#daley delicious

[skyoaticofficial]

Why’d they do my girl Poppy like that in the new update 😞

[scrumjock]

Delicious Daley

[half-an-hour-hence]

Some random headcanons for the ghosts if they were alive today (part 3)

KITTY

She works at the supermarket with Thomas, and is the most positive and popular employee they have. She always dishes out compliments to every customer, and wishes everyone a good rest of their day. Also she has stickers and badges all over her name tag and lanyard.

Kitty and Mary have an allotment together. They grow their own vegetables and make delicious meals with their produce. Sometimes they make too much, so they give some to their friends to try.

She absolutely loves to do karaoke. Whenever everyone gets together for a night out, they always end up in some karaoke bar because Kitty insists. She gets the Captain to sing 90’s hits with her. She is very good and very loud, and the other half of the duet kind of mumbles his way through the song.

Kitty watches romance movies and reads romantic novels and then posts her reviews on social media. She has separate film reviewing accounts on both Twitter and Instagram, and she also frequently uses Letterboxd (she gives almost everything she watches 5 stars)

HUMPHREY

Humphrey also came into a lot of money through his family, however in contrast to Fanny he doesn’t work. But he is rather good at painting portraits, which he sells online.

He has an on and off relationship with his girlfriend, Sophie. I like to think that although their relationship is tumultuous at times, it’s a lot better than it was in the canon universe. This is mostly due to Robin’s friendship with Sophie, and the fact that he sat Humphrey down and had a long conversation with him, which has resulted in the nice, peaceful time that the couple are experiencing now.

He lives in turtlenecks in the winter. And he wears stylish, expensive sunglasses all year round (mostly to show off)

He likes to have a coffee with the Captain in Annie’s coffee shop. They meet up regularly to have a chat about their love lives, their jobs, and other people’s business.

PAT

Pat still works at the bank, but he’s also a part time delivery driver, as well as a scout leader. Although it’s a lot of work, he loves all of his jobs and never complains (except for scouts. He complains about scouts a bit).

He often gets his friends to help him organise unique activities for his scout group to do. Mary helps with Arts and Crafts, the Captain assists with Remembrance Evening, Robin brings kid-friendly experiments to try on Science Day, and Kitty organises the end of term celebrations. Pat is always grateful for their help.

He used to be married to Carol, but they got a divorce when he discovered that she was cheating on him with his best friend. He gets Daley on the weekends and sometimes over the half term holidays, and he always insists on spoiling his son with outings and gifts.

Pat collects memorabilia from different shows/movie franchises/bands from the 80’s. He has a large collection that’s actually worth quite a lot of money, but he would never sell any of it.

[deliciousbriefsguys]

Tellement mignons dans leurs succulents petits speedos noirs !

[anonsally]

Weekend in Chicago

Day 0

Unusually, I didn't feel particularly anxious about this trip, though I still slept badly the night before departure. Although I left slightly ahead of schedule, I had a long wait for BART and then a long wait for the little mini-train to my terminal at the airport, and then the line for security was longer than I expected, so I only just had time to buy food for the flight. When I arrived at my gate, my group was already boarding. Since I’m usually at the airport 2 hours before departure, this came as a bit of a shock! But once I was on the plane, it all went smoothly. Nobody was in the middle seat next to me (I had a window), and I spent the flight reading a novel. I finished it just after we landed! [separate post coming about the book]

I landed at Chicago O’Hare around 8pm. Because it was such a short trip, I hadn’t checked a bag, which is practically unheard-of for me; I was proud of packing so light! Although it’s obvious, I still felt surprised at how quickly I could leave the airport since I didn’t have to wait for checked luggage! Because it was dark (and raining a little), I took a cab to my hotel, where Best Friend had already arrived. We went up to the room to drop off my stuff, then went out for dinner. This was a hip hotel in a hip neighborhood called River North, and we were decidedly not cool enough to stay there! However, we were also old enough not to give a shit!

By then it was 9pm (7pm for my body clock though), and we were very hungry. We had thought we would just go to a little ramen shop nearby, as surely at this hour restaurants would be emptying out, but it turned out to be packed. It was Saturday night, and I guess people in Chicago are back to going out at night. We struggled to find a restaurant that could seat us, but we eventually got a table at Hub 51. Chicago is a foodie town, and we enjoyed our meal, though the portion sizes were enormous.

After that, we returned to our hotel and went to bed soon afterwards.

