#i get the vibes of surgeon in the way of him preferring to cut off a leg and replace it rather than actually repair the gunshot wound

[transingthoseformers]

I like to remember how tfp Shockwave used to be a surgeon and I like to think that theoretically he can act as a medic

Theoretically

Is it a good idea? No.

But is it funny to imagine mecha with injuries going to him instead of a (relative to him) regular medic for a variety of reasons and he's just. Terrifying beyond belief.

[saintsenara]

there is so much new stuff on your blog that i need to catch up with omg and i swear i will get to it BUT. BUT FIRST. i have a question (which, funnily, is really relevant to my actual offline life rn): if tom riddle was a doctor, what specialty would he practice? [he gives me major neurosurgery vibes] and, more laterally, what do you think makes a good surgeon? as in, what kind of personality types fare the best in a surgical program?

now this is the sort of content i like to see!

while i can certainly see good old dr riddle [bmbch oxon] very much enjoying having a rummage around in a patient's cranium, he strikes me as someone who would prefer specialties on the medical, rather than surgical, spectrum - and, especially, would like specialties which require a lot of sifting through evidence and solving mysteries. he's clearly a puzzle girly [why else would he spend his teenage years coming up with anagrams of his own name?] and so i think he'd very much like the parts of his job which allowed him to spend half his time running a lot of invasive tests on people and the other half skulking in a lab getting an enormous amount of money to run research projects...

so he's applying for:

haematology

aka: staring at blood - which is right up his alley. his particular interest is coagulation disorders in pregnant women - and their contribution to these women dying in childbirth.

histopathology

aka: staring at slices of tissue. he's determined to find out whether or not the soul resides in the liver.

neuropathology

i think we can all picture him presiding over a collection of brains preserved in formalin. one of them is dumbledore's.

forensic pathology

cutting up corpses by order of the state? he's in! his team of graduate students have conned several million out of the wellcome trust and are spending it trying to reanimate their specimens.

forensic psychiatry

because while if you want to be a good psychiatrist you need an iron will and well-developed sense of empathy, if you want to be a bad one you need to be able to gaslight, gatekeep, and girlboss. and our tom's got that nailed...

now.

the above flippancy is about to make me look quite bad, because i am also a puzzle girly, and i like medicine precisely for the sort of mystery solving and research paper publishing it enables. but i'm not a mass-murderer, which i feel it's important to clarify...

i'm not a surgeon either - i didn't struggle with the gory bits of the work, i just didn't find any of the surgical specialties i shadowed during my training particularly compelling in re: that element of mystery.

while the reputation they sometimes have - especially on tv - for being scalpel-wielding jocks isn't accurate, it's certainly true that the defining trait you need as a surgeon is total, unshakeable conviction. in all medical specialities outside of emergency medicine you have the option to adopt a wait-and-see approach a lot of the time - but you do not have this option if you've got someone open on the table in front of you. you need to be enormously decisive, capable of tunnel-vision, incredibly good under pressure, and also a little bit arrogant - the only way you can get through the terror of knowing that you're responsible for slicing and dicing someone [particularly in specialties like neonatal surgery or neurosurgery] is to believe unquestioningly that you're going to smash it.

these are probably all traits you already possess - they're certainly something it benefits all doctors to have, in moderation - and they can also be learned and honed through practise, but they're going to be most crucial in surgery because - the vast majority of the time - your issue won't be working out what's wrong with a patient, it'll be pulling off the operation without a hitch.

surgeons still get to do academic work, clinical research and so on, but if you think you want to be a surgeon, you really have to like that slicing and dicing, in-and-out aspect of the work. if you can't see yourself performing thousands upon thousands of the same operation, it's not for you.

[the-vibes-are-off]

The Stormlight Archive Volume 1: The Way of Kings’ Review: Chapters 16-19

link to contents page - https://at.tumblr.com/the-vibes-are-off/hey-hey/96xd9ohihrzs

FINALLY I woke up this morning with some semblance to get out of bed before 8am and actually make the most out of my day. Essays are going hella slow and I honestly think the weight of dealing with them is just draining me hard, I cannot wait to get them tf out of the way; not to mention I’ve just spent £70 on Shakespeare for the coming semester :’) yay so excited for them to arrive today ;-;. 

Unfortunately, as the next semester approaches I imagine the frequency of these posts will decline as I’ll have to reduce my TWOK reading to 1 chapter a day at most in order to fit in all my uni reading. Which I am so gutted about because honestly I have enjoyed reading this chunk so much and the thought of having to slow down makes me so sad :(((.

Spoiler Free Zone:

This section does so much in the way of widening the scope to fill out the history of the plot and I’m living for it. Seeing more about Kaladin’s history AND like fckn ancient history as well???? I am so in.

I feel like this section has really got me into the swing of things more. With TWOK largely lying outside of the genre I normally read and not having the motivation of reading it like out of necessity for my degree, I was worried that I’d lose motivation but this section has really solidified my interest to the fullest !!

*** SPOILERS AHEAD***

Spoiler Zone: 

I have loved finding out more about Kal in the flashback sections and this has not changed. 1. Ofc Mr. Edgy Boy is a simp and fought to impress a girl just ofc 2. and on top of that, ofc he’s secretly soft round the edges, especially for his brother. The bit when Tien gives him a sick rock ??? Bye I would smile too what a cute interaction. Bit of a RIP that he then like immediately got into a fight, over some juicy Shardblade lore nonetheless? Brando feeding us fr. 

I love that he has Kaladin also thinking what everyone else is thinking in observing Sadeas as a pompous ass xD. It read so similar to what I love about some of my fave English Lit books in the critique of the upper classes and I will forever appreciate it (fuck the tories :p).

Then again tho, as ever, Brando refuses Kaladin a break and has his men dropping like flies bro. Ik he was trained as a surgeon but mf is not a miracle worker cut him some slack. 

Then onto the Kholins and my goodness these have to have been my fave chapters so far. Starting off with the slightly less preferred, but still great, chapter of family revelations like Dalinar not remembering his wife and Renarin’s feelings of inadequacy. My little heart breaks for them :((

BUT THE VISION CHAPTER?????????? Oh my goodness I loved this chapter so much I lit had the whole chapter tabbed as a love this fro the start bc I just knew it was gonna slap so hard. You’re telling me, all in one chapter, I have been given an epic fight with shadow creatures, WITH some of the knights radiant, AND one of them is a woman, all wrapped up in sick fucking lore in a vision of the past brought on by a storm that ends in a mystical voice giving vague advice. Jesus take the wheel.

Tab Count:

Cute <3 - 1

Fights - 3

Sad ;-; - 2

Death - 2

Cool - 1

Wtf wow - 1

Wtf Why - 0

Slay Quotes - 2

Love this! - 2

Hate this >:( - 0

Lore - 3

Tab Total:

Cute <3 - 8

Fights - 8

Sad ;-; - 4

Death - 4

Cool - 6

Wtf wow - 3

Wtf Why - 3

Slay Quotes - 10

Love this! - 10

Hate this >:( - 3

Lore - 5

[muse-stellium]

@blizzardrush / @unbrydledfury bb asked me to take a peek at Sergei's chart so everyone get your tea cups prepared for notes below the cut ☕️✨

So just to clarify, I'm not going to go through all the placements since this would be incredibly long that way and I fear it already is lol, if there's one you're curious about that I don't mention feel free to ask me about it or look up some info on it if you'd like! But in the meantime, some notes that I think might resonate w him based on canon and headcanons of yours that I've seen:

I remember telling you about his sun sign decan in the past, so lets look at the Moon! Aquarius moons traits include curious, unemotional, progressive, sociable and incredibly intelligent. – On one hand they can be incredibly friendly, but on the other they have no clue how to handle emotions :c Typically preferring to observe feelings from a place of logic or from a scientific perspective instead of actually feeling them. They may enjoy socializing or gossip, and be rather witty in their own way, but then dip as soon as the conversation turns into something they would need to get emotionally involved in.

Here we see another example of a possible Saturn, Moon conjunction , which doubles the above via Saturn starving the Moon which rules emotions, and which again usually indicates an absent or distant relationship with a father figure.

Saturn conjunct Moon more commonly also indicates and I quote: " Their disciplined emotional nature may sometimes be mistaken for coldness. Certainly, they tend to adopt a practical, business-like approach to the world of emotion. However, they are very sensitive and fear rejection. Some adopt a very cool exterior, leading others to believe that they don’t need nurture and love, simply because they are reticent about expressing their need for these basics of life."

