#dollies rental

[maverickadrian]

Cinematic Mobility Techniques in Filmmaking

Our dolly accessories provide accuracy and control for filmmakers navigating various shooting conditions. Contact us now!

[blacksails2017]

shoot this weekend was so much fun (except for chaos day sunday) I learned so much and fell into such a slay and efficient workflow w the cam team like hell yeah!!! this is what it's supposed to feel like!!! also the dp said he'd bring me onto paid shoots like HELL YEAAAA

[suspiciouslackofclowns]

Regardless of how many times Eddie has made a complete ass of himself, he’s never let himself be perceived as soft.

It was easier when he lived with his uncle — the boys would come over for game night, or to rehearse for their next gig, and they wouldn’t ask him uneasy questions.

Even after he came out about his relationship.

For them, he assumed, it was out of sight and out of mind. Eddie still had loads of free time to dedicate to his friends, so there wasn’t really much to address.

The first incident happened on the three month anniversary of when he got together with his partners, which of course happened to fall on a night he had a session of D&D to attend. His request to push the game back until the next day was denied profusely until he shrugged and through gritted teeth said, painfully, that he would just have to miss the game if they wanted to carry on with it so badly.

So the game got pushed back. And when Eddie showed up that next day, he was greeted with an intervention rather than snacks and beer.

Ever since then, after the handful of ignored calls and cancelled band practices that followed, he’s mostly been able to skirt by with his friends without issue.

Then he had to go and move in with his boyfriends like some lovesick loser, as Gareth had put it when he first found out.

Eddie’s enjoyed the freedom of having a newer, slightly larger living space. He likes not having to go home and sleep alone, or sneak into someone else’s bed just to have to sneak back out before dawn.

It makes him feel soft, which makes him feel pathetic.

Which is why his skin is crawling at the thought of hosting in the new place for the first time.

He makes sure the fridge is stocked with beer, that there’s an array of snacks to choose from on the counter, and he has a selection of rentals from Family Video lying on the coffee table.

None of that stops the air from going tense and heavy when his friends show up.

They’ve abstained from asking questions about his relationship thus far, but the temptation must grow impossible to ignore when they step into the house and see evidence that it’s real. That Eddie moved all of his shit into another place and he’s serious about it.

That it’s clearly not just hooking up or whatever like he’s been saying for forever.

It’s for real and there’s the faint beat of water against tile from somewhere at the back of the house, the only noise aside from the stagnant tension in the air.

Eddie bounces his leg restlessly, tapping the neck of his beer bottle with his index finger as he stares down at the untouched tapes on the coffee table. Anxiously waiting for the inevitable.

“Where’re your guitars?” Gareth asks, and then clears his throat. “Thought you’d have ‘em hanging up in here.”

“They’re in the bedroom.”

Gareth nods. He’s slouching on the sofa, arm draped over the back of it as he looks around.

“Who picked out the fugly carpet and matching curtains?”

Eddie purses his lips when Grant and Jeff both snicker.

“Steve, uh, likes flannel.”

“Are those your posters?” Grant asks.

“Those are Billy’s, actually.” Eddie glances over at the wall behind the tv, featuring everything from Dolly Parton to Jimi Hendrix, and he spreads a little smile. “Well, the ABBA poster is Steve’s, but we keep telling him it’s not a permanent addition.”

“Where are your posters at?” Grant asks.

Eddie looks at him, perched next to Gareth on the couch, and nods his head toward the back of the house.

“Bedroom.”

“Do you have anything of yours out here? Or is it all in the room?” Jeff asks.

The question sounds accusatory. Eddie almost winces at the word bedroom, like referring to it as the room reinforces the fact that he shares a bed.

He would give almost anything for that little bit of information to not be processed. Hell, he’d give anything for this conversation to be over and done with.

It would save him the embarrassment.

“I mean, most of my shit was out of my room at Wayne’s, so it doesn’t really fit with the rest of the—“

“Why don’t you have the guitars out here? Seems kind of impractical to have them in your bedroom,” Gareth interrupts. “Not enough room to jam.”

Eddie swipes his thumb in a circle around the rim of his beer.

“Not really enough wall space.”

Jeff blows a raspberry and chuckles. The mismatched armchair that he’s sitting in almost looks like it’s about to swallow him whole.

“There’s a fucking decorative skateboard rack on the wall, but you couldn’t put your guitars up?”

“Oh, those aren’t decorative, Billy skates. He’s actually pretty g—“

“Did they at least let you help pick out furniture or anything?”

“Yeah, this stuff doesn’t really seem like it’s your style,” Grant adds.

Quickly, the three of them are attaching their inputs and observations together like train cars, one after the other, and Eddie’s vision goes hazy as he tunes them out.

Thinly-veiled insults here, passive aggression there.

Vaguely, in the background, the water stops running. How Eddie can still pick that up, he has no idea, but he can feel his ears quirk when the blow dryer starts whirring. Then his head is turning when he hears footsteps.

The chatter stops immediately when a figure emerges from the bedroom.

Steve pads out with a towel around his waist, hair wet and slicked back, and makes a direct line for the kitchen counter. Ignores the eyes that are lingering on him as he pulls a drawer open and unearths a pack of smokes and a lighter.

When he shakes a cigarette out and hastily lights it, pulling the smoke into his lungs, his eyes flick up to meet several gazes. All but Eddie turn their heads away.

Steve huffs amusedly. Drops everything back into the drawer and shuts it, crossing the small distance into the living room.

Eddie laments the fact that the blow dryer is still audibly running — Billy and Steve obviously showered together, and it makes Eddie want to go lie down in the street. Even more so when Steve comes to stand beside the recliner and Eddie’s eyes linger on the droplets of water dripping down his chest.

“Thought you were havin’ movie night,” Steve says, cigarette pinched between his lips.

He combs his fingers loosely into Eddie’s hair, and the other brunet exhales a stiff sigh as he tilts his head back to rest against the top of the recliner.

“We are,” Eddie says. “Giving a metaphorical, verbal tour of the house.”

Steve hums. Blows smoke through his nose and smiles, and Eddie swears he can feel the warmth of it on his skin.

“Well, be careful if you take a literal tour. I don’t think I’ll be able to wrangle Bill back into clothes tonight.”

He plucks the cigarette from his mouth with his free hand and leans down to press a kiss to Eddie’s forehead before he pulls away. It spurs a surge of unwelcome butterflies in the pit of Eddie’s stomach.

“‘Kay.”

Then Steve takes his leave, retreating back into the bedroom. Eddie’s gaze lingers on the cracked door, listening for the muffled sounds of arguing when Billy sees that his stash has been robbed. A little smile quirks at the corners of Eddie’s lips.

He almost forgets for a moment that he’s not at home with just his partners.

“What was that about?” Gareth asks.

Eddie returns his gaze to the sofa and quirks a brow.

“What was what about?”

“The way he came in here.”

A beat of silence passes. Eddie shrugs.

“I mean, we’re all guys, I didn’t think it was weird that he came out in a towel,” he says.

“No, the way he came in here to check on you. Right out of the shower, like he was jealous and couldn’t even bother to dry off first.”

Now, Eddie sputters out a laugh, but he sobers and clears his throat when all three of his friends fix him with nothing but serious expressions.

“Are you serious?” he asks.

“Seemed like he was trying to signal that he didn’t want us here, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Jeff adds. “Like, asking if it was movie night when he already knows? He was basically saying that if we don’t start a movie right away, we might as well leave.”

“Textbook manipulation,” Grant says.

Eddie can’t help that he laughs.

“Holy shit, is there a gas leak in here or something? What the fuck are you guys talking about?”

The three of them all exchange glances, and suddenly, he’s at that bullshit intervention again.

“First,” Gareth begins. Glances over his shoulder to ensure that no one else is listening before he turns back to Eddie, lowering his voice. “They don’t let you put any of your stuff up, and now they can’t even let you be alone with your friends for half an hour before one of them interrupts? How do you not see what they’re up to?”

“Yeah, Eddie, you need to remember your roots. We always hated people like them,” Grant says.

“Them?” Eddie huffs.

“Preps,” Jeff says. “And once a prep, always a prep. They’ll choose each other over the freak every time.”

While Eddie is stared at expectantly, he simply breathes. In and out. In and out. Listens to his blood running in the shells of his ears, like the distant sound of the ocean.

Thinks about how this is so much worse than it was last time, and he swears he can see himself in the third person, sitting in the recliner.

Each second that passes is two seconds lost.

“Did you guys, like, rehearse this before you came over?” he muses, though there’s no humor in his voice. “I mean, what the fuck are you even saying to me right now? That because the shit from my high school bedroom isn’t plastered all over the walls, and Steve gave me a kiss, that I’m in some kind of toxic environment? Do none of you realize how insane that sounds?”

“Dude, you’ve been calling whatever this is a fling and shit for the past like six months!”

Eddie shakes his head and tsks, sitting up and moving to the edge of his seat. About to say fuck it and kick them all out the front door.

“You just seem like you’re rushing in, and we don’t want you to get hurt,” Jeff says.

“Yeah,” Grant adds. “We’re telling you this because we care, man.”

Almost as if it’s by the flick of a switch, Eddie zaps back into his body, and he grits his teeth. Shoots up out of his seat and furrows his brows, veins fixing to pop if he so much as breathes too deep.

“Ever think that maybe I’ve been taking it seriously the whole time? Maybe I just didn’t talk about it in front of you guys because I didn’t want to get made fun of?” Eddie confesses. “I really… I really like my boys. I love them. I love waking up and getting to have morning cuddles with Billy while Steve makes pancakes, and I love the way our place is decorated. Maybe it says something about you guys that my fucking safe haven is with the preps, when you’re supposed to be my people.”

Eddie heaves a sigh once he’s done and sweeps a hand over his face, suddenly so drained that he isn’t sure how many counts he stares at the carpet for. Limbs shaking, heart thundering like he just ran ten miles.

When he looks up, all he sees are ghost-white faces staring back up at him. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spies figures in the doorway of the bedroom.

He looks over, immediately flushing red.

Steve stands there in an ugly pair of plaid pajama pants, and Billy is behind him, shrouded in a white robe with the letter E embroidered on the collar.

Earlier, Eddie might’ve blown a fuse over the small detail, worried about how it implies that they share clothes, or worse, that they have three matching bathrobes with their initials on them. Right now, he couldn’t give less of a shit.

Not when both of them are looking at him with glassy eyes.

