec GT3 race car]. however in phrases of efficiency, mass and packaging, the V-eight makes for a better race engine.”

That race-spec V-eight sounds incredible as factory AMR motive force, Marco Sørensen, warms-up the auto. Sørensen is aware of the Aston properly, as he and co-driver, Nick Thiim, piloted No. ninety five to each the teams’ and drivers’ championships in 2016. Oh, and this actual race Vehicle looking ahead to my a ways-less-skilled butt Also completed on the pinnacle step of the rostrum on the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 and gained that 12 months’s FIA WEC championship, both inside the LM GTE-Am category. Sørensen returns the car to the pit container and the crew raises it with the essential air jacks. My flip.

Mountain climbing into the tight cockpit isn’t tough via race Automobile requirements but it’s by no means a spacious surroundings, specifically with each protection nets clipped into region. There’s a plethora of buttons on the rectangular guidance wheel and middle console, but development engineer John Ogden truly tells me not to mess with whatever — simply Pressure the car. No trouble there, John.

Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2

While most people communicate about Ferrari they reflect onconsideration on and speak both the single passenger pure race cars or the two passenger sports activities racing or the two passenger street cars. Very little is ever referred to approximately the four passenger vehicles.

Ferrari determined to build a four passenger Car in order that the organization ought to get into additional markets. However, one of the choices he made turned into that it had to have rather than four doorways. To this point, as a ways as I will inform, the manufacturing unit has by no means produced a 4 door version for the overall client.

The Mission confronted by means of the organisation become to make a four passenger Car on their contemporary seat chassis. In later years they had been faced with the equal problem, and that they got here up with the 308 GT/four, now not a especially famous Car.

In 1960 they solved the trouble with the 250 GTE 2+2. was it a hit? properly approximately 950 of them have been made, which makes it the pinnacle supplier in the 250 series.

The designation of 250 GTE 2+2 because the version variety became based on several factors. First the 250 represented in cubic centimeters the cylinder length of one of the V12 cylinders. The GT turned into for Grand Travelling and the E become from the 508E, a new chassis layout. The 2+2 intended that the front passengers observed a everyday sized area up front, and the +2 supposed that could take a seat in the rear. For this Car the 2 rear seat passengers had good enough however now not spacious room. Many different brands have used The 2+2 designation, but in the general public of instances, the rear region had no leg room. It turned into more of a marketing ploy to satisfy a few government guidelines about the need for large capability vehicles.

The 250 GTE 2+2 turned into rated at 235bhp, barely lower than the standard 250 series Car. It had an uncommon tools box with four speeds and an electric powered overdrive. Disc brakes have been equipped all around. The pinnacle speed turned into listed as 136mph, again lower than other 250 collection models. However, take into account that this precise Vehicle become designed as a road Automobile and no longer a sports racing car. other great factors had been a generous boot to keep luggage, and stepped forward heating and air flow for the passenger’s comfort.

At the same time as an wonderful handling Automobile and a tremendous Touring Vehicle, The 2+2 does not rival the opposite 250’s with regards to the used Automobile marketplace. It has been regular of Ferrari 2+2’s that the unique charges are better than the associate seat versions, they depreciate tons faster and are much less well-known with the aid of collectors. A 1961 model with 34,000 miles changed into currently marketed in England for $134,000. Nonetheless a whole lot of cash for a used Vehicle, but not anything like what different Ferrari collector vehicles would carry.

Dennis Dater has been interested by motors on the grounds that he drove a 1952 MG TD to highschool. He is an professional creator with over 70 articles right here and lots of extra on his diverse net sites. Presently He’s growing two new internet sites which might be designed for performance automobile components.

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8 show-stopping details on the Peugeot Instinct concept

One of the concept car stars of the 2017 Geneva motor show is the Peugeot Instinct, an autonomous shooting brake with active aerodynamics, shape-shifting seats and concrete interior trim (yes, really). We’ve been inside the concept at Peugeot’s Paris design studios for an up-close look in advance of the show – here are the key design highlights to seek out under the show lights in March.  

1) Those seats

The Instinct’s shard-like exterior is dramatic, but the concept’s focus is its futuristic four-seat interior, nominally designed for the year 2025. ‘We started the design on the inside,’ Matthias Hossann, Peugeot’s head of concept cars, told CAR. ‘Often autonomous concepts have a very big interior, with seats that swivel through 180 degrees, for example. we kept the interior the size of a typical production car interior. This interior occupies the same amount of space as a 308, roughly, but with a lower roof.’ ‘Seats that can be turned are unrealistic with a compact car. we invented an “adaptive-fit seat” with a sliding seat base.’ When the car enters one of its autonomous driving modes (more on which shortly), the seats can slide forwards and downwards into a hammock-like reclined position, the better to grab forty winks or thumb through some reading. We tried sitting in both upright and reclined positions, and the seats manage to support upper body and shoulders effectively even at their most laid-flat. Sitting in the back, the front seats are designed in such a way as to avoid stealing much legroom when in hammock mode. ‘When you’re on a plane and someone puts their seat back in front of you, it can be horrible,’ says Hossan. ‘We want to avoid that.’