Day 1

We had a leisurely start before heading out to grab breakfast en route to the Art Institute of Chicago, which was the main purpose of this weekend getaway. They had an exhibition of Remedios Varo, my favorite artist, called Science Fictions. It was fabulous. If you are in or near Chicago, I think you still have a week or two to catch this before it closes! I will be posting photos. I had only seen a few of the paintings in person before, and there were more paintings than I expected, along with a bunch of sketches. As always, seeing the paintings in person brought out details I hadn’t noticed when looking at reproductions of them, and in fact, I think there were some paintings I wasn’t familiar with at all. We spent quite a while in that exhibition before moving on to look at other works in the museum, including some great Georgia O’Keeffe paintings (I loved the landscapes) and quite a few Sargents (many from early in his career), the Chagall window, the Tiffany window, some Frank Lloyd Wright-designed things, and some furniture (some of which was great and some of which was hilariously hideous). We ate a late lunch in a sheltered courtyard café in the museum and then resumed looking at art.

After the museum, we wandered through Maggie Daley Park. It was late afternoon, and I did some birdwatching while Best Friend made a couple of phone calls. I saw a palm warbler! That was a new bird for me, and I also got a good look at a fairly distinctive bird but still couldn’t identify it. I took photos, and was later able to determine that it was an ovenbird, which is also a new one for me! There were lots of white-throated sparrows (uncommon where I live) and yellow-rumped warblers, as well as some northern cardinals (which don’t exist where I live).

We ate dinner at a deep-dish pizza place, which seemed mandatory while in Chicago. It was delicious! This restaurant makes single-person pizzas, which are cute (the fork and pen below are normal-sized and included for scale). I still couldn’t finish mine, so I brought ¼ of it back to the hotel (in a cute box!) to eat for breakfast.

We then returned to the hotel to pack and wind down.

Day 2

I had set my alarm for the ungodly hour of 6:45am, not because either of us had an early flight (we didn’t), but because we wanted to do something fun before heading to the airport. So we checked out of our hotel at 8:30, left our luggage, and took the metro (well, the el) to the 606, a repurposed elevated rail line that is now a sort of park/trail for bikes and pedestrians. Best Friend admired the architecture of the neighborhoods we were walking through, while I did some birdwatching. We then walked through Humboldt Park (more birdwatching, the highlights of which were a golden-crowned kinglet, wood ducks, lots of white-throated sparrows, and more northern cardinals, though there were also about 60 Canada geese, which was slightly terrifying!).

On our way back to the el, we stopped at Typica Café, which turned out to be Venezuelan. Best Friend had to attend a Zoom meeting for a half hour. I ate a delicious guava-cheese puff pastry, which is apparently a Venezuelan thing and which I highly recommend if you get the opportunity to have one! The hot chocolate was also exceptionally good; it was made using Venezuelan cocoa and, I think, a tiny bit of caramel syrup. It was excellent; not too sweet.

We then walked to the el and rode back to our hotel, picked up our luggage, walked to the pizza place so Best Friend could bring two frozen pizzas back for her husband and son, and then rode the el to the airport. We had gotten day passes for the Chicago el, which were a steal at $5.

At the airport we hugged goodbye as we were on different airlines. Going through security was fine, and I got to walk through the colored light underpass that is the only good thing at O'Hare. I bought snacks to eat on the plane. Boarding was a bit of a fiasco (they started boarding group 3 before group 2 for some reason) and very inefficient, but as we all reminded each other and ourselves, the only thing that really mattered was getting to our destination safely and approximately on time.

The flight itself was full and slightly delayed but fairly uneventful, and I got home via BART within 1.5 hours of landing. Yay! Although it was frankly bananas to fly halfway across the country for a 2-night stay, I feel very refreshed and energized by it and am glad I went, and particularly glad that Best Friend joined me. She's a great travel companion (despite her snoring), and I think it's the first trip we've taken together since she had her son nearly 13 (Edit: 14!) years ago.

I plan to post some photos from the trip. (I realise I didn't manage to do that after the Europe trip this summer, but this was only 2 days so it should be more manageable!)

[pityroad]

up home by Yrsa Daley-Ward, from 'bone'

Stuff that you remind me of. Home. Wherever that is. I'm confused

and in the same way that my grandma (who hasn't seen my brother or me for two years because he has been lost somewhere between despair and north Manchester and I've been away in Africa)

in the same way that she just smiles and puts on the kettle I'm beginning to feel a lot like I'll wait for you against my better judgement.

She gives us macaroni and brown stew chicken in a Tupperware box (which she asks him to return but everyone knows he won't). Core loneliness is a terrible thing. I suppose we all have each other, but only up to a certain point. I suppose we all die stubbornly and separately, in the end.