He stares, dumbfounded by what he just said for a long, long moment. Unsure if he’s sleeping on the couch tonight or if he’s getting the ride of his life once it’s lights out.

“Did you just say that you love us?” Steve rasps.

His chin trembles, and from behind him, Billy chuckles as he sets a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I did,” Eddie says.

Steve clears his throat and nods.

“I love you too,” he manages.

The tension relaxes out of Eddie’s shoulders, and he smiles as he sets his half-empty beer down on the coffee table.

“It’s okay, baby, you don’t have to pretend to be all stoic about it,” he says with a chuckle. “C’mere.”

Steve immediately crosses the room and moves into a hug when Eddie opens his arms around him, moisture overflowing his red-rimmed eyes. Steve is warm, and he smells fresh. Like clean laundry and sandalwood. Eddie holds him tighter and tucks his face into the bend where his shoulder meets his neck.

For a moment, it’s just the two of them. Eddie kisses his skin, and with every press, he hopes Steve hears the silent I’m sorry I waited so long that accompanies it.

Then Eddie rests his chin on his partner’s shoulder and sighs. Shifts his gaze to where Billy meanders into the room and stops behind the sofa, leaning his elbows against the back of it.

Suddenly, Eddie remembers that they aren’t alone, and the tension in the rest of the room is almost tangible outside of the little bubble he’s in.

Gareth, seated right in front of where Billy leans, is frozen in his seat. Doesn’t move, even when the blond reaches an arm down to touch the label of his vest and examine the closest pin.

Because even in the poofy white robe, with his curls fresh and fluffy, Billy breathes intimidation.

“I know about everything,” he says softly. Flicks playfully at the pin before he pulls his hand away, folding his arms and resting his chin atop them. Conversational. “If you keep it up, Corroded Coffin will be disbanded, and you’ll lose your dungeon master. Stevie advocates for Edd to hang out with you guys constantly, but I don’t fucking like you, and I don’t want you in my house if you’re gonna spew nothin’ but nonsense.”

Gareth, eyes wide, looks to Eddie. A silent plea for help, or for backup of any kind.

Eddie simply raises his eyebrows, hands smoothing over Steve’s back.

“If you don’t want me in your house… then why am I here?” Gareth asks.

“Because I ignored my gut even though I smelled bullshit, hoping to be proven wrong. Back talk me again and I’ll beat your skinny ass.” Billy chews his lip, mulling something over in silence for a moment. “Movie night’s cancelled.”

Steve sniffles and leans away from Eddie, his eyes mostly dry as he turns and fixes the blond with a tired look.

“Bill.”

When Billy simply holds up a finger, Steve rolls his eyes.

“And go ahead and give me twenty push-ups.”

“What?” Grant asks, looking to Eddie. “He’s joking, right?”

Eddie shrugs. Laces his arms around Steve’s waist from behind and leans into him, nosing fondly at his freshly-dried hair.

“I don’t personally know him to be funny.”

Billy chuckles at that.

“Drop and give me twenty or I drop you off in the middle of the woods naked, how ‘bout that?” he lilts. There’s a brief second of anticipation before Gareth decidedly slides out of his seat, and the others do the same. Billy hums in approval as they all get on all fours and assume the position. “No girl pushups, either, knees off the ground. And I’m gonna need an out-loud count.”

Gareth lowers his chest to the ground, arms already beginning to shake as he manages a strangled, “One…”

Jeff and Grant echo him. Billy pushes himself up away from the sofa and rounds the side of it, coming to stand beside the couple.

“Two…”

“I love you too, by the way,” Billy murmurs. Reaches up to brush his knuckles lightly against Eddie’s cheek before he leans in to meet him in a quick kiss. “Missed you in the shower.”

Eddie chuckles.

“Three…”

“It’s too cramped for all three of us in there.”

“Don’t care.”

Billy tilts into another kiss, his thumb tracing the cut of Eddie’s jaw all the while.

“I’m glad you like the way our place is decorated,” Steve says. “Dustin and Rob gave me so much shit when they came to help set stuff up.”

“Four…”

“I like the curtains and the rug… reminds me of sneaking into your old room,” Eddie says.

“That fucking wallpaper used to give me headaches, I’d only fuck in there if it was dark,” Billy snickers.

The three of them share a laugh. Then, Billy glances down at the floor and purses his lips when there’s silence.

“They made it to four,” Steve whispers.

“Just four? Pity.” Billy claps his hands together a few times. “Up, ladies, let’s go.”

The three boys on the floor push themselves up, faces flushed red. Gareth brings a hand up to his chest and rubs near his shoulder, walking warily toward the front door when Billy steps over to it and grabs the handle.

“Are you… are you really gonna take us to the woods naked?” he wonders.

Billy makes a face, like that’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard, and pulls the door open.

“No, man, just go home. Get naked there if you want, I don’t care.”

At the words, Gareth and the others look confused, but they file outside anyway. Then Billy shuts the door behind them and locks the deadbolt before he sighs.

“You’re so mean,” Steve murmurs.

“I like assertive better,” Billy says. Closes in behind Eddie and sandwiches him between his partners, hands moving around their waists and pulling them back against him. “Plus, I wasn’t really gonna kick any of their asses. Unless you wanted me to.”

The last part is murmured softly into Eddie’s ear, and he gets goosebumps.

“Got the job done,” Eddie sighs. “I feel like I just came out for the first time again.”

“Give it a couple weeks, they’ll wanna come back again when they’ve had time to think about the stuff you said,” Steve reassures.

Eddie snorts.

“Maybe if we put Billy down for a nap before they come over.”

“Hey, I’m so nice until you upset one of my boys. Then I turn into Queen Bitch, and I go for the throat,” Billy huffs. Sets his chin in the crook of Eddie’s neck and pouts. “Also, fuck you, I’m funny.”

The brunet hums at that and tilts their heads together.

“I was kidding.”

“And I’m not a prep. If anything, it’d be me and you against him.”

Steve scoffs, and Eddie snickers.

“Hey, it’s us against the world, alright? Me and my lovers,” Eddie lilts.

He pinches softly at Steve’s sides, causing the other brunet to squirm away and pry himself free. Steve shakes his head amusedly and sits down on the sofa, grabbing one of the movies from the little stack and examining it.

Eddie leans further against Billy and smiles when big arms encase him.

“‘M sorry your movie night was a bust,” Billy murmurs.

“We can still watch something if you want,” Steve offers.

Big brown eyes gaze up at him, and Eddie chews his lip. Doesn’t push down the butterflies that start to swirl around in his tummy.

“Take your pic, princess.”

[robertreich]

Why Are There Fees on Everything? 

If there’s one thing that brings our divided nation together, it’s our hatred of junk fees.

Junk fees are extra charges you don’t know you’re paying until you get the bill. They hide the true cost when you buy a good or service, so it’s impossible to comparison shop. For example…

Say I want to travel to go see my favorite musician Dolly Parton play at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.

When I book my plane ticket, I have to fork up extra cash to bring luggage or change my flight. My grandkids are more into Blippi than Dolly — so they won’t be traveling with me. Otherwise, I might have to pay a fee just to sit with them.

I need a rental car once I land, so I’ll be stuck paying an extra fee to pick up the car at the airport and another fee they never told me about to cover the rental company’s costs for disposing old tires. Seriously?

When I pay my hotel bill, the price is way higher than I thought I’d pay when I booked the room, to cover wi-fi, pool access, a gym, state and local taxes and other special fees.

Before I get to the show, I better look at my checking account balance if I want to buy a record. Even if I see that I have enough money to make a purchase, the timing of other charges hitting my account could result in me getting slapped with a surprise overdraft fee. It's a simple mistake, but could make a $20 record end up costing $50.

Oh and don’t forget the concert tickets themselves. Major ticket sellers like Ticketmaster tack on fees to attend shows, which can drive up the final ticket price as much as 78% percent higher than what I was told the initial price was.

It’s all bait-and-switch. You thought you could afford to see Dolly Parton, but it turns out it’s gonna take a lot more than working “9 to 5”.

Corporations often label these types of charges “convenience fees” or “service fees.” Probably because they “conveniently” “serve” to pad their bottom lines, costing Americans at least $29 billion dollars a year we didn’t expect to pay. This is a huge problem spanning many different industries — not just the ones I’d encounter on my trip.

But there’s good news: President Biden has urged Congress to draw up legislation to prevent these outrageous fees.

Turns out, one of the few things as popular as Dolly Parton is tackling junk fees. 

It’s time for Congress to act.

[ttalgi]

cupid ꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ diluc x fem!reader

:01 feeling lonely

synopsis: growing up a hopeless romantic, you always believed in cupid. however because of your social anxiety, you end up as a loner and start to lose hope,,until fate has you move nextdoor to diluc, the all-star bachelor of teyvat university

cw: small amount of depressing/depreciating thoughts; if there's more, please let me know

small smau + 2.7k written portion

Thirty-seven minutes have passed since you parked the moving truck into the residential parking space, and yet you haven't made an attempt to get out.

Actually, that's a lie.

You've been trying to mentally prepare yourself, but each time ends in failure because of thoughts like these.

‘What if when I try to move my mattress, it accidentally falls on top of me and I can't move and need help to get it off of me.' and 'I feel like there's so many people out and about right now. I know that they're going to see me alone and think that I'm a loser...'

In reality, only about four people have passed by in the time frame that you’ve been parked, but to you, four feels the equivalent to 100. Now having thought of your worries again you realize that yeah, a couple of more minutes before heading out couldn't hurt.

Slumping back into the cushioned driver’s seat, you let out a small giggle thinking of how the seat probably has a mold of your body indented into it. You start your mental timer of five minutes before an unnerving thought emerges and jumps to the front of your mind. What are you forgetting, what are you forgetting, what are you forgetting?!

You spend a good minute racking your brain until this particular sun ray angles itself to blind you momentarily an- ‘Oh my god, Lumi should be here any minute now.’

Hastily grabbing your phone, you go to the conversation between the two of you to look at the timestamps. If you take into account the six minute drive from campus to the Starbucks in front of Windwail Highlands, the seven minute wait in the drive thru line, and the one minute venture from the Starbucks to the building complex; you realize that your theory is correct.

At times you worry that Lumine is worried about you. Ever since meeting in your guys’ shared dorm room two years ago, she’s experienced just how disencouraging your social anxiety can be in your everyday life. Lumine never fails to be caring towards you, and sometimes she even reminds you of a mother hen. Wanting to show her that you can easily do simple tasks such as moving boxes in new settings, you defrost the actor in you and put on your performance called “showing Lumi that you can be semi confident doing things in public without being with someone that you're comfortable with.”

