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butch-bakugo · 4 years ago

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Do not get employed at f*mily d*llar/d*llar tr*e( they are the same company). Horrible managers, ableist policies and refuse unemployment even when a manager has chosen not to work you for over a month.

Time to vent my dudes

WARNING THE BITCH LONG

Basically my employment at family dollar( a dollar convenience store. A step above a dollar tree in that not everything is strictly a dollar but everything is cheap) has been a true horror circus.

I left my job as a csr/line worker at dominos(one of the worlds biggest pizza chains) in the VERY end of july. I liked my bosses and (most of) my coworkers but it was farrr too stressful/fast paced, the coworkers i mostly interacted with were rude and a non-boss tried to boss me around, i was not getting even 20 hrs per check( thats less than 20 hrs over 2 weeks) and the pay wasnt enough so i left for family dollar.

The plan was id leave my job at dominos, slide into a week vacation with my gf then slide into family dollar once i was home from vaca. It did not go as smoothly but i still got there relatively easy.

I was employed at family dollar to be a sort of csr but mostly id just do cashiering and stock shelves. Simple enough. I signed up for the position at a store in one town about 15 mins away. The pay was alittle over a dollar more than what i was getting at dominos in a significantly less loud and stressful enviroment. I was also promised over 20 hrs a week. It was a hallelujah moment.

Btw both my general managers were named susan so ill call my first manager susan and my second manager karen cause shes a fuckn karen.

Susan and karen are both middle to late aged cishet white women with destain for the younger generations and a total lack of responsibility and maturity.

First day at the new job was fine. My general manager seemed nice and the assistant manager kellyah was even nicer. She was totally cool and awesome at showing me the ropes. Second day should of been a sign to run far far away. Basically i was 3 minutes late. Mostly because i was still trying to get used to the drive and how long itd take me to get there. Susan was unnecessarily rude to me and it just progressively got worse.

Day 1 was about familiarizing me with the cashiering while day 2 was gonna be about putting me on the store portal to go over rules and the law etc. However it wasnt happening due to some computer issues. I had explained in my interview prior to this that i had been in vocational/trade school for graphic design/animation and some computer troubleshooting. All this to say that me and susan were both aware that computer troubles were something i could handle. Most likely, i was the better one of the 2 of us to fix this mild computer issue.

Susan DID NOT think so, said some rude and mildly-demeaning things. Mostly implying that i would fuck up the computer furthur( neither of us messed it up to begin with) and to just get out of her way. Safe to say the rest of that shift was spent with kellyah teaching me about the store while susan messed around with it. I also saw her on facebook on the computer towards the end of my shift. 😒 interesting.

I didnt work another day that week until next week when i came in and susan told me they'd be cutting her store's hours so she wouldnt be able to give me the hours promised. I wasnt surprised but she did offer me to a store about 10 mins away from me that would. This is the store that karen managed. She gave me Karen's and the store's numbers to call to schedule and talk about transferring.

A few days later, i noticed neither i wasnt on the schedule anymore and asked kellyah about it. Essentially she told me that susan had a family emergency and left but only she was able to access the schedule. Susan apparently also said she'd be in the last few days i was there but she kept not showing up and dropping stuff on kellyah. Keep in mind, kellyah had only become an assistant manager the week before i arrived and had only been working there for 3 monthes total.

Then i come to learn that kellyah heard from another general manager that susan was " going off the grid" lovely. My new manager is litterally having a mid life crisis. For 2 weeks i was in the lou with no information. Susan nor karen were contacting me and i wasnt on any schedule. I have bills to pay and this job is turning out to be a waste of time. I dont have to time or money to sit around. So one day i came up to see kellyah to retrieve the work shirts i had to buy and pay extra to make sure they didnt get lost. Kellyah told me susan was still mia and that karen said id have to call the store and leave a message. I was told she wasnt the type to answer voicemails. Ah a sign of trouble.

So for over a month i was stuck playing phone tag, getting wrong numbers and stores without any income or hours scheduled. Mostly because I'd be lucky to get more than 1 text a day from either manager. Then all went quiet. So i went to find the store myself and walked my ass into Karen's store to get some fuckin answers. I got them in the form of " our systems down so i cant hire anyone and its just me here and im tryin to text you" then rushed out and told id get a call the next day from her because a lady was supposed to be there that day to fix it or give her an estimate of when it will be fixed.

Three days later and no call, i call karen and go hey wtf. She schedules me that next week without another word.

And thus begins the saga of karen. Karen sucks all the ass.

Basically all who worked there when i arrived was me and karen. Then she hired on two assistant managers both named tiffany. Both were white and like... Late 20s earily 30s. We'll call one preppy Tiffany because shes a young mom in college and is very preppy and the other will be called witchy tiffany cause i loved her and she was allll into the wicca stuff. She also hired on another csr like me who was named simon. Simon was some ciahet white dude who thought he was batman in being emo and misunderstood. Also seemed like he was always 2 seconds from either pulling a knife on you or seeling you crack.

Simon was terrible with his tills.

Day 1 again, was fine. Day 2 was better cause i came out to my boss about being trans and she was all on bored. Calling me he/him and levi. It was great. At this point i didnt know it was company policy that you respect the gender and pronouns of trans employees. I just assumed it was a non-issue. Soon things went south very quickly.

By week 2 my hours had right back to dominos levels and have not increased.

First off, i have ibs( stomache and intestinal sensitivity and general pain) and blatter issues. Basically this means its hard and hurts to hold it so when i gotta go, i gotta go or else i could end up doubled over in pain. It also means ill have to go more often and abit longer. I told my boss day 1 that i had it and how I'll need to handle it. She either forgot or dosent care.

Id get critized and accused of being on my phone because of how long i was in the bathroom. She even said my breaks would be reduced because of it. Not only was that not true but it was more embaressment stacked on top of an already very embarrassing disorder. Thanks karen. She then banned earbuds. Then phones all together. Keep in mind the store is dead silent beyond the buzz of the led lights and the running freezers. No music or nothin. You feel like your going a bit crazy sometimes so now the enviroment is near unbearable for people like me with adhd.

Keep in mind we stock stores while working register so its hard to walk from one side of the store then walk back less than 10 seconds later repeatedly. We also have a bell on the counter for workers to ring in order to help us know someone needs service. I counted the 10 seconds it takes me to cross the store when the person just got there. I got to 3 before i hear the voice of karen over the intercom saying " levi to register" like no shit Karen. Not only is this unnecessary but also fucking embarrassing. She did this repeatedly. I mean it feels like she only went to her office in the back to feverishly watch the resiter cameras while i work and call out the second someone arrives. It dont stop there!!

Another thing is that karen loves to gossip. Basically 1 time she told me i was scheduled 5:30 to close. She told me the current schedule up in the store was unreliable and i wrote it in my phone so i wouldnt mess it up. I remember looking at that time and thinking wow that's weird. Cause its not my usual schedule. Here i am getting in my car that day at 5:10 and getting my phone blew up by preppy tiffany asking where i am. I tell her what happened and i come in. Karen is on my ass INSTANTLY. Telling me no, she didnt tell me that time and thats not right. I told her i didnt write it down wrong cause its what she said standing next to me. She litterally tried to gaslight me. She eventually walked off retorting that id still be written up for being late.

In the end, im not in the wrong. I came in at the time my manager verbally said i should. My manager is a fault for telling me the wrong time.

Then i went into one isle with candy to put it away and like i said before. Dead silent store. Heres where i lose allll of my respect for karen. Karen essentually walks up to preppy tiffany saying i lack accountability and maturity. Not only is she a coward to be fucking 60 and gossip about her employees to other employees, but shes a dumbass coward for doing it less than 5 feet away from said employee, in a normal tone of voice, in a dead silent store with only a shelf between us. I wish i had the reaction time to have cleared my throat so she would of known i was there.

Another instance is the questioning of family emegencies, doctors appointments and otherwise unnecessary questioning of my whereabouts. Understand its not in family dollar's policy that we give proof of why we couldnt come into work that day, proof of an event/emergency or why we scheduled a certain day off. Also understand that overtime and sudden nessesity of non-mangorial employees is not mandatory, basically because im not a manager, they dont have the legality to fire me because i cant come in suddenly on days i was not scheduled.

I have a busy life outside of work and i plan my doctors appointments and other life events on days on days i dont expect to work. If i am not given 24 hrs in advance for a majority of my appointments, i can be charged $180. That's almost double what id make if i had come in. Heres some personal stuff (that i have shared verbally with these bosses) 1. I have weekly doctors appointments that can be moved and are flexible but i need 24 hr in advance and 2. Ive lost fairly close ( cousin and gma) 2 family members this year and we might be looking another 3 so health is a big concern.

When one of my grandparents( the fathur of my mother) was being released from the hospital, more specifically the icu, i was more concerned about seeing my grandfather home and talking to him than a sudden fill in at work. This was the accusatory and very disrespectful responce Karen gave me.

Karen is in white and i am in yellow

Lovely. Question a family emergency. This would also technically be a violation of my grandfather's hippa.

For clarity, i was going to visit him but then had a sudden and very emotional family emergency i woke up to that next morning ( my gma who would soon pass was in the icu unresponsive. My mother and freshly out of the hospital gpa litterally flew to florida that morning to see her) so i couldnt have come in doublely.

It wasnt over text but a week later i asked for a tuesday off, saying i was going to a funeral. I over heard karen telling preppy tiffany that i was just " putting a big bow on my fake family emergency". I brought in the obituary paper they gave us at the funeral with the date and times of the service and burial and after dinner and all sorts of information. Including the day she died and showed it to my boss. She shut up real fast.

Theres been many occations of them dropping days on me suddenly and getting irritated when i cant do it.

Like this with my assistant manager preppy tiffany. Btw, by this point we had hired a new guy named ethan. Basically ethan wasnt coming in and simon had already given notice that he was quiting. Then suddenly witchy tiffany had come in, given us her keys and quit.

We knew for 2 weeks in advance that the store would be down to 3 employees. Staffing and schedules are all managerial duties aka not my problem. However this has been happening when surprise surprise, not my every day off do i sit in wait by my phone to come into work. Espeically to such a volatile and rude work place. I try not to just say no cause i dont want to and give them the honest reason why as well as negotiate times when needed but it just hasnt fitted yet and their responses have gotten increasingly more rude, short and erratic.

For clarification, i was visiting that grandfather who had just lost his gf of 15 years and is obviously going down his own rabbit hole of health problems, especially considering hes a 70 year old man whose been on dyalasis for 4 years and has a host of health problems.

Then saturday of this week my boss did everything but fire me infront of tiffany and customers after i had been on the clock for 2 minutes. No more. It was embaressing, rude, demeaning and it took everything within me not to just clock out and walk out with a middle finger in the air in the middle of her speech.

She said i, a 19 year old new minimum wage employee, is ' taking advantage of this ( mulit-billionarie) company and her' by; being on my phone 5 minutes before we close the store to leave, eating food while behind the counter, using the bathroom too long and am (still, despite putting all i had into the last shift i had) not friendly enough as a cashier.( i have a resting bitch face and people make me uncomfortable. Im not rude i just dont force conversation on customers.) Told me as well that she didn't think i wanted to work and that if i wanted to be leas of a dissappointment to this company and team player, ill need to step it up.

Heres another one with preppy tiffany. This was monday.

Btw " semi-earily" in this mean... 7/8 am.

The implications oof...

I never EVER said i didnt want to come in. Ive always qouted events, family situations or doctor's appointments. Im giving them personal information so they have evidence to say that im not just being insolent and saying no. Im litterally just busy as hell.

Then there was todays barriage. Same boss.

I woke up yesturday( its like late at night while i write this) at 1 pm because i had other shit going on and woke up to a dead phone. I didnt get these till like 6 pm so i didnt respond.

Now i get to go in today( wends) and hear all about it.

Ill keep yall updated.

Update 1: its now wensday night/early thursday and its time for that sweet sweet update.

Luckily tiffany wasnt given the opportunity to yell at me because she was busy but heres abit of background info i forgot to provide before hand.

I have asthma with no rescue/emergency inhaler(im in between prescriptions.) As well as 2 joint disorders ( rheumatoid arthritis and osgoods schlatters disease) these cause me lots of pain in my feet, ankles, knees, occationally hips( if i end up having to limp through my day) and neck but its the worse in my back, sides, wrists and fingers.

For some reason, the boss who knew all this, thought it'd be just the funnest idea to put me on the pet food u-boat. Pet food bags average around 25 pounds. It was bacially 12 to 20 bags on a cart ranging from 12( which didnt hurt at all) to 35 pound bags ( that took alot out of me) and to try and finish the whole cart in under 2 hrs at the beginning of a 8 hr shift. Its no shock an a half that it took me nearly 2 hrs just to re-catch my breath enough to where i could wear a mask without dieing.

After that however it was a relatively normal and uneventful shift. Other than this was the first time i had ever been complimented by my boss.

The weird thing was, she didnt word it like a compliment and used a weird tone. It didnt sound disingenuine but it didnt sound right.

It sounded like those compliments you get where someone is commending your effort and that you've slightly improved but not enough. But thats not what she said. She never said what i was doing was still not enough. It was weird.

Im also stuck doing trucks the next 2 weeks which will kill me asthmatically. But i was offered more hours so we'll see how this gose.

I may have to call off my impromptu shift tommorrow if my foot is still fucked up when i get out of my therapist appointment cause i just cant keep limping around like that. It really hurts, messes up my back and hip worse and hurts my feet much more.

#bad managers #work place #workplace ablesim #demeaning #tw ableism #tw demeaning #tw embaressing #tw death #levi speaks

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capfish8 · 4 years ago

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Leading 10 Finest Dublin Removals For 2020

Man With A Van Dublin

Content

Cost Of Moving Residence

Part Lots Removals.

I Required A Removal Company However My Relocate Is Truly Short Notice.

Elements That Influence Your Moving Prices.

Abouthouse Movers.

Rated 5 Out Of 5 Stars By Clients On Removal Evaluations

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What'S The Ordinary Price To Hire Movers Far Away?

We Provide Cost Effective Removal Services In Dublin:

While it's an expense that many individuals would rather not bother with, it can be a life saver if unanticipated damages do occur. Depending upon the cover you need for the worth of your valuables, insurance policy can set you back anywhere from $200 to $1,000. We provide a series of services to improve business relocations and give more value for your organization. That being stated, moving in your own vehicle isn't a choice for most individuals.

How do you pack a messy house?

How to Move a Messy Room 1. 1) Organize your home before you pack up. Place your clothes and items into three piles: “Keep,” “Throw Away” and “Donate.” You don't need all that old junk dragging you down, so downsizing can be refreshing. 2. 2) Pack a separate “essentials” bag. 3. 3) Label your packing boxes. 4. 4) Try a moving app.

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Is Mayflower moving expensive?

Mayflower is a full-service, long-distance moving company. Mayflower Moving Costs.Home TypeWeight of Household ItemsAvg. Cost 1,000-Mile Move3-Bedroom House7,500-10,000 lbs.$5,000-$7,5004-Bedroom House12,000-15,000 lbs.$8,000-$10,0005-Bedroom House17,000-20,000 lbs.$11,000-$15,0003 more rows•6 May 2020

It will certainly cost someplace in between $50 and $100 for a complete set of boxes, depending upon how many things you possess. HireaHelper is a marketplace where you can work with movers to aid you on a per hour basis. This is a fantastic alternative if you're just trying to find some added hands to load a rental truck or pack a moving container.

Cost Of Moving Home

You likewise need to think of buying things like bubble cover, sealing tape, mattress covers, and locks. You definitely don't desire your possessions damaging en route!

They were on time as well as with 2 shipment factors they paid attention and prepared their packing of the vehicle accordingly. Many thanks to David and Anthony who were the removal group on the day. The logistics of the relocation had some difficulties but the guys handled it exceptionally well. Moving overseas includes transferring your possessions to a port, having them loaded into a container, unpacking the container at the new area and carrying your valuables to your brand-new house. Therefore, you'll require to get quotes from global removalists to find out just how much it will certainly cost to move your belongings overseas.

Removalists will charge in 15 min increments, so you won't need to pay for a full hr if they take 15 mins or half an hour much longer to complete the job. When you market a residence, moving can be among those concealed prices of offering you fail to remember to think of. It depends on a variety of variables, however it's an expense you don't wish to forget to consider. Relying on your scenarios, moving can be extra pricey than you might picture. But for a 3-bedroom house, you would probably not expect to pay a lot less than $1400.

You can upload anything from a plant you want to transfer to your canine to an excavator. So if you were seeking somebody to deliver your bulldozer throughout the nation, you've located the ideal system in uShip. Obviously, you're most likely to move something like a furniture piece or some boxes. Cargo vans are the suitable alternative for those that desire a Do It Yourself relocation without requiring the room of a moving truck. Making it through traffic and also auto parking is significantly easier in a cargo van than in a moving vehicle.

You need to tip your moving companies $4-5 for every hr they aided you. So if your action just took 4 hrs and you were impressed with the solution, tipping $16-$ 20 to every mover is thought about a suitable total up to pointer.