Someone reads Psalms 139 and, in the verse that mentions how we are fearfully and wonderfully made, I'm beginning to see the light and I trace the outlines of your tattoos on my arm.

My brother takes all of the food because he has mouths to feed. Nobody knows how many. Nobody has asked or kept count and he doesn't say much. Anyway, I will soon be en route to London. Can't have food and memories weighing me down, however delicious.

Some things you just have to leave up North, like short a's, Morrisons, Ovaltine, pictures of your late parents in graduation caps and gowns

carot juice the way West Indian people make it with the nutmeg and condensed milk and the look on your grandparents' faces, always, when you say,

'Oh well, must get going. Don't want to miss my train.' I'm beginning to miss you terribly, by the way. It's a stunning day up here despite the rain.

[skyoaticofficial]

Oct prompts 1-5

🎃

[deliciousbriefsguys]

J'ADORE comme il est notre beau Tom Daley dans ce si beau et succulent petit slip rouge vu de profil!

[goalhofer]

2024 olympics Great Britain roster

Archery

Conor Hall (Belfast)

Tom Hall (London)

Alex Wise (Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Megan Havers (Markfield)

Penny Healey (Telford)

Bryony Pitman (Shoreham-By-Sea)

Athletics

Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff)

Louie Hinchliffe (Crosspool)

Zharnel Hughes (The Valley, Anguilla)

Charlie Dobson (Colchester)

Matthew Hudson-Smith (Wolverhampton)

Max Burgin (Halifax)

Elliot Giles (Birmingham)

Ben Pattison (Frimley)

Neil Gourley (Glasgow)

Josh Kerr (Edinburgh)

George Mills (Harrogate)

Sam Atkin (Grimsby)

Patrick Dever (Preston)

Tade Ojora (London)

Alastair Chalmers (Guernsey, Channel Islands)

Richard Kilty (Middlesborough)

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (London)

Lewis Davey (Grantham)

Toby Harries (Brighton)

Alex Haydock-Wilson (London)

Sam Reardon (Beckenham)

Emile Cairess (Saltaire)

Mahamed Mahamed (Southampton)

Philip Sesemann (Bromley)

Callum Wilkinson (Moulton)

Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Harrogate)

Scott Lincoln (Northallerton)

Lawrence Okoye (London)

Nick Percy (Glasgow)

Dina Asher-Smith (London)

Imani-Lara Lansiquot (London)

Daryll Neita (London)

Bianca Williams (London)

Amber Anning (Hove)

Laviai Nielsen (London)

Lina Nielsen (London)

Victoria Ohuruogu (London)

Phoebe Gill (St. Albans)

Keely Hodgkinson (Atherton)

Jemma Reekie (Beith)

Georgia Bell (London)

Laura Muir (Milnathort)

Revée Walcott-Nolan (Luton)

Megan Keith (Inverness)

Eilish McColgan (Dundee)

Cynthia Sember (Ypsilanti, Michigan)

Jessie Knight (Epsom)

Lizzie Bird (St. Albans)

Aimee Pratt (Stockport)

Desirèe Henry (London)

Amy Hunt (Nottingham)

Yemi John (London)

Hannah Kelly (Bury)

Jodie Williams (Welwyn Garden City)

Nicole Yeargin (Bowie, Maryland)

Clara Evans (Hereford)

Rose Harvey (London)

Calli Yauger-Thackeray (Flagstaff, Arizona)

Morgan Lake (Reading)

Holly Bradshaw (Preston)

Molly Caudery (Truro)

Katharina Johnson-Thompson (Liverpool)

Jade O'Dowda (Oxford)

Badminton

Ben Lane (Milton Keynes)

Sean Vendy (Milton Keynes)

Kirsty Gilmour (Glasgow)

Boxing

Lewis Richardson (Colchester)

Patrick Brown (Sale)

Delicious Orie (Wolverhampton)

Charley Davison (Lowestoft)

Rosie Eccles (Newport)

Chantelle Reid (Allenton)

Canoeing

Adam Burgess (Stoke-On-Trent)

Joe Clarke (Stoke-On-Trent)

Mallory Franklin (Windsor)

Kimberley Woods (Rugby)

Climbing

Hamish McArthur (York)

Toby Roberts (Elstead)

Erin McNeice (Rodmersham)

Molly Thompson-Smith (London)

Cycling

Tom Pidcock (Leeds)

Josh Tarling (Aberaeron)

Stephen Williams (Aberysthwyth)

Fred Wright (Manchester)