‘I should really work on my naming skills.’

Having found a new motivator, you unlock and open the weighted door to hop down from the raised truck onto the asphalt. You go to grab your phone and the rental truck keys to slip into each of your back jean pockets before turning to the back of the truck and closing the door behind you. Stepping up to the raised sidewalk, you reach up to unlock the back double doors of the truck and carefully swing the doors out to the sides.

It’s kind of amusing seeing as how you arranged all of your boxes like you were playing a game of Tetris; except the only pieces that you were given are the squares and a single line piece representing your mattress. This is making you remember that you really don’t have a lot of difficult items to haul, so the whole process shouldn't be too hard…right?

After carefully lowering the deck ramp, you grab the hand truck that’s sitting to the side and then start to maneuver some of the smaller and lighter boxes onto the dolly platform. Successfully loading on two boxes, you begin to slowly tilt the cart backward towards you; you walk down the ramp and continue until you’re about to enter the elevator doors when you notice a white sedan pulling up and parking a space over your rented U-haul.

Bea, also known by her full name Beatrice. Bea is Lumine and Aether’s shared car that they got as a present for their 18th birthday. The 2021 Toyota Camry, although still fairly new, has definitely seen some things; examples being when they drove their little sister Paimon to Klee’s birthday party. Lumine told you that since they’re great friends in their grade school classes, Paimon wanted to give a whole food platter because “food is the greatest gift.” However, things quickly went awry when Paimon “accidentally” opened the container and started to eat one of the sandwiches. Then when an unnoticed speed bump appeared, the entire platter ended up nestling into each crevice of Bea. On rare occasions, you swear that you can smell deli meat while being a passenger in Bea…

Anyways, while reminiscing about the story, you register that the driver side door has been opened and that a blonde head with its signature blue flower clip now starts to become visible above the top of the car. You automatically start to smile and call out to Lumine, who’s holding two iced lattes in her hands. "Lumi! My pookie bear! I’ve missed you so much!”

She starts to gleefully skip towards you, careful to not spill the drinks. "Y/n! My scrunkle! My pookie bear! I missed you so much while in our class today," finishes Lumine stopping in front of you with a pout on her face.

Returning it with your own pout when you say, “trust me when I say that missing Professor Ningguang's classes scare me. Like, I know attendance isn’t a part of the grade, but missing her classes?!…feels unnerving.” You start to shudder a bit just thinking about it. “Plus, starting early in the morning today was the only time that they would allow me to park and unload the U-Haul for some reason."

Lumine starts to tilt her head to the side. "Huh..that is weird not going to lie. But! I see that you've started already!” She uses her elbow to press the elevator button for the both of you. “Come on! Let's go and put these boxes inside your place already. Then we can finish our drinks real quick and move the rest of the boxes together.”

The doors open with a ‘ding!’, and you wheel the hand truck backward into the elevator with Lumi squeezing in beside you. Not being able to press the floor button yourself, you ask Lumine to push the ‘4’ button on the side panel. After pressing the switch, Lumine starts to give you a quick crash course lesson of what happened in your guys’ shared “Principles of Microeconomics” class today.

“And then Childe had the GALL to interrupt Miss Ningguang saying things that I couldn’t even bother to remember.”

You ponder for a second before asking who this Childe person is. You've never been the best with names or faces, especially since you tend to look down for most of the time. After learning that he’s tall with ginger hair and plain blue eyes, the elevator doors open and the two of you exit the metal box.

Walking down the corridor Lumine questions which number yours is, and you respond saying that it’s apartment 440D and that it should be right around, “A-ha! Here it is!”

Still holding onto the dolly, you ask Lumine to take the keys from your pocket and to open the door to your new place for the upcoming year. Walking through the door first, you set the cart to the side and spin back around to Lumine, amusing her with your impression of pretending to be on an episode of the show “MTV cribs.”

The two of you drink your lattes while you give Lumi a quick tour of your one bedroom apartment. With the beverages basically chugged down, Lumine begins to push her sleeves up with a determined look. "Alright, it's game time."

//

"WHEW! We…finally…hauled the mattress up…"

After a particularly rough shove of the mattress through the door, you kick the door shut and practically dive to the floor in exhaustion. You can’t stop heaving, feeling that there’s not enough air on the planet to bring your lungs back to normal. It’s at times like these where you think to finally accept Lumine’s invitations to join her at the gym.

You can tell that Lumine’s in a better state, due to being fit with her regular weightlifting sessions, but she ends up joining you on the floor to cool down beside you, allowing herself to take a break. Taking your hand in hers, she starts to shake it back and forth with joy on how the both of you finished the job. “I know that it only took two hours, but that sure was draining. I’m really proud of us, Y/n!”

The two of you stay on the solid hardwood floors and end up in small banter, not realizing another hour passing by.

“Oh yeah! I actually have a friend who lives in this complex as well. Though, I don’t know the exact unit since he switched when his old lease ended a couple of months ago.”

You were about to respond when your thought process was halted by feeling a twinge in your stomach, making you realize that it’s been a while since you ate in the morning. “Hey Lumi, are you hungry?” Continuing after you hear her hum of agreement, “Do you wanna head to the new sushi place with the revolving belt? Uyuu Restaurant. I saw that it just had its grand opening the other day."

Lumine stands up with a swiftness you didn’t know existed, and you swear that you could see visible sparkles around her figure. She picks you up from your lying position and your only thought at that moment was that this must be how her barbells feel.

//

After having a satisfying meal and successfully paying the entire bill as a way of thanks, Lumine drops you back at Windwail Highlands before needing to go back to campus and attend her club meet. Before Lumine drives away, she tells that the two of you should meet up for lunch on campus, and you agree while waving her goodbye.

It’s now the late afternoon and frankly all you want to do is spend the rest of your day indoors, but you still have the U-Haul truck to take back. Once again settling into the driver's seat, you set your phone GPS to the nearest location which, thankfully, was only a three minute drive from the complex. After completing the dreadful drop off process, you awkwardly power walk to get on the bus waiting at the entrance to the U-Haul lot.

A factor that you love about this area, is that the public transport is one of the best, with relatively frequent arrival/departure times and numerous locations, some being Teyvat University and Windwail Highlands. However, a factor that you hate is how public the public transportation is. Having to be surrounded by strangers is a complete nightmare that you can't wake up from.

You did have your own car that you used to commute with, your 2016 Honda Accord that you’ve named Franny, aka Frank. But since you moved to a walkable area with good transportation, your parents wanted you to leave him at their house so he could be used as an extra family car. Not having a choice, you reluctantly departed ways with Frank this morning. All you could wish for is that your siblings don’t completely ruin him.

The bus commute comes to a stop when it finally halts at the Windwail Highlands station bench. Wanting to escape the sea of people (there were six other people onboard, including the bus driver) and the abnormal October afternoon heat, you don’t hesitate to dart straight for Unit 440D.

//

Forgetting that you haven’t unpacked anything was a big hit to your hp meter, especially since you know that leaving it for tomorrow would completely knock you out. You start to make a list of the priorities to unpack, just so it doesn’t seem overwhelming to unpack everything today.

‘Let’s see. First I should move my mattress to the bedroom, then unpack my bathroom products, then all of my clothe- wait, my dresser hasn’t come yet…then some of my clothes with the hangers, then my snacks.'

Deeming your list as complete, you go to find your headphones so you don’t have to spend unpacking alone in silence.

The next hour was surprisingly productive, most likely from the OSTs fueling your imagination as being the main character for once. It was halted when you decided to snack for a bit to get a quick power up. Taking a moment to pause, you grasp that even with all of the full cardboard boxes surrounding you, you feel barren and alone.

'Like how it always is.'

Your first thought is to text Lumi and absorb yourself into a conversation with her, but the devil on your shoulder sometimes can't help but to indulge himself onto your thoughts.

'I said that I could do things myself, deal with things myself, didn't I.' You feel your heart heavy in your chest, tossing, turning and folding itself up. 'I know that I'm being too clingy anyways.'

Waiting to escape from these thoughts, you subconsciously put yourself in autopilot as you leave your unit and end up in front of the playground that sits across from your specific building. You allow yourself to drag your feet until you end up slumping onto one of the swing sets.

With a pathetic attempt of swinging, you only end up slightly jostling yourself before coming to a stop. You can't help but to reminisce of the times when your parents would push you since your legs couldn't reach the bottom. Kicking the ground with greater force, it gives you the momentum to start swinging your legs. You could perfectly swing yourself, but all that you could wish for at this moment would be to not have to push yourself on the swings. To have someone pushing your back. To have your back.

To have to not feel lonely anymore.

Deciding to stop swinging your legs, you let the momentum allow you to continue to ride the wind back and forth until you come to a gradual slow still. You take a moment to stare at your sneakers, the same pair that your parents once bought you as a gift for getting accepted into Teyvat University. The once pristine and creaseless kicks now appear dull and beat up, and you can’t help but think that your shoes remind you of yourself at this very moment.

‘But worn out shoes show that they're loved.’

The corner of your lip twitches upwards and you sharply exhale out of your nose realizing that even in your dim moments, Lumine’s words never fail to pierce through the shadows, illuminating themselves to be seen once again. With your head now feeling a bit clearer and lighter, you finally raise your head and notice that you’re not as alone as you once were.

Gazing from left to right, you spot a couple of teens playing basketball and/or skateboarding in the court beside you, as well as the handful of joggers on the sidewalks surrounding the area. You let yourself slip out of the rubber seat and let go of the metal chains holding the swing up. Reaching your hand into your hoodie’s front pocket for your phone, you start to panic when you don’t feel the familiar device. Your panic ends as quick as it started when you spot it on a pile of wood chips a bit to the side where the swing naturally rests.

Bending down to grab your phone, you feel your body start to ache. Now knowing that your moving endeavors from the day are catching up to you, you decide that you want to simply head straight to your apartment to rest up for the night. It should have been simple, just walking 20 meters without any incidents.

‘It never is for me.’

Your first mistake was having your headphones still connected and playing music, unknowing of the warning call directed your way. Your second mistake was paying attention to your phone rather than focusing on where you place each of your steps. Your right foot landed on a spare skateboard that rested on the edge of the sidewalk, and not thinking, you tried to take a step forwards with your left foot making you start to fall face first.