While it holds true that they are earning money to assist you move, a tiny sum to reveal your admiration for their hard work will certainly make their day. A few of our clients have actually informed us that discovering a moderately valued residence with all the services you have in your current home, plus all the new space you desire in a community you enjoy can be a tricky proposition. Although picking to move or remodel is greater than simply an economic choice, the solution is clear -adding onto the existing home beats out moving from a bucks and also cents viewpoint. If you like your community, and also you don't already have the most significant or most pricey home on the block, you're better off monetarily if you redesign your house to suit your demands as well as stay.

How much do removals companies cost?

For local moves, removal companies charge an average of £50-£60 per hour for 2 men and a van with a 2-hour minimum charge. For long distance moves, removals charge a fixed price anywhere between £450 for a 1 bed flat and £1000 for a 4 bedroom house.

There's man with a van in moving in a vehicle that you're currently acquainted with. You need to locate a way to get your items to the terminal as well as from the arrival terminal. Like a moving truck, you will certainly be charged by mileage and you will certainly be called for to do every one of the training as well as filling on your own.

As you can see, preparing and also carrying out a step for a stone, brick, or block home is a huge offer that requires time, organization, and also money. Nonetheless, the benefits of moving a house, in our experience, constantly exceed the downsides.

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The sector is fraught with dubious moving companies and scammers. If you have the means and aren't interested in doing any of the hefty training, moving companies are your best option. Full-service moving companies will deal with all the loading, driving, as well as discharging. They can even go as far as to pack your boxes for you, however the majority of people opt to do it themselves.

Our group shares a crave quality and also for completing a task right the first time. The average expense for a long-distance moving solution will run you around $4,000. This article is for the house owner with a coming close to move who intends to make certain that their moving team receives a proper idea for their solutions.

Nevertheless, if the action was an all the time venture, tipping a max of $40 each is an excellent general rule. Unless you received absolutely horrendous solution, it is constantly respectful to tip your movers.

One point that a great deal of people neglect to consider is the rate of transferring pets. If you do have area in your auto for your pets, this might not be an issue. Yet if you do not desire your pet cat shouting at you for numerous days, paying to deliver your family pets may be a far better option. Moving your family pets by auto or air will cost someplace in between $200 and also $400.

You can conserve cash by doing some work, but you require to set time apart to do them. Eventually this is for you and also your removalist to figure out. A fair price is not likely to be way too much less than the priced estimate cost, however. Usually removalists. are accountable for moving items from one location to an additional. They're not usually employed to clean up the place you're moving from, or arrange the area that you're moving to.

Penske, Budget Plan, and U-Haul all will certainly price match versus each other, so get quotes from all 3 even if you favor a specific company. The boys called the evening before asking if they might start a little bit earlier prior to the warmth of the day truly kicked in and recommended that they would call half an hour out.

If you are intending on packing on your own, you will require to get packing boxes. These can set you back anywhere from $4 to $17 depending on the dimension and also style of box you desire.

One of the major benefits of this sort of action besides saving cash, is you are moving your vehicle as well as your items. It's also a real advantage that the obligation is your very own.

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Simply provide us a call or contact us online today for more details-- our friendly group are always satisfied to help with any kind of query.

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This is a good strategy for those who don't have the moment to dedicate to the routine of packaging, or for those who have useful items that should be treated with specialist treatment.

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Just because you're moving, doesn't mean you need to work with a moving company to move your things.

So if you intend to save cash on your action, then take a look at these alternative means to move that can save you money and sometimes, could be the only means you can get your things from your old home to the new place.

This need to cover replacements for any kind of things that are harmed or shed while en route.

Usually you may need to pay a fair little bit extra, particularly if you're proposing than 50 kilometres away, and even interstate. The price will always depend upon the size of the work, the determination of the removalists to supply various rates, and also the variety of moving companies you'll be hiring. Yet a common cost is about $100 per hour for two removalists If you're hiring 3 removalists, expect to pay closer to $140 per hour. Generally, removalists will operate any place you are prepared to pay them to go.

Few people will want to pay the original price plus the cost of the improvements for your residence. It can be a battle to exercise interstate moving costs.

Don't seem like hiking half-way across the country with an automobile packed with valuables? This saves you from long, exhausting days embeded an auto, and will get you to your location a lot quicker. Depending on where you are moving to, it will cost anywhere in between $1,000 and $3,000 to fly a household of 4 interstate. This will certainly transform of course depending on the airline that you choose and if you are lucky adequate to score a deal when flights go on sale. Don't wish to risk having your treasured properties harmed during the relocation?

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You're likewise probably finest off working with someone else to make all the connections - such as gas, electricity, as well as web - at your brand-new location. Primarily, your choice will hinge on the dimension and quantity of the items that need moving. As well as if there's a fair bit that requires to be moved, there's a great chance it'll be worth it to pay someone else to do the task.

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How can I get free boxes from Walmart?

Go to the fruits and vegetables department and ask a store employee if there are any extra boxes in the back that you can have. Grocery store's especially, as well as places like Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, etc will all usually have a large supply of empty boxes folded up in the back from inventory shipments.

Take a look at our checklist of the best moving container companies and make use of the moving expense calculator to examine container prices. The most inexpensive container prices for delivering cross countries are usually going to originate from the companies with locations near you on both ends of your step. If a company is nearby in your area yet doesn't have an area nearby in the state you're relocating to, that will add a whole lot to your expense. Budget Alternatives 2020 Best Moving Containers & Storage space Companies We invested 260 hours researching moving container and also storage companies to discover the most effective prices, best customer service, and also fastest deliveries so you don't need to. For those that have more than just boxes, you have actually got a lot of choices when it concerns moving your furnishings as well as individual products.

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With these tips, you'll be much better geared up to make your plans and then enjoy your residence in its new, excellent location. Even in rural setups, communities and also neighborhoods have their own rules and also regulations about the sorts of structures allowed on buildings, as well as they typically rely on whole lot size and zoning. Before moving your residence, you have to make certain that you won't be breaking any kind of building codes or guidelines by moving it to a brand-new location.

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How much does it cost to build a house in California?

Residential Construction Costs by StateStateAverage Cost RangeArizona$200,000 - $625,000California$200,600 - $600,000Colorado$300,000 - $500,000Connecticut$300,000 - $800,00020 more rows

You wish to make certain you have actually selected a reliable removalist that uses insurance policy and has a credibility for delivering on time as well as not harmful personal belongings. Removalists charge by the hour, yet also factor in the problem of the relocation. Prices can vary from $35 to $50 per hour each, yet other charges may use. Transfer prices, insurance and other expenses may not be included in the hourly prices, so be sure to request for the complete price of moving.

Do I get my mortgage deposit back?

Do you get your mortgage deposit back? If the purchase has gone through, then no (unless you want to borrow it and release some of the equity). This is obviously not possible for those with negative equity, but if you sell the property at a profit, you can recoup some of the capital you put down.

What'S The Average Cost To Work With Moving Companies Far Away?

A removalist company will certainly offer a range of services for you to choose from to make your action as easy as you want it to be. A removalist can load as well as unload all your valuables, established your new house for you, and some might even assist with the clean-up process of your old residence. Employing a professional moving company aids alleviate a lot of the stress and anxiety and discomfort related to moving. By choosing a removalist with economical prices, you guarantee your action goes as efficiently as possible-- without breaking the financial institution. When you get quotes, be sure they are itemised so you recognize what you're paying for.

If you have any inquiries or need a fast quote please offer Peter a phone call at. If he does not respond to, don't stress, he is probably filling or unloading a truck somewhere, simply leave a message and he will get back to you in no time at all.

Whether you're moving house or need business moving solutions, we can assist. Contact WridgWays currently to figure out your interstate moving costs. Although these are only price quotes, ideally this will certainly provide you a better suggestion of what your interstate moving prices will be. At any kind of point during the planning procedure, or during your relocation, you can speak to our moving experts to obtain the answers you require.

Yet numerous removalists will certainly not do jobs that need them to take a trip interstate, or multiple hours' range from where you'll live. For that sort of work, you'll probably need to employ a removalist that markets interstate or inter-regional services. Over the years we've honed our collective expertise and also skillset and also made innovation process adjustments that have elevated our company to the be one of the best companies in our field.

The price may be higher if you're relocating to a more remote area. If you're relocating to Darwin, for example, you could pay up to $5550 to relocate from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or Brisbane. These costs are approximate and also will certainly rely on your place, the range you relocate, the solution you choose and also numerous other factors. Some removalists supply special solutions such as pianos and also various other big, delicate objects. Removalists provide a variety of solutions, yet give you the option of doing a few of the job on your own.

Obtain quotes from at least two of the companies to get an excellent idea of what it'll set you back. If you do not have furnishings to move, consider this budget plan alternative. Obtain the items you're moving to the bus incurable and also you're good to go. It's one of the most budget friendly option for a small move out of state. uShip is a marketplace platform especially for moving.

A lot of removalists bill by the hr and will quote you based on the sort of services you call for and the amount of items that require to be removed. The prices will certainly additionally differ based upon the day the removal occurs, i.e. Expert moving companies recognize how to pack the moving truck efficiently to guarantee marginal opportunity of damage during transportation. They likewise know exactly how to appropriately lift hefty products without causing injury. You're additionally able to insure your products in the event something fails.

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It can be complicated to exercise what you need to spend for as well as what you do not. We make it easy for you by listing all the significant expenses of moving interstate, so you will be prepared for all the variables. Specialist moving companies make moving easy, yet the difficult component is finding a great company.

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lockdownuk · 4 years ago

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Lockdown Diary Part 8

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

23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.

Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online.

Day 211: I stayed up till 5am last night. The last thing I watched was Ronny Chieng, a Malaysian comic in the states. It was a Netflix comedy special and bloody funny. Other than that, a quiet night, nowhere near as fucked as Friday night. As I type, I am about to finish off spicy af sausage cassserole for tea and watch a film - all quite sedate. I’ve work tomorrow, after all!

Day 212: Every time I try and watch something on Amazon Prime, it errors or doesn’t load so I have to uninstall and reinstall, which is a pain the fucking arse. Glad I don’t pay for it. I watched half of the Tom Hanks film last night, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, based on a real life children’s TV actor. It’s good but weird. I’ll finish it tonight. Jo Broom called and told me (well, reminded me of, actually) some good info, especially about insulin lasting 4 hours and the liver producing sugar for when you wake up). Day 213: I didn’t watch the rest of that Tom Hanks film last night, doing so right now. I got a call @5.30pm from Tall Tom asking to pop round which he did (social-distancing at the front door). He dropped of a canvas print he’d ordered of on eof my pictures from FB. Fucking gobsmacked! That’s how much he likes them. I am still in shock. What a brilliant thing to do! Day 214: Finished A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood last night, I enjoyed it. Today has been standard. Half way through the third week back from furlough and, while I am still very glad to be working, I now also relish pasrt of being paid 80% for fuck all! My walks have been tentative today, I have done something to my right ankle, it feels sore but OK when walking at pace. My phone and Google Fit are playing up - I am suddenly walking 8km/h! Day 215: Phoned Dad - Rita sent an email a couple of days ago telling of a lump in his ear which he had removed and they are going to check for cancer. When I spoke with him it was usual dad - nothing to worry about. He spoke very highly of the staff at Stamford Hospital where he had it done. They took skin from his nesxk to put on his ear lobe where they performed the op. I had pie and veg tonight. It’s a real change and I am stuffed as I type this. SB pee-ed me off at work big time late this afternoon. Diary updated! Day 216: Dan’s in court today for his drink driving escapade. I think he’s pleading not guilty - I’m not sure, neither has he been each time I have talked to him about it. It was scheduled at 4pm and he’s meant to let me know how it went. As I type, it’s just gone 9pm. Fuck knows what’s happening. I guess he’ll let me know in his own time. Meanwhile, work was OK, nothing hectic, I am on my first Friday beer, just about to eat meatballs and pasta and watch Taxi, a film written by Luc Besson. End of my 3rd week back and it’s a bit like I wasn’t furloughed for 6 months!

Day 217: I switched off that Taxi film after 30 minutes. It was bollocks. Dan got a 20 month ban (reduced to 15, if he does a course, which he says he will) and £1100 fine. At least it’s over and done with now. I got up at gone 2pm today. I have to cut this late sleeping habit out at the weekends. That being said, it’s 8.40pm, just about to dive in the shower, eat and then get on it. Clocks go back later so I’ve an extra hour to play with!

Day 218: Still managed to stay up stupidly late last night, up at before 1pm (but in real terms, that’s just before 2pm!) Had a video chat with Fog - I was meant to go up to his yesterday to listen to the footy but, ‘cos I was up so late, I didn’t. Anyway, during our chat, we’ve decidied to go to Honolulu when it’s safe, specifically to go to McDs. It was a bizarre conversation - I can’t actually remember the details!

Day 219: The lady (I think it’s a lady) from the Oundle Chronicle emailed to say she didn’t think William (the student) has contacted me (he has but is fucking useless), so she’s found some questions for me to answer and wants me to pick my favourite 4 (hi-res) photos. I’ve written a couple of paragraphs that answer her questions and I was to pick photos that have had the most likes on FB - finding that info out, without trawling back over my posts, is easier said than done! Got the car tyres sorted today - an advisory from the MOT that Julian did last week.. I do like Oundle Tyre and Exhaust centre. Work was fine. Marke had to deal with Eileen Baxter and chatted to me about it. I had it all the week before last. She’s delightful but the least IT savvy person I have ever known in a workplace whereby a computer is integral to the role!

Day 220: I’ve been doing press-ups and toe tocuhes after each exercise for a little while now. 7 press-ups, doesn’t sound much but when I did it before and rapidly increased the numbers (up to 22), it played havoc with my shoulder which I thought was becoming frozen. So, I will icrease the amount slowly. I can just about touch my toes now. When I started, I barely got past my fucking knees! Work was standard today and I had an interesting chat with a recruiter about a job at Jagex, a computer game firm responsible for Runescape which is, apparently, a big deal. Posh playing tonight. At one point, when leading at home to Burton we were top. Now it’s 2-2 with minutes to go and we’re third with fucking Lincoln top. Day 221: I sent an email to Shirley from HR (re) asking about the salary discrepancy between mine and Mark’s. She’s going to talk to me tomorrow about it. I had a lomng chat with Barrzy tonight, always good to catch up and reminisce. I’ve just had two sausage rolls (on the cheap shelf from Co-Op, Dauphinoise dotatoes (ditto), mixed green veg and onion gravy for tea and I am fucking stuffed.

Day 222: Typing at gone 4pm on day 223! Had a meet with Shirley. No dice on the pay until it can be reviewed next year. All pay reviews are on hold. She explained that the salary offer was based on available budget rather than a pay grade or bench mark. Day 223: Typing this very late on day 224. Usual Friday. Work, beers, bed at 5am. went up Fog’s for a couple and watched Train to Busan. Day 224: I swore blind, when I woke and got up (2.24pm) I would have a day off from exercise. Stair climb and 10km walk done! Leigh from Oundle Chronicle messaged chasing my answers for the article. Last night, someone posted such great pics on the Oundle Chatter group that it makes me think twice about posting my photos. I tell everyone I just point and snap with my phone camera and, while it is the phone camera, I do so much pissing about with Google photos I feel like a con, it doesn’t sit well with me. Made lasagne for tea. Fucking lush - lardons, scothc bonnet and an Oxo cube really helped, I think. It’s 11:44pm as I type, 15 mins and I’ll deliver K’s birthday card. Not sure what I am hoping to come out of that, really. Just can’t let go! Day 225: Stupidly late one again last night. Up at 2pm. I’ve responded to Leigh at the Oundle Chronicle - why I make it so hard, I do not know, I really overthink some things. Eye appointment tomorrow, 9.50am, which Sam, Mr. Minos’s secretary offered me when she called on friday. Sueanne was very cool about it when I checked it was OK. So, now I am fretful of what will happen! More lasering, I reckon.

Day 226: Eye clinic was not great. I need lasering in my right eye, so that will be both eyes. Mr. Hussain, the consultant that ive seen loads including today, explained that the field of vision is affected that it can mean I am not allowed to drive. In one eye it doesn’t matter, in both the DVLA will order a test and, if the field isn’t wide enough, means I won’t get a license to drive. Shit! K WhatsApp to thank me for the card plus some ‘chat’ which ended uninvitingly (i.e., end of conversation!). I just replied that I was glad she liked it (the card),

Something is up with my left thumb, it’s sore by the nail, as if it’s ingrowing, but it isn’t. Fuck knows what it is and it’s really bothering me, very painful. Pretty shit day, all in all. Day 227: Called the surgery about my thumb and Dr. leijsen called me back, asked some questions about the photo (I had to take a pic and send it in), including whether there’s any pus, and then said she’ll prescribed anti-biotics. Later today, it started to leak pus, and feel better! But, it’s still not right so I’‘l take the course. Looks like I have got an interview for the IT support job at Jagex, got a call from the recruiter today, just need confirmation. Spoke with Shirley from HR about the fact I might not be able to drive in the future. She was pretty cool about it in a kind of cross-that-bridge way and suggested I run it past Sueanne.

Day 228: Spoke with Sueanne about my impending eye lasering which is on Friday ay 3.30pm, the hospital called to let me know, she was very cool about it and even suggested I take Monday off! More importantly, she spoke of the non-driving as no factor to worry about job wise, especially as we are all WfH nowadays. I have an interview at Jagex, well, Zoom, but it is on Friday, 1pm.