Jack Carlin (Paisley)

Ed Lowe (Stamford)

William Turnbull (Morpeth)

Joe Truman (Petersfield)

Dan Bigham (Newcastle-Under-Lyme)

Ethan Hayter (London)

Ethan Vernon (Bedford)

Oli Wood (Wakefield)

Charlie Tanfield (Great Ayton)

Mark Stewart (Dundee)

Charlie Aldridge (Crieff)

Kieran Reilly (Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Kye Whyte (London)

Ross Cullen (Preston)

Lizzie Deignan (Otley)

Pfeiffer Georgi (Castle Combe)

Anna Henderson (Edlesborough)

Anna Morris (Cardiff)

Sophie Capewell (Lichfield)

Emma Finucane (Carmarthen)

Katy Marchant (Manchester)

Lowri Thomas (Abergavenny)

Elinor Barker (Cardiff)

Neah Evans (Langbank)

Josie Knight (Dingle, Ireland)

Jess Roberts (Carmarthen)

Ella MacLean-Howell (Llantrisant)

Evie Richards (Malvern)

Charlotte Worthington (Chorlton-Cum-Hardy)

Beth Shriever (Braintree)

Emily Hutt (London)

Diving

Jack Laugher (Ripon)

Jordan Houldon (Sheffield)

Noah Williams (London)

Kyle Kothari (London)

Anthony Harding (Ashton-Under-Lyne)

Tom Daley (Plymouth)

Yasmin Harper (Sheffield)

Grace Reid (Edinburgh)

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (London)

Lois Toulson (Cleckheaton)

Scarlett Mew-Jensen (London)

Equestrian

Carl Hester (Sark, Channel Islands)

Tom McEwen (London)

Scott Brash (Peebles)

Harry Charles (Alton)

Ben Maher (London)

Lottie Fry (Den Hout, The Netherlands)

Becky Moody (Gunthwaite)

Ros Canter (Louth)

Laura Collett (Royal Leamington Spa)

Field hockey

Tim Nurse (London)

Nick Park (Reading)

Jack Waller (London)

David Ames (Cookstown)

Jacob Draper (Cwmbran)

Zachary Wallace (Kingston-Upon-Thames)

Rupert Shipperley (London)

Sam Ward (Leicester)

James Albery (Cambridge)

Phil Roper (Chester)

David Goodfield (Shrewsbury)

Ollie Payne (Totnes)

Liam Sanford (Wegberg, Germany)

Lee Morton (Glasgow)

Thomas Sorsby (Sheffield)

Conor Williamson (London)

Will Calnan (London)

Gareth Furlong (London)

Laura Unsworth (Sutton Coldfield)

Anna Toman (Derby)

Hannah French (Ipswich)

Sarah Jones (Cardiff)

Amy Costello (Edinburgh)

Sarah Robertson (Melrose)

Charlotte Watson (Dundee)

Tessa Howard (Durham)

Isabelle Petter (Loughborough)

Giselle Ansley (Brixham)

Hollie Pearne-Webb (Duffield)

Fiona Crackles (Kirkby Lonsdale)

Sophie Hamilton (Bruton)

Lily Owsley (Bristol)

Flora Peel (Cheltenham)

Miriam Pritchard (Loughborough)

Golf

Matt Fitzpatrick (Sheffield)

Tommy Fleetwood (Dubai, U.A.E.)

Charley Hull (Kettering)

Georgia Hall (Bournemouth)

Gymnastics

Joe Fraser (Birmingham)

Harry Hepworth (Leeds)

Jake Jarman (Peterborough)

Luke Whitehouse (Halifax)

Max Whitlock (Hemel Hempstead)

Zak Perzamanos (Liverpool)

Becky Downie (Nottingham)

Ruby Evans (Cardiff)

Georgia-Mae Fenton (Gravesend)

Alice Kinsella (Sutton Coldfield)

Abi Martin (Paignton)

Bryony Page (Sheffield)

Isabelle Songhurst (Poole)

Judo

Chelsie Giles (Coventry)

Lele Naire (Weston-Super-Mare)

Lucy Renshall (St. Helens)

Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown (Pembury)

Emma Reid (Royston)

Pentathlon

Charlie Brown (Kidderminster)

Joe Choong (London)

Kerenza Bryson (Plymouth)

Kate French (Chapmanslade)

Rowing

James Robson (Oundle)

Ollie Wynne-Griffith (Guildford)

Tom George (Cheltenham)

Oli Wilkes (Matlock)

David Ambler (London)

Matt Aldridge (Christchurch)