Everything happened so fast that it’s still complicated to process what happened. All you saw was a flash of red before feeling arms wrap around you and your face pressing against something firm before falling to the ground.

scrunkle: "used to describe something or someone cute" (as seen on urban dictionary; me and my friends started to use this and it just stuck with me)

the moving process could have definitely taken less than two hours,,if only you guys hadn't started talking about aespa's new album

since lumine/aether don't have canonical birth dates, i'll just say that their birthday is on 1/1, new years !!

prev • masterlist • next

notes: this chapter took so long to write,,maybe i was just too nervous to actually post it  乁₍ッ₎ㄏ

i feel like you could see where i derailed in the middle but anywho,,hope you guys enjoyed hehe

taglist: open! @whipped-for-fictionals @aisclosed @cieluna @freshlaundry

[undergroundbillions]

We have secured our time and place for the RARE concert showcase at the Raggedy Ann Rally this year! A group of RARE actors will be singing a selection of 8 songs from the Rag Dolly musical at 11:30 am Friday, June 7th. The event will be at the Arcola Lodge, 111 South Locust, Arcola, IL 61910. It will also be recorded to later upload online.

We will also be performing a couple songs at the Rally Banquet Dinner later that night at Yoder's Kitchen. If you're planning on coming to the Raggedy Ann Rally and would like more information, join the Raggedy Ann Rally Server! This server is just for discussions about the Raggedy Ann Rally and a place for us to organize our plans.

Haven't heard of the Raggedy Ann Rally? Learn all about it on our website!

This performance was organized with direct permission from the Raposo estate, as a free "workshop" of the music. As such, we won't be able to charge ticket prices to cover the $200 rental fee. We'll be taking donations at the door, but if you are able to donate even just a couple bucks to help us cover the costs of this performance please don't hesitate to reach out to any of the official RARE accounts.

More information and proper announcement posts to come!

-Mod General D.

[kelyon]

Courtship 4: The Day After

After her date with Mr. Gold, Lacey goes back to her normal life

Read on AO3

It was still dark when Lacey heard a loud pounding somewhere outside. Ignoring the racket, she rolled over in bed and sunk deeper into the covers. It was so warm and she didn’t have to wake up yet. The store didn’t open until nine.

The second series of knocks was harder to sleep through. They were coming from the side door, the entrance to the part of the building where they lived. These were determined knocks, knocks that knew they would be heard, knocks that had all day and wouldn’t stop until they were answered. 

Lacey stayed in bed, slowly stretching out from the curled-up position she’d slept in. Dad’s heavy footsteps lumbered from his bedroom, through the other rooms, and down the stairs to the door.

Good, Lacey thought as she closed her eyes again. Whatever it is, he can take care of it.  

Then her father started yelling.

Groaning, Lacey dragged herself out of bed and pulled on whatever warm clothes were at the top of the pile on a chair by her dresser. She plodded through the apartment, down the stairs, and out around to the back of the shop. Her father was by the door where they took in deliveries. He was shouting at two men in workman’s overalls. 

“No way in hell I’m opening the door for you. You have no right to be here! This is private property!”

“Indeed it is, Mr. French.” 

Lacey turned and saw Mr. Gold walk out of the darkness and into the ring cast by the security light over the back door. Even on his cane, he sauntered through the snow in the path cleared for him by the workmen and the dolly they’d wheeled over to the back door. He had a large key ring in his free hand, with the key ready to go. With utter calm and professionalism, he unlocked the door Dad had tried to keep the workmen from entering. Muttering thanks, the workmen went inside, pushing and pulling the dolly that held a very tall cardboard box. 

Only when they were inside did Mr. Gold deign to look at Moe French.

“It’s my property.”

Dad rumbled some words Lacey hoped Mr. Gold wouldn’t be able to decipher. Then he started shouting again. “You can’t just have people barge in here without any notice! What the hell do you think you’re doing, Gold?”

Mr. Gold made a show of putting his keys back in his coat pocket. “According to your rental agreement, all requests for repairs must be made as soon as a problem is observed. I could penalize you for not informing me of your faulty hot water heater.”

Hidden in the shadows away from the action, Lacey bit the inside of her mouth. She had told Mr. Gold about the hot water. How was she supposed to know he’d actually do anything about it? 

“How the hell do you know anything about that hot water tank? It’s none of your business--”

“It is entirely my business, Mr. French,” Mr. Gold snapped. “It became my business the day you sold me this building.”

“Biggest mistake of my life,” her father muttered. 

Something inside Lacey winced at that. They’d sold their home to Mr. Gold so they’d have enough money to pay for Mom’s second round of treatments. Treatments that had ultimately failed to save her. Was Dad saying it would have been better if they hadn’t even tried?

He was still yelling at Mr. Gold, who was ignoring him to keep an eye on the workers inside.

“We’ll have your God-damned rent! It’s only been three days! You don’t need to give us the shakedown. We’ll pay it!” 

“Oh, I have every confidence in that, Mr. French. After all, you know the consequences if you fail.”

“That’s why you’re fixing up the place, isn’t it? To kick us out! I’ve lived here for thirty years, Gold!”

“Fascinating.” Mr. Gold moved away from the door. “Well, it seems my men have things well in hand here.” He looked at Lacey’s father. “I’ll know if you cause them any trouble, Mr. French. Have a good morning.”

Dad clenched his fists and glared bloody murder at Mr. Gold. Then he stomped off into the building, already haranguing the workmen. 

Mr. Gold was halfway to his car. Lacey ran after him.

“Hey!” 

He stopped and turned around. They faced off in the shadow of the building, between the orange street lights and the white light over the back door.  

“Good morning, Miss French.” His politeness was more genuine than it had been when he was talking to her father. “Sleep well?”

She stepped forward. “Are you really gonna evict us?”

“That’s up to your father, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Lacey rubbed her arms over her chest. “This is just a crappy time of year to be homeless.”

“Not the best time of year not to have hot water, either.” There was a slight degree of good humor in his voice. “I take care of what belongs to me, Miss French. You’ll do well to remember that.”

He kept going to his car, and Lacey followed him, not sure of what else she could be doing right now. He stopped on the sidewalk before getting in. His back was turned to her, but Lacey got the distinct impression that Mr. Gold was hesitating. He was making a decision.

He turned around to look at her.

The light was better out here, but it wasn’t like seeing his face gave her much of a window into his soul. He kept his gloved hands over his cane. His thumb and index finger rubbed together. It was a long minute before he spoke.

“I enjoyed last night,” he said at last.

Lacey pressed her lips together. “So did I.”

“You should come to my house on Friday.”

Now she allowed herself a grin. “Should I?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’d like to have you for dinner, Miss French.”

Lacey snickered. “The way you said that, it makes it sound like you want to eat me.”

He tilted his head, clearly pretending to have no idea what she was talking about.

“I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock.”

“I can walk to your place. It’s not that far.”

“Nonsense,” Mr. Gold said firmly. He looked her up and down, at her pajamas and the motley outerwear she’d grabbed on her way out of bed. “Not as long as you don’t have a coat.”

Lacey opened her mouth, then shut it. Telling him that she did have a coat, just nothing she wanted him to see her in, probably wasn’t the sexiest move. He was offering to take care of her. Why not let him?

“Okay,” Lacey said. “Eight o’clock on Friday. I’ll see you then.”

He nodded. “Grand.”

****

The rest of the morning passed without incident. Since she was already awake, Lacey decided to make herself an actual breakfast for once. She sniffed the milk before pouring it into her oatmeal. It was a little funky, but not that bad. The motto around here had always been that if you didn’t gag at the first smell or taste, it was probably fine. 

She could live with it. 

When it came time to open the store, Lacey decided today was the day she’d make a display window for Valentine’s Day. They had to let people know that the holiday was coming and they should order--and pay for--their flowers today.

The display window had been Mom’s pride and joy. She put so much care and craft into making something unique for every holiday or season. Lacey had helped her with last Valentine’s Day, when even the act of reaching up and stapling a paper Cupid to the wall could exhaust her.

Despite years of example, Lacey didn’t have her mother’s knack for telling a story with plastic figures and tissue paper. Right now she didn’t have the heart to try. All she could manage was to drape an already-faded red tablecloth over a pile of empty boxes and cover it with an arrangement of all the red and pink merchandise they had. It was rinky-dink and pathetic, but that was an accurate advertisement for Game of Thorns. The store had never generated business because it was good, only because there was nowhere else in Storybrooke to buy flowers.

Dad spent the morning in the back of the shop, glowering at the workmen and grinding his teeth. From what Lacey could tell, he wasn’t actually causing them trouble, as Mr. Gold had warned him about. He was just doing all he could to make sure they knew they weren’t welcome. They left around mid-morning. When Dad came to the front of the store, grumbling and banging into things, Lacey took the opportunity to make herself scarce. He could stew over his misfortunes while sitting in front of the cash register and waiting for phone orders. It was Wednesday, and Lacey had the afternoon off. 

****

She refused to feel guilty about enjoying her first hot shower in months. Mr. Gold was right, the building was his property. He had an obligation to make sure it was livable, just like they had an obligation to pay their rent. That was the deal. Dad could have told him as soon as the water heater started fritzing out. They could have had hot water months ago instead of making do with constant DIY repairs. 

Stepping out of the shower, Lacey saw her reflection through the condensation on the bathroom mirror. The hickey Mr. Gold had given her stood out on the pale skin of her neck, right at the nape. A shiver went through her when she looked at it. 

The purple mark didn’t hurt if she touched it. It was already lighter than it had been last night. Yet somehow it felt indelible, as permanent as a scar from a branding iron. This mark changed her. Mr. Gold had made this while he was fucking her asshole, after they had shared exactly one dinner date, after she had served him and knelt at his feet and agreed to obey every order he gave her.

Everything that had happened last night felt unreal. A romance novel fantasy, so bizarre and so perfect it might have been a dream. But it wasn’t a dream. It had happened. The proof was on her very flesh.  

Lacey’s teeth started to chatter. Even if the water was hot, the air was still cold. She turned her hair dryer on at the hottest setting. It would make her hair brittle, but she didn’t care. She relished wave after wave of electric heat as it flowed over her.

For her weekly lunch with Mara and Janine, she put on clean jeans and a ribbed white turtleneck from the back of one of her drawers. The sweater wasn’t her style and never had been, but she needed it if she was going to cover up the hickey. It had been twelve hours since her date with Mr. Gold had ended. She wasn’t ready to let anyone know about it yet, not even her best friends. 