Day 229: Told Mark at work about the lasering adn potential non-driving. I think it shocked him a little. I am worried about tomorrow, big time, although it’s just lasering - I’ve had it done before. I cannot wait for this time tomorrow (9.40pm). I have been trying to concentrate on preparing for the interview but it’s all too easy to get distracted. Day 230: Interview went OK. Eye appointment was horrible but bearable. The doc wants me to book in for more laser but, only so it can be reviewed and ‘topped up’ if need be. Better than a going for a check up and having to book another laser appointment thereafter. It’s near enough 9.00pm and I am going to enjoy a bear or two.

Day 231: No after affects to speak of from the eye appointment but I know lasering has occurred. It’s like I haven’t got the full set of cells recieve information from yje pupil. It’s intangible but still perceptible. Great walk today, took some cracking photos - very pleasing. More booze and draw tonight and, hopefully, up tomorrow before the 2.20pm wake up time of today. Posh beat Oxford away (1-2) in the FA Cup 1st round.

Day 232: 2pm by the time I got out of bed. I’ve got to curb this habit. Missed calls from Dad but answered one from Rita just before going for a walk when I promised to phone tomorrow. Day 233: I think SB wa surprised was at work today. I ordered two rugs (from irugs.co.uk). They are 8x5″ and were 75% off, £58 ea. One for under the table (desk) and I put one in the spare room. Hopefully keep the house a tad warmer. Getting into Barry on Sky Comedy. Barry’s a hit man. It’s darkly intriguing. I took a couple of pics of a solitary poppy today, icuding a couple of macros. They turned out OK so will post one on Wednesday (11/11). Talking of photos, two people (one is Alison Brighty) asked for a jpeg of one of the photos I posted on Saturday so they can get it printed.

Day 234: Spoke with dad today, let him know the situation with my eyes which, I think worries him, so I hate to do it but, also, he needs to know, just in case.

Day 235: The poppy pic I posted was very well received, over 160 likes on the Oundle chatter page and Jo Langford wants the original (why she can’t take it of FB?) to print off, which is nice. I am working on Saturday - gotta attend a meeting at 8am. FFS! SB also agreed for me to back on call, cool!

Day 236: Average sort of day. I really wish I wasn’t working on Saturday! OH, Dan messaged...first I’ve heard from him for over two weeks...he’s got two days of so he can watch all the US Masters which started today, and was good watching. So, not that average a day afterall, now that I think back on it. Day 237: Woke up at 9.14am today, yikes! Messaged with Dan a lot as he is home watching the US Masters...told him abbout my eye issues and the fact there’s a chance of losing my driving license. Also, in a silly facebook post and comments, about me not being able to drink tonight ‘cos of work tomorrow, Scottish Ricky asked if I was OK. I replied, not really, meaning that I’m pissed off I can’t get pissed. He messaged to say if I ever need to chat. Fucking great bloke. I rang him to let him know I was not being serious on FB and we chatted for 30 mins or so. Top man. still, it does remian that I am missing a beer this Friday - roll on tomorrow night!

Day 238: Work thsi morning was OK, finished at midday. Watchung golf, having abeer or two right now (just gone 8pm). Posh lost away to Crewe 0-2. Day 239: Up at 2pm after a good few drinks last night (and some silly video posting on FB of me trying shit lager - Corrs Light - with hot sauce). Just settling down to watch Dustin Johnson win the Masters - he’s -20 with 2 to play, no one near him.

Day 240: I ordered some slippers from Amazon that arrived today. They were also returned today. I’m destined to never find a decent, non-expensive pair.

DJ did win the golf.

I watched Jojo Rabbit this evening. A first class film.

#diary #Tumblr diary #lockdown #COVID19 #lockdownuk

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ecoamerica · 1 month ago

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meditativeyoga · 5 years ago

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Find Serenity in Savasana

Award yourself everyday by taking a 15-minute break for actual relaxation.

I was plunged on the flooring of a dressing space in a huge outlet store at 7:40 p.m. enjoying my adolescent little girl try out what looked like the 5,000 th set of jeans. It was taking 'for ev-vah,' as she would claim, and also I was actually tired. Much more compared to that, I really felt overwhelmed, like the lead character in some poor desire, endlessly running from job to job. Exactly what was I doing below? Why wasn't I home resting after a complete day of training, composing, food preparation, and owning youngsters around? For that matter, why do so much of us prevent taking a nice, scrumptious break daily?

The response is intricate, both in my life and also, I'm thinking, in your own also. First, our days have plenty of jobs, consultations, and tasks. Second, statistics reveal that we are functioning longer hrs and also bringing even more job home with us compared to ever. Innovation has given us particular freedoms, yet it has also enabled us to work at all times. It's now simple to check a bank equilibrium online at 1 a.m. or make that little organisation call from the cars and truck.

My preferred sign of overload is when I'm rushing around and I call from my mobile phone to my home addressing machine to leave myself a message concerning something that I absolutely have to do that day-very efficient. I think I'm not alone in this actions, it seems we are all on overload a lot of the moment.

What's the result of this constant busyness? We're exhausted and also burnt out. I lately asked my yoga exercise trainees to elevate their hands if they had actually been stressed-out during the previous week. I got a near-universal program of hands and also some incredulous looks. Why wouldn't they be stressed-out? We currently expect to be.

It should be kept in mind that anxiety isn't always a bad point. Actually, it's an essential physiological action when we regard a risk. Take the instance of an unfamiliar person following you down a dark alleyway-when you pick up risk, your body responds by turning on the supportive worried system, also understood as the fight-or-flight action, as well as bringing you to a hyperalert state, ready to react. ( For a much more detailed description of these physiological effects, see the post, This Is Your Body on Stress.) Yet when the body repeatedly and needlessly goes into this state day after day, our health suffers. Persistent stress and anxiety could interfere with food digestion, sleep, sex drive, fertility, and more.

What techniques can we adopt-aside from chucking everything as well as transferring to a covert paradise-to ease this feeling of rashness as well as fatigue? Exactly how can we stop the sensation that there are way too many points to do and inadequate time to do them?

Resting in Personal Paradise

I propose a formal leisure duration of 15 to Thirty Minutes daily, everyday, in Savasana (Remains Pose). Not just is Savasana (noticable sha-VAH-suh-nuh) central to all traditions of hatha yoga exercise, however it could be maded with hardly any difficulty. You can choose an easy variation with few props or a lavish, completely propped, 'Calgon, take me away' version.

Savasana made use of to be part of every yoga exercise course. Regretfully, I now speak with students that teachers skip it and also recommend 'doing it later.' Or I listen to that some instructors do Savasana for five minutes. They might unknown that it takes at the very least 15 minutes to unwind deeply. In some nations, there is a siesta every day. I choose an everyday siesta through Savasana.

There are several justifications for not exercising Savasana, and also I've heard them all. Do it anyway! First, you could need to reconsider exactly how you assume about time. The one point most individuals say about time is that there is not sufficient. Right here's a radical idea: Everyone that lives worldwide has exactly the exact same quantity of time every day. Some have a lot more education and learning, some have more wide range, some remain in much better health and wellness, but everybody has the exact same amount of time. It is how you make use of that time, and how you regard the quantity of time you have, that can enhance or reduce stress and anxiety.

The truth is, you might have to quit that TELEVISION sitcom or stand up to speaking on the phone reworking the exact same old thing, yet if you assess the different time slots in your day, you'll locate space for at the very least 15 mins of do-nothing rejuvenation.

Savasana Strategies

Some people want to exercise Savasana very first point in the early morning as component of a normal yoga method. Others use it as a midafternoon break as opposed to drinking a mug of coffee. Still others want to rest briefly when they obtain home from work, before the night's tasks start. Find a time that works finest for you and also exercise at the same time every day. Consider utilizing a timer. I find that a timer enables me to completely relax without stressing that I'll finish up existing in Savasana for hours, not able to obtain up and also complete my day.

Think of exercising Savasana daily as a present to on your own, your family, and also the globe. Taking a restorative break on a daily basis will certainly not just make you really feel better, it will likely make you more pleasurable to be around. When you're unwinded, you're less likely to overreact in the face of trouble. A well-rested, balanced person is more most likely making selections that will certainly impact the world in a favorable way.

A Simple Setup

Here's more great information: Everything you require for Savasana could be located existing around your house. The basic kind of Savasana requires only a quiet space, a comfy surface area to push, and also a number of props. For the standard present, you'll require a support for your head, such as a little pillow or folded up blanket, and also a rolled blanket or huge cushion to support the rear of your knees. For added relaxation, I recommend a soft cover for your eyes as well as another covering to maintain you cozy, you can additionally use socks.

Lie down on your back. Area the small pillow or folded up covering underneath your head so the neck is well supported as well as the chin goes down listed below the level of the forehead. Take a minute to relax the legs and also let them drop open. With the hands dealing with up, spread out the arms far from your body so the arms do not touch the sides of your rib cage. You need to have a large sensation, as if you are using up as much room in the area as possible.

Set your timer for 15 or 20 mins (you can work up to 30), cover your eyes, and also lie back. Occupy to 20 consistent, even breaths, progressively boosting the inhalations as well as exhalations. After that completely release, release any controlled breathing, enable your body to go down into the flooring, and also observe your ideas without reacting to them, as if they were clouds drifting past you in the skies. When you listen to the timer, exhale and also flex your knees to your chest. Roll to one side, letting the eye cover fall off on its own, and also use your arms to sit up slowly.

Savasana as Stress Management

If you stay in Savasana long sufficient, you will ultimately experience three different phases of the pose. The first is what I call physiological leisure, it takes most individuals concerning 15 minutes. Initially, you might seem like the mind is still accelerated as well as connected to thoughts, feelings, and also muscle movement. However slowly, the mind waves and also the breath reduce down, as well as the blood stress decreases.

As the body and mind relax, the genuine Savasana can start. Throughout this second stage, recognition of the outside globe begins to dim. You could hear audios, but they will not interrupt you. Instead, everything will begin to drift further as well as further away.

In my point of view, the second stage is one of the most recovery for the body and comforting to the mind. A secondary school student once explained Savasana to me as, 'Your body sleeps as well as your mind watches.' I like this summary, because the mind never ever entirely quiets down, however as you loosen your recognition with the physique, you could separate from the constant whirl of ideas. After that you could just witness them, simply as you would certainly see the climbing and also dropping of your upper body with the breath. As this occurs, you'll really feel a lot more secure as well as prepared to be where you are.

The final state of Savasana occurs when the mind completely releases. It is thought that the mind waves reduce down to their most affordable frequency. You will feel separated from the outdoors up until the timer rings or your instructor's voice brings you back to the present.

Give on your own time to drop right into at the very least the 2nd stage daily. Some days you will get the 3rd state as a present, however don't worry if you don't. Simply keep exercising as well as it will advance.

I sometimes ask my yoga exercise students if they assume the world could be a much better place if every person practiced Savasana on a daily basis. The consentaneous answer is always yes. So allow Savasana start with you, today. Rather than thinking about it as a worthless completing position that isn't really necessary, think of your energetic yoga practice as a preparation for the real, deep yoga of Savasana.

#Hatha yoga #Yoga #yoga practice

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nyruratchet · 5 years ago

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Time...

“...Why you punish me?”

So, I explained last time the situation regarding the creation of my music...monetarily. But let me explain and expand on how my time is utilized on a monthly basis.

If I haven’t made it clear, I hate my job. But here’s the thing, it’s flexible (for the most part), has benefits: (insurance, free-ish air travel, scheduled pay increases). Cons: passengers are allowed to treat crew like shit, always working with new people (that you may not mesh well with), anyone you try establishing a relationship with has pre-conceived notions/little to no faith you will ever be around, pay SUCKS until you get REALLY senior (7+), and...more, but I digress. But that flexible schedule, albeit limited, has afforded me the ability to work on music; until it doesn't.

See, I was getting “comfortable” in my work situation a few years ago until certain a situation beyond my control forced me into deep debt, bad credit, and deeper depression. In order to fix all of this, money is needed. How do u get money? Work more. More work leads to more depression and sometimes health issues. So, I’ve been stuck in this seamlessly endless cycle of paycheck to paycheck living. And my desire and NEED to work on my music has not helped it (as explained in the previous blog post). Every time I get a bit more money, it goes to my craft.

See, after you put all that money into creating art, you have to then put it OUT there. And in the case of a performer, you need to do live performances. That is a whole other situation in itself. There are lots avenues to get live performance experience. Open mics, concert showcases, live cabaret/karaoke bars, etc. Guess what THEY ALL COST MONEY. But not only money, LOTS of excess time is involved.

This past spring, I was dragged into a showcase by my producer friend (who I’m partially in love with but he’s straight...but that’s another story). In order to do a showcase, you have to apply for acceptance. Applications involve you submitting current work and having a worthy social media following (which you have had to spend constant time building). Once you fill out the application, send the files and info, PAY your entry fee ($25) and receive your acceptance, you then have to sell tickets. Yes, how do they get people to come to the showcase? By having YOU bring them. And if you cannot find people to buy your tickets, all of those tickets come out of YOUR pocket. So, I was given 25 tickets to sell (last minute mind you); 25 tickets to sell at $20 bucks each. So, if I don't sell them, I owe the company $500 dollars. Yup, that’s correct. In order for me to perform my original content on their stage, I needed to make sure they got their $525 and help them get people in the venue so that they buy drinks at the bar (which we were given ZERO drink tickets for). Now before stepping on stage, you don’t get a sound check. So, you show up early before everyone to check in and simply check they have your correct music file(s) then wait...and wait...and wait. But your music has to be edited within their restrictions (this means more studio time. Remember, studio time =more $$...just making sure ur following me. Too many times you’ll hear big recording artists talking about how they have just sat in studios for hours creating a song from scratch. Yeah, only if you are signed to major label is this a thing! But anyway...back to the showcase.)

Needless to say, I did everything I needed to. But I had some help since I asked to do this last minute and told them UP FRONT they would have had to get that unsold ticket money from me in blood. I landed from working a redeye the day before, got a nap in, did my vocal exercises in my car on my way to New Jersey, checked in and sat there. Since some people didn't show up on TIME, I was abruptly grabbed from drinking my whiskey at the bar and told “YOU’RE ON NEXT!” Being the seasoned professional that I am, took that shot to the head, said “Actually, that’s not my slot...but ok, I’m ready.” NO SOUND CHECK, NEVER given TIME on the stage beforehand...I went on. Sung my ass off with a standing ovation from the judges. Then, went back to drinking with my friends who were in shock because they had never heard me really sing live. Then I had sit for HOURS while mediocre “rappers” and “singers” rapped over pre-recordings of their own vocals. Finally, they were ready to announce the winners. I won that sucker.

But what did I win? ...A promise to be put into another show... *DICK FACE* No money to recoup what I just spent getting to this moment. No free promotion on social media to help me and my art. NO, some bullshit. So, I took the experience fore what it was and cut my losses. I got some exposure and was able to test out an unreleased song...but besides that. Nothing but wasted time and effort. I left there feeling somewhere between elation and disappointment. Not to mention, I was exhausted; I had done all this after working my full time job, and had to work again the next day. So all I had time to do was drive home and sleep.

“Like a wave bashing into the shore...

Since this, I have had some money issues and mental health issues, so I have just barely been able to work on music. On my days off, I have to sleep and get back in the groove of being a real person instead of a redeye zombie. Then when I’m feeling slightly normal, I’m back to work...it is a vicious, irritating, restraining cycle. I’ve tried working shorter flights so I’m home more; nope, the pairings (schedules) for those flights work you in a way that leaves you feeling raped. My company will build a pairing with a duty time of 27hrs and only pay you for 15-17 of those hours. DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. Then on top of that, your rest time at the hotel is set to 11hrs...WTF??

Let me explain this for those of you with normal jobs. On these pairings, you are schedule to work a number of flights each day. So, 3 day pairing means you work 3-4 flights each day and have 2 layovers. Now lets say FLIGHT time is 1.5-2.5 hrs each (8-12hrs). Then you land from your final flight for day one. We’re usually delayed at our carrier...honestly, rarely on time. So, you have minimum rest at 11hrs. BUT, before you can leave the aircraft we have to get all passengers off the plane, CLEAN the seats, wait on our shuttle which is probably late if your pilots are sucky human beings and haven’t called ahead to make sure they’re there (Pilots aren’t required to clean; just us lowly peasants). So, by the time you get to the hotel, down to 10hrs. If you get there and rooms are ready, great. IF NOT, another 20-30 min or longer. But, lets say you’re down to 9.5hrs now. Get to your room. Hopefully your key works, air/heat works, no one is already in you room (yes...it happens all the time), room already cleaned, no bed bugs, and you aren’t by a noisy ice machine/elevator. You then have to shower and eat. Let’s say you get all that done in an hour. You now have 8.5 hrs to sleep...BUT WAIT, the van is scheduled to pick you up from the hotel 45 min to an hour before you are supposed to report at the airport and you need to be dressed and ready to make that van. So instead of 8.5hrs, you actually have 7hrs at best to sleep and pop outta bed, get dressed and properly ready to do the shit show all over again; all the while, knowing they are really only paying you for the time you spend on the aircraft, AFTER THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND THE BRAKE IS RELEASED. Time before like boarding, checks, delays? nope...no pay. Just us waisting our fucking time. Literally.