Freddie Davidson (London)

Tom Barras (Staines-Upon-Thames)

Callum Dixon (London)

Matt Haywood (Burton Upon Trent)

Graeme Thomas (Burton)

Sholto Carnegie (Oxford)

Rory Gibbs (Street)

Morgan Bolding (Weybridge)

Jacob Dawson (Portsmouth)

Charlie Elwes (Radley)

Tom Digby (Henley-On-Thames)

James Rudkin (Northampton)

Tom Ford (Holmes Chapel)

Harry Brightmore (Chester)

Henry Fieldman (Barnes)

Liv Bates (Nottingham)

Chloe Brew (Plymouth)

Rebecca Edwards (Aughnacloy)

Becky Wilde (Taunton)

Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne (London)

Emily Craig (Pembury)

Imogen Grant (Cambridge)

Helen Backshall (Truro)

Esme Booth (Stratford-Apon-Avon)

Samantha Redgrave (Frinton)

Rebecca Shorten (Belfast)

Lauren Henry (Lutterworth)

Hannah Scott (Coleraine)

Lola Anderson (London)

Georgina Brayshaw (Leeds)

Heidi Long (London)

Rowan McKellar (Glasgow)

Holly Dunford (Tadworth)

Emily Ford (Holmes Chapel)

Lauren Irwin (Peterlee)

Eve Stewart (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Harriet Taylor (Chertsey)

Annie Campbell-Orde (Wells)

Lucy Glover (Warrington)

Rugby

Abi Burton (Wakefield)

Kayleigh Powell (Llantrisant)

Amy Wilson-Hardy (Poole)

Ellie Boatman (Camberley)

Ellie KIldunne (Keighley)

Emma Uren (London)

Grace Crompton (Epsom)

Heather Cowell (Isleworth)

Isla Norman-Bell (Gillingham)

Jade Shekells (Hartpury)

Jasmine Joyce-Butchers (St. Davids)

Lauren Torley (Flackwell Heath)

Lisa Thomson (Hawick)

Megan Jones (Cardiff)

Sailing

Connor Bainbridge (Halifax)

James Peters (Tunbridge Wells)

Fynn Sterritt (Inverness)

Sam Sills (Launceston)

Micky Beckett (Solva)

Chris Grube (Chester)

John Grimson (Leicester)

Emma Wilson (Christchurch)

Ellie Aldridge (Parkstone)

Hannah Snellgrove (Lymington)

Freya Black (Redhill)

Saskia Tidey (Dublin, Ireland)

Vita Heathcote (Southampton)

Anna Burnet (London)

Shooting

Mike Bargeron (Bromley)

Matthew Coward-Holley (Chelmsford)

Nathan Hales (Chatham)

Seonaid McIntosh (Edinburgh)

Lucy Hall (York)

Amber Rutter (Windsor)

Skateboarding

Andy Macdonald (Newton, Massachusetts)

Sky Brown (Takanabe, Japan)

Lola Tambling (Saltash)

Swimming

Ben Proud (London)

Alex Cahoon (Fairford)

Matt Richards (Droitwich Spa)

Jacob Whittle (Alfreton)

Duncan Scott (Glasgow)

Kieran Bird (Street)

Daniel Jervis (Resolven)

Oliver Morgan (Bishops Castle)

Jonathon Marshall (Southend-On-Sea)

Luke Greenbank (Crewe)

Adam Peaty (Uttoxeter)

James Wilby (Glasgow)

Jimmy Guy (Timperley)

Tom Dean (Maidenhead)

Max Litchfield (Chesterfield)

Joe Litchfield (Chesterfield)

Jack McMillan (Belfast)

Hector Pardoe (Wrexham)

Toby Robinson (Wolverhampton)

Kate Shortman (Clifton)

Isabelle Thorpe (Clifton)

Anna Hopkin (Chorley)

Kathleen Dawson (Kirkcaldy)

Medi Harris (Porthmadog)

Honey Osrin (Portsmouth)

Katie Shanahan (Glasgow)

Angharad Evans (Cambridge)

Keanna Macinnes (Edinburgh)

Laura Stephens (London)

Abbie Wood (Buxton)

Freya Colbert (Grantham)

Eva Okaro (Sevenoaks)

Lucy Hope (Melrose)

Freya Anderson (Birkenhead)

Leah Crisp (Wakefield)

Table tennis

Liam Pitchford (Chesterfield)

Anna Hursey (Tianjin, China)

Taekwondo

Bradly Sinden (Doncaster)

Caden Cunningham (Huddersfield)

Jade Jones (Bodelwyddan)

Rebecca McGowan (Dumbarton)

Tennis

Jack Draper (London)

Dan Evans (Dubai, U.A.E.)