****

Granny’s Diner was just around the corner, so Lacey opted to go without her ski jacket. Even without worrying about Mr. Gold judging her, that jacket had become absolutely loathsome. She’d never wear it again if she could help it. 

Janine was already in their usual booth by the window. She was writing in a small notebook and occasionally punching numbers into a pocket calculator. Her pinched face and furrowed brow made her look older than she was--which was only eight days older than Lacey. With her blonde hair and worry lines, she looked just like Mom. All three of Uncle Peter’s kids had the Woolverton look, wispy hair and sky blue eyes.

When she saw Lacey, Janine swept the notebook and calculator into her purse. She got out of the booth and gave Lacey a hug. 

“Hey, stranger!”

Their entire lives, the two cousins had never gone longer than a week without seeing each other. They didn’t used to be physical, but hugs had become mandatory as life had kept kicking them deeper and deeper into the dirt.

“Have you ordered yet?” Lacey asked as she sat down on the other side of the booth. 

Wordlessly, Janine put her hand flat over the rim of her coffee cup. 

“Is that it?”

“End of the month. This is one of those weeks where I had to decide who was getting lunch money, me or Chloe. As usual, the little sister won.”

“Yikes.”

Lacey had five dollars in her pocket, the last of her Christmas delivery tips. She’d been planning a hearty lunch of water and french fries and maybe there’d be enough left over for her to get some nail polish. Small luxuries, but at least she had them. At least her money never had to stretch far enough to cover a kid.

“Well, I’m glad you could hang out, at least.”

“Oh yeah, my schedule was wide open. That’s the problem.”

“Mine too,” Lacey sighed. “I hate January.”

The bell rang over the diner’s entrance. Their friend Mara bounced in. Her round cheeks were flushed--whether from the cold or from excitement remained to be seen. She pulled off her hand-knitted hat as she made her way to the booth. Her straight brown hair crackled with static electricity. After another round of hugs, Mara sat down next to Lacey. Ruby Lucas, the waitress on duty, came up to the table. 

“This is everybody, right? What are we getting today?”

Mara leaned forward like she had to speak first or she’d explode. “A basket of your finest chicken strips, for the table!” 

“Ooh, big spender,” Janine joked when Ruby left.

“I had an order today.” Mara drummed her hands on the table top. “A big one. I’ve got all the bills paid and I have ten whole dollars for discretionary spending.” 

Despite her obvious glee, Mara rolled her eyes to downplay her success. She knew what a small victory it was in the grand scheme of things.

“Hey, that’s better than some people,” Janine said. Even small victories were victories, and they deserved to be celebrated. 

Lacey smiled for her friend, but couldn’t keep herself from the mental calculations. How much richer you felt with ten dollars to spend instead of only five, and how much more money five dollars was than one dollar. Such small differences between amounts, but they meant so much where it counted.

And Mr. Gold was tossing around fifty dollar bills like they were nothing. 

“What was the order?” Lacey asked Mara. She had to keep herself from wallowing in the unfairness of it all.

“Well I can’t tell you who it was, but it was a lot of lingerie and it was all black and sleek.”

“Oh my God, was it Mayor Mills?” Janine’s eyes went wide. 

Mara raised her hands in a show of innocence. “I didn’t say that!”

“Oh my God, this is huge! This is the Mayor!”

“Was it all professional stuff?” Lacey asked. “Or was there anything, like, spicy?”

“Oh, I don’t want to think about that.” Janine scrunched her face up. “Not with the Mayor. I mean, obviously she’s gorgeous, but we have to give the woman some privacy.”

“She is gorgeous,” Lacey agreed. “I don’t know why more people don’t throw themselves at her. I hope she is seeing someone--or lots of people. Mayor Mills deserves to be happy.”

“You don’t need to be in a relationship to have nice underwear,” Mara said passionately. “If the people of Storybrooke understood that, I’d be in business for the rest of my life.”

“While you’re spreading that gospel, tell people they can have nice haircuts too,” Janine said.

“Or send themselves flowers.”

Back in high school, Lacey had tied her future success to going to college so she could get a good job and make something of herself. Mara and Janine had taken the direct route and started their own businesses. Sugar’n’Spice was attempting to be a boutique for lingerie and intimates. Hair Today! ran out of Janine’s basement. That idea had made much more fiscal sense when Uncle Peter and Andrew were both bringing in an income and Janine’s salon could function mostly as a semi-profitable hobby, at least until she got her start. Now Janine was responsible for the welfare of her entire surviving family. 

“New month will start soon,” Mara offered Janine some hope. “The little old ladies will get their widow’s pensions and they’ll come in for their perms.”

“Yeah, I know,” Janine sighed. “And my mom will get her widow’s pension and we can buy some freaking groceries.”

“And then,” Mara kept trying to lighten the mood. “It’ll be Valentine’s Day! Lacey and I will start rolling in cash.”  

Lacey snorted. “Not this year.”

Curiosity brought Janine out of her slump. “What’s going on?”

“Rent,” Lacey shrugged. 

One word said it all. Her friend and cousin both nodded in sympathy. 

“Best decision my mom ever made was to use Dad’s life insurance money to buy our house from Gold.” Janine held her coffee cup close to her chest. “I still owe him for my business loan, but at least he can’t kick Mom and Chloe out on the street.”

“He would, too,” Mara agreed.

Lacey looked down at her hands. 

Ruby came back to the table with the basket of chicken strips and the fries Lacey would pay for. All three of them dug in.

“How are they doing?” Mara asked Janine. “I mean, besides everything.” 

“Oh there’s a lot of ‘everything’.” Janine rubbed her forehead with the hand that wasn’t holding a chicken strip. “Right now it’s mostly Chloe.”

“Is she okay?” Lacey asked the stupidest question in the world. How okay could any kid be after losing her father and her brother on the same day, a little more than a month ago?

“We got a letter from the school. Apparently she keeps playing car accidents and funerals--like, every time she has free time to play. Dr. Hopper says that’s a normal way for a kid to process trauma, but it is freaking out the other kids. He wants her and Mom to come in for grief counseling.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” Mara said. “If she’s gonna get the help she needs?”

Janine shook her head. “Mom won’t go. She keeps saying talking about it won’t help because talking about it won’t bring them back, so why bother?”

“Jesus,” Lacey whispered.

“She has a million other excuses. She doesn’t want to pull Chloe out of school for appointments, and she doesn’t want to walk in the snow, and we don’t have a car anymore, and even if we did, she’s never driving again.”

“I could drive her,” Lacey offered. 

She understood why Aunt Terri didn’t want to drive after her husband and son had ended up in a crumpled heap on the side of the highway leaving Storybrooke. Lacey even understood why her aunt didn’t want most other people to drive her around in most cars. Lacey did not understand why the Game of Thorns delivery van should be the exception to the rule. Maybe she thought size meant safety. Or maybe she understood that the damn thing would never go over twenty miles an hour, so she’d have plenty of time to walk away from any oncoming vehicular doom.

Janine slowly nibbled on a French fry. “That might work, actually. If I let Chloe know you were coming, she’d get excited about it. And Mom wouldn’t want to disappoint her favorite niece.” She shrugged. “If anyone can get her to do something, it’d be you, Lace. You can do anything.”

Lacey made herself grin. How many times had she heard that lie before? But she had to pretend it was true. She had to pretend there was anything that could be done to help her family. “I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Me too,” Mara said. “And my mom. We’ll do anything for you guys.”

“I know,” Janine said in a small voice. “And we appreciate it. It just…” She shook her head. “There are some problems nobody can solve.”  

“My mom says time helps,” Mara looked back and forth between Janine and Lacey. “She says it’s the only thing that does.”

Mara’s mother, Irma, had lost her husband to a redhead with a boob job just after Mara was born, so she was the resident expert on getting over things. For a long time, that had been the worst thing that had happened to any of them.  

Lacey stared at the table. “What are we supposed to do while we’re waiting for the pain to stop?”

“Survive,” Janine said. “It’s the only option. I guess it’s better than the alternative.” 

While the three of them contemplated the bleakness of that statement, a girl in a housecleaner’s uniform came up to the booth. It was Ashley Boyd. She had gone to school with them a million years ago. Now she worked at the bed and breakfast side of Granny’s. 

“Um, Lacey?” She was almost inaudible over the noise of the diner. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Oh, uh, okay. Sure.”

Mara got out of the booth to let Lacey out. Ashley took her to a quiet corner by the restrooms. Now that they were away from the hustle and bustle of the diner, Lacey saw that Ashley’s eyes were red-rimmed. She clutched a wadded-up Kleenex between her hands. Lacey put her hand on the other girl’s arm.

“Ashley, what’s going on?”

“Um, have you talked to Sean lately?”

A pit formed in the center of Lacey’s stomach. Sean Herman was one of Hunter’s friends, another rich kid who looked at responsibilities like they were distant planets. When Lacey had first started with that crew she’d assumed that Ashley hung onto Sean for the same reason Lacey attached herself to Hunter--because rich kids were fun to be around. They had their own cars and there was always money for pizza and beer and they could party all night without having to worry about waking up in time for work the next morning. Only slowly had Lacey learned the horrifying truth: Ashley was in love with that idiot. She didn’t fawn over him because he was this town’s version of a prince. He was a prince to her because of how much she loved him.

And now she was crying at work and asking about him. Nothing good could come from that.

“I’m sorry, Ash. I don’t think I’ve seen Sean since the summer, at least.”

“He’s not answering my calls.” 

Ashley’s mouth screwed up and her blue eyes seemed to quadruple in size. She was going to start crying again. 

Somehow, this had become Lacey’s problem.

“Hey, no. It’s okay.” Lacey gave her a few awkward pats on the back.

She was not actually friends with Ashley. They’d barely been acquaintances in school and after graduation had only talked to each other because their boyfriends were friends. But she had to try to make things better for her. She had to be a human about it.

“I’m--” Ashley sniffed. “I’m late.”

That took Lacey a second. Then the pit in her stomach widened. “Like, late late?”

Ashley pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Oh shit,” Lacey whispered. “What are you gonna do?”

“I wanna talk to him first!” Ashley opened up the already-damp Kleenex. “I tried to go to his house, but his dad…”

Mr. Herman had never liked Ashley. Whenever Lacey had been around him, he’d always made some remark about Old Town girls taking advantage of promising young men. Trapping them, he would say. He was not going to like Ashley being pregnant.