This is doubled when we see that he has Black Moon Lilith in Pisces. This placement enhances sensitivity, and drives people with it to be introspective. Since Pisces rules fantasies + all things mystical / spiritual, the unknown / unusual might fascinate him. He could either be incredibly religious, reject religion all together, or even have near crippling fears tied to religion. However this placement can also suggest while the person with it has a compassionate and spiritual side, they may be ashamed to show it or of it in general. :c

Again with the doubling down, we see Jupiter placed in Libra. Libra Jovians can at times be known for their strong faith. Libra is also a sign ruled by Venus, the planet that rules beauty. Jupiter ruling luck in Libra only strengthens that and usually indicates someone with a uniquely attractive appearance. Even when possibly not the best at socializing, they typically come off as charming, tactful, yet detached. (Sidenote: not the Jupiter symbol charm on my bracelet getting stuck on something while I'm typing this yo quit it- detach like him)

And the last one I'll point out is that retrograde Mars in Cancer. Mars rules passion, energy, anger and sexuality to name a few in astrology. When in retrograde, that intense energy will instead turn inward. This suggests trouble asserting oneself growing up. It also suggests possible trouble with ones identity, and at times passive-aggressive tendencies. Some could have extreme tempers, while others could hold their tempers inside until one day it boils over. — Thanks to all the Aquarius placements in his chart, these aspects are likely usually dulled down a tad. And the thing about retrograde placements, is that they're seen as something one could overcome as they grow. Most with Mars in retrograde find a good outlet in things filled w Martian vibes, such as wrestling, sports, martial arts, fighting for others' rights, being a firefighter, surgeon, ER doctor, debtors, business strategist, or uh oh yeah, basically anything with ties to the military.

^ Finally, This retrograde Mars is also in Cancer. Cancer Martians are typically protective, loyal and at times actively nurturing. Especially when it comes to family and friends. But when in retrograde, Cancer Martians may have trouble with - again - expressing emotions, instead with this placement however it's specifically when it comes to sexuality and sexual relationships. Which again, something that can be overcome. Grow your endless confidence Dragunov you cool lad ;v;

[datingintampafails]

Chapter 32: Timmy*

Timmy* gave off a frat-boy kind of vibe with the pictures in his profile, a trope that has become my type. His profile did seem to be half-heartedly filled out; his hometown was just the abbreviation of the state, his employment simply said "cardiac surgery," and a couple typos.

Mostly my reason for wanting to message him, in particular, was that one of his prompts about a travel story was very obviously cut off and he ran out of characters. I messaged him saying the cliffhanger was dramatic and wanted to hear the whole story. It was a very long story, involving being in Ireland and a random person coming into his and his family member’s room. I mentioned I didn’t have anything quite that interesting regarding my travels before. We chatted more and although I wouldn’t say we had a lot of similar hobbies and interests, the conversation did flow well. He was definitely more active than I, going to the gym often and eating pretty healthy and en mass. Very much a gym bro type. I also had assumed he was a surgeon, given his position being cardiac surgery, but then learned later he was more involved in some sort of programming instead for cardiac devices, so not really cardiac surgery per se.

When we moved away from Hinge and onto text messaging, we were both mutually behaving as if we had known each other a while, and better than we did. At one point, he had asked, “are you a guy version of me?” To which, I was very aware of how little we knew about each other, which led me to respond that it was too soon to tell.

I did however confirm my place as forever the more aggressive one; I text him one day "Timmy*, when they fuck are we going out?" Not that it had been too much of a long time talking, but just that he had not yet made a move, and that we were obviously getting along and it would make sense for us to take that next step. We plan for a few days from then, a Tuesday, after work, and that it would have to be more or less played by ear because of our jobs' schedules being semi-unpredictable. My easy place, Armature Works, was chosen as where we would meet up.

Our date got pushed back slightly, as I got off on time, but he was going to be held up at work later than expected. He did however give me ample heads up, so I just relaxed at home a little longer than I would have otherwise, and perfected my outfit and minimal make-up. The day of the date, and leading up to it, I made jokes about being a catfish and that I was actually a middle-aged, fat, Russian man. I continued this while I waited for him when I was describing what outfit I was wearing so he could recognize me better with my mask on, then later added that I was still a middle-aged Russian man, but that I was still wearing a skirt and crop top. I waited for him on a bench for almost 30 minutes. I arrived on time to when he had delayed the date, but still too early apparently. Luckily, I had brought my headphones, so I just listened to some music to pass the time by.

Finally, I received a text message saying that he had parked and then that he could see me. Nothing is more uncomfortable than being seen and not seeing who is looking at you. I looked around and didn't see anyone that looked like him, so I went back to staring at my phone. Eventually, a man looking more like him appeared trotting down the small set of stairs next to me. Although he definitely wasn't short, he seemed shorter than what I was expecting, and his hairline seemed to be just starting to recede.

He was not familiar with the location as much as I am, so I took it upon myself to give him a tour of the location. Despite being indoors, and still pretty amidst a pandemic in late February, Timmy* kept taking his mask off. As a healthcare worker, I was confused and appalled; he should know better. I yelled at him every time to put it back on. Once he said, "you're one of those huh?" I almost rolled my eyes back into my head. Then he also asked me, "well when can I take it off?" to which I responded, "when we are outside and/or we sit down to eat/drink." He got a beer at one of the bars, and it was a beer that had some marijuana in it, which was an interesting choice. After having toured the whole place, it was time to split off to order our respective meals. I got my food, and a drink, and wandered over to the area I had last seen him, as he had said he was going to get a pizza. He was nowhere to be found, so I text him asking where he was. He indicated that he was over by where he had gotten his beer.

I found him and then he told me that he had ordered food from two different restaurants because he couldn't decide and also eats so much due to his athleticism. We found a spot to sit nearby outside, and it is a lovely night, we were comfortable in the fresh air. We both finally did take off our masks and started to eat.

I half-heartedly apologized for being so hard on him regarding the mask-wearing, but emphasized that I am passionate about proper mask-wearing because of my experience with having the virus and wanting to make sure to reduce the spread. He then said, "Oh you had COVID! I'm in a way glad to hear it." He then pauses before saying, "I have COVID too. My doctor said I'm asymptomatic? So I'm totally good." My eyes must have gotten the size of saucers; I leaned away from him and was looking around seeing if anyone had heard him. "Wait what?" Is all I could say. "Uh, no. Please tell me you're joking?" Timmy* stares at me confused, "I'm asymptomatic! So that means like I don't have it."

I am prepared to leave immediately. "So you had a positive test? What? Why are you here right now?" I say. Finally, he drops the rouse and admits he was kidding, but that he got me. "That was not funny. I was legitimately terrified!" So far, this date is bizarre. He mentions that because I joked around so much that I would appreciate it. I did not.

We eat our food and chat. Unfortunately, he also is a person who seems to eat with their mouth open. Another strike. Timmy* has become very comfortable around me, as he also decides to tell me another long story about the time he was "sexually assaulted by a doctor." Which was that he went to a doctor for a physical and that she had grabbed his testicles and had him cough, though the way he told it was extremely drawn out and had many mini-stories leading up to the point that was supposed to be the assault. I then told him, "I'm sorry to say that your doctor was not trying to hit on you on anything, that is a normal thing that happens with mens' checkups." This was news to him. It was obvious that he is not a well-versed healthcare worker.

Once we finished our food, I suggested we walk along the river. First, though, I wanted to drop off my leftovers in my car. We walk to it and I make him guess what kind of car I drive. He is impressed by my car and we don't linger long before I say we should leave the parking lot. He tells me that he has a muscle car, which is so random and I would never put him in a car like that. Whereas a sixteen-year-old girl might be googoo-gaga over this, as a full-grown adult, it isn't quite as alluring to have a car like that.

While on the riverwalk, I become irritated at the fact that he walks very slow. Slower than I am able to walk. It makes no sense as I am significantly shorter than he is, so my strides shouldn't be longer than his. I mention to him that he walks slow and I ask that he walk a little faster. He picked up the pace, but then slowly reverted to his tortoise-like speed over time. I tire of our uneven velocities and we take a seat on some rock benches. We chat about brief things and I suggest we walk back. Again, I battle with the paces, mention it a couple more times that I am unable to walk as slow as he walks.

We get back to the main area of Armature and take a seat in some oversized chairs. He tells me about his family and some stories about his relationships in middle school and high school, which are also drawn out and bizarre. It nears 10pm, and we are told by staff that they close at 10. A couple minutes til, I remind him we need to leave and I ask where he parked. He parked in a different lot, I offered to walk him to his car. He offers to drive me to my car. We do so and his muscle car is indeed very overly-masculine. He goes on to go through a bunch of random songs on Spotify, only playing each song for less than 30 seconds, very ADHD-like. He drives me to my car, but wants to keep me there, again showing me more songs. I'm politely just listening as he flexes on all the types of music he listens to. He tries to show off that he knows "alternative music," my preferred genre, but I point out that a lot of the songs he's playing are more "pop-punk" or just old alternative jams.