Joe Salisbury (London)

Neal Skupski (Liverpool)

Sir Andy Murray (Leatherhead)

Katie Boulter (Woodhouse Eaves)

Heather Watson (St. Peter Port, Channel Islands)

Triathlon

Sam Dickinson (York)

Alex Yee (London)

Beth Potter (Bearsden)

Georgia Taylor-Brown (Leeds)

Kate Waugh (Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Weightlifting

Emily Campbell (Bulwell)

[smallbusinessesbiglegacies]

Small Town, Big Memories

For the past 19 years, I’ve had the privilege of growing up in the small suburban town of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, with a population of about 14,000 people, located about 26 miles south of Boston. It was only this past August when I left my home on Christina Drive to attend Endicott College that I realized just how much this tiny corner of the world provided me with. EB may not have any giant shopping malls, thrilling adventure parks, or five star steakhouses, but it’s home to a few memorable small businesses that make sticking around worth it.

602 Oak Street in East Bridgewater is yet another address I grew up at, home of Michelle's Studio of Dance. At age three, my parents signed me up for classes; I walked in those doors completely unaware of what the next 15 years held for me. I instantly fell in love with that place: the teachers, the students, the art of dance, I loved it all. From my first ballet recital to my last competition winning ‘The Sparkle Award’ I’ve dreamed of for years, I’ve grown an abundant amount since my days as a toddler. Although I’ve matured a lot as a dancer, Michelle’s Studio of Dance has taught me even more about being a good human.

Michelle Lessard, owner of Michelle’s Studio of Dance, has acted as a second mother to me throughout my whole life. She’s coached me four days a week since I was a baby, offered me one of my first jobs, wiped my tears away on my hardest days, encouraged me to pursue dance after graduation, and traveled hours to attend my first college performance. Lessard was my fairy godmother, always there when I needed her with words of wisdom beyond her years. I can honestly say that not every dancer I know was as lucky as me to grow up in such a loving and nurturing environment, and that’s all thanks to Lessard. For the last 35 years Lessard has ensured her students have gained a proper education in dance, but most importantly, gained the confidence and kindness necessary for a life after exiting the studio’s doors. Even after moving out of my small town, Michelle’s Studio of Dance will always be a second home to me.

Another town spot that I spent countless hours at throughout my childhood is Skinner’s Sugar House, a business as delightfully sweet as it sounds. A beautiful building full of ice cream, penny candy, home roasted nuts, and scrumptious fudge. I’ve been an avid customer of Skinner’s since I was a kid, and have made some of the best memories of my childhood there. Every Friday afternoon, the entire middle school would saunter half a mile down Central Street to Skinner’s and congregate with our ice cream cones on the front lawn for hours upon end. God bless owner Paul Daley for putting up with the slew of us kids taking over his shop at the end of every week, cause if he hadn’t, a portion of my childhood would be entirely less sweet.

After my little league team won the championship softball game, our coaches drove all of us girls to Skinner’s for celebratory sundaes. We were covered in dirt, grinning from ear to ear, tirelessly shoving sprinkles into our mouths. My very first date was a brisk January walk to Skinner’s. (The cold New England weather never stopped us.) Cameron and I strolled the familiar path to Skinner’s Sugar House after the school bell rang as our friends tried to force our hands to meet, both of us too embarrassed to get close to one another. Flash forward seven years, my best friends and I went our separate ways after graduating high school. Our first stop when we reconvened over winter break was none other than the Skinner’s parking lot, enjoying their delicious ice cream and familiar atmosphere we know all too well.

I’m extremely lucky to have Viking Pizza only a short distance from my house on Bedford Street, as my family is likely one of their most frequent customers. Tony Mamouzellos, our neighbor, is the proud owner of Viking Pizza, and ensures that all customers and East Bridgewater residents leave his restaurant happier than when they came in. When I come home from school after suffering through the dining hall cuisine, the first meal I want is always a Greek salad from Viking with extra pita bread. Of course, Mamouzellos knows my family’s order by heart, and rarely lets us leave without giving us free slices of pizza and calzones. Most of the time when my dad calls in our order, the employee on the other line shouts out “Chris Cyr! Is that you?” It’s become a tradition that our calls to Viking exist on speaker phones so we can all revel in these hilarious conversations. Even the delivery drivers walk into the entryway of our home to pet our dog, Mabel. Viking Pizza is like family to us, and I’m grateful that so many of my favorite meals start with a quick drive to Viking Pizza and end with a gathering around the couch with my parents to devour our favorite comfort foods.