“Listen,” Lacey said. “I’ve got Hunter’s phone number.” Unfortunately, it was still taking up space in her brain. “Maybe he can get Sean to talk to you, if you call him.”

Still teary, Ashley nodded. 

Lacey went back to the booth to get Janine’s pen and notebook. She scribbled the digits and handed the paper to Ashley. 

“You’re gonna be okay,” she lied.

Sniffling, Ashley took the paper and went back to work. 

Mara waited until the other girl was out of the room before she asked, “What was that about?”

“Word to the wise,” Lacey slid back into the booth. “Don’t bang anyone who’s too stupid to wrap it up.”

Mara snorted. “That’s not a problem for me.”

“Poor kid,” Janine said. “I mean the baby, if she has it. That’s just what we need in this town, more kids growing up in poverty.”

“Maybe she’ll do the smart thing and get an abortion,” Lacey said. “That way she’ll only have her own life to ruin and not anybody else’s.”

“That’s harsh,” Mara said. “I mean, you never know what could happen. Ashley and Sean could get back together, raise their kid in a loving home. They could have a happy ending.”

“In Storybrooke?” Lacey looked at her friend, incredulous. “Are you kidding?”  

****

She stopped by Dark Star Pharmacy after lunch. There was a shade of burgundy nail polish that was a pretty good match for Mr. Gold’s leather couch. Memories burned like secret flames in Lacey’s mind, of what Mr. Gold had done to her on that couch. What would he do to her on their second date? What other tastes did Mr. Gold want to indulge in? What did he crave?

What was he going to take from her this time? And what would he end up giving her in return?

Crossing the street, Lacey let the thoughts warm her. What would dinner be like at Mr. Gold’s home? What would they talk about? How long could they keep talking before animal passions took over them both? Lacey imagined herself stripping him down, pushing off his suit coat, pulling him down by his tie and unbuckling his belt while he did the same to her. His hands would be everywhere as he tore at her clothes, as he took off her--as he pulled up her--

Lacey stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the sidewalk.

Shit.

What the hell was she going to wear?     

[my3sonsmoving]

How do you plan an out of state move in 2024?

Planning an out-of-state move can be a complex and stressful process, but with careful planning and organization, you can ensure a smooth transition. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you begin:

Research Your New Location:

Cost of Living: Begin by comparing the cost of living between your current state and the new one. This includes housing, groceries, utilities, and taxes. Websites like Numbeo can provide detailed comparisons.

Housing: Look into neighborhoods, housing prices, and rental options. Consider factors such as proximity to work, safety, amenities, and school quality if you have children. Online platforms like Zillow and Realtor.com are excellent resources.

Job Market: Investigate job opportunities and the local economy. Sites like Indeed and LinkedIn can help you understand the job market and connect with potential employers.

Lifestyle: Consider the climate, local amenities, schools, and community culture. Explore forums, social media groups, and local news sites to get a feel for the area.

Budgeting:

Moving Costs: Get estimates from moving companies or calculate costs if you plan to move yourself. Include packing materials, transportation, and potential storage fees. Companies like U-Haul provide cost calculators for DIY moves.

Travel Expenses: Budget for gas, flights, hotels, and meals if you’re driving. Websites like GasBuddy can help estimate fuel costs, and travel sites can assist with finding affordable accommodation.

Initial Setup: Plan for deposits, initial rent, utility setup, and any immediate purchases needed upon arrival.

Create a Moving Timeline:

Plan Ahead: Start planning 2–3 months in advance to avoid last-minute stress.

Checklist: Develop a detailed checklist of tasks to be completed each week leading up to the move. This should include everything from hiring movers to packing specific rooms.

Hiring Movers vs. DIY

Consider hiring professional movers by researching and selecting a reputable moving company. Check reviews on sites like Yelp and get multiple quotes to compare prices and services.

DIY Move: 

If you decide to move yourself, rent a truck, recruit friends and family, and plan the logistics of driving and unloading. Ensure you have the necessary equipment like dollies and moving blankets.

Declutter and Organize:

Inventory: Take an inventory of your belongings. This helps in estimating moving costs and ensuring nothing gets lost.

Declutter: Sell, donate, or discard items you don’t need. This reduces the volume of items to move and can save money.

Organize: Label boxes clearly by room and content. Use a color-coded system or numbered labels to simplify unpacking.

Update Your Information:

Address Change: Update your address with the postal service, banks, subscription services, and any other relevant parties.

Utilities and Services: Arrange for the disconnection of utilities at your current home and setup at your new home. Ensure you transfer internet, cable, water, and electricity services in time.

Licenses and Registrations: Update your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and voter registration as soon as possible after your move.

Pack Strategically:

Essentials Box: Pack a box of essentials for the first few days, including clothes, toiletries, important documents, and basic kitchen items.

Fragile Items: Pack fragile items with care, using plenty of padding. Clearly label these boxes to ensure they are handled with care.

Room-by-Room: Pack one room at a time and label boxes accordingly. This method makes unpacking more manageable.

Travel Arrangements:

Transport Vehicles: Decide whether to drive your car(s) or have them shipped. Companies like Montway Auto Transport can assist with vehicle shipping.

Pets: Make arrangements for moving pets safely, including carriers, food, and necessary medications.

Accommodation: Book any necessary accommodation if the journey takes more than a day. Plan your route and make reservations in advance.

Settling In:

Unpacking: Start with essential areas like the kitchen and bedrooms to make your new home livable quickly.

Explore: Take time to explore your new neighborhood and meet your neighbors. Familiarize yourself with local grocery stores, pharmacies, and parks.

Emergency Contacts: Find and note down local emergency contacts, such as doctors, vets, and hospitals. Register with local healthcare providers as soon as possible.

Stay Organized:

Keep Records: Maintain a file with all moving-related documents, including contracts, receipts, and inventory lists. This helps in case of disputes or for future reference.

Backup Plans: Have contingency plans in case of delays or unexpected issues. This could include having extra funds for unforeseen expenses or knowing alternative routes.

By following these steps, you can ensure a more organized and less stressful out-of-state move. For personalized assistance with moving in the central Kentucky area, consider reaching out to My 3 Sons Moving and Storage Company.

[blueelectricroom]

20 Questions You Need to Ask a VRBO

The hottest new trend in springtime travel is a holiday-themed stay in a quaint New England village. But whether it’s Easter, May Day, Walpurgisnacht, what have you, there are some key details you need to discuss with your VRBO host.

Here’s what you should ask.

1. How many forbidden wells or ponds are on the property?

2. Is there a divining or hocusing fee?

3. Are your stone circles monitored, and are they handicap accessible?

4. Do the spirits in the attic understand American Sign Language?

5. Can we use gasoline-powered equipment or vehicles (combustion engine) to make our own stone circles?

6. May we address your corn growers by their first names?

7. What logo tones and RF frequencies, if any, should we use to “voice” the electromagnetic fields along trails?

8. Do we share “sightings” directly with the town council, or can we just tell the belfry watchman?

9. If we are jet-lagged or road weary upon arrival, can we skip the first Gathering? What about the first Summoning? The Awakening?

10. Will the humming sounds and glowing in the orchard stop after 10 PM?

11. Can you hear my thoughts?

12. Are we allowed to make eye contact with the horses and cats?

13. Are your trees "friendly?"

14. Do we really have to give the old blind woman at the covered bridge three silver coins every time we cross, or can we Venmo that?

15. Why does the compass on my cell phone always point to your barn?

16. Who handles blessings/prayers for our first day with the livestock, in case that goes south?

17. Do you supply the necessary chalk figures, life-size corn dollies, and swords for the Friday night thing? If not, are rentals available in the village?

18. To whom do we report children?

19. Are we allowed to communicate with the swarm, should the occasion arise?

20. Is there any decent pizza in the area and do they deliver?

[seabreeze2022]

2023 Bahamas Cruise, Part 16. April 7. Driving Long Island.

April 5th we rented a car and drove south to the end of Long Island. At 0800 start calling SeaSide Car Rental on VHF ch. 16. Many businesses here in the Bahamas handle business by VHF. Turns out she had gone to the airport.

Once we got the car, Nancy stopped at the Beauty Salon. Marcie who we met by chance a couple of days earlier gave her an appointment for the next day. Marcie will not only cut your hair, but set you up with fish or crawfish. As she was doing with her customer at the time. No she does not have the fish actually in the shop. That is the beauty salon in the fish market in George Town, Exuma does that.

This is Dolly Fox, Marcies Mother in law. Dolly and Basil own the dock that us cruisers are graciously allowed to use. Her son Roger fishes the Jumentoes and Ragged Islands, you can make an appointment for fish at the beauty salon.

Looking through the windshield of the rental car. Don’t you hate getting in a rental car and having to figure out where all the buttons and switches are. This car is driven from the right side, so the gear shift is on your left. My turn blinker is on the left in my truck. Consequently I turned on the windshield wipers all day long before turning. They kindly put a sign at the top of the window, reminding you to drive on the left side of the road. This is most important when turning on to a road from an intersection. The roads in Long Island have many a pot hole. After avoiding a couple of pot holes in a row, it is easy to end up with the old habit of driving on the right side of the road. To make matters worse, the oncoming car might be avoiding pot holes and is not on their side of the road. P.S. After getting in the first time, never saw the “Keep left” sign again.

The yellow building above is the tourist information building. After picking their brain and armed with maps we headed south. Of course trying to keep in the left lane.

The building on the right is the Museum of Long Island. Patsy Cartwright, the curator, was a wealth of stories. She told us where to find a flock of 50 flamingos and the map to get there.

These young ladies run the public library in Buckly. Lauren, on the right, used to work at Gordon’s bar. So when we got there we mentioned her name. More on Gordon’s below.

“Six degrees of Kevin Bacon” or on Long Island, “Two degrees of separation”. There is a little over 3,000 Bahamians on the island . Most are related somehow. We always ask what their last name is. Here Lauren connects us to Gordon’s Bar.

You can’t say you have been to Long Island, if you haven’t been to Hamiltons Cave. Leonard Cartwright gives tours through the largest cave on Long Island. We spent an hour with Leonard while he showed us one of the three types of bats. Blind crickets, termites trails winding down from above. Lucayan pottery, Money Bats which are the large moths we have in the Keys. This cave has been in his family’s property for generations. People would hide from hurricanes here.