He compliments my music taste and mentions that he has noticed I am adept at knowing song names, musicians, movies, and so forth. I begin to joke that likely I am a little autistic, adding "I'm working on my eye contact," as I make direct eye contact with him. What he says next, is something that I was not prepared for, and something that still baffles me, and possibly always will. "Yeah, you do look a little retarded." Immediately, I burst out into laughter; not because I think what he said was funny, but because I am so bewildered and shocked by what was just said. Eventually, through the laughter tears I am able to get out, "Dude you shouldn't say that to a woman." He insists it was a joke and makes excuses, but I keep laughing, with my hand on the door handle just waiting for a good moment to step out. I repeat that what he said isn't cool, and eventually stop laughing long enough to say, "alright, on that note, I think I should head out." Being friendly, I still ask that he tell me when he gets home since I know he has a longer commute home than I do. I wave goodbye through our car windows.

The formalities are complete; he texts me ever so briefly the next day, respectfully I respond, knowing well I never plan on going out with him again. Then it seems we have a mutual ghosting situation, as I don't try to text him, nor he to me. This day I have another date, and after that one, I have no one that I want to communicate with as that is also a dud. All is good until a few days later when I am out with my friends in Ybor, drunk. I get a text from Timmy* saying "yo." I lament and groan and my friends ask about my reaction. I explain the situation and one of my guy friends asks for my phone. I hand it to him as he starts to text him on my behalf.

My phone is with my friend, but with my Apple Watch, I can see the text conversation and when he is responding. I start yelling "oh god please don't bring him here. I don't want to see this guy." Respecting my wishes, my friend decides to still fuck with him, but prevent this poor soul from spending money on an Uber and coming down.

My friends then send a selfie of themselves, with me not in it, saying "she's with me." I yell at them more saying, let this guy be, just ignore him. However, instead, my friend takes it a step further.

I tell my friend that he was too harsh and that I of course would have told him I wasn't interested, but a lot more mature and kindly. When later I check, understandably Timmy* has unmatched me on Hinge*, likely blocked my number. No loss there though.

[purplesurveys]

1230

When was the last time you felt like “getting into someone’s pants”?  Way back last year.

What is your favorite energy drink, if you have a favorite at all?  I find energy drinks nasty.

Would you have kids with the last person you kissed?  That wouldn’t be possible even in the literal sense.

Do you know someone who threatens to kill themselves?  Before.

Would you ever completely dye your hair the color green?  Yes, but I would opt for a darker shade rather than a bright or neon one.

Have you ever been in a long-distance relationship before?  I have not. Thinking about it, I’m pretty low-maintenance so I could probably handle it if I ever find myself in that situation, as long as I’m invested enough in the relationship and my partner.

What is your favorite food to eat around Christmas?  I like anything my family prepares really, but I definitely go for lumpia first if I see a whole container of it.

Do the people in your town speak like rednecks?  No and I’m not sure if we have an equivalent for that here.

When was the last time you cried happy tears?  Like a week ago when the Permission to Dance video came out. The ending when everyone was taking off their masks and smiling was really heartwarming.

How liberal are you?  Enough to make most of my relatives uncomfortable.

Would you mind living near large predatory animals?  Yes. I’ve lived in gated villages all my life so it will take a lot of getting used to.

Have you ever experienced altitude sickness?  I don’t think so. The ‘worst’ I’ve experienced is just feeling pressure in my ears and having weakened hearing whenever we drive up mountains; it takes a while before mine do the popping thing and I get my normal hearing back.

What’s your biggest priority right now?  To be consistent at improving at my job and making fewer mistakes as I go. I shared this with my boss recently and she told me not to worry too much as I’m doing better than I think I am and that the mistakes I beat myself about have actually been small and fixable ones, but the perfectionist/workaholic in me just refuses to be reassured lol.

If you’ve stayed overnight in a hospital, how did you entertain yourself?  The last time this happened, public wi-fi was still mostly a myth so I had to contend with A LOT of forced napping just to make the time pass by. I didn’t have a phone either, so my experience was extremely dull and boring.

Are your hands unsteady?  They’re not surgeon-level stable but I think they’re fine for the most part.

Do you listen to a lot of mainstream music?  I used to until I got into BTS. I haven’t really listened to any other artist since getting into them back in April lol.

Do you think you’re pretty?  Some days.

Have you ever added someone you don’t know on Facebook?  Yeah, a few work contacts like bloggers whose names I recognized but have never talked to/engaged with.

Do you have dirty pictures in your phone?  Nope.

Have you ever looked up porn on the internet?  Yes. I have my on-and-off phases when it comes to porn though and these days I don’t watch a lot of it.

Would you ever shoot someone right in the face? In a case of self-defense where I was clearly trying to be killed, that's right where I would aim. But otherwise, of course I wouldn't. < Sounds about right. But holy shit that sounds like it would look so gross.

Have you ever sold drugs?  I’ve never been around drugs ever.

Did you ever try cutting yourself?  It was a coping mechanism many, many moons ago.

Who’s the last guy you texted?  It was a - surprise surprise - delivery guy who needed directions again to my house.

Who do you know that wears the most make up?  I’m not sure, but then again most people I know don’t really put on makeup these days because lol Covid and stay-at-home orders??

Do any of your friends have kids?  None of my friends do but I know several acquaintances and people from high school who’ve already given birth.

Have you ever been tied up?  Yeah.

How many times have you been cussed out?  Nearly everyday as a teenager.

Are you anyone’s first love?  I think?

Have you ever had an out-of-body experience?  Nope.

Do you have more than one personality?  Nope.

Do you prefer gory horror films or the psychological ones? Psychological ones for sure, but I don’t mind gore as well as long as it’s fun to watch and that it’s not too corny.

Do you have a favorite YouTuber or do you not watch much YouTube?  I haven’t watched a lot of YouTubers these days, but very recently I’ve been gravitating towards soothing vloggers like Anna Park and Mejiwoo. Their vlogs are greeeeaaaaat and I’m excited to discover similar creators so I can watch more videos that carry the same vibe.

Are you a good dancer?  I dance only when alone or when drunk. That said, I’m no good at all.

If you could find one long-lost friend of the past, who would it be?  Continued from yesterday. It’d be nice to reconnect with Raegan for like a day, just to catch up. Then again I’ve since been able to track her down on social media, so it’s nice to be able to see how she’s doing, at least from afar.

Was your sixth grade teacher a man or a woman? The teacher-in-charge of my section was a woman. They didn’t really appoint guy teachers to be TICs until recently.

Have you ever had any teeth pulled?  Yeah, but it had been a decayed tooth at that point that really needed to be pulled since it technically didn’t have a purpose anymore.

Do you wash your hair or your body first when taking a shower? Hair. 

Have you ever been to a nursing home?  I don’t think so.

Have you ever lived in a house that has been broken into?  Fortunately, no. My mom’s childhood home was robbed though, and their grand piano ended up being stolen :( To this day they have no clue how the thieves were able to pull it off without making too big of a fuss.

Is there someone in your life you don’t want in it?  I don’t think I dislike anyone that much at the moment.

How many different people of the opposite sex have you cried over?  Three. Two of them because they died, and the other one is my dad for the times we had to drive him to the airport though I only cried over it only as a kid. 

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?  Andi.

Has anyone ever told you they were in love with you?  Yes.

Pretending to “never get the text” from someone who annoys you. Is that you?  Not really. I reply, just not quickly enough.

If your ex came up to you and asked you to take them back, what would you say?  Honest to god I would probably be smug about it, and ask what led to the sudden change of mind. I’m doing too okay now to entertain the request though, so idk if I would agree to it or not because I’ve worked pretty hard to get here.

Do you prefer boys to shave down there? I wouldn’t know; I’ve never been with a guy before so I haven’t really had a chance to establish a preference.

How much does your mother know about your sex life (or lack thereof)? Nothing.

Do you enjoy watching cooking shows?  I have my moods. I prefer my cooking shows on YouTube, though.

Do you worry about gaining weight?  No.

Have you ever seen the movie A Walk to Remember? Cliche or worth watching?  Yeah the acting was so fucking cheesy the first 5 minutes the only thing left for me to do was gag. What’s one event your town has that you don’t like to participate in?  They don’t really organize stuff here, or if they do I never join them to begin with.

Are any of your siblings married? What are their spouses' names?  Nope. I know my sister doesn’t want to get married + I don’t speak to my brother, so I dunno if I’ll ever have any in-laws tbh.

Do you like being home alone or does it freak you out?  Well obviously I crave it these days, so it actually feels nice when everyone in the family has errands to run on the same day.

Did you lose friends when you started dating someone?  I lost Sofie, but I also blame college life for that loss.

Did you leave milk and cookies for Santa when you were little?  No.

To who did you last give the finger to?  I haven’t had to flip someone off in a while. I’m guessing just some stupid driver.

Do you talk in your sleep?  Nope. At least I have never been informed that I do.

Do you have a good relationship with your parents?  It’s civil enough for the house to stay quiet most days, but it’s nothing excellent.

Have you ever been a featured member on any website?  I don’t think so.

Do you feel that your previous relationships were a waste of time?  Yes.

Do you prefer hot chocolate with or without marshmallows?  Without. I HAAAAAATE marshmallows.