Why, is this? cuz everyone does it is the answer. That is how all airlines do it, so you have no leg to stand on. Got a union, the company retaliates like a reprimanded toddler. Now as I said before, once you get to be a super senior in your company and can choose what you want to work, when you want to work, in the position you want to work, getting $40/hr at base hours and a crazy amount for premium (overtime) hour, etc. the job is GOLDEN. (Unless that company gets purchased/merged.) But for a young person/flight attendant in debt, living in NYC, with a high cost of living, life ain’t fun. I tried living in New Jersey for a lower cost; that came with its own issues. I’ve taken out loans, became a hermit to save money, worked holidays, etc. Dug my hole deeper is what I did. And I’m pretty good at setting goals and managing my time and getting things DONE. But for some fucking reason, life is not working in my favor. This job is not working for me. I see younger people coming up behind me doing LITTLE to no work, getting musical accolades with trash “music” (I know, matter of opinion...but really. C’mon now), young white/latino/asian twinks shaking their ass for anything that breathes and getting rich men to pay their bills or marry them, all the while telling me they just want my BBC or other racist BS like that (Yes, I have receipts) and I’m just like WTF AM I DOING WRONG?! Have I spent my time stupidly?

And the most recent shit that really hurt my feelings: If any of you remember (to the three of you reading this lol), a few months ago I posted about help getting into bartending. Well, I had actually asked a friend in person before that about bartending and if he knew any directors who could do a music video. This “friend” told me “no, not really”. Didn’t know anything about that, he just does movies and short films (which I’ve donated to his kickstarters for btw...) but no one who he thinks does music videos. THEN, I asked this same “FRIEND” how much he would charge to be IN a music video, as I had a song (the one I won the showcase with) that he would be perfect for as it deals with subject matter he rallies for. I wanted to help his career out in turn by help my video out, because I’m ugly and having beautiful actors in my video would be a better sell (as again, I need this song to make money. He then tells me me, he’s not sure how much he would charge for that. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER...this bitch releases a music VIDEO to his NEW SINGLE about a SIMILAR SUBJECT!! Without promotion, he gets instant 2.2k hits on the video on youtube. MIND YOU, he would always be shy to sing around me and I told him, “you need to give yourself more credit. You have a beautiful voice.” Meanwhile, I’m asking for some knowledge from him, and he wouldn’t help me with ANYTHING. I have NEVER asked for a hand out. Just tell me where the door is, I will get in even if I have to pick the lock. But he not only pretended he didn’t know where the door was, he was holding the keys, had lock picks on the side and duplicates to share; But, for whatever reason...didn’t want to share that with me. Even though, I was going to include him in MY art without any thought and was willing to pay. Now, I have some thoughts on why he did this. But seeing as I’m on the verge of tears, I’ll end on that note.

...You wash away my dreams.”

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fizzingwizard · 5 years ago

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Just venting about work...

At my job, we are supposed to have an hour break and an hour of prep. An hour break is generous and an hour prep is woefully inadequate, so prep bleeds into break all the time. I’ve never taken an hour break. It’s usually 10 or 15 min, 30 when I can.

However, our schedule changes daily and this break/prep time is NOT consecutive. It’s 15 min off duty here, 30 min off there, etc. Which makes getting anything done during that down time really difficult - as soon as you set up, it’s time to break down. Then you have to do it again later when your next off duty block shows up.

We are also perpetually understaffed. Most schools in our company have at least 2 of my type of class divided by age level, and at least two, but usually three, teachers per class. My school? Has 1 class of combined ages (complicating things immensely!) with three teachers, one of whom works 10-7, one who is part time and works 9:30-3, and then me, who works 9-5. This means that there are times of day when I am the only teacher of my age group around, or my coworker is, so there’s no choice but to put us on the duty schedule during those times. In other words, those are popular break times for other teachers, but we have to be on duty because there’s no one else. (It also means there’s no one to share the load for school event planning so I’m a leader for every, single. event. 1 hour of prep a day during which I have to prep, grading, cleaning, organizing, lesson planning, prop making, and event planning... HOW??)

And on top of that, I have never to my memory actually had a full 2 hours prep/break time on my schedule. Never. The longest is 1 hr 45, which is close - but that’s rare. On a regular day, it’s 1.5 hrs, or 1 hour 15 min. On days when another teacher calls out sick and we can’t get a sub, or on days when we have parent meetings or after school classes, and I have to pick up the slack, I might have 1 hour.

And on top of the top of that - meetings run long, the teacher supposed to take over for your shift before you go on break is late, etc, all these things add up and... for example, yesterday I was off literally 40 min the entire day. 10 min in the morning (was supposed to be 15, meeting ran long), 15 in the afternoon (was supposed to be 30 but the teacher who made the scheduled goofed and no one was available to cover a 30 min block, so me and another teacher split it), and 15 min in the afternoon (again was supposed to be 30 but the teachers supposed to take over my duty showed up 15 min late because her class had run long).

And that’s the end of a week of days just like that - only one day this week did I have a normal off duty schedule, and three times during the week I was on duty for 2 hours non stop in the afternoon (a shift that is not coveted!)

Whether normal or crunch time, I am on my feet all day. My legs ache so much at the end of the day. I look after really young kids who need a lot of supervision, and if I so much as look away to sneeze at the wrong time, it could spell disaster. It’s really hard sometimes. I joke that right now I’m working harder at this job than at any other yet getting paid the least of any job I’ve had - but it’s not really a joke. That is the situation. In spite of that, I like this job soooo much more than my others. I am an involved teacher and have a close daily relationship with all my kids. I love that I’m the one who can calm them down. I love joking and playing with them. I love planning our activities and lessons. If you asked me even a couple years ago whether I’d ever want to teach this age long term, I’d have said no. Now, I’m finding it so fulfilling every day.

As you might imagine, I work overtime a lot. TBH, I should be doing it even more, for better quality. But I also have 1.5 hour commute that is sometimes 2 hours especially in the evening, and I tend to pass out after dinner so. I find it difficult to feel like I’m not already working really hard. But there’s always something left to do. It drives me crazy. I worried that it was just me, but my coworkers as well are feeling this way.

We were told that we were going to get a new teacher to help with the burden. They were supposed to come in September... then October... now it’s mid-Sep and we have heard absolutely nothing. They should be showing up for training if they’re going to start in October. We area all extremely skeptical. My personal take is, the company didn’t budget for hiring new teachers during the year at all... we have another teacher going on maternity leave so she needs a replacement, and our situation might be tight, but it’s not as impossible as not having a teacher at all. So that’s how things stand at the moment.

So that’s all stressful but mostly exhausting. I feel like the stress is a lot less than it was when I started the job (thank goodness) and that gives me confidence. But what I really need is to cut down on the exhaustion. I want to spend more time with my bf on the weekends but I tend to drag myself out to see him because I’m so tired. I want to go on hikes but my feet hurt every day. I’ve always been a homebody and an introvert so it’s not like I was super active before, but I definitely did more on my own volition, and most of all, I wasn’t so damn tired. (I mean, I’m also not 20 anymore x’D gotta factor that in too...)

Anyway, as bad as I feel sometimes... I also feel like I can’t complain. Because my schedule probably isn’t as bad as some others. For example, my Japanese coworkers are required to work an hour longer than me. I believe they also get paid less (paid less for more work - international teachers in Japan, this is very often the case for your Japanese coworkers! It was like that at my previous job as well. I don’t know what the reason is - they work a lot of overtime too that they don’t get paid for - they do sometimes get sizable bonuses that some say make up for the salary difference but... idk, it’s all sketchy and weird). So if I complain about my salary, it feels selfish, even though the salary I’m getting is barely sustainable for me as someone who lives alone with no dependents. And if I complain about the amount of time I work or the amount of responsibilities I have, there are people with more of both. Even if coworkers would agree with me, I feel like it’s only gonna make me look weak if I voice my complaints.

Things I love about my job - all the things I mentioned before about my students, as well as the fact that my coworkers are upbeat and team players and very helpful. We all support each other a lot. There’s no brow-beating if you have to stay home sick. It sucks - it does - because of being understaffed, but no one talks badly about you like in some other jobs I’ve had here in Japan. We don’t get sick leave, but at least people understand that sickness is a thing that happens. Generally I feel respected and like I can respect my coworkers. And I feel like everyone really cares about the kids and wants to give them a great school experience. We’re not just coasting by. It’s helped me to think a lot about the importance of work culture. I feel encouraged and inspired to do more for my students because others around me are doing the same with theirs. It’s so different from the eikaiwa where no one really gave a damn about anything. (Except the managers, about money.)

That’s why I don’t want to leave. I wish I could go into every detail because there are sooo many other things driving me up the wall every day that seem like they should never have happened or should be high on the to-fix list... but the to-fix list is extremely long. And it means something to me that, in spite of all that, I still like it here and want to stay. Like, that means something’s going very right, in spite of all the wrong.

And adulthood really is just being tired all the time, I think that’s true for all adults unless you’re just really blessed with an abundance of energy. Caffeine is popular for a reason. It is the hardest pill for me to swallow because everyone seems to expect me to have all these interesting things to say and I’m like, “I just work, eat, and sleep... "

We had a part-time worker in the spring who unfortunately quit. While she was there things were sooo much more manageable. Just one part time worker... If my job could just give us that, I would be so much happier. But it seems like asking too much. I wish I had a coworker to talk to and share opinions but I’m worried about that being seen as weak or selfish thing. You never know what they’ll say at a performance review. (Not that we get those. When you can’t afford to hire anyone new, you can’t really afford to fire over small things either.)

Bah!

#work

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chrysaliseuro2019 · 5 years ago

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The Boat was Rocking

It was time to leave the Peloponnese and head to the island of Folegandros. Prior to that we wanted to look at the archeological museum in Nafplio and we also had to return the car to Piraeus the port of Athens from where all the ferries leave. Liz had timed it to all fit together. Car due back in Piraeus at 1.30 with a half hour leeway and ferry leaves for Folegandros at 3.45pm. Two hour drive to Piraeus so we wanted to be on the road by 11.15. We headed for breakfast at 8.30 and had a very pleasant one in the main square with just a few people around at that time. Headed for the museum post that and we were the only visitors in there. It is a really attractive building dating from 1713 in the Venetian style. It was very imposing. The first thing we saw which had been the real drawcard was a midden which was 32000 years old (you don't get a chance to see something that old very often) used by hunter gathererer cave dwellers in the region. Looking up the word midden it appears to be some sort of dump for all sorts of domestic waste which might be human excrement, animal bones, shells, molluscs, charcoal could be anything. Presumably the archaeologists gave it the once over and found all sorts of goodies or possibly baddies in there. In truth it looked like some flattened clay so imagination required. Though not too much. I didn't want to contemplate some ancient cave dweller squatting over the midden (though now I am). The rest of the exhibits were very interesting with a lot of artefacts which had been placed in the tombs of eminent people. Also examples of tools and weapons which showed the transition from hunters to other forms of "economy" and survival. Exhibits ranged mostly in age from 6000 BC to around 400 AD but some much older and covered everything from ornate urns and jugs (which were fantastically reconstructed), figurines, jewellery, tools and a suit of armour from 1500 BC which did not look very manoeuvrable. You felt that anyone inside it would be a sitting duck though it would have taken some penetration. Had a touch of the Monty Pythons. We stayed for around an hour and I think someone else rolled up to visit in that time which was just as we all as the 6/7 staff needed something to do given the museum was only on two not huge floors. We headed back and scurried around packing. Liz keeping a very watchful eye on the time and my intricate packing and ablution procedures. The time was called out at 5 minute intervals. It seemed to work as we head off in the car at 11.19 (precisely). Four minutes late, not bad, in fact in my book that's early. The journey was uneventful with a mix of freeway and standard roads. You can do 130km/hr on some stretches of the freeway so that was handy to keep on schedule. You have to stop for tolls every 20/30kms or so which is usually around 2 euros which slow things down a little. The biggest deal at the end was finding a petrol station. I had bypassed the last one so was not popular. We had to roll up at thrifty/hertz and ask for directions - very handy as station was around the corner. Interestingly when we picked the car up it had been left on half full as they said they had not had time to fill it up. We dubiously wondered if this was another lurk as it's pretty hard to return a car on half full. You are bound to go over. We pondered the various ways that dosh could be made on this but perhaps it was genuine. When you believe there's a conspiracy it's usually incompetence. Never ever happened before though in other countries. We handed the car back around 1.45 as close to half full as we could manage so all good and I must say the staff were very friendly and helpful. Now for the ferry. Piraeus is a pretty large passenger ferry port. There seemed to be around 10 or more quays and perhaps more that we couldn't see and they are spread out around a sort of horseshoe bay with a distance of a kilometre or two (hard to tell) covering them. We set off wheeling our bags with back packs on and it was pretty warm but we weren't 100% sure which quay we had to go to though had an idea. Anyway after about 20 mins of wheeling with a few stops including to buy some savoury pastries we entered a gate and were directed to the kiosk of the shipping line we were using. Now around 2.15. Ferry due to leave at 3.45. Of course we had walked past the kiosk on our way so were now doubling back through the heat but had found where we needed to be so didn't care. Not good news, ferry was running late. They weren't sure why but later said it was the weather and certainly the wind was very strong which wasn't filling us with joyous anticipation for the trip. It would be arriving at around 5.00pm. Leaving, some time after that, typically a half hour turn around so we were told. Nothing to do but head for some covered shelters to get out of the sun, eat our pastries and settle down for a long wait. 5.00pm became 6.10 and the ferry finally rolled up around then. Around that time proceedings descended into farce as another ferry from the same shipping line came in first at a slightly different dock nearby. All those waiting for the Folegandros ferry including us scooted over to that ferry, watched cars and people unload only to be told that we needed to go back to the original spot and wait - it wasn't ours. There was scurrying as everyone tried to get good positions to be on early. This presumably was because some did not have reserved seats and wanted to find the pick of the unreserved seats. We had reserved a couple of seats though our last experience on a ferry to Sardinia had been that reserved seats were not reserved seats and people commandeered them. So we were playing it sort of safe and trying to make sure we were not at the rear end of the line. As our ferry approached people moved from side to side 30 or 40 metres trying to anticipate and partly as directed by staff as to where the ramp would actually be. Imagine a couple of hundred people moving back and forth with suitcases, kids and various holiday paraphernalia all in still warm sun. It was quite something and we for our part were trying to stay reasonably at the front too. To add to the confusion a large petrol tanker was right in the midst of us presumably ready to refuel the ferry and had to reverse causing more chaos. We chatted to an amusing guy from New York and his wife who was good naturedly bemoaning the fact that as we stood in the queue he was supposed to be at a beach birthday party on one of the earlier island stops for this ferry. He and his wife had flown from America to specifically make this event. The best laid plans. Still he said the party would still be going when he got there. Finally around 6.30 the ferry started to unload people followed by cars while some onboarders rushed up the ramp against the flow of offboarders trying to stake their spots. This sent the officials into minor apoplexy and these people were stopped at the top of the ramp while disembarkation finished. We all then put our heads down and rushed up. Elbows weren't quite out but there were no beg pardons. Luckily I was with someone who can handle herself in the clinches and Liz beat me up the ramp hands down. One good reason to be up the ramp relatively early was that the formal storage racks for bags soon ran out though in truth people then just stored their bags alongside them and it didn't seem to be a problem. Also the ferry had several stops at different islands and theoretically each island had a separate storage section. We ignored that as clearly did plenty of others and chucked ours where there was a space. All worked well. Finally we had to negotiate the narrow doorway where tickets were checked with a couple of hundred people trying to be first through but from there the bedlam ceased. Our reserved seats were very comfortable. In a separate section with a hundred or so others though the seating was not full. An attendant checked tickets so no one could take your spot. I immediately shot to the bar and they actually did vodka and tonic which Liz was v pleased about after 4 frustrating hours of sitting on our hands preceded by a 2 hour + drive. I enjoyed a couple of cleansing ales too of course and we settled back to await departure. Of course the boat took another hour and a quarter to depart so finally left around 7.45pm - 4 hours late. Thems the travel breaks sometimes. A bit aggravating apart from the boredom of hanging around. It meant we lost the latter part of the evening and a decent dinner in town in Folegandros. Also we were paying essentially for a bed for a night and Folegandros prices not that cheap. If you knew that you would be arriving so late you would stay at the $50 a night job at the port, assuming it existed, though we reconciled ourselves that with a 1.45 am ferry arrival finding a hotel would have been impossible. Anyway, very efficiently, staff at the apartments where we were staying pick you up from the port and much to our relief after a 6 hour journey due to the rocky weather one was there to transfer us to our digs. The boat trip because of the strong wind did cause a bit of seasickness. There was a lot of side to side rocking. I managed to stay OK though felt a tad uncomfortable from time to time but Liz felt a bit queasy though through a mix of sleep and willpower managed to hold things off and we arrived without any technicolor events. You get these days from time to time. Not much you can do but go into some waiting zone, google, write blogs, go for walks, chat. We had left our hotel in Napflio at 11.20 am and arrived at our new one just after 2.00am. 15 hours. The ferry mob were apologetic and free cokes came round and we were told we could all claim a free ferry ride in the future. Do they do Tasmania? We crawled into bed.

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lowcarbnutrients · 5 years ago

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If You Sleep Less Than 8 Hours, This is What`s Happening to Your Body Right Now

According to the docudrama, Sleepless in America, coproduced by the National Geographic Channel, 40 percent of Americans are sleep deprived. Many get much less than five hrs of rest each night. Percentage-wise, teens are among the most rest deprived.