2) Leftfield materials

‘We used materials like you would find in the home,’ interior designer Arthur Condert told us. ‘Materials that are nice to touch. The seat fabrics are the same as many sofas, and on the doors and on the floor, we used a very thin layer of concrete – it has a nice texture, and becomes warm to the touch.’ The concrete really is a thin veneer, by the way, so doesn’t add another tonne to the kerbweight. The thick knitted carpets on the floor are sourced from Israel, while the 3D ‘digital knitting’ surfaces on the seats are similar to the type of material you’d see in modern trainers. ‘We are exploring using more of these “noble” materials rather than plastics,’ Condert told CAR. ‘They are more expensive, but we try to use them in an intelligent way.’

3) Holographic instruments

The next step in Peugeot’s small wheel/raised instruments ‘i-Cockpit’ setup, the three-dimensional holographic instrument screen features deliberately clear, simple graphics. In manual drive mode it displays vehicle speed, battery level and so on, while in Autonomous mode it switches to show distance covered so far, and the remaining journey time. Lower in the driver and passengers’ field of vision is a giant widescreen display recessed within the dash.

4) That exterior

The brief was ‘to design a highly desirable autonomous car,’ Matthias Hossann told us. ‘We wanted the exterior to be as smooth and simple as possible.’ The shooting brake form was partially inspired by the Peugeot 504 Riviera of 1971, he tells us, and the XL grille treatment by the 402 Andreau of 1936. ‘The front of car has to inspire this notion of efficiency. We design the 3D-printed grille to look as “full” as possible.’ There’s no B-pillar, and the giant doors open like the pages of a book, as far as 90deg to the body.

5) First look at Peugeot’s next-gen headlights

That cuboid headlamp design is likely to reappear on future production Peugeots. ‘One of the elements we want to push in the future is to integrate radars, sensors, lasers into the lights,’ says Hossann. That’s the black spot you can see in the centre of the lights: ‘It’s like a pupil,’ he says. ‘We want people to always when they see a Peugeot, to look it in the eyes.’

6) Focus on self-driving tech

The Instinct's main thrust is that it represents Peugeot’s take on the concept of autonomous cars. ‘Self-driving cars are the next automotive revolution. Every manufacturer will be offering this technology. The difference will lie in how they go about it,’ is Peugeot's official line. The Instinct is designed with four driving modes, two manual (Drive Boost and Drive Relax – the latter partially assisting the driver) and two robot (Autonomous Soft and Autonomous Sharp – the latter piloting the car as quickly as comfortably possible). While in either of the Auto modes, the driver can tap the gearlever-like command stalk on the centre console to tell the car to overtake traffic ahead, or switch between modes. Like many recent autonomous car concepts, the  steering wheel retracts into the dash in autonomous mode, but does so in a particularly neat way, folding itself gracefully flush with its surroundings. Likewise, the throttle pedal retreats further into the footwell in Auto mode. ‘The good point is you can master your time,’ says Hossann. ‘You can choose between driving or doing something else – decide to sleep, to eat, to read – amplify your life.’ Cryptically/alarmingly, he adds that in Autonomous Sharp mode, the car can be programmed so that ‘Sebastien Loeb can drive you to work everyday. Autonomous mode doesn’t mean boring.’ Does that mean you can send Seb the bill for the tyres, we wonder?

7) Trick aerodynamics

One of the concept’s party pieces is an extending front spoiler that incorporates the entire light guides (those diagonal DRL mandibles), joined by a downforce-aiding connecting strip. Deployed automatically above 55mph, it also helps to tidy airflow around the wheelarches – and looks quite neat in the process. The crease along the Instinct’s flank incorporates a hidden channel guiding airflow to an outlet in the rear wheelarch, helping to reduce drag while also helping the design avoid appearing slab-sided. ‘Aerodynamicists hate sculpted sides – they want flat surfaces,’ Matthias Hossann explains.

8) It’s connected to the Internet of Things

Using an open platform developed in collaboration with Samsung, the Instinct’s infotainment systems are designed to be connected to smartphones, smartwatches – and also items in the home such as smart TVs (for instance, you could continue watching a film where you left off when you climb into the car), or automatically locking the house doors when you start the engine. Don’t expect this to be the last time you hear about ‘IoT’ functions on a concept car in 2017…

Peugeot Instinct concept in a nutshell:

Nominally designed for the year 2025 Four-seater shooting brake with manual and autonomous driving modes Plug-in hybrid petrol-electric  4wd drivetrain with 300bhp Unorthodox interior materials, including knitted carpets and concrete veneers Seats can slide into reclined positions in Auto mode ‘Internet of Things’ connectivity with objects at home Square headlight graphics incorporating sensors likely to appear on future production Peugeots Sweeping rear light graphics differentiate between driving modes Official debut at 2017 Geneva motor show, before beginning global show tour Click here for CAR’s full A-Z of the 2017 Geneva motor show

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