Two degrees of Long Island separation: Just spent the day with James Knowles. We mentioned Leonard Cartwright. James says, yeah he is my cousin.

This cave is not on any tourist map. It is in the Dunmore settlement area. Caves in this area were used by the Lucayan Indians. Directions were given to us by Patsy. Sign…what sign? Address…what address? You go past the blue house on the right, look for a house under construction on the left. Next left is the road to the cave. So here is the real life interpretation of the above instructions we received. There is a blue house about every 2 miles. The house under construction was stopped at least 3 years ago and is now overgrown. Seriously, this island does not have a single address for a building. There are no mail boxes, only PO Boxes. They had a “party line” up until 1992. Salt Pond, one of the bigger settlements only recently received running water. All houses are set up with cisterns.

This is St. Peter and St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Clarence Town. Designed by the famous Father Jerome Hawes and built in 1908. It has twin 55’ towers. Which were purposely designed round like lighthouses. I find it interesting that the majority of older churches on the island all face East. The older graves are a good compass since they face east. Ready for the day of resurrection.

When you live in the islands you have to be inventive. I believe this is the local Jiffy Lube franchise. Note the rock on each ramp ready as a wheel chock.

“Slave canal”, there are two canals in town to flood inland ponds with seawater to produce salt. These canals were hand dug by slaves. Probably 5 ft wide and up to 15 ft deep in a few places. There must be hundreds of miles of dry laid rock walls on this island alone. Most done by slaves. The rock walls were used to fence in livestock and mark property boundaries. Some extend out into the water where it is shallow.

The lady at the tourist bureau, told us about the two flamingos at Doctor’s Pond outside Clarence Town. Flocks of flamingos migrate through each year. But one flamingo hurt its wing and can’t fly. One flamingo has stayed over the years to keep it company. The one on the right has its wing hanging down.

This is Charlie and his roadside straw work stand. Nancy sorted through several baskets and bought a small one for $18. Chickens were running everywhere and she asked about getting some eggs for her basket. No eggs today.

Patsy at the museum told us she saw 50 or so flamingos out at the abandoned salt ponds the week before. With map not drawn to scale, we go off roading with the KIA rental car. Among other things we drive down the abandoned runway on the right side of the photo. Carefully fallowing the map towards a beach with the hope of seeing the flock of flamingos. We are in the middle of nowhere. Only 3,000 people on the whole 57 mile long island. I am worried about the car breaking down. How do you explain where you are, when you don’t know where you are?

Here comes another car at us, on the only section of dirt levee we can pass on. Who would of thought that. We keep going. Turning here and there, looking for the lost flight of flamingos. Then we see a vehicle towards the end of the road. Great, at least if we break down they can help us!

You know what Nancy, that vehicle looks familiar. There are two people. One is wearing a familiar color shirt. I think they were parked on the beach while we were at the blue hole in the dinghy.

Two degrees of Long Island Separation: These two Americans rent a house here for vacation and bonefish from shore each day. We were within sight of each other 21 miles up the coast two days earlier.

Gordon’s Bar and Restaurant at the very southern end of Long Island. Earnest is the proprietor. He recently was in a vehicle accident, that has restricted his ability to run the restaurant.

Cracked Conch with peas and rice, with the Bahamas beer “Kalik”. Kalik is the sound of cow bells clanging during Junkanoo festivals. If you look closely at the label you will see two cow bells.

Two degrees of Long Island separation: This is Lori. She is just volunteering for Earnest and tends the tables. No Bahamian accent. Uh….Lori where are you from? She answers, Jamestown N.D.. She was a nurse in the USNavy. Nancy was a nurse in the USAF. She went to the same nursing college as Nancy’s good friend. Within a year or so of each other.

Nancy mentioned the story about meeting Lori to Marcie during her hair cut. Marcie said they had a Low Country boil at Lori’s house the week before. Two degrees!

This is the famous “Deans Blue Hole”. The second deepest blue hole in the world at 663 ft. . The white raft in the middle is where people conduct free diving competitions. The only person to scuba dive to the bottom did it in 1992, James King. The Bahamas Cave expert is Brian Kakuk. Here is a link to the youtube video he shot on side passages.

The red lines on the above photo are the caves heading off underground starting at 150 ft. With the blue hole at the top left next to the cliffs.

S/V Sea Breeze, Thompson Bay, Long Island, Bahamas

[robinfuckery-blog]

My New Car

So last month, after my Ford Probe (with the "Wild Orchid" package) was viciously and unironically rear-ended and subsequently totaled, I found myself in the market for a new automobile. After doing absolutely no research whatsoever, I headed down to the nearest Mitsubishi dealership in my Chrysler 200 rental (200 being the approximate number of times the 9-speed transmission chooses the wrong gear per quarter mile). I hadn't even dialed the Chrysler into "park" (there's a sentence I never thought I'd type) before a rather debonaire-looking salesman named Justin descended on me. He wasted no time launching into his potential customer getting-to-know-you/interrogation spiel. Within seconds, he knew where I lived, why I was at the dealership, my first pet's maiden name, how many days until my next birthday, and my approximate budget. I remember thinking to myself that if this dude ever did speed dating, he would absolutely clean up. All relevant information now in hand, Justin led me past rows of glittering Mirages and bulbous Landers over to a line of cars that seemed a bit out of place. In front of me stood what appeared to be dozens of luxury SUVS, many of which looked like they cost at minimum $80,000. This made me somewhat cross. I had told Justin my maximum budget up front, just like you're supposed to, yet here he was about to sell me on a Range Rover or Escalade or whatever it was.

It was at this point that Justin told me to take a closer look, taking special care to point out the various diamond emblems on the exterior as well as the yards of hard, Tonka-quality plastics which lined the interior. That's when it donged on me - this was no German luxury vehicle, but rather the all-new 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander! The next hour consisted of me and Justin walking around the collection of Outlanders, just trying to figure out which one would take up the most of my budget without going over by too much. Justin was trying to steer me towards a pearl-white LT2. I did like the color. Reminded me of the good times I had with my Malibu rental during my last business trip (to Iowa City), which not coincidentally was the last business trip where I didn't come home with chlamydia. I'm sure the Malibu played some part in that. I was nearly sold on the LT2 when Justin mentioned it had the more powerful 250hp 2.0 liter turbo instead of the entry-level 160hp 1.5. I told him that engine would simply not do. It was far too aggressive. Toeing into the throttle with that much horsepower on tap would likely get the blood rushing to my loins in such a way that I'd be coming home with chlamydia all the time. Not a good thing when you just ditched healthcare coverage so as to free up additional funds to spend on a new car. So I really needed something sedate and boring. I needed the Lifetime Movie Network of SUVS. After another hour of poring over window stickers, we settled on a light blue metallic model with the LT1 trim. Its only option was an advanced technology package, which added a wireless charger, auto-dimming rearview mirror (greatest invention since antibiotics if you ask me), and made the infotainment screen bigger by one inch. The car was powered of course by the dinky 1.5 liter engine.

Mere minutes into the test drive, I already had a feeling that this was the car for me. I mean, it was as dull as the gift my nephew Stewart made for me last Christmas (it was a mediocre attempt at a self portrait rendered in crayon and uncooked elbow pasta). The car's demeanor was so mundane, it actually made me drowsy to the point where I had to pull off to the side of the road to slap myself around a bit so I could remain alert. And since I was parked, I figured it would be as good a time as any to see how my body would respond to the Outlander's cabin. So I dropped my pants, felt around for my boxers, remembered I haven't worn underwear since 1998, turned the satellite radio to the Dolly Parton station, wrapped the seat belt around my neck, and got down to business. Ten minutes in, Dolly's swelling vocals on "Islands In The Stream" were filling the car and my soul, yet I remained as limp as my Nana's old, dusty, beat-up, flavorless carrot cake. That was all the convincing I needed. I tucked everthing back in place, then turned to Justin -- he had been pretending to play around on his phone while this was going on, which I found quite rude -- and told him I'd take the car. I tried to shake his hand to seal the deal, but for some reason, Justin didn't take my mine when I offered it. Again, rude. He did, however, agree to a hug. As we embraced, I giggled in his ear and asked him if he'd ever had chlamydia before, and if not, would he like to. One year and 9,000 miles later, I remain confident that I made the right decision. The car is smooth and comfortable. It reads your text messages to you, too. The engine can be best described as a four-and-a-half-inch penis; it might not seem like much but it's better than nothing and chances are it doesn't have chlamydia. It's also super quiet (the interior of the car, not the penis), which is great if you have a small children or have to babysit your nephew, Stewart. Just roll up the windows, lock the doors, then take in the summer blockbuster of your choice in peace and quiet, all while junior dozes away, no doubt dreaming of playing with kittens on the surface of the sun or in a preheated oven as he does.

One fun feature the 2017 Lexus... shit, I mean Outlander... has is a teen driver mode that helps you monitor your kid's driving habits (viewable as report card upon their return) to make sure he's not racing the Asian kids down the street for pink slips. Some people have voiced their concerns about this particular feature. They say it's no substitute for actual parenting and also that it fosters a lack of trust between child and adult. Personally, I don't mind it. The fact that my kid was putting a Mitsubishi Outlander up against some slammed-out rice rocket is something I would want to be made aware of, because then I would know that my kid is a fucking imbecile and shouldn't be trusted with a soft boiled egg, much less 3150 pounds of metal, glass, and Walmart-grade plastic. But I don't have a child (that I know of). What I do have is a grandmother who enjoys the sauce. I give her the "teen driver" key fob and let her run errands with the Outlander. To hold her accountable for driving my car in a reasonable fashion and not as if she's auditioning as a stunt driver for the next Mad Max film, I lock up all her booze until I get a chance to see her "report card" when she gets back. Only a good report card will allow her to get her load on. It's been fairly effective so far. One problem with teen driver mode is it doesn't monitor what goes on in the back seat. You see, my Nana is a social butterfly and has quite the talent for finding lonely widowers at the grocery store. Sometimes, if she hits it off with one, she will then utilize the Outlander's spacious backseat to "entertain" them, if you catch my meaning (I mean she has sex with them). I swear, you'll find more random dentures in my car than the lost and found at a Howard Johnsons. Also, the new car smell is almost completely gone. It's been replaced with the odor of mothballs and Ben-gay and actual balls. I just hope it doesn't affect the resale value. Anyway, yes, I recommend the Outlander. It's a great boring car, if you're into that kind of thing.