The consequences are dire, not simply for the individual that isn't really getting sufficient rest, yet for those around them. While most individuals do not provide lack of rest much thought, there are in fact lethal consequences.

Notably, "professionals currently believe that sleep deprivation might have played a role in the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Staten Island ferry crash, and also the Three-Mile Island nuclear meltdown," the film states. Numerous individuals have actually also lost their lives to worn out vehicle drivers who merely fallinged asleep behind the wheel.

It's essential to understand that getting less compared to six hours of rest each evening leaves you cognitively hindered. Rest deprivation has actually additionally been connected to wellness results such as weight problems, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, 1and cancer. Anxiety as well as anxiousness conditions are likewise adversely influenced by absence of sleep.

The Importance of Staying in Sync with Nature

Maintaining an all-natural rhythm of exposure to sunlight during the day and also darkness in the evening is one critical fundamental element of sleeping well.

This was attended to in a previous interview with researcher Dan Pardi. In it, he clarifies how direct exposure to intense daytime functions as the significant synchronizer of your master clock-- a group of cells in your mind called the suprachiasmatic cores (SCN).

These centers integrate to the light-dark cycle of your atmosphere when light enters your eye. You likewise have other body clocks throughout your body that are integrated to your master clock.

One reason why many individuals get so little sleep, and/or such poor sleep, can be traced back to a master clock disturbance. In other words, a lot of individuals invest their days indoors, protected from intense daytime, then spend their nights in too-bright fabricated light.

As a result, their body clocks obtain out of sync with the all-natural rhythm of daytime and also nighttime darkness, when that happens, corrective rest ends up being elusive.

An approximated 15 million Americans also function the evening change, as well as the damaging health and wellness impacts of functioning evenings are well documented. As just one instance, 3 years of periodical graveyard shift job can raise your threat for diabetes by 20 percent, and also this risk continuouslies climb with time.

What Takes place When You're Rest Deprived?

What makes rest deprivation so detrimental is that it doesn't just impact one aspect of your wellness ... it impacts several. Among them are 5 major dangers to your psychological as well as physical wellness:

1. Reaction time slows: When you're sleep-deprived, you're not going to react as quickly as you normally would, making driving or various other potentially unsafe tasks, like making use of power tools, unsafe. One research even located that sleepiness behind the wheel was virtually as dangerous as drinking and driving.2

2. Your cognition suffers-- both brief- and long-term: A single night of resting just 4 to 6 hours can influence your ability to think clearly the following day. In one animal study, 3 rest deprived mice shed 25 percent of the nerve cells found in their place coeruleus, a nucleus in the brainstem related to cognitive processes.

Hence, if you're sleep-deprived you will certainly have difficulty refining information as well as deciding. This is why it's so vital to get a great evening's sleep before crucial occasions at the workplace or home.

For example, study reviewed in the film located that diagnostic blunders soared by 400 percent among medical professionals that had actually functioned for 24 successive hours.

Sleep denied clinical residents likewise reported a 73 percent rise in self-inflicted needle sticks and scalpel stabs, and also when driving home from work, they had a 170 percent boosted threat of having a significant automobile accident.

Research4 also suggests that individuals with persistent sleep problems might create Alzheimer's illness quicker compared to those who rest well. Among the reasons for this is due to the fact that rest is crucial for brain cleansing-- a procedure throughout which damaging healthy proteins linked to Alzheimer's are removed out.

3. Memory and discovering decreases: The procedure of mind growth, or neuroplasticity, is believed to underlie your mind's capability to manage behavior, including discovering as well as memory. Rest and sleep loss change the expression of a number of genetics and also genetics products that may be important for synaptic plasticity.

Furthermore, specific forms of lasting potentiation, a neural process linked with the laying down of learning and also memory could be evoked in sleep, suggesting synaptic links are strengthened while you slumber.

4. Emotions are heightened: As your reaction time and cognition reduces, your emotions will certainly be kicked into high equipment. This means that debates with colleagues or your partner are most likely, and you're probably reallying going to be at mistake for blowing things out of proportion.

The amygdala controls fundamental feelings like worry and anger. As talked about in the movie, an additional location of your brain called your frontal cortex, plays an essential part in the policy of feelings, and also rest is crucial for its function.

When you're well relaxed, your frontal cortex is well connected to your amygdala-- that deep emotional center-- and also functions virtually like "a break to your emotional gas pedal."

Sleep starvation triggers a detach between these two brain centers, permitting your emotions to run amok. Sleep deprival likewise plays an important role in mental disease, and has the tendency to cause even more negative psychiatric outcomes.

5. Immune function and also health wears away: Sleep deprivation has the same effect on your immune system as physical anxiety or disease, 5 which could aid describe why absence of sleep is linked to an increased threat of countless chronic diseases.

For instance, research study shows that resting much less compared to six hours per evening greater than triples your danger of hypertension, as well as females who get less than 4 hrs of slumber per evening double their chances of dying from heart disease.6

You Need Around Eight Hrs of Rest Every Night

The research studies are rather clear and most experts concur, you are seriously deceiving on your own if you believe you can do great on less compared to eight hours of rest. Eight hours of sleep is not 8 hours in bed. If you go to bed at 10 pm and also rise at 6 am, you might claim you've slept for 8 hrs. Actually, you probably spent a minimum of 15-30 mins going to sleep and also might have woken throughout the night several times.

With the development of fitness-tracking devices nonetheless, we now have accessibility to actual sleep information (as well as much more) from wristband customers. The data is rather beneficial on an individual level as well as they assisted me understand that I have to start obtaining to rest around 9.30 PM if I intend to obtain a full eight hours of sleep, which I currently normally do.

The Glorification of Sleep Deprivation

According to the 2013 International Room Survey by the National Sleep Foundation, 7 25 percent of Americans report having to reduce down on rest due to lengthy workdays. Typically, Americans obtain only 6.5 hours of sleep on weeknights, yet report needing 7.25 hrs in order to operate ideally. As noted in a previous article in The Atlantic: 8

" For some, sleep loss is a badge of honor, an indication that they don't require the eight-hour biological reset that the remainder people softies do. Others feel that maintaining up with peers needs sacrifice at the personal level-- and at least in the short-term, sleep is an undetectable sacrifice."

Modern male's propensity for equating sleep with unproductiveness (if not outright laziness) can be traced back to the heyday of Thomas Edison, that was understood for working around the clock. According to the highlighted post: 9

" Edison spent considerable amounts of his very own and also his team's energy on in publicizing the idea that success depended in no little part in staying awake to remain in advance of the technological and also financial competition." No one ... did even more to frame the problem as a simple choice in between efficient job and also unsuccessful remainder ...

Over time, kids's books as well as journals started to promote this sort of Edisonian asceticism ... Edison encouraged all Americans to follow his lead, asserting that resting 8 hours a night was a waste as well as also hazardous. "There is truly no reason why guys need to go to bed in any way," he stated in 1914."

This society of sleep deprival began with the innovation of the light bulb, and has just worsened with the proliferation of light-emitting electronic devices, which disrupt your all-natural waking-sleeping cycle. The complying with infographic, developed by BigBrandBeds.co.uk, illustrates just how your electronic gadgets damage your sleep when recruited before bedtime.10

The Importance of Attending to Rest Apnea

As gone over in the film, sleep apnea is another usual reason of rest deprival. Rest apnea is the lack of ability to breathe properly, or the restriction of breath or breathing, during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea consists of the constant collapse of the air passage during rest, making it hard to take a breath for periods lasting as long as 10 seconds. Those with an extreme form of the disorder contend the very least 30 interruptions per hr. Not only do these breathing disruptions conflict with rest, leaving you uncommonly tired the following day, it additionally lowers the amount of oxygen in your blood, which can harm the feature of interior organs and/or intensify other health problems you may have.

The condition is closely connected to metabolic illness such as excessive weight as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus, and also according to research, 11 also a small weight decrease can stop the development of obstructive rest apnea. Shedding excess pounds could also cure it, according to one five-year lengthy study.12 That claimed, you do not have to be obese to suffer from sleep apnea. As discussed by Dr. Arthur Strauss, a dental medical professional and a diplomat of the American Board of Dental Rest Medication, factors such as the sizes and shape of your mouth, and the positioning of your tongue, can additionally play a substantial role.

If your rest apnea is associated to your tongue or jaw placement, specialized qualified dental professionals could design a customized dental appliance to deal with the issue. These include mandibular rearranging devices, developed to change your jaw ahead, while others help hold your tongue onward without relocating your jaw. Relief could likewise be discovered through speech therapy treatment called oral myofunctional therapy, which assists to re-pattern your dental and also facial muscle mass. To learn more about this, please see my previous interview with Joy Moeller, who is a leading professional in this form of treatment in the US.

How to Support Your Circadian Rhythm and Rest Better for Optimum Health

Making little changes to your everyday program as well as sleeping area can go a lengthy method to make sure undisturbed, relaxing sleep and also, therefore, much better health and wellness. I suggest you review my full set of 33 healthy and balanced sleep guidelines for all of the details, however to start, take into consideration implementing the complying with adjustments to make sure even more shut-eye:

Avoid seeing TELEVISION or recruiting your computer system in the evening, at least an hour or so prior to visiting bed.These gadgets give off blue light, which techniques your brain right into assuming it's still daytime. Generally, your mind starts secreting melatonin in between 9 as well as 10 pm, and these gadgets discharge light that could stifle that process. You can likewise download a cost-free application called F.lux13 that automatically lowers your monitor or screens in the night, which can assist decrease the damaging results if you have to recruit them in the evening.

Get some sun in the early morning, and also at the very least HALF AN HOUR of BRIGHT sunlight direct exposure mid-day. Your circadian system needs brilliant light to reset itself. 10 to 15 mins of early morning sunlight will certainly send a solid message to your body clock that day has arrived, making it much less likely to be perplexed by weak light signals during the evening. If you work inside your home, make a point to get outdoors for at the very least an overall of 30-60 minutes throughout the brightest part of the day.

Sleep in a dark room. Also the slightest little light in your room can interrupt your body's clock as well as your pineal gland's melatonin production. I recommend covering your windows with drapes or blackout shades, or using an eye mask.

Install a low-wattage yellow, orange, or red light bulb if you require a source of light for navigating during the night. Light in these transmission capacities does not closed down melatonin production in the means that white as well as blue transmission capacity light does. Salt lights come in handy for this purpose.

Keep the temperature in your bedroom below 70 degrees F. Many individuals maintain their homes too cozy (especially their upstairs bed rooms). Studies reveal that the optimal room temperature for rest is between 60 to 68 degrees F.

Take a hot bathroom 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime. This raises your core body temperature level, and when you obtain out of the bathroom it abruptly goes down, signifying your body that you prepare to sleep.

Avoid magnetic fields (EMFs) in your bedroom. EMFs can interrupt your pineal gland and also its melatonin manufacturing, and also might have various other adverse organic impacts. A gauss meter is called for if you wish to determine EMF degrees in various locations of your residence. Preferably, you must switch off any type of wireless router while you are resting. You don't need the Internet on while you're asleep.

Use a health and fitness tracker to track your sleep. Chances are you're not getting almost as much rest as you think, and using a physical fitness tracker that monitors your sleep can be an useful device to assist inspire you to obtain to bed previously so you can get 8 hrs of sleep. When I initially began making use of a fitness tracker, I was striving to obtain 8 hours of sleep, but my Jawbone UP commonly tape-recorded me at 7.5 to 7.75. Part of the equation too is going to sleep earlier, as the majority of us have to obtain up at a predetermined time.

#diet #health and wellness #lemonade diet #wellness

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mbergen · 5 years ago

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Tammy came home over the weekend. She had signed up for another week, but it wasn’t meant to be. I won’t deny she had me worried, but she is fine. On her 20th day, she scheduled It off. She hoped that she would be rest and recoup for the next week. When I talked with her that morning, I knew she was exhausted and so tired. I had noticed in the last week she was getting more quite. I was already uneasy. Late that afternoon, she text and said she was leaving. She had a car scheduled in an hour and she was driving home. I wanted her to fly, but it wasn’t going to happen. She want to get out now……She needed to drive, and have alone time….I was getting more worried. I really didn’t want her to leave that late from New York City, a city she had never driven in. But everyone who knows Tammy knows she loves to drive. I think that is where she gets her peace and alone time. She can drive straight through from Illinois to Harlingen Texas, (near Mexico Border) in 22 hours…..Crazy Driver…..I decided to text Katherine, her best friend at home. She is a Nurse at IVCH in Peru. If she would contact anyone else, it would be her. Yes, they had already been talking. As she left New York City, she called and I could tell she was already feeling better. The weight was lifting.….Katherine sent me texts all evening and night. Then I was up at 5 to make sure she got home…..What a Saturday it was….Yes, she pulled in Sunday by noon…..So here is her story in her words….

Tammy Bergen 22 hrs ·

I am gonna start this off by saying today is day 22! And the 1st day in 21 days that I have woke up in my own bed! I have missed my family and my friends so much! I might even say that i have missed Illinois! New York was a beast! I have seen thing and did things that i have never dreamed of. And I met so many so many great nurses, APN’s and Drs! They were from all across the United States! The staff was very welcoming as well. They would have lunch donated at times. My last day they had breakfast donated and brought in to us! And REAL coffee! 😍 lol while I was there I worked on 9 different units. I worked a couple of units more than once but for the most part everyday was like starting a brand new job. Everything was always new. The staff, the nurses I worked with, what supplies were available, what type of patients there were. Every unit was like opening a door to the twilight zone. You never know what is gonna be there. And the attitude was strong and everywhere! That is the best way I can describe it. It was not easy for me to go on every day with 5-6 hours of sleep mixed with the constant change. I was never able to develop “a work rhythm”? I’m not sure if that’s the word I am looking for but… And As many of you know, I have struggled with depression my whole life. And I ended up finding myself in a very very low spot. Around day 15 I started to cry everyday and I think day 19 I almost cried all day! (Fyi it’s very hard to tell if someone is crying when they are wearing all this head gear!) It was sooo hard. Even though we were there to help and shine some light into the darkness that is going on in New York right now, I lost control of myself and the darkness crept inside me... On the 20th I had the day off. They allowed us to have 2 pto days in this 21 day contract. My plan was to destress as much as possible and trudge through work one more time… and then cancel my 1 week extension and go home! But by the end of day 20 all I could think about was getting out of this cold dark place that I had found myself in. So rented a car and got the hell outta there at 7pm! It was truly one of the best things that I have ever done for myself. As I began driving away from NYC I could truly feel the heaviness of it all leave my body… and I could smile! A real smile! I talked to my mom and my best friend Katherine almost all the way home. I even had Cassidy on the phone for an hour and an half! And we had a great conversation! I was excited to surprise Cameron at the house so I never told him I was coming! Lol And I thank god my family and my friends are here for me everyday! A part of me is very ashamed or dissatisfied in myself for leaving a day early. But not any more. I am so proud that I was able to help in such a terrible situation! I have learned many things about myself through this experience. I will never regret it! But I don’t think I want to go back to NYC... ever! Lol thank you to everyone that sent us stuff! You guys really really really helped me personally!! And we shared with many others as well! I will never forget this experience! Aunt Connie told me that I would not be able to come back from this the same person. At the time I didn’t think to much about it. But…. she is so very right... not always! But this time! Lol I am just so happy to be home!❤❤❤ ps. Britt Novak is still rockin it in NYC! You got this girl!

Tammy is now home and doing well. Now she has 2 weeks of quarantine before she can return to work. I know she has missed the kids tremendously. She has come back a changed person in so many ways…..She has learned a lot about herself and will be stronger for it. She will never forget the patients, nurses, doctors, and all the experiences of New York….She has accomplished something not many of us could or would ever undertake. But she is a Nurse…..She took that Oath….She Believes in what she does….

WE ARE ALL SO PROUD

….She is an Amazing Nurse….

Now it is time for all the …..THANK YOU’S…. Her days were so busy. 14 hours of the day were work and transportation. That didn’t leave much time for eating, sleeping, waiting for your mail for 45 min. and of course a through shower and disinfecting. She became more physically and mentally exhausted every day. So she didn’t have a lot of time to show her appreciation. The one Company that needs a HUGE THANK YOU is Vactor Manufacturing from Streator Illinois…..

Tammy mentioned to us she could use some Safety Glasses. Aunt Connies’, Son in Law, Matt Rinaldo works for Vactor in Streator Illinois. He went to HR to ask about Safety Glasses for the girls. By noon, he had been given around 50 Safety Glasses. HR also game him many FACE SHIELDS. Their parent Company Federal Signal had sent them to their employees. The employees had decided to give them to the Front Line people in the Medical Field that needed them. They had already given a number of them to Morris Hospital. Matt brought them to Connie who boxed them up and sent them to the girls.

They were so needed. As soon as she received them they were gone. So not many pictures were taken. I had been reading posts on the FB site of the Staffing Agency from the other nurses. Those who had connections, were ordering them in quantity’s for their friends. The hospitals didn’t have any. They were pretty desperate to get them. These Shields were so Appreciated. So …..THANK YOU VACTOR…. also Matt and Connie for sending them to New York…..