Which do you like better: Regular cakes or cookie cakes?  I never got the point of cookie cakes tbh lol.

Have you ever been hit by the opposite sex?  No.

If your significant other cheated on you, would you take them back?  I know I definitely have the capacity to be dumb enough to do this, but it would also depend on how invested I am in the person.

What was the last song you listened to?  I'm currently listening to a slowed down version of Jungkook’s cover of Biebs’ 2U. 4 AM things.

What do you look for most in a friendship?  I’ve answered this question on a previous survey, same with a few of the following questions.

[trivialqueen]

Here’s the next section of that original story.

As always, I’m neither a doctor, nor British.  I’m just a girl who fancies herself a writer and likes slow burns, smart women, and tall men.

Run

Wandering the hospital was one of her favorite pass times when she worked overnights. The energy was so different. The usually busy wards peaceful and quiet, most of the staff gone for the day. It was an eerie, liminal energy, like at any moment she might turn a corner and cross into a different dimension. It was part of what made her sign up for more than her required nightshifts. Eerie it might be, but she loved the vibe of overnights. Plus, it was a good time for her to catch up on paperwork. No electives, no emails, no distractions. Walking the silent wards provided welcome breaks from the mountains of paperwork on her desk. Swaths of productive time were great, but it also made her back ache.

There was a light on in Irene’s breakroom. It cast a long beam from under the door. When she’d checked the weekend schedule, she’d noted that Doug was the register on that night, but she’d not bothered checking who was the GS specialist working alongside them. Quietly she opened the door.

“Helvetes jävla fanskap!” Sofia Grace didn’t know what to process first: The fact she was stuck on nightshift with Björn the Slasher; the fact she’d managed to startle him so badly he both jumped and swore; or the fact that he was by his own standards practically naked. Magnusson was standing at the sink, his jacket and tie draped over a chair, dress shirt in his hands as he attempted to spot clean what appeared to be pen from the fabric. His belt was undone, slacks unbuttoned, and a tee style undershirt was stretched tight across his broad shoulders. Given his usual reserve and the circumstances Sofia Grace felt herself blush on his behalf.

“Ms. Hale, I apologize for, well… all of this.” He was at a loss for words, blushing scarlet and clearly wishing he was dead.

“Usually you’re the one to do the sneaking up, not the other way around.”

“Quite so.” For a moment they could only stare at one another, stain remover pen hanging limply from Magnusson’s long fingers.

“Coffee?” She focused on the single serve coffee machine behind him. It felt too rude to just turn and walk away from him, even if she’d prefer to not have to socialize with the unpleasant Swedish surgeon.

“No, thank you. I never acquired a taste for it.” From the corner of her eye she could see his shoulders relax once she was focused elsewhere. He carefully returned to the stain on his shirt.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those people that doesn’t do caffeine.” They didn’t have anything in common already, but not even chemical addiction? He scoffed.

“Certainly not. I find a well-made Assam or Darjeeling does an adequate job in perking me up without tasting phenolic.”

“Would it be trite of me to say that you’ve just not been drinking the right coffee?” Not that any of the coffees on offer in Irene’s breakroom were the right sort.

“Very.” He almost sounded amused.

“I might have thought you’d use your position as DOS to get out of working overnight.” Charlotte used to, although she was a single mother with two younger kids.

“Then you clearly don’t know me very well.” She ground her teeth, bracing for a lecture about leadership or personal responsibility. “I love the nightshift.”

“Really?” he was holding up his dress shirt now, inspecting it for any lingering ink.

“Really. The hospital is finally ours again, all the pencil pushers and bean counters have gone home.” She couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Quiet, calm, a little eerie,” She turned to shoot him a smile as he shrugged on his now slightly damp collared shirt. “Plus, a more casual dress code.” He glowered at her, long fingers buttoning his shirt, bottom to top.

“Not on purpose, I assure you.” The machine spluttered the last of the coffee into the paper cup.

“Suit yourself.” She shrugged, “But ditching the tie on occasion won’t kill you.” She preferred to wear more professional clothes during the day. It helped underline her status as a specialist and a surgeon, even if some of the dinosaurs still treated her worse than a nurse. However, last nightshift they’d had office chair races down the fifth-floor corridor. Her flats, skinny jeans, and blazer combo was more than adequate.

“I’ll take it under advisement.” He said while retying his tie. She sipped her coffee rather than let him see her amusement.

“Well, I best get back to my office.” She moved to the door. That was quite enough socializing for the evening. “You’ll be pleased to know I eventually get caught up on my paperwork.”

“I never doubted you.” His smile was almost sincere, it made her pause, turn back over her shoulder to look up at him. He was younger looking in this light, the lines of his face relaxed. Without his glasses on it was easy to see his smart, dark eyes. Strong brows, dignified nose, high cheekbones. He was a handsome man, damnit, even if he was also authoritarian and unpleasant.

“The best place to watch the sunrise is the roof. The north stairs have direct access.” She had no idea why she said that, the roof was her place. Catching sunrise after a nightshift was one of her traditions. She’d pop up and sit with her coffee, legs dangling over the edge, enjoying the soft glow of morning breaking in shades of lavender and gold over the skyline.

“The roof is restricted access.”

“Wenn d’ moisch.”

It was common enough for patients on the ward to need emergency surgery in the middle of the night – which was why registers and consultants are required to do a nightshift, but it was not so common that should emergency surgery but required it didn’t spread through the reduced staff. Which is how Felix learned Ms. Hale and Doug MacLiam had taken one of their CT patients into theatre.

He could faintly hear the scream of guitars before he even entered the scrub room. Black Sabbath if he had a guess, but hard rock was never his strong suit.

“Care for some company?” Much like their first meeting Ms. Hale didn’t look up from what she was doing, even to speak to him.

“Knock yourself out.” Was all she said, before rattling off a list of instructions to both MacLiam and the nightshift surgical nurse, both of whom seemed to hesitate under his gaze.

“Mr. Magnusson.” MacLiam’s brogue was slightly unsteady. Fearful. Contrary to popular belief, Felix did not thrive off the fear of others and rarely intended to terrorize. It just worked out that way. “I had no idea you would be joining us tonight.”

“Should I have RSVP’d?” MacLiam was a competent enough surgeon and doctor by all accounts, but he did have an annoying habit of saying empty sentences.  “Might you have chosen something a little less…screaming” the song had changed, even though he wasn’t an avid rock or metal fan he would still recognize AC/DC anywhere.

“The playlist was my choice.” Hale announced, “Doug’s a little too country, I’m much more rock and roll.”

“and here I thought Handel was more your speed.” He didn’t like operating with music on but playing something operatic could improve all the required paperwork his job brought. The Sonata 5 was a personal favorite.

“I’m just like an onion, Mr. M.”

“you make people cry?” MacLiam teased. Hale did look up at that, giving the Irishman an amused look, her eyes dancing. She never looked at him like that. In fact, thus far she’d not looked at him at all.

“Cheeky!” She laughed. “I’ve got layers.”

She’s like a leather brand too much for any man she gives me the first degree she really satisfies me…

As much as he hated to draw on something like AC/DC they were undeniably correct. Sofia Grace Hale did indeed have rhythm. He could see her carefully work on the monitor, how she deftly wielding her tools. It was easy to forget her maverick streak when watching her hands.

“Sheiße!” Things had been going so smoothly. “Puncture – the artery is damaged and he’s bleeding into the pleura.” Felix felt himself snap out of his passive observer role.  

“Right. We need to repair the artery. I’ll need an oscillating saw.” Cutting through the cavity and opening the chest more folly would provide the necessary, most efficient access. Ms. Hale finally did look at him. Her coffee colored eyes weren’t spitting hellfire at him for once, but they were stony and quite serious.

“If you cut through the collar bone, he’ll need an awful lot of time off work to recover.” The surgical tech handed him the saw wordlessly. Non-invasive procedures and working mostly with the stomach, intestines, and not chest cavity he so rarely got to use power tools in his work.

“We need to repair the artery, do we not?” Magnusson didn’t understand why she was hesitating. The man was bleeding profusely, and she was worrying about recovery time, not the blood in the pleura.

“Yeah, I need some room, but slicing through his collar bone means he’ll never be able to lift another stockpot as long as he lives.” She raised a challenging brow. It was a nice sentiment but unavoidable. He flipped the saw on, it buzzed in perfect time with Chop Suey!

“Oi!” There it was, the indignant spark in her eyes. “Enough with the saw, Dr. Leatherface.” She stared at him, hard, until he turned the saw off. “Thank you. Now, I know you think you know everything but I’m the CT specialist here.” Beside her he could hear MacLiam whisper “Damn”. Hale ignored him; her eyes still locked with his. “I do need some room, but I can get to the artery another way, if you’d just give me two seconds.”

“This better be good.” She spoke with such confidence, such defiance he was now intrigued to see what she felt she could do.