[maverickadrian]

Lighting Solution for Visual Epic Narrative

Our motion picture lighting services enhance the visual appeal of your film, resulting in captivating cinematic atmospheres. Contact us now!

[doggiedayoutnc]

🐾 20 Songs About People's Dogs You Need to Hear! 🐶🎶

Are you a dog lover looking for the perfect soundtrack that celebrates our furry friends? 🐕 Whether you’re chilling at home, on a road trip, or just feeling nostalgic, these 20 songs about people’s dogs will warm your heart and make you smile. 🎧💕 Plus, if you’re in Statesville, NC, and looking for a pet-friendly car rental, check out Doggie Day Out NC – where you and your doggo can hit the road in style! 🚗🐾

1. "Martha My Dear" by The Beatles

🎵 Listen on YouTube Inspired by Paul McCartney's beloved Old English Sheepdog, Martha, this classic is a must-listen for dog lovers!

2. "Old King" by Neil Young

🎵 Listen on YouTube A heartfelt tribute to Neil Young's dog, Elvis, this song is a beautiful ode to man's best friend.

3. "I Love My Dog" by Cat Stevens

🎵 Listen on YouTube Cat Stevens expresses his unconditional love for his dog in this sweet and simple song.

4. "Maggie’s Song" by Chris Stapleton

🎵 Listen on YouTube A touching story about a rescue dog named Maggie who became a part of Stapleton's family.

5. "The More Boys I Meet" by Carrie Underwood

🎵 Listen on YouTube Carrie Underwood humorously sings about how her dog is often better company than men!

6. "Seamus the Dog" by Pink Floyd

🎵 Listen on YouTube This unique track features a dog named Seamus "singing" along with the band!

7. "Man of the Hour" by Norah Jones

🎵 Listen on YouTube Norah Jones sings about choosing her loyal dog over a boyfriend. Who wouldn’t?

8. "Little Boys Grow Up and Dogs Get Old" by Luke Bryan

🎵 Listen on YouTube A nostalgic song that reflects on the passage of time and the bond with a beloved dog.

9. "Gypsy, Joe, and Me" by Dolly Parton

🎵 Listen on YouTube Dolly Parton tells a touching story about a woman and her dog, Gypsy, in this emotional ballad.

10. "Like My Dog" by Billy Currington

🎵 Listen on YouTube A fun and light-hearted country song about wishing his girlfriend could love him as his dog does!

11. "Cracker Jack" by Dolly Parton

🎵 Listen on YouTube Another beautiful song by Dolly Parton about her childhood dog, Cracker Jack.

12. "Gonna Buy Me a Dog" by The Monkees

🎵 Listen on YouTube A playful, upbeat track about finding a new best friend—a dog!

13. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" by Led Zeppelin

🎵 Listen on YouTube Led Zeppelin sings about a countryside adventure with a loyal dog named Strider.

14. "Shannon" by Henry Gross

🎵 Listen on YouTube A moving tribute to Carl Wilson's (of The Beach Boys) dog, Shannon, who passed away.

15. "Old Blue" by Joan Baez

🎵 Listen on YouTube A traditional folk song about a loyal hunting dog named Old Blue.

16. "Everything Reminds Me of My Dog" by Jane Siberry

🎵 Listen on YouTube A quirky and catchy song about how everything reminds the singer of her dog!

17. "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin

🎵 Listen on YouTube While this song isn't about a specific dog, the title and groove make it a classic rock favorite!

18. "Diamond Dogs" by David Bowie

🎵 Listen on YouTube A rock anthem with an iconic title that makes it a staple in the playlist for dog lovers!

19. "A Boy and His Dog" by John Prine

🎵 Listen on YouTube A nostalgic song about the simple pleasures of childhood, including the companionship of a dog.

20. "Me and My Arrow" by Harry Nilsson

🎵 Listen on YouTube A sweet and simple song from the album The Point! about a boy and his loyal dog, Arrow.

🐕‍🦺 Ready for a Pet-Friendly Adventure?

If you’re in Statesville, NC, and looking for a pet-friendly car rental, check out Doggie Day Out NC! 🚗 We specialize in creating a fun and comfortable experience for you and your furry friends. Book today and hit the road with your best buddy!

[yersoncamacho]

Eldzhey // Harakiri from Pavel Beliavskii on Vimeo.

Director - Max Shishkin @shishkinmax Music by Tars @tarsmakessence Rec & mix by Creamy @creaminal Art-director - Elza Serova @elzaserova Cinematographer - Pavel Belyavsky @belyavskyp Producer - Anastasia Klabukova @wow.wonder Wardrobe Stylist - Anna Artamonova @aartamon Production Designer - Philipp Sheyn @philippsheyn 1st AD - Konstantin Trubin @trubin_good 2nd AD - Anastasia Brovko @nastya_bro Casting Director - Gulya Jafarova @gu.jfrv Make-up Artist - Elza Tsedenova @elza.tsedenova Production Manager - Alexander Lyubenko @lubenkoadmincrew @liubenko.a Wardrobe Assistant - Anastasia Nevodina, Lilia Kabirova Assistant Designer - Pavel Ilchenko @il4 Сasting Assistant - Valentin Kudryavtsev @valentinkudryavtcev Make-up Artist Assistant - Evgeniya Karaseva @lamiu.m Administrators - Alexander Ponomar, Vlad Ponomar Gaffer - Kirill Shkhundin @kirillshkundin Focus-puller - Ivan Sushko Lighting Crew - Ilya Turov, Nikolay Shugurov, Evgeny Maslenkov, Ivan Belchenko, Sergey Ermakov, Yury Tikhomirov Camera Assistant - Vyacheslav Mukhin, Egor Chesnikov @egogiii Dolly - Alexander Kashin @kashinsdollygang Stagehands on set - Munir Ibadullaev, Sergey Shuster, Anatoly Pozdnyakov, Anatoly Pozdnyakov, Gurgen Ter-Hakopyan SFX - Maxim Sorokin @sorokin_m_ , Evgeny Sorokin, Olyanishin Pavel, Gogachev Dmitry @sfxstudio.ru Rental Sky Rental - Aleksandr Kykhalov @kihalov VFX Silent Studio - @silent_std Oleg Charukhin, Leonid Pak, Dabyrbek Daniyas, Louise Dolgieva, Artem Shapran, Dogalbekov Meirambek, Darmen Daulet Color Grading - Alexander Zolotorev @alexanderzolotorev Sound designer - Demitar Kesov @dima_kesov , Anton Nikiforov @tonymusfactor Actors - Babek M. Si. @babek.m.si, Tynchtyk Matubraimov Zhakshylykovich @bonbonofficiall, Vladimir Kopush, Rolan Arapov, Stanislav Levashov @levashov_st, Mahamotkamil uulu Makhomotshakir @grow_with_, Marat Salmurzaev @salmurnur, Roman Ovshinov

[scheimpflug]

Scheimpflug is a premier camera and lighting rental house in New York City, offering a wide range of services and equipment to support filmmakers and photographers. They provide cinema camera rentals, including Arri and Sony mirrorless cameras, as well as DSLRs, 360 cameras, and thermal cameras. In addition to cameras, Scheimpflug offers lighting rentals, grip trucks, production equipment, and expendables. They also specialize in 3D scanning for VFX, ensuring that filmmakers have access to the latest technology and high-quality gear for every aspect of their production. Whether you need a camera stabilizer, lens accessories, or a dolly rental, Scheimpflug has the tools and expertise to help you bring your creative vision to life.

[firstsouthernvanlines]

Skip the DIY Hassle! Can Local Movers in Florida Handle My Entire Move?

The Sunshine State beckons, and you're ready to answer the call!  A local move in Florida is on the horizon, but the thought of tackling it yourself brings on a wave of anxiety. Cardboard boxes seem to multiply overnight, furniture suddenly feels immovable, and the logistics of coordinating the entire process become overwhelming. But fear not!  Full-service moving companies based in Florida, like First Southern Vanlines, are here to answer the question: Can local movers handle my entire move?  The answer is a resounding yes! Let's explore how a professional moving crew can transform your local move from a DIY nightmare to a smooth and stress-free experience.

The Burden of DIY:

Going the DIY route for a local move might seem like a cost-saving option at first glance. However, the hidden costs and potential headaches can quickly outweigh any perceived savings.  Here are some of the burdens you'll shoulder when attempting a DIY move:

Time Commitment: Packing, scheduling a truck rental, loading/unloading, and navigating the logistics of a move can take up a significant amount of time, impacting your work and personal life.

Physical Strain: Lifting heavy furniture, maneuvering boxes, and loading a truck can be physically demanding, potentially leading to injury.

Hidden Costs: Truck rental fees, packing supplies, equipment rentals (dollies, furniture pads), and unexpected delays can quickly add up.

Risk of Damage: Inexperienced handling can lead to damaged furniture, broken belongings, and stress on moving day.

Lack of Expertise: Professional movers have the experience and knowledge to handle any moving challenge efficiently and safely.

The First Southern Vanlines Difference:

At First Southern Vanlines, we understand the complexities of local moves.  Our team of experienced, local movers near you in Florida USA can handle every aspect of your relocation, providing a stress-free and efficient experience.  Here's how we can transform your move:

Free Consultation: Our relocation specialists will discuss your move in detail, assess your needs, and provide a free, no-obligation quote.

Expert Packing Services: Our professional packers are trained in handling all types of belongings, ensuring everything is secure and protected during transport.

Loading and Unloading: Our experienced crews will carefully handle your furniture and belongings, minimizing the risk of damage.

Moving Trucks and Equipment: We have a fleet of well-maintained trucks and all the necessary equipment to ensure a smooth and efficient move.

Local Moving Expertise: Our deep understanding of the local area allows us to navigate traffic patterns, parking regulations, and any other logistical considerations specific to your local move.

Peace of Mind: With First Southern Vanlines handling your move, you can rest assured that your belongings are in safe hands. We offer comprehensive insurance coverage for added peace of mind.

Embrace a Stress-Free Local Move:

Don't let the prospect of a local move in Florida disrupt your life.  Embrace the sunshine state with a stress-free relocation by partnering with a reputable full-service moving company. First Southern Vanlines can handle every aspect of your move, from expert packing to secure transportation and careful unloading at your new location.

Contact First Southern Vanlines today! 

Let our team of local moving experts guide you through the process.  Visit our website. We'll take the burden off your shoulders and ensure your local move in Florida is a smooth and positive experience.