Face Shields and Safety Glasses from Vactor….Overlooking the Times Square… NYC

So many other items were sent. So here in Tammy’s words again are all her Thank You’s

Tammy Bergen 15 hrs ·

There are so many people I need to thank besides my family that have donated their time to make sure that we have what we needed! I want to make as many as I can but please dont be upset if I forget to mention anyone because you all made this so much easier! 1. Vactor Manufacturing in Streator Il donated a box full of safety glasses and face shield! ❤❤❤!! They are in very high demand in New York! And as soon as people seen them… they were gone! The hospitals no longer supply face shield because they are just not available anymore. I wish I could have got more pictures but there just wasn’t time. But I assure you that they were amazing! Thank you Connie Malavolti, Ashley Malavolti and Mat Rinaldo for the hook up! It was definitely needed! The shields protect us from much more than the glasses alone cuz there is a lot of coughing and spraying going on! 2. Amanda Davis for the goodies and the wonderful prayer that came with! It was very special! 3. Chauntelle Biagi-Bruer for the goodies and kind words! 4. Aunt Connie and Jeanie Lutz for getting several hand made masks for me to take at the very last minute!❤ and thank you Connie for the bag of super healing rocks! I wore them everyday! 5. Tammy Schlesinger Gunter for all the goodies and kind words! 6. Baily Jane and Betty Parks for the awesome lotions and cookies! ❤ 7. Jeny Orozco for the amazing words of encouragement and all the awesome gifts! 8. Tiffany Gebhardt for the awesome gifts and kinds words! 9. Mary Jaegle Milashoski for the awesome gift of dry shampoo! (it seriously made Britt Novak’s day!)and the other goodies as well!❤❤ 10. Jessica Torres for all the amazing goodies and encouragement! 11. Frances Ilnicky Van Ameyden thank you for the goodies and the great conversation that definitely brought a smile to my face! 12. Tina M Wenzel for the gifts and (over the top!) Encouragement! I am so very thankful! 13. Brenda Bickerman thank you for delivering the lysol wipes to my house before I left! I could not find any anywhere! 14. Gale Reno for the bag of snacks, gloves, mask crochet ties and other things that you sent at the last moment. 15. Nicole Bouxsien and family made several masks for us to take with. 16. The Eastgate Quilter ladies for making all the masks and redoing the design to include the laces to save our ears!❤ 17. Theresa Fisher for the crocheted ear savers! 18. Bobbi Van Schaick for the box of goodies! That came along with a great story! Definitely something that I would have done! Lol 19. Sharon VanLanduit for the amazing shoe inserts! They helped soooo much! And lastly, Katherine Twardowski for taking care of my 2 older babies while I was gone! (I really hope you will recover quickly! Lol). Tina Bergen Dolder and Ed Dolder for being everything for Carly while I cant! And for all the school teaching! And Margaret Bergen for the daily encouragement and text messages! Scottieonepaw ScottBergen and Brandy Lockett for all the love and support! And there has been so many others who have said some of the best things! I will never forget! Cameron Bergen and Cassy Cruz I am home! And I love you both so much! We WILL be spending some quality time together real soon! Like it or not! Lol I truly can not say how thankful I am to have you all in my life! I have the best family and friends that anyone could ever ask for!❤❤❤ I am feel very blessed to have been a part of NYC at this time of need. But this Is definitely my home! ❤❤❤

Comments…..

Jeny Orozco Love you Tammy!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Betty Parks Thank you for giving your ALL.

Tiffany Gebhardt Np Tammy Bergen…just my way of saying thanks for what U guys went and did! U went above and beyond what u had too! Hope to see u back around soon until then take care of urself and know u got friends who care! ❤️

Tina Bergen Dolder A shout out to Brenda Holloway Bickerman, Jerimey Bouxsein Nicole and family, Gale Reno ( Erin Marie Megan Holly let your mom know!!

Megan Dose Glad your back!!! 😘❤️❤️❤️

Bobbi Van Schaick The least I can do

Mary Jaegle Milashoski So happy that what we could do for you .. made a difference and brightened your day ..!💜💜

Amanda Davis 💜💜💜💜💜

Frances Ilnicky Van Ameyden Your selflessness in this horrible time of Covid19 has shown us what Love of Neighbor is all about. God bless you!

Jeanette Brewer Stay safe and you r a hero Stay safe

Thank You to All who has supported and followed Tammy. I as MOM want to give a SPECIAL THANK YOU, to Tina, for being the BEST SISTER Tammy could ever have. She has done so much that you all will never know. She was their from the minute Tammy made this descion to go, by getting supplies ready and MANY MANY other things concerning Carly’s care. My Kids are all so AWESOME….Brittney is still their finishing her extended week. She is doing ok. Everyone has been so supportive of the girls and of all the Medical Personnel. These people are helping and reporting the truths of what is happening in New York City. They have answered the call not knowing where they were going to work, where they were going to stay. They all knew they were putting their life on the line…..But they all went anyway…..They worked 12 hours straight covered in PPE. So many had shortages of PPE, and much hospital supplies. Some of the story’s I read were mindboggling to think nurses had to operate in such a manner and do things that were so unethical in the hospital setting. And then the stories of the patients. So heart wrenching……So many that passed alone….With only the nurse present….The last words from the family’s on the cell phones of the Nurses….

…..Memories these Medical Personnel Will Never Forget….

Tammy’s Home From New York ….. Coronavirus…..Thanks To All Tammy came home over the weekend. She had signed up for another week, but it wasn't meant to be.

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steamishot · 5 years ago

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Homeless Swing

Starting the day off with writing a few things. Work isn’t too busy so I’m taking my tasks slow. I’m also trying to be less distracted at work. I think I can do my job well enough on the surface level, but to prevent myself from being bored, I want to actively be more organized and increase my expertise on the subjects I handle. It will definitely help me see my work as more purposeful as I learn things to do tasks with intent and not just with the purpose of completing them.

Last week, I had lunch with a floor mate, C. She normally eats at her desk. We decided to go to in n out on this day. It was my first time eating out with her. We’ve had lunch (food brought from home) together a few times before. After in n out, I decided I wanted to go pick up a small snack/drink at Trader Joes. As we were crossing the street on Westwood/Weyburn (C was walking to the left of me), this semi hobo/druggie looking white guy who was walking opposite of us, quickly walked towards C and swung his fist towards her face. Luckily she was able to dodge his fist, but he scraped her neck with his skin. She ended up tearing up because it was so random and terrifying. It didn’t occur to me to really look at the suspect so that we could report him later. I just kinda pulled her away and walked away fast because I was more scared he was gonna come back and try to attack her/us some more. A few strangers came up to her and asked “What was that about? Are you okay?” She also mentioned how it wasn’t the first time it happened to her. As a college student, she was once walking up Bruinwalk and a hobo swung his bag at her. I thought it was kinda strange, like she was a magnet for these crazy people. Anyway, we walked to TJ and I wasn’t sure how to comfort her. “Do you want anything? I’ll get it for you.” But she declined. When we got back to our floor, I told my supervisor and colleague what had happened. I normally don’t initiate conversation but I actually had something to say that day. “Something weird happened during lunch” I announced to I, L and student worker S. They advised that she tell the HR director so he can request some patrol officers to be in that area. We later called UCPD together over the phone and tried to describe what the suspect looked like. She remembered a pink shirt, I remembered green for some reason. She remembered shades, I didn’t. She remembered a ponytail, I remembered dreadlocks. Memory is a hard thing to rely on. Because at the moment, you’re more terrified than anything. It made me think of rape/crime when sometimes a victims story wouldn’t add up and they are dismissed as lying. A police officer later came by to see her in person and said that this same person was reported by someone else, and he indeed was wearing a pink shirt! I don’t wear my glasses normally so my eyesight is not crisp most of the time. I feel like this could be hazardous if an event like this happened again and I don’t even remember what the person looked like. When I told my mom the story later, she said I am so lucky because the guy targeted her and not me.

On Saturday, I hung out with a former coworker (a social worker at my last two jobs). She is 48 years old, a single mother, and has twins who are currently going to separate colleges. I hadn’t seen her for at least a year and a half. She used to live in the 626 area but decided to buy a home in Lytle Creek (middle of nowhere, 20 minute drive up the mountain lol). I drove us to yoga, and she mentioned how I sound different- that my voice is stronger/less meek. I said ah, I didn’t realize it but it’s probably a product of working in an American environment versus Chinese. I probably became more fake and overly energetic as well LOL. I didn’t tell her this but it took me a while to get used to her voice and accent again. B is a spunky person who DGAF lol. She reminded me of who I used to be. Staying true to herself. She lives isolated in the woods. Has an art studio. Is doing social work and is studying for a Psy.D. Her boyfriend is a 66 year old Japanese American detective who worked on the OJ Simpson case. I got to meet him for lunch after yoga. He lives in little Tokyo, a 15 minute walk to his work. We went to a random Japanese restaurant around that area. I thought we were an odd bunch- a 66 year old male, 48 year old female, and a 27 year old me. My friend joked that we could pass as his daughter and granddaughter lol. But, he looked good for his age. He actually grew up in the LA area too, in the neighborhood next to mine. He went to my rival high school, which he said at the time was about half Asian, half Latino, and a sprinkle of blacks. During my time I think it was like 90% Latino. All the Japanese Americans had moved away by that point. I asked him a little about crime- he says the majority of perpetrators are homeless people- killing and hurting strangers in broad daylight. Not sure if his statistics are correct, as he’s more of a detective than a police officer, but it was interesting he mentioned that after the incident that happened to my friend. He told me that just last week, a homeless stabbed/killed a 70 year old man in little Tokyo from behind at like 4:30pm. Anyway, I thought it was pretty awesome to have had the opportunity to meet him. When we got to the restaurant, he was all “order whatever you like”, but I felt a little weird having someone I didn’t know pay for me. I just looked him up on transparent California, and it seems he is a Deputy Attorney General and makes about $150k, so I shouldn’t feel too bad lol. He probably would feel emasculated and weird if a young girl like me ended up paying for my own meal. From what my friend told me previously, he is married and has kids, and my friend is like the other woman. He also acts as a father figure to my friends daughter (helping around the house, helping daughters move to college, etc). I was curious but didn’t want to ask him about his other family.

I made a macramé plant hanger for the first time with L. It was really nice to check out her DTLA apartment, although I admit I was a little bummed at first about having to pay $6 for parking to visit her lol. The amenities are super nice and it was definitely worth going to. We talked about career, friendships, and relationships. She instinctively acts as an older sister/mentor. I like it because she doesn’t come off as a know it all or overbearing and is a good listener. I found inspiration from her to keep working hard and to carve a career path for myself. She has had many years of doing LDR as well (at least 4). She told me that she has friends who similarly just started LDR, and come off as very confident that they will last. She noted that I/Matt seem to be more realistic and humbled regarding the distance, which is why she thinks we’re more solid and can work out.

It's officially 2 months since he moved away. I was feeling quite sad over the weekend (not sure which part of my menstrual cycle that was on), but now I’m back to being more okay. Although I do share the sentiments as he said last time, that I don’t feel complete without him. I forgot what physical intimacy, kissing, and sex feel like. So in a sense, it’s good because I’m not thirsty haha. I’ve gotten over the initial wave of celibacy. Recently he asked me about what I want to do in life to try to help me with achieving my goals. I had trouble answering, as I feel my life isn’t very intentional. The only thing that came to mind was living abroad (outside of hobbies I can do with my current lifestyle). I told him I don’t really care what I do as long as it allows me a cushy lifestyle and abundant PTO lol. I told him that maybe I should’ve been a good Asian and just followed through with a specialized field like pharmacy or optometry. He then rebutted saying that I’d probably be unhappy and live life like I’m always pushing a boulder up a hill. Because that’s kind of how he feels, as he was pressured to go into medicine. He says he has no identity, which I think may partly be the case for me too, as we live more for our families/communities.

Yesterday, he asked me about my goal income and age of achieving it. Then asked what my ideal household income is. This made me feel insecure because I know I’ll never hold the prestige or financial potential as that of a doctor. I know he has quite expensive taste (lol) so I started thinking, wouldn’t it be easier for him just to date someone of similar status so he will for sure reach his household income goal of 300k? In hindsight, I realize he is asking because he wants me to be the best version of myself, and he doesn’t like seeing wasted potential. He does the same thing to one of his best friends (who he says ignores him during these pep talks lol). He also sees it as a practical way for me to spend my time while he’s in residency. So that we both will be working hard towards our career during a period of time when he won’t have the capabilities of being an excellent partner. During our phone conversation, I asked him, “what happens if Connie can’t reach her financial goals?” He said, “she will be banned from life”. Then I said, “Mattay is gonna ban her from being with him”. Then he said, “you think so?” I said “yeah”. Then he gave me a serious “no” lol. I think what he means is that I’ll be losing in life because I’m not trying or giving my all, so, I’m not living life completely. At the end of our facetime call yesterday, he made goals for me in order of importance: 1. Get fit/strong by work out 45 min a day 2. Carve out a career goal and plan 3. Work on hobbies 4. Cultivate friendships and said I have to take care of myself before I can do anything else hence the importance of number 1. Anyway, I realized at the end of the day we were thinking about different things. I was honed in on my insecurities about not being able to offer enough in terms of social and financial status and worries about him not finding me ambitious or good enough. On his end, I think he was more concerned about me being bored and sad- and wanted to push me into doing something productive. These topics of discussion are uncomfortable but they are vital for growth. (Thanks Suze for helping me see this!)

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otome-game-reviews · 7 years ago

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Liar! Uncover the Truth (iOS/Android)

Overall Rating: 4/5

Date Published: October 3, 2016 Publisher: Voltage Inc Platforms: iOS and Android Price: Free to Play (pay to accelerate/binge) Duration: ~15 minutes of free play a day, about $1/min after Score Breakdown:

Visuals: 5/5 Writing: 4/5 Plot: 2/5 Characters: 2/5 Entertainment: 5/5

Keywords: Office Life, Mature, Working Lady, Investigation, Mystery, Comedy, Gameplay

This is not a game to make you go doki-doki, but it is entertaining, funny and worth your time to play for free. It can get very expensive to binge.

When rating a game like this, I have to put it on a slightly different scale than how I rate visual novel otome games. Liar! is not a traditional otome game in the sense that the story, the plot or the writing is supposed to be the major draw of the game. These elements contribute to this game to a certain extent, but the main reason why this game is entertaining is because of the gameplay elements.

Otome with gameplay? Yes! Liar! is a mystery and logic puzzle game that features gameplay elements heavily inspired by the Phoenix Wright series. Throughout chapters of gameplay, you will encounter phases in which you have to click around scenes to gather evidence (trivial, very easy to pass) and then use that information to make correct choices later on. This creates a more interesting “game-like” experience that makes up for the frankly, lack-luster plot and one-dimensional characters.

An example of a logic puzzle in the tutorial of the game

Gameplay: 5/5

This game is fun and I look forward to using up my free play tickets. Every day, Voltage gives you anywhere between 10-13 tickets, which will buy you about 10-20 minutes of free gameplay. After that, tickets are about $0.75 a piece, which means you’re paying anywhere from $3 to $5 for 5 minutes of gameplay. Playing Liar! for an hour continuously could easily rack up to $60/hr, so this is NOT a game you can binge on.

At the start of every chapter, a theme is introduced and shortly after, 3 suspects are presented. The game proceeds to evidence collection introduced through a very thin plot, usually involving going on dates with each suspect. Evidence collection is more or less tapping on various points of interest on a scene or background, and also playing tap-tap-tap on an in-game “text-messaging app” and a “facebook-like app”.

The fun part comes at the accusation and deduction parts of the game. Using the evidence and notes collected, you should be able to review them and come to a conclusion about who is most likely to be the perpetrator of the chapter. After your accusation is confirmed, a series of question challenges come up which require you to select right answers or present relevant pieces of evidence when prompted.

The logic puzzles are actually pretty fun, and not always super obvious, which makes it challenging in a good way. Sometimes you do have to make a few logical bridges and do some deduction, so it actually makes for a good time. On the flip side, the game is extremely forgiving, there is no real consequence to messing up aside from the fact that you may have to take longer (more time/more money) to clear a stage.

Visuals: 4/5

Most Voltage games have very good art, some more detailed than others. I’ve seen people complaining that the men in this game are uglier than some of their other games. I definitely have to admit Voltage went with a different style, but I still find the men pretty handsome.

Furthermore, there is a large variety of locations, backgrounds, items/evidence, so there’s a good deal of interesting and unique art. Each chapter takes you somewhere unique, different locations, different situations. Playing otome games, we’re used to seeing the same few BGs over and over again, so props to Liar! for having a more interesting experience.

Writing: 4/5

A very solid and believable natural translation by Voltage Inc. Props to their localization teams for doing a great job with all their games lately. That aside, the writing is pretty basic. The tone of the narrator is an office lady approaching 30, but she comes off a bit ditzier and less like than a “mature lady”. That’s fine and all, but there isn’t much depth to the writing, so it doesn’t really make for a very emotionally or intellectually stimulating story, although it can get fairly comedic in some parts.

Plot: 2/5

Whelp. This plot is pretty shallow. Protagonist goes to a match making party, meets 10 men who immediately (within 5 minutes of gameplay) all declare themselves in love with her, and you have to play through 10 chapters to weed out 9 scumbags from the ‘true love’. If it wasn’t for the gameplay, I wouldn’t give this app the time of day, to be honest.