“Hand me my wooden spoon, please.” She nodded toward the tray. It was the first that he noticed the wooden cooking spoon amongst the sleek scalpels, forceps, and needle holders. It looked ridiculous. “My mentor back at Stanford always kept one on hand and I adopted his habit.” Carefully she placed the handle of the spoon as far under the subclavian artery as she could, moving it out of the way. “Could you hold that there, please?” She nodded toward the end of the spoon. He had seen plenty of surgical tricks in his day, even performed a few himself with sterile drawing pins, but this was a first, even for him. The spoon opened up the area a bit more and considering her small hands and how efficient she was with her sutures it was enough room for her.

“Father into your hands, I commend my spirit/ Father into your hands/ why have you forsaken me/ In your eyes forsaken me/ In your thoughts forsaken me/ In your heart forsaken, me oh…” She sang brightly along with the lyrics as she stitched, which made for an odd (and oddly charming) juxtaposition.

“aanndd… cut.” MacLiam snipped the suture. “Lovely!” Despite the mask it was clear she was beaming. “you can take the spoon out now, Mr. M. Gently.” He did as he was told, slowly lowing the subclavian back to its proper position.

“Holy Shit.” MacLiam was staring in open admiration. Felix agreed whole heartedly.

“It’s old school but it works.” She shrugged, calling for the necessities for closing up.

“It’s impressive.” He couldn’t keep the awe from his voice, nor did he try. She was perhaps the single most intriguing surgeon he had ever met. Her head shot up, eyes wide with surprise, from behind her mask he could tell her mouth had fallen open.

“It’s why we call her the Queen of Hearts.” MacLiam declared proudly, continuing to close the patient up when her hands stilled.

Sofia Grace laced her running shoes tightly, another successful surgery without the usual release. So she had to chase it. Quite literally. The hospital gym was a small corner of the basement. It had a handful of cardio machines, free weights, a speedbag, and a janky TV off in a corner. It was rarely full, even during the day. At night it was always dead.

Except for when it wasn’t.

Felix Magnusson was not half as imposing dressed in an ill-fitting tee and nylon shorts. Outside of his tailored suits he didn’t even seem as tall. The shirt was boxy and hung straight from his shoulder disguising his trimmed waist and perfect V proportions. His legs were muscular – he was clearly an avid runner, but even with those muscles his legs looked thin and lanky. His ass was nice though, and not completely concealed beneath the baggy top.

Of course he runs.

Of course he runs now.

She pushed her hair out of her face and jammed her earbuds in. She would focus on her run, her euphoria, and finishing her shift, wide awake and happy.

Headphones in, Led Zeppelin playing, gradient set and pace determined - 6:30/mile. Usually it was enough to get her in the zone.

God he’s got big, dumb feet. From the corner of her eye she could see him trip over them.

As much as he loved the nightshift, staying up was never his strength. Running was the best way he knew to stave off drowsiness and get him to see morning light without resorting to napping in his office. The gym was small and mismatched but serviceable. Since coming to Saint Sebastian’s he’d taken advantage of the facilities at various points and each time it’d been empty when he started, during, and after he finished his run. A veritable ghost town. It’d been lovely.  

It was no more.

He could just see her out of the corner of his eye stretching beside the treadmill furthest from him. Ms. Hale being a runner made complete sense giving the beauty that was her legs. Quite a bit of those gams were on display given the obscenely short spandex shorts she wore. The rest of her outfit was equally as ‘modest’; her shoes and sports bra were the same shade of florescent pink. He knew of the latter because the sleeves of her tee shirt had not just been cut off, but cutout, the hole extending hallway down her body, showing her sports bra and ribs every time her arms moved. Not even Dr. Dre reminding him that “Bitches ain’t shit” could dislodge the images of her legs from behind his eyelids.

The morning air was chilly, especially on bare feet. While she had no fear of heights herself, she did have a paranoia about dropping something over the edge. Like her shoes. She kicked her legs over the edge of the roof. Leaning on the rail she felt herself smile as the first glowing rays of light peaked over the skyline. Another successful shift, another beautiful sunrise.

“Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day-”

“You’ve got a beautiful feeling?” The voice behind her was jarring, and for a dizzying moment she almost regretted her daredevil habit of living – and sitting – on the edge.

“The roof is restricted access.” She parroted back to him. Magnusson was back in his suit and looked at least seven foot seven as she sat on the ground. He smirked at her over the rim of his teacup.

“I see you share my fondness for restricted areas.”

“Rules were never really my strong suit.”

“Clearly.” He approached the rail beside her, mindful of her shoes and beloved Wonder Woman mug. Those big, dumb feet crunched across the sparsely graveled roof came to a stop beside her. The oxfords were shiny, she expected no less. For a long time, they were silent, soaking in the morning’s glory together.

“You’re shivering.” She was too, damnit. If it was darkest just before dawn, it was also coldest. At midday the weather was still lovely, between eleven and fourteen degrees. It was, however, quite chilly otherwise. Barefoot and her blazer was no match for the coming autumn, even with a cup of coffee thickening her blood.

“It’s a bit fresh.”

“I can hear your teeth chattering.” A long hand came into view. “Perhaps it’s time to go in.” She turned and looked up at him, squinting against the new risen sun. He was stooped slightly, like a giraffe trying to drink. He looked ridiculous, if oddly charming, damn him.

She handed him her mug before leveraging herself up with the railing. He barely escaped being hit in the face with her sudden standing. He was still so close, his broad chest radiating a heat she could feel through her own blazer. His dark eyes seamlessly shifted from looking at her to taking in the mug she’d unceremoniously dumped in his hand.

“Here’s to strong women,” He read, vintage Wonder Woman peeking through his long fingers.

“May we know them; May we be them; May we raise them.” She finished. It was her favorite mug, one of her dearest possessions for over ten years. Her godfather had given it to her when she’d left for Tübingen all those years before. It was amazing that it was in as good of condition as it was, though she supposed it helped that she didn’t wash it that often.

“A noble goal.” He made to hand her back the cup as she bent to put her flats back on.

“Jävlar!” Coffee sloshed across the front of his white collared shirt. Thankfully it was now only tepid at best, but it was dark and strong.

“Sheiße!” She dropped her shoe, reflexively reaching like she could fix this problem. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s no problem, Ms. Hale.” Magnusson answered, primly, handing her the mug back. It was then she realized her hand was splayed on his chest. Considering how warm he was under her palm, the analogy of pulling one’s hand back as if was burned was only partial exaggeration.

“It seems we’ve come full circle.” She was blushing scarlet and he had a stain on his shirt.

“Indeed,” Magnusson smoothly buttoned his jacket, covering the spot. “However, my night is over, so I may deal with this at home, not Irene’s breakroom.” They left the roof in awkward silence, which didn’t end until she reached her floor and he wished her a nice Sunday. Back in her office Sofia leaned heavily against her door, running a hand through her hair. Nightshifts always had an eerie, liminal energy, like she just might cross into another dimension.  And maybe last night she had.

[your-dietician]

Inside the journey of Notre Dame's David Adams and life after football

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/ncaa-football/inside-the-journey-of-notre-dames-david-adams-and-life-after-football/

Inside the journey of Notre Dame's David Adams and life after football

The magic is in his story now, in the climb that couldn’t reignite the smothered dream but perhaps launched something even better.

Even if it looks and feels like limbo at the moment.

Four months in the NCAA transfer portal for former Notre Dame linebacker David Adams produced curiosity from three Power 5 schools and slightly more than that from roughly half the schools in the Mid-American Conference and a handful of programs from the FCS.

During that same stretch, he also muscled up impressively, completed his final 10 hours of coursework for his ND degree in business as an Econ major and contracted COVID-19 twice in a 90-day span — the reinfection in April serious enough to send Adams to the hospital twice.

► More:Notre Dame athletes embrace NIL opportunities on first day of new NCAA policy

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A litany of injuries that coaxed Adams to accept a medical disqualification at the end of his freshman year, before he could ever take a snap in a college game, was also the lingering reality that ended the comeback and prompted Adams to remove himself from the portal without a landing spot on June 14.

The original inventory of ailments Adams brought with him from Pittsburgh Central Catholic High included multiple concussions, a torn labrum of each shoulder, a torn elbow ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee, cracked knee cartilage, a knee hyperextension that required surgery, patellar tendinitis and four broken fingers.

That doesn’t count breaking both ankles during his AAU basketball days.

“I both wanted to try the comeback and needed to do it,” Adams said. “Wanted to, because I love football. I love the game. I love making tackles. I love playing defense.

“I needed to, because whether it was actually going to happen or it wasn’t, I’d get closure on this chapter in my life. If it didn’t work out, I’d get closure at the very least.”

What comes next is what the 4-for-40 mantra that Notre Dame bakes into its recruiting pitch really looks like in the real world in real time.

The gift in Adams having it thrust upon him at age 20 and reinforced at age 23 is his reaction to it.