Just five minutes down the road on Washington Street lies McGuiggan’s Pub, a true delicacy to me and my people. At age 16, I walked into the pub hoping for a summer job, and ended up gaining a sense of community full of unbreakable bonds. I’ve been working at McGuiggan’s on and off for years now, and love nothing more than spending my school breaks and weekends laughing at the host stand with the servers and bussers. Although work isn’t necessarily supposed to be fun, working at the pub absolutely is. Even when the customers are rude, I can’t help but cackle when complaining to my workers who always take my side and make endless jokes about them.

Before I had the opportunity to experience McGuiggan’s Pub from an employee’s point of view, I was a frequent patron. After my dance recitals, my extended family and I would pile into one of the big mahogany tables and stuff our faces with their famous bar pizza. I used to love coming in on the weekends to hear the live music, obsessed with the bands and singers who would walk through the doors. Little did I know just years later that I’d be the one helping to set up for these artists, and seating little girls just like myself after their showcases and tournaments. With McGuiggan’s Pub, my childhood has come full circle, and I’m grateful to have obtained all of those memories on either side of the host stand. 

Growing up in East Bridgewater may not have been as glamorous or luxurious as living in The Big Apple or Los Angeles, but it was perfect to me. Certain establishments allowed this town to grow differently than our neighbors, and having so many fond memories of these businesses is something I value greatly. My home was a central location in between all of the businesses that played a part in raising me, and I am so grateful to look back on my town with these nostalgic memories.

[project1939]

(Panelist Arlene Francis on What's My Line?, top, Clips from the CBS special Stars in the Eye, bottom, Jack Benny interrupts the Ricardos, right, Gracie Allen meets the Governor of CA, left.)

Day 76- TV and Radio: 

TV: 

Stars in the Eye, CBS Special, November 15th, 1952. 

What’s My Line?, season 3, “Walter Winchell,” November 16th, 1952. 

Radio: 

Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch, November 15th, 1952. 

Space Patrol, “Queen of Space,” November 15th, 1952. 

The Whistler, “Mirage,” November 16th, 1952. 

It was fun to listen to some things that lined up to be exactly 71 years ago today. Gene Autry, Space Patrol, and the CBS Special all aired November 15th, 1952.  

On What’s My Line?, I mentioned in my earlier post how infuriating Hal Block was. He kept ribbing this obese man, and a lot of the audience wasn’t even laughing. Block is a heavier guy himself, so it was especially gross. Between that and his lecherous behavior with female guests, I'm really getting sick of him. I'm definitely not getting sick of the panelist Arlene Francis, though! She's always so elegant and graceful, and today she was wearing a strapless dress that showed off some seriously beautiful shoulders. She was gorgeous. The occupations today were a frog catcher and a woman who hand painted men's shorts! (I was never sure whether they meant underwear or shorts you wear outside.) Celebrity columnist Walter Winchell was the guest, and he spoke through a kazoo for most of it!

On November 15th, CBS aired a big splashy TV special to dedicate their brand new $7 million Television City Studios. (That’d be $81.3 million today.) They had a long parade of their biggest stars come on including Jack Benny, Lucy and Desi, Eve Arden, Amos and Andy, Burns and Allen, Art Linkletter, the My Friend Irma cast, the Meet Millie cast, Bob Crosby, Cass Daley, Margaret Whiting... it even had the Governor of California and the Mayor of Los Angeles! My favorite segments were probably the bit where Desi Arnaz showed how Jack Benny was interfering with the filming of I Love Lucy, and the bit where Gracie Allen is meeting with the Governor of California.

...And now a word from today’s best sponsor: Doublemint Gum! Friends, won’t you try delicious refreshing Doublemint Gum? It’s grand tasting! Its smooth steady chewing helps keep pace with your thoughts, and the delicious flavor tastes mighty good too! It’s a familiar favorite that’s always good company!  So remember, if you’re lonely and loveless, a stick of gum sold by a folksy cowboy should do the trick! I’m a little dubious that the chewing helps keep pace with my thoughts, though! Unless it’s got more than sugar in it! 

[3yobbg-2]

...Denise knew if she had one of her little 'accidents' at school, she'd get sent down to the Nurse's Office where she'd have a pacifier forced into her mouth and be put into double-cloth diapers and a pair of baby-pink plastic panties before being sent back to class.