In each chapter, a theme is introduced, ranging from gambling addition to infidelity/cheating. Over the course of 30 tickets (3 days) worth of gameplay, three suspects are introduced (most of the time because they asked you out on a date), evidence is gathered against each person (over the course of said dates) and a Phoenix Wright-like battle of logic and wits weeds out the perpetrator of the chapter. This man is then eliminated at the end of the chapter, where you can view 5 different endings or short stories about the guy and potentially what could have happened to you if you fell for his trap.

There is a small bit of plot in that there is a driving storyline of the protagonist going on dates, texting with her suitors and engaging in small talk and banter with them about this and that, but nothing really substantial. Sometimes you learn about their back stories in their endings, but they’re not terribly interesting or sympathetic.

Don’t think too much into the plot, there really is very little. Some parts are written fairly comedically, but I haven’t really gotten that many laughs out of it either. But that’s not what makes this game fun or captivating, so it’s not a big deal if it’s not stellar.

Characters: 2/5

The characters really aren’t what you play for either. For the first 3 days I was playing this game, I couldn’t remember the difference between three of the men, Keima, Itaru and... another dude I still can’t remember. Why? Because it really does not matter. They provide a very limited back story to any of the men, and more or less their roles are to be people that you eliminate over the course of a shallow plot chapter. When characters get eliminated over the course of the game, it’s really hard to care because they’re just that-- shallow characters.

What I found somewhat interesting is the fact that 9 out of 10 characters will be eliminated for a major character flaw by the end of the game. It is interesting to me to speculate (I am on chapter 5 right now) who will be the last man standing, so perhaps the plot may pick up some more later.

#voltage inc #voltage games #voltage otome #liar! uncover the truth #liar!#liar! voltage #otome #otome game #game review

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teamtassy-blog · 8 years ago

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The Team Tassy Support Crew’s Run Across Haiti

Our support crew for 2017′s Run Across Haiti is comprised of bus drivers, checkpoint crews, first aid and logistical coordinators. This year we hired three of our Team Tassy family members to join the crew.

Donate to the Support Crew here.

CREW UPDATES FROM HAITI

2/18/2017

Quinn Gallagher:

Day 1 Aka D-DAY, after being in Haiti for 48 hrs i could say I was getting the hang of it. Or so I thought, turns out I was severely wrong. I would say it all started when not even 5 mins into the first official day of the run, one of the runners informs me that I have a flat tire at the start line… so as I was crawling on my hands and knees at 4am trying to change the flat and make it to our 15 km checkpoint I thought to myself about how the little things like road side assistance and getting more than hours of 4 hours of sleep is greatly missed. Changing the flat was pretty painless (other getting than absolutely filthy).

Finally made it to our first post at km 15, everything was going smoothly. the runners were flying through; when the last runner completed our checkpoint we packed up only to find that truck #2 was completely dead and not going anywhere. After a few phone calls to Viv and Owen, the verdict pretty much was we were on our own to fix the situation.

About 20 mins passed with no solution, I must say that without our Haitian family member Josette, we would probably still be there. Josette quickly negotiated for cables from a nearby neighbor and with a little help from the local police we were back on the road.

It was amazing to see a bunch of absolutely amazing human beings push their bodies to a limit i didn't think was possible and to be there for them every step of the way was fulfilling. Team Tassy runners faced one of the hardest challenges of this Ultra with an elevation climb i have never seen before or thought possible to even run.

How they made it through this insane elevation climb on a path barley suitable for two side by side vehicles, massive semi trucks with overloaded trailers barreling down upon them, dodging thousands of scooters and motorcycles whizzing by them while they’re fighting to make each checkpoint is beyond me.

As a conclusion to day 1, I could say the start was a little bit of mediated chaos along with great team work and problem solving; not only by members of our organization but the amazing people of Haiti. i have never met more selfless people that are willing to help complete foreigners. All i can say is I'm blessed to have the opportunity to write about my experiences as they are so far from what the blogs and traveler websites write about, i would say it is one of the most beautiful countries with the most beautiful people i have ever come across. The potential in Haiti is endless, with help from organizations like Team Tassy, and the commitment of amazing people like i have met in Haiti will be a destination that you will have to visit in your life….

3/21 Returning Home

It’s been a month since I joined Team Tassy for RAH 2017. I must say I thought the emotions, the memories, the smells and the friendships would fade, but that's not what has happened at all. The emotions have become a fire inside of me, a passion, a way of life. It has turned into a relentless drive and desire to help people, not only the people of Haiti, but people in my everyday life. Every day I wake up and think of ways that the blessings in my life could help Team Tassy and the people of Haiti. I still get emotional thinking about the kids and their smiles, the pure joy that omits from them even though they might not have eaten that day. It makes me realize that no matter how bad of a day I could be having, someone is coping with a feeling I could not even imagine, yet they have a smile on their face.

The memories will never fade, things that were witnessed, positive or negative, will never escape my mind. From the the determination and will of the runners and crew members, to the fight and drive of the Haitian people to provide for their families on a daily basis. It didn't matter if they were up all night from rain assaulting their makeshift shelter. Even when cold, wet, sick and hungry, they don't have the luxury to call in sick. If he/she does not get up, they do not eat. The hearts of the people of Haiti are beautiful, we could all learn some things from them. Through most people’s eyes they look to have nothing, but from people that visit Haiti they have everything.......genuine happiness and thankfulness for what they have. I have recently read a quote online, "If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table not a taller fence.” It reminded me not of my friends and family, but the people of Haiti. There were countless memories of Haitians stopping what they were doing to lend a helping hand or offer food or water to us, when we both knew they needed it more, but that wasn't the point. The point was that they appreciated us, appreciated the fact that we were there to help, not short-term but for the long haul.

I will never forget the sensory and emotional overload when I first arrived. I remember being in shock by the smell and feeling of carcinogenic smoke filling my lungs, mixed with diesel exhaust tearing at my eyes, the piercing sounds of never ending honks, chatter of the clustered streets. Coming from a Paramedic/Firefighting background our number one cause of cancer and health complications is carcinogenic smoke/ diesel exhaust , and I was taught to never put ourselves in situations to inhale it. Imagine being taught that all your adult life and then arriving in a place where you can’t escape the black plumes, nor feel the fresh air ever in your life, it was almost a suffocating feeling. I still remember repeating this question to Viv and Christina "How? How can it be like this" it didn't take five mins of being in Haiti to have the question answered without anyone having to say anything, you could see there was no way to get rid of waste other than burning the trash. Seeing five year-olds running around with bloodshot eyes from the relentless smoke, trying to make the most of being child in a place that doesn't allow it, broke my heart and right then and there was the moment I promised I wouldn't forget about the people of Haiti. I took a personal pledge to do everything and anything I can.

With the help of Team Tassy and ordinary people like myself and you, reading this, we can make a difference and build a longer table with the goal in mind of no grandfather, mother, father, son or daughter going a day without having a meal, or to go without the education and the tools needed to choose their own destiny, not have it chosen for them. Thank you Team Tassy for opening my eyes.

Grace Brennan

Here I am! This is my fourth trip to Haiti and I couldn’t be more excited. I am happy to be here on the run as a crew member to support all of the incredible runners we have changing the world. During this trip I hope to help out as much as possible, wherever possible. Through this run, I get to partake in so many things that I love: seeing beautiful scenery, supporting the people that I love, learning about a new language and culture, and helping a cause that I believe is justified.

I have been active with regards to Team Tassy for over 5 years and it has changed my life for the better. I truly believe in the work that Team Tassy does, and through my trips to Haiti have learned a lot about poverty and the journey out of it.

There are several amazing things about this team that draw people in and keeps them in. First of all, their plan of attack is efficient and effective. Rather than throw things at the people, they work specifically with them to find out what they need and how to help them get it. Health, education, and jobs are the main goals for the families that Team Tassy serves, and I believe that is the reason that it is really working.

Each time I return to Haiti, I see a difference in our Team Tassy families and it only encourages me to continue working towards the eradication of poverty with Team Tassy. Experiencing Haiti in general is extraordinary, but experiencing it with such a tight-knit group is life-altering. Team Tassy really knows how to make you feel as though you are a part of a team and immersed in the culture with the people that you are helping. For all of these reasons, I support and will continue to support Team Tassy as they make a difference in Haiti family by family.

Ally Burke

As a veteran crew member after our very first day of my second year of the run today, I began thinking about what made me decide to leave my 2 1/2 year old son for 10 days yet again to support Team Tassy and this crazy ultra marathon across an entire country.

After much reflection, I decided there are many reasons I return to Haiti over and over after my first trip 17 years ago: the beauty of the country, the strength and resilience of the people, and the pure satisfaction and happiness that Haitians find in the things in life that really matter.

I could easily come back and do things with Team Tassy that doesn’t involve things like no sleep, sore feet, and leaving home for almost two weeks. I come back for the run for one specific reason - it is simply magic. The bonds that were formed and the almost “camp-like” feel that develops through these days is beyond measure. There is something that happens when you go through this experience with complete strangers that bonds you together and you are almost sad when it is over. Being inspired watching people push them to their limits, taking pride in supporting them, learning about their lives and families, exchanging stories, talking about where they hail from, sharing in a Prestige after a tiring long day and many many laughs.

And after day one I can already see that happening again this year. And I just love it.

I will come to Haiti for the rest of my life, that is for sure. But I will also come for the run for as long as they will let me.

Michael Sueoka

Today was the most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done in my life.

I’m no ultra marathon runner, but I was playing all the sports throughout high school and even after college. I must admit, when asked to bike across Haiti I was extremely hesitant. I always wanted to go, but I was hesitant because I wasn’t sure if I could do it or that I would slow down the team. It also didn’t help that every single time I told a friend they would always ask “is it safe?”

So, I committed and signed up to be a cyclist on the support crew. Leading up to my departure date I was very anxious but also very excited.

Jump to today, our first day. It was a 33 mile bike ride from Cap-Haitien to Pleasance with the first half fairly flat. We started in Cap-Haitien and it was just so intriguing. The streets are crumbling, the buildings are half built cindered block stories or homes with some french inspiration from the island’s history. Motorcycles carrying 3 people are zigzagging everywhere, massive trucks just honk and zip by you, people were walking everywhere and black smog from every single running vehicle shoots in your face. Actually, I probably got smoker’s lung today. Anyways, I kept saying that biking in this area is like a real life frogger, but Cap-Haitian had this unique charm to it I couldn’t really put my finger on.

After Cap-Haitien we went through the countryside. The natural landscape of Haiti is top notch. I would compare it to Costa Rica and Hawaii or maybe even better. Everything is so green with small streams of water randomly running through a field with a cow trying to talk to me. Unfortunately, there is trash almost everywhere, but you can still see the land’s beauty.

Once through the countryside it seemed like Mt. Everest appeared out of nowhere. Half of our route today was up a large steep hill. However, as I was peddling less than 1MPH up the hill, Haiti’s charm came to life. As I biked up the mountain I would see Haitians smiling, waving, and saying hi. I would see a hut for a family with little kids poking out or a hut there selling who knows what. This mixed into the lush greenery just seemed, right.

I’m fortunate to say, that I accomplished the most physically challenging event of my life, while being able to experience and see Haiti’s charm. I can’t wait to see more, but hopefully Mt. Everest doesn’t appear and all the trucks get smog checks before I see it.

Sara Mallie

I’d heard a lot about what to expect for my first trip to Haiti, but I learned that none of it allowed me to even come close to imagining my first 24 hours here. From extreme beauty and vibrant chaos to the real and striking poverty, the atmosphere is way more intense than is easy to describe or anticipate. During my first day on crew, I was in awe of the running team. It was a long and tough day, but they put in 33 grueling miles on day 1 while keeping smiles on their faces. Their energy and positivity was contagious to say the least. One of the best parts was how between runner visits, we were kept company by dozens of curious neighborhood children drawn by the excitement to watch the runners and talk with us. I’m so excited for the rest of the adventures that lie ahead on this trip!

Jules

Hello everyone...

Today I’m very excited to talk to you about Team Tassy’s work in Haiti.

So, before I start I would like to tell you a bit about myself. I’m Jules John and I’m the Haitian manager at Team Tassy, the one who manages all the programs that Team Tassy has here. Education, Health and Jobs creation are all parts of the work. So people in Haiti are all expected to have a job at least for them to be able to feed their families and to pay for education, as well as stuff for their families as well.

So Team Tassy is an Organization that works in Haiti that helps Haitian families through a lot of things. Today’s run was really great so this is a good sign of how the rest of the days will be during the whole RAH. So far it was a very great experience guys to be part of this big adventure for the third time. I’m so happy to have all of those volunteers here with us to support us to run for us this is amazing things guys. No words to describe how grateful we are to have you guys making all those sacrifices for us.

Today went well and then I can’t wait to see how tomorrow will be and to tell you about it again guys.

Justin P.

Day 1,

This is now my 3rd time participating in the run across Haiti with Team Tassy. Year one I was on crew, year two runner, and now I crew again. Today as we arrive in Plaisance I am feeling humbled.

I am humbled because of the wonderful people here, the work that Team Tassy is doing to lift their family members out of poverty, and this wonderfully dedicated group of runners and volunteers that made the decision to come here and give a little of themselves to make a big difference in the lives of others.

I don’t want to say too much as I am sure everyone has much to say but i’ll just say this. If you have the chance or means you should come and visit this country. Yes, it has been through a lot we all know this however, there is more here for you to see and feel. This is a majestic place, a grand place, a rich place, and a poor place yet a happy place. It is hard to have the right perspective from our comfortable living rooms. So, if you are thinking about it I urge you to just do it. Team Tassy could not be better hosts.

I just want you all to know where ever you are reading this from that this country is still in much need but it is such a bright and warm place filled with much beauty and love.

I wish you could feel what it’s like to meet the people here as we do every day during the run. In their towns and small villages along the route. That are alway most eager to know more about us and even give us a hand when needed. This is something that I feel is even lacking in our own neighborhoods and communities. The openness and trust to learn about each other when we don’t know each other. I wish we all can be bold enough to listen to these people and learn from them. They are ingenious. They make due with so little and yet are still able to thrive and even be happy despite this.

Lastly, I just want to tell you about something that happened today in the spirit of what I said earlier about openness, trust, and giving a hand. So….as we leave Cap- Haitian very early this morning at about 4 am. I set out with my crew in our 4-wheel drive Hilux truck to find our first 10k check point. The thing is we can’t seem to find the initial check point we had set up. Owen, Grace and I decided to turn around. “Maybe we passed it up?” I thought. I have to mention here that the truck Im driving the team in has the most black tinted windows you can imagine. It was hard if not impossible to see everything. Usually in the bright light of day I would have no problem with this but this morning in the country side it was dark out, very dark. I begin turning the truck around and think “no problem looks like I have a clean shot to do this in one go” it turns out I did not. I got us stuck on a very dangerous angle in some sort of a mote with 4 feet of water/ mud / garbage in it. The truck was up on just 2 wheels and we were stuck. I got everyone out of the truck and tried to move it forward but had little to no success. Owen tried giving me a little assistance but we were already in panic mode. In what seemed like just 2 minutes at 4:30AM mind you about 10 Haitians appeared out of nowhere. We couldn’t understand where they came from but we knew they were there to help. Just then a massive truck was coming down the road as well. They communicated what was going on and used a make shift piece of cloth or something to tie around the bumper. It wasn’t easy. They all jumped right into all of that mud and debris to help push. I’m talking, their once clean legs now filthy for our sake. The truck driver so happy to stop and help. It took a few tries but we managed to get the truck back onto the road and get to our check point with a little help from our friends. All I know is that would not happen in my town. I’m grateful for and humbled by all of those Haitians who helped. It was something I’ll never forget.

Signing off….

Justin

2/19/17 - Day 2

Ranger Ray

Hello everyone! It’s time for the daily “Medical Minute” from Ray on the RAH Medical Team! Today’s message is best read in a spoken word poetry style…

If you start to feel ill, remember to stop, collaborate and listen to your body.

Your body that’s a wonderland.

But don’t go chasing waterfalls, stick to the rivers and lakes that you’re used to.

But don’t drink the water, there’s stuff in the water.

So you should pop a bottle and let your body waddle.

Don’t act like a snobby model, you just hit the lotto.

They call it mellow yellow - your pee that is

They call it mellow yellow

Because it’s the one that we want, the one that we want, Ooo, Ooo, Ooo.

The one that we need, Oh yes indeed.

You’ve got to push it, push it real good

But remember to stay hydrated!

Because tramps like us, baby we were born to run!

Sasha (Team Tassy Staff)

You could say I’m a “people person.” I love talking to and getting to know people, I love photographing their faces, I love seeing over and over those qualities in us that are just so darn human. So it’s not surprising that so far, it’s the people in Haiti that have made the deepest impression on me. Some are warm, some are skeptical, most seem extremely curious about who we are and what the heck we’re doing.

We’re lucky to have several Creole speakers running this year and it’s great hearing firsthand what people are yelling. A group of kids heckled Wesley as he ran, “The blonde girl is beating you! You have to catch up!” Laurence explained to another group of onlookers on Day 1 that she was heading to Jacmel (at the other end of the country). “In a car, right? Where’s your car?” They could not understand why she’d run all that way.