The uncertainty of tomorrow doesn’t bother him, because the resolve and ambition that have been building inside of him are being channeled this summer into something truly inspiring.

“I’ve been stuttering my entire life,” Adams said. “Before I go looking for a job, I’m giving it my full attention. I’ve never had the time to do that before. I have it now and the belief I can overcome it.

“That’s my No. 1 focus right now. Well, that and my golf game.”

He’s working with Arthur Joseph, a renowned author, teacher, communication strategist and voice coach.

“I know it’s not going to go away overnight,” Adams said. “I’m just hoping I’m going to gain some more control for now. 

“There’s a lot of people who have had it. Joe Biden. Tiger Woods had a stutter. Shaquille O’Neal had a stutter. He told stories about when he was in school, where he’d be called on to read and he couldn’t get any of his words out, and everyone would just laugh at him.

“I know how that feels. I also know it can be overcome. It’s time to give it everything I have.”

What might have been

On a November Friday night in 2015, with a road game at Pitt set for the next day, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and four assistant coaches clustered on the sideline to be seen at — every bit as much as to see — Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s WPIAL Class AAAA home playoff game with Upper St. Clair.

The targets of their efforts were Adams, at the time a junior and ranked as one of the top five linebackers nationally by Rivals and third by 247Sports, and senior defensive back Damar Hamlin, who’d eventually land at Pitt. 

Emerging as another player of interest following the 49-0 romp by PCC was an unheralded three-star defensive lineman named Kurt Hinish.

To put in perspective of what an ascending prospect Adams was at the time, the Irish allocated just one assistant — then-QBs coach Mike Sanford — to venture 20 miles north to Pine-Richland High School that same night to scout a vaunted sophomore QB named Phil Jurkovec, to whom the Irish offered a scholarship the very next day.

Adams verbally committed to the Irish the following March, and Hinish two days later. 

“I love my hometown, but I wanted to get out of my box,” Adams said. “I wanted to take the hard road. I wanted to challenge myself athletically and academically. I wanted to grow as a person.

“I had never been to Indiana until I took a visit there. I didn’t even know … I just heard it was a bunch of cornfields.

“And it is a bunch of cornfields — and so much more.”

In the fall of 2016, though, Adams’ preferred hard road took on added and unwelcome dimensions. The injuries began to accrue during his high school senior season, and he played right through them and the pain that came with them.

He did so to the point where Pittsburgh Steelers head orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Bradley, upon examining Adams, said that he had been misdiagnosed and that one of his shoulders was actually “hanging by a thread.”

The consensus top 100 prospect nationally, unsurprisingly, began to fade in the recruiting rankings. By the time he signed with the Irish in February of 2017, Adams was a three-star prospect.

By the time he enrolled at Notre Dame in June, he was a constant in the Irish football training room, seeking treatment, rehab and hope. When the 2017 season rolled around, he not only didn’t play, he wasn’t even allowed to suit up for the games.

Over the next few months, head athletic trainer Rob Hunt, team physician Dr. Matt Leiszler, special teams coach Brian Polian and defensive coordinator Clark Lea each pulled Adams aside and tried to gauge if he really wanted to continue to try to play football.

Each time it took him aback a little bit. But when Kelly brought Adams into his office for a one-on-one at the end of his freshman spring semester, in 2018, it had a different vibe to it.

“He pretty much said the player he recruited out of high school would have played a lot of football for us,” Adams related. “But, he said, ‘Your body has changed a lot since then, and I’m worried about your health.’ 

“That was very hard for me to hear, knowing everything I had put in since I was a young kid. I finally get to this high level, and I wanted to go even higher.

“I obviously had NFL aspirations, All-American aspirations, everything. But to hear that after my freshman spring ball was very difficult, because it wasn’t something where he says to me, ‘You’re just not playing good. You need to step it up.’ 

“In that case, I adapt, I get better. In this case, there wasn’t a whole lot I could do, because of my body. So it was tough.”

Adams stayed home that summer, not sure he’d ever be back.

“They left it open — ‘We would love to have you back’ and ‘you’re always welcome’ — that type of stuff,” Adams said. “But that summer was very hard. 

“Then I came back in the fall. Initially I didn’t plan on going around the football team. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but I thought it would be too hard emotionally. After I got back, I realized it was even harder to be away from it. 

“I’ll always remember this. When I got back my sophomore year, I heard the band playing one day. And it was just like, ‘Wow, I’m back here. All my dreams are now shot. I don’t really know what to do. It’s hard being here and hard being away. But it’s harder being away from football.’

“So I decided I definitely wanted to go back and help out any way I can and hang with all my good friends.”

During Notre Dame’s 2018 playoff run Adams, then a sophomore, attended every practice and every home game. He watched film and made breakout tapes of ND’s opponents for Lea and senior defensive analyst Nick Lezynski.

He’d help oversee the scout team defense in practice. He’d help organize meetings.

“David was a throwback, in a sense,” Kelly reflected last week. “He was a downhill, knock-you-in-the-mouth linebacker. That’s how he played the game. So to have the game pulled from him so early in his career, a lot of people can’t handle the void. 

“On top of that, David had to deal with his speech impediment. He already had a challenge in front of him as it was. And I don’t know that there’s anybody I’ve ever met that has handled it quite as well as David did, given all the things that could and probably did go against him.”

Making a difference

The function of medical disqualifications/hardships is to allow players to remain on scholarship and finish their education without it counting against the team’s 85-max scholarship limit imposed by the NCAA.

It’s college football’s Mulligan.

But Adams never personified that. He counted and mattered off the field, and at a particularly critical juncture.

In 2016, the Irish cratered and went 4-8. Kelly responded with a coaching staff makeover, lots of self-reflection and a reboot of his entire philosophies when it came to the way he related to his players and how he ran his program.

None of which plays well in the cut-throat recruiting arena.

After wide receiver Michael Young’s July 20, 2016, verbal commitment, the Irish whiffed on every opportunity to add to the class through the end of the second-losingest season in Notre Dame history.

There were also a Kelly Era-high six decommitments in the cycle, including linebacker Pete Werner and cornerback Paulson Adebo, eventual stars at Ohio State and Stanford, respectively. Over the other 11 completed recruiting cycles the Irish have had 15 decommitments combined.

“Decommitting never crossed my mind,” Adams said. “I knew what Notre Dame had to offer and it’s sports, you know. Everybody has bad years. And so it was, ‘Ok, they’re having a bad year. I’m sure they might make some changes in the offseason.’ I didn’t waver at all. 

“I know some guys, who are on the team now and who have already graduated, and a few of them did waver a little bit. And me, along with others, tried our best to hold it together.

“I believe I was the first defensive commit in the class, so I took pride in trying to hold things together, making sure we got the best class possible.”

They also helped reverse the momentum late in the cycle.

Notre Dame broke the drought with the December commitment of offensive lineman Aaron Banks and closed with six commitments in the final week before signing day. Three of them, including future All-American Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, made their decisions on the actual National Signing Day, in February.

Four years later, the group reached graduation day with the same number of losses in four years combined as the 2016 team amassed in one (8). With it, that class helped fashion 43 wins and the first two playoff appearances in Notre Dame history.

And on Nov. 7, they played their part in upending No. 1 Clemson, 47-40 in double-overtime, at Notre Dame Stadium for the first victory by the Irish over a top-ranked team in 27 years.

“The memories are special — I’m glad I have those,” Adams said. “The people are even more special. Coach (Mike) Elston, coach Kelly. There are so many of them. They make a difference in who you become. Now I want to do that for other people.

“I don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, but I know my decision to come to Notre Dame was the right one. Football was my Plan A. My Plan B — if it doesn’t work out — I have an economics degree from one of the best universities in the world. I couldn’t go wrong either way. 

“I wanted Plan A more than anything, but I ended up getting Plan B. So yeah, I’m happy. Going to Notre Dame is going to help me in a lot of ways in my life — with opportunities. Our alumni are very strong in helping each other out. 

“The beautiful thing is when you know you have people in your corner. It makes you feel like you can still dream and accomplish anything.”