"Hehe", she'd chuckle to herself as she waddled along, reveling in the loud crinkling of the baby pants as she did. She couldn't believe the Nurse still hadn't 'caught on' to her obviously kinky little game, and that the infantile 'punishment garments' she was forced to wear were so much more to her than mere objects of a ridiculously strict mandated punishment. Who knew, she thought, maybe Nurse Daley's insistence on such unusual punishments were more sexually gratifying to herself than others might even imagine. Kinky old broad.

Regardless, the pleasures indulged in--in necessary moderation-- were there for Denise for the easy taking...Including the more exhibitionistic ones that she so dearly favored...I mean, what good was the oh-so-delicious 'babying' if it couldn't be shared with all the cute boys in class, right?...

[anamoon63]

The Mushroom Omelette turned out better than Dale expected. Too bad Kelly couldn't be there to taste it. Oh well, she'll try it when she gets back. Riley wasn't around either so he and Sarah started alone, she was happy to be the first to try it.

Sarah: Hm, Dale this is so good. You're a great cook, you know? I'm sure your business will be a hit! Dale: Thank you, but it will be a bar, not a restaurant. Sarah: It might as well be a restaurant-bar, right? Dale: Yeah, well… Let's not get ahead of ourselves, first I have to be able to buy one.

Within minutes they were joined by Riley…

Riley: Wow, Daley, this Omelette is simply delicious. Dale: Thanks, now would you mind not calling me Daley? Riley: Sure, Daley (giggles).

Sarah tries not to choke on her omelette. Dale prefers not to continue the discussion. He can't wait for the semester to end. Sarah he can tolerate, but he's had enough of Riley and her snootiness.

[softforklave]

Six Sentence Sunday

Thank you for the tag, @salvador-daley ! Well, since you say delicious WIPs👀

I could not keep it to six, so please have eight sentences from my Klave Fucktober 2021 fic:

"The things you do to me," he groans into Dave's mouth, "is unreal. The way you look in the uniform is unreal."

"I knew the uniform would come in handy for something."

"Much better than that shitty ceremony. There is nothing to honour. But what is honourable is what you will do to me in that uniform."

"You need to stop this," Dave laughs into his mouth, "I won't survive any more of your bad flirting."

"Never."

Tagging @anglophile-rin @knifecatklaus @kawaiic0mmunism @courtneytarynofficial @fanthings and @forestdivinity

[dream-world-universe]

If you're visiting Chicago in December, you can find a wide range of special events that only happen this time of year. Chicago standbys like the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum, and Navy Pier all turn into illuminated wonderlands for the holiday season!

The higher probabilities can be found the farther north and west of the city with the lower probabilities the further south. Chicago has around a 35% to 37% chance of having at least one inch of snow on the ground Christmas morning, the minimum required for a white Christmas.

The official start of winter in Chicago and Christmas, which falls on Monday, December 25 this year, are almost upon us. Get into a festive mood by visiting the German-themed Christkindlmarket villages in Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville, gazing at gorgoues light displays or looking up at the towering Christmas tree in Millennium Park. And if you don't feel like cooking on the holiday this year, there are plenty of options for a delicious and stress-free meal. New Year's Eve is just around the corner as well, but before we get to that, here's how to celebrate Christmas in Chicago with a hefty dose of cheer.

Christmas at Lincoln Park Zoo-Zoo in Chicago, Illinois-Photo by: ToddRosenberg

Lightscape at Chicago Botanic Garden

Back for 2023 is Lightscape, filled with thousands of twinkling lights on a trail through the Chicago Botanic Garden. It is sure to be a dazzling and beautiful experience. Highlights include a Winter Cathedral and a reimagined fire garden along the 1.25-mile path.

Christmas in Chicago- The Best Things to do in 2023 (trekaroo.com)

Christmas in Chicago.

[hungryfan45]

Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Tom Daley, KJ Apa, Michael Cimino and Dylan O'brien

I'm holding them hostage. I refused to feed them until they began to grow hungry for each other. I told them that the last two standing would be allowed to go free. I was not expecting the results. I assumed that the two 30 somethings would dominate these twinks easily. but they were the first to go. Tom proved that he was the superior spiderman by anal voring Andrew Garfield. and Michael fulfilled his boyhood dream of swallowing Dylan O'brien. The hornyness that came from devouring the teen wolf actor lead him to foolishly grab Tom Daley's ass which swallowed him permanently. KJ looked delicious to Tom Holland. but KJ turned the tables on him fast. . KJ and Tom where both full and ready to leave. But I ate Tom and Stunk KJ and they are both inside me.