Which brings me right back to the people of Haiti. That’s why we run. This country, with it’s vibrant, almost saturated, culture. The vivid colors everywhere, the music you can’t help but shake your hips to, the children that swarm you and joke with you and hug you. I’ve had so many amazing conversations and it’s only been 5 days, some in English, some in really bad French (on my part), but amazing nonetheless. They have left me with the certainty that this is a culture that needs to be preserved, a country that needs to flourish, a nation of people that deserve no less than you and I. And that is why we run and crew. #2017runacrosshaiti

Stefan Sereacki

When my friends and coworkers back in Vancouver, Canada, learned that I was taking two weeks of vacation to go cycle across Haiti (again.) to support a group of ultramarathoners, they were flabbergasted. “Why would you do THAT on your VACATION?!”, was the most common response, second only to “You’re crazy. That’s crazy.”

On day two, during one of the mountain climbs just outside of Plaisance, I had stopped to take in the sunrise over the valley we had just emerged from. The pastel coloured skies overflowing over the ridge line into the damp jungle below made for an unbelievable picture, so I escaped behind my camera lens. Without hearing anyone approach, I jumped at hearing a polite and raspy “bonjou!”. I turned to see a smiling elderly man holding a megaphone, seemingly eager to hear my response - clearly an outsider. Over the next ten minutes I briefly got to learn about this man, Marc-Henri, and his life. He was born in Plaisance and, with the exception of a few short trips locally, has never left. He also comes to this beautiful lookout every morning to volunteer as the very unofficial town crier. He rarely, if ever, gets paid for his work. While he’s quite engaged, earning a fair wage would be nothing short of life changing.

This week, the runners we are supporting are pushing themselves beyond their limits to raise funds for Team Tassy to do exactly that: help families earn the skills to be able to find and maintain dignified employment to provide for themselves. If vacation is supposed to be time spent gaining a little more freedom in one’s life, there is no reason we shouldn’t take a bit of that time to help others gain the same.

www.crowdrise.com/2017RAH

Dan H.

I think yesterday was an abrupt wake up for everyone, 4am start, running through the early traffic of Cap Haiten, into the mountains outside of the city. It seems the group was relieved by finishing one of the longer days of the run, albeit acutely aware of the daunting miles ahead this week. Today, however, runners bounced back quickly. The initial climb brought early morning mountain views, showcasing the beauty of the island. With miles feeling less like a task and more of a privilege, the runners were eager to talk about where they were from and how they came to be a part of the RAH.

Personally, I had been anxious leading up to the RAH this year. I remembered last year, cycling through crowded markets, dodging dogs, and long descents over broken roads, but today brought a new perspective. It’s an incredible privilege to be in Haiti, a place that catches every stroke of bad luck. The hurricane a couple months ago definitely wreaked havoc on the roads--it was hard to imagine them getting worse from last year. And while navigating the cratered road between runners, I wondered how the country could ever get back on its feet when constantly being beaten back down to zero. Any effort, like the building of a road, can be wiped out by a single storm. But today also showed us the potential, the stark beauty of the island, and reminded me that I should feel lucky to be here at all.

2/20/17 - Day 3

OWEN (Team Tassy Staff)

This is weird. Not “weird” in a Ninja Turtles III kind of way. Weird in a “This started with seven people… and has grown into a movement” kind of way. Every year the RAH brings firsts. This year, I have yet another personal first. This is my first RAH as a part of the merry gang of crew ninjas. It’s one thing to run across Haiti, but it’s a completely other thing to make it happen. I am so fortunate to have now seen the race from both sides of the fence and I have to admit...the rhythm of logistics is addicting. Every day you wake up and you get to solve a giant puzzle with an army of awesome. “Who was the last person to leave your station?” “Where can we get ice?” “What is that goat eating?” This is how we move 44 people across an entire country. Just like running, it’s not an individual sport. It only happens with a team.

Speaking of teams, I honestly can’t speak more highly of this team. No joke. These guys are organized, hardworking, and hilarious. Well, mostly hilarious. Every year it’s a learning process. We show up. We pivot. We make it happen it. I couldn’t be more proud of this crew. It is truly an honor to run with them and navigate this beautiful country. Now if we just had a tow strap….

2/21/17 - Day 4

Julie Noblick - St. Marc’s

While this is my 10th trip to Haiti with Team Tassy, this is my first trip traveling north of Cange and my first year crewing for the Run Across Haiti. I haven’t been to Haiti in almost two and a half years and it’s hard to describe what it feels like to be back and even more difficult to put into words what it’s like to see so many new parts of the country.

Haiti is a place of contrasts so severe as to be disorienting. I’m writing this from a balcony overlooking the sea in St. Marc’s. The water starts out a deep azure blue and brightens to turquoise where the water meets the mountains. It’s breathtaking by any measure. Yet many people who live here never get to take in this view. The obstacles presented by poverty can place even the most basic of needs of feeding, clothing, educating, and keeping a roof over your family’s head just out of reach.

The work Team Tassy does is about opportunity. Everyone should have the right to take care of themselves and their family. Dignified employment is the foothold to help people climb up and out of the hole. With every step our runners take, we get closer to providing that opportunity to all of our families.

2/22/17 - Day 5

Brody Lynott

I am currently sitting poolside outside of our hotel in Genevieve. We have been here since roughly 9:30 and unfortunately due to the travelling Carnaval de L'Independence that takes place across the country every year, some of us are still waiting on rooms. Things must have got a little rowdy last night but it was cool to see some big Haitian musicians that were playing at the Carnaval. T-Vice.. I'm sure you all know of him. To our Haitian family members who are helping us along the way, it was like seeing J Biebs. Anyway, right now everyone is surviving off of Solo bars and Pringles until lunch is served, and I feel greatly for the runners right now who are so used to being able to fuel up properly after such a hard run. I was unable to start at the beginning of the run today due to the need of support crew members but at the 15km mark once the majority of the runners passed through I was able to hop out and start running with Brandy. It was at this time when she needed it most. The little strains from the past few days are progressively getting worse and are only going to continue getting worse with the gruelling runs. She was really feeling it today with her IT band and it was beginning to wear her down physically and mentally. It's hard not to let you emotions get the best of you here but I knew she would fight through. I ran just under 10km today with her to the finish line and that was plenty. The runners started today at 5 AM, just like everyday, we start as early as we can to beat the heat. Unfortunately for me, when I started running, the sun and heat was unavoidable. My run today with Brandy Hagel was so much different than yesterday's mountainous run. The majority of my 10km took place through the markets of Genevieve. I can't begin to describe the difficulties you face running in that kind of environment. Every vehicle runs off diesel, and running along side all the traffic with the exhaust in your face is suffocating. Pair that with garbage being burnt everywhere you look, and it makes you feel like you’re breathing through a straw. The heat, humidity, pollution, stench, the crowds, traffic, and not to mention almost stepping on a dead dog... the list is endless and it made me run faster than I thought I ever could at that distance. I wasn't comfortable, and not everyone in these cities are friendly to us. But it's the moments you pass the occasional group of people who respond back to our "bonjour, excuse moi" with "Merci pour nous aidez". Or the kids who run beside you with the biggest smiles on their faces. That was all the motivation Brandy and I needed. -pou ayiti

2/23/17 - Day 6

Time with our Families - Sasha (Team Tassy Staff)

Today was “Rest Day” (TM pending), so we gathered our runners and crew members and headed to Menelas and Molea, the two communities where Team Tassy focus their efforts. All week we’ve been working hard beside three family members on the support crew, Nicole, Josette and Giordani. They’ve been a giant asset, lugging water bottles with us, cheering everyone on, applying sunscreen at every opportunity. They’ve also helped us navigate cultural situations, like when our checkstop happened to be set up in front of a funeral, or our truck was mistaken for a tap tap (Haiti’s version of a public bus) and a local fellow starting loading his stuff in the back. It’s been amazing to watch them bond with everyone else, dishing out the zingers with the rest of the crew, smiling and laughing when things go awry, talking about their children, dancing and singing when we’ve all had a couple of Prestiges. So you can imagine how meaningful it was to visit their homes.

Josette showed off her 18 month old baby and her lovely, solid home. Before Team Tassy, her family squeezed into a USAID tent, cowering in a corner when it rained, even if they were supposed to be sleeping. Giordani introduced us to his beautiful wife, and proudly pulled out a picture of his 6 children. They were all in school, an impossibility before, given the expense, so we weren’t able to meet them in person. He waited 3 years for the opportunity to work with Team Tassy, making sure to meet with them every chance he got. He has truly come out of his shell since he began working them and has worked hard to meet and exceed all expectations. Nicole’s daughter, Pascale, made a brief appearance, reconnecting with runner Sean Brennan and his daughter, Grace. Beautiful and kind, she spends any spare moment she can find studying with the goal of going to college in two years.

This visit truly put this whole run into perspective. While we get an opportunity to really witness and engage with Haitian culture on the run, nothing makes our mission resound so profoundly as getting into Menelas and speaking with the Team Tassy families. I could see how moved everyone was, and I think it will motivate folks through these next challenging couple of days. It’s impossible not to be changed after an experience like this, I’m just grateful to be able to participate.

We need your participation too. Join us at www.crowdrise.com/2017rah

Brody Lynott

Today is finally our rest day. The only rest day the runners and crew members get throughout this whole run and it couldn't come at a better time. The distance we have travelled is starting to show with the runners. Yesterday I jumped out and ran the last 6k of the 32 with Brandy Hagel. At the beginning of this run I tried my best to prepare Brandy mentally for the war that this run was going to be. I tried to relate to the best of my ability and compare it to things I had to endure mentally and physically through my hockey career. All the injuries guys play through when they are in playoffs, and the kind of character and toughness that takes. But yesterday I realized something as I was running along side Brandy. She could barely breathe, and with every single exhale she was grunting and groaning. I’ve never seen a person intentionally put themselves through that much pain, and she wouldn't stop, for anything. In hockey guys deal with all kinds of pain, but in short burst. They don't run for hours on end, in the same stride that created the pain in the first place. It was in that moment that I realized just how strong she is, and that her mental strength will never hold her back from accomplishing anything.

We have spent the last two days at Wahoo Bay resort. This place is absolutely amazing and really shows how much potential there is for Haiti to be a vacation destination. This morning may have been my favourite experience of this whole trip. We spent the morning in the town of Menelas. It's a small area outside of Port Au Prince, and this is where Team Tassy's families live. It's a very unknown area to most groups who come to help, and an area that was left devastated after the earthquake and hurricane. It was so great to see where everyone's donations are going and to see first hand the impact that Team Tassy is making. We got to spend time with each family that is employed through Team Tassy and see the how it has improved their lives drastically. We also spent time in one of the most impoverished places in all of Haiti, Molea. Molea is a community that lives within the landfills outside Port Au Prince. Kids are born and raised in this landfill and don't know anything other than sifting through garbage. It's nearly impossible for anyone in this area to earn enough money to get out of this severity of poverty and this is where Team Tassy gets involved. They are currently in the process of establishing jobs for people in this community to collect bottles in the landfill to be used in fabrics that we wear in our everyday clothing. There are some big ideas in the making with some major companies, but there will be more on that another day.

2/24/17 - Day 7

Sara Mallie

One of my favorite checkpoint moments was during the wee hours of the morning on Day 4, leaving Gonaives en route to St Marc. We were traveling through farm country full of livestock (mostly goats) and rice paddies. It was still pitch dark - approximately 4:30 or 5:00 am, and we pulled over to set up the 20k checkpoint. Within seconds, people came out of the darkness, walked up to our truck and started putting buckets and miscellaneous packages in the back next to our coolers and water bottles. Perplexed and slightly concerned, we hopped out with our headlamps to check out the situation, with Nicole translating. Turns out we had managed to place our 20k checkpoint directly in a popular Tap Tap stop for shuttling people, goats, more goats, and other livestock to the market. The market-bound sellers had mistook our large 4x4 truck for the large open truck-like taxi. We were able to move a bit to give them space, but the space was definitely bustling all morning with market-goers and the checkpoint was never dull.

Julie Noblick

In a few hours, we’ll be taking off at midnight for the final leg of our 230 mile journey across Haiti. It’s been an exhausting week (and I’m not even running!), but I’m going to be really sad to leave this incredible group of runners and crew. It takes a special kind of person to want to sign up for something so crazy as running across the entire length of Haiti, but even more so one to not let the blinding sun and choking exhaust fumes get you down while you dodge tap-taps and all manner of farm animals. I’ve watched these runners crack jokes while getting their toenails drilled and the crew make each other laugh while pulling a truck out of a ditch (again).

This week has been a week of firsts for me. I learned how to speak Canadian (it’s a very nuanced, apologetic language) and that Canadians think they invented hats (though they pronounce them ‘touques’). I rode on my first pirate ship and took my first picture containing both a drone and a donkey. I’ve learned that man cannot survive on Prestige alone (a delicious Haitian beer)… but that woman can. I also heard my first Haitian joke, which I still don’t understand, but things just tend to be funnier when the alarm to start the day goes off at 2:30am. Finally, I’ve perfected the art of the silent cheer after realizing that we’d set up a checkpoint for runners outside of a church that was holding a funeral.

Josette (Haitian Crew Member)

Hello to everyone from Team Tassy. I feel so lucky that I am participating in the race for the first time. I am so pleased that I can be useful during this race, that I can spend time with everyone and be part of this beautiful journey.

First, I say ‘mesi’ to Team Tassy for including me in the run. I also want to tell the team good job, it takes a lot of courage to run to the finish and I will try my hardest to aid the runners during their hard work, just as Team Tassy has done for me.

I trained a lot and learned about checkpoints and what runners need. I learned a few English phrases like, “Do you need water?” “Do you need Electrolytes?” “Are you feeling ok?” I learned many other things about how the support crew can be helpful to the runners.

I have also seen many new things. This is my first time at such a nice hotel in the countryside, seeing my beautiful country. So many beautiful sights! I’ve never sat down to eat with so many people, especially foreigners. They are very friendly and make me feel at ease, I appreciate that. I really enjoy spending time with everyone, especially Quinn and Justin. I love them very much!

I can never say ‘thank you’ enough to Team Tassy, for all that you have brought into my life. Thanks so very much, Team Tassy.

Nicole (Haitian Crew Member)

I worked during 10 days in RAH throughout Haiti. For me it was a big experience of all my life that I would love sharing with you.

It was a group of foreigners who came from different countries and cities, voluntarily, who want to do this huge run where they will start at Cap Haitien to end at Jacmel to help Team Tassy fundraise money for me and the poor families in Haiti.

For the first day, the travel was long for me because I don't get used to this kind of trip. Getting at Cap Haitien, precisely at Rival Hotel, the space make me completely forgot about the long route. By waiting for the runners and staff coming, I visited the hotel which was really nice. We welcomed the runners and staff with a lot of joy. At night we ate dinner together and everyone presented themselves by saying something. After that we went to bed to get some sleep for waking up at 3:30 in the morning: doing preparation for our runners, and begin the run at 5 am from Cap Haitian to Plaisance. It was like that everyday except for the last day of the run and some days we avoided the hot for our runners and staff.

We stayed in some nice places like: National school at Plaisance, Village Ennery, Amiral Killick, Wahoo Bay, Eucalyptus, and Cap Lamandou. I always shared the same room with Josette, she's so nice, I love her so much. She's so comprehensive and lovely. After work, everyday we had fun, specially for the rest day at Wahoo Bay Beach, we had a lot of fun, it was incredible and this is unbelievable.

I also had a bad moment when we visited families who are living in Truitier, we met some people who are living in a really bad conditions, inhumane, I cried in this day. It was my first time visiting an area like this, even me in my poor ways, I thought I should help them. So, I hope and pray to God that Team Tassy gets more means, to increase the list of his family in Haiti so that he could provide funds to these people in this area or elsewhere. I would also love that our sponsors help this organization without worries because Team Tassy is doing a really great job in this community.

Finally, it was great for me, the last day that appears like the dangerous; hard one for me, but I finally understood why we went out at this time to avoid getting hot in the sun and to finish it as quick as possible. I have nothing to reproach, I just to suggest that our runners wear comfortable sneakers and socks next time for some of them, and need more prudence from the runners to avoid motors' accident for next year

I am so thankful toward the teachers: Escane, Jules and the leading staff of the Run Across Haiti, Vivien, Owen, Sasha, Christina, and also the runners and crew members. I am so happy having a chance working with you.

Be sure that you will see me next year, bye and May God bless you all!

Giordani (Haitian Crew Member)

For me the run was really awesome and it was part of my best experience in my life. I am happy because I was one of the crew members during the RAH.

I think it was the best experience I have ever made before because I had the opportunity to know all of the marvelous space I have in my country. My pleasure was to know all of these beautiful faces, and the best moment I had was the way those in my crew welcomed me, the way they reacted towards me and share their stories with me.

I would like to improve in English so that I could have more communication with those who will be in my group next year,and would love learning English again this year for getting prepare for this big adventure

I was very happy because we didn't have anything wrong during the run, everything was OK, I felt like I was with my family, enjoying all of the great moment together. This run means a lot for me, I made a lot of friends there, I went to the beach and made a lot of experiences. I will be happy if ever I had the opportunity to be there again next year for being able to see all of these friends and share my thoughts with them again. Thanks a lot Team Tassy, and wish you a good year my friends. Miss you a lot!

Donate to the Support Crew here!

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