Follow ND Insider Eric Hansen on Twitter: @ehansenNDI

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[artlessictoan]

ICTOAN’s Big ol’ Planned Fic Masterlist:

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, but now’s as good a time as any, so; here’s a list of all the fics I’m currently working on and plan to write in the future! (I’ll keep this list updated any time I finish/start/think up something new and there’ll be a link to this page in my blog header)

I’m hoping that getting myself and other people excited for my planned fics will encourage me to crack on and finish my WIPs

Current WIPs:

Here are all the fics I am currently working on, I’m still trying to find a balance where I can update more regularly without sacrificing quality, I don’t know if I’d be able to work on more than 3-4 fics at a time, but I will probably be experimenting with having five or six on the go at some point – I do tend to get easily distracted and having more fics I can bounce between might actually be easier for me

Like Smoke into the Sand – 50% complete

Breaking the Cycle – N/A (no set plot or plan)

Nice to Meet You – N/A (oneshot collection)

The Fearful Unknown – 25% complete

Heliotropism – 20% complete (very rough guess)

False Starts – On hold until I figure out my.. Feelings on this one

(note that these are rough estimates and I have been known to extend a fic’s planned length by a couple of chapters before, so take these percentages with a grain of salt)

---

Planned Multi-Chap Fics:

My ideas for future fics (in order of when I will most likely start them), they’re mostly still in early stages of development and everything here can and probably will change by the time they actually come out

Next in the Gem AU –

·        Sequel(s) to ATFC

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, NaruHina, HinaGaa, NaruHinaGaa, SakuTema, SakuTemaTen, KakaIru, KankuKiba, InoShikaCho

·        Follows directly off of ATFC, the second act of the overarching LTL plot, will be similar to ATFC but more action and plot oriented

·        There will also be a third fic to follow, along with a few spin-off oneshots/collections

False Starts – 

·        Kase-san fic

·        Pairings: KaseYama, Aroace!Mikawa, maybe others

·        AU setting, the girls never met at school and thus led very different lives, Kase went on to become a star sprinter, but, with her entire life revolving around athletics, as she grows older and her star fades, she finds herself lacking motivation and teetering on the edge of depression, meanwhile Yamada has done exactly what was always expected of her, going to a local college, taking a course she liked but didn’t love and eventually becoming a teacher, never realising the option to follow her passion was even available

·        Story follows Kase as she’s forced into a long-term ‘vacation’ back to her hometown to rehabilitate and rediscover her drive, while there she meets Yamada and they strike up a friendship and eventual romance, helping each other find out what kind of life they really want to live and realising that it’s not too late to try

·         Mid-to-long fic, mostly fluffy, slice-of-life romance, but with exploration of things like depression and mid-life crises, the girls will be about 32-34 in this, possibly a little older

Liquor Bottles and Ukuleles –

·        Pairings: ChoGaa, ShikaTema, SakuKarui, InoTen, ex-LeeGaa, ex-ChoKarui, Aro!Kank

·        Long-ish fic, college AU, Chouji is a happy but lonely student, who has accepted that he’ll never meet ‘The One’, until his best friends shove a cute redhead in his direction, mostly a fluffy romance fic, though there will be some drama

·        Blind!Gaara

·        Lots of close friendships (InoShikaCho, ChoKarui, ChoOmoi, ChoKaruOmoi, InoTema, Sand Sibs)

College AU –

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, HinaMatsu, possible others

·        Short fic, each chap split into two sections, one following Naru/Gaa and one following Hina/Matsu, though they will sometimes intersect, both pairs will be getting equal billing, mostly a sweet and fluffy fic, it might (Might) have some smut (mIGHT)

Ghost Hunter AU –

·        Another series, made up of short stories following a particular character/pairing

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, SakuIno, KakaGai, TemaTen, HinaOmoiCho, ShikaShino, KankFuu, possible others

·        Each fic will be standalone, but will reference other fics in the series (first in series will likely be NaruGaa, then SakuIno), Team 7 are a gang of ghost hunters who travel the country dealing with paranormal activities, meeting all sorts of new people and strange situations along the way

YodoChou Fic –

·        Pairings: YodoChou, probable others

·        Canon-verse, next gen, I’m thinking this fic will be much more similar to the Naruto manga than my other fics with an action adventure story that has ninjas doing ninja stuff, though that doesn’t mean I’m not going to just ignore Everything that happens in Boruto, it’ll be more like the first few arcs of Naruto where the conflicts/stakes are relatively small scale and it’s more about the characters than any big world-shaking events

NaruGaa Gym AU –

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, SakuTema, probable others

·        Short fic, modern AU, Gaara is the sickly noodle boy who is roped into going to the gym with his big sis, where he meets the chipper, chubby gym-bunny Naruto, who peptalks him onto a treadmill and then laughs for ten hours when he Immediately trips over literally nothing and sprains his ankle (and then buys him a coffee to apologise), meanwhile Temari has managed to get into a weightlifting competition with buff lesbian Sakura and it all gets a bit out of hand

InoHina Modern AU – 

·        Pairings: InoHina, NaruHina (kinda), probable others

·        Based on this post

Post-college AU, Ino owns and runs a small boutique, when one day a shy, modest-looking woman comes in and starts browsing the more ‘scanty’ range, quickly picking up on her uncertainty and discomfort as she brings a miniskirt and low-cut tank top to the counter, Ino decides to help her get the guy she’s been mooning over for years (Naruto) by giving her a makeover that works with Hinata’s style, before realizing that she’s totally fallen for her somewhere along the way and now has no idea what to do about it

SakuKarui Modern AU – 

·        Continuation of this drabble

·        Pairings: SakuKarui, HinaTema, KankuShino, SaiFuu, Aro!Gaa, InoCho, NejiLee, OmoiNaru, possible others

Short fic, post-college, Karui is a struggling artist trying to make a living as a recent grad, Sakura is her loving, but delinquent, girlfriend, a med-school dropout, who somehow always manages to get into fights, both dealing with quarter life crises and trying to build a life together

Mythology AU – 

·        Pairings: TemaRui, SakuInoHina, Aro!Ten, KarinFuu, KurotsuFuu, KureKonan, Aro!Yugito, ShizuRin, KaruraKushiMei, ChiyoNade, possible others

·        Continuation of this drabble

Not entirely sure what I want to do for this, but I just really like the idea of exploring the ‘all the nart girls as goddesses of war’ idea somehow, will probably be a short drabble collection, each chap focusing on different characters/relationships, I’d like to keep this to only the girls (though some will be nb in this)

Hospital AU – 

·        Pairings: SakuTema, InoKarin, ChoGaa, KankuKiba, NaruHinaLee, Aro!Shika, ex-TemaTen, ex-NaruSaku

·        Continuation of this drabble

Short fic, real-world setting, most of the gang works at a hospital, centres on surgeon!Sakura and administrative manager!Temari’s mutual unrequited love, and the scheming of their friends who’re trying to get them both to realise how head-over-heels the other is for them, a fluffy comedy with some Sad

Sci-fi AU – 

·        Pairings: HinaMatsu, ShikaNaru, InoChoTema, LeeGaa, NejiTen, KibaRui, ShinoOmoi, KakaGai, AsuKure, Aro!Saku, Aro!Sasu

·        Continuation of this drabble

·        Long-ish fic, (light) sci-fi setting, a team of scientists from all fields is on a (likely one-way) expedition, hoping to push the boundaries of human knowledge and discover more about the galaxy and potential life outside the solar system (without disrupting it if at all possible, I’m really keen to try and keep any colonial themes out of this) sending any knowledge back to Earth to help humanity improve itself, while trapped on a ship with little to no hope of ever returning, the crew build new lives and relationships slowly develop, will probably be a slice-of-life fic with the space stuff just as a background

Will definitely have alien life, but I’m not sure if I want sentient aliens who’re as developed/more developed than humanity, I’d like to keep this to the more “realistic” end of the genre and the focus to be mainly on the crew and their friendships, but thoughts would be welcome!

Olympic Lesbian Shenanigans – ***

·         Pairings: uh, idk actually…… Every Girl x Every Other Girl?

·         Loosely based on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

·         Short-mid length fic, modern au/period setting, a pair of girls (leaning towards Ino and Karin but could go any way at this point) end up on a multi-week cruise ship with the Konoha Ladies Olympic Team (which will somehow include any non-Konoha girls too)……. things get very Gay

·         Possibly smutty?

·         …Probably smutty

·         Purely me-pandering ngl

·         Oh god what am I doing

Spy AU –

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, InoTema, ShikaCho, HinaTen, NejiLee, possible others

·        Long fic, plot-focused action thriller, will likely end up exploring dark themes, but also I might change my mind and go for a more fun 70s spy-thriller type vibe (I’m thinking about making Gaa a trans woman in this one but I’m still kinda unsure? Feedback would be welcome)

Sand Sib Fic –

·        Possible implied NaruGaa and ShikaTema, but the focus will be on the sibs

·        Will probably be similar in style to BTC, following the sand sibs and their relationship as it changes over the years (not sure if I’ll go right from the beginning, or just from the chunin exam arc up to the end of the war arc), going into much more detail about their development since Kishi dgaf about them, especially Gaara’s struggle to change himself after the exams, how and why he got Suna to accept him, Kank and Tem and their very complex relationship with Gaara (and each other) and Gaara’s long recovery from.. y’know. death. I’ll probably diverge from canon in some places (like the Rasa/Gaa reunion during the war)

Samurai AU –

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, SakuHina, TemaTen, KibaIno, ChoKarui, possible others

·        Similar to SITS but more plot-focused, long fic, historical drama, set in Sengoku era Japan (or more likely a version of the Naruto world based heavily on it), no fantasy elements, might get dark in places, the story will mostly be focusing on Naruto, so it might be split into a series or have short spinoff fics focusing on other characters

Jinchuriki Fic –

·        No pairings planned thus far

·        Canon-divergent, after the chunin exams, instead of deciding to become Kazekage, Gaara instead wants to be for the other jinchuriki what Naruto was to him, follows the time-skip with Gaara traveling the continent and inadvertently starting a nomadic jinchuriki tribe, will probably be slice-of-life, though I might also just run with the idea and rewrite the whole Naruto plot based on this (and other) changes, for example:

·        Temari takes the position of Kazekage and her and Kankuro are taking steps to change their village for the better (they’re in regular contact with Gaara and constantly send letters to his new friends reminding them to make sure he eats)

·        Hinata and Neji are both much more active in their goal to destroy their clan’s caste system

·        Sasuke returns to Konoha earlier and him and the other rookies do their own investigating into their village’s long history of reprehensible actions

·        Cut the entire war arc. All of it.

·        Make the conflict less about big grand battles against ultimate evil mcbadguys and more about actually revolutionising the ninja world at its very core

Model AU –

·        Possible pairings: NaruGaa, probable others, it’s all very uncertain

·        ……. Look idk the idea just won’t leave me alone ok?

---

Planned Oneshots:

(Same deal as my planned multi-chaps!)

Narugaa, based on this post, Naruto trips over at a train station one day and ends up cackling uncontrollably on the floor, even as a cute redhead helps him up, the next day a friend shows him a craigslist ad from someone who helped up a laughing man at the train station and was too shy to ask his name at the time but was hoping that he was alright

Narugaa, based on this post, Naruto lives in the same apartment building as The Most Beautiful Man In The World, unfortunately they only ever cross paths when Naruto happens to have horribly embarrassed himself in some way, meanwhile The Most Beautiful Man In The World has been quietly trying to find excuses to see his cute blond neighbor, who must be really confident to not care about that giant salsa stain down the front of his shirt and wow he wished he could be so free and self-assured

Temari-centric oneshot about her strict training and life growing up

InoShikaChoTema, ot4 fluff oneshot

 ---

If there’re any fics I’ve spoken about here that you’d really love to see, then do let me know! I can push the stories with more interest to the top of my agenda, keep in mind though, that I won’t be starting anything new until I’ve at least finished ATFC (possibly SITS too) and that my more ambitious fics will require a lot of pre-production before I’m willing to start them – I spent a good six months doing research for SITS – so fics like the spy au and the samurai au will need a lot more time to get started than, say, a college au

As always, I’m open to requests and if anyone has thoughts on anything I’ve already got planned that they’d like to share, then I’m open to chatting! Almost all of these fics (apart from everything in the LTL series) are still very early in development, so things can change a little, or a lot! I reserve the right to reject ideas that I don’t feel comfortable writing/don’t fit my vision, of course, but I’m pretty opened minded about this stuff, so don’t be afraid to gimme a shout

[einstein-robin-hood-blog]

Untold Tales of Rock and Roll No. 19: Revenge of  the Narcoleptic Bass Player

Sometime during my second year at Number One Rated College, a couple of my ambitious classmates got the idea of recording the various music groups on campus. Ironically, as we speak, Youngest Child is doing this very same thing at her school. Our recording was on vinyl. Hers, however, is probably going to be on some kind of cloud-based semi-encrypted opaque nitrogen bubble format. With club sauce.

THE BEAKS Left to right: H. Payson, Yours Truly, Tireless Caretaker Bride, Sleepy Professor. Photo credit: Ralph Spooner.

So Ambitious Classmates connected with Local Music Producer Dude, who had access to some cutting edge technology: a four track cassette recorder! There weren’t a whole lot of musicians on campus, but they all got in line: solo performers and duos, acapella groups (we had two - they weren’t quite the scourge they have since grown to become), the jazz band, a rock band, and us  - The Beaks. Except we didn’t call ourselves the Beaks. In a brilliant stroke of marketing, we called ourselves Library Incident. In the Supplemental Materials, I’ll explain why this name was the epitome of urbane wit.

The recording sessions began. In the basement of Currier Hall, site of my triumphant life-affirming trombone session, which you will all remember from Untold Tale No. 11. For some of us, recording was new, and there was a bit of a learning curve. Very different than my preferred way of playing music: sitting on a fancy bannister in a marble stairway while people rained down garbage, rotten fruit, and hot clam chowder on me (See, Untold Tale No. 11. BEST UNTOLD TALE EVER). 

There was plenty for me to learn. Apparently, if you make mistakes while recording a song, the machine picks up the mistakes along with the properly played notes. This was long before editing software like ProTools or cloud-based semi-encrypted opaque nitrogen bubble technology. With club sauce. This made things tough for many of us, as playing a song all the way through without making a mistake was a challenge. OK, maybe it was only me.

The recording sessions were a blast. We all hung around together, watching while other folks were recording, offering support, and eating delicious pizza from Constantine’s (See, Untold Tale No. 17. SECOND BEST UNTOLD TALE EVER). Sometimes we’d go late into the night as musicians struggled to get it absolutely perfect because who knew how many dozens of people (family members is more like it) would be listening to these songs.

A PAUSE IN THE NARRATIVE TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO LIVINGSTON TAYLOR: As I sit here trying to recall the events associated with the recording, Chesky Recording artist Livingston Taylor keeps popping into my head. I seem to recall that he was somehow in the picture at the time. He may have been playing on campus and stopped by to give us some advice about recording. Sadly, that advice is now lost to history. Perhaps he was telling us to make sure you have an extremely talented, famous, and successful brother before embarking on your musical career. I’m sorry, that was gratuitously mean. I apologize to all the Livingston Taylor fans out there. Both of them. HEY O!!! Just kidding about being sorry. It’s possible that Livingston Taylor was never there and Dr. Kenning just crossed some neurons for kicks when he was taking the tumor out. Some of those brain surgeons have an impish sense of humor, y’know. In an effort to jog my memory, I’ve been staring at this photograph of Livingston for hours, but nothing is clicking. I’ll give it a few more hours, and then I have to move on. How was your day?

This just in: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 was declared "Livingston Taylor Day" by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker in celebration of Livingston's 50th year of making music. I kid you not. 

As with many things in life, the recording sessions dragged along and eventually moved into the red zone. Local Music Producer Dude probably had other things to do besides listen to me repeatedly murder an E7 chord. Things got a little tense, as he started pushing a group of relatively inexperienced musicians to get it right, please, for the love of Clive Davis. The vibe morphed from “Everything is Beautiful and Your Song is So Good” to “If You Screw Up Again, I Swear I Will Shove That Trombone Up Your Ass.” 

On the night in question, Band That Will Remain Nameless in Effort to Protect the Innocent and I’m Such a Nice Guy and I Think They Know Where I Live was working on their tune. It was the most ambitious song on the record: guitar, bass, keyboard, lead singer, backup singers, and horns. And there were drop outs, breakdowns, and quite a bit of arranging. Towards the end of the song, everything drops out for Quincy to play a bass solo. And yes, I’m familiar with the old joke whose punchline is: “When drums stop, very, very bad. How bad?Bass solo.” That applies here. FORESHADOWING. The tune of Quincy’s bass solo is etched in my mind, because I heard it about 50 times that night. Call me up and I’ll hum it to you. Bum-bum-bum-bum bum-bum bum-bum-bum. MORE FORESHADOWING. A lot of moving parts that had to be done perfectly, or they’d have to go back to the beginning and start all over again.

Eugene O’Neil wrote Long Day’s Journey into Night, but I’m pretty sure he never sat through 25 takes of an eight minute song in one of the cramped practice rooms in the basement of Currier Hall. Wired on cafeteria coffee and pizza grease. And supervised by a local record producer with a large blue throbbing vein in his forehead. Though I’m told there was such a character in early drafts of the play.

On we went, deep into the night. Guitar solo flubbed - STOP; background vocal harmonies off - STOP; singer missed a note - STOP; guitar out of tune - STOP keyboard player too sexy for his shirt - STOP; beat is dragging - STOP; it just doesn’t sound right - STOP; horns out of synch - STOP.

It must’ve been two in the morning when they finally took a break, had some deep breaths, and committed to getting it done right. The next take was perfect: everything in tune, singers hitting notes, groove is snapping along, huge sense of relief comes over the room: we got this. The bass solo is coming up, the band stops on a dime, and all eyes are on Quincy.

Nothing. No sound. Is he masterfully playing with the time, adding a measure or two to make a dramatic entrance? No. There is no joy in Mudville, because Quincy has fallen asleep. Standing up. We weren’t sure until we heard him snoring.

I have no idea what happened next. Local Producer Dude may have had a transient ischemic attack, for all I know. But it eventually got done, because I have ten copies of the record to prove it. 

Next: Untold Tales of Rock and Roll No. 20: Revenge of  the Narcoleptic Bass Player - Supplemental Materials and Study Guide - The Library Incident